A/N – Hey guys. It's been forever since I wrote anything new for this story. Please excuse any mistakes and just chalk it up to the cobwebs that have invaded my brain. I'm clearing them out though and as I do, this will get better. Please be patient with me… well, more patient! Thanks! Shai
I Will Make You Hurt
Chapter 12
Prison
Merle sits up in his infirmary bed, watching Susannah and Bailey talk. He stopped listening about 10 minutes ago, when he was still glad for the company. It was like watching a tennis match. When Bailey spoke, he looked at her. When Susannah spoke, he looked at her. He had no clue what the hell they were talking about though. He just let their voices wash over him.
His head hurt but not as bad as the previous days. He hoped to God that Doc Bob, or that Hershel guy, or whoever the hell was in charge would just let him out of here. He needed to move around. He didn't like being cooped up. For the time being though, he was stuck in this bed. So, he just watched as his friends talked their heads off. He would have laughed at his situation, but the last thing he wanted to do was bring attention to himself. They might expect him to join in the conversation! It was getting tedious.
Just as he's about to breakdown and ask the ladies to, "Please...please. Be quiet for a few minutes", The Sheriff and Michonne walk in.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Michonne asked.
"I feel great!" Merle said loudly.
Susannah laughed. "Doc Bob is not anywhere near here, Merle."
"Oh," Merle says a little quieter. "In that case, my head hurts just a bit."
Bailey jumps up to get him some aspirin. She fusses over him so much that everyone else just gets out of the way and let her do her thing. She fluffs his pillows and straightens his sheets. She gets him water and waits until he finishes drinking to take the bottle even though the little table is right next to him and he could have sat it down himself. Michonne watches, happy that Merle has someone to pamper him while he's laid up in this place.
She sees Merle looking at Bailey and smiling at her as she hovers over him. But, as if he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't have, he quickly stops smiling, pulls a pained look and looks away from her. To Michonne, he seemed to look 'guilty'.
When Merle looks up again, he sees Michonne looking at him. His face turns a slight pink.
"How are you doing? How's your leg?" he asks her. He'd say anything to get her to stop looking at him the way she is. It worked...for a minute or two.
"It's a lot better. I'm almost walking without a limp."
Merle smiles and nods and looks around the room. He seems out of sorts.
"What's wrong Merle?" Rick asks him, genuinely concerned.
"I um...I wonder if Michonne and I can speak alone?" he asks.
Rick starts to protest, but thinks better of it and doesn't. Merle's okay. He's a changed man, or at least he's trying to be. Rick walks over to Michonne who is sitting on the edge of Merle's hospital bed.
"Is that okay My Own?"
"Of course. We'll be fine," Michonne says looking over at Merle. When Merle nods, she turns back to Rick, tips her head back and purses her lips. Rick bends and kisses her.
"Not too long. You two still have to eat something," Rick says.
"It won't take long, Sheriff. But I'd like to talk to you as well when Michonne and I are done here."
"Is this about the Governor?" Rick asks.
"Yeah, but not all of it is," Merle says.
"Alright. Is 15 minutes enough time?"
Merle nods his head and looks at Michonne who is a little confused.
"Ladies, will you accompany me to the cafeteria? We have a lovely 1973 'oatmeal' on tap this morning. Sure to clean you out from root to stem," Rick said as he walks toward the door.
Susannah burst out laughing. "Yes, I'm familiar with that particular vintage."
Bailey isn't laughing though. She's too worried about Merle. Michonne notices Bailey's discomfort and tries to reassure her.
"Don't worry about him Bailey. He'll be fine until you get back," she says, smiling at the mousy woman.
Bailey looks at Merle and reluctantly leaves, following Rick and Susannah to the cafeteria.
Michonne looks back at Merle with a huge smile on her face about to tease him about Bailey, but the look on Merle's face makes her smile melt away. He's almost in tears.
"Merle? What's wrong?"
"I'm so sorry Michonne," he says. He can't seem to look her in the eye anymore. "I knew… I knew what kind of man that fucking Philip was, but after I helped you escape I was going to come back here and get you to take you back to him."
Michonne is a little taken aback at what Merle has just confessed to her.
"Why Merle?"
"Because I'm a fucking asshole that's why!"
Michonne knows there is more to it than that.
"Why were you going to try and take me back there?"
Merle finally looks at her. He expects to see hate and resentment in her face after what he's just told her, but it's not there. What he sees surprises the shit out of him. She looks like she actually feels sorry for him. He just shakes his head in disbelief and no small amount of shame.
Merle takes a deep breath. "I was gonna take you back because he went even crazier after you got away. Andrea wasn't the only woman he beat up. Two girls walked into his apartment and no one ever saw them walk out. He killed those women. He was beside himself with rage after losing you. I couldn't take it. I reasoned that if he had you, the rest of 'em would be safe. I figured you'd give him a run for his money. I told myself that you wouldn't let him just abuse you the way he was abusing those other women. I even came here a couple of times, but…"
"You just couldn't do it?" Michonne asked quietly.
"No, it wasn't that" Merle said with his head lowered. "I just never saw you in a place where I could get you and take off without getting caught."
Michonne raises her eyebrows at that. "Well damn," she says softly.
Merle scoffs. "Yeah, a real charmer over here, right?"
"Is that the only reason you didn't take me, because you couldn't get at me?"
"No," Merle practically whispers, still looking at his lap.
"Why then Merle? You can tell me. Honestly, I'd like to know."
"Because. Because I can still remember my mama screaming and crying when my father was beating her ass and then whimpering like a kicked dog when he finally stopped. I thought about that when I tried to make excuses as to why you'd be able to handle Philip. I thought he'd probably hit you, but you'd give him as good as he gave. To think that I'd make any excuse to subject a woman to that kind of life. It...it makes me sick."
"It's okay," Michonne said to the severely distressed man before her.
"No, it ain't girl. Don't you see? Philip is a fucking animal and I was gonna…"
"Are you still going to try and take me back?" Michonne asks him.
Merle's head shot up and his gray eyes burned into her brown ones. "Never," he whispers harshly.
"Then we don't have a problem. You don't need to apologize for something you didn't do Merle."
"But, even considering it…"
"Is not enough. You didn't do it. I'm grateful. And honestly, I can even understand why you would consider it. You were looking out for your people. Sacrificing one to save many, even if the one was supposed to be me." Michonne said, smiling sadly at him.
"I feel like a piece of shit," Merle mumbles.
"From what I understand, you used to be a piece of shit. A huge one," she pauses as he looks up at her. "But, you're not anymore."
Michonne hugs Merle and after a couple of seconds, he hugs her back. Tight.
"Thank you Michonne," Merle murmurs into her hair.
Michonne pulls back and looks at her newest friend. "No need to thank me."
"You remember what you told me the other morning in the cafeteria? There is a need to thank you and you're going to say 'you're welcome'."
"You're welcome," Michonne whispers.
The mood really needed to be lightened, Michonne thought.
"So, Bailey seems like a nice woman and boy does she like you."
Unfortunately, what Michonne said had the exact opposite reaction from Merle than what she was looking for. His head dropped again. Speaking into his lap, he asks…
"Did I ever tell you about my Jody?" He seems more miserable now than he was five minutes ago.
"No, not you, but I did hear stories. I'm so sorry that happened to her."
"The fucking governor," snarled Merle.
Michonne couldn't repress the cold shiver up her back at the very depth of rage that emanated from that small phrase uttered by Merle. Between Merle and Rick, the governor was gonna get fucked up and Michonne almost felt sorry for the guy. Almost.
"I wasn't there when he took her. I should have been. I knew what kind of sadistic fucker he was. I knew when Ramirez saw us, he'd go straight to him."
Merle's face was turning red. He was livid.
"He beat that gal so bad that if I hadn't already known who she was beforehand, I wouldn't have recognized her when I finally did get to see her. What he gave Andrea was just a fucking love tap compared to what he did to Jody."
"That mother-fucker. But, what does that have to do with Bailey?" Michonne asks.
Merle looks so sad when he faces Michonne. It makes her ache.
"I do like Bailey, but, but Jody...if it hadn't been for me, she'd still be alive. We'd still be together."
"If it hadn't been for The Governor, she'd still be alive. Don't take on the burden of his evil deeds Merle. It wasn't your fault."
"It is a little bit. If I'd been there…"
"Do you really believe that Merle? If you'd been there, do you think he would have not killed her?"
When Merle didn't answer, Michonne continued.
"You being there wouldn't have made a bit of difference. The only thing is, maybe you would be dead too. Or worse, he would have made you watch as he killed her or some other sadistic shit to punish you for daring to be attracted to her. Does that sound about right?" Michonne asks.
Merle nods his head 'yes' while still looking in his lap. Michonne reaches over and lifts his head by his chin.
"I understand what you're going through," Michonne says.
Merle starts to speak, but Michonne lifts her hand to stop him.
"No, my boyfriend didn't get murdered because of how he felt about me, but if I'd been there when he was killed, perhaps I could have been able to stop it. It took me so long to realize that what happened is over and I can't go back and change anything," Michonne says quietly. "Anything," she repeats even quieter.
Merle wonders what's going on there but doesn't want to ask. It seems to hurt Michonne though, and he doesn't feel like he has a right to pry.
"Hanging on to the past, especially something as dark as that, something with absolutely no light, is the worst thing you can do to yourself," she whispers. It's almost as if she's talking to herself.
Merle looks at Michonne and something clicks for him.
"Does this have anything to do with what that crazy bitch was saying in the cafeteria?"
Now it's Michonne's turn to nod her head while looking at her lap.
"You lost your little boy and your boyfriend at the same time, didn't you?"
"Yeah. I'd left to get supplies. When I got back…"
Merle grabs Michonne's hand and squeezes. "I'm sorry that happened to you gal."
Michonne smiles at the moniker. She'd be 'gal' today.
"I was so lost, hurt, and most of all angry after that happened. So much so that I…"
Michonne looks at Merle and wonders if she should trust him with one of her secrets. The last time, it didn't go so well. But Merle assuages her doubts.
"It's okay. You don't have to say anymore if you don't want to, but I'll never do what Andrea did to you."
Michonne inhales and exhales slowly and looks behind her. No one there.
"I used my boyfriend and his best friend's dead bodies to keep walkers away from me."
"How?"
"I got chains around their necks and pulled them to a tree, tying them so they couldn't move. Then I chopped their arms off so they couldn't grab or scratch me."
Michonne waits for a look of disgust to cross Merle's face, but it never does, so she continues.
"I used a butcher knife to remove the bottom jaw so they couldn't bite me. After that, I used the chains as leashes. Walkers don't bother other walkers so I was able to use them as subterfuge whenever I found myself among them."
The look on Merle's face is pure awe. He is in awe of this woman sitting before him and tells her so.
"My God, Michonne. Is there anything you can't do? I've never heard of something so fucking smart in all my life. I'm sorry about the situation that made it possible for you to even have to come up with something so fucking slick, but goddamm!"
Michonne just smiles, relieved that Merle doesn't think she's a fucking monster for what she did.
"Just, keep that bit of information to yourself if you don't mind."
"The Sheriff doesn't know?" he asks her.
Michonne shakes her head, ashamed of herself.
"Well, he won't find out from me."
"Thank you, Merle."
"You're welcome. Let me give you a little advice though?"
Michonne looks at him and waits.
"Tell him. I know you don't want to because you think he'll look at you differently, but believe me, he won't. I haven't even been here an entire week yet, and most of the time I have been here has been cooped up in this stupid bed, but I can tell by the way he looks at you now, he'll never be able to look at you any other way. Besides, secrets are okay, but not from the person you love," Merle said.
Michonne is genuinely surprised by the insight Merle has laid on her. She turns it around on him though.
"Okay, I'll think about that. Now, will you let me give you a little advice?" she asks him.
Merle nods his head slowly.
"Bailey is here Merle. She's here and wants to be with you. I'm so sorry about what happened to Jody, but she's gone. She's gone and Bailey is here. It was hard enough to find someone worth being with before the world went dark on us, but you have. That's a blessing. I know you feel guilty about what happened. I know how you feel. Guilt will make you choose to walk alone for the rest of your life because you feel like you don't deserve love. It's not true though Merle. You have the right to love and be loved, do you understand me?"
Merle nods his head and wipes his tears.
In the cafeteria, Bailey watches as Susannah fixes a lunch tray for Merle. Something she'd wanted to do herself, but is too afraid of the larger woman to express it. Or, she was. When Susannah finishes preparing Merle's lunch, Bailey squares her shoulders, crosses herself even though she is not Catholic, and marches over to Suze before she can leave the cafeteria.
The closer Bailey gets to Suze, her nerves try to take over and turn her around, but she doesn't let them.
"Hey Suze, can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Sure. Let's head back to the infirmary," Suze says as she heads toward the door. "What's up?"
"Well...um," Bailey's nerves have closed her throat. Susannah looks at Bailey and sees that she is a bit distressed. She stops walking and keeps her mouth shut in order to give Bailey a chance to get herself together.
Bailey is scared but she can't think of a reason she should be. Susannah is a good person. 'She won't kill me' Bailey says to herself, hoping to God and all the Angels in heaven that this is true. 'Fuck it' she says and finally blurts out…
"Do you have feelings for Merle?"
Now, in Bailey's mind, all she can see is Susannah's huge brown fist hurling towards her birdlike face.
But she didn't get clobbered, at least not by a hurling fist.
"Of course, I do," Susannah says smiling.
"Oh," Bailey says dejectedly. "I'll… I'll just leave him alone then," she says as she turns to walk away.
At first, Susannah is confused. 'Why is she…oh shit!'
"Bailey, honey, I have feelings for Merle, but not romantic feelings. He, according to him, used to be a top-notch A-1 asshole, but he is trying so hard to change. I can appreciate a man like that. I can be friends with a man like that."
Bailey turns with hope in her eyes. "Really?"
"Yeah girl. I see the way you are toward Merle. He is having a little trouble with reciprocity, but don't give up on him. He deserves happiness, I think. And so do you."
As Susannah finishes lighting up Bailey's life, one Tyreese Williams comes down the hall toward the two women. Bailey giggles in relief as she notices Susannah pull her shoulders back, pop her chest out, smooth her hair down and smile a dazzling smile that almost has the capability of lighting the hallway they are currently in.
"Hi ladies," Tyreese says, looking only at Susannah. "Oh, you've eaten already?"
Susannah looks down and realizes she still has Merle's tray. Bailey steps in and grabs it.
"No, this is for Merle. I'll take it to him so you can go and eat Suze."
"Thanks," she says, not ever looking at Bailey, as she and Tyreese head toward the cafeteria.
Woodbury
I hurt myself today
To see if I still feel
Andrea lays silent as The Governor pounds painfully and repeatedly into her. She knows better than to complain. She knows better than to make ANY noise. The last time she moaned in pain, The Governor slapped her so hard, she almost lost consciousness even though she was on her back. She prayed she would black out, but she didn't. She had to endure that pain silently, and she did.
She doesn't dare cry. No tears are allowed. The Governor doesn't want any evidence of pain from Andrea. It's not because he cares, as Andrea had stupidly hoped when she first arrived. She knows he won't love her the way she'd hoped he would. Of course, that was before he'd beaten her to a pulp. Right before she let Merle convince her to leave him. When she realized, she's not Michonne.
Unfortunately for Andrea though, she came back after her initial escape and she's been in hell ever since.
Andrea bites down on her tongue as The Governor hammers into her while ascending to his climax. She does this to distract herself, to see if she can make herself really feel anything. She can taste the blood in her mouth.
As The Governor cums inside of her, she feels like she's being filled with poison. And even though she knows it's forbidden; she allows a small tear to fall into her hair.
He violently pulls himself out of and away from Andrea and heads to the bathroom. She turns her head away from him. If she looks at him, she may burst into tears. She closes her eyes and to her surprise, she can feel herself drifting off to sleep.
"Get up and get yourself cleaned up," The Governor snaps.
Andrea had no idea she'd even been to sleep, but she knew that when he said jump, she'd better jump. So, she does and trudges to the bathroom.
I focus on the pain
The only thing that's real
She hears the door slam as The Governor leaves. Soon after that, the monster in the little pink Easter dress starts groaning in its cage, making Andrea shiver in disgust.
She looks down at herself. Then she looks up at her reflection in the mirror. Old bruises, new bruises, yellow, red, black and blue. The Governor had really done a number on her. She was afraid to even try to look at her back. Not only because of the way she thought her back may have looked, but she was having trouble turning her neck after being choked so many times.
But she really wasn't worried about her back at that moment. Not really. She looked at her arms. She'd carved herself up pretty good since she'd been back. The Governor didn't notice, or if he did, he didn't care. He probably wondered why she just didn't put herself out of her misery. End it. Honestly, every time Andrea grabbed her razor, one she didn't even bother hiding anymore, she wondered that herself.
She thought maybe the main reason she didn't slice through the veins in her wrists was because she thought that she would just end up waking up in this same situation after screwing up trying to end her life. If she tried and didn't succeed, she'd surely lose her fucking mind. Of that, she had no doubt.
But, cutting herself she found, helped her to feel something again. She'd been growing numb to The Governor's many hideous abuses and his little chained monster. She didn't care. Though she didn't like to get hit, she could barely feel it when his hand made a bruise on her body. The only thing she felt now was when he pounced on her to release his sick seed. That made her feel sick to her stomach.
She began to realize that when she bit down on her tongue during her many rapes, it wasn't really to keep herself from crying out in pain. It was to test if she could really still feel pain.
What have I become
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know
Goes away in the end
Andrea sliced a new shallow opening on the inside of her arm. Yes. She could still feel.
After leaving Andrea and his beloved daughter, The Governor walked through the streets of Woodbury. He was greeting people as if he was the Pope himself, waving magnanimously and smiling as if he actually cared about the people he came across.
He ruffles the hair of a young boy when the boy's father actually bows to him in veneration and he revels in it.
The 'joy' he feels being worshipped by his people as he walks through the streets is snuffed out as he approaches the building Merle and Susannah used to live in. He's called a meeting there.
As he enters Merle's old apartment, all the speaking from the men and women gathered there cease. The Governor looks around at the wide-eyed stupid faces looking back at him and he can feel himself getting angrier and angrier. None of these people are worth a fucking nickel.
He yanks his gun out of its holster and points it down to the floor.
"Who knew about a prison a few miles away from us?"
The crowd looks around at each other but no one says a word.
"No one knew? No one knew about a full fucking prison 20 miles down the fucking road!? I sent a lot of you mother-fuckers out to look for her. How far did you look? What was your fucking cut-off point!?"
A trembling hand raises. It's Ramirez.
"What?" The Governor growls.
"Well sir, some of the men you sent out told me that Merle would sometimes go off on his own claiming that they were holding him back. Now it could be that he knew the prison was there and led our men in a different…"
The gunshot to Ramirez's forehead put an end to his observation.
"Anyone else got any ideas?" The Governor asked with a deceptively sweet voice. "Anyone else have any fucking information that perhaps Merle knew about the prison all along and you didn't fucking TELL ME!"
No one volunteered.
"Okay, so Michonne is at that fucking prison."
"Just point us in the direction and we'll…"
The next gunshot to the poor guy's forehead stopped that small tirade.
"What I want is for someone to volunteer to go to that prison, claiming that you "escaped" from Woodbury and you want sanctuary there. While you're there I want this person to take in every weakness they have. Where they are vulnerable, where it will be easy for us to breach them. I want Michonne returned to me alive and unhurt."
Another hand rose slowly. The Governor raised his gun, but the person never said a word.
"Are you volunteering to do this for me?"
"Yes sir."
"What's your name sweetheart?"
"Tara."
Prison
"Just do it for me, please My One. I know he's miserable there. Believe me, I can relate to that," Michonne says as she adjusts a sleeping Judith in her arms.
Michonne could not believe the situation she currently found herself in. First off, she was no longer walking the Earth alone. Second, she'd actually found herself back in the presence of one Rick Grimes, or, maybe she should say he found himself in her presence. She'd lost her family and God knows she would never forget them nor EVER try and replace them. Especially her precious baby boy. But here she was with what seemed to be building up to a readymade family for her. The guilt she would feel at first when she would hold Rick's little girl began to dissipate. The guilt was slowly changing into joy. Joy was an emotion she hadn't been able to find for what seems to her like years. But here it was, joy, right in the palm of her hands.
"Alright My Own, I'll go. I'd really really really rather stay here with you though."
"I know silly, but I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here when you get back."
Rick sat on the edge of the prison cot that he and his love now shared and kissed Michonne on her soft, pillowy lips. He couldn't believe his luck. His Michonne was here. She was here and she didn't hate him, she was very forgiving of his past stupidity, and she seemed to love his children. He couldn't be luckier. Or perhaps blessed was a better word.
"I love you My Own," Rick says as he makes his way out of the cell.
"I love you too, My One. Hurry back," Michonne answers.
When Rick enters the infirmary, poor Merle looks as if he is about to try and jump out of the super small window just to get out of there, even though Bailey is there fussing over him.
"Hey Sheriff," Merle exclaims when he sees Rick poke his head into the room. Anything to break up the monotony of laying in this damned hospital bed all day long.
"Merle. I have been ordered here to keep you company for a few minutes," Rick smiles thinking about Michonne.
Merle smiles to himself thinking about his new "best friend".
"You didn't have to come, Sheriff. I'm fine. Just ready to get the hell out of here."
"You kidding me? Of course I had to come." They both laugh.
"How is Ms. Michonne, Sheriff?" Bailey asks.
"She's fine. Resting right now, although she is surrounded by Grimes kids. And, you can call me Rick."
Bailey smiles and nods. "Rick it is then."
"So, I saw the Doc in the cafeteria earlier and he says you only have to be here for today and he'll let you go tomorrow morning," Rick reveals.
Merle looks like a ten-ton boulder just rolled off of his shoulders.
"Thank God. I can't wait to get the hell out of here."
"Yeah, but you know how doctors are about head injuries. He just wants to make sure you're absolutely okay."
"Yeah, I know. I try not to be too hard on the guy, but I swear I'm just about at my limit."
"Michonne was the same way. She was so desperate to get out of here, she busted the stitches in her leg trying to escape."
Merle stopped smiling. "I'm so sorry that happened to that gal. I tried to get at those fuckers before they got to her, but I was a little too late."
"Merle, you saved her fucking life. Yeah, she got hurt but she was alive when she finally made it here and that was because of you. That's why I have your back from here on out, no matter what. Well, let me rephrase that…"
"No need to rephrase Sheriff. I understand what you're saying and I understand where the limit is. But, when I say I'm trying to be better, I really mean it."
"And I believe you mean it, which is why I have your back."
"Thanks Sheriff."
"No problem. Now, let me get out of your hair."
"Before you go, let me talk to you about something."
Rick sat back down and waited.
"Have you ever heard of a Skoolie?"
"A Skoolie? No, I've never heard of that. What is it?"
"A Skoolie is a converted school bus. With a bit of work, a school bus, which is one of the most securely sound vehicles on the road, can be converted into an RV."
Rick's eyes light up.
"When I can't move around, I feel like a sitting duck. I know this prison is secure and from what I've heard the part that's not so secure is about to be, but that tank Phillip has will blow holes in this fucking place we'll never be able to fix again."
"Do you think we should leave before he comes?" Rick asked, hoping that's not what Merle was suggesting.
"Fuck no!" Merle said. "We do need to leave this place, but we have to kill that mother-fucker before we leave."
"Just him you think?" Rick asks.
"Cut off the head of the snake and it will die. Not to say there aren't a few others that need culling, but Phillip is the leader. Once he's gone, we might even get a few that want to join us."
"That is something we really need to talk about. I don't want to bother you until you get out of here and I really would like to wait until Daryl and Sasha get back, but I don't want to wait too long. I don't want to be surprised by that asshole. But, in the meantime, tell me more about Skoolies. I've seen a few school buses around; we have one but…"
"Oh, I know where we can get all of the buses we'll need and the supplies we'll need to convert them."
"We wouldn't be able to just stay on the road forever. Gas alone…"
"No, not forever, but until we can find a place where we can live without the threat of death from a fucking madman. I went to a place in Canada before the whole fucking world jumped off a damn cliff. It's called Cape Breton. It's in Nova Scotia. It's remote, it's not very populated, it's not a well-known place, and it's not easy to get there. I think it would be a perfect place for us to settle."
"It sounds like a dream," Rick whispers. "You say you know a place where we can get this started."
"Yeah. We'll have to travel, but we do have plenty of cars, enough for us to have a good ol' convoy all the way to Arizona."
"Arizona." Rick says, seemingly to himself. Merle 'answers' him anyway.
"Arizona sheriff. It's the place to be. Oh, and another thang. If we do decide to do this, before we leave, I'm gonna need to find that Oscar fella. We shouldn't have let him go."
"You think we should have killed him?"
"I do."
"Listen to me Merle. If you ever have an opinion about anything, especially something like that, express yourself," Rick said.
"I didn't want to step on any toes, Sheriff. I'm new here and I…"
"I know, I know. And we do have a history, and not a very good one, but you and I are gonna be working on that. I'll trust you Merle until you prove to me that I can't anymore. But, like I told Daryl, as far as I'm concerned, your slate has been wiped clean. So please, if you think you can help me...us, in any way, don't hold back."
"You got it, Sheriff," Merle says, feeling a little better about his situation.
On The Road
(3 days out)
Sasha lay in Daryl's arms and listens to his light snores as she watches the sun rise through the RV window. It's a weird situation, on the road in an RV in a world that is practically dead. But she honestly can't remember ever being happier.
Daryl tightens his arms around her body and Sasha smiles, turning to face him.
"Mornin'. Sorry about the breath," Daryl says trying to hide his face.
Sasha grabs his chin and gives him a huge kiss, tongue and all.
"Good morning," she says after she releases him from her kiss.
"Did you sleep okay?" he asks. He almost seems afraid she's going to say 'NO!' Instead, he gets…
"It was perfect," she says as she rolls him onto his back and straddles him.
She bends down and kisses him again and begins rolling her hips against him. Daryl moans into her mouth and grabs her ass, not to stop her movement, but to keep her from falling as he grinds into her. Now, she's the one doing the moaning.
"Can we take a shower together?" Sasha asks hopefully.
"We can do whatever you want," Daryl says.
Sasha jumps up and heads to the little bathroom. "Come on babe."
Daryl pulls himself out of the bed. "Okay, let me go and turn on the generator."
"Hurry," Sasha says as she pulls off her shirt and exposes her bare breasts to Daryl.
His mouth is practically watering. "Yes ma'am."
When he gets back into the RV, Sasha is already in the bathroom testing the water. He nervously pulls his clothes off, makes sure the doors are all locked and heads in to join her. Her beautiful back is to him when he enters and he tentatively touches her shoulder blades. When she doesn't pull away from him, he touches her with a bit more bravery, pulling her back towards his front.
He lets one hand gently grab her neck and turn her head so that he can kiss her from behind, while the other hand explores her breasts. He twirls her hard nipple between his fore-finger and thumb gently, making Sasha moan and rub herself against him. His other hand slowly lowers down her body to seek out that 'special' place. He finds it slick and ready for him and it never ceases to amaze him whenever he's allowed to touch her. She wants him. Him.
Before they can really get going though…
"Let's check the water Lil'Bit. It should be hot by now."
"Daryl, baby, you are gonna have to get your timing right," she giggles. Sasha turns the water on and it's perfect. "Let's get in."
Daryl doesn't say a word. He just follows Sasha into the small shower. The water pressure isn't very powerful but it's good enough to get them both wet. Well, wetter.
Still behind her, Daryl rubs the front of Sasha's body, getting her skin wet and warm. As he rubs her, she reaches behind and grasps his swollen member, gently stroking it up and down. When she gets impatient with Daryl's rubbing, she uses her other hand to grab his hand and guide it to her pussy, which is wet and warm without help from the shower.
She gently forces his finger inside her and from there, he knows what to do. Matching the rhythm Sasha has set pulling his cock, he slides his finger in and out of her tightness, making her attempt to ride his finger. He can tell by her anguished sighs, that his finger is just not enough for her. It's not enough for him either.
He pulls his finger out of her and turns her around to face him. Daryl lifts Sasha up by the back of her thighs, spreading her apart for him, settling her on his waist. His cock rubs against the furrow of her pussy, getting slicker and slicker from her juice.
"You ready for me?"
"Yes Daryl, please," she begs.
Looking Sasha in her eyes, he slips delicately into her small but greedy pussy. With her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs tightening around his waist, she begins to ride him. Not too wildly as she doesn't want him to slip and fall since they are in the shower, but good enough that he almost doesn't have to do anything. He grabs her by waist though and backs them up against the shower wall until Sasha back makes contact and slams into her repeatedly.
"Harder Daryl. Fuck me harder."
Darly slaps the button that controls the water turning it off and carries Sasha out of the little bathroom and into the 'bedroom'. Laying her down on the bed, he proceeds to do as she asks. He fucks her hard. He throws her legs over his shoulders, pulls her ass up in the air and pounds into her the way she likes it. He was nervous about fucking her so hard at first, but when she expressed how much she loves it a little rough like that, and when he realized how good it felt, he was happy to oblige.
Sasha grabs his face and they kiss while he hammers into her. This is how she likes it.
Soon enough she has to let his face go, as she is about to let go.
"I'm gonna cum baby," she moans to Daryl.
Immediately, he lets her legs down and crowds her as he fucks her and grinds against her clit at the same time. He growls as he can feel his own climax creeping up on him because she's clamping her pussy so tightly on his member. He sucks at her neck and that sends Sasha over the edge. Knowing he has pleased her allows Daryl to let loose. He almost roars into her neck as he lets go.
They hug each other as they both come down from their peaks, and relax in each other's arms.
Later that day, as they drive down empty roads, they come across what they were hoping for. It's a fucking abandoned ACE Hardware in an abandoned strip mall!
Sasha whoops through the walkie-talkie on the RV. "Can you believe that babe! Can you fucking believe it!" she yells.
"Let's save our celebration for when we get inside and see what's left in there," he laughs through his own walkie-talkie from their commandeered Greyhound bus. But honestly, he's fucking ecstatic. This could be exactly what they need.
They both park their prospective vehicles in front of the doors of the abandoned hardware store, arm themselves, and go exploring.
They found that the store had been picked, but not picked clean. There is plenty of shit in there that they can use. The most important thing though was the huge pile of Quikrete in several 60-pound bags. Daryl went and found a couple of wheelbarrows and the two of them got to work loading the bottom of the Greyhound bus with the bags of powdered concrete.
After taking all of the Quikrete, they then concentrate on what else they can get.
"Hey baby, what about these?" Sasha asks, pointing at four large DuroMax generators.
"Hell yes! Let's get those too."
They also get more wheelbarrows, ladders, tools, water hoses, electric fans, batteries (which really surprised them that they were still there), tarps, plastic bins, light bulbs, and anything else they could fill that bus up with.
As they finish, Sasha takes a look at the area where the cash registers were still sitting, open and empty. She smiles.
"Hey babe, get me one of those wheelbarrows please," Sasha says as she makes her way to what she used to call the impulse shopping area.
She grabs bags of old beef jerky, bags of old candy, bags of old chips, Chapstick's, more batteries, padlocks, battery operated hand fans, back scratchers, and lastly about 60 small bags of Hershey's Kisses.
Satisfied that they'd gotten everything they could, Daryl and Sasha make their way back to the RV and the bus. Sasha stops and looks around. They'd been so excited about the ACE Hardware sighting, they never really looked at any of the other stores.
There was a donut shop, a UPS store, a Panda Express, a real estate office, a liquor store, a computer repair shop, a bank and a Sally's Beauty Supply.
Sasha gasps and begins to run to Sally's but realized she may need the RV. She runs to the RV, jumps in and starts her up.
"Sasha, what the hell?" Daryl started to ask, but the RV was already on the move. He jumps into the Greyhound Bus and follows Sasha across the strip mall parking lot.
They spent the rest of the day, practically to nightfall cleaning those stores out of what they have left. The liquor store had more than they expected, but still, not a whole lot.
But it was the Sally's that Sasha was salivating over. Sally's was not the type of store a person would think of when you're in a panic to get somewhere safe, so it was almost untouched. Sasha was glassy eyed as she and Daryl pulled things out of the store. Of course, Daryl didn't know what half of that shit was but it was all clearly things Sasha suddenly felt she could not live without so he didn't say a word. He just moved to wherever Sasha pointed and pulled everything he could get. He couldn't help but smile at her. She was in another world.
As they made their way back to their prospective vehicles, Sasha held up a large dark pink plastic bottle which she'd pulled from an entire case of a lot of the same. To Daryl, it looked like she was worshipping it.
"What's that Lil' Bit?"
She smiled so big at him. "This my love, is Veet."
Daryl looked confused. "What's Veet?"
Sasha smiled even bigger. "Ooooh, just wait baby."
Daryl shrugged. He had no idea. "I think we can head back to the prison now. We've gotten what we came for and a whole lot more."
Sasha put the bottle of Veet back in the box with the others. "You want to go now? It's getting late," she said looking at the sky.
"You don't wanna drive in the dark?"
"No, it's not that. I just want us to be able to have another night to ourselves. Take advantage of this alone time while we can," she said as she moved toward Daryl.
He opened his arms and she walked into them. "That sounds good to me," he says, kissing her on the forehead. Sasha lifts her face toward him. She liked the kisses, but she'd rather have them on her lips. He obliged her.
"Let's head back to the area across the street from the bus station. I feel like we're a little exposed out here."
Sasha kissed him once more. "Yessir. Let's get out of here."
Three hours later, both the bus and the RV back into the small area across the street from the Greyhound Bus station, so the front of the vehicles are pointing toward the street. Easy out.
While Daryl is locking up the bus, Sasha is flitting around the RV getting ready for her shower. She found some Rose Oil and Jasmine co-wash for her hair and she could not wait to clean her hair with it. Oh, and she made sure to get one of the pink bottles. She almost giggled with antici...pation.
Daryl walks into the RV and just stares at her and smiles. She hasn't even noticed him yet as she rummages through one of the boxes they lifted from the abandoned beauty supply shop.
"Ahem."
"Oh, hey you," Sasha said smiling at Daryl. "Can I have a few more than 5 minutes for my shower tonight?"
"You can have anything you want," he said to her wistfully. "How long do you think?"
"Um, 15 minutes maybe? If that's too much, I under…"
"Sasha, you can have ANYTHING you want. 15 minutes it is."
Sasha gave him a hug and kiss. "Thanks Daryl."
She heads off to the bathroom and yells over her shoulder, "Let me know when the water is ready babe." Sasha goes into the bathroom and starts applying Veet to her armpits, legs, arms, vagina and even her butthole and the tops of her big toes. By the time she was finished that night, the only place she has hair is on her head, her eyebrows and lashes. Everywhere else she made sure she was as smooth as a newborn baby.
Her hair is big, soft and smells like a field of flowers thanks to the shampoo they lifted from Sally's. It was so easy to run her own fingers through it after the wash and air dry, so she knew Daryl was going to have a field day in it. She couldn't wait. But she had to make them something to eat so he'd at least have to wait until after that. She gets dressed in the tiny bathroom, hoping she's saved Daryl at least a little bit of hot water.
"If I used it all up, I'll make it up to him," she whispers to herself.
As she steps out of the bathroom, Daryl, who is cooking their dinner himself, looks up and does a double take. Sasha's standing in front of the back window where the sun is about to go down and to Daryl it looks like she has sun rays emanating from her body, head to toe.
He just stares at her. He can't seem to say any words. He wants to say words, but none will come out.
Sasha notices that Daryl is speechless, but also that their dinner is starting to smoke so, smiling from ear to ear, she goes to take over the cooking. Daryl moves aside a little but when she gets close to him, he is overwhelmed by...her. Her smell, her skin, and good God, her hair.
They eat in silence.
Sasha tries her best not to laugh at her new boyfriend as he gawks at her.
Daryl stares at Sasha like she's an ice cream sundae. But the silence is rather comfortable, they have both discovered.
After a couple of more minutes, Sasha can't take it anymore. She lays her fork down and stands up. Daryl continues to stare at her as she approaches him. He smiles and puts his plate down. Sasha straddles his lap and kisses him deeply. He hugs her around her waist and pulls her closer to him as she sucks his tongue into her mouth and lightly bites it. He groans. She pulls back a little and gently grabs one of his hands. She looks into his eyes as she helps him slip his hand down the front of her loose shorts. When he feels her, he gasps.
"Is this why you needed a little extra shower time?" he asks as he rubs her slippery and very, very smooth pussy. She nods as he gently works her because she can't really talk. She lays her head on his shoulder as he rubs her close to orgasm.
"You wanna go in the back?" he asks her quietly.
"Yes, please Daryl," she whimpers.
He stands and lifts Sasha up so she is riding his hips as he moves them to the back of the RV. Daryl lays Sasha on the bed softly and helps her as she attempts to pull off her t-shirt. He wants to dive on her right then and there, but of course he doesn't. He runs his hands across the waistband of her shorts and looks at her, asking permission to remove them, even though earlier he'd had his entire hand down those shorts. She nods at him and he pulls them down and off of her legs.
He can't stop looking down at her. Sasha scoots up on the bed and raises her knees. Slowly, she lets her legs fall open and she begins to touch herself, spreading the wetness all over and making it easier to manipulate her clit.
"Hurry and take your clothes off honey, before I make myself come." Sasha says to Daryl as he stares at her with his mouth hanging open.
His cock is so hard he feels like it may burst out of the front of his shorts. He pulls them down gingerly, carefully maneuvering them around his hard-on. His shirt is next and it joins the rest of their small pile of clothes on the floor.
He knee-walks toward Sasha removing her hand from her pussy, and replacing it with his own. But touching her is just not enough. He has to taste her, and he does. He licks her wetness, sucking her swollen lips into his mouth. He also presses his middle finger into her small hole as he licks her, making her bite her hand to keep from screaming out. Finally, she pushes his head away.
"Daryl, I need you honey," she whispers through clenched teeth.
He smiles down at her. "What do you need Lil Bit?" He teases her, sliding his finger up and down the furrow of her smooth pussy.
Sasha raises up quickly and grabs his cock. She swallows him whole as she looks him in the eyes and sucks him practically down her throat. She massages his balls as she sucks him and stops when she feels them start to tighten against his body.
She lets him go and lay down, leaving him huge, hanging, and aching for her.
"Will you fuck me now or are we gonna tease each other all night?" she asks, smiling slyly at him.
Daryl grabs his cock as he stands on his knees looking down at Sasha as she writhes around waiting for him. It's almost too much. He places his hand on her hip to still her and looks in her eyes as he glides his weeping cockhead up and down her silky dark pink and brown channel. Putting on just a little pressure, he makes her cunt open to him. He bathes his cock in her wetness for just a little while until he can wait no longer. When he slips into her tightness, they both moan with satisfaction.
"Fuck me hard Daryl. Hard." Sasha whispers in his ear as she holds on to him for dear life.
Daryl nods and buries his face in her rose and jasmine scented hair and pounds into Sasha just the way she likes. She throws her legs in the air and gives Daryl as good as he gives until they are both coming almost violently, yet silently.
After he was able to regain his composure, he slips out of Sasha and falls to her side, grabbing her and pulling her close to him. She snuggled up to him willingly and enthusiastically.
"I like you," she says into his neck. She can feel his chuckle and she smiles. It's rare when Daryl even smiles, let alone chuckles.
"I like you too." he says.
Sasha raises her face for a kiss and he obliges her. Afterwards, he places his face in her hair again.
"Your hair is the best thing I've ever smelled," he says as he inhales.
"I'm glad you like it."
"I must smell like a damned dog to you," he says, lifting his arm and smelling his pit.
She put her face back into his neck and inhaled. "I like the way you smell."
As they lay in bed talking sweet to each other, they hear a noise outside. They immediately jump up and begin putting their clothes back on. Luckily, it's only t-shirts and shorts. Since the lights inside the RV are all off, they can see out but whoever is out there, can't see in.
They both walk slowly toward the front of the RV in order to look out the front windshield, Sasha stopping to grab her rifle out of their 'gun closet'. They can't see anyone, but the noise is there again. Someone is trying to get into the bus.
Daryl taps Sasha on the shoulder. When she looks at him, he looks up, indicating that he wants her on the roof. She nods and quietly pulls the ladder down. Before she goes up, Daryl grabs her and kisses her hard.
She kisses him back just as hard and whispers, "I got you."
He nods and watches as she quietly makes her way up to the roof. Once she is out of sight, Daryl makes his way outside, as quietly as he can.
When he gets outside, he has to fight himself to not look up to the roof of the RV. Sasha is safe up there and he needs to concentrate on what's going on, on the ground. He lifts his Bowie knife up and walks around to the blind side of the bus.
Sasha is impressed. She can see Daryl walking but she's fucked if she can hear him walking. He is totally silent.
As he walks around the bus, he is at first, confused by what he is seeing until he realizes that what he is seeing is a child. A skinny little boy. He was so engrossed in the little boy who still had his back to Daryl that he never noticed the skinny teenage boy sneaking up behind him with a huge rock in his hands.
Sasha notices him though, and fires one shot at the approaching boy's feet which stops him in his tracks. It also gains the attention of the little boy who is trying to get into the bus. The kid yelps and drops to the ground. The teenager drops the rock and raises his hands looking frantically all around him to see who shot at him.
"Relax kid," Daryl says softly. "If my woman wanted to kill you, you'd be dead. Put your hands down. You, get up and come on over here."
The young boy jumps up and runs to the teenager who grabs him and hugs him tight, then pulls the younger behind him as if to protect him from Daryl.
Sasha walks to the edge of the RV roof and looks down on the trio. "You boys alone?" she asks quietly.
"No," the teenager whispers harshly. "We have each other," he says, but he might as well have said 'Duh, dumbass' in his smart-ass teen angst voice. Sasha ignores that though. "Y'all hungry?"
The younger looks like he is going to jump out of his skin with excitement, but he quickly curbs that excitement with one look from the teenager.
"We'll be fine," the boy said.
"Look, you don't have to be hungry…," Daryl starts, but he doesn't get to finish as Sasha has started shooting.
"Walkers," she yells since there is no sense in being quiet anymore.
The teenager tries to run but Daryl grabs him by the arm. "You can't go out there. Those thangs will eat you alive. Get in the RV!"
"I have to get my baby sister!" the boy yells as he yanks out of Daryl's grip.
It was then that Daryl heard a baby cry out into the night.
He opened the RV door. "Get in there!" he yells at the younger. Once he was in, Daryl slams the door shut just as a walker drops at their feet. "Take me to your sister kid!"
The teenager doesn't hesitate. He runs around to the back of the RV and takes a few steps into the sparse trees behind it, with Daryl close on his heels. And there she was. A beautiful brown skinned little baby girl in a carrier. She reached for her brother as soon as she saw him. Unfortunately, as she reached for her brother, a walker was reaching for her.
The boy screamed as he and Daryl lunge forward. The boy grabs the carrier one second before the walker was going to fall upon his baby sister. Daryl buries his bowie knife into the top of the monster's head and twists, killing it.
Daryl grabs the boy's arm, turning him back toward the RV, takes the baby still strapped in her carrier and run.
"Sasha! Baby! I need a little help here!" Daryl yells as he stops and pushes the boy and the baby behind him.
Four walkers approach, but didn't even get close enough to smell the three of them as Sasha drops them in quick succession one after the other.
Daryl opens the RV door and pushes the boy in quickly, then hands him his little sister. Daryl jumps in and finds his crossbow.
"Stay in here while Sasha and I take care of this. Do you have any other family out there anywhere?"
The teenaged boy shakes his head no as he looks over his little brother and baby sister.
Daryl stands under the hatch in the roof of the RV. "Hey honey. I'm coming up,"
"No need babe. There aren't any more out there," Sasha says as she makes her way down the ladder, handing Daryl her rifle.
As she drops to the floor of the RV, the teenager stands up, clearly nervous.
She smiles at him and the younger who is practically laying over the baby in order to protect her from whatever he thinks might be coming.
"So," Sasha says looking over the children in their RV. "You never got to answer me before all of that action. You guys hungry?"
Lyrics from Hurt by Johnny Cash