Daryl stood stiffly waiting on Will to come in. He'd yet to speak to him since they were in the truck. If he didn't already have a headache he would have developed one alone from the tension. He couldn't recall a time when Will wouldn't even look at him. Mac and Merle were always getting shit for something. They were always in fights, partying, and fucking everything coming around. Daryl though- he'd been the one who flew under the radar. He never wanted to disappoint Will. The man done everything he could for them and they didn't want for anything, ever.
A loud thump outside had him flinching and he cut his eyes over. He could hear Mac out there with Jess, Annette, Hershel, Shawn, Maggie, Beth and whoever else had showed up since he'd been sent in here. Shelby was pawing at the door on the outside still and he wanted to let her in but knew the second he moved Will was going to come through that door and snap at him. It had his muscles locking up.
Then there was the fact that Carol wasn't home yet. She wasn't fucking here! He was forcing himself to be calm because if he didn't he was going to go out there and get on his bike and go straight to her dad's. Then wouldn't that be some fucking shit. He'd run his mouth and Daryl would really lose it. An epic finish to his horror show of a fucking day.
He didn't even want to think about the fact that her mother could be with her. Sure he knew of her mother, hell he'd been around her, but he never spoke to her. He'd never had cause to. Now here he was going to tell her that her daughter lived with him. Which itself would have her looking at him like he had grown two heads but add in he was a Dixon, he was fucked. He wasn't even the charming brother or the funny one, he wasn't his brothers. He was the awkward one who avoided people.
The door opened and Daryl bit his lip as Will moved further into the room. He leaned against the desk in the room and Daryl felt his eyes on him. He flexed his fingers feeling the sting of busted knuckles and bruising.
"She's almost here." Daryl felt his breath leave him and he nodded but still didn't look at the man. Will huffed at him and shook his head. "You got your ass arrested for knocking Philip the fuck out."
Daryl nodded sharply and lifted his eyes to his dad. He didn't regret it one fucking bit. If he went back he knew he'd react the fucking same. Will regarded him silently. His arms were crossed over his chest and his thumb and forefinger gripped his chin as he arched a brow.
Mac cut his eyes to the door and grit his teeth. Will was too harsh on Daryl. It wasn't like he went out and started a fight for the fucking fun of it. He went in there and the motherfucker ran his mouth. Daryl didn't get attached to people and damn sure not women, so of course when that cocksucker said that about Carol -Daryl would snap. Hell if he'd been there he'd ripped his goddamn face off and fed it too him. He wasn't about to have someone disrespect his brother or Carol. He might not be the one dipping his dick in her but it wasn't just that with Carol. Daryl genuinely cared for her and that fucking meant something, not just to Daryl but to all of them. She was family now. It meant you don't open your fucking mouth where she's concerned.
Mac stormed into the kitchen and huffed when Natalie shot him a dirty look. He was getting tired of her attitude and it was really grating his nerves right now. He wasn't even sure why she was here right now. Hell he'd not talked to her here lately. Had no reason to and without Carol here she had no reason to be lingering in his house. It was weird, she was weird. Rubbing a hand over his face he looked towards the door again and heard her huff. Eyes landing on her he stepped towards her and she tried to smile. It didn't reach her eyes and he knew his were unfriendly.
"What the fuck is your problem?" Mac snarled his voice dropping low.
Annette's party was just starting and people were trickling in more and more.
Natalie crossed her arms over her chest, "YOU! You're so concerned with your brother did you forget that I'm here? Did you forget about your girlfriend?"
Mac felt a sneer slide onto his face as he glared at her, "Fuck you, try to saddle me with some shit I don't want. You knew when we started fucking it was nothing more than that. He's my goddamn brother, he's my fucking blood- you're a goddamn whore I passed the time with."
Her face paled the more he talked and he felt all his anger uncapping. He was trying to keep from his voice getting louder but he knew at least some people had heard him. If Annette did she would slap him in the mouth. Right now though it would be worth it.
"You're a piece of shit." She hissed.
Mac pointed towards the front of the house just as the front door swung open, "Jump of my dick bitch."
Natalie stood wide eyed looking at him. Mac snatched a beer from the refrigerator and stormed away. He wanted to know what the fuck was going on with his brother's, where the fuck Carol was, and how he could talk her mom into his bed. The last thought made him snort. Just as he tipped the beer back Merle stepped inside. His eyes were pensive and he arched a brow. Mac pointed to Will's office and Merle nodded and didn't even knock before walking in. Mac huffed but stood back and watched as Carol walked in. He could tell she'd been crying and he felt his heart beat pick up.
Carol smiled at him but he could tell it was forced. He took another drink of his beer and could hear Natalie behind him but ignored her. Mac pulled Carol straight to him and her arms wrapped around his torso and her face pressed into his chest. He wrapped his arm around her while balancing his beer skillfully.
"He's fine." Mac was speaking low.
He looked up seeing Carol's mother step inside. She arched a brow at him and he done the same back at her. She knew which brother he was and no doubt knew that Carol was supposed to be with Daryl. Maybe confusing the fuck out of her mother would be more fun than trying to nail her. He grinned and her eyebrow only climbed higher. He waggled his eyebrows at her and tightened his arm around Carol.
Merle's voice barking into the other room had Mac tensing and looking over his shoulder. Natalie was walking into the hall then and sneered at him. He would have slapped her if he had a hand free. He liked women better when they didn't talk and just bent over, he wasn't interested in a relationship and this bitch knew it. She wasn't trapping him.
Mac released Carol and kissed her temple shooting Natalie a look. She huffed but stepped closer to Carol. Maybe he should tell Carol that her harlot friend eyefucks her boyfriend all the time. That she wanted to trade him for Daryl. Because he knew that was exactly what the fuck it was. If she'd thought she'd had a chance with Daryl she would have pursued him instead.
Carol patted Mac's chest as he turned and grabbed the door handle, "Have they ate?" He shook his head and Carol took his beer from him. Mac grabbed for it again and Carol shook her head, "Merle's already mad and we don't need a bottle that can be thrown in the mix."
Mac grinned at her and held his hands up. "You got me there, doll."
Mac slipped in the room and Will looked over. He threw his hands up in the air and shook his head.
"REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENED!" Will barked, "I will not have my fucking sons running around like fucking criminals starting fights and getting arrested."
Merle puffed up and shook his head, "YOU weren't there! He didn't start that goddamn fight but he damn sure finished it!"
Daryl chewed his thumbnail and Mac slid over to him. He leaned into Daryl's side. "Carol's mom is totally fuckable." His voice was low, whispered only to Daryl. "I bet Marcus hasn't given it to her good the entire time they've been together."
Daryl snorted and Will's eyes shot over to them, "YOU think this is fucking funny?"
Mac nodded and shrugged, "Yeah I do."
Will leaned forward his hands landing on his desk, "This isn't a joke."
"When Marcus called your wife, their mother, someone you fucking cared about a whore all those years ago what did you do?" Mac snapped, "You beat the fuck out of him because she was with you. You weren't even married yet."
Will's eyes softened slightly and he hung his head. Mac pushed on, "Giving Daryl shit for the same goddamn thing you've done is some bullshit. Would you rather Daryl let people talk shit to her? Beat her maybe, fuck lets just really go for it and ignore the fact that her goddamn dad is going to looking for her really now."
Daryl tensed next to him and a growl rumbled in his chest. Mac looked over and the vision of Daryl's face was something he'd never seen. He looked ready to kill. Yeah, Carol wasn't just a passing fuck.
"Goddamn." Will muttered setting heavily in his seat. "Don't look for trouble but don't take no shit, boys."
Mac started humming as they all stood. Will groaned knowing the beat immediately and Merle guffawed. Daryl was quiet next to him and fidgeting.
Merle threw his arm over Daryl's shoulder, "Come on convict."
Mac cleared his throat as they stepped into the hall. All walking towards the backyard where he knew the firepit would be roaring and his family would be gathered.
"Breaking the law, breaking the law. Breaking the law, breaking the law. Breaking the law, breaking the law. Breaking the law, breaking the law" He sing songed. "Breaking the law, breaking the law, breaking the law, breaking the law"
It started low but then suddenly Daryl's laugh barked loudly echoing out into the yard. Carol turned in the hallway where she was standing talking to her mother and Natalie. Mac kept up his loud singing and winked at her. She abandoned Natalie and rushed straight towards all three brothers. Merle grabbed her on her way by. His arm around her waist lifted her off the ground.
Carol slapped at his arms and Mac grabbed three beers watching. Carol's mom was there now and she seem highly interested in the dynamics. Natalie was eyeing Daryl and Mac felt the urge to bust the bottle on her face. She looked over realizing she'd been caught and looked away.
"Breaking the law, breaking the law, breaking the law, breaking the law." Mac started singing again.
"MERLE LET ME DOWN!" Carol huffed slapping at his chest.
Merle banded both his arms around her torso holding her off the ground solidly against his chest. She looked tiny. Daryl took the beer Mac handed him and raised a brow watching Merle.
"What the fuck are you doing, Merle?"
Merle looked over at Mac and smiled. He knew exactly what Merle was thinking because he'd seen it too. Carol's mother was so confused about which brother it was that Carol was with. Sure she said Daryl but it was too fun to fuck with people. Merle kissed her temple and Carol huffed but smiled. Daryl shook his head at him and motioned for Carol to come to him and Merle relented letting her go.
Carol moved quick almost knocking Daryl down. She was talking against his throat and Mac smiled. He couldn't hear what they were saying but the way her nails were biting into his back told enough. Merle took the other beer and leaned against the counter.
"Is it just me or is Natalie pushing her shit?"
"See those claws in his back?" Mac questioned his voice pitching low, "How long you think it'll be till they are taking her eyes out of her head?"
"The second she realizes that someone is looking at him that way." Merle quipped.
Mac elbowed him, "Should we tell her?"
"Think I'd like to see that cat fight?"
Carol jerked Daryl forward towards her mom and she motioned out of the room. Mac and Merle hung back not wanting to be apart of that. Sure they'd fuck with her but they weren't about to suffer the mother hen wrath that Daryl was about to get. That woman was use to her little girl being saintly and virginal. Merle chuckled and they stepped outside to the party.