Hi everybody! New update right here :)

Did you all enjoy the last episode? My goodness...what is up with Rick? Jessie and Rick? mmm...I mean if they stick to her comic book counterpart, she won't make it.

I'm kinda liking Alexandria plot, it has a lot of humour in it.

anyhow...

Time for another Merle and Maddy chapter...Will Merle make it out alive? (Daryl will be back in the next one).


Chapter 52

My heart was still pounding with adrenaline. Lately the only danger I'd encountered was surviving the insanity of other people, but they were just as frightening and dangerous as the undead who roamed the Earth. Why was I still listening to these two people in front of me, if anything I should knock them both out, Merle for being an ass in tricking me and Michonne for wanting to handle this on her own.

"Things are different for your brother." I heard Michonne say. She'd been in Merle's face the moment we hit the main road.

"Rick says jump and he wants to know how high." Merle retorted.

"Rick needs him. He respects him. Didn't ask him to do this little job now, did he? This could have been your shot…with your skills…a whole new beginning. But you choose to stay on the outside. No one is gonna mourn you, not even Daryl." I locked eyes with Michonne as she glanced in the rear view mirror, "He's got a new family."

If this was Michonne's big plan, I was starting to get annoyed.

"Keep trying to get under my skin, I'm gonna cut that tongue out. Your buddies are turning you over… you're as much on the outside as I am, girl."

Michonne shrugged, "Maybe, but once the Governor is done with me-"

"Oh for goodness sake," I exclaimed, "You two are depressing me. Will you both just shut up?!"

I grabbed hold of the driver's seat in front of me and leaned forward, "Just turn the car around. Let's go back and approach this differently."

"Ain't happening." He said firmly.

"We can all go back." Michonne added.

Merle hit the steering wheel, "I can't go back. Don't you understand that?"

"Why?"

The car stopped. I grabbed hold of the seats in front of me. Merle leaned over, his right arm raised to Michonne.

"Merle?"

He moved his arm and cut through the phone cord which held Michonne's hand together.

"You two go back, and get ready for what's next." He leaned over Michonne and pushed the handle, "Go."

For a split second Michonne looked at me, shrugged and stepped out of the car. I stared at Merle with my lips slightly parted and a frown plastered on my brow.

"You can't be serious." I said to him.

"I told you to go." He glanced into the rear view mirror, "There's something I gotta do….on my own."

"No."

"Yes."

"No, I'm not leaving you. You're Daryl's brother. Now maybe that doesn't mean a thing to you, but it means something to me."

"It doesn't matter what happens to me."

"What, because of what Michonne said? Daryl will mourn for you." Merle averted his eyes at the mentioning of his brother.

"Don't be like this. Don't give me this pity party. Whatever you're planning on doing…don't do it on your own." I placed my hand on his shoulder, "Please, Merle."

My grip slipped and I fell back. Merle had stepped on the pedal and we were now driving away. I glanced over the bench through the back window, watching Michonne waving both of her arms.

::::::…::::::

Big Jake's. The sign above the barn type building was partly broken, and the colour seemed to have faded a long time ago. Merle stopped the car nonetheless and went inside the liquor store. After five minutes he was back in the car with a couple of CD's and a bottle of Jack.

In the meantime I had stepped out of the car to get rid of a couple of Walker's who had started to head into our direction. By the time Merle got back I was already sitting in the passenger's seat.

"That's what you had to do, get some scotch and …'Motörhead'?" I took the CD from his hand and checked the cover.

"If I'm gonna die, might as well go in style." Merle commented as he opened the bottle.

"That's your big plan, dying?"

Merle took a big swig of the golden liquid, "Yup. Well, it ain't my intention, but I have this feeling,-"

I grabbed the bottle from Merle and took a sip myself. I never really liked whiskey, but I preferred it over beer. I swallowed and coughed.

"Don't start." I told him before handing him the bottle.

"As I said, toots. There is one thing I have to do and I might not make it…" He placed the whiskey between his legs and opened the Motörhead CD case. The moment he had placed the disc into the player I realized what he was talking about.

"Philip."

"Well aren't you clever." Merle smirked. He pressed the play button and loud music filled the car, and if that wasn't enough Merle decided to roll the window down a couple of inches. Immediately I leaned over him to reach the handle.

"Damn it Merle! Are you insane!?" I cried out as I managed to roll the window back up. When I looked up Merle was laughing.

"You mind staying there for a while?" He wiggled his eyebrows. I quickly crawled backwards.

"You're disgusting."

"Been called worse," He turned up the volume as Walkers started to surround the car.

"I don't get it." I said as I started to feel more nervous every time I glanced out the window, "You're going to try and get rid of Philip, and you decided to take me along for the ride."

Merle shook his head, "That was your doing, toots. You're the one who said 'I ain't leaving'."

I scrunched my nose, "I don't sound like that."

Merle chuckled and raised the bottle to his lips again. This bullshit had taken long enough. I practically yanked the scotch out of Merle's hand and tossed it into the back of the car.

"Ey, what you do that for!" Merle shouted angrily.

"You know why you lured me away from the prison? Because you knew I wouldn't let you off the hook as easily as Michonne did. I know you had no doubts about handing Michonne to Philip, but you wouldn't let him get away with it just like that. No matter what happened to Michonne, you were still going to settle your score with him."

Merle pressed his lips together and breathed through his nose as I went on. You could tell him and Daryl were brothers. These little habits they both shared surprised me every time.

"So what's the plan?" I asked him.

::::::…::::::

It was quite interesting to see the small herd of Walkers following us as we made our way to the same storage silos where Rick and Philip met for the first time. This was the place where Merle was supposed to drop Michonne. I didn't like it. Philip knew this place better than we did. This was his territory. There was no going back now.

"Merle," I started, "What if there's too many of them?"

Merle Dixon shrugged, "We make sure Philip bites the dust and get the heck out of there."

"And if we can't get to him?"

"Get ready to jump!" Merle yelled. Oh shit…

"One, two…THREE!"

I opened my side of the car, jumped out and rolled through the dry grass. Ouch! Man that hurt. I quickly got up and ran after Merle. The car kept on going, as did the music, luring all of the Walkers after it. This plan wasn't solid, but then again most of the plans I was involved in never were.

Merle and I went through a door and entered a room filled with darkness. Only the light from the sun shining through the dusty windows provided us with some light. It didn't take long for the Walkers to reach the Woodbury men. As the Walkers, they had also been attracted by the music coming from the car.

We watched through the window as guns were being fired and Walkers fell to the ground. Merle raised his gun and started to shoot. What was he doing?

"Merle!" I hissed, "Stop it! We can't let them know we're here!"

However, Merle ignored me completely. I cursed and stepped away from the window. Even though I had a weapon on me, I'd be wasting ammo on this if I tried to shoot any of them. Besides the only man we needed to get rid off was Philip. Not any of the others.

I headed to the other side of the room and looked through the window on that side. I spotted Martinez among the other men. Where was Philip?

I jumped at the sound of Merle's voice yelling loudly. I was about to run to his aid when a bright light appeared. The two doors to this building had been opened up. I got down to the ground and watched as Merle fell into the dirt. He was surrounded by Martinez and another one of Philip's men.

Oh no!

"Leave him to me!" A familiar voice entered the scene and Philip appeared, grabbing Merle into a headlock before dragging him back inside. I crawled back hoping no one was able to see me. I tightened my grip on my gun as I watched Philip kick Merle over and over again. Merle managed to hit him and he quickly stood up and grabbed a hold of Philip who at the same time got hold of Merle.

My heart pounded rapidly and I couldn't breathe watching both men fight each other. Merle cried out in pain as Philip dislocated his shoulder followed by another blow to the head.

I couldn't let Philip kill Merle. Only what if I got caught as well? Then we'd both be killed and now I had the opportunity to shoot Philip unexpectedly. If Merle was to die here…What would I tell Daryl? I let your brother take the bullet in order to save my own life?

Suddenly Philip stepped away from Merle. Time froze. Philip's lip was bleeding but it was nothing compared to Merle whose face was covered in blood, his right arm hung loosely next to him.

I made my decision. I had to do this. We protect our own. That's what Rick always said, and Merle was Daryl's brother that counted for something.

"I ain't gonna beg! I ain't begging you!" Merle spat out.

"STOP!" I yelled. I walked out of my hiding spot and aimed my weapon at Philip, "Stay away from him."

"Madison!" Philip smiled and he raised his hands in the air, "I didn't know you were here… I specifically asked for Michonne, not you."

"Leave Merle alone," I repeated.

Philip emitted a low chuckle, "Or what? You're going to shoot me? Come on now, we've gotten past that, haven't we?"

"Shut up!" I cried out, "The deal was you get Michonne. That's it."

Philip pursed his lips, "and where is our dear friend?"

I shook my head, "Not until I have your word that you will let me and Merle leave."

"No." He said. I swallowed the lump that had been in my throat from the moment I stepped into his view.

"Drop the gun!" Martinez appeared next to me and held the end of his rifle next to my head.

"You're willing to risk me shooting your boss?" I told Martinez.

"I will not let you leave." Philip continued, "Every time we meet I seem to lose more people than you do."

I quickly looked at Merle from the corner of my eye. He needed to get out of here. He wouldn't be able to defend himself, with his shoulder dislocated, his face bleeding and his body bruised from the blows he received from Martinez. This was my one shot. I had to kill Philip now, even if Martinez fired at the same time. I could end it right now.

"Give Merle a car." I said, "Give him a car and let him drive off."

"You're in no position to bargain." Philip lowered his arms.

I licked my lips, "You let Merle leave and instead you get me."

"NO!" Merle shouted.

"QUIET!" Philip belted.

"You don't really want Merle or Michonne."

"I don't?"

"No…no it's me you want. I am the reason Sarah got drunk in the first place right? I wasn't sober enough to keep her from getting into that car, which ended in her death. I'm the reason Rick entered Woodbury in the first place. Imaging if that hadn't happened, Penny could still be alive."

I was getting to him. The anger practically dripped of his face. I had played the Sarah and Penny card. If he had no intention of trading my life for that of Merle's, the only option I had left was to shoot him. Which meant neither me nor Merle would make it out alive.

"Beg." Philip said and he nodded at Merle, "Beg me to spare his life."

My hands started to shake and my heart raced at his words. I looked Philip in the eye and realized it that a new way had been given to me. Philip loved feeling in control and he needed to feel in control.

Philip moved swiftly and grabbed hold of Merle before I had the time to respond.

"Come on, Madison! Beg for his life!"


Was that intense? let me know!

R&R :)