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final-girl96 · 9 months

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Broken World: Chapter Eighteen

"Oh, calm down, Dixon.” I pulled a shirt on and a pair of sweats. “There I'm fully clothed.” I pulled a pair of clean socks out of my duffle and sat on the couch. It's funny, I have a ton of underwear and socks but only have five shorts and three pairs of pants. My closet at my apartment is full of clothes, but I only grabbed a few things then practically shoved my whole sock and underwear drawer in my bag. I also only grabbed two regular bras and like five sports bras. Of course, at some point I will only end up with everything. “I'm going to check out that wreck room real quick, see if there are any good books.”

Daryl hummed and took a swig from the bottle in his hand. I stood up and started for the door. With my hand on the handle I paused. “Hey, Daryl?” I waited for a response, not turning around. I heard a grunt of acknowledgement. “I'm sorry.” I turned my head, making eye contact with him. A look of confusion washed over his face. He opened his mouth to say something but I walked out of the room before he could.

I walked down the hall, passing Lori, who had her head down and was walling fast. I caught sight of a couple tears running down her face when she lifted her head just a fraction. “Lori, are you alright?” I asked. She stopped in her tracks, straightened up, and whipped her cheeks. She had her back to me when she said, “yeah.” Turned around and gave me a weak smile. “It's just been a little overwhelming these past couple days with Rick coming back losing Jim and Amy, along with others. I'm grateful Jenner let us in here. We can be safe here.”

I noticed how she was a little shaky. Her hands and voice trembled and she looked distraught. I didn't say anything though and just nodded. “Yeah, hopefully this place is good.” I didn't want to say that we weren't going to be here long. That the clock in the great room was counting down. It was probably counting down to the end of this place. There was no way this building could keep going for long. It was designed to keep very dangerous diseases from getting out into the world. Disease that could be weaponized. They wouldn't let that happen even in an event like the one we're currently battling.

I said my good night's to Lori and headed to the wreck room. I was looking at the books when the door opened. “Lori?” I turned my head to see Shane standing by the door. “She went to bed,” I told him. He looked me up and down, leaned on the door and smirked. He was clearly very drunk and I was starting to wonder if he was the real reason behind Lori's tears. I wouldn't be afraid to bet he was, seeing as I started feeling very uneasy when he moved further into the room. I decided to ditch the books and just head back to the room. “Well, I'm going to bed,” I said, walking around the opposite side of the pool table from where Shane stood.

I didn't even make it to the door before he quickly moved to stand in front of me. “Wow. Wow. Hold on there. How about we get to know each other better.” I stepped back from him when he reached out his hand to touch me. “Yeah, I'd rather not. Now if you'll excuse me.” His hand caught my upper arm as I went to walk past him. “Come on now, don't be like that.” His grip tightened on my arm when I tried to pull away. “Let…go…of…me!” I yanked my arm free, stepped away from him moving closer to the door. “Don't ever put your hands on me or anyone else ever again. I won't hesitate to put you down.” When I got back to the room Daryl was passed out on the couch. I walked in quietly, locked the door behind me, and laid down, quickly falling asleep.

The next morning I woke up to an empty room. I groaned as I stretched my body out on the cot. I will admit that I haven't gotten a good night's sleep since this shit show happened. Staring up at the ceiling I sighed and rubbed my hands over my face then reluctantly sat up. I got dressed and headed to the dining area, where I found everyone else eating breakfast. T-dog handed me a plate with eggs, bacon and toast. I thanked him and sat down beside Glenn, who groaned and held his head In his hands. “I'm never drinking again,” he mumbled. I patted him on the back with a chuckle and took a bite of eggs. Five minutes later Rick walked in and Lori handed him a bottle of aspirin.

Shortly after that Shane walked in. I hadn't noticed last night but he had a scratch mark on his neck. Rick asked him about it and he gave the excuse of he must have done it in his sleep. He looked at Lori when he agreed with Rick that it wasn't like him to do that. This just confirmed what I had suspected last night; he was the cause of Lori's tears. Everyone ate their breakfast until Dale looked At Jenner and spoke. “Doctor, I don't mean to slam you with questions first thing…” he said. “But you will anyway.” Before Dale could ask anything Ansrea jumped in, “We didn't come here for the eggs.” He looked around at everyone, sighed, and told us to follow him.

We were led to the big room and the lights flickered on as we entered. “Give me playback of TS-19,” Jenner said, walking towards the large monitor in the wall. Vi, the virtual intelligence spoke up, “Playback of TS-19.” A few beeps sounded and the screen lit up. A scan of a person showed up on the screen and Jenner looked up at it. Everyone spread out and looked from him to the screen. “Few people ever got a chance to see this. Very few,” he said. “Is that a brain?” Carl asked in amazement. “An extraordinary one. Not that it matters in the end,” Jenner told him, mumbling the last part. “Take us in for E.I.V..”

Vi listened, saying, “Enhanced internal view.” Then she changed the screen. “What are those lights?” Lori asked. Jenner looked back at her for a second before giving his attention back to the screen. “It's a person's life... experiences, memories. It's everything. Somewhere in all that organic wiring, all those ripples of light, is you... the thing that makes you unique. And human.” Daryl scoffed, “You don't make sense ever.” I rolled my eyes and looked at him. “Those are synapses, electric impulses in the brain that carry all the messages. They determine everything a person says, does or thinks from the moment of birth to the moment of death,” Jenner continued.

“Death? That's what this is, a vigil?” Lori asked. “Yes. Or rather the playback of the vigil,” he clarified. “This person died? Who?” Andrea asked. Jenner looked at the monitor and was silent for a few seconds. “Test subject 19. Someone who was bitten and infected... And volunteered to have us record the process. Vi, scan forward to the first event.”

“Scanning to first event,” she said and a new image showed up. We watched as the lights slowly faded to black. “What is that?” I asked. “It invades the brain like meningitis. The adrenal glands hemorrhage, the brain goes into shutdown, then the major organs. Then death. Everything you ever were or ever will be... Gone,” he explained. “Is that what happened to Jim?” I heard Sophia ask Carol. “Yes.”

Andrea was looking at the screen and a few tears fell and Jenner looked at her with a little concern. “She lost somebody two days ago. Her sister,” Lori informed him. Jenner gave Andrea a soft look, “I lost somebody too. I know how devastating it is. Scan to the second event.”

“Scanning to second event,”Vi annoyed and switched to the sec9nded event. TS-19's brain lit up but not like before. “The resurrection times vary wildly. We had reports of it happening in as little as three minutes. The longest we heard of was eight hours. In the case of this patient, it was two hours, one minute... Seven seconds.” I looked fr9mt the screen to Jenner. He was talking like he knew this person. “It restarts the brain?” I asked.“No, just the brain stem. Basically, it gets them up and moving,” Jenner said. “But they're not alive?” Andrea asked.

“You tell me,” Jenner said, looking at her. She looked back at the screen, “It's nothing like before. Most of that brain is dark.” Jenner nodded and hummed. “Dark, lifeless, dead. The frontal lobe, the neocortex, the human part... That doesn't come back. The you part. Just a shell driven by mindless instinct.” Al of a sudden something went through the head of TS-19 “God. What was that?” Carol asked. “He shot his patient in the head. Didn't you?” Andrea asked.

Jenner didn't respond, instead he said, “Vi, power down the main screen and the workstations.” Vi shut the power down the main screen and workstations. “You have no idea what it is, do you?” Lori asked. “It could be microbial, viral, parasitic, - fungal,” he lis5ed pff. “Or the wrath of God?” Jacquie said. “There is that.”

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guardian-angel12 · 7 months

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Till Death

You said, "Drink from me, drink from me" When I was so thirsty Pour on a symphony Now I just can't get enough Put your wings on me, wings on me When I was so heavy Pour on a symphony When I'm low, low, low, low

Chapter Two

The brothers steps were near silent in the woods, no words exchanging between them but the occasional gesture and call that mimicked a bird or animal.

Elaina stuck close to Daryl, even when the two separated she stayed with him, doing whatever he ordered.

"Just right there," he whispered, his voice barely audible as he showed her where to lay the snare.

She carefully spread the rope, Daryl tying it tightly to a small tree across from them.

He was utterly silent as the two of them waited, backed up against a ditch a little bit away.

"You've done this a lot?" She asked quietly.

"Long before all this."

She watched him for a while, not once did he move his eyes to her, but kept them focused on the forest beyond, waiting on his trap to go off.

Finally, Daryl turned to her, blinking when he saw her hazel-green irises fixed on him. "What?" He barely pronounced the T, and she found she liked his drawled words. Elaina opened her mouth to ask him another question—thank him again, she didn't know, she just wanted to speak to him, but light footsteps sounded and both of them raised their weapons, Elaina having brought a large dagger.

Merle put his hands up, rifle in one hand and a smirk on his face. "Hope I didn't interrupt nothing..." he whispered, smirking at Daryl who rolled his eyes.

"Look," Elaina pointed, a large stag walking carefully through the forest, straight for the snare.

Merle nudged Daryl's shoulder, holding his rifle up, smarter to use the crossbow than the gun, and the snare might cause more attention than it was worth if they could kill it without.

"I got it," the younger murmered, he aimed with his bow held against the raised forest bed, one eye closed, then loosed the arrow. It whistled at it shot, and hit the buck right in the temple, making it collapse instantly.

Elaina raised her brow as Daryl stood, throwing his bow over his back. "Gotta hurry 'fore those ugly bastards smell it."

Merle walked over to help him, and when Elaina offered to help both men told her to simply watch for walkers.

+++

"Why the hell would you offer that woman to stay in the RV?" Andrea put her hands on her hips to ask Dale, standing just below the shade of the camper.

Dale gave her a look, rifle held against his shoulder. "Well, she's new and needs a place to sleep... The least we could do is offer her somewhere other than the dirt."

Andrea leaned in a little. "So you'd be comfortable allowing a stranger to sleep under the same roof as me and Amy?"

"She hasn't done anything wrong."

"Yet. You don't even know her."

"I didn't know you either when I met you and I never heard you protest me giving you a place to stay."

"Dale, her choice of companionship is the Dixons, does that really give off a good sense to you?"

"They've done nothing wrong to us either, besides the harsh word here and there. They keep the camp safe and food on the fire. Andrea, allies are what's needed now more than ever, and if we treat everyone new like an enemy how are we ever supposed to find the right people?"

"I don't like this."

"I'm not asking you to like it, I'm asking you to give her a chance. Like I gave you."

Andrea huffed, shaking her head slowly and looking away.

Dale looked across the camp at the people emerging from the woods, the brothers and Elaina, and a large deer in tow. "Looks like they came through again." He said to Andrea before walking off to them.

+++

The Dixons gave what was left over of their venison to the rest of the camp, between that and the fish caught in the stream by Shane, it was more than enough for everyone.

Merle had had a few sharp words when giving it away, something about how they shouldn't be the only ones to work for the food, but she felt like it was a mask to not show weakness, especially when Shane was trying to dictate the actions of the whole camp, the brothers would not appear helpless like most of the others.

As the sun started getting low she began to weigh her options, but felt the uncomfortable watch of most everyone in the camp on her.

"You know, the offer to stay in the RV?" Dale stood over where she sat on a log, giving her a small smile. "It still stands."

Elaina nodded. "Thank you."

She waited for him to leave before sighing, that seemed like the only option, but she wanted nothing to do with it if it would only be Andrea's glares and distrust the whole time.

"Hey," Daryl's thick voice suddenly caught her attention, "Come see this."

She stood and followed him, and came to find a makeshift tent pitched up right near his and Merle's. "Figured ya might like some kinda shelter tonight, I can move it to a more private area if ya like?" He looked to her with that half-squint he seemed to always do, cocking his head in her direction.

She didn't know what to say for a few moments, almost wanting to tell him she could take care of herself. "Daryl, I... Thank you. This is perfect."

He looked away. "Nah, just saw how they look at you. I get it."

She placed her hand on his arm gently. "I appreciate it."

He paused at her touch, then looked down at her hand, nodding once before walking into his tent without a word. She may have thought anything of it if that wasn't his normal behavior.

+++

The next morning clouds had rolled in, giving a slight relief from the harsh Georgia sun.

Elaina had offered to help Carol around the camp, quickly realizing the quiet woman was one of the only ones who didn't judge her much.

"You think you could check Sophia for me?" Carol asked gently, shoulders peaking inward as if she didn't expect a yes.

"Of course." Elaina nodded, setting down the clothes she was mending to walk off toward the area Sophia and Loris's son Carl were playing.

She rounded the RV and saw the two children hesitating near the edge of the camp, a drop in the ground outside the makeshift fence consisting of cans and bottles hanging from fishing line, a trap for walkers should they wander into the camp, that way they wouldn't go unnoticed.

"It went into the trees, Carl..." Sophia said. "I'll get Shane."

"I'll get it myself," Carl answered, readying himself to crawl under the wire and into the trees.

Elaina breathed in to tell him to stop when Merle approached the kids, making both of them stop short and look up at the man.

"The hell you kids think you're doing?" He asked them, barely any of the roughness in his tone like he took with most everyone else.

"Uh, we lost our ball, Mr. Dixon..." Carl stammered a little, clearly nervous that he would be reprimanded for being caught about to cross the barrier.

"Lost your ball," Merle looked into the woods, then back to the children, then with a small sigh stepped over the wire, walked into the brush and retrieved it for them, passing it into Carl's hands. "Don't you go running off into the trees, boy. Difference between brave and being stupid."

"Y—yes sir, thank you."

"Now I won't tell your mamas about this if you stay outta trouble. Now get."

They looked at each other and nodded. "We won't." Sophia mumbled, then they went on their way, Merle shook his head as he watched them go, then walked off to his and Daryl's area, he never saw Elaina, now smiling wryly, leaning against the RV.

She uncrossed her arms and went back to Carol, helping her hang the last of the clothes. "She's still with Carl?" Carol asked.

"Yeah, she's fine." Elaina answered, tossing the last pair of jeans over the line.

Carol smiled softly to herself, continuing about her work. Elaina felt comfortable around her, if a little sorry for the woman. She knew something was going on with her husband, but was too untrusted to ask, but she hoped they'd realize she had no harmful intentions over the next few weeks.

When she wasn't hunting, Elaina spent her spare time helping Carol and Jacqui with keeping the camp livable. Besides her, she felt fine with Dale, Lori and Glenn. She'd barely met some of the others but had stuck close to Daryl and Merle.

Daryl was quiet for the most part, he kept to himself. Although his temper was short-fused she never felt threatened or nervous around him, and knew they shared an understanding about life. She found that he would talk to her more if they were alone rather than around people, which she didn't mind.

Merle was rougher, that was for sure. Not afraid to voice his piece to the other campers even if they didn't listen. He generally said nothing to the women, and if he did he wasn't harsh with them like the men. He was the worst to Shane and T-Dog. Shane—Elaina thought—was understandable, especially with his self-righteous personality. But T had done nothing much to spark her distaste.

She knew both the brothers tried to act meaner than they were, especially with Daryl's unconscious protectiveness and Merle's soft spot for the children, one he'd shown the day he helped them with their toy.

"Was just about to go hunt." Daryl told her as she sat cleaning her knife outside her tent. "Wanna come?"

"Sure."

Merle said nothing to them as he walked by, tossing a few things into a small bag and loading his gun.

"Thought I was hunting today?" Daryl said, taking a step towards his brother.

"You are," the elder answered.

"Then what's the bullets for?"

"Headin' to Atlanta for a supply run, someone's gotta get it done."

"Then I'll go, too." Daryl instantly grabbed a leather vest from his tent, but Merle grabbed his arm.

"No, you won't. You're gonna stay here. City's infested."

"I can handle my own."

Merle smirked, giving a small nod to his younger sibling. "I said I've got it. Someone's gotta keep an eye on the lady, anyways." He jerked his head towards Elaina, she bristled slightly but couldn't disagree with his decision.

"He's probably right, you should stay." She told Daryl, then turned to Merle. "But are you sure it's safe?"

He scoffed. "Couple of creepers ain't gonna have shit on me. Be back before dark if all goes well," he clapped Daryl's shoulder. "See ya, little brother."

Daryl watched him go, joining a small group made up of just five others.

Elaina noticed his subtle nervousness and even frustration, a dark shadow in his eye as he watched his brother go.

Elaina stepped up next to him, but he quickly turned and treaded off into the forest, leaving her to catch up.

"Daryl?" She called to him softly as she stepped over the forest bed to make it to him. "Are you okay?"

"Hate it when he does that." He mumbled, watching his footing.

"Does what?" She pushed a branch up out of her face to walk past.

"Just up and leaves. Didn't even talk about it and wouldn't have. He would've just left. Again."

His last word was so quiet she barely heard it, but she chose not to ask. "I'm sure he would've." She offered. He scoffed. "Really, I believe that."

"Yeah..." he looked up into the trees, and she realized he probably didn't truly agree with her but was just done having the conversation.

She barely tried to speak to him throughout the day, just followed from a little ways behind, knowing he was irritated and needed space.

Maybe she'd ask Merle why his leaving bothered Daryl so much when they went back to camp, maybe she wouldn't. She just wanted to understand him.

+++

The crickets and other forest life surrounded them as they sat on either side of the tiny fire, concealed inside a ring of rocks and in a dug-out hole in the ground as not to attract walkers in the dark.

Daryl had caught a fish in the stream, Elaina building the fire as he cleaned it.

"Should find something worth while tomorrow," he said. "Then we'll head back to camp."

She didn't respond, just stared at the flames, knees up and her arms wrapped around them.

"What's wrong with you?" Daryl asked.

"Nothing..."

"Ain't got nothing better to do, might as well listen to ya talk," he tried again, trying to sound half-interested only for the sake of being 'bored', but his mannerisms gave away the fact that he really did care.

She put her chin on her arms over her knees, meeting his blue eyes—looking yellow in the firelight. "Just thinking about Atlanta. How the others just went in willingly."

"What about it?"

"I just... I never want to step foot there again, I don't know how anyone could."

"This about your family?"

"I was alone far before they died... they were never my family." She fidgeted with a twig she grabbed off the forest floor. "Not sure if you know what that's like, to be alone. But so alone where there's literally no one—no one alive, at least— it's... scary."

Daryl studied her for a few moments. "Well..." he leaned forward to shift the fire. "Y'ain't never going back to that shit-hole. I swear."

She smiled softly, "Maybe you're right."

"I am. I'll make sure of it."

She kept smiling, and he wanted to do it back, but then thought of all she'd said... "Get some sleep. Gonna get an early start tomorrow." He stood and threw a little bit of dirt on the fire, putting it half-way out.

+++

Elaina couldn't sleep much, no matter how hard she tried, thoughts raging in her mind too fast.

She rolled over and looked across at Daryl, sleeping on nothing but the dirt of the forest. She couldn't help but watch, seeing him peaceful instead of uptight and irritable... and maybe he was even a little sad, lonely.

The fire was pretty much done by now, only smoldering bits and embers left.

She heard shuffling in the forest that made her jump, quickly flattening herself against the ground.

The snarling of a walker got closer, and she loooked up slowly, seeing it was coming from the woods just behind Daryl.

She had only seconds to think before she was up and running across the ground, knife in hand, she grabbed its chest and stabbed it in the face just before it dropped to try and devour its prey.

Daryl woke with a start at the sound of a blade and had his own tight in his grip as he got into a crouch, eyes wide as he looked up at Elaina, panting softly, looking down at her kill. She turned her gaze to him slowly, shock and fear in her eyes.

Daryl stood quickly, glancing at the fallen walker and sheathing his knife, taking her arms in his hands to examine them. "Did it bite you?" His voice was ragged, real concern in it.

She shook her head slowly, dark blood running down her knife as Daryl took it from her and wiped it on a rag from his pocket, trying to focus against the way he could see her heart pounding through her shirt, now splattered with blood.

"Should've seen it..." he mumbled, "Could've had us both killed..."

"It's alright," her voice was hoarse. "I took care of it."

Daryl handed back her knife, his eyes flickering over her face. "Yeah... you did."

Elaina watched him retrieve his belongings, holding her arms with opposite hands as she stood there, the sun was barely showing, stars still twinkling above.

"Might as well get tracking now," Daryl said quietly. "No way I'm getting back to sleep. You good?"

His voice was so soft, sorry, maybe. "Yeah, I'm good..." she answered. He nodded and stared at her for a few more moments before walking off.

+++

Daryl had began tracking a deer just as the sun had came up, beginning miles of walking, thankfully back towards the direction of camp.

It was nearing midday when she heard his crossbow release behind her. She turned and saw he'd shot yet another squirrel, adding it to his line already full of kills.

He squatted down and checked the trail, standing to follow the deer prints once again.

Elaina put her hands in her pockets and followed him, he hadn't spoken since the incident with the walker, and she was starting to wonder how long she'd be ignored for—

"There," he said, as if to answer her silent question.

She looked to see him pointing at the deer a bit away, ears flicking as it scanned the ground for food.

Elaina got low with Daryl's hand wave, the archer then pulled out his weapon and aimed for the deer, ready to pull the trigger...

A blaring alarm went through the trees, a loud wailing that seemed to be moving. A car alarm?

The deer bolted, and Daryl still pulled the trigger, unsure of whether or not he hit it when it ran.

"I'm gonna kill whatever jackass is doin' this." He growled, referring to the alarm and standing quickly to follow the deer.

"How the hell is that even possible?" Elaina tried asking as she went after him.

Of course, he didn't bother to answer as they trekked through the woods.

There was splatters of blood in an uneven trail, definitely from their prey, but that also meant it wasn't hurt badly enough to stop running so soon and would only attract more walkers.

"Scuff that up with your boot." He pointed quickly to the blood in the leaves, kicking at some under his shoes as well.

Elaina scraped her boot across the dirt until it was gone, then ran back after him.

They finally emerged from the forest to find Shane and most of the men from camp, all pointing weapons in their direction.

They stood down when they realized it was only Daryl and Elaina, starting to back up. The deer they'd tracked was laying on the ground, ripped up by what could have only been the dead walker laying beside it.

Daryl scowled, "Son of a bitch, that's my deer."

Elaina felt him getting more agitated as he walked up to it, and noticed the other campers quickly backing up. "Look at it all gnawed on by this filthy, disease-bearing, motherless, proxy bastard!" he kicked the walker's body with each name he called it.

"Calm down, son, that's not helping." Dale said calmly.

Elaina closed her eyes in exhaustion when Daryl instantly snapped at him. "What do you know about it old man? You take that stupid hat and go back to 'On Golden Pond'."

"Daryl..." she finally spoke up, reaching to place her hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off but breathed in, turning back to the deer.

"Been tracking this deer for miles..." he said, starting to pull his arrows out of it. "Was gonna drag it back to camp, cook is up some venison."

"It's alright," Elaina offered. "We've got food still, it's fine."

He grunted and looked over the torn flesh of his prey, then looked at her. "What you think, we can cut around this chewed up part right here?"

She pursed her lips, shaking her head.

"I would not risk that." Shane answered instead.

"That's a damn shame..." Daryl sighed.

"We still have the squirrels?" Elaina reminded him.

"Yeah, that'll have to do." He answered.

The walker's head on the ground started snapping, Andrea and Amy both exclaimed in disgust.

"Come on," Daryl rolled his eyes, shooting an arrow into the head.

"It's gotta be the brain," Elaina looked around at them to say. "Or it won't die."

"Don't y'all know nothing?" Daryl said, retrieving his arrow and walking back to camp.

She noticed the new man amongst the others but said nothing, wanting to get away from the lingering glares of the campers. If Andrea and Glenn were here that meant the Atlanta group had came back probably yesterday evening, but she found it strange that if he'd come back with them, Merle didn't come looking for Daryl in the woods.

If.

She cursed herself for thinking that word, but regardless, her stomach churned softly at the thought, especially when he was nowhere to be seen as Daryl started to call for his older brother.

"Merle! Merle! Get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrel! Let's stew 'em up."

Still, she didn't see him come from their shared tent.

"Daryl, just slow up a bit." Shane said to him. "I need to talk to you."

Both Elaina and Daryl paused, and she felt his nervousness as he asked; "About what?"

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

"He dead?" Daryl had stopped moving, going straight for the question she knew the wrong answer would set him off in a way she didn't want to see.

"We're not sure." Was all the cop said.

Elaina shook her head. "The hell is that supposed to mean? You're 'not sure'?"

Daryl took a few steps closer to Shane, she could see his chest heave once. "He either is or he ain't!"

The new man approached Shane and Daryl, "No easy way to say this, so I'll just say it."

"Who are you?" Daryl asked instead of listen.

"Rick Grimes." He answered.

Daryl looked to his side, then back to the new man. "Rick Grimes, you got something you want to tell me?" He nearly snarled.

Rick remained calm. "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."

T-Dog came back into the camp with his arms full of firewood. By the look on his face, Elaina wondered what more happened.

Daryl started to pace, running a hand over his sweaty hair. "Hold on. Let me process this." His voice was rising in anger. "You're saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof and you left him there?!" He shouted the last part.

"Yeah." Rick said simply.

Daryl grunted as suddenly turned and threw the rope of squirrels at Rick.

Shane body slammed Daryl, knocking him to the ground.

"Hey, get off of him!" Elaina yelled, going at Shane, Dale grabbed her arms and held her back as T-Dog dropped the firewood and ran up. Elaina calmed a little, not wanting to be violent to the old man, but kept panting as she watched the men fight. Daryl tore himself from Shane's grip, pulling out his knife and going after Rick.

"Daryl!" Elaina yelled at him.

"Watch the knife!" T-Dog warned them.

Daryl swung the knife at Rick and missed wildly. Rick punched him in the gut while Shane grabbed him from behind and put him in a choke hold.

"Okay. Okay." Shane grunted.

"No!" Elaina struggled against Dale, "Let, me, go!" She grunted, getting out of his grip.

Rick took the knife away from Daryl as Shane forced him to the ground. Elaina went to shove Shane away but Rick stood in her path, she raised her hand to punch him, but he put his hand up. "Just calm down!" He said.

"You'd best let me go!" Daryl yelled.

Shane was panting as he answered. "Nah, I think it's better if I don't."

"Choke hold's illegal."

"You can file a complaint. Come on, man. We'll keep this up all day."

"Shane, get off of him!" Elaina yelled.

Rick kneeled down to be face to face with Daryl and looked him in the eye. "I'd like to have a calm discussion on this topic. Do you think we can manage that?" Daryl scowled at him so he enunciated, "Do you think we can manage that?"

Daryl finally nodded, angry as he had no choice than to comply. "Mmm. Yeah."

Shane let him go after that, the archer panting from the fight.

Rick put his hands on his hips. "What I did was not on a whim. Your brother does not work and play well with others."

T-Dog suddenly spoke up. "It's not Rick's fault. I had the key. I dropped it."

"You couldn't pick it up?" Elaina threw her hand out to say.

"Well, I dropped it in a drain." He seemed genuinely ashamed.

Elaina noticed Daryl choked up but quickly pulled himself together. "If it's supposed to make me feel better, it don't." He growled.

T-Dog nodded, "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 gotta count for something." Rick offered.

Daryl swiped tears out of his eyes. "Hell with all y'all!" He snarled. "Just tell me where he is so I can go get him!"

His voice wavered just a little, Elaina had never heard him like that... showing such vulnerability and fear. She knew him and Merle loved one another—no matter how big of jerks they were, they did. And now seeing Daryl actually cry at the thought maybe his big brother would not be there when he arrived, it made her heart hurt for him.

Lori suddenly stepped in from the sidelines. "He'll show you. Isn't that right?"

"I'm going back." Rick said.

Lori seemed angry, and went back into the camper, making Rick sigh. Elaina made a confused face, she'd thought Lori was with Shane...

Daryl stormed off to his tent, and she followed him. He grabbed another knife and checked his crossbow. "I'm sure he's okay, Daryl." She offered. "We'll just go get him, bring him back and it'll all be fine."

"We?" He looked up, "Ain't no we. Me. You're staying here."

"What? No, I'm going with you. You'll need my help."

"No. Atlanta's crawlin' with walkers just as it was before. I told you you ain't gonna have to go back and meant it. Besides, Merle told me to watch out for ya, I'm gonna. I need you to stay here."

She sighed, biting her lip and shoving the front of her shoe into the dirt. "You're gonna come back?"

"Promise."

"Bring him home."

He nodded, throwing his crossbow over his shoulder. "Just uh, stay away from Shane, look after things."

She nodded again and he walked away, joining Rick, T-Dog and Glenn to go back to the city.

She wished he would have let her go, but wondered what real memories returning to that place would force her to acknowledge.