Mi Amor ~ Daryl Dixon

Chapter Twenty-Five

"It's the only way." Hershel, Daryl, and Adrianna stood around him. "No one else knows." He says.

"You gonna tell them?"

"Not till after." Rick took a breath. "We have to do it today. It has to be quiet."

"You got a plan?"

"Tell her we need to talk, away from the others." He explains.

Daryl's gaze caught Hershel and Adrianna's unsure faces. "Just ain't us man." He shook his head at Rick.

Hershel nodded in agreement. "No, no it isn't." He crutches away from the three.

Rick looks to the pair. "We do this, we avoid a fight. No one else dies." He tries to urge them to agree.

"Alright." They nod.

"We need someone else." Rick says eyeing Daryl.

Daryl nods in understanding. "I'll talk to him."

"I'll do it." Rick says.

"I'll go with ya."

"No just me." He urged, walking away.

————————

The rest of the group was fixing up the land around them, doing small tasks making it harder for the governor and his people to get close.

"Ain't no way." Merle tapped the glass, looking outside.

Adrianna lifts her head up from the guns she is reloading. "What?" She asks.

"Nothing."

"What happened here?" She was referencing what he said last night about leaving when they were gone.

He ignore the question. "We got any whiskey? Hell I'll even drink vodka."

"Go to hell Merle." She says loading another pistol.

He let out a laugh and walked down some steps.

"Are you with us?" She asked in all seriousness.

"Sure."

"I'm not talking about occupying the same space." She turns to look at him. "Are you with us?" She asks again.

"I'm here for my brother."

"Well he's here for us." She put the gun she had down. "It's not time to take shots, it's time to pick a damn side."

"You ain't like you was when we was younger." He says eyeing the girl.

"That's cause I'm not."

"Yeah I can see that. You don't seem scared of nothing anymore."

"I'm not." She grabbed the bag of guns and zipped it up. Throwing it over her shoulder she was about to walk away but Merle's voice stopped her.

"You were wrong you know?" She stayed frozen in her spot. "About Daryl being here for the group. He's here for you." She turned to look at him. "Whole time we were out there, running his mouth about you, how he shouldn't have left, how he fucked up."

Adrianna doesn't answer.

"I may not be the best brother or hell even a good person." Merle's eyes softened slightly. "But one thing I do know is that he cares for you. Actually cares. Don't think he's ever felt that way about anyone before, not even him self."

"Why're you telling me about this?" She asks Merle, confused on to why he cared.

"Because you need to know."

"Thanks."

"I'm sorry." He said before she could turn or walk away. "Sorry about what I did to you guys there, especially you. I've known you so long and I just let the governor control my head. It was my mistake, and it won't happen again."