Good mornin'! This chapter is a bit on the short side but I hope you like it anyway. Thank you all for the reviews!
Chapter Forty Seven
Daryl was going to kill him. It wasn't bad enough that he had just taken off without telling anyone, making Daryl think that he was gone for good. Actually making him feel guilty that he hadn't treated him very good since he had been back. But he had taken the kids too. Had taken them off the farm. He didn't know why Merle would do something so damn stupid but he was going to make sure it was the last stupid thing that he ever did.
The only thing that stopped him was when Carol went after him herself. Her fists were clenched and her step was determined. He might as well let her get her own revenge before he put an arrow through his head.
He was making his way over to them when Sophia suddenly stepped in front of Merle and held her hands up, trying to keep Carol away from him.
"Mom, it wasn't his fault." She said as she pressed herself against Merle so Carol couldn't get to him.
"Sophia, move." Carol said from between clenched teeth. "He had no right to take you off this farm."
Carl came around from the passenger side next and then it was Lori who was storming towards Merle. Rick shot Daryl a look that told him that he might need to save his brother but Daryl just shrugged. Rick was next, following his angry wife. Daryl followed suit.
"Mom, it wasn't like that." Sophia pleaded.
Merle actually looked unsure of what to do so he just stood there pressed up against the truck with Sophia shielding him from the others as best she could. When she spotted Daryl she looked relieved until she saw the look on his face. Everyone started shouting at once and Carl took off, not feeling as loyal to Merle as Sophia apparently.
Daryl wasn't saying anything. He was watching the girl closely. Everyone else was yelling or talking or throwing loud accusations at the man. Daryl was the only one that noticed the change in her face. She went from desperate to keep them away from Merle to down right pissed off. She glared at Rick, Lori, Carol and even himself from under her brow. Her lips thinned out in a hard line and color rushed up into her pale cheeks.
"Would all of you just shut the fuck up! Now!" She screamed.
The yard instantly became extremely quiet as everyone stared at the girl in stunned silence.
"Back. Up." She growled and everyone did. Still too stunned to act.
Merle wrapped his forearm loosely around her neck and gripped her shoulder. "Goddamn, girl. Calm the hell down. It's alright. Jesus." Even Merle was about half shocked and that was saying something.
"No it's not." She snapped. "Carl and me left this morning. Alone. On foot. Merle woke up, saw us gone, figured out where we were and headed out to find us before anyone had to get all worried. So get off his back and stop treating him like a criminal." Her voice was as cold as ice. "Now, which one of you are going to apologize first?"
"Why in the world would you two do that? After what happened?" Carol asked, sounding as shocked as she looked.
Daryl wasn't watching Sophia anymore. He was looking at Merle. The girl was good, he had to admit, but he could tell by his brothers expression that this was all news to him. He had left with the kids. He wasn't sure why Sophia was lying. And Merle's arm was still around her protectively. Daryl wasn't sure if he liked that or not.
"Sophia, that can wait. We need to introduce our new friend here to the rest of'em." Merle said quietly.
"What?" Rick asked. "You brought someone else to the farm?" He sounded like he was about to choke.
Merle let go of Sophia and gave her a push towards Carol and then opened the door to the truck.
Sitting there in the passenger seat was a kid who looked to be about the same age as Sophia he looked scared to death and sweat was glistening off his dark skin. The first person to react was Rick. He rushed to the truck and yanked the door open wider. The kid's eyes lit up in recognition and he scooted across the seat and hugged him.
"Rick? Is that really you?" The kid asked.
"Duane?" Ricks eyes were wide and he set the kid down on the ground and gripped his shoulders. "Where's Morgan?" Rick asked as he studied the boys face carefully.
That name rang a bell. Daryl had heard Rick mention it before and then he got it. Rick had woken up in the hospital after the outbreak. A man named Morgan found him and kept him alive. This was the man's son that Rick had mentioned. But where the hell was the kids dad? He didn't have to wonder for long.
The boy's face crumpled then. "I think they got him." He cried.
Rick gripped his shoulders. "Walkers? Duane, did Walkers get your dad?"
Duane shook his head, a sob escaping his throat. "The men. They tried to take our stuff and daddy tried to stop them and then he told me to run so I ran. When I finally went back he was gone. I looked for him for a while but I never found him."
Daryl glanced over when T-dog nudged his arm. "That camp." He whispered. "You know how close them kids came to that camp? It's gotta be the same men, man. It has to be."
Daryl nodded. He didn't believe in coincidences. He felt sick to his core knowing how close Sophia had been to that group. He refused to let himself think about the things they would have done to her. He walked right up to her and grabbed her hand. "Come on." he growled.
Carol was about to follow him but he held up a hand. "Just wait. I got this." He said and he was surprised to see her nodding. But she trusted him.
Sophia gripped his hand tightly. "Daryl, that camp." She whispered.
"I know." He said quietly. He led her through the house, skipping him and Carol's room and opting for her room instead. He shut the door a little too loudly.
"Daryl, I..." She began but he held a finger to her lips and then crouched down so he could look her in the eye.
"No more." He said in a low voice. "No more lyin' and no more sneakin' around behind my back."
She took a deep breath and then nodded. He dropped his hand and stared her in the eye. "What are the three of you up too? And don't lie to me."
Her eyes were huge as she stared at him. "I needed to learn to use a gun." She whispered.
That actually stung a little. If she wanted something like that then she should have came to him. But she hadn't. She had ran straight to Merle's dumb ass. "I was gonna teach you how to shoot Sophia. Why would you run off and ask Merle and then lie right to my face." he didn't sound angry, he knew that if he let any anger show then she would get scared and he didn't want her scared of him.
Something in his tone must have scared her anyway because a tear slid down her cheek. He wiped it away with the pad of his thumb. "I knew you would but I had to ask Merle."
"Why?"
She sighed and then wiped another tear away angrily. "Because Carl stole both of us a gun from his dad and I knew you would make us give them back. I knew Merle wouldn't have cared if they were stolen. I need a gun. It was the only way for me to have one."
He held out his hand. "Give me the gun." He said in a gruff voice.
She reached behind her and removed it from her waistband, handing it to him with a pained expression. "I really need a..."
He reached up and covered her mouth again, silencing her. He smiled slightly as he turned it over in his hand. He reached for his own gun that was nestled in the small of his back. He held it in his other hand. They were the same type of gun, his was just older, seen more wear, and held a lot of sentimental value.
"Merle gave me this when I was sixteen." He looked up. "I've kept it close ever since. Merle, came home one night after bein' gone for a while and my 'ol man was on somethin'. I ain't too sure what. He got real mean. He was one mean son of a bitch anyway but that night was real bad. When Merle came in I think I was about half dead. Merle pulled him off me and just went crazy on him. Almost beat him to death and then he reached behind and he pulled out this gun. Merle shot him in the head. And I watched him do it."
Sophia listened to him talk and new tears formed in her eyes. She let them fall.
"Here." He held out the gun and she took it from him with trembling hands as he tucked hers back in his waistband. "That one's yours so now. I got the stolen one. Well, actually I think Merle had stolen that one but it wasn't from a cop."
She tried to smile but it didn't work. "I'm sorry I lied to you."
He nodded. "Me too."
"You aren't going to tell my mom?" She asked.
He shook his head. "Not everything. I'll tell her I gave you a gun." He shrugged. "The way I see it, you didn't do anything. That damn boy did."
"Daryl, do you think the men that boy was talking about are the same men from that camp we saw?"
He nodded. "I think it's them. And that means they're close. I'd like to get the hell outta here quicker than in the mornin'."
"I told Carl that they were probably bad guys." She shook her head.
Daryl grinned. "Yeah, and I told T-dog that you was the smart one that got your ass away from that camp." His face grew serious once more. "You keep that on you. You sure Merle showed you how to use it?"
She nodded. "He even said I was good."
Daryl went to stand but she grabbed the tops of his shoulders and kept him in a crouch. She looked him in the eye and leaned her face closer to his. "I'm really sorry for lying to you. It wont happen again, okay. You can trust me."
He nodded.
"And thanks. For the gun. You don't have to do all the things that you do for me. I know that. Not many men would. Ed never did."
"I don't do much, kid." He said.
"You're the closest thing to a dad I've ever had. That's kind of a lot." Her face looked surprised for a second and then fearful. "oh no!" She squeaked. "I said fuck in front of my mom!"
Daryl shook his head and laughed. "You said fuck in front of everybody."
"Oh, my god."
"Want me to talk to her before she gets a hold of ya?" He asked.
She nodded and then they both looked up when the door burst open and Merle stormed in, slamming it behind him.
"What the fuck did you go and do that for?" He raged. "You lyin' little shit! You know what them sentimental retards were out there doin' because of you? I got officer friendly's goddamn wife tryina' hug all over me and then the rest of'em tryina act like I'm some reformed fuck! You go out there and you tell them the goddamn truth. I kidnapped ya both, threatened to kill the boy, and then I taught ya'll how to shoot stolen guns. I'm Merle mother fuckin' Dixon and by God I wont stand for one more person huggin' on me. I don't do hugs." He turned around and kicked at the door.
Sophia's eyes were wide once again but then she had to cover her mouth to hide a fit of laughter. She didn't hide it well.
"Ya think it's funny?" Merle fumed. "How bout I tell Mr. Mom over there that you was makin' out with Rick junior in the truck."
Daryl gaped, all humor gone from him in a rush. "Sophia!" He roared.
She looked back at him, red faced. "He's a damn liar! Merle you tell him the truth, right now."
"Nope. That's what ya snuck off to do." He crossed his arms. "I'll tell the whole group."
Sophia glanced at Daryl again and he could tell by the look on her face that she was the one telling the truth.
"Merle, leave her alone." Daryl said as he stood up from the floor. "Them people likin' you ain't a bad thing."
Merle glared at him. "Maybe not for you but I hate every fuckin' one of'em. Well, cept for maybe Carol. The rest of'em can go straight to hell."
"You know, Maggie was talkin' about ya a lot earlier." Daryl said calmly. "I bet she'd be impressed by you goin' out on your own to save a couple kids."
Merle paused. And glanced between the two of them. "Ya'll think so?"
Sophia and Daryl both gave him a nod. He glared at them both for a second and then seemed to calm himself down a bit. Daryl knew that the thought of getting laid always calmed Merle down.
"Alright then. But ya'll gotta tell'em to stay the hell away from me." He said, visibly more calm now.
"Will do Merle." Sophia said happily.