Just Gone

[68] She Thought She Got Away With It

[A/N]: READERS, PLEASE DO ME A FAVOR!

I worked really hard on this one, it contains some interesting parallels to Toby, Merle, and Daryl relationship in early season 1. What I want you to do, BEFORE READING THIS CHAPTER. Go back and read Chapter 1: The Dixon's. Give that a read, and come back for this!

(Also, don't forget to vote)

With my index and middle finger together, I tapped on the metal table three times.

I watched Carl's brow furrow, then give an eye roll before taking a card from his hand to slide it across the table.

I took the card, then my own, from my hand to set the pair aside.

I noticed Merle making his way over but didn't look, thinking he'd just keep going or ignore us. He'd been ignoring me since our talk before since he'd spoken with Hershel. It didn't bother me. I had nothing to say to him and was still trying to settle on how I felt about him being around.

To my dismay and to Carl's, as I noticed the side-eye he was giving Merle, the eldest Dixon brother, stopped at our table, just at my side.

Merle waggled a finger between us, "what's all this?"

I watched Carl expectantly as he glanced at Merle. Carl's eyes returned back to me, slowly shaking his head to show me he wouldn't go for it.

Damn it. Merle actually would've been helpful for once. I flexed four fingers outward in a quick motion, indicating Carl could go.

Carl took a moment, staring at his cards before tapping the table; I counted five. I shook my head. His lips tighten to suppress an annoyed sigh. I could see the desire to show his frustration.

"Nothin'? Really?" Merle's tone was annoyed, "ya'll just gonna pretend I'm not here?"

Stuck between wanting to piss him off and also not wanting to piss him off, I just looked up at him. Merle did have the tendency to scare me or make me nervous. But I wasn't about to lose the game for him.

He was frowning; I just stared, trying to convey the message silently.

"Well?" He pressed.

I held back an eye roll simply because Daryl didn't like it. I gave a shrug of the shoulder before looking back to my cards, tapping out the number two for Carl.

I heard Merle intake a breath, about to continue before a voice across the room cut him off.

"They won't talk to you," Guillermo informed, walking passed us with a box. He'd carefully stepped around Michonne, who was doing push-ups a few feet away.

"Did I fuckin' ask you?" Merle snapped. When Guillermo didn't react, continuing to the cell-block, Merle just cursed and asked, "The hell ya pissed at me for now?"

"Not everything's about you," Michonne's voice came out lowly. It was the first time she'd spoken since Carl and I had sat there.

Merle scoffed.

Guillermo turned around at the cell-block door to talk to him; he didn't seem to care about Merle's outburst. "it's not you; it's their game. Whoever talks has to pick up cards."

"What game is that?" Merle sounded confused, but Guillermo had already turned into the cell-block. I frowned when Merle brushed his hand over my collected card pile as if trying to figure out what game we could possibly be playing.

"It's just Go Fish," Beth answered sweetly, passing by us from the block, an empty baby bottle in her hand. "I guess Toby didn't talk for a while so they made up a new version. It's fun, actually. Carl always loses."