A/N: Again if you aren't caught up with Season 3 this chapter will be completely confusing! I just don't see a point in writing out exactly what's happening on the show because then it makes it less my story so I try to do that as little as possible. This does however have a small exert of the exchange between Daryl and Merle from episode ten. And WOW! You guys had some strong feelings about Naomi's choice to stay and not leave with Daryl! Keep up the feedback and review at the end of the chapter. Thanks for all your support.

Chapter 54

Daryl stood at the back of the hatchback staring at Rick, hoping he'd say something else...change his mind about Merle somehow. "Take care of yer boy...and little ass kicker..."

Rick only nodded.

Daryl waited again for a moment, still waiting for him to say something else...anything...but he didn't...he just looked at Daryl as if he were at a loss but then again so was Daryl. He wanted to get mad...he wanted to not care at all but walking away from Rick and the others felt like one of the hardest things he ever had to do. He wasn't ready to say goodbye to them. He wasn't ready to let go and not know what would happen to them, but they left him no choice. Merle was blood. He might be an asshole but what made up Merle also made up him. Even if they were different. Merle helped them out of Woodbury and he didn't fight Rick in the process. Daryl couldn't understand why that hadn't meant anything to any of them. He knew how much he hated Rick but no one seemed to even recognize what a big deal that was for Merle. And Merle didn't ask him to choose between the group and him...but Rick did...and because of it, there was no choice.

"Come on little brother..." Merle smiled and wrapped his arm around Daryl's shoulder and gave Rick the finger, unbeknownst to Daryl as they walked off. Merle even laughed a little.

"Shut up Merle..." Daryl uttered, not in the mood for Merle's gloating laughter.

"Come on...we'll hunt for food for a bit then find us a place to hold up in...we'll have plenty of time before nightfall." Merle stated as they headed further into the woods.

.

Naomi barely slept. Her head was killing her from Phillip knocking her out. As soon as the sun rose she woke Caleb. "Come on sweetheart...let's see if we can find something to eat and get settled into a new place."

Caleb rubbed his eyes as he struggled to wake up.

They stepped outside the store and Naomi could hear noise coming from the front gate. She headed with Caleb in that direction as a vehicle passed by them. The rear was packed full of belongings.

"Where are they going?" Caleb asked.

"I don't know...but I think we're about to find out." As they approached the main gate they noticed a crowd of people as well as the guards yelling at one another. Everyone was frantic but Naomi noticed Andrea headed towards the gate, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Mom...I don't want to stay here..." Caleb told her.

"I know you don't baby...just..." Naomi was distracted by something out of the corner of her eye and turned her head to see three walkers reaching for a couple heading towards the gate. Both the man and woman screamed as one of the walkers bit into the man's shoulder.

"CALEB..." Naomi grabbed her son and ran to the other side of the street to the grassy area.

"MOM WE DON'T HAVE ANY WEAPONS!" Caleb held tightly onto her wrist.

"I know..." Naomi frantically looked around for anything to use to defend them. She rushed over to a small wooden post sticking out of the ground and kicked it as hard as she could until it gave slightly. She dropped to her knees and dug at the dirt around the base with her hands until she was able to pull it from the ground. One of the walkers started to stumble towards them as Naomi stood up, slinging the post over her shoulder like a baseball bat.

"Watch yourself Caleb...stay behind me..." Naomi stared sternly at the walker as it approached and as soon as it was close enough she swung the post, cracking it in the head. It dropped to the ground but started to get back up. Naomi stood over it and beat in the head until it stopped moving. Hearing two gunshots, she looked up and saw Andrea standing over two walkers and the man that had been bit, pleading for help. Naomi dropped the post and turned around to look at Caleb.

"You alright?" Naomi asked out of breath.

Caleb nodded his head, looking wide eyed. She squatted down in front of him and took hold of his arms. "I know it seems like it isn't safe here but it is...but that doesn't mean we won't see them or have to be cautious...ok? We'll get your knife back...I won't let anything happen to you here."

Naomi and Caleb were both startled by another gunshot as they looked back towards Andrea. Phillip was standing over the man, now silent and motionless. The smoke from the barrel still present. Phillip didn't say a word but coldly turned and went back inside his apartment.

"He lied mom..." Caleb started to get upset but tried his best not to cry.

"What?..." Naomi looked back at Caleb.

The way he looked at her broke her heart. Her son didn't feel safe and it was evident. But she didn't either.

"He lied...Uncle Phillip...he said Daryl didn't want us but he did! He came to get us...Can't we just go back to the prison?" Caleb begged.

"Now you listen to me Caleb..." Naomi cupped his face in her hands. "Listen to me real good...I will try to fix this somehow...I promise but you need to give me some time...alright?"

Caleb nodded his head.

"But in the meantime...I want you to promise me something...promise me you won't talk to Uncle Phillip anymore about the prison or Daryl...it's important...not a peep...he'll get mad at us if he thinks we don't want to stay here so we have to pretend like we do...we have to pretend like we like it here...you and me both...do you understand?"

"Yes mom..." Caleb said softly.

Naomi kissed his face then hugged him tightly.

.

"What's eatin' at ya little brother? Have your buddies at the prison pussified ya so much that yer gonna mope all day long cause ya miss 'em?"

Daryl had tried to focus on hunting but his mind was racing. "Shut up Merle..."

"Man...look at ya...yer loosin' yer skills man...come on now!"

"I said Shut Up!...Besides...it ain't just that...just shut yer trap!"

"Ain't just that huh?...What? Yer cross with me for kickin' yer ass? Hell ya should be used to that by now...we done that since we was kids...ya landed some good ones yerself ya know."

"Ain't that...but if ya keep yer yappin' you'll scare away any chance of gettin' any squirrels..."

Daryl continued to walk ahead in the woods but quickly stopped and turned around once Merle grew silent and he no longer heard his footsteps. Merle was standing completely still just staring at him.

"What?...What's the matter?" Daryl asked.

Merle slowly started to grin and began to laugh. "Awwww no! Don't tell me...let me guess...yer all broken hearted over that woman..."

Daryl scrunched up his face at Merle. "What woman?...What the hell ya talkin' about?"

"Oh you know the one I'm talkin' about...don't try actin' like ya don't...pretty little thing...long dark hair..." Merle started to walk towards Daryl. "And a body..."

"Shut up...ya don't know what yer talkin' about..." Daryl rolled his eyes.

"Naomi...she is somethin' ain't she...I figured out pretty quick the first time she was in Woodbury that she was sweet on you...tell me...what was she like? Hmmm? She a wild screamer or all quiet and rigid?"

Daryl just shook his head and turned away from him. He started walking through the woods trying his best to ignore Merle.

"Come on...tell me...did ya get a little jerk and tug action with that one? She wet yer whistle?...Man I bet she felt goooooood!"

Daryl turned around and stomped towards Merle then shoved his palms hard against his chest. "I SAID SHUT UP!"

Merle's smile quickly turned into a snarl as he stumbled back a few steps. "Don't get yer panties in a bunch there baby brother...that's right...I had forgotten what a pussy ya were with women...betcha didn't even have the nerve to kiss her...hell at least I managed that!"

Daryl glared at Merle, breathing hard. Anger, hurt and resentment coarsed through his veins but he chewed on his bottom lip in attempt to keep from having another outburts.

"Ya don't know what yer talkin' 'bout...besides...it don't matter...she done chose that asshole back there anyhow...said she don't need me or nobody else...well that's just fine cause I sure as hell don't need her or that kid of hers!" Daryl started to walk away from Merle.

"She tell ya that? Ya saw her?" Merle asked.

"Yeah I saw her...just before the shootin' got real bad...tried to get her to come with us but she wouldn't have it..." Daryl didn't bother to look back. "Ain't like it matters now anyhow..."

"Ya know why she said that right?" Merle called out to him.

"I don't really give a shit..." Daryl uttered and walked on.

Merle followed after his brother again but Daryl had gotten a good distance away. "SHE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH OF A CHOICE..."

Daryl stopped and turned around again, waiting for Merle to catch up. "She had every choice...she just chose that psycho..." Daryl told him.

"Yeah...she did...tryin' to protect you...and Officer Friendly and his gang of merry men." Merle told him as Daryl stared coldly at him.

Merle laughed to himself. "Don't get me wrong...she was tryin' to protect that boy and herself too but she didn't see there bein' another way for you or those other assholes yer callin' yer friends."

Daryl began chewing on the skin around his thumbnail. "What the hell are ya talkin' 'bout?"

"Governor...he threatened to kill every last one of ya...you...Rick and all yer other buddies...and Caleb... She knew he had been told 'bout the prison...I don't know exactly what he said to her but whatever it was...she believes he'll follow through and she's right...he won't let her go again...he'd do anything for her to stay, promise her whatever he thinks she wants to hear, although I imagine she's gonna discover there are more strings attached to her stayin' than she expects...or wants...and he'll hold her boy and anyone else over her head to get what he wants."

Daryl's heart sank. Why didn't he figure it out himself? He kept thinking about what she had said over and over. He knew something seemed strange but he was so pissed at her he couldn't figure out what. Now it made sense...she told him to go far away from the prison, to find someplace safe. She was trying to warn him. "Shit..."

"Jokes on her though...cause he's gonna kill every last one of 'em at that prison anyways...if they ain't already dead."

"God Merle! Don't ya give a shit 'bout nobody? We fuckin' left her there!" Daryl shook his head, not knowing if he was more angry at himself or Merle.

"Hey...HEY!...YOU LOOK AT ME!" Merle grabbed him by the collar. "Only person I need to care 'bout is you...you're my family...everyone else can just go to hell..." Merle told him. "Ain't none of 'em done shit for me...why the hell should I lift a finger for them? Huh?"

Daryl jerked away from Merle. "It ain't always 'bout gettin' somethin' Merle! It's about doin' what's right..."

"Ain't no point in tryin' to go and get her...if that's what yer thinkin'...yer out numbered and out gunned. Besides...whether ya believe me or not...if she's there...does what she's told...he won't kill her or her boy...they're safe...for now at least..."

A noise off in the distance caught both their attention.

"Ya hear that?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah...Wild animals gettin' wild..." Merle remarked.

"That's a baby!" Daryl looked around and listened again. Focusing more on the sound this time to be sure.

Merle shook his head. "Oh come on...why don't ya just piss in my ear and tell me it's rainin' too... that there's the sound of couple 'coons making love sweet love, know what I mean?" Merle laughed.

Daryl rushed off ahead of him but Merle followed quickly behind. They came up to a clearing at the edge of a river. Looking downstream they could see a bridge and the sound of a baby crying was now as plain as day.