The Future is a Bad Vine Compilation

"You're both approaching the place where Merle's soul left his body - the cabin. You're both at the cabin. Merle is with y'all, of course. You're walking up the steps, goin' inside…"

Morgan was muttering quietly, explaining what he saw as it played before him in the glass of the crystal ball. His eyes were wider than Beth had ever seen, his gaze locked on the glass ball. His hands hovered around it, fingers spread but completely still. She was on the edge of her seat, breathing as softly and silently as she could manage, listening intently to every word that came out of Morgan's mouth. She wished she could see what he was seeing, trying to picture it in her head so she could store it away somewhere important.

But who was she kidding? There was no way she'd forget anything he'd told her today. Especially when it was brief glimpses of her future.

Despite her nerves and the ball of anxiety that had formed in her stomach, Daryl's presence was like a comforting weight at her side. He leaned in too, elbows rested on the table next to hers. His jaw was clenched and his shoulders were tense as he listened.

Morgan let out a sigh and said, "An' now I see you two leaving the cabin - and Beth is stronger. Her aura is glowing bright, her Gift has grown more powerful. It looks like you two know where you're going. You're climbing onto a bike and riding away together." He sighed again and shook his head, squinting down at the glass. "Merle is happy. But fearful."

Merle scoffed from where he stood behind Morgan and grumbled something under his breath, but they ignored it. Morgan let out another sigh and Beth realized that he was sighing every time the scene before him changed. His glimpses were lasting no more than five or ten seconds each.

"It's - it's All Hallow's Eve," he went on. "There are people in costumes with red cups in their hands, a big black SUV with dark tinted windows - "

"All Hallow's Eve?" Daryl interrupted.

"Halloween," Beth clarified without a glance in his direction, still staring at Morgan and hanging on his every word.

"Yes, Halloween," Morgan said, his stare remaining steady on the glass. He squinted and frowned. "There's… the man. I recognize the back of his head, the limp in his left leg."

Beth's heart skipped and she gasped aloud. Morgan shut his eyes for a long second and took in a deep breath. When he opened them, he met Beth's gaze over the top of the crystal ball. The expression on his face made her breath hitch in her chest.

"There's gonna be a party," he said flatly.

"A Halloween party?" Daryl guessed.

Morgan nodded, though his gaze remained locked onto Beth's. His eyes seemed to darken as he spoke his next words:

"You cannot go to this party, Beth Greene… But you must."

She furrowed her brow and struggled to take in a breath. Her voice came out small and fearful. "What d'you mean?"

"That doesn't make sense," Daryl backed her up.

Morgan's eyebrows rose and he kept staring intently at Beth. "You must attend this party." He glanced at Daryl and added, "Both of you. It will be risky. It could turn out badly for everyone involved. But your attendance to this party will be vital to fulfilling Papa Legba's deal."

Merle laughed. "A party? What're you gonna tell 'em next, that they gotta start snortin' coke? Great advice, Swamp Witch. Can ya tell 'em ta visit a strip club too, while yer at it? Been a while since I saw a nice pair of tits."

Morgan turned to Merle briefly. "Someone at that party is going to be the key to fixing your mistake. So maybe you should keep your mind open."

Merle's lips snapped shut and his smile instantly disappeared. He went back to appearing uncomfortable and tense as he stood against the wall.

"Not that I'm doubtin' you or anything," Daryl interjected, eyes narrowed. "But how d'you expect us ta go to a party in the middle of tryin' ta hunt down a murderer? Why can't we jus' find this person somewhere else?"

Morgan folded his hands atop the table and looked back at Daryl with a plain face. He shrugged. "I wasn't allowed to see that far. I'm telling you everything I know."

Beth was worrying her lower lip and trying to process the new information in her head. But she spoke up now, full of uncertainty. "Well, that might be a problem 'cause I don't go to parties. Like, I don't get invited. I don't know anybody that's throwin' any - unless it's my sister. Was it Maggie? Did you see?"

Morgan shook his head. "It was not your sister's party. I didn't see who it was, but I know that the path will lead you there. Don't turn down any invitations."

Beth frowned but nodded in understanding. "Was Rick there?" She asked.

"I didn't see him, but that doesn't mean anything," Morgan replied. "Like I said, I'm only getting brief glimpses."

"Alright, well," Daryl interjected. "The cabin, an SUV with tinted windows, a Halloween party, the guy with the limp… What else ya got?"

Morgan smirked at that and resumed his previous position in front of the crystal ball, leaning forward to gaze into the glass with his open hands hovered around it. The glowing intensified, pulsing like a heartbeat once more, as though it were responding to his silent commands. Beth's necklace remained atop the ball and she tried to ignore how naked her neck felt without it.

A few seconds later, Morgan was muttering again.

"There he is - your friend, Rick. He looks concerned. Oh…" Morgan's voice trailed off and then he was sighing. "And now he looks determined. I see stacks of papers - dusty old files. A computer. A blonde woman shedding light upon the correct path. Ah - and along the way, this Rick fellow will meet his future wife. How sweet."

Beth and Daryl exchanged a perplexed look before turning back to Morgan.

"Future wife?" Beth repeated.

Morgan shrugged and glanced over at her indifferently. "That's what I saw. Didn't get an actual look at her, but it felt like love at first sight. And from what I've been shown, they won't meet for a very long time if not for your intervention."

Beth blinked, stunned and speechless. It was one thing to know that Daryl's entire soul rested in her hands, but to know that Rick Grimes' future - or anyone else's - was also depending on her choices? How was she supposed to handle that? How would she ever be able to make the right choices?

"Don't be surprised when your path merges with the paths of others," Morgan explained calmly, reading the expression on her face. "Everything on this plane is connected."

"What, like the Butterfly Effect or summ'n?" Daryl asked.

Morgan smiled and gave Daryl a look of pleasant surprise. "Yes, Daryl. Exactly like the Butterfly Effect. Everything you do in your life will affect the lives of others, just as it always has."

"So no pressure or anything," Beth muttered, wringing her hands together nervously in her lap.

"Don't be disparaged," Morgan assured. "Now is not the time to lose heart, Beth. You're getting far more help than you would've normally gotten. Let's try to look at the bright side of things."

"Okay - but who was the blonde woman?" She asked, trying not to think about how heavy the weight on her shoulders was becoming. "Are you sure you weren't jus' seeing me again?"

Morgan chuckled, shaking his head. "It wasn't you. I didn't see anything more than her blonde hair and the dim light she will be offering, but judging from her aura, she's closer to my age. She holds an important key to unlocking the puzzle surrounding Merle's death."

Beth swallowed hard and mulled over this new information, wracking her brain for every blonde woman she'd ever known. But there was no way that anyone she knew would have anything to do with Merle or his death, so who could it be? Would she have to go around intruding on new people's lives throughout this whole journey, just like she'd had to do with Daryl?

"Ain't no blonde broad ever helped me none," Merle grumbled. Beth clenched her jaw and ignored him.

She felt Daryl's eyes on her and knew he could sense her deep uncertainty. He cleared his throat and asked Morgan, "Well, what else can you tell us?"

Morgan gazed down into the crystal ball once more but frowned. He shook his head. "It's gone blurry again. I've already been allowed to see more than I should have."

Beth opened her mouth, prepared to offer more help in any way possible. But then Morgan's lips snapped shut and his eyes widened in surprise. The crystal ball pulsated with a bright glow, drawing him in closer.

He smiled eagerly and lifted his gaze to look at Daryl.

"The photo in your wallet - may I borrow it for a moment?" He asked.

Daryl appeared taken aback at the request, sitting up straight and glaring at Morgan with a stunned expression on his face. He blinked and froze for a moment, but then he wordlessly pulled his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans and opened it.

Beth watched as he slipped out a folded piece of plastic and handed it across the table. She quickly realized it was the photo he'd pulled out of the statue the night before. Morgan took it with careful fingers, treating the photo like it were made of glass. He unfolded it and glanced at it, smiling when he saw the image. Then he placed it gently atop the crystal ball, balanced over Beth's necklace.

It was like the crystal ball was absorbing energy from the objects laid upon it - the glass immediately began to glow brighter, pulsating faster and faster. Morgan stared with wide eyes, though he didn't lean back or away. In fact, he leaned in closer. Even when the light changed from a warm yellow to a deep, blood red.

Suddenly, the inside of the cabin was bathed in a red glow. The crystal ball shone brighter and brighter, pulsing with crimson light. Beth and Daryl's eyes had gone just as wide as Morgan's and they reflexively leaned back from the table, confused and a little scared. Merle's jaw had dropped open behind Morgan and he watched with astonishment, trying to figure out what the hell was happening.

As Morgan watched whatever was playing in the glass before him, his smile faltered and faded into a frown. The lines in his forehead grew deeper with every second until he appeared nothing less than distressed. He pressed his lips tightly together, nodding here and there as he comprehended the glimpses he was being shown.

Beth looked over, hoping to silently communicate with Daryl, but his attention was completely fixed on Morgan and the red glow emanating from the crystal ball. Without hesitation, she reached over and grasped his hand. It had been balled into a fist rested on his leg, but as soon as she covered it with her own, it unclenched. He shot her a glance of uncertainty while turning his palm over and pressing it against hers, calloused fingers wrapping around her hand. She gave a reassuring squeeze and his shoulders seemed to relax just the slightest.

We're in this together, she wanted to say. Wherever it might take us. We'll figure it out.

Though she wasn't sure if she was trying to assure Daryl or herself at this point.

He nodded as though he knew what she was thinking and looked back to Morgan and the crystal ball. She chewed on her lower lip and tried not to squeeze Daryl's hand too tightly when Morgan let out a hmph of disappointment - or puzzlement. She couldn't tell exactly what the sound meant.

Just as suddenly as it had begun, the red glow disappeared. As did any light that was emanating from the crystal ball. It couldn't have lasted more than twenty seconds at the most, but a red tint remained over Beth's vision. She blinked it away and stared across the table at Morgan, watching with baited breath as his eyes finally flicked up. He was still frowning, his brow creased heavily. He looked at Daryl.

"Money," Morgan whispered, his voice coming out hoarse and half-choked. "Money, money, money. Greed. Anger. Vengeance… And murder. So much death. So much pain."

"Yeah, that's the Dixon story alrigh'," Merle chimed in. "Gonna have ta be a li'l more specific there, buddy."

But Daryl was clearly taking it much more seriously. His hand gripped Beth's and he hesitantly asked, "That's what you saw? About… me?"

Morgan pressed his lips into a thin line and nodded, blinking slowly. He folded his hands atop the table in front of him, finished with the crystal ball and focusing his attention completely on Daryl and Beth. He didn't acknowledge any of the sounds or mumbled remarks from Merle, who was posted up against the wall behind him.

"All that and more," Morgan said plainly. "Your relationship with Merle changed drastically in the months leading up to your father's death. Were you angry because your big brother saw you as a victim? Or because you knew he would never be strong enough to bear the weight of forgiveness?"

Daryl furrowed his brow and his hand went stiff in Beth's. She could see his adam's apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed hard.

Then he growled, "I jus' knew I'd never hear the fuckin' end of it. What's that gotta do with anythin'?"

Merle leapt forward, leaning across the table and jabbing an accusatory finger at Daryl. "You dumb fuck - I wanted ta kill that asshole all my life but I never had a good enough reason to! I couldn't prove he set the fire but I fuckin' knew it." He spoke as though Daryl could hear him, the pent-up fury evident in his tone as it burst from his mouth. "I could forgive all the whoopin's he gave me 'fore I moved out, but findin' out that he beat you when I wasn't lookin'? That was the last fucking straw. You knew I'd fuckin' kill him. That's why you got so goddamn upset - that's why you tried ta defend that piece a shit. Those beatin's didn't do shit fer you 'cause ya still turned out a yellow-bellied, goddamn pussy!"

Beth stiffened. For once, she was grateful that Daryl couldn't hear the things his dead brother was saying. Though Morgan appeared unaffected, not even bothering with a glance towards Merle.

His frown deepened, his brown eyes remaining set on Daryl as he calmly interpreted Merle's message. "When Merle saw the scars on your back, it changed everything. There's no denying that. And when you heard about your father's death, you knew - deep down - that Merle was the culprit… Didn't you?"

Daryl narrowed his eyes and grunted. "Nah. I was jus' fed up with his shit. He wouldn't stop pushin' me an' pushin' me - I finally had enough. That fight was the last straw. The bullshit 'bout my scars didn't mean nothin', it was just somethin' else ta fight about. Merle was always findin' reasons ta get pissed an' make it all about him."

"Oh, fuck off!" Merle snapped, waving a hand dismissively and turning away for a moment to shake his head in disgust.

"He mighta been an asshole, but I never really thought he'd kill anybody," Daryl went on. "Not even our old man. Fer any reason."

"Yeah," Merle quipped. "You always did underestimate me, baby brother."

"So be it," Morgan said, indifferent. "But you undeniably had your doubts about the fire that took your mother's life. And Merle never wanted to hear any of it. Such strife was bound to put another wedge in your already strained relationship."

Daryl shrugged. "I guess," he mumbled, his face shadowed with doubt.

"Because he knew the truth just as well as you did," Morgan said simply. "Yet it took seeing the scars on your back to finally convince him. There was no longer any question of if, only how. And after that… the only question remaining was when Merle would avenge his mother's death and his baby brother's suffering."

Daryl narrowed his eyes, scowling. "You tryin' ta tell me that I shoulda known my brother would commit patricide?"

Morgan shook his head. "Not at all."

Beth could feel Daryl's hand gripping her own harder and harder. She knew it was reflexive and gave his hand a squeeze, reminding him to remain present. His grip softened but his shoulders stayed tense. He was about to chew a hole through his bottom lip.

She spoke up, "So what's all that have to do with Merle being dead? The money? What else were you able to see?"

Morgan cleared his throat and glanced away, pausing to grab the photo and necklace off the top of his crystal ball and hand them back to Daryl and Beth before he responded. They finally pulled their hands apart. Beth quickly clasped her necklace back on, letting out a small sigh of relief as soon as she felt the familiar weight of the cross hanging against her chest. Daryl shoved the photo back into his wallet and immediately began chewing on his thumbnail nervously.

"Once again, I was only allowed brief glimpses," Morgan explained, eyes flicking back and forth between Beth and Daryl. "But I have no doubt that there is some kind of money involved in Merle's murder. Perhaps it was the killer's motivation."

Merle's voice cracked. "Shit."

Beth looked over at him to see his face had gone pale. She recognized the expression he was wearing, despite the fact he was quickly trying to cover it up once he realized she'd heard him.

"Sound familiar?" She asked bitterly. "What are you leavin' out this time?"

Morgan turned in his chair to look back at Merle expectantly. "Care to share with the rest of the class?"

Merle scowled and shoved his hands into his pockets, struggling to feign a confident smirk. A shadow of dread clouded his icy blue eyes. "Money or no money, I always had a feelin' that piece of shit had help."

Beth stared at him quizzically, waiting for him to go on. When he didn't, she spat, "And? What piece of shit, specifically?"

"His father," Morgan cut in, as though it were obvious.

Merle's wary gaze flicked over to Morgan and he scowled again. "The hell you askin' me for if you already know?"

"Oh, I don't," Morgan assured. "But I do know how to use context clues. From what I saw and from the expression on yer face right now… Well, I'd say you're pretty damn scared, Merle. Terrified even."

"The fuck I am."

"Tell us: what's got you so frightened?"

Daryl interjected, "Are y'all talkin' to him right now? Is he even sayin' anything worth hearing?"

"Yes," Beth quickly answered, shooting him a look of reassurance. He nodded back with pursed lips and the frustration was evident on his face. He was getting impatient. Beth could relate - though Daryl had no idea how much more difficult Merle was making it all out to be.

"What is it, Merle?" Morgan urged.

Merle slashed an arm through the air and stepped away, turning his back to them and grumbling under his breath. Beth was about to snap at him again but then he turned around and glared at them.

"Look, I got no fuckin' clue who the asshole was that killed me. If I did, I wouldn't be wastin' my time comin' out to the fuckin' swamps with some bimbo," he said, voice rising with agitation. "But it can't be no goddamn coincidence that me an' my old man died less'an a year apart. I didn't know about the money till afterwards - that ain't no lie, I'd swear it on my mama's grave. Never thought anybody else knew either. But if that's why I got fuckin' hanged… Well, ya know what that means."

He looked to Morgan, eyes narrowed. Then he growled out, "Don'tcha, Swamp Witch?"

Beth blinked and quickly glanced to Morgan, who was slowly turning in his chair to face her and Daryl once more. His brown eyes flicked up and met hers. They were filled with trepidation.

The pieces clicked together in her head and her heart dropped. Her voice was weak and breathy as she tried to speak. "You don't mean…"

Morgan nodded solemnly. He looked at Daryl and raised his eyebrows. Daryl leaned in closer.

"What?" He asked. "What is it? What'd he tell ya?"

"Not only is your soul in danger," Morgan replied. "But your life may be, as well. Whoever killed Merle will most likely be coming after you next."

Daryl didn't react for several long and tense seconds. Beth was holding her breath, watching him and waiting for the inevitable outburst of rage. She wanted to reach out and grasp his hand again but she was too tentative. What if it only made him angrier?

He didn't get angry at all, though. When Morgan's words finally sank in, Daryl merely grunted and sat back in his chair.

For a moment, Beth wondered if he'd actually comprehended the statement. Then he shook his head, frowning.

"Well shit," he sighed. "Guess I shoulda seen that one comin'."

to be continued...

A/N: Sorry for the wait on this chapter but we are now back to our regularly scheduled fic updates. And I just want to say thank you to everyone who continues to read every new chapter ;) Your reviews never fail to make me smile and laugh. Your support means the world to me!
Don't forget that the 2019 Moonshine Award nominations are now open! Check out the ultimatebethylficlist website or tumblr for details :D