Chapter 7

They were all standing around the graves, after a small argument they had agreed to bury their "loved ones" and burn the rest. The Irish had put Emily's sister in a grave and they were flanking her as she stared into the hole in the ground. Merle hadn't spoken to her yet, he watched her from across the graves, noticing the dirty looks the Irish were occasionally throwing at him. Emily hadn't looked at him once, she wasn't crying anymore and that worried him. After their small ceremony was over the two brothers spoke to her quietly, Merle noticed her nod her head once and walk off to their tent.

"Go ahead." Daryl spoke up next to him.

Merle scratched his chin. "Be back." Daryl nodded.

"I'm gonna talk to my twin and his twin." He glared at the brothers.

"Twins?" Merle questioned.

"That's the rumor." Daryl shrugged, "meet ya in 10, we gotta figure out where we're all goin'."

"Yep, sure as hell can't stay here." Merle agreed.

He headed towards the tent, pausing for a second at the entrance before letting out a breath and going in. Emily was sitting on the floor, her backpack on her lap clearly filled with her meager belongings. She had the buck knife she'd been using in her hand.

"Murphy and Connor have agreed to take me in." She didn't look at him as she set the knife on his sleeping bag.

"I didn't take anything but my clothes and toiletries. We're leaving today." She got up slowly, like she was in pain, keeping her eyes firmly on the ground.

Merle swallowed, this is what he wanted, problem solved. "Y'all ain't stayin' with the group?"

"No, they want to go back to Boston. You taught me how to scavenge and defend myself, I won't be a burden."

Merle nodded even though she wasn't looking at him "Take the knife, you're gonna need it."

She hesitated. "Just take it Emily." He left before she could answer.

He walked over to his brother and the group as they argued over where to go next. He didn't want to think about Emily, she was gone.

"What do ya think?" Daryl asked him.

"Don't matter, everywhere is fucked." He was in a shitty mood and Daryl could tell, his brother shifted away from him slightly.

"Fuck it." He growled, he needed a cigarette, he left the group to decide whatever they wanted and walked off into the forest.

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Emily looked down at the knife on Merle's sleeping bag. She did need it, but the need for a clean break was also strong. She looked around at the tent, the last time she'd been in here she'd been dreaming of finding her sister, a dream that had turned into a nightmare. There was nothing to hope for anymore, she looked at the knife again and picked it up. She could at least get as many of the bastards that got her sister before they got her.

She stepped out of the tent that had been her home for the last couple of months, walking across the camp she passed the RV where a large portion of the group were talking. She couldn't believe that she'd woken up in that RV just hours ago with the knowledge of her sister's death.

She had foolishly looked around for Merle first thing, even thinking Murphy was Daryl for a second and he'd go get his brother for her. Luckily she'd spotted Murphy's tattoos before she said anything. She'd wanted Merle because he was the only one she'd told about her dreams to find her sister. They had, had sex a lot but they had talked some too. He was the only who knew how much she had pinned her hopes on finding her sister.

She had silently cried for what felt like hours with Murphy holding and stroking her hand. Thankfully he didn't try to comfort her, he was just there for her. She wondered where Merle was, she needed to talk, to ask him what she was supposed to hope for now. Slowly it started dawning on her that he hadn't been around. He wasn't there when they were attacked, he wasn't there when she saw her sister, he didn't come to her when she screamed and he wasn't here now. Murphy and Conner had been by her side, Murphy had kept her from getting herself killed and Connor had given her sister the peace she deserved. She realized Merle was never coming, neither was Daryl. She hadn't expected Daryl, they hadn't bonded in anyway but she thought she had with Merle. She thought he cared, why else would he bother to get to know her or cuddle up with her to sleep?

Emily had wiped her eyes and sat up, he didn't give a damn about her and all those thing were just meaningless ways to pass the time. Murphy had helped her up immediately and explained about the small service and the grave they had dug for Eleanor. She looked into his clear blue eyes, filled with concern and sympathy and had simply nodded. Eleanor had always told her she was too trusting, and she was right, she had trusted the Dixon's and they dumped her first chance they got. Would Murphy and Connor be any different? It wasn't much of a decision, in the end it was the only choice she really had, and they had already shown more concern for her in the last day than the Dixon's had in all the weeks she'd known them.

"Con and I are going to try and get back to Boston, your welcome to come with us." He had hesitated. "I understand if you don't want to leave Georgia."

"I'm not from here." Her voice lacking emotion. "There's nothing to keep me anywhere anymore. I will go with you to Boston if you really don't mind. I can figure something out if it's too much trouble." She figured she might as well give them an out.

"We don't mind."

Connor had shown up and they had gone to the grave site. Emily hadn't bothered looking for the Dixons, she knew they'd survived, Murphy would have told her if they hadn't. She stared into the black hole that held her sister's body until the shapes didn't make sense anymore. Her sister had always been the smart, capable one. She'd kept Emily in line. The service was over quickly, it wasn't enough, Eleanor deserved more, but she wasn't going to get it.

"Get your things, love. Murph and I will pack up the car." Connor put his hand on her shoulder.

"We'll meet you in a few minutes. Are you alright on your own?"

She nodded and made her way to the Dixon's tent. It had taken her less than a minute to pack up the few bits of clothes she owned. She'd sat down on the floor with the knife Merle had given her, it was her only weapon, but Merle hadn't said it was hers or that she could keep it, and it held so many memories. She was contemplating the knife when Merle walked in.

"Murphy and Connor have agreed to take me in." she finally said as he stood there silently. She didn't bother looking up at him, he was probably making sure she didn't steal anything, she put the knife on his sleeping bag. "I didn't take anything but my clothes and toiletries. We're leaving today." She got up slowly, she was sore and tired.

Y'all ain't stayin' with the group?" he'd asked her.

"No, they want to go back to Boston. You taught me how to scavenge and defend myself, I won't be a burden." She thought that was as good a thank you as she was capable of at the moment, especially considering she'd paid for those lessons with her body anyway.

"Take the knife, you're gonna need it." She was surprised and unsure of his offer.

"Just take it Emily." And just like that he was gone, no goodbye, nothing.

Now she was making her way to Murphy and Connor's car, she didn't look around, she didn't want to see the look of indifference in the Dixon's eyes. She looked ahead, Murphy gave her a small smile as soon as he caught sight of her. She felt it then, these two were good decent men, they deserved better than to be burdened with her, but she would try to make it up to them. She had some useful skills now, she'd try to be more of a help than a hindrance.