Part 27: Interrogations

Is Daryl going to be able to stand his ground or is his dad going to get the truth out of him?
How will he react if he does? Hopefully he won't blame Daryl. Will's already got his concerns about his sexuality.

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Daryl reluctantly dragged his feet to his house, knowing he was cutting it fine with the time. If he was late...He shivered.

Worst case scenario.

His dad was already waiting for him just like he knew something had happened. For his part, Will Dixon didn't miss the way his son had inhaled sharply at just seeing him standing there on the porch.A s if he was scared at the sight of his own father which both surprised and saddened Will. Worse - he seemed close to full-blown panic at just seeing him.

Nothing new there.

The father's eyes were worried as they followed his son's progress as he plodded along despondently to his door. Will could tell something was seriously wrong with him, the boy was moving with his shoulders hunched and had his head down. Then, when he finally got up to the porch, Daryl refused to look up and without a word of greeting, tried to skirt around him. That in itself was nothing unusual, after all Will had been punishing him lately for coming home late from school as well as taking out his elder brother's absence on him.

Therefore, nothing about his teenager's skittish behavior around him was surprising but it was the haunted look in the boy's eyes that told a different story.

Will knew that look - he'd seen it before. It had taken weeks of most un-Dixon-like patient cosseting and reassurance on his part to rid his youngest of it and there it was again! To be brutally honest, it sent icy shivers running down Will's spine. Not again, please, please – fucking hell – not again. Not just when I got him better after that piece of shit..., he worried.

Concerned, Will blocked his way.

'Daryl?' He asked softly and reached round but he evaded his grasp.

Realizing what he'd done, Daryl shook his head and gasped, 'Sorry, Dad. I didn't mean...' He began to wheeze in panic and took a step backwards.

'Never mind that.' Will was feeling magnanimous today and proud of it, also he was scared shitless for his son. 'What's wrong?'

Daryl smiled a small, tight smile at odds with his deer- caught-in-the headlights-expression. 'Nothin'.'

Will tried to grab hold of his arm this time and yank him back inside - didn't want any of the nosy neighbors witnessing any of this but he let his hand fall back to his side with a sigh of resignation when he noticed his son flinch away again. It was clear that Daryl didn't want to be touched even though he could see that Will wasn't mad with him or drunk.

In fact, Will had stopped drinking quite long before lunchtime that day because he'd had a funny feeling in his gut that his eldest would be home tonight. Although Merle had typically not bothered to call to let him know if he was on his way. The boy had said sometime this week on the phone but not the exact day and now Will regretted not laying off his precious brother just because he couldn't control his temper, especially when he was drinking. It would be OK if he came back in a couple of more days – Will reckoned that Daryl's bruises – although already fading, would have disappeared completely by then. Part of him suspected that his eldest never bought his promise not to hit Daryl while he was gone and that was why he didn't announce exactly when he'd be home. Merle was probably hoping to catch him off guard mistreating his brother. Still, Will didn't really worry about that - he had the boy well-trained and Daryl wouldn't snitch on him because he wouldn't want to drive Merle away again by 'causing trouble between them'.

Still, this was nothing more than a feeling, maybe not even true. Besides, Merle was unpredictable in the best of times after all. The scatter-brained boy had called several times to say he was coming home 'in a few days' before and yet never turned up. Still, the thought of the dough the boy must be bringing with him filled Will's belly with excitement and distracted him from his worry.

But only for a second.

Will turned his attention back to his youngest. 'You OK, son?'

He received no answer just a hangdog shrug like his son didn't care about anything anymore. Bad sign. Daryl just continued to stare down at the wooden boards of their front porch looking like he was ashamed.

'Get in.' Will barked – he hadn't meant it to come out so harsh as he glanced into the street to see if anyone was around.

Daryl paled, quick to obey.

Will grunted and let him pass but then took a firm but gentle grip of his arm again before he could run upstairs. Meanwhile, he kicked the door shut behind them.

'Dad...I just want to…' Daryl protested, but Will refused to let him go.

'What is it?' Will paused, choosing his words carefully. 'Something's obviously upset ya, son.'

'I told ya already. It were nothin'.'

Now his son was brazenly squirming out of his grip but Will wasn't going to let him go, not until he found out the truth. If what he suspected had happened... His heart sank.

'Daryl,...son, talk to me.'

'No...Just leave me be.' Will frowned at his whimper, transgression enough for a split lip, let alone Daryl resisting him. 'Don't...don't feel too good...'

He swayed a little on his feet.

Will always hated seeing his youngest son recoil from him and struggled to control the rising anger. Now was no time for fits of rage – the kid looked terrified out of his wits. More shockingly still, as Will kept insisting on holding him against his will, it looked like his son was going to break down in tears any minute. Will realized that they couldn't carry on much longer like this.

'Ssh...It's OK, it's OK.' He hushed him and after he pulled him into the drawing room, he kicked that door closed behind them too but more violently this time, causing his son to flinch to his immediate regret. 'Sorry.'

Daryl's blue eyes flew wide at that. The times during his life that he had heard his father apologize he could count on one hand.

'Why ya so scared? What ya think I'm gonna do?'

Daryl didn't reply but Will partially released him temporarily with one hand to answer his own question by giving his hair a quick brush with his fingers. But Daryl still wasn't convinced and Will felt him tremble in his arms, and he knew that if he could, he would run away.

'Sh...sh...Tell ya old man what's wrong.'

Daryl shook his head and Will gripped him by the top of both his shoulders.

'Ya can tell him.' Will coaxed. 'Somebody upset ya at school? Is that little fucker Shane and his buddies gettin' at you again? Merle'll be back soon and I'll tell him to...'

'No! No more than usual not that I give a fuck about those idiots! And I ain't a baby!' Daryl snapped and pushed away at his arms crossly.

Will took his seat on the sofa and tried to pull him down with him but his stubborn kid resisted. 'Calm down son, I know ya ain't a baby. Where did that come from, huh?'

Shaking his head and smiling with fatherly pride at his bad-ass attitude even when he was obviously in a very bad place, Will let slip a little smile and finally released him

Will looked at him, and raised his eye-brow questioningly, awaiting an answer.

'I'm OK! Ya don't have to worry, dad!' Daryl practically yelled at him, standing there between his spread thighs. He knew better than to leave without Will's permission, no matter how pissed off he was.

'If that's true, then why ya cryin', son?' Will gently rubbed a couple of stray tears off one cheek with his thumb, then the other. 'Huh?'

'I ain't!' He snapped back at his father but was unable to meet his eyes. Probably surprised that he didn't get the tears thrashed out of him for his show of disrespect.

'This ain't 'cos of other boys... This is somethin' else, ain't it? Did someone hurt ya?'

Daryl drew in a sharp intake of breath. How did his dad know? 'No...' he breathed but his trembling got worse and now there were tears leaving their tracks down each cheek. He ducked his head and wiped them away furiously.

He didn't want his dad to see him cry; didn't want him to see him weak.

But Will wouldn't let him hide as he pulled his son closer so that he ended up sitting, next - he brushed back his son's long fringe so he could get a better look at his face before he tilted it up.

'Look at me.' There was no misunderstanding the command in his tone, yet he spoke softly to him. Daryl merely blinked at him.

'Tell me, please, Daryl.' He rarely spoke to him with such gentleness – the last time had been two years ago.

Daryl goggled – did his dad just say 'Please'?

Reluctantly, Daryl looked up at him and he knew that Will would see that he'd let it all get to him. He steeled himself, expecting at least a hard slap to the face.

But none came.

'Come here.' Will grunted as he stroked his son's arm reassuringly and drew him closer so that he was sitting.

Yet Daryl stiffened. 'Don't, …please Dad.'

Will sighed and loosened his grip, giving Daryl more space. He recalled how he'd been on the porch – his son didn't want anybody touching him, not even him, confirming his worst fears.

Boy's fragile, ain't like me and Merle, especially after what he's already been through.

Will never gave a thought to what he'd already put him through – in his mind, for a long time, Mike was the only one to blame for his son being even more jumpy than usual.

The fact that he might be the one mostly responsible for Daryl always being on edge due his countless outbursts of rage he'd had over nothing at all never even occurred to him. He continued to reason silently to himself, it ain't that he's weak. More that he needs gentling, forcing ain't gonna work here. Just gonna make him panic even more and then I'll never get it out of him .

As if on cue, Daryl shook him off, got up and was already halfway across the room before his father called him back, stopping him in his tracks. 'Where ya think ya goin'?'

'I just want to be left alone, dad.'

'Don't go.' But it was more of a request than an order.

Daryl's lower lip had started to tremble as he looked at the living-room door then at his father and back to the closed door again longingly. His dad had apologized and hadn't punished him for being a sissy and half of him wanted to run away while the other half wanted to run straight back to him. Yet he was reluctant because he knew that there was some kind of switch inside his father that turned 'nice' dad (the one who would stroke his hair and cook him his favorite food) into 'scary' dad who would yell and hurt him with nothing much between. Never failing to leave him confused and uncertain which dad he was going to get day to day, even minute to minute sometimes. Crazy considering how much he hurt him and still did on a regular basis, he remembered how his father could also make all the bad things in his head go away.

Make it all stop.

At least for a little while.

'Someone's been at you, ain't they?' Will effortlessly struck gold. 'It's OK, I don't blame you, just tell ya Dad who he was.'

Will could see him faltering as he took a few steps back towards him.

But his words didn't match his body language. 'Get off my case. Forget it, will ya?'

Daryl knew his disrespectful tone would probably be enough to get him another thrashing but at least his dad would stop interrogating him and let him go afterwards.

But his dad didn't do that.

'I'll get off ya case as soon as you tell me his name. It's as simple as that.'

'Told you there ain't nothin' to tell. Please, Dad.' He pleaded.

'Somebody hurt ya or at least frightened ya badly, didn't they?'

Daryl shuddered, already telling his father everything he needed to know. He sucked in a deep breath and took a shaky step back towards his escape route again, undecided.

'Tell me who hurt you.'

His boy's face contorted with pain and conflict and the father could tell that he was teetering. Towards him. He only needed one or two more pushes and it wouldn't be force.

Will opened up his arms to him. 'Talk to me son, I got all the time in the world.'

'Daad...' Daryl whimpered and twisted his hands nervously.

'Come here, baby.'

That did it. Daryl relaxed and literally ran back into his father's arms. It had only happened twice before - his father calling him that, but he knew that whenever he did - he wasn't going to get hurt but comforted.

He didn't have to be a Dixon - not today, he sighed with relief as somehow, he ended up in his father's lap.

'What did he do?'

He buried his face in the older man's chest for comfort. He was remembering the teacher's rough and uncaring touch, not caring whether he wanted it or not - so unlike his father's right now.

Or his brother's.

Will felt sick wondering how far the pervert went with him when nothing he did could stop him from shaking. Will had to go one step further to reassure him. He brought them to the floor.

'Dad – what ya doin'?' The teenager asked timidly in bewilderment.

'Doin' my best to make you feel better.'

Daryl made a choked sound at that.

'Only like this...Sh.' Will started to rock them back and forth on the faded carpet. There wasn't room to comfort him properly on the couch.

Daryl inhaled sharply and started to say something but stopped. Then he let out a long sigh and Will thought his reaction was weird. What was wrong with saying you wanted to make someone feel better? Pretty harmless, wasn't it? The father narrowed his eyes as the cogs started to turn faster and faster in his head.

'You're gettin' too big for this shit.' Will joked to try and break the tension. He knew that Daryl felt embarrassed.

Although he didn't reply, Will felt him relax a little.

After a while of comforting him this way in silence, Will almost gave up on getting anything out of him today. But he was rewarded when Daryl gradually calmed down and even closed his eyes.

'Sh...' Without thinking, only wanting to reassure him, Will instinctively ran his hand under his boy's shirt to caress his side.

'No! Don't!' Daryl yelled angrily, fully alert suddenly even though his father reckoned that he had been in a light doze. He shoved at the offending hand frantically.

Will immediately tore it away in shock because Daryl had never reacted like that before. Then again, he had to admit - most of the time whenever he touched him under his clothes he'd made damn sure the boy was in one of his deep sleeps first. And he'd often had his own reasons for doing that – not just soothing him back to sleep.

Daryl's own hands scrabbled to get away but Will had wrapped his arms round him again.

'Sh...sh. Calm the fuck down - it's gone! See? It's gone. Didn't mean nothin' by it. I'm ya father!'

Daryl quivered and those damned tears were threatening to fall again.

'Tell me his name, son.' Will soon started up again and buried his nose in his hair, breathing in his scent making Daryl tense up again. 'Please .'

But Daryl continued to shake his head.

'Then take ya clothes off.'

'Wh...What?' Daryl stared at him in shocked disbelief. If he was blushing before, now there was a single fire ablaze in each cheek. Moreover, his mouth started to tremble including that tell-tale lower lip of his. 'Why?'

'I need to check you over, son. Make sure he didn't...' Will went red and looked away, too embarrassed to say what in front of his innocent son. At least he still hoped he was. Plus, he didn't know what he was looking for exactly but he knew he'd recognize it if he saw it.

Proof.

Will hastily backtracked. 'I only meant ya pants. Do it!'

Daryl recoiled from his loud voice – his dad sounded weird – excited somehow and his panic grew, especially when his dad didn't even give him a chance and started taking them off for him.

'No! What ya doin'? Get off me!' He slapped away Will's hands but his father was relentless. He had his pants nearly down to his ankles by now. His dad could see his underwear! There wasn't much between him and his dad's...and here he was lying across his father's lap just like a little kid who was about to get a spanking for fuck's sake! What had he been doing sitting in his lap to begin with? There must be something wrong with him, no normal 15 year old boy should be sitting with their dad like this! Or end up being sprawled across him like he was now! If Merle was there he would never hear the end of it...

'Don't, please, dad!' He was sobbing now in shame. 'Stop!'

That switch inside him turned off and the father in Will realized how terrified his son actually was. He abruptly stopped what he was doing and pressed a kiss to the top of his son's head as he shushed him.

Daryl chest hitched as he fought to control his breath but said nothing, making Will feel like an insensitive ass.

'I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that but if you'd only tell me what happened, I wouldn't have to!'

Daryl sheepishly tried to make himself decent again by pulling up his jeans. He either didn't hear or was too stunned to answer. In any case, at least he'd stopped crying.

But Will grabbed him again before he could find his feet.

'Don't!' His son fought him. 'Let me go!'

'Why did me doin' that get ya in such a state? Is it because of something that bastard did to you?' Will demanded as he held him trapped once more. 'Tell me!'

Daryl quivered and hunched his shoulders, unable to meet his eyes. 'No, he didn't do that.' Daryl realized his mistake too late.

His dad immediately pounced on this. 'So he did do somethin'? Who is he? How far he go with you?' Will's grip on him became almost painful as the endless torrent of questions kept tumbling out of his mouth without pause.

'I keep tellin' ya nothin' happened!' Daryl insisted hoarsely.

'But he tried, didn't he?'

Daryl let out a long sigh. 'Dad – can ya stop talkin' about it? Let me go up to bed.'

'Ain't ya even hungry?'

'You always say there's no food in the house. 'Sides, I jus' wanna sleep.'

'No. You can sleep here. I know you need to. But ya think I'm lettin' you out of my sight after today?'

Daryl protested under his breath.

Will pulled them back onto the sofa and got ready for a long night. Strangely, he wasn't hungry either.

'Go back to sleep if ya want to, I know how exhausted you must be.' He ordered him even though it was barely 6pm because a plan was already forming in his mind. So, his son wouldn't let him see when he was awake? Well, then, he could look when he was away in Dreamland.

His son protested of course, pleading with him to let him go again but Will stroked his hair until he stopped – doing that had worked in the past and after what seemed like an eternity, Daryl eventually gave up and his breathing got back to normal. He was apparently fast asleep. Will watched him sleep for a while, thoughts of revenge and his imaginings of what his son must have gone through crazily spinning in his head. He badly wanted to check for tell-tale marks but didn't dare after his reaction when he'd merely slid one hand up his side without thinking. He also wasn't in any hurry for his son to feel that kind of panic he'd felt when Will had pulled down his pants.

Not until he could be sure he wouldn't wake up. The boy was sleeping like a bear in his winter-sleep just like he had for days after Mike when Will had kept him home to take care of him. He'd figured out by now that it was the way the boy's mind healed himself.

….

When he heard Daryl snoring quietly after half an hour impatiently spent reconsidering his next move, Will sighed and finally did it. With determined but gentle hands he pulled up his boy's shirt. He knew he was taking a big risk and just as he expected, Daryl tensed up again and stirred uneasily.

Will paused, afraid he would wake up.

'It's OK...Shh...' He murmured reassurance and Daryl started drifting off again.

When his father didn't find what he was looking for, he breathed a sigh of relief and tugged down his shirt to cover as much as he could of the exposed skin. God forbid there was no new bruises in the wrong places, indicating that at least he hadn't been held down. Yet the anxious father still wasn't fully convinced. Even if Daryl said the bastard hadn't stripped him of his clothes, he could have done plenty else. Or threatened him into complying.

Will's was mulling it over and he was pretty sure that it had probably been a teacher who had molested his vulnerable son – vulnerable more than most because what had already happened to him. He knew that no fists or weapons would ever manage to scare his boy like this, he was afraid of nothing usually.

'Ya ever gonna tell me who it was, boy? So I can take care of the piece of shit by myself or better yet, set ya big brother on 'im when he gets back...Merle knows how to make scum like that suffer, sure he does. Better than me. Says he'll be back real soon.'

Will was murmuring into his sleeping son's hair, hardly aware of what he was saying.

'Still don't know what he did to Ole Mikey...but sure it weren't pretty. My guess he ain't alive no more - fuckin' hope so. Bastard don't deserve to live after what he did tho' I did love him like family once, I swear.' Will's voice cracked a little and he paused. 'Thought he loved ya too...'till the fuck did what he did.'

Thinking about Mike naturally made him want to drink, especially on top of everything else and Will stared at what little was left of the bottle of whiskey he'd hit hard the day before but he hadn't had a drink since the previous morning when he'd only drunk a couple of glasses. Now it was standing there on the coffee table right in front of him like it was taunting him. After not much consideration, he leaned over and took his first swig of the 'new day' and mentally clapped himself on the back for his self-control.

He cursed himself when he had set down the bottle on the table a little too hard in anger over that particular memory of his son being violated to waking up said son.

'What's going on, Dad?' He looked up at him warily.

His father drinking was always a bad sign.

Will sighed, he hated that look but mainly he sighed because a lot of this had a sense of deja-vu about it. 'Nothing to worry about. Ya fell asleep, is all. Ya want something to drink? To eat maybe?'

Daryl nodded.

'How 'bout a peanut and jelly sandwich with a big glass of milk?'

Daryl inwardly rolled his eyes. His dad hadn't made him that since he was like...what...ten? But he didn't complain. He knew why his dad was acting like this. And he was hungry.

'Think I bought some the other day 'though that goddamn brother of yours has left me beggin' for scraps for Joe and Smitty among others.'

Will had called on all the favors he had but could tell those he'd borrowed from to keep him in drink and woodbines were losing patience. Even Marty's generous line of credit specially for die hard locals like him was wearing thin and he'd been thinking of brewing up his own moonshine.

'I'll go and fix it for ya then. I need to stretch my legs anyway. Wait there for me.' Will leaned down to tussle his hair reassuringly before he went. It was true that his legs were going numb, but what the elder Dixon really craved was that bottle of liquid gold hiding out in the kitchen.

Daryl took the chance to visit the bathroom when his dad wasn't hovering over him. When he got there, the shakes struck.

Stop bein' such a little pussy, he ordered himself harshly. Ain't like he really did nothin', just tried to and he stopped and said sorry. He was nothing like Mike.

At that thought he hugged himself and whimpered.

If that was true, if Rogers hadn't done anything, how did his Dad know and why was he treating him like he did after his so-called uncle molested him?

'Daryl! Where ya at, son?'

He rolled his eyes. His dad was just too overprotective and intense at times.

'I'm taking a piss!' then 'For fuck's sake…' He added in a low voice as he stared blankly back at the stranger in his own reflection.

He looked like shit, his eyes red and weepy although he'd been sleeping for hours with his dad refusing to let go of him, holding him even in his slumber.

'You OK?' He heard him call up the stairs.

'Yeah, Dad.'

'Well, hurry up, will ya? Got ya food here.'

Daryl stared at himself in the cracked glass of the bathroom cabinet, cracked thanks to their dad throwing a glass at Merle's head once when he'd been taking pills from the wrong side of the cabinet - Will's side. Daryl knew that both his father and brother kept their stash of pills in there. Although he knew Merle kept most of his good junk hidden in his bedroom to stop his father or brother getting at it. Daryl smiled a little when remembering that look on Merle's face when he'd dangled his little bag of goodies right in front of him as a joke. His big brother had almost knocked him off his feet to snatch it back. Then the other time when he'd stolen a couple of big pink pills (he wasn't sure what they did but they made him more relaxed anyway) from Merle's side and got a whipping because they were Dad's! Somehow they'd ended up in the wrong place and Dad always counted his. Stealing one or two from Merle was usually safer because he was too out of it most of the time to notice.

The time that stuck out most of all in his memory was when he was about 12 and he was holding the pills in his hand before he was aware of it he had swallowed them all down for some reason – a whole handful. Of course they'd been too much for his small body and he'd been out of it for 2 days.

His head was spinning and his vision darkening by the time he realised that they weren't the usual shit.

He didn't get punished that time, however because his father seriously thought he might die, and was debating with himself whether to take him to hospital. In the end, he'd put him to bed and watched over him all night and when Merle turned up the next day, he'd yelled at him to be more careful and not leave his shit lying around for Daryl to get. And when it looked like he'd recover, they'd just laughed at the spaced-out way he was acting. He smiled at that memory, it hadn't been all that fun at the time, but now it was one stock family story that Merle used to tease him about when he called him 'Baby' or 'Princess'. Or anytime he wanted to embarrass him.

After that his brother started being more careful, hiding the really dangerous shit in his bedroom out of reach.

The teenager looked at the cabinet doors wistfully, wishing he could take some stuff now to take the edge off dealing with his over-the-top dad mainly, now it wasn't even about what had happened with his math teacher which was already fading.

'Daryl!'

He jumped and let out a low curse. His dad was getting more impatient now, no doubt reluctant to leave him alone. He noticed the black circles under his eyes and their hunted expression – he didn't look like he'd spent all evening sleeping. But he had to admit that a worried and crazily over-protective dad was far better than drunk and violent dad.

'Comin'!'

He ran down the stairs and sure enough, his dad had laid down the plate with his sandwich plus a few chips on the coffee-table. He hadn't forgotten the glass of milk of course.

'Now, you eat up, son. You want anythin' else with that?'

'No, that's fine, dad.'

'Good boy.' Will ruffled his hair again and Daryl managed not to flinch. That would have only ruined things.

Will went back in to the kitchen and came back with the bottle of hard stuff for himself. His dinner.

Daryl had soon demolished his plate but he went slower with the cold milk.

'Glad to see ya appetite's OK at least. That enough?'

Daryl nodded.

'Come here.'

He sighed but did as he was bid.

He needed some air and a break from the constant questions and concern, something about the look on his face must've gotten to his dad because he allowed him to get up and take a walk in the yard for a break. But as soon as he came back and shut the door behind him, apparently it still wasn't the end of it because his father was calling out to him and demanding him to show himself in not so different words.

Will beckoned him closer and pulled him into his arms. Daryl didn't even bother to ask to be allowed to go to bed.

'Need to go to the bathroom, Dad.' He announced after a while, however.

Will unclamped his arms from around him – unwillingly so it seemed to his son. 'You make sure you come back down after ya finished, son.'

'Dad – come on. You don't need to do this – told ya I'm OK. Can't I just go up to my own room after?'

'You do what I tell ya, boy.' Will was in no mood for disobedience. 'It's for ya own good', he added more quietly.

Will listened to the toilet flush after he stomped back out and heard him lightly tripping down the stairs again.

He watched him intently, checking him over as Daryl resignedly came back into the living-room.

When his dad held his arms out to him and again, Daryl had no choice.

Will could feel his blood boil at the visions of what he would do the animal that hurt his son as he held him almost so tightly that he couldn't breathe and let out a small sound of protest forcing his father to loosen his grip a little. When Daryl settled down again, Will poured himself a large one.

What was worse – until he found out who, Daryl was still in danger, especially if the creep worked at the school. If he was someone like a teacher or a janitor ...The father shook his head to clear it. He'd brought the whole other whiskey bottle with him from the kitchen - after all, 'upset' for him was a huge understatement to say the least.

When I get that name out of him, I'll make sure he doesn't have any hands left to touch young boys with when I'm through with him, or anything else for that matter he thought to himself savagely without humor.

Sensing that his anger was about to take him over if he let it, Will turned on the TV loud and arranged the semi-comatose Daryl so that he was lying on his back with his head in his lap.

A few hours later, half of Will's bottle was gone, and Daryl was snoring softly.

Will even snoozed himself but not as deeply as his boy when the front door banged. He woke up and immediately rolled his eyes. 'Merle!' He snarled.

There was something of deja-vu about that as well.

Right on cue as if he heard him, his eldest came stumbling in. 'Daryl! Dad! I got it!' He called out and Will heard a heavy thump of him throwing something onto the floor in the hall.

'Well, ain't this a fine home-coming.' He grumbled with his voice dripping with sarcasm as he came in from the hall before he spotted him them on the sofa.

Merle opened his mouth to speak again.

'Quiet, boy!' His father motioned with his arm. 'Ya brother's sleepin'.'

'What...what ya doin' with Daryl? Why ain't he in bed?'

Will didn't care for Merle's suspicious look directed at him.

Everything else became unimportant as Daryl's started fidgeting in his sleep. Will had forgotten that there was a war going on in his youngest head.

What happened still haunted him, inevitably the events of the previous day managed to invade his dreams and now it was Rogers who had replaced Mike on top of him, pinning him down, touching him everywhere. Worse - in this nightmare, Daryl was the younger, smaller version of himself when the latter attacked him. Rogers was nowhere near Mike's impressive size but he still had a lot on Daryl, even now. Daryl cried out when he felt his heavy body on top of him. He couldn't escape, no matter how much he bucked and tried to fend him off and his hands were everywhere and his teacher, just like his 'Uncle' didn't stop this time.

Daryl whimpered and Will soothed him as best he could but it made no difference, he just became more agitated.

'No! Get off me!' He suddenly said sleepily, shoving away at his father's arm.

Will immediately released him with an exasperated look at his eldest.

'He havin' a bad dream?'

'You work that out all by yaself, Genius?'

'Yeah, that's all ya want. Thought ya cared, asshole!' His brother thrashed in his dreams.

Will's hands were down by his sides while Daryl acted out in his sleep.

'Sh...Ain't nobody touchin' ya...Sh...'

But Daryl was still shouting with his fists clenched.

'Why don't you wake him up? Don't let him go on like that…'sides, he'll want to see me.' Merle stared at them drunkenly and swayed gently, taking a step towards them. 'I'll do it.' He offered as he dragged his feet closer.

Will growled and put one arm around his brother who had calmed down again. 'Ya stay right where you are, Merle. I think it's for the better if you didn't. You don't want to shock him – he don't know ya here, after all.' The last sentence came out as a reproach.

'But he'd want to know!' Merle protested weakly.

'I told you to leave it!' Will commanded and he backed down. He may have been 20 years old but he knew better than to cross his father. Not when things were as serious as this.

'Fine.'

'You'll see him in the mornin'.' Will said more softly. 'I'll stay with him here. Make sure he don't have any more bad dreams.'

'What's wrong with him?'

'Tell ya later.'

Merle's befuddled brain tried to connect the dots to the last time this happened but he couldn't quite get there. In any case, he'd rather not dwell on why Daryl was down in the living room with their Dad and not in his own bed.

'What ya been drinkin'? Or takin' anyway? Ya high again, ya no-good piece of junkie shit? Comin' home like that after months with barely a phone-call or a letter all that time, lyin' about when ya were comin' back and leavin' us to starve when I need you the most!'

Merle twitched and looked hurt. 'I was celebratin'. 'Cos I came back with the goods, Dad. That's why I was gone so long.'

'How much dough ya bring back?' Will immediately pricked up his ears in interest.

'About 3 grand.'

'Good boy.' Will u-turned without warning but it was enough.

Merle beamed at the rare approval that meant his father was appeased even under the circumstances before his face fell and he frowned down at Daryl. He looked at him with almost sober worry now.

'Is he sick?'

'No – nothin' like that. But'll he need the both of us when he wakes up.' Will replied, his mind far away, already calculating all the booze and meth he could buy with his elder son's earnings.

'Where's the money?' He demanded as he ran his fingers through his other son's hair.

'In a bag out in the hall.'

Will's moment of joy turned back to anger as he lashed out again at his other boy who he partly blamed for everything. Why hadn't he come back earlier to protect Daryl? Watch over him?

'You sure 'bout that? Or did ya forget it down in some crummy bar or spend it all on ya cheap whores and drugs?'

'No I…' Merle, genuinely hurt, tried to protest when he was interrupted.

'Get the fuck off me!' Daryl hissed in his sleep, struggling although no one was holding him.

'Do you know who's he talkin' about?' Merle was barely listening to his father – the 3 grand and the crappy welcome were the very last things on his mind now.

Will gave a tight smile as he shook his head and patted Daryl's back who was muttering incomprehensibly and clenching his fists.

'Did somethin' happen? Or is it jus' one of his nightmares?'

'Wish that was all it was.' Will sighed. 'Why do ya think he's here with me like this?'

'What the hell do you mean?' Merle paled and grew more alert in his fear for his brother. The penny had finally dropped. 'Another perve been at him?'

'Calm down, Merle. Reckon they didn't get very far – checked him out myself but he's pretty shook up. And scared of course with it.'

Merle suddenly noticed Daryl's fading bruises. 'And beat-up! Look at his fuckin' face!' He snarled at his father in rage. 'That your work, dad?' He started to stalk towards him but his drunken wobble made 6'1'' frame much less intimidating.

'Back off, Merle. I ain't put my hands on him since ya been gone. I made a promise and I kept it like a Dixon.'

Merle swayed halfway across the floor and doubt flitted across his expression. Whenever their dad mentioned 'Dixon' or what being a Dixon meant, it usually ended in them getting browbeaten. They couldn't argue with family.

'Ya swear it weren't you?' He looked at his father with the pathetically hopeful look of a child who wants their parents to tell him that Santa Claus was real after all and not made-up like a know-it-all kill-joy big brother had said it was.

Will nodded. 'He just had another run-in with that no good for nothing Walsh kid. I tell ya – Shane got the worse of it.'

'Good!'

'And he'll tell ya the same when he wakes up... But yesterday the poor boy came home today terrified of his own shadow…'

Merle lost his goofy, drunk expression as a cloud of dark fury crossed his face.

'Who was it?' He growled menacingly. 'Tell me who and when I get my hands on him...I'll make what I did to Mike seem like an express-car to heaven.'

Will nodded his head in approval. 'Exactly what I hoped you would say. I want you to find out and deal with him like you did with the other ... one. Problem is he won't talk about it.' Will found that he couldn't even spit out Mike's name. 'Maybe you can get it outta him when he wakes up. He looks up to you.'

'Yeah, I know he does…What – he said nothing to you?'

'He ain't said anything exactly, but I know by the way he was actin'.

Jus' like when...' His voice trailed off. 'I did my best to get it out of him but he wouldn't tell me!'

Will wasn't sure if he would have told Merle the pervert's identity even if Daryl had told him. The waste-of-space - no matter how much Merle'd sobered up - was in no condition to take action or be of any help, until at least the sun came up.

'Up to bed, Merle. Ya better sleep off whatever shit ya been takin' tonight. I'm happy to see ya again, son – don't get me wrong and didn't mean to lose my temper when you came in but you can see why I weren't myself.'

'Yeah, of course.' Merle also sounded happy but surprised at his dad's rare apology and praise. 'Don't worry about it, Dad. Is...Is he going to be OK?'

'He's safe for the moment anyway. We'll talk about it tomorrow.' Will dismissed him, petting Daryl's hair who had settled back down again.

But it didn't take long after Merle left the room for Daryl to fidget in his sleep again. His frustrated screams soon carried beyond the dream into real life.

Will decided to wake him up, fearing that even Merle would hear and come running in.

'Now, now, tell me what happened. Can't pretend it was nothin' after that. When are ya goin' to spit out the creep's name?'

Daryl only blinked his eyes bleary with sleep at him as his father gripped him hard by the tops of his arms.

Will gave up not for the first time that day as he hushed him and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him closer. 'There, there...Hush, now.'

When Daryl woke up in the morning, he was first confused to find himself on the sofa with no sign of Dad. What was he doing anyway, sleeping there? Then it all came back to him, the whole thing that happened with Rogers. It was like a bad dream. But Daryl knew better - it had been no nightmare – his pervert of a teacher had actually come onto him! And hadn't been gentle about it either!

Deal with it, he told himself. Then his stomach rumbled painfully and he remembered that he hadn't eaten anything else since that peanut butter jelly sandwich his father had made him for dinner yesterday. Just like his dad knew what he was thinking, the smell of pancakes cooking drifted over, making his mouth water.

'Dad?'

'Yes, son?' He called over from the kitchen.

'What's the time? I'm late for school.'

Will came in from the kitchen, tea-cloth in hand. 'Don't worry about that, son, 'cos you ain't goin' to school today. Who touched ya?' He heard his dad say all in one breath without pause.

'What? Ya tryin' to catch me off guard, dad? Don't start that again. Told ya nothin' happened.'

'Ya lyin'. I know it was a teacher. If ya don't feel like talkin'...'

He could feel his father's eyes burn a hole through him and the silence was thick before his father ended it, 'Fine.'

Daryl shook his head. 'Ain't no point. It's done with.'

'Never mind. Come and eat.' His father turned back to the stack of steaming pancakes he'd laid on the counter and brought them out onto the table.

'Get the butter or whatever you want on 'em out of the fridge.'

Daryl's stomach did a happy rumble at just the thought of them finally having some butter – let alone peanut butter in the house that he almost bounced towards the refrigerator with glee. 'Thanks, Dad!'

'Don't thank me, thank ya brother. He gave me the cash this last night– that's why I could go to the shop early to get you boys a special treat.'

'Thanks.' Then the penny dropped. 'Merle's back?' Daryl's expression was radiant and his mouth formed a big surprised 'O' of happiness. 'Where is he?'

'Still in bed.'

'Can I go up and see him?'

'In a minute. Eat ya breakfast first.'

Will was pleased as he watched the change in his son from last night. Daryl grinned with joy as he laid down the butter, chocolate spread and maple syrup on the table before they tucked in. Yet he couldn't help silently wondering why his father was being so nice. Like he used to be in the past when Daryl was real little and tried to hide something from him and he was trying to get it out of him. Then again, nothing escaped him – he usually knew everything.

It was no surprise that Merle didn't come out of his pit to join them, Dad told him he'd come back late last night after partying hard to celebrate his ill-gotten gains before he staggered in. Daryl planned to go up the stairs and wake his hung-over big brother in style since his dad had told him he wasn't allowed to go to school. Besides, it was a Friday – a math day - so Daryl didn't exactly mind and then came the weekend – Merle would take him into town and they would have fun. Or maybe even that afternoon if he was wasn't too hung-over.

Will beamed across at him and Daryl was dumbstruck. He hadn't seen his dad wear that look for such a long time, yet some voice in the back of his mind told him not to fully trust it. He must be acting weird because of what he thought happened to him at school, Daryl could only take a wild guess as to what. Probably the worst. There was that dark veil again clouding his father's eyes every once in a while, much like it often had last time he was attacked by an older man.

Daryl ate less than he normally did, even though his stomach screamed for food. He ate in silence under the watchful eyes of his father, even though he was excited as hell and he couldn't wait to see his big brother again.

Maybe Rogers had done him a favor if it meant having his Dad go back to being nice without his bad temper threatening to explode all the time.

As soon as he had washed the dishes and helped with the chores around the house to try to keep his father in a good mood, he ran up to Merle's room. He was still fast asleep when Daryl giggled and jumped right on top of him.

Merle groaned and covered his head with his pillow when his brother tried to tussle with him just like he used to do when he was five. Turned out that being 15 hadn't changed things much between them.

Merle pushed him off weakly.

'Merle! Wake up!'

'Fuckin' head's thumpin'.' He moaned. 'We'll go out later, OK? I need to sleep.'

Disappointed, Daryl sighed and made to leave.

Yet Merle didn't turn over and fall asleep but instead followed his brother with his eyes in silence a little too long for comfort, and suddenly Daryl held up his hands in exasperation.

'What, Merle? I'm goin' now, leavin' ya to sleep like ya want.'

'I know somethin' bad happened to you yesterday. Came back at 3 in the mornin' and Dad was with you on the sofa while ya were havin' nightmares.'

Like Dad, Merle immediately started with the questions. Now it was Daryl's turn to groan.. Not you too. ''So? Why didn't one of ya just wake me up?'

'He wouldn't let me. Ain't normal...'cos last time he did that was because...was because...'

'Because of what Uncle Mikey did.' Daryl answered casually, hiding his true feelings but he looked away to hide his expression.

'Daryl...little bro... didn't mean to make you think of him again.'

'Yeah? Well, ya did.' He sighed and prepared himself for what was to come because apparently now it was Merle's turn to interrogate him, fuck him. He stubbornly crossed his arms over his chest and stood his ground.

'Who was it? They hurt ya, baby brother?' Merle was almost repeating their father verbatim.

Daryl gave him a dark look. 'No! Can take care of myself!

But unlike Dad, his big brother's attention span wasn't so great and he didn't have his persistence and Daryl hoped that he would forget all about it by tomorrow. He blamed the drugs and his constant prowling for the next girl...or two...or three for that. Daryl was careful not to take Merle's choice of lifestyle to mean that he didn't care about him. He knew Merle loved him more than life, stupid comments and jibes aside. But his big brother was incapable of focusing on one big thing at a time.

Bless him.

'Suit yourself. But ya'll want to talk about it eventually, I bet.'

'Why? What difference does it make? Doesn't change anything. I still have to go to school on Monday – can't hide forever.'

'You don't have to do a damn thing, baby brother. If someone put their filthy paws on you, you got somethin' on 'em, 'specially if they were a teacher. It was a teacher, wasn't it?'

Daryl deliberately looked away.

'I knew it! Was it Rogers? He always was a creep.'

Daryl gasped. How did Merle guess? His breath hitched in his chest as he recovered.

'No, weren't him! Would ya stop jumping to conclusions, Merle? Had this already from dad, the whole night!'

'All right, don't blow a fuse. Well, whoever it was, they gonna be scared and hopin' you don't report 'em. You don't need to do shit.'

'Yeah, he is scared 'cos I told him if he came near me again – I'd make sure everybody knew who he was. Satisfied?'

'Maybe ya did, but just tell me if It was him or not. I'm right, aren't I?' Merle replied doubtfully at first and it irritated Daryl to know his brother didn't think he was capable of standing up for himself.

'I'm tellin' ya I did!'

'Was it him?'

'No – I mean, yeah, but he didn't…'

'No 'buts'. You want Rogers to get away with it?'

'No! Weren't him! Just leave it, Merle! You sound like dad, a broken record!'

'You sure? You jus' said it was!'

'Ya confusin' me, makin' me say the wrong thing…Jus' give it a rest, will ya?'

'If not him, then who?' Merle, like his father, was relentless. Apparently he did have the attention span for something as bad as this affecting his baby brother.

'Ain't tellin' ya. You'll only go and do somethin' stupid and then you'll end up in jail. And I ain't losin' you again when you only just got back, I jus' ain't!'

Merle was touched by this even as he continued to harangue him.

'Baby brother, listen…I ain't gonna do that, jus' gonna teach the sick fuck a lesson, OK? Make sure he stays away from ya in future.'

'Like ya did Mike?' Daryl snapped, causing Merle to flush and his eyes darted away guiltily. 'You killed him, didn't you? And you'll do the same to him if I tell you his name.'

'Daryl…'

He stubbornly crossed his arms over his chest to stare down his big brother to find out the truth. Merle had never told him exactly what he did to Mike and Daryl had the feeling that even their dad didn't know. In any case, Mike had never been heard of again. But was Merle capable of murder? Even if someone really, really hurt him?

Daryl couldn't take the risk. Merle was the first to look away while Daryl eyed him tiredly.

'Why do you care what happens to him?'

'Jus' leave me alone, both of you! I handled it. I'm over it now.'

'That ain't what Dad says!'

'He says a lot of things! I told the fucker to back off and he did. What's the problem?'

'Why you protectin' the scumbag?'

'Cos I dealt with it, that's why! End of! Bastard ain't gonna come near me, not now, not ever.'

Merle opened his mouth to answer but just then their father called for him to come down and eat breakfast, thankfully stopping him.

Daryl was determined not to let Rogers intimidate him – it wasn't going to be a reason to miss school. It wasn't like he wanted to be there but it was a Dixon pride thing and he'd be damned before showing that bastard how much he'd gotten to him. He wasn't scared of him like his dad thought he was. For once, he'd been able to protect himself against a predator and it had felt good because he guessed that he wasn't so small and helpless anymore.

He wasn't 13 anymore.