Okay, this chapter is really sad. Please review!
Daryl ruffled Jamie's hair playfully, smiling at her. He headed towards the perch, ready to get settled back in, and Jamie stayed outside. He set his crossbow and arrows down, smiling slightly when he realized Jamie had left out a can of baked beans for him.
He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Rick. He could tell by the look on his friend's face it wasn't good.
"What?"
"The Governor made me an offer." Rick said, looking at him. "We hand over Michonne, and nobody gets hurt. He leaves us alone."
"Yeah, right." Daryl said. "He'll be bangin' on our door a month later, askin for Merle."
Rick was silent, and Daryl looked up at him, green eyes wide. "Don't tell me you're really thinkin about it..."
"I am. One life gone, no more bloodshed..."
"You got any proof he'll leave us alone? Cause we both know that man won't keep his word."
"I'm not just thinking about me here! I'm thinking about Carl, and Jamie, and Judith... ALL of us. You with me?"
Daryl shrugged. "I'll do what you decide." he said, knowing, deep down, Rick would never go with it. If he did, then maybe he and Jamie would need to find a different place. If Rick was willing to do this to Michonne, who was to say anything about Merle next, and then him, and then Jamie would be left alone...
Rick turned to go and he stared after his friend, playing his hunch was right. Rick wouln't do this.
"Hey brother." Daryl found Merle down in one of the offices.
Merle grunted, looking up. "You know that bitch-" Merle rolled his eyes when Daryl tensed. "Fine. Jamie locked me up today for gettin into a fight with the chinaman."
Daryl shrgged. "Ain't my fault."
"Whatever. Danm, don't they got any good stuff around here? Crystal, maybe, or some more weed..."
"You get high again and you're gone." Daryl said firmly.
Merle laughed. "Whatever. You came down here for a reason, baby brother. It about Rick?"
Daryl nodded. "He told you too?"
" 'Bout Michonne? Sure did. I take it they want me to help. We both know he won't go through with it."
"Yeah." Daryl said.
"I ain't no angel. Hell, I ain't even close to heaven. But maybe they need someone like me round here to do their dirty work..."
Daryl shrugged. "I'm just gonna wait for him to call it off. You seen Jamie round here?"
Merle nodded. "Bi- Kid brought me some squirrel a few minutes ago. Went back upstairs."
Daryl nodded to him before leaving Merle to his own devices.
It was the next day when Rick offically called it off. And Daryl nodded, not saying he'd had the suspicion that he wouldn't go through with it. Instead, he headed off after Merle, hoping, desperately hoping, his brother hadn't...
But he had. He realized it when Michonne was nowhere to be found, as well as Merle...
He headed towards the motorcycle, grim realization hitting him.
"Daryl..." Rick said, looking at him, hesitation clear on his face.
"Don't bother." Daryl said simply, slinging his crossbow across the back of the motorcycle. "I can stomp my own snakes." and he was gone.
Jamie looked after him, both confused and afraid, wondering why he was headed out on his own. But that didn't sting the most. What stung the most was that he hadn't even said goodbye.
"Jamie." Carl said, looking at her nervously.
"Don't bother." Jamie said, turning towards the whole in the fence, bow slung over her shoulder. She'd get over it, she figured, Daryl had something more important to do. He couldn't be with her ALL the time. Still, though- she just wished he'd said goodbye.
Daryl leaned over the handlebars, trying not to worry and scowl at the same time. What the hell was Merle thinking, trying to turn Michonne over to the Governor? He knew better than anyone what he'd do to her, she was a member of the group.
He urged the bike faster, turning a corner He remembered the route to the old, rusted metal tubes, the gaveyard of what had been a farm...
He turn the corner and slowed, the bike, putting his foot down on the side to hold it up. He'd seen Michonne, and he looked at her. "You alright?"
"Yeah. He let me go, went off..."
Daryl nodded. "Towards the farm?"
"I'm guessing."
Daryl went nodded, about to continue of, but a hand on his upper shoulder directed his attention back towards Michonne. "Good luck." was all she said, and he nodded before driving on, Michonne disappearing behind him.
He felt the sinking feeling of dread when he stopped the bike. Walkers were everywhere, but knowing Merle, he wouldn't give up, wouldn't let himself be killed. He lifted his crossbow, aiming at a walker who had his back to him, was hunched over a dead body, eating greedily.
He was just about to pull the trigger when it turned, seeing him. He stopped dead. It was Merle.
The crossbow hit the gravel with a crunch. He was frozen, time stopped, as he watched the body that had ince been his brother rise and stagger towards him, skin ashen, blood all over him...
Merle slammed into him and he staggered back, still staring, dumbfounded. He stepped back, trying to keep the tears at bay... When Merle tried to bite him he realized it. It was a walker, not Merle, it was a walker...
He pulled out his knife, shoving back the walker that was his brother, the only kin he had left, and stabbihg the knife through his forehead. Merle fell, but he didn't stop, stabbing again and again and again, until he had to stop and catch his breath. He sat back, looking down at the mutilated body and silently starting to cry.
"Merle..." he whimpered his name before looking up. It was late, it'd be dark in a few hours. Still, even that knowledge didn't pull him out of his greif as he sat for what must've been two hours. When dusk started to come, he kne whe had to stand and looked around. Bodies, bodies all around, they were all the Governor's men, too...
He'd orchestrated this himself. He'd taken his last stand, and at least ten bodies besides his brother had fallen. Daryl looked down at him, nodding tearfully. "ayou did good, brother... you did good. I... I'm proud to have you... had you..." the realization he'd HAD Merle cut deep, and he swallowed.
"Love you, brother." and he turned, heading back towards the motorcycle.
The wind on his face dried his tears, but still, he coldn't help but wonder. Jamie was it, all he had left, now... He gunned the enginge. He'd left Jamie there, hadn't said goodbye, she'd no doubt be upset.
Still, she was all he had left. He drove up driving through, and put down the kickstand to the bike. Rick looked over at him questioningly, but Daryl ignored it.
"Jamie!" he called into the woods.
Jamie looked up from where she was. She'd been down by the creek a few hundred yards into the woods, catching crawfish. They tasted a bit like lobster, and it might raise their weary spirits.
Still, though when she heard Daryl call her name, not a burdcall, she knew simething was wring, She sprinted towards the edge of the woods, slowing to a trot. She couldn't let anyone see she was wirried, show no fear, always show no fear...
What if he'd been hurt? What if he was shot, or what if... what if he was bit? She couldn't bear to watch him die slow, but there was no way she could pick up a gun and finish him...
"Daryl?" she asked, fighting to keep the dread from her voice. She waded through the drainage ditch, not bothering to take the bridge. It was too far away, she wanted to get there asap. She ducked through the hole in the fence, making out Daryl's form through the dark, as well as a concerned looking Rick and Glenn.
"C'mere." Daryl ordered, turning and heading towards the farthest guard tower, not waiting to see if she was behind him. She trotted behind him, ignoring the squishing of her socks in her boots. She was soaked from the knees down from the drainidge ditch, but that could wait...
Daryl opened the door, starting up the stairs. She followed wordlessly, the only sound in the night their footsteps echoing off the stairs. They finally reached the top. Daryl sat heavily, back against the wall, head in his hands, for a minute.
"Come 'ere." His voice was soft, but she could see by his expression how much pain he was in.
She sat on his lap, and he pulled her closer to him, stroking her hair. His breathing was ragged, but his work-worn hands gentle.
She waited in silent dread, in the inky blackness of the night. He took a shaking breath and spoke. "Merle's dead."
"What?" Jamie turned, staring at him, shocked.
Daryl nodded, eyes wet with tears. He simply wiped them away. "The Govrnor made Rick an offer- he handed Michonne over to him, he left us alone."
Jamie stared. "And Rick... Rick did it?"
"No. He called it off a few hours before. But Merle... he tried to take her there..."
"Did Michonne kill him?" Jamie asked, voice tight. If Michonne had had to kill Merle, she'd understand, but that still didn't mean she forgave her for the pain she'd caused Daryl.
"No... Merle realized it was wrong, he let her go. I... he went on a suicide mission... took out ten of the Governor's boys, I found him. He was a walker..."
Jamie clung to him, trying to stay tears. This was just like Ryder, only worse, so much worse, because Daryl had had to kill the walker that was his brother.
"I... I know you didn't like him..."
"I liked him. Sure, he was an asshole, but... he was kinda nice." Jamie said quietly. "He made you happy, was always making fun of me... But most of the time, I could tell he was just teasin' me. Tryin to gt under my skin. But now..." she choked on the tears in the back of her throat, and a few escaped.
"'S okay, Jamie. 'S gonna be okay." he choked out.
And with that she buried her head in his chest snd cried, and Dary held her and rubbed her back, tucking her head under his chin and letting a few tears escape himself.
"I... I wish I hadn't locked him in thr cell so much..." Jamie cried quietly.
The moonlight shone through the windows of the tower, giving everything a greyish silver tinge.
Daryl stroked her hair. "It's all right, Jamie, you had to. You gotta do things sometimes..."
His words seemed to have no effect on her, as she continued to sob into his chest. Another one dead, another person in her life, gone...
"He died a hero, baby girl. Never forget that, you hear? Your Uncle died a hero..."
She nodded, still clinging to his shirt, and she finally cried herself to sleep on Daryl's lap. Daryl wiped his own eyes, before deciding he might as well just sleep while he sat- he was emotionally exhausted, and he let sleep dull the pain.