Chapter 14 following on the heels of Lucky 13. Thank you for the reviews/msgs/the ego stroking (Rae, LOL) Enjoy and hit the button! Let me know how I did. Where is everyone btw? I see the #s going up and ppl are reading but I love to hear from ya'll! Don't be shy! ;) Thanks a huge bunch, Kat

Call it adrenaline, call it a rush of impulsiveness, call it careless. That seems to be the theme of the night, thought Carol as she tiptoed through the woods nearly blind.

She'd waited until Daryl had fallen asleep and due to the sheer exhaustion he felt, it hadn't taken long. Waiting for a chance to get past Rick had been tedious, her nerves standing on end while she peeked through the small opening she'd made in the zipper of the tent.

If Daryl had woken she would've made the excuse that she'd been nervous about Merle coming back and called it a night. However, after fifteen minutes the opportunity had presented itself. Rick had gone into his tent, for what she didn't know. Maybe it was to fetch something or maybe it was to check on the baby. Regardless, she'd tucked the gun Lori had let her borrow long ago and Daryl's knife in her bag. Holding her breath she slowly unzipped the tent and zipped it back up. Seconds later she'd made the quick jaunt across the field to where Merle had only disappeared an hour or so earlier.

As she quietly worked her way through the damp brush, the moon, high over head created spindly like shadows that danced across the tree trunks. Each one looked like someone – or something was hiding behind it. She didn't know for certain what the purpose of her lone mission was. She'd never dared to leave the group on her own unless it'd been to chase Daryl down, and never at night. If she ran into Merle or if he caught her, he could kill her. She was aware of the danger and she at least planned on trying to stay hidden. Perhaps he had a camp not too far from where he'd headed off. She knew she was going in that general direction at least.

What the hell am I doing? She wondered as a shadow stepped out from behind a pine that wasn't human, well at least not anymore. Oh God, the smell. She pulled Daryl's knife out instead of the gun to take it down quietly. The blue jumpsuit that looked bone white where the moon shone on it, told her it was an inmate and hopefully he didn't have friends.

Before it could snarl or groan too loudly she kicked it backward with her foot, but it rebounded fast, bouncing off the tree it had used as its hiding spot. Its dead fingers reached out, digging the air trying to tear open her flesh. She quickly stabbed it, aiming with what little light the sky yielded and hit its eye socket. It made an oozing sound as the knife slid clean through, came out the back of the monsters head and clipped the tree bark.

When she pulled it out and the body tumbled to the ground, she prayed her exertion hadn't caused a ruckus. If Merle is nearby – her thoughts skidded to a halt when she turned around. Bodies. There were more walker bodies piled up about five feet away from where she stood. The putrid smell was overwhelming.

Then she noticed a narrow clearing up ahead and the moonlight shining off a vehicle parked off on the right hand side of the road. As she snuck up closer she realized the motor was off, and through the open window she could hear the sound of someone softly snoring.

It had to be Merle, but her feet were locked in place and she was afraid to go on any further. Taking in what she could from where she stood, it seemed to be a light colored four wheel drive truck with some kind of fuel canisters secured to the roof – and lights. The vehicle looked like it'd been run through the woods, tires caked with mud, scratches all along the side and dusty finger prints plastered to the windows outlined in the silver light - that could only have been made by walkers.

She stood in place for a few more minutes trying to decide what to do. If she went back what would she tell the group, that she went on a suicide mission alone and had found Merle? What good had she done if she'd come this far to find him only to go back?

As she wrestled with her thoughts, a big, strong arm snaked around her upper body and her gasp was cut off by a large hand that clapped over her mouth. She struggled for a moment, but it was T-Dog's voice she heard in her ear.

"What the hell are you doin' wanderin' off like that? You wanna die?" He asked, as she pried his fingers off her mouth.

"You'd better keep quiet." She pointed, as he let her go and she straightened her sweater out.

He listened for a moment hearing the snoring coming from the parked vehicle. "Aw shit is that Dixon?" He paced away bringing both his hands to his head. "What the hell Carol, he's not like his brother. You can't tame him." T-Dog whispered.

"I never have tamed Daryl." She told him with exasperation lacing her tone. "I didn't figure I'd find him but there he is."

"Now what? What were you gonna do?"

A slight snore became a loud couple of snarfles as Merle woke up, making grunting noises. She could see the silhouette of his lean body, sitting up in the front seat, stretching as he got his bearings.

She held tight to T-Dog's arm, "Shh, listen." She'd missed it at first but there'd been static coming from a CB radio of some kind in the truck. That's what'd woken him.

"Yessss?" Merle hissed the word, drawled it out as if he were upset he'd been lured out of his slumber. He held the mic up to his mouth.

"Just checking in Merle. We didn't want to have to send the cavalry after you."

The voice on the other end was smooth, refined and – cold. It gave Carol chills.

"Naw, just got held up by some geeks on the run tha's all. I's sacked out here outside of Senoia, figured I'd make it back with the shit by mornin'."

"We'll expect you by six." The man said in an icy tone that meant business.

"Yes sir." Merle stated confirming he'd abide.

"And Merle?"

"Yes Sir?"

"Did you find everything alright?"

Merle glanced into the back of the vehicle, then faced forward clearly uncomfortable by the stiffness in his shoulders and the way he hesitated in answering. "It's all here. No trouble sir, aside from the dead."

"Good. Six then."

Merle reached across with his left hand and flipped the switch off on the radio with an audible click and sat back. "Fuckin'fancy pants prick." He cussed. "Thinks he owns me? Nobody owns ol' Merle." He again reached over and turned the engine over letting it purr for a minute. For just a second he glanced toward the woods in their direction.

She gasped and T-Dog crouched down bringing her with him. "Bye-bye baby bro." Merle said with the only trace of real feeling to his voice that she'd heard.

They stayed ducked down as he flipped on the headlights and stood back up as Merle turned around and headed away from them and away from the prison, which wasn't too far ahead up the road.

"He's nowhere near Senoia." She stated. "That man he was talking to."

"Creepy ass mother - "

She squeezed his arm cutting him off. "If he tells this person or group he's with where we're going then it's gonna be disastrous."

"Funny though, it didn't sound like he wanted him to know where he was." T-Dog said, steering her back toward their camp.

"Which makes it his game. Just like Daryl said and that still doesn't leave us in any better shape."

"Speaking of Daryl, we need to get you back before he finds out you came out here."

"It's fine, he'll still be sleepin' and he's gonna find out anyhow. We need to tell the group what happened. How did you find me?" She asked.

"I went up to take watch soon after it quit rainin'. Someone was makin' a racket next door and I couldn't sleep. I saw you take off when Rick wasn't lookin'."

Carol's cheeks flushed. "A racket, huh? Must've been the wind howling." She didn't want to joke right then. What if Daryl had noticed she'd slipped out? The tight knot in her stomach began to grow.

The low burn of the fire became visible as they made it to the edge of the field. Her heart lodged in her throat when she saw Daryl outside their tent, arms swinging, arguing with Rick. It didn't sound like he was getting loud – yet.

"Oh shit." T-Dog said beside her.

Carol crossed her arms. Here goes nothin'. She thought. "I feel horrible." She admitted out loud. "And I should. He needs his rest and now he's terrified that I took off."

T-Dog rested a hand on her shoulder as they walked. "Look I could say I went with you from the start."

She took in a sharp breath and drew way from him. "No. I'll tell them the truth." She smiled a little seeing the fear in T-Dog's eyes. "I'm not sayin' it'll turn out well but I'm not draggin' you in any further."

Daryl spotted them first and began walking toward them, his strides were wide and every muscle on him as tense as could be. Rick followed on his heels. The four met half way in between the fire pit and the forest. Daryl's planted his hands on his hips glancing back and forth between the two of them.

"Daryl – I - "

Before she had the opportunity to say more, he took her by the hand and began leading her away from the others. "Come on." He said, his voice low and commanding, but his tug on her was gentle.

They passed by the fire pit and the log. It had to be around two in the morning she thought, wearily. At their tent he unzipped and opened the flap gesturing for her to go in. She did and waited for him to zip up the door, her heart pounding in her chest, feeling much like she did when she was a kid and had done something as strong willed and stupid as she'd just done. But when she turned around Daryl's eyes burned into hers.

She had a hard time gauging how he was going to react and for a minute he didn't say anything, just reached for her hand and ran his thumb back and forth on her palm. Then to her surprise, he pulled her to him. Cautiously, she rested her head just under his shoulder unsure of what to say.

He solved that quandary for her when he touched his lips to her neck. "Don't do that again." His voice came out course against her skin. He rubbed his nose and cheek across hers speaking in her ear softly. "You coulda - " When he didn't finish what he was saying, she found the courage to pull back enough to look him in the eyes.

"I don't know why I did it, but Daryl I found Merle. He'd killed more walkers out by the main road before they could get in here." She kept the bit about the one she'd killed to herself. "He was sleepin' in some kinda truck." She told him the rest, hands latched at the sides of his waist while he stared at her, his expression remaining the same – haunted was the only way to describe it.

Once she'd finished and was quiet he released her and sat down on the blankets. She stared down at him for a few seconds, and then joined him, wanting to touch him but couldn't. In the end she hugged her knees instead.

T-Dog and Rick were talking outside the tent quietly; she assumed he was finishing up telling Rick what had happened. Before she knew it, Daryl pushed up off the bed of blankets and unzipped the tent. She'd started to follow and he turned on her pointing his finger. "You stay there."

She knew that tone well. He meant business, but she wasn't about to let him after T-Dog when all he'd done was go after her for her own safety.

"Ah Jesus." That was T-Dog. When she poked her head out, Daryl was standing in front of him.

"Ya should've come and got me when ya saw her run off."

T-Dog stood up, towering over Daryl. She knew he didn't have a mean bone in his body but watching the two of them stand toe to toe didn't worry her any less.

"Daryl." She tried, stepping out of the tent. Rick was already up trying to get between them.

"Get back in the tent." Daryl's voice rose an octave.

"No. You're not gonna do this." She hissed walking over to the two of them. "I told you this was me. It was my fault. It won't happen again but we got some valuable information out of it."

"If I'd stopped to wake you, she would've gotten outta my sight. Neither one of us might've found her." T-Dog tried telling him.

"I track." Daryl stated, throwing his hand out, clearly insulted. "I would'a found her and I woulda found - " He stopped short of saying Merle's name.

"Enough." Rick said, turning to see Lori peeking out of their tent. "We'll discuss it further in the morning. Daryl get her in there and get to sleep. We have a long day ahead of us. We're packing everything up and moving to the prison at daybreak. Carol, next time you do anything like that no one will - "

Daryl moved in front of Rick. Even T-Dog cleared his throat. All it took was Daryl shaking his head and Rick stopped. "With all due respect," He said through gritted teeth, "It ain't happenin' again." He told him, almost nose to nose. "But if it did, I'd be goin' after her. She ain't no kid you can scold."

Rick rolled his eyes sending a glare in Carol's direction as Daryl guided her to their tent. She didn't miss that or the look Daryl flashed T-Dog before zipping up their tent.

Whether he'd be up to clearing that huge section of the prison or not come daylight made no difference. "Need sleep." He muttered.

She lay down turning to face him. The look in her eyes pained him. "I'm so sorry." She whispered.

She was sorry. He thought. When he'd woken, not even two hours after seeing Merle disappear, she'd run off. He had no idea where she'd gone or why. Story of his fuckin' life –

If she were goin' off for nature calls, she would've woken him, but when Rick'd said he hadn't seen her and that he'd ducked inside his own tent an hour and a half earlier he knew she'd run off on her own.

Seein' her comin' across the field with T-Dog had thrown him. Relief overrode any other emotion he'd felt at first. It wasn't a matter of trust. It was a matter of her knowin' he would've stopped her from doin' what she did and the fact that T-Dog coulda woken him up.

She was sorry. He thought again. He could see it written plain on her face. "Never again." He told her. It wasn't the words he said, but what came through when he said them that caused tears to well up in her eyes. "Please." He added before touching his lips to hers, squeezing his eyes shut as he did because he wasn't gonna be a pussy, no way in hell. He couldn't lose her and didn't have any way to tell her, but this seemed to be enough.

"I won't. You wake up, I'll be here. I promise."

He scoffed, a little. Promises were as ridiculous as fairy tales. He bent his forehead to hers and let her feel him nod to satiate her and he balled her shirt up tightly in his fist near her hip before falling asleep a second time that night.

Merle burned the midnight oil, driving back to Woodbury. As tired as he was, his thoughts kept wanderin' to his brother. It still boggled his mind. "Is he with 'em 'cause he don't know what they did?" He asked the empty truck cab. "Or did he choose to stay after he found out?" That made him laugh. The utility truck he'd stolen once he'd made his escape from the buildin' had been theirs, from the camp outside of Atlanta. He knew they'd come back, but to think they'd come back for ol'Merle? Naw. They hadn't come back for him. They all knew he'd be dead before mornin'.

"He was defendin' them an' his woman. That's why he come runnin' tonight." He said, and then he laughed again. "His woman." Never thought he'd see the day Daryl latched on to some broad, especially one like her, but the more the thoughts rolled around in his head, the more it made some kinda crazy sense.

Most of Daryl's childhood was a haze aside from the early years. The early years was the best they had. "Best we had little bro." Daryl's mama was kind and warm and good to them. And then she died.

Merle swallowed forcefully, pushing down the lump in his throat. "You ain't gonna be no pussy are ya Merle?" He asked himself.

His mama had been nothin' but a cheap ass whore and she played on his ol' man's shit luck. And any changes he'd seen in his daddy flew right out the window once she'd come back. "After that daddy went on benders weekly, mama took off again and it was just me an' Darlylena."

That lil' slip of a thing he was fuckin' didn't have it much different as far as he's able to recall. Asshole wife beatin' shit for brains. "Ed." Merle said his name out loud, slappin' his stump on the steering wheel, not believin' he remembered the fucker's name. So they have shit in common. He thought. "Makes sense." He sniggered. "Match made in fuckin' hell. Well we'll see there, won't we bro?"

Daryl'd find his Grandpa's watch. And he'd know that he'd been to that farm. They'd be movin' their sweet asses into that prison all the more quicker now – which was exactly where he wanted them.

Andrea lay in a warm bed in Woodbury, her mind swarmed with all the thoughts and concerns that Michonne had brought up earlier. She'd felt safe there until Merle.

"Oh you two know each other?" The Governor had asked. Andrea's arm ached when she looked into Merle's steely blue eyes.

"You could say that." She'd responded.

"We were together with a larger group early on when the plague took Atlanta sir." Merle had said.

"You know of the others she'd been separated from months ago? We were thinking of trying to search for them."

Merle didn't miss a beat. He'd held up his stump, right up in her face. "Nope. I's separated from 'em long before she was." He'd given her a slight smirk, stared her down with his cold, blue eyes, nodded to the Governor and quickly after that he'd rejoined the crowd on the street.

Why hadn't he asked about Daryl? He'd been all about knowing his brother's whereabouts when he'd cornered her in the woods. Her heart grew heavy and fearful for the group she'd left behind. Maybe he'd found them already. If only Michonne weren't so against the Governor knowing more about their group – maybe he really could help find them and bring them all to Woodbury.

Daryl woke with a start before the first hint of sun rose over the ridge by the pond and Carol was sound asleep, her leg wrapped around both of his, his fist still clenched up tight in her shirt. He smoothed his lips over her delicate eyebrows and tried to process the events of last night, from their bath together in the pond to what had taken place between them in the tent, sheltered from the storm. And that's where he paused his thoughts. He didn't wanna think past that – not yet. She felt so warm against him.

What he was feelin' brought the word 'love' into his mind, but he didn't think that was possible. If it weren't before all this shit, there was no way in hell it could be possible now. And yet as she pushed in closer to him and his body reacted, possibilities began bloomin' in his mind. The first image that formed behind his closed eyes was a Cherokee rose and he whispered Sophia's name, rememberin' what Carol had said – that she'd brought them together.