Last chapter, guys. Wanted to thank you all for the follows, favorites, and the reviews. This little one shot spun out of control but I hope you've enjoyed. I'm contemplating doing a sequel of sorts but it won't be until I finish up a couple other stories. If you're interested let me know!

Chapter 10

It felt like an eternity that we sat in the box truck waiting for the guys to come back. Merle dozed off a few times and every time he did my eyes were locked on his chest, making sure it was rising and falling with every breath.

"Needs to hydrate and sleep," Daryl stated as he kept watch out the back of the truck, not even looking in my direction.

I nodded anyways but kept my gaze on Merle. I knew Daryl wouldn't lie to me, especially about the health of his brother, but there was this little voice in my head that kept feeding me the worst case scenarios. My gaze landed on my bandana that was secured around his wrist and a pain shot through my heart with such intensity it almost knocked me over.

"You alright?" Daryl questioned with his eyes squinted to see my face in the shadows of the truck.

I shook my head and rubbed the heel of my hand in circles on my chest to try to relieve the ache. "He was going to cut his hand off."

Daryl snorted, angling himself so he could keep watch for the others again. "Toughest son of a bitch I know."

"No," I whispered as I blinked back a few tears. "Just the loneliest."

It killed me to realize that Merle thought we wouldn't come for him. After everything and he still didn't trust anyone but himself. My thumb traced along the scar on my wrist and if Merle hadn't shown up that night who knows what would have happened. I was being swallowed up in the shadows of my own mind but he was the light guiding me back. It was my chance to return the favor and though I didn't know how to put all the pieces back together I sure as hell was going to try. Scooting closer to him, I rested my head against his shoulder and took advantage of him being asleep as I laced my fingers through his.

X-X-X

Two nights later and we were gathered around the truck while the rest of the camp was fast asleep. I was still worried that Merle wasn't one hundred percent but if I fawned over him anymore he was liable to snap me in half. He was on edge and if he didn't let some of the tension out soon he was going to be a force even I wouldn't be able to rein in.

"You know where you're supposed to go?" Merle asked for the millionth time that night.

I would have growled at him in response but opted for a sigh instead because we didn't have time for an argument. "Uh huh, going to hit the Peletier's tent and then the RV." He stared at me and I rolled my eyes before continuing. "I know what the fuck I'm doing Merle, ain't the first time we stole something together."

He got this far away look in his eyes as a smile pulled at the corner of his lips. "Good times, good times."

"You all going to gossip all night or are we going to do this?" Daryl questioned as he set his crossbow in the cab of the truck. I knew he wasn't exactly thrilled about this plan, and to be honest I wasn't either, but it was better than the alternative. Had Merle not been completely spent by the time we made it back to the quarry every single one of these mother fuckers would be dead.

"Every single bullet and not a can of food left behind, you hear?" Merle reminded the two of us and I sarcastically saluted him. He went to say something but Daryl had already slipped off toward the Korean's tent. I gave him a quick kiss and headed to the Peletier's tent before he could say anything else.

Leaves crunched under my boots and I cringed as I heard the youngest Dixon's voice in my head yelling at me for being so loud. As I got closer to the tent I could hear Ed's snores and thought for a minute about taking him out. It was no secret he had a heavy hand when it came to his wife. There were multiple ways of killing him that ran through my mind, the same ways I used to dream about doing to Rich but never had the guts to pull it off, but I also couldn't put little Sophia through the horrors of waking up to finding her old man dead. Carol's kind words and Sophia's triumphant smile when she finally hit the ball was what kept me from going into their tent. I could wrap my head around stealing from the douchebags that left the other half of my heart on the rooftop in Atlanta. I couldn't see taking from a little girl and her mother who already had a hard life and if Merle asked about it then I would just have to say they didn't have anything worth taking.

I scanned the camp searching for Merle or Daryl but they both must have been occupied because I couldn't locate them. Stepping away from the tent, I gave my silent goodbyes to the only ones who had made an attempt at being friendly since we had been there. We purposely waited for the night when Dale would be on watch because it meant inside the RV would be empty and lo and behold there he was perched up top with the binoculars handing around his neck. If I hadn't known any better I would have said he looked like some tourist.

Taking a deep breath, I climbed the metal ladder so that I could talk to him without having to be too loud and left my backpack at the bottom so he wouldn't see it. We really couldn't risk someone waking up right now or this whole thing could go south very quickly. "Hey, Dale."

"Rebecca," he nodded in greeting with a warm smile on his face though I didn't miss the surprise that flashed through his eyes. "Is everything okay?"

I forced myself not to cringe at his use of my full name and cleared my throat, "Yeah, I'm good. Was actually wondering if I could use the bathroom. Don't really like to wander too far at night and Merle would have my head if he found out I went into the woods without him. I won't be long and I have my own tissue and everything."

I realized I was rambling when he started to chuckle and I was thankful it was dark so he couldn't see my cheeks flush in embarrassment. "Of course you can, dear."

I thanked him and climbed back down the ladder before my mouth could get me in trouble. I don't know why this had been easier before the world turned on upside down. The door creaked a bit as I walked in and I jumped as it slammed behind me on its own. Shit it would have been easier if Jurassic Park wasn't directly above me but if I didn't hurry up Merle would come looking for me and that wouldn't end well either. I had never been inside the RV before so I wasn't exactly sure what he had or where to look but I started with the cabinets, tossing a few cans of beans and some crackers I'm sure were stale into my bag. I passed up taking the silverware and realized that I had told Dale I was using the bathroom. Frantically scanning the RV for anything else that we could use, my eyes landed on the small closet that I would have missed if I wasn't looking for it. It didn't have much in it, a few jackets that hadn't been worn in years, but there was a small box that was hidden behind it all. I almost expected it to be some mementos from his wife but was surprised to see a handgun. Maybe my swoop through the camp would be successful after all.

I slid it into the back of my jeans and fixed my shirt to make sure it was covered before tossing my bag over my shoulder. The door creaked again as I exited and Dale leaned over the edge wishing me a good night. Daryl was already sitting in the driver's seat of the truck when I got back and I tossed my bag into the bed next to Merle's bike before climbing in. Merle was a few minutes behind us and as soon as his door closed Daryl pulled out of the quarry.

"Almost wish I could see their faces in the morning," Merle smirked, throwing his arm across the back of the seat.

"I'd be happy if I never saw them again," I mumbled, sitting between the two Dixons. Anger started to build inside of me again for what they had the audacity to do but I wouldn't let it consume me. I had my Dixons, we had supplies, and there wasn't a doubt in my mind that we wouldn't survive. "Oh," I remembered the gun I had stuck in the small of my back and sat forward so I could show off my find. "I also got this off Jurassic Park."

Daryl shifted in his seat as Merle snatched it out of my hand, "Jesus, woman, did you even check to see if the safety was on?"

"Oh, have some faith in me," I crossed my arms with a huff but he wouldn't stop staring at me like I was a damn idiot as he clicked the safety on and stuck it in the glove box. "Alright, no. I didn't check it."

"Would have been a damn shame if you shot your ass off."

I mocked his words and leaned into his side as the truck rumbled down the dirt road. "Any idea where we are going?"

"Away from the city," Daryl answered, his eyes flickering to the rearview mirror out of habit.

X-X-X

Daryl had argued the fact that we should conserve the fuel that we had but I sided with Merle on this one. It was more than Merle just being a pain in the ass, when he was riding it was the only time he could escape from the world around him. Daryl had the woods, Merle had his bike, and well, I had Merle.

It had felt like a different lifetime ago since I had been on the motorcycle with him but riding behind him made me forget the dangers this world brought with it. I let my hands slide up the front of his shirt because holding on wasn't enough I needed to feel him, know that this wasn't some dream but that he was really there with me. He squeezed my knee and I rested my head against his back as Daryl followed us in the truck.

I didn't know what the road ahead had in store for us but when things got rough I knew we would always be able to take it out on one another.