It'd been two days since Daryls run in with Ed. Things were quieting down, his hand still hurt like a motherfucker but he worked around it. He knew it was only a matter of time though before Norman cornered him, the old man could read him to damn good. Daryl was sure he knew something else happened that day at Eds. He left the part out about his mom for a reason, he didn't want to talk about it. He knew he had a temper, and for that reason he avoided drinking to extremes like his father had. He avoided relationships with women. He didn't want to become his own damn dad.
Daryl was almost finished getting ready for work when he heard a knock at the door. Making his way through while finishing buttoning his shirt, who the hell would be here this early. Opening the door, he already knew where this was going.
"What can I do for you Rick?" Daryl asked with an impassive voice.
Sighing Rick, looked right at him. "Damn Daryl, you know why I'm here. We're friends, why the hell didn't you call me and let me know about Ed?"
Shrugging, Daryl looked at him. "Weren't my place to call and say shit about the bastard."
"He's saying you broke into his house and assaulted him. Fuck. It's bad Daryl. I'm not here just to talk, they sent me to arrest you." Looking away, him and Daryl had been friends since Daryl came to Meadow Falls. He didn't want to be the one to arrest him but the captain thought it would go smoother with him.
Daryl just looked off, pulling out his cigarettes and lighting one. He turned and locked his door. He was pissed as all get out, but he wasn't about to make things worse on Rick. Rick was like a brother to him. Looking at Rick he held his wrist out shaking his head at the hilarity that a woman beating cock sucker like Ed was free while he was being arrested.
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak with me?"
"What are the charges being leveled against me?" Daryl was working to keep his anger in check and keep an impassive face. But damn if this shit wasn't rubbing him fucking raw.
"With the injuries Ed sustained, you're looking at 1st degree assault. This is serious Daryl."
Daryl didn't have anything else to say, he needed to get ahold of his family let them know what was going on. "Rick do me a favor call Norm and let him know what's going on for me." letting out a frustrated breath.
Rick looked at his friend of eleven years in the back seat of his cruiser. He needed to get to the bottom of this. The entire time he knew Daryl, he wasn't one to start fights. He didn't go looking for trouble. But he'd damn sure defend himself. Something about Eds story didn't sound right, sighing. "Yeah I'll call him when we get to the station."
Rick was dreading calling and telling Norm about arresting Daryl. That was a beast of a man, and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of his wrath. Especially not where Daryl was concerned. He never got the full details of what Daryl had been through, but he knew enough to know that it wasn't good. Will, Norm, and Merle were extremely protective of him. He found himself on some occasions with it on the tip of his tongue to ask, but never could. Something about Daryl, you just already knew he wouldn't be okay with that line of questioning.
"Hey Norm, this is Rick-"
"What you calling so early for Rick?" Norm asked mockingly.
"It's about Daryl, they had me pick him up this morning. I got him down at the station. He hasn't talked to anyone yet, he asked me to call you." Rick was getting worried, Norm was completely quiet. There wasn't a sound coming through, not even breathing.
"Alright." Norm said in a low voice.
Rick went to say more but he heard the click of the line cutting off. Norm was where the famous Dixon temper came from. The mans temper could melt hell and burn the devil. Rick just hoped he didn't tear the station apart when he got here. The only thing they had going for them was the chief had served with him in the war.
When Norman Dixon walked into the station his eyes were steeled and he was looking for none other than Rick Grimes when his eyes landed on a smug looking Ed Peletier. When the man saw him he shrunk back in his seat. Norm shot him a glare that could cripple.
"I need to see Rick Grimes." His voice brooking no argument. He wouldn't be jerked around. He wanted to know why his boy was setting in lockup.
The secretary looked up into his cold blue eyes, "I-uhm, okay. Let me check if he's busy. Mr?"
"Dixon."
Norm stood back observing his surroundings when his eyes landed on Ed again. The man looked like he'd been put through the ringer but never got back out. He smirked, Daryl done a fuckin' number on the man. Ed looked up about the time Norm started smirking. Which only caused his smirk to morph into a sardonic grin, nodding to the man in question. Norm watched him swallow. He suppressed a laugh at that. The man was nothing more than a coward. He could lay his hands on a woman but he didn't want nothing to do with someone who wouldn't back down from his ass.
Norm had a feeling that where Carol was concerned, Ed and Daryl weren't done. Not by a long shot. He seen the way Carol acted over his hand being busted up. The girl couldn't keep her eyes off him, and not just his hand either. They were roaming all over the boy. Norm smirked to himself, those two would be quite the pair. Even more curious though, was the way Daryl let her flit about him without so much as a look. Norm had seen him damn near bite peoples heads off for getting to close or invading his personal space and touching him. He barely tolerated his own family doing it, and that took years for him to be comfortable with.
"Norm, you can come in here. I'll go get Daryl for you all to speak before we start." Rick announced looking to the older man trying to gauge his mood. Rick had seen the interaction between Ed and him. Ed just didn't know what a hornets nests he stirred up.
Norm cut eyes to Rick and just grunted breezing past him. Rick could see exactly where Daryl got his demeanor from. Lord help them if Ed kept pushing this. They'd be burying the man.
When Rick brought Daryl out front from lock up, his eyes immediately found Ed. Ed was looking a little pale and watching a door across the room. Daryl took a moment to look over his handiwork. Ed looked like hell. He was setting rigid, and looked to be take short breaths. His face was a nasty black fading into purple bruises, he had stitches on his right cheek. His left eye was swollen shut. That was the visible wounds. Daryl figured he'd bruised if not broken some ribs on the man. The thought gave him some satisfaction.
When Ed heard Ricks voice his brought his eyes back around. When they connected with Daryl's own sharp calculating eyes, Ed visibly swallowed. Daryl kept walking but maintained eye contact the entire time he was directed across the room to the door way Ed had been watching. Daryl kept his face impassive, he wouldn't give Ed the satisfaction of getting a rise out of him.
When they brought Daryl into the room he was handcuffed, Norm swallowed this first thing he thought to say to them at the sight of the boy cuffed. He needed to keep his temper in check. He could tell Daryl had his emotions on lockdown. His eyes were like cold steel and his face was completely impassive.
Norm not taking his eyes off of the matching set across from him, "Rick take the handcuffs off of him." He was speaking low but with an air of finality.
Rick undone the cuffs on Daryl, looking back forth between the two men. Neither were speaking, and Rick was getting nervous. He would try to help as much as he could with this situation, but his hands were tied. He would likely be pulled from the case because his close relationship with the Dixons.
"I'll be back in a few." Rick announced moving towards the door. Neither acknowledged he spoke.
Daryl was quiet, all he could think was how many times his own dad had been picked up for assault charges. Averting his eyes away from Norm, he couldn't look at his grandfather with the knowledge that he was likely going to be serving time.
"Boy, what the fuck they got you down here for? I seen Peletier out there." Norms asked with a eerily calm voice that pulled Daryl's eyes back to him,
"From what they've told me, I'm being charged with 1st degree assault. Ed told them that I showed up at his house while he was trying to work things out with Carol and attacked his crazy ass." Daryl huffed out. His eyes looked haunted.
"Rick said it aint looking to good for me considering the mess Ed is and the only thing wrong with me is the damage to my hand." Averting his eyes away from his grandfather again.
Norm watched Daryl, the boys demons were circling him. He could see it in his eyes, he needed to get this taken care of fast before it had time to really eat at Daryl. "You tell them you were there helping Carol get her stuff when Ed showed up…you tell them what you told us?"
"No, I was waiting on you to get here." Nodding his head at Norm, "Give me a smoke, I aint had one since I was picked up this morning."
Norm smirked at him and handed him his smokes. "You got witnesses boy. Dean wasn't there when you and Ed fought but he was when you all were getting her stuff. Carol was there when it started. You were defending the girl."
Daryl blew out a lung full of smoke, "I reckon Ed is thinking' Carol wont say anything against him." shaking his head. He damn sure hoped Carol wouldn't hang his out to dry. She didn't seem that type though.
"Don't worry bout all that. I'll call Dean and talk to him and Carol. You hold you head high boy, you didn't do a damn thing wrong." Norm had a look in his eyes Daryl couldn't rightly decipher. He just nodded to the man.
Standing up as Rick walked through the door, "You tell them what happened Daryl. Like I said, you didn't do a DAMN thing wrong. I'll be seeing you soon boy." Daryl stood up and Norm pulled him into a tight hug.
Rick looked to Daryl as Norm walked out of the door, "You ready to give your statement then Daryl?"
Daryl nodded inhaling from his cigarette, he gestured around him, "What else I got to do Grimes, looks like I aint going anywhere for awhile."
Norm needed to get ahold of Dean and his girl. You didn't fuck with a Dixon and expect to just get away with it. Especially when it was fucking Ed Peletier. He'd move mountains for that boy, seeing that smug bastard setting there….all it had done was lit a fire in Norm that wasn't going to die out till Ed was handled. And if Dixons could do anything, it was deal with a fuckin problem.
Norm pulled out his phone and dialed Dean, " 'Ey, I need you to get your girl and meet me at the shop. I'll explain more, just meet me there."
"We'll be there." Dean said in a interested voice.
Norm hung up as he was pulling into the shop.
Merle was seething. His baby brother was locked up. Through a clenched jaw, "You mean to tell me that son of motherFUCKER is setting there while Daryl is in jail?" Shaking his head and pacing the length of the room, "No, no just no. He can't stay in there." looking at Will and Norm. "He can't, you know it."
"We know boy, and we're going to do what ever we have to do to make sure he's out." Will spoke in a dangerous tone. "Just calm your ass down and don't do anything to make it worse. You already got bad blood on record between you and Ed."
Dean was watching Carol, she looked like she was going to puke. Her face a play of emotions, some he wasn't sure he'd even seen right.
"I'm…I'm so sorry you all." Looking up at the Dixons with tear tracks on her cheeks, "I didn't mean for this to happen."
"Now Carol we aren't blaming you! Don't think that. But you could tell the cops what happened, it could get the charges cleared. Especially considering he assaulted you, Daryl was just intervening." Will gave a slight chuckle, "Even if he did get a bit carried away."
Looking at the men around her and seeing the sincerity of their words. They really didn't blame her. Just another reminder of how much different they were then Ed. Ed would have likely beat her beyond belief for something like this, had it been her fault or not. "I can do that. I'm still bruised so that should help too. I'll go down there right now." Standing up and moving to leave. Her mind was focused solely on Daryl. He's saved her from Ed and was now being charged with assault for it. She would do anything to help, she needed to repay him somehow.
Dean had insisted on going with Carol. He knew his girl was upset and didn't need to be driving. She wouldn't let him drive her so he opted to follow her there. She didn't need to be alone there, police station or not. Ed was there and he didn't trust him enough to trust that he wouldn't wait to attack her when she was out the door.
When Carol and Dean pulled up at the station, Ed was walking down the steps. Carol swallowed before swinging her door wide and stepping out. Ed stopped walking and looked at her. Sneering he made a move to walk towards her when her dad stepped up next to her. Carol looked him dead in the eye and gave him the most hate filled look she could muster. She hated this man for taking four years of her life. She hated him for putting a wedge between her and her friends. She hated him for doing this to Daryl. She wasn't going to cower and hide. If Daryl could battle her demons for her the least she could do is stand tall.
Dean set there listening to Carol tell what happened. She hadn't spoke the other day about it when Daryl was telling them. She merely just nodded and smirked when he told them about laying into the man. But listening to her tell, it was making him sick to his stomach. This was as close as she had ever came to telling anyone about the abuse she suffered.
Police Chief Asher and Rick both set there looking at her with sympathetic eyes. He smiled to himself, Carol was always the picture of innocence. Dean had the thought that she could come in here confessing to a murder and they'd merely tell her not to worry and pat her on the back.
"So you see, Daryl didn't just attack him. He was defending me. Ed tried to hit me again and Daryl got involved." She was giving them pleading looks.
"Thank you for coming down Mrs. Pelet-"
"It's Carol Halcomb sir. Furthermore, I would like a restraining order against Ed." Carols voice came out strong.
Chief Asher set there a moment a little stunned at being corrected in such a manor. "I'm sorry, of course Rick here will handle that for you."
"We'll see that Mr. Dixon is released soon. But I'm cautioning you now. Him and Ed need to stay away from each other Ms. Halcomb." He kept his eyes fixed on her.
Carols eyes went hard, "Excuse me, but I must not have made myself clear. Daryl didn't go looking for Ed. Ed showed up and attacked me! Had he not been there, there isn't a doubt in my mind he would have killed me." her voice came out snappish.
Chief Asher paled looking to Dean. "I wasn't implying-" Carol cut him off with a look. "Well if that's all with this case, then I'd like a moment to speak with Dean here. Rick take Carol and get started on the report and issue her restraining order. Make sure Ed knows to stay away from her." Dismissing Rick.
"Damn. I don't think I've ever been put in my place like that before." Asher laughed. Eyes crinkling, he looked over at Dean.
Dean gave a loud laugh at that, "Got it from her daddy."
"Yeah, well. Girls got fire. If she's seeing Dixon she's gonna need it." he laughed...but he broke off at the look on Deans face. "She is seeing Daryl, right?"
"No, I was just asking for his help to get her stuff. You know Daryl, he don't exactly date." Dean chuckled.
Asher looked confused, "The way she was talking, I just assumed she was…"
Dean just smiled at the man.
Carol was a nervous wreck. They were doing the paper work to have Daryl released. She couldn't keep her eyes from drifting over to where they said he would come through. They had handed her his personal belongings when they finished the paper work.
She already had her restraining order stuff settled, she was just waiting on him. After another ten minutes she seen Daryl step through the door. Looking him over, he seemed tired. She stood up as he neared, she could tell when he finally noticed her. His eyes widened a fraction before shifting around the room.
"Here's your stuff, you ready to get out of here. Everything has already been taken care of." She spoke softly. She felt so bad for him having been arrested. In her mind she knew that it was her fault, but he wouldn't have been there if she hadn't let herself get in that position.
He grunted and jerked his head towards the door. He was already walking through them by the time she caught up to him. Once outside she seen his posture relax a bit. He immediately lit up a Marlboro, groaning. Watching him with his head tilted back with the sun shining down on him and smoke ghosting around his features, the soft groan he emitted. Carol felt her face heat up along with the rest of her body.
Daryl looked over to her, "You care to give me a ride to my house?" Why was she so red faced?
"Yeah, I can do that." Carol damn near whispered. She was still watching him when he quirked an eye brow at her.
Bumping his shoulder in to her, "What ya doing Carol?" he questioned her.
Hearing her name pass through those perfect lips Carol shuddered, she smiled sheepishly at him. "Come on, let's get you home bruiser before you get anymore charges on you."
"Yeah yeah, joke all you want Carol. I was defending your honor." he laughed shaking his head making his way to the car.
Carol had no clue where Daryl lived so she just threw him the keys, he wasn't paying attention so they caught him in the chest.
Rubbing his chest Daryl looked down to her, "What the hell Carol?
"You drive, I don't where you live." Truthfully she didn't think she would be able to drive with him setting there with his arms on display and that shirt unbuttoned the way it was. It wasn't completely unbuttoned but enough to hint at the muscles underneath. Carol felt her insides clench not uncomfortable.
Daryl was trying to focus on driving but he had a distinct feeling something was wrong with Carol. She looked uncomfortable like she was in pain. Looking over at her, she was running her hands down her thighs, and clenching them. "You alright over there?"
Startled, "What? Oh…yeah I'm…I'm fine." She tried to smile, but her thoughts were running away with her. Watching his hands gripping her steering wheel, she kept imagining those hands running down her body, and gripping her in the same manor. Carol was embarrassed by her bodies reaction to Daryl. The man hadn't even touched her or said anything to her and here she was acting like a horny teenager. She hadn't reacted to a man at all like this in years. Ed hadn't been able to get a rise out of her within six months of their marriage. Of course she casually checked men out when she was out, but none of them done it for her. But this man. Daryl. Damn, he was sex on legs but better. But the man didn't even know it.
It had been so long since Carol had felt any attraction towards a man, she wasn't sure what to call what she was feeling. She needed to talk to Michonne. Maybe she could help.
Daryl was trying to not watch Carol but the way she was acting was making it hard not to. His eyes kept drifting to her. Even with her bruised cheek and busted lip, she was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. He was shocked to see her waiting on him when he walked out from lock up. He figured it'd be his brother or one of the other two. Seeing her though, it made him feel good. If he'd been the smiling type of man. He would've then.
Pulling up outside his house, he glanced over to Carol. Once again she seemed unaware they'd stopped. He wondered idly how long it would take her to realize they were parked. The sun was starting to set, he looked around for a minute before sighing and reaching over to her. He knocked her shoulder.
She looked over to him. He just arched an eye brow at her. Gesturing, "We're here."
The ride went faster then she would've thought, then too…she hadn't really paying much attention to how fast the road was falling away. "You live pretty close to me." she blurted out.
"Yeah, yeah I do. Dean bought that house you're in now off Will some years back." Daryl clarified.
"Do all ya'll live close together?" She was trying to keep him there, keep him talking. She didn't want him to go.
"Yeah, pretty much. I live the furthest away. Closer to the woods that way. Like it better." He grunted his reply.
"I love the woods. I always liked finding a good spot and going there to paint. It was always so calming." she sighed, "I haven't done that in years. I'd probably get myself lost now."
Daryl studied her for a minute before speaking, "I'll see you around Carol."
Carol looked at him, she could tell he wanted to say more but was struggling with it. She figured she'd wait him out.
He swung the door open and stepped out, she hurried to follow him. Meeting him in front of the car. She looked around at his place. It was nice. She could see his truck and mean looking bike. She smiled, her dad probably loved that. He didn't trust a man who didn't have a good respect for bikes. Probably another reason he took the Torino to him.
Shifting on his feet and looking over her head, "Carol be careful, with Ed out there…he's going to be looking to settle a score. If you…" huffing he stopped for a second chewing his lip. "If you need anything let me know alright." for the briefest of moments shifting his eyes to her wide open blue ones. He swallowed.
Carol took a step towards him, breathing in his scent. She tried to identify what it was. She could smell his cologne, with a faint smell of smoke, and something woodsy. Taking in another lung full, "You too Daryl, if you need to talk or anything…you know I'm here." She smiled and took another step towards him, grabbing him in a hug.
Daryl stiffened at the contact but eventually relaxed into the hug. Awkwardly patting her back.
"Yeah, I hear ya. Same to you." he muttered embarrassed.
They lingered in the embrace a bit to long, Carol felt him about to pull back so she stood on her tip toes and gave him a peck on the cheek right over his beauty mark. Daryls eyes went wide and he stepped back from her. Face flushing red.
Carol gave him another once over before speaking, "Take care Daryl, I'll see you around."
She watched him nod and turn to make his way inside. Like she said, he was pretty damn handsome awkward.
The man was a mystery to her. One she was going to set her mind to figuring out. She wouldn't push him, in what little time she knew him she had already surmised that Daryl wasn't a man to do something unless he wanted to. Same for speaking. He wasn't going to unless he felt he needed to. He preferred action over words.