( Notes: TW for some slurs because its Merle...) 

Daryl couldn't stop thinking about Hedley. Wondering if he made the right call. Especially when Merle was being such a dick about it.

"I may have lost my hand, but you lost your sense of direction."

"Yeah, we'll see." Daryl huffed.

"What do you want to bet?"

"I don't want to bet nothing."

"It's just a body of water."

Daryl rolled his eyes, "Why's everything got to be a competition with you?"

"Whoa, whoa. Take it easy, little brother." Merle smiled his stupid smile, "Just trying to have a little fun here. No need to get your panties all in a bundle."

Daryl huffed once more, looking for tracks on the ground.

"So... is this Hedley kid really yours?" Merle asked in an almost soft voice.

"Nah." Daryl shook his head, his chest tightening, "I found 'im when lookin' for Carol's daughter."

"That's right. Sophie, right?"

"Sophia."

"Is she-"

"Dead. Got lost in the woods when being chased by walkers. I searched and searched. But we found her in a barn. Dead n' walking."

"Fuck, man." Merle paused then said, "So why did Officer Friendly call 'im ya kid?"

"Hedley... he's special."

"Like retarded?"

"Don't say that, man." Daryl narrowed his eyes in warning at his brother.

Merle raised his hand and stump in surrender. "Easy. Sorry. Didn't mean to touch a nerve."

"He's autistic. But brave as hell. Took down walkers like it was nothing even 'fore joining the group." He defended, looking around the trees for squirrels, not wanting to look at Merle's reaction, "He attached 'imself ta me. I let 'im."

"Well, ya can forget all about the kid."

"Yeah." Daryl then perked up, hearing something in the distance. "Ya hear that?"

"Yeah, wild animals getting wild."

The archer shook his head, "No, it's a baby."

"Oh, come on. Why don't you just piss in my ear and tell me it's raining, too? That there's the sound of a couple of coons making love, sweet love. Know what I mean?"

Daryl ran to the noise as saw a man screaming in Spanish on a bridge.

"Hey! Jump!" Merle yelled, and saw Daryl's look of disgust, "What?" Daryl ran. "Hey, man, I ain't wasting my bullets on a couple of strangers that ain't never cooked me a meal or felicitated my piece. That's my policy. You'd be wise to adopt it, brother."

They made it on the bridge, walkers all around a car. A woman, holding a screaming baby to her chest and a man desperately trying to keep the walkers away with a baseball bat.

Daryl shoots his bolts, yelling out, "Move! Move!"

"Santa María llena eres de gracia..." More yelling in Spanish.

Merle was struggling, the man going after him in a panic, "Come on, man. I'm trying to help you out. Cover me! Behind, behind!" More Spanish, more panic, more chaos, "Speak English. I don't understand you!"

Soon, the walkers were taken care of, the baby still screaming against his mother's neck.

Merle went to look inside the car, going through the stuff inside.

The man tried to stop him, but Merle pushed him away, "Slow down, beaner. That ain't no way to say thank you. We don't have anything. The tank is empty."

"Let 'em go." Daryl ordered.

Merle kept looking, ignoring his brother, "The least they can do is give us an enchilada or something, huh?"

Having enough, Daryl pointed his bow at his brother, "Get out of the car."

"I know you're not talking to me, brother."

Merle stepped away and Daryl told the people to leave. They did.

Merle shouted in a rage, "The shit you doing, pointing that thing at me?"

"They were scared, man."

"They were rude is what they were." The brothers went back into the woods, "Rude and they owed us a token of gratitude."

"They didn't owe us nothing."

"You helping people out of the goodness of your heart? Even though you might die doing it? Is that something your Sheriff Rick taught you?"

"There was a baby!" Daryl yelled.

"Oh, otherwise you would have just left them to the biters, then?"

"Man, I went back for you. You weren't there. I didn't cut off your hand, neither. You did that. Way before they locked you up on that roof. You asked for it."

"You know what's funny to me? You and Sheriff Rick are like this now. Right?" He crossed his fingers, "I bet you a penny and a fiddle of gold that you never told him that we were planning on robbing that camp blind."

Daryl really hated himself at that moment, muttering, "It didn't happen."

"Yeah, it didn't 'cause I wasn't there to help you."

"What, like when we were kids, huh? Who left who then?"

"What? Huh?" Merle frowned in confusion and anger, "Is that why I lost my hand?"

"You lost your hand 'cause you're a simpleminded piece of shit."

"Yeah? You don't know!" Merle went towards him, pushing him to the ground but he held onto the fabric of Daryl's shirt, making it rip off the other man. Daryl's back now exposed, and it was littered with deep scars. Merle stuttered in shock, "I-- I didn't know he was--"

"Yeah, he did. He did the same to you." Daryl grabbed his shirt, putting his bag on his back to cover it, "That's why you left first."

"I had to, man. I would have killed him otherwise." Daryl began to walk away, "Where you going?"

"Back where I belong."

"I can't go with you. I tried to kill that black bitch. Damn near kill the Chinese kid."

"He's Korean."

"Whatever."

"I never should've left in the first place."

"Why? Cause of ya kid?"

"Yeah! So, I'm going back!"

"Doesn't matter, man. I just can't go with you."

"You know, I may be the one walking away... but you're the one that's leaving-- again." Daryl said, sadly shaking his head.

*****

Hedley went to Beth's cell to see Judith in her arms.

"Are you okay, Hedley?" She asked him softly.

He nodded, though his eyes were still red and the scratches he had made on his face were still raw to the touch.

"You wanna hold her?"

He nodded again. Beth handed her over and he cradled her close. She gurgled, reaching up to tap his chin.

"I think Carl's outside. Wanna go and get some fresh air?"

He nodded and walked with the young girl out into the courtyard with baby Judith snuggled against his neck.

Carol and Axel were at the gate while Carl sat against the wall, twirling his knife. When seeing his sister and best friend, he stood, put away his knife and dashed towards them.

"Hey! You feeling better?"

Hedley shrugged.

They heard Axel talking to Carol.

"In here I've seen plenty of dudes crack. But not me. I got on better on the inside. Things made more sense, you know? There were rules. Life was more simple."

"Didn't you miss your brother?" Carol asked.

"My brother? Hell, no. He had a real money problem."

"What kind of problem?"

"He didn't lend me any." They laughed. "One time that son of a bitch--" He didn't get the chance to finish as a gunshot rang out and Axel fell, a bullet to the head, killing him instantly. Blood sprayed Carol's face. Everyone took cover. Hedley holding a now crying Judith protectively to his chest.

Carol ran over to where they kept the guns and Hedley gave Beth Judith so he could collect one. More gunshots rang all around and the governor's men were surrounding the gates.

Maggie helped Beth back inside, shooting the men that were near the guard tower. Carl, Carol and Hedley shot along with her.

Carl pushed Hedley with him, shooting the walkers that were set free and herding towards Hershel.

Michone came in and sliced her way through. Hershel got up when the Governor drove away, leaving the walkers to do their thing. Hedley looked over to see Rick struggle against three walkers, he whimpered out as one got close to his face but suddenly, an arrow flew through the air and into the walker's skull.

And Daryl and Merle came spilling from the woods, weapons ready. Everyone shot, stabbed, sliced any walker they could find. All acting on instinct only.

Once Hershel was saved by Glenn and Michonne - Rick, Daryl and Merle made their way into the courtyard, where everyone regrouped.

Daryl spotted Hedley and knelt down. "Hey, Spider Monkey."

Hedley paused, frozen to the spot for a moment before letting out a whimper. His lower lip wobbled, and he dropped his gun before running into Daryl's arms, wrapping himself around his torso.

Daryl lifted him up, whispering, "I'm sorry for leaving ya."

Hedley just held on tighter.