Chapter 8

Daryl found Merle sitting on a low hanging branch in the forest, smoking a cigarette. His brother was upset.

"She's gone, her and the Irish brothers just left." Merle didn't answer him, he took another deep drag of his cigarette and stared out into the woods.

"I talked to them, self-righteous fucks but I think they'll be alrigh' ta her."

"Don't give a fuck." Merle stomped his spent butt, staring at Daryl in the eye, daring him to argue.

Daryl didn't rise to the bait. He knew, his brother was lying, calling him out on it wouldn't solve anything, it would only make Merle even angrier.

"They decided where to go next." He changed the subject, "What are we gonna do?" Daryl waited on his big brother to tell him where they were going just like he always did.

"They decide on the CDC?" Merle asked.

Daryl laughed a bit, "Yeah, How'd ya guess?" he should have known Merle would have their answer before it was even decided.

"That Officer Friendly that showed up yesterday wanted ta go, his bitch will follow him and Roid freak will follow the bitch." Merle sniffed rubbing the back of his hand across his mouth. "Dumbass hasn't figured out that pussy ain't never gonna be his again."

Daryl shook his head, his brother could analyze everyone down to the last detail, and he was right much more often than he was wrong. He couldn't help but wonder why he couldn't do it for himself.

"So, we goin' with them or what?"

"Why not, good a place as any." He light another cigarette and sat back down on the tree branch, unaware that the place he was mourning the loss of Emily was the place Emily had mourned the loss of him.

"Why don't you start packin' up. I'll be there after this cig." Merle puffed out a smoke circle.

Daryl opened his mouth to say something, but closed it a second after. His brother didn't talk about feelings, he wouldn't tell him why he let Emily go it was useless to ask, so instead he said

"Lazy bastard, hurry up, ain't gonna do it all myself."

Merle waved him off with a "yeah, yeah"

Once Daryl was gone, he closed his eyes. The deep ache in his chest was unfamiliar and painful. He gripped a small tree branch to his left, fighting the urge to go after Emily. She hadn't been gone that long, he could catch up. He shook his head hard from side to side. No, this was his last chance to do right by his brother, he wasn't going to go chasing after women or drugs or anything else, even if Emily wasn't just some woman, he shied away from calling her special, even in his own mind. Daryl deserved better than to have him distracted at a time like this. Family was the only thing they'd ever had to count on, this time it was more important than ever. There would be other women, he'd forget Emily soon enough…he hoped.

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Emily was in the back seat of the MacManus brother's car, crying silently. She'd been trying to hide her tears for the guys for an hour now, she figured she'd been doing a pretty good job pretending to be asleep since the brothers hadn't tried talking to her. They had left her alone only talking to each other in hushed voices, mostly in a strange language she didn't know. After about another hour the car pulled over and Emily heard one of the brothers get out of the car, she discreetly tried to wipe away her tears.

"There's no shame in crying ya know." Murphy explained softly.

"Sorry." She mumbled sitting up to face him, she hadn't been as discreet as she'd thought with her crying.

"No reason to be sorry, if I lost me brother." Murphy shook his head looking away, "I'd be inconsolable."

"It's just, I've lost everything. My sister, finding her is what got me into the deal with the Dixon brothers, it's what got me through everything and now she's gone. I should have just let myself die in the woods, then I'd be with her now." The tears started streaming down her cheeks again.

Murphy reached over and wiped her cheek. "But you didn't, there's a reason for that. God has a plan."

"You still believe in God, "she motioned around "after all this?"

"Absolutely." Murphy didn't hesitate in his answer. God had always made their path clear and now he understood why they had been drawn to this particular damaged girl above all others, she needed a purpose and with their help God would show her the way.

"I'm just tired, tired of losing." She put her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees.

"Ay," Murphy agreed.

They had done their best but they couldn't save everyone and the ones they did save had gone their own way, while they made their way back up to Boston. There was no way of knowing how many of them were still alive. He was worried about their friends and allies back in their home city but they had come down here to kill an evil man, a man that would no doubt have caused even more damage in this new lawless environment. God had sent them and it was the right call, following your calling required sacrifices and the MacManus brothers were more than willing to give up anything for their purpose. The only sacrifice he couldn't face would be losing his brother, he prayed every night that God would not put him to that test.