Daryl was in the middle of a nightmare. It was one of those horrible dreams where he knew that he was dreaming but he could not wake himself up for the life of him. There was something bad going on, an attack on the prison. Tons of walkers poured in and Daryl could not find Beth anywhere. He searched the halls, the guard tower, the cells, the courtyard. Everywhere. There were only walkers, dead bodies, and blood. No Beth. She was gone.
Literally, his worst nightmare.
He jolted awake when he felt hands on him, jerking him out of the nightmare that was plaguing his sleep.
"Hey," Beth whispered to him, running her hand into his hair, admiring his sleepy state. "It's just me."
Daryl relaxed, resting his head back onto the pillow. He loved that she was always there to comfort him and that she was always affectionate, especially with him. Every chance she got she did something that made Daryl stop in his tracks and just feel. Every touch reassured him that he was not imagining Beth being with him, being by his side.
"Bad dream?" she questioned.
He nodded his head. Daryl then tilted it and placed a kiss onto Beth's wrist. "Couldn't find you," he explained, breathing in the smell of her silky skin.
"I'm right here now."
Yeah, she was always right there when he needed her to be.
Daryl peered up at her through his hooded eyes. Beth was wearing a heavy black jacket with a light blue hat that almost matched her eyes, her skin increasingly pale because it was in the dead of winter there at the prison. Her cheeks were rosy red, letting him know that she had been outside recently.
"It's cold out. Why were you outdoors?"
Beth deeply sighed. "Gotta tell you somethin'."
"What?"
She seemed very reluctant to tell him. "Your brother is here."
"Merle?" he asked, a bit in disbelief.
"Is there another brother that you have that I don't know about?" she asked, a bit sarcastic, but still in a joking way.
"No. Just one."
How long ago was the last time he saw his brother? Their fight in the woods had drove him off for months, and Daryl had begun to think that he would never see him again. But that was Merle for you. He would disappear without a trace than then pop back up out of the blue like nothing was wrong.
"Yes, it's Merle," she affirmed, stroking the side of his cheek again. "He's outside right now with Rick talkin' about some things. He showed up at the gate ten minutes ago and I heard from Maggie that Rick let him after he promised not to pull anything and gave up his gun over to Rick."
Daryl rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. "Shit," he mumbled. It was too early for this kind of stuff.
"Come on, get up. I'll come out with you."
Daryl reluctantly dragged himself out of bed and threw on a shirt, pulling his belt on. Beth tossed him a warmer jacket to put overtop, and he slid it over his shoulders. Beth and him walked through the empty hallways together slower than usual until they passed through the door that took them outside into the cold and windy weather of what was probably January. Daryl winced since he was not expecting the frigid and unfriendly morning air to hit him in the face like it had and instantly send a chill down his body.
A thousand and one questions ran through Daryl's mind as he walked over to where Rick, Glenn, Maggie, and Merle all stood by the gates. Why did he come back? What did he want? What all did he really say to make Rick let him in? Because quite frankly, he is surprised that Rick even let Merle past the first gate.
"There's my brother," Merle smugly greeted once Daryl was in hearing distance of him, noticing that Daryl was coming towards him with Beth. "It's 'bout time. See there, Officer? Told ya he'd be willin' to talk."
Rick turned back to Daryl, not amused by being called Officer by Merle. Part of Daryl thought that maybe he should give Rick an apologetic look to show that he was sorry for whatever Merle might have said other than that before he got down to them. He is sure that there must have been another nickname thrown in as they spoke. He could only imagine the words uttered out of his brother's mouth. Because Daryl sure as hell has heard a lot in his day.
Beth strode up beside him, her arms bumping into Daryl's as they came to a stop by the rest of the small group. Merle noticed, and said, "Well, I don't believe I've ever had the pleasure of bein' introduced to this one here," he slurred out, looking at Beth.
"Can I talk to my brother alone?" Daryl abruptly asked the group members, before anything else was said.
They obliged his request, all nodding as they turned. Glenn put a hand on Daryl's shoulder, as if to tell him good luck. Then they all headed to go back inside where it was warmer, trusting Daryl to take care of things and tie up loose ends, if needed. Rick gave a nod of his head as he passed, a gesture that told Daryl that Rick trusted him enough to make a good judgment call when it came to Merle.
Beth lingered, and Daryl nodded for her to follow the others. She gave him a reassuring kiss on the cheek, just what he needed in that moment, and then strode up next to the others before escaping inside.
"Come on, this way."
He led is brother away from where they had been standing, up the dirt path so that they were in front of one of the cell blocks, where the wind was not as brutal. Because being out in the open with that wind would not help out when Daryl went to light a cigarette. He needed one to get through the conversation that was about to happen with his brother.
Daryl took one out of his back pocket along with a lighter and lit the end, placing it between his lips.
"Didn't think she was actually yer girl," Merle told him, truthfully. "Said some shit before. Wouldn't have said what I did back in the woods if I had known."
"Yes, you would have," Daryl replied to him, knowing who his brother was and how he would manipulate words about the people around him to mess with his head.
"Yer probably right. But I'd like ta think I ain't so callous, though."
Daryl leaned up against the wall behind him and stared out at the walkers who were along the fence line. He felt uncomfortable having to talk to his brother now, unsure of what to say. It was not like he was going to throw him a welcome to the prison party and be able to forget all the shit that went down in the past.
"Beth and me...we wasn't together when we was in the woods. When you said what you said and then I hit you. Happened after that, just so you know."
Merle was quiet for a few minutes, and that concerned Daryl. He suspected that there was more that Merle wanted to say.
"It's nice," Merle finally said. "That you got someone, I mean. After all these years. Your girl seems nice enough from where I stand."
Daryl eyed his brother suspiciously. "Are you drunk?"
Merle snickered. "No."
"High?"
"Nope."
"You sure?"
"Positive, little brother."
It didn't make any sense.
"Then why you actin' so...I don't know. Kind? It ain't like you. Never had one good thing to say..."
"Maybe I ain't the same person I used to be. You sure ain't. Figured a lot of shit out when I was on my own." Merle took the cigarette right out of Daryl's hand and brought it up to his own lip's to inhale the smoke. "Blondie like you smokin'? Bet she don't. I'll do her a favor and make sure you don't get any of the good stuff into your lungs. Can't just stand by and watch ya get lung cancer, little brother."
"Jackass," he remarked, a smirk working its way on his face.
It kind of felt like old times, only without the painful and ruthless exchange of bitter words mixed in.
Perhaps him being at the prison could work after all.
Maybe.
Merle laughed in reply to his remark. "Yep. That's me. But been out there on my own for a while. Found that I couldn't live without my little brother. So, now I'm here. Did what you told me ta do, too. Told Officer Friendly that I was a straight up fuckin' idiot in Atlanta and shit like that won't happen again. Don't know if he believed me but I meant most of it."
"You comin' here tellin' me you were out there soul searching this whole time?"
"Wouldn't put it that way. Like I said, couldn't live without my brother. And if that means comin' here were there's rules and all that shit, then so be it."
There was an understanding between the two of them. Daryl realized that even though Merle had done some really shitty things in the past, and a lot of really shitty things to him, he was still blood. At least he was trying, which was something new.
So, there they were.
Two brothers. Two very different brothers. But still, brothers.
—
Daryl kept his distance for the rest of the day, figuring out his own thoughts after telling Rick that he believed that Merle would not be a problem. Merle got situated in a cell that Carol directed him to. Daryl had spent enough time avoiding his older brother by that point, and decided to go see if he needed anything. As he got closer to the cell, Daryl heard to voices talking. His initial thought was that Merle was probably harassing someone with stupid comments, the usual thing he did, but as he approached, Daryl heard that his brother's voice sounded more sincere than sounding unkind with his words; an interesting change.
He caught a quick glimpse of Beth's hair as he rounded the corner, so he turned back around, neither of the seeing him as he ducked back behind the wall.
"Thought you might freeze me out," he heard his brother explain to Beth. "I'm sure Daryl's told ya a whole lot of not the greatest stories 'bout me. Wasn't always the best brother to him. But, you already know that, I'm assumin'."
There was a lapse, silence for a moment, and Daryl wondered what could possibly be going through Beth's mind.
"Yes, he's told me a number of stories. But he seems willing to work on things if you are. You gotta actually put in the effort, though. Everyone needs a second chance," her soft voice finally said. "Even you, Merle."
Daryl felt the corners of his lips turn up, resting his head against the wall behind him. It was just like Beth to be the kindest that she could possibly be, even after all the stuff she heard about Merle, his wild antics and volatile behavior. She never faltered in her belief that there was good inside everyone.
"You sure 'bout that?"
"Yes. I'm sure. You need to prove yourself to everyone, though. And that won't be easy. It'll take some time."
Merle laughed. "Might not get the chance. That bl—" For his own sake, Merle stopped himself from saying a spiteful racist comment, which is another thing that was new. "Michonne might come down here in the middle of the night and slice me up like some kind of mango. Feed strips of me to the biters through the fence. She'd like that."
Merle snickered after that, and it sounded like Beth let out a soft giggle.
"She won't," Beth assured him, then swiftly added, "As long as you don't do anythin' stupid. I mean, she does kind of hate your guts for shooting her in the leg at The Governor's request. So maybe you should steer clear of her for a while. Let her get used to the idea of you bein' here."
"Avoidin' people ain't gonna be too easy in a place like this."
"Try," Beth encouraged, taking the pressing matter seriously.
"Hey, I hear ya. Know what my brother said ta do a while back?"
"What?"
"Apologize."
Beth huffed. "That ain't such a bad idea, now is it?"
"Honey, she ain't never gonna like me. Why bother?"
"Well, an apology couldn't hurt. As long as it is somewhat meaningful."
There was another long silence, and Daryl wondered if he should come out from around the corner now that it seemed like their short conversation had ceased. But then, Merle redirected the conversation, picking it up in a new direction.
"So, you and my brother. Never would have imagined that," he said.
"Well, it's true."
"I can already tell you're good for him. Hands down, I bet yer the best thing that ever happened to him," Merle immediately followed up with. "Don't tell him I said that. Don't need my little brother thinkin' that I'm goin' soft or somethin' like that."
Beth laughed. "Your secret is safe with me. And thank you for sayin' that."
From the sound of it, Daryl believed that Beth got up to leave the cell because he heard her few light footsteps march towards the other hallway that led out of the cell Merle was in. He was about to move again, when suddenly Beth's normally quiet voice turned stern and serious, with a hint wary in her tone.
"Don't hurt him," Beth added, emotion behind her words. "Because if you do, you'll wish you'd never had. I'll make sure of that."
Daryl almost laughed at how Beth had threatened Merle, but then quickly came to the conclusion that she had said it out of genuine concern and out of immense care for Daryl, and devotion to him. He could have sworn that his heart skipped a beat right then.
A/N: That's right. Back to back updates ;) and I might just post the next chapter tomorrow, too.