-Summery
What happened at the before season one that brought out the hateful bitter side of Merle that he had inherited from his father and spent years trying to control? Could Daryl save him from himself or was his self destruction inevitable? Not sure at this point if this is a one shot or not, but it is totally AU. It will contain lots of language.
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The world had gone to Hell there was no way around that. The moment the strange reports hit the news Merle Dixon called his younger brother hoping he would be closer to Macon; but he was still waiting for him to call him back. When he talked to him a couple weeks ago he had taken a job upgrading some machinery at a mine he thought in Augusta, he figured the job would last a couple months.
Merle hit the steering wheel pissed at himself, he had been on the road for almost 3 hours. Under ideal circumstances' it should take him 4 and a half hours but roads had more traffic than usual. He knew he shouldn't have taking this contract it was too far from home, from Savannah. Thinking of Savannah make him increase his speed as he remembered how she had told him to take the logging job in the Blue Ridge Mountains, they were logging timber the floating them down the Savannah River to be milled further south. It was a longer contract than normal but the money was great and they even compensated for the time away. That crazy woman said them using the Savannah was a sign he should take it, plus the extra pay would help set them up nicely for the off season. Like a dumbass he agreed because let's face it they need it this year the economy had slowed so building had slowed. He had been lucky he hadn't been laid off like so many of the others had. "Fuck!" he grumbled as he grabbed a tape and jammed it into the player hoping the music would distract him.
It had been about an hour later when his phone rang. "Daryl," he answered with relief at his brother's number on the screen. "You hear 'bout this shit?" he asked turning down a back road that would cut his drive time home. One he had taken every weekend since taking this job.
"Yeah, man." Daryl answered switching lanes as he headed towards Macon. "I already hit the sporting goods store to stock up, maxed out both cards, and am already heading home. Have you talked to Savie?" He asked noticing he was about fifteen miles from Macon. He was wound tighter than he had been in years, not since their father was still alive.
"No. She ain't answering her phone, 'Should be at working but no answer there either. I haven't talked to her in three days, get no reception up the mountain. Shit!" Merle exclaimed as he swerved to miss some of those things in the middle of the road chomping down on what looked to be a person. "Mother fuckers eating people!" Merle said in shock. He had been hoping the reports were exaggerating but damn.
"I know shits sideways." Darly said quietly as he exited the freeway towards Macon. "I'm almost to Macon, Merle I'll head to the clinic since I'm coming in this way, see if Savie's there. Your coming in closer to the house, well meet you at the there. Girl's probably is at home anyway with Lula-May. If you can't wait there, too many of these things head to the cabin and I'll find you. That sound good?" Daryl asked trying to form a plan.
"Look kid," Merle started unable to finish his sentence.
"I know how important this is. If she's there I'll find her. You just start packing up clothes and food." Daryl snapped back before hanging up. Savie may be Merle's wife but she was his friend first, his sister. She was Dixon tough, he knew in his gut she was fine, he just had to find her.
As he neared the back of the clinic he saw lots of cars one of which was Savie's. The only people he saw were those things. He grabbed his bow and hunting knife before he quietly inched out of the truck leaving it unlocked in case he needed to quickly get back in it. Silently he took out the four geeks feasting on a body, as he said a prayer of thanks to Savie's father for teaching him how to bow hunt.
Coming in from the back he was closer to the employee childcare which was the most likely place for Sav. She had been spending a lot of time there since getting pregnant. As he inched the door open he cringed, there were two of those things and bodies everywhere. He shot both before checking the room for her, a small whimper from a small cabinet catching his attention. He slowly opened the door ready for anything only to find a shaking dog. Savie had told him the center had a dog for the sick children. "Well, you must be Loki." Daryl said pulling the poor thing out. "Savie here today?" he asked it as if it would know. "Savie" he said again as the dog looked around then whined. "Come." He said quietly heading towards the main office and intercom. He had a crazy idea but it might work.
He had remembered Savie saying even the bathrooms had phones and intercom speakers. It took him a minute to figure out the intercom then he announced. "Savie? Anyone? If your holed up in a room call extension 01. I'll come help you." After fifteen minutes and no response he turned on the waiting room tv to draw the geeks from the halls. After a few minutes he left the office closing the geeks into the waiting room and locking the door, but not before checking for Savies auburn hair. None of the geeks came close. He proceeded to go room to room before accepting she just wasn't there anymore. He tried calling Merle as he drove away with the dog riding shotgun but all circuits were busy. Hoping Savie was at the house he headed that way.
Merle's truck wasn't there when Daryl pulled up actually the whole road leading up to their home seemed deserted. Daryl grabbed his knife and ran for the open door with dread. "Savie? Lula-May!" he yelled as he worked his way thru the downstairs before hearing a scratching noise up stairs. He quietly worked his way upstairs all the doors were open except his parent's old room. It hadn't been used since his father's death but Savie always left the door open. She claimed it was out of respect. As he moved closer he could tell the scratching was from there, and slowly opened the door to be hit with that stench. He stabbed the thing multiple times before hearing Merle say behind him. "It's got to be the head!" He listened on reflex stabbing the head as it slumped and fell with a thud. Merle moved closer before asking. "Damn, that thing Mary from next door?"
Daryl opened a window "It's her." He said gruffly before covering her with the quilt from the bed. Merle grabbed their fathers set of Ruggers stuffing them in a bag, before heading to his and Savie's room. Packing cloths he asked his silent brother. "She dead?" His hand hovering over her new jacket he wasn't brave enough to look at Daryl.
"There was no sign of her there, her car was there though. I checked every room and every geek. She must have high tailed it with someone else." Daryl said throwing her cloths in a bag from under the bed. "She's smart she probably already at the cabin. She'd recon we'd head there."
And if she headed towards me?" merle asked fear showing for the first time since their father died.
Daryl shook his head. "She'd know you'd come for her it's just a matter of figuring where is the safest to wait. I figure less populated the better, her uncles place maybe." Daryl said chewing on his thumb in thought. "Been a while though since she's spent time down there though, right? And it's more populated I figure she hit the cabin first. We shouldn't stay here to long but maybe leave her a note, if she comes back she'll know where to go." He said pushing his brother down the stairs towards the kitchen.
They had just about finished up grabbing what they could when the power went out and they heard a squeak. Merle grabbed a flashlight from the drawer and his gun off the table and turned to the basement door. "Savie?" He said slowly opening the door, he didn't smell anything unusual as he slowly walked down the steps. At the bottom he fanned the light across the room only to move it back to a huddle in the corner. He moved closer gun aimed as the huddle looked up scared. It took Merle a moment to recognize the young Lula-May, she had no such qualms as she hurled herself at him.
Holding her tight he asked "You bit or scratched? Where is she?" knowing Lula would know just who he meant she shook her head no. Through her sniffles she answered "She didn't come home from work day before yesterday but she said to take Mary's husbands car with Mary and the kids and make for the cabin if anything happened. Or she didn't come home. I tried but I couldn't find the keys and Mary was eating everyone, she had gotten the fever…."
"Lula?" a sleepy voice called from the blankets on the floor, drawing Merle and Lula's attention. Before either could respond a voice called down. "Merle, you okay."
"Grab the blankets" Merle said as he picked up the small boy, for the life of him he couldn't remember Mary's youngest name. "Yeah, I found Lula and one of Mary's boys hiding down here. Were coming up." He said leading the way. As he handed the toddler to Daryl, who knew Mary's kids better than him, he told him. "Savie gave her instructions to get to the cabin if she wasn't back at a certain time, and she's way overdue. Told her she'd come there. We go get some things for the kid and head there. Leave that note ya were talkin about."
Daryl handed Lula a bag and took the last empty one. "Go pack your clothes, cold weather stuff to. Those girl things you need too. Be quick. Take the boy. You're gonna lock up behind us as we head next door for the boys things. Let no one in but us or your sister, ya hear." merle said not even waiting for a response as he headed out the door Daryl behind him. Daryl waited outside the door until he heard the lock before heading down the warn path in the woods between the two houses. Muttering to himself 'sideways'. Merle stopped just before the end of the tree line. Looking at Daryl he said "Lula said Mary was eating the kids when she came for them. Don't know what we'll find but If anyone of them are those things we put them down. Mary, she wouldn't want that for the kids." Daryl silently agreed and continued on.
As they slowed into the house there was blood all over but no bodies, the hair raised on Merle's arm as he pointed to the stairs, halfway up the stench hit them but they were still were unprepared for the sight of four children turning to them, missing pieces of their limb hungrily moving towards them. Daryl shot the eldest Ally and Merle hit the other three… Bam, bam, bam. Fast headshots then Daryl turned and threw up over the side of banister.
Not saying a word Merle grabbed the bag and headed towards the boys room. Once there he didn't know where to start his gaze followed Daryl's finger to a dresser that said D.J. and he nodded pulling everything from the drawers. Daryl grabbed the hanging clothes and the stuffed animal he had seen the boy drag around when he visited Mary. As they turned to leave Merle saw a box with audio books… and walkie talkies by the door. He grabbed both and a box of toys, before following Daryl out.
He looked back at the house for a second before continuing. "Feels like we should bury them."
"Yep," Daryl responded coldly. "Aint got time to worry about the dead kids. Two living kids we need to get out of here." Merle was surprised at the coldness in Daryl's voice. He had loved Mary, had been brokenhearted when she bounced from man to man but never considered him as more than a friend. Savie swore up and down Mary was the reason Daryl stayed here, instead of being something. He shook his head as he loaded the things with the others in Daryl's truck. He grabbed the board and rolled his bike in the bed of his truck, and had just finished securing it when the kids and Daryl came out. Daryl headed straight for his truck and was surprised when D.J. scampered into it when he opened the door, only to shrug and get in behind the wheel.
Merle laughed and hollered "Pussy" as he got in his own truck Lula- May already in the passenger seat. She tisked him just like Savie would before saying. "Be nice." It was such a common reprimand around the house it was almost a game now. What could he say to raise Savannah's eyebrows. Merle pulled up next to Daryl's window and tossed him a walkie talkie. It was one hour of back woods to the cabin they may need to communicate.
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They pulled into the cabin relieved to see a van from Savie's work there. Merle jumped from the truck gun in hand and ran to the door. "Savannah!" he yelled as he pushed the door open only to stop dead in his tracks. The cabin looked how May's livingroom looked, turning quickly he ran back out and vomited off the porch. Daryl nodded before taking a hesitant step inside. Years of hunting helped him piece together all the gore. There were no geeks but someone must have been infected that she brought… It was obvious she tried to save kids from the daycare. All the bodies but one were children, the female he couldn't tell if it was Savie or not the woman's stomach eaten away and hair was coated in blood so he couldn't rule her out until he saw the pendent necklace… Merle had given it to her for their anniversary and she always wore it. He pulled the necklace off and left the cabin, placing it in Merle's hand as he walked towards the shed for a shovel.
When he returned from digging Merle was lying on the porch empty bottle of pills and Jack Daniels next to him. Lula was holding a sleeping D.J. rifle and hand gun next to her as she watched over him. It was obvious she had been crying for the sister who had been more of a mother to her since the passing of their parents 5 years back.
Merle's slurred angry words so like their father's they snapped Daryl out of his stupor. "Damn, bleeding heart Bitch. Gotta help every nigger and spic anit got insurance. Can't stay home and protect my baby! bring a bunch of sprawling kids to our safe place. Stupid cunt might as well ran the damn dinner bell!"
"Hey, asshole. You coming while I lay Savannah to rest or ya gonna keep curssin the woman?" Daryl asked knowing Merle didn't mean any of that. He came out with a blanket covered body, and headed towards Savannah's favorite spot overlooking the lake. Slowly placing her into the grave as Merle grabbed the shovel and started covering. Lula held D.J.'s hand as she watched the love of her sisters life cover her and their unborn child with dirt. Dixon's don't cry, she said to herself as she watched both Merle and Daryl look at the grave with watery eyes.
Merle passed out in his truck not long later. They had talked about Atlanta's safe zone and decided to head out in the morning, none of them were willing to sleep in the cabin so they slept in the back of the truck with the camper shell for protection.