Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is gained other than enjoyment in the writing and treating the characters waaay better than their real owners ever did. Maybe. Sort of. Oh shut up and go read the story :D
Sequel to 'She Bends But Does Not Break' - Join Wren and Merle again in a little snippet of their lives after we left them in SBBDNB.
Life truly isn't a Fairy Tale and especially so in the Zombie Apocalypse. And Happily Ever Afters only happen in Fairy Tales, don't they.
Misunderstandings and jealousy aren't the only things that come between our lovers. Will they survive this next threat? Will their love? ~
( For those like me that hate cryptic summaries like the one above - Wren and Merle are torn apart by the arrival of Negan and His Saviours. Now it's up to Wren to save the day.)
Writer's Note -
I got writer's block in the multichapter Khan/OC I am writing so I decided to go relax and have a read.
Only to find my Poor Merle being cast as the bad guy. Suddenly, this story was screaming at me to write it, so I bashed it out this weekend and viola!
I truly hope it's in the same vein as SBBDNB and just as enjoyable - be sure to let me know what you think! Apologies if its shite :D
~~ Now Important Disclaimer ~~ I haven't watched TWD pretty much after Terminus, so this will definitely NOT be canon although I have taken elements from bits I have seen and read everywhere - let's face it, TWD spoilers are hard to miss. It's all writer's licence from here on in, so if you read something and go "hey! That's not how THAT happened" or "this timeline is all screwy, dammit!" you'd be right, so sit back and just enjoy the ride - mwah! ~~
It wasn't that Wren hated the parties and gatherings that occurred often between the various settlements, it was just that she felt edgy and twitchy from all the noise and bustle and people that *came* with the parties.
But Merle on the other hand, well he loved them! The chance to drink and socialize with the many sister-towns? Hell yeah he was in!
For Merle, being accepted into this new Apocalyptic Society was a heady thing for the redneck whose life Before had been one of a definite 'wrong side of the law' and "Not Decent Society". Going from societal reject to somewhat a Welcomed Big Man On Campus was a huge change for the Redneck. He had gotten a taste of it at Woodbury, but there it had been tinged with fear and still held a level of isolation from the 'regular/good' everyday folks.
So Wren didn't hold him back and dutifully came along. She loved watching him as he reveled in his new found popularity. So she focussed on her HillBill and endured the gatherings.
Merle wasn't as stupid as many used to think and some still did. He knew what his Wren did and he loved her even more for it. Between Daryl and himself, she was never alone and after almost 2 years both brothers could read the tiny woman like a neon sign.
So when someone asked Merle to come and help them with their still, Wren was fine to climb down off her redneck lover's back and clamber up onto the bleacher seat next to Daryl, who threw an affectionate arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a side hug.
As the sky darkened and the food was starting to be uncovered, Daryl scanned the group for his older sibling and cursed softly. Wren chuckled her husky laugh and pinched her friend's side causing him to yelp and swat at her hands. Glaring in mock anger, he shoved Wren away and strode easily down the bleacher seats with an evil grin thrown over his shoulder at her. Her almost silent laughter cut off and she scowled at the retreating man as it was his turn to laugh. He knew she hated the fact that she was so tiny and both the Dixons so much taller and longer than her that things they did with ease were often a scramble for Wren.
Her good mood soured at little as she jumped and climbed down with not a 10th the ease Daryl had done until she was finally caught up to the still laughing asshole. Tucking her hand into the back pocket of his jeans and allowing Daryl to again pull her in with an arm across her shoulders, they headed off into the crowd.
Pushing though the surprisingly large mass of people - everyone from the 5 settlements who had been free had come it appeared, Wren could feel herself tensing up and Daryl's hand stoked down her back soothingly as he maneuvered them around clumps of loud people. Wren tucked herself in tighter to Daryl and felt the smile drop from her face completely now.
Daryl, ever watchful of his brother's love, leant down to speak reassuringly.
"Ya know what hes doin, huh." And shook his head with a rueful quirk of his lips and Wren felt her crooked one sided smile creep back. Nodding at Daryl she rolled her eyes and also shook her head with a chuckle.
"HillBill's doing more than 'helping' that still"
The two friends shared a grin and at that very moment a booming bragging voice erupted from the large group of mainly men at the side of the Party and both Daryl and Wren laughed. Yep, definite sounds of one Merle Dixon 'helping' with a moonshine still - by lightening it a couple of pints.
Daryl was halfway through pushing them through the crowd when he suddenly paused and faltered.
Alarmed, Wren looked up and then around, wondering what had caused that look of disbelief, uncertainty and a growing sense of anger. But she couldn't see anything that might have caused it.
Daryl had stopped working them through the crowd and was now leading them out the side and Wren could hear him mutter about getting his stupid ass brother some food first. When Wren caught the look he threw someone behind them, she pulled back and Daryl took a step before he realised she had stopped. Wren glanced back at the sound of her Dixon bragging loudly about something or other- some run they did a few months ago she thought- and turned back to see Daryl chewing on his thumbnail. A coldness seemed to settle in Wren's' belly at the sight of that tell and as she stood there, she could feel the icy fingers creeping outwards over her body.
Daryl, his eyes hooded and worried, just stood there looking at Wren. Seeming to decide something, he reached out to pull her in but she stepped away dodging the hand. Ignoring his too casual suggestion to grab food, she turned back to the now obviously drunk group of men and cursed her shortness. It was clear Daryl had seen something and Wren's heart stuttered in fear. Her forehead creased in confusion at her unknown fear, at Daryl's weirdness.
She forced frozen limbs to move, pushing past bodies and ducking limbs and cups of alcohol until she could see she was nearly through the crowd. Above her the chatter of happily buzzed people filled the air, laughter and talking dancing around the sound of Merle's deep familiar voice. But for some reason sounds were becoming muffled and Wren realised that she was panting hard as though she had just escaped a herd of fresh walkers. She could feel hands grabbing at her and she shook off Daryl's grip as she finally burst through the crowd.
And her world crashed.
A huge silver still stood on a purpose built porch with stacks of pallets of jars piled neatly around. A long table covered with mason jars and mugs and glasses stood to the side and there were benches scattered around.
But what had caught Wren's attention wasn't the festive party goers or the bar setup.
It was Merle Dixon, lounging in one of the few 'proper' chairs, his bladed prosthesis holding a ginormous mason jar - nearly empty - and his other hand tucked around and up under the shirt of a tall blond woman. A tall blond woman who was currently also lounging across Merle's lap with her arms wrapped around Her HillBills neck and apparently whispering something in his ear. Something that made him throw his head back and roar with laughter.
Something that made Wren feel like someone had just stabbed her in the center of her chest.
Darkness spun crazily at the edges of her vision and spots danced wildly across the middle and Wren realised with a sudden burning gasp she had stopped breathing. Beside her she could feel Daryl trying to pull her away but it was like her feet were encased in concrete.
Her entire body felt numb as she watched the woman wiggle her ass into Merle's lap and Merle continued talking loudly to the men around him.
Suddenly everything snapped back as Daryl physically picked up the diminutive woman and took two steps back into the crowd.
Black smashed to red and Wren felt pure lava hot heat scorch through the freezing numbness.
That was the woman from the group Merle and some others had rescued from some settlement 2 days travel away. The woman that had always pissed Wren off whenever they came to Kingdom because she would coo and flirt with Merle even with Wren standing right there. Merle who always told Wren that the woman didn't mean nothing by it, she was just being friendly and appreciative. The woman that had caused a nasty fight between the two hot headed survivors.
And it appeared she was Very appreciative it seemed as Wren watched the woman whisper in Merle's ear, Wren now close enough to see her full lips caressing the shell of his ear.
Wren didn't even realise she had fought out of Daryl hold until she was crouching over the woman as she lay on the ground with Wren's knife at her throat and her knee firmly on the woman's chest-bone. Teeth drawn back in a feral snarl she stared down into terrified eyes as Wren's entire body shook with the need to hurt this creature beneath her. Movement beside her caused her to flinch and dig the blade in, drawing blood and whimpers both and causing everything around to freeze into stillness.
Casting a look out the side of her eye, Wren watched as Merle stood a few feet away, his now sober eyes meeting hers as he held his arms out placatingly, his mouth forming words her ears couldn't hear through the rushing of rage and grief. Below her she could feel the woman shaking but her attention was on the man who had just stomped her heart. His face was simultaneously flushed red from the alcohol and drained white from the shock of Wren's attack. Merle bent a little at the waist, trying to keep Wren's gaze but she couldn't stop her eyes from darting past him, the sight too much to bear.
Feeling a movement below, Wren glanced down to see the woman sobbing, rare makeup streaming messily across her once beautifully made up face. A flash of movement caused Wren to crouch deeper and dig the blade in further, feeling skin give easily under the rapier sharp metal. The men who had attempted to rush her froze in fear. Another move like that and Wren's knife would do actual damage. Feeling the skin crawling sensation of being hunted, Wren scanned around her, taking in the entire situation in mere seconds.
Merle was easing forward, his deep voice still not cutting through the haze. Daryl was on her other side, his own weapon raised but pointing to the group of people behind them, obviously holding them back from jumping Wren.
The smell of warm urine flooded Wren's nose as the creature under Wren's knee wailed softly. But it was Rick appearing suddenly, kneeling down right in front of her that caught her attention. Blue eyes locked onto hers and he bowed lower to look her straight in her face.
Slowly the sound of his calming voice pierced the thrumming in her ears.
"...so just gimme the knife Wrennie-hun. For me? Sweetie? Gimme the knife Wren."
Vaguely she watched as Rick reached over and simply took the blade from her hand as though picking up dinner silverware from the table. Her now slack fingers simply let go as his blue eyes kept hers locked to him. The next second she was being yanked harshly off the terrified woman and was thrown hard onto the ground, her face slamming into the hard packed earth as her arms were wrenched cruelly up behind her back.
Wrong move.
Even though it was only a second or two, even though the Dixons were both there within heartbeats to haul off the furious companions off their woman, it was too much for the damaged Wren.
Barely had the weight started to be lifted off Wren than she was already clawing her way hysterically away. A hand on her ankle - stranger or Dixon she was no longer sanely conscious - caused her to lash out a foot as she whipped out another blade from her back harness and flipped upright.
Slashing as she spun, she felt the blade part nothing but air. Falling to a crouch, wide wild eyes scanned the mob surrounding her and she searched desperately for an escape. Slashing at any movement close to her, she finally saw her chance.
So deep into her mind she was unable to hear her family surrounding her. Daryl and Merle both attempting to get close but held back by worry and blade. Rick and Ezekiel were shouting orders into the crowd gaining control of the masses surprisingly quickly.
All she saw was the small gap that she knew was her chance. Merle, knowing his Wren, knew the second before she moved what she had planned. He leapt at her moments after her own leap.
And he caught her jacket.
But it wasn't soon or quick enough.
The feral woman simply slipped from the canvas covering even as her feet found purchase on one of the silver arms of the still. As people watched in shock, in 3 moves Wren was up and over the still, one swing onto the porch roof and she was gone.
Moonshine singing in his veins, Merle wasn't as fast as his brother in following Wren, only they went around the small building instead of over. Where Wren had simply to go up over and down, the Dixons had to race around several obstacles before they burst through the shrubs behind the still. But they were too late.
Wren was gone and in the now fallen night light, there was no tracking her.
She wasn't there when Daryl slammed a furious fist into his brother's face or when Rick and Ezekiel had pulled the raging younger Dixon off the older. She wasn't there when her friends and family desperately searched for her all night.
Nor was she there when Michonne stormed up to the woman and slapped her hard across the face or when Michonne then did the same thing to Merle.
She wasn't there to hear Daryl yell his fury and rage at his brother or to hear Merle's raging back.
Or to see the look of despair on her lover's face when he sobered up and realized what had happened.
He was a fucking dumbass and he knew it.
The party had wound down soon after that, the air no longer one of frivolity or merriment.
Groups gathered to search out the missing woman but she remained missing long after the sun had risen again.
After Wren had scaled the small building, she had sprinted off into the darkness, her mind completely shut down and she was nothing more than instinct. Get away, get away from the pain, hide hide.
So she ran. She climbed and squeezed and crawled until she was far away from the sounds and smells of people altogether.
She also wasn't there when the next day came and The Kingdom was attacked by The Saviours.