Hey y'all! I'm back! Sorry I didn't get a chapter out last night, I was sooo tired! I'm still tired in fact lol. Don't you love how you go on vacation to relax and come back more tired than before you went? Anyways, here's a little something for you. I hope it's not too bad. I'm not entirely sure about it, but I'm going to go ahead and post it anyways. Thanks for the reviews and support!
Merle was in rare form by the time the next morning rolled around. The girl wasn't anywhere to be found and he was starting to believe that she was actually serious about finding another teacher. He didn't know why he ever cared to begin with but for some reason he found himself searching her out. It took him a while before he found her outside the front of the prison. He bit back a curse as he saw her new teacher. Daryl was currently down there next to her at the fences while she stabbed walkers. He could feel his blood boiling just beneath his skin as he watched them. He stayed within the shadow of the prison but where he could still see everything that was going on.
He couldn't believe she had gone to his brother to train her. He didn't doubt his brother's ability to fight but as far as training someone, Merle knew he had the most experience. Of all of the things they could be doing, she was stabbing walkers through a fucking fence. A lot of good that would do them during an attack because anybody with half a brain could stab something through a fence without a problem. The fence gave them a false sense of security, leading you to believe that you were stronger than you thought. The longer he watched, the more pissed off he got until he found himself striding down the hill. He wasn't even aware of the fact that he was moving until he was halfway across the field.
He saw Daryl glance up at him curiously but Beth was still oblivious to the fact that he was coming towards them as she continued her stabbing. He paused just behind her with his arms crossed, his face a steely mask. Daryl regarded him carefully but didn't say anything and a few minutes later Beth turned to glance at Daryl. Then she noticed Merle and she glared at him for several seconds before turning back to her stabbing.
He chuckled, "Ya really think this bullshit is gonna help ya when tha shit hits tha fan darlin'?" He asked.
He saw her shoulders tense, her blonde hair swinging with her movements. She turned to Daryl, giving Merle the cold shoulder, "Do you mind showing me some more stuff Daryl?" She asked softly.
Daryl glanced back and forth between them before speaking, "Thought ya told me ya weren't trainin' with Merle no more? What kinda shit ya try'na drag me into Beth?"
Beth sighed, "I'm not training with Merle anymore. Your brother doesn't know how to act like a decent human being!" She had turned now so that she was facing more Merle's direction and he barely noticed Daryl slowly backing out of the situation. He was staring intently at the little spitfire in front of him.
"Ya done yet?" Merle bit out.
She crossed her arms, mocking his stance, "Yes I am. I'm done with you teaching me like I told you yesterday," She glanced around then, noticing that Daryl had left them. "Now you've run him off!"
"We still got five more days o' trainin' ta go, or didja forget?" He asked.
"You told me to find another teacher!" She was yelling now but fortunately there wasn't anyone moving about outside since Daryl had left and Merle didn't know who was on watch.
"Yeah well I changed my fuckin' mind!" He growled. "We started this shit an' we gon' finish it."
"No," She said and she began walking down the fence line, ignoring him.
Merle growled low in his throat and caught her around the waist, throwing her over his shoulder in a cave man style. If you wanted something done sometimes you had to take charge and get it done yourself.
Beth couldn't believe the audacity of the man. She had woken up earlier than normal on purpose this morning, wanting to be gone before Merle appeared. She had sought out Daryl and after lots of begging, she finally convinced him to teach her. Except Daryl hadn't really been teaching her, he was more or less just observing. She got the sense that he didn't really want to be there but she had kept going. She knew that seeing her with Daryl this morning would piss Merle off but she was trying to prove a point. The man could be so infuriating at times. She knew he didn't actually think she was going to continue her training with someone else. Now Merle had made a big scene and Daryl was probably mad at her.
She beat against his back in frustration. She would have screamed and she almost did, but she stopped herself just in time. Screaming would alert the whole prison and that would be unnecessary because she wasn't hurt and there weren't any walkers inside the fence.
Merle ignored her protests and kept walking, taking her to the same place they had been yesterday when she had told him to go to hell. Eventually she gave up swatting at him. It was like hitting bricks anyway because he didn't even flinch and now her hand was somewhat sore. He crossed to the table and set her down next to it. Not really thinking her actions through, she reared back and kicked him square in the shin.
"Goddammit!" Merle hissed and his eyes narrowed to slits.
Beth's eyes widened and she began backing up as Merle advanced towards her. She only went a few feet before her back touched against the brick of the prison and she was trapped. He stopped and bent down so that his face was inches from hers. She was breathing heavy and she was actually a little scared. She didn't know what had caused her to try and provoke him in that way but she had to remember that this wasn't Daryl. This was Merle and he was a whole lot meaner than his brother.
"Ya wanna play rough girlie? I'm good at rough," He rasped. She shook her head no, not quite certain that she should speak at the moment. He lifted his hand and she involuntarily flinched which caused him to pause in surprise. "Ain't gonna hit'cha girl. Don't hit fuckin' women, even tha stubborn ones who test my patience," He said. He brought his hand to the side of her face and brushed a strand of hair that had fallen from her eyes. She shivered and her body warmed at the gentle touch. He shook his head, not saying anything and then turned away from her. She watched as he took out the gun from the waist of his pants and set it on the table and then another that was underneath his pants leg.
"Come on over here an' grab a gun darlin'. Gonna show ya how ta aim an' then we goin' fer a little target practice," He said.
After a while of showing her all of the workings of the guns, he felt like she had a good enough grasp of things to take her for some target practice. All he had to do now was convince Officer Friendly to give him the keys to a vehicle so that he could drive them away from the prison. They couldn't target practice on the grounds and draw in walkers from all over. He left Beth to grab some lunch and went in search of the man. There was nothing he hated more than having to ask permission to do something but he was a little used to it from Woodbury.
He finally found the man talking to the Chinese kid out near the vehicles. As soon as the kid saw him, he shot him a glare and walked away, leaving Merle standing there with Rick. The kid apparently still took the whole beating thing personally but there wasn't anything Merle could do for that short of apologize but he hadn't ever apologized for anything before in his life and he wasn't about to start now.
"Something I can help you with Merle?" Rick asked.
"Like ta take one o' these vehicles out an' let tha girl target practice," Merle replied.
Rick looked at him, clearly thinking about the suggestion before responding, "I don't think that's a good idea. The Governor is still out there somewhere or did you forget?"
Merle shrugged, "Ain't forgot, but needs ta be done. Can't teach 'er ta shoot here an' bring all tha walkers in a ten mile radius down on us now can I? She ain't gonna be a lick o' good if'n she don't know how it feels ta shoot tha gun. We'll drive out ta a secure location an' be back within a couple hours tops," Merle replied.
Rick ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "Fine. But make it fast. In and out. If you see anything then you head back here, understood?"
Merle smirked and mock saluted him, "Will do officer."
Rick nodded and turned to walk away but he seemed to think about something and stopped, turning back to Merle, "I'm not telling Hershel you're leaving with Beth so let's keep this as quiet as possible. I'll send Carl to let you out of the gate," He said.
Merle nodded. The last thing he needed right now was the girl's daddy yapping in his ear about his little girl and her virtue and shit. He was the big reason that the girl didn't know shit. Her daddy needed to loosen those reigns a little and let her grow up. He opened the truck door and checked to make sure the keys were inside before going to get some supplies.
Beth ate her food as fast as she could and then went back outside in search of Merle. She found him over near the vehicles setting a duffle bag on the backseat. He shut the door and then glanced at her, "Let's go. We burnin' daylight," He said as he climbed in the driver seat.
She sighed and went around to the other side of the vehicle to climb inside. He was silent as he cranked the car and drove toward the gate where Carl was waiting to let them out. She wondered how he had been able to talk Rick into letting them have a vehicle and leave the property with everything that was going on.
"Rick was okay with this?" She asked.
He snorted, "If yer askin' if I asked permission then yeah, I talked to him," He tipped his head at Carl as they drove through the gates.
She glanced over at him, "And my Daddy?"
"Don't know nothin'," He replied. "Best ta keep it that way. Yer old man ain't too fond o' me."
"If you would try to get along with every-,"
"No. Ain't changin' for nobody. Don't need nobody's approval. Ain't here ta make nice an' play house," He grumbled.
She studied him as he drove. The hand that was steering the vehicle was gripping it tightly and his forearm was tensed. Every few seconds, his eyes darted around the area, alert for anything out of place. He had on the white tank that he seemed to favor with a short sleeve button-up shirt thrown over it. Khaki pants and boots completed his outfit and Beth thought it was fitting for him. If she didn't know him a little by now, she probably wouldn't approach him. His expression was serious, his eyes intense, and his jaw set. He looked like a cobra that was prepared to strike at the slightest movement. When he glanced her direction and their eyes met, she shivered. His eyes cut down the length of her body and then he looked back at the road again. She felt a warmth spread through her that she couldn't quite place. His eyes had felt like a caress across her body. She tried to focus her thoughts elsewhere. It definitely wouldn't do for her to develop an attraction for the man. He was too old for her even though physically he didn't look it at all. She stared out of the window at the passing scenery and caught sight of his reflection in the window. She was most definitely in trouble here.
Review me please! Reviews keep me going :)