TTWH 22

Will Dixon sidled over to the Grimes boy.

'What ya doin', son?'

Carl looked up guilessly at him. Of course he did, he came from a good family, decent folks. This is going to be easy. The old man thought.

'Ya want me to show ya how to go trackin' like my boys?'

Carl looked excited but then looked down. 'Thanks, sir. But I don't think...' How polite he was.

Right on cue, his Dad called him over. Unnoticed by either of them, he'd been watching and frowning. Something about the elder Dixon gave him the creeps, especially how he always seemed to make a beeline straight for his son. He knew what he'd done to Daryl and Merle too probably – he'd seen the scars all over his younger son's torso.

'Carl! Come over here!' His voice was uncharacteristically sharp and Daryl withdrew back into the tent he shared with his brother. He had been going to intervene – they still hadn't told Rick how dangerous their father was – what he had done. He was right – they were ashamed.

Daryl crawled back into the tent and lay down beside his brother. Merle automatically slung an arm around him and drew him to him and hesighed with content as he snuggled into his older brother's side.

'So, what's the ole bastard upto now?' Merle drawled.

'Still sniffin' round Carl...Was gonna go and belt him one myself until Rick called him away.'

Merle laughed at that, Daryl could feel his guffaws rolling in his chest.

Daryl scowled and thumped his chest with one fist. 'Seriously, what we gonna do about him?'

Merle plunged one hand casually into his mop and yanked it playfully and forced his brother to look up at him.

'Ow! Asshole!' Daryl punched him side. That got them wrestling – exactly as Merle had planned. He soon had him pinned under him – the position they both liked best although Daryl would never admit it. Merle growled and pulled up his brother's vest, biting and licking his way up to his nipples and smiled smugly when Daryl shuddered and let out a breathy moan, arching against him.

He thought he was in there and was just about to undress him when Daryl put a hand on his wrist.

'No.' He panted.

'No? Come on, ya don't mean that, baby brother. Jus' let me...' Merle coaxed and started to kiss his way down his stomach, meanwhile he shrugged off his own pants.

Daryl let his head roll and his breath hitched and Merle could tell that he was near giving in to him. That's when they heard a chuckle and looked up to see their father there under the flap of the tent.

'Fuck!' Daryl hissed and scrambled to do up his flies and instinctively hid behind his brother.

Merle, on the other hand stayed where he was, legs splayed out defiantly. Luckily he still had his underwear on but he was displaying his bulging package to all and sundry.

'Well, well. Ya finally went and did it, Merle. Well done. Did he go willin' or did ya have to force him? Probably had to trick him or drug him the first time, huh, son?'

'Ain't like ya, sick fuck! We're gonna tell Rick and the others what ya are and they'll kick ya out!' Merle hit back.

'No, ya won't.' Will retorted, his voice soft and somehow his crooning was worse than his vicious tongue or filthy taunts that they'd been used to growing up. 'Ya tell and I'll tell. How ya fuck ya own sweet baby brother. I don't think they'll be on ya side – do ya, Merle?'

'We don't care. We got nothin' to be ashamed of.' Merle folded his arms over his chest and glared at their father.

Incredibly, Daryl started to whimper with shame and humiliation. Merle's cocky expression crumpled as he reached round him to stroke his brother's arm soothingly without looking at him, not risking taking his eyes off their father. Telling him without words that this didn't matter, that no-one would know..

Will watched all this curiously. 'What's wrong with him? I never brought up no pussies.' His eyes narrowed like he just remembered something and was putting it all together in his head.

'Shut ya mouth.' Merle snapped while he shushed his brother. He knew it was true – before Woodbury, Daryl wouldn't have shown weakness like this and if he had needed proof that the boy was still fragile, this was it. But it was all their father's fault, coming back like this when they'd hoped he was dead. Opening old wounds and hurts, making his brother go backwards and undoing all of Merle's good work over the last few months.

Will smirked like his elder son often did and intruded further inside their tent. Both his sons scrambled away from him and he laughed. Because they were fully grown men – had been for years yet they were still scared of him! It was hilarious, really.

He crouched down on his knees to try to make eye-contact with his youngest even though his other son was blocking his way.

'What is it, son? I know what happened to ya.' Their father's tone was gentle and full of sorrow.

'No, Dad! Ya don't know shit!' Daryl fired back.

'I know...ya poor boy. At Wood...'

Merle felt Daryl start to tremble beside him.

'Don't ya say that to him!' Merle was suddenly on him and he was pinned to the canvas floor, gasping for air as he was choked. He didn't have the strength he used to have and his sons were in their prime. It was more their idea of him and their memories that had allowed him to dominate them with his presence.

Daryl was looking at him from over his brother's shoulder with cold curiosity and it chilled the father's heart. It wasn't like how he remembered his sweet boy at all.

'Daryl?' Will croaked, stretching his arm out towards him entreatingly. They assumed that he was begging them to stop it and Daryl only sneered down at him.

'Do it!' He told his brother and even Merle looked shocked.

'He'll hurt us...hurt Carl.' Daryl insisted and then turned away.

But Merle suddenly stopped, and Will's vision gradually came back from where it had been swimming before his eyes and he could breathe again.

'Why did ya stop?' Will gasped and clutched his chest while Daryl whipped his head back to watch them again with dazed detachment.

Merle smirked knowingly. ''Cos I know ya dyin', Dad. Got the big 'C'. Which one – I guess it ain't lung cancer otherwise you'd be coughin' ya guts out and ya still look OK – apart from ya lost a little weight. But then we all have, I guess.'

Now Daryl reacted and turned to gape at his father in shock. 'N...No...' He cried out despite himself and how much he wanted him dead a few minutes ago.

'Wha-? How did ya...?' Will didn't even noticed his mouth was opening and closing, trying to speak to his other son.

''Ya yellow skin and eyes. And ya shakes when ya had that drink the other night. Cos ya wanted me to kill ya jus' now before the pain gets too bad, don't ya? But I ain't gonna do that.'

'Merle...' Daryl hissed behind him but father and son ignored him as they eye-balled each other.

'Not 'cos I ain't capable. 'Cos I'm gonna let ya suffer and enjoy watchin' ya die slow and painful.' He finished coldly. 'Like ya deserve. That or I'll tell Rick ya been eyein' his son and want some special quality time alone with him.'

Will actually laughed until he frowned as if in sudden pain and he clutched his left side. 'No...I think ya'll keep ya mouth shut. That or finally kill me. 'Cos ya would have done it by now. Too ashamed, the both of ya.'

'Ya sure we won't tell Rick what ya did?' He snarled. 'Ya ain't even denyin' it no more!' Daryl burst in furiously.

'Then I'll tell the others about you two. They'll chuck ya out for sure – drop ya like two hot cakes - the bunch of uppity hypocrites – the lot of them, lookin' down their noses at us.'

They stared at him because they knew what he said was true. But they didn't consider who the group would believe – them or him.

'Unless ya let a dyin' man have his fun in the short time I got left.' Grinning at their sickened expressions, he nodded. 'Yeah- ya know what I'm talkin' about. The boy.'

Daryl growled and clenched his fists, intending to lunge at him but he was dragged back by Merle. 'Ya don't touch Carl, ya hear!' He hissed.

Their tormentor chuckled fondly. 'It's kinda cute how protective he is of the little brat, ain't it, Merle? No wonder ya wanna fuck him.' He laughed crudely.

Merle said nothing, only looked at him unseeingly like he'd seen a ghost and it scared Daryl to see all the fight leave his big brother.

'Now, ya not to cause waves and get me run out of town, ya hear? Here, I get free food and shelter, thanks to ya boys. Or I'll tell them about ya but I'll put my own spin on it and ya won't like that, believe me.'

Merle shrugged but that didn't matter. Will knew that Daryl had made a life for himself here, formed relationships with some of the people and that he wouldn't let them leave,

Because despite appearances, whatever Daryl says, goes.