Chapter 56

Rick never dreamed he'd be relieved to see Merle but he was. None of them said a word to each other, Rick just looked at Daryl and nodded. Daryl knew they both just saved his neck, he only hoped it was enough to make him tolerate Merle's presence. The next step would be convincing the others.

They followed Rick towards the prison yard. Maggie, Glenn, Hershel, Michonne, Carl, Beth and Carol all stared in shock and silence as they approached. Daryl noticed Glenn step off to the side with Rick, whispering something angrily to him. He didn't have to hear what he said, his imagination was enough.

"Just try Merle...I beggin' ya..." Daryl said softly to his brother.

Merle only grunted as his eyes scanned the group. Carol couldn't help but get emotional seeing Daryl again. She was afraid he had left them for good.

Daryl didn't utter a word to anyone as Glenn stormed off inside and the others soon slowly followed behind. Rick stepped back closer to him, rested his hand on his shoulder.

"I'm glad you're back." Rick told him. "But Merle stays out of the cell block...he can stay in the same area with Michonne."

"Well now...that should be interestin'" Merle remarked overhearing him.

Daryl glared at Merle but Merle only shrugged his shoulders. They entered the building and Rick quickly turned his attention back to Merle.

"Thank you...for what you did out there..." Rick looked him in the eye.

Merle laughed a little to himself. "Don't get too excited...I didn't do it fer you!"

"It doesn't mean I trust you...and keep your distance from Glenn..." Rick walked into the cellblock leaving only Michonne, Carol, Daryl and Merle in the room.

Michonne seemed bound and determined to burn a hole into Merle. Merle only smiled at her as he found a place to sit and relax for a moment.

Carol wrapped her arms around Daryl. "I'm so glad you're back...this is where you belong...with us."

"Everyone alright?" Daryl asked.

"Axel didn't make it..." Carol's eyes filled with tears.

Daryl couldn't help but slightly feel bad for not noticing Axel was missing through the chaos.

"What happened with Caleb and Naomi? Is Caleb alright?" Carol felt obligated to ask about Naomi but Caleb was really the only one she cared about.

Daryl bowed his head and began chewing on his lip.

"Oh my God...no!" Carol covered her mouth with her hand.

Daryl grabbed hold of her upper arm. "It ain't that! I'm sorry...no he's ok...they both are..."

Carol sighed deeply in relief. "Thank God!...but why aren't they with you?"

"Cause she made a deal with the devil!" Merle jumped in.

Carol glanced at Merle for a moment then directed her attention back to Daryl. "What does he mean?"

"She stayed in Woodbury...I don't know exactly...didn't really get a chance to talk about it and she only told Merle a little...but whatever it is she thinks she's protectin' us by stayin'..." Daryl walked over to where Merle was sitting. "Can I leave ya for a bit and not worry what yer doin' while I'm gone?"

Merle just smirked at Daryl then waved him away. Daryl looked back at Carol for a moment. "Gonna talk to the others..."

Carol nodded but stayed out of the cell block with Merle and Michonne sitting on opposite sides of the room having a staring contest. She walked over and sat next to Merle.

"Heard about yer girl...Sorry to hear it..." Merle told her.

Carol seemed surprised Merle was capable of saying anything nice. "Thank you...Daryl did a lot for her...for us both..."

"That when ya started dreamin' 'bout hoppin' on my baby brother's pogo stick?" Merle smirked as Carol looked at him discusted.

"You're a pig...just when I thought there might be hope of a human being in there you remind me how wrong I am!" Carol rolled her eyes.

"Ya sayin' ya don't but I'm only callin' like I see it...you makin' goo goo eyes at him and all..." Merle laughed.

"Let me remind you you're treading on thin ice here...Daryl's grown so much being out of your shadow...he doesn't need you...you're the one that needs him but none of us are going to let you bring him down..."

The smile quickly left Merle's face as he tried his best for Daryl to bite his tongue. "Well...seems Daryl needs me at least to get his girlfriend back! Funny thing...she has a soft spot for me...guess she just has good taste in us Dixon men!"

Merle could tell that got under Carol's skin as she got up and marched herself into the cell block. Merle's gaze landed back on Michonne, her eyes had never left him as she coldly stared.

.

Naomi woke up to find herself alone in the bed in Caleb's room. Her head was still throbbing but she noticed a mug and a bottle of aspirin on the nightstand next to her. Slowly she sat up, grabbing the bottle and dumping two pills in her hand. She washed them down with the now cold tea Milton had brought her. She got up and started to walk towards the living room.

"Caleb?" She called out but the apartment was eerily quiet. As she walked into the living room she noticed Phillip sitting on the couch. He smiled as he noticed her walk into the room but a sense of panic filled her. "Where's my son?"

"Don't worry...he's fine...Milton took him to his laboratory to look around...I wanted to speak with you alone." Phillip replied.

"How long have they been gone? I don't like him being away from me..." Naomi started to head towards the door but Phillip stopped her.

"They'll be fine...if this is going to work you have to learn to trust me again...and you'll also have to let Caleb have some independence. He needs to be strong in this world...but right now I want to talk to you about Andrea..."

"What about her?" Naomi asked.

"I want to know what you told her..." Phillip stepped closer towards her.

Naomi quickly grew more uncomfortable. "I didn't tell her anything."

Phillip gently brushed her hair away from her face. "You clearly told her something...she knew who you were."

"Yes but that was it...what was I suppose to say?" Naomi turned her back towards him.

"Let's make sure it stays that way...Andrea is very...special to me." Phillip grabbed her arm and roughly turned her around. "Any discussions you have with her will be about how much you love it here and how grateful you are we were able to reconnect. If she engages any discussion about the prison group the less you say the better...am I clear?"

Naomi nodded her head, feeling sick to her stomach again.

"Is your head still hurting?" Phillip asked as Naomi realized she was rubbing the back of her head again.

"Yes...no thanks to you." Naomi remarked.

Phillip laughed a little and turned away, heading towards the door. "I must've hit you harder than I thought...why don't you go get yourself checked out by Dr. Stevens before going to get Caleb...tell her you fell and hit your head. She'll make sure you're alright."

.

"And how did this happen again?" Dr. Stevens asked suspiciously.

"I slipped in the bath...is there something to be concerned about?" Naomi asked as she got off the exam table.

"No but you may have a mild concussion...just try to take it easy the next few days...if your headaches get worse or you start vomiting please come see me immediately." The doctor informed her.

"Am I free to go?" Naomi asked.

"Of course...and Naomi...we're glad you're back...you and your son." She smiled at her.

Naomi only nodded then quickly headed towards Milton's laboratory. She didn't bother knocking, she just walked in and was surprised to see Caleb enjoying himself as he and Milton stood around a microscope.

"That's so cool!" Caleb proclaimed.

Milton smiled at him. "See...I told you." He looked up, noticing Naomi. "How are you feeling? We didn't want to wake you so I brought him here...hope that's alright...The Governor said he'd let you know."

"He did...it's fine but next time check with me before you take my son somewhere...please." She knew there was no sense getting angry with Milton. He was only following orders.

.

"You done kissin' and makin' up with yer buddies?" Merle asked as Daryl approached and sat down beside him. "I even kept to myself this whole time...'cept for my little chat with yer old lady in there but for the record she started it!"

"She ain't my old lady..." Daryl remarked.

"Yeah...shoulda known ya can barely handle one woman let alone juggle two!"

"Enough Merle...we got more important things to talk about...like how to handle that prick you were with...I don't buy that's it from him...question is what are we gonna do to put an end to it before we lose anyone else..." Daryl bent his knees into his chest and rested his arms against them as he sat on the floor.

"And how we gonna save Naomi?" Merle looked at him and smiled.

Daryl stared straight ahead, not bothering to answer him. Merle sighed deeply.

"Ya sure ya want to?" He asked.

Daryl looked at Merle confused. "Sure I want to what?"

"Hitch yerself to a woman with a kid?" Merle asked.

"She ain't safe there...you know that...that's all I'm worried 'bout right now...just makin' sure they're both safe." Daryl told him.

Merle and Daryl just sat there in silence for a few minutes. There were many things Merle wanted to say to him. After being apart for so long he thought it would be easier but he found himself unable to say what he really wanted. "So did ya really take care of her kid all those months or did ya pawn the brat off on one of these other losers here?"

"He ain't a brat! Don't ever call him that! And yeah I took care of him!...just like you shoulda..." Daryl stopped himself realizing he was saying more than he meant to.

Merle looked like Daryl had punched him in the stomach. "Like I shoulda done you...that's what ya mean to say ain't it?"

Daryl couldn't help but be surprised at how hurt Merle looked.

"Well fine...I'll just take my sorry ass outside since I'm such a shitty ass brother!" Merle got up and started to walk out but stopped and stomped back over towards Daryl just as he was standing up. "I did plenty for ya! I did take care of ya! Ain't my fault ya don't want to remember..." Merle acted as if he was going to say more but he stopped, turned away from him and walked outside.

"You should be proud of yourself." Daryl heard Carol say. He looked towards the doorway of the cell block and walked over towards her. "You don't need him Daryl...you don't owe him anything...he's not good for you."

"What do you know about it?" Daryl snapped at her as he started to walk past her.

Carol gently grabbed his arm to stop him. "I know how much you've changed and grown...you would've never been able to become the person you really are if he had been with you this whole time trying to control you."

"STOP!...Just...stop...I'm so sick of y'all puttin' down my brother...he's MY brother! And I ain't never turning my back on him...no matter what...IS THAT CLEAR?...TO ALL Y'ALL?" Daryl looked around at all the others listening but everyone just remained quiet, staring at him.

Hershel pulled himself up to standing on his crutches. "No one's asking you to Daryl..."

Daryl felt embarrassed by his little outburst. He left without saying another word.

"Well he's going to have to choose!" Glenn snapped.

Rick stepped next to Glenn. "I don't blame you for being angry..."

"ANGRY DOESN'T CUT IT!" Glenn interrupted. "THIS IS ALL MERLE'S FAULT! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT! HE TRIED TO KILL ME!"

"GLENN!...Get ahold of yourself! No matter what we decide about Merle...and we will decide together...we can't alienate Daryl in the process..." Hershel walked over to him. "We can't afford for him not to come back next time."