Daryl could not believe his luck. Of all days he had to deal with her now.
"Well my, my, looks like the prodigal son is 0 for 4" a rich, southern drawl proclaimed.
Daryl turned around to face his demon.
Lori Walsh came strutting into the squad room. She was dressed to the nines, as usual. 5 inch Christian Louboutin heels, slinky dress, diamonds on the wrists, neck and ears. Blood red lips.
Daryl despised this woman with everything in his soul. She had once been married to his childhood friend Rick Grimes. But a few years ago she hooked up with Shane Walsh, while still married to Rick, and ended up pregnant with his child. Rick filed for divorced, and she married Shane within a month of the divorce becoming legal.
She had never liked Daryl, nor the fact that he and Rick were best friends growing up. Lori had always felt that Rick spent too much time with Daryl and not enough with her. She was another who liked to look down her nose at people, and him in particular. Lori had always made Daryl feel like white trash, drawing attention to her designer clothes and showing off her things. As a kid Daryl really hated her. Daryl couldn't help being dirt poor. He lived in a cabin in the woods and never had much of anything. And then dealing with his parents' abuse usually left him wanting to be on his own and away from other people.
But Rick had befriended him and didn't care about Daryl's background. He knew that Daryl was beaten often and tried to provide a safe place for him when needed. But he didn't care that Daryl didn't have the newest toys or fancy clothes. When Lori had entered the picture Daryl had felt like Rick had been manipulated by Lori's looks and money. He was never sure what they saw in each other. Rick wasn't really in the same league. But his daddy was important, being a police commissioner, and so maybe she thought she'd be worming her way into something good. In their first year of college, Lori got pregnant by Rick, and they got married, the rest was history.
Rick and Daryl remained friends, each of them lending support to the other, Rick for when Daryl got caught in a beating, Daryl for when something went sour with Lori. Daryl was glad their son had taken after Rick and not Lori. He was good solid kid.
Daryl took a deep breath and looked at the she-devil.
"What do you want Lori" he said in a monotone voice.
Lori took off one of her gloves and then widened her eyes and stilled.
"That's Mrs. Walsh" to you, detective", she said haughtily.
Before he could reply he heard another sound that grated on his nerves just as much as the bitch in front of him.
"But daddy, I want to go shopping nooooow" a petulant voice came from the hallway. Rounding the corner came Commander Walsh and the Walsh devil-spawn Judith.
Judith saw her mother and ran up to her and put on a first class pout. "Mommy I want to go shopping now!" she cried, complete with foot stomp.
"Now baby girl, your daddy and I just need to talk to these people and then we will go shopping and get you whatever you like, okay sweetie?"
Judith looked appeased, at least for the moment. She crossed her arms and pouted though. Little pigtails bouncing. And seriously, were those diamonds in her ears as well?
Daryl shook his head at the kid and muttered "Fuckin' spoiled brat."
Lori jerked up and spat at him indignantly, "Language! There are children present!"
Daryl just snorted at her then turned his back to her. He looked over at Walsh. "You need somethin' from me Commander?"
Walsh looked down at him. "I'd like an update as to where we are on the Blake homicide."
Daryl looked him straight in the eye. "We're in the same damn place we were when you started that fuckin' media shit out there" he spat.
Daryl could hear Lori start to sputter again at Daryl's language in front of her precious child, but he ignored her.
Walsh just looked at Daryl. "Detective Dixon, I'd like a private verbal account of where we stand on these murders."
An hour later Daryl emerged from Walsh's office. He was tired, physically and mentally. He figured he'd take more shit for talking like he did in front of his family, but honestly it was hard not. So he stood there as Walsh dressed him down and re-iterated how he'd like nothing more than to fire his backwoods ass, and if it wasn't for Commissioner Grimes he'd have been booted to the curb long ago. Nothing that Daryl hadn't heard before.
Daryl sat at his desk and read the note from Finley that said all of the reports had been processed and that he had checked out for the night. At least Daryl wouldn't have to deal with him. He worked for another hour on the cases, then called his brother up. He needed to unwind.
"Merle, yeah it's me. Hey wanna hit up the Crest for a drink? Yeah, cool. Meet'cha there in 20."
Daryl hung up the phone and grabbed his leather jacket and grabbed the keys to his bike. He stepped outside the precinct and headed for his bike, a Triumph Scrambler. The only thing left in his life that he truly valued. Except maybe his brother. He mounted up and revved up the engine and pulled out, letting the wind blow past him and take some of the stress with it. Nothing calmed him more than riding, just him and his bike and the wind. When he died, he wanted to be buried with his bike.
He pulled up to a dive of a bar called the Crest. Only locals dared go there, and even then, only a certain type were brave enough to go in the door. It was a rough place, but it's why Daryl and Merle liked it. Deep down, despite his badge and rank, Daryl was still a backwoods boy. He didn't sit at fancy bars sipping cocktails. The Crest catered to a lot of bikers, which suited the Dixon men just fine. Merle had ridden his Harley in and Daryl backed his Triumph in next to him. He walked in to find Merle had started without him, taking a swig of his beer and flirting with some woman. If Daryl knew his brother, he wouldn't be going home alone tonight. Merle was a charmer, despite his rough appearance and language.
Merle spotted Daryl and waved him over. "Well baby brother, there ya are!" Merle swung a beer at him that he had ordered for Daryl. Daryl nodded his thanks and sat down. He drank in silence for a moment, while Merle just quietly watched him from the corner of his eye. Merle gave him his space. He knew what was bugging his little brother, he'd caught the news brief. He knew Daryl was frustrated, pissed, you name it.
Daryl took a long drink and put his glass down. He rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands, then started chewing on the side of his thumb. Merle was always amazed there was ever any skin left on Daryl's thumbs to continue biting at. His baby brother's one and only tell.
"So I take it things didn't improve today" he said quietly.
Daryl snorted and looked at his brother from the side before gulping down the rest of his beer.
"Yeah, ya could say that." Daryl kept chewing on the side of his thumb.
"Fucking Lori Walsh came in with her little brat to spit in my face about it".
Merle whistled and shook his head, taking a swig of his own beer. "That bitch gotta go an' put her fucking plastic surgery nose inta every damn thing." Merle finished his beer and flagged the barman down for another round for him and Daryl. "Them two's perfect for each 'uther, her and Shane. Two fuckin' peas in a pod."
Daryl hadn't said anything, he didn't need to. He knew Merle knew how he was feeling. Being the older brother, Merle had tried to protect Daryl as best he could when they were growing up. Merle knew Daryl took the brunt of their old man's beatings, and he always tried to get between them to take some of it for him. Merle had learned how to read his little brother.
Merle clapped his brother on the back, squeezing his shoulder, silently giving his brother the support he needed.
AN: I really liked how in TWD Merle redeemed himself at the end, and thought it was so unfair that in order to redeem himself, Daryl had to lose him. So in my story Daryl gets his brother back. I have some surprises in store for Merle though.
And to all the Lori lovers out there, lol, sorry! But I couldn't resist. She always came off as so pompous to me, especially around Daryl.
And as always, please, pretty please, give me a review, even a quick one :-)