The Outbreak: Day 57

Haley

"I bet you're a huge Creed fan." I say with a quiet giggle, glancing over to Daryl as I tie up my snare damn near perfectly - bringing on his rare grin. His eyes are darker in the shadows of the trees and trained on me as I await his answer.

I know he's thinking back to his shitty bedroom in Northern Georgia with mismatched furniture and a mattress on the floor…, and one single Creed poster pinned to the wall.

"Nah. Never heard of them." He assures me quietly as we move on to set another trap near the small stream. When we kneel down by the water his deep gravely voice fills my head and he's singing quietly - sounding very similar to Scott Stapp. "Hold me now. I'm six feet from the edge…" My eyes go wide as he turns to me. "…and I'm thinkin', maybe six feet…"

"…ain't so far down."

I finish the chorus with him and his laugh pierces something deep inside of my chest. "I knew it. You are too easy." I say and look down at my hands as I tie another slip knot and set up the trap.

"You're gettin' pretty good at that, Rabbit." Daryl mutters and then like the five year old he is he splashes some of the stream water towards me. I turn my head to shield my face from the spray of water and jump to my feet, grabbing the empty berry bucket and scooping up a significant amount of water - threatening to sling it on him. "You wouldn't." Daryl growl's with narrowed eyes but he can't hide his grin.

I answer by dousing him in the cool water - taking off back to the camp as fast as I possibly can. Daryl run's a hand over his drenched face and watches me go as I look back at him with my million dollar smile before disappearing from the woods.

X

"Is everything okay?" Lori asks me as I emerge from the tree line quickly, probably looking panicked that Daryl will come running and try to drown me in the quarry. "Y-yeah." I assure her with a soft laugh trying to catch my breath. After a moment Lori smiles and wanders off to do whatever it is she does during the day.

Laundry. Shane.

I don't see the archer for the rest of the day and my bucket is missing from the woods when I dare venture back in a few hours later to check my traps. Now I have to worry about zombies attacking and Daryl's revenge - except neither ever come and my bucket shows up at the campsite full of raspberries near dinner time.

Just before dark I venture down to the quarry to take my turn washing off, stopping in my tracks as I spot my sworn enemy for the day knelt close to the ground. He's washing his hands in the cold water and when he sees me the devilish grin on his face sends a thrill through my body. I raise my hands in defense as he stands up slowly, ready to pounce. "You shouldn't have come down here little rabbit." Daryl teases and I consider running back to the campsite but everyone's getting ready to turn in for the night and I don't want to cause them to panic - Shane may shoot me, plus what could Daryl possibly do? Splash me again?

"I'm not afraid of you." I assure him with my sweetest smile and make my way to the water, trying not to yelp as he lunges for me - wrapping his arms around my middle and jerking me towards the quarry. Fuck he's gonna throw me in! That water is to damn cold - he'll give me hypothermia!

Instead of trying to fight against him I cling to him, wrapping my body around his - tightening my legs around his waist as my hand slips into the back of his hair and I bury my face in the bend of his neck.

"If I'm going in you're coming with me." I whisper against his throat and his entire body goes stiff, a nearly inaudible sound vibrating in his chest as he relaxes his hold on me and a second later I'm on my feet with my fingers still in the back of his hair - our chests almost touching. His rough hand is half on my ass half under the hem of my shirt and when I look up at him with my curious gaze he steps back from me quickly. "You're lucky that water's so cold Rabbit." He mutters and grabs his things from the edge of the quarry - stalking off towards the tree line and leaving me standing alone at the water with a racing heart.

X

The Outbreak: Day 302

Haley

"My brother ain't dead, little doe. The shit he's been through over the years? He survived our daddy - ain't no half-dead biter gonna take him out."

I continue to stare down into our shared dinner, a lukewarm can of beef stew that we found on our run today. I don't think Daryl's dead…, I swear some part of my soul would feel it if he was but I have no idea where the hell him and the others could be. As soon as I woke up in the infirmity at Woodbury, months ago - Merle was asking me hundreds of questions and he hasn't stopped all winter. He's told me a lot about their life growing up but I've spent most of my free time trying to figure out how to cut his fucking tongue out - just to get a second of peace.

Merle is The Governor's right hand and he's in charge of scouting, scavenging - taking what we need to make Woodbury thrive and thankfully he took a liking to me and agreed to let me tag along with him - mostly because "we find them maybe they let me back in their good graces if I've got you with me."

So that's what we do. Scavenge for supplies and look for Daryl until curfew, then we go back behind the fortified walls. It's been over two hundred days since the farm burned down and so far there's been no sight of any of my friends. Beth has all but given up hope of ever finding them or them finding us - she doesn't leave the safety of Woodbury anymore.

I can't really blame her but I can't stop looking for him. I'll never fucking stop looking for him. I glance up to the skyline and see it's nearly dark. "We better get back before curfew." Why the second in command has a bed time is beyond me but I don't pretend to understand The Governor and his way of thinking. He's nice enough - gave us food and shelter without asking for anything in return but there's something really off about him and I'll be glad when I'm back with the others, whenever that may be.

Merle agrees and we gather our things, snuffing out our fire and turn back towards Woodbury. "Somebody's told Daryl you're dead." Merle says by means of conversation as we retrace our steps home. "Only reason we ain't found him. He thinks there ain't nothing to find."

I don't know if that bit of information is supposed to make me feel better but it doesn't, not really. Daryl wouldn't give up on me - he wouldn't rest until he found me or my zombified self roaming the woods. Or maybe I've got it all wrong and he never even looked back that night at the farm. A deep ache fills my chest at the thought and tears suddenly fill my eyes. Fuck. Merle's a tough son of a bitch and I don't want to cry in front of him. He'll stop letting me come along. "Come on, little doe. Ain't nothin' left to do but the cryin'. We'll find him."

Merle digs his elbow into my side, smiling at me as I nod. A sudden cough stops us both in our tracks and Merle pulls his gun, placing his finger to his lips as I glance around us. We're alone in the trees or so it seems until a woman stumbles out of the bushes a few feet away holding a knife as long as I am tall. My eyes go wide as Merle aims his pistol at her head.

"Wait. She's sick."

"Yeah no shit. We don't need sick in our community."

I narrow my eyes at him and go towards the woman, holding my hands up to show her I'm unarmed. "He's not going to shoot you. We can help, we've got a community a few miles away - medicine and food." My company eyes me suspiciously but she's in no shape to look a gift horse in the mouth. "You'll help me?"

"Yes, of course. Are you bit? Or infected?"

"No…, not bit. I think…, the flu maybe. Been wandering through these trees most of the winter, been sick for a few weeks now." She coughs for good measure. If she's telling the truth she's not infected with the zombie virus - that only takes hours from start to finish. "Do you mind if I take a look? Just to be sure?" The woman eyes me again but nods, sheathing her sword slowly as Merle lowers his gun. She holds her arms out for me and I take a quick look not finding any bites or tears in her clothes. She coughs again, covering her mouth and I touch her forehead, frowning.

"You're burning up." I say, as if she didn't know that and offer her my shoulder as we begin walking towards Woodbury with Merle as our guide.

X

The Outbreak: Day 316

Daryl

I stand alone on the watch tower of the prison waiting for the sun to lighten the sky enough for me to head out. This is the only place I can get some peace and quiet now that little ass-kicker is here. The only place I allow myself to think about Haley.

Rick kept his word once we found safety in those storage lockers. We went back to the farm at least ten times over the winter but there was nothing left of it - nothing to salvage from the fire and no sign of Haley or Beth. Eventually I realized Rick couldn't keep leaving his family to help me search for more ghosts in the woods so I focused all of my energy on keeping them safe and fed and now here we are held up in a prison.

Lori's gone, T-Dog. We keep losing people and it keeps chipping away at me. I still go out there every few days "looking for supplies" but I'm really looking for that doe eye'd girl I fell in love with at Hershel's farm. If she was out there - alive or… not, I'd of found her by now and that's what I sit and contemplate over every morning before anyone else wakes up.

Where the hell are you, Rabbit.

I've walked these woods a hundred times now and looked in every god damn barn I come across.

I run a hand over my face, stopping at my eyes and pinching the bridge of my nose trying to ease the dull ache that is embedded in my fucking skull. Merle's gone. Haley's gone. Some fucking tracker I am. I turn around and punch the side of the tower suddenly, cussing under my breath at the pain that radiates through my now bloodied hand.

A quick sharp whistle brings my attention down to the court yard where Glenn and Maggie are standing looking up at me and I nod, turning to head their way.

"We're headed to town. We found a phone book - gonna look for bullets and baby formula. Diapers."

That's one hell of a grocery list, I think but can only nod bringing my bottom lip between my teeth at the thought. Little ass kickers gonna need all the baby formula, bullets and diapers she can get. "Rick's talking about clearing another floor today. Making more room." I nod again. I wasn't ever much of a talker before the world went to shit but nowadays, it feels almost impossible.

"Alright. We won't be gone long." Glenn assures me and I open my mouth to tell them to be safe but nothing comes out so again, I nod and turn to the prison to find Rick and see what he's got planned for today. "Hey, Daryl?"

I glance back to Glenn and wait for him to continue. "Every time we go out there we keep an eye out for Beth…, and Haley." Just the sound of her name fills me with a deep sorrow and it must show on my face because Glenn's frown deepens. "Now that it's warming up outside I bet they come out of wherever they've been held up for the winter."

Just like a rabbit.

"Y-yeah. Alright." I mutter, the words barely audible as I turn again and head to the prison. Glenn stands in the court yard for another minute looking after me then follows Maggie to the van they're using today while I push the thoughts of never finding Haley deep into the pit of my soul.

X

Haley

"There's some weird shit going on here, Haley." Michonne whisper's to me as we walk together down the quiet street towards the festivities The Governor has put together for the community. I don't argue with her - this place has its qualms but so did the farm. Hershel kept his zombie family locked up in a barn and fed them chickens, after all.

People do weird shit all the time. Way before the world went to hell. Daryl had muttered when I asked him what he thought of all of it. As long as they ain't hurtin' nobody, just let 'em be.

Words to live by I guess.

There's always been talk of strange things happening in Woodbury behind closed doors, experiments on walkers and research to see if they can reverse the virus and bring people back from the dead. Merle told me to keep my head down and stop asking questions so that's what I do - all I care about is being able to get out from behind these walls and look for a dark haired archer everyday.

"I'm not going to fuck up my chances of finding my people by not minding my business." I mutter to Michonne as Beth comes into view. She is truly thriving here, I think as I watch her break away from a group of people and jog towards us. Her smile bright.

Is she? Is that…?

"Are you eating ice cream?" I ask her, raising my eyebrow in question as she smiles and nods taking a big lick of the creamy substance from her cone. What kind of wizard of Oz bullshit am I living in? Ice cream in the zombie apocalypse. That's the real weird shit going on. "Do you want some? They're churning it out by hand over that way. About to run out of ice though." Beth assures me and points in the general ice cream direction. A pang of grief washes over me.

I ain't never had ice cream before.

"No. I'm good." I assure her, if I ever find Daryl and the others that's the first place we're going. The idea of Carl having a big cone of ice cream with sprinkles brings back my smile as I glance over to Michonne who is studying the celebration area carefully. "On my way to get you this morning I stopped outside The Governor's place and I swear I saw him…, brushing a walkers hair."

My eyes go wide at the thought. That's the craziest shit I've heard in a long time and Merle Dixon is where most of my conversation comes from nowadays. "Are you feeling okay?" I say instead of accusing her of losing it and frown at my friend, watching Beth get dragged away by a boy her age. She smiles and waves but I can't seem to find mine again as I study Michonne. She's become a good friend to me over the past few weeks, someone I trust and care about but what she's suggesting is absurd. "I'm not crazy." She mutters with a roll of her dark eyes and then The Governor himself is standing before us.

Michonne looks up at him but doesn't smile. "Hello, Haley. Michonne." He says with a kind smile looking between us. "I hope you're enjoying the festivities." Michonne isn't going to acknowledge our fearless leader so I force a smile and assure him it's amazing and we are so grateful for his hospitality. The Governor never loses his smile - studying Michonne. "I thought once things have slowed down out here you and I could talk, in private, Michonne."

She finally looks at him but she still isn't smiling. "There are certain tasks that need done around here that I think you'd be perfect for." She remains silent making things super awkward between us all and then The Governor moves on to greet the community as a whole, wishing us well again.

"He seems alright to me." I say with a shrug, nodding to the crowd that's gathered around him now.

There's nothing weird going on in Woodbury just people surviving.

X

Definitely spoke too soon, I think as I sit wide eyed beside Merle at this gladiator type spectacle hosted by our leader. "What the hell is this?" I manage to whisper to big brother who seems to be enjoying what's going on before us. "A way to blow off steam."

I watch a walker lunge for one of his men.

"Blow off steam?"

"Everybody's got their own way of blowin' off steam, little doe. Look around - everybody's having a good time."

I glance around to the towns people who are all cheering and laughing, making a lot of unnecessary noise and I notice Michonne is nowhere to be seen. "This is barbaric." I continue to whisper - running my hands over my arms as Merle moves in closer to me. The warmth from his body helps me relax but barely. "It's all staged. They cut out the biters teeth." Merle assures me with a smile. That makes Michonne's theory about weird shit going on here sink in further.

I turn my attention back to the gladiator fights before me, wrapping my arms around myself as a deep feeling of unease settles into my bones. Across town at The Governor's home Michonne is putting her blade into his zombified daughter's brain and the governors screams are muffled by the spectacle's before us.

X

"Merle! Merle!"

I look up as one of Merle's men comes running into the arena waving his hands to get my company's attention.

"Um, Merle?"

"I see him. Some real bad shit's gone down here, little doe. I need you to stay with me, ya hear?"

Merle stands quickly and I stand with him. "Whatever happens you go along with it and you stay with me." I've never heard his voice so serious as I follow him silently down the bleachers and then through the deserted streets of Woodbury. "What's happened?" Merle demands as Tim guides us, his panicked eyes darting around looking for someone - for an attack. "Use your dick sucker boy and tell me what the fucks happened."

I watch as Merle positions himself in front of me as we round the building and stop at the front gate that's been breached. "That samurai bitch broke in The Governor's house - got her sword…, attacked him and killed his daughter." I reach out and touch Merle's back trying to keep him from storming off to find The Governor. "She took his eye. Took his family."

"Where is Michonne?" I manage to ask as he looks at me as if he's just now noticing I'm here. He doesn't answer at first until Merle asks and then tells us she got away with a bullet in her ass. "Phillip wants you to go after her. Kill her and bring him back her head."

My body tenses at his words. This has to be some kind of misunderstanding - Michonne wouldn't…, she wouldn't kill someone. She wouldn't kill a kid - she's not a monster. "Alright - she'll cover me - you stay here in case that crazy bitch comes back. I've got to get my piece."

"She's not authorized…."

"Do I look like I give a fuck? I said she's with me. Come on." I follow Merle - leaving Tim alone in the streets. "We can't…, we can't kill her Merle." I say as we bring to run. "We do what The Governor says to keep our people safe!" Merle yells back to me, storming inside our shared house and slamming the door behind us. "Merle… we can't. I can't."

Once he grabs his gun he turns to me, bending to look me in the eye. "Your samurai friends done rocked the damn boat, little doe. Someone here asks you? We're going to kill her. Someone try's to stop you? Shoot them." He hands me his gun and nods to the door.

"What about Beth?"

"You really think she's gonna go back out there with you?"

No. I don't.

"I can't leave her."

If we have to leave - if they find out we're helping Michonne I may never see her again. "I'll be quick. You go out first and I'll find you okay? Give me fifteen minutes." Merle is looking at me like I'm insane, huffing at the idea but finally nods realizing I'm not like the ones who left him behind on an Atlanta rooftop. "Fine. Fourteen minutes. I'm wait at the tree line but if your girl sees me coming for her alone she's gonna think I'm huntin' her."

"Fourteen minutes. Watch your back."

Merle smiles at me and grabs another pistol. "Easy there little doe. I'd never go after my brother's girl but you keep talkin' to me like you love me - me and Darlena's gonna have to fight for ya." I roll my eyes as he laughs and then we go our separate ways, him towards Michonne and me to Beth.

X

"Michonne? We're not going to hurt you." I try but my friend is a good hider and a good killer, she won't hesitate if she thinks we're here to harm her. Merle taps my shoulder with his stump and I turn around to watch him place his finger to his lips. That's when I hear it - the telltale snap of a twig under a heavy foot and then Michonne steps out of the trees with her katana pointed at us.

"If she was gonna kill us we'd already be dead." Merle assures me, keeping his eyes on the samurai. "Ain't that right sweetheart? You've stirred up a real shit show at Woodbury - I sure as hell ain't goin' back there anytime soon. They sent me for your head but I ain't got no plans of killin' ya so just lower your sword."

Michonne stands like a statue with her blade.

"Please, Michonne. We'll figure this out - find somewhere else to go." Finally she lets her arm down, grabbing her leg as a surge of pain fills her eyes. "They said you took a bullet with ya. Need to find someplace to get that looked at before infection sets in. I know The Governor and he won't sit by waitin' for long - we don't show back up soon and he'll send an army out lookin' for you."

I pull off my thin flannel shirt and begin ripping long strips of it for Michonne to bandage her wound for now. "Bullet's still in there." She mutters as I close the space between us and begin wrapping the material around her leg. "We'll find help or I'll take it out myself. I've watched a lot of T.V." I assure her and she actually laughs.

"You girls keep up. We're gonna have to put some distance between us and them." Merle says, searching our surroundings as I put my arm around Michonne and follow him deeper into the trees.

X

"We just hit the powdered formula jackpot."

"Oh, thank God."

"I also got beans, batteries, cocktail wieners, many mustards."

"It's a straight shot back. Probably make it home by dinner."

I watch Merle step around the corner of the building leaving me and an ailing Michonne in the safety of the trees.

"…and where is it y'all good people are calling home?" Merle asks the couple we've found scavenging the already looted store. I hold onto Michonne tighter because I feel like I'm going to pass out, that my eyes are deceiving me. I know those voices - those faces.

"Merle?!" Glenn asks as I make my way down from the trees as fast as I can having to nearly carry Michonne now - she's lost to much blood. "You that chinamen from Atlanta? The quarry?" Fucking racist redneck. "Merle!" I try but we're too far away. What if they leave or shoot him? Neither of those will help me find Daryl.

"The one that left me for dead on that roof top?!"

I watch Maggie lift her gun to aim at Merle. Shit. Please don't shoot him. I'm dealing with enough gunshot victims at the moment. "Merle!"

"Can you tell me, is my brother still alive?"

Michonne grunts as I stop jogging towards them, fear and panic washing over me as I hold my breath and wait for Glenn's answer. Please Daryl - don't be dead. I can't take it. I feel my insides tremble with grief at the thought.

"Yeah. He's alive - he's with us."

Tears sting my eyes as I begin moving again - forcing this information down into my stomach. I have to get to them before they run off and don't realize I'm with Merle. "You take us to him and I'll call it even on everything that happened up there in Atlanta, ya hear?"

"Us?" Glenn asks and then his eyes meet mine. "Haley?!" If it wasn't my soul purpose to keep Michonne on her feet I would have fell to my knees by now at the sight of Glenn. "Haley?!" Maggie yells and lowers her weapon, running to me. "Oh my god. Beth? Is Beth…?"

"She's okay. Merle found us in the woods after the farm…, he took us to his community. He kept us safe."

Merle is smiling like an asshole behind me, raising his hands in question as if they could think any less of him. "Where is she?" Maggie asks, choking back her sobs. "She wouldn't leave with me. I tried…." Michonne wraps her arm around my back and I'm not sure who's holding who up now.

"You left her?"

"I didn't have a choice. We can…, we can go back. We just have to get Michonne out of here." I say to them, looking desperately between my old friends and my new friends. "Rick won't want Merle knowing our location. He won't trust him."

"Aye, you heard her. I kept her safe - kept her fed! Not y'all sorry sacks of shit! I want to see my brother."

"I can't go without Merle." I say and I mean it. Beth and I would both be dead if it wasn't for him. "Hear that, chinaman? Let Daryl find out you left his little doe behind… he'll cut off your head."

"We can't leave them behind - Daryl would never forgive us." Maggie says with a sigh and I idly wonder if she forgives me for leaving Beth behind. She has to understand there wasn't enough time to try and convince her to come back out into the dangers of the wild with me, Merle and someone she barely knows. "Alright. Let's get back…, just close your eyes or something." Glenn demands to Merle who laughs as I help Michonne into the van.

X

Daryl

I reach into the rain basin and splash some water on my face, letting it drip down to my chin as I spot Glenn and Maggie heading back - a massive dust cloud rolling behind their van. Judith's got about a week's worth of milk and diapers left from our last outing…, not sure why they're barreling down the road.

I wipe my face with my shirt sleeve and nod to Carl who heads towards the gate to let them in, watching the van skid to a stop and then realize there's more than just Glenn and Maggie inside. I raise an eyebrow as Maggie rounds the van and helps a woman climb out - wrapping her arm around her as they begin moving towards the prison. I'm hidden from their line of sight where I'm standing and watch Maggie disappear into the prison yelling her father's name.

When I turn back to Glenn I watch Merle push himself from the van and look around with a loud, annoying whistle - waving his handless arm in the air as he takes it all in.

What the fuck? I wipe at my eyes again - stepping away from the basin and towards the mirage that is my brother. "Merle?" I yell and he looks up - meeting my gaze from across the yard, his sly grin widens and I head towards him - stopping in my tracks as he offers his only hand to the last new comer, pulling them to their feet from the vehicle. A girl with hair that shines auburn in the sunlight steps out of the van - turning to me quickly as her enchanted eyes lock with mine. I watch them, one green and one hazel widen in disbelief and I am frozen in place, unable to will my legs to go to her.

X

Haley

"What the hells wrong with him?" Merle mutters to my right as I watch Daryl stop in his tracks, every muscle in his body coiling tight to the point where I think he must be in physical pain. I push past Merle and round the van, trying not to run to him like some cringey romance movie. For all I know I'm just a stranger to him again.

Once I'm only a few feet away he comes alive, meeting me halfway and then I'm in his arms - enveloped in his tight embrace and barely breathing. A sob escapes me as he pulls away and places his hands on either side of my face - searching my eyes before pulling my back to his chest. I relax into his arms, letting the tension I've been harboring since the barn caught fire go and now I'm just sobbing uncontrollably as he sinks his fingers into my hair and holds me.

"Alright. I get it. I've just been your brother your whole damn life - kept ya alive when you was a cryin' ass little baby. Wiped your ass for ya and taught you how to hunt."

I hear Merle beside me and then Daryl wraps an arm around him, never letting me go with the other. "You didn't teach me shit." He assures Merle who shoves him away with a laugh and then both of his arms are around me again.

X