the joker --- steve miller band
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[POV]
Rick met with Hershel, Daryl and JJ to tell them about his plan of handing over Michonne.
"It's the only way. No one else knows."
"You gonna tell 'em?" Daryl asked.
"Not till after. We have to do it today and it has to be quiet."
"You got a plan?"
"We tell her we need to talk. Away from the others. JJ will-"
"I told you," She crossed her arms, "I don't wanna be part of this."
Daryl looked to her, then back to Rick, "just ain't us, man."
"No, no it isn't." Hershel went back inside.
Rick continued to convince JJ and Daryl, "We do this, we avoid a fight. No one else dies."
"All right." Daryl agreed.
"We don't know that." JJ reminded, "There's no way to know if he's gonna turn around the second we hand her over and shoot us all dead."
"It's a risk I think we should take." Rick disagreed, "But if you wanna stay out of it, we're gonna need someone else."
Daryl nodded, "I'll talk to him."
"No, just me." Rick walked over to the other cell block entrance. JJ glared as he did, angrily crossing her arms.
"You really think the Governor's just gonna give up as soon as we hand over Michonne?"
Daryl shrugged.
JJ huffed, going inside to keep her mind occupied and off of what was gonna happen.
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[JJ]
"Ain't no way." Merle stated from the second level, looking out the window.
I looked up with a face of annoyance, "What?"
"Nothing."
"Then why'd you say anything?" I snarked.
He laughed to himself, "what's got you in a pissy mood?"
"Nothing."
He changed the subject, "we got any whiskey? Hell, I'd even drink vodka. Bet that was your drink of choice."
I shrugged, "could never go wrong with a vodka cran."
He chuckled again as he began to walk down the stairs, "figures."
I rolled my eyes, "you with us?"
"Sure."
"I'm not talking about wasting in a cell here. Are you with us?"
"I'm here for my brother."
"Well, he's here for us." I mumbled. "You regret it? Runnin' with the Governor?"
"Governor an' I. Thought we had a lot in common at first."
I nodded, pursing my lips, "both being douchebags?"
"You can say that." He shrugged, grinning, "You know, my lil' brother said what I did to ya really bothered ya."
"Others have done worse." I told him.
"So, apology accepted?"
"Didn't realize that's what that was."
"Figured if we're both gonna waste space here, we should try to bury the hatchet."
"What? Scared I'm gonna strangle you like I did your friend?"
He snickered, "it'd be a helluva way to go.... better than whatever the Governor has planned."
"Did Rick ask you?" I crossed my arms, leaning against the table.
Merle nodded, "yeah, he did. Don't think he has the balls to go through with it though. I wanna be with my brother, and my brother wants to be here. So, I'm in."
"So, you are with us." I brought the conversation back around.
"I'll get back to you when this shit with the Governor is over."
I laughed to myself, "when this shit with the Governor is over, I'll be making a vodka cran."
Merle shrugged, "go ahead and make two while you're at it."
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[POV]
JJ noticed the cellblock was concerningly quiet. She saw Hershel and the girls at the table, but there wasn't any sign of Merle or Michonne. She immediately figured that Rick had already left to turn her over.
When she walked outside, she saw Rick and Daryl in the courtyard. "You guys didn't leave?"
Rick shook his head, "it's off. We're takin' our chances. Why d'you ask?"
"Cause Merle and Michonne aren't anywhere to be found."
Daryl made eye contact with Rick, motioning him over to where he was talking with Merle earlier. "Come on." The three walked around the room, "He was in here- said he was looking for drugs. Said a lot of things actually."
"Like what?" Rick questioned, looking around.
"Said that you were gonna change your mind. Here we go." Daryl kneeled down, picking up a cloth sack. "Yeah, he took her here. They mixed it up."
"Dammit." Rick snapped, "I'm going after him."
"You need to stay here, Rick. I'll go." JJ decided.
"You can't track for shit." Daryl motioned to Rick, then JJ, "And you don't know your left from your right."
"Then two of us will go." Rick said.
"Nah, just me. I said I'd go, and I'll go. Plus, they're gonna come back here. You need to be ready." Daryl looked past Rick to JJ, "Everyone does."
When he was gone, JJ turned to her brother, "Don't think it's a good idea- him going off after the two of them on his own. What if the Governor's waiting. Could just be another trap. It doesn't feel right."
"None of this feels right."
"I'm a good shot, I could-"
"No, you're not putting yourself at risk. You're staying here."
"We're at risk if we stay put. I can handle-"
"JJ, you're not going after them."
"Fine." JJ huffed, glaring, "then, I'm going on watch."
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JJ didn't go on watch. She went after the others.
"JJ?" Michonne, who was making her way back to the prison, stopped her. "What are you doing?"
"Going after you guys. Where's the other two?"
She shrugged, "Merle let me go. Daryl went after him."
"Which way?"
"He didn't want anybody to go after them."
"That sucks." JJ repeated, "Which way?"
Michonne sighed, "East."
"Yeah, I'm gonna need specifics." JJ told her. "I'm not good at directions. Is there some sort of mile marker? A weird lookin' tree I'm supposed to turn left at?"
"Go straight through the woods, turn right at the old car, then follow the road to the building." Michone directed using her hands.
"Thanks."
"Try not to get yourself killed."
"Not planning to." JJ walked backwards, "Hey, Michonne, I'm sorry. I didn't want any part of it."
"I know. Merle mentioned that."
"He did?"
Michonne nodded, "Good luck."
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[JJ]
It wasn't that hard to find the building where Rick met the Governor. The way Michonne pointed me led me straight to the road in front of it. I made sure to look around before going any further.
I cautiously followed the side of the building to the back, where Daryl was sitting in the grass...in front of Merle, who'd turned. "Daryl?"
He didn't even look, just stared aimlessly. "Why the hell are you here? Told you not to come."
"We both know I don't listen." I looked around, going into the storage area behind the building. I grabbed two shovels and went back out to where Daryl was, tossing one beside him. "You gonna help me?"
Daryl finally looked over, "what're you doin'?"
"What's it look like? I'm digging a grave." I shrugged with an attitude, "Would you rather carry him back to the prison?"
"Wasn't gone do nothin' with him."
"Why you say that?"
"Didn't deserve it. He was an asshole."
"Yeah, well, he was also your brother." I sighed as Daryl looked back at Merle. You could tell he was thinking. "If you don't want to, we don't have to. It's your choice." My attention was drawn over to light music playing from an old car. In the passenger's seat sat two bottles- a half-empty bottle of whisky and an unopened bottle of vodka. "Asshole," I huffed, taking the bottle in my right hand and walking back over to Daryl.
"D'you say somethin'?"
I stopped next to him, opening the bottle, "Your brother was an ass."
"Vodka?"
"We talked earlier about Vodka Crans. Pretty sure this was his way of apologizing." I unscrewed the cap, drinking straight from the bottle before sitting next to Daryl in the grass and handing him the bottle.
We were a few drinks in, well, I was a few drinks in, and we'd dug a shallow grave to bury Merle. Well, Daryl did most of the digging. I kept watch.
"He didn't deserve this." Daryl sat back in the grass, staring at the pile of dirt that now covered his brother.
I frowned, "He was an ass, but he didn't deserve to go out like this. No one does."
"Nah, I meant he didn't deserve this. 'Specially after what he did to you." He referred to the poorly dug grave.
"Eh, maybe not, but you deserved to bury your brother." I half-smiled, "Plus, I've never performed at a funeral before."
"What are you talkin' bout?" From my back pocket, I pulled the red harmonica I had gotten at the store before Merle took us. "Is that a damn harmonica?" I cleared my throat before playing a bunch of random notes in one blow. Daryl took the harmonic from my hands, "That's enough."
"Hey," I protested, "We hadn't even gotten to the chorus yet."
"I don't think you even got to the song."
I laughed, "you're right." Then, I realized, "wait, we need a gravestone." I tried to gracefully stand to my feet, "I'll find something."
"Yeah, cause that's a good idea." Daryl sarcastically mumbled.
I didn't go far before finding a ripped off piece of cardboard box. "Think this'll work?"
"Sure."
I sat back down, realizing, "Shit. I don't have anything to write with."
"Here." Daryl pulled a permanent, black marker from his pocket.
"What do you have a marker in the zombie apocalypse?"
"We were using-"
I cut him off. "More importantly, why does the marker work so well?" I wrote R.I.P in large letters across the top. "Here, you should write it." I handed him the marker and cardboard and took back the bottle.
"Why you want me to write it?"
"You were his brother."
Daryl shrugged, "I don't know."
"You know what, actually, I think I got it." I swapped him the decreasing amount of vodka for the piece of cardboard. "Perfect." I turned the board around smiling.
Daryl scoffed, looking at the worn-out piece of cardboard, "yeah, sums 'em up pretty well."
I jokingly shrugged, "What can I say? I got a way with words. 'Specially after having a little vodka."
He slowly nodded, lightly hitting my knee, "Come on, we should get back before it gets dark." Daryl stood up first, holding out his hand to help me up.
"Thanks." I smiled, looking down and realizing I hadn't let go of his hand, "sorry." I let go.
"What for?"
I paused, awkwardly, "your brother."
"Yeah, me too."
Then, we headed back to the prison, leaving the bottle of vodka, with just enough for one Vodka Cran in the bottle, and the ripped piece of cardboard as grave markers.
R.I.P
Here lies Merle Dixon.
Brother, Son, Asshole
a/n: cute. rip merle. hehe i liked writing this chapter. hope you liked reading it! happy easter beautiful people <3
a+n