This first chapter starts off from Rick's POV
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Walking Dead or its characters
Apologies in advance for any spelling and grammatical errors. Thoughts in Italics
Touched by an Angel
Chapter 1
Rick concentrating on finding a parking space, looks up into his rear-view mirror and sees that Daryl still had the side of his forehead pressed up against the window. He hadn't moved or said a word since he was forced out of his room, into the back seat of the car and was made to tag along to the movies like a child.
He lets out an exhausted sigh, clenching his jaw of not knowing what he could do anymore. No matter how much he or anyone tried, Daryl was determined to remain miserable like a beaten down dog. He hated seeing his friend feeling like that, looking like he hasn't slept in months and watching him going down that road of turning to a bottle for comfort and easing his pain which had been the biggest downfall they had all witnessed. They all knew the Dixon Family history of booze and drugs and Daryl had prided himself of never following in the footsteps of his father and brother, but the drastic turn of events in his life led him to the path of destruction and intoxication to block everything of the past couple of years out of his mind.
Daryl was temporarily staying in the guest room in his and Lori's house until Daryl found his own place. Lori had asked him when they would get the room back because her parents were flying into town to visit for the week, they'd been on a cruise so missed Christmas but wanted to celebrate New Years with them and it had been arranged months ago. Plus, he was the one who had suggested New Years because Carl and Judith loved their grandparents and wanted to spend at least one of the special events of the year with them - they were the only surviving grandparents they had. Lori's parents usually stayed in the guest-room during Christmas and Lori didn't want to tell her folks that they'd have to stay in a hotel because one of Rick's friends had barricaded himself in there. He had told Lori, it would be soon but he hadn't had the heart to ask Daryl if he had found a place to rent. Daryl was meant to have only stayed for a couple of weeks and a couple of weeks turned into a couple of months.
It wasn't as if Daryl was the worst house guest, he kept to himself and never made a mess. If Daryl weren't working the long hours in the garage or knocked out asleep in his room when he snuck in to avoid everyone, he was in Dale's Bar hunched up on a stool or in a corner drowning his sorrows. When things got really tough, he drank more than his body could handle and the last time that happened, it was on the anniversary of that dreadful day which should have been the best day of his life. He received a call from Dale at 3am not wanting to get authorities involved. Daryl was an unhappy drunk and when he drank, he flew into a rage when somebody dared to look at him in the wrong way, thinking they thought he was a good for nothing loser and that was the reason why he was alone. He and Shane had to carry Daryl back to Shane's place because he didn't want Carl and Judith to witness a drunken off his face Uncle Daryl cussing and throwing punches demanding they leave him alone and it would have been the last straw with Lori who would have asked Daryl to leave. She had noticed the increase of empty bottles that were being dropped off at the bottle recycling bank and knew he only had a beer a night or nothing because he was always on call for duty and needed to remain sober so it didn't take a genius to know - Daryl was the one drinking and drinking himself into the ground.
Daryl didn't want to tag along. He knew it but Lori was right, Daryl needed to get out and back to civilisation and locking himself away wasn't going to get him back to some normalcy, the reason Lori burst into his room and threw fresh clothes at him to wear because he was going to do normal things people do, like go to the movies and grab a bite to eat with friends. Daryl didn't have many friends that looked out for him and Merle wasn't the best person for Daryl to be around. He'd take Daryl to the even rougher bars where there'd be illegal gambling and fist fights, the dodgy parts of town he hated to have to go to when those fist fights broke out. He'd be one of the deputies trying to break up rednecks with more muscle and testosterone than brains. And then there were the sordid strip-clubs where Merle'd pay the girls to give lap dances and a night of paid sex.
God, he hoped Lori's tough love was what was going to get Daryl to snap out of the depression he was in, he hoped Lori would be tactful because she wasn't really the most tactful person.
"There!" Lori points to a car reversing out of its space.
Rick follows Lori's direction and swings the car into the spot and switches off the engine. Lori had already bounced out the car and was rushing to the ticket machine.
"Sorry man!" Is all Rick says unbuckling his belt but he gets no response from behind his seat.
Rick waits and still nothing. Daryl had practically closed himself off from everyone, he was only grunting and nodding to questions asked. He finally had enough, he had been patient and understanding but Daryl didn't even want to try to ease the tension or try anymore.
"It's been six months Daryl! Rosita's gone, and she's not comin' back, I'm sorry she stood you up at the altar but she did and she's moved on and its time you did too!"
As soon as the harsh reality of words spilled out of his mouth, Rick regretted them and wanted to take them back. He takes a look back into the rear-view mirror ready to apologise and sees Daryl's face twist in a mixture of hurt, frustration and anger. Before Daryl could retaliate, his door opens with Lori hovering over him.
"Daryl, it's just a movie and some popcorn, you may even enjoy it if you give it a chance?" She says sympathetically noticing the pissed off look Daryl was modelling and shoots a killer look back at Rick who just shakes his head, turns back to face forward and slumps his head back into the headrest. He felt like the biggest jerk because blunt Lori was the one giving him a warning look.
"Ya brang me along on ya date night, that's humiliatin', aren't ya supposed ta pull that shit with Carl?" Daryl hisses stepping out and slipping past a startled Lori.
"I hate when people stamp on ma feet as they shimmy their asses right in ma face when tryin' ta watch the screen! I hate rubbin' shoulders with someone I don't know, I hate fightin' for elbow space, I hate the Movies and I wish you'd keep outta my business!" He growls storming off to smoke a cigarette to calm down.
Lori lets out an exasperated huff and was hot on Daryl's heels.
"Working those long hours in the garage, locking yourself away in your room and getting wasted in some dingy bar drowning your sorrows is no way of life to live, so ENOUGH DARYL!" Lori finally snaps "You will stop this bullshit mopin' and sassin' back! Get into that theatre, shut the fuck up for two hours and watch the movie Rick's been dying to watch and after the movie, YOU WILL join us for Pizza or I'm sorry, you'll have to explain to Carl and Judith why their Uncle Daryl can't stay with them anymore, break their hearts just like Rosita did to you but they're kids and they'll get over it, right Daryl because you got over being ignored and forgotten!"
Lori stands there. Tight lipped holding her hip and their tickets in her other hand, waiting for Daryl to object and tell her to fuck the hell off before he storms off. Her insides were twisting but she holds her stance to show she meant what she was saying. She wanted to know whether Daryl Dixon was any better than the Dixon's before him, whether he did care about those around him and not just himself. They had become a tight-knit family unit and it suddenly felt like it was all just fake.
Rick stands back and looks to the ground, silently apologising to Daryl for Lori's bluntness but Lori was at the end of her tether and clearly had enough and frankly so had he. He didn't know how to approach his friend or what to say or do anymore. He had made excuses for Daryl but Daryl wasn't helping himself or the tense environment he was making around them. Carl and Judith were beginning to ask questions and he couldn't answer them - when was Uncle Daryl going to get well again, when he will take them to the woods, to target practice or fishing. Daryl was meant to be a part of the family but how could he be if he was trying his very best to ignore them.
To both his and Lori's amazement, Daryl snatched his ticket out of Lori's hand. But then he was scowling at her. This was the moment they thought he would tear the ticket up and toss it over Lori but instead, he stalks off towards the entrance grumbling beneath his breath.
"You'd think we were tryin' to set him up on a blind date and with his attitude, I'd never dare to!" Lori shakes her head and lets out a deep breathe. "Rick, what are we gonna do?" She asks stepping into Rick's open arms and resting her head on his shoulder as he caresses her back.
"What he needs is to be touched by an angel, we need for an angel to drop out the sky and land in Daryl's lap!" Rick says taking a deep breathe knowing full well that angels don't drop out of skies and if one did, he would drop to his knees and bow down to her.
"What are the chances of that happenin' tonight?" Lori mumbles against Rick to catch Daryl kicking the vending machine in frustration when his Beef Jerky gets stuck.
"...highly unlikely!" Rick says glumly watching everyone running the opposite direction of Daryl who was shaking the vending machine cussing like a true redneck. A couple pretty ladies walking passed, stare disgusted and turning their noses away, Rick knew not one of them would give Daryl the time of day.
Rick had apologised to the manager and promised Daryl would behave as he swept in and swept out dragging Daryl and shoving him into the correct screening.
Once seated, Daryl slouches back in his seat next to Rick who had Lori on his other side as the trailers begin to run. When Daryl kicks his feet up on the chair in front, Rick knocks them off with his booted foot and gives Daryl a stern looking glare to behave.
"Jeez Regina!" Daryl scowls sitting up and rubbing his left shin with his right foot.
Beth stumbles out of Maggie's Hummer and falls flat on her face.
"Ouch!" She cries grabbing hold of her nose wanting to cry her eyes out but doesn't.
"Bethy, you ok?" Maggie asks running around to find Beth sitting on her knees rubbing her nose.
"Of all the cars, you had to get the one that needs a damn 10ft ladder!" Beth complains.
"Too right!" Maggie beams, leaning over and kissing the open door of her Hummer, it was her baby.
"Don't listen to Aunty Bethy, she's jus' a little cranky because the guy who popped her cherry, didn't really pop it!" Maggie scoffs remembering Beth telling her what happened "He humped her like he was havin' a seizure and only lasted but fifteen seconds - BAHAHAHAHAAA!" Maggie was off again and tears where drowning out of her eyes and down her face.
"Maggie!" Beth cries in absolute horror, she jumps grabbing hold of Maggie and muffles her mouth with her hand before anything else comes out.
Her head swings left and right, back and forward on her knees hoping nobody was paying any attention to them; She had a good girl's reputation to uphold and didn't need her daddy finding out she took the wrong path with clearly the wrong guy. She wanted to forget she had let Zach touch her so intimately, she thought he was the one but as it turned out - he wasn't! Especially after finding out the schmuck was going around gloating to their circle of friends how he had fucked her left, right and centre. He had done something, but not anywhere near her centre.
Beth shakes her head, cringing at the memory. For a guy who was so cute and overly confident, she thought he'd know what he was doing. He didn't know where to put his thing and instead of slipping it into her between her thighs, he just humped her belly button and was practically howling like a wolf and instead of squeezing her breasts, he was squeezing her face. She laid there frozen unable to comprehend exactly what was happening. When it was over, she thought maybe he died but then he kissed her and patted her cheek telling her she was great and he can't wait to do it again, he was going to rock her world.
"Oh C'mon!" Maggie interrupts her thoughts and she was thankful for the interuption. "Let's go watch the movie, it'll cheer you up and don't worry! You need a man, not a boy and me and Glen'll find you a really hot sexy hunk of a man who knows what he's doing and he'll pop your cherry good and proper and he'll screw your brains out!" Maggie promises winking at her.
Tara was right, she shouldn't have told Maggie, some things should just stay unsaid!
"No thank you, I'm not goin' to give my cherry to any man, only if he the man but I don't think I'll ever find him any time soon so can we drop it please!" Beth pleads sadly.
Her life had come to a standstill and it wasn't how she expected it to be. She had finished her masters and was still a virgin, she was single, jobless and still lived with her parents. She thought her life would have been more like Maggie's - married to a great guy, trying for a baby, employed in the profession she had trained for and in the process of buying her first house with the love of her life. In comparison, her life was nothing, boring and it really, really sucked.
Maggie ushers Beth to the tickets counter and luckily there were only two seats left. Once they paid, got their snacks and drinks, they enter the darkened theatre. Maggie was shoving her to move and when they get to their row, Beth shimmies past seated people to get to her chair. When she looks up at the screen when she hears music, she misses her footing and trips flying forward and landing on her bottom.
"The fuck!" She hears someone grumble beneath her.
When she bounces a little, she realises it's not an empty seat under her ass but it was a lap that belonged to a man.
"Oh no!" She whispers looking into her popcorn cup seeing it was half empty.
She slowly moves her head and just at that moment, the flashing light of a trailer reveals a man, and not any type of man - a sexy hunky man and he was covered in half her popcorn.
Before Daryl could unleash his wrath, he stops and stares captivated at the cute blonde sitting on his lap, she resembled the closest thing to an angel.
"Hey!" Beth smiles snapping him back to attention.
"Hey!" Daryl says back, a smile tugs at his lips and they're just smiling shyly at one another.
Maggie has taken her seat and sits there with her mouth wide open.
Rick chokes on his popcorn, Lori has to smack his back unable to tear her eyes away from what was happening. They just stare at Daryl and the blonde girl in his lap in disbelief. Pretending that they'd not seen anything, they face back towards the screen.
"Ya okay, ya need help?" Daryl asks and Beth nods her head.
Curious, Rick sneakily looks up at the ceiling and opens his hands waiting. When Lori catches him from the corner of her eyes, she nudges him hard in his arm "You already got your angel!" She grins throwing a handful of popcorn into her mouth and returning her attention back to the screen.
Rick slips back into his seat and takes a quick side glance at Daryl who was offering Beth his Beef Jerky. He watches surprised when Beth accepts it, splits it in half and hands it back to Daryl. He'd never seen Daryl so smitten.
"I guess he's been touched by an angel!"
