The farm house was decently sized, two floors and looked perfect set back against the beautiful Georgia landscape. Green grass rolled out in waves, all around before disappearing into tall trees. A black and white pickup truck made its way from the woods along a dirt road before coming to stop in front of the house. A man no more than 36 stepped out of the truck and loosened his tie. Within seconds arms wrapped around his waist and he chuckled, tossing the child into the air.
"Pa! Yer back! How was work t'day?" The man placed his son down and ruffled his hair.
"Ya know how it is. It's work." The boy smiled warmly.
"Did'ya remember ta say everythin'?" The man chuckled again.
"'Course I did." And with that his son darted away from him, towards the house, yelling "Pa" was back.
The man chuckled again before reaching into his pick up and grabbing his book. When he shut the truck door he looked to his house to see a beautiful woman waiting on the porch. She was cleaning her hands on a rag and smiling at him. He smiled back and walked towards her. When he reached the stairs he could see a twinkle in her eye.
"Hey baby." He whispered, pulling her into a firm kiss.
"Hey." She whispered against his lips.
"How was yer day? Kids keep outta trouble?" He asked, pulling her under his arm.
"'Course they did. They always do." She smiled.
"Good, good."
"Supper is gunna be ready soon. Go wash up will ya?" She rose to her tiptoes and kissed his cheek before heading in.
He watched her walk away and smirked slightly. Her jeans fit nicely if he did say so himself. After a few seconds he followed her in, placing his keys and book on the table by the door. When he walked past the kitchen he inhaled deeply, it smelled wonderful. He trudged up the stairs into his room and removed his tie completely. He hated that damn thing. His business jacket soon followed quickly along with the rest of his suit. He tossed the clothes into their basket and pulled on blue jeans and a flannel shirt. As he headed down stairs he ran into a pretty blonde who smiled up at him.
"Hey Daddy." She said giving him a quick hug.
"Hey Hun, how was yer day?"
"It was good, Tommy Watkins asked me out."
He stared for a moment then frowned slightly, "If he lays one hand on ya, so help him God."
She laughed and swatted her Dads arm.
"Daddy, I can take care of mahself. An' ya know Tommy Watkins ain't the strongest of boys. He'd be easy to beat up."
His frown was still there but he tried to hide it, "I know, but yer mah baby girl."
She smiled again as they reached the kitchen, "I know Daddy."
The man's wife turned towards him as he entered and smiled before turning to her daughter.
"Lacy, go get Gunnar would ya?"
"Can't ya just holler for 'im?" Her mother gave her a look and she raised her hands in defence.
"Just jokin' Ma, I'll go get 'im." And she left quickly.
The man chuckled, "You look sexy when ya do that Darlin'."
"When I do what?" She asked slyly.
"That look babe." He said as he walked around the table and kissed her soft lips.
"Ewwww." And the moment was ruined.
The man sighed, "Come on Gunnar, it ain't gross. Why if yer Ma and I didn't kiss then ya wouldn' even be here."
The boy made a face but took his seat at the table. Lacy chuckled and sat across from him. Their Ma placed steaming green beans and red potatoes in front of them along with a roasted chicken. The man's mouth began to water and he leaned his hand across the table towards the chicken before retracting it quickly as a wooden spoon smacked the back of his hand.
"Honey, not yet. We gotta say grace." He sighed and leaned back holding his daughters hand in his left and his sons in his right.
"Lord, we thank ya for this food and for a wonderful family, in yer name we say 'Amen'." The man said as he gave his children's hand a quick squeeze.
Again he reached for the chicken and began cutting slices and placing them on everyone's plate. His wife poured everyone a tall glass of milk then passed out the veggies. Their eyes locked for a second and they smiled. Gunnar picked up his fork and began shovelling food into his mouth as the man and his wife sat back down. The man chuckled, grabbing his own fork.
"Yeesh boy, ya actin' like ya never' ate in yer life." Gunnar grinned sheepishly.
"I'm hungry." He said around a mouth of food.
"We can tell." Lacy said with a disgusted look.
"Soo, work was good Honey?" The woman asked.
"Yeah, made the deal t'day. Don't gotta wear that stupid suit t'morrow." She smiled.
"I think ya look good in it."
"Suits are fer Sunday church, that's it." The man chuckled.
Silence is what followed, a comfortable one as they all ate, father and son stuffing their faces quickly and mother and daughter taking their time. After a while the wife put down her fork and gave a small gasp. The man looked at her and worry passed over his face, but she was smiling at him.
"I almos' forgot! Yer brother is comin' over with Jenny tomorrow!" She said excitedly.
"With Jenny, huh? They gettin' pretty serious ain't they?" He asked.
"Ya they are. I think she's doin' good fer 'im. He ain't touched nothin' illegal since they been together."
"Well I'm happy to hear that!" The man said excitedly.
They shared another smile and the rest of dinner was filled with small talk about what the kids had done and how well the man did in his meeting today. Before long a delicious aroma filled the kitchen. The man closed his eyes and took in a heavy whiff.
"Did you make pie?" He asked happily.
"Mhmm, Lacy helped me pick the blackberries out back. Figured we'd celebrate some." The woman smiled.
"God, I don't think I could eat another bite." The man said rubbing his stomach heartily.
He watched as his wife made her way around the room, tossing off her shirt and jeans and replacing them with her dressing gown. He smiled widely and shrugged out of his own clothes before they both went to the conjoined bathroom to brush their teeth. He continued smiling around his tooth brush as she began combing out her brown locks. When he finished he rinsed his mouth with water and spat in the sink.
"Have I told ya that yer absolutely stunnin'?" He asked, wrapping his arms around her waist.
She giggled, turning to face him, "I think ya might have mentioned it a few times."
"Just don't want ya forgettin' it."
She stood on tip-toe and pressed her lips firmly against his. His hand made it behind her head and he leaned in more forcefully. When they broke apart she was panting a bit, her warm breath washing over his lips. He pulled away from her, taking her hand and leading them back towards their bed. He let a playful smirk cross his lips and she gave an equally devious one back. He began walking her backwards till her knees hit the side of the bed.
Before she could sit down he grabbed her hair again and pushed her mouth against his. His tongue darted from between his lips and brushed over hers gently. She responded by sending out her own tongue to wrestle his and he made a noise of approval. He leaned over her, settling between her knees and continued kissing her. He finally left her lips to travel his mouth down the side of her face and onto her collar bone.
He nipped and sucked as she made a content sigh but his mouth didn't stay there for long. His hands travelled up, pulling her dressing gown with them and she arched her body so he could slip it over her head. He stared down at her breasts for a moment before reaching a hand out to them. Between his index finger and thumb he pinched a nipple lightly and she groaned faintly. His smirk was back.
"Yer so fuckin' beautiful." He said truthfully and she blushed.
"Oh come here." And she pulled him back down into another harsh kiss.
His hands continued their massage of her breasts. He laid one palm flatly against her chest and gave a firm squeeze, while the other continued to tweak her nipple. When he felt she was sufficiently withering beneath him he let one of his hand travel lower. His fingers danced across her stomach, tracing small patterns then dipped into the line of her panties.
He let his index finger stroke the outside of her and pulled his hand back up to see it glistening. He brought his finger to her mouth and she immediately took it in, sucking roughly. His control was barely there anymore but he removed his finger and placed it back to her sweet spot. This time he teased, allowing his finger to slip in and move a bit before bringing it out and stroking. She moaned hotly under his touch and before he realised she reached her hands down and pulled her panties off.
"No more fuckin' teasin'." She ground out, as she tugged on his boxers.
He smiled before helping her and as soon as his member was free she gripped it, pulling him towards her. When she was sure he was just about in she let go and threw her hands onto his shoulders, nails digging in.
"Now come on." And he listened.
He entered her swiftly, filling her and gave a small thrust forward as she moaned. His smile was replaced with a serious face and she giggled up at him. He half smirked down at her and began to move. The thrusts were slow at first but picked up speed and soon they were both panting and groaning.
"God, ya feel so fuckin' good."
His breath whispered against her cheek and she felt herself grow tense. His elbows rested above her shoulders and he kissed her lips passionately. When he pulled away he took one hand and let it trail down her body. His fingers pinched a pert nipple and she gasped against his shoulder, his hand continued down. He never let himself break rhythm and soon a talented hand reached between them. He flexed his fingers and they hit what his was feeling for. She let out a small yelp at the touch.
"Jesus, fuckin' Christ." She moaned loudly.
And that was it. She turned to jelly beneath his touch. She was making all sorts of sounds and it made him grin. He leaned forward and placed another kiss against dry, panting lips. He could feel she was close and with a few fine strokes she clenched around him, orgasm powerful. He removed his hand and with a few well placed thrusts was cumming with her. When he finished he didn't move, he just supported himself over her and stared at her lovingly.
When his strength returned he pulled out of her and rolled to the side. He pulled her into his chest and she breathed in the scent of him. For a while they were silent but as her eyes began to shut sleepily she smiled one last time.
"I love you Daryl Dixon."
"I love you Loretta Jo Dixon."
"Awright! I'm off to work! I'll see ya'll t'night!" Daryl yelled as he walked out the door.
He made his way to his old pickup truck and smiled as his son waved from the porch. He waved back and hopped in, starting the old beast up. The drive into town was about forty-five minutes of solid forest and farm land. He honestly loved it, loved living on the outskirts of a small town. It was almost always quiet and with so few people around he had gotten to know everyone. He'd been living in this town since birth and he didn't think anything would make him leave.
When he reached work he smiled and pulled into "The Boss's Spot" grinning. He enjoyed that, being the boss. He had inherited the old butcher shop with his brother but Merle refused to work there. He'd cussed up and down about how their father was a bastard and wanted nothing to do with the place. Daryl was sure his choice in words had made their mother turn in her grave. He hopped out of his truck and headed to the front doors, unlocking them and entering. The small shop was cool and had a raw meat smell but it didn't really bother him much. He'd gotten used to it.
Not ten minutes later a petit red-head made her way into the shop, whistling some country tune. When she saw him she smiled and he smiled back.
"Bill said he'd be runnin' a few minutes late today, somethin' 'bout his boy havin' a fever. He had ta run to the pharmacy to get some ibprofen but he'll be here."
"Yeah, yeah. I hear alla Bill's excuses Cassy, he oughta know by now I ain't care if he's a bit late, no one usually comes this early anyway."
She laughed and walked behind the counter, placing her purse and jacket in the small office they all shared. When she came back into the main room Daryl was adjusting his apron over his work clothes and tying the knot behind him.
"So we have that country club down the lane needin' meat for some party t'night or somethin' ya?"
"Ya, some family reunion or somethin'." He said.
"Good business workin' with the club I think," The red-head said, "Keep the business goin'."
"I'll agree with ya on that Cassy."
She smiled again before slipping back into the office to work on figures for the shop. Daryl sighed and hopped himself onto a stool behind the counter and began drumming his fingers on the table top. After another fifteen minutes Bill had still not shown up and Daryl worried a bit. It wasn't like him to be this late, a few minutes sure but never over thirty. Just as he was about to holler for Cassy to call him, the shops phone rang.
"It's Bill!" She yelled then went silent.
After a few minutes Cassy came from the office grimacing. Daryl looked at her worriedly.
"Is Luke okay?"
"Yeah, Bill said his fever is real bad but they set him in a cold bath. Said Luke had a bite mark on 'im. Sandy's gunna take 'im to the hospital, maybe he's gotten bit by somethin' with rabies."
"Well fuck." It was the only thing he could think of to say.
"Ya, 'fuck'." Cassy matched.
"Bill still comin' in? He can have the day off if he needs."
"Naw, ya know Bill, he ain't gunna leave you on such an important day. He said he'll be here in ten."
"Fer fucks sake! How big of a family do they got!" Bill exclaimed as he chopped down more ribs.
"I don' know, lots I'm supposing." Daryl answered throwing a rack of meat into a box.
"That's the fourth full box of meat and these boxes ain't small!"
Daryl just chuckled and continued to work. It was around 11am and they were getting closer to finishing up their order. Daryl had offered to drive the stuff to the country club but Bill had said he didn't mind. They stayed pretty quite the entire time they worked and Daryl felt bad for not knowing how to approach the situation. He wanted to extend a comforting hand but it wasn't really his thing.
"I was wonderin' if I could have t'morrow off. If ya ain't got anythin' big to do." Bill said finally.
"Ya know the answer ta that Bill. I figured ya was gunna take t'day off as well."
"Nah, ya know I wouldn't leave a newbie like ya ta handle all this meat." Bill chuckled, but it sounded strained.
"Ya know if ya need anythin' just ask." Daryl said quietly.
"Ya I know." Bills gruff tone almost made it seem like he was trying to keep from crying.
Daryl wanted to place a comforting hand on his shoulder but didn't know if he could handle Bill crying. The situation would have just been too awkward for him and he would have probably fucked something up. He sighed as they loaded the last of the meat into the fifth box and Daryl helped him carry it to Bills truck.
"When yer done droppin' it off, ya should go see Luke. I'm sure Sandy will take kindly to that." Daryl said.
Bill turned to him and smiled, tears just starting to leak out of the corner of his eyes, "Yer a good man Daryl Dixon."
Bill clapped his shoulder and hopped into his truck, pulling out quickly and was gone.
"Awright, that's good fer t'day. I think we can close shop and go home." Cassy said around 5.
Daryl chuckled and said 'Amen' as he removed his apron and grabbed the shops keys. They both left and said their goodbyes, Cassy got into her old Honda Civic and Daryl waved bye as he locked up. He got into his truck started the journey home. The sun was still high in the sky and he propped his left elbow out the window, basking in the warm Georgia air. After a few minutes of silence Daryl turned on the radio and listened as "Don't Take the Girl" by Tim McGraw played. He sang along, mostly out of tune but smiled to himself.
"'Cause his Momma's fading fast. And Johnny hit his knees and there he prayed!" Daryl belted out, "Take the very breathe you gave me, take the heart from my chest. I'll gladly take her place if you'll let me, make this my last request. Take me out of this world, God please, don't take the girl. Johnny's daddy was takin' him fishin' when he was eight years old."
When the song finished Daryl hated to admit that he had tears pressing behind his eyes. His right hand gripped the steering wheel tightly as he thought of Loretta. Gods if anything ever happened to her, he wouldn't know what to do. She was the love of his life, she was everything to him. She had whipped his ass into shape when he had needed it and without her, he would be nothing.
He changed the station before any other depressing songs came on and the news blared loudly.
"-If you see anyone with these symptoms, please get them to the hospital as quickly as possible. 1. A high fever, 2. Any rashes or discoloration of normal skin tone, 3. Irritability, 4. Disillusion. If you see anyone with bite marks or scratches, bring them to the hospital. We are taking this very seriously. We urge you to bring in anyone you deem sick. Plea-"
Daryl cut the radio and grimaced to himself.
"What the fuck?" He whispered.
What was going on? Was it a mad case of rabies? The symptoms seemed to fit. Maybe some animals broke out of the pound or something. He frowned again. Could people seriously not handle a few rabid squirrels? He sighed. What was the world coming to?
When Daryl pulled into his driveway he noticed his brother's motor bike already there. He jumped out of the truck and made his way towards the door. When he entered his house he heard his brothers voice carry from the living room.
"I don't know what happened! Fuck! I didn't even see the fucker! He came outta nowhere and just bit her!" He yelled.
"Calm down Merle! Everythin'll be fine!" That he was sure was Jenny.
When he entered the living room Jenny was sprawled on the couch, clutching a bandaged arm. Blood was already soaking through the white cloth and his wife looked stressed. She had her hair thrown up in a messy bun and he could see sweat forming on her brow. He cleared his throat to make his presence known and they all looked to him quickly.
"Baby brother, I need ta borrow yer truck. Some bastard bit Jenny! I need ta get her ta the Hospital. Fucking bastard." He grumbled at the end.
"Sure." Daryl shrugged and handed Merle his keys.
"Help me will ya?" He asked motioning to Jenny.
"I can walk ya know." She growled softly but allowed both brothers to help her up and into the truck outside.
"The cool air feels nice." She muttered, shutting her eyes as they sat her in the passenger's side.
"Well get ya to the hospital soon baby." Merle said and turned towards Daryl.
"I'll get ya yer truck back by mornin'. Just gunna make sure the fuckin' doctors know what they're doin'." He said.
"Awright."
Merle hopped into the driver's seat and started the engine. As he pulled away he stuck his head out the window.
"Thanks baby brother!" He hollered.
"So what happened?" Daryl asked as he entered the house again.
"Someone bit Jenny. Ya know there'er some real fuckin' crazies out there."
"Loretta, baby, are ya awright?" He asked, moving to hug her.
She stood there shaking and soon he brought her into a tight hug, placing his chin on her shoulder.
"I'm just so fuckin' mad! People are fuckin' nuts these days! What is the world coming to?" She said angrily.
Daryl chuckled, "I asked mahself the same thing on the way home. Somethin' 'bout rabid squirrels or somethin'. The radio is tellin' everyone to get to the hospital, and quickly."
Loretta pulled out of his arms and turned to face him, "What do ya mean 'rabid squirrels or somethin'?"
"I don't know, the radio was saying somethin' about people bein' sick. Sounded like a mad case of rabies if ya ask me," Daryl paused, "Come ta think of it, Bills son was bitten by somethin', had a fever, had to take 'im to the hospital too."
His wife looked horrified, her hands came up to her trembling lips and she blinked back tears.
"Oh god."
"What's wrong?" Daryl asked.
"Oh god, Oh god, Oh god."
"Loretta, what is it?"
"I-oh god."
"Loretta Jo, answer me right now." Daryl bellowed, grabbing her by the shoulders firmly.
"It's Gunnar-" And she didn't even finish the sentence.
Daryl creaked open the door to his sons room and watched him for a few seconds before closing it. He was sound asleep and he didn't want to wake him.
"What'd ya mean some kid as school bit him?"
"Just what I said Daryl! He came home sayin' some kid bit him. I looked at the bite but it wasn't anythin' noteworthy. Oh god." Loretta whispered into her hands.
"Maybe we should-"
"No!" Daryl whispered harshly, "We ain't takin' him to the hospital for such a small thing. He don't look sick and he's ah Dixon. He'll be just fine."
Loretta frowned and gluped back tears.
"Now where is Lacy? I wan't her home. Call that Tommy Watkins and tell 'im she better be home in ten minutes!"
Loretta nodded quietly and went to make the call. Daryl paced into their room and stripped himself of his work clothes. He grabbed a towel and headed into the bathroom, turning the hot water on full. When he stepped in he rolled his shoulders, trying to relax them. The hot water helped and he allowed the spray to just roll down his body. He tried to calm his breathing but it was ragged and tears pushed into his eyes. He didn't know how long he stood in that shower, but when he got out his fingers were pruney.
He dressed quickly and went back down stairs to see Lacy and Loretta in the kitchen cooking something to eat. It smelled good and Loretta gave him a forced smile when he entered the room.
"How's Gunnar?" He asked.
"He's fine. Woke up and asked for some water, but fell right back to sleep." She said.
Lacy glanced between her parents before making her way out of the kitchen. Daryl sighed and made his way to his wife, he wrapped his arms around her waist and inhaled her perfume.
"I'm sorry."
"I know Daryl. I'm sorry too."
"Well this is awesome mom. Thanks fer dinner. I'ma go do some homework now." Lacy said and she raced out of the kitchen.
"When did she get like this?" Daryl laughed.
"Ya know how teenagers are." Loretta smiled back.
"Ya, I know."
Daryl kissed her lips and put the dirty dishes in the sink.
"Go ta bed, I'll be right up after ya."
"Awright." Loretta sighed and made her way to their bedroom.
When Daryl finished the dishes he follwed.
"Thwack! Thwack!"
Daryl groaned and opened his eyes, rubbing the back of his hand over them. He grumbled and noticed that neither he nor Loretta had changed into sleep-clothes. The loud 'Thwack!' sound continued to happen and he shoved himself up and out of bed.
"What is it?"
"I don't know."
"Take the bat." Loretta whispered.
Daryl nodded and reached for the base-ball bat under their bed. As he made his way down stairs the loud 'Thwack!' only grew louder. Daryl walked quietly over towards the back door where the sound came from and moved the curtin on the doors window to see outside. A person stood on the back porch, banging on his door. He squinted his eyes but couldn't see much in the darkness.
"If ya don't quit bangin' on mah door I'll beat yer face in!" Daryl hollered.
The person stopped for a moment and turned towards him so he could see his face and Daryl cussed and stumbled back. Where the mans mouth was, assuming he was a man, supposed to be was now a large gaping hole. Daryl jumped when the person began beating on the door again.
"Who is it?"
"Fuck!" Daryl cussed, jumping at the sound of Loretta's voice.
"Well?" She asked, stepping closer towards the door.
"Back away from there!" He whispered harshly.
She withdrew her hand quickly and took a few steps backwards. Daryl ran a hand over his face before yelling again.
"If yer in need of medical attention then I can call ya some!"
The 'Thwack!'ing only got louder.
"What's wrong Daryl?" Loretta asked, clutching her hand to her chest.
"I don't know. The man out there looks pretty hurt."
"We should let him in!" She exclaimed.
"No! Go get the radio and set it up in the kitchen. Don't turn on any lights. Keep it on low."
"Mom? Daddy?" Lacy asked, rubbing her eyes as she came down the stairs.
"Lacy, go back upstairs. Don't worry 'bout it babygirl. Daddy can take care of it." Daryl said ushering her back from where she came.
"What's that noise?"
"Don't worry 'bout it. Try ta get back ta sleep babygirl."
"-No, this is not a prank. This is real news people. The dead are rising up. You are advi-"
"-Is this really happening Bob?"
"Yes, it seems the dead are rising up. Everyone should stay inside until daybreak, then head for Atlanta. There i-"
"-Could it be the wrath of God? That these Walkers ar-"
"Fuck!" Daryl growled as he shut off the radio.
Loretta sat with her hand around her mouth, silently shocked. What the fuck were they supposed to think? How the fuck were dead people getting up and walking around. This had to be some joke, but as the loud 'Thwack!' kept sounding behind them Daryl knew this wasn't some fucking prank. He got up silently and made his way to the living room, glancing out the window and cussed again. There had to be at least five other Walkers, or whatever the fuck they were, out there.
He turned towards Loretta and grimaced, "Go upstairs and get the kids, take 'em to our room and don't open the door unless ya hear mah voice. Ya understand?"
Loretta nodded her head and quickly made her way up the stairs. Daryl took a deep breath and braced himself. When he heard the final door upstairs shut he opened the front door. The base-ball bat was held tightly in his hands and he shut the front door behind him. In the distance he could see five or so of those fuckers and he knew there was one at the back door. He decided to take out the closest one first.
Creeping around the back he snuck up behind the thing and smashed its head in before he had time to think. A dull 'thud' sound took over the silence as it fell to the ground. He kicked it once for good measure and whacked it a few more times over the head. When he was sure the bastard was dead he halled ass to the shed behind their house which held his hunting weapons. He swung open the door and reached for his shot gun.
By the time he made it back around the house, a light hazy sun was peaking it's way over the tops of the trees. He loaded his shot gun and walked close to the group of five. He shot the first one in the head as they all began to turn towards him. The second one dropped just as quickly. He began walking backwards and fast as the remaining three shuffled towards him. He reloaded and took two more out. The last one reached him before he could reload and he used the end of the gun to smash the things face in.
Daryl was breathing heavily and sat on his haunches. Before he knew it he was trowing up everything in his stomach. When he finished he wiped his mouth and headed back towards the shed to get the rest of his hunting weapons. Half way towards the shed he heard a scream. A deafining scream. Without thinking his body moved and he was sprinting towards the house. He threw open the front door and took the stairs two at a time. The screaming was coming from his room. When he threw open the door, Daryl dropped to his knees.
In front of him stood his son, his only boy, ripping into his sister. As Loretta screamed with Lacy, Gunnar turned around and sank his bloody teeth into her arm, tearing a chunk of flesh off her bones. Daryl choked and gagged, and weakly reached a hand out towards his family but before he could crawl towards them three loud piercing sounds shook through his body. All three members of his family dropped dead. Daryl continued to stare until he couldn't see past the tears.
Without question he turned around, yelling in anguish and attacked the person who had shot them. Before he could do much harm he was put into a choke hold and a soothing "shh" washed over him. The arms moved from around his neck to around his shoulders.
Merle held onto his brother tightly as he cried in his arms.