5/19/2015 8:03:21 AM

Chapter Five

"Papa! Papa wake up!"

Penny?

No, it couldn't be. His precious little girl was gone, killed by that blasted samurai bitch. So who-

"Papa!"

His one good eye shot open and his hand shot out to grab the tiny hand shaking him insistently.

He froze.

Long dark blond hair, wide sea blue eyes, and a small petite frame clothed in a beautiful white sun dress.

Penny.

Tears filled his eye and he pulled the child into a tight embrace, stoking her hair as if he were afraid to let her go.

She was alive. She was alive!

"Daddy, are you okay?"

He nodded and pulled away, kissing her forehead gently. "What did you need, sweetie?"

"I want a mommy." She whispered shyly. "A lot of the other kids have a mommy to make them clothes an' stuff and comfort them when they see the biters. I want one too."

He pursed his lips, and stood, glancing out the window at his town below. He remembered her asking the same thing the first time around but he hadn't been able to fulfill it because she'd been bitten the inly hours later in an attack on the town. This time he would make sure she lived so he could give her what she wanted. After all, his little girl deserved the best things in life.

A slow, dangerous smirk crossed his lips and a pair beautiful storm grey eyes full of pain and fear flashed behind his eyelids.

Yes, she deserved only the very best.

"What the hell is goin' on with ya?"

Daryl started and glanced over at Merle before turning his attention back to the road.

They'd awakened at dawn that morning and packed up the camp before hitting the road hoping to reach Hershel's farm by that evening. He had suspected that Merle was either worried or curious, perhaps a mix of both but the older man hadn't said anything until now, just biding his time and observing him in furtive glances when he thought he couldn't see him. When an hour had passed, then another, with only a few small complaints and Merle's rambling, Daryl had relaxed, hoping in vain that the other man would just leave him be but obviously Merle had other plans.

"Well?" His brother pressed when he refused to speak and he sighed.

"Shut the fuck up, Merle. Ain't nothin' ya gotta worry 'bout."

Merle glared at him.

"Ain't nothin' ya gotta worry 'bout." He mocked. "Now why don't ol' Merle believe ya?" His voice softened to that protective big brother tone that only Daryl was privileged to hear from him. "Talk to me Daryl."

Daryl bit his lip. When Merle used that tone it always got to him and even though his brother had been dead to him for years, it still worked. He only used it when he was truly worried about him and it made Daryl feel like if he just told him everything then Merle would make it all better. It was the voice of his childhood hero and the only person in the world that knew him better than his husband.

"Y'all are dead." He whispered softly and Merle's brow furrowed.

"I know, Sheriff Rick explained that last night."

The archer shook his head. "Y'all are dead. You were dead. He killed ya and you were gone. You left me an' I had to kill ya."

Merle stiffened, his heart aching as he realized what his brother was saying.

He'd turned.

Someone had killed him and he'd turned so Daryl had been the one to put him down after he became a walker.

That was the reason for the guilty stares and the pain in his brother's gaze every time their eyes met. It was the reason why Daryl had been avoiding him and doing all that he could to not have to speak to him. He was thinking about the future he'd come from where Merle had left permanently this time. Not for another stint in jail or a drug binge but because he'd died.

"Shit." He murmured and Daryl snorted dryly.

"That's not all of it. What else?"

The younger man's jaw clenched, but he said nothing more, focusing his gaze on the road stubbornly. Merle growled in frustration, sensing that the conversation was over and knowing that his baby brother was still hiding something. Something big.

He thought about pushing the younger man further but decided against it knowing that Daryl was liable to get violent when cornered. He'd let the matter lie for now, but one thing was for sure.

He wouldn't make Daryl suffer through having to put him down again.

"We should be reaching the farm soon."

Carol commented, pulling Sophia closer as they reached the car jammed highway they'd lost her on last time. Rick nodded and gestured for the other cars to stop as they came upon a roadblock of cars. The other cars stopped and Michonne looked around with a nod.

"We need to raid the cars. Find out if there are supplies."

Rick nodded and exited the car. The others did so as well and Daryl approached them with a slight frown.

"I'm gonna scout ahead to the farm an' see if the old man an' the girls are there. Judith, Glenn, are coming with me."

Merle scowled.

"An' what? I'm jus' gonna stay here with Officer Prick and Officer Friendly?"

Daryl rolled his eyes and Rick snickered.

"At least there are no rooftops." He taunted and his husband rolled his eyes while Merle frowned.

"Behave. All o' ya."

Carl scowled. "Why do I have to stay here?"

"Cuz I need someone to keep an eye on Merle." The deaged boy crossed his arms, while Merle made an indignant sound.

"Dad can do it."

"Don' need no babysitter." The man protested.

Daryl smirked, ignoring his brother. "Then who'll keep him in line?"

Carl huffed in annoyed acceptance while Rick pouted.

"I'm not that bad."

"Shut up, Rick. Carl you can go wit', me huntin' when we get to tha farm. Alright. Jus' me an' you."

The teen sighed. "Fine."

Nodding to his adoptive son, he turned and headed into the forest with Glenn and Judith close behind him.

Once he was gone, Lori spoke.

"Carl, honey, why don't you wanna stay here. Aren't you happy to see us?"

Her son pursed his lips and turned away from her. "We need to look for supplies." He muttered softly, walking away without answering her question.

"He's right. Everyone, form groups of three and start checking the cars. Sophia, stay close to Carl or your mother."

Hershel's brow furrowed worriedly as he stood on his front porch, his blue gaze searching as her stared into the forest surrounding his property.

A week had passed since he and his daughters had awakened in the past and he'd spent every day watching the forest hoping to see Rick or Daryl or anyone from their group in the prison pass the tree line. He knew that if the others had been sent back as well then they would head his way, so that they could at least regroup and head for the prison and get it before The Governor even thinks of it. He had even taken the liberty of clearing the walkers from the barn and explaining to his remaining family that the people in the barn were dead and that they were doing them a disservice by locking them there. Maggie and Beth had backed him up and had helped him put them down and bury them in the pasture. Now they were simply waiting for their family to arrive.

A bush rustled somewhere on his far right and Maggie was at his side in an instant, her gun raised. Both of them sighed in relief as a familiar rough voice reached their ears.

"Stop pointin' that damn thing at me, woman."

Daryl.

Hershel grinned brightly, watching as his surrogate son stepped out of the forest with his son in law and granddaughter.

"Took ya long enough to get here, son." He rumbled and Daryl shrugged, flinching when he was pulled into a hug.

"I was jus' scoutin' ahead to let ya know we was coming. We gone lead the others here in an hour or so."

The elderly man nodded, smiling as Maggie and Glenn embraced each other tightly and whispered sweet nothings in each other's ears. "What about Michonne? She wasn't with y'all when y'all came through last time."

Daryl smirked.

"She found us, actually. She's wit' Rick an' the others now." His eyes softened. "Merle is too."

Hershel smiled, his heart warming for the man. Even with all the bad things he'd heard and seen from Merle Dixon, He still respected the man for taking on the governor alone to save his baby brother. He could still remember Daryl's broken sobs when he'd found a small bag full of Merle's things when they'd been cleaning out his cell, a few days after his death. The young hunter had been nearly catatonic and hadn't responded to anything, unless it was from Rick. In the end, he'd locked it all up inside and forced himself to carry on. Hershel still couldn't figure out how he'd done it, but he hadn't questioned it.

"Ya wanna come in and rest?"

Daryl shook his head. "I'm gonna head back an' lead the group over. Glenn, Lil Asskicker, start setting up camp."

Judith yawned but frowned. "No. Wanna go wit' you."

Shaking his head once more the hunter kneeled. "I need ya here. Can ya set up camp for me?"

She nodded solemnly and kissed him on the cheek.

"Stay safe, mama."

"I will."

This said, he gave them all a short nod, then vanished back into the forest, with nary a sound. Hershel sighed, and led Judith inside, praying that Daryl reached the others safely, despite knowing it was unneeded. Only one person could harm Daryl Dixon and fortunately, that man was either dead or stuck in the future…

If only he'd known how wrong he was.

TBC…