A/N: Hey everyone! Thank you so much for the follows and favs and a thank you to SinfulRoses for my first review. I'm glad you like it and I'm definitely planning on sticking with this story. I've already started writing for Season 2. I'm going to try to keep ahead a few chapters just in case anything happens where I can't write and I'll still have something to post.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Walking Dead.

Chapter Two

Marianne heard it first, the whooping of a car alarm echoing in the distance. It meant someone was coming and in a stolen car, no less, but was it their people? What if they were strangers? Would they need to protect themselves?

She was sitting on an overturned plastic crate in front of her tent checking that her gun was fully loaded and counting the rest of her bullets when, after minutes of hearing the car alarm, Glenn finally pulled up. Marianne stayed where she was and finished counting. She could be patient, especially since she knew Merle would turn up soon. She didn't have to worry anymore. It was when the van arrived that she made her way over to the group and stood next to Lori.

Andrea was the first to appear. Amy ran to her and the sisters hugged. Next came Morales, then Jacqui and then T-Dog trailing behind them both.

Marianne looked them over. With the exception of T-Dog's face everyone looked good. Morales' little girl ran to him and Morales picked her up. The corner of her mouth twitched in an almost smile. Marianne watched the family's happy reunion and noticed that Lori pulled Carl away. The boy looked like he was about to cry.

"You are a welcome sight," Dale said. Marianne looked expectantly at the van, waiting for Merle to appear. He sure was taking his sweet time. She knew he'd give her hell for greeting him on his return. He'd call her a lost puppy.

"I thought we had lost you folks for sure." Dale and Morales hugged.

"How'd y'all get out of there anyway?" Shane asked. Marianne wanted to know too. She bet Merle had nothing to do with it, probably did more harm than good.

"New guy," Glenn answered. "He got us out."

"New guy?" Shane looked mildly confused.

"Yeah, crazy vato just got into town," Morales said. "Hey, helicopter boy! Come say hello." A door slammed shut. Still no Merle. Marianne's hands felt cold.

"The guy's a cop. Like you," Morales told Shane. A man in a police uniform stepped into sight and the next thing she knew Carl was yelling "Dad" and the two ran to each other and into a hug that landed them on the ground. Marianne watched another family reunion, an extremely unexpected one. She thought Lori's husband was dead. Marianne looked over at Shane to watch his reaction. He looked overwhelmed with a jumble of emotions she didn't bother to decipher.

"Sorry to break up this heartwarming reunion but where the hell is Merle?" Everyone was startled, like they had forgotten about him. "Well?"

"Uh, there was a problem," Glenn said uneasily. He couldn't look her in the eye.

"He dead?"

Glenn hesitated.

"It's a yes or no question."

"Ma'am I'm sorry about your brother but you know how he gets. He was causing trouble, putting our lives at risk. I had no choice," Rick intervened.

"No choice?"

"I handcuffed him to a pipe on the roof. We left him behind. We had no choice."

"You did what now?" She burst out laughing and watched varying degrees of alarm pop up on everyone's face. "Good lord almighty. So you're tellin' me you handcuffed my brother to a roof in this heat, left for the walkers to tear their teeth into him?"

She glared at them all and now it wasn't just Glenn who couldn't look her in the eye. "You'll want me around when you tell Daryl and I sure as hell ain't doin' your dirty work for you. Here's a tip, watch out for the knife."

Marianne stormed off to her tent. She needed to be alone before she hurt somebody, particularly the new guy.

Marianne didn't know what to do. She paced around the Dixon's campfire. No one seemed bothered that Merle was gone and nobody showed the desire to rescue him. Who would want to rescue a racist redneck anyways? She kicked the plastic crate and it tumbled over and ran into the front of her tent.

Daryl would be devastated. The thought sobered her and she looked towards the woods hoping he would appear. On second thought, she didn't hope Daryl would show up soon. Marianne knew what she was going to do and if luck was on her side she'd be back in camp with Merle before Daryl even knew what had happened. But first, she'd need a little help.

"Glenn." The young man jumped.

"Oh, hey Marianne. What's up?"

"What's up is you're gonna to tell me exactly how to get to this department store."

He rubbed the back of his head, clearly intimidated. "I guess I can do that."

"Good. I knew there was a reason I didn't dislike you." Glenn flushed.

Everything was going according to plan until Shane walked up to her while she was putting her packed bag in Daryl's old truck

"Where are you off to?"

"Who are you? My dad?" Marianne hopped into the driver's seat and went to shut the door but Shane blocked it.

"Now, Marianne, I don't think this a good idea."

"You know what's not a good idea? Chaining a man up and leavin' him to die!" She put the key in the ignition.

"It's getting late. It'll be dark soon. You can't be in Atlanta at night. It's too dangerous."

"You may be their leader but you can't tell me what to do." She tried closing the door again but Shane wouldn't budge.

"Whether you like it or not, I'm not letting you go. I'll carry you outta this truck if I have to."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Watch me." Marianne glared at him, sizing him up. She could take him on but she couldn't take on the whole camp if they backed him up and she wouldn't put it past him to tie her up. "No one's gonna stop me. This is for your own safety."

"Fine. Be an asshole." Marianne grabbed her bag and Shane stepped aside as she got out of the truck.

"We can pick this up tomorrow."

"Screw you." Marianne slammed the truck door and knocked her shoulder into the infuriating man when she passed him.

She threw her backpack into a corner of her tent, not bothering to unpack it. She'd need it ready to go tomorrow. She sat on her cot and buried her face in her hands, which were trembling with rage. How dare Shane treat her like this? After she rescued Merle they were going to leave this group. Hell, she'd even let Merle steal a couple of things.

She heard footsteps getting closer to her. Whoever it was cast a large shadow over her tent. She waited for them to make the first move.

"Hello?" It was T-Dog. Why was he bothering her? And why now?

"What do you want?"

"I wanted to talk to you, if that's alright."

She lifted the flap of her tent and looked up at T-Dog. It didn't look like he'd go away. "Whatever you have to say make it quick. I'm not exactly in the mood for company."

T-Dog nodded. "I get it. I just wanted to tell you, about Merle… It was my fault. I dropped the damn key to the cuffs in a drain. But I chained the door. There's no way any geeks are going to get him."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"No, but you deserve an apology. I'm sorry." No one ever apologized to her. Not unless they accidently bumped into her.

"Did he do that to you?" She motioned to the injuries on his face.

"Yeah."

"Then I'm sorry too. Now go away." She dropped the tent flap, laid on her cot, and watched T-Dog's shadow retreat.

Marianne tossed and turned all night, too angry to get any good sleep. That morning the bright sun couldn't dissipate the dark, gloomy feeling inside of her. In retrospect, she realized her plan to rescue Merle by herself was a little stupid. She gave herself a mediocre chance that she could have pulled it off but even so, Shane had no right stopping her. This was her life, not his.

She decided to wait for Daryl to come back before trying anything again. What she needed was a day off so she shunned her chores and went down to the quarry. She made sure most of them saw where she was going so hopefully they'd stay away, because Marianne really didn't want to be around people.

Hours passed and only Shane had appeared at the quarry but he filled up on water so far away from where she was sitting he didn't see her. Marianne had skinny dipped and, with her clothes back on, she was basking in the sun. Her light brown hair was nearly dry when she heard them.

The screaming of children made her blood run cold and she didn't even really like kids. They asked too many questions. She ran into camp but the screaming had stopped so she couldn't pinpoint where it had come from. Still pissed off at everyone she refused to ask for directions but she noticed a lot of people were missing. She hoped they had reached the kids in time.

Marianne was about to give up when Daryl appeared with Shane, Rick, Dale, Glenn, Jim, and Morales trailing behind him.

"Merle!" He spotted Marianne so he didn't bother calling out for her. He didn't seem to notice anything was wrong. "Merle! Get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrel! Let's stew 'em up."

Daryl set his crossbow down against a small pile of logs by the camp's main fire. Shane approached her brother but she remained where she was standing, her hands on her hips and jaw clenched.

"Daryl, just slow up a bit. I need to talk to you." Shane glanced over at Marianne who just glared at him. There was no way she was going to help make breaking the news to Daryl any easier for them. They deserved her brother's wrath.

Daryl turned around. "About what?"

"About Merle. There was a— There was a problem in Atlanta."

Daryl looked at Marianne whose face didn't give anything away. "He dead?"

"We're not sure."

"He either is or he ain't! Marianne?"

"Ask him." She pointed at Rick. There was venom in her voice.

"No easy way to say this, so I'll just say it." Rick slowly walked towards Daryl.

"Who are you?"

"Rick Grimes."

"Rick Grimes. You got something you want to tell me?"

"Your brother was a danger to us all, so I handcuffed him on a roof, hooked him to a piece of metal. He's still there."

"Hold on. Let me process this. You're saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof and you left him there?"

"Yeah," Rick replied lamely and looked away.

Daryl threw his string of squirrels at Rick who dodged them. Then, extremely unnecessary in Marianne's opinion, Shane tackled her brother.

T-Dog who had earlier walked onto the scene carrying a load of firewood, dropped the logs. "Hey!" Daryl unsheathed his hunting knife. "Watch the knife!"

"Daryl! Stop!" Marianne ran towards her brother who took a swipe at Rick's face, which Rick avoided. She wanted the man to pay but not like this.

Fire burned in her chest when Shane put Daryl in a chokehold. The two men disarmed him.

"Let him go!" On second thought, maybe she'd take off where her brother was forced to leave off. She kept a knife in her boot no one knew about yet.

"Nah, I think it's better if I don't." Rick blocked her from rushing at Shane.

"Get your hands off me!"

"You'd best let her go!" Shane brought Daryl down to the ground.

"Choke hold's illegal," the Dixons said at the same time.

"Yeah, you can file a complaint," Shane said. Marianne slipped out of Rick's grasp only to be caught again. This time he twisted her right arm up against her back and held onto the other by her wrist.

Brother and sister struggled against their captors.

"Come on, man. We'll keep this up all day," Shane said.

"Let us go, assholes," Marianne practically growled.

"I'll let you go if you promise not to try anything," Rick said.

"Fine by me because I wasn't tryin' anything in the first place."

"Sure you weren't."

"Shut up Shane," Marianne said as Rick cautiously let her go. She shook out her right arm and glared at Rick. Looking satisfied that she wasn't going to attack, Rick walked up to Daryl and knelt down.

"I'd like to have a calm discussion on this topic. Do you think we can manage that?" Daryl didn't answer. "Do you think we can manage that?"

Still nothing from Daryl. He was really good at giving people the silent treatment. Marianne crossed her arms in front of her. Rick and Shane looked at each other and Shane roughly let Daryl go.

"What I did was not on a whim," Rick said. "Your brother does not work and play well with others."

"It's not Rick's fault," T-Dog chimed in. "I had the key. I dropped it."

"You couldn't pick it up?"

"Well, I dropped it in a drain."

Marianne helped Daryl, who was still recovering from Shane's chokehold, to his feet. "If it's supposed to make me feel better, it don't."

"Well, maybe this will. Look, I chained the door to the roof so the geeks couldn't get at him—with a padlock."

"It's got to count for something," Rick said.

Daryl rubbed his hand across his face. Marianne's heart wrenched. It looked like he was on the verge of tears. "Hell with all of y'all. Just tell me where he is. So's I can go get him."

"I know where he is. I was goin' after him yesterday but they stopped me."

"Stopped you how?"

"How do you think? Shane near forced me out of the truck."

"Bastard."

"Rick'll help you," Lori said unexpectedly, interrupting the beginnings of another fight. "Isn't that right?"

There was a pause and then Rick nodded. "I'm going back."

A/N: How'd you like it? I'd love to know.