Read and Review please! I know we are 6 chapters in and there hasn't been a lot of Daryl action, please forgive me for that! However, if you stick with me I can promise that it is coming VERY soon! Love you, dear sweet readers! Your reviews make my day!
Chapter 6
2 Weeks Later…..
Supplies were reaching a critically low point. Food was being stretched as far as it could go and even with the meat Daryl was hunting, it wasn't enough. It was time for Glenn to make another run into the city.
"Glenn, I think you need to take a group with you this time," Shane commanded more than asked. The Asian's boyish face took on pale hue at Shane's words. The idea of being responsible for a group of people rather than just himself was downright frightening. "We need way more than you can carry alone, man."
Glenn crossed his arms and shuffled the dirt under his feet, "A group is going to attract too much attention."
"I think Shane has a point," Dale spoke up.
Shane added, "We'll send you with plenty of ammo and a walkie."
This wasn't a normal run, Shane had decided that it was time to strip Atlanta of what they could before someone else did. With everything they needed, tents, food, clothing, and survival gear, he would die trying to transport all that himself. Glenn nodded, conceding to the idea of taking more people along. "Alright, I want T-Dog, Morales and Leah. If anyone else wants to volunteer they can."
Dale paled at Leah's name, "You can't force them to go Glenn! Everyone should have a say in if they want to go or not."
"I'll go," Leah spoke for herself, interrupting Dale. "I trust Glenn to get us in and out safely."
Dale stared at his niece with wide eyes, "Leah Jane."
"I'll be fine," she dropped her voice to a soothing and low octave so only he could hear.
"I'm no longer comfortable with this idea," Dale muttered to the ground.
Leah gave his arm a loving nudge, "I'll be fine. It was kinda your idea after all."
He raised one bushy eyebrow and shook his head at her. "Yes, but it was meant for the others, not you."
"Round up a group, Glenn." Shane instructed. "I think it's best to leave first thing in the morning. I'll get some guns ready." Shane left the discussion and headed towards their weapon supply with purpose.
Glenn looked at Leah under raised eyebrows, "You good to come along?"
"Of course," she nodded and shot a questioning look to her uncle.
He held up hands up in a defensive gesture, "I'm not going to argue with you. You know how I feel and you've made your decision."
Leah sighed, "Uncle Dale, I don't want you to worry."
Dale gave an ironic chuckle, "That will be impossible and you know it."
"I'll watch her back, Dale." Glenn promised, trying to ease the tension.
"I know you will, son." Dale placed his hand on Glenn's shoulder. "Thank you."
"Sure thing. I'm going to find T-Dog and Morales," Glenn walked off, leaving Dale and Leah standing alone.
"I just have to say one thing," Dale said. He never did know how to let things drop. "I can't lose you."
"I know," Leah said as she hugged him. "And I can't lose you, but I feel like I have to go. Glenn wants me to."
Dale looked across camp to where Glenn was speaking with a small group of survivors. "He would understand if you didn't want to."
"No, I want to. I'm getting a little anxious just sitting around camp anyway. I'd like a break from laundry."
"That makes two of us," Andrea strode up, joining the conversation. "I told Glenn I was going along too."
"Andrea, you too?" Dale turned to the blonde.
She nodded a yes, "Keep an eye on Amy for me, will ya, Dale?"
"Of course, I will." He looked at both girls before him with sadness in his eyes. "You ladies are brave, that's for sure."
Word of the supply run spread quickly through camp and Leah was shocked at how many people were eager to risk their lives and head into walker infested Atlanta. Jacqui, Shane and Jim had joined the team, along with, much to everyone's dismay, Merle Dixon.
"Hells yeah! Let's go shoot some damn walkers!" The eldest Dixon brother hollered.
Leah and Andrea exchanged worried glances.
"Daryl!" he continued to shout. "Why doesn't your sorry ass join us? Might need your crossbow."
Daryl didn't even look at the group before opting out of the excursion. "Saw some deer tracks this morning. Imma go out and track Bambi. Get us some venison."
"That leaves our camp short some men," Dale mused.
"I'll stay back," Shane said. "Beef up on man power here. Can't have us all going back there and leaving camp vulnerable."
"Me too," Jim echoed. "I'll hang back."
Shane gave his nod of approval. "It's settled then."
Glenn didn't look so sure, "I really don't want to drag that dumb ass into the city with us. He's going to get us freaking killed." He said after Merle had walked back to his tent claiming he needed to clean his gun and 'shine it up nice and purty for walker killing'.
Glenn rolled his eyes, "I hope we don't regret this."
\\
It was still dark the next morning when the group started out towards the city.
"There's a department store and an alley that's been barricaded off. I haven't seen many geeks get through," Glenn told the group as they drove. "We're going there. We have to park outside the city and go in on foot. Everyone has to stay quiet and move quickly. In and out. That's all."
"And watch each other's backs," Morales added.
"Don't forget the surviving part," Leah added, half sarcastically.
"There's that too," Glenn's words were quiet.
"Merle Dixon ain't looking out for nobody."
"Man, what the hell?" T-Dog mumbled under his breath.
Merle let a racial slur slide off his tongue and gave Leah a wink. She wanted to react. Give him a roll of her eyes or flip of her finger, but knew it was a bad idea. Everyone had learned quickly that giving Merle attention only amped him up more.
The redneck licked his lips in Leah's direction. "What's the matter sweet cheeks?"
"Nothing, Merle."
Merle laughed. "Whatever you say, baby doll. What do you say you and I get together when we get back? I think I got something you might like."
"Man, back off." Morales stood up for Leah, which only made Merle laugh harder.
"Just a little harmless fun," Merle gave her an air kiss. "Right, Leah honey?"
"Dammit, Merle." Andrea sighed. "Leave her the hell alone already."
The two women locked eyes and Leah sent her a silent 'thank you'.
"Ya'll aint letting the lady speak for herself."
Leah locked eyes with Merle, "Fuck you." She rarely used such vulgar language, but Merle's comments were pissing her off.
"My pleasure!"
"I hope you get eaten today," her comment made Merle slap his knee in laughter. He was no doubt thinking pervertedly about her choice of words.
"Shut up!" Glenn shouted at everyone, frustrated that they weren't understanding the danger of the situation they were driving into. "No one is getting eaten today. Not if you listen to me."
Merle closed his eyes and smiled, "Imma take a nap. Ya'll wake me up when we get there."
\\
The walk into the city was clear, until they hit a main road.
"Dammit," Glenn whispered and pointed to a few stray walkers who hadn't seen them yet.
Leah took a deep breath. So far she had only seen one walker since the day she and Dale were at the rest stop and was in no way prepared for the grotesque dead that were standing in front of her. They looked so human, even though she knew they weren't. When Glenn had them duck behind a dumpster and skirt through alley, Leah turned back to catch a glimpse of the still oblivious walkers.
T-Dog grabbed her elbow and hissed, "Leah! C'mon!"
She let him pull her down the alley and up a fire escape where they followed Glenn into a building through a rooftop exit. Glenn gave them all instructions to wait behind as he scouted out places to raid. They were only in the store for an hour before Leah found herself wishing she had stayed behind at camp. If she were there, she could be sitting beside Uncle Dale on top of the camper and chatting away while he kept watch over everyone, instead of wondering if she was ever going to get out of Atlanta alive. Shots rang out, throwing Leah out of her little daydream. She heard Glenn's frantic voice over the walkies as he shouted for help in the back alley. T-Dog and Morales, dressed in nearly full hockey gear padding, ran out the back door. Next thing she knew, a man in Sherriff's gear came running inside, just behind Glenn. Andrea was furious, but they barely had time to register everything when more shots were heard. It wasn't from this newcomer. Merle Dixon was having a party on the roof with his high-powered rifle
Leah wasn't sure how she had gotten there. But the next thing she knew, she was babysitting a handcuffed Merle and watching T-Dog search for a radio signal. She wasn't sure how she got stuck with the babysitting job as the rest of the group looked for a way out of their predicament. More walkers surrounded their building thanks to the Sherriff and Merle. Leah was still amazed at how their new friend had handled Merle before expertly cuffing him to a pipe and ridding his person of drugs. Not even Shane had bothered to stand up to Merle, like Officer Friendly had.
"Hey baby girl," Merle drawled in a sickly sweet voice. "Look, get me out of these handcuffs and you and me can make it out of her alive. You won't have to worry about a thing."
"Do you know how to shut up, man?" T-Dog continued to fiddle with the tuner on the walkie. "Anybody out there? Anybody?"
"Man, ain't no one gonna answer," He sneered at T-Dog.
Leah snorted, "Are you seriously playing matchmaker right now?"
"Just trying to pass time, sugar." Merle gave her a wink.
"Find another source of entertainment," she scoffed.
He grinned at her, "You're feisty, Dixon's like the feisty ones. I'll bet that you're a tiger in the sack."
"Seriously, Dixon. Back off!" T-Dog was slumped against the concrete wall, still nursing his wounds from their earlier fight.
Leah felt her anger rising, "Like you'd ever find out." She turned her back on him and looked over the streets of Atlanta, which were still swarming with thousands of Walkers.
"Aw, c'mon. You don't mean that," Leah could tell that Merle was trying to be charming and wondered if any woman had ever fell for his rude statements in the past. "A pretty little thing like you, a strong man like me… yeah, I bet we could go for hours. Fast and hard or nice and gentle. Which one do you like better? I bet a whore like you likes it rough."
Leah gripped the edge of the roof and tried to ignore him, which only gave Merle more incentive to try and get her attention.
"You want to get back to your bakery? I can make that happen, you know. Just trust me. Then you can get in the kitchen where women belong and take care of me. Take care of all my needs." Merle's voice was dripping with exaggerated sweetness.
Leah whipped around to face the ex-military redneck. "Even if you were the last man on earth I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole. Daryl has a far better shot with me than you ever will." After those words were said, Leah tuned Merle out while he continued to drone on about more nonsense.
His comments reminded her too much of that dark haired handsome man who had ruined her years ago. Disrespectful and brazen. Leah thought she would never meet another man who lacked as many social graces as he had, until the Dixon brothers came along. Of all the rednecks in all America, they just had to stumble into her camp. Their presence tried Leah's patience daily by bringing up old wounds that she had to continually push down deep to forget.
\\
"T, he tried to kill you!" Leah exclaimed, when they were back at camp. "Beat you up and held a gun to your head. Do you remember that?"
Leah was furious. They had left Merle behind in Atlanta, still handcuffed to the roof. It wasn't exactly their fault, as T-Dog accidently dropped the key. But still, it was hell getting out of there in the first place. Daryl had somehow successfully convinced Officer Rick Grimes to return to Atlanta for his brother. But he also had another motive for returning. He had said that he had left a bag filled with guns. But T-Dog had no reason to go back. Merle had never respected him, calling him all sorts of names
"Don't change things," T-Dog shook his head. "He's alive, no matter how big of an asshole he is, Dixon doesn't deserve to die like that. You didn't see him, Leah."
"Damn straight he don't!" Daryl shouted at them. "We're wasting time just standing around here yapping."
"I didn't have too. He was an asshole to me the whole time," she ignored Daryl and addressed T-Dog.
Daryl's eyes flashed in Leah's direction. "Girl, you best watch yer mouth when you're talking about my brother."
"He didn't watch his mouth when he was talking about me," Leah shot back.
Daryl looked at her from under lowered brows and knew she was right. Merle probably had some said nasty things to her. After all, he had been high when he left and Merle was 5 times the asshole he normally was when he was high.
"What did my brother to say to you?" Daryl asked.
Leah just shrugged, "It doesn't matter now."
"Matters to me," there was a sudden, odd softness to his voice.
Leah studied him briefly before answering, "Just dumb stuff, Daryl. Nothing I haven't heard before."
Daryl stared at the girl for a moment before turning away and heading off to the
large construction vehicle, "C'mon shitheads. We're wasting time."
People didn't give him much credit, but Daryl understood people better far more than he let on. As the truck pulled out, Daryl couldn't help but think about the hurt that he had seen in Leah's eyes when she talked about Merle. She had tried to mask the hurt with anger, but Daryl saw straight through it. He buried whatever was tugging at his heart and silenced the playback of her large eyes swimming with emotions. He refused to let Leah's pretty face invade his mission to rescue his brother.
