Unbreakable threads

Chapter Fifty-Five: Daryl leaves with Merle.

Rick, Daryl, and Michonne moved swiftly through the shadowed alleys of Woodbury, with Maggie and Glenn staggering alongside them, clearly worn and battered but safe. The tense energy in the air was thick as they pressed forward, doing their best to stay undetected. The echo of gunfire from earlier still lingered in their minds, and the weight of their escape pressed down on them all. Oscar hadn't made it; he'd gone down in the crossfire, giving them the chance to get Maggie and Glenn out. Rick felt the loss acutely, but there was no time to mourn, not yet.

What was unexpected—more than any gunfire or the narrow escape—was Merle. He was walking with them, his presence creating a strange, uneasy tension among the group. The older Dixon had shown up in the chaos, and against all odds, he'd fought alongside them, even helping to cover their retreat. Merle's gaze darted to Daryl frequently, something between desperation and pride flickering in his eyes. He seemed almost... eager, desperate even, to be back at his brother's side.

Daryl kept his face impassive, but anyone who knew him well could see the storm of emotions he was holding back. His jaw clenched, his shoulders tense, as he tried to process the reality of his brother being here with them, after everything. After the time and distance and the brutal life Merle had chosen for himself. He didn't know how to feel—part of him was relieved, the other part wary, remembering all the ways Merle's choices had hurt him in the past.

Rick gave Merle a hard look, his grip on his weapon tightening. He didn't trust Merle, not for a second, but they didn't have the luxury of sorting through loyalties right now. His priority was getting Glenn and Maggie back to the prison, back to their family. He'd deal with Merle later. Right now, they had to survive, and if Merle wanted to help, he wouldn't turn down the extra pair of hands.

As they navigated the last stretch of Woodbury's walls, Michonne kept to the rear, her gaze sharp and untrusting, especially when it came to Merle. She had seen what Woodbury was capable of, what the Governor was capable of. And Merle had been a key part of that place. The very idea of bringing him back to the prison didn't sit right with her, but she held her tongue, knowing that every hand they had counted.

They slipped through the last barricade, finally reaching the woods surrounding Woodbury. Once they were safely covered by the trees, Rick stopped, signaling for everyone to pause and catch their breath. Glenn was leaning heavily on Maggie, his face pale but determined. Maggie looked shaken, her face streaked with tears and exhaustion, but she held onto Glenn tightly, her grip fierce.

Rick stopped in his tracks, turning to face Daryl and Merle as the group moved deeper into the woods. The tension was palpable, every silent breath filled with the weight of what had to be said.

"Merle can't come back to the prison," Rick said firmly, his eyes steady as he looked at Daryl, hoping his friend could see the reasoning behind his words. "You know what he's done, the people he's hurt. The group doesn't trust him. I don't trust him. He's a liability, Daryl."

Daryl's face hardened, a flash of defiance flickering across his expression as he instinctively took a step closer to his brother. He'd finally found Merle after all this time, and now Rick was asking him to leave him behind. His loyalty to his brother ran deep, tangled in years of shared hardship and pain, and despite everything Merle had done, Daryl couldn't bring himself to walk away from him.

"Family's family, Rick," Daryl muttered, his tone cold and unyielding. He avoided looking at Rick's pleading expression, his eyes fixed somewhere in the darkness of the trees. "Ain't gonna leave him again."

Rick's face softened, knowing how hard this was for Daryl but unable to back down. "I get that, Daryl, I do. But you have a family with us now. We need you. Alyssa... she needs you. She's been through hell this past year, and you're the one who's been there for her, the one who's kept her grounded. You leaving... that'll break her."