Hello ladies! I didn't feel too much for this one but it had to be written so here you go! Thanks for all the love! It is appreciated!
Threats
Merle was conflicted. He didn't know whether to be happy or pissed off. He had taken it upon himself to go out and inspect the crew that had showed up to work on the wall. There had been more men than he had expected and one of them he recognized right away. He'd turned around and hightailed it back to the house without a word to any of the men. He knew he had to get his brother, which he didn't mind doing since the asshole shouldn't have been sleeping in in the first place if he had to get up himself. He didn't know why Penny insisted on waking him up to get her something to eat. He wasn't the goddamn woman.
Sophia and Carl was still asleep and Penny was busy with some of artsy shit in the girls room. Now he was finally able to wake that asshole up and tell him the good news. He didn't even hesitate at the door. Daryl hadn't bothered knocking on his own door last night so why the hell should he bother knocking on his now. The room was dim with the curtains closed and the sun barely up but there was enough light to see by. The first thing he noticed was Carol's slender back, bare down to her hips and then his brother's big clumsy arm thrown around her waist.
He started feeling uncomfortable just looking at her like that, even though a week ago he wouldn't have given a goddamn and would have probably tried his hand at tugging that sheet down a little further so he could get a better view. But that was then and now he averted his gaze. She wasn't just some woman that his brother was screwing around with. She was like the boys other half, as cliché as that sounded. And that made her a Dixon in Merle's eyes and it wasn't right for one Dixon to stare at another Dixon's ass.
"Wake up!" He shouted and then held back a laugh as they both jumped and then Daryl sat up, almost pulling the sheet away from Carol's, clearly naked, form. "The crew got here near an hour ago."
"And you couldn't have knocked on the fuckin' door? What the hell, Merle!" Daryl growled as he rubbed his eyes.
"Figured you would wanna know that a friend of yours is out there. He's part of the crew."
Now Carol was sitting up, the sheet pulled up to her neck. "Who?"
"That key droppin' sumbitch," Merle grinned as they shared a look and then both looked back up at him. "Figured you'd wanna get out there and see if he's one of the one's that's on board with this shit or one of the other ones that ain't."
"Well, Merle. Would you mind getting out so we can get dressed?" Carol asked with a sly smile.
Merle nodded and strolled back out, shutting the door behind him. He wasn't sure if he would ever get used to his little brother having a woman. Not a woman like Carol anyway. He'd probably never tell her but the truth was, after he was able to look past the anger and the imaginary betrayal, she was one hell of a catch. After all the shit Daryl had been through he deserved a woman like that.
He went out to the porch and waited on them to make their way out there. He was curious to see for himself if T-dog would recognize any of them. Merle wasn't sure if the man had even seen him or not when he had went out there earlier and even if he had, their encounters at the quarry were usually brief to say the least. All except for that last one anyway. He gazed out towards the barn. Hershel had sent over a lot of his very own livestock already and more was coming as soon as they got the rest of the barn in order.
Daryl came out sooner than Merle expected him too. He was smoothing his hair down and squinting at the early morning sunshine. It had stopped raining sometime last night and didn't look like it was going to rain anymore today. Carol was right behind him, looking as rushed as Daryl did.
"Y'all musta had a hell of a night to sleep in so late. You're usually the first ones..." Merle stopped talking and frowned down when he caught site of Carol's wrist. He snatched her hand and tugged her towards him so he could get a better look. He had hoped that it was just shadows playing tricks on him but that wasn't so. There were bruises there. He flashed his brother a hard look.
Daryl glanced at him and then his eyes went to the porch floor. He was about to slap his brother in the head until his eyes cut back over to Carol. Her face was flushed and her lips were turned up in an embarrassed smile. Merle groaned. He was happy that Daryl had found himself a good woman. He didn't care to know that the two of them were secretly freaks in bed. He dropped her hand and shook his head. "Y'all should be ashamed of yourselves."
Daryl and Carol both stared at him when he dropped her hand and turned to walk down the porch steps towards the long drive. He glanced back and saw Sophia joining them. Carl must have been upstairs keeping Penny company. Daryl caught up with him, leaving Sophia and Carol a ways behind them. "How many people showed up today?" He asked distractedly.
Merle shrugged. "Didn't do a head count. Looks to be quite a big crew though. Must have cost y'all a fortune, huh?"
Daryl just shrugged, eyeing the men that were already gathered by the part of the wall that him and the others had managed to get started on.
"What the hell did you do to Carol's wrists?" Merle asked in a low voice, looking over his shoulder to make sure Sophia wasn't within ear shot.
He almost laughed at how red Daryl's face got. "I didn't do it. She did."
"You caused her to do that?" Merle grinned.
"Shut up," Daryl mumbled as he quickened his step.
"So, y'all are into all that freaky shit, huh? I'd never have guessed it."
Daryl just sighed and kept on walking. When they finally reached the area where the men were working Carol and Sophia caught up with them. Sure enough there was T-dog, on top of the wall, setting up for more blocks. He glanced down and did a double take.
"He knows," Sophia whispered, seeming to have appeared out of nowhere next to Merle.
T-dog's eyes caught sight of Carol and then widened before sliding down to Sophia and then Daryl. When he looked at Merle those wide dark eyes narrowed slightly. "I believe you're right, kid," Merle muttered.
They watched as he climbed down the ladder and approached them, the look on his face was a mixture of fear and awe. Carol was the first one to say anything.
"Do you think your boss would be okay with you taking a break and talking with us for a minute?" She asked, offering him a sympathetic smile.
"Carol?" He asked hesitantly.
She nodded. "Hello, T."
They heard a car pull in further down and they all looked up. Rick's truck slowed to a stop and then Rick and Lori were both jumping out and hurrying towards them.
"Lori..." T-dog muttered and then looked back at Carol. "What the hell's happening?"
Rick made it there first, despite being glad to see the other man he looked grim. Everyone knew how hard this was. He nodded at T-dog. "Well, by the look on your face I guess you already know why we're all here," Rick said in a low voice.
T-dog's wide eyes went to Sophia, who waved and then smiled reassuringly. "It's alright. We just need to talk to you."
He gave her a dazed nod and then followed them towards the house. Rick and Lori drove the rest of the way so their truck wouldn't be blocking the driveway. Glenn and his bitchy girlfriend were due back soon along with Hershel. Merle couldn't help but wonder when it was going to be too much for the other man. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't looking forward to him freaking out. Maybe he would even cry. That would be something else. Merle grinned to himself but it quickly dropped from his lips when he felt Sophia's sharp elbow ram him in the hip.
"Stop that, Merle. Remember how hard all this was for you?" She said quietly, giving him a look of disapproval like he had never seen in his life.
He ignored her. It wouldn't do him any good to try to argue with her any.
~H~
Ed Peletier was normally a man of action. He didn't let shit fly the way most men did. He ruled his domain with an iron fist the way his daddy had taught him. But sometimes things changed. It wasn't so much that he had changed because he had wanted too. He had changed because he was afraid. He was afraid and now he was desperate. He looked down once more at the papers in his hands. Now all he had to do was get Carol to sign them and then maybe all this craziness would be over and it would be the end of it for him.
It was mid afternoon and the sun beat down, glaring off the hood of his car as he made his way towards the address that Merle Dixon had given him. He hadn't heard anything from the redneck, not directly anyway. He had received a message from him though. And that message came through loud and clear. All he could do now was hope that the bastard had overdosed or something. The less he had to deal with these people the better. Daryl could have his wife. He didn't want anything to do with her or that goddamn daughter of hers. He wouldn't dare say that she was his. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end just thinking about her. There was something wrong with that girl.
He nearly passed it when the dirt drive finally came into view. The woods made it almost impossible to see if you didn't know there was suppose to be a driveway there at all. He didn't rush, keeping his car at a crawl as he followed the twisting drive that weaved through the trees. After a little while he saw what looked like work trucks and sure enough he crawled past a work crew that looked like they were building a block wall. The trees must have hidden most of it because from what he could see now that wall stretched from the road to halfway up the drive. It wasn't much to look at either. He frowned and wondered why Carol would have something like that put up.
He didn't have time to worry about that though. She could do whatever she wanted. He just wanted to get this over with quickly. Finally the drive opened up to cleared land. It was still surrounded by the woods on all sides but now there were rolling fields, a huge barn and several outbuildings. It was the house that had him scowling by the time he stopped the car in front of the walk.
The house was one of them massive structures that made you get the feeling that you were looking at something that had just sprouted right up out of the ground. Timeless, was probably the word he would use if he had to get right down to it. It was huge with a wrap around porch and veranda. It looked as though it had been well preserved except for the large solar panels on the roof. There were more on the roof of the barn. He could see it all the way from the house. With a shake of his head he got out of the car, the papers clutched tightly in his hand.
No one answered right away when he knocked so he tried the bell.
"Hold on a sec," an unfamiliar voice called from the other side.
When the door opened there was an attractive brunet standing in front of him. The smile fell from her face when she met his eyes. He knew that he had never seen this woman before so he didn't get why she was looking at him like he was a pile of shit standing in front of her. He thought about saying something to her but he bit his tongue. He would get this over with and then he would leave.
"What the hell do you want?" The woman snapped, clearly pissed off about something.
Ed felt his temper rising and his mouth twisted into an ugly sneer. How dare this bitch talk to him like this. "Where the hell is Carol?" He snapped as he took a step forward, making the woman back up a step.
"Wait right here and I'll see if I can find her," the woman said as she turned on her heel and walked away. Ed was about to call after her but before he knew it there was someone else standing in front of him. Sophia.
"She's out back," Sophia said quickly. "Just walk around. You'll find her."
He narrowed his eyes. "Is that all you got to say to your own daddy after not seein' me for all this time?"
Her hazel eyes went hard as they locked onto his. "I talked to my dad about ten minutes ago, Ed."
"You best watch that tone little girl. I ain't here to hurt nobody but I won't hesitate to bust your ass for talkin' to me that way. I'm your daddy, you're gonna respect that."
She shook her head, still giving him that look that was causing his blood to boil. This girl needed to know her place. She needed to learn respect. "Go find my mom and say what you need to say. Just watch yourself out there. I would hate to see you get yourself killed." She smiled at him then.
"You listen here you little," Ed froze. Before he could take another step towards her he heard the gun being cocked and then there was someone standing between him and his daughter. It was a boy no older than her but he didn't much look like a boy at the moment. Not with that gun aimed right at his face.
"You get near her and I'll blow your brains out, Ed." The tone of this kids voice had Ed swallowing hard. What the fuck was going on here? Kids running around with guns and his daughter talking to him like he was trash. Something needed to be done about all of this. But he wasn't really in any position to do much at the moment. He had never in his life wanted to kill that woman more than he did right now. Who were these people?
He took a cautious step back and then another until he was back out on the porch. The boy looked at him with such a look of disgust that it had Ed's head reeling. The door closed in his face then and he stood there for a few long moments to try to get himself back under control. He needed to do this and then get the hell out of this place. He didn't need any trouble. Turning he walked around the side of the porch, heading towards the back where that little bitch said her mama would be. Maybe if she was alone he could, just for old times sake... He shook his head. He wouldn't lay hands on her. Not while that Dixon was prowling around. And not while Merle Dixon's messenger was keeping tabs on Ed and what did and did not happen as far as Carol was concerned.
He heard the sound of her laughter and stopped. She must not have been alone but he was already expecting that. He took a few more steps forward and then peered around the corner of the porch. She was standing there, hands on her hips, looking down at that son of bitch redneck that was sitting in the porch swing in front of her, his boot clad foot tapping the side of her leg.
Ed clenched his teeth as he watched her. He couldn't stand the sight of her but couldn't drag his eyes away from her either. She didn't look the same at all and it made him half sick. She stood straighter, her head held higher and her eyes were wide and bright. She was smiling and he had to admit that she looked at least ten years younger just since the last time he had seen her. He hated it. He hated her.
Another thing he didn't approve of was how she was dressed. Her jeans were too tight and the tank top she had on barely covered her up. It fit her torso too tightly. She was even wearing jewelry, which was something he had all but forbidden other than her wedding band, which had been missing from her finger for a while now.
When he saw Daryl's hand snake out and grab hers he got excited. Maybe the bastard would put her in her place and he could watch. Hell, he would even give the boy pointers. But he didn't hit her. He didn't do anything but tug her closer.
"You know that anybody could come out here," she said, giving Daryl a knowing look.
"I ain't tellin' ya to get naked, woman," he grinned and then pulled her closer.
Ed just about put his fist through the wall. She finally gave in and he watched as she straddled that bastards lap. Before she could say anything Daryl had his hand on the back of her head and was pulling her face to his. He couldn't remember Carol ever kissing him like that.
When Daryl ran is hands down her back and then slid over her ass Ed just about blew his cover. He had always called her a whore, and this was why. Deep down she always had been. She made a satisfied sound when Daryl pulled her closer, they were still kissing, her hands in his hair. Ed felt sick to his stomach. She had never acted like that with him. She had never touched him like that. He always caught himself wondering why the youngest Dixon would bother with such a frigid bitch. And now he knew that she had only been that way towards him. Like he wasn't good enough.
They pulled apart when the back door banged open and Merle Dixon stormed out. He looked pissed until he saw the position that Carol and his brother were in. Then he gave them a cocky grin and shook his head. "Do the two of you ever stop? I heard y'all last night, by the way. Ya might wanna keep it down. And keep them clothes on too, cause we got company."
Carol climbed off of Daryl and straightened her shirt. "What do you mean?"
Ed figured it was now or never. He didn't want to get caught spying. He cleared his throat and finally stepped out from around the corner, walking with purpose towards the trio. Before he could reach Carol the younger Dixon was off the swing and standing between them, eyes flashing angrily.
"What are you doing here?" Carol asked quickly, stepping around Daryl despite the look he shot her.
He ignored the two men that were eyeing him and handed her the papers. She frowned and looked down, reading over the material at least twice before looking back up at him.
"Divorce papers?" She asked, disbelief clear in her voice.
He nodded. "Already paid for. All I need is your signature and your half of the cost, which is eighty dollars."
Carol shook her head, glancing back down at the papers again. "Why? Why are you doing this?" She didn't sound upset about the divorce. She sounded like she didn't believe him.
He looked over her shoulder at Merle Dixon's grinning face and then back down. "Just didn't see a point in draggin' this out. After bein' with a Dixon I wouldn't take ya back even if you begged."
He refused to look at the faces of either of the Dixon's. He kept his eyes on her. She gave him a dry smile. "I really don't think you have anything to worry about there, Ed."
Ed wanted to throw her on the ground and kick her a few good times. Especially when Daryl chuckled quietly. He couldn't hold back then. "What the hell is so funny?" He snapped.
Daryl raised an eyebrow at him and shrugged. "Apparently your skills in the bedroom."
Carol didn't look up but Ed watched as she bit her lip to keep from laughing at him. He felt his face turn hot with rage but he swallowed it down.
"I'll go get ya a pen," Merle said with a grin before he slipped back into the house.
"What the hell do you think you're runnin' here?" Ed barked as soon as Merle was out of ear shot.
Carol sighed and looked up. "What are you talking about, Ed?"
Ed took one step forward but stopped when Daryl stepped in front of her again. She stepped around him once more so she could look Ed in the eye. He shoved his hands into his pockets so they wouldn't see them shaking with rage. "You got my daughter callin' me Ed and tellin' me that somebody else is her daddy."
"You've never been her daddy, Ed. Don't get upset when someone comes along and takes the job from you," she said in a tone that indicated she was already bored with this discussion.
"I have rights," he snapped.
Daryl snorted, "You got the right to keep your goddamn dirty mouth shut. Go ahead, Ed. You try and take that girl with ya and I'll have ya wishin' your mama would have aborted your ugly ass."
"She's..."
"She's mine, asshole," Daryl cut him off before he could even get the words out. Even Carol looked up sharply, surprise clear on her face, "And ya best keep that in mind. I mean it. I catch your ass lookin' at her and I'll kill ya, Ed. And I'll do it real slow."
"I miss somethin'?" Merle asked as he came out the door.
Ed stepped away and shook his head. "Let's just hurry up and get this over with."
Merle handed Carol the pen and she signed the papers as fast as she could. He snatched them out of her hands as soon as she held them up.
"What about my money?" He snapped.
Carol shook her head, "I'll go get my purse."
Daryl stopped her with a hand on her arm. "I got this," he said as he reached in his back pocket and pulled out a few folded bills. Ed held out his hand and Daryl pressed one into his hand. "Keep the change, Ed. Looks like you could use a drink." He grinned.
Ed shoved the money in his pocket and stormed off without a backwards glance. He knew he had to keep his nose clean. Merle Dixon had sent someone over to pay him a visit and the last thing he needed to do was get in trouble with that psychotic son of a bitch that had roughed him up the other night. He hadn't even told Ed his name. All Ed knew was that the guy was insane and as big as a damn grizzly. He also seemed to take any business involving the Dixons and Carol pretty seriously. Ed's ribs still ached from the man's late night visit. That was the only reason that he was going to let the people in this house live. Only to save his own ass.