A/N: A few people asked about Travis, so here he is. This may be a short chapter but thank God right? After the last two. This is later on Friday after Daryl calls Carol. So we are back in real time now 2011. Travis is thirteen. The actual phone conversation is next chapter so it's out of order. I'm out of order sometimes, here and IRL haha, so I hope it's easy to follow. Once again, thank you to everyone who reviews, follows and favorites.
It means everything to me.
Come doused in mud, soaked in bleach, as I want you to be,
As a trend, as a friend as an old memoria, memoria, menoria memoria. - Come as you are by Nirvana
Travis Dixon pushed the IPod into the dock in his father's kitchen and turned up the stereo. He ran his hand through his curly black hair and adjusted the volume on the stereo. After a minute he slid the screen on the device until he found what he was looking for. He had a lot of music on his IPod that most thirteen year olds didn't have, because of his father, who he was incredibly close to. Sometimes his teacher's at school would hear his music playing and ask where did he come from? Travis listened to their music, they were amazed. Most kids were listening to New Country or hip hop, not Travis Dixon.
His father's favorite band was on here he just had to find the song he wanted and then he was heading out to the driveway to work on the truck. He expected his father soon, but he wanted to start now.
He finally found it and the opening riff of Come As You Are by Nirvana came on. His father had a wide genre of music he listened to and Travis inherited that by osmosis from hearing what his father liked all his life. That was true for some other kids he knew as well. They heard what their parents liked and either loved it or just got used to it. His father listened to a lot of Nirvana, so therefore so did Travis.
From his father, he got blue eyes, a love of cars and an eclectic music taste. Among other things, he resembled him, except for the hair. He had his mother's curly black hair. He was the best of his mother and father combined in one person, both in looks and personality.
Travis was a loyal friend and a person who would talk to everyone. He was well liked by his teachers and peers, and got good grades. The Dixon name held no weight anymore, since Daryl and Merle had broken the cycle and made something of themselves. They had stepped right out of the mold that was set for them and never looked back.
Travis walked proud from day one and had none of the insecurities his father had at his age.
He appreciated music like his father did and was open minded, to any kind, like his father.
His father had said it was because of a girl.
He also said someday Travis would meet a girl that would open his mind in new ways and impact
him too. He said that was what love was all about.
Travis knew he wasn't talking about his mother either. That was fine, his parents were great friends, and their love for him over shadowed any problems they ever had with each other. Along with his step father Tyreese, his uncle Merle and his girl Andrea, Travis had so many adults that loved him. He knew he had more than some kids did and he was grateful for that.
He also knew that his father was all alone. Even at thirteen, he wondered why, and if it would ever change. He wanted his father to be as happy as his mother was. That's what all kids wanted at that age, he supposed. Most of his friends had divorced and remarried parents, it was just how it was now. His father didn't seem even remotely interested though, but it was just Travis' observation. They didn't talk about that stuff much, Daryl was more interested in Travis' love life than his own. He tried to steer Travis in the right direction always, so maybe he wouldn't make the same mistakes he did. He didn't have a good example in his life when he was young, no one to really talk about things with. He did not do that with his own child.
Travis was his world really from day one. A child who grew up knowing that? How precious and loved they were?
They could conquer the world.
Daryl, Karen and everyone who helped them along the way raised one good, level headed kid.
So Travis liked Nirvana because his father did, and that was ok with him. Sometimes he wondered who that girl was that got his country music loving father to listen to Nirvana.
She must have been something.
His father just said she was gone, and would never elaborate. Daryl didn't feel it was appropriate to go into those details with his son. But, he did teach him about communicationg with people and listening.
He turned up the volume and went out the back door to the truck, his father had called him and said he was bringing pizza home, as usual like they did every Friday night. Travis would walk over from his mother's house, three blocks away with his back pack, and Daryl would come home with a pepperoni pizza.
They would work on the truck and listen to music, it would be done by the time he was seventeen. They had a big head start on it.
He enjoyed this time with his father and sometimes his Uncle Merle would join them, but not tonight, Andrea was off from work.
When Daryl got home and pulled his truck in the driveway he saw Travis' legs sticking out from under the Explorer they were building for him. He got out of the truck, walked over and tapped Travis' foot, with his own.
"C'mon out and eat before it gets cold." He said.
Travis slid out from under the truck, and stood up. At thirteen he was almost Daryl's height and except for his mother's dark hair, he favored his father in every way.
"How was school, you do ok on your test."
Travis nodded and they walked down the driveway towards the house.
"I hate that book Dad."
Daryl nodded. "I did too, but we all had to read it."
"Holden Caulfield is a douche." Travis said opening the door so his Dad could walk in and set the pizza on the table.
"Yeah, he is." Daryl nodded. "Next year you'll read To Kill a Mockingbird, that's a way better book."
He said as Travis sat down and Daryl got some paper plates and Iced Tea out of the fridge.
"Mom wants to know if you wanna come over tomorrow after we go the junk yard, Ty is going to grill steaks."
Daryl nodded, turning the music down a little.
"Yup, tell your Mom, we'll come back here and get cleaned up and then come over." He said. "Find out what time."
Travis nodded and reached for his phone. He texted his mother that yes he and Daryl would be there for dinner, she texted back 'five O'clock and see you tomorrow.' With a little heart.
/
A/N: Slight time jump just because I wanted all the Travis interaction to be together, next chapter is Carol and Daryl on the phone Friday night.
Travis rolled over in bed, he heard his father out in the kitchen, and it was nine o'clock on Saturday morning. What was he up so early for? The junk yard didn't open till one o'clock, they never got up this early on Saturday. His father was like a bull in a china shop out there making coffee and what not. Travis was tired and wanted to sleep in. No such luck.
He pulled the covers back over his head, but it didn't do any good. He was knocking on the door now.
"I aint ready yet Dad." He called through the door.
Daryl opened the door and stepped in.
"I'm going out for a little while, be ready by one OK?"
"You going to the garage? Those aren't work cloths." Travis said looking him over.
"Observant." He laughed. Travis took after him, nothing got by his kid.
Travis sat up and looked at his father, even closer, clean jeans and a real shirt, with the sleeves and his hair was combed. Very sketchy he thought to himself, these were not the usual cloths he wore on Saturday mornings.
"You got a date or something?"
He shook his head. This wasn't a date, he was not going to kid himself or even let himself go there.
"Meeting a friend." He nodded slightly.
"But it's a lady.' He looked at his father "That kind of friend isn't it?"
"What makes you say that?" He asked, a slight smile quirking his lips.
"Come on Dad, clean cloths, your hair is combed and you smell like Uncle Merle on a Saturday night, I aint stupid."
"Just be ready at one Ok?"
"Want me to ask Mom if there's enough for your date to come to dinner too?"
Karen and Carol and him at dinner, all together. He considered that for all of two seconds. His family was modern and progressive, but even they had limits.
"No." He answered too fast, and that was his undoing, his kid was smart and he had walked right into it.
"Ha! it is a date. Does Uncle Merle know, he's afraid you'll never…."
"Go back to sleep Travis, I'll be back later."
He turned to go as Travis was already laying down.
"Hey Dad?"
Daryl turned back.
"I'm happy for you."
"It's not a date." He laughed.
"See you later Dad." He said. "Have fun."