Wow, it's been a month since I updated? I promise more timely updates because I really need to get this finished up! Thank you for hanging in there. Just think, one more month until TWD is on again! Yay! Okay, here we go...

"Sure thing, Martinez." Merle said. "You want me to get in the back so you can drive?"

Martinez responded to Merle's remark by poking Daryl's temple with the barrel tip of the Uzi he held. "Don't be a smartass, Merle."

Merle turned his head and looked at Martinez. "I ain't bein' a smartass at all. I was returnin' to Woodbury tonight to give the governor the information he needs in order to set up a takeover of a very interesting house by the lake down the road."

Daryl scowled and turned his head quickly to glare at Merle, the Uzi barrel tip scratching along his cheek almost to his nose. "The fuck, Merle?!" he snapped.

"Awww, comeon Darleena," Merle said and he shrugged. "Did you really think I'd do anything different? That bastard Rick Grimes left me chained to a roof in Atlanta or did you forget that? It's time for some payback!"

"Hey, hey!" Martinez shouted.

"You miserable sonofabitch!" Daryl yelled as he shoved Merle's right arm, paying no attention to the gun barrel now digging into his cheek.

"See?" Merle yelled, "I was right! I was right all along! You really are Grimes' bitch!"

"You two need to shut up before I shoot both of you!" Martinez yelled and he pulled the gun away from Daryl's face and pointed it at Merle and moved it back onto Daryl.

Daryl was furious and totally ignored Martinez and his Uzi.

"It was all a bunch of bullshit, weren't it!?" Daryl snarled. "All this, 'oh, I'm gonna change, be the big brother I shoulda been' was just an act! You said you was bringin' me to the house 'cause you was 'fraid I might die an' you wanted 'em to take care a me!"

Martinez was getting angry and frustrated. Didn't the two Boob Brothers see that he was holding a dangerous weapon on them? He pulled the gun away from Daryl's face and flipped on the safety.

Daryl continued to rage at Merle. "Lyin' bastard! You din't give a shit about me! That ain't why you wanted to come to the house at all! You just wanted to check it out so you could give it up to your psycho cuckoo-ass boss!"

"Enough!" shouted Martinez and he spun the Uzi around and drove the butt of the gun into the left side of Daryl's head.

The pain was sudden and blinding and Daryl cussed and leaned forward with his head in his hands. He felt like he was falling through space and he could hear Merle yelling but it sounded like he was far away.

"No!" Merle yelled. "Don't fuckin' hit 'im the head! It could kill 'im!"

Daryl took a deep breath in the hopes that the extra oxygen would make it to his brain in time to keep him from passing out. "Like you'd fuckin' care," he mumbled groggily as he continued to hold his aching head.

"'Course I fuckin' care…"

Martinez was fed up with the Dixon brothers and their nonsense. "He's fine, Merle, now both of you shut the hell up!" he shrieked.

Daryl winced as Martinez's high pitched scream echoed in the enclosed truck cab.

Martinez held the Uzi with the barrel to Daryl's head again with his right hand. He never took his eyes off Merle as he reached around on the back seat next to him with his left hand. A few seconds later he tossed a pair of handcuffs into Merle's lap and then gripped the Uzi tightly as he held the weapon on Daryl.

"Merle, cuff your brother." he ordered. "Now!"

Merle snorted. "I ain't gonna do that! His wrists is already a mess from when Morey cuffed 'im when he was caught."

"Just cuff him!" Martinez demanded.

Daryl was silent and Merle glared at Martinez.

"Cuff him, dammit," Martinez ordered, louder this time. "Shit, cuff his hands in front a him if it makes you feel better, but just fuckin' cuff him!"

Daryl took another deep breath and brought his wrists together in his lap as he turned his head and looked out the passenger door window.

Merle sputtered and cussed under his breath as he leaned over his bother and fumbled with the handcuffs in his left hand.

Daryl held out his wrists and raised them so Merle could put the handcuffs on him. He didn't speak or turn his head away from the window. He closed his eyes and bit his tongue to keep himself from lashing out at his traitorous, asshole brother.

Daryl was disgusted with himself. He should have known better. Merle had always put Merle first and he'd been a fool to think that Merle had changed. Of course Merle had wanted to go to the house. That way he could get a good look at the layout and see just what they had for weapons and ammunition and if the house was heavily fortified against intruders or if it could easily be taken. He'd been stupid to think Merle had been concerned about him, hell, he had suspected it was too good to be true, but he had so wanted to believe that Merle had changed.

Deep down, Daryl had enjoyed and appreciated the feeling of being looked after and fussed over by Merle. It was the kind of attention he'd always wanted from his older brother when he was a kid. He had idolized Merle when he was growing up and during his childhood he had desperately desired Merle's approval or even a few crumbs of his attention. Merle had always claimed to have looked out for his worthless ass, but that was all talk. Since Merle had discovered him in Woodbury's interrogation room #3, he had actually acted like a protective and concerned big brother. It crushed Daryl to realize that it had all been an act.

Daryl was more distressed that his stupidity had now put the whole group in danger. Merle had come out into the woods with Maggie but Daryl had only seen Merle. Was Merle lying when he said she was back at the house? He had to get out of there and get back to the house to make sure she was okay.

Martinez moved the gun barrel between Merle and Daryl as he instructed Merle to drive up Forest Lake Road. They hadn't driven very far before they came upon a partially burned large tree across the road.

"Looks like we get out and walk from here." Martinez announced.

As the brothers stepped out of the truck Merle grabbed Daryl's broken crossbow.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing with that?" Martinez asked.

"Bringin' it along." Merle answered.

"Drop it." Martinez ordered.

Merle moved to put the weapon back into the truck when Martinez smacked it out of his hands with the Uzi.

"I said drop it." he said.

Merle looked over at Daryl and Daryl looked away from him but Merle had seen the fire in his brother's eyes. Merle couldn't help but smirk. Martinez had just hit the 'start' switch on a ticking time bomb.


Rick had intercepted Maggie and Andrea as they came into the house from the porch to grab the keys to the F150. He immediately shut down their plan to locate and retrieve the Dixon brothers.

Maggie and Andrea argued with him but Rick was adamant. Maggie and Andrea weren't going anywhere. Not yet, anyway. He stood in front of where the two women were seated on one of the sofas in the living room and explained to them that he and Glenn were going to go out looking for Merle and Daryl and that they were not to leave the house.

"Andrea, your shoulder hasn't completely healed and Maggie, you must be exhausted from working with Merle getting trees moved and setting up blockades," Rick explained.

"My shoulder is fine, it's just a little sore." Andrea insisted.

"And I'm not tired at all," Maggie added.

"Just let me handle this!" Rick exclaimed. "Glenn and I will get our gear together and head out in about ten minutes. Okay?"

"I don't see why you won't let us go." Andrea complained. "We're ready to go right now and we're fully capable of…"

"I have my reasons." Rick said.

"So what are they?" Andrea asked. "Is it just because we're women?"

"Look, please don't argue with me." Rick implored. "I just think that Glenn and I should go this time."

"And I think that's dumb!" Andrea exclaimed.

"Andrea!" Rick barked. "What if there are members of Randall's group out there? You know what they are capable of! They won't show you or Maggie any mercy if you're captured. I can't take that risk! I won't allow the women in my group to be put into that kind of danger!"

"Oh, so other kinds of danger are okay." Andrea snapped.

Rick sighed. "No….it's just that….well…. Okay. Straight up. If Glenn and I were unfortunate enough to be captured, we wouldn't be in danger of being raped! Do you get what I'm saying here?"

Maggie sighed and leaned back on the couch.

Andrea smirked. "I don't know Rick, you've got a really cute little ass there."

Rick's mouth dropped open. "Wha…what?" he stuttered.

Andrea shrugged.

Rick turned to Glenn who was seated in one of the leather recliners and smiling like an idiot. "Get your gear together and we'll leave in ten."

"I'll help get your weapons and ammo together," Andrea said as she stood up.

"And I'll try to draw something resembling a map showing where the road blocks are." Maggie added.

Rick looked at Andrea and then at Maggie. "So, that's it? No more arguing from the two of you about not going after Merle and Daryl?"

Andrea and Maggie looked at each other and then back at Rick and Maggie spoke. "No, you made your point. We'll stay here like good girls, but if you aren't back in a decent amount of time, we will be going out, even if it means taking one of the Humvees out of the garage and running it through the fence."

Glenn snorted. "The fence is too strong and anchored in four feet of cement. You'd never get a Hummer through it."

Andrea smiled and clapped Glenn on the shoulder as she walked past him toward the stairs. "Well, then let's hope we don't have to find out." she said.


Martinez walked behind Merle and Daryl, holding the Uzi on them as they trudged through the rain. They walked in the dirt roadway until they reached trees or logs and brush blocking the road and then they detoured around the blockades and continued on. There were burned and fallen trees scattered along the roadside and the smell of smoke still hung in the air.

Merle had been watching Daryl as the two walked. Daryl hadn't spoken to him or even looked in his direction but what concerned Merle more than that was that Daryl's breathing was beginning to sound labored and he was openly shivering.

After walking in silence for what Merle thought was far too long, he spoke. "You okay, Derle?" he asked.

Daryl had been walking with his head lowered and he raised it for a second and glared through the rain at his brother.

Merle could see the intense anger in his brother's eyes before Daryl looked away from him and lowered his head again without speaking.

For a second Merle was concerned that Daryl was angry, but only for a second. Why the hell should Daryl be mad at him? He'd been trying to be a better brother! Couldn't the brat cut him a break? Merle pushed his concerns aside. 'So what.' he thought. 'Let the ungrateful little shit be angry.'

They walked another hundred yards and suddenly Daryl and Merle both could smell the unpleasant odor of burning flesh mixed in with the scent of smoke. The odor of burning human flesh, both decayed and fresh, was something that had become too familiar but it was also something that was impossible to get used to.

Daryl and Merle crinkled their noses at the smell, and the same disgusted expression appeared on both their faces, although they were both unaware of their sibling's identical reaction to the stink.

"Stop right here." Martinez said. They were standing behind the remains of a large burned log across the road. A burned out car stood perpendicular to it and there were six badly burned bodies scattered around near the burned out shell of the car.

"¿Hay alguien aquí?" (Is anyone there?) Martinez called out into the rain.

A voice that Merle recognized as Rodriguez's called back from the woods. "Sí. Yo estoy aquí, hermano." (Yes, I am here, brother.)

Rodriguez and three other men that Merle recognized came out of the woods and surrounded Merle and Daryl and Rodriguez began to speak in Spanish to Martinez.

Daryl stood with his head still lowered and Merle watched his brother with concern. It was still cold enough so that everyone's breath was visible and Merle could see what looked like steam rolling off Daryl's shoulders, back and his head. Daryl was still shivering and Merle was sure he had a fever.

Rodriguez patted Merle on the shoulder and grinned. "Merle, I hope what Martinez just told me is true." he said. "I've really missed you and I know Caesar has, too. We'll get everything ironed out when we get back to Woodbury, si?"

Merle grinned at the man. "I'm sure hopin' so." he said.

The Dixons were lead further down the road to where two large black Navigators and a Ford F350 extended cab pickup truck were parked. As they approached the vehicles, Merle saw that two bound and shackled men were being pushed into the covered cab of the truck.

"Group that was gonna try to attack Woodbury." Martinez said to Merle. "Remember that group, was all guys, leader's name was Dave? Said they wanted to join us?"

"Yeah." Merle said. "I thought somethin' was a bit off 'bout 'em."

"That's what's left of them." Martinez explained. He opened the back door of one of the Navigators and stood back. He looked over at where Daryl had just leaned back against the vehicle. His hands were still shackled in front of him and Martinez could see that the man was shivering. "Merle, there's a few blankets in the cargo area behind the seat. Why don't you lay one down so the seats don't get wet and then throw one over your brother once he's situated back there. He looks cold."

Merle swallowed and nodded and reached into the back for a blanket. He'd always liked Martinez.


The governor's men had captured Dave and five other members of his group and they were making the trip back to Woodbury bound and gagged in the covered bed of the Ford F350. Shumpert was driving the truck with Rodriguez riding shotgun.

Kenny Pearson drove one of the Navigators that carried the other Woodbury men back towards their home and Martinez drove the other one. His only passengers were Merle and Daryl.


Merle had laid a blanket down on the back seat of the Navigator and it was Martinez's plan to have both the Dixon brother's ride in the back. He figured that once Daryl was seated in the back seat, Merle could climb in and throw another blanket around Daryl and keep a brotherly eye on him.

Daryl had other plans, though and had surprised Martinez when he'd gone from quiet and cooperative, lethargic, almost, Martinez thought, to tiger-with-his-tail-on-fire launched straight-from-hell. The man had fought and yelled and cussed and squirmed and kicked. He had rushed at Martinez like a linebacker, shoulders first with his hands still cuffed in front of him and crashed into Martinez, shoving him into the Navigator's quarter panel and putting a good-sized dent in it. Shumpert and Rodriguez had come running from the F350 to help get Daryl under control.

Merle had been equally surprised by Daryl's sudden burst of energy and his stupid attempt to escape. After he, Martinez, Shumpert and Rodriguez had finally managed to wrestle Daryl into the back of the Navigator, Merle had pinned him face down across the back seat. Daryl had yelled and shrieked like a banshee and bucked and flailed about like an angry beached catfish. Merle was at his wit's end. He couldn't hit Daryl so he did the only thing he could think of to shut him up and calm him down. He pinned him to the seat and sat on him.

Daryl tried to unseat Merle but it was no use. His brother's weight only dug his cuffed hands further into his stomach and he started to panic when he found himself immobilized and his lungs compressed by Merle's bulk on top of him.

Merle recognized the signs of what was happening and he leaned down and spoke into Daryl's ear quietly. "You need to calm down little brother."

Shumpert, Rodriguez and Martinez watched nervously from outside the open rear door as Merle spoke to his brother like one would speak to a frightened animal.

"I ain't gonna let no one hurt ya. I know you don't believe me, but I swear it's the truth. Now be still and I'll let you up, but dammit, Daryl, you gotta chill or someone's gonna get nervous and blow your head off."

Daryl took a deep, shuddering breath and Merle patted his shoulder.

"You understand?"

Daryl nodded.

"Okay. I'm gonna let you up, but I mean it, you just chill." Merle said calmly.

He slid off Daryl and pulled him into a sitting position.

Daryl took a deep breath and maneuvered himself around so that he was sitting in the passenger side rear seat pressed up against the door. Martinez had taken care to lock the door and the windows. Daryl had worked up quite a sweat fighting to get away and now it ran down his forehead and into his eyes. The salty droplets burned his eyes, but he couldn't wipe them as his hands were still cuffed. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the window as he tried to catch his breath.

"You alright?" Merle asked.

Daryl didn't answer him. At this point, he didn't think he'd ever want to speak to Merle again in his life, as short as he was afraid it was now going to be.

Daryl didn't react or even open his eyes when Merle slid out of he back seat and Shumpert climbed in. He didn't resist at all when Shumpert reached over to bind his legs with bungee cords as Martinez held the Uzi on him.

The men spoke in low tones to one another and then it was just Daryl and Merle and Martinez in the Navigator. The engine roared to life and the vehicle jerked forward.

Daryl's body ached. It ached all over. His right ankle was throbbing and his shoulders and his back were still complaining about his tuck and roll landing from the large maple tree earlier. His attempted escape from the men of Woodbury and Merle using his back as a chair hadn't helped, either. His head ached and he could feel the heat of a fever radiating from his body. Daryl bit his bottom lip. None of that mattered. Merle had made a deal with that crackpot governor and the group at the lake was in more danger than they knew. That mattered.

He thought of Maggie and in his mind he could see her face as she smiled at him with that beautiful sexy mouth of hers and those big doe gray-green eyes. He worried about what her fate would be. Would the people left at the house figure out what was going on and leave before the house was attacked? He hoped so. He listened to the swish of the windshield wipers and the tapping of the rain against the windows and he hoped to hell Maggie wouldn't try to come after them. They were on their way to Woodbury and he knew what his fate would be once they arrived. Hopefully he could figure out a way to go out fighting and take at least a few of the enemy with him.

How could Merle do this? He swallowed and bit his lower lip as Maggie danced through his mind. He knew he was never going to see her again, but at least he had his memories of her and he swore to himself that he would hold onto those until he took his last breath.