Daryl saw the old biker bar as he drove back toward the old prison. He'd loaded up his cycle on the back of a 1-Ton, taken gas and supplies, and headed south toward the prison a week or so ago. He was nervous about seeing her again. Now that he'd left, he was sure that she hated him and would never forgive him, but he just couldn't go on without trying to set it right with her.

Pulling up to the front, he turned the truck off and grabbed his crossbow. Slinging it over his back, he strapped his machete and other weapons on before lowering his crossbow to approach the door. Slowly advancing, he made sure his boots didn't cause any noise as he snuck up to the front door. Seeing the door ajar, he began nudging it open with his foot before swinging his crossbow back and forth to clear the room.

Pushing the door quietly shut behind him, he glanced around the interior of the bar, noticing that most of the booze had been stolen or smashed, the chairs and tables flipped over…except for one. Across the room, sitting in front of a table with his back to a window was none other than Merle Dixon.

"Shit!" Daryl swore, moving quickly toward him, holding the crossbow at ready. Daryl couldn't figure out why he wasn't moving, or saying anything so he called out.

"Merle! You son of a bitch! You got a lot of explaining to do before I kill your ass!" Daryl threatened, noticing that his brother's hands were tied behind his back and the sun which blocked his view of Merle didn't notice the gag in his mouth before it was too late.

He felt the cold steel of a gun against his cheek all of a sudden and stopped.

"Look at this. I got both Dixon boys here for the party." The raspy, smooth voice of the Governor resonated in Daryl's ear and he closed his eyes, sighing.

"Move!" The Governor grated out, shoving Daryl forward, causing him to stumble toward his brother.

"I've been out to the prison already, noticed that you two boys had cleared out. Too bad." The Governor knew that the prison was empty, but he'd found the note they left Daryl and realized that he'd think that the Governor got ahold of them.

Fire raced through Daryl's veins and his heart began pounding as he realized what the Governor was saying.

"You had a lot of pretty girls with you…" The Governor let the implication hang, adding fuel to the lit fire.

Daryl's hands had gone cold, his breathing coming in heaving pants now, but the Governor made one mistake.

If Katelyn was dead, then there was no point in living anymore and Daryl would rather die taking that son of bitch out.

"I got to spend some quality time with my daughter." The Governor stated, not realizing or not caring that he was pushing Daryl over the edge.

Daryl barely heard him, his ears were ringing with a rush of adrenaline. He turned suddenly, his arm swinging back, knocking the rifle to the side before moving in for the kill. Grabbing the Governor by the throat, Daryl pushed him back, all the way across the room, until he hit the wall with him, growling the whole way.

The Governor didn't even get a chance to move before Daryl wrenched the gun out of his hand and hit him across the face with it. Daryl didn't stop. He was using it as a club now, hitting him over and over again, in the head and the face and the chest. Beating him until his arms fell to his sides and he stopped moving. But Daryl didn't stop then either. Using his boot, he kicked him in the ribs until his feet were sore.

Merle watched as his baby brother went ape shit all over the Governor. He was stunned at the brutality and ferocity that Daryl was capable of. He'd never seen him so primal and was slightly impressed. His baby brother had grown up.

It was Merle's voice that broke the haze that Daryl was in.

"Brother! Daryl! He's dead man! Damn!" Merle shouted, trying to get his attention.

Daryl didn't quite hear him so he tried again.

"He's dead, Daryl!" Merle was chuckling at Daryl's animosity toward the Governor.

Daryl stopped abruptly, his breathing coming in pants as he struggled to get his breath. Turning, he licked his dry lips and looked at his brother.

He felt the rage over what he'd done to Katelyn suddenly fill him and began stalking his way toward Merle. Noticing the look on his brother's face, Merle was suddenly nervous.

"Daryl! I'm sorry man! It was an accident! I was just playing around with her and she freaked out! I didn't hurt her! She passed out!" Merle was begging and trying to scoot his chair sideways out of the way of Daryl's wrath.

Daryl kept coming.

"Daryl! I'm your brother! I didn't mean to scare her! When she passed out, I panicked!" The leg of Merle's chair caught and he tipped on his side. At the mercy of his enraged brother, Merle began begging.

Something made Daryl stop. For the first time in his life, he saw Merle for what he was; a pathetically scared, immoral man who'd turned his own heart to stone so he could appear tough. But he wasn't. He was a coward. And now Daryl knew it.

Daryl's face screwed up, his nose wrinkling while his mouth formed a snarl. He spat on the floor right next to Merle's head before he crouched down next to him.

"I outta leave yo ass here!" Daryl hissed, fury erupting from his eyes.

"Don't leave me. Please. Don't leave me." Merle begged.

"What the fuck's wrong with you!?" Daryl yelled, looking at his brother who was laying sideways.

"I don't know! I screwed up! I panicked!" Merle admitted, choking on panicked sobs.

"You're always screwing up! You need to get your shit straight!" Daryl spat out, grabbing the top of the chair to pull his brother upright.

Merle flinched when Daryl pulled out his knife to cut his ropes.

"If I wanted to stab you, I'd have done it by now you asshole." Daryl muttered, shaking his head at his "big, tough, brother".

Merle shook the ropes off of himself.

"I don't know why I ever looked up to you. You're nothing but a fuck up!" Daryl ranted, pacing back and forth in front of him.

Merle stood up, looking sheepishly at Daryl, realizing for the first time that Daryl was a man now…and he was right. He'd had a fucked up life and he'd learned all the wrong lessons from it.

"What the hell 'm I sposed to do with you?" Daryl continued, shaking his head.

"I'm your brother, man." Merle said quietly.

Daryl just shook his head in irritation.

"Yur girl. He kill 'er, for real?" Merle asked quietly, trying to get his mind off of him.

It was like Merle hit him in the face.

Daryl's face crumpled and he ran out the door. Merle called out to him.

"Wait! I'll come with you!" Merle shouted, limping toward the truck, but Daryl was already pulled out.

The tires spun in the gravel, giving Merle a second to run after the truck and hop in the bed.

Daryl took off.