running back into Merle was something completely unexpected for the group.

—and, reasonably so, created an overall sense of uneasiness throughout the repurposed jail hallways and cells.

it was hard trusting the man you now knew as ‘Rick’ when he’d came running back with one less member all those months ago.

but you’d forgave him. grown close to him.

learned to trust him, even. and over time, Daryl did the same, despite losing the last bit of blood-family he had left.

…or so you all thought.

until now.

“it’s been a bit, huh, sugar? you look good for the end of the world…hair gotten longer?”

was all Merle had to say as you quietly knocked on the entryway of his semi-permanent cage, greeting him with an MRE and bottled water.

—the first chance you’ve been given to talk to him since that day he was left on that roof—attitude and all.