Chapter 23: David and Goliath

Daryl skipped home with his fishing pole over one shoulder and three trout over the other. He had gotten up very early, before dawn and spent the morning fishing.

The pole was a gift he had just received from Gramps a few weeks earlier for his sixth birthday. His Grammy and Gramps were visiting from Ridgeville, Alabama to see there estranged daughter, Melinda Dixon and their two grandsons, Merle and Daryl.

Of course the visit did not go well but Daryl got to see his grandparents and his Gramps gave him one of the only birthday presents Daryl had ever received.

"A boy your age needs to know how to fish," Gramps said after Daryl tore the Bugs Bunny wrapping paper off the awkwardly wrapped fishing pole. His eyes lit up with such joy when he looked at the shiny fishing pole. It was a brand new gift bought just for him. It was like nothing he'd ever seen before. Since receiving it, he had fished every day in the creek a half mile behind the run-down, two-bedroom house they lived in. It was a peaceful escape from the constant chaos and abuse at home.

As Daryl got closer to his house this morning, he could already hear the yelling. He watched his mama run out of the house onto the front porch. He was about to run up to her when he saw his pa bolt through the door next.

When Daryl laid eyes on an angry Wade Dixon, he froze in place. He dropped the trout and his beloved fishing pole before running to hide behind the fat trunk of the sycamore tree in the front yard. He trembled as he peaked around the tree trunk to see what was happening.

Daryl watched his pa grab his mama by the hair and snap her back towards him. "Let me go!" she cried out.

Wade held her by her hair as he wrestled his keys out of her hand. Once he retrieved the keys, he pushed her into the rail on the porch. "Get the hell outta here then and leave," he yelled back, "but you ain't takin' my truck, you stupid bitch! You can walk!"

"Please, Wade, just give me the keys," Melinda plead as she pulled herself off the ground. "I can't walk. If I I'm late to work again they're gonna fire me."

Daryl watched his pa hold his belly as he laughed. "Oh no, you're gonna lose your job changin' sheets and scrubbin' toilets at that fleabag motel!"

"Well one of us has to work! We can't both sit around the house drinkin' all day long! You ain't even goin' anywhere. Just gimme the damn keys!"

"I said for you to walk so you better get to it! Them toilets ain't gonna scrub the shit off themselves," Wade laughed again as he opened the door to go inside.

Before Wade could go back into the house, Melinda ran back up onto the porch and snatched the keys from his hand. She spun around quickly and ran to the pick-up truck parked on the lawn. She opened the door and jumped inside. She stuck the keys into the ignition as she started to close the door. But it was too late. Wade angrily swung the door open. He pulled her out of the truck by her hair and threw her to the ground.

Daryl watched in terror as his pa climbed on top of his mama. He made a fist, then slammed it into her face three times before he stood up. Wade was out of breath as he walked towards the truck. Daryl thought his pa was leaving and let out a sigh of relief. He came out from behind the sycamore tree and was about to walk towards his mama as she lay sprawled out on the ground.

"No!" mama whispered loudly, "stay back! Run and hide, Daryl!" Little Daryl went back to the safety of his hiding spot behind the tree. He watched as his father came back from the truck, dangling the keys in his hand.

"You still want the keys?" Wade asked in a menacing tone as he approached her.

Melinda sat up and tried to crawl away from him. "No!" she cried in terror. "I'll walk! I'll walk to work! Please Wade!"

Daryl watched as he kicked her back down to the ground and stood over her. He never remembered him looking bigger or more vicious than he did in that moment. To six-year-old Daryl, his pa looked the size of a grizzly bear. Wade dropped to the ground and climbed on top of her again. "You wanted the keys right? Well here they are!" Wade's face was bright red as he took the truck key and jammed it into her ear.

"Nooo!" Melinda Dixon screamed out in pain. "Stop please!" she begged.

Daryl's eyes widened in horror as he watched the blood run down the side of his mama's face and into her shiny, blonde hair. Pa no! Daryl screamed inside his head. Stop it! Don't hurt mama! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! Please! Daryl wanted to say the words out loud but he couldn't. He was frozen in fear. His pa didn't even know he was there and if he did know, Daryl was sure he would come after him next.

Wade finally climbed off of Melinda and walked back inside the house. Daryl stared at his crying mother as she laid on the ground in agony, holding her bloody ear. He wanted desperately to go to her and help her...to clean the blood off her face with his bandana or at least help her get up from the ground but he couldn't. He stood there with his feet planted firmly in the grass. He'd never been this scared before.

Daryl finally crept out from behind the sycamore tree. He walked in the direction where his mama laid, still crying on the ground. He inched closer and closer towards her as he carefully watched the door to make sure his pa wasn't coming back. Suddenly, Daryl heard a noise coming from inside the house. It was his pa and he was sure he was coming for him next.

Daryl couldn't help his mama and even if he could, it wouldn't be worth the wrath of Wade Dixon. Terrified, he quickly backed up from her as he stared at the door. He picked up the trout he'd caught that morning along with his new fishing pole and ran back towards the creek. Daryl ran as fast as his dirty, bare feet could carry him. As he ran, he looked over his shoulder at his mama, still on the ground bleeding. He didn't go back home that day. He convinced himself that his mama was probably dead and that it was his fault for not doing anything to save her.

…..

Daryl walked through the camp assuredly. The mask he wore gave him the run of the camp as he searched for Connie. It was a large camp though and he felt like she could be anywhere.

Daryl's instincts and reflexes were impeccable but his mind was quickly spinning out of control. Where the hell is she? he asked as he looked everywhere. He went from tent to tent looking for her but each time he pulled open a door, all he found were the faces of strangers, hiding from the attack.

The longer he searched for Connie, the more he felt like he was drowning in his anxiety. She ain't here, he said to himself. She probably ain't never been here. I didn't get here in time and they killed her!

As he walked through the camp, thoughts of Connie filled his spinning head. He pictured her brushing her fingertips down over his eyelids when she forced him to rest in the watchtower in Alexandria. He thought of her falling into his comforting arms, crying into his chest after she lost her baby sister. He could almost feel her hand in his when they sat in the dark signing to each other in the cabin in the woods.

Dammit! Why did you go to Hilltop after they took her? You should have chased after her right away! You had the best thing you ever had and then you let her get taken! You let this happen! You don't deserve her. You knew this was gonna end bad but you fell for her anyway. If she's dead it's your own damn fault! You did this!

Tears found their way from Daryl's eyes. No matter what the situation, Daryl always found some way to blame himself for whatever had gone wrong. It's how his injured heart had always operated since as far back as he could remember.

This felt like a nightmare. Ever since she was taken from him, he'd been consumed. Daryl shook his head and kept searching. Alright, get it together asshole!

Daryl heard someone walk up behind him. He turned around and saw a large man quickly approaching him. He had an ax in his hand but he must have recognized the mask Daryl was wearing and didn't attack. Daryl resisted the instinct to take him down and instead waited for him to come closer. "What the hell is going on?" the man exclaimed. "They shot Alpha...I can't find Beta or Gamma. Everyone's either run off, they're hiding or they're dead. What do we do?"

Daryl remained silent but nodded his head for the man to follow him. He obeyed and Daryl led him somewhere less conspicuous. They stood behind a tree as the man continued to speak. "They already took down at least a dozen of our people. What are we going to do?"

Daryl motioned for the Whisperer to hand over his ax and the man complied. As soon as the ax was in his hand, Daryl slammed the blunt side into his chest. The man fell to his knees holding onto his broken ribs.

Daryl stood beside him, holding the ax above his head. He tore off the mask the Whisperer was wearing and looked him in the eyes. "Where's the girl they brought here four days ago?" Daryl barked.

"I don't know," the man replied. "Who the hell are you?"

Daryl punched the Whisperer in the face. "Tell me where she is or your dead...ya hear me?"

"Who are you talking about?"

"The deaf girl. Her name is Connie. The one that was brought here four days ago!" Daryl said, his patience quickly diminishing.

"Gamma?" the man replied breathlessly.

Daryl grabbed his collar and shook him by it. "I said her name is Connie!"

"Yeah, the deaf girl...Alpha calls her Gamma. She's next in command after her and Beta. She's teaching us. She's teaching us to sign so we can be silent."

"Where is she?"

"I don't...I don't know. She's always with Alpha. Alpha won't let her leave her side after dark. She might be in Alpha's tent. It's over by that grove of trees," the man said pointing.

Daryl raised the ax over the man's head.

"Please! Please don't kill me!" he cried. "I helped you! And I have...I have children and they need me! I'm beggin' you, please don't kill me!"

Daryl lowered the ax and pulled a piece of cloth from his back pocket. "Lay on your stomach," he ordered the Whisperer. The man did as he was told and Daryl quickly bound his hands. Daryl pulled the man up and dragged him to a tree. He grabbed him by his hair and slammed his head against the trunk. The man's eyes rolled to the back of his head before he lost consciousness. Daryl wiped the sweat from his brow and left to find Connie.

...

Connie couldn't hear the gunshots but as she ran along the edge of the camp she saw the bodies of the Whisperers laying on the ground. It was clearly an attack and Daryl had to be part of it. If he was alive, no rescue would be mounted without him. She couldn't just run away when her friends and Daryl were there to save her. She stood behind a tree and peeked from behind it to see if she could find him. Her eyes scanned over the camp when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. Connie spun around with her knife drawn as she looked to see who had touched her.

Beta stared down at her with a calm look on his face. He put his finger to his lips instructing her to be quiet. "The people who abandoned you are attacking," he whispered. "Alpha is injured. We have to find her and the three of us must leave this place."

Connie couldn't believe it. Beta was so certain that she was loyal to the Whisperers. He assumed that she wanted to stay with these psychopaths. Connie would play his absurd ignorance to her advantage. She looked up at him and nodded her head in agreement.

Beta wrapped his arm around Connie's arm and led her back into the camp. They walked inconspicuously towards Alpha's tent. Beta pulled back the fabric door and walked inside with her. When he saw Alpha dead on the floor, he dropped to his knees, gasping and weeping.

"No, this can't be," Beta said under his breath. He looked over at Connie, wanting her to sympathize. "Alpha is gone. Someone ended both her lives and she won't walk with the living or the dead. Who could have done this?"

Connie shook her head looking back at him as he crouched on the floor in tears. She feigned sadness and shock for the fallen leader.

Beta picked up Alpha's body and threw it over his shoulder. He exited the tent, pulling Connie by her arm again.

As soon as Connie and Beta walked out of the tent, Beta felt a knife slide in and out of his back. Beta roared out in pain as he spun around and looked down into Carol's face. She stopped in her tracks as she looked up at the gruesome giant.

Carol quickly swung her knife at Beta, cutting him again, this time in his arm. Beta dropped Alpha's body to the ground knocking Connie down. Before Carol could attempt a third injury, Beta grabbed her hand, pulled the knife from her fingers and threw it to the ground. He immediately put his hands around Carol's neck.

Beta squeezed his thick fingers around Carol's throat, lifting her from the ground and swinging her around like a ragdoll. She tried to pull his fingers away from her neck but she couldn't. Her eyes fluttered then closed completely as she fiercely kicked her legs at him. But it was no use and her body went limp in his powerful arms.

Connie stood from the ground and pulled her knife out. She wasted no time stabbing the dagger into Beta's back. Beta threw Carol to the ground and turned to Connie. "You bitch!" he shouted as he swung his fist at Connie's face as hard as he could. He knocked her to the ground with the blow as he spoke gruffly. "The Gamma is as disloyal as the Omega. Now you'll die like she did!"

Beta bent down and pulled the small dagger from Connie's hand. He stared venomously down at the unconscious woman as he knelt on the ground and pinned her arms down with his knees. Beta moved the dagger to Connie's head but before he could do anything else, he felt something pierce his body. He looked down, shocked to see an arrow sticking out from his chest. He kept the knife close to Connie's head but with his other hand, he wrapped his fingers around the arrow and snapped it in half. He reached behind his back and tried to pull it out.

Before Beta could pull the first arrow out, another arrow flew threw the air. It narrowly missed his head but tore off his ear. Blood poured from his chest and head as he looked at a man approaching.

Daryl threw his crossbow to the ground and pulled his saw-backed Bowie knife from it's sheath. He wielded the massive knife confidently as he charged Beta. Daryl was just a few feet away when Beta moved the dagger to Connie's ear, placing just the tip of the knife into her ear canal. "Stop!" Beta gasped as blood spurted from his mouth. "Stop right there!"

"Get away from her!" Daryl shouted.

Beta stared at Daryl, wickedly baring his bloody teeth. "The Gamma belongs to The Whisperers and she will die for her betrayal."

"Don't!" Daryl cried out desperately, trying to keep his voice from cracking.

"You are a weak little boy and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

"You want blood," Daryl stated. "You want blood so take it from me. Let her go and take it from me instead."

"I'll take it from you both," Beta boasted.

"Take it from me first," Daryl replied in a placid tone as he held his eyes to Beta's. "Look at me. Just look at me." Daryl crouched low to the ground and laid his knife in the dirt. Beta stared ahead as Daryl inched his hand away from the knife. He raised his hands in the air as he moved in closer to the giant.

"Yes," Beta grinned, "come closer to me little boy so I can tare the skin from your flesh and the flesh from your bones. You will die slowly this day and so will this woman. And you, you're too weak to do anything about it."

In one sweeping motion, Daryl jumped through the air and tackled Beta onto his back and away from Connie. With one hand he ripped the knife out of Beta's hand and with the other hand he pounded his fist into his face. Beta growled as he threw Daryl off of him. Daryl landed on his back and groaned as he felt the stitches in his abdomen splitting open.

It didn't take long for Beta to move closer to Daryl and climb on top of him. Beta saw the fresh blood on Daryl's shirt and twisted his fist into the wound. Beta moved his fist upward and punched Daryl in the face again and again. Daryl began to fade into unconsciousness with each blow. While his face was being battered, his hand moved slowly down to his boot. Within seconds, he pulled out his Tanto blade and slid it into Beta's side. He pulled it out and slid it in again and inch higher.

Beta stopped his assault and tried to pull the knife from Daryl's hand. Before he could, Daryl savagely stabbed the knife into Beta's neck. He then pulled the knife out of his neck and stuck into the beast's eye socket.

Beta fell backwards as he covered his neck with his hand. He sputtered and choked as blood shot up from his neck. Daryl moved over to the dying man and stabbed the knife one last time into his temple.

Daryl's body trembled violently before he collapsed to the ground. Connie sat up and crawled over to him. She knelt close to his beaten body. She cried as she pulled her overshirt off, trying desperately to attend to his many wounds. She placed her hand on his face as she stared into his eyes.

Daryl stared back up at her. He raised his hand up cupping her soft cheek as her tears ran down her face. "Don't cry," he said serenely. "I'll be okay."

Despite the agonizing pain he felt throughout his entire body, a calm washed over Daryl. Connie was safe and they were together. He found her, he saved her and he vowed to never let anything to separate them again.

The last thing he saw before he passed out was the face of the woman he loved.

...

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter. I especially hope you appreciated the glimpse at 6 year old Daryl Dixon because that was my favorite part to write. And now that Daryl and Connie are finally reunited, I'm excited for some lighter (and perhaps more romantic) chapters in the near future.

I also want to say a few things about the latest season of TWD. I have absolutely loved it and I can't believe we have to wait for who knows how long for the actual finale. I have a prediction that Connie is inside Beta's horde and that she is going to be the secret weapon that saves the day.

Drop a comment and let me know what you think about all this or anything else for that matter. Have a very blessed Easter weekend...He is Risen! Love and blessings to you friends!