Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chupacabra

Characters: Daryl, walkers, Andrea

Summary: Set in S1 or 2. What if Daryl hadn't had a hallucination of Merle? What if Daryl hadn't pulled that arrow out? What if Andrea was the only one around at the time? Read to find out what happens.

Pairings:
Daryl/Andrea

It was a beautiful day, as Daryl rode on one of Hershel's horses in search of Carole's daughter, Sophia. He had a lot of hope that Sophia was alive, because he had found her doll by a stream.
Suddenly, the horse got spooked and reared up, making him fall off and roll down the steep hill. And at the bottom of the hill, he landed on his back with an arrow in his side from his crossbow. He then slowly sat up and looked up at the steep hill, before slowly getting to his feet and inching towards it. He had to get back to Hershel's to the others.
It was agony, as he climbed, but he had to get back to them. He wasn't going to stay there to become a helpless victim to the walkers, or become one of them. Decides, he wanted to live for the group and his brother. He didn't want to die without knowing whether or not his brother was still alive.

Andrea was on top of Dale's RV, helping to look after the group by looking out for any walkers. She picked up and used the binoculars, seeing a figure coming from the trees. And once she adjusted them, she saw who it was. So, with rifle in hand just in case, the others off too far away to hear her, she ran towards him.
“Daryl!” she yelled, as she got closer.
A moment later, she reached him.
Seeing the shape he was in, more specifically, the arrow in his side, she couldn't stop herself from saying, “Oh my God. Daryl, what happened?” Then, “Come on. You need Hershel.”
As she helped him walk to the house to get Hershel, he let her.

A couple days later, the arrow out, his wounds taken care of, he was himself again. So everybody lived as happily ever after as they could. After all, it was still the zombie apocalypse.

Chapter Text

It was a beautiful day, as Andrea limped through the woods, gun in holster, knife in hand, ready for anything. She had had a rough night during the walker chaos. She had managed to take down two walkers before running out of ammo in her gun, and had taken down the last one that had followed her into the woods, with her knife. She only guessed that the others were long gone by now. She hoped they were all okay, though she thought they would’ve gone to look for her by now. She knew Daryl would have. She figured they hadn’t though, because of all the walkers on the farm. She understood that. Now she was on her own with a possible sprained ankle. It hurt every time she walked, but she knew she had to keep walking. She needed to find a road and follow it. If she was lucky enough, she’d find the others. She was sick, too. She hadn’t been able to find any water since the first month she was out in the woods and had found a stream, and the woods didn’t exactly have any food. She didn’t know anything about surviving in the woods. She wasn’t like Daryl. She didn’t know how to track or hunt, and she sure as hell didn’t have a crossbow to kill anything with.

Merle Dixon was in the woods, when he heard twigs snapping a distance away. He knew it couldn’t be a walker, so he followed the sounds to investigate. Unlike most people, he knew any type of woods and how to survive in them. Like his younger brother, Daryl. That was actually why he was here. He was tracking down Officer Friendly’s group, in order to find his brother. He had to find Daryl. He was all he had left in this world. Even though he hadn’t been there for him before all of this, except to protect him from their no good father, of course, it had always been Daryl. He would do what he had to get him back; even if it meant joining the group again.

Andrea stopped to lean against a tree for a few minutes, before continuing on. Then, as she continued on, she heard someone behind her that she thought she would never hear or see ever again. He wasn’t Daryl, but she was happy for once, to be in his presence. After several months, she needed to see a familiar face. And he was just that. He might be an ass sometimes, but he wouldn’t hurt her. She wasn’t blind. She knew he had a crush on her. She just wasn’t ready. That, and she didn’t want anything to happen to him. She had loved her sister, Amy, and she had been killed. She had even gotten close to Dale and he had also been killed. She thought if she got close to Merle, something would happen to him, too. If that happened, she could never look Daryl in the eyes again.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Blondie. What brings you out in this neck of the woods? This ain’t your cuppa tea.”
She turned around to face him, which was slow because of her injury.
“We got over run by walkers on a farm. I got separated from the others. I’ve been trying to track them down.”
“Looks like we’re in the same boat. I’m lookin’ for my brother. He’s with them. Why don’t we team up, and we’ll find them together?” he replied. Then, seeing her appearance, he had to know what happened to her. “What the hell happened to you, darlin’?”
“I sprained my ankle and I haven’t exactly had anything to eat or drink in months. I’m not like you and Daryl. I don’t know about finding food in the middle of the woods,” she answered him.
“Here,” he said, handing her his canteen of water, in which she gladly took.
She had a few drinks, before handing it back to him.
He took it.
“Thanks, Merle. You’ve changed. You’re not such an ass anymore.”
Merle had never cared about anyone but Daryl. He had never even taken care of anyone before. Right now, though, he knew that she needed him. He had to take care of her. In fact, he wanted to take care of her. Other than Daryl, she was the only person that he cared about. She was like him; an outcast. They had abandoned her, just like they had done to him a year ago up on that rooftop. She had been separated from them and they hadn’t even gone back for her. They had just left her here alone. And she was hurt and sick. She needed someone to take care of her and he was there. He’d look out for her, but he didn’t like that she thought he’d changed. He’d show her soon enough that he was still the same pain in the ass, Merle Dixon that she hadn’t liked a year ago.
“I haven’t changed. I’m jus’ helpin’ you. That’s all it is,” he told her. “We better get goin’. Gotta find a place before sun down.”
So that’s what they did. They kept going through the woods until he led her to a dirt road. Then they kept on walking until they found a house with an abandoned Ford pickup.
“That’s what I’m talkin’ about,” he commented, before opening the door and messing with wires to hotwire it.
He’s definitely a redneck alright, she thought, as glad as he was to find the light blue truck.
She leaned against the side of the box, while she waited for him to hotwire it.
Finally, after a few minutes, he got it and they got in, before driving off.
They were silent, as he drove, nothing much to say to each other. Despite both being outcasts, they didn’t have anything in common.

After about a month, Andrea was well again, including her ankle, and they were continuing their journey to find the group. And throughout this time, they had gotten closer and gotten to know each other better. And Andrea started to not see him as an ass. Instead, she saw him in a completely different light. She even found herself starting to fall for him, just as she knew he had done a year ago with her.

Chapter Text

with her free hand. Knowing he couldn’t let anything happen to her, considering he cared about what happened to her, he used his foot to kick it off and then killed it with a knife through the head.
Andrea put her knife away and then looked up at someone that she thought she would never see again, much less be saved by.
“Merle?” she said, as everything continued to be blurry.
“It’s me, Blondie,” he assured her. Then, seeing that she looked sick but hadn’t been bitten, he knelt down by her and promised her, “Ol’ Merle will take care of you.”
A moment later, everything went black for her.
He gently picked her up in his arms and started walking, knowing he had seen a car he could hot wire about a mile back. Plus, Merle never broke his word to anyone. That, and he cared about her. It was how she was. She was like him. She was alone and an outcast, forced to become who she was to this day. He could only guess the one reason why she was who she was now. She had had a smart ass mouth on her the first time he had met her, but she hadn’t been all that tough like he saw she was now. And then he remembered that last time he had seen her, she had had a little sister named Amy. He figured that something had happened to her sister and that’s why she was so tough now. He had always admired her from the first moment he saw her.

When she woke up, she saw that she was in the passenger’s seat of a car, Merle driving. Then she remembered that Merle Dixon, out of all the people in the world that was left alive, had saved her life from a walker. Something she hadn’t expected from him.
He tossed her a water bottle which landed lightly on her lap.
“Drink up. You’ll need your energy if we’re gonna be working together. Plus, you’re dehydrated. You need to get rehydrated. That’s the best I can do for right now until we can find a pharmacy. You’re sick. What happened? How long have you been out there by yourself?” he said, getting right to the point.
She slowly took a sip of it, thankful, for once in her life, for Merle.
She looked at him, as she answered him.
“We got over run by walkers at a farm we were staying at. I got separated from the group after I rescued Carol from some walkers. A couple of them followed me into some woods. Ever since that night, I’ve been out on my own. That was about six months ago. What happened to you? Where have you been?”
“I left to be on my own for a while. Then I headed back to go find my brother. I’m still looking. When you were last with them, was my brother alive? He okay?”
“Last time I was with them, Daryl was alive. Why didn’t you stay on that rooftop? We went back for you but you weren’t there.”
“I didn’t think anyone would be coming back for me, so I did what I could and I left. So, what happened? You’re not who you were a year ago the last time I saw you.”
“I lost Amy. We got over run by walkers in the camp the night that they came back from looking for you. A walker bit her and she died. She came back and I had to shoot her. She was the only family I had left. Now she’s gone. After that, I had to become strong and live for Amy.”
“I’m sorry about your sister, Blondie, but I kind of like the new you.”
Andrea went back to slowly sipping the water and looking out the window at the road, as Merle continued to drive.

Once they found a pharmacy, he left her in the car while he went to get what he needed to take care of her. She needed her strength back and he could only play her knight in shining armor for so long. Though, he admitted that he didn’t mind being her knight in shining armor. It actually felt good to be saving someone else’s ass that wasn’t his brother’s.
A few minutes later, they were back on the road again.

Before dark settled, they had settled in a little white house.
As Andrea slept in a bedroom in a warm bed, Merle kept watch from inside, not wanting to let anything happen to either Andrea or himself.
A month later, after Andrea was no longer sick, they packed up their stuff and left in the car, aiming to find Daryl and the others. So, everyone lived as happily ever after as they could. After all, they were still in the middle of an apocalypse.

Chapter Text

“Do it,” Lori Grimes said, as she lay on her back, knowing she would rather Carol get her child out of her, than her child die while still inside her. She wasn’t going to lose her second child. Her baby deserved to live.
“Lori,” Carol protested, knowing they didn’t have the proper equipment where they were. She didn’t want to risk killing Lori or both Lori and the baby.
Carl stood a distance off, watching them.
“I’m ready,” Lori said, trying to convince her.
“Are you sure? We can wait until we get back to the cell.”
“No. It’ll be too late. The baby is going to die. We have to do it now.”
Suddenly, there wasn’t any noise from the walkers outside the door anymore.
“Lori? Carl? Carol?” they heard Ric call softly, as to not alert whatever walkers were still out there in the halls.
“In here,” Carol called to him.
Ric stopped at the door in the hall and opened it, closing it behind himself. Then he came down the few steps to go over to them.
Carol looked at him.
“We need to get back. The baby is going to die if we don’t get it out.”
He held his gun out to her.
“Take it.”
She took it.

They walked into where the cells were, Ric carrying his wife, Carol and Carl following.
Glen unlocked the cell door for them and opened it, until they were inside. Then they headed for one of the cells, as Glen locked the door.
“What happened?” Glen asked, once in the cell, as Ric layed her down on the bed.
“The baby is going to die,” Carol said.
“We need Hershel,” Angela said.
“I’ll go get him,” Darrell said, leaving the room.
Half an hour later, the baby was out and both Lori and the girl lived.
“She’s a little ass kicker,” Darrell commented, talking about the baby.
“So, what are you going to name her?” Carl asked his mother.
“I think I’ll name her Sophie,” Lori replied, as she held her, sitting up in bed.
“We’ll need to get some formula,” Hershel said.
“I’ll go,” Angela announced.
“I’ll go, too,” Glen replied.
They watched them go.

Chapter Text

You know how sometimes you feel helpless to stop or do something? Or how when you suddenly realize that the man you thought her was turned out to be a completely different guy? That’s how Andrea and Merle felt. The Governor had both Dixon brothers beside him, the crowd cheering for them to fight to the death, Andrea in shock by Milton, until she told him, “Someone has to stop this.”
“Andrea, don’t,” Milton warned her.
She didn’t heed, because she knew she had to help Daryl. He was her friend. She couldn’t let that happen. Not even the guys that tried to hold her back could stop her from doing what she thought was right; she knew was right.
She walked towards the Governor, which she knew was actually named Philip.
“Stop this! This isn’t right!” she said to him over the noise of the crowd.
“Your friends shot at us and killed people, Andrea. Someone has to pay for it,” he told her.
“No; not like this. Let them go. Give them back their weapons and let them go back to the prison. I’ll even go with them. He’s my friend and all Merle wanted was to find his brother,” she said to him.
“They want blood and someone has to pay.”
She aimed her gun at his head, standing by them, instead of Philip.
“We’re walking out of here with our weapons and when we do, you’re going to let us go peacefully.”
Finally, he told some of his guys to give the brothers their weapons back and the crowd went silent.
As they headed out of Woodbury, Andrea kept her gun aimed at Philip, just in case. Then, once they were out, she put her gun away and they headed for the prison.
“Thanks,” Daryl said to her.
“Well, I wasn’t going to let anything like that happen.”
“You just grew some balls standing up to him like that, toots,” Merle commented.
“I didn’t do it for you. I did it for Daryl. I could’ve let him keep you, but I didn’t. You’re his brother. You have a bad way of showing how much you love him, but you do love him,” she replied.
As they walked, Merle had a new appreciation for her. He hadn’t known her for long, but two years ago, she hadn’t been a real fighter. Now she was. He knew it had to be because of the fact of losing her sister, Amy. When she spoke like that, he knew it came from personal experience. He didn’t know her very well, but over the past months of being at Woodbury with her, he had learned some more about her. Merle had never cared about anyone but Daryl and himself, but he had started to care about her. He found that they were alike. They were both castoffs that held on to whatever it was, just to stay alive. They were fighters, because they had to be if they wanted to survive.

Chapter Text

“Something weird’s going on out there,” Maggie’s sister told Maggie, and then gave Maggie the binoculars.
Maggie took a look and then lowered the binoculars after a minute. She looked at her sister and said, “Andrea.”
“I’ll get Ric,” her sister, Beth, replied before she left.
Maggie raised the binoculars after a few minutes for another look. Sure enough, it was Andrea. She had a walker with her, apparently to keep the other walkers away from her, and she looked hurt. She had a bag slung over her shoulders. A hand was wrapped around her and she was limping. She looked like she had been alone out there for days; though she thought she was with the Governor in Woodbury. When had Andrea left? Why had she left?
Maggie stopped watching and went inside to join the others.

As Andrea arrived at the gate, she felt weak and light-headed. She was hurt and felt like she was going to black out. She tried to fight it though, because she was surrounded by walkers. If she became vulnerable before her friends came to her rescue, she would be gone forever. And she didn’t want that. She wanted to live through everything she could.
She was relieved when she saw Ric, Carl, Maggie, and Daryl coming. And that’s when she started to see spots.
“Are you alone!?” she heard Ric ask, as he ran forwards, gun in hand.
“Yes!” she answered as loud as she could.
Carl unlocked the gate and opened it. And as walkers started towards the opened gate, Darrell and Maggie shot them down. As they kept shooting walkers down, Ric came to her aid with an arm around her, as she blacked out.
Ric caught her as she collapsed, and then picked her up in his arms. And as he cleared the gate, Carl locked it and they headed back towards the prison.

As they entered the prison, they were met with surprised and astonished faces.
“What’s she doing here?” Glen had to ask.
“The questions can wait until she feels up to it,” Hershel interceded.
“She’s alone. That’s all we know for sure,” Ric replied.
“If you ask me, she ran away from Woodbury,” Merle said from a corner.
“And she’s hurt,” Maggie added, as if Merle hadn’t spoken.
Michonne stood in the background and silently watched.
Ric headed upstairs towards an unused prison room and layed her gently down on the bed, before he silently vacated the room. Then he went back to where the remainder of the group was at.
Meanwhile, Hershel sat on her bedside to check on her and see what he could do for her.
Carol stood in the doorway as she watched with Asskicker in her arms.
“Is she going to be okay?” she asked with concern.
Hershel looked at her.
“She needs food. If we can get her that, she’ll be okay. And water.”
“I’ll tell the others and see what they say.”
He watched as she left.

As Carol entered the room, they were arguing.
“If she came alone, why now? Last I heard, she was in love with the Governor,” Glen said.
“I don’t know, but she was telling the truth. She wasn’t in any state to lie to us. And she still isn’t,” Ric replied.
“But if Woodbury is taking care of everyone there, why run away back to this?” Maggie said.
“Maybe the Governor did something or she had a change of heart,” Merle suggested.
“But why now?” Beth asked.
“I don’t have the answers right now,” Ric replied.
“Whatever the reason, she’s here now. That’s all that matters,” Daryl said.
“Daryl’s right. We can ask later. Right now, she needs our help. Some of us need to go on a run. We’re almost out of weaponry and we all need food. She needs food and water if she’s going to make it,” Carol informed them.
“Merle and I can go,” Daryl announced.

Andrea didn’t know how long she had been out, but when she awoke, she was in a prison room on a bed with Maggie seated on her bedside. She no longer felt hurt, light-headed, or weak. She felt better.
“Hey,” Andrea greeted.
“Hey,” Maggie greeted back. “How are you feeling?”
“Better.”
“Good. You can thank my father and Carol.”
“I’ll thank them when I get a chance.”
“What happened?”
“I left as soon as I heard about the attack. Some of them tried to stop me, but I left anyway. The Governor said you guys shot at them first, but I know you guys. You wouldn’t do that.”
“We thought you were dead after you saved Carol,” Maggie informed her.
Merle leaned in the doorway.
“Well, well, look who’s finally awake.”
“What’s he doing here? He’s the one that-,” Andrea started.
Maggie interrupted her.
“We didn’t have a choice. We had to let him in, or Daryl would leave for good.”
Andrea looked at him.
“How long?”
“A few days,” he replied.
“How long is a few days?”
“Three days,” he clarified.
Andrea slowly sat up in bed.
“Everyone probably has questions that I need to answer.”
Maggie got to her feet.
Andrea used one of the bed posts to help get to her own feet.
Merle took her arm to help her.

Once she was seated at the table, everyone started in on her.
“Why are you here, Andrea?” Ric asked, once he had silenced the others. It seemed to her that it was all he could to do to stay calm and not lash out in any way.
“I left to come back; now that I know where you are at. I can’t go back, anyway. The Governor said to stay here if I came here. So I’m here for good. Where are the others?” she said.
“Dead,” Daryl said.
“What happened?” she asked.
“Shane tried to kill Ric, so Ric killed him. T-Dog gave up his life for mine when we got over run by walkers. Lori died during the sea section and Carl had to shoot her so she wouldn’t turn,” Carol summarized.
“Oh, Ric; I’m sorry,” Andrea sympathized. “Carl,” she added.
Ric looked down and both father and son were silent. And that’s when it made sense to her. Ric was grieving and trying to hold it in, but having trouble. That’s why he looked like he was trying not to lash out. And that’s when she knew she couldn’t get separated from them ever again, because they needed her now more than ever, just like they needed one another.

Chapter Text

It was a beautiful day, as Hershel and Daryl stood outside what looked like an abandoned shed where the Governor and Rick were at.
“I don't see any cars,” Daryl told him.
Just then, an old pickup truck pulled up not far from where Daryl stood, crossbow aimed, ready for anything.
Jeremy got out of the driver's side and closed his door, followed by Milton whom got out of the backseat and then Andrea whom also got out of the backseat.
Jeremy said a few things, which made Daryl do the same, while Milton wrote things down in a little black book.
“Who are you?” Hershel asked Milton at one point.
“Milton. I'm his advisor.”
“What sort of advice?”
Milton began to answer, but then said, “I don't know you, so I don't feel that I have to explain myself to you.”
“If we're going to be pointing weapons at each other all day, why don't you shut up,” Jeremy told Daryl.
A few minutes later, both were silent.
“I'm going to see what's going on in there,” Andrea announced to them, before opening the sliding door and walking inside.
She went to stand by the table between both Rick and the Governor.
“What's going on?” she asked, looking between the two.
“Just making a truce,” Rick answered Andrea, before taking out a map and tossing it across the table to the Governor. “Here's the map. We can make a border between us and then it'll be settled. Nobody bothers anyone,” Rick then offered.
The Governor looked at it and then at Rick.
“Andrea, step outside,” the Governor told her.
“No. I'm not going anywhere,” she replied, not wanting them to harm or kill each other. She also wanted to know what it was they were planning. She knew it wasn't good, knowing the Governor. She also knew Rick very well. She was more worried about what the Governor was going to do than what Rick was going to do.
“We have a lot to talk about,” the Governor added.
She looked between them, before angrily walking out. She then sat on a bench by Hershel.
“They won't tell me anything,” she informed them frustratingly.
She ran a hand through her hair, before putting her hands together in her lap.
She looked at Hershel.
“I don't know what I'm doing here.”
“You're trying to help,” he told her.
They were silent, before she finally informed him, “I can't go back there.”
“You are one of us. You're family. But if you come with us, it's final,” he told her.
“I know,” she replied, before adding, “I don't belong there. I know that now.”

After the Governor and Rick had their chat, Andrea joined the group, instead of going back to Woodbury, and they all welcomed her back. So everybody lived as happily ever after as they could. After all, it was still the apocalypse and they had to find a way to get rid of the Governor.

Chapter Text

It was a beautiful day, as Ric stood on lookout with a rifle in hand. He saw movement by some bushes and looked into the scope on the rifle.
A moment later, he saw Andrea with hands up in surrender, looking relieved.
Andrea? he thought, curious as to why she was here.
A second later, he saw the Governor come up behind her and grab her. Then they disappeared behind the bushes. Quickly, he left the post and ran towards the gate. And as he made it out, he closed the gate and shot at walkers with his hand gun. Some came close to him as he ran, but he shot them down.
Soon, he entered behind the bushes silently. The Governor was on top of her, hand over her mouth.
“Let her go,” Ric ordered, gun held to the back of his head.
“I clearly suggest to put that down,” the Governor replied.
“Let her go,” Ric repeated.
“Fine,” he said. “She’s all yours.”
The Governor got to his feet and let go of her.
Ric held his gun up to him, as did the Governor.
“Get off this land and don’t come back. I want you gone. Is that a deal?” Ric said.
“You underestimate me, Ric.”
It was clear to the officer that he wasn’t leaving. He also knew that he had to end this, or the Governor would hurt others and do much worst things. So he did what had to be done. He put a bullet in the Governor’s head, killing him. He shot him a second time to make sure he didn’t turn. Then he put safety on his gun, put it away, and carried an unconscious Andrea towards the prison.

Once safely inside with the gate closed, he walked into the cell block where they were all staying, Andrea in his arms.
Ric set the rifle on the table and walked upstairs towards an empty cell. The closest empty cell was next door to Merle’s cell.
Merle saw Ric passing by with Andrea. He got to his feet and watched him walk into an empty cell and lay her down, before he asked the officer, “What’s she doing back?”
Ric turned to look at Merle, whom was standing in the doorway.
“I don’t know, but it’s over now. It had to be done.”
“You killed him?”
“I had to. He wasn’t going to leave without her. He had bad intentions. It was the only way to help her and end all of this.”
“So you did it, after all. I didn’t think you had it in you.”
Merle left to go back to his cell.
Ric watched him go. He then looked down at Andrea, as he stood by her.

Andrea didn’t know how long she was out, but when she came to, Ric was seated on a chair by her.
“You’re awake,” he greeted.
She slowly sat up in bed and looked at him.
“Thank you, Ric. You helped me. What happened to the Governor?” she replied.
“I killed him. It was the only way. He wasn’t going to go anywhere and I wasn’t going to let him take you. What are you doing here in the first place?”
“I came here, because I had to warn you about the shooting. I also had to come here, because I don’t belong in Woodbury. I know that now. I belong here. You’re my family. Like you once said Ric, We look out for each other.”
“How sweet of you, darling,” Meryl commented from the doorway.
She looked at him, as did Ric.
“I wasn’t referring to you.” She then looked at Ric and said, “We all need to make a trip to Woodbury. The Governor is dead and no one is there to take his place. I don’t belong there, but things need settled.”
“First, I have to let them know what happened. They don’t know you’re here,” Ric informed her.
Merle left and Ric and Andrea got to their feet.
Half an hour later, everyone had been filled in and they were happy to have her back.

An hour later, they arrived in their vehicles and they told everyone the truth. The people in Woodbury decided not to stay. Instead, they went with Ric and them and they headed back to the prison to stay.

Chapter Text

It was a beautiful day, as Merle walked towards a guy in Woodbury.
“The Governor should be back by now. I'm going to make sure everything is okay,” he informed him. He then looked up at the wall at Tyrese. “You're in charge until he gets back.”
As he left Woodbury, he hoped everything was okay. He wasn't loyal to him like everybody thought. He acted like he was loyal to the Governor, but it was only an act. He was loyal to his brother, Daryl; nobody else. If he was loyal to somebody else though, it would probably be Andrea. He had a thing for her, but they never got together, because last time they were both in Rick's group, he had called her a whore. He knew he had been an ass to her, but he was always an ass, because nobody really liked him. He was always on his own. He told himself that he didn't care that he was on his own, but it was a lie. He wanted someone with him; mostly his brother. He would settle for Andrea if he wanted or had to, though. If it really came down to it, he would protect Andrea with his life. He'd do the same thing for Daryl, too. He had always done what he could to protect and raise his brother, but it wasn't much. Like his brother knew, Merle had never really been there for him. But then things changed when the outbreak happened. Merle and Daryl had each other's backs.

When he found them, Andrea was running from him and ran into Merle.
“Hey, blondie. What's going on here?”
Knowing Merle just might be her only hope in actually escaping from him, she told him.
“I'm trying to get back to the prison. He's trying to stop me.”
The Governor came up to them.
“She's lying. She's trying to kill me.”
“I know her well enough that I know that if she's trying to kill you, it's because you're trying to get away with something that's wrong. I also know that she wouldn't lie, so that means she's telling the truth. So why don't you go back to Woodbury before something happens to you out here,” Merle said, siding with Andrea.
“Are you threatening me?” The Governor inquired of him, up close in front of him.
“It'll be more than a threat if you don't let her do what she wants. She's her own person. She doesn't need you telling her what to do. She doesn't take orders from people like you. So you should go now before things turn bad for you.”
Merle and the Governor gave one another a long glare.
Merle took a step back and waited for what the Governor would do.
The Governor had a gray hatchet in hand, so he raised it and went to strike, but Merle was quick and used the sharp part of his arm brace to kill him.
Ass, he thought.
He turned to her.
“We should get going. We have a long walk ahead of us.”
They started to walk. And as they did, she said, “Thank you.”
“You would've probably done the same for me or the others,” he responded.

A while afterward, they finally found the prison.
“Kill them if they get close to either of us. He took me gun, so I don't have a weapon,” she said, before walking towards the prison, hands in surrender mode.
He followed after her, ready if any walkers got close to either Andrea or himself.

Soon enough, they got inside with the help of Rick, Carol, and Daryl.
“You're back,” Daryl said, looking at them.
“Well, I wasn't going to leave blonde alone out there after I found out the Governor's intentions,” Merle replied.
“What do you mean?” Rick asked him, wanting to know more.
“The Governor tried to stop me from coming here. He was going to do anything he could to keep me from coming here. I made up my choice. I belong here. You're my family,” she informed them.
“How did you get here without him following you?” Rick asked her.
“Merle killed him to stop him.”
Everyone was silent, until Carol said, “We should go back inside.”
So, they all went inside the prison and towards the cell block where they stayed at. And in the end, they accepted both of them into their group.

Chapter Text

It was a beautiful day, as Andrea walked into plain sight, sighing in relief. She had done it. She had finally made her way back home. This was where she truly belonged. Not with a psychopath like Philip. She was exhausted, though. She had been dodging Philip and walkers, and had been running all night. She wished now that she had taken Michonne’s advice and left with her; or even followed Daryl and Merle back to the others and to the prison. If only she had seen who he truly was sooner. She had to admit that she had a really bad taste for men; first Shane and now Philip.
She turned around to see Philip.
“What do you want?” she asked him.
“For you to come home with me.”
“This is my home now. I am home. My home is with them. They’re my family,” she replied.
“I’m not going anywhere until you come back to Woodbury with me.”
“I’m not going with you. Hell, I’d rather go anywhere with Merle than you. He might be an ass sometimes, but he means well. Why can’t you just leave me alone? Let me go home.”
“Because I love you, Andrea.”
“You don’t love me. Guys like you don’t love. Instead, they kill people.”
Merle came into view and stood not far from them.
“I think Blondie told you to leave her alone. If I were you, I’d leave her be.”
She went over to stand by Merle.
Philip looked at them.
“This isn’t over.”
“You bet it ain’t,” Merle replied.
Philip left.
Merle looked at her.
“You okay, Blondie?”
“I’m fine. Let’s just go home.”
So, they headed the rest of the way to the prison.

Chapter Text

It was a beautiful day, as Merle faced the Governor in an abandoned building that looked like an old shed, but looked like there were a few horse stalls inside it.
The Governor raised a rifle to Merle, ready to kill him.
“I ain't gonna beg,” Merle told him, leaning against what looked like an outer horse stall wall.
Just as the Governor put his finger on the trigger to kill him, Andrea arrived and put her hand gun to the side of the Governor's head.
“Put it down,” she ordered.
“I guess I know who you're loyal to now,” the Governor replied, looking at her.
“I'm not loyal to anyone. I just don't want anyone to die; even if he is an ass sometimes. There have been too many deaths.”
“You're not going to kill me. You wouldn't,” the Governor said to her.
“You wanna bet? Pull that trigger and you'll find out,” she forewarned.
She gave him a long glare, before he finally put the gun down and back in his holster.
She did likewise, once he did that.
Both of them watched him leave, before they looked at each other.
“Well, well. Look at you. You just grew some guts, standing up to him like that. You know, we're a lot alike, you and me,” he commented to her.
“I didn't stand up to him and save your life for your own benefit,” was all she said.
She took out her gun again, ready to head out to go to the prison with Merle. She knew what the Governor was like. She didn't want to be a part of any of that. That's why she was going home where she truly belonged. They were her family and she would do anything for them; Rick, Carol, Daryl, Carl, Maggie, Glenn, Judith (Asskicker), Beth, and Hershel. Hell, she'd even do what she could to help Merle if it ever came down to it.
“Keep telling yourself that,” Merle replied to her, before following her out. They then made their way towards the prison. And as they did, they killed off some walkers.

Chapter Text

It was a beautiful day, as Andrea walked alone, loaded hand gun in its holster, knife in one hand, trees surrounding her, her destination being the prison. And as she did, she stayed silent, making as little noise as possible, as to not alert any walkers that may be lurking close by. Finding that there weren’t any nearby yet though, she put her knife back where it belonged.
Suddenly, as she started to not feel that well, but knowing walker Milton hadn’t bitten her, she started hearing loud music and followed it. And when she did, it didn’t take her long to find the source. Someone, she couldn’t see who, was inside a car with a bottle of whiskey, walkers all around, trying to get inside. Then, as she started to feel even weaker, she leaned against the tree to her right, which was closest to her. Despite what she felt, though, she grabbed her gun and started to shoot the walkers dead whom were blocking the windshield. And when she finished, she saw that it was Merle Dixon. She then put her gun away.

Merle Dixon stopped laughing and drinking a bottle of whiskey, when he saw Andrea and realized she was hurt. He didn’t know how bad it was, but it was bad enough the way she looked from a distance, that he made up his mind. As quickly as he could, he sped the car towards where the Governor and his people were at, before jumping out. He then headed over to Andrea.

As her vision blurred, she saw Merle in front of her with, once in his life, a worried face for her.
“Andrea,” he said, for once in his life, using her name instead of calling her “Blondie.”
“Merle?” she softly questioned.
As her vision blurred even more, she slid down the trunk of the tree to sit down.
He knelt in front of her and looked at her, assessing how bad it was. He didn’t see any wounds on her, but she did look pale and weak.
“What happened?” he asked her.
“The Governor. He tied me up in an execution chair in that room you had Glenn at and left me there for a few days. Milton wouldn’t kill him like The Governor wanted him to, so The Governor killed him so that he’d turn and kill me, instead. I escaped, though.”
“Why would he want you dead?”
“Because I was trying to go back to the prison where I belong.”
Merle was even more mad at The Governor now more than ever.
Andrea’s vision started to go black.
“I’ll take you home,” he told her, before she blacked out.
He gently picked her up in his arms and started to walk the route to the prison.

The next day, when Andrea came to, Merle knew that she would be okay. So everybody lived as happily ever after as they could. After all, they were still in the middle of the apocalypse.

Chapter Text

It was a dark night, as Andrea and Milton were left alone in the room. He knew he was going to die, but he needed to help her. He got to his feet and grabbed the pliers he had left behind the chair. Then he used them to cut her free from the wires.
She got to her feet.
“Thank you.”
With his last dying breath he said, “You have to kill me now.”
She looked at him. Could she do it? She knew once he was dead, he would become a walker. He was her friend, though. Yet, she remembered that she had killed her sister after Amy had come back as one.
“Milton-“ was all she could get out, as she looked at him.
As he sat against the wall, she knew she had to do something. It was run or kill him and then get out. She had to do the right thing. Everything went through her mind at once. She had to be quick, because he was already dead.
A moment later, he woke up and came at her. Then she was fighting for her life, as he tried to bite her. He was on top of her and strong. She kicked him off with her feet and reached for the pliers on the floor. At the same time she grabbed for them, he came at her again. He pinned her against a wall and she hit her head. With her free hand, she stabbed the pliers in through his head, killing him.
As she got to her feet, she realized how weak she was. Then, as she reached the wall by the door, everything went black.

Ric, Darrell, Shalom, Tyrese, and Sasha ran through the place towards the interrogation room, knowing they had to find Andrea.
“This is where he had Glen and through a walker at him,” Ric told Tyrese and Sasha.
They stopped by the door.
“On the count of three; Ready? 1,2,3,” Ric said.
He swung the door open and saw a foot behind the door.
“Andrea,” Ric said.
They walked in to see a dead walker and Andrea. She was out, but hadn’t been bitten. They could easily tell.
Ric knelt down and Daryl lowered his crossbow.
“We should get her back to the prison where she belongs,” Ric said.
Ric put his gun on safety and away, before he gently picked her up and everyone left the room.

It wasn’t long before they arrived back at the prison, and Andrea was in an empty cell. Hershel was in there taking care of her head wound and bloodied wrists from the wires.

When she came to, Andrea saw that she was in a cell in bed.
“So, sleeping beauty awakens,” Merle commented.
She looked at him, as he sat by her in a wooden chair.
“I’m just here to watch you, while they discuss things,” he told her, seeing her questioning look.
“What happened? Last thing I remember is killing Milton when he came back as a walker.”
“As far as I know, they came back with you and Hershel took care of you. He did a pretty good job, too.”
“I’ll have to thank him,” she replied.
She got to her feet, as did Merle. When she did, her head hurt and she held onto a bed post with one hand. The other went to her left temple.
“Whoa, hey, take it easy,” Merle said. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ll be better once my headache clears. Milton made me hit my head on a wall before I killed him.”
“I think we have some Aspirin,” he said.
She didn’t understand why he was being so kind and helpful in her time of pain, but then again, he had saved her from several more months of being out there fighting for her life. She had been in tragic health before Woodbury. Merle had found her.
With his good hand, he led her down towards the others by the arm. Then he let go and watched her sit down at the table. He had a soft spot for her, because she was on the outside like he was, and she was a damsel in need. He admired Andrea, but he wouldn’t let the others know. He felt sorry for her too, because she had told him that she lost her sister to biters. If he had been there, he thought he could’ve possibly prevented it.
“She needs some pain killers,” Merle announced, before going back to his cell.
Soon after, Andrea was better and had told everyone everything. They welcomed her back into the group, too.

Chapter Text

It was a beautiful day, as Merle Dixon, Daryl’s older brother, walked through the woods. Andrea whom he preferred to call “Blondie,” hadn’t come back to the prison. He’d never admit it to anyone out loud, but it worried him that something might’ve happened to her. That was why he had left the prison when everyone else was busy doing other things. He was heading to Woodbury to see if Philip had her there somewhere. He had to be sneaky though, which he was good at. He would wait until nightfall and then sneak in without being noticed. He knew Woodbury like the back of his hand, so he figured that he knew where he might be keeping her at.

When he arrived at Woodbury, it was dark. It didn’t take him long to sneak in, though, since he knew the town pretty dang well. And once he got close to that room he had had Glenn in a while back, he slowly opened it to find Blondie tied up in an executioner chair, Milton dying by a wall, not far from the door.
He found some pliers behind the chair, so he used them to cut the wires off her, before setting the pliers back down and gently pulling an out cold Andrea into his arms, before silently closing the door and getting out of Woodbury.

As Andrea started to wake up, she felt someone carrying her, but it didn’t feel like it was The Governor, so she wasn’t afraid anymore. And then she opened her eyes to the darkness and tried to make out who it was. There wasn’t a moon near them to help her see who it was. And then her eyes adjusted and she realized, with shock, who it was.
“Merle?” she softly questioned.
“It’s me, blondie.”
He stopped walking and set her on her feet, since she was awake now. He figured she could walk on her own now. He then started walking again and she walked at his left side.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Well, no one else was lookin’ fer you. I figured that you were in trouble, since you didn’t come back. Besides, I know the Governor. He’s not a good guy,” he replied back to her. They then headed towards the prison silently and after a while, made it without any trouble.

Chapter Text

It was a beautiful day, as Andrea made her way slowly towards the prison, seeing vehicles there and recognizing them. She wasn't alone, though. She and Merle had just ran into one another today. Now they were back on the same team, ready to survive together.
As Ric opened the gate with Daryl with him, they arrived at the gate. Ric let them in and closed the gate.
"You're alive," Daryl said to both of them.
"We thought you were dead," Ric told Andrea. Where have you been?"
"Looking for you guys," she answered.
They all went inside to tell the others.

After everything was said and done, they were part of the group again.

Chapter Text

It was a sunny day, as Ric walked, on his way back to the prison after going on a run. Now he had a bag full of weaponry, food, ammo, and first-aid stuff.
Suddenly, he stopped, seeing Andrea out cold on her back on the gravel road. Being careful that walkers weren't around or the Governor, he went to her side. He didn't see any bites on her, so that meant she hadn't been bitten by any walkers.
He gently pulled her into his arms and got to his feet with her, before heading back to the prison.

When he was inside the prison and she was in bed in one of the prison rooms, the group started questioning him, wondering what the hell happened.
"All I know is that I found her like that. We won't know anything more until she wakes up," he informed them.
While they were talking, Hershel was taking care of her.

When she slowly awoke, she saw that she was in the prison. And there seated in a chair at her bedside was Ric.
"Ric?"
"How are you feeling, Andrea?" He questioned her.
"Better," she answered him.
"Good. What happened?"
"I left. I was on my way back here, but I got chased and attacked by him."
Ric knew whom she was talking about. It was the Governor.
'Bastard,' he thought.
"Well, you're safe now," he assured her.
"Thanks," she said to him, relieved to be home at last.
"You're welcome," he replied.