The camp was quiet all morning. Sleeping bags and blankets were already packed and everyone's bags were being put in cars so if anything went wrong they could make the escape as quick as possible. Even after the night inside the relatively safe fences, everybody looked exhausted. Merle stretched the sore muscles of his arms, neck, and back, cracking some joints in the process, making loud popping sounds. It was the first night in what felt like forever when he could rest for this long and he felt like the past months are catching up, letting him know all his years.

"Fuck," he muttered under his breath when a particularly sore muscle let itself be known. He didn't mean to say it aloud, but it already escaped and when he checked to his side, sure enough, Lumen's worried eyes were on him.

"Are you in pain? Do you need me to rub your back before we go in?" She eyed the back of his neck and the shoulder he was kneading earlier with concern.

If this question came from anyone else there would be only one possible answer for him, one that would involve fucking or at least some pussy eating. After all those months together on the road though, Lumen knew all about his sore spots, and he wouldn't be able to count how many times her practices hands helped him from hell of a pain.

"I'm alright for now. I would appreciate it later though," he said with a serious face to which she nodded.

They were all getting ready to go inside now, nervousness was all around the place and at the moment even he didn't have it in him to crack a smile. He just wanted this day to be over and like her, he wanted to know already. This was worse than waiting for the execution because then they didn't have any hope. Now, on the other hand, hope was the only thing they had, and they didn't want to let go of it for as long as they could. Rick suddenly appeared in front of them, one hand on his hip, the other scratching his beard.

"Listen, I know we didn't quite hit it off yesterday. But I think we worked good together, so I was thinking-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there," Merle cut him off, "whatever you were gonna say, save it for when we are actually in."

Rick looked from him to Lumen and after a moment he gave him a quick nod and turned to the others. "Alright listen up!" Rick's voice made everyone else look up and at him, "we all know the plan if we do this right, we'll have a roof over our heads tonight. You all know what to do. Now come on. I know we can do this." He announced and then moved to get ready in front of the gate. "Ready?"

After confirmation from everybody, they all started to move. Rick, Glenn, Maggie, T-Dog, Merle, and Lumen burst into the other yard killing every walker in sight, while Hershel shut and locked the gate again and with the girls, Lori and Carl stayed back to make some noise and hopefully draw some of the dead to the fence to kill them there.

It took some time but they managed to secure the area and even push inside. Surprisingly the inside was actually calmer. They got very lucky, because not only the block was locked away from the other parts of the prison, but they found two sets of keys in the guard post.

Merle looked around and nudged Lumen side, a new level of hope shining in his eyes, "See that? I wonder what other parts of the prison stayed secured."

And for the first time that day, they both smiled.

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Later on, they all chose their cells and called it a night. Tomorrow's plan is to find the cafeteria and infirmary for the much-needed supplies and everybody needed their rest.

Sitting on his cot Merle felt almost disturbingly at home. He chose a cell further away from everyone else and stayed there alone, thinking, not being able to sleep yet. Being so close made him edgy, he wanted to go and search the prison by himself, but he knew he couldn't. He needed the others with him because alone, he wouldn't make it far. He was working the possibilities around his mind when a feeling of being watched pulled him out of his thoughts.

"I'm here for that promised backrub. It'll help with the pain and it'll help you relax. You need to rest." Lumen moved into the cell, dropped her bag on the floor and motioned for him to sit on the chair. Which he did, taking his shirt off. His back hurt and this was the most pleasant, and actually the only way to get rid of that pain.

"Oh really, why are you not resting? You need it as much as I do," he asked, turning around to give her a pointed look, "Hypocrite much? Where have you been hiding anyway?"

"Don't move your head, I won't be any help if you keep moving around."

He let out a quiet chuckle but did as he was told.

She started to work on his sore muscles making him let out a deep content breath. "I'm not a hypocrite, I was talking to Lori for a bit, about the baby and how she's been doing," she continued quietly while kneading a particularly tense knot in his shoulder, "Then I went to my cell to prepare it for the night... But as much as I was looking forward to it, it's just weird to have my own space after all that time. I feel like something is gonna jump me any minute. I don't feel safe. Can I stay with you in your cell?"

"'Course you can," he answered through a moan as the knot loosen up and then groaned when she started to work on another one. "I'll be on top," he moaned again, feeling another knot giving away.

She didn't do this very often. Not wanting to look weak, he didn't like to show when he was in pain. But after some time on the road, when he ran out of drugs, it was inevitable that she would notice. The first time she offered to do it, he brushed her off. He always thought of a massage as a nice foreplay, and this was his brother's girl. He never had an actual massage which would actually help him. Once he tried it though, he discovered he felt like a new man the next day. It lasted for awhile too. He never asked for it, but she usually caught him, just like she did this morning. And to be honest he was glad she did. After that first time, he never turned down the offer ever again.

A loud sound of someone clearing his throat made Lumen stop and they both looked at the door where they saw ...no one.

"What?" Merle barked, not happy at all about the interruption.

"I'm sorry." They heard Rick's voice, "I don't want to- could you just keep it down? The sound carries here. And there are young ears listening."

"The hell are you talking about?" Merle asked, standing up to go out of the cell, with Lumen right on his heels they found Rick leaning against the bars of the cell next door, his hand shielding his eyes. He slowly took the hand off and carefully checked the state they were in. He looked a bit surprised to find Lumen fully clothed.

"Oh God! I was giving him a massage! His back hurts sometimes!" She rolled her eyes, finally catching the meaning behind Rick's comment.

Merle, who now understood too, shot a dirty look in Rick's direction. He was not amused by anyone telling him what to do, or not to do. "Well now that we are all fucking clear here, let her do her job." He took Lumen by her arm and started to drag her inside the cell.

"Wait! Wait a minute." Rick stopped them. "That wasn't why I came... originally." He nervously scratched his beard, his eyes shifting around the cell before continuing. "Look I know we agreed that you two stay elsewhere, that we'll stay out of each other's way. But I think we worked good together. What I wanted to talk with you about this morning was that I wanted to have a talk with the rest of the group about you joining us. We did talk about it tonight, and you are welcome to stay here with us. If you follow our rules and will be helping how you've been so far, that is."

Merle stared him down for a moment before turning the rest of his body around to fully face him. "Is that right? How nice of you!" He then glanced down at Lumen before looking back at Rick with a cold smile on his face. "How about you cut the crap. I say with your wife's condition you just can't let go of the only person with experience and knowledge of human medicine. So stop acting all high and mighty like you would be doing us any favors. We fought to secure this place as much as you all did. I won't be part of your little group, doing what you say when you say it, that's for damn sure. There is a reason why my military status changed to an ex, you got me? I'm my own man. We'll be better on our own."

Rick looked at him, not knowing what to say for a moment before pointing at Lumen, "What about her? Do you decide everything for her? Doesn't she have her own opinion?"

"Oh, she sure does!" Lumen cut in, "She can hear you just fine too and if she didn't agree with Merle here, she could tell you on her own, but thanks for asking," she huffed and then grabbed Merle's arm and tugged for him to follow, "Come on, I'll do the other shoulder. Goodnight Rick," she ended the conversation, no longer looking at the man.

Merle's grin couldn't get any bigger. It was great to have her annoyance directing at someone else. Maybe it would be worth staying with the group, just for this. "You heard the lady, now git!" he uttered over his shoulder when he saw Rick still standing there, staring at them, looking somewhat conflicted.

Rick honestly didn't know what to say, he actually did think they would be doing them a favor. More people means more security. But the fact was he did hope and in the back of his mind, he even started to count on Lumen's help with the delivery. Now he couldn't shake the feeling that he fucked up the fragile truce they established with the odd pair. Deciding he won't be able to do anything about it right now, he said goodnight and reluctantly left.

Lumen had returned to work afterwards but she just couldn't keep her head on the task.

"Damn! Easy there! You know you are suppose to be helping me, not making it worse."

"Sorry." She let go of his shoulder which she was kneading just a bit too roughly. "I'm just- sorry, I should have paid more attention. My thoughts are just all over the place."

"You don't say." He suppressed a chuckle but didn't say anything else when he felt her knuckles on his spine. This was his favorite part. It didn't hurt at all, and let him feel a little light headed afterwards. Since he quit the drugs, meaning he ran out of them and couldn't find any which had led to the detox of his life, well since then this was his only high. And he enjoyed immensely.

"Can you believe this?" Lumen complained quietly behind him. "Is it that hard to simply say, 'hey, we could use more help, could you please stick around?' Isn't there any courtesy left in the world? And what was that about my opinion? The nerve of this man. I can be quiet and have an opinion on things at the same time. You know what? I don't like him. Something doesn't sit well with me about him."

"Sweetheart, I don't say this to piss you off even more, but you are the worse judge of character I've ever met. So your 'something doesn't sit well with me' doesn't worth shit. On the contrary, if he gives you creeps, he's probably the most normal guy on the planet."

"Ha, ha, fucking ha. You gave me creeps when I first met you and you are a creep!"

"What was that? Excuse me, was that a swear word I heard? You kiss my brother with that mouth?"

"Oh no, you can't change the topic that easily, you can't deny I was right about you."

"About what, that I am a creep? I'm not denying anything, but I have you know I am a creep you are giving a massage to, so I can't be that bad, right?" He turned to look at her, eyebrows raised, smirk plastered on his face.

"But you are." She took her hands off him then looked around to find his shirt. Once she located it she grabbed it and threw it at him. "I just became a master in ignoring that about you."

"Ouch, I'm hurt." He mocked while pulling the shirt on.

"I bet you are, my heart is bleeding for you. Now come on, let's go to sleep."

"Hey, you remember I'm not the one who pissed you off, right? What's up with you?" Now that he was actually looking at her, he saw her flushed face and nervous fidgeting.

"It's nothing really." She tried to downplay her worries.

He moved to stand right besides her, leaning against the metal construction of the cots. "Come on, don't give me that shit. You've been on edge since yesterday. Talk to me Lumen. Is it the group? They make you nervous?"

"No, it's not the group, not really." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "It's Daryl." She chanced a quick glance at Merle and seeing his confused expression she cut her eyes down, and continued while staring at the floor. "I'm not sure how to explain this well. It's just, I was so focused on getting here. Before that, I didn't really think about anything else and the closer we got the more I started to think about what will happen next, and it's been so long since we saw him, since he saw me and-I don't know. I just keep thinking about how we never really spend much time together outside of this damn prison. What if he won't feel the same way anymore. What about all these people with us? Will they be safe? Just yesterday I thought about how in all this time, I've never talked with either of you about his- about what- I don't-"

"-Alright, alright, come here." He stopped her rumbling which didn't make much sense to him anyway. He pulled her to his chest, patting the back of her head. "Take a deep breath and let it out. There's a good girl," he rumbled quietly. He heard her sniffle, but she didn't seem to be crying. "You worry too much. But for the record there is no way my brother would ever stop feeling whatever it is he feels for you, because, sweetheart, I know the man all his life. I changed his diapers for Christ's sake, and I never ever saw him act around anyone the way he acts around you. It's like you're his personal tranquilizer. That's creepy if you ask me. And for the rest, how about we think about that once we actually find him?" He felt her take several deep breaths before she tried again.

"But-"

"-No buts," he cut her off, "We'll be alright, everything will be alright. I promise." He didn't want to get into a conversation about the other issues. He wasn't even sure if he'd have the right answers, or any answers for that matter. So instead he kept petting her until he felt her calming down.

He directed her to bottom cot then. "I want you to stay here tomorrow. Ah, ah, ah I'm not finished." He pointed at her when he saw she was about to protest. "It will be harder than the yard, we'll be in the corridors and there is no saying what we'll find there. And I'm not saying you are not capable, because you are. But with the state of mind you are in, I don't want to take any chances and I won't be able to focus if I'll keep checking on you. So be good and stay here with the others, alright?"

"Okay." She eventually agreed in a whisper.

"Good, now let's get some sleep." He urged her to her bed before he climbed on the top cot. After the massage and this talk he was more than ready to get some shut eye. His edginess somewhat settled.

"Merle?" He heard her quietly call for him after few minutes.

"Yeah?" he grunted half asleep.

"Thank you."

"Anytime."

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The search the following day went south rather quickly and Merle was more than happy about his decision to have Lumen to stay behind. The corridors were full of walkers, Maggie and Glenn got separated and before they found them, the old man got bitten.

Merle cursed under his breath when they laid him down and Rick started to chop his leg off to try to avoid him turning. Well, at least they seem to find the damn cafeteria. He thought looking around when his eyes caught the unfamiliar faces watching the scene, all unfamiliar but one.

"I'll be damned! Never thought I'd be so glad to see your nigger ass!" He laughed, standing up and going toward the kitchen. "Do you know where my brother is?"

Oscar, who couldn't take his eyes from the bleeding man on the ground didn't answer right away, but he didn't have to.

"Who the hell are you?" One of the other prisoners asked, eying the scene in front of him through the barred window.

"Merle?" And there he was, his not so little little brother, coming through the door with Oscar following on his heels. Merle reached for him and grabbing the back of his neck. He pulled him to his chest and breathed deeply in relief. He slipped Daryl the second gun he was carrying just in case before putting his free hand on Oscar's shoulder in greeting. He almost forgot what was happening around him when Rick's shouts pulled him back.

"Hey! He's bleeding out! Maggie, put pressure on the knee. Hard, hard! Push, push." He looked frantically around him, "We gotta get him back!"

All the prisoners now started to come out of the kitchen, looking utterly confused. Looking between Oscar, Daryl, Merle, and the rest of the people on the ground around the injured man. They didn't quite know what to make of all of it.

"What happened to him?" One of the prisoners asked.

"He got bit," Merle said, not letting go of his brother.

"Bit?" Another one asked looking even more confused. They all looked at Rick, who was fighting to save the man.

"I need you to hold this." Rick instructed Maggie, who was barely holding it together, but she gave him a shaky 'okay' and did what he asked. "As hard as you can," he said, his eyes drilling in hers to get across how important that is.

"Yes." She sounded a little bit more confident and held the rags to the wound. But no matter how hard she pressed them it looked like the blood just kept flowing everywhere.

Glenn then stood up, hurrying into the kitchen. "You have medical supplies?"

One of the prisoners took a gun out, pointing it at Glenn, "Where do you think you're going?" And when it didn't stop him he turned the gun on Merle.

Daryl pushed Merle off and pointed his own gun at the dumbass with a revolver and hissed, "put it down asshole, or I'll put you down." Merle followed Daryl's lead, T-Dog too, although his eyes kept jumping to Daryl nervously.

"Fuck you, you don't tell me what to do!" He threw back, but seeing all the guns pointed at him, he reluctantly pointed his to the ground.

"Who the hell are you people, anyway? Don't look like no rescue team." Another voice asked.

Rick looked at all of them while waiting on Glenn. "If a rescue team is what you're waiting for, don't." At that moment Glenn emerged from the kitchen with a metal table on wheels and Rick urged him on, "come on, we gotta go! Now! Come on! I need a hand here." They took a hold on Hershel from each side and Rick countdown for the lift, "One, two, three, go!" And then they moved quickly to the door, "T, the door," he yelled while pushing the table in front of him.

The shocked prisoners found their voices again then, "are you crazy? Don't open that!"

To which T-Dog shouted "We got this!" And opened it. Immediately first snarling walker stumbled in but before he got further into the room, T-Dog pinned it against the wall and shove a stick through its brain. The body hit the ground and Rick, Maggie and Glenn pushed the table into the corridor.

"The fuck?" Daryl murmured when they disappeared out of site. Merle didn't give him an answer, instead he dragged him in for another half hug slapping him on the back.

"Come on, let's head back, I'll explain everything later." He motioned for him and Oscar to follow, while keeping his gun pointed at the others. When they tried to follow too he shouted, "you fuckers stay here or you'll got a bullet in the head, we clear?" He saw the guy's arm, the one's holding the revolver, twitch and pointed his gun directly at his head. "Try me asshole." The guy's eyes flicked to Daryl, he looked pissed but he didn't move, and he silently watched them leave.

"Lumen?" Daryl asked when they were out of the room. The corridor was cleaned by Rick and others and they managed to walk through without any problems.

"Yeah I got her, she's waiting in the cell block. Although now with the old man playing on world war one I bet she'll have her hands full." He answered with a smile. A smile that dropped when Oscar asked about his family.

"Hey you got a cell I could use to call my wife?" Oscar asked

"Fuck." Merle muttered, not really knowing how to explain to the man his family is gone. He knew very well Oscar was in the same prison as Daryl. He just never really thought about him after he and Lumen found his family dead. "Sorry man, there are no phones anymore, no nothing. We did go to your house, but it was too late."

"What are you talking about? Too late for what?"

He didn't get an answer to that.

When they eventually got to the cell block Rick, T-Dog and Glenn were waiting for them. Maggie was watching from the other side of the locked bars. Rick's face looked troubled and Merle could understand why. He didn't care though, he was just happy to have his brother by his side. He felt like all the weight of the world was lifted from his shoulders. He rubbed his hands together contently.

"Who's this?" Daryl asked calmly beside him.

Merle turned to introduce Rick. "Me and Lumen met these nice people outside of the prison, we cleared out the yard and this cell block together. We have a deal with them." He pointedly looked at Rick. "We help each other to secure the place and then we'll all mind our own business. Isn't that right, Rick?" He couldn't help the mocking tone. This was just too entertaining.

"That deal was for you and Lumen, we didn't make a deal about convicts joining you." Rick said in a stern tone.

Merle's eyes darkened. "But it's not up to you to decide who will or will not join me and Lumen now is it?"

Rick seems to have an internal fight with himself. "You can't just expect me to let bunch of convicts sleep beside us." His eyes jumped to where Maggie was standing in knee-jerk reaction, it was unintentional but it showed his thoughts and the message clearly.

"You let me sleep beside you yesterday and the day before that just fine." Merle let the information sink in. He too was convicted, even though he was an ex-convict there isn't much of a difference. "Besides, I don't give a shit about the others back there. We can go and kill them right now for all I care. And these two ain't doing time for no rape if that's what you are worried about."

Daryl cleared his throat. "Doesn't matter no more what we are in here for. From what I see around and from what my brother here told us, I'd say the world as we knew it doesn't exist no more." He glanced at Merle. "Let's just get Lumen and then we'll decide what we'll do." His eyes checking on Oscar who didn't seem to be really present since he asked about his family, his mind working all the new information, but he seemed to be holding himself together. "Lead the way," Daryl said and they all started to move.

Rick pointed his gun at them, "No! Stop, I can't let you just walk in there."

Daryl raised his own along with his eyebrow, "Oh yeah? What are you gonna do about it?"

Instead of Rick's answer, they heard a sound of keys rattling in the lock. Rick's head turned so fast it seemed like he might hurt his neck. Daryl looked to the bars, along with everybody else, and there she was. With her hands and clothes all bloody and filthy, he was reminded of the last day he saw her while still being a free man. It was almost poetic.

She looked around nervously, "Please, there is no need for this, all of you need to calm down so we can figure how to make this work peacefully, alright?" She addressed each one of them while eying all the guns that were being slowly put down one by one, before her gaze fixed on Daryl.

"I'm calm," he said lazily. When she didn't go to him right away for a millisecond a thought flashed through his brain that maybe she's scared now that there no glass between them, like it was when she visited, but he brushed it off. Instead he urged her on.

"It's okay darling, come here." He reached his hand out as if for her to take it even though she was across the room. And she started to move then, slowly at first but then she sped up. Their bodies collided and she hugged him tightly. Her fists were gripping his shirt tightly like he would disappear if she let go. All of her worries momentarily forgotten under. The waves of relief and joy flooding through her veins.

"I knew it, I knew we'd find you." He heard her mumbling to his neck. She started to shake and he knew she was crying. He hugged her even tighter to his body, shutting out the world around him and enjoying the absolute bliss of the heavenly feeling he only had when she was near him.

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Thank you for reading :-) and of course thank you @scriptor412 for being so awesome. She corrected my mistakes and gave me her opinion at 3 freaking am in the morning! Big applause for her please!