It took Daryl a moment before he was able to react. Fortunately Rick seemed to be an old himself for now and his response was quicker. When Merle appeared at the gate, the first one to move was Glen. With a furious shout he threw himself directly on Merle. Glen's weight and small figure was no challenge for a man of Merle's build. Merle just lifted his metal hand cover and got ready to swing it. Maggie's high pitched scream recovered Daryl from a shock. Rick jumped at Merle and held his hand in the air. Merle was spitting out the insults but didn't attack again. Meanwhile Daryl grabbed Glen and torn him away from his brother. He was surprised how enraged and strong Glen suddenly appeared.

"Let me go Daryl! Get you fucking hands off me!" Glen was writhing so vigorously that Daryl had his hands full trying to prevent younger man to attack Merle again.

Suddenly Glen buried his elbow into Daryl's stomach with all his strength. Daryl cursed in pain and bent over, still holding Glen tightly. Glen again tried to wrench himself from Daryl's grasp and they both ended up on the dusty ground. It was soon clear who is more skillful fighter and Glen stood no chance against Daryl. Daryl stranded Glen under him and pressed his wrists into the ground.

"Calm down! This ain't leading anywhere!" Daryl shouted.

Glen's face was bright red and such hate burnt from his eyes that Daryl was taken aback for a second. If he ever hoped that the group could accept his brother, now he knew he was wrong.

"You don't know what he did! You have no freaking idea what he did to us! You were not there!" Glen was spitting the words into Daryl's face, "he almost beat me to the death, tied me to the fucking chair and then let the walker in! He would had let me being eaten alive Jesus Christ!"

Daryl felt he was willingly losing the grip on Glen's wrists. He looked over his shoulder and saw his brother grinning at the scene.

"And Maggie..," Glen's voice broke, "he left her with that son of a bitch and he knew what he was about to do to her! He almost raped her. Raped her, do you listen to me? He threatened her if she didn't do as asked he would cut my hand off! Then he wanted to execute us in a cold blood! He's the same twisted fucker as the Governor and I'm gonna kill him!"

Daryl felt nauseous. He let Glen go, got up and picked his crossbow from the ground. Glen scrambled to his feet and leaned on the wall, totally exhausted. The grin on Merle's face was still there. Daryl wordlessly aimed the crossbow right at his head. Merle's face hardened and Daryl saw the same flash of anger and nervousness running across his face as he did when he'd aimed the crossbow at his brother for the first time this morning.

"Is he right?" Daryl's voice was no more than a whisper but when Merle didn't seem to answer, he shouted the question right into his face. His older brother shrugged his shoulders.

"Man's gotta do what he's gotta do..."

Daryl felt his stomach turn again. He knew these words well. It accompanied every blow and kick their father delivered either to them or their mother, when she was still alive. Daryl spat on the ground but kept aiming on Merle's head. He was aware of a tense silence surrounding them. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Rick ready to give him a hand if anything went wrong.

"You ain't goin' inside with us," Daryl's voice was icy and emotionless, "you gonna stay here unless the group decides what to do with ya."

Merle cackled: "Ya are doin' a huge mistake lil' bro and it will cost you yer soft ass pretty soon. Do you really think I'm gonna stick around until that bunch of pansy-asses decide?"

Daryl didn't say the words aloud but Merle knew what he was thinking. He made a rapid movement towards his brother but Daryl didn't move.

Merle's face hardened: "How you dare to send me to death ya little ungrateful bastard? How many times did I save your ass by just being' there and gettin' it instead of ya?"

Soon both brothers were shouting at each other.

"And how many times ya weren't there and I pleaded ya to take me with you? I was eight when ya left me with him alone for fucks' sake!"

Daryl's vice was higher than usual. Rick lowered his head and Beth gasped for breath. Judith started crying again. Daryl quickly realized that everybody was listening to them and he felt his cheeks turning red again.

He frowned and lowered his voice: "It's all gone. I owe you nothing."

With these words he turned his back to Merle and started walking towards the prison. Home. He wanted to get rid of the looks and questions he knew would come.

He knew Merle would attack. He knew his brother inside out and he knew that he was the most dangerous when there's nothing to lose. The group followed Daryl into the prison.

He heard him, felt him. Daryl turned just before Rick's warning shout. Merle's face was contorted with anger but he stopped a feet away from Daryl's aimed crossbow.

"If ya try something, I'll kill ya myself," Daryl's face was motionless.

Merle spat into his face.

"Have a nice slow death lil' brother. That's what's waiting' for ya anyway." With these words Merle turned to the gate and walked away.

Daryl wiped his face, put the crossbow over his shoulder and turned back to the prison. It was over. He awaited a relief, the feeling of satisfaction, anything else but what he actually felt. A dull pain that started to creep all over his body. He felt like it was him who had lost a limb.

He was finally alone. He knew he would have to take a part in the group's life very soon. With Rick wondering in his own Lori world, Glen still being injured and exhausted, Alex dead and with one-legged old Hershel, he didn't have much choice. But not tonight. All he wanted tonight was to take a nap in a real bed and wake up with the clear head in he morning. He was standing under the shower, washing his hair with the soap he'd found there. The scent was a bit too sweet for his taste but he would take everything to get rid of the dirt and walkers' smell.

It seemed that the group respected his mood for once. When he came back to the cells, the chattering went silent and he felt their stealthy glances. Maggie handed him the bowl full of stew. He gratefully accepted it and disappeared into his cell. Everything was as he'd left it there. Apart from one thing – the cell was tidied up and organized. The blanket was folded up at the the bottom of the bed, the pile of washed clothes was neatly placed in the middle of his bed and his spare arrows were laying on the table. He almost smiled. He knew exactly who had done this. He finished his meal and lied down on the bed. He was afraid he would have troubles falling asleep after all that had happened today but as soon as his head touched the pillow, he was lost.