Carl slumped to the earth. He thought about running but he was just so tired – drained mentally as well as physically. The big man seemed to know his secret anyway.

'Tell me, son. It's OK.' Merle crouched down next to him. 'Ain't ya fault.'

Not bothering to deny that there wasn't anything wrong, he snapped, 'Why do ya care? Get off on it, do ya?'

Merle ignored the lashing out.

Carl opened his mouth to speak, calmer now. 'I'm sorry...Dad's in a real bad way after Mom, it ain't his fault...He...he...'

His voice hitched and he stammered. Could he actually say it in words? If he said his secret out loud then it would be real. At least if he kept silent, he could at least pretend it was all a bad dream. During the days, anyway.

'That's it. Just say it.' Merle pushed. 'I know anyway.' He added gently.

'Dad's ...he...um...he...'

He almost got it out, he was going to tell their secret. He was going to betray his father. He was going to ruin everything they built and destroy their world.

'Go on.'

Carl was on the verge of saying it out loud again when they were interrupted by the other Dixon brother.

'Great timing, ya stupid bastard!' Merle scolded his hapless brother who was catching up with them. He knew it wasn't Daryl's fault but he was frustrated, having just almost got the truth out of the kid.

Daryl stopped in his tracks. 'Wha...?' Looked between Carl and Merle in confusion and at their confidential poses. 'What's goin' on? What's he doin' here?'

'Why don't ya ask him?' His brother answered and that's when he saw Carl's bleeding hands.

'What happened? Ya hurt yaself?' He went over immediately to examine them.

That's when Carl found his legs. And his voice. 'Leave me alone! Dad's fine and I didn't mean nothin' I said!' He tried to make a run for it but the older Dixon got in his way and caught him easily.

'Get off me, motherfucker!'

Merle chuckled and held him pinned easily with one hand. 'Ya hear the tongue he's got on him? This here is Rick's son, can ya believe it?'

Carl spluttered in incoherent rage and fought to get free. It was true – he never used to be like this. So wild and aggressive. Out of control... He knew it – had felt himself changing as his anger grew.

'Merle...' Daryl warned. 'Stop it. Ya makin' things worse.'

With a dramatic flourish, the older Dixon let him go suddenly and he dropped to the ground. He just lay there in a dusty heap, glaring up at them. It would have been funny under different circumstances.

'Let me see.' Daryl went over and turning his head away, Carl let him examine his hands, turning them over. 'How did this happen?'

That's when Carl started to cry.

'Hey, what's wrong, little brother?' Daryl put his arms around him.

'I was tryin' to get it out of him when ya turned up and ruined everythin'!'

'Shut up, Merle. He don't need this. Why don't ya go and take a walk?'

Of course, Merle didn't take the hint. Carl looked up at them both, his lips trembling. His face too haunted and narrow for someone so young with black circles under his eyes.

Daryl tightened his arms about him. 'Is it ya Daddy? Is he sick again?'

'Ya could say that.' Merle muttered almost inaudibly under his breath, drawing a sharp look from his brother.

'I said too much already.' Carl got himself back under control. 'I've got to go. He'll be needin' me.'

'No ya don't.' Daryl pulled him back down gently.

'Tell him what he does to ya. It ain't gonna stop 'till ya start talkin'. Come on, spit it out, son.'

'Merle!' Daryl was horrified. 'What the fuck?' He mouthed at him.

Carl bowed his head. But he'd needed Merle to say it first, give him permission to talk about it in a a way. Let him know that he wouldn't be shocked because he already knew what he was going to say.

'He says he overheard Mom ask me to make that promise before she died. To...to take care of him and the baby if somethin' happened to her.'

Daryl rubbed his back. 'That don't sound too bad...' He said hopefully. He didn't like where this was going, Rick was his best friend and he looked up to and respected the man.

He was what he'd always wanted to be, had given him a sense of worth and self-respect. Yet if what his brother was hinting at was true, what did that say about him- Daryl?

'Shut up and listen to him.' Merle ordered harshly.

'He...He says she ain't around no more so I have to keep my promise.' Carl hung his head even lower than he had been doing already in shame.

There was a dead silence and he looked up and noticed the archer's confused expression. 'Don't ya get it?' His voice rose. 'He makes me take care of him like she did.' He clenched his fists.

Merle nodded. 'Is that what ya were tryin' to tell me, before we got interrupted, son?'

Daryl looked at his brother in sickened disbelief. 'Ya don't mean...? Rick?'

'Yeah, yeah he does. Don't ya, sonny?'

Carl gulped and nodded slowly, reluctantly.

'How far he gone with ya?' Daryl asked softly, petting his hair to keep him calm.

'First he jus' made me touch him then suck him off. But five nights ago, he went whole way.' Carl's mouth twisted in pain and he started to tremble violently. 'He tried to go slow and be gentle and used loads of lube but it still fuckin' hurt! And he did it to me again last night. It never gets any easier like he said it would and I can't take it anymore!'

'Sh...baby.' Daryl murmured and started to stroke back his hair soothingly. 'Sh...I know ya can't and ya shouldn't have to.'

Sick fuck. How could he do it to his own kid? To any kid? He thought. 'He force ya?'

'Are ya fuckin' jokin'? Of course he did!' Merle was indignant that his brother asked such a stupid question. 'Don't ya remember what the ole man was like?'

His brother's eyes flung open wide. 'Merle...Shut up!' He jerked his head to the downcast boy who didn't even seemed to notice. Luckily. This was not the time or the place to air Dixon family secrets.

Carl started hesitantly. 'Not really...He says I can always say 'No' or 'Stop' and he will. But if I don't let him and don't 'look after him' and his needs, the stress might make him sick again and hurt Judith without meaning to. Not know what he's doin'.'

He paused and raised his haunted eyes at the both of them. Took a deep, shuddering breath and continued but they could tell that he was fraying at the edges.

'He says there's only us two left because she might not even be his anyway – Mom slept with Shane when we thought he was dead but he's willin' to love her jus' the same. But only if I let him...'

'He threatened her...He threatened a little baby!' Carl broke down again at that, began to really sob when he repeated what his father had said about his baby sister. Daryl hushed him, started rocking htem back and forth in a soothing rhythm. He was weeping for her as much as for himself. He realised now that he had to tell on his Dad...to protect his sister because if he could do those things to him and he was flesh and blood son for sure, what would he do to her when he wasn't sure she was his? Especially when she got breasts and legs... Probably even before that, maybe he wouldn't even need those...Telling himself that she was Shane's...

But he was telling the Dixons of all people. Wild men - rednecks his mother had warned him to stay away from. Yet they were the only ones he felt like he could tell and Merle had noticed and asked him outright. No-one else had. The only ones who would know what to do...who could help him. Make him feel safe...no wonder he'd been hanging around them, subconsciously he knew this. By telling him about his Dad, he told himself he was keeping his promise to his mother - to also take care of his sister. Protect her and a small part of his guilt for betraying his father receeded.

'Jesus! I had no idea Rick was...This is twisted, man!' Daryl mouthed over his head and even Merle looked shocked and there wasn't much that he hadn't seen or done but even he drew the line at the sick shit he was hearing. Threatening your son's baby sister? Just so you could fuck him?

'Maybe he wasn't until his wife died and he lost his mind.' Merle whispered over the boy's head. 'Now we know why he didn't want us to take him a-huntin'. He was afraid this would happen!'

He took a now calm and placid Carl by the shoulders and forced him to look at him. 'Then he did force ya...he blackmailed ya and threatened ya sister.' Merle eyeballed him firmly. 'What else could ya do other than kill the sick fuck in his sleep?'

Carl glared at him with fire in his weepy, exhausted eyes and half-lunged at him across Daryl's lap. 'Don't ya talk about him like that! He's still my Dad!'

'Leave it, Merle.' Daryl got in between them and put his hands up as a barrier. 'The question is, what are we gonna do about it?'

Carl looked up at them with pathetic, pleading eyes. 'Please don't tell anyone...He's the leader and everythin' 'll fall apart without him.'

The brothers exchanged glances.

'Ya can't tell anyone!' He insisted.

'Sh...It'll be OK.' Daryl soothed.

'Don't worry, son. We ain't gonna cause no trouble.' Merle said.

'Much.' He added silently to himself.