Thank for all those favoriting and following this fic. I hope I can keep you all interested. I'm trying to keep Merle close to canon but also give him some personal growth. He'll have the same gruff redneck racist ways but it'll soften as we go.

Starting at this chapter we will start getting some Sam POV's and soon a little Governor's.

A few things are changing from the canon story line (time frames or situations etc.)

I don't own TWD or its character/storylines etc.

I only play with them.

ENJOY!

Michonne woke and she began explaining why she left Woodbury and the following manhunt that transpired.

"The place stunk of lies. It was all so fake. Andrea didn't believe me." She said, wincing as she moved to sit up. "I wanted to prove it to her. I watch, I listen. One day they came back with a bunch of military trucks, weapons. He told the town he showed up and the soldiers were dead, killed by walkers. But I found bullet holes, in the trucks. Blood inside."

Rick, Glenn, Hershel, Daryl and Merle sat listening. Merle shifted uncomfortably as she aired the dirty laundry of Woodbury. He hadn't been there when they took those weapons and trucks but he knew she was right. The Governor had driven up and killed them all. Merle hadn't even really thought much about it other than the waste of muscle. They could've used the men but then again it would've threaten the Governor's leadership standing and well the man is a megalomaniac.

"Is that what happened Merle?" Rick asked his eyes narrowed.

"I wasn't there but she's prolly right." He said carefully his face steely, his arms crossed.

"Probably or definitely?" Hershel asked as he leaned on the table top.

"Yeah ok? He shot 'em all dead. I wasn't there 'n thought it was a waste. Coulda used the men but it woulda threatened his position."

"Otherwise it would've been fine right? If they weren't soldiers they could've all died and you wouldn't have cared." Rick stated his eyes angry.

Merle glared and tried to move the conversation away from him, "Who cares about the what if's Huh? I wasn't there and didn't agree with it."

Hershel sighed and asked Michonne, "So what happened the night you left?"

"I went to his apartment to get my sword and find evidence for Andrea." She explained, "I found a little girl, a walker chained up in a cage. He'd been feeding it meat. Pieces of flesh in her cage. I put it down. I couldn't leave it there, wasn't right."

Merle narrowed his eyes at her and realized something disturbing. "She 'bout 8?"

Michonne nodded making Merle wince. "Prolly his daughter," he said gruffly. The other men looked around, Hershel looked the most uncomfortable.

Rick cleared his throat. "Well that isn't very good." Merle snorted loudly.

"He caught me there. We struggled. I ended up stabbing him in the eye." She told them her face blank. Merle smirked and shook his head, "Shit girl, ya shoulda killed him."

"Well I tried" she muttered and leaned back.

"Anything else?" Rick asked looking weary.

"He had a wall filled with fish tanks. They all had live walker heads in them. Smelled disgusting." She said her nose wrinkling.

"Tha Fuck?" Daryl muttered. Merle chuckled and leaned back in his seat.

"Aint funny Merle," Daryl scolded and bit his thumb.

Merle shook his head and grinned, "Shit's funny man. Come on. Ain't no more TV so he made his own." Everyone else looked at him like he was an asshole while he shrugged in return.

"Andrea wouldn't come with so I ran, I went through the fence. I figured out I had a tail after a few hours of running. Chased me all night. Ran into two of them and killed 'em. Got shot by Martinez and then walkers poured into the area. I had been killing walkers and was covered in guts. They didn't notice me. Then found this place."

She added while nodding towards Merle, "Kinda surprised you guys let him in here. He was his right hand man. Knew all about the sick psycho."

"Lis'n hear bitch. Ya don' know me and ya sure as hell don' get to speak like ya do." Merle snarled slamming a fist against the cell she was being held in.

"Merle Shuddup," Daryl snapped while pushing his brother back.

"We will take that under consideration," Rick replied flatly.

"Consideration Officer Friendly? I tol' ya I ain't proud of my actions. I left cuz I didn' wanna be a part of it no more. I got that girl out, saved her from being raped and tortured more. Should count for sumthin'." Merle told them while pointing in the direction of the cellblock.

"It does Merle but I can't guarantee you a place here." Rick said leaning his arms on the table. "You were a part of that sicko's town."

"Merle's blood, he's family. He ain't going no where!" Daryl said angrily.

"He's your family, not ours. He freakin' killed people for the psychopath!" Glenn exclaimed.

"Fuck ya Chinaman," Merle growled, "Nobody asked ya shit."

Glenn glared and said, "I'm fucking Korean you racist asshole."

"Whatever. I don' care if ya a goddamn martian. You're still stickin' your flat nose into business that ain't yours." Merle growled as he leaning in to intimidate Glenn.

"That's it!" Rick shouted slamming his fist onto the table. "The new people don't have a permanent place here. Y'all are on probation. We'll decide if you can stay later. Right now we have to prepare for that psycho. We have THREE people here that he wants, that he's hunting. THREE!"

Everyone sat there quietly for a moment as the realization set in. They were hiding three fugitives. "We need to be vigilant about guard duty and we need to get weapons ready. There's gotta be some plans made for if he shows up."

"It's not if Sheriff, it's when," Merle muttered while sitting back down.

Sam woke suddenly, her head jumping off the pillow and her eyes popping open. For a split moment she thought everything had been a dream, the turn, the walking dead, the death. She had lain below a bunk like the one above her before. The bars in front of her weren't foreign. It felt like home in a strange way.

'What the fuck?' she muttered inwardly but then her sleep and drug addled brain clear up. The pain medications she was on had made her head fuzzy. She was in a prison but it wasn't the same one. It wasn't her prison.

The sting on her back brought her back to reality. The shallow but brutal wounds sticking to gauze and the cotton of her shirt. Sitting up she noticed a bottle of water and a bowl of what looked like oatmeal. Picking up the water she started guzzling it down. Her throat was dry and raw. Coughing slightly when she over did it she jumped when someone's shadow fell over the doorframe.

"Hello again," Hershel said. "How are you feelin'?"

"I've been better but I've been worse too." She said with a mild smile. "Thank you for helping me out. Sorry I was…. A little out of it earlier."

"No worries. You've been through a lot." He said before adding, "Mind if I check out your back?"

Nodding she turned around, letting him raise her shirt. He peeled back the cotton bandages and then replaced them moments later. "Looks good. No excessive redness and the skin isn't warm. It doesn't seem infected but I will continue with the antibiotics just in case."

Sam turned back and around and thanked him again. After a few minutes of chatting a man she hadn't met yet came by. He wore a revolver on his hip and seemed to have an air of authority. Looking at his eyes Sam could see suspicion and anger. She instantly felt on guard. It wasn't exactly like the experience of meeting the governor but she felt like her future was dependent on this introduction.

"Names Rick Grimes. Your name is Sam?" he asked his hand resting on his hip.

"Samantha Warren, go by Sam." She told him evenly.

"We spoke with Merle. He explained what happened in Woodbury. I'd like ya to give me your side of what happened, how ya ended up there and how ya got out." He said his arms crossing as he leaned against the cell doorframe. Hershel stood up using his crutches. "I'll just step out, you two can have some privacy."

Sam swallowed thickly, the idea of being alone in the cell with a new person set her on edge. Rick watched her shift uncomfortably on the bed as he sat down on the small stool in the space.

"I was scavenging for my camp." She started.

"How many in your camp and where is it?" he interrupted his eyes calculating. Sam got the feeling he was a cop before everything happened.

"There is… was ten of us counting me. Truthfully I don't know where it is in relation to here. I didn't see the drive here and I didn't see the drive to Woodbury." She responded.

"Why not?" he asked

"I was in a trunk going to Woodbury and here I was covered up. We were in a forest in a house, it was near a power plant." She told him while twisting the fabric of her shirt.

Sitting back slightly he motioned to her, "Go on."

"I did the scavenging while the two men protected the others. We had a pregnant woman and her two kids. The others were a elderly couple, a teenager and my uncle, who was sick." She told him and continued, "I entered a tiny convenience store and found food and water. I was loading it into my pack and heading out back when I was jumped. Got hit on the head with something. I woke up in the trunk." Sam looked away for a moment and then said quietly, "I was put in a room and then I met that guy, the governor. Kept asking me about my camp, how many people, men or women. He asked about weapons, supplies, where it was." She sipped her water and chewed her lip.

"He did… stuff and then Merle took me out. We ran and then stayed in that store. Merle saw his… well not friends since they pulled weapons on us but acquaintances I guess. Then we came here." She finished hoping he didn't question what stuff the sicko did.

After a few quiet moments he asked, "What did you tell him, the governor?"

"Nothing, I wasn't going to lead him to those people. Had to protect them." She told him but looked down, "Merle told me they already knew where it was anyways, that they killed everyone, burned it down. I think he was just trying to break me. "

"Was Merle there when they took your camp?" he asked his anger flaring.

"No it happened when he was helping me escape." She said chewing on her cheek.

Nodding he shifted slightly, looking out the cell. "I can't promise you a place here. We'll let you heal but we don't know you. We have to be careful. Have had some issues with new people lately. We just lost people for allowing new people to stay."

Sam nodded while biting her lip. She didn't have anywhere else to go and her last family member was dead. "I can contribute. I know how to shoot, kill walkers. I scavenge well, know how to get in and out, well normally."

Rick nodded before saying, "We'll think about it." and then walked out.

Sighing loudly she picked at her nails, dried blood still embedded in her cuticles. Another shadow passed and she saw Maggie. "I was going to show you to your room." Sam followed her and found she was in a cell next to Merle. He glared at her as she passed so she looked away. Sam was feeling like she was on her own to figure out how to find a place in the group. She hadn't been on her own completely since the whole world burned down. Her uncle was with her from the beginning but since he'd been sick even before the turn she had taken care of getting them shelter, food and protected him. Sam figured it would be the same if they did kick her out, just without the conversation of another person. Laying down she listened as Merle spoke to his brother. She could her him muttering angrily.

Merle dropped his bag in the cell they gave him. It was near Daryl's spot on the perch. Sam was put in a cell next to Merle's despite his irritation of having to share a space near her. Merle was grumbling about sleeping in cages when Daryl poked his head in.

"Ya wanna go for a hunt tomorrow?" he asked his crossbow over his shoulder.

"Ya sure baby brother. Anythin' to not be behind bars." He said rasped.

Daryl nodded before leaving and Merle sat down with a huff. Looking at the drab gray walls he shook his head. "Fuckin' left a nice place for a cement box," he muttered, "Merle ya're one dumb sumbitch."

A throat cleared causing Merle to look up. "What ya want girl?" he snapped.

"Nothin' I was just gonna thank you for getting me here. Sorry I was a wreck earlier. I'm not usually so…. weepy." She told him while fiddling with the buttons on her shirt.

"Ya well. Whatever. 'least I found Daryl." He grumbled while unpacking his backpack. When she didn't leave he narrowed his eyes and glared at her. "Ya need somethin' else or are ya tryin' to piss me off?"

She sighed and walked away. He heard her go into the next cell. The mattress squeaked as she lay down. Merle shook his head and snorted.

"Fuckin pain in the ass." He muttered before laying down himself.

His body was exhausted. They ran a lot the night before and he didn't sleep. Closing his eyes he slept for a few hours and when he woke it was pitch back out except for moonlight. He rolled onto his side and tried to figure out what woke him.

After listening for a few minutes he heard someone walking around. Sitting up he poked his head out and saw Sam walking toward the exit. Squinting in confusion he followed her down the stairs and outside to the courtyard. She hadn't noticed him until he opened the exterior door. He walked out and stood in front of her. She was sitting on the top of the picnic bench, her feet on the bench. "Whatcha doin girl?" he asked.

"Why do you call me girl?" Sam asked her head tilted to the sky looking at the stars.

"Cause you're a kid." He said matter-of-factly. "Whatcha doin up?"

"I'm not a kid. How old do you think I am?" she replied her brow furrowed.

Merle shrugged, "I don' fuckin' care. 25 of somethin?"

Sam laughed and shook her head. "I'm 33."

Merle snorted and said, "Bullshit."

Sam shrugged, "I got good genes I guess. My grandpa lived 'til 90, so maybe."

Merle shook his head and looked at the walkers near the fence. Their moans echoed into the dark night sky. "Still a kid to me. So whatcha doin?"

"Couldn't sleep." She said biting on her thumbnail. "Place is claustrophobic. Hate tiny spaces."

Merle snorted and nodded, "Yeah ain't to pleased my brother chose a prison of all places to shack up in. Guess it's got its pros but shit I spent 'nuff time behind bars to do it voluntarily."

"Same here." She muttered looking off in the distance. Merle looked at her suspiciously. "Whatcha mean?"

Shrugging Sam said, "I did time."

"Oh yeah. What for?" he asked speculatively and amused.

"Armed robbery, evading police, drug trafficking, possession with intent to distribute. Some others." She said while rubbing her palms on her jeans.

Merle let out a loud barking laugh. "Shit girl, ya serious?"

Sam smirked and nodded, "What girls can't have records?"

"Nah just don't seem the type. How much time?" he asked.

"Ten years. Got out two weeks before the world took a dump on us. Kinda terrible welcome home party." She said raking her hand through her hair. "Probably shouldn't tell those people 'bout it. I have a feelin' your Officer Friendly won't like another criminal hanging out. He already seems to not want new people."

"No worries Sugar. Secrets safe with me." He drawled his hand over his heart. Sitting down next to her, Merle felt some kind of comradery with the girl now.

'Shit she ain't no girl. 33 ain't no child. Hell she done more hard time than me.' He thought while shaking his head in disbelief.

Merle pulled out a pack of smokes and offered her one. She took it and waited for his lighter. Taking a deep drag Merle watched her cup her hand, the lighter burning the end of her cigarette bright red as she inhaled deeply.

"Haven't had a smoke in…. four months I guess." She muttered while blowing smoke to the side. Grunting Merle said, "I ain't a nice person if I don't got 'em."

"Merle I have a feelin' a lack of smokes isn't what makes you less of a peach to be around." She snorted.

Merle glared at her but let it go. "Yeah well, fuck ya too, Girl." He sneered but grinned after. Sam smirked back, tapping her ash on the table edge.

They sat quietly smoking until the prison door opened loudly. Daryl walked out and squinted at them, "What're ya doin' out here?" he grumbled shuffling over to the picnic bench.

"We're commiseratin' Darylina. Wanna join us?" Merle drawled while leaning back on his left hand, his smoke hanging on his lip. Daryl looked between them both. "Nah I got watch. Goin' huntin' round noon. You still goin'?" he asked shifting from one leg to another.

"Sure." Merle rasped, flicking his cigarette butt to the ground. Daryl stepped on it and grumbled about him littering in the courtyard, then headed to the guard tower. Sam watched him walk away and once he was a long distance away she asked, "He always so uptight."

Merle laughed loudly causing Daryl to look back over his shoulder. Merle waved at him and then chuckled lightly. "Darylina has always been the thinker. Can't let loose like ol' Merle." He gave her a cheeky grin.

Sam shook her head and flicked her cigarette butt away. "Well I'm gonna see if I can sleep in my new domicile."

Merle chuckled and said, "I'll walk with ya."

Merle nodded to her as they entered their own cells. He lie down and put his hand under his head. Looking at the bunk above him he sighed. "Fuckin' rat in a cage," he muttered quietly and closed his eyes.

He dreamed of robbing a bank with Sam and driving away in a stolen car. When he woke he chuckled at the thought of a little thing like her being some criminal kingpin.

'Prob'ly just some girlfriend tagalong that got caught up.' He thought while eating his breakfast.

When she walked into the dining hall he could tell she hadn't slept. Both her eyes were now surrounded with dark circles and her skin was pale. She approached the table with the breakfast spread and spooned a serving of grits into a bowl and added dried fruit. She sat down across from Merle while he shoveled his food in.

They didn't speak while eating but once Merle finished he said, "Guessin' ya didn't sleep."

Sam looked up and shrugged, "Slept enough yesterday."

Merle glared at her and said, "I didn't haul ya all this way to safety for ya not to take advantage of sleepin' under a roof."

Sam just looked at him and spooned more breakfast into her mouth with a placid expression.

Merle glared at her and said, "What ya ain't gonna respond?"

"Not to that statement. Its not like I had choice. I just couldn't sleep. Now fuck off." She said ending with a growl.

"Me fuck off?! Ya kiddin' me girl? I lug your dumbass through a forest of walkers. I get myself on the Gov's shit list for ya and all ya got is 'Fuck off'?" he growled while pointing an anger finger at her. Everyone in the room is now getting uncomfortable. Rick walked toward the table.

"Merle back off." He told him calmly.

Merle glowered at him, "Ain't your business Officer Friendly."

Sam rolled her eyes. "I told you thank you yesterday Merle. What more do you want? And why the hell do you care if I sleep or not?"

Merle growled, "Cuz ya need to sleep dumbass."

"No shit Sherlock. How'd you come to that conclusion?" she snarked while standing up to clean her dish. Daryl walked into the dining hall to see Merle glaring at the woman and Rick trying to step between them.

"Lis'en here ya dumb cooze. I'm just tryin' to look out for ya. I didn't put my ass on the line for ya to throw away a good thing." He snarled his shoulders rounded and his fist clenched.

"I'm not throwin' a good thing away. I couldn't sleep you jackass. I'm sorry that I am having nightmares of a sadistic bastard torturing me ok? Does that make you feel better? Is that what ya wanna hear?" she growled her fists hanging at her thighs. "Ya wanna hear more details? Specifics on why I cant sleep? Huh?"

Merle glared at her for a moment before storming out.

Sam growled in frustration and walked away toward the cellblock while muttering, "Stupid redneck fucker and his goddamn ego."

Merle stood outside looking at the fence, smoking a cigarette. He heard the door open and someone approach. Daryl grabbed Merle's pack and shook a smoke out for himself. "What's up Merle? What's got 'er in a snit?"

"She's jus' a dumb bitch. Ain't takin' advantage of a safe place to sleep." He grumbled around the smoke as he exhaled through his nose.

"Sounds like she's got reason to have a hard time sleepin'. Give 'er a break man." His little brother said hiking his crossbow up on his shoulder.

"Well thank ya for your medical expertise, How long ya been a head shrinker there Darylina?" he sneered his eyes angry.

"Whatever. Ya goin with me or not?" Daryl blew him off and nodded his chin to the forest.

"Yeah. Le's go." Merle stalked toward the gate.

Merle came back inside the gates of the prison with Daryl in tow. They bagged a deer and Merle had it draped over his shoulders. Once inside they moved to a side of the yard used for dressing the deer. When Merle looked up he saw Sam on the fence taking out walkers with a crowbar. The way she was stabbing and releasing was robotic. Merle glared at her for a few minutes while he tried to figure out why it was irritating him so much.

"What's up with ya Merle?" Daryl asked as he cut into the deer's torso.

"Nothin'." Merle grunted and turned away. "Ya need help or ya got it?"

"I got it." Daryl snorted and continued to work.

Merle stomped off to the upper courtyard to smoke and sit at the picnic table. He watched Sam stab a walker, pull the bar back, stab a walker, pull the bar back. He counted over forty bodies piled up along the entire perimeter.

"She's been doin' that for hours now." Rick commented while standing next to Merle. his hands resting on his hips as he looked pensively toward the woman.

"So?" Merle grunted.

"I think ya should check on her. Ya fought and then she went out there to clear the fence. Probably shouldn't be doin' it with her back." Rick told him.

"She's just blowin off steam. Nothin' wrong with takin' it out on walkers." Merle drawled while taking a drag and let the smoke tendril out his nostrils.

Rick nodded and said, "Still, maybe you should apologize."

"For what? Tellin' her she's a dumb bitch for not sleepin' when she can. Ain't gonna last forever." He said.

Rick raised an eyebrow. "You don't think this place will last?"

"Nothing lasts anymore Sherriff." Merle muttered rolling head and cracking his neck. Sliding off the table he strolled toward the fence. Sam was still working when he approached her.

"How's it goin' girl?" he asked leaning against a fence support pole.

"Peachy." She said thrusting the bar into a rotten forehead. Yanking it back with a sucking sound she wrinkled her nose at the blood oozing on her hands. Merle looked her over and saw blood splatter all over her arms and chest. Her face was speckled with dried blood.

Merle raised an eyebrow, "I think ya killed enough today, don'tcha?"

Sam smirked, "No such thing Merle. You know that."

Merle chuckled and nodded, "I guess but it's damn near dinner time. We got deer. Come on up"

Sam let the bar hang by her side. Merle could see a slight tremble of exhaustion in her limbs. "Come on girl. Ain't standin' here for my pleasure."

"So why are you?" she asked pointedly, her head cocked to the side.

"Don' know. Sherriff tol' me to check out the prison nutjob, so here I am."

Sam smiled slowly and asked, "You always do what he says?"

"Pffft. Don' start shit with me girl. Come on le's eat 'n you can apologize for tellin' me to fuck off earlier." He smirked.

Sam scoffed and walked toward him, "I don't lie so you won't be hearing an apology from me."

Merle guffawed and threw an arm around Sam's shoulders, "Come ya little bitch. Le's get some grilled meat. I'm tired of mushy baby food."

Sam laughed and said, "Sure you can chew meat old man? Maybe that why they keep givin' you baby food."

Merle narrowed his eyes at her giving her his best 'I'm gonna kick your ass' look and she just stared back, an eyebrow raised. Shaking his head he asked in a rough voice, "Ya got a death wish Sugar?"

"I'm not scared of you Merle." She said matter-of-factly, her hand swing the crowbar back and forth with her step.

"Oh yeah, you should be. I ain't no good guy." He responded as they got to the courtyard, his arm still over her shoulder.

"Anyone who puts their life is danger for a complete stranger can't be all bad." She responded. Giving him a tiny smile she said, "I'm gonna wash up. See ya at dinner."

Sam walked away leaving Mere standing there, his mouth slightly open as he thought about what she just said.

It was true he risked his life and lost his cushy home for a complete stranger. He could have walked away. He could have brushed it off as not being his problem. Something changed between the time he heard that sound and when he opened the door. Something clicked in place or became unhinged. Merle wasn't sure which it was but if he were to guess he'd say a piece of the puzzle was put in place. He couldn't ignore someone's suffering.

That sound…

That sound caused a chain reaction, a reaction that ended with Merle finding his baby brother. Doing that one good deed, the only good deed he could honestly say he did without wanting repayment, ended up giving him something in return ten fold. Choosing to help another led him back to his only family. It was almost like instant karma.

Merle stood there with a wrinkled brow as he thought about what that meant. Did it mean he could change? Could he be a better man? Did he even want to be a better man? Is a Dixon even capable of that?

'Daryl did it.' His inner voice thought.

Merle shook his head and argued. 'That's cuz he's the sweet one. You're just like your old man.' Scratching his chin, Merle narrowed his eyes and looked at the large fenced yard.

"What's got you all twisted up?" Carol asked surprising Merle out of the strange labyrinth of questions.

"Nothin'" he grunted while crossing his arms. "Dinner ready or what?" his tone angry.

Carol looked at him for a minute, which made him feel uncomfortable. He didn't like when people could look through him like that. It felt like the short gray haired woman was drilling into his brain, pulling out thoughts and feelings to look at in broad daylight.

"Almost. Hey Merle…. " Carol started before shaking her head. "It'll be ready in ten minutes." She turned and went inside the building while Merle stared at the spot she had stood.

"Fuckin women drivin' me nuts." He growled under his breath while heading inside.

Side note:

As you could tell I condensed Michonne's confrontations with the Gov into one occasion since the group didn't need to rescue anyone.

Thanks for reading. Please Fav, follow and review.