Endure and Survive (Sequel to How We Live Now)

Chapter 1

The ride to Woodbury was a silent one. Merle was focused on the road and so was I.

"Did you have to shoot, Michonne?" I asked, breaking the silence we had going.

I looked over at him.

"Thought you said that they had left you," he retorted.

"And you believed that so easily. I'm shocked," I said.

"You think this is a game?" he asked.

"Don't you? That's what you were doing, right? Playing the game of Cat and Mouse?" I retorted.

He turned to look at me quickly and chuckled.

"Oh, sweetheart. You sure catch on quick," he said.

"You have to. Especially now," I said, turning over to look out the window.

"Why are you going back? He hurt you, didn't he?" he asked.

"He can do whatever the fuck he wants to do to me, so long as no one in my family has to go through it. Isn't that how you feel about, Daryl?" I asked looking over at him again.

He tightened his grip on the wheel.

"Daryl. I still can't believe he's still alive," he said.

"Is it really that hard to believe?" I asked.

He sighed.

"Nah. He's a survivor. Just like I am," he said.

"I still can't believe that you guys are related. But then again...no...no not really," I said.

"The hell you say that for?" Merle asked.

"Well, the both of you are assholes. That's one thing the two of you do share in common. But Daryl...he cares about people," I said.

I then started to think of all the moments that I had seen that side of him. How he was the only one keen on finding Sophia, him carrying me up to my room after I had been shot and the conversations that we had. Although they were short, I really got to see the kind of person he was.

"You sweet on my little brother?" Merle asked.

I shook my head and looked at him.

"What the hell? No. I'm just saying, you could learn a thing or two from him," I said.

"Yeah. How to be soft? How to be a pussy? In this world, that shit doesn't cut it. There are people like the Governor even more now than there was before," he said.

"So if you know what kind of a man he is, why do you stay?" I asked.

"Cause I ain't ever had a reason to leave before," he admitted.

"Well now that you know that Daryl is alive, will you leave?" I asked.

He sighed once again.

"I don't know," he said.

We both looked out the windshield as we continued on to Woodbury.

The sun was beginning to set when we got to the gates. Merle flashed the headlights and the gates opened. The gates I never thought I'd ever see again so quickly. Merle drove inside and parked.

"Hurry up and get out," he said.

I opened the door and got out. The streets looked to be bare. The curfew must have come and gone. The governor came over and smiled wickedly at me.

"I knew you'd be back," he said.

He then looked to Merle who had come and stood next to me.

"And the other two?" he asked him.