Daryl paced back and forth in the damp dark hallway, half hoping a group of walkers would find him. He kicked the concrete wall closest to him in frustration. Beth was lost to him, Merle was lost to him, even the comfort of Emily's body was lost to him. He hadn't gone this long without sex since he discovered his favorite outlet. He found that he didn't crave it as much as he used to.

He missed his brother, things had changed between them since the world went to shit and Emily had done his brother some good. He let himself fall to the floor, in true Dixon fashion he and his brother had fucked everything up, just as it was finally starting to get good too.

He fought the despair that was building up inside him. Merle wasn't dead, he'd looked at every corpse he came across, searching for his brother and not one wore Merle's face. Nobody could kill Merle but Merle, of that at least Daryl was certain.

MDMDMDMDMDMDMD

Philip stood in the ruble of helicopter crash, there was still a military presence somewhere, but the military had failed to save them before, he wouldn't give them a chance to fuck it up again, he wouldn't give up his power that easily. Half a corpse crawled away from him toward one of his men, Philip removed his dagger from it's sheath and impaled it in the biters brain, he closed his eyes briefly enjoying the crunch and squishing sounds his weapon made.

"This one's alive."

Philip turned away from his prey, " load him up, we'll take him back." he yelled over his shoulder.

Looking around he could see his mean gathering up supplies but Merle was no where in sight. Philip breathed in deeply through his nose, the coppery scent of blood filling his nostrils, that redneck was unpredictable and lethal. He wondered if perhaps it would be better to have Merle's head in a tank with the others instead of out here thinking and possibly scheming.

"Yo, Governor!" Merle's gravelly voice came from his left side. "Caught us a Black Samurai."

Merle lead a lithe black woman out of the bushes, he had a gun to her head with one hand and a large Samurai sword in the other, the proud grin on his face letting the Governor know that he had gotten the jump on yet another capable survivor. Philip smirked at the reminder of why he kept Merle alive and kicking.

"Tie her up." the woman nearly growled at his words. "We're taking you to our camp," Philip reasoned with her, "can't bring you around our people if you're a threat."

Merle looked him up and down as he spoke but handed over the sword and pulled out a length or rope and a bandanna from his back pocket.

"Now don't you worry sugar," he teased the woman, "I ain't into kinky shit." he pulled her arms behind her back, "that's my brother." he laughed when she spit to the side in anger. "I'll let him know you ain't interested when I find him. For now this is on the level." he put the bandanna over her eyes. "So don't make me kill you." his tone finally serious.

The woman settled as she let him lead her to Philip's SUV. The Governor shook his head. Merle's was was lewd and teasing but it worked more often than not and he managed to sneak a reminder to Philip of why he was doing his bidding to begin with. Well, that was fine, you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours, he could work with that, no reason why they should clash, and if Daryl was as good as his brother, well, Woodbury was going to thrive even more and Philip's power would not be questioned.

MDMDMDMDMDMD

"Who's that woman."

Merle turned to find Murphy in the alley way he was just passing, leaning up against the brick wall of the Library he was about to enter.

He looked at the darker of the twins, if he squinted his eyes just right he could pretend it was Daryl, a little younger and thinner and wearing some douche bag clothes but the similarities were scary sometimes.

"Found her, looks like the Gov might let her stay." he continued to star at the twin.

"That's why she's tied up and blindfolded."

Merle shrugged at that, "The Governor isn't know to be the trustin' type. He'll probably ask you to keep and extra careful close eye on her for awhile."

"That I will." Murphy lit a cigarette. "You stare a lot ya know."

"Why do you look so much like my brother, the more I look at ya, the more I see it."

"I can tell you my theory or I can tell you my brothers." Murphy looked him up and down, and Merle could see the difference between him and Daryl, it wasn't that Murphy's hair was slightly darker or that he had an extra mole by his lip, and it wasn't even that he was clearly a lot younger that Daryl, it was his posture, even talking to a man he clearly disliked, Murphy was relaxed, almost friendly, an easy smile pulling at his lips as he sucked on his cancer stick.

Daryl and relaxed never happened, eve when he let his body slump down for sleep or rest, his eyes were constantly shifting looking for the next threat, tension never left his mouth as he either chewed on his lip or thumb. Daryl had grown up in hell and it had left traces in every movement he made. Murphy hadn't, Merle didn't pretend to know how the Irish man's childhood had gone but it was easy to see it hadn't been the terror the Dixon's had to endure.

"How bout you tell me both theories." Merle growled out, even angrier than before, Murphy relaxed and unfazed by his anger, showing him what Daryl might have been if it wasn't for their father.

"Well, since you asked so nicely." the younger man smirked. "I think we're related somehow."

Merle snorted at that.

"Ay, not my favorite thing but seems the most logical." Murphy nodded at his outburst.

"And your brother's?" Merle took a step closer, not wanting anyone else to hear this answer for some reason.

Murphy pushed himself off the wall and walked closer to Merle, his voice just above a whisper. "Answer me a question and I'll tell you."

Merle nodded, "Alrigh'."

"You din't tell the Governor about us, what we do." Murphy stepped closer still.

"Nope."

"Why?"

Merle gave a quick glance around them, the street was empty and there were no windows on tis side of either building making up this alley way.

"Instinct." he finally answered. "Only way I know how to describe it, same reason why you don't let anyone see y'all can talk all them languages, same reason y'all don't let everyone here know you done killed more men than all of us put together, before the shit hit the fan. Instinct."

"Ay, ever wonder why your instinct is to protect us?"

"Ain't you I'm protectin'."

"Fair enough." Murphy nodded, "Con thinks we are meant to help each other, you won't kill a man with your brother's face."

Merle's lip curled at that.

"Con has a lot of faith in the two of you." Murphy tilted his head and studied the older redneck. "I don't know why, after Emily but he does."

"You don't know shit about what happened with Emily, neither does she."

"Ay, Connor keeps trying to convince me there is a story there, I have a hard time seeing past the pain she was in."

Merle turned to walk away, he was done with this fucking conversation but Murphy's surprisingly strong hand wrapped around his forearm.

"No, you should hear what I saw."

"What the fuck for?" Merle jerked his arm away.

Murphy ignored his question, "She said she was fat," Merle rolled his eyes and looked away. "she was stupid and useless."

"Ain't me that told her them things and it weren't my brother neither. She was already fucked up like that." Merle glared at Murphy.

"What about being a whore."

Merle stepped back.

"That wasn't the two of you? Used her and passed her around like a whore."

"Ain't never called her that." Merle shook his head.

"You didn't have to." Murphy answered angrily.

"We did a hell 'ov a lot more for her than we had to." Merle sucked his teeth. "She had a choice." he pointed his finger at Murphy chest. "she could've said no. I ain't a fuckin' rapist."

"I know that, or else you'd be dead." Murphy's voice took on the same hard cold edge that Connor's had a couple of nights ago.

"You threatening me?" Merle shook his head and laughed.

"Ay, if you want to call it that."

"Let me give you some advice Murph," Merle leaned in to whisper in Murphy's ear. "Don't turn your back on anyone in this town. You so worried about Emily, keep her safe here, and remember you are badly outnumbered, even as good as the two of you are."

"We've been outnumbered before." Murphy answered, not bothering to move away from Merle.

"God ain't always there to bail you out, if anyone can attest to that it's me and Daryl. He ain't never shown up once when we needed him, someday he won't show up for you."

"He always has a plan."

"Yeah?"

"Ay."

"Well McManus, you may not always dig his plan. Watch yer back and watch Emily."

He left then, back to the sanctuary of the library, one of the few good things he had in this world, Murphy didn't try to stop him.

Next up is Prison vs. Woodbury, the brothers find each other! Thank you for reading especially if you are a guest and I can't Pm you. I really appreciate it :-)