The "Z" Word

The group had found a small clearing off the highway to stay for the night. They would hit the road again in the morning since it had become to dangerous to stay somewhere where there wasn't a real shelter for too long. The walkers had started running out of food in the city and had been migrating into the woods. It was only a matter of time before they were found here as well.

It was starting to get late. Carol and Sophia had already retired to their tent. And Lori had just returned from putting Carl to "bed." She sat down next to Rick at the small, dying camp-fire and sighed. Everyone was thinking the same thing, but no one wanted to actually voice their thoughts. Finally, it was Rick who spoke, "We could head west, see if there's anything out that way."

"There's nothing anywhere," Slater told him. It wasn't out a drunken stupor like her last outburst, she was just stating a fact. "I think Fort Benning was proof of that." She shrugged, "If the walkers got in there, they can get in anywhere. At this point, we might as well stay on the road. As long as we keep moving, they can't get us."

"Unless we run into a horde," it was Glenn who spoke up this time.

"It's better than just waiting around somewhere for them to get us," Merle said. "Besides, we know for a fact our vehicles outrun them."

Slater gave him a small smile, it was a gesture of thanks for backing up her opinion. She knew the others didn't like Merle, but he did seem to have a brain when it came to survival, and it would be stupid not to listen to him, the same went for Daryl. After all, Daryl was the one that had killed the deer they had ate for dinner. And it was Daryl who killed most of their meals in the past few weeks.

After a few moments of silence, Shane said, "We could go east. I know we'd eventually hit the ocean, but there's fish in the ocean, and I'm sure we could find a big enough house to stay in."

There was some thought, and a little bit of chatter before it was decided that they'd head east instead of west.

It wasn't long before the others retired for the night, leaving Slater and the Dixons to keep first watch. Daryl and Merle were standing guard close to the highway, watching for walkers or hostiles. Slater stayed close to the campfire, watching the woods, making sure nothing snuck up on them. Her head picked up at the sound of a snapping twig behind her. She clutched her crossbow in her hands, her finger on the trigger, ready to pull it if there was something nasty behind her. She spun around, aiming the crossbow at the person's skull as she did so.

"Woah!" Merle threw his arms up in the air. "We gotta stop meeting like this," he said, referring to the fact that it was now the second time she had aimed a crossbow at him.

She closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief when she seen it was just him. "I'm sorry," she said, a small smile playing across her lips, "I heard the twig snap, and didn't want to take any chances."

"With things like they are now, it would be stupid to take chances."

She nodded in agreement. "So what are you doing over here? I thought you were supposed to be watching the road with Daryl."

"I am, I just wanted to...." he paused and his face scrunched up, his mouth twisting into a frown as he thought about his words, "I...I wanted to thank you."

Slater smiled, it was obvious he was a man that wasn't used to saying thank you to anyone, probably not even Daryl. "For what?" she asked.

"Well, for one, not killing me....either of the times you had that pointed at my head, I'm sure I've done more than my share of things to have deserved it. And...well, for saying what you did to Rick a few nights ago....about me. The time I spent once I got off that rooftop, before you found me, I kept thinking about all the things I was gonna do to get my revenge against him and T.Dog for abandonin me up there. I probably would have that first night if you hadn't of threatened me the way you did."

"Afraid of a woman, Merle?"

His frown deepened, "No, I just....I had my brother back, and I was willin to do whatever it took to not put him in danger. And I knew if I left, he'd follow, he's just that kind of person. And I know I don't act like it, but I care about Daryl more than anything in the world. He's all I got, and I'll do anything to make sure he stays safe."

Slater smiled again, she had found a new light to look at Merle in. Sure he was an annoying, racist, drunken, hick, but he was capable of caring for another life form. "I understand, I would have done the same thing for someone I love."

"I didn't say I loved him," Merle said, just a little louder than he had meant too. At the raising of Slater's eye brows, he reprimanded himself, "Okay, I do love him, but if you tell him, I'll deny it."

She chuckled, "Your secret is safe with me." She paused, "And Merle, there's no need to thank me....for anything....ever."