I know, it's been a long, long time. Sorry. Life happens. Please remember the ratings system. This story is rated MA for mature audiences only. If you're not at least 18, you should not be here.

Chapter 15.

Aliya half-tripped trying to pick up her feet and look back to see if T-Dog was ok. He was about ten yards behind them now and had started to run as well. She started to sprint as hard as she could, jumping over trash and debris behind the store and in the overgrown grassy area between the store and the tree line. She ran into the woods and kept going, shoving branches and limbs out of her path, looking for someplace, anyplace which would serve as a hiding place for the three of them. She could hear Daryl right on her heels and T-Dog a little behind them. She could also hear the crashing and cracking of greenery and sticks as a couple of the walkers followed after them.

Aliya ran for what seemed like hours, deeper into the thicket until she saw a big oak tree, half fallen, and ducked behind it to catch her breath. Her hands were scratched and bleeding in a few places from tree branches and sticker bushes and she was panting, her lungs on fire. She heard someone moving behind her and stuck out her head to see Daryl about forty feet from her. She made a hissing sound through clenched teeth and caught his attention, motioning for him to come to her.

Daryl slumped down, panting, and pulled her down with him.

"Where's Dog?" she asked. Daryl drew in a deep breath and tried to speak but the noise behind them stopped him.

"Get these fuckers off my ass!" T-Dog yelled as he ran by, two moaning walkers trailing closely, ratty clothing and limbs flopping clumsily. They were followed by a couple more a bit further behind.

"Go left!" Daryl screamed as he stood up, aiming his crossbow and one of the two walkers closest to T-Dog. The large bald man zigzagged to the left quickly, opening up a space between he and the walkers so there would be less chance Daryl's bolt would hit him accidentally. Daryl fired and the walker dropped, the bolt sticking out of the back of it's skull by about three inches. He reloaded and turned quickly to the second walker and dropped it with a bolt through the temple as it turned towards T-Dog.

Aliya picked up a thick branch beside her and stood up, quickly moving away from Daryl to draw the attention of the other two who were lagging behind.

"Hey, Dead Guys. Over here!" she called. The two slowed and turned towards her, their arms out. "Come and get it." she said, baiting them, shaking the branch and walking backwards quickly. The first one reached her as she swung the branch upwards, the end clipping him in the jaw and knocking him sideways. He lurched but didn't fall. When she brought the branch against his neck, he tumbled forward and she moved closer, striking his head with the end of the branch until the skull caved in from the force and the number of blows she had inflicted.

"Move!" Aliya heard T-Dog scream just as she looked up from the oozing, putrid mass in front of her. The second walker, a woman in a bloody yellow and white velour jogging suit, was almost on top of her now. Aliya ducked down as the walker reached her. She made herself into a tiny ball at the walker's feet and pushed into the lower legs of the walker, throwing it off kilter. The walker's forward momentum carried it over, tumbling past Aliya as decayed, bony hands grasped and clawed trying to stop the fall. The walker let out an unearthly screech as it rolled . Aliya reached for the huge stick and bobbed up, turning to the now-prone body on the ground in front of her, its arms and hands still waving and grasping. She brought the stick down hard on the walker's face over and over until the eye socket shattered, along with the rest of the scull, and it stopped moving. Aliya struck the skull a couple more times to make sure and then turned around quickly towards the two men.

"Son of a bitch." she said, tossing the branch and breathing heavily. Daryl looked at her with his eyebrows raised.

"What?" she said quietly.

Daryl just shook his head slowly. Aliya shrugged and turned to T-Dog, who by this time was at her side. "You ok?"

"I'm ok. Are you?" he said.

"What the hell, you two? Jesus. I club two walkers and you're looking at me like I'm Hannibal Lecter."

"Naw, ain't that." T-Dog said.

"Then what is it?"

"He ain't used ta' seein' ya with that look on 'yer face." Daryl frowned.

"What look?" Aliya was getting frustrated.

"You just looked...really...angry." T-Dog said.

"I AM really angry. I'm tired of dead people trying to eat us!" she said, a bit of an uncharacteristic whine to her voice. "Now lets go home. Please? Can we just... go... back... home?"

T-Dog took a couple steps toward her and put his arm around Aliya's shoulder. "Let's get you home. Nice bath. Hot meal. Couple drinks. Make you feel all better."

"'k." she said quietly. "But I want those drinks while I'm in that bath." she looked over her shoulder at Daryl and raised an eyebrow.

XXXXX

Merle looked around at his new surroundings. He had locked the doors and flopped down on the couch without even looking to see what was where before he delved into his stash and numbed himself into oblivion with some of his beloved Oxycontin. He threw a handful in his mouth and bit down with his back teeth, crunching the bitter white tablets and swallowing as best he could. He looked at the boxes of supplies that Shane and Rick had put on the floor next to the front door. They were sitting on top of two cases of bottled water.

Merle stood, shakily, and walked to the front door, ripping at the plastic-wrapped cases with disgust, cursing and muttering under his breath, his mouth dry with the tiny, rocky remnants of the pills. He freed one bottle, jerking it almost out of his own hand, his good hand, as he called it, and put it under his other arm, twisting off the cap roughly and downing half the bottle in he first gulp. "Bleeeeehhhw" he shook his head, sticking his tongue out. "Grade fucking-A stuff!" he roared and moved back to the couch, sprawling out on his back with the bottle of water still in his hand, splashing the front of his shirt. He laid there for a long while until the Oxy began to lead him down, the edges of his field of vision getting darker, his eyelids heavier.

"Mmmm. Now that's what I like." he murmured. "Everything's good. Damn skippy, everything's five-by-five." he sighed. "Tha's right. Every-thin's cooo-paaaa-setiiiiiic, I'll tell you whaaaat. Hoo boy, coooo-pa-ssss..." Merle was out cold, the water bottle finally sliding over and spilling, soaking his shirt and the couch where he lay.

XXXXX

The Hyundai rolled up and parked, the three weary travelers hobbling out, stretching their legs and looking around at the quiet house before them. Rick and Shane came out first, exchanging glances as T-Dog lifted the hatchback and grinned widely. "We hit the mother-load." he said. He looked at the lack of enthusiasm on Rick's face and turned his head slightly. "Something went down." He said quietly, within earshot of Rick, who was now walking towards the vehicle. "Some shit went down while we were gone, din' it?"

"Yeah. We have a problem." Rick said in a low voice.

Daryl rounded the s.u.v. as Shane stepped up next to Rick. "What's tha' prob'lem?" he said, running his hand over his chin. "Walkers?"

"No." Shane said loudly. "Your God damn druggie br-" Rick cut him off with a raised hand before he could say more.

"I think we should get this stuff unloaded and inside before we get into that." Rick said, frowning at Shane. "This is neither the time nor the place."

"Merle?" Aliya had walked up next to Daryl unnoticed.

"Yes. We can talk about it in a bit." Rick insisted. "Let's get all this unloaded and inventoried and get some hot food into you all. You look like hell."

"Had a lil' run in with some walkers, but we're ok." T-Dog grinned. "I could sure use a hot cup of coffee!"

Daryl and Aliya exchanged worried glances and began helping the other three men unload the back of the Hyundai. When they were through, they remained in the kitchen. Carol walked up to Aliya and gave her an awkward hug. "I'm so glad you're all ok." she sighed. "I was so worried."

"We're fine. It was fairly uneventful. I think we scored pretty well." Aliya said. She looked Carol in the face, but the short-haired woman went out of her way to avoid eye contact. She looked at a dour-faced Andrea, who was now standing in the doorway.

"Do they know?" the blonde said.

"Not yet." Rick said. "Thought I'd let them get in the house and get something to eat and drink before we hit them with it."

"Christ, people! The fuck did Merle do now?" Daryl said, slamming his bottle of beer on the table with a splash.

"Daryl, you have to be cool about this. We can't have you flying off the handle and losing control." Rick warned. "I want everyone to be rational about this."

"Fuck that shit!" Daryl said loudly. "What tha' hell's goin' on?"

Dale folded his hands together on the table and cleared his throat. "Daryl, Aliya, this is very difficult. It seems that...it seems that Merle hurt Bridgette. Badly." Dale said quietly. "Rick and Shane thought it was in everyone's best interest that he leave until we can get things sorted out."

"Where'd ya' leave him ta' die this time?" Daryl roared, his eyes flashing a deep blue.

"What do you mean he hurt Bridgette badly?" Aliya said calmly.

"He, well, Aliya, apparently he..."

"No fuckin' way." Daryl hissed again. "No fuckin' way he did that." Aliya shot him a look that was a cross between "chill the fuck out" and "I don't believe it either." Daryl looked at her and took a deep breath, his chest heaving dramatically.

"Ok, Bridgette says Merle raped her? Where? When?"

The next couple minutes were spent going over the story as it had been recounted by Bridgette. Daryl became more agitated by the minute, pacing, chewing on the skin of his thumb and fidgeting while Aliyah took in all the details Rick could offer.

"How is she now?" Aliya asked. "Can I talk to her?"

"I think that might be awkward, you know, given your relationship with Daryl and Merle and all." Dale said. Aliya rolled her eyes at him and glanced up at his bucket hat, noticing how warn and frayed it was becoming.

"Dale, I was sharing a room with her long before Daryl. You think I'm gonna be anything but sympathetic and understanding?" Daryl shot Aliya a look like she had three heads.

"Aw, what tha' fuck? Why would ya' even talk ta' that lyin' bitch?" Daryl turned his anger towards Aliya now. "Ya' takin' her side in this?" His face was flushed, brow furrowed and deep blue eyes flashing.

"I want to talk to her. See how she's doing. What the hell's wrong with that?" Aliya snapped. "It's called compassion, Dixon. Try to have some."

"Fuck you, not one of you fuckers ever had any for my brother...why tha' fuck should I?" Daryl threw his beer bottle into the sink with a sickening crack of glass shattering as it hit the faucet and ricocheted off the side, shards exploding all over the countertop. "Fuck all of you!" he growled and turned on his heel, slamming the door behind him.