The Spare Room
Summary: The bills keep piling up and if Daryl Dixon has any hope of improving his life, he and his brother are going to have to find someone to fill their spare room. The problem is that while he can't stand his new roommate, he finds himself falling for his roommate's girlfriend. Caryl. AU.
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that you recognize from the Walking Dead.
Chapter 26
Ed might have been larger, but Daryl was angrier. Ed only had the upper hand for a moment, pinning Daryl on the floor and hitting him once, before Daryl turned the tide, elbowing Ed in in the side. Ed was down and Daryl took the opportunity to rain down blow after blow on the sorry son-of-a-bitch.
As soon as Daryl heard Ed shout, he was running for the door. He had just made it there when he heard Carol cry for Ed to stop. Daryl had flung open the door and what he had saw there made him see red. Ed was on top of Carol, trying to undo her pants. She was struggling, but was quickly subdued when Ed reared back and punched her. Daryl was on him in an instant, tackling him so that the two of them went tumbling to the ground.
Daryl wanted to hurt the motherfucker. He wanted to beat him into the ground for what he did to Carol. He wanted Ed to be in pain for the rest of his miserable life.
It had been the day before graduation. Daryl's grandparents had come over to celebrate with Daryl. Merle and Uncle Jess had been there for supper to. Daryl's pa was sulking in the corner, nursing a bottle in his hand.
It was later on, after everyone left, that Will Dixon let out the frustration that he had been feeling all night. He had gone out into the garage where Daryl was helping Merle with the truck. He was stumbling drunk, but he was still strong. He grabbed Daryl and shoved him down to the ground.
"Ya think you're big shit now, Boy? Ya ain't gonna ever be shit!" Will hollered down at Daryl, rearing back to hit his youngest. Before Merle could do anything to intervene, Daryl's hand closed around a crescent wrench that had fallen to the floor. He hit his father in the kneecap with the wrench. Will fell to the ground, clutching his knee in pain. It was the first time Daryl had ever fought back and it felt good. He hit his father again and again, catching his arms, ribs, and sternum. It was a rush. He was hurting his abuser. He had the power now. He could avenge his mother. He could make his father feel every ounce of pain that Daryl had received.
It was Merle that stopped him before Daryl could bring the wrench down on their father's head.
That same sense of power came to Daryl again as he dominated the fight with Peletier. Each blow felt like justice…justice for everyone that Ed had ever hurt. Justice for anyone that was ever hurt from someone else. Daryl felt that rush again.
And then, like before, Merle intervened before Daryl could go too far. He pulled Daryl off of Ed by the collar.
"Let me go!" Daryl protested, fighting against his brother.
"Ya go any further on him, and he's gonna be dead and you're gonna be behind bars," Merle cautioned, "Besides, Mouse ain't lookin' so good and I got a bum arm."
The mention of Carol had Daryl pausing. He looked at his brother, who had been so keen on dissuading Daryl from interacting with Carol, and he saw Merle nod slightly. Daryl knew then that Merle had changed his tune. Before, it had been about keeping Ed happy and paying, which meant that Merle wasn't going to tolerate Daryl doing anything to anger their new roommate. Now, that had changed. One thing that Merle could never abide by was a man beating on a woman, not after what their old man did to their mother. Daryl knew that Ed was no longer welcome in this house.
"I want him gone," Daryl growled.
"He will be, but ya ain't the one that's gonna get him gone," Merle said, glancing down at the pathetic excuse of a man that was lying at their feet. Ed was beat to hell, his face swollen and bleeding. Merle shook his head, "Ya go further and him and his daddy are gonna get ya put away. They still might try, pussy shitheads that they are. We gonna get there first. We gonna call the pigs and if they ask ya, ya saw Ed beatin' on Carol and ya intervened. He kept comin' at ya, so ya had to use extreme force…had to defend yourself. Now go to mouse."
Daryl did as he was told, exiting the room. Merle had put Carol in Daryl's room. She was laying on the bed, her eyes closed. Daryl rushed to her. He knew a lot about concussions and if she had one, she shouldn't be sleeping.
"Carol? Carol, wake up. Ya gotta open your eyes," he called to her, gently trying to nudge her awake.
"My eyes are open," Carol murmured. Daryl had to lean over her to see that her left eye was open. Her right was swollen shut.
"You're gonna be alright," he promised her, taking her hand in his, "Gonna take care of ya."
"He hit me," Carol whimpered, "He hit me."
"He won't ever touch ya again," Daryl vowed, using his free hand to reach for some Kleenex to wipe some blood from her nose, "Me and Merle…we're gonna make sure of it. He ain't gonna touch ya again."
Carol squeezed his hand tighter, "He was drunk," she tried to explain, "I said I thought we should break up…he accused me and you of cheating and when I said 'no', he…he called me a liar and then he hit me…"
A tear trickled out of her good eye. Daryl swiped it away.
"Ya didn't do nothin' wrong, ya hear? He's the asshole and he ain't ever gonna hurt ya again. I promise."
Carol nodded, resting the side of her face against his hand. Daryl meant his promise. Ed Peletier would never hurt her again.
0-TSR-0
Merle normally wasn't a fan of cops. In his opinion, they were either never around when you needed them or they were around precisely when you didn't want them. Still, in this situation, he knew that it would be disastrous to try to leave the cops out of it. He knew that Peletier was the kind to pull some shit, lying and saying that Daryl went nuts and beat Ed and Carol. That wasn't going to fly at all. Merle put the report in and then he stepped out on the front porch to wait for the police…after he had made sure any illegal narcotics were safely stashed out of sight.
He was a little surprised when a squad car rolled up about five minutes later. The nearest police dispatch was twenty minutes out. Two cops left the vehicle and approached Merle.
"Were you the one who called us about a domestic disturbance?" one officer asked. He was a bigger man with brown hair and kind eyes. His name tag read 'Hanson'. His partner, a female cop with brown hair was named 'Bradshaw'.
"I was," Merle answered, holding out his good hand, "Merle Dixon."
"Officer Hanson and this is Officer Bradshaw," Hanson introduced, "Care to explain what happened, Sir?"
"My roommate, Ed Peletier, was beatin' on his girlfriend. My brother got between 'em, tryin' to get Peletier off Carol. Peletier turned on my brother, so my brother fought back…knocked Ed out," Merle explained, sticking to just the facts.
"Is everyone still inside?" Hanson asked. Merle nodded and moved aside to let the officers pass. He followed them down the hall. They stopped first at Daryl's room, where Daryl was sitting on the bed next to Carol. They were holding hands and Daryl was gently cupping the side of her face. Merle sighed. Apparently there was no getting the boy to keep his hands to himself and at this point, there was no point in trying. Merle had no need to keep Ed happy anymore. He could tolerate a lot of things, but he would not give house to a piece of shit that beat on women.
Daryl got to his feet once he realized that the cops had arrived, yet Carol still had a death grip on his hand, so he couldn't go far.
"My brother, Daryl," Merle introduced, "He was the one that got between Ed and Carol. Carol's the one on the bed there."
"I'm Officer Hanson and this is Officer Bradshaw," Hanson introduced, "She's going to have some questions for you both."
"Alright," Daryl said, a little wary of the police. Carol tried to sit up. She was truly a pitiful sight, with her black, swollen eye and bloody nose. She had to have a hell of a headache.
Hanson turned to Merle, "Will you show me where I can find Mr. Peletier?"
"Gladly," Merle grumbled, leading the officer to the back bedroom. Ed looked even more pitiful than Carol only Merle didn't pity the bastard one bit. Ed was on his hands and knees, trying to get up. Blood dribbled onto the carpet from his face. His eyes were swollen and his face was a mix of blacks and blues. He moved gingerly, indicating that Daryl had done some damage to his ribs.
Hanson crossed the room and helped Ed up, "Mr. Peletier, care to tell me what happened?"
Ed swayed a little and stared blankly at the officer for a moment. Then he said, "Dixon. Dixon came in and beat the hell out of me."
"Is that so?" Hanson wondered, "Because I heard that he intervened while you were hitting your girlfriend."
"Weren't doin' nothin'," Ed said, shaking his head, "We was talkin' and he barged in. He's jealous. Wants to steal my girlfriend."
Merle bristled at the accusation, but he knew that he couldn't do anything to defend his brother while the cop was in the room.
"So how did she wind up with a black eye and a bloody nose?" Hanson demanded. Ed shrugged.
"She was that way when I got home."
"And where were you?" Hanson asked.
"Went for a drive," Ed lied.
Merle snorted and shook his head. Hanson turned towards him and asked, "Something to add, Mr. Dixon?"
"He was out drinkin' with me last night," Merle stated, "He took off in my brother's truck and left me stranded. Don't know what he was up to last night or this mornin', but Carol didn't look like that before he got home."
"So you lied to me just now, Mr. Peletier?" Hanson asked.
Ed glowered at Merle, but he didn't say anything to the officer. Merle couldn't help but smirk. Anything to get Ed Peletier out of his house.
0-TSR-0
Bradshaw met her partner outside where Ed Peletier was being loaded into the back of a police car. It seemed like Cranwall was a hub for violent activity this morning. Just before they had got the call to the Dixon residence, Bradshaw and Hanson had been helping to investigate the brutal rape and assault of a young woman. The woman's name was Veronica Creedy and she had been found unconscious on the side of the road about a mile out of Cranwall. Bradshaw hadn't seen anything like that before. She had specifically chosen the quiet of the country to the horrors of the city when she had graduated the academy because she would rather hand out speeding tickets than witness the horrors of what humans could do to one another. She knew that she would have nightmares about Veronica Creedy for the rest of her life.
The assailant had been brutal in his assault. The poor girl had been beaten so badly that she was barely recognizable. If her purse hadn't been dumped next to her, the police would have had to wait for dental records to identify the poor girl. It was a miracle in itself that she was still alive when a farmer and his dog found her. The police force was still waiting on an update on her condition, but one of the paramedics had said in passing that he believed she would be rushed to Atlanta after a quick evaluation at the hospital in Newnan, if she was able to hold on. It was a horrible event and Bradshaw felt for the family that was being informed of Veronica's fate. She wanted nothing more than to see the sick individual responsible for the attack pay for his crimes.
Bradshaw also wanted to see Ed Peletier pay for his. She shuddered to think of what could have happened to Carol Taylor had Daryl Dixon not intervened. Bradshaw glanced back towards the house where the Dixon brothers were escorting Ms. Taylor out of the house. The three of them were going to follow them to the station where they would be giving statements and where Ms. Taylor would file charges against Peletier. She watched as the younger Dixon walked Ms. Taylor towards the rusted up blue pick-up. The elder Dixon followed them, waiting for Daryl to open the passenger door for the young woman.
"Shame," Hanson said, shaking his head. Bradshaw nodded her head in agreement.
"She said it was the first time he hit her, but not the first time that he has hurt her," Bradshaw said, "I sense that there's more, but nothing she was willing to say in front of the younger brother. I'm going to try to talk to her more when we get to the station."
"Good idea. Peletier's drunk," Hanson supplied, "Just did a breathalizer test on him. That will go into the report. He keeps raving about how this whole thing is some conspiracy concocted by Taylor and the Dixons. He'll have a hell of a hangover when he sobers up. The young Dixon worked him over pretty good and I'm not inclined to offer the bastard anything when we get him in a pen."
"Good," Bradshaw agreed, "In my opinion, Dixon used reasonable force to protect Ms. Taylor and himself. Agreed?"
"Absolutely," Hanson said, "It's fitting that Peletier receives some sort of punishment for this."
Bradshaw crinkled her brow in confusion, "Won't he get jail time for assault?"
"Maybe a couple of days, but no more than that, unfortunately. Peletier's father will likely make bail money, I'm sure and then, no doubt, the pair of them will be continuing on with this conspiracy theory and making the younger Dixon's life hell for a while," Hanson explained grimly.
"But that's not fair," Bradshaw protested.
"No, no it isn't," Hanson agreed, "but in a small town, it's all about who you know and how much money you have. Nothing fair about it…any of it."
0-TSR-0
Tears rolled down the sides of Carol's cheeks as she sat in between the Dixons at the police station in Newnan. She couldn't believe that her morning had come to this, sitting in a cold station, waiting on the police to call her into a room so that she could retell the horrible events of the morning and so that she could press charges against the man she had once agreed to marry. It was overwhelming, confusing, and even a bit scary. Aside from a field trip in elementary school, she had never been in a police station before and it was unnerving.
The only comfort she had was knowing that she was not alone. Daryl was right there beside her, letting her hold his hand, probably a bit too tightly. He was truly a guardian angel. She didn't know how he knew when to barge into the room, but she was thankful that he had and she was thankful that he was sticking close to her. She was also thankful for Merle, who had called the police and was silently offering her support, even though just the previous morning he had wanted his brother to stay away from her.
"Ms. Taylor?" Officer Bradshaw called to her. Carol felt sick as she rose from her seat and left the safety of the Dixons to follow the officer into an interrogation room. It made her feel uncomfortable.
"Please forgive the room, but it's the only private room we have right now," Bradshaw apologized as she slid a piece of paper and a pen in front of Carol, "All I need from you is a written account of what happened this morning and then we'll have a form filled out."
"Okay," Carol said, taking up the pen and jotting down the events of that morning, starting with the moment Ed had walked into the house to when Merle whisked her out of Ed's bedroom. When she was finished, she signed it and slid the statement across the table to the officer.
"Thank you, Ms. Taylor," Bradshaw said, "Before I get the form, I have one more question that I would like to ask you."
Carol warily nodded her head, suddenly feeling apprehensive.
Bradshaw continued, "You said this morning that it was the first time Mr. Peletier hit you, but it wasn't the first time he's hurt you. Could you explain that statement to me?" she asked. Carol felt like there was a piece of lead in her stomach. She felt shame whenever she thought about that night last week when Ed had forced her into Daryl's truck.
"I…I…Ed's grabbed me before…too hard," Carol stammered. It was the truth, but it wasn't the whole truth. Carol could deal with the bruises on her arms. They were minor discomfort compared to the pain she had felt the night that Ed had been rough with her in Daryl's truck.
"Is that all, Ms. Taylor?" Bradshaw prompted, clearly able to see that there was more to Carol's words.
"He was rough with me sometimes," Carol said, averting her gaze, "That's all."
Bradshaw looked at Carol for a long moment. Carol felt like she was being x–rayed by the piercing green eyes of the officer. She felt like the officer could see right through her. Then Bradshaw produced a business card from her pocket and handed it to Carol.
"This is the name and number of a counsellor who specializes in these types of cases. You don't have to use it if you don't feel you have to, but it might be helpful to talk to someone about what you've experienced," Bradshaw explained.
"Thank you," Carol said, looking down at the business card.
"Women in these situations…in your situation…often feel like they have no one to talk to. Maybe this can help," Bradshaw said, getting to her feet, "I'll get you that paper work."
Carol thanked her again.
0-TSR-0
It was late afternoon by the time Carol, Daryl, and Merle got home. Carol looked completely exhausted. She had seen a doctor at the urging of the cops to help with the charges against Ed and aside from a concussion and some bruises, she was alright.
Daryl was finding it hard to keep his eyes off of her. She looked like she was ready to fall apart. Of course, given what had happened, it was understandable. Someone that was supposed to care for her had tried to beat the shit out of her. There was no excuse for that, even if Carol was breaking up with Ed at the time.
"Maybe ya should lie down," Daryl said in what he hoped was a gentle tone, "Doc said you're okay to sleep now."
Carol was too tired to say anything and nodded her head. Daryl watched her as she walked down to the end of the hallway and disappeared into the bathroom.
"I'mma find some boxes or some shit," Merle spoke up from where he was leaning against the wall, "Pack up all of Peletier's shit. He's outta here."
"Finally," Daryl remarked. Merle frowned.
"This gonna be an 'I told ya so' moment?"
Daryl shook his head and replied, "Strange as it is, I'm sort of glad ya didn't kick him out sooner. If ya did, we wouldn't've been there to pull the bastard off of her. Who knows what coulda happened then?"
Merle grunted in agreement and said, "I know ya got ya eye on Mouse and-"
"We ain't doin' this now, Merle," Daryl sighed wearily.
"Shut up and listen," Merle chastised him, "I know ya got ya eye on Mouse and I know ya had ya eye on her for a while. All I'm sayin' is that ya can't jump the gun here. Gotta go slow. Reckon she's gonna be as skittish as a baby deer 'round us men after what happened this mornin'."
Daryl considered this and nodded his head. Though the plan had been to move at Carol's pace, Daryl figured that he ought to go slower than that. The last thing he wanted to do was to jump into something that she might not be ready for. Daryl was a patient man. He could wait.
The door to the bathroom opened and Carol stepped out, carrying a ratty pair of pants. There were new tear-tracks on her face as she approached Daryl. It was then that Daryl realized that those pants belonged to Ed and that there was a pair of pink panties sticking out of the pocket.
"I…I can't-"
"Give those here, Darlin'," Mere said, stepping forward, "I'll throw them with the rest of Ed's shit."
Carol relinquished the pair of pants to Merle's hands and Daryl watched as his brother whisked them out of sight. Daryl turned his attention back to the woman before him. He just wanted to hold her. He wanted to take her in his arms and erase every hurt and injustice that Ed had caused her. He asked, "What do ya need, Carol?" in hopes of being able to find a way to make her feel better.
For a moment, she looked lost. Then she replied, "I'm tired, but I can't…I can't go back in there…"
The bedroom. Of course. Daryl nodded his head and offered, "Take my room. I'll take the couch-"
"Will…will you stay with me?" Carol asked, looking up at him with watery, swollen eyes. Daryl knew that he probably shouldn't, Merle's caution echoing in his head, but at the same time, he couldn't resist the pull to be with her, to know that she was safe and okay.
"I'll stay," he answered. Relief overtook her face and Daryl knew that he had made the right choice.
She wanted him with her and he wanted to be there for her.
TBC
AN: So here is the next update. Carol has suffered quite a bit here, but at least there is no way that she would ever get back with Ed after all of this. It will be a process moving forward for all of the characters. Bear with me as things are still pretty busy, but know I'm working on this and ABM when I can. Thanks for your support!