In the Very End: Book One

Chapter 28

*WARNING: Please be advised that this chapter contains mature content and strong language.*

Chapter 28
Quinn's POV

I breathed heavily as Merle told the group that he would actually kill his brother for sake of their loyalty and trust. I watched him kick Daryl in the stomach and then punch him in the face.

Daryl stood and gave it right back to his brother. Somewhere deep down I knew that they would find a way out of this. They could never kill each other. My heart stopped when I noticed them bringing walkers into the rink.

I squirmed my way out of the muscular man's arm, but I didn't get far as another man pulled me back.

Daryl went after Merle, but Merle pushed him to the ground. They talked to each other before grasping hands and standing up. They stood back to back. All of a sudden, I saw them; my group. The walkers fell and tear gas exploded. We'd all get out alive. I elbowed the man behind me and then kicked him in the stomach.

"Daryl!" I yelled.

He ran towards me. He grabbed my arm and dragged me through the gas.

"Cover your mouth, don't breath it in!" he ordered. "Merle, let's go!"

I broke loose from Daryl and spun under his arm, grabbing the bow and pushing the man backwards with my foot.

"Let's go, let's go!" Rick said as he grabbed my arm.

Merle gave us directions as we distanced ourselves from the raging crowd.

"You're not goin' anywhere with us," Rick opposed.

"You really wanna do this now?" Merle questioned, kicking a fence in.

"Rick, c'mon. Let's go," Daryl said, obviously not wanting an argument.

We climbed through the fence and followed Merle down to the woods.

___

"Glenn!" I called through the trees.

"Quinn, Rick," Glenn said. "Thank God." He stood and made his way towards us.

"Now we got a problem here. I need you to back up," Rick said, knowing what Glenn would do when he saw Merle.

"What the hell? What's he doing here?" Glenn asked as he drew his knife.

"He helped us outta there. Put it down!" Daryl commanded.

"Yeah, right after he beat the shit out of you!" Rick shouted back.

"Hey, hey, hey, we both took our licks, man," Merle reasoned.

"Jackass," Daryl muttered.

"Hey, shut up," Merle remarked.

"Shut up!" Rick demanded.

Commotion broke out again.

"Hey, get that thing outta my face," Daryl ordered, gesturing to Glenn's gun.

Merle snickered. "Looks like you've gone native, brother."

"No more than you hangin' out with that physco back there," Daryl retorted.

"Oh yeah, man. He is a charmer, I gotta tell ya that. Been puttin' a wood to your girlfriend Andrea big time, baby," he taunted Rick.

"What?" Glenn asked. "Andrea's at Woodbury?"

"Right next to the Governor," Daryl answered.

Michonne held her sword up to Daryl. I stepped forward, shoving it out of her hands.

"I told you to drop that!" Rick yelled. "You know Andrea? Hey, do you know Andrea?"

"Yep, she does," Merle informed. "Her and Blondey spent all winter cuddlin' up in the woods. Mmm, mmm, mmm. Yeah, my new queen right here had two pet walkers; no arms, cut off the jaws, kept 'em in chains. Kinda ironic now that I think about—"

"Shut up, bro!" Daryl yelled.

"That's not why she's with him," Maggie insisted.

"Snug as two little bugs," Merle persisted. "So what 'chu gonna do now, sheriff? Surrounded by a bunch of liars, thugs, and cowards—"

"Shut up!" Rick snapped.

Merle laughed. "Oh man, look at this; pathetic. All these guns and no bullets in 'em—"

"You better shut up!" Daryl yelled.

"Shut yourself!" Merle yelled. "Bunch a pussies—"

I took my gun and smacked Merle upside the head to knock him out. "Now we have some time to sort shit out. Let's go, he won't be out for long."

"Asshole," Daryl said to Merle before following me back to the road.

___

"It won't work," Rick opposed.

"It's gotta," Daryl insisted.

"It'll stir things up."

"The Governor's probably on his way to the prison right now," I pointed out.

"Merle knows how he thinks and we could use the muscle," Daryl added.

"We're not havin' him at the prison," Maggie disagreed.

"Do you really want him sleeping in the same cellblock as Maggie, Beth...Quinn?" Glenn mentioned.

"He ain't a rapist," Daryl spat.

"But his buddy is."

"They ain't buddies no more. Not after last night," Daryl reminded.

"There's no way Merle's gonna live there without putting everyone at each other's throats," Rick pointed out.

Daryl scoffed. "So you're gonna cut Merle loose and bring back The Last Samurai?"

"She's not comin' back," Rick informed.

"She's not in a state to be on her own," Maggie mentioned.

"She did bring you guys to us," Glenn told Rick.

"She's too unpredictable."

"He's right, we don't know who she is," Daryl agreed. "Merle? Merle's blood."

"No, Merle is your blood," Glenn spat. "My blood, my family, is standing right here and waiting for us back at the prison."

"And you're part of that family," Rick said to Daryl, "but he's not. He's not."

Merle gained consciousness and stood up, mumbling to himself.

"Fine, we'll fend for ourselves," Daryl said.

"That's not what I was saying," Glenn said.

"No him, no me."

"Are you kidding me?" I snapped. "You're just gonna leave?"

"You had no problem doing it," Daryl spat. "Yeah, if you've forgotten about that, let's go over it again—"

"I was doing what was right for the group," I said. "I was keeping an eye on her for the safety of my friends."

"And I'm doing what's right for me and my family."

"Your family is standing right in front of you, asshole," I hissed.

"Daryl, are you serious?" Glenn asked.

"No him, no me," Daryl repeated, opening the trunk. "That's all I can say. Take care of yourself. Take care of Lil' Ass Kicker and Carl. We'll be just fine on our own."

"Fuck you," I called.

"C'mon, bro," Daryl said as he glanced back.

My emotions were all over. I wanted to punch him but I wanted to hug him all at the same time. Angry tears slipped from my eyes. I could have gone with them, but how was I supposed to choose?