Wow! I've gotten some more reviews and follows! Thank you to all of you! That's awesome and I am truly thankful. I've managed to get out another chapter for everyone but I fear this will be the last until Tuesday because I am going out of town tomorrow. Unless I manage to get out another one later (and I doubt it, but I never know) then this will have to hold everyone until then. I'm sorry! I hope you all are enjoying the slow burn and the back and forth between our Beth and Merle. Gosh, I love me some Rooker!
If you're just joining us, I'd love to hear from you but if you've been with us, I'd still love to hear from you! LOL! Reviews are love y'all and Meth needs some love! Come on, I know the story can't be that bad, LOL. Or if it is that bad, then let me hear about it! :-) Thanks y'all!
He had to hand it to the girl; she had the drive. He had worked her until early evening, only stopping for lunch. She hadn't complained anymore after the first time but her eyes had shot daggers at him as he pushed her to her limits. He only called it finished when the evening approached because it would be dark soon and he could see the look of exhaustion in her eyes that she was trying to fight. He had seen grown men give up quicker than this girl and she hadn't even given up yet. He may have pushed her a tad farther than he had originally intended but they only had a week. He was determined to have her ready by the end of that week. This wasn't a game. It was life or death out there and she had the ability to be much more than her group gave her credit for.
It was early yet but he was already up and ready to begin the next day. He knew she was probably still sleeping. He chuckled to himself as he remembered how she had hurried through dinner and then retired to her cell to sleep. He would see how much farther he could press her today. He wanted her to hate him because that hate would take her farther, make her work harder.
He stopped outside of her cell and dragged his blade down the bars, making loud clanging noises. She didn't stir but he heard several muffled grunts and groans from neighboring cells.
"Knock that fuckin' shit off Merle!" Daryl's voice called down.
Merle snickered and entered the cell of the sleeping blonde. Her mouth was parted ever so slightly and she hadn't moved an inch through all of the noise. He leaned down and moved his mouth close to her ear.
"Up an' at 'em darlin'!" He yelled and then moved back quickly as she jerked upwards, her eyes wide.
Her hair was sticking up in several places and her clothes were rumpled. He noticed that she was wearing the same thing she had on yesterday. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and peered at him.
"Grab yerself some breakfast an' meet me in tha side yard in fifteen," He ordered. "Don't be late sugah," He chuckled at her groan as he left the cell.
He strolled through the block into the kitchen and found Carol in the kitchen stirring something in a big pot. He started to pass on through but she looked up at him.
"You hungry?" She asked.
He paused, unsure if she was talking to him or not but when he looked around he saw that he was the only other person in the room at the moment. He shrugged, "Depends. What'cha got in that there pot?"
"Grits with bits of squirrel meat mixed in. Gourmet," She replied dryly.
"Reckon' I can eat," He went to reach for a bowl but she brushed him away.
"Sit," She gestured to the table. "I'll bring it to you."He glanced at the table and then back at her. He never sat at the table. His place was away from the group at the bottom of the stairs. She gave him a pointed look, "Go on. Won't kill you to act like part of this group for once," She coaxed.
He sat at the table wondering what was up with the woman. She had never said much to him before besides a few words in passing. Now she was serving him breakfast? She sat the bowl of grits in front of him and he began to eat. She surprised him by getting her own bowl and sitting across from him.
He arched a brow at her, "Ain't gonna wait on my brotha?" He asked.
She shrugged, "Daryl's a grown man. I suppose he'll be okay if I eat without him," She responded.
He merely grunted and resumed eating. He was in a hurry to get outside in the open. The less time he spent inside of these prison walls, the better. Not to mention the way this woman was acting was making him wary.
He was almost done before she spoke again, "I do have an ulterior motive for eating with you," She said.
And there it was. He should have known none of the people here would ever be nice to him without wanting something in return. "Oh?" He asked.
She nodded, "I need to make sure you're serious about staying here with Daryl. I don't want you running out of here half-cocked and dragging him along behind you. Like it or not, we are his friends and his family too and we need him," She lifted her gaze to his. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"
He stared back at her. This wasn't the same mouse of a woman that he remembered from back at the quarry. She was harder and he wondered when that had happened. If she thought to intimidate him though, she was wrong. He could care less what she thought. She wasn't his brother's blood. He had never even seen his brother show any affection at all towards the woman beyond a smile or a look. That wasn't how Daryl operated.
"You people are all tha same, thinkin' ya know me an' what kinda person I am," He began. "I'm here for my brotha, plain an' simple. He's my blood. Y'all can preach about family til' tha cows come home fer all I care," He stood, pinning her with his gaze. "He left y'all here once already. If he decides ta leave again, then we'll leave. Until then, I'm here fer him, nobody else."
He was almost to the door before she responded, "I'm not scared of you Merle," She said softly, her voice laced with strength.
He stopped with his hand on the door, not turning around and smirked, "Don't reckon' I give a damn whether ya are or ya aren't woman," He replied and then slammed the door behind him.
Beth stood in the shadows just outside of the kitchen, having overheard Carol's conversation with Merle. She had felt a strange tinge of sadness when he had mentioned leaving. She hoped that he and Daryl wouldn't leave. She wished the group would be a little more receptive of Merle, but she also understood that Merle didn't help matters with his surly attitude either.
She was bone tired. By the time Merle had gotten done with their session yesterday, she had barely had the energy to hold her head up and eat her dinner. Needless to say that when she fell onto her bunk to rest for a minute she was out like a light. She couldn't believe that he had woken her up so early. He seemed to be enjoying pushing her to her limits. Her body was achingly sore from all of the exercises and drills he had pushed on her and she wasn't really looking forward to seeing what he was going to throw at her today. She feared she wouldn't be good for much more.
Carol had disappeared by the time she walked into the kitchen so Beth just swiped a granola bar and a bottle of water from their food stash. She was glad because as much as she liked Carol, she really wasn't up for questions about her training sessions with Merle. She walked outside, practically devouring the granola whole. She walked around the side of the prison where he was sitting on top of a table, two guns resting next to him.
She downed the rest of the water and made her way out to where he sitting, staring at the fences, "What's on the agenda today? More torture?" She asked dryly.
He shook his head, "Nope. Today ya get tha pleasure o' learnin' how ta use a gun today," He replied.
"I don't see any targets," She said.
"Cause they ain't none. Ya gonna learn about tha gun first. When I feel ya got it down pat, then we can move ta shootin'."
She could tell he was irritated and most likely from his conversation with Carol if the way he had slammed the door on his way out was any indication. She climbed onto the top of the table to sit next to him, stretching her legs out in front of her. She noticed he glanced down at her, but other than that he was quiet.
Finally he stood up and she followed his lead. She was more than happy to sit and learn about guns. As long as she wasn't doing more laps around the prison, she was fine. As she watched he took apart both guns. He did it much faster than she would have thought he would, being that he only had one hand. She noticed that it didn't seem to hinder his ability to do things much. Even now, he improvised by using his arm or the crook of his elbow to help him hold things.
"Watch an' learn," He said and proceeded to put the gun back together one piece at a time.
She studied his movements, trying to remember where he put each piece. When he had it back together, he then took it back apart, setting the pieces out in front of him.
"Now follow my lead," He instructed.
Once they had done it together a few times and she was beginning to get a feel for it, he made her do it on her own while he watched. She glanced at him every few minutes, but his expression remained set, his jaw clenched. Beth noticed that his sarcasm that she was becoming accustomed to was missing from today's lesson as well.
Finally she couldn't take it anymore and she set down the gun that she had just put back together, "I overheard your conversation with Carol this morning," She blurted.
He looked at her sharply, "Becomin' quite tha detective aren't ya?" He asked.
She ignored his comment, "Daryl cares about you, ya know," She said softly.
He narrowed his eyes and snorted, "What ya try'na do darlin'? Play tha Pope an' keep tha peace?"
She stood up and moved over to stand in front of him, "No, but I can see you're upset about something and I figured you might be thinking that Daryl cares more about us than you. I don't think that's true."
Eyes of cold blue steel regarded her as he crossed his arms. She noticed that he had taken his blade out from the metal cuff at some point without her even seeing him do it. "And what? Ya was gonna try an' console me if'n my feelin's was hurt?" He laughed sarcastically.
His words burned through her. She was trying to be nice to him but he was throwing it back in her face. He would never fit in with them if he kept pushing everyone away. Why couldn't he understand that? She shook her head sadly and turned to walk away but he grabbed her arm with his hand, his grip firm.
"Where ya goin'? We ain't done here!" He growled.
"Yes we are. I'm finding someone else to train me. You obviously don't want to be here! Why did you pick me anyway?" She yelled.
"Because I know yer capable o' more than them shit jobs they give ta ya," His tone was eerily soft and he yanked her closer to him. "Ya did more trainin' yesterday without complaint than some o' tha men at Woodbury. That ain't somethin' ta turn ya nose up at girl, whether ya believe it or not."
She swallowed, wondering if he had actually just paid her a compliment. She was acutely aware of their closeness now. They were so close that she could feel the brush of his khakis against her jeans. "Fine. I'll finish what you have planned today but tomorrow I want the man who trained me yesterday back," She said.
He frowned down at her, "What tha hell kinda shit ya talkin'?
"You're distracted today and you're not into this session. I liked the sarcastic Merle from yesterday. I don't like this Merle very much though."
He blinked, releasing her arm, and her fingers drifted to the spot where his hand had been to rub it lightly. He looked out towards the trees and then back down at the table. Finally he let out a harsh laugh and she wondered if he had totally lost it.
"Already makin' demands huh? This ain't 'bout ya likin' me girl. This is 'bout ya learnin' how ta keep from dyin'. Ya want somethin' else, then maybe ya do need ta find another teacher," He said.
She stared at him for several long moments but his expression never changed from cold indifference. She looked for a sign of compassion in his cold eyes but there was none there to be found. She took a deep breath.
"Go to hell Merle Dixon," She muttered and spun around on her heel, leaving him standing in the shadows.