30. the devil beside you

QUINN

     'SO, YOU'RE SAYING DARYL ISN'T HOT?' MILO raised his eyebrows.

'I'm not saying he isn't, I'm saying it doesn't matter,' Quinn replied, staring at Milo as he stared back at her with a smirk on his lips

'So, you do think he's hot?' Milo asked again, a teasing smile on his face.

'I suppose,' Quinn said, earning a roll of his eyes, making her sigh. 'Alright I think he's hot. That what you wanted to hear?'

'Yes, thank you,' he said, slamming his hands down on his knees.

'You and your hormones, this isn't exactly the time to go looking for a boyfriend, Milo,' Quinn sighed.

'Oh, I think it's the perfect time,' he told her, a smile on his lips. 'I haven't had myself a fine piece of man for years.'

'Stop it, please,' Quinn said, putting her hand on his shoulder and pushing him away. He let himself be pushed over, falling on his side, a chuckle escaping his lips.

Milo and Quinn had been sitting in the guardtower all night. They were suppose to keep watch, which sounded pretty exciting but turned out to be very boring.

It was early in the morning. Rick, Daryl and Hershel had just left for a meeting with the Governor. Quinn suspected it to be set up by Andrea because knowing the Governor, there was no way he would want to talk. But it was their last chance at settling this without an all out war. The least they could do was try.

Her expression must have changed thinking about it because Milo sat up straight, frowning at her.

'We're gonna be just fine,' he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

'I hope so,' she replied, leaning her head against his arm.

She stared out over the field, watching the line of trees where the forest began. Last night she had told her brother everything that happened since he went to prison and since, well, the world ended. And he in return had told her everything he had gone through. They knew everything about each other again, just like when they were kids. And yet he still felt like a stranger to her. So much had happened and they hadn't experienced it together. Telling each other about it wasn't the same as actually living it together.

'Quinn! Milo!' Glenn's voice cut through the air. 'Shift's over!'

'We're coming,' Milo yelled back at him but he had already disappeared back inside.

Quinn sighed, standing up and stretching her arms before making her way after Milo down the stairs to the courtyard and back into the cell block.

Inside both of the tables were covered in all the weapons Quinn and the others had brought back yesterday. Maggie and Michonne were testing them, putting bullets in the rounds and other things that Quinn didn't even understand.

'Carl, come here,' Glenn said, handing the kid a box with bullets. 'You stash these at the loading deck. Beth, put more up at the walkway. If anyone gets pinned down we have to make sure we have plenty of ammo. I'll go work on the cage outside, I'm on watch anyway.' And he took some tools and a gun before disappearing through the door.

Milo walked towards the weapons, studying them and opening them up to admire them.

Quinn almost laughed at the amount of love he gave them and watched while leaning against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest as he studied them.

'What we should be doing,' Merle's voice suddenly cut through the air, 'is loading some these firepower up in a truck and pay a visit to the Governer. We know where he is right now.'

'You're suggesting that we just go in and kill him?' Quinn asked, raising her eyebrows at the one handed man.

'Yeah, I am,' Merle responded.

'We told Rick and Daryl that we'd stay put,' Michonne joined the conversation.

'I've changed my mind sweetheart. Being on the sideline with my brother out there,' he shook his head, 'ain't sitting right with me.'

'Daryl can take care of himself, you going in there and trying to take care of him could get him killed or taken hostage,' Quinn said, her gaze focused on the man's face. 'You don't have the most gentle approach to things. A thousand things could go wrong.'

'And they will,' Merle shot back.

'My dad can take care of himself,' Carl suddenly spoke up to the man.

'Sorry son but your dad's head could be on a pike real soon,' Merle said.

'Will you shut up?' Quinn said, unable to keep her anger out of her voice.

Silence filled the room as Merle gave a curt nod and turned around making Quinn raise her eyebrows in surprise that he actually listened to her. Shifting uneasy on her feet she turned back to the pile of weapons on the table before them, watching as her brother, Michonne and Maggie kept on checking them.

Minutes passed as nothing but the sound of guns being put back together echoed through the room. The door opened as Glenn stepped back inside, putting his tools on the table before walking back to the door to continue his shift, but he stopped when his eyes fell on something or rather, someone.

Quinn followed his glare as her eyes landed on Merle who had taken a bag and was putting guns in it.

'You're not going,' Glenn said, closing the door and standing against it.

'I don't need permission,' Merle shot back.

'I can't let you,' Glenn said, his voice lower this time, treatening.

'You can't stop me.'

'If you're gonna live here with us, it's gonna be on our terms,' Maggie said. But Merle ignored her, taking the bag in his hand and walking towards the door. 'If Michonne and Quinn can do it, why can't you!'

'Cause it's my brother out there, that's why, what's the matter with ya'll?' He screamed back at her before walking towards the door.

Glenn, however, was still standing in front of it, not moving an inch as Merle walked up to him, staring down at him.

'I'm not gonna let you put them in danger,' the asian kid said.

'Nut up already, boy,' Merle screamed at him. 'This guy cops a feel of your woman and you pussy out like this? Get out of my way!'

'No,' Glenn replied, his voice strong.

Merle stared at him, standing perfectly still as he watched Glenn before suddenly dropping the back and launching forwards, screaming. But Glenn was prepared and , taking the man by the waist and pushing him down the stairs. They tumbled over each other and Merle, being bigger, ended up pinning Glenn down, his hands around the kid his throat.

By seeing that Maggie jumped forward, her arm around Merle's neck as she tried to pull him off of Glenn, but it was useless.

Milo ran forwards, grabbing the arm of Merle that missed a hand and had a knife attached to it instead, as he was ready to plunch the knife into Glenn's head. With a groan of effort Milo pulled Merle's arm back, preventing him from seriously harming Glenn.

The loud echo of a gunshot rang through the cell block, immediately breaking up the fight.

Quinn spun on her heels, seeing Beth standing behind them, her hand that held the gun raised in the air as she stared at them with a steady glare. One that looked an awful lot like that of her father.

'Let me go!' Merle groaned. 'Let me go!'

They let go of him and with a frustrated sigh the man turned around and disappeared in the cell block.

She put her dagger against the whetstone, pushing it down before pulling it back up and pushing it down again. It was soothing, a steady rhythm to take her mind off things.

Footsteps approached her and she didn't need to look up to know who it was. The one handed man sat down next to her on the bench in the courtyard, looking out over the meadow that was still crawling with walkers.

'If you're here to talk me into going with you,' Quinn said, pushing her dagger down against the whetstone. 'It's not gonna work.'

'I'm simply here to enjoy the sunlight,' Merle said, leaning back against the backrest of the bench. 'Somethin' you seem to be doing an awful lot.'

A small sigh left her lips. 'I hate being locked inside.'

'Claustrophobic?'

'Yeah,' she mumbled, still not looking at him as she placed her daggers into their place on her belt. She put the whetstone into the bag that was at her feet before finally lifting her eyes to look at Merle. He was already watching her, something lingering in his eyes that she didn't understand. Or maybe just didn't want to.

'I don't understand you Merle Dixon,' she said sighing deeply. He opened his mouth to respond but she was faster. 'You've been reunited with your brother and you still act like a dick. Why?'

He frowned at her and for a moment it almost seemed like he genuinely didn't understand her question but finally he answered anyway. 'Got a way with words don't I?' But his usual mocking tone was nowhere to be found.

'You won't hear me denying that,' she said crossing her legs, letting her eyes wander over the field before them.

'What do you care?' Merle suddenly asked.

She bit her lip as she looked at hi, realising she had been asking herself that question a lot lately. And once she knew the answer, she was almost ashamed of it. Could she tell him how much he reminded her of the many guys she had met in her life and how he wasn't a single bit different? That somehow she wished he was from the moment she'd seen him reading that Bible? And how disappointed she was when that had turned out to be not true? No, she couldn't tell him that without sounding completely insane.

He had something that reminded her of her life before all of this and despite trying to convince herself she didn't care about her past, she sometimes found herself missing how simple it had all been back then. Painful, but simple. And being around Merle reminded her of why her life was better now. He was a constant reminder to her how the end of the world had been the beginning of her life.

'Guess you just remind me of someone I used to know,' Quinn finally said.

Merle scoffed, clearly knowing she was lying but he didn't call her out for it.

Quinn took a deep breath, putting her legs up to her chest and resting her chin on her knees. 'Why did you listen to him?'

Merle frowned, turning to look at her.

'When he said you couldn't go out to find your brother. Why'd you listen?' She explained.

'He saved my life,' Merle simply said.

'So, he saves your life, gives you a fancy brace and you just do everything he says?' She questioned, knowing he was now lying too.

Merle didn't answer right away, instead looked away from her, his eyes trailing to brace attached to his mutilated arm. 'I killed sixteen men,' he finally replied.

'After you met the Governor?' She asked softly, making him nod. She exhaled deeply, turning her gaze back to the field before her. 'So, now you wanna kill him,' she stated, not even bothering to make it a question.

'Damn right,' Merle responded.

The answer made a small smile appear on her face and the man noticed this, smiling right back at her. The heavy sound of a motorcycle approaching suddenly roared through the air, making the both of them look away from each other. Merle stood up, followed by Quinn as they headed for the gate, watching Daryl approach on his motor with Rick and Hershel in a car right behind him.

Carol had reached the gate first and opened it for them to enter, closing it behind them again.

Quinn felt Daryl his eyes on her as she and Merle walked up to them but she ignored him, looking at Rick instead, wondering what he had to say. But he didn't say a word and instead headed straight towards cell block C, followed by the rest.

They gathered inside, all standing around, waiting impatiently for what Rick had to say. He turned around in a small circle, looking around at each of their faces as if he wanted to make sure everyone was truly here and it wasn't some sort of dream. Or another ghost he was chasing in the forest.

'So, I met this Governor,' Rick finally said. 'Sat with 'em for quiet a while.'

'Just the two of ya?' Merle asked and Rick nodded.

'Should've gone when we had the chance, bro,' Merle mumbled, looking at Quinn before walking over to Daryl. She let out a shaky sigh before looking back at Rick.

'He wants the prison,' Rick went on, 'he wants us gone. Dead. He wants us dead for what we did to Woodbury.' He looked around again, his blue eyes lingering on each of their faces for a while. And Quinn felt herself almost grow stronger under his gaze.

'We're going to war.'

A U T H O R 'S  N O T E

Okay first off, I want to say sorry for not updating saturday. I had a very busy day and just couldn't find a moment to sit down and work on this chapter. I'm sorry for the wait guys, but here it is! Chapter thirty already, I can't believe how fast this is going.

Also, I feel like I have some explaining to do. Quinn is not falling in love with Merle. (Can't say the same for Merle though). She simply doesn't hate him and somewhat likes being around him because he reminds her of her past and why her life is so much better now. It's a paradox really, by being reminded of her past she realises how good the present is.

This will be important for her relationship with Daryl later on so I hope this chapter and this author's note cleared that up. Let's appreciate this bromance because Merle deserves more love.

Thanks for reading guys!

xXx

UYM