Chapter 2

"Don't look at me. Ain't my fault you're a dumbass," Daryl spat, shoving his brother's shoulder. Merle laughed and doubled over with his hands on his knees to steady himself. They'd had a buck in their sights, and Merle had had the bright idea to climb into a makeshift deer blind, only for it to come crashing down, scaring off their prize. Ed had nearly fallen down with laughter, and Daryl's first instinct was to check on his brother. He and Carol had helped him up, and as soon as they were sure Merle was in no imminent danger, he'd thought about walloping his older brother.

"Calm down, baby brother. You shoulda seen your face."

"Who the hell climbs a death trap like that anyway?" Daryl asked. "Pop taught you better than that."

"Pop taught with a fist of iron. Fuck him."

"He was a piece-a-shit, but he knew how to track and hunt," Daryl snorted. "Look at you. Drunk and it ain't even noon."

"Hey, it's vacation," Merle laughed, kneeling down to wipe some mud off of his boots. Daryl looked up to see Carol grinning at Merle's ridiculousness. Ed draped his arm over Carol's shoulders and gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek. She cringed and shoved him away.

"Ed, you stink. I swear you're still sweating out what you drank last night."

"Didn't hear you complainin' last night," he smirked. Carol shoved him off of her once again, succeeding this time, and Daryl had to hold back a grin at the eye roll she cast in his direction.

"See what I mean?" Carol asked. "You don't want to be like these two, drunk before noon and completely unbearable." Merle laughed at that, and Ed crossed his arms across his chest, looking put out and annoyed.

"Hold onto that one, Eddie boy," Merle laughed. "She's somethin' else."

"You been talkin' behind my back?" Ed asked, eyeing Carol and then Daryl. "What she say to you? She bored with me already?" He grabbed for her again, this time a little harder, and she yelped when he pulled her back against him.

"Ed, stop!" Carol bit out, struggling against his strength. Ed laughed and let her go, and she smacked his arm. "You're such an asshole."

"That what she said to you? That I'm an asshole? Is that what she said when you two were flirting this morning?" Ed eyed Daryl, and Daryl's face felt hot. He swallowed and looked at Carol, and she just shook her head as if to tell him to let it go.

Something in Ed's expression changed. His eyes fixed on Daryl's, his face red and his lips pulled in a cocky grin. Without taking his eyes off of Daryl, Ed grabbed Carol by the wrist and pulled her toward him roughly.

"Ow, Ed, stop!" she growled, shoving at his shoulders, but Ed had a firm grip on her, pulling her close, eyeing Daryl the whole time. "Ed, let me go!"

"Hey, c'mon, man," Merle groaned. "Leave her alone. Stop bein' a dick."

"Ed!" Carol grunted, trying to contort herself out of Ed's grip, but he had a good hold on her.

"C'mere," Ed urged, taking Carol's chin between his thumb and forefinger. "Gimme a kiss." Carol made a face as his breath hit her in the face, and she groaned, pushing at him again.

"Leave her alone," Daryl bit out, taking a step toward Ed.

"Yeah? What're you gonna do about it, kid?" Ed asked, snorting as he gripped Carol's wrist a little harder.

"Ed, you're hurting me! Stop!" she cried out, tears stinging her eyes as bruises formed under his touch.

"I said let her go!" Daryl growled out, lunging himself at Ed, managing to get between the two and drop Ed's focus from his girlfriend. Carol managed to break free and took a few steps back, as Daryl wrestled Ed to the ground.

"Jesus, we ain't got time for this!" Merle shouted.

"Stop! Please, stop!" Carol cried out, cradling her aching wrist in her other hand. "Guys, knock it off!"

Daryl felt Ed's fist hit him hard in the gut and in the side, knocking the wind out of him briefly before he pinned him down with a knee in the belly and struck him hard on the side of his face before giving the other side a good punch. Before he had a chance to get another punch in, Merle grabbed him under the arms and dragged him to stand, holding him back as Ed turned and coughed into the dirt, spitting blood before bringing his hand to his busted lip.

Daryl's shoulders heaved as he caught his breath, and he couldn't even look her in the eye. He watched as she knelt down next to Ed, saying nothing but turning his face toward her with a gentle touch. She eyed him for a moment before taking her hand away and standing up. She said nothing, turned and walked away, as Ed sat and rubbed his sore jaw and glared up at Daryl and Merle.

"You done, boy?" Ed asked. He looked to Merle and laughed. "You got yourself a goddamn attack dog, huh? Boy's full of piss and fire."

"Get your drunk ass up, Peletier," Merle spat. "You put your hands on that little lady again, and I ain't gonna stop him from beatin' the shit outta your sorry ass." Merle clapped Daryl on the shoulder. "Take a walk, baby brother." Daryl's skin felt hot and raw, and his muscles jumped and flexed as his breath slowed to normal. "Hey. You hear me?" Merle gave Daryl's shoulder and forced him to look him in the eye. "You hear me? Hey. You're alright."

"I'm fine," Daryl grunted, shrugging off his brother's hand and taking off toward a row of bushes. Once in silence, he leaned back against a tree, pulled a cigarette from the packet in his shirt pocket and lit it up. He took a shaky breath and felt the sting hit his eyes as his muscles ached and throbbed. He could almost feel the sharp crack and sting of the thick leather belt cutting into his skin.

"Thanks." Daryl turned away the moment he saw her step into his peripheral view. He wiped at his eyes quickly, blinking back the sting. He took a long drag on the cigarette and kicked the toe of his boot into the side of the tree. The leaves crackled under Carol's hiking boots. "I'm sorry about him."

"Why you apologizin'? He's the asshole."

"Yeah," Carol murmured. "He's never…he's never grabbed me like that. He's drunk, and…"

"Don't start makin' excuses for him now. I know how that story ends." He turned then, dry-eyed, and he flicked his cigarette to the ground, crushing it under his boot. He looked down to see her rubbing her sore wrist. "He hurt you."

"It'll heal."

"Yeah, 'til he does it again. Don't care if this prick is drunk or not, he ain't gonna put his hands on you." Carol's breath caught in her throat, watching as Daryl's own breath began to quicken. He knew she knew. She was a social worker after all. She'd seen it all. And something in her eyes told him that she knew this was just the beginning. Still, the light in her eyes changed.

"Hey, it's ok."

"It ain't," he bit out. His voice was rough, and he took a step toward her. She didn't move, only tilted her head to keep his gaze. He reached out then, hesitating briefly as if afraid to touch her. "Let me see." Carol held her hand out to him then, and he gently turned her wrist in his hand. "This hurt?"

"No. It's ok," she offered, before winching when it popped. "Ok, maybe it's not."

"Here." Daryl grabbed for the red bandana hanging from the back of his pocket, and he gently began to wrap her wrist. "Don't worry. It's clean." Carol couldn't help the hint of a smile that quirked up at the corner of her mouth. She watched as his rough, calloused fingers worked slowly and gently to create a brace, looping it to tie between her thumb and forefinger for a firm hold. "How's that?"

"Good. It helps."

"It's startin' to swell. Might wanna get it looked at when we get back." Carol nodded a little before looking back up with tears in her eyes. He wasn't sure why, but he hadn't expected that. She sniffled and took a step forward.

"Thank you. Merle told me you were the sweet one. I don't know how he meant it," she chuckled. "But you are. Thank you." She leaned in, and it took everything within him not to take a big step back into his own personal space. But the moment she kissed his cheek, he felt the flames dancing just beneath his skin, and his breath quivered when she pulled back a little slower than he expected. Her gaze lingered on his, and then she took a step back, blushing a little bit, too.

"You two gonna make googly eyes at each other all day, or are we gonna head back?" Daryl turned to glare at his brother. "Come on. Ed's got a hell of a hangover coming. Let's get him home to sleep it off. Think this trip's as good as over anyway."

...

The off road paths weren't meant for vehicle use, but Merle Dixon had never been much one to care about laws and boundaries. Since he was seventeen and got his hands on a buddy's drug stash, he'd learned how to maneuver his truck out into the cover of the woods for privacy to make his sales. He wasn't exactly proud of it, but it was what it was. He'd brought more than a few women out into the heart of the woods to park and screw around, and well, that was something he was proud of, something he boasted to Daryl about whenever he had a chance.

But as the truck bounced and jostled and crunched over tree limbs, Merle seemed a little uneasy, ready to get the hell out and head back home. Maybe it was the hungover asshole in his passenger seat. Maybe it was the quiet and injured girl in the back that probably never would've gotten hurt if he hadn't had the bright idea to invite Ed in the first place.

Daryl noticed Merle's change of demeanor, but he was too focused on watching Carol to say anything.

He watched the way she leaned her head sleepily against the window. He watched as her body swayed and jumped with each jostle of the rickety old truck. He watched how her hands sat clasped firmly in her lap. Every once in a while, she'd let out a soft moan and gently rub her sore wrist, and Daryl felt the heat rise up in his chest again as his hatred for Ed Peletier grew. Maybe it wasn't healthy to have such hatred for a person he barely knew, but he'd been around him long enough to know that Ed Peletier was no good, and Carol deserved a hell of a lot more than his sorry ass.

When Merle pulled out onto a gravel road, he hit the gas, and dust and rock sprayed up behind them, rattling against the underside of the truck as they rushed toward civilization.

"You alright back there?" Merle asked, glancing in the dirty rear-view mirror.

"I'm ok," Carol offered softly. "Just ready for a long shower."

"Drop me off at her place," Ed offered. "I'll crash there."

"You can drop him off at the county land fill for all I care," Carol spat. Daryl perked up next to her.

"Aw, baby. You know I didn't mean it," Ed offered, turning in the passenger's seat. "Forgive me?"

"Go to hell, Ed." She leaned back in her seat, and Daryl couldn't help but smirk when Ed looked at him.

"Bitch," Ed spat out, before bringing his hands to his head. "Fuck. Pull over, Merle." Merle brought the truck to a grinding halt, and Ed jumped out, bending over to throw up into the ditch. Carol turned away from the sight and gently wrapped her fingers around her injured wrist.

"You sure you're ok?" Daryl asked.

"Mmm," she murmured with a nod. "I am now."

Just as Ed got back into the truck, the truck shook, startling its four passengers.

"What the hell was that?" Merle put his hand on the dash, wondering if the old truck was finally about to fall apart one last time.

"Earthquake?" Ed asked.

"That's no earthquake," Carol murmured, bringing her hand to her chest. She nodded in the direction of the skyline down the road. Clouds of dark smoke were starting to rising high into the billowy white clouds.

"Jesus Christ," Merle muttered. "What the hell's going on out there?"