TTWH 20

Thanks for all the positive comments and reviews...yes, I'm aiming at disturbing and creepy. But then it's Daddy Dixon!

The next day, Will Dixon groaned as he woke up in the spare tent they'd kindly given him with a thumping headache even though he'd only drunk a couple of glasses from the whiskey they passed around the campfire, grudgingly letting him have some. The booze had been a long time coming and he had watched his sons refuse the communal wine (as he called it) and drink their own, nasty moonshine, no doubt. Merle was proud about what kind of devil's brew he let pass his lips and his brother's. He'd tried to ignore Merle's hateful stare that had a glimmer of fear hidden under the depths if you knew him well enough to look, telling him with his eyes silently to crawl away and just die. So in the end, he gave up trying to have conversation with them.

Will realised that Merle wanted him dead. But he had a weak link – Daryl. He'd always been the sweet one. Had Merle really told him about the special father and son time they'd shared together? Judging by his younger son's lashing out at him as soon as he laid eyes on him again – the vicious things he'd said and implied - Will guessed he had.

His mind went back to last night and the day before...something had changed between them...the way Merle touched Daryl and coddled him between his legs last night round the fire...even holding his hand in the woods – all of it was unnatural. But none of the group seemed to notice or be surprised at this faggish behaviour, leaving Will to conclude that something must have happened to Daryl. Something bad enough that had made Merle even more protective than usual and baby him unashamedly in the open like that. What could it be? Not so surprising in this new world they had woken up to where the other living people were often worse than the dead.

He had to get Daryl on his own, make the boy see sense. Get him to talk to Merle and persuade him to let him stay. Because what if they told the group his little secret? But Will didn't really think they would, his shame was their shame too and when you're a Dixon, most people look down at you before you even open your mouth.

He looked over at Carl who didn't look a thing like Merle or Daryl at his age. Merle had been blonde – Will smiled when he remembered that hair – those fair locks that had tempted him. Despite what he'd threatened the boy with to make him lie down and open his legs (so to speak), he would never have hurt Daryl that way because Merle was special. Came with filthy thoughts in his head the day he was born no doubt and had an insatiable libido to match. So Will hadn't felt guilty about what he'd done...the boy should have been grateful that he held off all those years because he wouldn't have done anything in front of their Mama. When she died, the boys were fair play and his to do what he wanted with.

Will shook his head as he took all of 12 year old Carl in over by the campsite water-pump. Being a good boy and filling up the pitcher for his parents. He knew that he was being obvious but he just couldn't tear his eyes away. The boy was tall and lanky-limbed but would be well-built when he was grown. Bright blue eyes that stood out from his tan that was just enough to give him a healthy glow. He was clumsy too, Will thought as he nearly dropped the big jug and didn't look comfortable in his own body. The oldest Dixon left smiled gently because he was thinking about he could help him with that problem.

He didn't know where these sick desires came from. With an effort, he stopped staring at the boy before he got noticed and focused on the task at hand.

Get Daryl on his own.

He saw him slip into his tent – he knew Merle wasn't there...probably on some hunt. Hell, he could feel that he had left his brother all on his lonesome.

Hunt for pussy, more like otherwise Daryl would be with him. Will chuckled dirtily at his wit. Probably with that blonde civil lawyer woman – she was pretty hot.

If I was only 20 years younger, Merle, I'd bet with ya who can get her on her back first. Will chuckled sounding eerily like the man he was thinking of.

Will strode over confidently to the Dixon's tent and unzipped the flap which Daryl had closed it up again. The boy sure liked his privacy, that hadn't changed.

...

'What ya... ya doin' here?' was Daryl's spluttered this hostile greeting to him from where he'd been lying on his airbed and dozing a little although usually he wasn't one for sleeping during the day. Early to rise and early to bed – that was the Dixon family's motto.

'Jus' came to see one of my favourite boys.'

'Well, I don't want to see ya! Thought I told ya to stay away from us!' Instead of being happy to see him like Will had imagined their reunion after all these years since Merle came back from wherever he was come and get his precious baby brother. Since they left, they'd cut their father out of their life completely (no doubt Merle's doing, Will thought to himself bitterly) and he had no idea where they were. Strange how fate was – the whole world had gone to shit but he'd managed to find them again.

Yet something had told him that they were still alive...they were Dixons after all. He would know if they died ...did the same go for them about him? He thought it did.

He turned back to him and he could swear that if he wasn't blocking Daryl's exit, he would have left already. The boy was backing off as far away from him as he could go, not easy in the small tent and moving his legs nervously.

'Can't a father visit his son?' Will's tone was gentle, even playful.

'You can't. Ya think I was jokin' about killin' ya?' Daryl sneered at him and narrowed his eyes before he looked at the floor and sank to it.

Will chuckled and spread his hands in mock surrender. 'Then why haven't ya done it yet, Daryl? Too soft, that it?'

'Don't fuckin' push me. I still got time.' His voice was calm but the ominous threat in it was unmistakable and Will thought he might have misjudged him after all. Yet, he took no notice and sat down next to him on the tent floor. Daryl scooted over to the other side as far away as he could from him in the confined space as if he was the devil. Despite himself, the father's feelings were hurt.

'Now, I know I wasn't always the perfect father, drank too much sometimes and lost it...'

'Ya don't say?' Daryl's reply was bitter and full of sarcasm.

'I'm sorry for that. For hittin' ya – I was one mean drunk, I know. Can't we forget it, put it behind us? The whole world's ended, son – what were the odds do ya think of us findin' each other again?'

'Wish we hadn't!'

'Ya don't really mean that, Daryl.' Unseen by him, the youngest Dixon's hand was slowly reaching for his knife under his pile of clothes while he kept his eye on his father. He drew it out and without his father seeing, held in behind his back, in one hand, drawing a silent sigh of relief. Just in case he comes near me, he thought to himself. At least the sick bastard was staying where he was, knew better than to push his luck because then Daryl vowed to himself he would kill him – father or no father. For Merle.

It was bad enough that he was in the place where he slept with his brother.

They spent a few minutes eyeballing each other, one mocking and the other breathing hard and fast in rage and panic.

Ya see, I don't touch the Devil's brew no more. Ain't touched one drop since ya left home with ya brother. 'Ceptin' last night of course, 'cos we were kinda celebratin'.'

Daryl scoffed at that.

'Could ya blame me? Ya beat the shit out of me!'

Will winced at the memory. 'I know and ya big brother damn near killed me for it. Not that I blame him.' He hastily added.

'I don't give a shit what ya did to me. What I want to know – what did ya do to Merle?'

'Yeah, I admit I was pretty rough on him too.' Will sidestepped the question and what Daryl was implying. Just like he knew he wouldn't, he didn't pursue it. His eyes flickered towards the tent flap behind Will, obviously worrying about his brother coming back and seeing them together.

'I think ya should get out now before Merle comes back and sees ya here. Nobody wants ya here, Dad. Ya should leave.' Daryl spoke coldly but Will didn't miss how his chest hitched as he made his point clear by turning his back on his father who opened his mouth about to say something but thought better of it. He was just about to do what he was told when they heard Merle shouting, 'Hey, baby brother, ya never guess what I saw...'

He burst in and took a step back when he saw their father.

'Whoa..What?' He shoved their father towards the door. 'Get away from him!'

'We weren't doin' nothin', jus' talkin'! Daryl, tell him!'

'I ain't tellin' him nothin'! Dad, ya should leave!'

Meanwhile, a silence had fallen about the camp as if people were listening to the latest Dixon drama unfold and they automatically dropped their voices to whispers.

But their father just smirked in the same way Merle did and drew himself closer to them!

'Leave us alone, Dad!' Daryl spat the last word out with bitter contempt. 'Ya think I can ever forgive ya for what ya did to him?' He jerked is thumb back at his brother who watched all this with wide eyes. 'Ya sick is what ya are.'

'What sick likes have ya been tellin' him, Merle?'

Merle sighed. He hadn't wanted Daryl to know. 'Ya know what ya did!' He snarled back at the man he'd hoped he would never have to see again. The man he hated with all his heart.

Will Dixon laughed. 'Then spit it out, boy! What am I supposed to have done? I mean after ya left me for dead and took off with your brother? Disappeared for years.

Merle's eyes narrowed. 'Come here, Darlena.'

Daryl obeyed and Merle wrapped his arms around him. Looking confused, he leaned the back of his head against his brother's chest while staring at their newly resurrected father.

Will ignored all of this display and addressed Merle over his other son's head.

'Don't be shy, son. What did I do that was so terrible?'

Merle went bright red and turned away. Meanwhile his grip on his brother got tighter.

'You ...you...said if I didn't let ya, you'd do it to him! Wish I'd killed ya.' He hissed, his voice coming out in a harsh whisper. Probably worried that if the wind was blowing in the right direction, the camp would hear.

'Ya believe him, Daryl? I know I lost it sometimes when I drank too much but you don't know how much I regret that. Takin' that belt to ya both ...but I swear that's all I did! This is sick!'

'Merle...' Daryl was uncertain.

'Ya fucked me starting from when I was 11 for four years until I got the balls to fight back and leave. Did ya think I was gonna leave him with ya? When ya threatened to do it to him unless I let ya?' Merle's whisper was furious.

'Then why did you leave him then? If ya are accusing me of doin' that...how could ya trust me with him?' They were whispering instinctively by now.

Merle spluttered in rage but choked on his words. Because he had no answer for that...other than he'd only been thinking of himself – he just had to get out! And then he got sent to juve for the petty crimes he committed to survive on the streets and in a way, it had been a relief. He knew he could hack it, was tough enough to beat anyone down who challenged him.

Daryl went red and looked down at the tent floor. Wishing it would swallow him whole. He didn't want to be here and have to listen but he needed to know. He wished Merle had never told him and that his father had never found them.

'I knew ya wouldn't. Not to him.' Merle retorted the only way he could think of while Will chuckled.

'Daryl, look at me. It's not true, I swear.'

'Bye Dad.' Daryl turned his back deliberately on him and turned around to bury his face in his brother's chest like he couldn't face him any more. 'I believe him and ya better leave before I tell Rick about ya. How ya look at Carl.' He mumbled without looking at him.

Will involuntarily gasped because he hadn't realised that someone had noticed. Meanwhile, Merle grinned a mean, triumphant smile at their father and kissed the top of Daryl's head in gratitude.

'Yeah, get lost Dad. Don't think ya want others to know what ya are.'

Will grunted and without another word, left their tent. Maybe they had won the battle but they hadn't won the war...he knew his health was failing and that he wouldn't survive on his own any

longer. Besides that, he'd forgotten what it was like to have company, people chatting around him.

Of course, he hadn't bothered telling his sons any of that.

He was going to do everything to prevent them from spoiling things for him although he sensed that his place in the camp was by no means secure. Had others seen Daryl's scars? Did they care or just think he was worthless piece of redneck trash like his brother?

Will shook his head because he sensed that people cared about Daryl even if they couldn't see stand his brother. The boy had actually made friends and gained some respect.