A/N: Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard own The Walking Dead. Not me. I own Alex though. This is my latest story. If you read what I have posted already and are waiting for me to update it. I will as soon as I get the inspiration to write the chapter that needs to written. Have some faith in me please? And as always read and review please. Italics are thoughts. Underlines are flash backs.
Also to clear up some confusion from chapter two. Alex told Merle that the attack she had to deal with happened three months ago. Meaning that if she is pregnant from the rape, she would be only TWO months pregnant. I may not have written it very well but it looked okay to me at the time I wrote it, as I was most likely half asleep at the time since it was after midnight when I finally posted the last chapter. The attack happened then a month after the attack the world went to shit and the zombies appeared. The month that the story starts would be the second month of the zombies appearing, THREE months after the attack. Now that I feel that I have cleared that up better, I do apologize for the fact I didn't make it very clear in the last chapter. If you have any questions still you can always PM and I will gladly try to explain it better.
Chapter Three: You Couldn't Pick it Up?
"They are going to that construction site to get a truck so we can get out of here." Morales told Alex while Merle suddenly looked pissed off.
"That asshole is down in the streets with the handcuff key?!" Merle demanded while T-Dog tried to get a hold of the camp with the C.B. radio he had in his hands. Alex groaned as she sat down next to T-Dog, holding onto her stomach. She could feel the bruise really start to form, causing Andrea to look at her.
"Alex, let me look at it." Andrea said softly as she kneeled in front of the red-head. Alex nodded her head slightly and let Andrea lift her shirt. She looked over at Merle and saw him staring at the bruise he left on her.
"Shit… Princess I didn't mean it…" Merle said again as he ran his free hand over his face. He knew that Daryl would definitely kill him since the bruise was a nice shade purple and it was obviously causing Alex some pain when she moved. He could only pray that he did not cause a possible miscarriage for the girl if she was indeed pregnant like she thought she might be. Andrea looked back at Merle with a glare of disgust as she lowered Alex's shirt and stood back up. "Hey! Where are the fucking handcuff keys?!" T-Dog lifted his hand to reveal a small silver key and waved it, causing Merle to shut up.
"Merle is such a pig. He hit Alex hard and the words he is saying now…" Andrea sighed as she looked down at Alex only to find the red-head glaring at her. "It's true Alex."
"I have known Merle longer than you. I know he didn't mean it. Merle would never hit a girl. Flirt and try to get in a girl's pants, yes. Hit a girl, never." Alex stated as she held her stomach as she shifted to try and get a bit more comfortable. She looked up as she heard thunder started to make itself known once more. "Shit… It would rain…" She mumbled as she looked at Merle and gave him a weak smile. Merle knew instantly what she meant by that. It was raining the day Daryl got the call that Alex was in hospital.
Hell it had been rainin' the whole week she was missin'… The storms probably bother her some since she and Darlina would sit closer together on those days that it did storm. Merle thought as the rain started to come down causing Alex to groan and frown as she glared up at the sky some. Merle couldn't help but chuckle at her. "Glaring at the sky won't make it stop Princess." Merle let out a bark of laughter when Alex flipped him off before she pushed herself up to watch Glenn and the new guy make a run for it as it started to pour. Seeing that the two made it to the gate and started to climb the fence, Alex rubbed her arms as Morales looked at her.
"Are you going to be okay Alex? He did hit you pretty hard." Morales stated before wincing in pain as the only girl in their camp that could stand the Dixons hit him in the arm.
"I'm fine. I'm sick and tired of you people reminding Merle that he hit me. He already hates himself for it and Daryl will start a fight with him once he gets back from hunting." Alex pointed out as she pulled a bottle of water out of her back pack and took a sip before giving it to Merle. "Here… You need some..."
"Ya always did look out for me and Daryl. Even when people gave ya more shit that what it was worth." Merle stated as he took the water bottle from Alex and took a sip. Hell, she would make me drink water once I started to come down from a high. She knew that I would be dehydrated and needed it before she would try to clean things up while Daryl tried to stop her. I had tried to hurt her before… and she would take care of me like she was a sister or somethin'. Darlina will take good care of her, I know that. Guess I'm just proud of my baby brother for finding a girl who can put with the amoun' of shit I give her. Merle thought as Andrea started to scream something about Officer Friendly and Chinaman deserting them.
"Andrea, stop and listen!" Alex shouted just as Glenn's voice came through the C.B. in T-Dog's hand.
"Those roll up doors at the front of the store, facing the street. Meet us there and be ready." Glenn told them as they could hear a car alarm get closer to then each second. This news caused everyone to hurry to gather the bags and get themselves to the doors.
"Go Alex. I got him." T-Dog told the red-head as she looked at Merle with slightly pained look. "You look like you're in a lot of pain." Merle nodded his head in agreement with T-Dog.
"Go Princess. I'll be right behind ya." Merle told her, causing Alex to nod her head and leave to go where the others were. The car alarm sound got closer to where it stopped in front of the store for a second before zooming off. Alex saw T-Dog come down the stairs, without Merle causing her to frown deeply.
"Where's Merle?" She asked T-Dog, causing the African-American to lower his head in shame. "Are you fucking kidding me?!" Alex growled as a two soft bangs came on the door. Everything was in a rush for Alex to the next thing she knew she was sitting in the back of the van and they were driving out of the city following Glenn who was driving the car with its alarm going off. "HOW COULD YOU JUST LEAVE HIM?! I DON'T EVEN LIKE MERLE THAT MUCH BUT HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO BE LEFT UP THERE! NOT LIKE THAT! NO ONE DESERVES THAT!" Alex now let her anger out on T-Dog, causing everyone in the van to flinch when she started yelling at the male.
"I dropped the key, Alex. There's nothing I could have done in that time frame. I did chain the door with a padlock. Those geeks won't be able to get through them." T-Dog told Alex as they entered the quarry and their campsite. Once Rick stopped the van, Morales told him to come meet everyone before exiting the van.
"You cared for Merle?" Rick asked Alex, seeing that she hadn't left the van yet.
"Yeah… Not that much, but he's the older brother to someone I hold close to my heart. As much as I hate Merle for something he stupidly tried to do, I would never wish what T-Dog did to him to happen; on ANY one." Alex said before she got out of the van and walked to her and the Dixon's tents. She climbed inside her tent and laid down, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Alex woke up the next day to Carl and Sophia screaming for their mothers. Alex rushed out of the tent with her bow and arrows in hand.
"That's the first one we've had up here. They have never come this far into the mountains." Dale said as Alex appeared and looked at the deer that a walker had been feeding on. She noticed the three arrows that were in the deer's carcass.
"Daryl's not going to be happy…" Alex said just as a twig snapped, causing the men to turn and point their weapons at the sound. Daryl Dixon came through and growled in frustration the moment he saw the walker body by the deer.
"Son of a bitch!" He growled as he glared at the body. "That's my deer! Look at it! All gnawed on by this filthy, diease-bearin', motherless proxy bastard!" Daryl kicked the walker's body as he said this. Alex rolled her eyes before walking over to Daryl and resting a hand on his arm.
"Now calm down son." Dale said to Daryl as the younger Dixon looked at Alex when she touched him and swept her body quickly with his eyes searching for any injuries. "That's not helping." Daryl soon insulted Dale and then went back over to Alex and hugged her.
"Ya alright?" He asked her as Alex hugged him back tightly. Daryl pulled away as he cupped her cheek.
"I have to tell you something…" Alex trailed off as Daryl pulled away from her hearing the walker head starting to growl again.
"What the hell people?!" Daryl demanded as he took his crossbow up again and shot the head, officially killing it. "Gotta be the brain. Don't cha know nothin'?" Daryl then started walking towards camp yelling for his brother.
"Fuck…" Alex groaned as she and the others followed after Daryl, holding her stomach some from the bruise that still hurt.
"Daryl, just slow up a bit. I need to you." Shane said as the Dixon male set his crossbow down and looked around for his brother. Daryl noticed that Alex was holding her stomach and frowned some.
"About what?" Daryl asked as he held a hand out to Alex as she came closer. Alex took his hand and allowed him to pull her closer to him. She better not be hurtin' because of Merle. Kick his ass if she is. Daryl thought as he rubbed Alex's arm before releasing it to move down to the hem of her shirt so he could look at her stomach.
"'Bout Merle." Shane stated as he walked pass the two before turning to face the Dixon and red-head. "There was a… There was a problem in Atlanta."
"He dead?" Daryl asked as he stopped what he was doing and started to pace in slight anger. He was quick to figure out that Merle was left behind. Now if he could only find out the reason why. When Shane stated that they were not sure Daryl started to get angry. "He either is or he ain't."
"Look, there's no easy way to say this so I will just say it." Rick stated as he walked towards them, Alex taking a deep breath before sighing as he walked past her. She knew that Daryl would start to show his anger once he found out that Merle was handcuffed and left behind on a roof.
"Who are you?" Daryl asked as he looked at Alex out of the corner of his eye, trying to stay calm for her sake more than the others surrounding him in the camp.
"Rick Grimes." Rick introduced himself as stopped walking in front of Daryl.
"Rick Grimes?" Daryl asked mockingly, causing Alex to snort and shake her head. Daryl knew he got the red-head to smile some at that and couldn't help but smile internally. "Ya got somethin' ya want to tell me?"
"Your brother was a danger to us all. So I handcuffed on a roof, hooked him up to a piece of metal. He had punched Alex and was punching T-Dog. He's still there." Rick said, wondering what had Daryl so pissed off as the redneck went over to Alex and cupped her cheek.
"He hit ya? Imma kill that bastard." Daryl growled as he kissed Alex's forehead before lifting her shirt, seeing the bruise that was in the shape of a fist. "Damn him…" Daryl growled as he lowered the shirt and held Alex close.
"He was high. He regretted it immediately, but took it out on someone else. I told him… He regretted it even more then." Alex said softly as she hugged him back and sighed into his chest. Daryl pressed a kiss to her hair before releasing her and then starting to pace again once he realized that Rick had stated that his brother was still on the roof.
"Hold on. Let me process this." Daryl stated before he turned to face Rick. "Yer sayin' ya handcuffed my brother to a roof and ya left him there?!" Daryl demanded from the sheriff as everyone watched.
"Yeah." Rick stated as he looked down at the ground before looking back at Daryl. Daryl grunted in frustration as he threw his line of squirrels at Rick. Shane then shoulder checked him to the ground, causing Daryl to pull his hunting knife out.
"Watch the knife." T-Dog warned as he threw the pile of logs he had in his arms down. Daryl swiped the knife at Rick, trying to cut the man. Rick grabbed Daryl's arm forcing it back, allowing Shane to come up behind and put Daryl into a chokehold.
"LET HIM GO!" Alex shouted as she ran towards the three men, only to be grabbed and held back. "NO! DARYL!" Alex yelled to him causing the redneck to look at her and get pissed even more.
"Ya bes' let me go!" Daryl growled as he struggled. He wanted to get to Alex, hold her in his arms and keep her safe. It was obvious that Daryl did not like seeing Alex in T-Dog's arms as she tried to get free to get to him.
"Nah, I think it's best if I don't." Shane stated as Alex started to cry and called out to Daryl again.
"SHANE STOP! HE CAN'T BREATHE!" Alex yelled through the tears that caused Daryl to look at her again in concern. The younger Dixon brother hated seeing his sweet and stubborn Cheetah in tears.
"Choke hold's illegal." Daryl told him as he grunted, trying to breathe since the choke hold put pressure on his windpipe; making it hard for him to intake air.
"Yeah, you can file a complaint." Shane said as he lowered himself and Daryl to the ground more. "Come on man. We can keep this up all day." Daryl could be heard gasping for breath slightly, sounding as if he was whimpering in pain. Rick kneeled down and looked directly at Daryl.
"I'd like to have a calm discussion on this topic." Rick stated to Daryl as the male looked at him. "Do you think you can manage that? You're scaring Alex."
"I'm pissed off that you are hurting him!" Alex shouted at Rick as she continued to struggle against T-Dog. "Let me go T." Rick repeated his question before Daryl agreed. Once Daryl was released, Alex had enough of T-Dog and stomped harder on his foot than she had been before and ran to Daryl once she was free. Daryl sat up on his knees as he held Alex close to him.
"Now, what I did was not on a whim." Rick told Daryl as he watched the redneck and Alex hold each other close. "Your brother does not work or play well with others. He had attacked T-Dog and punched Alex when she tried to stop him."
"Don't bring Cheetah into your reasoning to leavin' my brother behind." Daryl growled as he glared at Rick while he tightened his hold some on Alex as she buried her face into the crook of his neck.
"It's not Rick's fault. I had the key." T-Dog admitted as Alex let Daryl go and stood up, holding her stomach as Daryl let his hand run down her side and leg till it rested on her calf. "I dropped it."
"You couldn't pick it up?" Alex and Daryl demanded together. Alex could feel bile start to rise up her throat and held it back as Daryl stood up and placed an arm around her waist.
