Don't own TWD. Just my OC's. Thought some Daddy/daughter time was in order. Thank you faithful readers for your reviews/follows/faves. It really inspires a writer!
Don't forget to leave me a present in the lil box on the way out ok? much appreciated!
On with the show!
Daryl found Allie in the kitchen, washing dishes. He snatched her hand out of the sink, none too gently, Allie yelped in surprise. Daryl turned her hand over, studying the ring on her finger, Allie eyeballed him quizzically.
Daryl stared Allie in the face, her deep blue eyes wide in shock. "Girl, you know what this ring is?"
"Yes Sir, it's the engagement ring my Daddy gave my Mama when he asked her to marry him in this kitchen when they were my age." Allie's heart thudded in her chest; she wasn't sure whether to be afraid or pissed because Daryl was manhandling her.
"You know who your Daddy is?" Daryl waited with baited breath, even though he already knew the answer to be true.
Allie nodded her head, defiantly jerking her wrist out of Daryl's grasp, "Yes Sir. You're my Daddy."
"Allie, honey, I ain't never known what it means to be a Daddy. Ain't never had no kids of my own until now. I ain't the kinda man you want for a Daddy. I'm broken, fucked up. Your Granddaddy was the only way I knew what being a Daddy was." Daryl's tone was softer than what Allie had heard in the front yard with her mother. Daryl had no issue with Allie; she was the innocent in all this mess Natalie created.
"It's okay. I'd rather have you in my life broken and fucked up than not have you at all. We all gotta learn sometime. Besides Grandpa was a great man, you've had a great role model. I don't know if I can call you Daddy though ya know?" Allie felt tears forming, but she'd be damned if she'd let them fall.
Daryl leaned against the counter, "We got almost eighteen years to make up for if you'll have me. I'll do my best to be here for ya, you need something you ask me alright? I'm gonna try and do this Daddy thing Allie, you deserve that much outta me. You can just call me Daryl, you ain't gotta call me Daddy if ya don't want to."
Allie nodded slowly, taking in Daryl's words. Her emotions were all over the place, making sense of any of them were hard at the moment. Here this man was, wanting a relationship with her, after she thought he would tell her to fuck off. Even with things tentative between him and her Mom, Allie would take what he was willing to try and give her.
Daryl reached into the dry side of the sink, taking a glass and filling it with water. He was more thirsty than hungry, since Allie had made him lunch earlier. Daryl drained the glass, filling another and drinking deeply from it.
"Daryl, do you still love my Mom?" Allie's voice squeaked out in the silence, startling Daryl as he choked and sputtered on the water he was drinking.
Daryl struggled to catch his breath from choking, bracing himself against the counter with his head between his shoulders. Why the hell did she have to ask him that question, especially after the fight they had in the yard? Daryl hated having to think up an answer that was half truth and half a lie, Allie deserved the truth. Even when Daryl wasn't quite sure of what the truth really was at the moment.
"Babygirl, I'm really pissed at your Mama right now for keeping you a secret from me. I'm gonna do what I can to do what's right. I loved your Mama for years, can't turn that shit off like a light switch. We'll see what time brings ok?" Daryl squeezed Allie's arm lightly, getting a half ass smile out of Allie. "You finish them dishes up, and meet me out in the cooler. I want to see what you did to my animals alright?"
"Ok Daryl, I'll see you out there in a bit." Allie nodded towards the back door, Daryl picked up her bow and pistol as he pushed the screen door open, heading out across the barn lot. Allie checked the front yard for her mother; Natalie was nowhere to be seen. Allie knew right where Natalie was, in her bedroom. That's where Allie found Natalie the day of the fight with Jake, in bed, crying her eyes out. Allie thought it best to leave her mother to her own demons. 'She made her bed, she can lie in it.' was what Allie thought.
Daryl had a knife in his hand, separating meat from bone on the deer. It felt good to have a knife in his hand, to let his mind idle as his hands worked. He was still pissed at Natalie; right now he didn't want to be anywhere near her. Keeping his distance would be the best until he cooled off enough to be able to talk without yelling.
"Sorry it took me a bit to get out here, I wanted to check on Mom."Allie apologized, grabbing a knife to start butchering the opposite side of Daryl.
Daryl grunted, "Uh huh. How's your Mama doing?" He was doing his best to keep his tone neutral as to not upset Allie.
"She's sleeping right now. Probably will be asleep quite a while, she doesn't deal with confrontation so well since her and Jake..."Allie trailed off, sliding the blade under the muscle, slicing in an upwards motion.
Daryl's hand lay over Allie's; stilling the motion, "Nah sweetheart, go downwards not up. Going up can make the meat tough. What's this about Jake?"
"Sorry, I guess I've kinda forgot some of the stuff Jake taught me. Yeah, what do I tell you about Jake? Umm… Well, he looks sorta like you, like you could be brothers. It's kind of scary really. He taught me to hunt, fish, camp, ride, about guns and bows. He was pretty alright I guess." Allie glanced over at Daryl; he looked like he was compartmentalizing everything she had just said. Allie hoped she hadn't said too much, nor angered Daryl talking about Jake.
"He raised ya then? Your mama married to him?" Daryl's curiosity was getting the best of him; he figured it was easier to ask Allie these questions rather than Natalie. It gave him time to get to know his daughter, to see how she thought and felt about things.
"Yeah. Mom married him when she was still pregnant with me. I moved all over to his and Mom's duty stations. Wasn't in any one place for longer than two or four years because of the Air Force. The last place we were in was Germany. That was different. Mom caught him in bed with another woman and they had a big blow up in the kitchen. I remember Jake yelling at Mom that he raised a daughter that wasn't even his. It broke my heart Daryl; I thought Jake was my Dad since I grew up with him. I always called him Dad. It wasn't until their divorce was over and Mom and I were flying back here from Berlin that I asked her if what Jake said was true. She told me she had a onetime fling with you drunk in the summer. Is that true?"
Daryl set down his knife, gently taking the knife out of Allie's hand, setting it on the table. "We can do this tomorrow. I got a better idea if we're gonna talk. Come on sweetheart." Daryl opened the door to the cooler, the early evening sun bright on their eyes.
Daryl led Allie into the stable, pulling out two sets of tack. "Pick which two you think's gonna be best for us. If you're my daughter, then you're gonna feel more comfortable talkin' like this." Allie pulled out her mare and her Grandpa's gelding, helping Daryl saddle them both.
"You gonna be ok to ride with your injuries? It's going to hurt to sling up." Allie was genuinely concerned for Daryl, pulling the stitches would hurt like hell, and even more so if Allie had to put them back in.
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." Daryl slung up into the saddle, nickering to the gelding, leading for the pasture. Allie caught up to Daryl after she closed the gate, her mare rubbing alongside the gelding.
"Nice ride you picked out for me. Your Mama's?" Daryl looked over at Allie, smirking when her eyes caught his.
"Nope, Zip there was Grandpa's. He's a sweet boy, really fast horse. Someone gave him to Grandpa because they couldn't pay him for the doctor bill they owed him. That's what Grandpa did in the end; he cared for people for free. Lots of folks just gave him stuff in return; they didn't know he was dying." Allie sucked back a breath; she loved her Grandpa Roy more than anyone in the world.
"I'm sorry about ya Granddaddy Allie. He was a real good man. I didn't know he was sick; I ain't been around these parts lately. What's your Mama told you about me? Probably all bad shit I'm sure." Daryl chuckled, even as he felt sorrow for Roy's passing.
"Mom said that people looked down on you because your dad was the town drunk. Everybody knew he beat you and your brother. Mom said my uncle killed your dad? She said you guys were engaged young, and you lost a baby, my older brother. That you got in a fight and broke up. Mom said you slept together a bit later on and I happened. That's her side of the story, and that's all I know. What's your side of the story if I can ask you that?" Allie had every right to be curious about Daryl's side of things, it was only natural.
Daryl took a deep breath, he hated talking about himself, but this was his daughter, she had a right to know his life from his own story. Daryl stared out across the pasture, the tranquility easing his mind.
"Yeah my daddy was a mean sumbitch. He beat me and my brother Merle any chance he got for no reason at all. Merle and me got some age between us, so Merle was able to run off to the Army. I took the brunt of it once Merle was gone. Daddy beat me pretty hard, your mama and Granddaddy fixed me up plenty. But the one time the old man beat me good, busted my nose, my eye socket, cracked my head open. Your mama just happened to come by to bring me my paycheck and found me. I remember waking up in the hospital and she was sitting next to me. Merle was in jail, he got off on a self defense once the cops talked to your mama, your Grandparents and Merle and me. After that I pretty much moved into your Grandparents house, after I asked your Granddaddy's permission to marry your mama. We was about your age when we lost your brother. I had a real hard time with it, so I left. Didn't know what else to do. Night before your mama left for the Air Force, we fought and I set her free. She came back about three years later and we had a go in the back of my truck. Guess you were the product of that. I told ya I was broken and fucked up. This shit going down ain't made it any easier." Daryl got it all out at once, he knew if he didn't it would never come. But Allie needed to know his side of the story, he owed her that much.
Allie pulled her horse up next to Daryl's, nudging his knee with her own to get his attention. Allie smiled when Daryl set his eyes on her, "Thanks for telling me your side. Everything makes sense now. I know it wasn't easy for you to tell me. I'm glad you're here with me, even accounting for the circumstances why."
Daryl cracked his shit eating grin as he put the spurs to Zip, kicking him into a run. "Hah! Get on!"Daryl yelled to Zip; a thousand pounds of horsepower between his legs streaked across the pasture towards the stable.
Allie laughed out loud, "Damn it! That's not fair!" Allie nickered to Mira, taking off at a fast clip after Daryl. There was nothing more healing than riding a horse and playing a game of chase afterwards. If this was how Daryl was, at least with her, then Allie could get used to having him in her life.