No Rest For the Wicked ~ A Walking Dead Fan Fiction

Chapter 46 Lonesome Liberation

Chapter 46

Lonesome Liberation

Third Person~

It was only a few miles but it felt like twenty to Kate when the clearing of the road up ahead finally came into sight, her side aching horribly from both a cramp and her stab wound. When Maggie released her hand it went straight to the old injury.

"Rick! Rick." Glenn came down into the woods as he heard them approaching, followed by that woman that Kate had only briefly seen earlier until she disappeared. "Kate! Oh, thank God."

"Now we got a problem here. I need you to back up." Rick said preemptively as Glenn caught sight of Merle.

"What the hell is he doing here?" He yelled, switching gears instantly as both him and the woman drew their knives and went for him.

"Hey, hey, hey!"

"Hey, put it down!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

"Put it down!" Rick and Daryl ran to intercept the two as Maggie joined them and Kate watched curiously from the side lines.

"He tried to kill me!" The woman shouted, waving her sword in Rick's face who had his gun raised to her.

"If it wasn't for him, Maggie-" Glenn started but was cut off.

"He helped us get out of there." Daryl defended his brother, standing between him and the angry couple with his crossbow up.

"Yeah, right after he beat the shit out of you." Rick spat despite the fact he was currently protecting Merle.

"Hey, we both took our licks, man." The older Dixon glanced at Kate who had her arms crossed at the sidelines, not picking a side. That wasn't how he remembered her.

"Jackass." Daryl muttered.

"Hey, shut up." Merle whined.

"Enough!" Rick growled, turning around for half a second to glare at Merle and the stranger started to approach him. Rick turned around to see her closer. "Hey, hey, relax!" He ordered, re-aiming his gun at her new position.

"Put that down now!" Merle suggested, holding his hands up as the circle had started to close in.

"Get that thing out of my face!" Daryl snarled at Maggie, who had her gun up and pointed at Merle. Kate sighed, tired of the back and forth bickering. She drew an arrow and notched it, the only one not separated from him by Rick or Daryl.

"Whoa, whoa now sweetheart, let's not do anything we'll regret." Merle took a step away from her as she aimed for his head. "You didn't want to kill me before." He tapped his arm lightly where he was still recovering from the last arrow she shot through him.

"That was before." She growled malevolently. Daryl glanced over his shoulder to see Kate had a secure line on him and awkwardly tried to get in front of her while still blocking Maggie and Glenn.

"Hey! What are you doing?" He snapped at her.

"This asshole knew everything that happened and didn't do a thing to stop it!" She hissed, not taking her glowering eyes from Merle.

"Hey, it wasn't my business to interfere with."

"You should have made it!" She practically screamed, eyes burning.

"Hey! Put it down!" Daryl abandoned his post in front of Maggie and Glenn to storm over and shoved his chest against her arrow tip. She glared up at him but he didn't move. She felt like they were playing each other's roles. At last she lowered the bow without breaking eye contact, silently seething. If Daryl knew what Merle was really like, or more correctly, if he would admit to himself what Merle was like, he wouldn't have gotten in the way. The others slowly lowered their weapons too, taking the cue from her.