AN: Here we are! The chapter everyone has been waiting/dreading! Everyone guessed Merle last chapter, and you all were correct. And man, Merle is fun but difficult to write. I can't wait for you all to see who else pops up in this chapter! :) And its longer than most of the others, lots to fit in this chapter! Enjoy!

Warnings: Merle being racist.

Chapter Twelve

Tyreese and Sasha immediately flanked Beth. Sasha had her gun trained on the man as well but Tyreese held his hands up and attempted to ease the situation. The man didn't seem to be worried about the two guns pointed at him, he was at complete ease as he studied them leaning against the chain link fence. Beth noticed he wasn't alone, there were a few people in the tower and a couple in the fencing pathway that separated the yards from the open land around the prison, and they were heading their way. Beth took a steadying breath, the walkers in the outer yard were taken care of and she didn't want to turn her eyes from the man in front of her to see how things fared with Rick and the others.

"Easy now, we don't want trouble," Tyreese addressed the man using a friendly tone.

"Ain't that a shame!" The other man chuckled.

"Merle!" A voice called from behind the man, and the man acknowledge with a nod towards the group walking cautiously up the slope.

The group approaching them was an eclectic mix of five people. The man in the middle that seemed to be the leader, he was wearing a mix of military clothes and a ball cap that read 'sheriff', he was flanked by a white, redneck looking man who had called out to 'Merle', he had a crossbow and looked the most dangerous. There was also a bald, black man that looked slightly broader but shorter than Tyreese, a skinny Asian man, and a blonde woman, all with guns. Beth had never seen the group closely that they had previously evaded, but these people didn't seem to be them. They were less organized and while armed, not as equipped well.

"We were just comin' to clear out the yard of this prison, looks like a nice place to stay for a while, ya know?" The man in the sheriff hat stated as he neared the fence.

"Looks like we beat you to it," Sasha replied calmly and not lowering her weapon, which was still trained on 'Merle.'

"Now this is a big place, surely there's enough room to share? We don't need to come to violence, it won't end pretty for either party." The man was right, Beth and Sasha had the better weapons but they were outnumbered, if they all started firing both sides were sure to lose people. There also wasn't any cover besides the chain link fence. The only advantage they held was that they had a building to retreat to if they could make it unharmed. There was something about this man that made Beth nervous, he had a sly smile on his face and looked about as trustworthy as a snake.

"We don't want trouble, but we were here first," Tyreese addressed the man in the sheriff's hat.

"A black man already inside a prison? Surprise, surprise," the first man spit. Beth gaped. Seriously? The word's population had been decimated and this guy still found time to be racist? Sasha bristled beside her but Tyreese remained calm.

"Merle, there's no need for that, these people seem like good people." The new group's leader didn't seem upset about the rude comments, and that made Beth even more uneasy. "Now, we're just people looking for a place to stay, we mean no harm to you good people. We've also got women and children in our group, just like you folks."

"What's going on here?" Rick's voice interrupted. He was splattered in gore, walking up to the group with confidence and authority oozing from his stern expression. Michonne looked especially fierce on Rick's right, with her bloody sword resting on her shoulder and a glare on her face. Morgan was on Rick's other side and looked ready to knock some heads together while Duane peered around his father curiously.

"Rick?" The leader asked disbelievingly and everyone's gaze flew to Rick and then back to the leader.

Rick faltered as he studied the other man. "Shane?" his tone was just as disbelieving.

"Son of a bitch! Rick! You're alive!" the other man laughed and now everyone on both sides of the fence looked confused.

"Don't think I've ever been happier to see your face," and Rick was smiling. He finished walking up to the fence that separated the two groups.

"Do you mind introducing us, cupcake?" Merle asked with a derisive snort.

"This here is Rick Grimes, my partner from the force and best friend. Last I saw him he was lying in a hospital bed in a coma after being shot," the man grinned. He looked genuinely happy to see Rick but Beth still felt uneasy.

"Yeah… I woke up about a month after the dead started walking, I guess."

"Shit, man, I tried to get you… when people were evacuating but you wouldn't wake up. So I barricaded your door and ran."

"Rick, you trust this man?" Morgan asked lowly. He had a skeptical look on his face. Beth was very glad for Morgan's usual caution. She had an awful feeling welling in her gut. If this was Shane, who Rick had mentioned to her in the past, then who else from Rick's hometown was with him?

"I trust this man with my life, but I don't know these others," Rick stated boldly and he surveyed the people around Shane.

"These are good people, some are just a little rough on the edges like Merle here. This is his brother Daryl, and that's T-Dog, Glenn and Andrea." Shane pointed to each member of his group.

"This here is Morgan, he found me after I left the hospital. This is his son Duane, that's Beth, Sasha, Tyrese and Michonne." The groups still eyed each other cautiously minus Shane and Rick. "Is… is anyone else with you?" Rick asked carefully.

"Shit, yeah, man, Carl and Lori. They're fine." Rick's shoulders sagged in relief and he placed a hand on the fence to steady himself.

Beth's heart plummeted and the horrible feeling welling in her chest made it hard for her to breathe.

The blonde on the other side of the fence spoke, "Wait, is this Lori's dead husband?" she asked.

"Not so dead lookin' to me." Merle cracked.

"T-Dog, Daryl, go get the others," Shane ordered and then turned back to Rick, "Rick, can I talk to you a second? Alone?"

"What's wrong?" Rick frowned and a hand went to his holstered gun as he watched the two men retreated to the outer fencing where they had cut into the fence.

"Nothing's wrong, I just want to have a word with you." Shane held up a hand to placate Rick.

"Tyreese, Sasha, let's open up the gate." Rick gestured to the gate Tyreese had clipped shut. The rest of their group followed Rick including Beth feeling lightheaded, but Michonne kept an eye on the four remaining of the other group. They still seemed untrustworthy, but at the same time, these were the people that Rick had been searching for all along. He was about to be reunited with his family.

"Rick, I know you're excited but let's be cautious," Morgan warned quietly.

"I know, I know. We need to be on alert. I don't like the look of the one that won't shut up," Rick agreed just a quiet.

Soon Rick and Tyreese were hauling open the gate and the other group minus the black man and the younger redneck were walking in, looking up at the strong, cement walls in awe.

Sasha placed a comforting hand on Beth's shoulder, "hey, it's gonna be okay," She said quietly.

Beth shook her head, "We've never really discussed this, I always avoided the topic… I never thought that this would actually happen." She turned to face the older girl.

Sasha pulled her into a tight hug, "Rick ain't gonna abandon you. He cares about you."

"He's about to be reunited with his wife." Beth glanced over at Rick, he and Shane were standing away from the others and Beth couldn't tell what was being said.

The blonde woman approached them, Andrea, with a friendly expression on her face and the Asian man was close behind her. "Hi, I'm Andrea and this is Glenn. It's nice to see some friendly faces."

"Same here. There's a lot of bad people out there." Sasha replied as she shook her hand. "I'm Sasha, and this is Beth."

"Hello" Beth greeted with a halfhearted smile.

"How long have you guys been together?" asked Glenn curiously.

"Well, Beth here was with Rick, Morgan and Duane a few months before Tyreese and I joined. Michonne has only been with us for about a month."

"You haven't lost anyone?" Andrea enquired.

"Well… Tyreese and I joined with three others, but we went separate ways… and when Beth joined she was with a friend."

Beth nodded, "he was bit. The others … left after a disagreement." Beth really didn't feel like making small talk with these people let alone going into the detail about the Ben incident.

"So few of you for this long though, you guys must be pretty tough," Glenn grinned.

"We are." Michonne's voice joined the conversation. Beth hadn't noticed Michonne approach, but there she was with her game face on. "What's your man talking to Rick about?" She asked.

Glenn and Andrea both looked over at Shane and Rick, Shane looked uneasy and Rick's face was blank. "Yeah, that must be the most awkward conversation ever." Glenn joked.

Andrea nodded in agreement, "I imagine Shane is telling Rick about his … wife's … condition."

"Condition?" Sasha asked curiously.

"She's pregnant." Glenn said bluntly.

"Oh!" Beth gasped and she exchanged a look of surprise with Sasha.

"Like, about to pop. It's one of the reasons Shane wants this prison so bad. Fences between a crying baby and that," Andrea added with gesture towards the trees outside the fences.

"Is he… the father?" Beth asked quietly. Beth knew there was no way it was Rick's if Lori was still pregnant, too much time had passed. "Yup." Glenn nodded. Beth felt awful for wave of happiness washing over her at the news that Lori was clearly with another man. Rick had been in a coma, she probably thought Rick had been dead. The real question was how Lori would react to her husband not being dead. Beth was feeling so overwhelmed, she really wanted to retreat to their cell block and curl up in the bedding that no doubt still smelled like her and Rick and pretend this day had never started.

They then heard the sounds of engines. A small SUV and a red suburban following a motorcycle came into view. Daryl was on the bike, he stopped in front of the still locked gate and the others stopped around him. Shane had a hand on Rick's shoulder but Rick's stiff posture could be seen from where Beth was standing. She tried to keep a brave face as Rick glanced back at her but she had a feeling she was failing miserably. Here we go, she thought grimly as people began to exit the vehicles.

The prison was everything Rick wanted for a sanctuary: multiple layers of study, chain-link fencing separating his people from walkers; thick, concrete and brick walls to deter people who would harm his people; and lots of space for his people to feel comfortable in. The previous night was the securest he'd felt since his brief stay at the CDC back in Atlanta. Beth, with an excited smile, had planned late into the night about what they could do with the large yards, they could plant crops and maybe take on some livestock. Lying in a bed with Beth in his arms, he knew he would do everything to bring her plans to fruition. Rick could picture her teaching them all how to plant crops, walkers becoming only a minor threat.

Rick had felt a brief pang of guilt as he thought of Beth and this new home, as he often did when he thought about giving up the search for Carl and Lori. He had already emotionally moved on from Lori, they had been distant before his coma, but Carl was much harder to get over. Carl was his blood, his son, and Rick's chest ached at never being able to see him again. It had almost been a year since he woke up in the hospital and he had dragged his companions all over the state trying to find his lost family. He had put them all in danger multiple times, not only from walkers but the hostile people that were left in this world. He was going to embrace this new life. He had not just allies, but close friends, and he now had Beth. Beth, who kept him grounded, who made sure he ate and slept enough, who would badger him when he neglected his own needs over the others' needs. He didn't think he would ever give up his longing for his lost son, but he thought he could finally start to move on.

It figured that when he finally let go of his past it would all blow up in his face.

Duane and Morgan had the gate shut to the other courtyard. Michonne and Rick took out the last walkers with ease, Rick perhaps being a bit too brutal in killing the last one. "Rick," Michonne hissed grabbing his attention back to the more pressing problem. She gestured to the gate Sasha had closed and he saw the new unknown group approaching his people, approaching Beth.

"Shit," Rick cursed and the two of them started back across the courtyard, Morgan and Duane joining them. Rick put his cop face on, he was not about to lose this find but he didn't want to lose any one of his group either. He glanced at Beth as he approached, she looked determined but scared and her grip was steady on the gun she was aiming. "What's going on here?" Rick called as soon as he was close enough.

And then he felt like he stumbled into the twilight zone. In front of him was Shane, his best friend since middle school and his former partner. Rick tried his best to remain calm about this find, he tried to think practically. He didn't recognize a single person Shane was with, and two of them looked more unsavory than the rest. He tried to reassure Morgan that his head was in the right place, that they would all be careful. But Shane said Carl and Lori were alive. Carl. How many times had he watched Duane and thought of his own son? Wondering if he was a walker or if he was alive, if he was safe or in danger?

Shane approached him once they had the gate open, he had a look of trepidation on his face that gave Rick an urge to punch the expression off his face. He had bad news, Rick could feel it. They exchanged a brief hug and clapped each other on the back, reminiscent of days long past. "Shane, what's wrong? Did something happen to Carl?"

"Listen, Rick… we all thought you were dead. I tried to wake you up at the hospital, but the power went out and the equipment hooked up to you turned off and … I panicked. There were soldiers in the halls shooting the dead and living, so I blocked off your door and ran. I told Lori and Carl that you were dead, I knew they would never evacuate if they thought you were still alive and we couldn't transport you in your current condition."

Rick nodded impatiently, "It's fine, I understand why you did it. I'm not mad." And really, Rick wasn't, not about being left behind, not if it meant Carl was safe.

Shane studied him intently before continuing. "I took care of Lori and Carl as best as I could. We were all scared. And I… comforted Lori. We started… a relationship. We thought you were dead. If I knew you would wake up I would never have…" Shane trailed off and looked at the ground.

Rick blinked in surprise and tried to keep his face expressionless. Shane and Lori were…together. Rick couldn't believe that Shane was so upfront about it. In the past Shane never had a problem lying to anyone about affairs and Rick couldn't believe his change of character. Maybe the world ending turned Shane into a better person. Rick didn't feel angry at the news. He should have, he should want to punch Shane in the face or something but he instead felt relief. Relief that there wasn't anything wrong with Carl, and well, relief that Lori had moved on as well. He could stay with Beth.

"That's it?" Rick asked. "Nothing's wrong with Carl?"

"Well… he ain't too happy with us, but nothing's wrong with Carl. But Lori… she's pregnant."

Oh. Well, that explained why Shane wasn't trying to hide or lie about this. Maybe Shane was still the same old Shane. Rick did get angry then, but not for the expected reasons. He had always wanted Carl to have brothers and sisters but Lori didn't so they never tried for any more kids. It was one of the wedges in their relationship that caused friction between them. And here they are, world falling to pieces and Lori was about to have another baby with another man. Rick knew that it had to have been an accident, Lori hadn't wanted another child when the world was okay there's no way she would have tried to get pregnant. But it still hurt. "Pregnant." Rick repeated, saying the word out loud made it seem more real and that he hadn't hallucinated the entire conversation to cover Shane saying something worse.

But Shane nodded. "Yeah… she's due any day now. It's one of the reasons we need this prison. We can't stay on the move with a baby."

"Yeah, I hear you." Rick nodded again. He really wanted to punch Shane. Or worse.

They were interrupted by several vehicles pulling up down at the main gate into the prison. He glanced behind him at the rest of his group, they were all on guard except Duane, who looked excited to see new people, and Beth, who looked miserable. Rick felt the strong urge to comfort her, he definitely did not want to give up their relationship but she didn't know that. He had to reassure her that he didn't want Lori, and not because she was pregnant with another man's child, but because Lori wasn't Beth.

But then doors were opening and he looked back at the emerging people. One of the two men that went to fetch the group must have said something because Carl leapt out of the suburban with a wild expression on his face and ran for the hole in the fence Shane's group had cut.

"Carl!" Rick called and his worry about Beth and anger over Lori were forgotten as he saw his son. He looked older, no surprise there, and his hair was longer but he smiled and yelled "DAD!" and Rick took off running. Rick met him halfway down the yard and sank to his knees and Carl ran straight into him. They were both crying and Rick started laughing. It was real, Carl was real, and he was here in his arms, alive and safe.

"Dad, Shane said you were dead," Carl said through his tears.

"I'm not, everything's going to be okay now," Rick murmured into Carl's hair. He spent several long moments just enjoying the feel of his son in his arms.

Rick looked up as he heard more people approaching. There were others with Lori, hovering around her but Rick didn't look at them. Shane wasn't lying; she looked like she could go into labor any minute. Her stomach looked huge in comparison to how skinny she was. Rick felt another pang of anger, could Shane not even feed his people properly? She looked awful.

"Rick," she greeted uncertainly. Her hands were cradling her stomach and she was chewing on her bottom lip.

"Hey," Rick greeted back. He loosened his grip on Carl enough to stand but didn't let go of him completely. They just stood staring at each other, both groups gathering loosely around them. "I don't really know what to say," Rick told her honestly.

"Me neither," she shrugged with a weak smile, "But it's so good to see you."

"You too."

"It's Shane's." Carl spoke up. His tone was angry and Rick looked down to see him glaring at Shane, who had approached Lori's side.

"I know," Rick responded softly.

They were then interrupted by another reunion. Most of Shane's group had gathered loosely behind Lori, curious to these new people, and one among the crowd, a pretty brunette, called out, "Beth?!"

Rick glanced up at this new girl and then back at Beth, who looked shocked. "Maggie?" And then her face looked even more surprised, "Daddy?!" And the pretty brunette ran towards Beth and Beth took a few disbelieving steps before the other girl reached her and pulled her into a tight hug. She was followed by an older man with white hair pulled back into a ponytail and he hugged both girls, they were all crying.

"Well, how do you like that? Reunions all around. You got our daddy hiding somewhere? Probably not, he'd never put up with you people," Merle snickered. His brother, Daryl, rolled his eyes before elbowing his brother. "What? Hey T-Dog, any of them your people?"

"Yeah, 'cuz I'm related to every other black person in Georgia," he replied, sarcasm dripping as he sighed.

"You tellin' me you ain't?" Merle sneered back.

"Hey, now, let's just calm down." Rick stepped away from his son towards Merle. If Merle wasn't careful he'd soon have Michonne's katana sprouting between his ribs. Not that it was unwarranted, and Rick would do little to stop her, but bloodshed was probably not the best way to handle these reunions. "Why don't we move everything back to the courtyard before every walker in the area comes investigating?" He suggested.

Rick watched with a cautious eye as Beth was surrounded by her long lost sister and father. Beth had accepted losing her family much better than Rick had. Once they had returned to the farm and buried her mother and brother she had made peace with the loss of her entire family. Now she looked incredulous but happy. Rick tried not to concentrate on Beth too closely. This merge of groups need his full attention. And there was something Rick wanted to handle first.

Hey Carl," Rick steered his son with a hand on his shoulder towards Morgan and Duane, "there's someone I want you to meet."

AN: A lot of people guessed that a Lori reunion would come out of this chapter, but anyone suspect Hershel and Maggie?

Review please!