Chapter 5-Merle returns

4 days later

Daryl's P.O.V

Daryl was woken up by someone kicking him. He opened his eyes and looked at Merle who stood above him. "Good morning, baby brother," Merle says.

"What time is it?" Daryl asks.

"6:30, you're up bright and early. Come look at my loot," Merle says as he walks out of the tent and Daryl follows him.

"Nice sled," Daryl says as he looks at the sled that Merle had made.

"I spend a day making that, brought back two deer's, and a dozen rabbit. We'll be feasting tonight," Merle says. Daryl nods. "I see there are two bowls, you waiting for me baby brother?"

Daryl looks at the bowls and then at Merle and shakes his head. "Nah, I've been eating dinner with Glenn," Daryl says softly after a moment.

"That Asian motherfucker?" Merle growls.

"He's Korean," Daryl says.

"Jesus Christ, Daryl. What did I tell you? These people don't give a shit about you," Merle growls. "It's only you and me."

"Maybe it ain't, they've—"

"Been nice, right? They're using you baby brother, they only want you because you can hunt, you don't matter to them, you're a piece of redneck trash, to them you're worth as much as a banana peel. It's me and you, Daryl. Like it's always been."

Daryl stares at him for a moment. "Yeah."

"Good, now get to skinning these things."

"Can I take three up, they got kids man," Daryl asks.

"I'll do it. Don't want you getting any closer to that Korean bastard or the nigger," Merle says as he starts to walk up the hill and Daryl watches him.

Glenn's P.O.V

Glenn was taking the fur off a rabbit by his tent when Merle walked up to him and threw the rabbits in front of him. Glenn looks at him. "You picked up so new tricks?"

"Your brother taught me," Glenn says.

"You should stay away from my brother you Asian bastard," Merle growls.

"I'm Korean," Glenn says as Merle lays his hand on his gun.

"You stay away from my brother. He doesn't need you and your friends fucking with him. Call this your warning. There won't be a second," Merle growls as he turns to leave.

"Your brother would be better off without you," Glenn says and Merle stops.

"What the fuck did you just say!" Merle asks in anger as he grabs Glenn and slams him up against the tree.

"Let him go, Merle," Shane says as he walks up to him. "Now, or you'll be on the road before the sun sets."

Merle looks at Shane, Travis, and Madison. He smiles as he lets Glenn go. "We are just having a friendly conversation officer," Merle says. "Have a good day, Glenn," Merle says before he turns around and walks away.

"You okay?" Shane asks.

"Yeah," Glenn says.

"I told you, they need to leave," Shane growls while looking at Travis.

"Merle is a problem. Not Daryl," Glenn says.

"They are both a problem. I'm getting rid of them," Shane growls.

"You kick them out and I'll leave," Glenn says making Shane stop. "If that is how this camp is going to be run. I don't want to stay here. You don't get to make the choices by yourself," Glenn says before he walks away.

Alicia's P.O.V

Alicia sat against the tree reading a book. She looks at Shane as he storms by her. "You okay?" Alicia asks him.

Shane stops and looks at her. "Just pissed off," Shane says. "How do you feel about Daryl and Merle?"

"Merle creeps me out. Daryl seems to have a better temper but I still don't trust him. We would see people like them in L.A selling drugs and fighting cops."

"Stay away from them Alicia. They aren't safe."

"I will," Alicia says and Shane nods as he walks away.

Andrea's P.O.V

Andrea walks into the R.V as Amy loads her rifle. "You going on watch?" Andrea asks her.

"No, Daryl and I are going to head back out to the field, I'm still getting the hang of this thing," Amy says.

"You're going out alone with Daryl?" Andrea asks her sister.

"Yeah we won't be far," Amy says as she looks at her sister. "Get that look off your face."

"What look?" Andrea asks.

"That look of disgust. Like he's going to throw me down and have his way with me," Amy says. "I'm not a kid anymore, Andrea. You don't have to take care of me."

"You shouldn't trust them, Amy," Andrea says.

"I don't trust them. I trust Daryl, I'll see you when we get back," Amy says before she grabs her rifle and leaves the R.V.

Daryl's P.O.V

Daryl sat on a log sharpening his knife. Merle sat beside him cutting a rabbit. Merle looks up at Amy as she walks down the hill. "Hi sweetheart, you looking for some company?" Merle asks as he steps in front of her.

"Not from you. Get out of my way," Amy says.

"Mmmm, you're feisty," Merle says with a smirk. "Alright little lady," Merle says as he steps aside.

"We're supposed to be leaving."

"Where you guys going?" Merle asks. "Have some fun in the woods?"

"Shut up," Amy tells the older Dixon brother who chuckles.

"We ain't going anywhere," Daryl says as he puts his knife away. "Find someone else."

"Why? What has changed between yesterday and today?" Amy asks.

"My baby brother used his head, the one on top of his head, ain't that right?" Merle asks Daryl who nods. "I'll be more than happy to teach you."

"Go to hell," Amy says to him before she looks at Daryl. "So that's it, just because you're brother is back, we don't matter anymore."

"You didn't matter in the first place, you just gave me something to do," Daryl growls. Amy scoffs.

"That's bullshit. You know before this, I thought maybe you were just broken. You didn't know what it was like to have friends because no one gave you a chance. Now I know I'm wrong, you're not broken, you're just a god damn coward and your brother's bitch,"

"You better watch your mouth," Merle says.

"Or what? You aren't going to do shit. You may be an asshole, Merle. But you aren't going to hit me," Amy says as she turns to the older Dixon brother. Merle stares at her for a moment before she turns and walks away.

"Damn, baby brother, you should have tapped that nice piece of ass," Merle says as he watches her. "Did you?"

"Shut up," Daryl says.

"Come on, Darlena give me some details," Merle says.

"Man, I said shut up!" Daryl growls at Merle who holds his hands up.

"Alright, no need to get your panties all bunched up," Merle says as Daryl grabs his crossbow. "Where are you going?"

"Hunting," Daryl says as he walks towards the woods.

Nick's P.O.V

Nick opened the door to the back of the car and started to look around. "What are you looking for?" Travis asks as he walks up to him.

"None of your business," Nick says.

"There is nothing in that car, Nick. Dale keeps all the medicine and he knows not to let you anywhere near it," Travis says.

"I wasn't looking for medicine," Nick says as he shuts the door.

"Really? What were you looking for then."

Nick stays silent as he stares at Travis. "Making sure we didn't miss anything," Nick says. "We got it all," Nick says as he walks past Travis who grabs his arm.

"We don't need this addict bullshit, Nick. You've been clean for a couple of weeks, I know it is hard, but you do not need this right now."

"Thanks, Dad," Nick says sarcastically. "I'll remember that. Why don't you be a parent to your actually son and leave me the hell alone," Nick says as he pulls his arm from Travis and walks away.

Shane's P.O.V

Shane sat inside the R.V looking at a map. "What are you looking at?" Lori asks as she walks into the R.V.

"Places we could go," Shane says.

"Why would we leave? We are safe here," Lori says.

"For how long though, we don't know how long it will take for the walkers to start and leave the city. We have many blind spots. Travis and I were talking about, I don't know if we are going to do it yet, but we are thinking about it," Shane tells her.

"Why would we even go?" Lori asks.

"I don't know, Lori."

"Maybe we talk to the group about this, see what they think," Lori offers.

"I'll talk to them tonigt," Shane says and Lori nods as she leaves.

Daryl's P.O.V

Daryl walks up to the tent with a string of squirrels. Daryl sets his crossbow down. "Hey, baby brother hold on a minute," Merle says making Daryl look at him. "I was an asshole earlier."

"You're always an asshole," Daryl says.

"Well I was an even bigger asshole. You don't need my permission to make some friends. These people ain't the worse so if you want to be friends with them. Be my quest."

"Really?" Daryl asks. "I thought it was just you and me?"

"It's a new world, baby brother. Maybe I was wrong, why don't you take that string of squirrels up to them, show them some good faith. Go be with your friends, the feisty blond and the Asian…Korean kid," Merle says with a wave of his hand. Daryl watches his brother before he grabs the squirrels and walks up the hill. He walks over to Amy as she hung close.

"Did you get your brother's permission before you came up here? Do you have a curfew?" Amy asks harshly.

"That's fair," Daryl says. "It's always been my brother and I. You and Glenn being nice to me. I'm not used to it and when he came back, I doubted myself and I was worried about what Merle would think."

"Why does that matter?" Amy asks. "Why does his opinion matter?"

"I don't know, it don't. If you want? Tomorrow, we can continue," Daryl says.

"Fine, but you're going to fish with me," Amy says and Daryl nods. "And have dinner with the group."

"Fine," Daryl says with a groan. Amy smiles as they walk towards the campfire.

"Are you joining us?" Shane asks Daryl who nods. "Get your brother, we gotta talk. All of us."

Daryl nods as he walks away. He walks down the hill and looks at Merle.

"What now?" Merle asks.

"Shane is calling a group meeting, asked me to get you."

Merle sighs as he stands up and follows his brother up the hill. Shane watches them until they stop. Daryl standing by Glenn and Merle standing in the background. "Travis and I have been talking, and we don't think it is a great idea to stay so close to the city with the amount of walkers in the city. We're going to move camp."

"Where? Where else is safe?" Andrea asks.

"I don't know," Shane says and Daryl looks at Merle. "We're open to ideas."

"Even if they're from me?" Merle asks making the group look at him.

"Yeah, even from you, Merle."

"I know a place, I had a friend, we'd get drunk, do things you don't want your children to do but he was also one crazy mother fucker. Lived about three hours from here. He had two cabins in the woods, a river nearby, he didn't leave his house unless he had too, he made a small wall, ain't going to stop the walkers, but if we reinforce it, it might. House will probably need cleaned up, but good hunting grounds, rural and lots of space."

"You sure it's still safe? Where is your friend?" Travis asks.

"Two days before shit went to hell, he got in a fight at a bar and got knocked into the bar and broke his neck, he's dead. Yeah, it's safe, he didn't have any friends but me and nobody is gonna find that."

"It doesn't sound too bad," Madison says.

"Daryl, you know where this is?" Travis asks Daryl who nods. "Alright, tomorrow, Daryl, Amy, Glenn, T-dog, and I will head there, if it's safe, I'll radio back and Shane and Merle will bring the rest of you."

"Alright," Merle says. "I'm leaving now," He says before he walks down the hills and the others begin to eat.

Thanks for reading. Yes the group is leaving the quarry, so next chapter Travis's group heads for the cabins, Shane tries to see what Merle is up too. As always suggestions, ideas, and feedback are welcomed. Until next time.