Characters are from TWD. I am just writing for fun :)

Nothin'

Author's Note:

This chapter turned out too long, so I decided to split it up (Alice is gonna be headed towards the CDC soon, I promise)!

And sorry for the long update time. I had a busy week and I didn't want to post a chapter with a ton of grammatical errors, so I took some time to reread this chapter.

Also, I would love any feedback you have for me. I have the story planned out, but I can always change something if needed. After the next chapter, I plan to make the story pretty AU. So, let me know if you prefer to see the group split up, stay together, diverge from the episodes in the TV show, or follow the TV show. Let me know what you think :)

Thank you for the favorites, follows, and reviews. And thanks for reading!

Alice watched as Amy put water into the kettle. She hung it over the small fire and sat down next to her, wringing her hands and cracking her knuckles. Both Alice and Amy were worried—the group wasn't back from Atlanta yet and they were supposed to be back yesterday. Alice's hands separated nervously and she began to tap her fingers on her thigh.

A minute later, she stood up and began to pace around the fire. "Maybe they decided to stay an extra day in Atlanta because they found more supplies," Alice told Amy, but her explanation sounded weak even to her own ears.

"Don't worry, girls. It's too early to be alarmed," Dale comforted from his perch on the RV, "Glenn and Andrea are going to be just fine."

Alice continued to pace. Daryl wasn't back from his hunting trip either. She chewed her lip but ignored the pain. He hadn't spoken a single word to her since she had last apologized. Occasionally, she would see him gazing angrily at her, but every time, she caught him staring, he would immediately look away. She cringed, remembering what she had told him…We are something. You mean something to me. What had she been thinking, saying that to Daryl?

Suddenly, a loud, piercing wail filled the air. Alice whipped her head to look up at Dale, fear filling her heart.

"Talk to me, Dale," Shane called, rushing up to the RV, Lori by his side.

"I can't tell yet," Dale announced, looking through his binoculars for the source of the sound.

"Is it them?! Are they back?!" Amy asked, her eyes straining to see the source of the sound.

"I'll be damned," Dale muttered.

"What is it?" Amy asked, her voice slightly shaking.

"A stolen car is my guess," Dale answered.

A minute later, Alice was able to see the source of the high-pitched sound. Coming directly at them, travelling at full speed, was a red sports car. The car screeched to halt.

"It's not a Ferrari, Alice…but it's the best I could do," Glenn called to her over the noise as he got out of the car.

Alice was too relieved to see Glenn back in one piece to even care about the noise. The rest of the group was crowding around Glenn, shouting at him to turn off the siren. Amy was at his left side, bombarding him with questions about Andrea. Glenn threw Alice an apologetic grimace as he got back into the car to pop the hood to allow Jim to turn off the wailing.

"Is Andrea alright? Where is she?" Amy called to Glenn.

"She's okay! She's okay!" Glenn answered after he popped the hood open.

"Is she coming back?" Amy asked again, still yelling to be heard over the noise and commotion.

Jim began to work on disabling the alarm, throwing both Glenn and Amy a dirty look.

"Yes!" Glenn answered, throwing his hands up in frustration.

The noise finally ceased. Alice went to go stand close to Glenn, trying to hide her grin.

"Everybody is fine," Glenn finally told the group, no longer having to yell to be heard.

"Oh, thank God, where is—

Alice's question was interrupted by Shane. "Are you crazy? Driving this wailing bastard up here? Are you trying to draw every walker for miles?"

"Shane!" Alice warned.

"I think we'll be okay," Dale added, giving Glenn a sympathetic nod.

"You call being stupid okay?" Shane asked sarcastically.

"Stop," Alice told the cop, glaring at him.

"Well, the alarm was echoing all over the hills…It's hard to pinpoint the source," Dale rationalized.

Shane frowned at both Alice and Dale, shaking his head.

"I'm not arguing, just saying," Dale said, probably wishing he hadn't spoken when he saw the look Shane gave him. "It wouldn't hurt you to think things through a little more carefully next time, would it?"

"Sorry," Glenn said, looking down at his sneakers in embarrassment. He looked up a second later, flashing Alice a large grin. "But I got us a cool car…right, Alice?"

"That's right!" Alice replied, smiling brightly at her friend and ignoring the disbelieving looks the rest of the group gave them.

"How'd y'all get out of there anyway?" Shane questioned Glenn.

"New guy—he got us out," Glenn replied, pointing at the truck which had just pulled up into the camp.

"New guy?" Shane asked, looking over his shoulder to see what Glenn was pointing at.

"Hey, helicopter boy, come say hello!" Morales called.

Alice also turned to look at the new arrival. He was wearing a cop's uniform and he was staring at Lori with desperation—his eyes were hungrily taking her in. Alice looked at Glenn for an explanation, but she momentarily distracted by Shane's sudden change in countenance. He turned pale, a disbelieving expression passing over his face.

"Oh my God," she heard Lori breathe out suddenly.

"DAD! DAD!"

Holy crap, Alice thought as she saw Carl run into his father's arms, realizing that this was Lori's husband. She watched the family reunited—Lori looked shocked and horrified, but she embraced her husband, briefly looking up to meet Shane's gaze. The back of Alice's neck prickled as she realized the predicament Lori was now in.

"Did ya miss me?" she heard Merle holler at her as he descended from the truck. She rolled her eyes, but waved to him, not bothering to hide her smile. Despite Merle's many flaws, she was relieved to see him back at the camp.

As Merle sauntered over, he shouldered Rick roughly out of the way. Alice gave Glenn another questioning look.

"They were going to leave him chained to a pipe on a roof," Glenn muttered in explanation.

"In the middle of Atlanta?" Alice asked incredulously.

Glenn shrugged, "I convinced T-Dog to uncuff him, but Merle was pissed."

Alice nodded in understanding, "thanks for helping him." Merle was crude, unpredictable, vulgar and rash, but he had saved her and Glenn. Today, obviously Glenn had returned the favor.

The next morning, Alice woke up to the sound of voices speaking outside of her tent. She stretched, enjoying the comfort of the sleeping bag.

"Alice? Glenn?" She heard Lori call to them from outside their tent, "will you guys come out here for a minute?"

She opened her eyes to something nudging her side, "get your foot off of my rib," she grumbled at Glenn, pinching one of his toes. He sat up, his hair completely disheveled. Glenn looked around the tent like he forgot where he was before letting out a sigh and plopping back down onto his sleeping bag.

"Just a minute, Lori!" Alice called back, ruffling Glenn's hair before leaving him in the tent to find Lori and Rick standing outside their tent.

"What can I do for you?" she asked the couple, eyeing Lori carefully, wanting to understand what the woman was going through.

"Lookin' good, Glenn," Rick remarked with a slight smirk when he saw Glenn's disheveled form stumble out of the tent.

"Well, I'm sorry I woke you, but Rick got shot…and he was in a coma. If you're not too busy, would you take a look at him?"

"I'll take a look at you, Rick. Just let me brush my teeth and change," Alice told the man kindly. After changing, her and Glenn ate breakfast and walked down to the water to wash up.

She hummed a tune as she brushed her teeth near the water, noting how chipper she felt after Glenn's arrival. He was brushing his teeth alongside her, humming the same tune, albeit slightly off key.

"I'm glad your back, Glenn," Alice told honestly after she spit out the toothpaste.

He gestured his agreement before also spitting out the toothpaste. "Glad to be back, Doc."

They walked back together to the camp, chatting about the celebrities they predicted had survived before they found Rick eating breakfast with Carl. "Your help is much appreciated doctor," Rick replied in a thick Southern drawl when she walked up to him.

"Step into my office, officer. You're a cop, so I am going to assume your insured," Alice joked, signaling Rick to follow her to her tent, "I'll take you on your word and won't ask for your insurance card."

Rick chuckled as he followed Alice into the tent, "I'm afraid I don't even have a couple of dollars for the co-pay."

"Under the circumstances, I think I'll make an exception," Alice replied, "now, I'm just going to take a look at the gunshot wound and I'll give you a routine physical examination."

She went through the usual motions, explaining to Rick what she was checking as she did so. Last night, she had been shocked to find out what Rick had to go through to find his family. Despite the fact that he was willing to chain Merle to a pipe and leave him on a roof in Atlanta, Rick struck her as honest and fair, so she responded kindly to his questions about her and Glenn's own journey to Georgia.

"Well, officer, you are fit as a fiddle," she finally concluded, "your gunshot wound has healed beautifully."

"Thanks, doctor," Rick replied. "I heard your headin' up to the CDC with Glenn n' the Dixons," Rick continued to speak as he sat up to button his shirt backup.

Alice looked at him carefully, "I am. The camp actually decided to go with us."

"Well, I was thinkin' Fort Benning might be a safer bet for the group."

Alice blinked in surprise before she replied slowly. "Rick, my sister is at the CDC. There is no other bet for me. That's where Glenn and I are going…with or without everyone else."

She was telling the truth. She would leave anyone and anything in order to find Nancy. It didn't matter that Shane and Rick wouldn't go with her. She had Glenn. And she hoped that the Dixons would follow too.

A scream from the woods cut Rick's response off.

"CARL!" Lori screamed from outside the tent.

Rick immediately ran out, his shirt still unbuttoned. Alice picked up her bat, before running after him. She saw Carl run into his mother's arms from behind a tree.

"I'm not bit!" he cried.

Alice squatted down next to Lori and Carl to verify that he wasn't scratched or she was sure he was fine, she followed Shane into the woods. They stopped when they saw the walker that had scared Carl bent over a deer's carcass. She backed away, deciding to stand near Amy and Andrea instead of aiding the men. She winced as they took turns bashing the walker. Alice noticed that they weren't aiming for the head. Jim was using his pitchfork in an attempt to pierce the walker's backside and Rick was aiming his crowbar at the back of the creature's neck. Each strike was dull and wet, but the walker kept moving.

She stepped forward, deciding to end this macabre display. She pushed past Dale, who judging by his lifted axe was about to decapitate the walker.

She raised her bat and swung at the walker's temple. The creature collapsed instantly. She lifted the bat again and aimed for exactly the same spot. The walker stopped moving, so she turned to face the group. They were breathing heavily, obviously exhausted from the physical strain they exerted trying to incorrectly kill the creature.

"The skull is designed to protect the brain, but even the skull has its weak points," she explained as she squatted near the walker. She ran her finger over the walker's head before turning to look at the men and women surrounding her. "That's why you have to aim for the temple. This region of the skull is weaker—more fragile. So, if you clonk them in the temple, it's easier to kill the walker." She poked what remained of the walker's left temple for emphasis.

She wiped her bloody bat on the walker's shirt and straightened herself up. She noticed that some of them looked too shocked to react so she cleared her throat and continued speaking. "Fun fact—the pterion is the weakest part of the skull and it's located right behind the temple…so I guess… aim there," she finished her scientific explanation. Alice hitched her shoulders in a slight shrug when no one responded.

"Well. This is the second walker we've seen up here…we assumed there'd be none this far into the woods," Dale finally said, shaking his head as if to clear the mental image of what just had occurred.

Morales nodded in agreement, his eyes frantic. "They never come this far up the mountain."

"Well, they're running out of food in the city, that's what," Jim told them.

A branched snapped somewhere in the distance, making everyone jump. Shane aimed his gun at the approaching footsteps and Alice fell back, pulling Glenn back with her.

"Son of a bitch!" she heard Daryl swear as he entered the clearing. When she saw him approaching the group, she was about to call out to him, but she caught herself just in time, remembering their last heated exchange.

"Oh, Jesus," Dale muttered.

"That's my deer!" Daryl growled.

"Look at it…all gnawed on by this… Filthy, disease-bearing, motherless poxy bastard," Daryl continued to swear as he kicked the walker. Alice watched in morbid fascination at his movements until she realized that she was no longer staring at the walker, but at his shirt which plastered against this chest from the sweat of his hunt.

"Daryl, calm down," Dale told him, "that's not helping anyone, son."

"What do you know about it, old man?" Daryl stormed up to Dale, ignoring her completely. She wished he would have yelled at her instead of giving her the cold shoulder. She walked over to the deer and began to pull the arrows out of its flank.

"Why don't you take that stupid hat and go back to Golden Pond," Daryl barked.

The group exchanged incredulous glances when Daryl walked back to the deer. He nudged her unceremoniously out of the way before pulling out the remaining arrows. "I've been tracking this deer for miles. I was gonna drag it back to camp, cook us up some venison. What do you think? Do you think we can cut around this chewed up part right here?"

Alice shook her head, "absolutely not."

"I would not risk it," Shane confirmed.

"That's a damn shame!" Daryl lamented, kicking the helpless walker again. "I got some squirrel—about a dozen or so," Daryl told the group, gesturing to his belt. "That'll have to do."

"Thanks, Daryl!" Alice told him, "we really appreciate you getting us food."

When no one else said anything, she elbowed Glenn sharply, who immediately jerked to attention.

"Yeah, man. Thanks!"

Daryl squinted at her with deep suspicion before he walked back to camp, without glancing back at any of them.

"Hey! Wait up," Alice called, scrambling to catch up with his long strides.

"Merle!" Daryl called ignoring her. "Merle! Get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrel! Let's stew 'em up!"

"He's sleeping," Alice explained, "and I just wanted to say that I'm sorry…again."

"So?" Daryl asked, suddenly looking suspicious again.

She shifted under his glare, unsure of what he wanted from her.

"And…well…I thought you should know that Merle got high in Atlanta."

"Yeah?" Daryl snapped, "and you think I'm high too? Is that what yer checkin'? Want me to pee in a cup for ya?"

Alice winced. "No, Daryl…I know you aren't a drug addict…and besides I don't have the proper equipment needed to check…whatever…that's irrelevant. I already apologized! I just thought that you would want to know…maybe talk to him? We should sort this out before we head out to the CDC. Shane was worried…" Alice began to explain, but she stopped talking, her voice faltering when she saw his eyes flash in anger when she mentioned Shane.

"Why you so desperate to get to the CDC anyhow?" he snapped, "s' gonna be a waste of time. There probably ain't no cure."

Alice silently absorbed his outburst, staring up at him. Should she be angry at Daryl for his comment? Maybe. But Alice knew that she couldn't muster an ounce of outrage at him at this moment.

"My sister…she's there," Alice whispered, "you know that."

She knew that he was lashing out at her for her previous accusation. She suddenly felt pathetic for caring what he thought of her, then guilty because she probably deserved his wrath.

"Yer sister," Daryl scoffed harshly, "bit the dust somewhere 'round the airport. She probably never even made it to Atlanta."

His words cut deeper than she had imagined was possible. She felt no anger at him when he brought up the CDC, but his cruel remark about Nancy crossed a line. She raised reluctant eyes to Daryl, her jaw jutting in defiance. Alice wanted to slap him, but instead, she eyed him coldly. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he'd hit the mark in trying to hurt her—she was petrified of not finding Nancy.

"Daryl, I'm sorry for hurting your feelings," she told him, but the apology now sounded bitter and insincere. "You'd do the same for Merle. This isn't blind faith." She dropped his gaze and turned back to walk to her tent. She heard Daryl trailing behind her, but she didn't turn to look at him. She tried to control her anger at him, but it was threatening to burst through.

"So…you alone in Atlanta, that's your big plan? For a bag of guns, you're willin' to risk your life?" Alice heard Lori ask her husband as she walked past the couple. Alice stopped instantly to listen to their conversation, realizing that Rick wanted to head back to the city. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Rick turn to Glenn. He eyed Glenn seriously, asking him silently if he would go with him to Atlanta.

"Oh, come on," Glenn sighed and pulled his baseball cap over his eyes,

"You know the way. You've been there before—in and out. No problem. You said so yourself. It's not fair of me to ask. I know that. But I'd feel a lot better with you along. I know Lori would to," Rick implored.

Alice stepped forward, clenching her fists, her knuckles white. She wasn't going to let Rick coerce Glenn into going to Atlanta.

"Rick. Glenn is not going," she told the man icily, "you aren't going to risk his life like that…for just some guns."

"Alice, it's fine," Glenn protested, "we might need the weapons—

"You're not going. That's final!" she snapped, staring daggers at Rick. Glenn began to protest again, but Rick interrupted him.

"I'm alive because a man and his little boy. They said they'd follow me to Atlanta. They'll walk into the same trap I did if I don't warn him. There's a walkie-talkie in the bag I dropped. He's got the other one. Our plan was to connect when they got closer. I have to go back."

Alice faltered—one look at Glenn and she knew that he was willing to risk his own life to go into Atlanta to help Rick find the walkie-talkie. She cared for Glenn too deeply to let him go to Atlanta again, especially after hearing how his last trip with Rick went. So, she decided to do what she would have done for Nancy.

"I know Atlanta ten times better than Glenn," Alice announced to the group. That of course, was a lie. She had only been to Atlanta once in her life...and that was with Glenn. Alice threw her shoulders back and turned to Rick.

"I'm ready to go to Atlanta instead," she told him confidently.

"Oh great, so we're gonna send the doctor now?" Shane asked, clearly annoyed with Rick.

"Alright. Alice and me will go," Rick agreed, nodding his head in thanks to her, obviously oblivious to the fact that she had no idea how to even get them back to Atlanta.

"She doesn't know her way around Atlanta!" Glenn exclaimed, looking at her in horror.

"Actually, I know it very well," she replied with false bravado, "like the back of my hand!"

Glenn began to protest again, but Alice waved him off, hoping to convince Rick to believe her over Glenn. She was beyond shocked when Daryl reached out and grabbed her arm harshly. "You ain't goin'" he growled, low enough so only she could hear, "I'll drag ya by the hair n' chain you to the fence if I have to."

"You have no say," she snapped, not understanding Daryl's change in behavior. But, she didn't have time for whatever the hell Daryl was doing. "I don't want Glenn out there again!"

"She ain't going," he growled, this time louder, addressing the group now.

"Screw you, Daryl," she told the man again.

"Rick, she's never been to Atlanta!" Glenn cried out, "Well, she was there once! And I was there with her! I'm good with going."

Rick looked at her, clearly annoyed and asked, "this true?"

Swallowing another protest, Alice shrugged, "I know it pretty well."

"Rick, I'll go!" Glenn told the cop, "In and out. It'll be easy."

Alice wasn't willing to resign herself to this fate. She would not wait again for Glenn.

"Let me go with you, please?" she begged Rick.

Rick turned to Glenn, "it's your call, man."

She threw Rick the dirtiest look she could muster before she turned with pleading eyes to look at Glenn.

"Glenn," she whispered, "you can't leave me here alone. We're in this together, remember?"

Glenn looked at her for a moment before nodding his agreement, "Okay. The three of us will go."

"Fuck!" she heard Daryl snap behind her, "you dumb or somethin'?"

"What'ya bitchin' 'bout baby brother?" Merle suddenly exclaimed, peaking his head from out of his tent to observe the fiasco.

She ignored the argument that Shane, Rick, and Daryl were now having over their departure. She walked with Glenn towards her tent instead, gripping his arm tightly.

"Listen, Alice…I'm sorry," Glenn began to apologize as they made their way over to the tent.

"Glenn, don't say sorry. We're a team, right? I'll go where you'll go."

He nodded, relaxing a little when he saw that she wasn't angry at him. She smiled at him and began to collect her belongings.

When they exited the tent, Glenn looked nervously at Daryl who was now striding over to them.

"Maybe we should bring guns, just in case," she told Glenn, ignoring Daryl's approaching figure. "I know that—

"I guess yer fancy education taught you everything but common sense," Daryl sneered at her, "the noise would draw every damn walker in Atlanta towards you."

Her eyes flashed and she laughed humorlessly, "careful, Daryl."

Glenn looked between the two of them before taking several steps in the direction of the van. "I'll, uh, wait for you in the car, Alice."

She saw Daryl shift uncomfortably under her gaze—she noticed a sudden shift in his mood, turning from demanding to beseeching. He rubbed the back of his neck and shuffled his feet before speaking. "Listen…just be careful, alright?" Daryl mumbled so softly that she almost couldn't hear. She thought she heard his voice falter and fail, but she didn't take pity on him.

"We ain't nothing', remember, Daryl?" she snapped, throwing his words back at him. "Keep your concern to yourself."

She drew her shoulders back and tilted her head up to glare at him with stormy eyes, daring him to say anything else. She saw him struggle under her gaze again. She turned to the van and strode towards it without a second look back at him.

As she walked towards Glenn and Rick, she squeezed her bat with both hands, her fists so tight her knuckles were white. When the van started moving, she turned to look back at Daryl. He looked so miserable, she was tempted to take pity on him, but she shoved away the guilt she felt at having ignored Daryl's attempt at making peace. She needed to concentrate on the task at hand—she could not afford to let herself become distracted.

He chewed on his thumb as he watched Alice get into the van. Guilt began to gnaw at his conscience as he realized how cruel his comment about her sister had been.

He had a tendency of being an asshole when he was uncomfortable. And it made him uncomfortable that she was so comfortable around him. She never treated him and Merle the way Amy, Andrea, Lori, and all the other women in the camp, treated them. Maybe Carol was the exception.

But then Alice had accused him of stealing. So, he lashed out at her. It wasn't the accusation that set him off—he'd been called far worse. What angered him was that he hadn't expected it from her and he hadn't expected himself to care so much.

And then he fucked up by almost making her cry today. He'd been a douchebag for telling her that her sister was dead. It didn't make it any less true, but he had told her that out of spite.

He had been tempted to go with her to Atlanta, but his brother's appearance stopped him in his tracks. Merle would have seen right through him. He wasn't her husband or her boyfriend—it wasn't his job to look after her. Besides, Alice could handle herself. That didn't stop him from telling Rick exactly what he thought of his idiotic trip to Atlanta with Glenn and Alice though.

He sat down and began to skin the squirrels, slicing through them a little more roughly than needed. He felt like a fucking coward.

"Don't think I don't see the way you've been ogglin' 'er," Merle told him as he took a seat next to him.

"I ain't ogglin'"

"You fuck her while I was gone?"

"Jesus, Merle," Daryl snapped.

Merle leaned back, crossing his arms behind his head as he observed Daryl.

"What?" Daryl challenged his brother, "you really got high in Atlanta?"

Merle laughed as he lit one of his cigarettes, "so what if I did?"

Daryl grunted in annoyance. He knew Merle had left to Atlanta to search for more drugs—his meth stash had dwindled.

"You found any? Have you been using?"

"Baby brother," Merle said in a harshly calm, tone, like a teacher reprimanding a misbehaving student, "there ain't gonna be no issue between us. Ya hear?"

"I hear," Daryl answered, cutting into the squirrel's tail a little too forcefully.

Merle was going to start his drug habit up again and Daryl knew he would have to babysit him until he eventually crashed like he always wound up doing.

"I say we split, baby-brother. Grab some supplies, maybe the RV, and head out."

Daryl stared at his brother in mild shock, "we ain't headin' to the CDC?"

Merle raised an eyebrow at him, "you so's sweet on the doctor, huh?"

When Daryl didn't reply, Merle continued to talk, "this group ain't workin' for us. Those assholes were gonna leave me on a roof to rot."

"Wha' 'bout Glenn?" Daryl asked.

"Chinaman decided to play hero," Merle told him, "but if the whole group heads to the CDC, it ain't gonna be so pretty."

Daryl didn't say anything, but he felt his jaw tighten in annoyance. He couldn't leave Merle alone because Merle was family. He'd go where Merle went. Merle had left him plenty of times, but he had always chosen to come back. He'd been arrested and sent to juvie, but he returned. And he came back from the army too. Since then, it had been the two of them. You and me against the world, Merle had told him when he was younger.

"Women like her ain't ever gonna pay attention to ya. Best forget her," Merle added, nodding towards Alice's tent.

"It ain't like that," Daryl snapped, "s' dumb to leave without a group."

"Tell ya what," Merle smirked at him as he leaned in, "we'll take Chinaman n' the doctor with us. That way you can have a go at 'er. Maybe get laid n' forget 'bout her. You wanna fuck her, right?"

Daryl gave another noncommittal grunt. He couldn't deny he was attracted to her, that he wanted her, but he wasn't one for dating. Occasionally, if he got drunk enough, he would wake up in bed with someone, but those women weren't anything like Alice. They had bleached hair, heavy makeup, wore tight dresses, and were gone by the time he woke up. Alice didn't seem like that type of woman. She probably only wanted men who were polished, proper, and educated. And he wasn't that type of man.

"You a boy or a man?" Merle asked him.

"I ain't no boy," Daryl growled.

"Then, man up!" Merle smacked the back of his head before standing up, "this ain't your family. No one is gonna care for you like I do, baby brother."

"You ain't gonna help?" Daryl asked in annoyance, gesturing at the squirrels.

"Nah, s' all you, Darylina. I'm gonna go see if the sisters need my help with fishin'" Merle replied, leering at Amy and Andrea who were standing near the RV trying to untangle a fishing wire, "I think Andrea wants a piece of 'ole Merle."

Daryl scoffed before turning back to his work, ignoring his brother. He wondered when Merle would want to leave camp and if he were serious about taking Alice and Glenn with them. He sat in silence for an hour concentrating on his work, trying to shove Alice far out of his mind.

He only looked up from skinning the squirrels when he heard Ed's harsh voice calling Sophia. He turned to see the man hobble from his tent, his face almost unrecognizable. With one eye completely closed, the other badly swollen, his lip cut, and numerous stitches crossing over his face, he looked deranged.

"Come here, Sophia," Ed commanded. His jaw was bruised, preventing him from speaking too loudly, but Sophia heard her Dad's summoning. She looked up from where she was sitting to look at her mother, silently asking if she should go.

Carol didn't protest, her eyes cast down at the shirt she was stitching. Sophia stood up meekly and approached her father. Daryl didn't want Sophia to hang around Ed…even after Shane beat him to a pulp, he didn't trust Ed to be around Sophia. He'd seen the way he watched his daughter, like some kind of pervert. Daryl stood up, wanting to intervene when he heard Merle's booming voice.

"Hey, girlie, get over here and learn to gut a fish," Merle called to Sophia. He was standing next to Amy and Andrea, holding a large number of fish strung together, but his eyes were trained on Ed.

Sophia paused in front of her Dad, wavering as to whether she should stay with her Dad or approach Merle.

"Make yourself useful," Merle called again, "they ain't gonna clean themselves."

She looked at Merle guardedly before starting to walk towards him.

"It sounds like your orderin' my daughter 'round, Dixon," Ed spoke, but his words were muddled by his swollen lips.

"And watcha gonna do 'bout it?" Merle asked, casually ambling towards him, "seems ta me that yer in no position to do much 'bout nothin'."

Daryl could feel waves of anger coming off Ed, but Ed was apparently scared of Merle. Ed's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, but he limped back into his tent without saying another word. Merle let out a low whistle and chuckled, "bitch."

"Well, I ain't got all day, girlie," Merle called loudly to Sophia as he turned to her, "better get yer ass in gear n' start workin'"

Daryl expected to see the same fear in her eyes he saw when he had accidently almost knocked her over, but instead she smiled shyly up at Merle.

"Alright, Mr. Dixon," she replied.

"Can I help too, Mr. Dixon?" Carl chimed in, looking at the fish in excitement.

"I ain't gonna say," Merle shrugged, "n' don't call me Mr. Dixon."

"I don't think that's a good idea, sweetie," Daryl heard Lori tell her son in a hushed tone.

"But Sophia, Amy, and Andrea are helpin' and they're girls," Carl complained.

"Lori," Shane called down from top of the RV where he was sitting with Dale, "it'd be good—

"No, Shane. You need to back off right now," Lori snapped.

Daryl wanted to bark at Lori for being so uptight, but he decided against it. It wasn't any of his business how she dealt with her son. Instead, he raised an eyebrow at Merle, but his older brother just grunted at him and returned to his work, explaining to the two sisters and Sophia how to gut a fish properly.

"You need any help with those squirrels?" he heard Carol ask. He shrugged signaling his agreement.

"Ya can put the meat in the pot over there," Daryl answered dismissively, "maybe start a stew up."

"I'm glad your brother is safe," Carol told him softly, "I heard what happened in Atlanta."

Daryl blinked in surprise. This group of people was constantly suspicious of him and Merle, and he'd never heard someone say that they were glad that Merle was safe and sound. Lori sure didn't look happy that Merle was back.

"Good that he's keepin' Sophia away from that bastard father of 'ers" Daryl replied.

"Ed still hasn't recovered," Carol told him, "Alice thinks his liver might be failing."

Daryl snorted in derision at her excuse but didn't say anything in reply.

"What?" he asked when he saw Carol looking at him intently.

"It's not that simple," Carol replied, "he's my husband."

"And she's yer little girl," Daryl snapped, wishing that Carol had some backbone or at least some more sense to realize that her husband was a complete asshole. It shouldn't be Shane or Merle coming to her rescue every damn time.

"You don't understand," Carol whispered, looking down at her hands.

"Whatever," Daryl grumbled, returning to skinning the squirrels in silence. He understood plenty—he'd seen the same fear and guilt in his mother's own eyes. But, he didn't say anything.

When he finished skinning the animals, he allowed Carol to take over with preparing the actual meal. She'd cooked a stew several times before and it came out pretty tasty.

Alice had offered to cook for him, Merle and Glenn once when he had caught a handful of squirrels. She'd nearly choked him with her terrible cooking, but him and Glenn had politely chewed and swallowed. Merle hadn't been so kind. He had told her that he'd rather have his own mother serving in a whore house than eat her cooking again. She had smacked Glenn over the head when he started laughing and threatened to do the same to him if he didn't quit grinning. Daryl smirked, remembering the expression on her face when she had heard Merle's insult.

"Alice is going to be alright," Carol suddenly told him, interrupting the silence.

Her comment made Daryl pause. He stared at Carol in annoyance before he replied. "I ain't worried."

"She was worried when you were gone," Carol said, nodding her head slowly as if she didn't believe him.

"That's her issue," Daryl snapped, "she ain't my responsibility."

"I just thought you two were friends," Carol responded gently.

"Well, we ain't," Daryl told her, "let Rick and Glenn worry 'bout 'er."

He scowled, now unable to keep Alice off his mind, her smiling face flashing before him. Carol's reply was interrupted by Merle's laugh.

"Well, I'll be damned," he heard Merle say, "you ain't half bad, girlie. You's better than Darylina ever was at openin' these slimy bastards up."

Comments:

Skynet; I had no idea about the Alice in Woodbury (it is a funny coincidence) :) I just thought the name Alice would fit her character... I'm also a big fan of Alice in Wonderland, so I've always liked that name.

Mushka81; Thank you! I am glad you are enjoying those moments. I have fun writing them!

RHatch89; Glad you liked the chapter!

DoctorWho411; I like Amy too. And Andrea. I think they would both be good friends for Alice.

wellclutchmypearls; Thank you :) I often find it difficult to write from Daryl's POV so hopefully I am sticking to his character!