Hello again! First of all I would like to say thanks to all those who have favorited, followed, and reviewed. Especially Steffy 2106! You rock for helping me out and encouraging me to continue. Thank you! I haven't gotten the response I had hoped for but I'm going to continue forwards anyway just because I love this pairing and hope that more of you will show up as we go along. I'd love to hear from you! Let me know what you think! Enjoy the chapter! It's short, but I'm running out of time over here. Long day tomorrow, but I'll try to get another update out soon! Shit Yes! ;)
"Merle, hold up a second. I need to talk to you for a minute," Rick called to him, jogging to catch up as Merle strolled around the courtyard, keeping an eye on the tree line.
The others had been spending all day trying to finish getting the walkers taken down and the fences secure again. They had absolutely no idea when the Governor would strike again but Merle knew it was only a matter of time.
He paused, sucking at his teeth as he waited for him to catch up, "Problem officer?" Merle drawled.
Rick came to a stop next to him, "I really think we need to clear the air. I know you think that none of us want you here. It's not that it's -"
Merle snorted, interrupting him, "It's what? The fact that I beat on Chinaman? What you people fail ta fuckin' understand is that I had a job ta do. Weren't nothin' personal see? Ya think I was 'bout ta put my ass on tha line for someone who wouldn't even tell me where my own fuckin' brotha was?"
Rick held up a hand and Merle narrowed his eyes, "Listen, I didn't come here to fight. I can understand that you might have been in a predicament yourself. It's just going to take the group some time. Maybe if you helped us out a little with the fences or tried to be a little more cooperative it might help," Rick said.
He couldn't believe the audacity of the man to suggest that he join in and help do grunt work or play good soldier. Merle thought the whole idea was ludicrous. He laughed, "We'll jus' be like one big fuckin' family! Shit yes! I tell ya what Rick, after I'm done with tha fences that ain't gonna do jackshit ta keep that man out, then how's about we gather 'round a campfire an' sing us some songs?" He was beyond pissed. Couldn't the man see that he ain't wanted nothin' to do with the group?
Rick wiped at his brow and placed his hands on his hips. Merle could see his frustration and he wondered if the man would show some of that crazy that he had heard about. He thought that would make for a good show indeed.
"We need to train everyone on how to use weapons so we can at least have a fighting chance. You're good with a weapon, I'll admit. We could really use your help," Rick finally said.
Merle stared at him, "So ya finally decided ya need ole' Merle huh? What's in it fer me?" He asked.
Rick laughed harshly, "Look, I'm really trying here, OK? You help us train some of the weaker of the group and I'll make sure the others back off from you. How's that sound?"
Merle propped a boot up on the bench seat of the picnic table and spit over his shoulder as he thought about it. He didn't really need help keeping the other away from him. Hell they did that on their own. Besides, Merle like it better that way, not having to deal with any of their fucking drama. His eyes roamed the courtyard until he spotted the blonde haired girl holding a basket of clothes that she was stringing onto a line to dry. He looked back up at Rick who was still staring at him, waiting on an answer.
"Fine. But I get ta pick who I train," Merle responded.
Rick sighed and then nodded, "Alright. Whose your pick?" Merle nodded towards the girl who was oblivious to the fact that the two men were talking about her and that he was staring at her intently. Rick snorted, "You can't be serious. Hershel would kill you," He muttered.
"Now now sheriff, thought tha deal was that ya was goin' ta get everyone ta back off? That's tha terms. She's a weak link. Ya need somebody that's gon' train 'er right. I want 'er relieved of duties for one week. At tha end of that week, you'll see I was right," Merle replied.
He watched as Rick stared at the girl who was halfway down the line with her basket of clothes. He could see the sheriff battling within himself. He knew that he would meet his terms though. They needed him. He was a strong fighter and they didn't exactly have a shitload of those. He could make the girl strong. He knew that he could. He had trained dozens of little pricks at Woodbury with less sense.
"You've got a deal," Rick said as Merle stood and saw Daryl approaching them, an expression of curiosity on his face. "Just let me talk to Hershel first before we do anything. Give me until tomorrow morning. I'll relieve Beth of her duties then."
Merle nodded as Daryl stopped just in front of them, "What's goin' on?" Daryl asked, his gaze flicking back and forth between the two of them.
"Jus' conductin' business lil' brotha. Nothin' ta worry yer pretty lil' head 'bout," Merle replied.
He stared at Rick, the sheriff meeting his gaze dead on, neither of them turning away.
Beth blew a strand of hair out of her face as she hung up another random shirt to the line. Some of them she could tell who they belonged to, but there were still some she had to ask Carol about. Carol pretty much knew everyone's laundry as she was the one who usually ended up putting it away. Beth could identify Daryl's shirts, the only ones with all of the sleeves missing, but others were harder to identify. She smiled to herself as she thought about Daryl and her thoughts drifted to his brother Merle.
Merle was kind of scary, but intriguing all at the same time. He was one of those men that entered a room and you could feel him before you ever heard him. He had a very commanding presence. She hadn't known a lot of men like that in her lifetime.
She didn't hate him like so many of the others seemed to though. She hadn't been taught to hate. She knew what had happened to Glenn because of him and she had seen Maggie when her sister had made it back. Maggie wasn't Merle's fault though but Maggie seemed to blame it on him a little anyway. Or maybe Maggie just hated Merle because Glenn did. Beth didn't know the entire tail of what had happened at Woodbury, she had just pieced together the bits that she had heard amongst the group. Maggie refused to talk about it and Beth didn't press. No one ever thought to tell her much, being that they all thought she was just some dumb girl who faded into the background like camouflage in a forest.
She sighed and moved to pick up the last article of clothing. As she held it up to pin, she gasped at the two very hard, very blue, eyes staring back at her. She placed her hand over her chest, laughing nervously.
"You scared me," She said.
He chuckled, "Thinkin' deep thoughts?"
She bit her lip. She had been thinking about him but she wasn't going to tell him that. She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, "Just passing the time," She responded.
"Hmph," He muttered.
He stood there as she pinned the shirt to the line and picked up the basket. She stood there awkwardly, wondering if there was something else he intended to say or if the conversation was over. She could feel his eyes on her and it made her almost feel naked the way he stared so intently. She could feel herself turning red. She snuck a glance at him and he winked wickedly.
"Penny for yer thoughts?" He drawled as he hung one arm over the cable that Daryl had strung for them to use to dry clothes on.
"You're very...bold," She finally said.
He raised a brow, "Bold, huh? Ain't nobody ever called me that before. I reckon' I don't see much need ta censor myself. I say what I want when I want. Anybody got a problem with that, well then that's them. Ain't me," He replied.
"I see," She said.
He studied her for a few moments, apparently chewing on a thought in his head. "What's yer thoughts on tha Gov'nor?" He suddenly asked.
She stood there open-mouthed for a moment. No one had ever asked her opinions on anything before. It took her a minute to gather her thoughts and she had to look at him twice to make sure he wasn't teasing her but he wore a serious expression.
"I...I think we're unprepared. I haven't met the man personally but judging from this last time, I think we're screwed," She said bluntly. "There's quite a few of us, me included, that don't know much. We could be helping but instead they send us inside to hide," She let out a deep breath, not realizing how long she had kept that bottled up.
He didn't laugh though. He appeared to be pondering her answer before he responded, "I agree. Seen lotsa thangs while I was in Woodbury. Thangs that would make ya head spin girlie' an' I can tell ya fer certain we got our work cut out fer us. How come ya ain't been trained yet?"
"I don't know. I guess because I'm always the one taking care of Judith. Maybe that's all I'm good at anyway," She shrugged, looking down at the concrete.
He placed his finger under her chin, lifting her head back up so that she met his gaze, "Ya got two arms an' two legs aint'cha?" She nodded. "Then that ain't all ya good at. Hell look at me darlin'. Got me an ugly fuckin' piece a scrap metal fer a hand. Ya can bet yer ass that that shit ain't easy ta get used to. Still don't think I'm fuckin' used ta it," He leaned down until they were eye level. "Keep yer head up. Maybe thangs will start changin' real soon," He brushed his fingers under her chin for a brief moment and then he walked away, leaving her standing there holding an empty basket.
What had just happened here? The one man that everyone seemed to dislike had just basically told her she wasn't worthless. Did he know something she didn't? She stood there for several more minutes, pondering. There was definitely more to this man than people realized. There was a hardness there, that much she could tell. But underneath that hardness, there just might be more to Merle Dixon than meets the eye.