"Come on Officer you ain't got fuck all on me and you know it" Rick wanted to punch the guys lights out, after all he had done to Carol and what he was still doing he needed locking up the keys thrown away. Hearing the door open he saw the file Glenn had
"Oh look it's the china man thought you were in Atlanta" Glenn ignored him, he had always disliked Ed never understood what Carol saw in him and as for Beth she was just a kid, she was still too young to know her own mind, she thought she was in love.
"Thanks Glenn"
"No problem Rick" he replied as he shut the door, Rick threw the file on the table
"See this file, that is what we have on you so far, and it ain't pretty, Do you get my meaning"
"Yeah and..." Ed reached for it, opening it he saw a disc, he looked at Rick then back down laughing
"Did he like his gift?"
"You are damn lucky he ain't here now and he is busy protecting his woman"
"And the baby?" Rick almost lost it
"Yes his woman and his baby"
"You know all you have on me is this, which ok I admit I did it against her will, but I will never confess to it" Rick leaned forward his lips pulled back
"Ya just did dickhead"
"Can't be used against me though and as for the car well I wanted to take a nice drive down a lane"
"You went against the injunction"
"Now how was I to know that she lived there, it was a quiet country lane, a lonely farmhouse, and I have never been to this area, Try again Officer"
"Nice try Ed, not this time though" Ed sat back waiting, he counted slowly in his head, then looked at Rick
"When I get down to zero, the Chinaman will come in and say I have bail" Rick was fuming, he was right the bastard
"5,4,3,2,1" The door opened
"Rick, he has bail,"
"Fuck" Ed laughed as he walked out, he knew the paperwork needed doing and he would be charged, still they had nothing, set in stone. Rick followed out to complete all the paperwork, they needed one bit of proof that he had written the death threats, just some sign, anything then they would have him. Yet Ed knew just how far to push it, just how far he could take it to the edge. yet he had never really dealt with a pissed off Dixon, a very protective pissed off Dixon. Looking up he saw a battered Beth in reception, his heart broke, was this what she really wanted. Going to her as they sorted ED's belongings out he pulled her to the side
"Beth sweetheart is this what you wan?, look at you honey" She flinched when he touched her arm, if Ed saw him he would take it out on her,
"Leave me alone" she spoke through gritted teeth pushing him back, it reminded Rick so much of Carol when she was with Ed
"Honey he cannot be allowed to get away with this, you can press charges"
"I don't know what you mean officer I fell" with that she turned away waiting for ED at the desk,
Rick finished the paperwork his eyes full of sympathy for the girl, his hands tied, just like they had been with Carol. Until she was ready to pull away he could do nothing. Ed signed the papers, the smirk on his face, rubbing Rick up the wrong way. As he watched them walk out Ed turned to him and walked back, his words soft so no one could hear him but then man they were intended for.
"You keep an eye on Carol, she ain' t safe with those Dixon's, Have you not seen the bruises on her,? Wondered if he is beating her, can't stand men who do that"
"Get out!"
"She would be so upset if she lost the baby" he walked out laughing his arm around Beth. Rick picked the phone up.
"She fucking bailed him, like you said. Daryl he's sick in the head, be careful Yeah I know. But he brought the baby up, saying how upset she would be when she lost it" putting the phone down on a very pissed off Dixon, he went to find Glenn and Dale, they would track Ed again. He was within in his rights to stay there in the town just not close to Carol.
They had just arrived home when Daryl received the call, his phone went flying across the room hitting the wall and smashing to the floor. Ed had pushed his buttons, it was time to take the bastard out. luckily Carol and Andrea were sat outside on the porch enjoying the afternoon sun, she didn't see his reaction but Merle had.
"Ok lil brother tell me"
"Stupid Bitch bailed him"
"Ya knew that would happen. He threatened Carol didn't he?" Daryl just stared at the wall, his hands clenching tight, he wanted to hit, hurt, kill anyone that thought they could threaten his family, the one good thing that he loved more than anything and some little shit just threatened it. Merle could see how on edge his brother was it was more than Carol ,Fuck he knew what it was
"He threatened them both didn't he? Carol and the baby"
"I WILL FUCKING SKIN HIM ALIVE IF HE LAY ONE HAND ON THEM"
"Calm down lil brother, she's safe with us, with Andrea, we can..."
"No she ain't, I'm taking her to mine"
"That burnt down when pa"
"No not our old home I'm taking her to my haven in the woods, she will be safe, until this blows over, until Rick or Dale get something on Ed to put him away. WE are going to where I lived for the last few years" Merle nodded, he understood, but he wasn't going alone no fucking way
"How long eh Daryl?, ya can't hide forever"
"Wish we could keep her safe, keep them both safe, I don't trust him not one inch. He has something planned of that I am sure. Your right though can't hide forever, may take a few weeks away. Give us a break from it, give us chance to know each other. Then we will be stronger to get through this. She's drained from it all, more so that Beth is behind it too. We can just relax forget it all even if it is for a few weeks"
"When do we go?"
"Not you just us"
"I won't say it again lil brother when do we go?"
"Glad you are with me on this, thanks Merle"
"Ain't losing ya again lil brother, no fucking way lost ya for over two years, not having ya gone again" Daryl could feel the love his brother had for him and smiled at him as they hugged
"Get yourself and Andrea packed for tomorrow, I will talk to Carol and sort the rest"
"No problem, It will be nice to finally see where the hell ya disappeared to"
"Merle we will be in the forest, no TV"
"Ah well time Andrea and I tried for a baby" he smirked as he went out to get his woman
Daryl looked out over the mountains, hoping Carol would be ok with what he was going to do. Normally he would face and fight, but this time he had too much to lose. Picking the phone up, he spoke with them all who were under him. Even though he had been away from the job for a while, he had very loyal staff, who he classed more as friends, equals and not employee's. Hence why they stuck so close to him, One thing Ed didn't have, were friends who would help him no questions asked, Daryl did.
Happy he got it all sorted, he headed out to find his woman, explain what was happening, then the group were coming round later to complete things. He walked out to the porch a tea in his hand, she looked relaxed as she leaned her head against the large over sized chair looking out across the mountains.
"When do we go Daryl?" he sat down by her feet, giving her the tea he had made, it settled her, in the small time he had known her, he noticed this among other things. He moved closer in between her legs, turning himself so his back rested on the chair, her hands automatically running through his hair. She knew without being told, that small act he needed, it was how his ma use to comfort him or assure him things would be ok. His eyes looked out to the mountains as he enjoyed the moment, he sighed knowing he had to let her know what was happening.
"You following me without question baby?" he traced a slow pattern on her shoeless foot, as he waited for her answer.
"Yes, you have never made me doubt you, so why would I now?" Never had a woman trusted him like his pixie, but then he had never given her reason not too.
"You know what that means to me? How much that means to me woman, that ya would follow me without thought" her hands continued playing with his hair,as his head rolled back to look up into her face.
"Never doubt yourself Dixon ever"
"It's only for a few weeks baby, just for us to get our heads together" he smiled at her smirk
"You only want me to yourself so we can make love without anyone hearing admit it, This is an excuse to take me somewhere private"
"Damn ya caught me" her head dropped down, as he met her lips halfway. Turning he pulled her to him his head now resting on her stomach his elbows on her knees as she sat and waited for him to continue
"This place I wanna take you, is my safe haven. I want to show you where I was, why I didn't want to leave. Take us away from this"
"Daryl, since you have come into my life, I have no fear of Ed anymore, today seeing him in the dinner didn't scare me like it should. He has lost the power over me, more so since you watched that disk and you knew I had been forced, you knew I never enjoyed it. He had hoped it would send you away from me, then I would go running back to him. I knew then how much you loved me, a man in love would see if his woman was happy or not. So yes I would love to see this place of yours, however we are unable to go until day after tomorrow as I have a signing I have committed to awhile back. It is tomorrow night"
"Shit! Cant ya get out of it?"
"Are you asking me to cancel an appointment, when you pratically roared at me awhile back how I was to be seen out in public"
"Knew my damn words would come back to haunt me. Fuck! Now I gotta tell Merle and Andrea"
"That was one thing you didn't mention them coming with us" he looked up at her, his eyes full of sorrow hoping she wouldn't get mad
"I kinda forget baby do ya mind?"
"Good job I don't isn't it?"
"Well at least I get to dress up for ya again, I know how hot I made ya in my white shirt, Want me to wear soemthing like that for ya"
"You could go naked, no take that back ain't having anyone seeing that body of yours. Only me, you belong to me Daryl Dixon and you have the marks to prove it"
"I know baby ya branded me ain't wanting anyone else"
"Well guess I need to get up and see what to wear tomorrow night. Can you remind Merle and Andrea they promised to come with us" raising to his feet, he held his hand out to help her get up kissing her hard, he guided them into the house.