How the Man Designed Me

Chapter 10

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Tangerine Dream - Thief - Diamond Diary

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Loon Call

watch?v=qhZP01qKMfY

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Blake shook his head and sighed wearily, these kids with their piss 'n vinegar can be down right exhaustin' at times. They don't know what they're feelin' half the time, an' don't know how to deal it when they do. He reckoned he'd talk to Janessa after she'd have some time to calm down.

He had to admit watchin' her flip Daryl off would have been amusin' if it hadn't been so disruptive. But then maybe it gave Daryl the fire he needed to confront his brother. Those ripples in the pond can start in unexpected places and they'll continue onwards as they're meant to, no point in gettin' worked up about it. Youngsters always want things neat an' tidy, when the truth of things is that life's messy. You have to deal with it an' move on. Rolling his shoulders he walked up the stairs to the veranda, fishing the keys out of his pocket as he approached the door. He wasn't really overly concerned about going into stealth mode, with all the carryon' on out here if there were walkers, chances are they already knew we're here. He barely managed to refrain from calling out, "Hey Lucy, we're home!"

Gathering the men he explained the simple layout of the mansion's square floor plan, organized around a central hall that runs from the front to the rear on both floors. The gallery's or veranda and balcony, as some people think of them, wrapped around the entire house on both floors and have access to the rooms as well.

"Gentlemen, we should make a quick pass of the house. Daryl, if you could please join me upstairs. Merle and Bob if you could take care of the main floor and then we'll meet back in the front foyer. Please try not to break anythin' if you can avoid it, as some of the furnishin's are over 400 years old. If anythin' interestin' comes up, let us know if you need assistance." he drawled with quiet command.

Everyone agreed and as Blake unlocked the door they followed him into the mansion. Nodding to Merle he gave him a penetrating look that told him that he trusted him to get the job done and that they'd talk later. The old fire returned to Merle's eyes as he squared his shoulders and nodded back.

"Just a walk in the park." Merle replied quietly as he flashed the bayonet attached to his stump, but glad of the vote of confidence all the same.

"Ok boys, let's get 'er done." Blake replied with a fierce smile before leading Daryl up the main stairs.

Merle turned to Bob and pointed to the left with a shrug. Agreeing they entered the room silently, both seasoned at this sort of search process. The first room was a massive dinning room that could easily have seated 20 people, surrounded by side tables to support the amount of crockery, glassware and silverware, let alone food a table that size would need. Merle walked along the outside edge of the room taping the gathered puddle of curtain at the base of the wall with his foot as he passed. Always easier to be thorough the first time, all surprises can be a problem, not just the biters.

Bob nodded in approval, this wasn't their first time clearing a place and they had a system. It was good to be back in the rhythm of knowing you could trust the man next to you. Jimmy was a good kid and all, but he didn't always think before acting. As they cleared the first room and prepared to enter the next, Bob turned to Merle and said quietly.

"Don't know about what was before or while I was away, but for what it's worth, ya done right by a lot o' folks who'd be dead if it weren't for you, including me. He'll come around, family's everythin'. You're a good man Merle Dixon even if you are a son of a bitch."

"Aww shucks Bob I didn't know you cared. But just so's you know, I ain't lookin' for a date." Merle replied with a grin uncomfortable with the praise and turning it into a joke.

Now if only his brother could feel that way, he thought, then it would matter. Gesturing to the next room, they continued with their search of the ground floor.

When they reached the top of the stairs Blake turned to the left and motioned Daryl to the right. Stepping into the first bedroom Daryl was struck by its size and luxury, filled with masculine dark wood furniture and silks. A massive four poster bed dominated the centre of the room with a dinning area near the glass paned french doors faced the front of the house, with a view of the oaks. Beyond the bed there was another sitting area with wingback chairs flanking a fireplace. It was certainly bigger than anywhere he'd ever seen, making him feel out of place just being there and he made a note not to touch anything. Moving through the room quickly he opened a door, finding a walk in closet that was as big as the room he shared with his brother growing up. Shaking his head he moved on to the double doors and found that they led into another room that was the mirror in layout and just as luxurious though with a lighter French decor, all soft blues, creams and gold.

His eye was drawn to a framed photograph of Janessa on the bedside table. It looked fairly recent, taken within the last couple of years and she was sitting in the roots of one of the massive oak trees at the front of the house. He picked it up to look more closely, seeing she was laughing with a guitar in her lap and a young boy around Carl's age sitting next to her.

His breath caught in his throat and his chest felt tight as he traced her face through the glass, she looked so beautiful in a blue-green summer dress that brought out the green in her eyes and he noticed the boy had the same eyes. He had to be either her brother or son. She hadn't mentioned either, reminding him that they really didn't know each other very well.

He put the picture back realizing that he must be in her room and he took a a moment now that he saw that this side of the house was clear. Touching the silk dressing gown laying over the edge of the bed, a mix of swirling blues, greens and greys that reminded him of the ocean, he couldn't help but wonder which shade her eyes would pick up on as they were always changing. Dropping it he moved to her vanity and picked up her perfume, turning the bottle he read the name Pleasures, He sprayed it into the air lightly and inhaled deeply, smelling her clean light scent, sweet flowers like roses and other things and a mild musk. He felt his knees start to buckle and all his anger leaving him, powerless against what he was feeling, he didn't know exactly what it was or what to do about it, but he knew he would never be the same after this day.

Blake had finished his side of the floor and doubled back to Daryl's side. He'd intentionally had him look on that side, wanting him to see her room, to be reminded that she was a woman and that they communicated differently because they were different. More to the point, how much he stood to loose for want of choosin' his words a little more carefully.

As suspected, when he checked her bedroom he found Daryl there, embarrassed by being found with her scent filling the room. I's not like he'd been goin' through her things but all the same, he acted like he's been caught with his hands in the cookie jar as he back abruptly away from her dresser. Blake could see his discomfort and tried to offer offer some comfort to the man.

"Do you mind a little friendly advice?" Not finding resistance he continued. "Janessa is like all women in some respects, they'll give all of themselves if they feel a part of the process. She'll come around because she'll see the sense in what you're saying, but you would be best served in saying it in a way that she can hear the first time around, if you catch my drift. Life's always been short, even more so now."

Daryl just bit the inside of his thumb, shiftin' his weight from one foot to the other. It made sense in theory, but sayin' it at the time is another matter. He's been replaying in his mind over and over for the past few minutes and he still couldn't figure out what went wrong.

Blake seeing his confusion continued with a more direct approach "It's been my experience that if you can help it, try not to tell a woman what to do unless you want her to do the opposite, it's just the way they're wired. If you ask a woman the right way she'll move mountains for you, just like you would for her. We've all had a tough time, try to meet her halfway."

"Trust me on this, never let a good thing slip away. I learned that one to my detriment a long time ago." he said with the pain clearly in his voice as he looked intently in Daryl's eyes.

Feeling that he'd been heard Blake opened the French doors and stepped out onto the gallery, shaking away the cobwebs of the past as he did so.

Following him, Daryl closed his eyes and inhaled deeply taking in the scent of the rain in the distance and the sweet olive fragrance that filled his senses. Blake seeing the truck motioned to Daryl that he was going to walk around the other side of the gallery and meet him at the back of the house as he walked away.

Looking down at the road Daryl also saw his truck parked. Parked! All reason left him instantly. What the fuck? He had half a mind to go down there and stomp his ass! And then he looked in the driver's side window and saw her leaning her head on the steering wheel, she didn't look mad, she looked exhausted and sad. A melody floated up from the open window as he was now standing right above them and he felt something in him snap hearing the words, "You got no one to pull you down push you around, Make you frown and cry You are alone now…"

The thought that she was hurtin' an' that he had caused it tore him up. That's not what he meant her to feel, he knew her migraine was acting up, he just wanted to take care of her damn it! Had he blown it? It's not like he was the last man on earth or anything'. She didn't need him, looking around seeing the beautiful grounds all around he could see how she could easily live out the rest of her life here in comfort and relative safety, not like the prison. He couldn't bring her there, every day there had taken another peiece of him. He felt so confused and frustrated that he just growled in the back of his throat and shook his head. The truck started up again and he followed it, walking briskly to keep pace and so when she came to a stop again behind the house he was there.

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Flicking off the car stereo, Janessa knew she needed to get her act together fast and figure something out. Fishing in her pack she dug out her mini mag flashlight to peer inside the window, while telling Jimmy to keep his eyes peeled. Going with the best thing she could think of, she cupped her hands together and mimicked a warbling bird call, wishing she'd paid more attention to what was local but the common loon was only bird call she knew. Although, it was perfect for Ontario which was where she was from around here it just sounded nuts, but it was better than screaming "Hey you Guuyss!" Electric Company style, which was the first thing she had thought of.

She made the call a second time and then waited as she scanned both the upper and lower gallery for a response, hoping it would be the right one. She was relieved to see Daryl looking down to her from the second floor. Using basic charades she mimicked the opening of a door with the sweep of her arm and pointed forward.

He locked eyes with her and gave her the thumbs up with a half smile so that she'd know that he'd understood. Then pointing to the fence he gestured that she continue on her route to finish the perimeter inspection, trying to say in a look everything he had meant to say before but failed.

She was glad he was the one that came to her call, feeling safer with the knowledge that she just needed to call and he'd be there. Thanking God for the blessing that brought him to her, even if he was a bit of a caveman. He was a good man and she was going to be sure he knew she felt that way before the night was over, that is if he could stop dragging his knuckles for a few minutes she thought with a smirk.

Jimmy heard the weird bird call and saw the charades but he couldn't see from the angle who she was signalling, until he saw her smile. That's just fuckin' great he thought. What did that redneck have that he didn't? One things's for sure, he was goin' to have to up his game.

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Daryl heard the bird call right off, not that is sounded like any bird he'd ever heard but he had to credit her with the idea. She had stayed inside the truck instead of running off all half cocked and she'd kept her word, that mattered. Though if he thought back that was a promise to Blake not him, all he'd gotten was a fight. He wondered if that was because she had already given her word and he had acted like he doubted her by trying to make her repeat it? Thinkin' that if anyone had done that to him he woulda been pissed. He ain't no-one's bitch neither.

It was smart thinking' on her part and the signals made it pretty clear that there was an opening downstairs that there shouldn't be and the other's needed to know that. He hoped she could see that he was sorry because he didn't think he had the words He just wanted her to finish her check of the perimeter, more so because if there was a problem he wanted her well away from it, but as he watched her drive off he knew one way or another he was goin' make things right between them.

Blake watched her drive off as he came around his side of the house, glad to see she was taking care of that for everyone.

"Janessa says there's an open window below, seems like we've got a live one." Daryl said softly when they met up.

Blake grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck, irritated that he hadn't been as thorough as he should have been.

"Ok, now we'll have to look under the beds, and let the boys downstairs know. I'm glad she suggested the external check, we might have missed that until it was too late. You'd best run down to your brother an' let him know and I'll finish up here. Let him know there's a root cellar off the pantry, next to the kitchen. Use the back servant stairs, which will take you there fastest. Oh, and be sure to use the inside edge of the steps as the middle will creak."

Daryl looked at him, for a moment as if to say, what am I, stupid? Then he just shrugged it off knowing Blake was distracted.

"I got this." he replied softly and then was gone.

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Thanks for the reviews FanFicGirl10; fanreader01; FrankiKaos; Guest; Manchester Lady and DixonLover. Daryl and Janessa have their issues after all who hasn't pulled back after putting yourself out there, insecure with how it will be received. I'm sure Jimmy would love to help there.