Hey! guys! I need more reviews! Please? I LOVE reviews... T.T Is not like I wont update Because i'll get through the chapter and lose all resolve and post despite my count. ANYWAY... I'd like to get 2 or 3 reveiws on this chapter... but... you dont HAVE to comment... I guess... T-T
The metal of the box was cold in Merles hand. Since Toby had been hurt the box had been abandoned for two days. Now back at the homestead, with toby locked in quarentine until the possible change. Aria was in her lab, despertly trying to find a cure, in case Toby was infected. It was kind of impossible to tell, despite the fact that there was plenty of huge gashes on Toby's legs chest and arms. Several could have easily been bite marks. Aria wouldn't let Merle near him, incase he changed, she didn't want him to do anything rash. They had gotten very close over the passing monthes, she knew it would shatter Merle's heart to see him through that. Merle stared at the box and tipped it to the side. He swallowed. Carefully he ran a knife around the wax welding the side closed. The box was old, rusty. Daryl had obviously planned for it to be dug up in the near furture, or he would have taken far for care sealing it and he would have used a better box.
Merle carefully popped the lid open and tried not to sob. There was a picture. The picture was on Daryl and Merle on Daryl's 13th birthday. There was a letter written in Daryl's sloppy, yet neat, hand writing. Merle had to hold it up to a mirror to read it. Daryl had learned that trick in highschool, when he learned about Divinci. He had always had writing problems. He wrote his Z's and S's and B's backwards for the longest time until he had a teacher beat it out of him. Merle could recall Daryl's tiny fingers being bruised and abused in 6th grade, for weeks until he got it right. Shortly after that Merle went off to Prison, and then Daryl learned the Divinci style of secret writing, or Mirror writing, and he started to do write him letters in prison. It took Merle three days to figure it out.
Merle carefully held the letter up to the mirror. It read:
Merle, We tried to find you! we came for you! Why did you cut your hand off?! You just had to wait!
The older brother could tell Daryl had been upset when he wrote the letter, half of the letters weren't even in Mirror hand writing.
Merle... I... Im scared, ok? Im terrified. Glenn got kidnapped and we had to go save him and I tried to find you. You weren't there. Why weren't you there? I guess im not that surprized. You never were a patient kind of guy. The group and I are heading to the CDC. Officer Friendly, Rick Grimes, is Bitches husband, Carl's father. The one Shane was always mumbling about. I think Jim is infected. After we got back to camp last night there was a massive attack. Hundreds of walkers. I came real close to getting bit, I didn't tell nobody that.
Some of the words had been worn away by moisture that broke through the seal on the lid. It was hard to tell the next sentences. Merle's blood drained from his face. Daryl could be infected. His search was over before it began, or at least it could be. Merle's thoughts turned to Toby sick in the next room, maybe dyeing. Merle's head spun, images of Daryl chomping down on anothers flesh flew through his head. Merle forced himself to look down at the page, lest he pass out.
If the CDC fai s, You know where I'll go. Island, where I fi st met Dav d.
Find me there f you a e abl . I lo e you, Merle.
Merle rubbed his face and coughed. He didn't want to think anymore. He laid back oin the bed. At least he knew where Daryl would be, not that he couldn't have guessed that. Of course Darylk would take the first oppertunity to find David. Merle shuddered, thinking of the two coliding becoming one... He clearly remembered the day he forced Daryl to leave. He stayed with David and Daryl for a week, a whole week, before he couldn't take it. He managed to get Dayrl to come with him into town, and he knocked him unconcious, all the while telling himself that it was for Daryl's own good, that despite how disfunctional the family was, and how bad it got, that was where Daryl belonged. Always. Merle had to admit he was wrong once in a while. Once the infection came Daryl was... intent on leaving. His plan was to get back to David where he could be happy. Merle wouldn't let him, not even when Jude and there Grandmother and grandfather all fell ill. Merle called the shots and eventually Daryl listened. he was a good boy, a better man and Merle cursed himself for not accepting that. He cursed himself for drilling it into Daryl's head that he was worthless and that he was unloved.
Mostly he cursed himself for telling him what he told him about David. He said "He was just using you, Darleena, why cant you see that? I heard him talkin, he said that you weren't anything to him next to that ex wife of his, just a place to keep his dick warm, til she came back." He had never upset Daryl more. At first Daryl denied it, called Merle a liar, but Merle pulled the big brother card, guilted him, worked eery button he knew on Daryl until he believed it. Or at least he seemed to believe it. He was content with getting his heart broken, if it meant another day with David, Merle knew that much.
Inside Merles head was complete turmoil. Everywhere he went he spread hate and ruined peoples lives. Toby would be fine, Daryl would never have been hurt again. Him exsisting ruined so very many lives. Merle gripped the letter and his head in despair, despertly serching for a scapegoat, anyone to blame it on. He couldn't even really blame it on Drugs. Suddenly he remembered why he hated being sober. Too much sadness, too much pain, too much realization and not enough scapegoats. When your high everything is a scapegoat, you didn't een really need a scapegoat. Merle took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He had no options, he had no stash... He just had a letter from the little boy he had let down SO many times, just by showing up.
Meanwhile...Daryl
Daryl spent setting up traps, but it seemed like every time he got one set up and went around to check on it later, it had been triggered., but there was nothing inside. It was driving him insane. Not that he really knew, but the man who was accidently tripping the traps was actually quite vexed by their exsistence himself. The fact that there was people on his island was pissing him off to no end. Worst of all they were in his house, destroying what he had sealed up, what he had protected for so long.
The worst part was that the two kept missing each other by the littlest bit, just barely. Just enough that it was almost comical. Daryl plopped down on a log and huffed hatefully. He paused when he heard cries comeing from the house. He got up and ran to the front of the house. He gasped. There were several signs posts all over the lawn. They read things like 'Get out' and 'Leave of DIE' they were written in red... They tore the signs down, and started putting up tin cans.
The next day...
Daryl woke first. He crept down the stairs and checked the locks on the doors. Rick was in the camera room, carefully watching the property.
"This is really helpful, shows us all the way into the Town... Theres plenty of walkers there... but they dont go near the water... I wonder why." He mumbled, he looked up at a Daryl and smiled. The sun had yet to come up.
"So are we leaving? Like the signs sugested?" Daryl asked.
"I wouldn't say they were sugestions... but... no... We aren't leaving, this spot is way too perfect, theres heat, electricity, central air, its defendable..." He said, smiling. "Its a place where my baby and son can be safe. Theres room for everyone." Rick nodded. "Im not giing that up just because some lunatic keeps telling us..." Rick frowned at the screen suddenly. "Hey... Daryl?"
"Yeah?"
"He's back, front yard." Daryl left with out a word, cross bow off his shoulder with in moments, off his shoulder and loaded. He ran to the front and down the steps. They man looked up, eyes twinkling in the darkness.
"Who are you?!" Daryl demanded.
"You must leave!" The man screamed. "You hae no rights being here! LEAVE!" Daryl could see his figure running off, back into the woods. Daryl fired, missing him by centimeters. Daryl scrunched up his nose and stormed to where the sign was, he tore it out of the trees and broke it in half.
"We aren't leaving!" He called into the dark. "I wont. Not until..." Daryl trailed off, the man couldn't possibly know what he was talking about. Daryl sighed and pulled his bolt out of the tree. He was running lower and lower on arrows. He walked back towards the house. The second he turned his back, something his him in the head. He squeaked and turned back. It hadn't hurt, much, it had just surprized him. It was a stick, there wasn't anything special; about the stick, it was just a stick. He threw it back into the woods and another one hit him in the head. He shouted, and ran back into the house.
"Rick!"
"Yeah?"
"He's throwing things at me!" Daryl paused. "He might be a child, maybe a teenager?"
"We'll find out this afternoon, T-Dog you and I will follow the trail-"
"No, Im going to follow that son of a bitches trail as soon as its light enough." Daryl answered.
Morning came and Daryl made himself a lunch. He took a gun and some of his arrows and his crossbow. Then he started out. He followed the trail all the way up to the highest point on the island, to the caves. Daryl had never liked the caves, so he had rarely ventured towards that area of the Island. He didn't remember exactly why he hated the caves, he had only gone there once...
"Who are you?" He shrieked. "Where! Where are you?!" He demanded, then flopped down on the sandy ground outside a cave. He dug into his lunch and ate it... not really thinking until he felt something brush against him. He froze up and slowly... slowly turned around. Rats. He started to hyperventilate. there were several rats there, all around him. He scrambled away and slipped, falling down the hill leading up the cave. He stood up and batted a few of the rats off of him. He didn't really realize that he was crying, until he rubbed his face. he panted and watched the rat swarm his lunch. He frowned, he shuddered and slid to the ground.
While he sat there Maggie and carol were arranging things in Carols room. They didn't have much, but Maggie had found a few boxes of paint and decorating equipment in the attic. Carol was standing on a stack of books, stretching up to put something on the ceiling.
"Its not that I thought he was unworthy or love or anything... I just didn't ever imagine Daryl WITH anyone before the appocalypse. I mean... Hes handsome, he's funny, but he's... well he's very antisocial." Maggie nodded.
"I've noticed. You say he was with a man too? I never pegged him as gay... he's so... so butch. He's so manly. All the gay men I've ever known were feminene, I believe I've created an unfair stereotype on homosexuals... This world though... now... Theres no place for them."
"I'd rather come across a homosexual rapist in the woods then a hetero one, Im just saying."
"True, but the population of the world..." Maggie shrugged. "Its just... weird. The idea of someone as... manly as Daryl taking it up the-"
"Maggie!" Carol exclaimed then smiled a toothy grin. "He could have been on top you know." Maggie giggled girlishly.
"Oh my god! My brain just went all kinds of yaoi!"
"What Yaoi?" Carol asked.
"Gay Porn, its drawn..."
"Well, Daryl insisted he wasn't gay but... I just... I just know know." She shook her head. "He might be." Maggie and Carol both jolted and dropped what they were doing when they heard shouts. Weapons almost instantly in hands, they ran down the stairs.
"Put your weapons down!" It was ricks voice.
"You first!" A man. "You dont belong here! LEAVE! Why wont you just leave?!" The man was obviously on the verge of tears.
"Listen... We can work this out. Whats your name."
"Does it matter?!" He snarled. "I dont have a name any more. It doesn't matter." He rambled. "I warned you. I told you to leave! LEAVE!"
"I cant do that... my wife is pregnant, this place is... too perfect. Its... Have been on this land since the begining? Its hell out there... I can put my people in jepordy like tha-"
"NO! LEAVE!" The man was shaking.
"Have you been alone this entire time?" Rick asked, he was being the cop, cool and collected, the man was crying.
"No... My... My sister her husband my gardener... They died... though..." He answered.
"How old are you?" Rick asked gently.
"I dont know..."
"Ok, ok... WOuld you like to come in side?"
"NO!" The man was shaking. "No... no... I cant see them again... all those reminders..."
"Ok, would you like some food or water?"
"This is MY Island! You can't be here!" He shrieked. "Then you came and started turning things on, waking things up... Why?!" He whimpered. He lowered the gun and covered his face. "I..."
Daryl ran over the terrain, following his feet. His mind was reeling, no one knew about the tunnels, it wasn't as if they were easy to find or anything... He could have been wrong, but he had to find out. He slid into the cave and gagged. It smelled like rat. He looked around in the darkness until he could a see a candle. He lit it with one of the matches next to it and looked around. The door was easy to find. He slid into it and found the light switch flipped it on and followed the tunnel back to the house. It took barely anytime, it was the quickest, safest route, and he ran the whole way. Carefully he slid into the basement. He closed the door behind him and heard talking.
"Please, just leave!" a mans voice exclaimed. The voice sounded familier Daryl took the steps two at a time.
"Come on now, we'e been at this for an hour and you've just gone in a circle, friend. Your arm needs help, we have a doctor." The man paused, and looked down at his arm before raising the gun again. Daryl stepped outside a little.
"What going on?" Daryl asked, standing on his toes to see past T-Dog and Rick. He gasped., he shoved T-Dog out of the way and took in the sight before him. The mans face and body changed drastically. He started to lower his gun then remained firm.
"Mean trick!" He squeaked. "Your dead! How are you here!? Your dead!" He whimpered.
"Im not dead."
"Jack."
"Darylm whats he-"
"Shh." Carol snapped.
"David... Im sorry I left, Im sorry they died, Im so sorry I let Merle take me with him!" It was taking all of Daryl's power not to run to the other man and hug him, kiss him. "I should have never left you! I didn't want too I-"
"Is it really you?" Daryl nodded, taking a step forward, then another. "Nono! Wiat... please... prove it... I can't... I can;t let this be a trick... I can't let you be alive if im halucinating. I've seen you so many times, Jack! In the face of the dead that wash up... I've seen you, but its never you... Please..."
"David its me- I dont know how to prove it to you."
"Tell me something only you would know!" Daryl paused, trying to think.
"Your a painter, you think your no good but your fabulous-"
"Not good enough! Everyone in town knows that!"
"Merle came and took me away, he practically kidnapped me, drugged me-"
"NO! something better! something about us!" Daryl paused, he didn't want to admit something about them in front of the entire group, especially not T-Dog, not when he had turned him down for sex by telling him he didn't swing that way. Daryl considered for a moment.
"Three men." Daryl began. "They were big and terrifying and they cornered me in the town. They beat me up, took all my money, They tried to rape me. They'd never admit that part... They got scared, and they threw me in the river. You and your sister found me. I begged you not to call the police-" David frowned. Daryl sighed. "I've neer kissed you with my eyes closed." David composure started to wane. "Everytime we've made love I've stared into your face, to remind myself that you are there, to remind myself that you aren't him. You know who im talking about, my love. Please. Its me!" David composure broke completely, he dropped the gun and they both walked forward, finally colliding together. They kissed, each trying to dominate the other and for a moment they were a fury and mouth and limbs and Daryl sobbed.
"Your alive!" David cried. "Your alive... Your alive." He held the man against him and Daryl snuggled deep into David's warmth, his scent was alive and strong.
"When was the last time you bathed?" Daryl asked.
"A while ago." David answered. Daryl laughed. "Im so sorry." He said, to the entire group. "I didn't know you had Jack with you. I didn't... I thought you were... I sealed up the house so I wouldn't have to remember the people I lost... And Jack. I mean Daryl, left so long ago that... I didn't think he'd come back. I though you didn't care for me any long." David said, looking into Daryl's face.
"Not to be a spoil sport... or anything, but who the fuck are you? Why the fuck are you making out with him and am I the only one that is fucking surprized that Daryl jsut jumped into the arms of some GUY?!" T-Dog exclaimed. "Some GUY with a gun?!"
"Shut up." Dayrl answered, smoothing his face against David's warm chest.
"I would very much like to know, also, Daryl." Rick answered.
"Its such a long story." Daryl answered, looking up at David. there was contentness on Daryl's face like the others had never seen. "David and I met when I was 19. I had ran away from home and ended up in that town over there... Like I said before, 3 men cornered me after I had lived in the town working odd jobs for a while. They took all of my money beat me into near unconsciencness, tried to rape me then dumped me in a river. David and his sister found me and I started working for them... Somehwere along the lines David and I kinda just... became a couple. I guess." DAryl and David started to walk forward and Rick stopped them.
"Just wait, whoa. Whoawhoa. Daryl? A word?" They went to the side.
"What?"
"Im glad you found your long lost bestie slash fuck buddy, but a second ago he was acting like a maniac-"
"Hes perfectly safe, he was just distraught because he thought we were stealing and stuff- its fine. Promise." Daryl seemed to only want to go back to Davids arms. The other man was tall and built. He was handsome, and could easily kick down a door, and that worried Rick. Daryl trusted him... But they hadn't seen each other in what appeared to be years. "Daryl are you certain- when was the last time you saw each other?"
"A year ago, not counting the time in the appocalypse." Daryl answered. "So... almost two, I suppose."
"Are you SURE you can trust him?" Daryl looked over at David, who wa being stared down by T-Dog and Maggie and Glenn. He didn't look entirely nervous, he seemed exceptionally happy. Daryl nodded.
"Yes." He answered and walked back to David. He took the other mans hand and pulled him into the house. They went dirrectly up the stairs and into the bathroom. Rick frowned after them, watching the stair case the the two men like they had all the answers. The rest of them wandered back into the house, but Rick remaind outside, contemplating, worrying. He stood like a statue, until Glenn called him in.