Most of the people attending the funeral were still in the yard, waiting for Rick and T-Dog to cover the grave. The makeshift ceremony was over though and Lumen with Axel turned to head back to prison. Merle didn't even realize he has been standing there this long. Suddenly, as if pulled out of a fog, he became very aware of the heat that replaced the early morning coolness.

He was about to go back in when the sound of the metal door being slammed against the wall announced that he was no longer alone. He turned to look and found his brother standing in a doorway. "Whatcha doin'?" Daryl tiredly looked around as he lit a smoke.

"Smoking," Merle grunted. Only after the words left his mouth he realized his smoke was gone for awhile. He studied the butt in his hand, threw it away and pulled out the pack to light another cigarette. He saw Daryl smirking out of the corner of his eye, silently calling him out on his bullshit. "Fuck you!" Merle muttered.

Daryl chuckled, seemingly in a good mood, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as something had caught his attention in the distance. Merle glanced at the yard again. Rick and T-Dog seemed to be finishing with the covering of the grave. Lumen and Axel were already at the gate leading to the parking lot and she waved in their direction.

Merle looked his brother over again trying to think of a time, a situation, a fucking moment he'd seen Daryl in a good mood. He couldn't recall a single one. There would always be this tension, this bubbling anger. But right now, he didn't see it. This whole thing had to be his wet dream. No police, no punishment, no nothing. Just a playground to do whatever.

"Fuck," Merle breathed out silently. Standing in front of him was probably the only person on the entire planet who was content with the apocalypse. Go figure. The thought of popping one of those little fuckers in his pocket suddenly seemed like a not so bad of an idea. Just as the idea came, his mind gifted him with an image of a bloody face of a little blond, snapping mouth, dead eyes... He felt sick again, completely forgetting the pills.

"You looked at the generator?" Daryl pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, needs cleaning. We'll need more fuel for it too," Merle replied, actually grateful for the distraction from his own brain.

"Alright," Daryl said, nodding slightly. "I'll just pack some things and we'll go," he agreed easily.

"Go where?" Lumen's voice broke in.

xxxx

When they got back to their room, Amy was still at the same position on the couch. There was a can of fruit mix in her hand and she was chewing slowly. Her expression blank.

Oscar jumped up from his spot as soon as the door clicked open, revealing Merle's form. "Lumen's not with you?" he asked, looking at the door expectantly as if he was trying to summon her by will.

"She's just behind me," Merle informed while starting to pack his bag. Daryl made a beeline for the other room to do the same with an angry looking Lumen on his track.

Oscar watched them for a moment. No way he was staying behind babysit while they go wherever. He liked Amy, he felt really sorry for her, but he also had no idea what to do with her and he wanted out. However, he wasn't that much of an asshole to just leave her alone. "What are you two up to?" he asked, still watching.

"The generator seems to be in need of some maintenance but it will work just fine. We're going to look for fuel," Merle explained while putting supplies in his bag.

"All of you?"

"Well actually-"

"Yes, all of us," Lumen interrupted him from the doorway.

Daryl strolled out of their room, "Sweetheart, you are not going I told you."

"Oh, no, no, no! We talked about this! You can't tell me what to do, or not to do. We just found you. We are not gonna split again!" she argued in that silent angry voice Daryl knew so well.

Merle took his eyes from the cans he was packing and looked at her. He paused for a second then turned to Daryl. "On that note, I think it will be best if I'll go alone. Daryl, you stay here with her." Some alone time was exactly what he needed. He needed some fresh air, to get away.

Daryl's expression changed in an instant, and a "What the hell?" resonated through the room at the same time as Lume hissed, "The hell you will! I won't let you go alone!"

Merle snorted, "Oh so we can't tell you what to do, but you can boss us around? I don't think so missy!"

Lumen took a few steps in his direction. She briefly met Oscar's eyes before focusing on Merle again, "Are you for real? You know how it looks out there. You need to listen to me, you can't go alone! It's a suicide!"

"I am a grown ass man, I don't need to listen to shit!" Merle said in a dismissive tone.

"Are you saying I am not grown ass man?" Daryl's angry voice broke in.

"You got a pussy to look after. Better you stay here too." Merle didn't even know why was he saying what he was saying. He just wanted this argument to stop and for his brother and Lumen to stay safe.

"Fuck you, Merle!" Lumen shouted. She knew Beth's death affected him, but that's no excuse for this, she was pissed now.

"You had a chance and you blew it," Merle winked at her, happy with himself for getting her railed up like this.

"I'll go with him," Oscar suddenly stepped in. Merle looked at him as if he forgot Oscar was in the room with them.

"Fuck this shit, Y'all do what you want." Daryl returned to the other room and slammed the door behind him. He didn't know what made him angrier. The fact his brother was still bossing him around as if he was a little boy or the fact he actually listened to him, again.

"Um," Oscar tore his eyes from the closed door and locked them with Merle, silently pleading him to not to argue, "I'll have your back, I'll go." He then said to Lumen, "I think you really should stay here," subtly motioning to Amy who was making herself as little as possible in the corner of the couch.

"Right," Lumen muttered, now regretting the whole argument. If she agreed right away Daryl would be probably coming with Merle and she would be much calmer, "Thanks," she awkwardly smiled at Oscar.

There goes my alone time, Merle thought. But this was a better solution. Lumen would be safe with Daryl, and Oscar never really talked to him anyway. "Okay then, pack your things we are leaving right away."

xxxx

After no luck in one small city. They followed a gas station sign to another one. All gas stations were usually empty as that's where people went first, but they decided to check it out anyway. Better safe than sorry and all that. Their assumption was right, it was empty. Thought near the station was a pharmacy in the little shopping center and so Merle went there with a list Lumen gave him, but really just take whatever was there to be found, while Oscar stayed on guard. Things went to hell fast.

"How could you not see them sooner!" Merle hissed.

Oscar just shook his head, he didn't even try to form an answer. He didn't know. It was as if they just materialized out of nothing. The parking lot was deserted and all of sudden there they were, a horde of them limping in their way.

"What are you still doing here you fucking idiot? Go get the truck. I'll take what I can and meet you in the back."

Oscar stayed frozen for a moment but shook himself quickly and bolted out of the door.

Merle blocked the door behind him and continued to empty the already almost empty shelves into his bag. He heard when the dead reached the glass door, and soon after that the engine of the truck.

That was his clue, closing the bag hastily and ran to the back door to meet Oscar on the other side of the complex. He got through the door and stopped. There was no one there. He looked left then right but nothing. He didn't even hear the truck. What the fuck? He thought about going back inside just as he started to turn around he heard the tale-telling click of the closing door. He tried the knob but the door wouldn't open from the outside. Then he saw it. From both sides of the complex, the walkers started to make their way toward him. "Fuck!"

He weighed his options, he could try other doors, but chances were none of them could be opened from the outside. Looking around he saw the walkers closing on him. The nearest building was the empty gas station even though it was still far enough.

And so he hopped down from the ramp and started running. Ha! Got my back my ass! Merle thought as he ran for his life.

The walkers were slower but they were many and he needed to find a place in the station to hide well enough for them to hopefully move on.

He burst through the door and pushed the closest shelf against it. The lock was broken but this could slow them down for a bit.

What now? He looked around the space. The station wasn't that small, but it was small enough to not have many places to hide. It had several freezers from which the awful smell of rotten food was most likely coming from, one door marked 'toilet' and one door marked 'staff only'.

Merle walked quickly to it. He was about to turn the knob when he heard a thump coming right from the other side of the door. Shit! Well, no time to waste, he thought and opened the door quickly, his knife ready to strike but instead of a dead person trying to take a bite out of him, he was greeted with a gun barrel and a quiet growl. "Drop the knife."

On the other side of the gun was a person, quite tall. Still few inches shorter than him but he was taller than most. The stranger had a hoodie on, his head hidden and a bandana over his face.

Taken by surprise Merle didn't react right away, "Drop it!" The person whisper shouted again, and now hearing the voice again, looking at the delicate small hand gripping the gun, it registered that the strange guy in front of him was actually a girl.

Merle did as told. As soon as his knife hit the ground she moved forward, kicking it with her foot, resulting in it sliding under the freezer on her left side, disappearing from his sight, great.

"Back, move back!" she instructed, and he did, reluctantly, but the gun was pointed at his face and he needed the right amount of distance if he wanted to get the upper hand.

"Hey now, there is no need for th-"

"Shut up! Where are your buddies?" She cut him off, quickly looking around and back at him. When he didn't say anything she urged him on, jerking the gun in front of him, "Tell me! Where are they?" she asked again.

"Make up your mind lady! You either want me to shut up or you want me to chat with you!" he said, cracking a laugh, even though the situation wasn't really funny. The walkers would be here any minute now.

He could see she was nervous. She sounded maybe a little pissed, but she kept nervously looking around as if expecting to be jumped. She was talking quietly although she sounded as if she wanted to scream in his face. That kind of nervousness could make one pull the trigger without even meaning to. Merle's attempt at lightening the mood fell on deaf ears though.

"I know you assholes never travel alone. Where are they?!"

"Well fuck me, if this isn't the fastest someone called me an asshole." He tried to joke and break some of the tension.

With no success, he realized as her dry, "Yeah, I doubt that," reached his ears.

"Usually, they don't call me an asshole 'til the morning." He laughed but recovered quickly when he saw her hold on the gun tighten, as if she was preparing herself for the shot, "Alright, alright. Calm your tits, there are no buddies. I'm here alone." He said, making a little step backward.

"Yeah right," she uttered sarcastically, quickly looking to the sides.

"Yeah, right," he mocked, mimicking higher woman's voice, "for Christ's sake," he muttered.

She was standing right in front of him. She couldn't very well miss from that distance but it was also a bad move on her part. Deciding to not risk this any longer since she didn't look anywhere near to calming down, putting his skills from the army to use, Merle took one more little step back and then, moving fast, he disarmed her in three quick moves. In two seconds she was the one at the end of the gun.

He saw panic flicker in her eyes but she recovered quickly. She traightened up and barked, "I'm not going anywhere with you!" No longer being careful about being quiet. She must have thought she would attract his buddies earlier.

"The fuck? I'm not asking you to! I just don't want you to shoot me by accident, your hands were shaking."

"They were not!" She sounded offended. Her gaze traveled from the gun to his face, "Well, let me go then."

"Nobody's keeping you," he said motioning with one hand to the door in a wide gesture, only to find said door full of walkers. "Shit." He launched to the side to retrieve his knife.

"Give me my gun back," the girl urged, moving closer to him, their argument momentarily forgotten.

"You got a knife?" He looked at her.

She nodded quickly and reached to her side coming up empty-handed. "Shit! It's still in the closet!" She returned to the whisper shouting quiet voice again.

"Let's go get it?" Merle nodded for her to go first. She hurried to the still open door and came out with some kind of dagger.

"Nice," Merle complimented, and started to move around the shelfs.

"Wait." Out of reflex, she grabbed his arm to stop him but let go as soon as she realized what she's done, "my gun," she tried again.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, I'm not gonna help you fight your way out of here only for you to shoot me in the back as soon as we get out." He snickered just as some of the windows shattered and the smell of rotten flesh got worse and the inarticulate noise of the dead got louder.

"Give me my gun and I'll help you out of this," she offered without future explanation.

He listened to the growling and shuffling getting closer and closer from all directions. Oh well, if she'll shoot me, it will be faster than being eaten, he decided. He switched the safety on and handed the gun back to her, his movements slow, eyes wary.

She took it but instead of putting it to use she crouched down and made her way toward the freezers, "come one," she urged.

Merle didn't react at first, but then he saw her pull one of the doors. Not the freezer handle though, she pulled on something on the other side and revealed a dark passage. That got him to move.

He hurried to her side and they both slipped into the dark hallway. She quickly closed the door behind them and Merle found himself in absolute darkness.

A hand grabbed his arm and tugged on it to make him move. He reluctantly followed, keeping one hand on the wall to make himself feel grounded.

"Careful here," she whispered, "there are round steps. It's spiral stairs, we'll make two rounds and I'll switch the light on when we are down. Ready?"

Very uncomfortable about being dependent on some stranger, a stranger who was about to shoot him just a moments ago on top of that, he just grunted affirmatively which she seemed to get because she started to move again.

In his distrust state, Merle moved slowly and the walk seemed to last forever. Based on the sound the stairs was metal which gave him an odd feeling of familiarity and his army training popped out in his head for some reason. He tried to focus on here and now though and when they finally got down, he heard a lock opening, then a door creaked and she pulled him through it. The door creaked again as she closed it. The hold on his arm disappeared and after a few dreadful moments the silence was broken by a sound of a generator and the lights flicked on.

"Shit!" Merle cursed as the sudden brightens hurt his eyes.

"Oh! Sorry, I should have warned you," the girl actually sounded apologetic.

Merle slowly opened his eyes, the light wasn't actually that bright. It hurt before most likely just because his eyes were trying to accommodate to the dark. As soon as he realized where he was, he forgot all about the damn light.

He saw a big room full of shelves placed around the walls and in at least eight rows with care so there was enough space to walk between them, and they were packed with food and other supplies. He could see another door at the back of the room.

"Holy shit! You got yourself a survival bunker! Talking about hitting jackpot!"

xxxx

Hey, anyone still around? I know it has been months since my last update, but today an inspiration hit me and so... here it is. Another chapter. I was planning on adding this new character for a long time and I am really happy about being able to finally introduce her (though only briefly)

Hope you enjoyed ;)