MERLE DIXON WAS toxic. The very moment he had been born his purpose in life was simply to destroy everything he endeavoured to touch. It had been a long-accepted fate that Merle never once battled with. That had been until his life as he knew it had turned on its head. Being solely responsible of the overdose of his brother's girlfriend would certainly throw him head first into turmoil. Worthlessness was something Merle had been used to the entirety of his life. It was his biggest achievement to date. When Merle had first heard the word "failure" simply became his aesthetic; unapologetic through and through.

The appeal of Merle was his ability to live. When one has nothing to live for, it is simply recklessness that fuels one's willpower. Merle was notorious for his drug addiction; passion for sex and unholy thrive for alcohol and criminality. The forbidden Dixon. The Dixon's were the boogeymen of Atlanta, with only horror stories played out amongst friends, slowly tarnishing their reputations with each innocent whisper. They were the sole topic for hot gossip, instantly recognised upon evidence of their clan
— the biker jackets that separated them heavily from the rest of the town. They were always the foreigners. But never to Ellie.

YEARS AGO

The roaring of the music from a barely functioning jukebox filled the air surrounding Ellie as she drunkenly scampered through the raging house
party. It had been one of the most important parties of the century for the young adults of Atlanta, and Ellie was certain she wasn't going to miss it for any reason. Even if she hadn't really wanted to be there. In the midst of strangers that were closer to Luke's age than her own. Barely seventeen years old, Ellie clutched the tiniest of jackets around her arms to cover the chill that ran up her spine, upon having been abandoned by her closest and most selfish friend, Charlotte. Sheepishly, she brushed past the countless drunken teenagers, until finally she burst through a door, collapsing against it as she panted heavily.

"You're okay," she whispered to herself, attempting to calm the pain that raised in her chest, an all too familiar feeling.

"Can't nobody give me some fuckin' space?" a heavy accented growl caused Ellie stumble slightly from fear. The stranger turned to face the girl, and raised their eyebrows upon observing her fearful glance, and tiny clothes, "The fuck?"

"I-I'm sorry I'll go," she nervously replied, scrambling to open the door, causing the stranger to scoff at her clumsiness.

"You're here now, just sit down," he ordered, leaving Ellie to gulp, and freeze in her stance.

The blonde released a shaky breath, but proceeded to step forth towards the two deck chairs placed neatly together next to a small, glass table. A pungent ashtray sat by its lonesome on the table, occasionally being greeted by the man's cigarette in his hands when he flicked off the ashes into the bowl. He spotted Ellie's observations, and smirked slightly to himself. He proceeded to take a gargantuan gulp from his near empty bottle of whisky, and held it out, offering it to the teenager.

Ellie nervously gulped, before she outstretched her hand shakily, to take the bottle from his hands. He let out a slight snort, and took back the bottle before she could reach it, and stated, "I was kiddin', ya can't handle whiskey."

The blonde frowned, and clenched her jaw from disappointment at the stranger's behaviour. She suddenly lunged forward, snatching the bottle from his rough hands, and took the biggest swig she could muster, before spluttering slightly upon feeling the burn in the throat, but simply ignored it. She licked at her lips seductively, and passed the bottle back to him, remaining silent for effect. All he could do was stare with satisfaction. Ellie smirked as he connected his eyes with hers, until she trailed her eyes down to his arms, chest, observing the tattoo she had evidently seen before.

"Nice legs," he stated suddenly, smirking as he drank from whisky bottle once again. It wasn't that he was intending to be rude, it was that he couldn't stop his mouth from running. That was always his biggest issue.

Ellie cleared her throat as she attempted to pull down the denim fabric, to no avail. Charlotte had chosen the worst outfits for someone as habitually conserved as Ellie. He snorted at her action, before shaking his head at her innocence. She baffled him, and he enjoyed making her squirm.

"Excuse me?" she challenged, raising her eyebrow as she folded her arms across her chest, which only drew his attention to the shirt that had barely been covering her chest.

He clenched his jaw, and moved his eyes aside as he glanced down at the cars littering the driveway. He then stated, "I said you got nice legs, ain't nothin' dramatic."

"Didn't anybody teach you manners, Daryl Dixon?" she challenged once again, smirking seductively as his eyes widened from shock.

"You know who I am?" he inquired, although he attempted to remain as uninterested as he could, despite his eagerness to know.

"You're Daryl Dixon," she declared, her voice a mere squeak as the realisation of the situation caused a rapid blush to infiltrate her cheeks, "Everyone knows you, you're the Daryl Dixon. Brother of Merle, son of Will... Your uncle Jess comes to church on Sundays."

Daryl cleared his throat awkwardly at the mention of his father, and simply disconnected his eyes from hers. He stared down at the glass bottle, before announcing, "I didn't know people knew me."

Ellie sighed, fiddling awkwardly with her fingers on her lap, "I always wanted to be as free as you, Dixon."

"Ain't likin' your life as the pastor's daughter, Ellie Sommers?" he challenged, smirking at his own knowledge of her.

Ellie swallowed hard, nervously smiling at Daryl with a sheepish grin, "How could you know who I am?"

"Everyone knows you," he echoed Ellie's precious statement towards him, smirking in the process, "Pastor's daughter."

"I'm not a fucking pastor's daughter," Ellie gritted her teeth, turning her face to stare at the enlarged moon above, "It's bullshit, and he isn't my real dad."

"I know," he replied softly — softer than most of his previous replies. He merely cleared his throat, and stated, "But, you ain't seen real bullshit, girl, let me tell you."

"Really?" she raised her eyebrows, scoffing at his statement as she broadcasted a slight huff, "I'd recommend you better do your research before you come at me with that bullshit."

Daryl rolled her eyes at her comment, despite the internal flash of intrigue he simply couldn't suppress. He nodded at her as he huffed, "I'd give anythin' for a life like yours, you have no idea."

"I'd give anything for you to have it," Ellie replied, her tone smooth a certain gentleness that baffled Daryl. It wasn't often that someone had been kind to him, after all, the citizens of Atlanta were relentless with their bullying. "Life is what you make it. When we get out of this shithole, we don't look back."

Daryl's invariably small eyes widened with each word that rolled from her tongue, almost sending him to a trance as he nodded along. Nobody had encouraged him as eloquently as she had, and she didn't even know him. The words echoed loudly in his mind as he attempted to read between the lines, searching valiantly for the hidden meaning that would turn to his detriment. It was always his detriment.

"Ya don't even know me," Daryl muttered under his breath, appalled that Ellie could ever believe he was capable of leaving their town.

Ellie leaned forward drunkenly, and slammed her hand sternly onto the table, earning a slight chuckle from the redneck as she slurred, "I know you enough. You deserve to get out of this hell more than anyone else here. Don't forget that."

Daryl remained silent as he stared at the drunken girl's grin, how warm his insides had felt at seeing her express her emotion. He wasn't sure whether it was the alcohol, the atmosphere or simply biology, but nobody had ever attracted Daryl more than the drunk, sheepish blonde on the balcony.

After merely observing her every move, Daryl huffed before he inquired gruffly, "What's a bird like you doin' at a shit place like this? Ain't no place for you." His reference had been directed at the mindless idiots snorting all sorts of drugs that had been available to them, and yet, Ellie refused to partake.

Ellie sipped at the bottle as she giggled involuntarily, before she announced, "Charlotte is obsessed with your brother. She thinks it's cool that he's being a predator, I don't."

Daryl snorted as he lit another cigarette in his mouth, taking a deep drag before blowing out the smoke as he replied, "I've heard him get called many names, but predator is a first. You ain't wrong, neither."

"She thinks it's cool hanging out with an older guy, until she finds herself in trouble. She's not eighteen yet," Ellie scoffed, bitter than her friend would abandon her at a party for the eldest Dixon.

"You don't gotta be eighteen to have fun, let me tell you," he teased, earning a mere groan of disgust from Ellie as she attempted to conceal the blush that crept on her face. Daryl had noticed it anyway.

Ellie clenched her jaw as she broadcasted a sigh of relaxation, allowing the cool air to settle against her heating skin as she challenged, "Tell me who you really are, Daryl Dixon..."

The two instantly submerged into a deep conversation, allowing their minds to travel as broadly as they wanted as they night rolled by smoothly. Neither one had anticipated such a delightful evening, spawned entirely from chance. A random encounter, almost by premeditated design — destiny. Beneath the balcony, an eruption of roars and grunts distracted the duo from their conversations, instantly prompting them to lean over the railing. It had simply been fuel for the eruptions of laughter they found themselves in, like a haze of involuntary splendour.

Their conversation commenced on how much they despised the pupils at their high school, despite Daryl's evident age gap with the girl. No matter their age, their souls had intertwined in a way neither had known possible, as each word the other spoke encapsulated the other more, until there had been no other explanation than fate itself.

"I came here right after I told his sorry ass he can't hurt me no more. Socked him right in the nose when he came at me. I just left him there," Daryl admitted drunkenly, his words slurring ever so slightly as he found himself leaning over to his left involuntarily.

Ellie had been leaning far to her right as she sleepily blinked in Daryl's direction, batting her luscious lashes as she replied, "Good. He deserves it. There is no justifying his behaviour," her lips curled tightly into a grin as she leaned over to poke the man on his nose, despite his confused glance, "You wouldn't be talking to me if you were the slightest bit sober, would you, Daryl Dixon?"

"Probably not, Ellie Sommers," he whispered in response, a gentle smirk toying at the corners of his lips as they found themselves closer than either had anticipated.

The two stared intensely at one another as Ellie found herself lost in the captivities of his eyes, drawn in like the ocean inside his irises. Her plump lips dropped open as she attempted to speak, until decided against it as Daryl's eyes dropped to her lips involuntarily. He raised them back as Ellie released a shaky breath, prompting him to smirk at her nervousness.

"Do I make you nervous?" he teased as he inched closer, closing the gap between himself and the young woman.

Ellie gulped against the tension as her eyes remained solely on his lips, until she successfully squeaked out, "I–I guess so. I've never—"

The force of Daryl's lips against hers halted her response as she felt him grip her jaw, gently tugging her face closer as their kiss grew deeper. The instant their lips had met by collision an eruption of fireworks commenced deep within both of their stomachs, erupting vividly as they held each other close. Sparks flew overwhelmingly rapid around them as they felt their kiss grow more intense as she allowed Daryl to pull her into his lap, his hands cupping her thighs perfectly. It was almost as though they had fit together precisely — destiny.

Through pants of desire, Daryl mumbled awkwardly against her lips as he seductively ran his hands across her body, "Don't you have a boyfriend?"

"He's really not my type, anymore," Ellie simply responded as she pushed Daryl's hands into areas he hadn't dared explore yet, prompting him to chuckle slightly, forming vibrations against Ellie's chest.

Daryl cupped Ellie's body graciously as they rhythmically moved together, feeling nothing but heat and electricity erupting between them as they proceeded. As Ellie felt the intensity increasing, she found herself gripping at Daryl's arm as she attempted to drag him inside, prompting him to rapidly rise to his feet as they entered the hysteria of the party once again. Ellie felt Daryl's hand sitting proudly on her waist as he attempted to usher them through the madness, spotting an open bedroom door in the distance with a smirk on his lips. Ellie bit her lip seductively as he turned back to shoot her a hopeful nod through the thick haze of the party.

And as if destiny itself took control of the situation, Ellie felt her left arm being tugged dramatically at her side, yanking her entire body away from Daryl. She peered up to face an evidently distraught Charlotte as she sobbed, her makeup smeared unevenly across her once beautifully painted face. Ellie's saddened eyes glanced up at Daryl as she felt his disappointed eyes glaring back, saddened by the interruption of their encounter.

Ellie whispered soothing words to her friend as she ordered her to stay still, prompting Ellie to grab at Daryl's hand as he attempted to spin on his heels. She hungrily gripped at his sharp jawline, and plunged her lips against his as they found themselves submerged in their own world once again, simply allowing themselves to familiarise the way their lips feel against one another. They were both aware of the fleeting nature of their encounter, and yet, neither wanted to go. Ellie gradually slipped from Daryl's hands as he attempted to grip at her, not ready to let go of the girl who had awakened him from his sleepless coma.

"Maybe we'll meet each other again," she yelled out as she bit her lip, attempting to remain attractive in Daryl's eyes as she slipped further away through the crowd.

Despite Ellie not being in earshot, Daryl sighed as he muttered grumpily, "Maybe we will, Ellie Sommers."

NOW

Glancing up from the memory of their first ever encounter, Daryl found himself greeted by Ellie's scowl as she stood before him, her arms folded across her chest as his jaw merely clenched to withhold a faint sob from his throat. Seeing their bodies as close in the memory only pained him more in reality, knowing how once there was nothing that would stop Ellie from wanting just a little bit more of him. Almost like he was the drug Merle had prescribed her. She couldn't help but allow her lips to curl in a simple frown as his lips hung open to speak, but only silence did she hear. Ellie rolled her eyes at his ambivalence, and brushed harshly past his shoulder as she bumped it purposely as she exited to the courtyard, and approached Glenn who had been preoccupied with fixing a nearby door.

"You okay?" Daryl finally called out gently to Ellie as followed after her, despite her evident dislike for that.

Ellie swallowed hard as she halted in her pathway, not close enough to Glenn to be within earshot but far enough for her to feel irritated at Daryl following her. She spun on her heels to face him, and sighed, "I told you we needed space."

"I–I can give you damn space, Ellie, but I ain't no robot," he hissed, dropping his gaze to the ground as he referenced his feelings for Ellie. The realisation that she didn't feel the same suddenly overwhelmed Daryl, prompting him to shakily declare, "This can't be the end."

Ellie allowed her lips to curl loosely into a frown as she stepped closer to the man, searching deep within his eyes for his sincerity. She didn't have to look far to see the evident gleam of loneliness when Ellie wasn't around. She desperately wanted to reassure him that they would survive the thickness of their turmoil, but in reality, Ellie wasn't entirely sure if she wanted to fix anything that had been broken. Her heart remained too shattered for sudden movements.

"You seen Merle today?" Daryl inquired croakily, his voice breaking as he changed the subject for his own benefit.

Ellie bowed her head at the mention of his brother, still allowing his revelation to sink into the thick barricades of her skin. She breathed out, "No, Daryl."

Daryl swerved to face Glenn, shooting him a gentle nod as he approached to hold the door in place for him, "You seen Merle?" Glenn ignited his inquiry, simply continuing with his duty despite Daryl's pestering, "He say sorry for what he did yet? 'Cause he is." An uneasiness erupted in Daryl's chest as he had been ignored once again, resulting in him instantly releasing the door as he announced, "He's gonna make it right, I'm gonna make time. There's gotta be a way. There's just got to be a little forgiveness."

Glenn instantly released the tools from his hand and stormed directly into Daryl's face, connecting their eyes threateningly as he growled, "He tied me to a chair, beat me, and then threw a walker in the room. Maybe we can call it even, but he took Maggie to a man who terrorised her! I care more about her than I care about me."

Ellie approached the angered man, gently curling her fingers around his arm as he relaxed her touch, listening to her gentle voice speak, "The Governor is a sadistic maniac, Glenn. Merle fell in with the wrong crowd and did what he had to in order to survive. He saved my little sister. What you guys went through... I will kill him for every second you endured his pain, but everything that happened has led us here. We have to keep going."

"You don't get it, El. You don't know what it's like," Glenn spat back, his eyes twinkling with bitterness.

Ellie merely blinked several times as she allowed Glenn's words to wash over her, until a gentle croak escaped her throat in the form of, "None of us are fine here, you're naïve if you think so. Taking your anger out on Daryl isn't going to fix all she shit Merle did. Moving on alongside them will. Ball's in your court."

She hadn't allowed the man to respond to her as she instantly stormed in the direction of the dining area, where she knew the baby and Cods would be playing with Beth. All she wanted was to be around the innocent lives that reminded her to remain humane in her decisions. If she ever were to lose Coda, there was no doubt in her mind that she would slip into a darkness unlike any before.

"You didn't have to do that," Daryl called out to the blonde, stopping her dead in her tracks as she heard his voice echoing in the hallways.

Ellie released a sarcastic huff as she raised her eyebrows, allowing her arms to fold across her chest as she replied, "I did it for Coda, jackass," mimicking his choice of words from when Daryl had announced his reason for rejecting Carol.

"Ellie..." Daryl sighed, his eyes fluttering closed at her coldness once again. He instantly grabbed at her arm as she attempted to leave, gently tugging her closer as she sighed, "I need you to talk to me. Or anything. I-I can't keep this up. I miss ya. Fuck, ya know how hard this is for me."

Ellie tore her arm away from his grip, stumbling down the hallway and into the nearest room she could find, despite Daryl's persistence. They had entered the infirmary, startled at Merle as he called from a separate room. Daryl's eyes narrowed with suspicion as he entered first with Ellie following sheepishly behind him. They entered to observe Merle sitting drowsily at a workbench, his arm sprawled out with a band fastened around his forearm. He was looking for drugs. 

"Hey, little brother," Merle drowsily slurred, though his enthusiasm had been noted.

"The hell?" Daryl hissed as he glanced around the room, observing how disheveled it had appeared due to Merle searching.

"I was just looking for some crystal," his voice trailed off as he peeked up to meet both of their glares, prompting him to release a puff of air, "Yeah... I know. Shouldn't mess my life up when everything's going so sweet, right?"

"You talk to Rick yet?" Daryl asked, avoiding his brother's question as he dropped his gaze to his feet, ignoring his brother's arm.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm in," Merle replied, his words dragging out lengthily as he had felt his head swirling with bliss.

"Whatever he says goes," Daryl explained about Rick's leadership, aware of Merle's preference of a free-for-all.

"Do you even possess a pair of balls, little brother?" Merle's inquiry dripped thickly with sarcasm, "You used to call people like that sheep! What happened?"

"What happened? What happened was between you and Glenn and Maggie," Daryl spat to his older brother, his eyes squinted with disgust.

"I've done worse," Merle replied melancholically, painfully connecting his eyes with Ellie's after his prior revelation to the woman. "Your people look at me like I'm the devil."

Ellie scoffed loudly as she shook her head, entirely unable to fathom how he could possibly be so ignorant. She gritted viciously, "That's because to everyone you are the devil. Merle, you waited five whole years without telling anyone about my dad... You've done so many questionable things."

"Maybe I really am the devil."

Daryl sighed as he understood Merle's words to reference the event with Ellie's father passing away, and chose to simply shake his head as he muttered, "That wasn't on purpose. You're not the bad guy, the Governor is."

Merle could only sniffle as he broadcasted a soft chuckle to his brother, "I'm sorry to disappoint, baby brother."

"I just want my brother back," Daryl mumbled as he outstretched his hand to pat his brother's shoulder as Merle blinked repeatedly to rid his eyes of tears.

"Get outta here, man," Merle ordered hoarsely as he battled against his tears, attempting to conceal his face as his mind tortured him endlessly.

As Daryl left the cell, Ellie couldn't help but allow her eyes to connect with Merle's. They stood in silence together, unable to form any words of consolation to reassure the other. Too many things had been taken from the both of them to ever feel normal again. Despite the clenching of knots deep in her stomach, Ellie pushed forth, and gently planted a soft kiss on Merle's cheek, feeling his eyes flutter closed from her delicacy. She gently pushed her lips close to his ear, and proceeded to whisper.

"There are no Gods, nor kings. Only men," Ellie whispered, shaking her head as she allowed him to sink down into his chair. "We are all in this together, or not at all."

Merle didn't need to respond to her statement to value its truthfulness. There truly had been no Gods nor Kings. There would only ever be Man, fighting for what is right.

>>>

The afternoon whirled by quicker than anticipated, with many of the group members still working valiantly outside. Daryl stood rigidly in the guard tower, scanning the perimeter as he took watch, despite his active mind never granting him a moment of solace. He hadn't noticed Ellie as she had climbed to the top of the tower, her large eyes twinkling against the sunshine as she quietly approached him. Daryl's attention instantly fell upon her as she materialised, almost as though she had been a thought. She appeared too perfect to be real.

"I never thought you'd hurt me this way," Ellie declared suddenly, her eyes glued to the ground to avoid Daryl's heavy eye contact as he listened to her words, "You promised me. I can't forgive you, even when I really want to. I'm not saying it will be this way forever... I simply ask that you give me time and patience."

Daryl shuffled closer as he dreamed of feeling her skin against his once again, how his heart could not remember the rhythm to beat when hers wasn't there. He cleared his throat as he replied, "I am sorry. He's my brother, Ellie. What else was I supposed to do?"

"I know logically you did the right thing," she whispered, her eyes gently filling with tears at how complex their situation had been, "But you left with the intention of never coming back. Even when you knew you had a daughter. I need time to forgive you. I know I will."

"As long as I know you will, I can wait," Daryl whispered, his head sinking low at the image of Ellie being with anyone except him. His trembling hands suddenly curled into fists at the thought as he gritted, "Ain't nobody else allowed you. You got that?"

Ellie raised her eyebrow at his dominance, but simply could not help the smirk that toyed at the corners of her lips as she replied, "Jumping from your dick to another really isn't on my to-do list, Dixon."

The concept of his possessiveness still left a tinge of crimson on her cheeks. And a butterfly in her stomach.

His jaw clenched from embarrassment as he avoided her eye contact, his lips quietly uttering, "Good."

Daryl knew realistically that Ellie could never love anyone the way she had loved him, it had been far too profound to be for nothing. Yet, he couldn't help but shake the defeating feeling that somebody had been after her, and there was nothing he could do to prevent it.

>>>

"I can't find Merle or Michonne," Rick's tense voice explained through a panicky pant as he directed both Ellie and Daryl down into the infirmary, "You were both here last..."

Daryl kneeled down time the ground hesitantly, grabbing at a bloodied rag sprawled across the floor nearby, and dangled it in the air as he announced, "Yeah, he messed her up, right here."

Rick instantly proceeded in the direction of the exit, aiming for where the vehicles had been as he announced boldly, "I'm going after them."

Daryl grabbed his arm roughly, scoffing, "You can't track for shit."

"Then come with with me?" Rick inquired, his words laced with desperation as he pondered Merle's previous actions. Michonne was in imminent danger.

"Nah, I'll go. Ellie can come with me, she knows Merle more than y'all," Daryl muttered, attempting to shield the blush that crept onto his cheeks as he flashed her a nod.

"Let's get going."

>>>

Daryl's eyes had been latched to the ground as he tracked carefully, his eyes squinted as he focused on his difficult task. Ellie curiously observed him, every step he took — she observed how his body twisted and curved; how every muscle stretched; how focused he had been on the mere remnants of footprints of the ground that had been barely visible to the ordinary eye. This is what he was made for.

"I never understood how you did that so well," Ellie, finally, spoke quietly to Daryl.

"You gotta check for prints," Daryl stated, nodding down at the partially visible footprints in the soft earth beneath their feet.

"I can't really see them, pookie," Ellie mumbled, her eyes widening at her accidental use of his nickname. It was a habit, and Ellie was never known for ridding herself of her bad habits.

Daryl's heart skipped a beat, finally thumping hard against his chest as he pondered his reply. He sighed as he shrugged his shoulders, unsure of how to engage in small talk as freely as she did. He ultimately muttered, "It takes time."

"Good things come to those who wait," Ellie noted softly, avoiding Daryl's eye contact as she allowed a small smile to curl onto her lips.

Finally. The confirmation Daryl has anxiously been awaiting that, one day, Ellie would finally come home to him. Without her beside him, there would never be such thing as home. She was the good in all the bad; the beautiful through the ugly — the too broken to see the truth before her. Daryl would give his life for Ellie, a proven event numerous times over since they had found one another again.

"Not for Merle," Daryl huffed, shaking his head at his absent brother as he had evidently planned to harm Michonne.

Ellie sighed in response, "That's because Merle never fucking waits."

Daryl glanced over at Ellie slowly, the two gently allowing smiles to dance across their faces as they connected their eyes. Ellie bit her lip involuntarily, overwhelmed in the simplicity of the moment. That was the total appeal of their relationship — how entirely normal and simple it had been. It just worked. There hadn't been a need to complicate their partnership, a notion Ellie had once been proud to announce to strangers, such as Michonne.

The two casually slipped into whimsical conversation, allowing the time to pass them by as they embarked on their search for Merle. The beautiful irony had been in the moment, how Ellie and Daryl both wanted to hold one another once again, only for both to be too afraid to vocalise their desire. Such simple conversations could remind them of their love once again, almost unifying them entirely. The moment would prove to be the total antithesis of events to come.

Daryl squinted his eyes as in the distance he observed an ominous figure ahead. He quickened his pace rapidly, prompting Ellie to speed after him, ignoring the burning in her leg. The running never seemed to cease as Ellie felt her chest tightening, struggling to breathe as she battled against the fatigue in her body.

"Daryl," she breathed out, attempting to reach out to the man as she felt her body failing on the spot.

Daryl ignored the blonde as he identified the figure to be Michonne, pacing after her as he boomed, "Michonne!"

Ellie struggled to catch up to Daryl through her aching body, panting heavily as she called out, "Stop running! Fuck!"

"Where's my brother?" Daryl questioned Michonne once he halted before her, instantly catching Ellie in his arms as she practically collapsed into his arms, "You kill him?"

Michonne merely shook her head, her anxious eyes wide with caution as she stared at the duo, "He let me go."

"He's probably gone to the place we met him at, it's not far from here," Ellie noted, breathing out heavily as she felt her muscles relaxing from the break.

Daryl instantly gripped at Ellie's arm, yanking her along as he called out, "Let's go!"

>>>

Daryl immediately halted at the sight of dozens of walkers sprawled across the ground, littered around with bodiless and bloodied limbs. His eyes darted to every body on the ground, hoping he would not have to identify Merle's body amongst the dead on the ground. He couldn't be dead. That wasn't possible. He was Merle Dixon.

"What happened here?" Ellie whispered, her body trembling at the sight of massacre surrounding them.

"Somethin' nasty," Daryl mumbled as he spun on his heels, glancing around at the nothingness he had discovered. He halted suddenly as Ellie had approached him, her eyes wide with bewilderment.

Ellie gently stepped closer, closing the gap between the two as she whispered, "If you really want me back, then show me you mean it."

Daryl's eyes widened at her statement, stunned by how sudden her decision had been. He wanted to savour every moment they were to have together if their relationship where to be fixed. Daryl inched closer yet again, his breath quick and steady as he aimed directly to kiss the blonde, finally, after pining for the taste of her lips again. He froze. His body staggered backward, like someone had torn his entire life force from within him. Daryl released a struggled breath as he stared directly behind Ellie, his eyes lingering over the image of none other than Merle Dixon. Not only in the flesh, but jaw deep in flesh from a nearby human as he gnawed hungrily for meat through snarls. He was a walker.

"No..." Daryl whimpered as he felt the heart within him snap from his body, sinking deep down into the depths of his stomach, "Merle..."

Merle's greyed and paled face tilted sideways, his buttercup glazed eyes trailing over to his brother from the corpse he had been kneeling over. Rashers of flesh dripped generously from his chin as he snarled viciously, gradually standing to his feet with the aid of the bayonet attached to his stump. The world had really taken Merle, finally, after numerous close encounters over dozens of years. Merle Dixon was, finally, dead.
.
"Oh, my god..." Ellie sobbed loudly, dropping to her knees as she stared ahead at the walker of Merle approaching her rapidly.

Daryl's face crumpled into a tight frown as tears glazed over his crystalline eyes, allowing a loud sob to be broadcasted as he simply stared at the sight of his brother as a walker. Ellie didn't hesitate to lunge over to him, yanking him into a tight embrace as he sobbed into the warmth of her shoulder. Daryl's head shook repeatedly, as though it were possible to negotiate his status of being a walker, like the notion he could be dead at all was impossible. He was Merle Dixon.

Yet, even the strongest of humans will meet an expiration date; when their sweetness no longer satisfies the earth enough to remain alive. It's always the good people that seem to die first, like Earth simply wasn't worthy of such magnificent beings, they were to be claimed before they were to be tainted. Merle, however, had been tainted long before his expiration date.

Merle's body staggered eagerly in their direction as he snarled loudly, losing his balance sporadically. His arms outstretched and flailed as he attempted to grab at Daryl hungrily, prompting Daryl to simply
push him away as he sobbed. They repeated the same action as Merle attempted to bite at Daryl once again, until, finally, he shoved Merle with vigour. Merle's corpse plummeted to the ground, knocking its skull against a nearby rock, freezing it it in its spot. The instant Daryl had confirmed Merle's lifeless body had ceased to move, he sobbed loudly as he proceeded to walk away, leaving Ellie to stand alone in the grief.

Her eyes remained fastened on Daryl as his figure became smaller, simply enabling him to take the time he needed to digest the circumstance at hand. His brother, Merle Dixon himself, had died. If anyone had informed Daryl that Merle had been dead a year prior, he merely would have laughed in their face. Nothing can kill Merle, but Merle. His fate had ultimately been his own choice; his own bravery had led him out in a final crescendo of sacrifice.

The force of a brute knocked the air from Ellie's lungs as she plunged to the ground, her eyes wide with fear as she met Merle's corpse on top of her. She screamed as loud as her lungs would permit her to, attempting to usher the walker off her body as the bayonet begun to pierce her skin as the pressure intensified. Merle's strength combated against her own as she wriggled and flailed, attempting to flee his hold as her arms had been almost trapped under the entirety of his body weight.

"Oh, Merle," she whispered tearfully, though his forceful body pounded against hers as she attempted to flee. "Daryl!" Ellie screamed out, her voice reverberating around her. Even as a walker, Merle's strength was simply impeccable, and nowhere near bearable in Ellie's part, "Daryl!"

Intense burning ripples through Ellie's muscles as she fought endlessly against Merle's force, attempting to keep his chattering teeth as far from her bare skin as possible. The anger within her at Daryl's absence suddenly erupted a force within her, enabling her to suddenly jab at Merle's chest with her legs as she struggled to raise them. Finally, with as much force as she could muster, she kicked the walker down from her, plummeting to the floor as she instantly ushered her body away. Ellie's legs straddled Merle's corpse, pinning him to the ground as she shakily fumbled for her gun in her holster, her sweaty hands struggling to grip at the cool steel.

One shot. That's all it had taken to cease Merle's attempts to eat her, leaving his body to fall still underneath her as the life drained from within him. With her trembling hands, Ellie slowly outstretched her fingers to gently close his eyelids as hot tears trailed down her cheeks, not bothering to wipe them away as his death had been too agonising to acknowledge anything else. His death that she had been responsible for. Ellie staggered onto her feet, stumbling as she stared down at the man, her breaths ragged and uneven as she struggled to remain on her feet.

"Merle..." she whispered, her body vibrating intensely as she sobbed for the man she once knew. The crinkle of leaves under heavy boots alerted her, prompting her to spin on her heels as she shakily held her gun in the air. Daryl. "Where the hell were you?"

"Ellie..." Daryl muttered, his eyes widened with shock as he stared down at his deceased brother, who had been sporting a new bullet wound to the head, "what happened?"

Ellie gulped as she kept her eyes fastened to Daryl, despite his evident shock at the scene. She shakily replied, "He–he almost killed me. I called for you."

Daryl could not respond. Not without allowing himself to come undone before her, baring everything but his soul to her. He couldn't. Not even for Merle. He slowly outstretched his hand, and yanked Ellie to the warmth of his chest as he tucked his face into the confinements of her blonde locks. Daryl felt a certain comfort at the scent of her hair; or the warmth of her neck, or even in the way her hand slowly trailed up his back to form small circles. She was the embodiment of comfort.

There wasn't a single soul whose presence could melt his pain the way Ellie did. She slowly leaned up to whisper sweetly into his ear for the first time in what felt like an eternity, "I'm here, pookie."