Some of you are good at guessing. Either that or I am a really predictable writer ;) I'll pretend it's you and not me. I have to clarify something real quick. The kids were just going to practice what Merle had shown them before, like the basics =) So no worries about them getting into trouble... yet. And that isn't a spoiler, that's just how they are in this story. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Another filler but it's at least pretty humorous. I have to get you relaxed before I make the shit hit the fan. Thank you for all the reviews! Have a great morning!
Chapter Fifty Nine
Carol slid off the workbench and straightened out the skirt that she had found tucked into the bottom of on of her bags. She had forgotten about it since she had found it the day that Sophia and Carl had went missing. She was extra glad she had discovered it.
As soon as he had himself buttoned back up he had her pressed against the bench again, kissing her roughly, hands sliding her tank top up. She laughed against his lips. She wondered briefly if it would always be like this or if they would simmer down after the newness wore off. It was hard to believe this was that same brooding, fit throwing, scowling redneck from the quarry. Sure, he was still all of those things but he was much much more than all of that.
"What the hell you smilin' about?" He asked against her cheek.
"You." She said and then pulled his mouth back to hers.
Another rumble of thunder had them pulling apart and looking up. Instantly they heard the rush of rain, a lot of rain, on the barns tin roof. "Son of a bitch." He grumbled.
He kissed her again and then took her hand, leading her out of the room. They both stopped and pressed themselves against the wall when they saw Merle and Maggie. From the looks of it they hadn't even noticed the rain at all.
Merle had Maggie pressed up against the barn wall, her legs wrapped securely around his waist, her arms around his neck. They actually didn't make as strange a pair as one would think. Merle was all dark and intimidating in his heavy black biker boots, black jeans, sleeveless black t-shirt and that worn black leather vest, muscles flexed, he looked like a man that had just been released from prison. Maggie was so different. Soft and kind as far as Carol could tell. Everything about her was so much lighter. She didn't know the girl well but she knew that this was the strangest couple she'd ever seen but at the same time they seemed to fit.
Carol glanced at Daryl who was scowling at the pair. She elbowed him and he glanced down at her.
"I swear, he's gonna get our asses kicked off this farm. She's just a girl." He looked disgusted.
Carol rolled her eyes. "She's old enough to know what she's doing."
Daryl looked confused for a second. "Merle never kisses women." He whispered. "It's like some kinda fucked up Merle rule."
Carol cocked an eyebrow. "Looks like Merle even likes to break his own rules."
Daryl scowled again. "Good form, Merle. Try not to cause her to get any splinters, though. Hershel would get suspicious if he had to pull'em outta her ass."
Merle instantly stepped away from the wall and Maggie quickly untangled herself from around him. Daryl made another strange face.
"Hey, little brother. Didn't hear ya." Merle said as he glanced around to see if anyone else was around.
Daryl squinted at him. Was Merle acting nervous? Surely not. This was Merle they were talking about and Merle didn't get nervous about anything.
"Hi, Carol." Maggie waved from her spot at Merle's side.
"Hi, Maggie." Carol grinned.
Daryl just kept staring at his brother. Merle was looking at a spot behind Daryl's head, not at Daryl himself and then when Daryl looked down Merle was actually holding the girls hand. Merle didn't usually kiss women as a general Merle rule but every now and then he would. But this was his brother and Daryl knew his brother. Merle would rather get shot in the ass than stand there and hold someone's hand.
"What the fucks goin' on here?" Daryl asked as he eyed Merle suspiciously.
"The fuck does it look like, dumbass?" Merle grumbled and then he dropped Maggie's hand, just realizing he was holding it.
"Let's go." Carol said as she took his own hand and pulled him away.
"See ya later, Daryl." Maggie grinned at him.
They both hesitated in the doorway. The rain was coming down in sheets. There was no way they would make it to the house without getting drenched so they nodded and took off at a dead sprint. By the time they reached the porch they looked as though they had just been swimming. They wrung out their clothes as best they could and then went into the house and leaving a trail all the way to their room.
"Somethin' weird is goin' on with Merle." Daryl muttered as he stripped off his sodden shirt.
Carol just shrugged her slender shoulders and smiled. "Yeah, I saw that."
"No, not just that. He ain't actin' himself. Merle's been the same ever since we were kids. He's different somehow."
"Daryl, he's been changing. You see how he is with Sophia. He's been keeping his mouth shut when you know all he wants to do is cuss everyone out and probably murder half the people in this group. He's changing. You've changed."
As soon as they got redressed someone knocked softly on the door.
"You know it ain't Merle." Daryl grumbled as he pulled the door open. Rick was standing there, a sheepish look on his face. His clothes were dry but his hair was a little damp. He must have gotten caught in the downpour too.
"Have you guys seen the kids?" He asked. "Andrea said one minute they were in the kitchen and the next minute they were gone. With them you just never know."
Daryl took the stairs to go check Beth's room while Rick and Carol made their way to the room Sophia shared with Merle.
~H~
"You're a quick learner." Sophia said as she watched Duane. And it was true. She was impressed.
"Too bad I still don't know how to shoot it." He muttered.
"That's the easy part." Carl grinned. "You aim. You shoot."
Sophia nodded solemnly. "That's right. Merle says the most important thing is becoming familiar with your piece."
Carl joined in. "He said a gun is like a woman. If you show it enough attention it'll end up doing all the work for you. Whatever that means."
Carl had just put his gun back in the back of his pants when the door opened. Duane quickly tucked his away as well but Sophia's was still taken apart on the floor.
"What the hell?" Rick stopped in his tracks and looked down. Carol collided with his back.
"Hi Rick." Sophia beamed.
"What's going on here?" Rick asked, clearly stunned as Sophia quickly put the pieces back together, slammed in the clip, pushed down the safety and tucked the gun into the back where it belonged.
"Just showing the boys how to properly clean a gun." She said with a shrug.
Rick shot a look to Carol who was now standing next to him. Carol just smiled. "Daryl and Merle." She shrugged.
"But they're just kids. He lets her carry a gun on her?"
Sophia nodded. "And the world isn't what it used to be Rick. Maybe you should take Daryl's lead. Duane and Carl should be able to protect themselves too. I shouldn't have to be the one to save them if we ever find ourselves in a bind." She gave him her sweetest smile.
From the corner of her eye she saw the look on her moms face. Her mom knew very well that Carl had his own gun. And she could tell that her mom knew she was engaging in a little manipulation. But she didn't have a choice. If they didn't have secrets to begin with then they could stop sneaking around. Daryl came in then.
She watched as Rick faced the other man, a questioning look on his face. "You let her carry a gun?"
Daryl nodded. "Girl needs to be able to protect herself." His eyes met hers and he winked. "You ready to eat?"
She looked at him gratefully and then took his hand. He yanked her up off the floor and then looked back at Rick. "Man, the world ain't what it was. Might wanna think about lettin' these boys carry their own." He put his hands on Sophia's shoulders and gave them a light squeeze. "I don't think it's right that she'd be the one to have to save their asses if they found themselves in another bind."
Rick and Carol shared a look. Daryl didn't know that Sophia had pretty much said exactly the same thing to Rick a moment before. She felt proud of herself and she didn't even know why.
Rick nodded. "You two are right. Tomorrow you boys can learn the basics. Then we'll practice shooting."
Sophia shook her head. "I just showed them the basics Rick. Go straight to the shooting part."
~H~
Daryl was glad to see that this wasn't going to be another one of those awkward dinners where everyone sat together and tried to pretend that they weren't the oddest group of people probably left in the world. Him and Sophia opted for the couch. They ate in silence for while and then Sophia finally broke it.
"You gonna be in the barn with T-dog tonight?" She asked, a little too casually.
He nodded.
"You think maybe I can come too?"
He didn't even have to think about it. "No." He said firmly.
"Because?" She eyed him.
He gazed at her for a few minutes. "Because I said so." He hid a smile and watched her face grow outraged. He was ready for her to fight him on the issue but she finally regained her composure and then nodded. This caused him to frown.
"What?" She asked when she glanced up at him.
"You're just gonna let me get away with that?" he asked as he studied her face carefully.
She shrugged. "You said no more fits. I guess I'll leave the fit throwing to you and Merle."
He narrowed his eyes. He didn't believe for a second that she was going to let it go but as they ate in silence he had to change his mind. She was taking it all in stride. He was proud of her.
"But just so you know, I never expected you, the man that you are, to used the phrase, 'because I said so.'" She rolled her eyes and stood up and took his own empty plate.
"You know why I don't want you out there. It ain't safe." He grumbled.
"No one is safe anymore, Daryl." She said quietly and then turned on her heal.
He watched her walk away. The nonchalant way she had uttered those last words had his stomach swirling painfully. It was much too close to the way he had felt when he had been young. Never safe. And he had accepted that with the same stoic attitude that she was. Like that was just the way things were. He didn't want that for her. But he didn't know what to do about it. Not in this world.
What would it have been like if the world had never ended and he had met them under less dire circumstances? He shook his head. That would have never happened. He found himself thankful every day that the world had gone to shit. But then again he didn't want her to think that way. She needed to know that he would do anything in the world to keep her safe. Hell, Merle would do anything to keep her safe. And that was something
When she came back through she gave him a smile and was about to head off to her room but he motioned for her to come back to the couch. He wasn't sure what he was gonna say to her but he had to say something. He couldn't let go of what she had said to him.
"What?" She asked as she sat down on the couch next to him and leaned her head against his arm, tucking her legs under her.
In a great show of how far he had come about sharing his space he lifted his arm and draped it over her shoulders until her head was on his chest and she was tucked into his side."What'd ya mean by that?" he asked as he gazed down at the top of head. He felt her shrug.
"That's just how it is." She said simply.
He sighed. "I wish it wasn't. You know Merle and me, we wouldn't let shit happen to ya, right?"
She nodded. "You can't be with me all the time. You gave me a gun. I know how to use it. The boys know how to use theirs and we are always together. You have to stop worrying about everything so much. You and Merle both have broad shoulders, Daryl, but you can't carry the world on them." She picked up his hand and studied his busted knuckles.
"How the fuck did you get so goddamn smart?" he asked. Sometimes he couldn't believe how smart this kid was.
She shrugged. "I get most of it from mom. Ed was a moron. I think I might have picked the rest of it up from some bossy, overprotective redneck and his foul mouthed, antisocial brother."
He laughed. "Least I get a little credit."
She lifted her head off his chest and looked up at him with a grin. "Yeah, a little."
He let his face grow serious once more and her smile dropped. He leaned down until his forehead was pressed against hers. "I don't know if I've ever told you this, but I want you to know somethin', okay?"
"Okay." She said quietly.
The arm he had draped over her tightened. He kept his face dead serious. "Sophia, you're a total asshole."
She pulled her head back quickly, gave him a quick disbelieving look and then shoved his forehead back with the heel of her hand before she cracked up laughing. "Really, Daryl?"
He grinned at her and nodded.
"Well, that is something I give you full credit for." She hopped up off the couch, still chuckling and shaking her head.
"Where you goin'?" He asked as she headed towards the stairs.
"To practice." She threw over her shoulder with a smirk.
"Practice what?" He frowned.
"Kissing Carl Grimes." She laughed and then dodged the pillow he threw at her.
He shook his head and then leaned back into the cushion. He looked up once more when he heard someone laughing. He grinned as he spotted Carol leaning against the door frame.
"What?" he asked.
She came into the room and picked up the pillow that he had thrown and then sat down next to him, curling up against his side just like Sophia had done. "That was about the cutest thing I've ever seen."
He could tell she was grinning.
"I ain't cute." he laughed.
"No, you're not. You're just flat out sexy. But the two of you are cute." She laughed and he could feel the heat from her breath seeping into his shirt.
He wanted her again and she must have felt it when his heart started pounding harder in his chest. How could he even be thinking about that right now with all the other things he had to worry. Securing the farm, the ever present threat of Walkers, men in the woods that could show up at any time. Not to mention that he had already done the very thing he wanted to do, not an hour and half ago in the barn. There really was something wrong with him.
"Merle and Maggie did a pretty good job of acting normal this evening." She said as she pulled her face away from his chest and looked up at him.
"If you're tryin' to turn me off, it's workin'. He grumbled as he removed his hand from her shirt.
"It's weird how they just seem to kind of...fit." She mused.
He huffed out a breath. "Somethin' ain't right with Merle."
Carol furrowed her brow. "And you just now figured this out?"
He scowled at her but she was unperturbed. She kissed him and laid her head back on his chest.