I have not seen the midseason finale yet, and I started this a week or two ago. This is how I had hoped Daryl would see Merle again. Hope everyone enjoys this.

Disclaimer: Not mine!

When he imagined seeing his brother again, he never thought it would be like this.

Daryl Dixon crept slowly through the hall, hyper-aware of any noises that reached his ears. Then he heard it.

The soft cry of the baby he had vowed to protect.

Without hesitation, he followed the sound down the hall and to a closed door. He pushed the door open, knife in hand and poised to attack.

Judith was lying on a table in the middle of the room, sobbing softly as her legs kicked furiously at the air. There was no one else in the room. Exhaling quietly, Daryl put his knife away and quickly moved to the table. "Hey, hey, hey," he soothed as he gathered the fussing newborn into his arms. "Everythin's gonna be okay."

Comforted by the familiar voice and strong arms, Judith snuggled into his chest as her sobs quickly reduced to whimpering breaths.

Daryl was thrilled to have baby Judith back in his arms, but now he had a problem. He had to get her out of the building without being heard or seen. If they were caught, he could take on one person with the baby, more if he wasn't holding her. But he couldn't put her down, not after everything he had done to get her back into the safety of his arms. He would die to protect her; there was no doubt about it. So he quickly searched the room for anything that could possibly help them escape. But the room was bare, simply furnished with a chair and the table Daryl had found Judith on.

Swearing quietly to himself, Daryl tucked Judith into the crudely made sling he had thought to bring with him (it had never even occurred to him he wouldn't find her), then secured her to his chest. This left his hands free to fight anyone they might encounter. But just as he reached for his knife, a sound at the door made his blood run cold. He looked up, his other hand instinctively moving to the baby.

"Whatcha got there, baby brother?"

The voice left Daryl dazed and confused. "Merle?" he finally croaked.

"I ain't anybody else, Darylina." Merle sneered as he spoke, his stride the same as always as he lazed into the room.

Daryl felt the color leave his face. The hand holding the knife lowered slightly, but his other hand tightened on Judith. "You're alive."

"And kicking." Merle raised his deformed arm, the light bouncing off the knife which was where his hand should have been. "So to speak." He took another step. "Did you fuck up and get saddled with a kid? Guess it'd be pretty easy; ain't like you can run down to the drug store and get a box of rubbers."

"She ain't mine, but I take care of her."

The way Merle's eyes lit up made Daryl uneasy.

"Is that so? Well, look at you. Mary fuckin' Poppins." Merle cocked his head to the side. "But we gotta get out of here, and I ain't dealin' with a whinin' brat."

Daryl narrowed his eyes as his brother came closer. He didn't want to believe it, but he knew what his gut and his knowledge of his brother was telling him. His fears were confirmed a moment later.

"We gotta get rid of it."

"No." Daryl barely recognized the low growl that erupted from his own throat.

Merle raised one eyebrow. "What?"

"I said, no."

"Oh, come on, little brother. You know we can't keep it, not where we're headin'."

He made it sound like a puppy they needed to find a home for. But Merle underestimated his brother's devotion to the four-day-old girl. "Merle…"

"I know you're probably attached to it and all, but it won't feel a thing. I promise." He stretched his hand out toward the baby.

Before he could blink, Daryl thrust the knife into his brother's gut. Merle's eyes went wide with shock as the sharp knife easily broke through his skin and slid between his ribs. The older brother's knees buckled, and he slid to the floor, the knife still lodged firmly in place.

"I'm sorry, Merle," Daryl whispered as the life drained from his brother's eyes. Good memories, though few and far between, played through Daryl's mind as he pulled his knife from his brother's body. But he had made his choice, and his choice was to protect baby Judith.

Wiping his brother's blood from the blade on his jeans, Daryl adjusted Judith against his chest. Then he walked out of the room, not even bothering to look over his shoulder at his brother's body on the floor. He couldn't stop, couldn't grieve, couldn't think. He had to keep going and get the hell out of Woodbury. He had to get Judith to safety.

He wouldn't settle for anything less.

The End.

A/N: Daryl is an absolutely fascinating character. He is very, very loyal, and I see a lot of loyalty being to baby Judith, much as it was to Sophia. I enjoy writing stories about him, and as soon as I see the midseason finale, I'm sure I'll write more. Here's to surviving the hiatus. Thanks for reading, everyone, and please review!