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Thanks too Annelisa, Emberka-2012, Straight Edge Queen, FanFicGirl10, Brazen Hussy and Mariana Lestrange.
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Chapter 21.
Merle lay on his stomach in the tall grass. He watched men in army fatigues walk around their armed trucks and talk to each other in hushed tones.
The Governor had told his men to wait until he gave a signal before they started their assault on the unsuspecting men. The sun beat down on Merle's back making him feel uncomfortably hot but he knew he couldn't move. One movement could give away his and his men position.
Merle looked over at Tim the young man started to nervously fidget. "Stay calm boy." Merle hissed softly. Tim locked eyes with Merle and stopped moving there was something reassuring in Merle's eyes that let Tim know everything was going to be alright.
Merle turned his attention back towards the doomed men. It didn't take long for the sound of a smooth engine to approach. Merle knew instantly it was the Governor's car, all the Woodbury vehicles ran perfectly with very little noise. The Governor's voice could be heard. Merle could only hear snippets of the conversation taking place but he could clearly make out the Governor's warm and friendly tone, the man was a master manipulator.
The sound of a gun was heard and the men simultaneously rose to their knees firing a barrage of bullets at the stunned men. The sound of bullets ripping through flesh filled the air as body after body hit the ground. Merle tried his hardest to make every shot a head shot unlike the Governor Merle wanted the execution to be as quick and painless as possible for the men.
The firing ended and Merle got to his feet. He watched the Governor take the fallen soldier's weapon from his dying body. The Governor stood over the dying man with a cold evil sneer on his face it was almost as if he enjoyed the look of suffering and pain etched on the dying mans face. The Governor then used the butt of the gun as a club to bludgeon the man to death.
The men walked over to their Governor each man looked shocked by the bodies around them. It was a new low for all of them.
The Governor's blood splattered face held a small satisfied smile. He turned to face Tim. "Never waste a bullet son." A man darted from behind one of the vehicles and sprinted across the field. The Governor shot the man in the back Merle knew the Governor could have easily made the shot a killer head shot but he had deliberately chosen not to. The Governor handed Tim his knife. "Go put him out his misery son."
Tim's shaking hand took the knife off the Governor and nodded. Tim swallowed hard and made a beeline towards the fallen man.
The Governor looked at the rest of his men. "The rest of you start gathering the weapons and supplies." He then looked at Merle. "It won't be long before Anya will be joining us."
Merle shook his head. "She's just a kid she ain't ready for this yet." There wasn't a lot Merle was sure about but the one thing he was a hundred per cent about was that he wouldn't let Anya get sucked in to the Governor's web of evil.
The Governor gave a soft laugh as he watched his men pick anything of use off the dead bodies. "She seems to be thirteen going on thirty and you've trained her well." The Governor had seen potential in Anya and he wanted to nurture it. He wanted the girl on his team as a solider. "All we need to do is keep her attitude in check."
Merle snorted. "Good luck with that." Merle placed his gun over his shoulder. "Besides Belle won't like it and Belle is one woman you don't wanna get mad." Merle thought back to his initial meeting with Belle. The woman had seemed one hard face cow and she was more than willing to kill Merle if he posed a threat to either Anya or herself, he knew that Belle lurked beneath the surface somewhere and the Governor was yet to meet her.
The Governor smirked he'd been keeping an eye on the small family since they had joined Woodbury and Belle had been nothing but calm and sweet natured, he highly doubted the blonde had any fight in her at all.
Belle walked down the street of Woodbury the population seemed to be increasing daily. She watched children play in the streets and smiled softly.
"Hi." A voice caught Belle's attention she turned to see a blonde woman standing behind her. "I'm Andrea." The woman introduced herself.
"Belle." Belle smiled at Andrea. "How are you finding it here?"
"Different." Andrea sighed. "Nice. Milton told me you were with Merle." Andrea hadn't believed Milton when he had told her about Merle and his new family the Merle Dixon she remembered was vile and crude, not a doting family man.
Belle nodded. "Yeah he's been amazing and he's so good with Anya." Belle watched Anya walk towards them. "Speak of the devil." Anya stopped by her mother's side. "Anya this is Andrea, she's a friend of Merle's."
"Where's your friend." Anya started looking around trying to find the strange woman.
Andrea looked around. "Michonne, I'm not too sure." Andrea looked back at Anya the girl was now staring at her; it made Andrea feel slightly nervous.
"Is she crazy?" Anya asked bluntly.
The question threw Andrea. "What?"
Anya huffed impatiently. "Is your friend crazy?" Anya asked again this time more slowly it was almost like a mothers speaking to a child.
"Anya." Belle's voice became high pitched.
"What?" Anya looked at her mom. "I want to know if I'm livin in the same place as a loon. What if she loses her shit one day and just attacks us all?" Anya looked genuinely concerned.
Andrea tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "She's not crazy. She just finds it hard to trust."
Anya opened her mouth as the gates were opened and a convoy of vehicles drove in. Belle and Anya exchanged confused looks and made their way towards the oncoming vehicles.
Belle grabbed Anya's arm loosely. "Hang on sweetie." Belle whispered. Something didn't feel right to Belle.
Belle watched the Governor whisper something to Merle. Merle's whole body seemed tight and stressed he caught Belle's eye he twitched his head beckoning Belle.
Belle walked towards the man and followed Merle down a small side street Anya was close behind. Merle finally stopped walking and turned to face the girls.
"You girls need to know somethin'." Merle took a deep breath he wasn't sure how the girls would react to his news about the mass execution. "The National Guard weren't attacked by biters, we killed 'em." Both Anya and Belle just stared blankly at Merle. He'd never felt so ashamed in himself and Merle had done a lot of shameful things in his life.
Anya's face changed to a mixture of disappointment and disgust she folded her arms. "Why?"
Merle's eyes moved from Anya to Belle. Belle didn't look at Merle with any form of hate; her eyes were warm and some what sorrowful. She didn't like the thought of Merle being forced to kill. Merle could be called a lot of things but one thing he wasn't was a cold blooded murderer.
"Governor wanted what they had." Merle folded his arms mirroring Anya's stance. "Look I just need you two to understand what sort of man we're dealin' with that way you can both stay safe. Don't trust too much of what he says and don't let on that you know."
Belle wrapped her arms around Merle's neck and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "You're doin what you need too to survive and keep us safe don't you dare for one second think it makes you a bad man Merle Dixon." Belle looked Merle straight in the eyes as she softly rubbed his cheek. "I will stand by you no matter what you need to do to protect us."
Merle took Belle's hand in his and kissed it. "I think ya startin to make me soft woman."
Anya's snorts were heard from behind the couple. "Please, you soft, you're about as soft as a sledge hammer." Anya smiled. "C'mon let's go home I wanna arm wrestle."
After the tenth rematch of arm wrestling Anya had admitted defeat and made her way to bed. Merle was now sprawled across the small sofa he had his damaged arm tucked behind his head and his large legs dangled lazily off the edge. He shut his eyes and gave a large yawn the day had been long and exhausting.
Merle felt a weight on his hips he gave a small smile he knew instantly it was Belle. Merle opened one eye to see Belle straddled on him her eyes held a mischievous spark as she started to run her hands under his dirty top.
"I was tryin to sleep." Merle pulled his other arm behind his head giving him a better view of the woman on top of him.
Belle gave Merle a flirty grin. "Well just thought with Anya in bed we could have some adult time." Belle winked as she moved her hands further up Merle's top letting them rest on his firm chest. Belle pushed her hips to his and a small groan escaped Merle lips. She bent forward and kissed Merle only to be interrupted by a loud knocking at the door. Merle grunted in frustration as Belle dismounted his body. "Hold that thought handsome." She gave Merle a light kiss.
Belle opened the door she stood face to face with the Governor. She placed the politest smile she could muster on her face. "Can I help you?" Belle asked sweetly.
"Is Merle in?" The Governor tried to look in to the house.
Belle looked over at Merle on the sofa, his eyes were closed again he looked so peaceful. She softly pulled the door shut. "He's resting." Belle placed her hand firmly on the doorknob stopping the Governor from entering the house. "So whatever it is can wait until morning."
The Governor placed his hands in his pockets he wasn't used to Belle talking back to him. "Well tomorrow is a big day and I need him now."
Belle stepped forward. "Well I'm telling you Merle needs to rest and I'm not having him disturbed."
The Governor seemed slightly taken aback by Belle's forcefulness. "Well tomorrow is the year anniversary of Woodbury and I assumed..."
Belle was tired and irate all she wanted was to spend time with her family. "You shouldn't assume, when you assume, you make an ass out of u and me." Belle shot back.
The Governor didn't know how to handle Belle's attitude the mild mannered woman had been replaced by a short tempered monster. "Well maybe you're right Merle needs to rest. I'll see him tomorrow."
Belle nodded. "Maybe you'll be kind enough to allow Anya and I breakfast with him tomorrow before you tear him away." She opened the door and gave a sickly sweet smile. "Goodnight."
Belle closed the door leaving a speechless Governor on her porch. Merle was now in a deep sleep on the sofa. Belle ran her hand over his cheek she bent low and placed a small tender kiss on his face. "I'll look after you." She whispered.
Belle picked up an old spare blanket and climbed onto the sofa with Merle. She curled her body tightly to Merle's and draped the blanket over them both. She knew Merle may have the brute strength in their relationship but that didn't mean she couldn't hold her own and protect her family from the Governor.