Chapter Nine

The tension in the room was stifling.

His brother and father, both people he'd mourned for years were alive and well and he had no idea how to react.

Before, when he'd awakened in the infirmary with his father and Conner lying only paces away, it had seemed surreal, a figment of a fragmented mind…but now as he stared into his brother's hazel blue eyes, so similar to his own, something seemed to click into place.

Their bond.

It hummed warm and vivid in the back of his mind, brighter than it had been since the day he was captured by the Mazurkas. With every step his brother took, it brightened and sang, only his own iron will and control keeping it under lock as the Council revealed its decision.

Even as Conner snarked at him, it seemed like a fantasy, something conjured by his mind...

It was the hug that shattered that illusion.

Nothing in existence had ever projected its emotions to him as strong as his twin, especially when there was direct contact between their skin.

WarmthGriefLoveLongingRelief filled him, none of it his own and he stiffened, biting back a gasp, his grip tightening on his crossbow as if it could protect him from the onslaught.

In the end, it was Judith that saved him.

Her cry pierced the tide like one of his bolts and it was the most natural thing to yank away from his brother to rush to her side, while shoving his emotions away to be dealt with later.

He'd deal with all of it after he took care of Lil Asskicker.

Unbeknownst to him, the others followed him, two wondering what had set the man off, while the remainder were full of exasperated amusement, well aware of the hunter's overprotective tendencies where Judy was concerned. They knew that although she was technically Shane, Rick, and Lori's she really belonged to Daryl and none of them would dare interfere with that.

Daryl was not someone they wanted to cross.

They arrived in the Mess hall to find Carol bouncing the infant frantically, relief lighting her face as Daryl came into view.

"Daryl, hey. She woke up while y'all were in the meeting and immediately started fussing. She really missed her Pookie."

Daryl glared at her but gently took the child from her, ignoring Conner's snort at the nickname.

"Tol' ya not to call me that."

Carol smirked. "Sure thing…Pookie."

He rolled his eyes turning his gaze onto the slowly calming baby.

"Hey, baby girl," He rumbled soothingly. "What's got ya all mad?"

She stared up at him, one tiny hand reaching up to grab his hair and he smiled, feeling all the tension from the past few day fall form his shoulders.

"Yeah, Yeah. I missed you too."

She giggled, cooing at him and he rolled his eyes.

"She yers?" Noah asked leaning over his youngest son's shoulder, careful not to touch the child.

His hands were much too stained to hold something so innocent. Conner, of the same mind moved to stand beside his twin while Rick chuckled and stood in front of him, pressing a kiss the baby's head.

"She might as well be." He responded, smirking when Daryl blush faintly.

"Shaddup."

"Well, she does react to you best." Came another voice and they all turned as Shane made his way over to them, dark eyes full of mischief.

The hunter's blush darkened and he looked away.

"Whatever. Did ya tell Merle?"

Shane scowled.

"Yes."

They waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't. Instead his scowl deepened.

"Next time you or Rick can go deal with the fucker." He turned to Conner. "Nice to see you awake, Kid. Hopefully you're less irritating than Daryl's other brother."

"I'm not."

"He's not." He and Daryl responded simultaneously and Rick raised an eyebrow.

Daryl flinched, gaze shuttering as he handed Judith to the older male.

He had to get out of here.

He needed to think.

"I'll be back."

Judith fussed slightly and he ran a gentle hand over her head, while Rick and Shane both frowned at him.

"Daryl-"

"Two days."

"One." Shane shot back.

His eyes narrowed stubbornly. "Two."

Shane stared back, just as stubborn and Rick sighed. "One."

"Tw-"

"Goddamnit Daryl! We have no idea when that bastard is coming. You're one of our best fighters! I wish we could give you two days to hunt and clear your head, but we don't have that luxury right now! After we take care of Governor Jackass, maybe, but right now we can't. One. Day."

The hunter stared at them, storm blue eyes full of turmoil and jaw clenched.

Then without a word he turned and left. Conner moved to go after him, his heart racing at the thought of being separated from his brother again but Rick stopped him.

"He needs this."

"Where's he going?"

"Hunting."

Conner frowned. "Murphy can't hunt to save his life. He won't even shoot a fucking rabbit if he didn't have to."

The former cop sighed. "Look you're his family, I get that, but the man you knew he's changed. We've all changed. Daryl may have been this Murphy character once but he isn't anymore. The man we know is a survivor. Half the time, he's trying to keep you at arm's length, the other half he's saving your life. He's a hunter, a protector and one of the best men I've ever had the pleasure of meeting."

He paused for a moment and Shane took over, voice solemn. "We don't know the person he was before. We know who he is now. This world, it changes you in ways that you'll never come back from, and for Daryl I think he changed long before that. The faster you realize that the easier it'll be to get him to open up to you."

The older MacManus twin thought over their words and his resolve strengthened. Something had happened when his brother was separated from them, something that had changed his brother and he wanted to know what it was.

But first he wanted to get to know this new facet of Murphy. He'd always been an expert at knowing his twin and now it seemed that he knew nothing.

Unacceptable.

He shared a glance with his father who nodded, watching the proceedings like sentinel.

They would get Murphy back and bring the mischief, the light back to his eyes, no matter what it took.

TBC…