Thanks for your patience. Here's an update!
I don't own the Walking Dead etc OC and noncanon are mine.
ENJOY!
Merle kicked the empty can in frustration inside the ransacked store, just another dead-end after a string of dead-ends. Their pantries weren't getting replenished and the gardens weren't growing quick enough to supplement it. The worry was on all their minds, if things didn't change, then come winter they'd be rationing tightly. Merle would rather cut off his remaining hand, than ration his pregnant wife's food.
"Ain't nothin' here." He rasped, his hard blue eyes meeting his younger brother's.
"Ain't nothin' no where, man." Daryl replied, chewing on his lip as he watched a few others take down the roaming dead. "Everythin's wiped out."
Merle grumbled in agreement, while contemplating the implications of such widespread depletion of supplies. Someone, or many someone's, were pillaging the area and scooping up every resource they could find. The group his brother ran into was constantly kicking Merle's gut instinct, the idea that maybe the threat wasn't as idle as they thought.
"Whatcha thinkin', Merle." Daryl drawled, both brothers joining the few of the crew chosen for the run. Aaron and Rosita stood off to the side, the man keeping watch as she stripped an engine of spare parts. Merle grunted in appreciation of her forethought, his gaze flicking to his brother.
"Thinkin' we ain't the only ones 'round these parts. M'thinkin' we bes' watch our backs and mind our damn toes out here."
"Ya thinkin' its that crew we ran into?"
"Maybe, maybe not. Alls I know is, we ain't found a can of Ol' Roy out here, let alone somethin' edible. Somethin's gotta change and quick. We got mouths to feed."
"Eugene said something about high yield crops and quick turn over. I don't know but he's got ideas on where to find it. Ask him about it." Rosita commented, her hand zipping up her bag of tools before stuffing it into her backpack.
"Si, señorita." Merle joked, his teeth flashing at her angry sneer and muttered Spanish cursed words.
Daryl smacked his shoulder and huffed out a reprimand, but Merle ignored him. A tiger could only change its stripes so much.
Slumping into the passenger seat, he glanced back at the Hispanic woman and rasped, "Come on mamacita, don't get your maracas all twisted up. Ol' Merle's just fuckin' with ya."
"Fuck you, redneck."
"Well, I'm a married man now, honey." He drawled, smirking as Rosita huffed and puffed in the back seat. "And my girl Sam, well let's just say, she don't share."
"Must be crazy, any woman in their right mind wouldn't give you the time of day, let alone sleep in the same bed. Cerdo."
Snorting at the comment, Merle drawled, "Ya think I don't know I lucked out catching lil' mama? Fuckin' luckiest sumbitch alive."
Sam folded laundry with Michonne, her lips twitching as she watched the woman staring at Rick prepare for the scavenge run through the window. The two were still pretending they weren't interested in each other, but Sam couldn't count the number of times she found her friend drooling over the southern man.
"You wanna borrow one of Judith's bibs, Chone?" she commented, her eyes crinkling at Michonne heated glare.
"Fuck off." Michonne grumbled, shoving the clothing into a laundry basket more violently than necessary.
"Oh come on." Sam laughed, gripping her friend's forearm before she could escape. "Don't go. I was just kidding."
"Yeah, well don't." Michonne snapped, shrugging her arm from Sam's grasp.
"Okay." Sam conceded, her hands raised. "I won't. I just think you two should talk about it."
"There's nothing to talk about. We have more important shit to do, like feed ourselves and protect the zone." In a rare sign of nervousness, Michonne began refolding her clothes as though they needed it.
Rolling her eyes, Sam drawled, "Yeah, yeah. I get it, but what about getting a little honey on those biscuits?"
Michonne looked appalled at her, her mouth gaping. "Don't ever say something like that again."
Chuckling at her outrage, Sam shrugged. "What?"
"You sound like that old redneck." She grumbled, her eyes narrowed but amused.
"What because I tell it like it is?" Sam teased, dodging Michonne playful smack.
They both climbed the stairs to Sam's bedroom, Michonne carrying the laundry basket for the still healing woman.
"I think I can carry stuff now." She muttered, while Michonne set it on the bed.
"You are." Michonne replied, tipping her chin to the round shape of her belly. "You're carrying what makes all this worth it."
Sam teared up at the statement, her hands smoothing over the swollen curve. "Thank you."
"You can thank me by never bringing that other shit up again."
Rolling her eyes at the woman's stubbornness, Sam agreed with a nod. "Fine. My lips are sealed but you know I'm right. You two are just ignoring what is inevitable."
Merle glared at the bound man his dumbass brother dragged home with him like some stray dog. Rick was probably the reason for it, but Merle wasn't going to let his brother live it down.
"The fuck ya bring him here for, dumbass. Shoulda just put one in his head and moved the fuck on." Merle drawled, his narrowed eyes looking for any movement from the seemingly unconscious man.
"Figured we'd find out if he's got more people." Daryl mumbled, his shoulders shifting uncomfortably under Merle glare, "Gotta know if he's with those other assholes."
Grinding his teeth in irritation, Merle sneered, "Alright. Le's wake this fuck up then and find out. It ain't like he needs beauty sleep, he already looks like some pussy hippie."
"We do it the morning." Rick replied, motioning to the door. "He ain't goin' nowhere."
Merle growled lowly, "Why waste time? You got a hot date with the Nubian queen?"
Rick glared at him and opened his mouth to retort back, but Daryl interrupted the eventual argument.
"Because we're fuckin' tired, bro. Been hoofin' it all over bumfuck Virginia." Daryl snapped, shoving his brother towards the doorway. "Ya prob'ly been doin' fuckall today."
"Cry me a fuckin' river, baby brother." Merle taunted, while they exited the room, the door clanging shut. "Ya need me t'tuck ya in too? Read ya a bedtime story, sing ya a lullaby maybe?"
"Fuck off, Merle." Daryl huffed, shoving his taunting face away with a large rough palm. "Don't got time for your shit."
"Yeah, maybe I will fuck off." Merle rasped, his gravelly voice teasing his easily embarrassed brother. "See if lil' mama is in the mood for some Dixon. These hormones are good for somethin' sometimes. Right now she's got this thing for…."
"Stop." Daryl growled, his eyes narrowing. "Don't wanna hear 'bout her like that."
Scoffing at the statement, Merle drawled, "Don't deny she's gorgeous, Darylina. You're soft but ya still a man, least I thought ya still had a full sack in your shorts."
"Fuck off." Daryl muttered, "don't think 'bout her like that. She's like blood now."
Rolling his eyes at his kid brother, they continued silently towards their home.
As they climbed the porch stairs, Merle stopped him with a firm grip to his forearm. The strange foreboding feeling in his gut came back with a vengeance, the man in their jail cell felt like a turning point. Something was coming and Merle couldn't shake the dread of it.
"What?" Daryl mumbled, shrugging his brother's hand away as usual.
"If somethin' happens to me…"
"Stop." Daryl interrupted. "Ain't shit happenin' to ya."
"Shut y'mouth boy 'n listen." Merle barked, his voice low but firm. "If somethin' happens to me, I want ya t'take care of her and the kid like your own."
"Merle-"
Continuing as though he hadn't spoken, Merle murmured, "Just sayin' Sam deserves t'be happy and if I ain't around and shit happens b'tween y'all… I won't be rollin' over in my grave."
Daryl chewed his lip nervously before offering, "Ain't shit happenin' but if ya ain't around, I'll keep 'em safe. Die for 'em if I gotta."
Merle nodded, following Daryl up to the porch before rasping, "Don't mean m'sharin' with ya now."
"Fuck off, Merle. Ain't lookin at her like that. Be like fuckin' a cousin."
Merle snorted and joked, "So what? Like the Davis kids down on Old Mill rd."
Daryl huffed out a rare laugh at the memory. "Buncha crazy fuckers."
"Yeah, but their hooch was damn good. Never been so pissed drunk off bath tub shine b'fore."
Sam stared incredulously at Merle as he told her about the man Rick and Daryl brought home. She wanted to throttle her brother in law but knew it was most likely Rick's idea.
"Goddamn shit for brains shoulda killed him and been done with it." Merle grumbled, slumping against the sofa cushion. Sam curled her legs under her and turned to face him. Her hand lay on her prominent belly as she unconsciously rubbed it soothingly. Merle's large hand joined hers, his thumb brushing it softly.
Sam sighed quietly, her eyes fluttering a bit at the feeling of his hand on her stomach.
"I guess we'll find out more about the other group maybe?"
He gave her a noncommittal grunt in response, his hand roaming over her curves with more purpose. Her lip quirked up as he raised his eyebrows at her and licked his lip.
"How 'bout we head to bed darlin'."
"Because you're very tired?"
"Only thang I'm tired of is the fact that you're still clothed and sittin' here like ya don't want me buried between those soft thighs."
Sam laughed a little at his lack of patience as he hauled her from the sofa and all but carried her upstairs. Placing her on the edge of the bed, Merle dropped to his knees and began to slid her yoga pants down.
"In a hurry, dear?" she chuckled as he tossed the offensive clothing article aside before shouldering her thighs apart. Her breath caught as he rubbed his face against the damp cotton covering her core and inhaled deeply.
"Damn, sugar." He rasped, his voice as rough as asphalt. "Got my mouth waterin'."
"Merle." She gasped as his fingers pulled the panties aside to taste her.
"Mmm mmm mmm." He hummed deeply, his ribs rumbling against her thighs as his tongue traced a circuit around her lips and hood. "Good as pie, baby girl. I can't get enough of ya."
"Oh god." Sam gasped when he sunk a finger inside her while sucking a slow sensual rhythm against her clit. "Merle, oh fuck. Merle."
"Yeah, sweets?" he rasped, his blue eyes lively and lips wet from her arousal. "You like that huh? Like me suckin' on that pretty pussy?"
"Yes. Please more. Please."
"Fuck, sugar. All ya gotta do is ask." He rasped before diving in to do just that.
Merle found himself glaring at Rick as he spoke with the longhaired man calling himself Jesus. The older man rolled his eyes at the nickname. He wasn't impressed by the guy and found his friendliness suspicious. Merle wasn't buying what the hippie was shoveling, but they needed provisions. Merle needed to get Sam proper nutrition and if that meant trading with a bunch of hippie dippy fucks so be it.
That didn't mean Merle wanted to follow the bearded asshole anywhere without a proper plan.
"There ain't no way we're listenin' to this bullshit. How the hell do we know he ain't leadin' us into a trap?" Merle drawled, his eyes sliding from his brother to Rick. "Have ya both lost your goddamn mind's?"
"Shuddup, Merle." Daryl barked, tossing a frustrated hand up. "We gotta do somethin' or we starve this winter. That what ya want for Sam?"
"Sam ain't your goddamn problem, boy." he sneered, his teeth flashing in Jesus's direction. "This fuck could be leadin' us into a trap, ain't nobody out to give handouts nowadays."
"That's enough." Rick drawled, "We go with him to his camp and talk to this Gregory. We can't afford to pass it up."
Merle could only growl in frustration before stalking out of the house to grab gear from the armory. If they were traveling, he was carrying enough heat to take down anything in their way.
"He told Maggie that there's a real doctor there, an obstetrician." Sam pressed for Merle to change his mind about insisting she stay in Alexandria. Jesus told her about Dr. Harlan Carson and she wanted to see him. Denise was a kind person and she was technically a doctor, but Sam wanted someone familiar with babies to look her over.
"It's too damn dangerous, sugar." Merle growled, shoving his gun into his shoulder holster. "I ain't riskin' ya out on the road in your condition."
"But Merle-."
"No! Now shut your goddamn trap about it or else." he snapped, his icy glare doing nothing but igniting her own anger.
Sam narrowed her eyes and spoke coolly, "Okay, I'll shut up but I am goin'. Try and stop me, Merle. So help me, you will fuckin' regret it."
Turning on her heel, Sam strode out of the house and down the stairs. She was over his over protective bullying and she was doing what was right for their kid. Seeing a seasoned professional, rather than a fresh out of medical school doctor, seemed like a no brainer. Merle just couldn't let go of his fear he'd lose both of them if she so much as stepped a foot outside the walls. She didn't understand it seeing as she'd almost died behind them not more than a month earlier.
"What crawled up your ass?" Michonne asked, with a grin as she handed a bag to Glenn to store on the RV.
"Merle."
"Gross. No wonder." The other woman snickered, following Sam into the vehicle.
Lowering herself awkwardly into the booth seat, Sam muttered, "If he thinks I'm sitting here, instead of seeing a real goddamn doctor he's lost his fuckin' mind. Denise is great and all but I want someone who's actually delivered a baby cave diving into my lady bits."
"Goddamn I did not need to hear that." Abraham drawled from the front seat, Sam only just realizing they weren't alone.
She rolled her eyes and snapped, "Well mind your own fuckin' business then, Red."
Michonne chuckled for a moment before Sam's heated eyes landed on her. Raising her hands in defeat, she drawled. "Okay, okay easy, no more laughing. Look, you know he's just being protective."
"Obviously, but my peace of mind that my kid is healthy is more important than his sensitive ego." She muttered, crossing her arms and ignoring the giant pain in her ass when he climbed aboard the RV. His angry glare heated the side of her face but she refused to acknowledge him at all. Sam figured he would get over it when the doctor was able to give them a thorough exam.
'Stubborn redneck asshole.' She cursed inwardly.
The group came across an overturned vehicle while passing through one of the many abandoned towns. Jesus halted their progress immediately when he noticed the car was one of their own from Hilltop.
Merle was instantly on alert when he climbed out of the car. Grabbing him by the leather coat, Merle slammed him against the RV and growled, "This some fuckin' trap huh? You got people waitin' to jump us out here, huh you fuck?"
"Merle calm down." Daryl growled, yanking on Merle's leather vest.
"Fuck off, lil brother. I want some goddamn answers. Seems awfully fuckin' convenient that we gotta stop in the podunk piece of shit town."
"Let me go." Jesus spoke calmly. "This isn't a trap, I need to find the people who were in this car."
Merle shoved him aside before glaring at Sam who stood in the doorway. "You're stayin' here."
"But-."
"Say one more goddamn word, sugar." He growled angrily, while pointing a finger at her.
Sam's jaw set into a stubborn line before returning to the RV without another word. Merle would've felt satisfaction, if it weren't for the glares he received from not only his brother but every other person on the side of the road.
"What?"
"You're bein' a huge dick to the woman carrying your kid." Michonne glowered at him, her arms crossing. "You keep this shit up and I will personally sever your balls from your body and shove them up your ass."
"I'm just protectin' her from gettin' killed."
"No, you're alienating her to the point that she may just tell you to go fuck yourself." She replied evenly, glancing towards Rick. "I'm gonna stay here with her. You all go look for these folks."
"You callin' the shots now sweetcheeks?" Merle sneered, his anger for being called out for his treatment of Sam turning his stomach. He never meant to be so rough with her, but it only seemed the more she progressed into her pregnancy the stronger the urge was to lock her in a closet. Ever since he came back to her in bed with a stab wound to the stomach, he couldn't shake his fear that he'd lose her and lose the kid. If it meant he turned into a snarling animal to keep her safe he would do it.
"Ya'll wanna stop wastin' daylight?" Daryl muttered, tipping his chin towards the muddy tracks. "We got prints goin' this way."
The group returned with a few new faces, one of them happening to be the doctor Jesus had told Sam about. She ignored Merle irritation when she instantly sat near the doctor rather than next to him in the booth. She'd had just about enough of her husband at that point in the day and if she could possibly speak to a real medical professional, she was going to do it. Stubborn redneck be damned.
"Well, hey there." The man greeted as she lowered herself to the bench seating. "Gotta say I haven't seen someone in your condition in quite awhile."
Sam smiled softly and rubbed a soothing path along the large curve. "I would imagine it's not often someone is dumb enough to find themselves knocked up in the apocalypse."
"I wouldn't say dumb, I'd say brave."
Sam snorted at that and asked, "You're the doctor right?"
"Dr. Harlan Carson." He greeted, shaking her hand as she replied.
"Sam Dixon."
"Nice to meet you. About how far along are you?"
"I think around seven months." She spoke softly, her eyes dipping to her belly. "I was hoping you would have time to look me over when we get there."
"I can most definitely do that. I gotta say it will be a pleasant change from wound care."
Snickering a little, Sam murmured, "Well if my husband keeps it up, you might have to sew his mouth shut for me."
The RV revved a moment, but only spit mud out from the back end, its wheels spinning uselessly. Merle muttered a long string of curses as they looked for something to help remove it from the deep mud hole.
"Don't worry, we aren't far." Jesus explained, motioning towards the dirt road. "It's just up the hill there."
Merle glanced back at Sam as she held onto Daryl's elbow to keep from slipping. The sight only pissed the older man off more. He settled his artic blue eyes on him, the heat from it making his younger brother's head rise to meet his gaze.
"What?" Daryl drawled as they walked passed him. "Ain't like you're movin' to help her."
"Grow up, Merle." Sam snapped. "You rather I fall on my ass?"
"Fuck ya both." Merle huffed, striding after the others and leaving them behind. He wasn't sure what pissed him off more, the fact that his wife chose help from his brother over him or the fact that he hadn't been there to help her to begin with.
As they crested the small incline the group got their first look at the new community.
Hilltop was surrounded by tall milled pines trees, the walls guarded by men and women with spears. Merle noticed no one carried guns, Jesus informing them that they'd run out of ammo months ago.
Merle kept Sam in his peripheral vision but listened as Rick spoke with Jesus about their leader Gregory. The man sounded like a coward, someone that shouldn't have survived as long as he had. He was a slimy politician still standing on the backs of others. Merle knew he would hate him the moment he laid eyes on him.
Glancing over at Sam and Maggie, as they headed to a trailer housing the doctor, Merle stepped away to catch up with her.
"Hey." he grunted, his hand gripping Sam's elbow before she could enter the building. "Don't go wanderin' off."
"I'm not wanderin' off, I'm going to the doctor." she huffed, tugging her arm from his grasp. "Just go do whatever it is we're doin' here."
Merle growled at her huffy attitude and grasped her elbow again. "Sugar, you're aimin' for a damn tanned ass if you don't listen to me for once."
Sam glared at him, her angry face doing nothing but turning him on.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm just protectin' ya." He snapped, despite the sharp tug his dick gave at the fire in her eyes.
"Yeah well, do it from somewhere else. I don't need you snappin' and growlin' at me anymore today. I've had enough of it."
"I need ya t'do as I say and stop fightin' me." he growled, "This ain't some fuckin' vacation."
"Too bad." she growled, tugging her arm from his grasp and climbing the stairs. "I'll let you know how it goes."
The door slammed in his face, making Merle sneer in frustration.
"Trouble in paradise, brother?" Abraham drawled from behind him.
"Woman is drivin' me fuckin nuts."
"Don't they all?" Abraham chuckled, his hand adjusting the rifle over his shoulder as they strode towards the tall house on the hill.
Sam lay back on the medical exam table as the Harlan smeared cold gel over her stomach. She felt her hands tighten into fists as the machine warmed up and began transmitting an image on the tiny screen. She began to regret forcing Merle out of the room, they'd been arguing nonstop since the talk of the trip to Hilltop started. Now that she was sitting there about to find out if their kid was not only healthy but what sex they were having, she wanted him by her side.
"You want me to go get him?" Maggie asked carefully, the woman obviously noticing Sam's inner turmoil. "I'm sure he just wants to know that you're both okay."
"No. He's being a bastard."
"He's just being a protective daddy."
"He's driving me insane. Does he not understand that a pregnant woman is the last person you should be annoying?"
Harlan chuckled at her statement, his eyebrow raising. "I don't think most men catch on until it's too late."
"He better catch on soon because I am going to string him up by his balls eventually."
Maggie and the doctor laughed, but Sam was too concerned by the image now wiggling on the screen. She could feel her chest tighten at the sight, her eyes blurring slightly as the whoosh of a heartbeat filled the room.
"Wow." Maggie murmured, "I can't believe that we can see 'em so clearly."
"I'd place you between 30 to 31 weeks." the doctor stated, writing down a few numbers before moving the wand around and finding a better view.
A knock rattled the door, before it opened and Merle strode in without so much as an apology. Sam glared at him with teary eyes but noticed he was staring at the screen rather than her irritated expression.
"Ain't standin' 'round like some dumbfuck, while you're in here getting to look at my goddamn kid. So shut your trap." he growled, ticking his chin to the door he barked at Maggie. "Get out, Peaches."
Maggie huffed a little before leaving, her hand touching Sam's shoulder. "Congratulations."
Sam murmured a thank you without looking away from Merle as he took her spot next to the exam table.
"That's the littl'un huh?" Merle drawled, his eyes trailing over the image before glancing at the doctor. "They okay?"
"Yes, I was just telling your wife that she is around 30 to 31 weeks. So you have a couple months to go. Everything looks good. A little under weight but nothing worrying."
"So... what're we having'?" Mere asked, his hand finally coming to rest on her clenched one.
"Do we want to know? " Sam asked softly, her lip chewed firmly between her teeth.
"Why wouldn't we?" Merle rasped, his eyebrows furrowed. "I thought that was the point of this shit."
"Not just that but I don't know... it could be a surprise?"
"Ain't lookin' for no surprises." He replied tiredly. "Ain't ever goddamn good."
Harlan interrupted their argument and offered, "Well, let see if I can find out. I can write it down and if you guys change your mind, you just have to read it?"
"Alright." Sam consented.
The doctor moved it around a bit as Merle cocked his head different directions to figure out what they were having. Sam stayed quiet, her own eyes sliding over the image in awe. She obviously knew they were having a baby, it was hard to avoid when carrying such a weight around, but it was so real seeing it in person.
"Okay, I am going to put this in an envelope. You guys can decide later, yeah?"
"Whatever you say, Doc." Merle rasped, taking the paper from him only to have Sam yank it from his grasp.
"Hey!"
"You're gonna just look." She muttered while Harlan wiped her belly clean of the gel.
"So." Merle admitted without a fight.
Sam retorted, "So, maybe I don't want you lookin' at me like you know something I don't for weeks on end."
"Ain't right not knowin'." He muttered, his arms crossing over his broad chest.
"Whatever, Merle. Will you just let me decide what I want for once? Jesus Christ." Sam muttered, sliding from the table to get dressed. She tugged her clothes on with a glare thrown to Merle as he stomped out of the building.
"Is he usually so angry?"
"No, just when I tell him to go fuck himself rather do what he says." Sam spoke with a smirk. "Thanks for looking me over, doc."
"No problem. Now I have a bunch of prenatals I can give you, but I also want you to try and gain some more weight. If you could find some drink supplements, it'd be the easiest way but preferably with fresh foods."
"Here's hoping we can work something out with your leader."
Harlan rolled his eyes and while putting his gear away. "I'll cross my fingers for you. Oh and here I nearly forgot."
Harlan handed her over a small print out from the ultrasound machine. The black and white image was so clearly a child that Sam's eyes teared up yet again. She could see the profile of their little nose and lips but the real kicker was the tiny hand and foot pressed flat.
"Thank you." she rasped, her watery eyes rising to Harlan's. "I didn't think I'd get to see somethin' like this."
"Happy to help. You need anything you come this way alright? And when you get near your due date, you can come here to deliver or maybe I can visit Alexandria. I'd love to bring some life back into this world like I used to."
Merle had been correct in his assumption that he would hate Hilltop's leader. Gregory was a slimy bastard with some kind of grandiose idea that his shit didn't stink. He reminded Merle of the Governor in so many ways, that he actually contemplated killing him on the spot to just get the eventuality over with.
Merle didn't think that the guy was as violent or malevolent as Philip had been, but he was definitely out for himself, others be damned. The way he spoke to them, as though they were dogshit scrapped from his shoe didn't help anything either.
Maggie stomped out of the room with something close to a sneer plastered on her almost always friendly face.
Merle joined Rick and Daryl as they spoke with her and Jesus.
"He doesn't want to trade. He mentioned that some of us would have to come here to work, implied I would be the perfect 'assistant' to him because I was good lookin'."
Merle's hard eyes went to the closed door, as his already heighted protective nature seemed to stretch from not just Sam but to anyone in their group. He wanted to tear the door of the hinges and beat the man to a mushy pulp for being such a condescending prick.
"Let me talk to him. I'm sure I can get him to change his mind." Jesus offered only to be interrupted by a loud commotion outside. Merle was jogging outside instantly when the sound of a vehicle peeling into the community reached his ears. His eyes instantly searching out Sam who sat on the porch steps with Michonne.
Two men exited the vehicle as Jesus and Rick approached. They were both looking worse for wear, their clothes bloodied and eyes frantic.
"Nathan, what happened to everybody else? Where's Tim and Marsha?" Gregory asked as he strode down the hill towards them.
"They killed them." Nathan explained, his voice hoarse and eyes red.
"Negan?"
The man nodded as the others watched everything unfold. Merle's eyes shot to Daryl's as the name sounded familiar to both of them from all those weeks ago.
"We had a deal." Gregory huffed with irritation.
"He said it wasn't enough. Was the drop light?" The other man asked, his hands resting in his hips.
"No." Gregory snapped but Merle could tell the man was lying as sweat dripped down his temple.
"They still have Craig. They said they'd keep him alive, return him to us, if I deliver a message to you." Nathan replied.
Rolling his eyes, Gregory spoke dryly, "Well? Tell me."
"I'm sorry." Ethan spoke before his knife was suddenly drawn and buried into Gregory's gut.
Merle moved without a thought, his hand roughly yanking the man from Hilltop's leader as Abraham tugged the other man from joining in. Rick helped Merle subdue the attacker, surprising Merle as the blade was forcibly removed from Ethan's hand and buried into the man's neck. Merle's arms were sprayed with blood as the man choked on the thick liquid. Glancing over his shoulder at Sam, he saw her watching from a distance, her hands cupping her stomach.
Angry voices rose as the men fought with Abraham and Daryl, both beating on the man trying to get to Gregory.
"I have to, they've got my brother! They're gonna kill him!"
The man was knocked out and subdued, as Gregory was rushed to the house with Harlan on their heels. Merle joined Sam on the porch steps as the others tried to calm the residents down. He saw her gripping a piece of paper in her hand and asked, "You okay, sugar?"
"Yeah… what's going on?"
"Shit just got complicated. Whatcha got there?"
"Oh." She muttered, looking down at the picture in her hand. "Harlan gave it to me."
Handing it over, Merle carefully took it to keep from getting blood on the paper. The small image had his throat cinching into a giant knot.
"Its got your nose." He rasped after a moment to control the overwhelming emotions flooding him.
"I'd hope so." Sam murmured back, a smirk curling her lips. "Be god awful if they end up with your crooked beak."
Merle laughed gruffly as he stepped closer to her side. "M'sorry I been so hard on ya, sugar."
"You better be."
"I'll make it up to ya later but I just… I gotta keep you safe darlin'. Ya just saw the type of shit I was worried about happenin'."
"I know but Merle… you gotta ease up. The harder you push me, the more I dig my heels in and we both know what'll happen."
"What's that, darlin'?" he asked with a grin.
"For one you won't be comin' anywhere near your favorite place on earth until the kid's in college."
"and the other?"
"I'll crush those favorite family jewels of yours into a fine dust."
Sam joined the others at the house as they all seemed to be waiting for some kind of decision. She glanced at Merle only to find him glaring out the window at the community. She cocked an eyebrow at Daryl who only muttered back, "Don't worry about it."
"That usually means shit is goin' south."
"We're workin' it out."
Rolling her eyes, she sat down in a window seat with Michonne. "How fucked are we?"
"I think that what just happened out there might work in our favor. Merle and Rick saved Gregory's ass and if he knows what's good for him, he'll strike a deal."
Jesus joined them in the library after getting Gregory settled upstairs with Harlan. His face was stoic for once, the genial smile gone and tension filling his eyes.
"Lucy you got a lot 'splainin' to do." Abraham sneered, his hands in tight fists next to his sides. Merle was standing nearby as well, his own hand holding a cigarette as he lit up despite everyone else's looks of irritation.
"Gonna stop me?" he snarked, his words filled with smoke.
"Nah but I'm sure your unborn infant loves it." Michonne deadpanned, her eyes angry at the redneck.
"Fuckin fine." Merle growled, stubbing it out in a potted plant next to the window. "But ya bes' start talkin' Jesus or I'm gonna stomp your ass."
"Things like that don't usually happen here." Jesus muttered, leaning against the bookshelf.
"We heard the name Negan." Michonne spoke, standing from her spot on the window seat.
"Awhile back, Daryl and Abraham had a run-in with his men." Rick asked, "Who is he?"
Jesus tugged on his gloves and replied, "Negan's the head of a group of people he calls the Saviors. As soon as the walls were built, the Saviors showed up. They met with Gregory on behalf of their boss. They made a lot of demands, even more threats. And he killed one of us- Rory. He was 16 years old."
Merle's guts turned to ice as Jesus confirmed his suspicions about the outside threat. The constant prickling at the base of Merle's skull finally had a reason to be there. The threat was alive and coming. Sooner or later the man known as Negan would find them.
"They beat him to death right in front of us. Said we needed to understand, right off the bat. Gregory's not exactly good at confrontation. He's not the leader I would've chosen, but he helped make this place what it is, and the people like him. He made the deal."
Rick raised an eyebrow and rest his hands on his hips.
"Half of everything. Our supplies, our crops, our livestock, it goes to the Saviors."
Maggie asked, "And what do you get in return?"
"They don't attack this place." Jesus replied, his tone resigned. "They don't kill us."
"Why not just kill them?" Daryl asked.
"Most of the people here don't even know how to fight, even if we had ammo." Jesus confessed.
"Well, how many people does Negan have?" Rick asked, the gears in his head visibly turning. Merle did not like where this train was heading, he could see it already. They would risk their lives for these weak people, to get the food they needed. He wasn't really looking forward to putting his ass on the line for something that may not pay out.
"We don't know. We've seen groups as big as 20."
"Now, hold up." Abraham drawled with a sardonic grin. "So, they show up, they kill a kid, and you give them half of everything? These dicks just got a good story. The bogeyman, he ain't shit."
"Well, how do you know?" Jesus asked in confusion.
"A month ago, we took his guys out PDQ. Left them in pieces and puddles."
"You know, we'll do it." Rick finally spoke.
"If we go get your man back, kill Negan, take out his boys, will you hook us up? We want food, medicine, and one of them cows." Daryl inserted himself into the conversation.
"Confrontation's never been something we've had trouble with." Rick drawled with a slight grin.
"Now jus' wait a damn second." Merle growled, "You speakin' for all o'us there Officer Friendly?"
"Yes. Yes I am."
"I'll take it to Gregory." Jesus replied, ignoring Merle's objection before excusing himself from the room.
"They have food, we don't." Rick spoke before Merle could get word out.
"We don't have enough of anything." Maggie muttered.
"Except us." Rick replied, his eyes scanning the group. "What we can do. This is the trade."
"It's gonna cost us something." Merle muttered, "Ain't gonna be some easy shit to take out a group that we don't know shit about."
"Gregory is up." Jesus spoke from the doorway. "He want's to talk to Maggie."
Sam stood next to the porch stairs as Rick spoke to the man who was subdued during the attack on Gregory.
"Jesus said you've been taking supplies to Negan since the beginning." Rick spoke evenly and when the man nodded Rick added, "We're gonna get Craig back."
"The only way to get Craig back is to bring them Gregory's head." Nathan muttered, his eyes scanning the group surrounding him.
"We're gonna get Craig back." Rick repeated, his head dipping to meet the man's eyes.
"How?"
"We need to know what you know about Negan's compound. We need your help. We need you to come."
"Yeah. Okay." He conceded, rising to his feet.
Sam chewed her lip as the situation started to worry her. They were going up against a group that was known to kill others for their supplies. A group that could possibly turn up on their doorstep. She understood Rick and Daryl's goal, understood that they needed to do what they had to do to survive, but waging war seemed to be more dangerous than it was worth.
Merle's hand rest against her back and he bent to whisper into her ear.
"It'll be okay, sugar. We'll figure it out."
"And if we don't?"
"Then we keep scavenging and growing the shit we need."
"And if we just end up shakin' the hornet's nest?"
"Then we burn the fucker down."
"You got room for one more, right? I mean, we're talking about righting the world here. Plus, you still have my knives." Jesus asked Rick as they approached the RV with a few crates of fresh produce.
"Sure."
"Hey, you up for this?" Rick asked Michonne who strode up with a tired smile.
"It's gonna be a fight." She offered, her eyes landing on Sam's worried ones.
"We'll win." Rick offered, his head tipping to the RV. "We have to."
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