Chapter 13

A/N: With the events of the past few weeks on the show, this FF has become a little AU now since some of the characters here aren't with us anymore... Even so I'm going to stick with it as it started out. There's plenty of time to write more canon this summer while we wait for October to come around...and we'll ALL be dying for something to keep us occupied, I reckon!

Two days later, they were packed and ready to go in Shane's SUV. Daryl, Aliya and T-Dog were leaving for a couple days, map in hand, ready to hit every place listed in the phone book on this side of the greater metro Atlanta area, looking for ammo. Daryl was uneasy leaving Merle, but Merle promised he'd stay in the basement, in their room and not bother anybody. He and Aliya had almost had a fight about leaving. She'd used the "he'll either sink or swim" rationale on him. Daryl wasn't buying it but as the discussion heated up, Aliya began unbuttoning her shirt, making him almost forget he had a brother, much less a mess of one like Merle. He later accused her of not playing fair and she told him the time to argue that would have been before her shirt was off.

Aliya had gone downstairs one last time to say goodbye and get one final warning in to Merle She was stern, threatening almost. She reminded him that it was her neck on the line, that she'd been the one to insist that he be allowed to stay and that his behavior while they were gone would be important. Merle was quiet for the most part. He rolled his eyes a couple times but for the most part, let Aliya speak without interruption.

"Now, shoot, Shadow, I'll be good. I'll stay here 'n play nice while you 'n Daryl go off 'n leave me...alone...a'gin." Merle mumbled in an almost lilting voice, the oxy making him loose and mellow.

"Don't your dare try to lay a guilt trip on me, Merle Dixon, don't you DARE!" Aliya said. "If you weren't higher 'n a kite, maybe you could go with us, but no, you made your choice when you decided drugs were more important than everything else." Aliya put her hands on her hips. "So you just stop trying to play head games. You forget who you're talking to."

"I'm talkin' ta' somebody who ought to be damn glad I don't talk more about history." Merle snapped out of his haze and looked at Aliya. "Somebody's history."

"What did you say?" she looked at Merle with wide eyes.

"You heard me, Sweet Thing, you keep raggin' on me 'bout that oxy, I'm likely ta' take s'more of it 'n get real chatty with those sons a' bitches upstairs. Maybe I tell them somethin' they prob'ly would be real uncomfer't'ble findin' out. I ain't tha' only one 'round here stands a chance a' gettin' kicked outta' this lil' happy household 'cause a things I done. Glass houses, right Baby? Glass fuckin' houses."

Aliya narrowed her eyes and leaned in, her face close enough to his to smell his breath. "You son of a bitch. You say one word about me and you'll o.d. in your sleep. I guarantee it." She turned away and stormed out of the basement, her feet heavy on the stairs.

"Let's fucking go, God damn it, we ain't got all mother-fucking day!" she barked, slamming the door of the vehicle as hard as she could, leaving T-Dog standing near the front bumper looking at Daryl with a bemused smile on his face. Daryl looked down at his scuffed brown work boots and squinted, looking back up at the passenger seat where Aliya sat, arms crossed, scowl on her face. He grimaced a bit and looked at T-Dog, who shook his head and started to walk towards the SUV.

"Only one man I know make a woman that mad." he said under his breath. "Merle...ain't no other reason. Gotta' be that damn Merle Dixon." he continued to mutter as he approached the vehicle.

XXXXX

An hour later, the Hyundai sped down the highway, with Aliya in the front seat still seething.

"You gonna' be pissed off the whole trip?" T-Dog said, handing half of a stale Kit-Kat bar up to her.

"No." she said gruffly. "Shit. Sorry you guys. I shouldn't take it out on you two because your brother was being an ass." she looked at Daryl sideways and waved off the chocolate bar.

"What'd he say?" Daryl said, his eyes not leaving the road.

"Nothing. Forget about it." she said, glancing towards the back seat quickly. "It's over. He's probably passed out by now."

T-Dog cleared his throat. "I ain't seen Merle in a week now. What's up?"

"He's keeping to himself. Stayin' in the basement."

"Probably best since both you two are gone." T-Dog nodded.

"I'm starting to feel bad about leaving him alone." Aliya said, turning towards the back seat.

"Merle needs somebody to watch him?" T-Dog was curious and amused at the same time.

"My brother don't need nobody ta' baby sit him!" Daryl said indignantly. "Bes' shut yer' mouth."

"Hey, we both know damn good 'n well that Merle gets out of control when you're not around." The bald-headed man shrugged. "Ain't nobody gonna argue that."

"Left on to 185 up here." Aliya said, looking at her notebook. "Let's change the subject, ok guys? One pissed off person in the car is enough. Don't need three."

"Not a problem." T-Dog said, gazing out the window, as Daryl slowed the SUV down just enough to keep both wheels on the ground as he took the corner.

XXXXX

It was after dinner when Bridgette finally appeared. She'd been in bed with a cold for a couple days now. Rick dropped the coffee mug he had in his hand, stepping back awkwardly as the stoneware shattered on the hard kitchen floor splattering hot black liquid over everything within a two-foot circle around him. Lori and Andrea both stood up from the table at the same time and gasped.

Bridgette moved to the table and sat down quietly, keeping her eyes down. "I'm ok." she said in a whisper.

Shane quickly moved to her and knelt down in front of her. "Bridgette, what happened? How did this happen?" He brushed the hair out of her face softly to reveal a black eye and several scratches on her cheek. There were scratches on her neck and forearms.

"I'm fine. It's nothing, really. I'll be ok." Bridgette said, her fingers moving nervously against each other in her lap. She began to cry as she put both hands over here face. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone by myself. I didn't think..."

"Bridgette," Shane said softly. "where did you go? Did you get bit? he asked.

"I...I...no. It wasn't a walker." She said, looking into his eyes. "I...it was...he..."her voice trailed off and she began to cry again.

"Who? He who?" Carol said, her hand stroking Bridgette's hair. "Who, Honey? Tell us who."

"It was...Merle. Merle Dixon."

Shane and Rick traded looks. Shane rose and stepped back towards Rick. "Ladies, why don't you help Bridgette back to her room. Check her out and help her with her wounds. We'll stay here until you're done and then I'll talk to her about what happened." Carol helped Bridgette to her feet and the two of them turned towards the stairs, Bridgette limping and hugging herself with both arms. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned back towards the two men.

"Stop him, Shane. Stop him before he does this to someone else." she said, tears welling in her eyes. "He's an animal." She turned back towards the stairs and hobbled up, one step at a time, with Lori and Carol holding her up on either side.

XXXXX

An hour later, the two men were at the top of the stairs. "Merle Dixon!" Shane bellowed. "We're coming down. Don't do anything stupid, man."

"Fuck you, Cop!" the gravelly voice answered.

"Merle. It's Rick Grimes. We're coming down to talk. We're unarmed. We just wanna' talk."

"I don't care if you got a fuckin' cannon in your pants. I ain't gotta' talk to you. You don't got no 'thority over nobody no more. Come on down here 'n talk all ya want. Don't mean I gotta listen...'r tell you shit."

Rick went down the stairs first, followed by Shane. They stopped at the bottom of the stairs a minute and let their eyes adjust to the dim light coming from the single bulb next to a big chair. Merle was sitting in the chair, his back to them, legs splayed out in front. He was groggy and even in the dim light, the two men could see that he was stoned.

"Merle, " Rick walked around to the front of the chair and faced Merle. "we have a problem." he continued.

"What, you lose your hat, Sheriff?" the big man chuckled to himself.

"Merle, what you did to Bridgette. We can't allow that. You had no right."

"Whuuut?" Merle's head nodded to one side. "What you talkin' bout? Who's Brigette?"

"Nice try, Dixon." Shane hissed. "She told us what you did to her. You're out of here." In brighter light, Merle could have seen how red the dark-haired man was. "We warned you."

"Aww, fuck you." Merle said slowly. "I don't know what you're talkin' 'bout. I din't do nothin' to nobody." he said quietly. "What'd she say I do?"

Rick bent over Merle and put his lips close to Merle's ear. "You raped her. She said you raped her behind the garage. Two days ago."

"Whaaaat?" I ain't been outta the basement for days, not since that little bitch stole my..."

"Merle, we know you did it. We've seen her injuries. Somebody sure as hell did it." Rick said calmly. "She says it was you."

"Then the little cunt's lyin'. I never did nothin' to her. She's fuckin' lyin'." Merle sat up a little straighter and looked at Rick.

"She ain't lyin. You did it 'n you know it." Shane's voice was raised now. He walked around in front of Merle, next to Rick. "I ought to shoot you right here, myself. Right now."

"Now just calm down, Shane. Ain't nobody gonna' shoot no one." Rick tried to diffuse the situation. "Merle, we have a problem. You are here only because Aliya went to bat for you. She promised that you would not be a threat...and yet...here we are."

"Fuck you 'n fuck her too. I din't touch that little bitch 'n you know it."

Merle's face was starting to get redder by the minute.

"No, Merle, I do not know it. I'm going by what she told us and by what I see. I see physical evidence that she was attacked, I have her statements which corroborate her injuries, and I have a man who's so drugged out he probably doesn't even know what really happened." Rick narrowed his eyes. "You will be leaving. Now. I'll have Shane and Glenn get some stuff together, but you are going. Just like we told said when you came. No second chances. You're gone."

"You can't do this. I didn't do nothin'. You ask Daryl. Ask that woman a' his. "

"Well, we plan on having a long talk with them when they get back. That'll be in a couple days. In the mean time, you're out of here."

"'N just where tha' hell ya' think I'm gonna' go?" Merle protested. He was wide awake now.

"Don't really care, Merle. For now, until Daryl gets back, you can take one of those other houses on the other end. Just stay away from here. If we see you, we won't hesitate to shoot you on sight." Shane was breathing heavily now, his face as red as Merle's.

"Both a' you can' kiss my lily white ass. I ain't goin' nowhere. I didn't do it. I didn't mess wi' that girl 'n I damn sure ain't goin' ta' leave. I got just as much right 's you two dicks ta' be here. Now get on outta' here 'fore I go gettin' good 'n pissed off."

The noise at the bottom of the stairs turned all three of their heads at once. "Krrrr-chiiiiit." It was the heavy metal sound of a shot gun shell being chambered. Andrea stood at the foot of the stairs now, pointing Shane's Mossberg at Merle. "No. You go now. We're not taking any chances. Get up Merle." she said through clenched teeth.

"Fuck you, Sugar Tits. I ain't goin' nowhere." Andrea shouldered the weapon put her finger on the trigger.

"If I were you two, I'd step back. These are awful close quarters down here." she warned Shane and Rick.

"Andrea, put the gun down." Rick tried to use his calm voice.

"No, Rick. I will not. He's leaving now. We saw what he did to Bridgette. He's a danger to all of us. He leaves now."

"Andrea." Shane raised his voice.

"No. I'm serious. Get up, Merle. Right now." She yelled.

Rick looked at Merle and raised his hands. "This is not the way we'd planned it but the results are going to be the same. Merle, you're going to leave now."

"You gonna' let that bitch shoot me? For somethin' I didn't do?" Merle asked, his arms open wide.

"I would." Shane grinned at Andrea. "You bet your ass I would."

"Merle. Now." Rick shook his head and shot the man a warning look. "They're serious."

"Well, looks like we know who wears tha' pants in THIS lil' family, don't we?" Merle sneered. He put his hands in the air and started walking to the stairs as Andrea circled carefully around to give herself enough distance between them in case Merle lunged for the gun. "Anybody needs me, I'll be at tha' neighbors." he laughed, climbing the stairs one by one. "This ain't over you fuckers. You'll see. I'll get each 'n every last one a' ya'." he said as he struggled to go up the steps.