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 29
Carol's hands trembled a little as she poured coffee for Ed's father. Then she poured herself and Merle cups as well. She was comforted a little by the fact that Merle wasn't going to let her be alone with this intimidating man. Even now, he was standing up at the counter, his eyes fixed on Mr. Peletier.
"Wonderful, Dear," Mr. Peletier praised, "Sit. Sit."
Carol did as she was told, sitting opposite of Ed's father. Merle remained standing.
"Now, let's get down to business, shall we?" Mr. Peletier said conversationally, speaking only to Carol and completely ignoring Merle, "This misunderstanding between you and Edward-"
"I don't think there was any misunderstandin'," Merle cut in, "Ol' Ed made shit pretty damn clear when he gave Carol them black eyes."
Mr. Peletier flicked his head like he was trying to shake off an irksome fly and spoke directly to Carol again, "You know my son, Carol Ann. Probably better than anyone. You know he has a problem with alcohol. It makes him different. Mean. His granddad was the exact same way."
Carol said nothing in response. It was true that Ed was mean when he was drinking, but it was also true that Ed could be mean when he wasn't drinking. Carol's bruises on her arm from Saturday were proof of that.
"What Edward needs right now is support," Peletier continued, "He doesn't need to be condemned and charged. He needs help."
"He does need help," Carol agreed. Peletier smiled.
"Exactly. Now, what I'm proposing is that you drop the charges against my son so I can get him that help. I have the money to send him to a good rehab facility and together, we can support him and get him well," he explained, "Then the two of you can go on your way and get married."
Carol frowned and shook her head, "Mr. Peletier, I want to see Ed get help, but…but I can't marry him-"
"And why not?" Peletier demanded, "My boy has prospects, Carol Ann. This whole hardware store thing is just temporary. It won't be long before Edward sees the light and takes over the family business. He'll be in a good job that will support the two of you while you start your own family. That's what you want, isn't it? A nice house? A husband? Children?"
"Yes, but-"
"My son can give you all of that. I can give you all of that," Peletier bargained, "It would be my pleasure to support you and Ed as you start your lives together."
"That's very generous, Mr. Peletier, but-"
"I know it is," Peletier boasted, taking a sip of the coffee, "but Ed is my only son and what he wants, he gets."
"So that explains the spoiled, arrogant attitude," Merle muttered. Again, he was ignored.
"Now, Carol Ann, all that needs to happen is for you to drop the charges against Ed for his lapse," Peletier said, "Then, we can get started on creating a fairy-tale life for you and my son."
It wasn't tempting. The thought of spending her life with Ed just made her feel sick. Carol shook her head, "Mr. Peletier, I don't want a life with your son. After what he did to me, I can't-"
"That was a lapse. A mistake brought on by his alcoholism," Peletier dismissed, "You know that wasn't the real Ed, don't you, Dear?"
Carol's frown deepened. She didn't know who the real Ed was. She had seen so many different sides of him. There was the charming side. There was the drunk and abusive side. There was the angry side and the pleading side. She sighed, "I don't know the real Ed."
"Then you'll get to know him again," Peletier decided, "After he's sober and recovered, you'll get to know the real Ed and you will love him. What you've seen…well, that's just the alcohol-"
"Bullshit," Merle ejected loudly, "It ain't just the alcohol. He's an arrogant bastard, plain and simple, who uses drinking as an excuse for his asshole behaviour. 'I only hit ya 'cause I was drunk, Honey.' If he don't have that excuse no more, he'll find another one, mark my words. Next time it'll be 'cause his toast got burned or his shirt ain't ironed or 'cause he's a jealous prick."
Peletier finally acknowledged Merle's presence by turning and snapping, "I'm trying to have a conversation with my future daughter-in-law, so why don't you keep your nose out of it and mind your own goddamn business?"
"In my house, she is my business," Merle snarled, pushing off of the cupboard and leaning over the table. Carol stared at Merle for a moment, hearing the words that he didn't say: 'If she's my brother's business, she's my business.'
Peletier sneered at Carol, "Now, now, Carol Ann, why don't you find a better use for your guard dog, hmm? Maybe stick him out on the front lawn so he can get run over chasing traffic?"
"Actually, this is Merle's house," Carol corrected, "and it's his right to decide when it's time to kick people outside."
Merle smirked while Peletier, crossed his arms over his chest and said, "Is that so?"
Carol knew that it was time to end this conversation. She could see it in the dangerous glint in Patrick Peletier's eyes and the attack posture that Merle maintained. She didn't want to see them fight. Merle would only suffer. He was already hurt as it was and if he did manage to injure the other man, he would end up being charged himself. She got to her feet and said, "I agree that Ed needs help, but I after what he did to me, I cannot stand at his side. I cannot marry him. I'll consider dropping the charges against Ed if you can get him help, but for now, I think that you need to leave, Mr. Peletier."
"Is that what you think, girl?" Peletier asked dangerously.
"That is what I know," she said more bravely than she felt, "I trust you can see yourself out?"
"And ya might as well take Ed's shit too," Merle added, "He ain't welcome here no more. I'd help ya carry it, but your son fucked up my arm."
Peletier looked as though he had a lot that he wanted to say, but he settled for leaving. He made a couple of trips to get Ed's things and then he was gone. Carol sagged in relief when he was finally gone, leaning over the counter with her head in her hands. She jumped when she felt Merle's hand on her shoulder.
"Y'alright?"
"I'm okay," Carol replied, "Thank you."
"Ain't nothin'," Merle shrugged. They were quiet for a moment, just standing there in the kitchen. Then Merle said, "Don't drop the charges. Ed needs to get taught a lesson."
"It's not too harsh?" Carol wondered.
"If my brother hadn't barged into that room, that bastard wouldn't've stopped," Merle said softly, "You'd probably be a lot worse off."
Carol shuddered as the memory of the previous morning came back. She remembered being thrown on the bed and she remembered Ed reaching for his belt buckle. She still remembered the pain of Ed forcing himself upon her in the parking lot and she knew that had he succeeded yesterday, she would have been feeling even worse pain.
"You're right," Carol whispered, her voice shaking a little, "You're right."
Merle's arm slid around her shoulders and he pulled her into a one-armed hug, "Lil' Mouse has got some teeth. Ya told him off good."
Carol smiled and leaned into his embrace, "Maybe you're rubbing off on me."
"Good," Merle said.
0-TSR-0
George Taylor sat down at a table at the Harvest Garden and looked around the little restaurant. It was a quaint little place, but a little noisy due to the highway being just outside. It wasn't a place he normally ate lunch due to it being so far out of town, but he felt like he ought to make the drive today. Carol had been so out of sorts when she had visited this weekend. Her mother had wrote it off as pre-wedding nerves, but George wasn't so sure. Though he knew that marriage was the best thing for his daughter's reputation now that she had been intimate with Ed, he wasn't quite so sure that a marriage with Ed Peletier was the best thing for her well-being.
George had always been a little leery of the relationship between Ed and Carol, but he had chosen to give the boy the benefit of the doubt. Sons didn't grow to be their fathers, after all. And while Ed was disrespectful, rude, and someone George had definitely not wanted as a son-in-law, there was no indication that he had chosen the same path as his father. There had been no marks on Carol's skin and no uncertainty on her part…at least not until this weekend.
And Carol's uncertainty was enough to make George dig up an old letter, one that was almost a year old now. He took it out of his pocket and unfolded it.
George-
While flattering, your last letter has reminded me of just how naïve you can be. Edward was only six-years-old when I left. Patrick has had fourteen years to turn my son into a miniature of himself. I hardly think that there's any of me left in that boy at all, though it was a nice thought. Given what you've wrote to me about Ed's troubles in high school and his underage drinking, I'm inclined to believe that he is definitely his father's son. Does that mean that he will treat your daughter as Patrick treated me? I don't know. I don't know how Patrick treats his new wife or if he imparted those same ideas to Ed. I know that's not the reassurance that you want now that our children are dating one another, but that is the best I can do as my son is a stranger to me now.
I may not be able to predict the future, but I can give you some advice. Watch them closely and if you see any of these signs, for the love of God, step in. Ed may try to control what she wears, eats, or does. He may try to keep track of her at all times. Carol may become quiet and withdrawn, maybe unwilling to confide in you or Rose. Look for bruises or marks that she can't explain and be wary if she starts wearing long sleeves all the time. Also watch how she moves. If she is stiff and sore or tender to touch, then be suspicious. This is important, George. More important that religion or reputation or anything like that. If something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't.
I know that even now, you still feel unsure about what you did for me all those years ago. Don't. When I came into the bank that morning, limping and sporting the bruises from Patrick's fists, I was desperate. I couldn't keep living like that, terrified that I would do something to earn his anger. You saved me, George. You helped me flee a horrible marriage…one that probably would have ended up killing me. You saved me. Do the same for your girl.
Always,
Anne
PS: And let Carol go to college in the city. Maybe she'll meet a nice young man there and all of this worrying will be for nothing.
George swallowed a lump in his throat, and folded the letter back up.
He had known Anne for years. They had dated in high school, but had gone their separate ways after. He had gone to school in Atlanta and she had met Patrick Peletier. Their lives had gone in different directions, at least until George moved his new little family out of the city and back home. He and Rose had felt that the small town would be good for their two small girls. It wasn't long before George met Patrick Peletier through the bank. Even back then he had been conniving and devious. He was not someone that George wanted to associate with on a regular basis. That changed when George realized that Anne was married to Patrick. Even more changed when she came to the bank one morning, all beat up and pleading for his help.
Whatever it took, he had said.
Within the hour, she was gone, willing to do anything to escape.
Divorce papers were mailed to Peletier's doorstep a month after that. Patrick was humiliated, but he told people that his wife ran off with some secret lover. He never suspected that George helped Anne flee. To this day, no one knew that George still sent her money from time to time, not even his wife. At first, Anne asked about her son. When George's letters spoke of Ed's troubles in school, she stopped asking about him altogether. She wrote that Ed was his father all over again. George had hoped that wasn't true, especially when Carol announced that she was dating Ed. After Carol's behaviour over the weekend, he now wasn't so sure.
He was seeing more of the signs that Anne had warned him of. Carol's uncertainty and Ed's controlling behaviour. Carol's long-sleeved blouses in the scorching heat. Then there was the events of the last couple of days. He had heard about the Creedy girl, Ed's ex. Somehow, he wasn't entirely convinced that the two were unrelated, especially when Patrick Peletier came to the bank to make a rather large withdrawal that morning. It wasn't unusual, but generally when Patrick declined to speak, it meant that there was trouble with Ed.
That was why he was eager to see his daughter. He wanted to know that she was alright.
He frowned at his server. She was a blond. Definitely not the redhead that he was hoping to see.
"Is Carol Taylor in today?" he asked her. The blond, whose nametag read 'Helen', raised her eyebrows.
"Not today. She called in sick."
"Sick?" George asked sharply, "Is she alright?"
"That's all I know, Sir. Coffee or tea?" Helen asked him.
"Coffee," George replied. His frown deepened as she walked away. It wasn't like Carol to miss work.
He had a bad feeling. He needed to see his daughter when he was finished work.
0-TSR-0
Patrick Peletier was not pleased at all.
He had spent most of the day running around to try to keep his son from facing serious jail time. It wasn't easy, considering that Ed kept screwing up. There were only so many times Patrick could all in favors. It would have been much easier if Carol Ann had wised up and dropped the charges, but clearly she was just another stupid girl, much like her useless father. Still, Patrick had his methods. He was well-liked after all, and he had made it a point to grease a few hands.
After his conversation with Carol Ann and her guard dog, Patrick had gone to the bank to get the bail money and then he had to make the drive two towns over to get to the police station. He waited for almost two hours for the imbeciles there to process the bail. Apparently there were more important things going on there and no one cared about meeting his needs. It was frustrating, but Patrick knew better than to cause a scene in a cop shop. Then there was the moment when he saw his son.
Ed was badly beaten, his eyes swollen and puffy. It looked like his nose was broken in addition to a cheekbone. That necessitated a trip to the hospital, where he heard Ed's side of the story as they waited to see a doctor.
"I didn't do a thing," Ed maintained.
"And that was why you were arrested?" Patrick asked, rolling his eyes.
"It was Carol. She's fucking Daryl Dixon," Ed said baldly, "She's trying to make me out to be the bad guy. I never touched her. She was like that when I got home. Trying to set me up. Then Dixon lays in on me and the cops think he used 'reasonable force' or 'self-defence' or some shit. It was all a set up. He hit her so she could pin it on me."
Patrick raised his eyebrows and asked, "Is that so?"
"It is," Ed confirmed, "It's all Dixon. He's fucking my woman."
Patrick shook his head in disgust and said, "So that's why Carol Ann refused to drop the charges."
"It's bullshit," Ed muttered, "but I'll get her back."
Patrick raised an eyebrow in disbelief, "You want that two-timing whore back? Edward, what are you thinking?"
Ed looked over at his father with a cold expression and said, "She changed when Dixon came into the picture. He fucked with her mind. She just needs to remember who she belongs to and Dixon needs to fuck off."
"Well, I doubt it would be too difficult to get rid of the Dixons," Patrick said thoughtfully, remembering the crass behaviour of Merle Dixon, "In fact, I think I might just give their landlord a call…"
0-TSR-0
Daryl was very aware of how filthy he and Kevin were as they walked into the police detachment. They looked like they ought to be on their way back to the cells. The secretary at the front desk was definitely not too pleased to be dealing with them.
"Excuse me, Miss," Kevin said, clearing his throat, "Uh, we…um…well, we think we might have information about Veronica Creedy. The girl that was found near Cranwall."
"One moment, please," the secretary said. She got up and disappeared from the back. She came out a few moments later with the officer that had arrested Ed the day before and a plain clothes detective with short grey hair and a shrewd expression.
"Mr. Dixon," Officer Hanson greeted, "It's good to see you. I hope Miss Taylor is well."
"She's doin' okay," Daryl responded with a curt nod. The detective moved forward impatiently.
"I'm Joe Holden, the lead detective on Miss Creedy's case. Now, you have information for me?" the detective prodded.
"Uh, yes," Kevin said, "Well, I knew Veronica. We went to high school together. I think…well, that her ex-boyfriend might've done this to her."
"Her ex?" Holden asked, "His name?"
"Ed Peletier," Kevin responded.
"What makes you think that it was Ed?" Hanson asked curiously, frowning at the pair.
"Ed started a lot of rumours about her when they broke up," Kevin supplied, "He was angry when it ended. And then Daryl…" he trailed off and looked to Daryl, clearly wanting him to continue the story.
"Ed was my roommate," Daryl said, "Him and his girlfriend were livin' with my brother and me-"
"You were living with Veronica Creedy?" Holden cut across him. Daryl shook his head.
"I ain't never met her. This is the girl he dated after. Carol," he explained, "They was havin' problems on Saturday, so she went to stay at her parents and him and my brother went out to the bar. My brother said that Ed took off in my truck. He didn't come back 'til mornin' and he looked like a wreck, all dirty and scratched up. He showered and then Carol came back and she broke up with him. He hit her and I pulled him off of her. Then Ed was arrested."
As Daryl spoke, Holden seemed to get more and more interested. When Daryl finished, the detective looked thoughtfully over to Officer Hanson.
"Is Mr. Peletier still in custody?"
"His father bailed him out a couple of hours ago," Hanson answered. The colour drained from Daryl's face.
"W-what?" Daryl stammered.
"Damn," Holden swore, "We'll need to gather up some evidence and bring Mr. Peletier back in for questioning. Mr. Dixon, you said that Mr. Peletier had your truck on Saturday night?"
"Yeah…"
"Where is the vehicle now?" Holden asked.
"At my work," Daryl replied, "We drove the work truck here."
"With your permission, we would like to have a look at it," Holden said.
TBC
AN: So the cops are on the trail. Leave a review and let me know what you think.