I didn't go over this very thoroughly because it's about to storm pretty bad here and I wanted to get it out before I lost internet connection! Thanks for reading! =)
Chapter Forty Nine
She stared at her reflection with a deep frown forming between her eyes. It was no longer a secret, thanks to Buck telling everyone after they walked in on the conversation she had with Daryl the night before. She didn't have to keep wearing Daryl's shirts to cover up her expanding stomach but now she just felt self conscious. With Sophia she hadn't started showing until she was nearly five months. Again, this was proving to be a much different experience. It was almost like Sophia had been as timid as Carol had been back then. This baby was already more like Daryl. The clingy tank top that she had on only seemed to make it look bigger.
"What the hell are you doin'?" He asked, causing her to jump.
She shrugged and reached for the t-shirt she had tossed onto the dresser. "Nothing."
He snatched it away, holding it out of reach when she tried to grab it back. "Daryl, give me the shirt."
"You're already wearin' a shirt."
She looked at her reflection again, this time she had a clear view of her side profile and she shook her head. "I'm not wearing this out there."
He quirked a brow. "Why?"
She looked down and he followed her gaze with a wide grin. "Because I don't want people staring at me. Why are you smiling at me like a lunatic?"
"There ain't nobody out there that don't already know," he argued, still keeping her from taking the shirt back. "And people are gonna stare whether you hide it or not. People know, Carol. It's common knowledge now."
She sighed and gave up. "Fine."
"Are you ashamed of it?" He asked.
She scowled. "Why would you even say something like that?"
He shrugged. "Cause you're hidin'."
"Cause I look fat," she stated simply, remembering all to well how repulsive she was to Ed when she was pregnant with Sophia.
"You don't look fat. You look knocked up. There's a difference."
"So in a few months when I look like a swallowed a water melon, you're still gonna want to look at me?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Fuck, I planted it. Might as well get to see the fruit of my labor." His voice was so sincere, the grin on his face so wide that she couldn't help but shed a little of that anxiety. This was going to be a much happier experience.
"Well, I'm glad you're so proud of yourself," she shook her head and followed him out the door.
He snorted, reaching back and grabbing her hand, probably so she wouldn't dart back to the room and put his shirt on anyway. When they stepped into the kitchen there were more people than she expected. The whole damn club seemed to be there. Well, that was an exaggeration but there were more people than she thought would be there anyway.
Merle glanced up, meeting her eyes first and then raked his gaze over her. He smiled, shook his head and went back to his breakfast. June and Odin were there also with Damon in tow. Randy was there too, along with Sophia and Piper. There were also three men that she hadn't met before. It was these three that had her anxiety rising. They didn't look friendly.
"Who the fuck are you?" Daryl asked, letting go of her hand and walking towards the stove.
"We wanna know what happened to our cousin, Dixon. He may have disappeared on the law but he wouldn't have taken off like that and not told us where he went."
Carol watched Daryl's face. He looked calm, almost arrogant. "And what makes you think we know where the little faggot is?"
"Daryl," Buck said, a clear warning in his voice.
Carol still hadn't sat down. She was watching the men as they glared at Daryl. She noticed that all of them were dressed similar to how the other club members dressed. Vests, patches, scowls. But they were different.
"He was the one that had the power to put you away. We know that you had something to do with it," the biggest man said.
Daryl leaned against the counter. "And how do you figure I did that? I was in jail."
The man shook his head. "Just tell us if he's still alive. He may have been a creep but he was family. Surely you people can respect that."
"Us people?" Daryl crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes growing hard. "You gonna bring your asses into my dad's house and then insult him and the rest of us?"
"Daryl," Buck growled.
"No, fuck these mother fuckers, Buck."
One of the men stepped forward, his eyes flashing. "No, fuck you, Dixon. We know you all did something and you're gonna tell us what it is!"
Carol watched, everything seeming to move in slow motion. Daryl pushed off the counter, going straight for the man that had just spoken, Buck launched himself out of his chair, grabbing him from behind and hauling him back. Damon watched Buck pull Daryl backward with a stormy look. Damon knew exactly what Daryl had been planning on doing and decided to take it upon himself to act for him. Before Odin could make a grab for him Damon had the man pinned against the wall by the throat. One of the man's friends went to grab Damon and that was when Odin stepped in, grabbing the man by the shirt and hauling him backwards. Merle and Randy both tried to drag Damon off the man but the boy was like an Ox when he was angry. Before they could move him he punched the man right in the face.
Throughout all of this, Piper sat calmly, her large green eyes taking in the chaos as she chewed on a piece of toast. Even Sophia, who Carol was worried about, was watching the events unfold with a detached look while she sipped her orange juice. The baby even kicked soundly, like he wanted in on the action.
It all happened fast and it ended even quicker. The men were hauled out of the house and onto the front porch. Carol stood where she was as Odin slammed Damon back into his chair.
"What? He can't come in here disrespecting our family like that!" He argued.
Odin stuck his finger in his face. "There's a goddamn reason this needed to be handled without spillin' any blood and you know it." Odin yelled.
Damon opened his mouth so say something else but suddenly June's quiet voice sounded, silencing Odin and Damon both.
"That's enough," she said. "We're dealing with a situation that's delicate, Damon and you know it. You were out of line."
To Carol's surprise the boy actually looked cowed. He looked down at his plate. "He still didn't have any right too-"
"Damon," she warned, raising one brow at him. "You are not Daryl and I won't have you acting like you are. You need to think before you act or you're eventually going to find yourself in the same spot he was in. You're right. Those men had no business coming here, but you had no business jumping into the situation. You're seventeen years old and it's high time you learned your place. Do you understand me?"
He nodded, still not looking up.
"Carol, sweetheart, sit. I'll fix you a plate." She smiled and walked towards the stove. Daryl was still glaring towards the door. "And you!"
His head shot up, eyes fixing on June's small form.
"You are about to be a father for Christ's sake, Daryl Dixon. You have no choice but to reign it in. You can not just get upset and then punch someone in the face! You do realize that you're on probation, right? And how would you feel if you were sitting in a cell while your child was born. You should be ashamed of yourself!"
He glanced at Carol, his face turning red all the way up to his ears.
"Sit and eat your breakfast. I won't have my morning ruined because my family wants to pretend like they are a bunch of neanderthals. Girls, would you like some more?"
Piper and Sophia both shook their heads. Daryl sat down heavily next to Carol, looking very much like a scolded child. June sat their plates down just as Merle, Buck and Randy came back into the room. Buck shot Daryl a look but Daryl just rolled his eyes.
"You ain't gotta start. I fucked up, alright? I'm tryin' here," he grumbled.
Buck shook his head. "I pray to God you're own son don't give you the trouble you've given me, boy, but if he does it'll serve you right. The damn day after you get out of jail you're gonna pull a stunt like that?"
Daryl shared a look with Damon from across the table. "Fuck, I wasn't thinkin', alright?"
"You want your kid growin' up callin' Merle dad?" Buck barked.
"Fuck you, Buck," Daryl growled.
"Can we just eat? It's done and over with," Carol said, surprising herself by speaking up at all. "What you did was stupid but I don't blame you for reacting that way. And as far as this baby goes, it will definitely know who it's father is. It was a slip up. It's over."
Everyone sitting around the large table was staring at her with a different look. June smiled and gave her a stiff nod. She thought maybe she understood a little better what Daryl was talking about. The women in this family had a tough job.
Piper sighed. "You gotta admit though, Damon landed a beautiful right hook."
"Piper," Merle shook his head.
Carol ate in silence, listening to the bickering and thinking about the men that had shown up here. All she knew for sure was that Buck had had a talk with Dave and he wasn't planning on showing up to testify, forcing the prosecutor to drop the worst of the charges. But what could Buck have said that had the man alienating his own family? "What exactly did you say to Dave Henderson?" She asked suddenly.
She didn't think much of the question until the room grew very quiet and the tension that followed that silence was a heavy one. Daryl tensed at her side but she wasn't looking at him. She was looking at Buck. He met her eyes unflinchingly, eyes that had regarded her with affection and concern. Eyes she had grown to adore because there always seemed to be a humorous spark in them that put her at ease. He sat his coffee cup down, the sound seeming to echo throughout the silent room. From the corner of her eye she saw Daryl shake his head slightly.
Buck cleared his throat and folded his hands on the table. Those eyes turning hard as his lips turned up in a humorless smile. "He's dead."