Minority page 2
Author's note: This chapter contains corny bonding moments. Be warned!
Merle stayed at the farm over night, much to everyone's chagrin. Everyone except maybe Daryl. They stayed up half the night on watch. Catching up on what's been happening to them and talking just a little too loud. Merle was different when he wasn't coked out. Not very different but different enough to be just slightly less threatening. Everyone seemed to be relieved to wake up the next morning with all their limbs intact. They were even more relieved when Katherine returned with her group.
"What should we work on first?" Rick asked – eyes brimming with hope and optimism. It seemed he liked being around new people, as long as they didn't pose a threat.
"Morning calisthenics." Merle informed him when he over heard the question.
"A work out? Really?" Andrea asked. "The world ended and so did recreational exercise along with it."
"So you've pretty much given up on surviving?" Merle asked.
"That's none of you business whether I want to live or die. I make my own decisions and –
"Before you continue this uppity little rant why don't you tell me when was the last time you ran anywhere?" He interrupted.
"I…Well—"
"When was the last time any of you out ran a walker? How about ten walkers? How about sprinting to the food line without getting winded? Eventually you'll have to out run them when your ammo runs out – and it will."
"What's your point Merle?" Shane asked impatiently.
"My point is, you settle – you get soft. Fat, flabby, and basically just a walking pork chop for the lamebrains. If you stay in shape you're always ready to mobilize should they come bustin' into your little closed off bubble." Merle said. No one wanted to admit he had a point. Andrea considered shooting herself then – not sure if she wanted to live in a world where Merle was right about anything. "So – calisthenics in the morning. Every other morning, with your weapon of choice. Full of ammo and a back up if necessary."
"You wanted our help. It starts with this." Katherine said. Rick shrugged and everyone fell in line.
"Alright ladies, let's show these fart sacks how it's done." Merle barked. The first leg of exercise was three sets of suicide drills. Merle yelled the order at them before joining in himself. "Let's climb the mountain, girls." Daryl tried not to laugh as they all jogged in place. Kicking their knees up high and pumping their arms over their heads. Merle stopped half way through to check and see if everyone was doing it right. "Come on 'curry powder' – get them knee caps high!" he said to Charles. "Touch em' to your tits, Daryl – don't slack off."
"Screw you." Daryl huffed – but he intensified his movements. It had been a while since he had been through one of Merle's workouts and he had to admit he had fallen a bit out of shape. Normally he'd be running circles around his older brother.
"Faster there, 'Peach-puddin'. I want your ass flat as a pancake."
"You'd be so mad at yourself." Peaches huffed.
"No amount of exercise can get rid of that caboose." Robin added. Peaches flipped her off.
"What is this? Y'all got time to 'conversate' here? That must mean you're ready for the run." Merle said.
"Run?" Carol gasped.
"That's right, momma. This is just the warm up. Move out Princess, show em the way." He said as he jogged in place. Robin started the line and led the group around the perimeter of the property. They used the fences as hurtles. Only Merle and Shane cleared each one of the first try. Katherine snagged her foot on one and face planted into the dirt with a girlish scream. And Rick landed on his ass on nearly every jump. Merle noticed some of them started to straggle behind and ran back to motivate them. "Boo! I'm a walker!"
"What?" Glenn asked. He was already irritated by Merle in general. Now he was picking on him.
"I said I'm a walker, boy. You better move your yellow ass before I take a bite out of it!" Merle said. Micsha and Daryl laughed. Merle fell back a little and snagged a stick. He used it to poke Glenn and Carol until they sped up. "I think you ladies are bored. How bout a song."
"Oh god." Daryl sighed. Laughing a little hysterically when his brother began to sing.
"Living easy, loving free." Merle started. "Season ticket on a one-way ride." Robin joined him.
"Asking nothing, leave me be. Taking everything in my stride. Don't need reason. Don't need a right." Peaches started singing too. Daryl figured he might as well seeing how he knew the words. "There ain't nothing I'd rather do." Pretty soon all of 'Merle's girls' and Charles were singing with him as they huffed along. "Going down, party time. My friends are gonna be there too." Much to everyone else shock they all but screamed out the next part. "I'M ON THE HIGHWAY TO HELL!"
"Walking 'happy meals'. The lot of you." Merle said – finally winded after the run and a round of push ups. He looked down at Peaches, Charles, Glenn, Carol and Dale as they laid on the ground and wheezed. "You got potential." He said to Daryl as he leaned against the RV with Andrea, Robin and Rick. "My little shining stars as always." He smiled at Mischa, Shane and Katherine – the only ones standing up right. They were gasping for air but they had no trouble supporting themselves, weapons still in hand. He glanced at the porch where Hershel's 'children' had gathered to watch them. He knew Hershel was a lost cause – already wobbling on a cane just to get out on the porch. There was a blond woman who he had no hope for either, standing close to Hershel. The two younger girls and the boy would probably be of use but something told him Hershel wouldn't allow it. Lori hadn't participated for whatever reason – he didn't really care.
After the workout there wasn't really anything to do so Katherine and Charles went with Rick to comb over the property and find weak points. Maggie tagged along to be Hershel's eyes and ears. Merle hung back with Peaches when Daryl and Robin went out on a quick hunt. The rest just stayed around the farm doing chores. Around dusk Daryl and Robin came back with a few rabbits, and lucky enough some ducks that had stopped to bob around in a nearby lake. They were handed over to Mischa and Carol for preparation. Lori was a little miffed that she now folding laundry alone but Merle assured her she was doing what she was best at. She just shot him a glare as he gave her that wide, toothy grin of his. She really didn't miss having him around.
"Can I talk to you a minute?" Daryl snagged Peaches' arm on her way to a well. She just nodded and Daryl looked at Merle. "I'll walk her out to the well." Merle just shrugged and went back to the fire pit. He was making it deeper so they could cook all the food at once. He glanced up at Daryl's back as he walked with Peaches and frowned for a second.
"What's up?" Peaches asked. Daryl noticed a dopey smile cross her face and lifted an eyebrow.
"What's with the smile?"
"I just realized I haven't had a chance to meet and talk to my 'brother in law'." She used air quotes when she said brother in law. He already knew her marriage to Merle wasn't anything official. Where they were from, a 'marriage' consisted of a man and woman shacking up and promising to not diddle anyone else - unless a shotgun was involved. Merle and Peaches' 'wedding' probably consisted of them making said promise and then splitting a Twinkie. When he got a closer look he saw Merle's dog tags hanging around her neck - half hidden between her breasts.
"Damn, you two are serious about this shit, aren't you?" he asked.
"You sound surprised."
"I am." Daryl admitted. "Not really at him, at you mostly. Never met a woman who can put up with him for more than one night. Plus you don't seem like each others type."
"Well as far as I know all the black football players in the world are dead now so my options ain't exactly vast. Plus it used to be my job to deal with guys like Merle."
"You work at the DMV?" he asked. She laughed.
"No. I was a counselor at a VFW."
"Oh." He said. "So that's why the racial shit don't bother you?"
"They're only words. That and I lived in North Carolina. Merle just says things like that because he's ignorant and scared of what's different from him – he just says it out loud instead of thinking it like everyone else. What little stability he had was ripped from under his feet and to keep from seeming weak he lashes out at others." She said. "Actually, I've seen way worse cases than your brother. Guys on ten times more drugs. Some that couldn't stop having flash backs. Others unwilling to reallocate – retreating into the mountains to play 'soldier' forever by themselves." Daryl thought that last bit sounded familiar.
"So he makes you feel useful? Needed?" he asked.
"Sometimes." She shrugged. "Other times he makes me feel like killing him." Daryl chuckled.
"Yeah, y'all are in love. He said the same thing about you."
"That's my Merle." Peaches chuckled as she put the bucket down under the well pipe. She pumped it a few times and Daryl couldn't help but watch her tits bounce. It was habit but he knew it wasn't what he wanted anymore. He shifted back and forth and looked over his shoulder towards camp.
"You think he'd be so accepting if…well you think he'd accept me if I came back with a…um." He stammered – it didn't help that she was staring at him now. It was already hard enough to think about - let alone say out loud what he had been doing.
"Let me guess. This is about the young guy. What's his name – Glenn?" She said before she started pumping again. He looked at her sharply but didn't confirm or deny anything. "Are you two just screwing around or are you shacking up too?"
"How in the hell did you—
"Women's intuition." She interrupted. "Plus I saw you grab his ass before we left. His smile stretched for a mile."
"…" Daryl was actually speechless. He thought he had been so careful to make sure nobody had seen them. This woman had only been there a day and she already knew bout him and Glenn.
"Well Daryl given your acceptance of me, I think Merle might be more willing to think about accepting your boyfriend."
"Jesus, don't call him that." He pleaded through grit teeth. "You really think he'd be okay with it?"
"No. Definitely not okay." she answered truthfully. "He's gonna be pissed. And I mean pissed that his brother is a – and I quote: 'A fart fucking, nut gargling, fag'." Daryl couldn't help but smile – that did sound like what Merle would say. "In fact I wouldn't tell him for a while. I'm not condoning hiding your relationship but Merle has been through a lot lately – this might send him into a fit." She said.
"A fit? You mean like when he was blitzed?" he asked confused.
"Yeah. It's more like he doesn't know how to deal with what he's feeling and he can't think of anything mean to say so he wigs out and starts punching things. If that does happen, just punch him in the throat." Peaches said like it was no big deal. Daryl chuckled. Merle probably trumped her height by half a foot. He might outweigh her – definitely out muscled her. She had real guts to take on someone who could beat her into a pulp. But for some reason Merle hadn't. In fact he did the opposite and doted on her like she was the Aryan princess he had always talked about wanting. What had she done to Merle to make him change without really changing? He decided he really didn't care to find out – it wasn't his business to question their relationship.
"Either way, just don't tell him or anyone else for now. I wanna be the one to tell him. And if I'm gonna get my nuts squashed might as well be screwing for at least a week first. Right?" Daryl asked.
"Right." She agreed and patted him on the shoulder. She saw the face he made she touched him - like he was trying hard not to flinch away from her touch. He just admitted he was screwing an Asian guy - maybe that was all the diversity he could handle at the moment.
That night they had dinner outside, around the camp fire as a way of thanking and welcoming Katherine's group. She even spotted Hershel for a second before he retreated inside with Patricia. After dinner they all just sat around and told stories and jokes. Peaches pretended to be annoyed when Merle sat down in front of her with his back turned. He fell back, planting his head and shoulders on her bosom and hooked his arms around her thighs.
"Can I help you?" she asked as she shifted a little. Luckily she had been sitting in a very low lounge chair so she wouldn't have to strain her back to support him.
"Rub my head." He demanded. She huffed and he looked up at her with the best puppy dog look he could muster. "Please." He added with a wide smile. Peaches just sighed and started running her fingers over his scalp.
"Ain't fair using those big blue eyes on me like that." She mumbled. He just settled against her with a self-satisfied grin spread across his face.
"You know, when I meet you I can honestly say I never thought you'd end up with someone like Peaches." Shane admitted. "She's so sweet and you're... such a douche."
"You making eyes at my woman?" Merle asked jokingly. Shane just snorted as if he were trying not laugh. If screwing Rick's wife wasn't a death sentence then messing with Merle's definitely would be.
"They're both crazy so it works out. But you have to admit they're cute together." Katherine said.
"Yeah, they are like one of them pug dogs that are so ugly they're cute." Daryl added. Peaches threw a stick at him and Merle gave him the finger.
"Watch what you say about my woman, boy. She's what I'm living for." Merle said. His admission started a rather serious discussion. They started talking about what they wanted out of life now – what they were living for, if anything. And what they hoped to do again. A lot of Katherine's group said they were fighting for the safety of others – that they were needed. Peaches went first by admitting that Merle was in fact her reason for living too. Getting an odd mix of 'Aww's and 'Eww's when she kissed the top of his head. She added that she was also living to be able to eat a chicken fried steak again.
"Because I can." Dale said. "Living is a bit of a luxury now. I want to sit in it's lap for as long as I can. This may not be an ideal life but it's the only one I got – God willing I don't come back as one of those things."
Lori's answer was predictable – her family. Robin wondered if she would suddenly keel over when the day came that Carl didn't need her anymore – but she kept the thought to herself. Rick's answer was the same. Carl forsook them both and admitted he was living for the chance to play video games again. They all laughed. Glenn in particular agreed with him as well as spun off a laundry list of other frivolous things he wanted to do again.
"Microwave bacon. Wake up late on Sundays – actually I'd like to know what day it is period. Sit in my underwear and play Fallout till my eyes 'fall out'. OH! Wear underwear!" He added that to the list and nearly all the guys laughed at him.
"You're the only guy I know that misses that." Shane said. "For me it's cold beer and a ball game on TV. Doesn't even matter which one – hell, I'll even take soccer."
"The internet." Mischa said when it was her turn. "The ability to travel across a state without having to drive there."
"Any new movie with Idris Elba." Robin said.
"You really think he survived?" Peaches asked.
"We did." Robin countered like it qualified the possible survival of celebrities. "And even if he didn't they could put his reanimated corpse in front of a camera and charge fifteen bucks for a ticket to see it and I'd be the first one in line at the theatre."
"I don't know." Andrea said when everyone looked at her. "There's not anything left even if this blows over. I guess I'm living not to be one of them." She was referring to the walkers. The group went quiet after her somber statement.
"Well, I'm living for my hair." Katherine broke the silence.
"Your hair?" Andrea asked in disbelief. Almost rolling he eyes at he ridiculous statement.
"Yeah." Katherine reached into her backpack and pulled out a picture. She handed it to Andrea and she looked it over. She barely recognized Katherine in the navy skirt suit she was wearing in the picture. It was very different for the dingy grey t-shirt and well worn blue jeans she was wearing now. She shined a flashlight on it so Andrea could see the whole thing. "See there – my hair went all the way down my back. All real. Used to take me hours to wash it all." She smiled.
"What happened?" Glenn asked as he looked at her. Her head was practically shaved like Shane's under the bandana she wore over it.
"The world ended." Katherine answered with a chuckle. "When the shit it the fan, first thing I did out of the road was chop it off. Didn't need it getting caught on something or some dead bastard grabbing it like it's a dinner roll. Zombie apocalypse is no time to be playing Rapunzel." Lori felt like everyone looked at her for a second after what Katherine said.
"Shit, it really is the small stuff that keeps you going." Shane said.
"So why did you guys pick here to settle?" Charles asked Rick as they picked corn. The crop had apparently been growing at the next farm over the whole time. Along with cabbage and a few strawberries. Hershel had told them about all the neighboring orchids and farms – but they didn't think to go until Charles mentioned having a craving for strawberries. When Hershel told him the farm was just down the road he set out for it – only gaining Rick as company at the last minute. His excuse was safety related but Charles couldn't help but notice Lori glaring at his back as they left.
"It's as safe as anywhere right now. Off the beaten path. Not many walkers out in small towns like this. And the ones that do show up disappear a few days later and take a few with them when they wander off." Rick said. "Plus, my wife is pregnant."
"Is she bed ridden?" Charles asked.
"No. She's only a month or so along." Rick answered.
"So why can't you guys move? Nine months is plenty of time to find a place – clear it out, fortify it…sound proof a room for the nursery." Charles said. Rick just looked at him for a second. "If you guys have to go to such great lengths just to get Hershel to let you stay then—
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"Oh, Glenn told me about your kid getting shot and the other little girl that went missing. I was sorry to hear that." Rick just nodded at him. "But not to seem like I'm taking sides but when you discovered she had been turned and subsequently took her out, why didn't you guys leave to find your own farm since Hershel didn't want you here?"
"It all happened in a few days, there was no time to think like that." Rick explained. "I don't know how to deliver a baby – none of us do. If we don't protect Hershel and his farm he might die before Lori has the baby. From either walkers or other survivors."
"Is that why you captured Robin? You thought she might try to…do what exactly?"
"A few days ago, we were in town when another group of survivors cornered us in a bar. They were savage men – looking to steal anything we couldn't keep from them. They threatened us. They wouldn't let us leave unless we promised to bring them and the rest of their group to the farm. They weren't going to accept that there was no room for them. The things they said to us…to complete strangers – they weren't good men."
"You ever think that maybe they were just scared?" Charles asked. "Not that I'm defending them, I'm just saying. How many survivors have you come across that just welcomes outsiders with open arms. The world might be different now but the people in it have gotten worse with conditioning. Everyone puts up a front to protect what little they have. If you keep going around kidnapping and shooting everyone that crosses your path just to get what you want you're no better than those men. You may tell yourself that you are, because you're fighting for your family. But what makes you think they didn't have kids at their camp to feed."
To be honest, Rick didn't want to think about that. Gio had told him about the pillagers and desperate people that came and took things without regard for who it belonged to. He couldn't think like Charles if he was going to survive. But if he hadn't at some point he wouldn't know Katherine and her group.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Shoot."
"What makes you not want to stay at the farm?"
"Aside from knowing when I'm not welcome? I don't know. I like our group smaller, I guess. If the geeks come down on you, you won't be tripping over one another to get away. That's what the problem with the city was. Why there are so many walkers there. If five people settle at least two miles apart you'll still have them close enough to socialize often but they'll also have a better chance of surviving should a group of walkers take down one campsite." That made sense to Rick. "Plus, we don't need your farm to be safe. We have each other."
Lori tried not to be too indignant when Katherine, Charles, Merle, Rick and Daryl left early. By the time she woke up they were already an hour gone. They had taken Carol's old jeep and headed who knows where. Glenn said it was a supply run and when she asked why he didn't go he simply told her he didn't want to. 'How could he not go, it's his job.' She thought as she headed for the RV. If anyone knew why they left so early and without Glenn it would be Dale.
"I actually don't know. They weren't really talking when they left but it looked like they were on a mission." Dale said.
"If their run in with those guys at the bar told them anything it's that it's not safe out there – and not just because of the walkers." She said. "And to leave us divided and unguarded—
"What am I—chop liver?" Robin interrupted when she over heard her. Lori didn't know what to say to the woman. "Not only am I here but so are Shane, Mischa, Andrea, T-Dog and Peaches."
"No offense but I don't know how well you can protect us spread so thin." Lori said.
"By walking the perimeter instead of wondering where other people are." Robin replied. "By practicing weaponry instead of concerning myself with stuff I can't control. Walkers aren't particularly stealthy – I believe protecting you from them would be easy." Dale pressed his lips in a thin line. Lori could only watch as Robin walked off to continue her patrol.
The group returned just before dark – the old yellow jeep loaded down with supplies and what little food they could find. "Where were you?" Lori asked as soon as Rick got out the car.
"Well since Katherine and her group have been helping us all week, we went and helped them out for a while. You know, cleaning out areas for them to sleep – boarding up the windows." Rick answered as he started to unload the truck.
"Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?"
"You were sleeping." He answered before he glanced down at her stomach. "You need your rest."
"Rick, you can't just go off like that and not tell anyone where you're going." She said. Daryl snorted.
"Why not, it's what you did last week when you went looking for him and got in that car accident." He said. She looked at Daryl for a second before she turned her gaze back to Rick.
"We needed you here."
"For what?" Merle asked. Peaches started to tell him to stay out of it but he didn't. "Seriously, what was so important that only he could do it and nobody else could? Wait, let me guess – you needed someone to hold the yarn while you knit tea cozies." He turned to Robin when she came up to help unload the car. "You were here all day - did you need Rick?"
"No." she answered truthfully. "Why would I?"
"What about you, old timer? Did you need Rick today?" Merle asked Dale. He just shrugged his shoulders.
"Not that it's any of your business but I was worried." Lori said.
"What for?" Merle asked and snorted. "Hey, Peaches what did you do when you woke up and found me gone?"
"Um, I spread out in your spot and went back to sleep." Peaches answered.
"That's what you should've done instead of worrying." He said.
"No offense but you can't compare our relationships. I actually care about my husband." Lori said with a roll of her eyes.
"Bitch." Peaches blurted out. "Saying 'no offense' before saying shit like that doesn't keep it from being an insult."
"Excuse me?" Lori said cocking her head to the side at the other woman. She glanced at Rick as if she expected him to say something about Peaches calling her a bitch. But he seemed to be ignoring them as he unpacked the jeep.
"Your condescension is really irritating. What makes you think I don't care about Merle the way you care about your husband? Unlike you I have faith that he'll come back. And if he doesn't then I can't really do anything about it. Why bother worrying when it's a waste of time. I spent the afternoon teaching your kid and the others sign language and other skills – while you were off 'worrying'." Peaches said. "Cause that's so helpful." She added sarcastically. "I mean I know it used to be your job to basically wait for him to come back home but…"
"How dare y—"
"The man spends the day helping others and gathering shit for you and the second he gets back you hop down his throat because he didn't give you a play by play of what he'd be doing today. Jesus, get a fucking hobby." Merle said.
"Okay, that's enough." Rick finally said. "Lori I'm sorry but I'm back now so—"
"Well it's about time you said something. Were you just going to stand there and let them berate me like that?" Lori said.
"…" Rick just looked at her – opening his mouth and then shutting it when he couldn't think of anything to say.
"We're all grown ups here. Why can't you speak for yourself?" Peaches asked. "Or do anything without him by your side?"
"Are you really analyzing our relationship when you're committed to him?" Lori asked and jabbed a finger at Merle. "I could write a book on how screwed up you guys are."
"And that would be useful, how?" Charles asked sarcastically. Peaches and Katherine laughed. Lori just scoffed and stormed away. Glenn came up, nearly jumping out of her way so he wouldn't get run over.
"So, what'd you get?" he asked. He was actually glad they hadn't asked him to go into town with them - it was like having a day off. Peaches had taught him a little sign language, he clipped his toe nails and even had time to think a little before they got back. Rick hauled a rather large barbeque grill out the car and smiled.
"Merle thought of this last night." Rick said.
"Yeah after nearly breaking my back digging that fire pit." Merle groaned as rubbed his side a little.
"Poor baby." Peaches teased him.
"Quite the elegant solution to cooking outdoors." Charles said. "This ones all yours."
"And we got one of those portable canopies for when it rains." Rick said. He handed it to Glenn and he nearly fell over from the weight of it. "Found some hotdogs that were still cold in a restaurant freezer along with some other stuff that wasn't spoiled…" It seemed they had looked in all the right places that day. Everywhere they went seemed to have something that would be useful.
That night Katherine and her group were about to head out to their motel when Shane snagged Merle and pulled him aside for a talk. "What you want, I got business to attend to with my woman."
"I'm supposed to be telling you I have a problem with the way you talked to Lori this afternoon." Shane said. "She can't hear us but she's watching – two o clock over my right shoulder." Merle glanced up and sure enough Lori was watching them from the porch.
"So…"
"Just keep looking like you don't care." Shane said as he poked Merle in the chest. "See, she thinks I'm over here asserting myself as alpha male, putting you in your place and doing what she asked me to but I'm not gonna 'cause I know you care about that shit about as much as I do. This ain't your group and even if it was I have a feeling you still wouldn't give a damn if you upset her."
"Damn straight. Bitch needs to get useful or get fucked." Merle said. Shane tried not to laugh.
"Well she gave me this teary crap about how all she does is try to keep everyone together and people like you and your wife are tearing everyone apart. Did Peaches even say anything to her?"
"She called her a bitch and told her to not be a judgmental controlling cunt…in not so many words." Merle said.
"Well I'm gonna chalk some of the dramatics up to her being hormonal. She never thinks she's wrong."
"Sounds like a problem. Not my problem but…" Merle shrugged. "Is that all?"
"Give me a push." Shane said. Merle shoved him and he pretended to be mad about it. "That's good enough." He turned to walk off. "You better watch yourself and your wife next time, Dixon!" he shouted over his shoulder. Merle just chuckled. These people were crazy.
