Disclaimer- I do not own the Walking dead.

Wow, I had some serious writers block. I tried my best with this chapter but it was a struggle so I've decided to post what I managed to get written down, in hopes that if I start fresh on another chapter I'll get my inspiration back.

FoxLix- Thank you. Means a lot that you are still enjoying it.

AstralFang1020- Thank you so much. I thought that too, which is why I wanted to write a story with Merle still in. I love him and I really am trying to keep their personalities to how they were portrayed in the show but with my own little swing on things.

Atilia Dawn Black- Haha thank you. I want them to be like a family (dysfunctional as it is) I love writing the bits between Merle and Danny. They're brother and sister and of course that means back-talk and banter.

Enjoy and review, if you'd like.

Danny's POV

"I'm sorry. I guess it's not something everyone has learnt. It can only be found out the hard way". I keep my eyes on James from my kneeling position on the floor. Daryl's got his back to him so until James moves away my eyes will be glued to him.

Daryl has managed to pull me out of my initial panic attack but I still can't move or even talk. What can you even say to being told something like that. That we are, at some point, going to turn into one of those Walkers.

James' mouth keeps moving as he keeps talking, why is he not shutting up? What is he even still doing here? I snatch my gun off the floor where it was sat between Daryl's feet. Daryl tries to beat me to it but I'm quicker. I get to my feet and step around Daryl.

I point it straight at James. "Leave". He finally stops the consistent rambling and shuts his mouth but he doesn't move. "I said get the fuck outta here". It takes a second but James finally nods and backs up before turning to his men.

"Let's get out of here".

I don't lower my gun until they're all in their vehicles and are driving away. This time without the music blaring.

Daryl's hand rests against my ribs, he puts a little pressure on it telling me he wants me to look at him. Which I do.

"We've got this, okay? It doesn't matter if what he said is true because I will do everythin' I can to not let anythin' happen to you".

I shake my head slightly. "You don't know that".

He just stares at me, silently begging me to believe him. He will never promise that everything's going to be okay. This is as close as it'll get and I know he'll try his absolute hardest, like lay his life on the line, to make sure nothing happens to me or our baby.

Finally I nod.

Merle's hand lands heavily on my shoulder, "Atta girl". He gives my shoulder a gentle squeeze before letting go. "Right, lets get you, mini you", He says that with a fake sneer, "and baby you outta here 'fore it gets dark".

I turn to Carol and Sophia, Sophia is stood in front of Carol with Carols arms wrapped around her front. "Are you two okay?"

Carol lets out a humourless chuckle. "Yeah." She then shakes her head a little and scoffs. "No". But then she smiles at me, it doesn't reach her eyes though, and reaches out for my hand. "Lets go".

Merle and Daryl quickly go back and grab the stuff they abandoned, when we were interrupted, while us three climb back in to the truck, ready to get the hell out of here.

We travelled for another hour or so but we didn't talk about anything. Every now and again I would catch Merle looking in the rear view mirror at me but I'd just look away, refusing to meet his stare. We just need to process this bombshell in our own ways. We'll get over it, we just need time.

We've set up camp in another lone house on the side of an otherwise empty road. We cleared the house in silence, it wasn't until we were making food that any of us spoke.

We went to bed pretty soon after that, sort of. Daryl is stood outside on the front porch keeping watch and more importantly listening out for sounds of approaching vehicles. Merle is sat in the living room staring out the bay window, every now and again he does a circuit of the house, looking out of all the ground floor windows. I think Sophia is asleep but I know Carol isn't. Whenever I look over at them both the moonlight coming in through the window catches Carol in the face and I can clearly see her eyes are open. My mind won't settle for me to even attempt to sleep. Every time I close my eyes the words, 'We are all infected' just circle round and around my head.

I give up with a pretty defeated sigh. After lacing my boots back up I wrap one of my blankets around me. I try and be quiet as I walk through the room, even with more of us awake than asleep. As I walk past Merle he turns his head to look at me.

"You alrigh?"

"Nope, you?"

He nods his head once like he knew exactly what I was going to say. "Fuckin' Shit, right?"

"A hundred percent". I glance at the front door. "Is he still out front?"

"Yeah". I quickly thank him before walking out into the fresh night air.

Daryl is sat on the top porch step, he turns his head a little to the side, just enough to see who it is out of the corner of his eye.

"Strugglin' to sleep?"

I don't answer, instead I step up behind him and with the help of my hands on his shoulders I somehow manage to kneel down behind him and wrap my arms around his shoulders. He dips his chin down and lets it rest against my forearm.

"Do you think those men were the same as the ones staying in that house yesterday?" The house was empty by the time we arrived but the signs of life were there. The most obvious and grossest sign was the fact that the people staying there had used a corner of the front room as a peeing spot. The smell was disgusting and the spot was still wet. We got out of there pretty damn quickly.

"No, that's what's worryin'. Two groups in two days after no one for over 6 months".

I rest my chin against his shoulder. I'm not sure if I should ask this question or not. When we left that house it started circling round my head but I was too nervous to ask, I'm not sure I even wanted anyone to answer it. I can't have been the only one to think of it.

I clear my throat quickly. "The people in the house, you don't think..."

"No." He doesn't even let me finish the question. "I'm sorry. It wasn't Glenn or the others.

Cue the disappointment. Knowing the simple answer was definitely worse than not knowing. I loosen my arms with the intent to move away but he latches onto my wrists.

"I really am sorry".

"You don't have anything to be sorry for".

"I know how much you really want to find them." He moves his hand down from my wrist and entwines his fingers with mine.

"Merle says we've been going round and round all winter because of the herds closing us in. I just find it hard to believe that we haven't run into them, or anyone really, all winter". Except for that group today obviously.

"It's a pretty big area despite Merle claimin' otherwise. There 'ave been signs of other people, other groups passin' through. We've just been lucky enough to avoid them".

"Apparently we're not lucky any more".

He makes a noise that's on the verge of being a chuckle but isn't. "Apparently not".

A breeze causes my blanket to waft. "I'm going to go back inside where it's at least a little warmer." I use his shoulders to help me stand back up. "And when I say I, I mean we".

He looks up at me with a look that says he's going to say no but with a sigh he nods. "Come on then".