Chapter Six
Three months.
They'd been at the prison for nearly three months, and things were going good…
Too good.
Lori had survived Judith's birth and was slowly healing, spending most of her time trying to make the prison a home instead of…well. Carol had healed from her ordeal in the catacombs and spent most of her time in the kitchens maintaining their food stores or helping take care of Judith. She'd also, with the help of Hershel, taken over the children's schooling, much to Carl's consternation.
The brightest point, however, had to be Glenn, Maggie and Judith. Glenn and Maggie had, with Hershel's blessing, gotten married, Rick officiating the ceremony since he was their leader. The couple, although new, were so in love that he ached looking at them, longing for someone that would gaze at him the way Glenn looked at Maggie. He snorted.
A fool's dream.
Someone as tainted as him would never-
Judith whimpered in his arms, pulling him from his thoughts, and he smiled wanly at the babe. At three months, she was the light of his life, even though she wasn't his child, and he loved her immensely.
"You're very good with her." He jumped startled, causing her to whine softly and he shushed her, looking up at her father with a slight frown.
"Ain't much. I just talk to her." He replied and Rick chuckled, settling in where he leaned against the rail of the guard tower.
"Its more than that. She's more behaved with you than she is with any of her parents. With me and Shane she just moves around until we manage to get her comfortable. With Lori, she cries. With you, she's perfect."
He blushed, and reluctantly held the babe out to her father.
Shane and Rick had come to an agreement to raise the child together with Lori since there was no certain way to tell exactly who her parent was, ( he was certain it was Shane, she looked just like him). They were both good with her, but she was his. He'd raised her the first six weeks of her life as the two fought to help Lori get better and deal with their fear of losing her.
He didn't want to give her up.
Something in his gaze must have shown this because Rick sent him that sweet warm smile that made his insides flutter. The former deputy and his partner had been doing that a lot lately, smiling him in ways that made his cheeks warm and his hackles rise.
"I didn't mean it as a bad thing." The man stated, blue eyes twinkling and Daryl blushed, slowly pulling her back to cradle her against his chest.
A slow smile crossed his…friend's lips, and he swallowed as Rick reached forward to cup his cheek.
"Beautiful."
He jerked back, and looked away, heart pounding rapidly in his chest.
"I gotta go."
"Daryl-"
He shook his head, gently placing his Lil Asskicker in her father's arms regardless of her displeased whimpers.
"I'm gonna go see if Glenn and Maggie are back yet."
"You might want to wait." Both men turned as Shane walked over to them wearing an uncharacteristically serious expression, a stoic dread-headed woman following him.
"Shane?"
"Glenn and Maggie were kidnapped."
Daryl's heart leapt into his throat and his eyes shuttered closed for a brief second before he turned to walk past Shane ignoring how the two called after him.
He should've known the peace wouldn't last.
Glenn was terrified.
As he stared up at the menacing form of Merle Dixon, at the calm stoic man in the corner, he realized he'd never been more terrified than he was now.
Not when Daryl had threatened to kill him, not at the CDC, never.
Trembling in fear, he jumped startled when the unknown man spoke.
"Where's your group?" He rumbled, and his voice was deep, almost soothing… he wanted to give in.
He swallowed and shook his head.
No.
He couldn't, not if they were after his family.
Merle smirked. "I'm gonna enjoy this." He sneered and went to punch him, Glenn flinched and closed his eyes.
But the pain never came.
Fearfully cracking an eye open, he found that the stoic man had moved forward and caught Merle's fist before he could hit him.
"He who seeks revenge-" He began but Merle cut him off with a slight frown.
"Should dig two graves."
Glenn blinked, remembering Daryl saying something like that to Shane when the man had gone on and on about getting revenge on Ed before Rick had come.
The older man nodded and Merle…pouted.
"I hear ya. But you hear the boss, he wants their group found 'n taken care of."
Mr. Stoic said nothing for a moment then turned to Glenn who flinched at the look in the man's eyes.
"I will kill you if I must. But you will tell me what I want to know."
Trembling, Glenn could do nothing but close his eyes and pray Rick found him.
Merle frowned as he followed Cameron to the fight pit, wondering why the Governor had ordered him there.
Make no mistake, he had no problem beating the shit out of anyone, but it was too much of a coincidence for him to be summoned so soon after Officer friendly and his group had attacker Woodbury to rescue the chink and his girl.
That meant one of them had been captured.
He snorted.
Only one of them mattered to him so he could care less.
As he arrived in the pit, he found the Governor waiting with a snarl on his face, the citizens of Woodbury gathered on the grimy bleachers surrounding it. Spotting Conner and Noah, he nodded and moved to the middle.
"I always thought you were one of my most loyal men, Merle. I saved you, gave you a home…and this is how you repay me."
Merle frowned confused and The Governor chuckled darkly, realization lighting his gaze.
"When I first saw him, I thought there was no way you could be related. He's so beautiful, defiant…Broken. I thought you knew, but you didn't, did you?"
The former convict stared at him, horror slowly taking over him.
No.
No!
A slim form struggled as it was dragged forward, face covered by a burlap sack, but those familiar tattoos were still visible.
Daryl.
His breath caught in his throat after seeing his little brother alive after so long and he was distantly aware of Connor's breath hitching.
The Governor yanked the sack off and grabbed Daryl's jaw roughly as the archer snarled viciously, so much like the animals he spent time in the woods with.
"Look at this face! This is the face of our enemy, of Merle's little brother!" An unforgiving smirk crossed the man's lips.
"That's why, he and Merle will fight to the death. The winner will be killed."
TBC…