I wasn't going to post this chapter this weekend but I thought, since I left the last one hanging, I would go ahead. I'll be gone so I wont be able to update again until Sunday night or Monday morning! So I hope this will tie you all over. Thanks for reviewing and favoriting and following! Have a great weekend and be SAFE! =)

Chapter Fifty Five

"They been lookin' for you, Deputy." Merle smirked.

"You know what I hate most about you Merle?" Shane sneered.

"Lemme guess, you know I gotta bigger dick than you and it gets under that skin of yours?" Merle asked. If he was going to die tonight he was at least going to get in a few insults first.

Shane ignored him. "What I hate most about you is the fact that you wont wipe that stupid grin off your face even when you know you're about to die."

"Is 'at right?" He widened his smirk. "Maybe it's cause I don't much give a fuck if you kill me Shane. You ever think of that? You gonna rip me away from all this?" He gestured around and then held up his bandage stump. "You gonna make me miss out on the mystery life still holds?" He let the smile fall a little bit. "Fuck you. You wanna hear somebody beg go shoot somebody else. You ain't gonna get it from me."

Shane laughed and it put Merle's teeth on edge. There was a strange bite to the sound. "I don't care if you beg you white trash prick. Beg or not the outcomes gonna be the same. I'm gonna shoot you. But I know what might get rid of that smile for ya." Shane used the barrel of the gun to scratch the side of his head and then he chuckled. "I plan on shootin' somebody else. Soon as I'm done in here I know the first person that's gonna come runnin'. And I'm gonna blow his brains out Merle."

Shane was right. The grin slipped right off of Merle's face.

"That's much better." Now it was Shane who was smiling. "You don't like that do ya, Merle. Little brother layin' out there in a pool of his own blood. No more Carol. No more Sophia. Everything he ever wanted, gone. Where's that smile at Merle?"

Merle glared at him. He didn't have anything else to say. He knew Daryl was smart. He wouldn't run out like a dumb ass and get himself killed. He allowed himself to think about the kid for a second. That would be a good last thought. She was going to have a fit when they found him but she would be okay. She was tough. As far as he was concerned she was as tough as any Dixon ever born. He started to feel a little bad about dying now though. Daryl would take good care of that girl. He was the only man that Merle knew could do the job. Wouldn't nothing happen to her or her momma on his brother's watch.

"Come on Merle. Smile for me." Shane taunted. "Nothing much to smile about? You know, I'm gonna have a long trip ahead of me after this. Figure I would drive out and see what's going on at Fort Bennett. It'd be a lonely drive. I think maybe I'll take Carol with me. She'll fight it at first but she'll get used to it. Hell she was used to Ed and I wouldn't ever treat her that bad. That girl, though, that girl is gonna have to stay here. She's spent too much time with you and your brother. You saw what that little bitch did. Pulled a gun on me over somebody like you." He scowled and shook his head.

Merle tensed.

"What the fuck are you gonna do, huh? You think you're bullet proof?"

Merle shook his head. He saw movement behind Shane but he was careful not to take his eyes off the other mans. "What the fuck ya waitin' on, pussy?" Merle spat.

Shane's smirk returned and then Merle braced himself because he could see the man's finger tightening on the trigger. He was kind of bummed that he didn't get a chance to kiss that girl one more time. Or at least cop a feel. He smirked at the thought right before he heard the gun go off.

~H~

Daryl tore his mouth away from Carol's as soon as he heard the gunshot and they were both off the bed instantly. Another gunshot went off a second later.

"Go to Beth's room with the kids and don't you fuckin' dare come out of this house." he was yelling it at her as he was running. He knew from which direction those shots came from. The barn. The same one he had left his brother standing in front of not long ago.

He tore off in that direction, kicking up dust in his wake. He didn't feel like his legs were carrying him fast enough but he was pushing as hard as he could. He knew that he was being stupid. Running out in the open like a madman but he had to get to his brother. He'd just gotten him back and he wasn't about to lose the son of a bitch again. Hopefully he didn't get gunned down.

No one came out of the shadows at him. Hopefully he would have the same luck in the barn. It was dark but there was a light seeping from the doorway at the end of the wide isle. He ran towards it and right before he hit the doorway he brought the crossbow up. Whoever had done this was gonna pay. He may die in the process but he wasn't going to be the only one.

He flew into the room and then stopped in his tracks.

"Merle?" The name came out sounding like he was choking. He sounded like a child. He lowered the crossbow.

The body on the floor wasn't his brother. It was Shane, sprawled out on his back. There was a clean hole right in the center of his forehead. Daryl's head shot up when he sensed movement further into the room where the light didn't reach as good.

He swiped a shaking hand across his sweaty face. Merle was there. Alive and breathing. He had his arm clamped around a shaking sobbing Maggie.

"Scare ya, baby brother?" Merle asked as he ran a hand down the back of Maggie's head.

"Yeah. Yeah ya did you, mother fucker. What the hell happened here?" Daryl asked, voice still slightly shaky.

Daryl heard footsteps running towards them.

"Daryl?" Rick shouted.

"In here." He yelled as loud as his voice would let him.

Rick, T-dog and Andrea all came running into the room, guns drawn. They all three glanced down at the body on the floor. Daryl watched as Rick shook his head and then wiped a hand across his eyes.

"What happened?" He asked as he tore his eyes away from a man who had been like a brother to him.

All eyes went to Merle who was still holding onto Maggie who was still sobbing in his arms.

Merle looked at Daryl when he spoke. "He came here to finish the job I suppose. Maggie came in right before he pulled the trigger. She..."

Maggie made a broken sound into his chest and he stopped talking. Rick just nodded, not needing to hear the rest of it.

They could get the rest of the story from him later. Maggie looked like she was in pretty bad shape. Daryl was watching Merle carefully. He couldn't hear from where he was but he could tell that Merle was leaned down, saying something to her that had her nodding slightly. His face was grim, his arm tight around her.

"Daryl?" He felt a hand on his arm but he didn't jerk away. He looked over at Andrea. "You need to get back up there. Carol had to hold Sophia down. She's probably still holding Sophia down. That kid's turning out to be a wild one. We'll help Rick with this."

Daryl nodded and turned his eyes back to Merle. He took a few steps and Maggie turned her body so she could walk but still keep her face pretty much buried in Merle's chest. They left the room together but Merle stopped right before they made it out of the barn.

"I'll be up there in a bit. You go take care of that girl before she tears the goddamn house apart tryin' to get out here." Merle said with a small smirk.

Daryl glanced down at Maggie who had resumed her position, face buried in his brother's chest, one arm wrapped around his waist ad the other covering the side of her face. He glanced back up and gave Merle a nod. "Glad you ain't dead, bro." He mumbled.

Merle grinned. "Yeah, me too."

Daryl took off back towards the house at a sprint. He couldn't believe he had been so fucking stupid. Running out there like that right in the open so anybody that had the notion could kill him. God, what would they have done if he had gotten himself killed? He nearly jumped every stair on the porch and he rushed into the living room.

Sure enough Carol was on the couch with Sophia almost on top of her, holding onto her around the waist. When the girl seen him she seemed to calm down right away. Carol let her go and she flew at him just like the day he had found her in the woods. She hit him with such force he nearly stumbled backwards.

Carol came towards them. "Is everyone okay?" She asked.

He spared her a glance nodded. It wasn't really a lie. Everyone that mattered was just fine. He'd tell her about Shane later.

"Don't you ever do that to me again." She yelled after she hugged him for a few seconds. "I thought you were dead. Do you know what that was like?"

He nodded, unable to say anything in the face of her rage. Suddenly she stiffened again and tried to take off towards the door. He caught her around the waist and lifted her up. "I don't think so." He grunted.

"Merle's out there!" She yelled as she squirmed in his arms.

"Merle's fine." He said into her ear. "I just saw him. If there was anything wrong with him then I wouldn't have came back so quick. But apparently somebody was throwing herself a tantrum." he grunted as she fought against him.

She went still in his arms so he sat her down on the floor. She spun around. "Don't lie to me." She whispered.

He shook his head. "I wouldn't ever lie to you. Especially about Merle. He's with Maggie."

"I wanna see him." She insisted.

He crouched down and put his hands on her shoulders. "No." He said flatly.

"Why." She hissed. "If he's okay then why the hell can't I go to him."

"This is exactly why. You can't just get hell bent on somethin' and then throw a crazy fit when you don't get your way. So your gonna keep yourself in the house and your gonna tell your mom that you're sorry for actin' an ass."

Her mouth dropped open but she closed it quickly and then narrowed her eyes. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Daryl, you can't tell me I can't do something when you know that you do the same thing."

He snorted and stood up. She kept her narrowed eyes locked on his. "No I don't."

"You threw dead animals at Carl's dad Daryl! And then you tried to stab him!"

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Is anybody ever gonna let me live that down?" He grumbled. "And besides that, I'm grown. I can get mad and throw fits any time I want."

"Oh that's real mature." She snapped as she stormed over to the couch and flopped down heavily. He didn't even notice Carl and Duane sitting there staring at them.

"Look who's talkin'." He growled as he flopped just as gracelessly into the chair across from the couch.

"Did you just ground me?" She asked, still glaring at him.

He snorted again. "No."

She glanced over at Carol who was still standing there, but she didn't look worried anymore. She looked amused. "I'm sorry, mom." She said and she sounded like she really meant it.

"Daryl?" Hershel asked as he emerged from the hallway. "What's happened? I can't find Maggie."

"She's fine." He glanced down at the kids sitting on the couch and then he stood up and walked back towards the room Hershel had just abandoned. He leaned against the counter.

"What's happened?" Hershel asked again. "I heard shots."

"Shane came back. He was gonna shoot my brother." Daryl said in a hushed voice.

"Is Merle..?"

Daryl shook his head quickly. "Maggie was there. She stopped him."

"Maggie? But I heard shots..."

Daryl nodded. "Maggie shot Shane to save my brother."

Hershel leaned against the counter, looking quite shaken. "My Maggie shot a man?" He asked.

"We thought he was gone. He must have just been waitin'. Bidin' his time."

"Is she..."

Daryl nodded. "She's fine. Shaken up a little. She's with Merle." He wasn't sure he should have said that part. Him and Merle hadn't made the greatest first impression with the old man. But he didn't seem to be very bothered.

"She's a tough one. Beth is the sweet one but that Maggie." He shook his head and smiled slightly. "I'll put some coffee on. I don't think any of us are going to get much sleep tonight."

Daryl stood there for a few more minutes but finally made his way back to the living room. Lori was there now and he entered the room at the same time Rick did. Sophia was still sitting between the boys on the couch. He heard Rick explain to them what happened. Lori fled the room quickly but the boy stayed rooted to the spot. He didn't say anything when Sophia took his hand. She did glance up at him but he just nodded. This wasn't the time to get pissed off. He had seen how the boy was with Shane back at camp. Back before Rick showed back up. He had been good to the kid. He felt Carol wrap both of her arms around one of his.

"Is Maggie okay?" She whispered.

Daryl's lips twitched and he looked down at her. "She's alright. She's with Merle."

Carol rolled her eyes. "Lord help her."

Daryl just chuckled softly and shook his head. "Nah, he'll take care of her. Somethin' is goin' on with him though. Maybe that girl had somethin' to do with it.