Brazen Hussy - (I kinda ship them too...)
skittletitz - Ehehe, your review made me giggle. Ah, boo hags are terrifying, aren't they? I read about them as a child and it has scarred me ever since. The thing that was super creepy was sometimes my pet cat would perch on my chest in my sleep and I'd wake scared witless thinking it was a boo hag on me.
Surplus Imagination - I accept your dare...soon...
crystal2817 - I swear you give me one worded reviews to trip me up...don'tcha? Don'tcha? ^_^ Anyways, thanks for the review.
Axelrocks - I love the old 'lookit that' trick. ^_^ Best way to get out of a tense situation.
Lilone1776 - I wonder if anyone's noticed that despite being a soldier the Lt tends to try and solve things peacefully before resorting to threatening to cut people's heads off...? Also unrelated to your review, but on the same topic, I wonder if anyone's noticed the symbolism behind the nuns' names yet...?
carylfan - Love that Daryl knows the Lt well enough to get him chatting away about some story of his to distract him from the game of twenty questions. ^_^
GG - Wow, I'm sure Fay would be flattered by your offer. LOL! Yeah, Daryl's got a time on his hands coming up...Merle just can't be civil with others.
AFishNamedSushi - Ah, that episode, right?! I mean, good God! Well, anways I hope these updates can soothe us fans...
Who's got two thumbs and an AU story? This kid! Aw-yeah! Anyways, I hope that doesn't ruin your reading experience...
Chapter Twenty-Six: Ciel
**Daryl**
The Eastern skies beyond the trees was beginning to shift from deep indigo blue into a soft pastel purple, the colour of wild crocus', promising a sweet, kind sunrise.
Leaning against the wall by the window, the hunter-gatherer eyed the still world, enjoying the peace he finally managed to find after a night of getting between Merle and Michonne.
Behind him Andrea was awake, chatting softly with the Cajun who seemed intent on asking a million questions about the group, about Rick, about what happened in Atlanta and all things in between.
Andrea didn't seem to mind, though Daryl had the distinct feeling she was looking to make more than just a friend out of the soldier.
For the first time in days Daryl had nothing better to do than just sit and wait.
What the hell did he do before all this? Between hauling Merle out of the clink and scratching to survive in a world that didn't like the looks of him enough to give him honest work, he had nothing before all this. Nothing but sit on his ass at home repairing engines to vehicles he was sure Merle stole, enough to resell them for some money.
Now, it seemed like he'd never get used to just sitting around anymore.
Bouncing his leg to release some of the energy that was piling up inside his muscles, the youngest Dixon idly chewed his thumbnail and waited, watching the sky change from pastel purple to pink, then deepening into orange and red and finally returning to pastels purple again as the sky lightened to a bluer hue.
Someone pulled up a seat on the arm of an overstuffed chair beside him and Daryl glanced over, expecting the Cajun, but finding Merle eyeing the same sunrise quietly.
"Okay, baby brother," Merle began quietly, keeping their conversation between them. "Out with it. You've been acting like there's a shard of glass in your panties poking your cooch since we got back from Woodbury."
Daryl glowered at the world outside.
"What? You pissed because I left your ass in Atlanta?"
"Why can't you ever just shut up and try to get along with people?" Daryl snapped. "It'd make my life so much easier."
"Aw, honeycakes," Merle taunted. "Is life riding your ass? Hm? Want me to find a violin to play for you?"
Daryl honestly had no idea why he ever tried to communicate with his brother. The dumb ass just couldn't for once in his life even pretend to give a good goddamned about anyone.
"Look, life is hard, baby bro. You and I know this better than anyone," Merle began. "Which is why you and I need to have each other's backs. We're blood, we're stronger together."
"We'd be a lot more stronger if you stopped trying to pick fights with everyone. Make some allies, Merle. Fuck." Daryl spat.
"I did make allies," Merle stated calmly. "Left them behind in Woodbury to save your scrawny ass."
Daryl glanced over at his older brother.
"That was my group," Merle said. "I left them behind for you. That's what brothers do."
Wincing, Daryl turned back to the sunrise.
"I'm not asking you to leave them, baby bro. God knows I care for your dumb ass enough not to ask you to make that decision, I just want to know you have my back."
"Always," Daryl stated.
"Good, because that head nun asked me to stay at the convent when all this is over with. I've been thinking it'd be nice, close to you at the prison, far enough away that Officer Friendly and I won't be crossing paths often."
Daryl smiled a little. "You at a convent?"
"Hell yeah, teach them women what they don't know how, Dixon style." Merle replied with a broad grin.
"I'm going to have to warn that Cajun," Daryl teased.
"Naw, let him find out the hard way."
The two Dixon brothers fell silent.
"That woman of yours is a feisty little thing, isn't she?"
"What woman?" Daryl snarled.
"You can fool a lot of people, Darlina, but you can't ever fool old Merle." His brother growled. "You should be thankful, she's half the reason I decided not to nag you about coming with me."
"I thought I told you not to talk to her," Daryl stated.
Merle laughed. "Since when have I ever listened to you, little brother?"
"Yeah, well, you may be older, but you're not any wiser, old man."
..-~-..
..-~-..
It was about noon when a handful of walkers staggered into the clearing. Daryl watched them quietly for a moment with the Lieutenant at his side.
"What do you want to do about them?" The Cajun asked after they watched the dumb bastards stagger around on the trail for a bit.
Daryl squinted at them. "Well, I don't want them out there when Rick and Maggie get back, best clear them out. Think it's been long enough, only a few of them." Turning away from the window, Daryl scooped up his crossbow. "Merle you're with us," he commanded. "You stay with Andrea," he motioned to Michonne.
"Why? Because it's women's work?" She demanded. "Want me to have a nice little meal laid out for you when you get back too?"
Daryl eyed the woman for a moment, before deciding to just ignore her attitude. He wasn't like Merle, he didn't rise to unnecessary challenges.
Behind him Merle scoffed at the woman and followed his baby brother out the back way.
Only the Lieutenant lingered long enough to offer a soft spoken explanation.
Waiting in the back mudroom, Daryl eyed the empty space behind the cabin.
The walkers were around front, but he preferred to get a drop on them around a corner then face on.
As all three men gathered in the mudroom, Daryl nodded and opened the door, springing into the world beyond with his crossbow aimed, ready to fire.
..-~-..
..-~-..
It took them about fifteen minutes to clear the walkers, working with melee weapons mostly to keep silent.
Dragging the corpses into a pile in the woods, the three men took a moment, eyeing the trees around them.
"You know," Merle began with a grin. "Think when we finish here, I might retire in Florida."
The Cajun chuckled. "I heard Tallahassee's nice."
"Hell, head on over to Cali and live in one of them big ol' mansions."
"After you clear uggies out, I'm sure they'd be just darling."
Eyeing the two, Daryl snorted. "You ladies done wishing and praying? We gotta get back."
"Uggies?" Merle asked on their way back up the trail. "That what you coonasses call 'em back on the bayou?"
"Naw, it's what we in the Marine corps affectionately called them. The higher up's called them 'infected', like they were just sick or something."
"We're all infected," Daryl spat.
"What do you mean?" The Cajun asked.
Turning on the soldier, Daryl eyed him quietly. "I mean we have it in us. When we die, we become them. Didn't they tell you that?"
It kind of felt odd being in Rick's position, telling someone who was miserable enough to begin with that they were just a heartbeat away from being a mindless, drooling monster, but watching the Cajun's face as he worked this information out actually hurt a little. The poor bastard had no idea just what kind of world they were in now.
"Okay," the man replied softly. "So we're infected. Don't mean we just become one, right? We have to die?"
"As far as I know."
The Lieutenant nodded, face a myriad of conflicting emotions. "Alright."
They continued walking, heading for the cabin.
"Daryl," the man said as they reached the back door, stopping him before he could follow Merle inside. "Something happens to me, you'll be the one to put me down, right?"
Eyeing the Cajun, Daryl decided he didn't want to be the man to do it, but he also knew he wouldn't want anyone else to either.
"Yeah," he said, "just try not to let anything happen to you. I don't want dumb assed Cajun brain juice all over my boots."
"Grey matter, couyon," the man shot back. "And I suppose this means I'll have to cancel my Russian roulette tournament down at the VFW, but for you I'll put it on hold."
"Much obliged," Daryl replied, pushing into the cabin.
..-~-..
..-~-..
He was sitting beside Andrea later that afternoon, watching the Cajun as he sat propped up in the corner, eyes closed, mouth open slightly.
"Creepy as hell," Daryl muttered. "The man doesn't make a damned sound when he sleeps."
Andrea laughed softly. "He's kind of odd, isn't he?"
"He's kind of fucking nuts. You know he names his weapons?"
"What?"
"Yeah, sure enough," Daryl handed her Salt. "Here, got his knife."
The blonde looked the weapon over with a broad grin. "Why Salt?"
"Long story, don't ask him because God knows he'll tell you in great detail," Daryl stated.
She passed the knife back gingerly. "What is his group like?"
"Good people, nuns, a priest and little girl."
"So they're not a threat?"
"They're not looking to take what we have, if that's what you mean. They ain't like the Governor."
Looking towards Michonne who was haunting a corner of the kitchen, sneering in the general direction of the bedroom where Merle disappeared to rest, Andrea sighed. "I'm sorry about this whole mess." She said. "We were wandering and they took us in—"
"It's okay." Daryl stated. "I wanted to go back for you on the farm, but…Rick said it was too dangerous."
"Rick was right. I did okay on my own for a bit, anyways."
They fell silent.
"Rick wants to go back to Woodbury, wants to wipe them out."
"It's them or us, I suppose." Daryl said.
"I wish it didn't have to be this way," she said. "Most of them are decent people."
"Yeah, well, they weren't so decent when they were shouting for my blood in that areana. Besides, they're being led by a real asshole."
"When the rich wage war, it's the poor who die," the Cajun spoke up suddenly, his usually smooth, fluid drawl husky with sleep.
Daryl eyed him, still sitting quietly, eyes closed, mouth pulled into his cat-like, smug smirk. "How long have you been awake?"
"Long enough to know you still have my knife, Texian."
"Yeah, well I like it, so you ain't getting it back."
"That's fine, you keep a hold on it and I'll just tell everyone you keep it because you want a little part of me with you at all times because it makes you feel safe."
"Whatever," Daryl stated, "it's still a nice knife."
"Army issued," the Cajun said, pushing to his feet with the snap and pop of his joints. "Civvies can't find none to equal her on the open market."
All conversation died at the sound of tires crunching over gravel outside the front door and Daryl stood up, moving to the window to peer out.
A blue Dodge pulled up in front of the cabin, Rick and Maggie inside.
Immediately he tensed and searched out the cabin with his eyes for Merle, trying to locate his brother. Best to interfere with having Rick see Merle first and shooting.
Thankfully his brother was still in the bedroom, snoring lightly and the Cajun was moving towards the room, nodding to Daryl on his way through the door.
From her corner Michonne glowered at the door, eyes spitting fire.
Quickly, Daryl dashed outside, approaching the truck.
"Need help with that?" He asked Maggie as she unloaded a heavy canvas bag.
The woman spun on him with wide eyes, Rick stepping out from around the truck quickly.
The two eyed him like he was some kind of alien species that landed before the truck in a blue and pink spaceship.
Rick looked rough, but he had looked rougher than usual lately, still his blue eyes flickered over Daryl, before he took a step forward.
Daryl couldn't help but give them both a wicked look, proud that he caught them unaware.
"Daryl? How the hell…?" Maggie began.
Taking the bag from her, he shrugged. "Doesn't matter."
Surprised by a tackle hug from Rick, Daryl tensed, but with his hands full of bag, he couldn't do much about the greeting.
Nodding at the man as he released him, Daryl hesitated.
"Good to see you two made it out," he said simply.
Rick eyed him with that wounded puppy look he got. "The group…"
"They're fine. I think we only lost two…Axel and some guy, Ben, from another group that was with Carl."
"My dad? Beth? Glenn?" Maggie demanded, eyes lighting up.
"They're fine. They're all fine. I stashed everyone somewhere safe." Daryl moved between Maggie and the door nervously. "Before you go inside, I need to have a word."
The two narrowed their eyes at him.
"Merle's in there," Daryl said, deciding it was best to just rip the bandage off quickly.
"Merle?" Maggie was the one to fly off the handle. "The man who beat Glenn to a pulp?"
"Yeah, my brother. Merle."
"And you just led him to where we are?" She asked.
"He fell into the wrong group," Daryl growled. "Can't blame him after what happened in Atlanta. Nobody's safe out here without someone to have your back. But he's my brother."
A muscle twitched in Rick's jaw, but he said nothing.
"Rick?" Maggie urged, encouraging their leader to do something without using so many words.
Placing a hand on Daryl's shoulder, Rick maneuvered him away from Maggie, towards the front of the truck.
Eyeing their surroundings for a moment, looking for threats before giving his full attention to Daryl, Rick sighed. "You swear to me your brother won't be any trouble and I'll believe you."
"Well, he's still an asshole," Daryl replied. "But he won't hurt anyone."
"And how'd Glenn react to seeing him?" Rick demanded.
"About as you'd expect."
Nodding, the taller man shifted on his feet. "You keep your brother out of my face for now," he stated. "We'll deal with the problem once we get everyone back together. I just want to get the group back together first, then we'll deal with Merle."
Daryl nodded. "Okay. Rick?" He stopped the man's retreat. "There's something else I should tell you before you head inside."
The Cajun Dialect
Ciel – Sky or heaven.