𝙳𝙰𝚁𝚈𝙻'𝚂 𝚁𝙴𝙲𝙾𝙻𝙻𝙴𝙲𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 𝙵𝙾𝚄𝚁 - 𝙳𝙾𝙽'𝚃 𝚆𝙰𝙽𝙽𝙰 𝙻𝙾𝚂𝙴 𝙰𝙽𝚈𝙾𝙽𝙴
Although Daryl really did not want to leave Anita's side, he had to go with Rick, Oscar and Michonne to help save Maggie and Glenn from Woodbury. During their little rescue mission, Daryl found out Merle had taken Glenn and Maggie and he was working with the Governor. After freeing them both, Daryl was captured but was eventually saved by Rick and Maggie. Also, Oscar had lost his life and Merle had escaped with Daryl. Michonne had caught Glenn up on everything that had gone on and Rick did the same with Maggie. They were both glad to hear that Anita had returned and that she was alive.
When Rick, Maggie, Merle and Daryl met up with Glenn and Michonne, it was safe to say that they were not happy to see Merle. "What the hell is he doing here?" Glenn asked as he pulled his gun out and Michonne pulled her sword out.
"He tried to kill me!" Michonne exclaimed, clearly very upset. Daryl obviously had to defend his older brother so he stood in front of him so nobody could hurt him as Rick tried to calm Michonne down. Daryl growled when he saw yet another gun being pointed at him. This was the fifth time now. Daryl kept count. Rick pointed a gun at him three times, Andrea actually shot him one time but luckily missed and now Glenn was pointing a gun to him.
"Man, get that thing out of my face!" Daryl yelled at Glenn, making him lower his gun.
"Man, looks like you've gone native, brother." Merle chuckled.
"No more than you hanging out with that psycho back there." Daryl said to Merle. They realised just how dangerous the Governor really was. He had put Daryl and Merle to fight to the death with walkers around. The man was sick in the head.
"He is a charmer, I'll tell you that. Been putting the wood to your girlfriend, Andrea, big time, baby." Merle said to Michonne and Daryl just rolled his eyes. He wanted to get back to the prison, back to Anita. He was eager to talk to her, to tell her how he felt. Before the world went to hell, telling a girl how he felt might have been nearly impossible for Daryl. It was always him and Merle together throughout everything. But then he met Anita and everything changed. Daryl found himself caring for another person and it actually felt good. He liked how he felt around Anita. The fact that she was able to get Daryl to open up to her emotionally, that's how he knew Anita was special.
Merle kept on spewing out shit and Rick had eventually had enough so he knocked Merle out. The group then came together to decide what they were going to do with Merle and Michonne. Daryl wanted Merle to come back with them but Glenn, Rick, and Maggie were not so eager.
"The Governor's probably on the way to the prison right now. Merle knows how he thinks and we could use the muscle." Daryl said.
"Do you really want Merle living in the same cell block as Carol, Beth, Anita?" Glenn asked.
"He ain't no rapist." Daryl said. Sure, Merle was a dick but he wouldn't put his hands on a woman like that. If there was even a chance he would touch anyone, touch Anita, he wouldn't be fighting for Merle to come back.
"There's no way Merle's going to live there without putting everyone at each other's throats." Rick said.
"So, you're gonna cut Merle loose and bring the last samurai back home with us?" Daryl asked.
"She's not coming back." Rick said.
"She helped bring Anita back to us." Maggie said.
"Yeah, and Michonne did lead you guys to us." Glenn said.
"She's too unpredictable. She ditched us back there." Rick said.
"We don't know who she is. Merle, Merle's blood." Daryl said.
"No, Merle is your blood. My blood, my family is standing right here and waiting for us back at the prison." Glenn said.
"And you're a part of that family, but he's not. He's not." Rick said and Daryl couldn't help but feel bad. Merle was his brother. He couldn't just abandon him. They had been through everything together. When their father used to beat them, Merle would take the beatings meant for Daryl. He did that for his little brother. Merle was there for him and Daryl had to be there for Merle.
But Daryl didn't know what to do. On one hand, he had his brother who wasn't being accepted by the group. On the other hand, Anita was waiting for him back at the prison. Had it really come to this? Did Daryl really have to choose between his loyalty towards his older brother who was always there for him or his feelings towards the only girl who he had opened up his heart to?
Daryl heard groaning and saw as Merle had woken up and was leaning against a tree, groaning in pain. "Man, y'all don't know." Daryl groaned. There had to be a way for him to convince Rick to allow Merle to return with them. "You left my brother handcuffed to a rooftop." Daryl said to Rick. "He cut his hand off and escaped. He was obviously helpless and accepted help from the first person who offered it to him. The Governor. If anything, this is all your fault, Rick. If you hadn't left him, Merle would have been with us this whole time and none of this would be happening right now." (I feel like if Daryl said all that to Rick, he would have allowed Merle to come back to the prison with the rest of them.)
Rick looked like he was trying to think of something to say but he knew Daryl was right. Daryl looked at Glenn and Maggie and saw them looking at the ground. They knew Daryl was right. "Please, Rick. I ain't never begged for anything all my life but I'm asking you now. Let Merle come back with us. You owe me that for leaving him. I already lost Anita once. I can't lose my brother, too. I don't wanna lose anyone again. I don't."
Rick sighed and looked at Merle before looking at Daryl. He stayed silent for a good minute before finally revealing his decision.