"Daryl Fucking Dixon, am I happy to see you brother." Merle walked out from behind one of the shelves that stocked camping equipment. Daryl grabbed his brother and hugged him. "How'd you get out?" He said and released the older man. "The prison guard dun' got bit by a Chomper. Les' just say it was easier than lurin' a fat kid to a sweet shop. I grabbed the keys and hauled my ass out. Came here first to stock up, ended up stayin' a hell'a lot longer than planned." Daryl saw his brother's attention shift from his face to something, or rather someone behind him. "Well hello there sweetheart." Merle said as he walked passed his brother to where Gabriel was standing.
Daryl noticed her looking from him to his brother and back, then she said. "Well I can see the family resemblance." Merle laughed his screeching laugh. "What's wrong with her voice?" He asked and looked to Daryl. "She's English, ya shoulda' heard her the first day I met her." He said and grabbed five packs of arrows from the shelf. "Her name's Gabriel."
"Ain't you a lovely lookin' Angel. I'm Merle Dixon, the handsomer of us two." He greeted her by taking her hand in his and giving it a kiss. He was looking her up and down as if she was a piece of meat. Daryl felt himself tense then his posture immediately softened when he saw her pull her hand away and cross her arms awkwardly. Her eyes darted to him, then down at the floor. Could she really be scared that Merle was going to do to her what those assholes with the RV's did?
He shook his head and ignored the thought, this was Merle, his brother, no way he'd go do something like that. "Who else is with ya?" Daryl knew the real question Merle wanted to ask, so he shook his head and replied. "It's just us two." "You shot him dead?" Daryl nodded. "Then that son a' bitch got what he deserved."
"Was he already a walker when you shot him?" Carl interrupted. Daryl sighed. "My daddy wasn't a good man, he was always drunk, he said and did bad things." Daryl looked down at the Sheriff's son. "Go see if you can help with somethin' down there." Carl nodded and made his way down. Daryl saw Rick smiling at the boy as the two of them walked to the inside of the prison. How would he have turned out like if his father had been more like Rick? He immediately shook his head and let go of the thought.
He was sleeping on his stomach in the sleeping bag he'd taken from one of the display hooks on the wall. The shop was darkened by the night when Daryl left Merle and Gabriel to talk. It was Merle's turn to be questioned into oblivion. He drifted in and out of sleep, constantly wondering if she would be okay with him. He told himself that this was Merle, he could trust his own blood, couldn't he?
He was just fading into unconsciousness when he heard muffled protesting screams from Gabriel, they were soft and at first he thought that he had imagined it. But when he heard it again he bolted upright and grabbed his crossbow, running to the candle lit clearing in the far end of the room. Merle's hand was clutched tightly over Gabriel's mouth, she was on her toes, pressed hard against the wall. "Let her go Merle." He said as he held up his bow, pointing it at his brother's head.
Merle let go of her and she ran over to Daryl, standing close behind him. "I just wanted to touch the bitch's pretty little legs, then she gone hostile and hit me. That wadn't nice."
"You don't ever touch her again." He growled at his brother. "Or what, you gon shoot me? I ain't 'fraid of you boy."
Daryl put his crossbow behind his back and looked down at Gabriel, her shoulders where hunched over as she walked and her face hung low. He looked closer. Her lower lip was bleeding her cheeks were red from where he had grabbed her. He wanted to comfort her, but how?
"It's all gon' be okay Gabriel, I'm not lettin' anyone hurt you again." He put his hand on the soft skin of her shoulder. He was looking in front of him when he whispered, more to himself. "I promise."