An: ok short one, important to the story though. I have no idea of the legal stuff in this is correct :/ suspend your disbelief. Also, major trigger warning for abuse. Physical and sexual.

I do not own or profit from The Walking Deaf

Chapter 8

Merle had actually managed fairly well on his own. He'd picked Daryl up at the airport very sombre and red eyed and more importantly; sober. They'd headed straight to the cemetery for a grave side service that surprisingly had quite a few guests. A small reception at a the funeral parlor after had Daryl feeling like he had jumped into an alternate universe. Who the fuck were all these friends of Merle's and his daddy? And why the fuck were they so sad? His daddy had never had one friend in all his life, neither had Merle. They'd gone back to their old shit hole of a house, which surprisingly was looking pretty good. Truth was, Daryl wasn't sure if he could go inside without Vomitting. When he saw Merle grabbing his duffel he put his hand up.

"Don't bother, I ain't staying." He said.

Merle sighed "Daryl .."

"Nawh don't Daryl me Merle. I did all this today, for you. I'm glad the old bastard is dead. Hope he rots in hell." He muttered.

"Daryl he was schizophrenic, I know it's no excuse, he was sorry..." Merle said.

Daryl stood up angrily. "I don't give a fuck what excuse he gave. He was a fucking monster." Daryl turned ripping his shirt up to show Merle his back who gasped. "He didn't just stop there, neither." Daryl whispered.

"What?" Merle asked incredulously.

"You know what" Daryl screamed in Merle's face. "You know what he did. He was a sick fuck and got off on doing shit to his kid." Merle's face paled. Daryl kept yelling." One night he dragged me out hunting, and he went to far. I fought back. He was drunk or stoned out of his mind. He wouldn't let me drive. On the way back, there was this car, it just came out of nowhere, he sped the fuck while I screamed. The other car went off the road." Daryl huffed. "I begged him to stop. Begged him. He fucking laughed. Fucking tortured me from that night on. It was my fault, he'd say. I was just a fucking kid. Told me we'd go to jail. Said he'd really have his way with me then." Daryl put his head down as it all spilled out of him. Merle sat down on the steps stunned.

"I didn't know...I..."

"Well now you know." Daryl spat out hoarsely. He sat next to Merle. "It's haunted me, what happened to that car. Did someone fucking die? When I got in the rangers he used to cackle and say that if I went to the police I'd get booted out of the service. It was all I had."

"It ain't anymore?" Merle asked.

He quickly told Merle about Carol and all that had transpired. "I love her I wanna marry her. I got 7 months left to this tour. And two years left to my enlistment. I wanna make plans, for what I wanna do after. I wanna marry her and I wanna be free. Of all this shit." Daryl said.

Merle nodded. "Let's get you free then."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They'd gone to the police who hat redirected them to the DA. Daryl had told his story to the woman, still sitting in his dress uniform. It was easier the second time. He included every sick detail. The physical abuse and the sexual abuse, that lead to that night. The way his dad had tormented him. When he was finished she'd sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Mr. Dixon, even if I wanted to prosecute you, which I don't. There is a statue of limitation for crimes by minors. You were a severely abused child. Physical, sexual and mental, who is now a decorated veteran. Look at how far you've come, no jury would prosecute you for a 18 year old obstruction of justice charge. I will let the family of Mr. Ed Pelletier and know that the driver of the truck is deceased. Ms. Carol Miller will be informed as well." She said taking out a photo from a file. His heart stopped as he glanced at it. No way around it, no denying it. He was looking at a picture of a young Carol. His Carol.