A/n Thank you all so much for the wonderful support and messages on this story so glad you like it x
"It's time to tell him, your son has many questions, yet as he sits there he is to scared to ask" His beautiful wife sent her thoughts, to her husband, wishing she was there with them to help.
"Ya got some questions son?" Merle had been looking into the fire, pondering how to brooch the subject,his dad's words cut through his mind.
"Mum been reading my mind again? How many times do I have to tell ya to stop doing that" His dad nodded, understanding his curtness, his youngest son had shut them out, they would speak about that later, his eldest needed answers and he thought now was the time to share them.
"Son, pour us both a drink, I think it's time I shared a little of your family history"
"Ya don't have to, whatever you and mum told us as kids and growing up we never asked questions, never queried anything. Pa why have Daryl and I aged, whilst others stay the same age?. Why do you want him to turn his mate? Why,..." Pa Dixon held his hand up, a soft smile on his face, yes his wife was right, the time had come
"Guess ya been holding a lot back, son, ya brother been wondering these things too? Merle knew Daryl was happy with whatever their parents told them, both knew they had never been given the truth, well not the full truth, they just presumed their parents wanted to protect them from harm or hurt.
"He don't seem to be too bothered, accepts who we are, what we are. ..." Handing his drink to his dad, he sat down, he could feel this was going to be a long night.
"I'm going to share with you, what I have never shared with anyone, when I have finished you may choose to judge me for what I did. Ya just remember boy that you have a family that love you so very much. I have already asked your mum to bring your wife Andrea. They will be here by lunchtime tomorrow. Ya hurt ya Ma in anyway son, then me and you will have problems" Merle was getting confused, worried too, what had his dad so on edge?.
"I can never judge either of ya Dad, Ya our parents, ya ain't done anything wrong in our eyes. Next ya will be telling me mum was turned by ya..." Seeing his dad's face darken for a moment, he sat back in his chair
"Fuck, is that ….." Merle placed his hand over his mouth, then rubbed his head, his Ma was human and his dad had turned her. Yet he had been adamant through the years, that no human should be turned, that they should be protected at all costs.
"Listen son and let me tell you what happened, how you and Daryl came to be born. The year was 1848, I had traveled the world, ending up in Transylvania, it was a bad year for both sides, The Hungarians took their revenge on The Romanians, after they had attack them in the October. I had arrived at the worse time, in Mihalt in the June, your mum will say the best time. I had always known deep down I had a soul mate, your granddaddy told me stories about it. I was told my mate was unique, special, after all I was from "The Originals" The oldest set of vampires, who started it all off, to this day no one knows exactly how it happened, Oh there are stories, some true, some made up, along the tales The Masters were born, as you know, The Dixon clan are from The Original Master's, we are unique in that we can have children, only with our soul mates. We still cannot understand how you and Daryl grew to the age you did, whilst other's who have been turned, through their choices, have not. Herschel Greene has been looking into it, all he can fathom, is our DNA is a shade different to others, that when we meet our soul mates, that is the day we stop ageing. In your case five years ago, when you met Andrea, Daryl's case will be from when he first saw his"
"Ok that kinda makes sense I think, with the ageing, still don't make much sense though" Merle stood to his feet, located the bottle and filled both their glasses up.
"I never said it made sense son, it never does with our kind. Let me tell you about your mum, yes she was human, boy was I pissed when I found out, what and who she was. That night in Mihalt, The Romanians killed around 50 people in her town, your mum was running from the troops. I saw her coming towards me, I can never tell you how I felt..."
"Like the most wonderful feeling, the warmth, the desire, the love" Merle butted in, after all it was exactly how he felt, when he first saw Andrea.
"Among some, my soul soared when I saw her, this small thing, scruffy, ripped clothes, covered in dirt. Her eyes looked into mine, they were the bluest I have ever seen, Daryl certainly inherited them. Her hair flowing behind her, long and silky looked like copper. She tripped as she ran closer, it wasn't till I saw her fall that I knew, she had been hit, I felt my soul being ripped in two. I couldn't let this happen, I did the unthinkable, I ran to her held her in my arms. Her smile soft as she looked up at me, no way was I losing her when I had just found her. Without thought or worry, I gave her back her life, took her old one and gave her new. No one saw me do it, they were too involved with fighting, clearing the dead. I checked around, glad the darkness of the night was coming in, lifting her in my arms we fled the scene"
"Guess ya were pretty pissed at those, who brought this fate to ya" Merle could only imagine the language his Pa would have come up with
"Pissed was an understatement, hell ya mother was a peasant beneath me... Damn don't ya dare swear at me like that woman. Ya just wait till I see ya tomorrow me and you are having words." Merle smirked his mum had just told his Pa off, it was funny to watch The Master, most powerful of them all, fear his small wife.
"I will rephrase that, I thought she was beneath me and this was all a joke, when she came to she burst my damn ears with her screaming, her nails scratched and don't even get me started on how hard that woman can kick" He smiled to himself remembering how he had finally pinned her under him, and from the thoughts his wife was sending back she sure could remember too.
"Little hell-cat ya mum is, I lost my heart to her within days, my soul mended. We escaped Transylvania, finally deciding to set home up here. The area was good, the humans accepted us and eventually we found out you were on the way. We were scared, you were something special, our enemies could use you against us, we protected you, over protected at times, both of you..." His wife interrupted his flow.
I'm warning ya woman, stay the hell outta this conversation It's between... OK! fine. Ya ma says we didn't over protect you , we loved you. There told him" Shaking his head, Pa got to his feet, glancing into the fire he watched the flames burn.
"When Andrea gives birth, you will have the same fears, the same dread in your soul, if we continue to allow Philip to continue his reign of terror, that fear will never leave you.I have known that man years, from the moment he was turned, it didn't go well, they weren't soul mates, any of our kind know,that the result ends up with death for them, and their victim is left to walk the earth without a soul not understanding, who they are, what they are to do. Philip has allowed himself to grow into the darkness, believing he is someone he isn't. He is powerful with his group, without nothing. However we may have a problem with Daryl's mate being married to one of his close employee's. The name Philip calls himself, The Governor,worries me, as that was an enemy of our clan from years back, before I even met ya mother" Lifting the glass to his lips he downed the rest of the drink.
"We have the police and townsfolk on our side, as well as The Clan. He can be defeated, Tyresse, Abe, Rosita, and Karen came into town earlier today, they are behind us. We will be able to do this dad, you have never worried before" Merle rubbed his head, still trying to catch up with all the information his Pa had shared, he knew there would be more in time, for now they had spoken long enough. His mum had been human, how could he not love her?. What reaction did his dad expect from his sons?.
"Yes we do son, but we also have a valuable human, well two that need our full protection. Daryl's mate and her baby must be kept safe, if Philip finds out about her, he may use her against him, if he takes any of The Dixon's down he takes us all. " now he was confused, they had defeated worse that this, taken down stronger more powerful vampires, he just couldn't understand why his dad was so worried?.
"We are all connected son, you, me Daryl, our wives. Your unborn child, if they find out about her, anything about her, they will use her to bring Daryl know yourself, how far you will go to protect Andrea, he will do the same, if it happens he could go into the darkness, allow himself to be taken over with pain, hurt and the need for revenge,then the one thing that makes us different from others of our kind, would be ripped from him, his soul never to return."
Daryl followed behind the small group, easily hiding in the shadows of the club, he could smell their kind, as the night became darker. The humans were few and far between, he could gag with the stench.
"So Ed as you can see there is forbidden fruit everywhere, what happens in Club Woodbury stays in the club. You want to try some of the new girls that are here. Go feel free to try them all, since your wife had your daughter I bet you have not had anything?. Go please feast yourself, enjoy" Philip had been correct, Ed was dying for some attention. Yes his plan would work.
Daryl watched in disgust as his mate's husband, fondled the women, allowed them to touch him How could he even look at another female?, when he had his wife, he could feel his haze come over him, he was pissed, god knows what this man could catch and pass over to his mate. No this wasn't happening, moving from the shadows he walked towards the man. Hating him more and more with each step, reaching out for him, words pulled him back.
"Leave him son, Get out now!" A shiver ran down his back, his dad had forced himself into his mind, crashing through the walls he had erected against his family. That only meant one thing, and one thing only, he was in danger.