Title: Brother
Summary: When Merle is giving the choice to fight with Rick and his group against the attacking Governor, or remain locked in his cell, he picks the choice that wasn't offered.
Spoiler Warnings: There's a spoiler in here for the comics. No idea of it'll happen on the TV show, so read with caution.

It was going to become a battle, that much was clear.

Tyresse and his group stood besides Rick's group, united. Ready to fight for the prison against The Governor and the people of Woodbury.

"We need everyone we can get," Rick stated to Daryl. "Make sure Hershel knows to stay with Judith inside. If we go down..." Rick swallowed hard. He hated the idea that the two of them could be at The Governor's mercy. Daryl nodded as Rick handed him the gun for Hershel. Two bullets. "Get him deeper into the prison. And then get Merle. We need everyone."

Daryl nodded and ran back towards the prison, knowing he didn't have long.

He helped Hershel move, carrying the baby for him and settled him somewhere safe deep in the prison and promised he'd come back for him as soon as he could. He gave him the gun, told him there was two bullets in it and he didn't need to say anything else.

Hershel gave Daryl a quick pat before he left, he hoped it offered some comfort.

Daryl quickly headed back to Merle.

He'd been caged in the cell since he came back. It hadn't been easy to agree that it was the best decision but at least the others were comfortable.

Daryl made his way to Merle's cell. "Shits about to hit the fan out there. We need you," Daryl said as he rummaged through the keys to find the one to open Merle's cell.

"Yeah?" Merle asked, standing up from the bed.

"Governor seems to have the whole damn town out there." Daryl said, unlocking the cell and pulling the door open. "You with us?" he asked.

"Sure I am, baby bro. Why wouldn't I be? Chance to get back at that bastard who tried to kill us," Merle said.

Daryl threw a gun at Merle who caught is expertly with his one hand. "C'mon then," Daryl said, distractedly fumbling for keys to lock the prison to keep Hershel safe while they would be fighting.

"'Course, locked in a cell every day isn't exactly pleasant." Merle said.

It took Daryl a moment to recognise the threat in Merle's voice and when he realised it and looked at his brother, he saw that dangerous glint in his eye. Fuck.

He realised it too late.

He lunged for the cell door at the same time Merle did and there was a brief struggle for the door but Daryl quickly decided against it as he realised he had no chance to close the door and get the key to lock it with a pissed off Merle battling him.

Daryl released the door and Merle stumbled forward a little, giving Daryl a chance to grab for the only other weapon he had with him, his knife. He'd left his gun with Rick while he came to get Merle, while the crossbow was by his bed, rendered useless by the battle that they currently faced.

"C'mon Merle, watcha gonna do?" Daryl reasoned.

"I figure I'll gun down everyone of those bastards out there and hand The Governor that bitch Michonne's head on a platter. So what ya say, brother? You with me?" He demanded, almost using Daryl's own words against him.

Daryl's disbelief must have been clear enough for Merle to know the answer without any words being spoken. "Didn't think so," Merle said.

"You think I'm gonna let you pass to hurt anyone?"

"No, but I got the gun, baby bro and you got a damn knife," Merle cracked a smile at Daryl. "So I'd say I'll be doing whatever the hell I want, so why dontcha hand them keys over and let me get to it?" he said, raising the gun.

Daryl shook his head. "Guess you'll have to pry the keys outta my cold dead hands," Daryl threw back.

Merle's face grew more serious. "I don't wanna do it, but you know I will."

"You ain't ever gonna hurt 'em while I'm standing in the way."

Merle settled his finger on the trigger of the gun. "Last chance, Daryl, get out the way."

Daryl didn't even think, he just acted. He threw the knife at Merle as hard as he could and heard the yell of pain as it struck him. Merle's squeezed the trigger in surprise and Daryl felt the bullet skim past him as he dove for cover.

Rick's head snapped round to the prison as he heard the shot. Just one shot.
Damn, what was happening in there. "Dad?" Carl asked, concerned.

He looked at army The Governor had bought. They needed everyone out here. He couldn't go back inside to see what was happening. "Daryl will be handling it," he said.

"What if it is Daryl?" Carl questioned. He saw Carol turn her gaze towards them.

"He can handle it," Rick said. But he didn't even believe that himself. Not if it were Daryl and Merle. And he knew he had to go. "Carl, keep an eye here, okay?"

Carl stood up. "No, let me go."

Rick shook his head. "I can't,"

"You think it's any safer out here? I can do it. I'll bring Daryl back, I promise." Carl said.

"You dumb son of a bitch," Merle yelled as he threw the gun at Daryl in a rage. Daryl ducked it, but Merle lunged at him, tackling him. He forgot how strong Merle was as they struggled on the floor, both trying to get the upper hand.

Daryl saw the flash of metal and realised Merle had the knife. He mentally berated himself for pretty much giving Merle every weapon he had. He fucking deserved to die for his stupidity.

Merle landed a vicious blow across Daryl's head using the stump he'd made himself. Daryl was pinned down by Merle in seconds as the blow washed over him and he didn't fight him.

"You ready to die for them, huh?" Merle asked.

"Kill me if you're gonna, jus' get on with it," Daryl demanded.

"Don't have to kill ya, jus' have to shut ya up while I do my shit, right? The vet'll patch you up if needed. I'll come back for ya and we'll leave this place together."

"Fuck you, Merle! If you touch any of them, you think I'm gonna go with you?"

"Who says I'll give you a damn choice, maybe I'll jus' drag you all the wait outta this damn hole. Kill all them damn bastards and then we'll go. Hell, maybe I'll jus'..."

Daryl picked that moment to heave Merle off of him and pull the knife free from his grip. He knew Merle well enough to know that Merle loved to talk the talk. He sure as hell could back it up too, but the distraction was all Daryl needed. And the knife was in his hands and he plunged it down towards Merle's chest and faltered before it could get close to the skin.

It was Merle he couldn't do that him no matter what.

Merle kicked Daryl away from him as soon as he hesitated and the brother both quickly stood, facing off against one another.
And maybe that was the problem. They were brothers and they really couldn't kill one another.

The blast of the gun reached his ears at the same time he saw the side of Merle's head splatter against the wall. He looked to the door, Carl Grimes stood there, gun being lowered as he looked to Daryl, face deadly and cold. "C'mon, we need you," he said.

And he turned and left as Daryl just looked down at the body of his brother, the blood pooling from the fatal wound.

Rick heard the second shot and feared what was happening back in the prison.

He spared several glances back until he saw Carl heading back and he nodded at his father, telling him everything was okay. And then the real battle started as they fought for the prisons safety.
And while they all knew the war wasn't over, for now, the prison had withstood the onslaught The Governor had bought to them. Woodbury's people retreated for now.

At least they thought.

The roaring of the tank told them otherwise and they watched in horror as it ripped through the fences that protected them until the hole was huge and the tank was reversing out, letting the walkers that were drawn by the noise into the prisons former safety.

Rick ordered some of the group into the towers, ready to make sure the whole damn prison wasn't over run. Glenn, Maggie and Carol to one, Tyresse, Allan and Sasha to another. He ordered Beth to go inside with Ben and stay with Hershel and Judith.

Carl said he'd let them in and lock them away safely and Rick readied himself to whatever he had to do to protect their group.
He looked to Daryl for the conformation that he was with him, but found nothing but a blank stare and Rick couldn't really remember if Daryl had even raised his gun. Couldn't even remember just when Daryl had come out and joined the fight.

"Daryl?" Rick said, keeping one eye on his friend and the other on the walkers that were starting to make their way into the prison grounds.

Daryl's eyes briefly shot across towards Rick before he looked away again.

And all at the same time, Rick heard the shots from the others start to ring out and then the blood on Daryl's hands. And then the noise coming from behind him. He turned to it as Carl struggled out dragging something with him. Beth was crying and shouting for Carl to stop but he kept going.

For one moment, Rick thought it was Hershel. That he'd been injured and Carl was coming to get help. But then he saw the arm and knew. He raced towards Carl and his son stopped, wiping sweat from his head with the crook of his elbow.

Rick looked down at Merle, could clearly see he was dead and he realised how the confrontation between Daryl and Merle had gone. "Why are you bringing his body out here, Carl? We cant bury him, not with all the walkers," Rick stated.

"I know. When the others leave the towers they'll need something to draw away the walkers," Carl explained as he tried to continue to heave Merle's body again.

Beth was close to hysterics now and Rick ordered her back inside. "We can't use him as bait, Carl! Daryl needs to mourn for his brother. It's bad enough he had to kill him, let alone having to have him eaten as well."

Carl frowned at his father. "I killed him, not Daryl."

"Wh... why would you kill him?"

"He was a threat to the group. Him and Daryl were fighting. He said he was going to kill everyone!"

Rick looked back down towards Daryl. He stood where Rick had left him, unmoving despite the danger getting closer every minute. Rick rubbed a hand across his face. This whole damn prison was a disaster. "Carl, get back inside. Go find your sister and Hershel and stay with them, now!" Rick demanded.

And Rick decided to hell with the walkers, the others would handle them. He raced back towards Daryl and grabbed the man, breaking him from the dazed state he was in and he just pulled Daryl along with him, back to the prison. He all but pushed Daryl inside before he turned and headed back outside himself. He stopped by Merle's body and considered dragging it further away from the door but he just couldn't do it. Couldn't leave him there to be eaten. He couldn't do it to Daryl. Instead he raced down towards the towers, waving his arms and when the others noticed him, he signalled for them to come back, to retreat into the prison itself. And as soon as he saw that the understood, he raced back, stopping and dragging Merle's body with him.

He expected Daryl to be stood just inside the door where he'd left him, but the area was void of people and he wondered and hoped that Daryl had gone down to stay with the others. He pulled Merle's body into one of the cells and pulled a blanket over the corpse.

He guarded the doors as the rest of the group made their way inside.

"Down to cell block D. We need to be further away from the walkers. Go now," Rick ordered and everyone did as they were told.

It was chaos in cell block D when Rick arrived.

Everyone was talking over one another, trying to work out what was happening and Rick's eyes shot over the group, seeking out the one man he quickly realised wasn't there.
He saw Carol move through the crowd of people at the same moment having just checked all the cells in the room they were stood in.

"Where's Daryl?" she asked loud enough to be heard over the others. Her eyes sought out Rick as she'd last seen them together.

Rick shrugged. "He's safe enough. He's in the prison and he's not hurt." Rick reassured her.

Beth, the girl who ached to be treated like the adult she felt she was and who strived for her Father to stop calling her Bethy, snuggled into her Father's arms for comfort as she spoke out, "His brother's dead."

Carol looked to Rick for an explanation but all he could do was shake his head. "I should go look for him," he said.

"No," Maggie said. "Give him some time. It's his loss, let him cope with it his way."

There hadn't been enough time. He hadn't had a chance to make things work, because that's what he was going to do.

He'd planned it since they got back to the prison, how he'd make Merle realise that they were better off with the group and he'd tell Glenn what Merle was really like, tell him one of his grim childhood stories where Merle had come through for him as he so often did, and he knew Glenn would forgive him.

Everything would have been okay if only there'd been more time.

He looked at Merle's face. If he didn't look at the part of his head that was missing, he almost looked like he was sleeping. But he couldn't not look at that. The little flecks of skull and brain that stuck to the skin surrounding the wound. The way little flaps of skin hung down where they used to cling to flesh that had been blasted off and he was left here to mourn this disgusting stiff, cold body.

But he understood Andrea better and wished she were here right now. He got why she sat by her dead sister and waited for her to move again as a walker so she could say her final goodbyes, because Daryl would give anything to see Merle move again, even as a walker. He wouldn't have cared that he was really dead and gone if he could have just had a moment or two. So despite it all, he stayed sat by Merle's side, waiting for him to move, hoping against it all that maybe he could still come back, maybe Carl hadn't destroyed the part of the brain that made a walker.

And he stared at him the whole time. He'd touched him when he first came in, pulled the blanket away that covered him and touched Merle's face. But his skin was cold and it spoilt the illusion that Merle wasn't just a dead body now and he didn't want that.

He wanted to hear Merle's voice again. Hear him shout and berate him for being a pansy and not good enough, feel his rough hands on his arm as he pushed him around and even feel the bruising force Merle used against him when he'd have to hit him for going against what the older brother had wanted.
Daryl always fell in line eventually.
Probably would have this time too, if not for Carl... and he swallowed down the feelings the thought of that boy bought out in him.

He couldn't believe the child that Rick and Lori had created. He couldn't see how those two were able to have a child that could gun a man down like that. But then he looked to the boys father and the influence was there. Rick had probably killed more humans since Daryl had met him than anyone else... maybe more than Merle had. He killed Shane and that was his best friend and for the first time, Daryl wondered if the truth about that night had ever really come out.

They had Rick's word that Shane came at him first but they didn't know. They could never know. It seemed to be the right thing to trust Rick but maybe that was wrong. Maybe trusting Rick and his son was the worst decision Daryl had ever made.

He'd shared secrets with him too... with Carl. Shared hardships and tried to make him feel like he wasn't so alone. Told him about his Mother and the fire and all Carl could say was how he'd killed his own Mother. Mothers, brothers... it seemed it didn't matter to Carl. He'd go through them all.
Rick and Carl together, gunning them down one at a time until it was just them and the baby left.

Daryl couldn't stand to have Merle's body uncovered any more and he pulled the blanket up over him again.

Then he wandered back over to the perch and lay on his bed. Not interested in sleep, but needing to rest his body just for a little while.

Carol was woken by someone shaking her awake gently.

"Sophia?" she muttered, her tired mind confused by the small gentle hands on her arm but as her vision cleared she saw Carl stood there. He said nothing but his face was pinched with worry and he beckoned her to follow him.

He led her a way from the cell block and into another room, it was dark and she couldn't see his tears but she could tell by his voice he was crying. "Carl, what's wrong?" she asked, reminded that he was a little boy before anything else.

"Merle... it's all my fault," he sobbed.

"I'm sure that's not true," Carol said, seeking out the boy in the dark, trying to pull him into a hug but he stepped away.

"It is! I shot him, I killed him because he said he was going to kill us all but I... I shouldn't have killed him should I? I should have hurt him to stop him, but I killed him! And Daryl's never gonna forgive me."

Carol frowned, unsure what she could say. It was a lot to take in. But she was saved the trouble of having to answer when the door opened and a flash light shone in the room.

"Carl?" Rick questioned.

"It's okay Rick, he's in here," Carol answered for the boy, knowing he might not want his Father to realise how upset he was.

"Are you okay?" Rick asked.

Carl didn't answer immediately. "Can you find Daryl?" he asked eventually.

Rick nodded before leaving.

Rick saw Daryl sat up on the perch when he entered cell block C and before going over to him, he went to Merle's cell.

He'd just dragged the body in earlier, barely paid a second thought to the man. It wasn't as though they were close. They were nothing to one another really. An obstacle, an annoyance. When Merle had first come back, Carol had remarked to Rick how she felt he and Merle were like the devil and angel on Daryl's shoulders, each whispering in his ear what he should do. The idea amused him at first but then realising that they were putting Daryl through made it lose the humour.
He'd make a conscious attempt after that to make sure he reassured Daryl that there was no right or wrong or side he had to choose, not between the group and Merle.

Rick stepped into the cell and knelt down by the body, pulling back the blanket.

There was something unnatural about a silent Merle Dixon. He could understand why Daryl was so quiet, growing up with a brother like Merle. He could be quite captivating when he spoke, when he wasn't cussing and shouting.

"What are ya doin'g to him?" Daryl demanded behind him.

Rick forgot how quiet Daryl could be, even when he wasn't trying. Rick sat back a little, holding up his hands to show Daryl he was no threat. "I'm just paying my respects," Rick stated calmly.

"Don't even like 'im," Daryl replied, edging around outside the cell.

Rick realised how much Daryl hated going into the cells and thought it was probably a stupid thing to put Merle in the cell. "I'm sorry, you want me to move him out of here?" Rick asked.

Daryl's looked at Rick blankly. "No... don't you touch him!" Daryl all but spat back.

Rick didn't expect Daryl to take this well and he had at least been prepared for this type of reaction. He sighed quietly as he covered Merle back over, stepping outside of the cell before he tried to talk to Daryl further.

The hunter kept his eyes on Merle's body until Rick's words drew his attention away. "I'm sorry," Rick offered, knowing it wasn't enough.

Daryl didn't make any acknowledgement of Rick's comment.

"Look, I know you don't think I understand what you're going through, but I do. I lost Lori, remember? I know how you feel..."

"What the hell ya talkin' about? You weren't even talkin' to ya wife when she died! You didn't even care! To hell with you, Grimes. To hell with the lot of ya," Daryl said, stalking back across the room and quickly making his way back up the stairs to the top of the perch.

Rick had left Daryl after his harsh words hit him the night before and returned again the following morning, hoping that things might be better.

Daryl had locked Merle's cell and even though Rick had a key as well, it was more a message 'Don't go in there'. But Daryl was nowhere to found in the cell and as far as Rick was concerned, there was only one other place Daryl would go.

He opened the door to the outside yard and saw the grieving man out there, dealing with his brothers death the best way he knew how- violence and destruction. Luckily in this new world, there were plenty of people to take your frustrations out on.

Rick's instincts were to help, but he knew that wasn't what Daryl wanted. This was something Daryl needed to do alone, much like Rick had needed to clear the walkers from the tombs where Lori had been killed. But that didn't mean he was ready to let him face the dangers alone. He headed for one of the watch towers, ready with the rifle should any walker get too close.

He stayed there and watched Daryl as he killed every threat in the prison grounds.

He'd briefly looked up to Rick but carried on despite the presence watching over him. Daryl grabbed a shovel and began to dig his brother a grave.
He didn't dig the grave next to Lori's and T Dog's, but picked a spot further away, isolated. He didn't make the grave very deep and when Daryl started to head back towards the prison, Rick headed down to meet him.

Daryl tried to walk past without speaking to Rick but Rick grabbed his arm, letting go the second Daryl spun round, ready to strike. Rick held his arms up to show he meant no trouble.

"Let me help you move Merle. I know you want to do this alone but you really want his body dragged across the ground?" Daryl didn't say anything, but Rick saw him look back at how far he'd have to drag his body. "I promise I'll just help you get him other there and then I'll leave you to it, okay? I won't even talk," Rick promised, hoping that Daryl might agree with the stipulation and he were rewarded with a small nod.

Rick stayed silent the whole time as Daryl unlocked the cell door. Rick took Merle's feet and Daryl carried his upper half. As they walked across to the grave the breeze caught underneath the blanket and pulled it away from the body. Daryl hesitated as the head wound was exposed and Rick saw him momentarily struggle with his hold on his brother, like he almost dropped him when he saw the fatal injury again, but he regained his grip and continued on. Rick helped Daryl lower Merle's body into the ground before he made his way towards the now gaping hole in the fence.

He wasn't sure what they were going to do with this issue, but right now, he needed to make sure that no walkers got through while Daryl buried his brother.

Daryl wanted to stay by Merle's grave.

Wanted some peace while he sat beside his brothers final resting place and mourned, but he couldn't have that luxury.

Rick was out there, killing any walkers that came to the prison through the hole in the fence and he knew that staying out there any longer wasn't fair.

Daryl sat on the steps leading to the perch, didn't quite have what it took to climb the stairs. With no one around but Rick he didn't mind so much.

His anger and drive to get Merle buried had abandoned him and now he just felt empty.

Rick stood by for a while, not sure if he should say anything or not, not sure what to say. He knew there was only one person who needed to talk to Daryl right now.

Daryl hadn't moved since Rick left and when he heard the footsteps approaching, he figured Rick returned with Carol, that would have been who Daryl assumed.

He didn't think he'd see Carl Grimes stood there.

Rick bent down so he was close to Carl, so only he could hear the words he spoke. He reassured his son he'd be seconds away if he needed him, if he got scared. Carl took care of situations like a man, like he was much older than his 12 years, but sometimes, the hardest things were the aftermath of those situations.
This was one of them, but Rick knew the longer things festered between the two, the harder it would be to heal. He'd made the mistake himself with Lori and he'd die before he let anyone else in the group suffer the same.

With a last encouraging pat on the shoulder, Rick watched Carl walk forward to Daryl before Rick himself moved out of sight, but not out of earshot, just in case things didn't go as he hoped.

Carl nervously moved over towards Daryl, stopping a few feet away from him.

He looked awkward, they way he stood there, arms straight by his side. Daryl knew that awkward feeling well enough, except he always felt the need to protect himself when he was uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry," Carl mumbled quietly.

Daryl looked to the kid then, because he was a kid and despite everything, Daryl knew he needed to remember that. "You ain't gotta be sorry," Daryl replied.

"I was scared. I thought we were all gonna die anyway. You're the only one who watches out for Dad and I..." Carl promised himself he wouldn't cry, not while he was talking to Daryl and he knew if he kept going, he'd break that promise.

Daryl shook his head. "I should have done it myself... I should have done something better. You shouldn't have had to do it."

"It was probably easier for me to do it. I mean... I couldn't think about hurting Judith and it's the same thing."

"Guess so," Daryl said. After a while of silence, Daryl spoke up again "You know, I've never been in this world without Merle. I mean he's not always been around, but he's always been... somewhere."

"This'll be the first year of my life without my Mom," Carl said. "It's a little bit scary."

Daryl looked at the boy and moved over on the stairs, "C'mere," he said as he indicated to the step. Carl came over and sat down besides Daryl. He knew Carl had lost a lot more in his short life than Daryl had. Of course, he'd had more to lose as well. He had that normal life that Daryl had envied so much as a child. "Do something' for me?" Carl nodded. "Be a better big brother than Merle was, okay?"

"I will," Carl promised.

"You already are," Daryl said. He stood up then. "I got some stuff to do, ya best get back to the others,"

Carl got up and watched as Daryl headed up the stairs. Carl made his way over to the door, pausing before he passed through it. "Daryl?"

The hunter looked over towards the boy. "I'm gonna be a great brother. Like you."

Okay so, there you go. That's a random one shot that was supposed to be a fight between Daryl and Merle and ended up with Merle dead. The endings a little soppy, but well, what else could they do? Daryl couldn't stay mad at Carl and fluff came through.
Thanks for reading and Merry Christmas.