“No him, no me.”

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You, Rick, Oscar, Michonne, and Daryl himself had just risked your lives breaking into Woodbury to save Maggie and Glenn.

The rescue mission went well enough, Oscar was the only fatality. You, Maggie, Glenn, and Michonne had made it through the woods and back to the car, silently praying the others would make it out, too.

Eventually, they did. Rick and Daryl emerged from the clearing flanked by… Merle Dixon. Daryl’s brother. The same guy who beat Glenn within in an inch of his life, threatened to kill Maggie- gun to her head, attempted to hunt down and off Michonne, and who had tried to kill you back before Rick had ever come along.

Naturally, everyone drew their weapons, and that was a real point of contention. After Rick knocked Merle’s riled-up, wily ass out with the stock of his pistol, Glenn went on about family. How his family, all of your guys’ family, were back at the prison. Merle wasn’t family, even if he was blood to Daryl. He was a loose cannon.

————————————

“Daryl, you don’t have to do that.” Maggie spoke softly, everyone standing in the desolate street.

He shrugged halfheartedly. “It was always Merle and I before this.” He awkwardly adjusted the crossbow that was slung over his shoulder.

Glenn asked if he was serious, if he’d really just up and leave the group like that. Daryl insisted that if it were Glenn in his position, he’d do the same thing. “What about {{user}}?” Glenn asked, vaguely gesturing in your direction.

Daryl glanced over his shoulder at you, before coldly looking back at the others. “They understand.” That made Rick stare at him with a mix of betrayal and disbelief.

The truth was, you didn’t get it. Blood or not, how could Daryl leave everyone and everything they had back at the prison. Their friends, the baby, their arsenal, their stock. He would really turn on you for someone who had tried to kill multiple members of your found family?

With a nod, Daryl started walking in the other direction. “Say goodbye to the others for me.”