A/N: Thank you to all who have commented and followed my story. I appreciate you. This chpt is just another bump in the road of the walkingdixons. I like scary movies so I added this just for fun. Hope you all enjoy.
-Twelve-
The town of Melbrook was dead. The streets were littered with debris and decaying bodies as they walked by.
"Where's the geeks?" It was the question they were all wondering. Merle turned to the setting sun, "We need to shack up fer the night."
"Sounds like a plan." Lake rubbed her aching back. Daryl kept silent by her side, still refusing to lower his crossbow.
Merle motioned from across the street and they followed him into an abandoned apartment building. He kicked open the first apartment and swept it before allowing Lake entrance. Turning to Daryl, "I'll take first watch. Go get some sleep with yer girl."
Daryl nodded to his brother, too tired to object. Lake didn't even peel off her clothes before climbing onto the bed. When she felt Daryl's body next to hers, she fell fast asleep.
Lake startled awake to muffled sounds. Sitting up, she felt the bed for Daryl but he was gone. Using her hand, she covered her mouth to silence the sound of her breathing.
A knock against the wall made Lake jump as she struggled to adjust her eyes to the dark.
"Check in there." A man's voice ordered. Lake scrambled off the bed and slid underneath. The apartment door slammed open revealing a pair of steel toed boots. The sound of them beating against the hardwood echoed throughout the room.
"There ain't no one in here." The man in the boots called out.
"Check everywhere; that bastard fought like hell, he's hiding somethin'." A tear slid down her cheek as the realization assaulted her. They had Daryl.
The man in the boots made his way around the room before returning to the door and closing it shut. Lake removed her hand and took in a deep breath. Sliding out from her hiding spot, she stood and ran to the door. Looking out the peephole, she watched a dark figure walk past.
Turning away quickly, she laid back against the door just as her eyes adjusted to the light streaming in through the tiny window in the kitchen.
"Boo." Lake's scream was cut short when the man's head knocked her out cold.
Lake! A voice echoed in her head. Goddamn it, wake up! Lake! Lake stirred at the familiar voice. I swear I'm going to fuckin' kill you if she's hurt. She opened her eyes to the sound of a thud. Wincing, she struggled to keep them open as the light blinded her.
"Lake." This time it was Merle's voice who called to her. Turning, Lake found him tied up in a corner of what looked like a basement. The gash in his head had been re-opened and now trickled down his face.
"M…merle?" Her voice was broken and weak.
"You okay?" He asked before nervously glancing over towards a staircase. Lake reached up and touched her face, sticky warmth pulled away with her fingers.
"Where are we?" She asked; biting at her bound wrists.
"Some asshole's cellar." Lake noticed Merle was also bound by his neck and feet.
A body lay slumped on the floor across from them. She pointed and Merle frowned, "He wouldn't quit holler'in for ya." He fought against his restraints again. "Damnit." He bit out.
She whimpered as she got to her knees and crawled to Daryl's side. Pulling him onto his back, Lake gently wiped the hair from his face.
"You best get back over where they put ya." Merle urged. "These folks got a mean streak." She didn't care. She wouldn't leave Daryl.
"Daryl." She whispered. His chest rose and fell softly. "Daryl." Lake repeated as she shook him. His face was swollen and bruised. The floorboards above them creaked, sending Lake's blood cold.
"Get yer ass over here." Merle gritted out as his eyes followed the sound of the footsteps. Lake kissed Daryl before returning to the spot she had woken up in just before the upstairs door opened.
Closing her eye, she fought to steady her heaving breaths as the person made their way down the stairs.
"Well, well, it's good to see you up." Lake froze until Merle spoke.
"Fuck you." The sound of bone hitting flesh made her wince. Merle spit, "That the best ya got?" He goaded. Another fist thudded.
"Say another word and I'll turn my attention on your little friends." Merle was quiet. The man strode across the room and nudged Daryl with his boot. "He dead?" He asked aloud to Merle. "You dead?" He turned back to Daryl. A groan made the man chuckle. "Nah, he ain't dead."
Lake listened for the man before she was yanked up by her hair. A yelp escaped her as the man drug her across the room.
"You thought I forgot about you pretty?" Lake grabbed onto his wrist to lessen the pain.
"Let'er go!" Merle screamed from the corner. He began to struggle harder.
A knife pressed to her throat and Merle froze. "Didn't I tell ya to shut the fuck up?" The man's tone was deadly. Yanking on Lake's hair, he smiled when she screamed. "What is it with this chick? She got gold tits or somethin'?" A sob broke from her chest.
"She ain't well can't you see?" Merle begged. Lake figured she looked awful but she didn't anticipate the sudden nausea until it was too late.
"I don't-" The man's sentence was cut off when she puked onto the floor. With a disgusted sound, the man threw her down into her vomit. "Nasty bitch."
"Jake!" Another voiced yelled down the stairs.
"Yeah?" Jake yelled back. Footfalls raced down before revealing a younger man.
"I thought you weren't gonna start without me?" The boy asked with a punch to Jake's arm.
Smiling, "I wasn't, just makin' sure they're alive is all." Jake sat in a chair. "This is Jim, my brother." He introduced.
Lake crawled to Daryl before wrapping her arms around her knees. Jim pointed to her, "What's with her?"
"Puked all over the place man," Jake informed before tilting his head at Merle. "Said she wasn't well."
Jim's features distorted, "She bit?!" He yelled.
"No she ain't bit you fucking moron!" Merle yelled back. Jim punched Merle across the face.
"We better get Jeanie down here to check 'er." Jim told Jake. "I ain't mess'in with a bitch that's been bit."
Lake started shaking as she franticly tried waking Daryl, "Please Daryl! Wake up! Please!" Jake motioned for Jim to grab her. He obeyed ignoring Lake's screams.
"Chain her up." Jake ordered. Jim held her as they hung her from the beam by her hands. The cold metal bit into her flesh as her weight bore down. Jake grabbed her face in his hand and looked her over.
"She is mighty pretty." He turned to Merle. "What's she doin' with you two?" Merle spat on the floor at their feet.
Jake pulled a knife and pointed it at Merle, "I'ma enjoy cutt'in you up." He looked to Jim. "Go get Jean." Jim scrambled up the stairs.
"What the hell ya want with us?" Merle asked; his eye almost swollen shut.
Jake laughter boomed. "You think you can go around kill'in whoever ya want?" He walked over to a small table and picked up tools at random. "My brother died on that road." Jake threw a knife which wedged in the wood by Merle's head. "Ya'll killed my brother." He walked over and pulled the knife before tapping the tip of Merle's nose with the blade. "The way I sees it, you brought this on yerself."
Daryl groaned as he sat up alerting Jake. "Oh goodie! I see wer all are awake and alert." He smacked Daryl across the face as he walked back to the table. "Just in time too."
Daryl met Lake's gaze and he furrowed his brows in question. Lake shrugged but nodded that she was alright. The door upstairs opened and Jim came down followed by an older woman.
"Ah Jeanie. Seems we need yer help." Jake threw an arm around the woman's shoulders and kissed her on the cheek. "That girl, there's somethin' wrong with her." He shoved Jeanie towards Lake. "Find out what." He demanded.
"Don't touch her." Daryl warned. Jim moved to hit him but Lake stopped him.
"Stop! Don't touch him." Both men turned their attention on her. "I'll let her look me over just don't hit him again."
Jake smacked Jim across the shoulders with a laugh, "Seems we've found who she belongs to." Jim smiled a toothless grin. "So you'll cooperate if we leave yer man alone?" Jake walked closer when Lake nodded between sobs. "You'll do anythin' to save him?" Lake looked over Jake to see Daryl's eyes begging her not to answer.
She looked away and ignored Daryl's protests. Jake grabbed her roughly by the chin and forced her to look at him. "I asked ya a question."
"Don't you answer that!" Daryl screamed. Jake nodded for Jim to deal with him but Lake screamed.
"Yes!" She screamed into Jake's face. "I'll do anything to save him." Her words faded to a whisper.
He stood back and crossed his arms. "Whatch'a think Jim?" He looked over his shoulder at his brother. "Think we should allow her the chance to free her man?"
"Hell yeah." Jim anxiously crowded in behind Jake.
"Thought so," Jake held up a hand. "We'll let Jeanie look over our girl here and then we'll be back." He pointed at Lake. "You best be ready to prove just how much you love that pile of shit over there."
Lake shook as she watched the brothers leave the cellar. A touch made her jump, "I ain't gonna hurt ya child." Jeanie's voice was calm and frail.
"She ain't bit." Daryl growled at her. "She needs to get out of here." The old woman turned to Daryl.
"What's the matter with her then?" She asked.
"I'm pregnant." Lake answered. Jeanie's hand flew to her heart.
"Pregnant?" Her face was shocked. "A baby? This day in age?"
"People still fuck." Silent until now, Merle would have rolled his eyes if he could.
Jeanie pointed at him, "You hush yer mouth with all that filth."
"Let my girl go." Daryl continued. "Let her go and we will stay." Lake shot forward in objection but Daryl glared her into silence. "Please."
They could tell Jeanie was struggling with the decision. She looked to Lake, "It movin' yet?" She asked.
"I don't know." Lake held still when the woman reached into her bag. She pulled out an old stethoscope and placed it on Lake's stomach.
"Used to, I was a nurse." Jeanie listened as she moved the scope. "Now this was way back when. When the walkers came, I had been retired for quite some time but…" She smiled. "I still have a knack for findin' what needs to be found." Pulling the stethoscope from her ears, she offered them to Lake. "Listen to that."
Lake allowed Jeanie to put the instrument on her ears before hearing an offbeat thumping sound. "What is wrong with it?" She asked looking to Daryl.
Jeanie smiled before taking away the scope. "Nothin' is the matter. That's yer heart and the little ones. That's how come it sounds so weird."
"Thank you." Lake didn't know why she decided to thank the woman but just the knowledge that her child lived was enough to give her hope.
"Can I hear?" Daryl asked after a moment.
Jeanie turned to him and then back. "He the father?" She blew a hair from her face when Lake nodded. Jeanie stood and motioned for Daryl to come over. "No funny business or I'ma have to shoot ya." Lake noticed the gun grip poking out of the woman's dress.
Daryl scooted until he was below where Lake hung, "I'm covered in puke." She mumbled down.
"I don't care about that." He grinned up at her before using the wall to stand. Jeanie cleared her throat before putting the instrument on Daryl. He listened until his eyes widened. "That's my kid?" He asked Jeanie, who nodded enthusiastically.
"Isn't-"Jeanie's body fell to the floor with a thud. Merle step out from behind the woman, his arms no longer bound.
"Nice touch with the kid thing, baby brother." He threw to Daryl before helping him get Lake down.
Lake dropped to her knees beside Jeanie's body. The woman's head was twisted at an odd angle, her eyes open but unseeing.
Daryl's arms lifted her up as they searched for a way to escape. "Only up from here." Merle confirmed what they all knew.
"I want those bastards dead." Lake grabbed Daryl's hand but he was lost in madness.
"My thoughts exactly…" Merle snickered.
The door to the upstairs opened, "Jeanie, you done yet?" Jim's voice echoed. When no one answered, he made his way down to discover a dead Jeanie at the center of the room. "Jake!" He screamed up the stairs before stopping in front of Merle. "What did ya do?" Spit spraying from his mouth. "What-"
Merle pulled the knife from the boy's throat, showering the floor with his blood.
At the top of the stairs, Jake released a guttural roar. He pulled his gun and began shooting sending bullets in every direction.
Lake screamed as Daryl and Merle rushed their attacker weapons drawn. They wrestled the gun from Jake before Daryl stabbed him in the chest. Jake reached up and grabbed at Daryl with a bloodied hand. As his breathing labored, his blood gurgled up from his mouth.
Heaving, Daryl pushed away from the dead man. Lake continued to cry.
"Ruined my new fuckin' shirt." Merle struggled to his feet before pulling at the tattered remains of his shirt.
"Can we leave now?" Lake took Merle's hand and stood; her eyes never leaving Daryl's slumped form. "Daryl?"
"He'll be alright." Merle answered. "Let's go." Daryl stood and walked up the stairs leaving her in his brother's care.
Outside, Lake turned to see a trailer in the middle of nowhere. "How would anyone know they were here?"
"I think that's the point." Merle said as he made a second trip out with supplies. "They ain't gonna need this shit anymore."
"I guess you're right." She turned before spotting Daryl off by himself. When she reached him, Lake sank to her knees. "You okay?"
"You really would've done whatever to save me?" His voice low.
"Yeah, I would have." She meant every word.
"I put ya in danger." Daryl ran a bloodied hand through his hair. "I-"
"You did what needed to be done. You and Merle both." Lake grabbed a hold of his forearm. "Those people were evil. Who tortures people? Especially in a time like this. We couldn't have known if Jeanie would have let us go." A tear fell.
Daryl looked up and nodded. "Yeah, we just survived." Lake smiled softly.
"Holy shit!" Merle made them jump from where he hollered by the trailer. "They have bikes." He pulled the dusty tarp from two custom motorcycles when they reached his side.
"Woah." Daryl ran a hand over the black paint and chrome of the bike.
"Woah is right brother!" Merle whooped. He turned over the engine of the red bike he sat on. It roared to life, smothering Merle's cheer.
Daryl did the same, grinning when his engine roared to life also. He patted the seat behind him and winked. Lake shook her head before climbing on and wrapping her arms around his chest.
Merle grinned, his swollen eye completely changing his face. Lake laughed before leaning against Daryl and closing her eyes.