Daryl had half thought he'd never see Merle again but the other half of him knew that was stupid. Merle was like a cockroach. The world could implode but there would be Merle, surviving long past any normal person's expiration date.

The people in the prison were now giving Daryl a wide berth as if the essence of Merle was catching. He couldn't blame them. Most of them had legitimate reason to be wary and none of the Australians were stupid enough to engage Merle in conversation. Well, maybe Yussuf but Daryl didn't know who he'd feel more pity for: Yussuf or Merle.

Mara was mad at Daryl too. She wasn't saying anything but she was avoiding him. He suspected being called a chew toy hadn't done much to endear Merle to her.

He sat on the stairs outside the prison, having escaped Merle's over bearing presence and everyone else's judgmental stares. Mara was running with Michonne and he felt his gaze drawn back to her repeatedly.

"So this is where you're hidin'?"

Daryl squinted up at Carol. She was back lit by the sun and it made her hard to look at.

"I ain't hidin'."

"Sure you ain't," Carol agreed amicably and squeezed herself on to the seat next to him. Carol was the only one not treating him any differently. And Judith but she didn't know any better.

Carol followed his line of sight and shook her head. "That's called stalkin' you know."

Daryl rolled his eyes. She couldn't resist teasing him.

"It wouldn't be stalkin' if she talked to me," Daryl grumbled.

"You're seekin' someone out to have a conversation about feelings?"

Daryl didn't dignify that with a response.

"How are you feeling about Merle being back?"

"He's my brother," Daryl said like that answered everything.

"Yes," Carol said patiently. "And you're you. Try to remember that."

With that cryptic bit of advice Carol took her leave. Daryl wished everyone would just say what was on the mind instead of dancing around the issue.

Mara had finished her run and had spotted him. She said something to Michonne and then began walking in his direction.

"Hi," she said softly.

"Hey," Daryl answered.

The silence hung there for a moment before Mara laughed. "Stimulating conversation."

Daryl smiled ruefully, happy to see Mara without a morose expression.

"I'm glad you ain't mad at me anymore," Daryl said awkwardly.

Mara sighed. "I was never mad at you Daryl. I was mad at the situation."

Daryl resisted the urge to point out that made no sense.

"I know Merle represents a lot of complications and that he's your brother but I hope you don't let that cloud your judgement."

Daryl nodded. She wasn't saying anything that Rick, Carol and Glenn hadn't already said to him.

"But we're all good," Mara said. She affectionately brushed his cheek with the back of her fingers.

"I got to get back inside. Nathan wants all the soldiers to help him with something this afternoon."

Daryl watched her go, wishing he had hugged her or something but he just wasn't brave enough.

"Ya did well for yourself there, little brother, that's no mistake." Merle's drawling voice caused Daryl's shoulders to tense but he kept his face blank. Somehow he knew Merle wasn't talking about Mara's personality.

Daryl shrugged; non committal. Just five minutes alone he'd wanted and he hadn't even managed one.

"I was beginnin' t'think think your persuasion ran to battin' for the home team, Darylina."

Daryl shook his head. "You still talk a lotta shit, y'know."

"Well if ya find she's too much to handle, I'd be happy to take her off your hands and get her on her knees."

Merle's tone was suggestive but underneath was the hint of threat.

"Leave Mara alone," Daryl said tightly.

"Oh is that how it is lil' Brother, defendin' what's yours?"

Daryl wanted to claim Mara as his but the words stuck in his throat.

"That's what I thought. Still a chicken shit when it comes to the women folk. But you like her, don't ya!" It wasn't a question so Daryl stayed quiet.

"An' you think she likes you?" Merle prompted. He was mocking Daryl.

"Maybe she does," Daryl answered quietly.

Merle looked startled. That was the way with Merle, he tease and provoke casually with little regard for the facts but occasionally he hit scary close to home. "Y'feel for this girl?" Merle's eyes were narrowed.

"Let me enlighten you, baby boy. Girl like that don't love men like you. She don't even know you."

"Things have changed, Merle." Daryl's voice was coloured with anger and he was beginning to wonder if Merle had found his way back to them just to torture him, to ruin all the good things he had going.

"So what she say when she saw your back then?"

Daryl averted his eyes.

Merle looked victorious. "She ain't seen them then? She doesn't know our dog of a father marked you up."

Daryl got to his feet. "I know you've never been one for listenin' to what I say but leave this alone."

Merle put his hands in the air innocently. "'S your business."

As Daryl walked away he could feel Merle's eyes on his back and knew that he was grinning.

...

Mara came back in from guard duty with Andrea and Carl. She liked the kid but he asked a lot of questions. Today he wanted to know if she'd ever been bitten by a shark. Mara had said yes with a straight face. Andrea had laughed at his shock.

The cell block was abandoned which was unusual but Mara didn't think much of it. With Merle's information the prison residents had been working around the clock, putting in to place their plan. Merle had estimated they had a week before the Governor showed up on the doorstep.

Mara would have thought he was screwing them around aside from the fact she knew he would never gamble with Daryl's life.

She'd barely seen any of Daryl recently. Mara found it hard to swallow how completely under Merle's spell he'd once been but at least he showed signs of some individual thought these days. Mara missed him though.

"Well what do we have here?" a voice drawled.

Mara rolled her eyes before turning to face Merle. "You still here, Merle? I expected you to have thrown Daryl over your shoulder and run off into the forest banging your chest by now."

"While that's some interestin' imagery, I come in peace." Merle's smile contradicted that statement.

"Huh," was all Mara said.

"I got a message. Daryl's lookin' for you."

Mara was sceptical. "Daryl only looks for me when I'm kidnapped."

"As promisin' as that story sounds, I'm just deliverin'. He said he'd meet ya in the shower block."

Mara's eyebrows pulled together. "The shower block?"

"I jist assumed this was some prior arrangement," Merle shrugged, the picture of nonchalance. "Go, don't go. No matter to me."

Mara was torn. Mara didn't trust Merle as far as she could throw him but some time alone with Daryl in the showers? It wouldn't hurt to at least see if there was any truth in what Merle was saying. She couldn't see an obvious angle that he might be working by sending her down to find Daryl except maybe wasting her time.

With another hard look at Merle, she walked away.

As she got closer to the shower blocks she dared to let herself to hope. Against all logic Daryl trusted Merle so it was quite possible that he had genuinely asked his big brother to pass the message along, especially since Merle was one of the few people who knew about them.

Spending some time with Daryl alone was all she wanted right now.

Mara could hear someone moving around and was relieved that she hadn't been sent on a wild goose chase.

She pushed open the door. "I'm surprised to actually see you here."

Daryl's hair was wet and he'd put on his pants. He whirled to face her but not before she saw his back.

...

Daryl's blood felt icy in his veins. Mara face was ashen and she had a hand to her mouth.

Her eyes met Daryl's and he wished that he could meet her stricken gaze without the fear and hostility in his own.

"Daryl," Mara took a step forward.

"No, don't," Daryl said, cowering back.

Mara ignored him, taking another steady step forward.

Daryl wanted to run but Mara held her hands up. "Daryl, please stop."

Daryl couldn't stand the look on her face. He turned so that his back was exposed to her again.

He winced at the intake of breath he heard.

"God," Mara breathed, taking another step closer to Daryl. "You hid this from me?"

He could hear the dawning comprehension in her voice. "It was just casual," Daryl bit out, "Didn't want it to get messy." He was covering, putting it back on her. It was better than admitting he had been too scared; the memories too painful.

Mara didn't answer. He felt the lightest of touches on his back. Daryl tensed and he felt the touch withdraw.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Mara asked.

"I didn't want you t'know I was broken. I didn't want you to look at me with pity in your eyes."

Mara made a sound in her throat and then he felt arms wrap around his middle. Mara pressed her body to Daryl's like a shield. Mara lay a kiss between his shoulder blades before laying her head against his back.

Daryl closed his eyes as they stood together and just breathed. Slowly his muscles unclenched and his heart slowed.

Eventually Mara said, "I'm sorry."

She stepped away and Daryl reached automatically for his shirt. While he was dressing he thought of something Mara had said when she had walked in.

"You said you were surprised to actually find me here. What did y'mean by that?"

Mara shook her head looking embarrassed. "Merle told me you wanted to see me. I should have known he was just messing with me."

"Merle sent you?" Daryl asked, going deadly still.

"Yes," Mara answered slowly. She was looking at him warily, sensing his shift from victim to someone filled with rage.

"Merle sent you!" he repeated. He burst out of the shower room on a warpath. Mara shouted his name and was on his heels.

Daryl barrelled into the cellblock. It was dinner time and heads snapped up when a bare footed Daryl appeared. Merle was standing off to the side with a grin on his face.

The grin vanished quickly when Daryl punched him in the face. "You bastard!"

Despite everything, it cost Daryl to throw that hit, but he wanted to punish Merle, make him hurt like he'd made him hurt. Merle had no such qualms. Amidst the shouts and the chaos of the others, Merle slammed back in to his brother.

Merle smacked Daryl hard in the face. He reeled back but he would have gone after Merle again if Mara wasn't suddenly there, throwing all her weight against Daryl to restrain him.

"It was ta protect you," Merle shouted at Daryl. "You think that prissy bitch there loves ya like you love her?"

Daryl felt Mara's fingers curl into his bicep but he barely registered it. "'Cause no one but you will, right?"

"That's right, lil brother!" Merle spat some of his blood to the floor. "It's always just been you an' me 'gainst the world."

"Yeah 'cepting when it counted," Daryl's voice broke.

"Daryl," Merle took a step forward.

Daryl recoiled. His sudden movement unbalanced Mara and she staggered a little. The movement drew Merle's attention.

"Y'think you're so superior but ta me you're just my brother's leavings."

Daryl exploded out of Mara's grasp but to his surprise Elias got there first. Because Elias was a white male he had mostly escaped Merle's notice so he didn't expect the big man's hit.

Daryl heard bones break on impact and Merle dropped to the floor like a sack of flour.

"Holy shit!" Yussuf cried, having kept silent so far.

Merle was lying on the ground his eyes closed. Nathan bent over and checked Merle's pulse. "He's alive."

Daryl was breathing hard. Everybody's eyes were on him now. He pulled away and ran.

AN: Welcome to all my new readers. It's nice to get some more positive reviews. I have such a soft spot in my heart for this fic. I don't get to spend nearly enough time on it. Ah Merle, he just can't resist stirring up trouble. It's like a compulsion. Probably why he is so much fun to write. Stay cool, guys.

MD666