THETRUEFATHER

Merle groaned as he climbed out of his truck. Jesus he felt much older then he really was. Working at the shop, combined with life at home, Merle was constantly exhausted. But he couldn't let it show. Lewis, the owner of the shop had hired him on at 17, knowing Merle needed the money. Considering Lewis had been the one to fire Travis the year before, Lewis knew life wasn't easy for Merle, and gave him as many hours as he could. But the shop was going thru a slow period, and aside from the work Merle had done today, there wasn't much money to be had.

Merle sighed as he came into the house, knowing what was coming.

"where the fuck have you been!?"

Merle bit his lip before turning to Travis, who was slouched in his ever occupied comfy chair in front of the TV.

"work, someone's gotta pay the bills."

Travis growled as he stood up. "you talkin' back ta me?"

Merle rolled his eyes before he handed Travis his paycheck. "ain't like you're payin' the electricity."

Travis snatched the envelope of bills and counted them out, glaring at Merle as he held it up.

"200$? that's it?!"

Merle shrugged. "Lewis is givin' me what he can, it's a slow period right now."

Merle fought not to flinch as Travis stomped up to him. "don't give me any bullshit. You know what happens then."

Merle gritted his teeth before he nodded. "where's my shit?"

Travis scoffed. "like I should give you any. Worthless ass piece of shit!"

Merle shook his head. "i did my piece, now where's my smack?!"

Travis struck out so fast Merle never saw it coming. As he smacked the wall, Merle felt his eyebrow split, blood spraying out on to the plaster. Merle growled as he turned and shoved Travis back.

"ass hole! Ya break my face I can't work! I can't work, no booze for you!"

Travis punched Merle across the face, across the newly blooming black eye. Merle hit the ground hard, but as he rolled over to get up, Travis threw a small bag onto his chest. Merle snatched the bag containing his heroin, glaring up at Travis as the man spat on him.

Travis sneered at Merle as he walked out of the house with Merle's paycheck.

"you stupid piece of shit! You're nothin', and you never will be. Go overdose you junky, leave the livin' for those that deserve it!"

Merle winced as the door slammed shut, biting his lip as he tested his eye. It was definitely swollen, but no permanent damage. Merle slowly got up, and moved out to the back porch. Merle sighed as he tossed the bag on the table. Everything Travis said was true, every word.

Merle pulled out his cigarettes, lighting one and looking out at the woods. In an instant Merle saw a shadow move. Nothing obvious, the only reason Merle spotted it was because he was looking. Who ever had been there last night was back. Who ever Daryl was meeting, they were back.

Merle sighed. He should go out there, find out what the hell was going on. Daryl could be involved in something he wasn't prepared for. God knows the meth cooks in the area had come to Merle enough, they may be after Daryl now. But Merle knew, that wasn't what was going on.

Daryl was getting better grades. He was bringing in good hunts, and moving with more confidence. Daryl was still a shy teenager, but Merle was getting glimpses of the real Daryl, the one that was hidden most of the time, hiding from Travis.

Merle stubbed out his cigarette, immediately lighting another. He didn't know what was going on in the woods, but who ever it was, they were helping Daryl more then his junky older brother ever could.

THETRUEFATHER

Daryl knew something was wrong as soon as he came thru the door. For one thing there was a fresh break in the wall, and blood surrounding it. Daryl moved quickly to Merle's room, but he didn't see his brother. Daryl moved panicky around the house, terrified that Travis had finally done it, he had killed Merle. Daryl ran out the back door, stopping cold as he found Merle.

Merle was sitting in a chair, smoking a cigarette. One of his eyes was nearly swollen shut and a bruise on his jaw, but other then that and a few cuts and scraps that he had had that morning, Merle appeared fairly unharmed aside from the mountain of cigarette butts.

Daryl looked Merle up and down as Merle met his eye. Merle sighed as he pointed out at the woods.

"what the fuck is goin' on out there?"

Daryl blinked. He thought he had been doing a good job hiding his new found relationship, but Merle always saw thru his bluffs.

"i...how did ya know?"

Merle scoffed. "i know ya baby brother. Somethin's different, I don't know what, but ya want the truth?"

Daryl eyed Merle before he nodded. Merle sighed as he put out his cigarette and stood up, holding Daryl by the shoulders, forcing Daryl to look him in the eye.

"you've been smilin' a lot, gettin' good meals. Ya fall asleep faster at night and in the mornin' ya almost seem happy. I haven't seen ya like that ever, not even when mom was here. Whatever is goin' on, whoever it is, don't give it up okay? You're the good one Daryl, don't mess your life up the way I have. Stay clean, stay in school. Whatever is goin' on, it's helpin' ya. Stick with it."

Merle gave Daryl a rare hug, before he disappeared back inside. Daryl glanced out at the woods, and he easily found where Buck was standing. Daryl gave him a quick nod before he went back in the house and grabbed the rifle and went back outside, quickly crossing into the forest. Buck joined him a few yards into the tree line, stopping to look back at the house.

"i got here as he and Travis were finishin' up. What ever went down was bad though, I could hear Travis long before I got here. Travis was sayin' all kinds of shit ta Merle."

Daryl sighed as he nodded. "i don't know what happened, but Merle, he knows somethin's goin' on, with me out here."

Buck smirked lightly as he nodded. "Merle's a smart fucker, but he's got more balls then he needs at times, Travis is gonna snap on him someday."

Daryl looked over at Buck as they continued on in the forest. "i know. He's always gettin' in Travis' face when he goes after me."

Buck sighed. "I've seen. Realistically that's Merle's best option for protectin' ya. He takes the hits himself, keeps them from goin' to you."

Daryl bit his lip before he spoke. "i think Merle's got some of that zen you were talkin' ta me about. He breaks things down, handles them one thing at a time."

Buck nodded. "he's a thinker, just doesn't know it. I wouldn't be surprised if Merle was significantly more intelligent then anyone gives him credit for. Certainly more then he gives himself credit. He's like your mother that way. She always thought she was just a simple girl, but Hope was much more then that. She was smart, but she didn't think she was. She loved readin', always did well in school."

Daryl was silent for a few moments before he nodded. "i think if someone would give Merle a chance, he could be much more then he is. But right now, fuck we're both trapped."

Buck shook his head. "no ya ain't, neither of ya. Your both my sons, I'm here for ya, even Merle, though he don't know it. You know I have bedrooms waitin' for both of ya."

Daryl nodded. "so...how is this workin' into ya plan?"

Buck chuckled. "I'm ahead of schedule I can tell ya that. Thought I was gonna have ta work harder at ya. Fuck it took me months before ya mama finally kissed me. Thought I was lookin' at that kind of time line. I'm glad though, I hate goin' home to an empty house, knowin' that I should have my two sons with me. It ain't a good feelin', I hate it. Hate that ya ain't with me, I miss ya when your gone.

Daryl was about to respond, when they hear a rustle in the bushes. As Daryl turned, he saw Buck lift the bow and release an arrow before Daryl could even see what Buck was shooting at. There was a sharp squeal, before silence. Daryl gaped as Buck smirked at him.

"how the fuck did ya hit that?!"

Buck chuckled as he walked to the downed rabbit. "practice my son, lots of practice."

Daryl shook his head as he followed Buck. "they let ya practice with a bow in prison?"

Buck laughed as he wrenched the bolt out of the rabbit. "naw, I went huntin' a shit ton before I was arrested. Plus what do ya think I do while I'm waitin' for ya to get out of school? I've got a whole target range set up at the house, in the back yard. But this was experience, I can do that with a gun as well as my bow. Some day you're goin' ta be just as good. This bow is a too heavy for ya, or I'd have ya workin' on it already."

Daryl whistled as Buck lifted the rabbit. "fuck he's huge!"

Buck nodded as he examined the rabbit. "he'll make a fine dinner. Make sure Merle gets to it before Travis."

Daryl nodded. "will do. I know where some wild onions and carrots are. I'll grab those and make a stew."

Buck made quick work field dressing the rabbit before hanging it on his belt. Daryl looked around the forest, realizing they were quite close to some place he had wanted to take Buck for a long time.

Daryl bit his lip before he jerked his head off to the side.

"Come on, I got somethin' ta show you."

Buck nodded and followed Daryl thru the woods. They walked for a time, a comfortable silence between them. Daryl glanced over at Buck as they rounded a bend.

"Almost there."

Buck smirked. "The swimmin' hole?"

Daryl nodded as they came out of the woods and overlooked the glade. The river ran near by, but a deep swimming hole was fed by a creek, warmed by the sun. all around grew Cherokee roses, in full bloom.

Buck looked around as he smiled. "i haven't been here in years. Hope and I used to come down here a lot, damn near every day in the summer."

Daryl grimaced, knowing what was coming was probably going to be rough on Buck. Daryl pointed to the other side of the glade and walked around the pool and up the hill, Buck following beside Daryl. As they came around a tree, a second small clearing at the top became visible, and Buck froze.

In the little clearing was a single Cherokee rose bush, and a rough hewn wooden cross, with the name "Hope" across the top.

Daryl waited and watched as Buck stepped into the clearing. He was silent, his face completely blank, but his eyes. Daryl could see tears forming, as Buck walked slowly to the front of the cross. Buck knelt to his knee, running his finger tips over the faded grain of the wood. He lightly traced the outline of the paint, before Buck stood and walked to Daryl's side. Buck had tear tracks running down his face as he stopped and pointed back to the large clearing.

"your mother and I, this is a special place for us. I first saw ya mom at school, but then I met her here. Hell we first kissed here, made love here. This is an amazin' place, the perfect place for your mother to be buried."

Daryl nodded lightly. "most of my memories of her are from here. Swimmin', playin'."

Buck looked back at the grave, his voice dark and gravely.

"i love your mother, more then anythin' in the world. More then myself, more then my country, more then god and the devil himself. When I found out Hope had died, I went batshit. I attacked a guard, damn near killed him, got solitary for 4 months. I had a complete mental breakdown in there, got broken down into tiny pieces. I came out of there ready ta kill. I had a plan, I knew who to talk to ta get a weapon. I had it down when, where, who and how I was kill as many people as possible, before they took me down. It was goin' ta be a massacre, better planned then any of the fuckin' robberies I planned that landed me in that fuckin' place. I was gonna take out as many people as possible, before they finally took me down. I was gonna go down as I live, fightin' the whole way. But when I got to my cell, the letter was there. And that second my plans changed."

Daryl dropped his eyes to the ground, not sure how he was supposed to be reacting.

"i went to the library, and I took out a ton of parentin' books. I read every damn one, then I started askin' people. I learned as much as I could, and I made a new plan. I knew comin' here what I want, I want you and Merle, livin' with me, in the house I bought near here. I want ta see you graduate, I want to teach you everythin' I can."

Buck went silent before he reached a hand out, raising Daryl's head to look at him.

"i never thought I would feel love again. I thought your mother was it, that I was too far gone to ever love anyone. I thought this was my plan, that I was goin' to do this. But I never thought I would love you as much as I do. 2 days out of prison, I came thru the woods, I watched your house for hours. I saw Travis, studied him, knew I needed to know his movements for my plan. Then I saw you and Merle come home. It was in the distance, I couldn't see you clearly. Then you walked out the back door, and came straight towards me. You walked right below me, I could have reached out and touched you. You smiled as you came in the woods, and that fuckin' second I knew I loved you."

Buck held Daryl by the back of the head as he pointed to the grave again.

"Hope may be buried there, but she is not dead. Hope is here, in you, in Merle. I see it every time I am with you. In the way you smile, in the way you think, in the way you act. She's here, and she's given me a chance at somethin'. A true family: you, Merle and I. I won't ever love another woman like I do Hope, won't happen. I can't give you and Merle another mother. But I love you and Merle just as much as I love Hope. You're everythin' I ever hoped you could be and so much more. You're strong Daryl, so strong. You carry your mothers heart, her peace. Its a beautiful thing to see. Hope lives in you."

Daryl felt his body shaking as he processed what Buck was saying, and before he knew it, Daryl was laying his head on Buck's chest, sobbing as Buck held onto Daryl with a grip so tight it almost hurt. But it didn't, because Daryl knew. He knew Buck would never hurt him. Buck was here to stay, and he wasn't letting go.

Buck was shaking as well as he held Daryl, tears falling from both the father and son. Buck pressed a kiss on the side of Daryl's head, and spoke softly.

"Hope is my world, but now you are too Daryl. You and Merle, you are the only things I care about. I would die in a heart beat if it meant savin' you."

Daryl held onto Buck tightly, worried that if he didn't, Buck would slip away as a figment of his imagination. Buck ran his hands up and down Daryl's back, speaking quietly as Daryl calmed down.

"come home with me, please. I can't stand the thought of you there with that motherfucker. It fuckin' kills me."

Daryl took a deep breath before stepping back to look at Buck.

"i want to, I'm almost there, just not yet. I can't just leave Merle, we need to tell him about ya."

Buck didn't look happy but he nodded. "bring him huntin' with you tomorrow. Its time he knew."

Daryl wiped his face off as he looked back at his mothers grave.

"mom would be happy you're here."

Buck smiled lightly as he looked to where the love of his life was buried.

"i know. For the first time in my life, I know what I'm doin' is right, its what I'm supposed to be doin'. I thought for a long time I had no purpose in life, but to cause chaos. But now, now I know I'm supposed to be a father, and you can bet your ass I'm gonna be a good one."

Daryl smirked as he and Buck slowly walked back into the woods.

"you already are."

Buck smirked at Daryl as they walked thru the dark forest.

"it helps havin' some pretty amazin' sons."

Daryl blushed as he tried not to smile.

Buck chuckled. "boy ya blushin' like when ya told me about Carol. Hows that goin'?"

Daryl shrugged. "we have a project in biology together. We're supposed to get together at some point out of school, but her dad works a lot and I don't want her over at Travis'."

Buck nodded. "bring her to my place. I got a computer if ya need it, plus it would be nice to meet the girl that has you all tangled up."

Daryl laughed as he and Buck continued talking as they went thru the woods. It had been a good day, and for the first time since Hope had died, Daryl felt his life was going in the right direction. It was a good feeling, one Daryl didn't want to end. But it had to as they came up to the house, the light off in the distance signally it was time for Buck and Daryl to separate.

Daryl grimaced when he saw Merle come out to the back porch and start the ritual of shooting up.

Buck growled as he watched Merle. "I'm gonna get him off that shit, I swear it. Occasional party drugs ain't gonna kill ya, but what he's stuck in, that's the deadly road."

Daryl nodded as he looked over at Buck. "i don't...i don't think it was his choice ta start. About a year ago, Travis hurt me bad, and Merle had to take me to the hospital. That night when I was in bed I heard them go at it, and when I came out the next morning, Merle was passed out on the floor with a needle in his arm. Since then, I think Travis has been controllin' him, givin' Merle enough to get him hooked and stuck goin' to Travis for more."

Buck clenched his jaw. "I'm goin' to enjoy takin' that fucker down."

Daryl laughed lightly. "please don't go back to prison."

Buck shook his head as he chuckled darkly. "the good thing about bein' a criminal is ya make some friends in low places. I won't get caught, I promise ya that."

Daryl nodded as he looked back at Merle. "I'll get him out here tomorrow."

Buck nodded as he reached a hand out and rubbed Daryl on his back. "we'll get him Daryl, just may take some time. Merle has been Travis' target for a long time, he'll be harder to win over then you. But I'll get him, I promise."

Daryl looked over at Buck. "i know you will, I trust you."

Buck smiled as he pulled Daryl over and gave him a hug, Daryl returning it as they stood for a few moments.

Buck handed Daryl the rabbit they had caught. "get that guy cooked up, he'll be a good dinner."

Daryl nodded. "I'll see ya tomorrow."

Buck chuckled as he watched Daryl walk away. "I'll be waitin'. I love ya Daryl, have a good night."

Daryl gave Buck a small smile and wave before he came out of the forest, walking towards Merle.

Merle was sitting on the back porch, just readying the needle to shoot up. He looked up as Daryl stepped on to the porch, his swollen eye looking less inflamed, but more bruised.

"damn that's a big fucker. Should probably stew him up."

Daryl nodded, before looking up at Merle. "what do ya say you come out with me tomorrow? Its been a while since ya went with me."

Merle was silent as he tied a length of rubber tubing around his arm, before he looked up at Daryl.

"i finally get ta meet who ever the fuck you've been meetin'?"

Daryl bit his lip before nodding. "it's time."

Merle raised an eyebrow. "time for what?"

Daryl chuckled. "all I gotta say is tomorrow is gonna be interestin' for ya."

Merle smirked before picking up the needle. "alright by me. Now go on, get dinner goin'."

Daryl nodded as he went to the door, watching silently as Merle shot up. Merle finished up and sighed as he leaned back, letting the drug envelope him. Daryl shook his head as he went inside. Watching Merle kill himself little by little was hard, but thankfully help was coming for Merle. Help in the form of a very determined Buck Dixon.

Tomorrow they meet! Should b interesting