Daryl and Merle Dixon are known around for their involvement in the local biker gang as well as their involvement in the drug market. When Merle is hospitalized after a gang stand off things begin to go to shit. When Daryl meets 17 year old Beth Greene in the hospital he realizes he isn't the only one with issues.

OR

In which Daryl is in a biker gang
Beth tries to kill herself
And Merle finds Jesus

warning: mention of violence and mention of self harm please be cautious when reading

"And I, I never understood what was at stake
I never thought your love was worth its wait
Well now you've come and gone
I finally worked it out
I worked it out."
"Georgia"- Vance Joy

Chapter 10

Daryl was completely unsurprised when Merle and Beth hit it off. They were like two peas in a pod.

Daryl had picked Beth up form school that afternoon as he had promised her and Maggie that he would do the night before. She looked tired and defeated as she made her way up to his truck.

Her hands had run over the sleeves of her forearm in thought as she said, "Everyone treated me differently. Looked at me like I was crazy. And if they didn't think I was crazy then they would look at me with pity." She huffed and mockingly said, "Poor weak little Beth Greene."

Daryl had simply pulled her hand into his and squeezed it.

Beth was supposed to have met Merle the day before as Daryl had promised. But there was a meeting at the club house about some sort of major job that they couldn't put off. Daryl had apologized on the phone and promised tomorrow.

Now it was tomorrow and he couldn't help but think how out of place the blond girl looked sitting in at the bar of a biker gang's club house.

Her white sundress hanging off of her thin shoulders in puffs of soft fabric. Her clean brown cowboy boots clicking against the legs of the stool she was sitting on as she swung her legs back and forth. He rubbed his chin in thought. How had he managed to have a girl like that find interest in a guy like him?

Merle was leaning on the other side of the bar counter a smile on his face as Beth talked animatedly about school and how it was complete bullshit.

"One of the teachers, Mrs. Grimes, kept looking at me with puppy dog eyes. And whenever I caught her doing it she was smile and as if I was okay!" Beth huffed dramatically, "I wanted to flip her off and be done with it."

Daryl found himself smirking at that. His old brother would have told Beth to tell the bitch to go fuck herself. But instead what came out of his mouth was nothing short of inspiring.

"They care about you, baby doll," He said his pet name for her was equal parts sweet and annoying, "They want to make sure you're gonna be alright. They jus' don't get it is all." Merle said thoughtfully. He leaned back and pulled a cup out of the stack on the back of the bar. He put some ice in it and then filled it with soda and passed it across the bar counter to Beth.

"You gotta cut 'em some slack, kiddo," He said, "Most people don' know how to deal with heavy shit. You jus' gotta show 'em how strong you are."

Daryl rolled his eyes. What the fuck happened to his brother.

He stood from the table in the middle of the room and walked up to the bar, sliding into the stool beside Beth. She looked up at him with a soft smile on her face. One that he couldn't help but return.

"You're a smart man, Merle Dixon," She said with a smile as she sipped her soda. Merle laughed, "I wasn' always."

He turned and pulled another glass from behind him. Beth wondered if he did it just so that he could have something to do with his hands.

"I was a jack ass, a giant womanizing drug addicted asshole," Merle shrugged as if it was nothing, "Sometimes it takes one moment to realize the truth 'bout life."

Beth tilted her head, "What did you realize?"

He put the glass down on the counter and leaned on it with both of his arms. "As I was layin' in the hospital with a bullet in my chest I realized that life is damn short and you can't spend it on your death bed. Gotta cut out all the shit and keep goin'." He lifted himself up and continued to clean the glasses behind him.

Daryl thought that that had to be the smartest shit Merle had ever said.

"Nothin' like a near death experience to make you think about life and shit," Merle said simply.

Beth nodded in agreement.

It made so much sense in that moment why Beth Greene and his idiot brother Merle Dixon got along so swimmingly. They both lived in the same hospital not two doors away from each other after almost dying. Both bleeding out onto the floor. Now they were both here, breathing, walking, talking. Daryl could have slapped himself he was so shocked he hadn't put it together before. They were cut from the same cloth.

The front door of the club house was thrown open and Daryl found himself jumping from his stool and standing infront of Beth defensively. He didn't relax when he saw that it was just other brothers from the club he only took a seat in the stool beside Beth and scooted a little too close to her their arms pressed completely together.

"Hey! Both Dixons in the same place! Haven't seen that in a while!" a larger black man said with a grin across his face. "Tyreese," Merle greeted with a laugh, he reached his arm across the bar and slapped Tyrees' hand.

"I would also like the commend the fact that Merle hasn't used one derogatory term towards T-dog or I in a week," Tyresse laughed and pointed at Merle, "That gun shot did you real good."

Merle shrugged and returned to the end of the bar pulling up glasses and pouring everyone drinks.

Tyreese was accompanied by two other males. A hispanic man that introduced himself as Martinez to Beth and a male that had a look of disgust and annoyance on his face as he looked down at Beth. "This grumpy bastard is Ed," Martinez said patting Ed on the shoulder. The man pushed his hand off and sauntered off to the corner of the room.

Daryl leaned towards Beth and whispered in her ear, "Stay away from him."

Everyone settled at the bar and chatted. No mention of motorcycle business or murder or drugs. Daryl's hand found its way to Beth's thigh and she curled her fingers around his.

When the place really began to fill with people Daryl tugged Beth to follow him out the door. Merle smacked a good bye kiss on Beth's head and told his 'future-sister-in-law' to come and see him again. She promised she would as Daryl nearly dragged her out of the clubhouse. A smile on his face as they got into his truck and he drove her back to the farm.

"Thank you," She said finally as she unbuckled her seatbelt in front of her house.

He looked at her with confusion. "For what?" He asked leaning back in his seat to look at her.

"For everything," she whispered.

Beth leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

He pressed his hands to her cheeks and held her there. Relishing in the feel of her soft lips on his.

She pulled back a little and and leaned her forehead against his.

"I love you Daryl Dixon," she whispered her breath running against his skin.

"I love you too," he whispered back.

and like a breath of fresh air she was gone. Smiling over her shoulder at him as she made her way to the front porch.

He drove home with a smile on his face. Hoping that the happiness would last.