Once again, The Walking Dead isn't mine.

Rating has changed for mild potty mouth.

Daryl fingered the set of keys that Rick had left him with.

"Alone at last, isn't that right, little brother?" Merle all but sang at him.

Merle swooped in then and Daryl flinched back, expecting a blow. Instead Merle wrapped his arms around him in a bear hug, squeezing til it was painful. Daryl knew from experience not to show his discomfort. Merle let go and ruffled his hair roughly before giving him a shove in the other direction.

"I guess your pal Rick came through." Merle went on.

"Rick's alright." Daryl said, nodding to himself.

"Well he's got a hard on for you, that's for sure." Merle eyed their surroundings with a grimace. "Not real excited to be back in the clink."

"We're safe in here."

"Not for long." Merle sniffed. "Governor knows you're here now."

"Yeah and who's fault is that?"

"Don't get smart with me." Merle warned.

Daryl chewed on his lip and stared out the window. The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the gray walls. His fingers absently moved to his chest, running along the scar there. If anything, a sober Merle made him more nervous. Nothing got past him.

"They need you more than you need them." Merle pointed out. "We'd do better on our own. Just the two of us against the world. We should have remembered that. Never should have joined their little group to begin with. Just more mouths to feed."

"They've saved my skin more than once. Glenn kept me from getting bit." Daryl said softly.

"You sore at me for that sneaky little runt?" Merle glared. "He's one of the ones who left me chained to the roof. I lost my hand because of him. And your boyfriend, Rick."

"We went back for you." Daryl insisted once again. "You're the one who took off. You left me."

"I'm not going to stand here and bellyache over ancient history." Merle declared. "These people are using you. They can't take care of themselves. Like a pack of strays and you being soft like you are, went ahead and fed them. You'll never be rid of them now."

Daryl began to pace again. Merle's stillness was making him nervous. He was like a snake, coiled and ready to strike.

"You think they're your friends? You think you mean something to them other than a meal and an extra gun in a fight? This is survival, brother. Every man for himself."

"It's not like that." Daryl said stubbornly. He knew he couldn't make Merle understand everything that had happened over the last few months. How these people had become his family. How he'd gradually come to trust them with his life. How he could relax and almost be who he supposed must be himself.

"You're fooling yourself." Merle sneered. "Ain't no one here who loves you, little brother." Merle licked his lips and grinned. "This about that woman?"

"No." Daryl said, too quickly.

"I knew the world really had ended the moment I saw you begging her to come with us. And she wouldn't even have your sorry ass. A used up, mousey thing like her!" Merle laughed. "I remember her. What did you do to the husband?"

"Nothin'. He got bit."

"Oh happy day. Convenient having all these geeks to do the dirty work."

"Shut up."

"So you finally grow a pair and that's the bitch you want? Come with me, brother. They're out there for the picking. No reason to go without if that's your problem."

"It ain't."

"She know what you did?" Merle asked, assessing him. "Naw. They don't know a thing." Merle smirked.

"What do you want?" Daryl asked, impatient for Merle to stop talking. Impatient for him to get to the point or to hit him already, if that's where this was going.

"Hell, if it's Dixon she's wet for, maybe she'd prefer someone who knows what he's doing."

"She'd take a fuckin' axe to your scull so don't even think about it." Daryl warned.

Merle laughed. "Must be love." The blow came then, to the gut. Daryl doubled over, trying to catch his breath.

"Ain't no one ever going to love you like I do, little brother." Merle whispered in his ear. "I want you to pack up, say your goodbyes and leave with me in the morning. Let these losers take their own chances."

Daryl sank to his knees, gasping. He nodded once. He'd go with his brother. He'd already followed him to Hell and there didn't look to be a road back.