Last week when I watched the Season 1 marathon I thought how sad it was how Daryl had nobody standing up for him when everybody was going on and on about how horrible a guy Merle was...I'm thinking that is where this story came from...Not sure how many chapters it will be, but I know I'm not finished quite yet...hope you all love it! And I know I didn't get all of the dialogue right...sorry about that :-)
"Why? Why in the hell did I say anythin' to that girl? Why did I even follow her down to the quarry? Then I had to open my big, fat mouth and actually offer to take her home. What the hell came over me?" Daryl grumbled to himself as he tracked the deer he shot through the woods. He had caught sight of the deer a little while back and hit it in the ass, but it took off with his arrow still sticking out of it. He would have hit it right in the heart, but his mind kept wandering to the blond girl with her sad blue eyes. So now he was paying for his lack of concentration and had to find his deer before one of the walkers got it. But of course as he walked, his mind wandered back to the girl. He had heard Shane raise his voice at her and was just starting to stand to but a stop to it, when he saw Beth walk off toward the quarry. Shane started to walk off toward her but Lori stopped him, pulling him over to her to talk about what had happened. While everybody was watching Shane and Lori "discuss" what had happened, he snuck off to find the blond.
Merle was actually ok with Daryl's decision for both of them to take the young girl home. Daryl thought it most likely was because of what they were planning anyway, they just wouldn't tell Beth they did it before they left….but another part of him thought it might have had something to do with something Merle had said one night while he was high around their small camp fire. It had been a few days after they joined the group and he had been watching Beth as she sat beside of Glenn around their camp fire, laughing at something the man had said to her.
"Baby brother, doesn't she look like an angel?" He mumbled to Daryl as he nudged him in the side and nodded toward Beth.
"What are you talkin' about Merle?" Daryl asked, already frustrated with his brothers drug use. There was far more important things to worry about right now than getting your next fix.
"Doll face over there….she looks like an angel. 'Member that angel that Momma had way back in her closet? The one she pulled out that one time and showed us? She looks like her" Merle said with a slur as he laid down on the ground by the fire. Before Daryl could answer him, he was asleep. He sighed and looked over at the object of Merle's drug hazed attentions. He had to admit, she was a pretty girl, young and soft and not cut out for this world. She did look like the angel Merle had mentioned, the memory of his Momma showing him that angel from her childhood that she had to keep hidden in the back of the closet so their father would not destroy it in one of his drunken rages.
He was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of a scream. As his ears perked up, he heard another scream and he headed off in that direction, deer forgotten for the moment. As he made his way into the clearing, he found his deer, lying on the ground. It was half eaten and surrounded by the group. From what he could make out just by glancing, it was Carl and Sophia's scream he had heard and the dead walker lying beside of his prey had been taken out by the group when they heard it. Anger filled Daryl as he saw the half eaten deer lying there.
"Look at it, all gnawed on! By this filthy, disease barren, motherless, poxy bastard!" Daryl growled as he kicked the dead walker over and over.
"Calm down son" Dale stated, trying to soothe the situation, but instead it just riled him up more.
"What do you know about it old man? Take that stupid hat and go back to beyond golden pond" he stated, getting into the older man's face and then turning back to his deer. He hated the fact that he let it get away as far as he did….all because he kept letting his mind wander to a certain blond girl.
"What do you think, can we cut around this part?" he asked, already knowing the answer but figuring he would ask it anyway.
"We would not want to risk that" Shane said, putting his rifle behind his back.
"Shame! Got some squirrel, about a dozen or so. That will have to do" he stated, and started to take off toward camp, turning his attention back to the ground when he heard jaws clacking together.
"Come on people, what the hell" he said as he put the bolt threw the walkers head. "It's gotta be the head. Don't you people know anything" then he took off toward the tent he shared with Merle. He caught sight of the blond sitting on the RV steps. He tried not to nod at her, he really did. But when he saw the look in her eyes, he knew something was wrong, so he nodded toward her. Silently asking if she was ok. When she slightly shook her head no, he knew he had to get Merle.
"Merle, come on out here, we got us some squirrel's. he yelled as he cast another glance at Beth and sat his stuff down on the log beside their tent.
"Daryl, we gotta talk to you about something" Shane said as he made his way toward Daryl. Daryl turned and looked at him, this time noticing the guy standing next to Shane.
"Yeah, what about?" Daryl asked, flashing another look at Beth. He could see by the look on her face she knew what was coming and he didn't like the look she had.
"It's about Merle" Shane said and a pain shot through Daryl's chest. It felt like something was squeezing at his heart.
"Is he dead?" he asked, his voice cracking just a little.
"Not sure" Shane replied, causing Daryl's blood to boil
"What do you mean yer not sure? Either he is or he aint….not too difficult" Daryl growled
"There is no easy way to say this, so I'm just gunna say it" the new guy beside of Shane spoke up and Daryl whipped around to him.
"And who the hell are you?" Daryl asked, his eyes narrow as he eyed the new guy up and down.
"Rick Grimes" the new guy stated. Grimes? Why did that name sound familiar to Daryl.
"Rick Grimes! You got somethin' you wanna tell me?" he growled out, pushing the thoughts of familiarity out of his head to focus on Merle.
"Your brother was a danger to us all. I handcuffed him to a roof in Atlanta" Rick started
"Let me process this? You mean to tell me you handcuffed my brother to a roof, and you left him there?" Daryl asked, as his anger boiled over and he lunged for Rick. In an instant he felt Shane wrap him up in a choke hold and this asshat Rick Grimes was kneeling in front of him telling him to calm down and that they were going to have a calm discussion. But out of all of that he heard one voice louder than everybody elses.
"Let him go" Beth screamed from in front of the RV at both Shane and Rick. They both looked over at her, Shane letting go of his neck just enough for him to jump up.
"Beth, stay out of this, it's not your concern" Shane stated, his voice full of authority. Beth just snorted at him and shook her head, she was tired of him.
"Go to hell Shane!" Beth stated, her anger growing at seeing Shane try to choke Daryl "His brother was left in Atlanta. Yeah it was not intended but that doesn't make a difference to him, it's his family" she continued, Daryl's eyes never leaving hers. He had never, in his life had somebody stick up for him. He felt the tears starting to form and had to do something, anything to keep them at bay. He also saw Shane starting toward Beth and got in between them.
"Tell me where he is, so I can go get em" his voice cracking as he angrily looked at the group in front of him.
"He will show you. Isn't that right?" Lori said, coming up to stand beside of Beth.
"Yeah, I'm going back" Rick stated, looking from Lori to Daryl. Daryl nodded and then turned to go gather his gear.
He felt Beth walk up behind him before she said anything. Her footsteps were light but still had a click to them due to her cowboy boots.
"Are you ok?" she asked softly, her voice sounding sort of timid.
"Gotta be" he replied as he packed a spare water bottle in his bag.
"He is gunna be fine" she stated with so much conviction he turned to look at her, then instantly regretted it when he got caught in her eyes.
"You don't know that girl" he growled out lowly, not wanting the others to hear his thoughts.
"Yeah I do" she replied with a head nod
"How?" he asked, his eyes narrowing at her as they roamed all over her.
"Because he is a Dixon, and I am 100% certain that nothing can kill a Dixon but a Dixon" she replied, a smile spreading across her face.
"Yeah, guess yer right" he replied, a smirk starting to form. But just as soon as it did, it was gone as they heard another argument forming in the group.
"Your really going to go risk your life for a douchbag like Merle Dixon?" Shane asked Rick as he marched toward the new guy. New rage built up in Daryl.
"Choose your words more carefully" he growled as be pointed a bolt toward Shane.
"Oh I did. Douchbag is what I meant" Shane said, going back to arguing with Rick.
"Merle Dixon is not worth one of your lives" Lori added as she sat on a log watching the scene. Beth's eyes locked onto his at her words. He knew these people didn't really give a damn about either of them, but to hear it actually come out of their mouths just fueled his anger, until he heard that angel's voice.
"He is a member of this group, just like everybody else" Beth spoke up, looking from Lori to Shane and then locking her eyes back onto Daryl. "You might not like him, and he might not do the same thing for you but he deserves us going back to get him. He was just left there in this sun and heat"
His eyes never left hers as she spoke, again this girl was defending his brother to these people. A part of him didn't blame them for not wanting to go back and get Merle. Hell a small part of him didn't want to go either, but he was his brother, his only living family. He had to go get him. And now Beth, sweet kind Beth was standing up for all guys named Dixon and it made this funny feeling start to grow in his stomach.
"Beth is right" Rick said as he smiled at her slightly and then turned his attention back to Shane and Lori, continuing their conversation. As they did, Beth walked over to Daryl. He looked down when he felt something poke his arm.
"Here, take it. You might need it" Beth said as she tried handing over the knife he had given her the other day. He shook his head no and pushed it back toward her.
"You keep it. Something might happen here. Keep it on you always" he replied gruffly as he dug through his bag till he pulled out what he was looking for. Then he grabbed her free hand and gently placed the butt of a gun inside of it, folding her fingers over it.
"You keep this too" he replied just above a whisper. "That walker was too close, you stay safe until Merle and I get back and then we will go. You mighta lost a few friends stickin up for me and Merle like ya just did" he added, his eyes locking onto the ground. What the hell was he doing talking to her so much and giving her one of his guns?
"Don't care if I did" she said with a sigh as she smiled at him. "Thank you Daryl" she replied softly after a few moments as she tucked the gun into the waistband of her jeans and covered it with her oversized t-shirt
"Naw, thank you Beth" he replied, his voice still a whisper.
"Ya want me to go with you?" she asked as she met his gaze again. Her eyes really were beautiful, like a huge pool in summer time that you just wanted to dive into and never come out of.
"Naw, you stay here where it's safe. We will be back and then we will go. Keep that gun on you ok" he stated. She nodded her head in a reply and he gently patted her arm and took off toward the group and the box truck. He stopped mid stride as a thought hit him and he turned back around, finding her awaiting eyes still on him
"Ya know how to use that right?" He asked, his eyebrow raised just a little. Beth let out a small chuckle and flashed him a smile
"Farm girl...remember Daryl?" she replied back. Her reply causing a smirk to fall on his lips. He nodded at her and then turned back around and headed toward the box truck. She sent a silent prayer up to anybody that could be listening to bring them back safely.