CHAPTER THIRTEEN || WHAT HAPPENED

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"He's a fucking liability" Alex scoffed gun drawn as she stood beside Rick. They had gone back for Daryl, just Daryl. He was family. he was part of their group, he was an essential member of the group.  Only for him to drag along his deranged brother. Alex clenched her jaw as she kept an eye out for any of the governor's men resisting the urge to shoot Merle on sight, she couldn't believe Rick had even agreed to waste their time saving him too, Daryl's brother or not he was psychotic.  they made their way out of the walls of Woodbury for the second time, yet this time she was ready her eyes scanned every corner hoping to see the governor...

anger was still fresh, the old wounds, the healed wounds now freshly ripped open by none other than the governor. she wanted to kill him... make him feel what she did, the pain that Glenn felt. it took all her self-restraint not to turn the gun on Merle. 

"come on we gotta go" Daryl exclaimed following his brother, ignoring Alex's statement. Rick followed close behind Daryl, Alex having one last look at her surroundings hoping never to come back as she followed her uncle back outside the walls. shooting and outrunning walkers until they made it back to the car.

*

"Glenn" Rick's voice made Glenn shoot up from his seated position on the floor next to the car, Michonne next to him as he hoped everyone was okay, the pain rushing through his body refusing to ease as he limped toward tricks voice, one of his arms clutched his ribs as the pain shot through his body.

"Rick? Alex?" Glenn called as the group emerged from the woods. Catching sight of Merle both Glenn and Michonne pulled their weapons. Glenn's eyes flickered between Alex and Merle in disbelief that they'd brought him back, anger flooding through his body. Merle had no right to even be stood with them after what he'd done. Glenn's gun, Michonne's sword, both aimed toward the older Dixon.

"Hey! Put it down!"

"whoa whoa"

"he tried to kill me!"

"put it down!"

The initial shock died down After Rick and Daryl's mediating, yet that didn't ease the anger and hatred that consumed the air surrounding the group, Glenn's face laced with a look of betrayal as he glanced at Alex. how did she go back? he should've gone, Merle took them to that place, merles actions lead to what happened to Alex, and that fact made bile rise in Glenn's throat. 

"I went back for Daryl, Not this prick. all due respect Daryl but I'd kill him if it weren't for you" Alex scoffed standing off to the side letting the group argue while she rested against a tree. Daryl sent her a glare at the statement yet remained silent ignoring it, she watched the interaction fighting against every urge within her body to attack Merle, Glenn's face being a reminder of what he had done.

"you really are a fierce one honey." Merle chuckled, Rick turning his head towards the man sending him a warning glare, as Alex's head shot towards him, the governor's words replaying in her mind... Glenn's jaw clenched at merles words taking a step forward, guilt consuming him. 

Like a switch something inside Glenn had changed, the mental pain of guilt outweighing the physical pain that consumed his body. he'd been in the next room, he'd allowed the governor to have his way with Alex. That was on him. 

"He helped us get outta there stop!" Daryl exclaimed his arm raised as he stood in front of Glenn's Gun but his eyes met Alex's small bond they'd made in the time she'd been with the group breaking as he continued defending his brother.

"yeah right after he beat the shit out of you" Rick looked toward Glenn's bloodied face, Glenn's neck and chest laced in dried blood, the sight was nauseating. all of it was, every single moment from the past week, made Alex's stomach churn. 

"Hey we both took our licks man" Merle stated, Daryl turned toward him shaking his head in disbelief at his brother's utter ignorance toward the situation as he muttered a quick; "jackass"

"looks like you've gone native brother" Merle laughed, his utter disregard for the whole situation only made Alex's urge to punch him stronger as she shook her head glaring at the man who caused Glenn so much pain. Fighting the urge to violently beat the shit out of the man who'd caused all of this she took a deep breath, Glenn's shirt clinging to her body.

"No more than you, hanging out with that psycho back there!" Daryl exclaimed turning to his brother, Alex shifted from her position against the tree and walked toward Glenn, noticing the way his body weakened, pain preventing the man from being able to stand straight.

"he's a charmer I'll tell you that. Been putting the wood on your girlfriend Andrea. big time baby" Merle hummed licking his lips as he stared toward michonne leaving members of the group confused. The thought of the governor making Alex's skin crawl as she thought back to the events that took place within the walls of Woodbury, the thought making her heart race as she swallowed the bile rising in her throat. That was her final straw. there's only so much one person can take before the world shatters.

"Andrea's in Woodbury?" Glenn questioned confusion and shock lacing his voice, Leaving Alex confused as to who that was as she looked at Glenn whose pain still hadn't reduced.

**

"it'll stir things up" Rick stated, Daryl, Alex and Glenn stood around him as they tried to come up with a solution as to what to do with Merle. but Alex and Glenn's opinions were set in stone.

"Look the Governor is probably on his way to the prison right now. Merle knows how he thinks and we could use the muscle" Daryl countered, The Look on Glenn's face one of anger as they even contemplated bringing the man responsible for all of it into the prison.

"I'm not living beside that prick" Alex stated crossing her arms across her chest shaking her head. despite the fact, Alex trusted Daryl, well more accurately began to trust Daryl she would not let him be the reason, she let them Allow such a violent dick back into their home.

"do you really want him sleeping in the same cell block as Carol or Beth?" Glenn stated looking between Rick and Daryl. those words sent Daryl into a spiral, his brother was not a rapist.

"he ain't a rapist" Daryl scoffed swinging his arm in disbelief at Glenn's accusation. Glenn's eyes flickered toward Alex before returning to Daryl. She didn't want them to know. she wanted to pretend it never happened.

"Well, his buddy is" Glenn spat, anger lacing his words guilt still travelling through his body in waves, Alex's eyes shooting towards him in shock as Rick's concerned eyes met his niece. after everything, could this be her downfall?

"they ain't buddies no more. not after last night" Rick's eyes lingered on his niece thinking of what she'd possibly gone through with the governor, guilt pooling in his stomach. he should've been there. everything seemed to happen so fast, Lori... now this. he knew as well as her how triggering it was.

"There's no way he's gonna live there without putting everyone at each other's throats" Rick stated not fond of the idea of bringing Merle back into the prison where his children slept. The rage that hung between Glenn, Alex and Merle radiated through the air the tension growing thick as Daryl's frustration became clearer.

"so you're gonna cut Merle loose and bring the samurai home?" Daryl scoffed, Alex couldn't believe his arrogance and couldn't hold back.

"Look at Glenn. Look at him. I heard every punch, every single fucking hit! You wanna bring your brother back? Fine but don't you think for a second I won't put a bullet through his skull if he gives me the opportunity" Alex scoffed poison lacing her words as Glenn's eyes widened, a grunt leaving Daryl's lips.

"merles blood." Alex cursed under her breath shaking her head, running her hand over her face in disbelief, Daryl not taking in the words she had just said, with each second that passed her anger only seemed to grow.

"no. merles your blood. my blood. my family is standing right here and waiting for us back at the prison" Glenn huffed his jaw clenching, he was right. merle wasn't even close to family to anyone aside from Daryl.

"And you're part of that family" Rick turned towards Daryl who was getting reasonably more irritated, Rick was right. he wanted Daryl back... 

"but he's not" Rick continued, Daryl taking a step back his arm swinging as he did. he scoffed looking between the group in front of him, in disbelief. he wasn't leaving Merle behind. not a chance. 

"fine. We'll fend for ourselves" Daryl scoffed as Alex sighed rolling her eyes as Rick and Glenn tried reasoning with him. but she knew blood came first. and in the end, she'd do the same. 

"no him no me." Daryl stated. Alex liked Daryl, He was the one she fully spoke to when she first joined the group. Their few hunting trips gave them a small bond. but she wasn't one to beg. if he was going to leave. he would leave. Alex wasn't gonna try to stop him.

"say goodbye to Carl for me" He scoffed walking past Alex, and just like the flick of a switch whatever friendship had lingered between them was gone as he ignored Glenn and Rick's attempts to reason with him.

Alex watched as Daryl walked back out into the woods, Rick sighed they'd lost more then they could handle. he walked over to the car placing a Rifle in the boot his jaw clenched tight as his thoughts ran wide, Lori, t-dog, Alex, and Daryl. everyone has a breaking point.

 Alex looked over at Glenn his hand running through his hair a slither of sadness radiating through him. Alex's hand went to Glenn's back as she lead him over to the car, The remaining four got into the car,  Alex and Glenn sat in the back seat consumed by thoughts. the silence between them somehow loud.

**

Rick stopped the car pulling Alex from her thoughts, shifting she looked ahead of them. A fallen tree blocking their route back to the prison. She and Glenn followed Rick in Getting out of the car. Getting a closer look at the scene a red pickup truck looked to have crashed into the tree causing it to fall. Alex followed her uncle as they tried to figure out how they could get around it.

Snarling followed by a loud thud made the Uncle, Niece duo turn pointing their guns toward the sound in unison. Glenn had opened the truck door. a walker. Painfully he'd pulled it from the truck throwing it to the floor. his foot connecting with its skull. He stamped on its head again, and again, and again. the cracking of its skull filled their ears as The walker's head converted to slush under Glenn's foot as he panted walking away. Anger radiated through the young man, his heart ached consumed by guilt as he turned away from Alex and Rick in an attempt to compose himself. yet Rick followed him, Alex, close behind as Glenn held his ribs panting as pain consumed his body. 

"you didn't kill him" Glenn panted looking up at Rick, The energy Glenn had previously radiated had changed. Alex could feel the pain, the guilt that consumed him. The anger that radiated of him replaced the light he once did. she knew it all too well the same thing having happened to her years prior.

"that's not why we went back" Rick stated, Alex leant against the truck her hand running through her hair just wanting to forget what had happened, yet she knew The rage Glenn felt was too intense to just be forgotten, maybe she was too used to the pain. 

She wanted the governor dead. but she wanted to be the one to kill him. Not rick.

"no that's right. you went back for Daryl. and now he's gone again and the governor is still alive" Glenn exclaimed his hand still wrapped around his injured mid-section.

"Daryl was the priority" Rick stated Frustration rushing through him. Daryl was gone. His wife was dead. And the governor hurt his niece. and the group had almost halved in less than a week.

"I should've been there with you." Glenn's voice was raised yet he spoke with a hushed tone trying to control his emotions.

"you were in no condition" Rick Defended. Glenn's eyes laid on Alex as he shook his head in disbelief Unable to rid himself of the thoughts of Alex, what the governor had done to her. but they wouldn't stop, his guilt had been eating away at him for hours it didn't seem like it was ever going to stop.

"but she was?!" He exclaimed, He had been there. In the room next to her. He couldn't help her, Guilt overwhelmed him so terribly that his hands trembled trying to control himself.

"Glenn this isn't about that," Alex Spoke watching the interaction between the two males she was closest to. Glenn turned his head away from her Clenching his jaw, ignoring her words. it was about that.

"I should've been there!" Anger laced Glenn's tone, leaning toward Rick. Guilt and sadness for what happened eating through his body. As the tension in the air thickened, Alex watched as the men grew closer to each other taking a step toward them... this was all because of her.

"hey, hey. you didn't come back with us 'cause you could barely walk" Rick exclaimed raising his hand to get Glenn to calm down, but it didn't work. the aggression only grew stronger.

"what about her?!" Glenn yelled his hand gesturing towards Alex. She took a step forward not wanting him to get into it, she was fine...

"what about me? I'm fine Glenn." Alex exclaimed his Jaw tightened more his teeth grinding together. Alex's skin crawled as she thought back to what had happened. She couldn't let it affect her, not the way it did last time.

"do you know what he did to her?! do you know!" Glenn yelled Rick taking a step back as he stared at Alex. She swallowed the lump in her throat noticing the look of pity in her uncle's eyes. a look she'd seen too many times before. 

"shut up! enough! let's go."

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an- I've proofread this chapter about 3  times and I still hate it lmao