A/N Thanks for not hunting me down and hurting me! Here we go, right where we left off...
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She'd quickly gotten her wits about her and she began to struggle against him as she tried to free herself. He'd caught her by surprise and he was just as determined to maintain his grip on her as she was to break free of him. Just like before it seemed the more she fought against him the more excited and determined he became. "Yeah c'mon, just like that, fight me bitch." He'd torn her shirt half off and snapped her bra, and she hated the idea of him seeing her body. He didn't deserve to. She threw her head back in an attempt to hit him in the face and he quickly spun her around and punched her in the jaw.
She was on the ground and he was sitting astride her as he began to unbuckle his pants. "This is gonna be fun, just like old times, you'll see." And he slapped her hard across the face before starting to loosen her belt. She couldn't, she wouldn't let him ever do this to her again. She'd rather die.
She remembered what Merle had taught her and she did what she had to do, she managed to pull the knife from the sheath. The angle was awkward, there was no clear shot. All she could hope to do was injure him enough to break free. She did what she could, yelling loudly as she stabbed at him.
She managed to wound him and he hollered as he reflexively grabbed at his side, while she turned herself around and tried to quickly crawl away from him. He grabbed at the waistband of her pants, tugging at them while pulling her toward him. "It's gonna be worse for ya now, much worse." He jerked her head up by the ponytail again, reached forward and slapped at the sides of her face, forgetting she still had the knife in her hands. Again she had nowhere to go with it, no clear shot at him, but maybe she could buy herself some time. She had to try, her grip was firm as she reached back stabbing blindly, hopping to hit some part of him.
He'd just reached to try and grab her wrist and take the knife when the blade slid deeply into his lower thigh. He yelled again as he grabbed at the wound. While he was momentarily distracted she scrambled to get to her feet.
Daryl snarled as they pulled in the driveway, "Whose piece a shit truck is that?" The words weren't even out of his mouth when Merle seemed to fly out of the cab and Daryl knew the answer was big trouble. He quickly threw it in park and ran after his bother. They followed the sound of the music and got to the back just in time to see that asshole coming toward Beth, and to watch as she pushed the knife in his chest.
Using both hands she shoved him backwards and he fell in the dirt, gravely injured but still breathing. As the Dixon brothers hurried toward her and the fallen man, Beth yelled, "NO! HE'S MINE!" as she grabbed the gun from the gardening box and shot, ending her trouble with Randall once and for all.
It happened quickly when she went down. It wasn't exactly that she fell to the ground, it was more like she crumbled. Her clothes were mostly off of her, filthy and torn and her body half exposed. All Merle could see was the woman he loved hurt, scared and crying hard while still gripping the the gun in her hand. He hurried to her, taking her in his arms while Daryl quickly removed his jacket and slipped it across her shoulders.
The brothers looked at each other, gave a simple nod and it was done. They had their plan for what remained of Randall.
Little brother stood back then and let them have their moment, right after he kicked Randall in the ribs for good measure.
When she'd calmed down enough Merle carried her in the house and Daryl got busy. He pulled his truck around to the back, next to Merle's shop. The building was air conditioned and being the practical man he was he didn't want the deer to spoil. He grinned, those animals were going to come in handy for more than just eating. He unloaded them one at a time and using rope and chain hung them upside down from a crossbeam.
He moved his rig back to the front of the house and went to Randall's truck. Just like he thought they'd be, the keys were in it. He drove it around to the back, right next to where Randall lay. He spit on the ground as he said to the lifeless body, "I told ya ta stay the fuck away from her asshole. See what ya caused? I's gonna go home early today, relax, have a few beers maybe catch the ballgame. Ya royally fucked up my plan. We got work ta do now." He loaded Randall's body right into the bed of the man's piece of shit truck, and then drove it next to the shop door.
He walked in the building and went to work skinning and gutting the deer, dumping the hides and entrails onto Randall's body. Except for the hearts, kidneys and livers, those were some good eating.
In the meantime, after holding onto her while she cried herself out, Merle had carried Baby into their bathroom. She was sitting on her small vanity stool and he knelt in front of her. While the tub filled with warm water and bubbles he tried his best to sooth her, "Don't cry no more Baby. Ya done so good. Ya took care a that asshole all by yourself. I love ya, I'm proud of ya, ain't nobody messes with my Baby."
She nodded as she sniffled, and looking at him with those puffy blue eyes she asked, "But Merle, won't I have to go prison now?"
"Fuck no Baby. I'd never let that happen, I'd tell em I done it. Anyway, it's justified, the asshole was attackin' ya. But we ain't lettin' it go that far anyway. They'd run ya through the mill for six months or more, maybe a year. Me n little brother we're gonna take care a everythin', don't ya worry bout nuthin' Baby."
He could see the bruises coming up on her face and he wanted to kill the son of a bitch all over again, but for now he mostly wanted to console her. He needed to provide comfort and love, he knew that much. "I'm sorry ya got hurt Baby, so sorry. He's gone now though, it ain't ever gonna happen again."
"It's not as bad as it's been and I'm glad I did what I did Merle, I am. He was never going to leave me alone, not ever. I'm just worried about our baby."
Fuck me. That knocked him for a loop and he sat back on his heels, hands resting on her thighs, "Our baby?"
She started crying again, harder than she'd cried before, "I didn't want to tell you, I was afraid you'd be upset. You said you never wanted to be a Daddy, but pretty soon I won't be able to hide it anymore. I took a test this morning, it's there in the drawer. Please don't be mad at me Merle."
Now he was up on his knees again, arms around her and doing his best to assure her, "Baby I ain't mad at you, how could I be mad? I had sumthin' ta do with this too. How in the hell could I hate ya? I love ya, ya know that. I just can't quite believe it. I never…ah shit, it was that night in the woods, wasn't it?"
"I'm not sure, but probably. I just remember it was a mess when that thing broke." For some reason the memory made her laugh, making him laugh and it was a good tension release for them both.
"So that means we're about three months in?"
"Yes, I think so."
"Ya ain't been ta the doc?"
"Not yet."
He was smoothing her hair with his hand and talking softly, "That's gonna change this week. Ya gotta take care a yourself and the little one, Baby." Then he smiled at her, "If ya want, we'll get married. Tomorrow's Monday, the courthouse will be open and we can get it done." Then he realized it sounded like he was making a business proposal. He cradled her small bruised face in his hands and his eyes searched hers when he said, "I love ya Baby, I'd be the happiest man in the world if ya said yes ta me."
"Yes Merle." He tried to be gentle as he held her close, resisting the urge to squeeze her tightly to him. He carefully removed what was left of her torn and soiled clothes before, just as carefully, lifting her from the small stool and into the tub.
He and Daryl had a plan in play, a plan they didn't need to talk about, one they knew real well. But before he left her he wanted to care for her in any way he could. He gently washed her hair and her body, asking over and over if she was sure she was alright.
She did her best to reassure him, "Merle, if I thought anything was wrong with me or the baby I'd make you take me to the hospital right now. I promise, we're fine." Then she laid a hand on his cheek and he was nearly overcome with emotions of his own when she said, "Thank you for loving me and for teaching me how to protect myself."
He expected her to stay home while he and little brother did what had to be done, but she refused. "No. I need to be there. I can't just let you two take all the risk and all the responsibility." She'd been through a horrifying ordeal but she stood her ground, "Merle, I won't take no for an answer."
Daryl was smirking when he said to his brother, "You heard the boss. Get your ass in the truck."
Little brother drove Randall's truck with Randall's deer gut and hide covered body in the bed, while Merle and Beth followed him in Merle's truck.
She didn't ask where they were going, she just quietly sat as close to him as she could be. Her head rested on his shoulder while her hand rubbed absentmindedly along his thigh. He felt the warmth of her touch and his mind was focused, he knew what he had to do and he was doing it. If it worked out, great. If it didn't, if they were to get caught, he'd take the fall. He was confident he'd get her off the hook for sure, little brother may get in some shit, but not in shit nearly as deep as Merle knew he'd get himself into.
It didn't matter what happened to him, his job was to take care of her and their little one no matter what.
After a half hour or so they left the asphalt, continuing back into the woods. The road was bumpy, obviously seldom used and with only faint tracks to lead them on their way. Daryl and Merle didn't need direction anyway, they'd never forget this place.
Daryl had stumbled on it when he was just a kid. A teenager hiding out in the woods. Not from the law, from his old man. He'd seen the trucks come and go, loaded down with big metal drums and he'd paid attention, unnoticed, to where they went. He saw what they did.
It was about 45 minutes up that rough dirt road when Randall's truck rolled to a stop and Merle followed suit. The brother's got out but Beth waited in the truck, letting them have their time to decide what was the best way. She had no idea what their plan was or even where she was. It didn't seem to matter to her. The worst thing in her life was gone. For now she took comfort in knowing these brothers were taking care of the mess left behind.
Merle came to her side of the vehicle and helped her out, and then began to explain. "Little brother found this place a long time ago. It's a real deep ravine, closed in ta make a kind of natural pond. It's just dirty water though, runoff and such. That and a lotta toxic waste. It's an old illegal dump site. Some bad business dudes were usin' it ta get rid a what they shoulda been payin' ta get rid of legally."
She just nodded, not knowing what to say or really what exactly any of that had to do with the situation. He explained further, "Little brother here, he's a crazy one I tell ya. He's gonna get dickhead's truck goin' and when it's almost ta the edge here, he's gonna jump out and let that piece a shit with the bigger piece a shit in it, along with all them deer guts, roll down into the toxic soup. Then we can all go back home."
"Why the deer?"
"That was ta cover us on the way here, in case brother got pulled over. The EPA sends someone up here every once in a while. If they'da stopped us and ask what we was doin' that's what we'd tell em. We'd act like the dumb bastards them kind always think we are. We'd say we was dumpin' deer guts. They'd go into some big story about what we was s'posed to do with em, but yeah mostly they'd just think of us as a couple redneck assholes. They ain't gonna think about what else we mighta been up to. That's how we'd hope it went."
Daryl did what he came to do and when he jumped, the three of them stood and watched as the old pickup bounced down the steep hill before splashing into, and then sinking into the toxic sludge. Daryl was the only one who spoke, "Adios shithead."
As the truck disappeared into the black water she put her arms around Daryl's waist and hugged him, then she turned to Merle. He held her close while he softly rubbed her back, and after a moment she asked, "What made you think to come here? To do this?"
Merle looked to Daryl as if seeking permission. Little brother looked back and simply shrugged. Then Merle told her, "Well Baby, ya might as well know. Ya might change your mind about marryin' me. Randall ain't alone down there. He's joinin' our wife beatin', child beatin' Daddy. We sent him on his way ten years ago."
She didn't question further. What needed to be done had been done.
They all piled in Merle's pickup for the ride back to the house. When they arrived and her eyes opened she knew for sure how safe the brothers made her feel, she'd slept most of the way back.
Daryl didn't go home that night, instead he and Merle butchered up the deer and wrapped it. Then they wrapped up the fish. They split the haul down the middle. Then they drank. Come morning Daryl called his boss Tyrese and told him he had to take a couple more days off. "Sorry man, things came up an I ain't gonna make it back yet. I'll give ya the next two Saturdays ta make up for it."
Merle offered to give her whatever kind of wedding she wanted. The only kind she wanted was the kind that would have her married to Merle Dixon as soon as possible. That, and it was important to her that Daryl be there with them. The three of them would forever share an unbreakable bond, they were family now.
She put on one of the dresses Merle had bought her. It was tight and she smiled thinking it would be months before she could wear it again. Merle put on his going-out-to-dinner clothes. Daryl wore his hunting clothes but they were clean. Beth had washed them for him. They went to town and Merle bought her a ring she liked. It was small and delicate, just like she appeared to be. But he and little brother knew the truth, Baby was strong. From there they all made their way to the courthouse and Daryl stood with them while Beth Greene became Beth Dixon.
Merle kissed her and they hugged and he told her, "I love ya Mrs. Dixon, I can't believe what a lucky sumbitch I am Baby."
Daryl gave her a one-armed hug and said, "Hey girl welcome ta the family. I always did want a little sister who could kick ass."
It called for a celebration. When they got back to the house Daryl grilled the venison tenderloin while Merle fried the potatoes.
None of them ever spoke of Randall or of Will Dixon again.
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Just as he'd suspected it might happen before he ever made the move to Clear Springs. Before Beth Greene knocked on his motel room door, Merle's business took off like gangbusters. In fact, it got to the point he had to start turning business away. He wasn't willing to be away from home and from her any longer than a regular work day. He was making plenty of cash and besides, they had everything they both thought they'd ever need or want.
Then an idea came to them and they made the offer. Daryl gave Tyrese his notice, sold his place and moved to Clear Springs to join the family business. He bought a little house not far from his brother, his sister in law, and his baby niece DeeDee.
As far as Merle Dixon was concerned everything about his life was perfect, not one bit complicated.
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A/N Thank you all so much for reading this story and for all of your comments along the way. I say it every time, this ship is a small but mighty! To see the final chap photo please visit my tumblr blogs gneebee or bethylmethbrick. I promise to be back with more Merle and Beth soon. Until then remember, and I truly mean it, I love ya large! xo gneebee