Chapter Eleven
"Ya need to do something Rick," Maggie shouted as the man came down the stairs. A slight limp still in his step as he winced whenever he needed to push pressure on that side. "Daryl was out of line, and you know it."
Rick stopped, his head tilting to the side as he stared at Maggie and then Hershel standing just a few feet behind his daughter. "What do you want me to do? We both know Daryl wasn't out to hurt your sister, it just happened."
"But the fact is he did," Maggie continued, waving her hands out in front of her. "Have you not seen her wrists?"
Beth let out a heavy sigh as she looked down at the marks Maggie mentioned. Her fingers steadily slide across the barely there bruises left over from Daryl's 'training.' Beth knew he didn't mean to hurt her. He never showed any type of anger towards her before, and whatever possessed him that day must have scared the shit out of him. It was his words more than anything that drove her to slap him around a few times. Would have a few more if he hadn't grabbed her up, and pinned her against him.
But no, it was his words that echoed through her head about her sister screaming and her daddy... Well, she didn't want to think about that, that brought out her anger. Bet he wouldn't do it again, though.
Rick let out a heavy sigh, his hands rubbing at his eyes for a moment before looking back at Maggie, and then flicking his gaze over to Beth. The apology was written all over his face, telling her without words that he was sorry for what Daryl did. Beth straightened her back. She didn't want an apology from him.
Slipping out of the room, Beth made her way to the front door to stand on the porch. As she quietly shut the door not to catch her sister's attention, she turned to see the man in question leaning against the wall. His eyes still heavy lidded like he was just waking up himself.
"Hey," he muttered, glancing at her for a moment before looking back out at the forest.
Beth shoved her hands into her back pocket, hoping to hide the damage done to her as she replied with her own whispered, "hey."
"Somethin has to be done," Maggie exclaimed in that moment, her voice carrying outside. "Things like this can't slip by just because. He doesn't have that right."
Beth glanced up at Daryl, who was staring right back at her. Studying her, and she almost looked away sheepish. Suddenly nervous to be around the man as her sister debated his fate.
"What do you think we should do? Punish him, make him apologize? We both know neither of those will go over well," Rick said, his voice heavy with exhaustion. Honestly, the man shouldn't even be up walking right now, but with everyone either upset or avoiding Daryl, who else was going to take charge. "This is Daryl we're talkin about here, and he'll apologize or whatever in his own way. In his own time."
Beth could almost see the glare that Rick received in that minute, and she glanced to see Daryl looking sideways at the doorway. Listening to Rick stand up for him. It was better than what the others were doing by avoiding the man, and suddenly being out there, sitting with him, seemed like a good idea. After all, if she could forgive him and move on, the others could too.
Settling herself against the railing, she kept her head bowed. Letting him know without words that he didn't need to talk, but she wasn't going to leave either. Then, when he cleared his throat and said, "I didn't mean to hurt ya." Beth glanced up. Her blue eyes wide as she watched his adams apple bob up and down for a moment before he continued. "Just..."
Beth shook her head, cutting him off before he could find his words again. "Don't have to explain. Those men got everyone spooked."
Daryl glanced at her with something Beth would have thought to be fear in his eyes as he shook his head and said, "wasn't those men that drove me to shove ya down, and..."
They sat there in silence for a moment, the older man's attention on his thumb as he steadily picked at the skin before he continued. "I know you can handle those men. Saw your handy work. It..." again, his words trailed off as he looked out to the woods. His eyes going blank for a moment. "Heard my brother out there. Laughin at me. Sounded a lot like our old man. Merle is a lot like our old man. He scares the shit of out me some times, and yesterday while trainin yeah, I heard my pa laughin at me. Sayin 'don't matter what you do...'" His eyes flicked to her and then back to his thumb, continuing to peel at it until it was red and ready to bleed, and Beth sucked in a deep breath.
Maggie's voice broke through their silence, ringing out onto the front porch as she said, "that's not good enough, he hurt my baby sister. He needs a good talkin to, or..."
Her words were cut off as Beth burst back into the cabin, Maggie and Rick stood just at the bottom of the staircase glaring each other down with her father a few steps up, a heavy look in his eyes as his gaze darted over to his youngest as she hollered, "would you give it a rest, Maggie."
Now all eyes were on her, and Beth felt the weight of them as she looked from her father to Maggie and sucked in a deep breath. "Yes, Daryl messed up. He knows this, but he had reason!"
"What plausible reason could he have to be beaten you up!" Maggie shouted, motioning to somewhere behind her and then to her arms. "What reason is good enough for that?"
"He didn't beat me up, he knocked me down, he pinned me. Ain't the first time he done that." Her words made Maggie's eyes go wide, her lips turning into a thin line as her sister's gaze darted to Daryl and then back to her baby sister as she pointed a finger at her. Deciding it was best to fix the damage already wrought, rather than cause more, Beth back tracked. "I mean, he didn't actually hit me. I hit him, in case you haven't noticed, and Daryl was only trying to get me to fight. To teach me to properly defend myself, and I wasn't gettin it. I get it now, and that's all that matters."
"No, Beth," Maggie began, her voice straining to turn to a calmer note. One that their mother used when she was so frustrated with her children. "he needs to..."
"He has, Maggie. He has apologized, and he regrets his actions. Leave it alone." Beth held her sister's gaze with her own hard eyes. Daring her to say another word. Maggie opened her mouth several times, her eyes going from Beth to Daryl to Rick before settling back on Beth and letting out a heavy sigh.
"Fine, but if he ever..." she started to say and Beth stepped forward, grabbing her sister's hand.
"He wouldn't, but if he did. I would take care of it." Again, giving her sister another pointed stare as Maggie let her shoulders sag, and her face scrunch up in a defeated look. With a roll of her eyes, Maggie stepped away from her sister. Looking to their father to find a slight grin on his face before heading into the living room with Glenn following along behind her.
Beth relaxed a bit too, returning their father's slight grin with one of her own before looking at Rick as the man strolled up to her. "Thank you," he said, resting a hand on her shoulder to give it a quick squeeze.
"No prob," she whispered back, stepping out of his reach and turning to the kitchen. Happy to see the others disbanding. With the afternoon's drama settling down for the time, Beth made her way to the kitchen where she could grab a pack of crackers and rest for the moment. Her thought on Daryl's words. His hesitation and the fear in his eyes as he explained how just the memory of his father drove him to a moment of insanity.
A shiver ran down her spine at that kind of fear. Goosebumps rising on her flesh as she stared at the counter, the cracker in her hand resting just about over her lips as she stared down at her other hand. Taking in the bruises with a new kind of understanding. Another's rough hand rested on top of her wrists, gently pulling it toward them along with the wrist raised to her lips as she turned to look up into a pair of blue eyes.
His thumb slide across the bruises, eyes fixated on the spot as he mumbled, "didn't deserve that."
Swallowing something to moisten her mouth, she asked, "deserve what?"
"You standin up for me like that. After what I did." His eyes met hers, a sadness still there and Beth found herself raising her hand to brush a thumb first across his eyes, hoping to wipe the sadness away, and then to his busted lip. Her own handy work seeming a bit overdone as her fingers brush across it, making Daryl jerk back and shove her hand away as he turned away from her.
Beth's hands fell back to her side, her mouth open, ready argue with, "you shou-" when the words were cut off by someone screaming "Rick!" from the front porch. They both freeze, eyes going to the sound of gunshots ringing out from the yard before stopping abruptly.
"Carol!" Beth shouts, already moving to rush to the woman's aide when another hand grabs her arm. Yanking her back toward the basement stairs.
"Get that bunker open and get inside," Daryl hisses, shoving her towards the door. Beth stands there, staring at him wih a refusal already on her lips as Lorie and Carl rush through the kitchen, followed closely by Hershel, who is already heading down the stairs. "Go!" Daryl demands, not bothering to look back at any of them as he shoves past them. His angel wing vest disappearing around the corner as Hershel takes his place. Pushing her down the stairs.
Lori already has the door open, waiting for them to shuffle inside when Beth pulls out of her father's grasp, noting the table full of weapons sitting in front of the door and she rushed over to them. "Help me," she says, grabbing one end as her father walks over to grab the other.
"Leave'em," Lori hisses, staring wide as the gunshots echo from the outside again before looking at them. Their further away, meaning the group has moved from the house and are on the run somewhere.
"Can't," Beth insisted, pulling the table toward the door. "We need'em"
"We need'em," she whispers again, more to herself then anything else as her and Hershel shove into the room. All the things that could go wrong rushing through her head, running on repeat as the table is placed just to the side of the small hallway and her and her father make a grab for the weapons.
Beth's hands freeze, her eyes on the rifle in his one hand while his other hand rests on hers. "Stay here," he mumbles backing toward the door. Beth shakes her head, the refusal already on her lips as Hershel turns to rush out the door. Already moving to follow him as she screams, "No, Daddy!" at a closing door. "No!"
Slamming her hands on the door, Beth leans against it. Hearing the locks click in place as she sobs at the door. "No," she mumbles, moving to the keypad, her hands already punching in the first few numbers before she's pulled away from the door.
"Don't, Beth," Lori whispers into her ear, pulling her further away from the door. "He'll be fine. Rick and Daryl be back before ya know it."
Beth shakes her off, heading toward the door again as she's once again pulled back and whipped around. "Beth, listen to me. Stay here. Help me defend inside here." Lori's voice is stern, impossible to argue with as she looks around the small space. There was supposed to be at least six of them in here, ten at most. Not just the three of them. Never just the three of them, and Beth feels the tears flow down her cheeks.
"Their supposed to be in here," she whispers, pushing herself against the wall. The thought of her sister and father, or any of them out there as the scenarios continue playing in her head. Repeating themselves over and over again as she leans her head back and takes a deep breath. Straining to hear what was going on outside. Praying that those outside would eventually come down. Give them the signal that is clear, and there wasn't anything else to worry about.
"Daryl!" Rick shouts from the outside as Daryl reaches the front porch. Rifle already swung forward, aiming for any enemy within his home. Two figures rush out the gate, turning long enough to sweep a few bullets across the yard before slamming the gate close behind them.
"They've got Maggie and Glenn!" Rick hollers, already rushing toward the door with Daryl on his heels. Praying to God that the two remain alive long enough to them back. Hershel would have a cow if something were to happen to his daughter, and Daryl can't think of how Beth would take it to see her sister gone. The girl has already gone through so much.
With renewed effort, Daryl plunges through the gate after Rick. T-Dog and Carol hot on their heels as the four them storm in the forest. The trees brushing past them as the two catch up in no time. "Stay back!" Daryl hollers, barely glancing at T-Dog before looking for Carol. "Stay by the Cabin. Keep it safe!"
Carol nodded, already slowing down as Daryl looks to T-Dog. The man speeding up next to him as they continued on. The forest blurring past him as he rushes through, his vision barely taking in his surroundings as the wind rushes past his ears. Blocking out any all sound and keeping him from hearing his surroundings. The only good thing was that the two men were still in their sights. Their shadows blurring into the forests as they continued running through the woods, leaving a heavy trail for them to follow along.
Daryl found himself so absorbed in focusing on that trail with the only thought of getting his family back that he missed the crackling of leaves next to him. Barely registering the sight of someone stepping out of the trees, swinging something long and hard in Rick's direction before something hit him hard. Knocking him to the forest floor with a thud that left him groggy and disoriented as he turned over to face his attacker.
A balding man with a wide grin stepped over him, chuckling as he knelt down. His vision swimming as he managed to whisper out, "Merle?" before his vision went black and unconsciousness took over.
When he woke, he found himself back inside the grocery store. His head throbbing from the headache that continued to blur his vision. Making him blink several times as he tried not to focus too much attention on the blood, warm and sticky, running down the side of his hands were tied behind him, something sharp jabbing into his wrists whenever he attempted to wiggle them around. Hoping to keep the blood flowing through them so they would be of some use when the time came to actually fight.
The sound of someone struggling next to him growling out, "where are our people?" Caught his attention, and he turned to see a blurred image of Rick in much the same predicament. His own hands tied behind him as he knelt on his knees. Lunging for the person kneeling before him. Chuckling.
"Their upstairs with Lenny and Merle. They'll be fine-ish," Joe said, a smile spread across his face as he gazed first at Rick and then Daryl and T-Dog still lying unconscious next to him. "We just want to know where my brother's killer is?"
Daryl latched onto that word, "killer" not plural, singular, and he narrowed his gaze at Joe. Realizing the man still believed that only Beth killed his brother's. A knot formed in his stomach causing him to be sick as he thought about all the ways that Joe could make her pay for their deaths.
Glancing at Rick, he was happy to see the man staring straight back at Joe. His own eyes hard as he remained silent. Not giving the man any other option than to keep talking. "Well, that's fine. Don't give us the girl, we'll just take your friends upstairs and call it even."
Daryl felt his heart plummet, his wrists straining at the ropes as he stood up. Taking two steps toward Joe saying, "you sonofabitch," before he was kicked in the knees. Once again falling to the floor where his already pounding head slammed into the wood. Forcing the pain down, he moved to sit back up when a foot slammed into his shoulders, forcing his face back into the floor and resting there. Keeping him held down as he shoved his head around to see Rick staring at him. Eyes hard and breathing heavy.
"You gonna talk?" Joe asked, looking back at Rick now that Daryl been subdued for the moment. The old sheriff met the man's eyes. Not a trace that he was ready to cave as the two leaders stared each other down. "Or is that girl more important than your boy, or how about that wife of yours?"
The smile on Joe's face told him that he knew it all. He'd seen each of their people and he was going to use each of them until he got the one he wanted. That knot twisted inside Daryl again, slithering like a snake as it crawled up his stomach, making that nauseous feeling grow. His muscles tensed, once again pushing himself against the person holding him down even as the man shoved him back down. Slamming his foot into his back, causing a sharp pain to run down his spine and making him cringe as again he moved his wrists. Once again, something sharp dug into his wrists, and Daryl flipped his head over, staring up at the man standing above him.
Noting the man's attention more on Rick and Joe, then on his prisoner and Daryl slowly rotated his wrists again. Feeling the small blade slide across his skin to the ropes binding his hands behind him. Slowly he moved his wrists up and down, steadily feeling the rope loosen as he focused on Rick behind him, saying, "I think you'll die before you get to them."
"You really think so? Think you got that kind of luck?" Joe asked, waving his arms around to show they were outnumbered and beaten. Rick's slight grin caused the man's smile to falter for a moment before he was kneeling in front of him again. "I think you're bluffin."
A loud thump came from upstairs, causing all of them to freeze as they heard it again and Joe's laughter cutting through the silence. "See, that there is my man pounding on yours, and Lenny... Well god knows what Lenny is doin to that pretty girl we brought in."
He looked back at Rick, a cold glare in his eyes as he moved closer to him. "Still think you gonna watch me die?"
Daryl moved his wrists faster, the dark look in Rick's eyes, causing something in Daryl to snap as the blade sawed through the rope, freeing his hands just as Rick lunged at Joe. Daryl turned, knocking his would be guard off of him as he grabbed the blade and stabbed it first into the man's ankle. Causing him to scream and keel over so that he could run a blade through the man's skull. Another hand wrapped around his throat, dragging him back and up as a gunshot went off at the same time a scream came from Joe. His would be attacker fell behind him with a thud as Daryl looked up to see his brother's grinning face and then over to see Rick spitting something onto Joe, who lay on the ground twitching and gurgling from a gaping hole in his throat.
Daryl looked back at Rick, noting the blood running down his chin and onto his chest as their eyes met. Nothing being said between the two before they nodded and a shout of frustration came from the room upstairs. Causing Daryl's heart to stop as he recognized the scream at the same time Rick mouthed, "Glenn."
Together they bounded back up the stairs, shoving past Merle, who tossed his arms up in frustration, saying, "the Asian kids fine, not that I needed a thanks or anythin'."
"What the hell'd you do?" Daryl asked, turning long enough to glower at his brother as Rick stormed into the room to find Glenn's arms strapped to what used to be a chair and a walker dead at his feete man was leaning over, breathing heavy as he looked up to find Rick, Daryl, and Merle stands in the doorway.
Lenny lay dead in a pool of blood, his stomach ripped open to reveal his insides spilling out. Glenn's own shirt covered in walker gore as he stared from one man to another before storming toward Merle. "You asshole. Leavin' me tied up in here with that fuckin thing!"
"Hey, there were shouts downstairs. I was helpin' y'all!" Merle shouted back, shoving his sawed off arm -now covered in some steel contraption- past Daryl to point at Glenn. "I should be thanked!"
Glenn leaned over, bracing himself on his knees as he caught his breath and ran a hand through his hair. "Where's Maggie?" he demanded when he looked back up at Merle.
"Next room," Merle replied, stepping to the side so Glenn could rush past and open the door. Maggie flung herself into his arms the moment the door opened. Daryl watched as Glenn pulled her back, inspecting every inch of her before he turned to Merle.
"What the hell, Merle. Kidnappin' Maggie and Glenn. What the hell were you thinkin'?" Daryl shouted, shoving his brother as the rage once again returned. His need to let out his frustrations morphing into something akin to blind rage as he stepped into Merle's face.
"Hey, it took every skill I had to talk Joe into this plan. Telling him that stormin' your fuckin' camp would be suicide, and he barely listened to me. If it wasn't for me, he would have caught each of ya with your pants down." Merle shouted, shoving Daryl back as he looked to Rick and then Glenn.
"Should have let him, at least it would have been on our turf," Daryl grunted, giving Merle one last good shove before he turned back to Rick.
Rick glanced at him, a heavy sigh leaving his lips before he turned to Merle and said, "thank you, for helpin'."
Merle sneered at him. "Weren't helpin' you. Had to get my baby brother back." He bumped arms with the younger Dixon.
Daryl took a step back, sneering right back at him with a, "yeah right."
The four of them stood there, out of breath and anxious as they stared each other down before Rick strolled back to the top of the stairs. "Anybody know how hard T-Dog was hit?"
They all shook their heads, and together they moved downstairs to lean over the young man who was just coming to. "What the hell happened?" he asked, rubbing at his head where quite a large bump was starting to form. Made Daryl thinks of his own throbbing head, and he looked away, focusing on the massacre that's just taken place.
"We won," Rick said, helping the man sit up. T-Dog looked to sit for a moment before his head fell into his hands and it was another minute before he was able to nod and mumble, "good." He moved to stand, his head still wobbling as he rose to his feet, only to land back down on one knee. Barely getting his arms out in front of him to catch himself.
"Shit," Rick said, moving to wrap one of T-Dog's arms around his shoulder. Daryl moved to the other side doing the same, and together they managed to pick the big man up into a standing position.
"This can't be all of Joe's men," he said, looking to Merle for the answer. The older Dixon shook his head, his frown deepening as he looked to Daryl, Glenn and then back to Rick. Again, that unsettling feeling pooled in Daryl's stomach as he watched the look of regret spread across his brother's face.
"Joe sent more men back to y'all camp. Said to keep an eye out, but..." His words trailed off as he met Daryl's eyes.
Daryl swallowed the bile rising in his throat. The rest of his words not lost on any of them as he Rick said, "then let's get moving."
Together, they made the trip back through the woods. Slower now as they half carried an in and out T-Dog on their shoulders. Walkers could be seen moving toward the small grocery store, looking for their next meal and Daryl didn't stop to think about leaving the door open. Letting the damn biters feast off of Joe and his men. It was what they deserved after putting his family through this.
Not willing to let go of his dead brothers, despite the circumstances. Again he swallowed what bile he could with knowledge of how Joe felt rising in him. Merle did plenty of stupid shit in the past. Deserved more then his fair share of beatings, still Daryl would step in. Defend his asshole brother and earn the reputation of asshole himself for doing so.
It was a sad day in hell when Daryl found himself sympathizing with a douchebag like that, but as he glanced over to see Merle once again running beside him. Taking out what walkers he could so that they didn't come at him or anyone else in the group, he was glad to have his brother back. No matter what demons Merle might bring along with him. At least he was back where he belonged.
With a groan and at his own stupid thoughts, knowing full well that Merle would lay into him for them, he focused on getting back to the cabin. Knowing that Carol was there, but the woman could only do so much and as they drew closer, the sound of gunfire could be heard in the distance. Telling all of them that Carol was doing all she could, and it wasn't good enough.
With a burst of energy, they pushed forward to reach the wide open gate. The sight of not just Carol but Hershel, Lori, Carl and Beth fighting off several would be attackers causing his heart to speed up. Rick dropped T-Dog's arm first, stopping long enough to turn back and see that Daryl was able to lower the still unsteady man to the floor before rushing along with him to help.
He moved to help Beth first, the attacker having already grabbed her arm and was using his weight to shove her back as the girl kicked out. Taking out the man's knee cap, and bringing him down just as Daryl was able to come up behind them and twist his neck. Letting him fall with a thud as he looked into a pair of baby blue eyes that matched his own fear.
With a nod to one another, they turned away and focused on the other attackers that were steadily being taken down. One attempted to climb over the fence to get away, and Merle grabbed his leg with his one good hand, yanked him down and continued to bash his head in with the metal contraption strapped onto his arm. Not stopping until there was nothing left but blood and brain matters smashed into the ground.
Turning yet again, he heard one last shot being fired off and a man landing just in front of Lori as she lowered her gun and looked to Rick. Her own eyes wide, and scared as they met her husbands for a moment before pulling her son into her arms. Hershel did the same with Maggie, gathering her close and smoothing her hair down as tears fell from her eyes. After a moment, Hershel and Maggie reached out to Beth and the young blonde flew into their arms. A sense of relief washing over all of them.
Happy to be reunited, and alive and well, even if the separation was brief. A nudge in his arms made him turn, and he looked over at a grinning Merle. "Ya want a hug too, Darylina?"
Daryl scoffed. "Go to hell, Merle."
Merle chuckled, reaching out to pat Daryl on the shoulder. "Good to see ya too, baby brother. Good to see ya too." His words trailed off as the two of the silently started gathering up their attackers, pulling their bodies into a pile at the door as the others relaxed. Taking the moment to feel the relief wash over them with the knowledge the threat was gone.
For now.
That they could take a moment and breath.
For now.
Okay, yes I stole some scenes from the TV show and combined them together. Hope it worked out well and everyone enjoyed it. And yes, I brought Merle back with this group. I like Merle, and I really couldn't make him a total douche.
Thanks everyone from the follows and reviews and until next week.