Title: Outside the Touch of Time
Summary: Just what exactly is going on in Daryl Dixon's mind as he travels with the rest of the Atlanta survivors.
Notes: This is my first The Walking Dead fanfic, but not my first ever fic so hopefully it won't suck too much.
I've been reading some wonderful stories and decided I'd throw my hat in the mix. I've always been obsessed with zombies and whenever I write for a different fandom I always conspire to get zombies in it, whatever show it is and how weird it seems. I pretty much think nothing can't be made better by adding zombies, lol!
This fic will deal with what's going on with Daryl throughout each episode, in order. Some episodes Daryl barely has a role to play and I thought I'd explore what he could be thinking & feeling in those episodes.
No OC's, no slash, no Caryl.
Warnings: Each episode will deal with spoilers for certain episodes. I'll be sure to add the episode it will spoil at the beginning of the chapter.
Characters: Daryl, ensemble cast.
Rating: For language, Merle Dixon is in this after all!
Chapter 1
Notes: Set around 'Days Gone By' & 'Guts' (S1,E1 & E2). As we knew of Merle in Guts, but he never mentioned Daryl, it's hard to know how the pair will be together seeing as the only time we've seen them together has been in a fever dream Daryl had. So, I've kept it vague. Some racist language in this part due to an appearance by the loveable Merle.
Spoilers: 'Days Gone By' & 'Guts' (S1,E1 & E2) If you haven't seen these episodes already then why the hell are you reading fanfiction for the show without having seen the pilot episode? You crazy person, you! ;)
"We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys.
We live outside the touch of time."
1.
The last thing he'd remembered before he went out on the hunt was talk about going into Atlanta.
He hadn't paid anyone much attention, he never did. Something about a group of them going for supplies. Daryl already had a trip planned. He was going out to see what meat he could rustle up. As far as he was concerned, meat was meat but he saw the various looks of disgust when he bought back squirrels, especially the kids. He and Merle were the only ones who ate them and it might be the same again if all he could find was more squirrels, but he'd been in the woods earlier and had found droppings and they weren't from no squirrel.
He'd headed back to camp and started to get together all he'd need to track a deer. He wouldn't receive so many sneers when he bought the camp back a damn deer for them all to gnaw on. He told Merle he was heading out and he'd received a grunt of acknowledgement. He could tell from the look on his brothers face that he had something going on. Merle was watching the group about to head out and headed over towards them. Daryl was ready to go but sat at the tent, watching to see what Merle was up to before he left.
"Well ya'll missing one thing from your little trip? What you bunch of assholes need is someone who can protect you."
"I think we're good thanks," Andrea said
"I wasn't speaking to you, bitch. In fact, I wasn't asking for any of ya'll permission to go."
Shane looked to T Dog, "You okay with this, man?"
"Far as I'm concerned, the Dixon's can come and go where they please. And if one of them wants to walk into Atlanta, so be it," Quieter, just for Shane's ears he added "and if one person doesn't come back from this trip, rather it be him than anyone else."
Daryl watched the way Merle interacted with them all. He eyed up the black guy and the cop, the ones who were having quiet words together out of his brother's ear shot. Daryl stood up, grabbing his crossbow and before slinging it over his back, he aimed it at the nigger's head and he watched the fear on the man's face when he saw it aimed at him. Daryl slung the bow over his shoulder, smirking slightly as he headed towards the camp. "Ain't even loaded you dumb shit."
"Can you watch your mouth? My son can hear you," Lori chided.
Daryl eyed her darkly but never slowed his pace "Can you mind your own God damn business? Merle, I'm gonna bring back something good for when you get back."
Merle looked in his brother's direction. "You do that little bro," he said, before turning back to the group he was about to head out with, enjoying how uncomfortable he made them.
Daryl kept heading further into the woods and before he got to deep, took one quick look back towards the group about to head out before the woods obscured his view.
That was the last time he saw Merle.
Replaced with the just arrived Rick Grimes, the sonuvabitch who handcuffed his brother to a roof and left him there to die. Like it wasn't bad enough that he lost his deer to a damn walker, now he had to deal with some guy on a power trip thinking that just because he used to be a cop made him the one in charge? And if it wasn't bad enough that he thought he was the boss, he was buddies with the other cop anyway so the pair really thought they ran the camp.
There was a scuffle. So maybe trying to stab Rick with his knife wasn't the best way to handle the situation, but it wasn't the kinda news he expected to return to. He'd gathered it was bad news but that they'd actually left Merle handcuffed to a roof was something else. He expected him to get bitten by a walker or something like that, that was what happened when the world was over run with the dead, but this was different. This was the people he was supposed to be trusting to watch his back cuffing his brother up and leaving him behind. Would they do the same to him? Damn sure they would.
Not that it mattered much. He wasn't planning on sticking around to find out. He'd go back and get Merle himself 'cause he knew he couldn't trust any of these folks to do it. Yet surprisingly, the cop, Rick, was the first to step up. Seemed a bit dumb to him. If he were gonna cuff a man to the roof and leave him, he'd make sure it wasn't anyone he wanted to go back and save, but his moral code was simpler.
Before he knew it there were four of them ready to go into Atlanta to save Merle. Besides Rick it was T Dog and Glenn. Not his choice of companions but he guessed they were better going in numbers than just he and Rick.
They drove back in the truck that the group had taken from Atlanta to start with and the moved quickly through the streets, Glenn leading the way for them to get back to where they'd left Merle. At the top of the door, the padlock was cut and then Daryl pushed through, keen to get to his brother, but as he scanned the area he quickly realised there was nobody there.
There was a hand, but no body.
Damn Rick Grimes to hell. Damn the lot of them!
Before he'd got back to camp it hadn't exactly looked like they were in the middle of planning a rescue mission. It wasn't until Daryl had got back they started any kind of talk about going back for Merle. And look what the waiting had done.
He was through with the lot of them. He'd make them pay.
TBC...
A/N: Well, probably. I'm not sure how I feel about this fic at the minute. If any one is interested then I'll give the next chapter a shot. If everyone hates it, I won;t blame them because I'm not sure I like it that much... Thanks for reading anyway.
