Next Day. Morning.

T-Dog looked at me "What are we going to tell Daryl?"

I grimaced „i completely forgot about him"

Dad asked confused "who is Daryl?"

Me "The little brother"

Dad parked behind Glenn's red car.

I climbed out of the truck and Carl ran into my arms.

Carl "You are back"

I smiled and kissed his head "and i'm not alone"

Dad got out of the car. Mom and Carl looked at him shocked and started to cry. They ran to Dad who hugged them close.I smiled at them.

Night.

We all were sitting around the fire. Dad had Mom by his side and Carl sat on his lap.

Dad was telling us the story how he escaped the hospital. I looked around and saw that Ed's fire was too big.

Me "Shane"

He looked at me and i nodded over to the fire.

Shane looked at our fire "Keeping our fires low so we can't be seen by distance, right?"

Ed "I said, it's cold"

I snarled "I'm not gonna get eaten alive just because you're feeling a little cold"

Ed snapped "like i care, bitch "

Me " you'll care once i punch your teeth out, asshole"

Shane got up and walked to Ed "sure you wanna have this conversation, Mate?"

I whispered to T-Dog "Daryl will rip your ass off if he finds out where Merle is"

T-Dog nodded unhappily, whispering "I know"

Me "Let me tell him"

T-Dog raised an eyebrow "are you sure?"

I nodded.

Dale "What are we going to tell Daryl?"

I looked at him.

Dale shook hi head „he won't be fine if we tell him his brother was left behind"

Me „I'll tell him i chained Merle on a pipe and lost the key. And I'll also tell him that his brother was a dick"

Glenn "I don't wanna sound like a racist but i think it'll be better if he hears it from a white guy"

I fake cleared my throat.

Glenn added "or a white girl"

Amy shrugged "We could lie"

Andrea argued "or tell the truth"

Me "I did what was necessary."

Dale looked at me "and you wanna tell him that? You think he'll happy with that answer?"

I shook my head "he doesn't have to be happy, he just needs to accept the fucking truth"

T-Dog "I locked the door to the roof. No walker can get to him"

Dale sighed and looked into the fire "Let's hope that"

Next day.

I woke up and saw Carl still asleep next to me. I got up and walked out of the tent. I took my knives put them on my belt.

Then I made my way to the woods.

I had to find Daryl before he noticed that Merle didn't come back with us.

A dead deer was on the ground. Three of Daryl's arrows were in it and a walker on it's throat.

I yelled "Guys!"

They all came to me. The walker noticed me and groaned at me. I took my knife and rammed it through its eye.

Dale looked at it "They never came so far up here"

Jim "There is no food more in town. That's why"

Me "Well, that's both good and bad"

Jim looked at me confused.

I explained "They're gonna leave the city but they're coming closer to us"

Daryl showed up.

Shane "Oh, Jesus"

Daryl yelled "son of a bitch! That's my deer!"

He started to kick the walker.

I rolled my eyes „It's already dead"

Dale shook his head "That's not helping, son"

Daryl snapped "What do you know about it, old man?. I've been tracking this deer for miles"

I started to pull his arrows out of the deer.

He helped me "You think we could cut around the wound?"

Shane shook his head "Wouldn't risk it"

Daryl "It's a shame"

Then he walked back to camp.

We followed him.

Me "3.2.1. and...."

Daryl yelled "Merle! Merle! bring your ass out here"

I pursed my lips.

They all looked at me.

I took a deep breath "here we go"

Then I walked to Daryl "Dixon!"

Daryl turned to me "What? "

Then he looked around, yelling "Merle!"

Me "It's Merle"

He froze before looking at me "he dead?"

Everyone was silent, watching us.

I shook my head "I don't know"

Daryl snapped "he either is or he ain't!"

Me "It was my fault, okay?""

Daryl came closer "Got something to tell me, Kendall?"

Me "You brother is a disrespectful dick. He went too far and i simply snapped. "

Daryl "what did ya do?"

Me "handcuffed him on a rooftop"

Daryl clenched his jaw "Let me process this: You handcuffed my brother to a-"

I nodded "It was either that or use him as bait to distract the walkers. If i had my way i would've thrown him off the roof and down to the walkers"

Daryl took a dangerous step closer to me.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

Dad stepped between him and me.

Daryl eyed him, confused "and who are you?"

Dad "Her father"

I whispered "Dad, I've got this"

Dad ignored me "Calm down, man"

Daryl shook his head, growling "You ain't telling me what to do"

He pushed Dad to the ground.

Me "Daryl!"

Shane pushed him off my dad.

Daryl stood up and aimed a knife at us.

Shane "Watch the knife"

Daryl came at Dad but Shane held him back. Dad pushed the knife out of Daryl's hand.

It fell to my feet. I picked it up and shoved It into my belt.

Shane held Daryl on the ground.

Dad "I just wanna have a calm conversation about that. Think we can manage that?"

Shane let go of Daryl.

I walked to him "I did what nobody had the balls to do!. He was a danger to all of us. "

T-Dog shook his head "It's not Ken's fault"

I sighed, shaking my head "T-"

He looked at me, nodding "it's okay, Ken."

Then he looked at Daryl " She gave me the key and i dropped it"

Daryl snapped irritated "Couldn't pick it up?"

T "I - I dropped it down a drain"

Daryl got up "If you tell me this to make me feel better, it ain't working"

T "maybe this will. I locked the door to the roof so the geeks can't get to him"

Daryl was beyond pissed off.

He looked around and then walked away, yelling "Hell with ya'll! Just tell me where he is. So i can go get him."

Dad nodded "I'm going back"

I nodded "So am i "

Mom looked at us shocked before climbing into the RV.

she didn't like the idea at all.

-----

I walked to the guys.

They all were standing in a circle.

Shane "You gonna risk our lives for a dick like Merle Dixon?"

Daryl eyed him "Choose your words carefully"

Dad shook his head "I can't let a man die.....i can't"

Me "which is why i am going too"

Dad and Shane shook their heads "no!"

I scoffed, nodding "ähm, yes. I have to. I was the one who chained him to that pipe in the first place. It's my fault if anything happens to him"

Daryl nodded "Damn right, princess"

I shot him a glare.

Mom crossed her arms over her chest "So you, Ken and Daryl ? That's your big plan?"

Dad looked at Glenn.

Glenn groaned, annoyed "oh come on"

Dad "You know the way. You've been there before. 'In and out no problem' you said it yourself. It's not fair enough to ask..i know that. And i would fell a lot better with you along. I know that she would too"

He nodded at Mom.

Shane breathed out "that's just great. No you are going to risk 4 men, ha?"

T corrected him "Five"

Daryl scoffed "my day just gets better and better"

T "You should be lucky that we are going to safe your brother's ass"

Daryl "Why you?"

T-Dog shook his head "You wouldn't understand. You don't speak my language"

Dad "That's five"

Shane shook his head "Not just five. You are putting our lif-"

Me "Shane. I know that it's risky but the Human population is going to crap and we need every guy that's out there. Even if it's Merle – even If I would prefer i'd rather spend my time with a walker than with Merle "

Daryl growled.

I raised an eyebrow at him "are you a dog now or the hell are you growling at me for?"

Daryl went to say something but Shane cut him off.

Shane "Ken, you saw that walker."

I looked at him.

Shane " It was in the camp. They come out of the city. They come back. We need everyone we've got. We need to protect this camp"

Dad "You need more guns"

Glenn nodded "Right. Guns"

Shane asked confused "Wait. What guns?"

Dad "Six shotguns, two hot power guns and over a dozen handguns. I cleaned out the storage bevor i left. I dropped the bag in Atlanta when i they came. It's just sitting there on the street waiting for us."

Shane "Amo?"

Dad nodded "700 bullets or more"

Lori "You went through hell to find us. And now you wanna leave?"

Carl walked to us "Dad, i don't want you and Keni to go"

Lori "To hell with those guns. Shane's right. Merle Dixon?. He is not worth one of our lifes including guns."

Dad walked to Mom.

Carl walked to me and hugged me "Don't go"

Me "You know i'll always come back, okay?"

Carl "Promise"

i nodded "I promise"

Dad walked to Carl and kneeled down to him "I'll come back, okay?"

Daryl was in the van "Come on! Let's Go!"

I got in the van and sat down.

Daryl "My brother better be alive, princess"

Me "i hope not"

Daryl closed the van door and Glenn drove off.

----

Glenn parked outside the city.

Daryl opened the gate and jumped out.

We all jumped out and ran down the street.

Glenn opened a fence and we climbed through.

Dad "First Merle or Guns?"

Daryl "Merle, we ain't even having this conversation"

Dad nodded "Yes we do. Glenn, it's your call"

Glenn "Merle is closest. The guns on our way back"

We ran to the building, checked everywhere and then we walked up the stairs. Dad cut the chain open and Daryl stormed to the roof.

Daryl yelled "Merle! Merle! Merle!"

We looked for him but he wasn't here.

Daryl started to scream around "no! no! no!"

I looked around and saw a hand laying there.

My jaw dropped "Oh hell no!"