When The World Ends

Exam

Glenn pulls out the gun he found in the car on Merle while Rick and Daryl yell for him to put it away. The black woman seemed to not like the idea either and pulled her sword on Rick, he turned surprised.

"Put them down!" Rick yells.

"He tried to kill me!" She fights back.

"Look at what he did to us-" Glenn starts in.

"He helped us out of there!" Daryl comes to his brother's aid.

"Yeah, right after he beat the shit out of you!" Rick comments. I look around locking eyes with Merle. I stared, so angry at him for what he did, that I could burn holes right through him. I only look away when he does.

"Hey, we both to our licks," Merle says. I scoff at him.

"Jackass," Daryl calls.

"Enough!" Rick shouts. Glenn and Maggie are trained Merle while the black woman is trained on Rick. I leave my arms by my side just waiting for my moment.

"Man, get that gun out of my face!" Daryl yells at Glenn.

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

"Yeah, sure looks like he has." My mouth pouts in a disapproving way. I could see how much Daryl has already changed being back in his brother's presence. He's become cold and vigilant. When Daryl and Merle get together, you best forget about anything you and him had. I give Daryl an eye and his Georgia blue ones let loose sadness as I turn away from him. They beg me to come back but I don't. I take myself out of the conversation and hope that he comes to me this time.

I limp back to the green car on the side of the road and take a seat in the back with the door open. Shouting keeps going on for a while until Ricks has had enough and hits Merle with the butt of his gun after he called us pussies. He said Andrea was in Woodbury and that she was putting it to the governor. The group walks out of the forest leaving Merle on the ground. The black woman stays next to the car with me while the four huddle up the street.

*Glenn's POV*

"Do you want Merle sleeping in the same block as Carol, Beth, or Jade?" I try to make a point at how much is going to go wrong if we bring Merle back.

"Merle isn't a rapist," Daryl says and it reminds me of Jade.

"Yeah, well his buddy is." I try to hint. Maggie looks at me scared and saddened.

"They aren't buddies anymore." Daryl guesses.

"It's not going to work, he's going to have everyone at each other's throats."

"So you're just gonna bring samurai home?" Daryl cracks.

"No, she's leaving." Rick disregards her.

"She can't be on her own." Maggie fights for her. Talk continues about her until Daryl brings up that Merle is his blood and that you don't leave the family. I drag my hand down my face. I have to tell him I mean it has to mean something. I saw them getting closer, hell everyone has. We are glad his shell was being broken.

"No, Merle is your blood. My blood, my family is standing here, sitting in that car, and in that prison. I was hoping you'd care for them too." I gesture in the direction of both.

"He's not." Rick continued for me. A groan comes from the trees signaling the wake of the unwanted.

"Y'all don't get it. Fine. We'll go then." Daryl puts out.