Chapter 7: Promises
Daryl had packed up and was ready to track that deer down. Merle and that small group had left a couple of hours ago and Daryl wasn't as worried as he was before. In fact he was more worried about the rest of the group than Merle.
"Alright I'm goin' huntin'." He told Shane.
"Be careful Daryl." He said without looking at him. Daryl rolled his eyes and walked towards the woods. The only time that Shane has ever respected him is when Daryl was there when Brooke needed him most. That was the only time Shane ever paid him any sort of respect.
It was June and Brooke had just graduated high school. She wasn't at the café today and neither was Mrs. Gina. He walked in and saw Becky and Amber crying while they closed up the shop. They told him what happened.
"Where is she now?" he asked.
"She's at home with Shane." Amber hiccupped and brought a tissue up to her face.
"Her Dad didn't want them there. He said it would be too much for them. You should know that she likes to be alone in situations like this." Becky sobbed. Daryl thanked the girls and ran to the Walsh household. He furiously knocked on the large door and Shane opened it. He could tell that Shane had been crying but not very much.
"Where is she?" he asked. Shane motioned the backyard and he led Daryl through the house. Shane motioned up towards the tree house and Daryl thanked him very quickly. He climbed up the ladder and into the house. Brooke quickly rubbed her eyes.
"Hey Daryl!" she forced a smile. He just looked at her. "I'm fine." She lied and he crawled over in the small space to her and gave her a hug.
"No you're not." He said and she collapsed in his arms. She let the tears break free.
"She was fine yesterday! This morning Dad tried to wake her up but she wouldn't wake up! She barely had a heartbeat and Dad drove her to the hospital. He called Shane and…" she sighed and held Daryl tighter. "He said that her body just couldn't take it anymore. Mom's gone. My mother's gone. I'll never see her in the café again. Oh my God, I haven't thought about the café! What's going to happen to it? Oh God! She's never going to be able to… ugh I can't take it."
"Brooke, I'm so sorry." He sighed. "I promise you I will be here with you whenever you need me. I'll help you get through this. Just remember that she'll always be there with you. She'll always be in that café and she'll never truly leave us." He lifted her head so she would look at him. "You know that Brooke. I promise I will never leave."
"It's just I didn't think she would leave this soon." She sniffed.
"I know." She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the lips. This time there were no interruptions but Daryl knew it was just a thank you. She stopped and hugged him again.
"Thank you." She simply said.
"Do you want me to stay?" He asked.
"Only if you want to." He stayed with her until she fell asleep and he carefully carried her out. Shane walked out and they set her down on the couch.
"Daryl, I know that we don't particularly get along but I want to thank you. You make Brooke happy and today you really, well; you really proved that you care about her." Shane said. "I'm going to try to be nicer to you for Brooke's sake because she needs you."
"Thanks Shane. I'll try to do the same." They shook hands and Daryl walked away. Was Shane nicer to Daryl? Most of the time and he tried his damn hardest. Daryl stood by Brooke at the funeral and everything else. He promised he would never leave her but sometimes promises are hard to keep. They might be just the hardest things to stay true to. He'll never forget that time he let her down. That one time he failed her. It took another death for him to finally go back to fulfilling that promise.
It was the November after Mrs. Gina passed away. Daryl had just turned twenty and Brooke was seventeen. Brooke's Aunt Sandra had taken over the café but didn't change a thing. According to Brooke, Miss Sandra was the coolest aunt in the family. All three of the girls got accepted into Georgia. Amber and Brooke planned on becoming doctors and Becky went to the business school. They would help Miss Sandra with the café whenever they came back to visit King County and it was Thanksgiving break so that means they worked almost every day. One night all of the ladies were working. It was a packed night tonight. The bell rung and Mrs. Dixon walked through, followed by Daryl, Merle, and Jack Dixon. Brooke's eyes grew wide at the sight of Daryl's father. She looked over at Becky and Amber who had the same expression. All of the family, except Jack, had bruises on their arms. Brooke put on a smile and greeted them.
"Hi welcome to Gina's Café! Take a seat wherever you like!" she said cheerfully but Jack just grunted and led them to a booth near a window. "I'll be with you shortly." She said and was pulled under the counter.
"That's their Dad!" Becky exclaimed. "What do we do? We have to do something?"
"They have bruises all over their arms and on their faces! Make up does not cover it up no matter what Mrs. Dixon does!" This was the first time any of them had actually interacted with Jack Dixon. They knew they had to do something to help the family. Brooke had a light bulb go off in her head.
"Alright here's the plan. Becky and I will distract the family. Amber, you will write on a napkin that he's abusive with some other information and we'll find a way to give it to Officer Cooper and Officer Parsons. Got it?"
"Got it!" they said in unison.
"Waitress?" they heard Jack call. Brooke gave the girls an assuring look and grabbed a note pad.
"Hi my name's Brooke and I'll be your server this evening! What can I get you?" they told her their order and Goodbye Earl came on the radio. She walked past Becky. "Fitting song for the occasion." Becky smiled.
"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" she asked and Brooke nodded. She looked over at Amber and gave her a nod. Amber got a sharpie and a napkin and started writing. Becky and Brooke started to sing, alternating which verses the other sang. People sang and clapped along. All eyes were on the two and Amber made her move. The officers read the napkin. Brooke skipped over to the table still singing.
"And they tipped their hats and said thank you ladies," her eyes narrowed. "if you hear from him let us know." The officers winked and the girls finished the song. Their plan was in motion. Two days later the officers came in and tipped their hats. Brooke, Amber, and Becky came closer to the counter.
"So what happened?" Amber asked. Officer Cooper sighed and looked sadly at the girls.
"There's nothing we can do without evidence." He said.
"Evidence? There's enough evidence they walk around with bruises on the bodies! All of them except Jack!" Brooke said making sure she wasn't disturbing the peace in the store.
"Ladies," Officer Parsons began. "we need to catch him in order to arrest him or a confession from him or any of the family members."
"None of them will confess though." Becky said.
"I'm sorry ladies but there's nothing we can do."
"Thanks for trying." Brooke said. "Here have some coffee on the house for your troubles."
"Thank you ladies." They tipped their hats and left the store. The girls ran into the storage room.
"This is complete bull shit!" Brooke yelled.
"Complete bull shit!" Amber repeated. "No evidence my ass!"
"Complete bull shit!" Becky said. "Alright, no one can figure out what we've done. I don't want to deal with Jack-ass Dixon."
"Me neither." Brooke said. "I don't want to deal with any of them. Daryl and Merle would be furious if he knew I tried to get his dad arrested."
"It's our secret. It dies with us." Amber said and they all agreed. They turned around to see who else, but Merle Dixon in the doorway. Brooke ran her hands through her hair nervously.
"So that's why they were there last night." Merle said.
"Merle please don't tell your father!" Becky begged. "We were just trying to help you, Daryl, and your mom. Okay we're worried and this had been going on long enough. Hell, you even moved out of the house and he still beats you." Merle thought for a minute and looked back at the other two girls. For that one moment, Merle was a decent man.
"Alright, I won't tell anyone." He began to walk out but hugged all three girls instead. "Thanks for trying." He said and he walked out of the café. They all let out a sigh of relief.
"I think we're safe." Becky said. She was wrong. One stormy night only Amber and Brooke were working. Becky was sick with an allergic reaction she had to a spider bite but would return the next day. No one was in the shop and it was time to close up. Jack Dixon stormed into the café heavily intoxicated. Amber and Brooke exchanged horrified looks. Amber walked out from behind the counter.
"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." She said politely and Brooke joined her.
"You!" he said pointing his finger at the two of them. "Where's the blonde bitch?"
"Sick." Brooke said.
"You should know not to mess with Jack Dixon!" he roared and pushed Amber. Brooke quickly stood in front of her but Jack threw Brooke onto a couple of tables, smashing plates and coffee cups against her body. He charged at Amber but she threw in a couple of punches to his face. He was about to hit her but Brooke kneed him in the groin. He fell to the ground and groaned in pain.
"Run!" Brooke yelled and grabbed Amber's hand. They flew out of the store and into the dark night. Rain was stabbing at their faces and they could barely see. They could here Jack Dixon stumbling/running behind them. Brooke slipped and fell on her knee and Amber picked her up. They ran into the neighborhood where Amber lived.
"I can't go much further!" Amber said.
"We're almost to your house!" Brooke replied. They made it to her house.
"Come on!" Amber yelled.
"No! Lock your doors and windows and don't tell anyone what happened! He wants me!" she said and kept running. She hid behind a car for a minute. She'd also hit her head pretty hard when she hit her knee. She could hear him calling her name and she bolted. She couldn't take much more of it. Head lights beamed on her and pulled up next to her. The car door flew open.
"Get in!" he yelled. She didn't hesitate but as soon as she closed the door she lost consciousness. Her eyes opened and she was in a hospital room. She sprung up but soon groaned in pain. She had some stitches and a brace on her knee cap. Her head was ringing with pain. She saw Daryl asleep in a chair.
"A regular knight in shining Chevy." She said quietly. He woke up.
"Oh my God, Brooke!" he exclaimed and held her tight. "I'm so sorry! I never thought he would hurt you!"
"I'm fine Daryl." She said. The doctor walked in.
"Well good morning sleepy head!" he greeted. "Your father is coming in soon from his shift to take you home."
"Thanks Dr. Applegate." She said.
"So what happened?" he asked.
"I fell out of my tree house." She lied.
"You need to be more careful." He shook his head and Dr. Walsh ran in.
"Brooke! Oh my, sweetie!" he said and hugged her.
"This young man found her and brought her in." Dr. Applegate said.
"Thank you Daryl." Dr. Walsh said. He just nodded. Brooke was going to be in crutches for two weeks. A week after the attack the girls were all working. Brooke had Daryl's cup of peppermint tea and chocolate chip cookie waiting for him. She went into the back room to get something while the rest of the girls were serving customers. The door quickly opened and quickly closed. Brooke came out of the room and saw an envelope on the table. Amber excused herself and went outside for a moment.
"Daryl?" she called after him and he slowly turned around. "What's going on?"
"Amber, the letter explains everything. Goodbye." He said and drove away. Amber walked back in and Brooke just stared at the letter.
"Brooke?" she asked. Becky handed her the letter. "Mrs. Dixon left and if Jack see's you with him he'll kill you and us?" Brooke nodded and she began to cry.
"This is all my fault!" she wept. "His mother left because she figured out the cops couldn't do anything! Now your lives are in danger!"
"Honey, we helped you send the cops to their house. We're sticking by you no matter what!" Becky said and all three joined in a hug.
Daryl didn't talk to Brooke for another year. He saw her outside of bars trying to calm down Shane. Shane had picked up drinking after Mrs. Gina died. He saw Shane push her but Brooke knew how to take care of herself. He would walk past the store wishing to talk to her. He loved Brooke and that's why he had to leave her.
One day in November, Brooke was eighteen and Daryl was 21, it was Thanksgiving break and the girls helped Miss Sandra with the café again. Becky gasped when she was reading the paper.
"Brooke!" she yelled and Brooke ran over. "Look!"
"Half-off mattresses for sale?" Brooke asked.
"No!" Amber said and pointed. "This!"
"Jack Dixon died on Sunday morning die to liver failure. He is a beloved father and will be missed." She read and shook her head slowly. "I'll be back in a little while girls!" She left and went to the local florist. She got some Daisies and tied them in a camouflage bow that she had found. She drove in her red Beetle to the Dixon house. She wore a black t-shirt because she didn't pack a black dress. She knocked on the door and no one answered. She knocked again and got the same result. She put down the bouquet on the doorstep with a card that read I'm sorry for your loss. She sighed and her eyes filled with water. She turned around to go back to her car and saw Daryl standing there with water in his eyes. He ran to her and scooped her up to hug her.
"I'm so sorry about your dad!" she wept. He looked at her.
"Hey, I'm free now." That's all he said and they laughed nervously. They had never been so happy to see each other. Daryl continued with his promise. It would be hard to keep but he knew that Brooke wouldn't give up on him.
Daryl wasn't that deep into the woods when he heard a scream the pierced through his thoughts. He ran back towards the camp.