Chapter 4

Daryl looked over at his brother, who was well on his way to being drunk as usual. Merle sat on the small sofa that filled the small cabin they were currently renting and for a split second Daryl wondered, for the millionth time, why he'd followed his brother across the country almost two years ago, leaving behind the only family that had ever meant anything to him.

He sat chewing the inside of his cheek as his brother laughed loudly at something the 'tweaker' next to him was saying.

Merle had promised him back then that he'd found them a job and, for once in his life, the man had pulled through. But, whilst Daryl had tried to squirrel away any extra money, Merle had been hell bent on spending what little they had.

When he'd left Woodbury he'd promised that he'd be back, that he'd have the money to make all of their childhood plans come true. But, the fact was they were just kids, dreaming about the good life that was never going to happen, no matter what Hershel Greene said; he knew that now!

Pushing up from the run down and heavily stained chair, Daryl strode through the small living area until he reached the rickety wooden door that didn't sit quite right in its frame.

"Where the hell ya goin?" Merle boomed causing Daryl to halt and his back to stiffen. There were so many times that Merle sounded just like their father and he couldn't help the way his body tensed or broke out in goose bumps at the sound.

Jerking to look over his shoulder, he met the scowl of his brother; a look he'd come to see often during their time together.

"Gotta take a piss" he snapped before turning fully to face his brother "Why, y' wanna come hold my damn hand or somethin?"

Merle sat up and wobbled slightly from the moonshine that flowed through his system, "Well, well, well, who pissed in your cereal?"

Tweaker made another comment about how Daryl probably needed to chuck up again, causing both of them to lapse into another round of laughter, leaving Daryl to shake his head and duck out of the door.

Stepping out in to the dark night, he moved to the side where an old, plastic lawn chair sat. Sinking down into the cool seat, he pulled out a cigarette before putting it to his lips and watching the yellowness of the flame that flicked out from his lighter. He sat mesmerised, watching it for a moment before lighting the end and inhaling the nicotine into his body.

As he sat listening to the chirps and squeaks around him, he couldn't help but think back to when he'd returned to Woodbury around six months after he'd left.

Pulling up his bike to a stop outside of the old farmhouse, he couldn't help but glance around. Everything looked exactly the same as it did before, but then again he had only been gone for around six months.

Slipping his leg over the bike seat, he moved to stand and stretch his legs. It had been a long drive from Florida and Merle had told him over and over as he'd packed his stuff that there was no point going back, but Daryl had a reason and it was why he'd returned home.

He frowned slightly at the barn doors being closed. In the whole time he'd known Hershel, the man had never had the doors closed during the day, only choosing to lock it up at night. Pushing the concern from his mind, he jogged up the steps before approaching the door.

So many years throughout his childhood he'd just walked through the door, but now he was back he wasn't sure if he'd be as welcome as he had once been.

Raising his hand he winced slightly as his loud knock seemed to echo across not just the house but the barn and out buildings too. He waited but heard no sounds from within, not even the stumbling footsteps that he would recognise just about anywhere.

Turning slightly, he covered his eyes from the brightness of the sun with his forearm as he looked across the land. Seeing no movement, he moved to walk back to his bike when a figure stepped out from behind the barn. For a moment, he smiled but it slowly faded from his face when he realised it wasn't Hershel at all, but some stranger he'd never seen before.

"Can I help you?" the man questioned as they stepped closer to one another.

"Yeah" Daryl answered as he looked back at the house over his shoulder, "I'm lookin' for Hershel, is he here?"

He watched a wary look cross the man's face before he shook his head, "I'm sorry, son. Hershel Greene sold this place about four months ago"

Daryl frowned in confusion. Over the years of knowing Hershel, the man had always told them that he would die on his farm, so it made no sense that he'd left.

"D' ya know where he went?"

The man shook his head in apology "All I know is, when that girl came out of the hospital, they just upped and left"

Daryl balked at the statement and rushed forward gripping the man's shirt in his hands, "What girl? Was she blonde? About this high?" he questioned without giving the man time to speak.

When he realised what he was doing, he released the man's shirt from his grip and stepped backwards, a soft apology on his lips. The man smiled slightly in understanding and remorse, "I'm sorry, son"

Needing answers and feeling a growing unease spread within him, he jogged back to his bike without even a goodbye, before revving the engine and speeding to the only place he may be able to get answers.

Flicking his butt over the small porch railing, he sighed heavily. He'd gone back to the trailer park hoping for answers, but the only thing he'd got was more questions.

"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in" Will Dixon taunted as Daryl stepped into the dirty trailer he'd called home.

Daryl leant against the wall near the door, unable and un-wanting to enter any further. It was the first time he'd been to this very trailer since high-school.

"I take it ya haven't come back t' see yer dear old dad"

Head snapping, he looked in his father's direction, causing the old man to crack up laughing, much like Merle does when he's drunk.

Quicker than he thought possible, Will pushed up out of his chair and stalked over to where he stood, his whole body tensing at the man's proximity. For a moment, Will simply stared at him, his eyes roaming the face that held more of his mother than his father. As if not liking what he saw, he pushed down on the trailer door handle and stalked outside before reaching one hand in and gripping Daryl's jacket to pull him roughly outside.

For a moment, Daryl felt like a little boy all over again and all he could do was stand still and quiet as he waited for his father to speak.

"Ya came back too late, Daryl" his father whispered almost in sorrow.

For some reason, Daryl felt something in the pit of his stomach but couldn't put his finger on exactly what it was. Chewing on his thumb nail, he tore a small part of skin with his teeth before asking the question that was burning inside of him.

"What the hell's that supposed ta mean?"

Will looked across the rows of trailers until his eyes settled on one in particular. Daryl followed the man's gaze and one word came to mind, "Beth"

He didn't realise he'd spoken her name out loud until Will turned to him with something he didn't recognise on his face.

"That man beat her black and blue a few weeks after ya left" Will explained, "Dint see it, mind you. Only reason we all know is cause the cops showed up. Whole park looked like a damn carnival with all them car lights"

He felt sick. He'd managed to protect her for so long only for her to end up in the hospital weeks after he left.

Not realising that his son had quieted at his words, Will continued, "Last I heard, her an' the old man left town when they discharged her from Grady Memorial"

Daryl sucked in a breath at his father's words, the guy at the farm was telling the truth. Not wasting another minute, he turned and headed to his bike. He had the information he needed and he wasn't going to hang around a moment longer than he had to.

"Daryl" Will called to his retreating back, causing him to stop in his tracks. Slowly he looked back over his shoulder at the man who'd caused him so much pain.

"Don't ya trust yer brother, ya hear?" Daryl didn't say anything but raised an eyebrow, "I know what he did 'fore ya left and what he did ta that ol' man" With those last words, Will Dixon walked back into the trailer they'd called home for Daryl's entire life, leaving Daryl to realise it was as close to an apology that he was ever going to get.

After leaving his father, he'd headed straight for the hospital only to be told that as he wasn't family they couldn't divulge any information. Of course, being a Dixon, he'd created a scene which resulted in hospital security being called and he'd sworn at the time that if that woman, Dawn, touched him one more time he would have shot her in the damn head. But after they'd escorted him out, he'd simply climbed on his bike and turned to head the way he'd came. He wouldn't call it going home, because the only place he had ever called home was the farmhouse. No, he was heading back to Florida and back to his brother.

Now, as he sat listening to the laughter dying down behind him, he hoped Hershel and Beth were safe and happy wherever they were, even if he wasn't.

…

"Hey, Hershel?" Enid questioned focussing on the road in front of her as she drove.

He turned his head from where he was watching the scenery go by to look at her. Noticing that she had his attention, she slowed as she came to a stop light before facing him, "You mentioned you and Daryl were working on your car, but what happened to it?"

Hershel faced front as the lights changed to green. They were on their way to his doctors appointment and as Beth had been unable to get time off work, Enid had offered her services.

He was quiet for a few moments before answering, "Remember how I told you that Merle stopped by that day?" Enid nodded and let out a small "mmhmm" in acknowledgement, "well, a few weeks later, I came out to the barn and my baby was gone"

Enid gasped as she flicked on her indicator to turn into the small car parking area outside of the clinic, "You mean he stole it?"

Hershel nodded with a grimace on his face, "Couldn't prove it was him and I didn't want to cause any trouble for Daryl, so I lied"

Frowning, Enid leant over to help unbuckle his seatbelt before exiting the car. Within a few short moments, she'd walked around the hood before opening Hershel's door to help him out, "What do you mean, you lied?"

He gripped his stick in a wobbly grasp as he lifted a foot out, it wasn't until he was standing that he answered, "I told Daryl that I'd taken it to a garage in town and that they'd offered me a pretty penny for it. I don't think he believed me, but he wasn't one to question my word"

Enid watched as Hershel made his way slowly to the clinic door, she could see he was upset but was unsure if it was because of his appointment or because she'd brought up his car.

"Hey" she started as she skipped to his side "You wanna do something after this?"

Hershel smiled before heading inside, "How about we head on back to the house and get out that old album" he offered.

An hour or so later, Hershel sat in his chair with a cup of hot chocolate on the table in front of him as Enid retrieved the album and set it down next to their drinks before she took her own seat in the empty chair next to him.

Hershel watched as she flicked it open and began lifting the pages as he drank his drink.

"Was this your vet clinic?" she asked as she titled the picture for him to see.

"Mmhmm" he responded as he sipped another mouthful of hot chocolate before answering, "Had it built right on to the back of the house"

"Really?"

He looked at Enid who stared at him with wide eyes and a smile, "We had plenty of space and it saved me spending out on rent somewhere. I was always pretty busy, so it meant that I could still be at home with Annette, instead of long hours away from home"

"Wasn't just animals that I worked on either" he muttered as a memory surfaced.

Enid wasn't sure if she'd heard him correctly, "What was that?"

"Daryl and Beth had been coming to see me for nigh on four years. They didn't think I noticed when one of them would show up with a new bruise or whatnot, but I did; no matter how much they tried to hide it from me."

He looked at Enid who'd started to place the album back on the table before retrieving her own cup and settling back into the chair.

"As I said before, they would come out to the farm pretty much everyday by that point, but for some reason, on that particular day, they didn't turn up. I tried not to worry myself and pottered around as best I could, but when they still hadn't turned up by nightfall, I was starting to get worried"

"Did you go looking for them?" Enid questioned.

Hershel shook his head, "I decided to head down to the trailer park, make sure they were okay, so I grabbed the keys to my truck and stepped outside. It was then that I saw something across the field. At first I thought it was a cow from my herd, but when I saw it kept dipping below the grass, I knew it wasn't"

"What was it?"

"It was Daryl and Beth" He glanced off towards the window, "Boy was limp and she was trying to carry his weight best she could. I'll never forget the way she screamed my name when she spotted me in the distance."

As if he could still hear it, he closed his eyes and winced. It was something he never wished to hear again.

"HERSHEL!"

He took off running at her scream as she shouted his name over and over again. He'd never known it take so long to run halfway across his field but to him it felt like it had taken forever.

He hadn't known what he was running towards, but it certainly was the sight that greeted him.

Daryl's young, twelve year old body was being supported by Beth as the boys eyes drifted open and closed. It was only when Hershel reached to take him from Beth's arms that he felt and smelt the blood. As his arms wound around Daryl's small body, he heard the boy whimper before his eyes closed and didn't reopen.

Looking to Beth, he saw she was covered in Daryl's blood and her eyes were wide.

"Bethy, run up to the house and start boiling some water" he told her urgently. She nodded once and began to run ahead of him, "TAKE IT IN TO THE CLINIC" he yelled after her as he followed behind with Daryl in his arms.

"Tell me what happened, Beth" Hershel urged as he laid Daryl down on the stainless steel table that he used for his animals before beginning to cut away his torn and bloody shirt, "Beth?" he snapped when she made no move to answer.

"I don't know. He was supposed to meet me at the swings" she cried, "I waited there all day, I promise I did!"

Hershel grimaced at the wounds he saw and how the blood swam across Daryl's skin. "I know y' did Beth" He knew this girl would wait for Daryl forever if she had to, "Pass me that bowl and gauze" he gestured to the items and held his hand out for Beth to pass them over.

"It was already starting to get dark, when I saw him stumbling towards me" Beth admitted before asking, "You can help him, can't you?"

Hershel simply nodded as he went to work. It took nearly three hours for him to stitch every lashing on Daryl's back as well as two on his front. He knew the boy would likely be in pain for a good long time whilst he recovered and he knew that his Annette would have wept at the sight in front of him.

Himself and Beth sat on the small waiting sofa that he kept in his clinic as they waited for Daryl to wake. It was nearing the early hours when he finally came to.

"You gave us quite the scare there, son" Hershel told him as he pushed down on Daryl's arm to stop him from trying to sit up.

Immediately Daryl's eyes sought out Beth who had stood and was now making her way to his side. Hershel watched as the boy beneath his hand relaxed at the exact moment that Beth entwined their hands.

As Daryl slowly relaxed back onto the table, Hershel saw him wince in pain and for a second his eyes hardened, "Your pa did this, didn't he?" he questioned.

Daryl's head slumped as his gaze found the floor before shooting up to meet Hershel's gaze when he told them, "I need to go and call the sheriff"

"Wait" Daryl cried, "Y' can't"

Hershel frowned but stepped back towards the boy, "The hell I can't, that man could've killed you"

"I know. But, if ya call the cops they're gonna take me away and I won't be able to keep Beth safe"

Hershel looked at the two kids in front of him and understood their predicament. Whilst he did not agree with Daryl, he wanted to help and keep the trust they'd formed with one another.

"Fine" he stated, surprising Daryl and Beth, as he pulled his small stool out from under the table to sit on, "But, if he hurts you one more time, I'll have no choice but to inform the authorities, y' hear?" Daryl nodded, "And, you will stay here with me, at the farm, until your back is healed up!"

"So, you just let Will Dixon get away with beating his son?" Enid quizzed angrily from where she now leant forward, as if she was hearing wrong.

Hershel grimaced but nodded once "Daryl didn't know, but I paid his daddy a visit the following day. Told him if he ever laid a hand on the boy again, that I wouldn't just be calling the cops. Told him I'd put a bullet in him too."

Enid's eyes widened in surprise, "And he believed you?"

Hershel chuckled, "Said I would tell the cops that it was in self-defence and who would they believe, me or him?"

Enid laughed at the comment and could almost imagine Hershel doing and saying exactly that.

Suddenly, Hershel sobered, "The doctor said that my latest scan shows that its spread"

Tears filled Enid's eyes as she reached over a hand to squeeze his own, "Oh Hershel. I'm so sorry"

Hershel's own eyes watered "Me too, honey" he replied before glancing back at the photo album that sat on the coffee table, "I just hope I can finish telling you their story before my time comes"

"We'll get there" Enid offered honestly, "We'll just take it one chapter at a time".