The way Daryl made sure Sakiko and Nanami got their food first.

The way Nanami and Sakiko had matching pocket knives that looked too familiar.

The way Daryl showed them both how to boil water.

The way Nanami wore a jacket around his waist that also looked familiar.

The way Sakiko was the first one up when Daryl and Merle returned from hunts.

The way Daryl wore clothes that Merle doesn't remember packing.

The way the twins looked to Daryl during camp meeting as though following his lead instead of Shane's.

The way the twins and Daryl just so happened to be together when things fell apart.

The way Daryl held a watchful eye when the twins strayed too far from him.

It was a multitude of things over the next week that Merle began to add up in his head as he watched the trio closer than before.

It finally all came to a head when Daryl was out on a solo hunt, Merle sticking back as he was doing 'private things' in his tent. If Shane was a good cop, he would know that Merle was high. But, it didn't seem to matter as Shane wasn't around either.

"Mulan," Merle calls, waving Sakiko to him, "Come here."

Sakiko closes her knife, standing from where she was sitting half in and half out of her tent.

"My name's not Mulan," she says as she steps to him, placing her knife in her pocket.

Merle scans her up and down, searching for a sign- any sign that would confirm that voice in his head. Sakiko puts her hands on her hips, ponytail swinging as she looks at Merle expectantly.

That's when Merle sees it.

He reaches a hand out to her, Sakiko quickly taking a step away and crossing her arms over her chest. Merle shakes his head, dropping his hand by his side.

"Where'd you get it?" he asks, voice lower than she'd heard before.

"Get what?" she snaps.

"The fuckin' necklace, kid. Where'd you get the damn necklace?" he shouts back, making Sakiko flinch.

Don't get him wrong, Merle wasn't a very sentimental guy. But, he had enough decency to recognize the necklace that he'd bought his mother for Christmas after saving up the whole year to buy it.

Sakiko doesn't answer, too startled by the shouting as well as realization that he'd known where the necklace was from. It seemed to only be a matter of time until he figured out how she got it.

"Did you steal it? Hmm?" he asks, stepping to her, "Did you?"

"No!" she cries, steadily backing away.

"So, he gave it to you, eh?" Merle chuckles, "The hell have you three been doing behind my back?"

"Nothing! It- It just fell out of his bag. I said it was pretty and he just-"

"Fuckin' lies," Merle sneers.

Sakiko flinches again, Merle once more putting pieces together in his brain.

"First, he's asking me about having kids. Then, you two are running away and he just so happens to already have a bag packed and find you both?"

Sakiko shakes her head, wondering if she screamed if the others in camp would come to her aid.

"You got our knives, you got my mom's necklace.. You three.." Merle cuts himself off to laugh, "You been hiding some shit, huh?"

The trees rustle behind them, Merle setting a hand on his knife only for Daryl to emerge with a rope of squirrel around his back.

"Well, if it ain't the man himself," Merle laughs, pointing to Daryl.

"What?" Daryl asks, glancing between the two.

"You was just gonna take the kids and run off somewhere, huh?" Merle asks.

Daryl looks to Sakiko who quickly shakes her head, trying to tell him she didn't say anything. Merle notices the action, waving Sakiko away.

"Go on off somewhere," he tells her, "Go on, now."

Sakiko looks to Daryl who sighs but gives her a single nod. She swallows roughly before turning away, fast walking back to her tent.

"What?" Daryl repeats, though he could tell they had been figured out.

"How long? How long you three been plotting on leaving?"

There's a tense few seconds of silence, the brothers staring each other down until Daryl finally speaks up.

"It just happened. After that run in with the lunatic.. It just happened."

"But, y'all been talking before then. Ain't that right?" Merle pushes.

"Look-"

"We're leaving this camp," Merle states.

Daryl begins to ask 'what' once again only for Merle to hold his hand up, silencing the younger of the two.

"We ain't doing this. I ain't letting you become this. Some orphans dad or some shit. Now, more than ever, we need to look out for each other. Jus' you and me or else we'll die trying to care for everyone else."

Daryl doesn't say anything, so Merle continues.

"We'll wait until it's quiet. Get all the supplies we need, and then you and I are taillights."

"It ain't bad enough you wanna leave, you gotta rob 'em, too?" Daryl asks.

"We need to take care of ourselves," Merle states, "If that means a couple city slickers run out of bottled water and gasoline? So be it."

"I'll go on this next run to the city, get more supplies. Then, when I get back, we're out of here," Merle tries to coax.

Daryl looks to where Sakiko was peering out of her tent, trying to hear what was being said to no avail as Nanami walked over to her. With both kids in sight, Daryl feels his chest swell with a range of emotions he wasn't used to just yet.

"I ain't leavin' them kids," Daryl argues.

Merle takes a step closer to Daryl, "Why not?"

"Cause I don't want them livin' in hell. If they stay here, without me, ain't no one gonna care for 'em. That's why I left. Someone needed to care for 'em and that piece of shit you were dealing with wasn't gonna do it."

Merle goes quiet, looking deep into Daryl's eyes like he was reading his soul. Then, he glances to the kids over his shoulder.

Just what did these twins do to his baby brother? What kind of vice like grip did they have on him that Daryl was arguing with Merle over them?

Why did they have their knives, why did the girl have their mother's jewelry, why did they stay so close, why did they go off together to begin with? Merle had too many questions for no answers.

"They ain't coming with us," Merle argues.

"They're just kids man, we can't leave 'em here to die."

Merle laughs, shaking his head in disbelief at his brother's refusal to give up on the kids.

"So what? We risk our asses to try and keep 'em alive?"

Daryl nods like it was the obvious choice. Merle shakes his head again. They'd been out in those woods now, they knew what those 'things' were like up close and personal. They handled themselves just fine when it was the two of them. But, to bring two kids out there with them?

"Fine. But, we're still leaving," Merle decides.

"Why?" Daryl questions.

"You wanna care for two kids? Out in this? If we wanna keep ourselves and them kids alive, we can't be too busy caring for other people and their kids. We gotta have ours, not everyone else."

At the thought, Daryl feels a chill despite the summer heat. How had he not thought about things like that?

If it came down to choosing who got what, of course he would put his kids first. If he had to say the kid of the woman that runs around like she owns the place had to starve if it meant Nanami or Sakiko ate.. Of course he would choose his twins.

And Merle was right, without Daryl, no one had the twins' back. Sure, T-Dog gave them food on the first night, but he wouldn't watch over them like Daryl has.

When it came to the kids, the others were far more important to the other members of the camp.

Carl was being raised by Lori and Shane- the man in charge. Kid could snap his fingers and get what he wants.

Will and Eliza's dad was also starting to help out on runs while Miranda did laundry and cooked the meals Daryl and Merle hunted. They had two living, breathing, capable parents who would do everything in their power to keep their kids well off.

Sophia also had two parents, though anyone could tell that Carol was earning their keep more than Ed as she ran herself rabid to keep things in order around camp.

Ryan was Glenn's brother and everyone in camp loved Glenn for the sole fact that they wouldn't have half the things they did without him and his runs. Dale, T-Dog, Jacqui, Amy, and Andrea helped Ryan when Glenn wasn't around.

The twins.. The twins only had Daryl and each other. Just like before.

So, if it came down to leaving for the sake of keeping his kids safer and healthier.

"When do we do it?" Daryl asks.