For those of you who asked the Boondock Saints call back was the bartender. His name was Gerald Parkes, that was the actors name that played Doc the bartender in the movie. :)
I need to thank my darlin brother Haitus80 for getting me motivated for this story again. I got side tracked with another story and was losing interest in this. But rest assured she has cured that.
It had been five months since his Daryl was locked up and he was still not used to it. That was half of his time spent already and Merle still couldn't get the taste of bile from his mouth. He still found himself sometimes driving without thought to Daryl's house to see why he hadn't seen him awhile. Then it would hit him that his brother took the fall for him, his brother was setting in fucking prison because of him.
Merle let the tools clatter to the ground looking up at the clock hoping it was time to get the fuck out of here. Standing up to relieve the tension from his back and knees from being crouched so long he walked across the shop towards his boss.
"About that time aint it?" Merle smirked.
"Looking that way." Nick spoke clapping him on the back. "How's that brother of yours?" His voice getting serious.
Merle pulled his cigarettes out and offering Nick one, "He's doing fine, he don't talk much about shit going on in there really."
Nick nodded his head leaning back against the wall crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah I get that, he aint ever been one to broadcast his problems."
Merle grimaced and looked off feeling guilt wash over him again. "You got that right."
"How long he got left? Miss that bastard." Nick laughed.
"At eight months they should bring up the option of parole for him. So if he's lucky he's got about three more months." Merle sighed running his hand through his hair.
Nick looked at him heavily and his smile fell. "How's he looking? I know we've both spent sometime on the inside. What you aint saying says more than anything."
"All that energy gotta go somewhere the fidgety fuck, he's put on some weight. I'm guessing he's burning his energy off working out." Merle laughed. "You should go see him."
"Think I'll do that."
Merle snuffed his cigarette out and tipped his head making his way towards the door. It was days like today that he wanted to drink his self into oblivion and not deal with the shit he was feeling. It didn't matter that Daryl was okay with how things played out. It didn't matter that he said he owed him. Merle was doing what a big brother was meant to do, and he'd do it again.
Pulling in at the local bar he walked in nodding his head at a few people as he walked to his stool in front of Gerald. The older man signaling he saw him while he attended to some other patrons. Merle braced his elbows on the bar and waited on him to get down there. It wasn't even that he was here to drink, no he just wanted to check in on the old man before he went to get something to eat.
"What can I do ya for?" Gerald spoke startling him.
Looking up at him and waving off the drink he was about to pour he set up, "Seen Daryl again the other day. He's doing good."
Gerald nodded at him, "Boy has balls made of brass. Aint no doubt bout that."
Chuckling he stood up, "Things been good here?"
"Drunkards and dumbasses is bout it." Gerald laughed.
"Normal crowd." Merle hooted slapping his hand down in the bar and turning to leave.
"You see that brother of yours tell him I got him a bottle waiting out here when he gets out!" Gerald hollered at him.
Merle waved over his shoulder walking towards the exit and straight for his bike. Merle kicked the bike to life and walked the bike around to leave reveling in the feel of the bike thundering below him. The drive to the local barbecue place in town was working wonders for his mood, it was something he could just let loose and relax. The bike alone was a good memory being something that he and Daryl built together when they were younger.
Walking through the door and heading straight for his usual spot he felt his anxiety kicking up while he waited. He rubbed his neck rolling his shoulders trying to work the kinks out and groaned feeling his muscles start to loosen some.
"Well fuck boy." A large hand clapped him firmly on his back.
Merle looked up into his father's eyes feeling guilt and shame slam him so hard in the chest that he was speechless. Buck towered over him smiling broadly still the monster of the man he'd been before he left to help a friend for the local chapter of the motorcycle club the Georgia Jackals.
"You look good boy." Buck's blue eyes and smirk pinning him with his trademark look. "You go mute?"
Merle shook his head clearing his throat, "Didn't expect to see you back so soon."
"Don't sound so damn disappointed about it. Got shit locked up quicker than they thought I could." Buck spoke signalling someone to order.
Merle eyes followed the owner as she walked towards them grinning at Buck, "Well I be damn if it aint good to see your big ugly ass here again holding down a chair." Stacey Preston grinned stepping around from behind the corner and right into Buck. Wrapping her arms around him in a hug her head barely hit on his chest even setting.
Buck let a deep laugh rumble forth and it was familiar sound that even though calming let Merle know he needed to let Buck know about Daryl before someone else around here did. It would was going to be bad but it'd be worse if he heard it from anyone else.
The door chiming broke up Stacey and Buck's conversation and they ordered. Merle kept his face schooled planning to wait till they were somewhere more private and with less breakable shit before he told his father where Daryl was. In Buck Dixon's eyes you didn't cross him or his kids. If you found yourself on the receiving end of his wrath it was best to go ahead and dig your own grave.
Merle followed Buck out the door and to their bikes and set down heavily on his. "You wanna run by the house we need to talk." Merle looked up at his dad.
Buck gave him a look that had Merle swallowing and then he nodded kicking his leg over the bike and starting the bike. Merle pulled out as the pair of them roared down the highway towards his house. This was going to bad but atleast if he kept here then Buck wouldn't end up in prison with Daryl.
Walking through the door Buck didn't pull any punches when his voice boomed over them, "Where the goddamn is your brother by the way, I called his house and went by there. No sign of him." His voice had a edge to it.
"He got locked up." Merle looked at his father steadily.
Buck's eyes hardened and his massive frame seem to swell with the news of his youngest son, "What the fuck you mean locked up? What the goddamn happened?" The menace in his voice was thick.
"It's my fault, he wouldn't fucking listen to me though. Goddamn Gerald backed his story when everything happened." Merle heaved with a pissed off voice. "We were down at Gerald's when Beth came in with some new guy and she got his ass over there running his mouth. Me and Daryl brushed his ass off and her too, she kept on till him and his friends came over there."
Buck crossed his arms over his massive chest his arms flexing and the tendons in his neck flexing. Nostrils flaring, "Thought you left Beth awhile back."
"Fuck yeah I did." Merle huffed
"What the fuck got his ass locked in prison Merle. Who the fuck is am I going to have to kill?" Buck's deep voice seethed.
"She got her guy and his friends to come back over there and one took a cheap shot at me. There was six to me and Daryl, I busted a pool stick across Jimmy's head and put his ass out." Merle started pacing, "Before I had a chance to do shit Gerald and Daryl were telling the cops it was him. I tried to get his ass to tell the truth, I tried to tell them."
Buck's chest heaved and he clinched his jaw looking at his oldest son, "What's the charge?"
"Felony assault. He got a year, he's served right at five months." Merle growled his heart was pounding in rhythm with the headache he was feeling.
"He got a goddamn year on his first offense! What the fuck was the condition of Jimmy?"
"He was in the intensive care unit for awhile. It'd been more but Daryl plead guilt and got self defense with me and Gerald backing him." Merle set down heavily looking at his father but not being able to meet his eyes.
Buck set down and looked at him, "What days are visitations?"
"You'll have to go through every-"
"I know the goddamn procedure, what days is he allowed to see people on?" Arms still crossed over his chest his cold blue eyes snapping with angry energy.
"Tuesdays, Thursday, and Saturdays. I didn't want this shit to happen." Merle spoke looking away from his father.
"Your brother done what he done cause ya wouldn't be let out of lockup. Don't you take what he done for you discount that." Buck's voice was a deep rumble that done well to hide the menace that was there to anyone else but Merle heard it and looked up at him.
"Leave ya'lls ass' for awhile come back to Daryl in fuckin' prison." Buck shook his head stepping through the door outside and disappearing down the steps. "I'm fix this goddamn shit."
"What are you going to do?" Merle called after him.
Buck turned and looked at him, "I got some favors to call in. Aint neither one of ya'll thought about my connection with the mc putting him as a target on the inside did you?"
Carol elbowed Maggie hard, "Stop staring, it's rude." Carol whispered.
"Carol look at him, tell me you wouldn't climb him like a tree!" Maggie laughed watching as the man in question walked over and set down on the other side of the diner.
"No, I can honestly say I wouldn't." Carol shrugged.
"I'm sure I know someone if given a chance you would." Maggie grinned wickedly.
Carol looked at her, "I worry about you sometimes you know that..."
Both women looked up as mountain of man stepped into the diner immediately making it seem smaller. He had to be every bit seven foot with close cropped hair that was a graying dirty blonde. But it was it wasn't that got her attention, it was the amount of muscle and tattoos on him he looked terrifying.
Carol watched a beaming smile spread across his face and he walked towards the man Maggie was still ogling and clapped him on the back. His smile only started to spread more across his face as he talked to the man.
"Now who should be worried about who." Maggie quipped. "I see you looking at him."
"How can you not look at him, he's huge!" Carol laughed. "To old for me Maggie, believe me."
Carol's mind drifted to the penetrating gaze of the prisoner from a few months ago. She had thought about him a lot since seeing him, she honestly thought she would have seen him again by now. He didn't look like the type to back down from a fight and that usually landed people with her getting stitches.
She felt horrible for feeling the way she did and wishing for him to get sent to her. How terrible was she that she would wish harm on someone for her own selfish wants and needs? Shaking her head she watched as Maggie kept looking at the man.
"I don't see a ring. Maybe you should go talk to him." Carol observed.
Maggie looked at her, "They look to be a in a serious conversation. Maybe we'll see him again here."
"Well I guess the debates about lunch and everything are out the window right?" Carol laughed standing up and dusting her hands off.
"You damn right." Maggie laughed following after her. "You really should get out there Carol give it a chance."
"When I find someone worth a chance I'll do just that Maggie."
Both men looked their way as they paid for their food. There was something remotely familiar about them she couldn't put her finger on. It was nagging at her but she looked away feeling rude for staring at them. Looking at Maggie she clearly didn't feel any such thing since she was clearly still checking out the younger of the two.
I need to thank Haitus80 for her lovely OC Buck Dixon. I love him and dearly wish he was part of the actual show. Since we can't have that we're gonna keep him alive here. :)Thanks brother!