Mac watched as Todd's eyes adjusted to the light that was swinging above his head. Merle kept tapping the metal shade causing the light to swing with a metallic creek with each pass. The slight shake he gave his head let Mac know that the hit he took was harder than they thought. The blood in the corner of his mouth was tacky as he licked at his lips.
"What the hell is goin on?" Todd barked.
Merle came over standing next to Mac and glared down at the man. Merle hated the man the moment he met him. Daryl and Merle both met Todd before he did and it was something that had pissed him off quickly. Hannah had never mentioned meeting a new man when it happened and it took Brian running into his brother's for him to find out. Brian had immediately made his dislike of the man clear to Mac. To his uncles, he was furious and said the man was a asshole and controlling.
"You that worried?" Todd snarled looking at Mac, "You're just pissed cause I was more of a father to that boy than you were."
Mac shifted on his feet and smiled cracking his neck. Moving before Todd could open his mouth again his fist connected with his face. The sick crack of bone sounded around the room and the splatter of blood on cold concrete. The chair rocked backwards beginning to tip when Daryl stepped out of the shadows and righted it.
Todd groaned spitting blood as more rushed from his nose. "You broke my nose!"
Merle chuckled, "States the obvious don't he?"
Daryl huffed at them and Mac looked up searching for his brother's eyes. Daryl wasn't one for violence. Merle sure. He was a brawler had been when he was younger and even more so now that he was military. Daryl was different from them that he never really was one to start shit. He didn't mind finishing it but he wasn't one to stir it up whereas his brothers loved it.
Daryl wasn't looking at him and he knew he was still mad at him. Mac pushed the thought away and looked at the man in the chair. He couldn't think about Daryl while he was doing this shit or everything was going to get fucked up.
"What you're just going to kill me? People will ask questions you stupid fuck!" Todd snapped fear lacing his voice.
Mac shrugged, "Worlds ended motherfucker people are dying everyday."
"What's one more sleazy fuck dead?" Merle taunted.
Todd was hauled up and Daryl swung the back door open. The room was met with the low light of the moon as they marched him out. Mac watched as the man's shoulders hunched inwards despite his attempts to stand tall. With Mac and Merle breathing down his throat as he was forced to follow Daryl.
Daryl was watching over the fence the early morning light shining down on him. He wasn't in the mood to be around anyone right now. He wanted to go hunting but knew that Sophia was going to be looking for him soon. He didn't come back and get her last night and let her know he was going to the house. Stretching his back he regretted that decision of not going home. Well not regret but not finding a place to sleep at least. He was worn the fuck out and staying up all night just made it worse.
He didn't regret that Todd was now dead. The man was a complete piece of shit. It seemed the second he realized he was going to die he started throwing everything he could think of out there to hurt his brother. Mac had damn near been foaming at the mouth like a damn wild animal to get at him. Merle didn't look to much better when he started saying things about their nephew. No he didn't regret that man being dead but that didn't mean that shit didn't stick with you.
The soft thud of boots let him know he had company. He smirked knowing the walk and the person coming towards him. The huff followed by sigh let him know he was about to get a dressing down.
"Where were you?" Sophia's voice was soft as she took a seat next to him. "I was worried ya know."
Daryl looked down at her as she scooted closer to him her legs kicking over the edge. Daryl caught her around the wrist as she adjusted her position keeping her from pitching over the edge. Sophia smiled up at him and settled finally.
"I'm not going to fall off the roof Daryl." She grinned.. "This where you were all night?"
Daryl rolled his shoulders a deep ache settling in his back, "Yeah." It wasn't the full truth but she didn't need that.
"Something wrong? We going to have to leave here?" Her eyes were searching his face.
Daryl shook his head looking back out over Woodbury but mostly the fences. There wasn't many walkers that he could see out there. Daryl knew he needed to get out there and start scouting again like him and Merle talked about. There were quite a few people here and they needed to do what they could to keep things running smooth. Merle was talking about sending other scouting teams but Daryl worked better on his own. He'd be hunting and doing scouting so it just made sense to hit it on his own for the most part. If he came across something he needed help with then he'd come back and get it. Mac was pissed off about it but fuck Mac. Mac didn't make decisions for him and besides he'd made Sophia a promise. He was still going to look when he was out there. She needed her mother.
"Nah we ain't leavin' here." Daryl chuckled.
Sophia nodded her head, "Brian said y'all were up to something? What are we doing?"
Daryl's eyes went to down to her again but she was looking over the town. He followed her eyes and seen his brothers nearby. No doubt Mac was looking for him but he still wasn't in the mood to deal with the man. He was a simple man and at times his brother was the most difficult bastard there was, the both of them.
"Don't know what your talkin' about kid."
Sophia laughed, "You're doing that thing my mom always done."
Daryl kept quiet and let her work her way through whatever she was going to say. Sophia didn't bring her mother up as often. He could tell she still believed she was out there. The girl was full of more hope than anyone he'd ever met. The world didn't get a chance to beat it out of her and that was something Daryl found himself thankful for. Sophia was a breath of fresh air sometimes with the the innocence that still clung to her and the hope in her eyes. Made him forget the world went to hell and they were all living on borrowed time.
"Every time Ed done something she always made the same face you're making now." Sophia sighed, "That you're a kid and don't understand face." Sophia was making air quotes at him.
Daryl fought a smile off his face and nodded, "She was right."
"Don't give me that Daryl the past is gone." Her words were sharp and she sounded older in that moment then she was, "That man is gone but my mom is out there and when we found her you'll see just how stubborn you both are. Facial expressions and all."
Snorting he leaned back against the solid brick behind him the heat of the sun having heated them. It felt good against his tired muscles, "Always givin' me shit kid." Daryl chuckled, "We'll see though."
"You're damn right." Sophia mirrored him leaning back.
He barked out a laugh getting the attention of people on the street below. One thing was for sure he couldn't wait to see her mother's face when she heard her daughter. She was starting to talk and more like him. Daryl's eyes went down to her noticing she was mirroring him in every way at the moment. She was picking up some of his habits and the thought had him shaking his head.
"Daryl did you have kids?" Sophia's voice was soft.
Daryl looked down at her where she leaned against his side her head laying against his shoulder. "Nope."
"Why?"
Shifting at her question Daryl closed his eyes against the bright sun. There were dozens of reasons why he'd never had kids. The most prominent being that almost every woman he'd met was bat shit crazy. That or they were whores. Most women weren't looking to settle down with a man like him or his brothers. Hannah was an exception to that and that had been a fuckin' accident back then. No Daryl just wasn't good with women in general and never had been.
"Just didn't kid."
Sophia sighed, "You didn't want a family?"
Daryl grit his teeth to keep from snapping at her like he would have someone else. He found it hard to say anything to Sophia sometimes. He knew that he should probably jump on to her for some shit he'd heard her saying. Hell she didn't listen to his brothers or Hannah - only him. But for the life of him he couldn't bring himself to when it seemed that she was finally free to be herself. She'd been so scared when he first found her that the girl she was turning into now was vast improvement. She had a damn back bone now and that was something that made him smile. She had grit.
"Not that."
"Then why?"
Rubbing a hand across his face and against the scruff on his face he blew out a breath. Sophia was like a dog with a bone. "What are you really trying to get at kid?"
Sophia stiffened slightly against him but he just waited. She finally looked up towards him and he met her eyes seeing a question there. Something was eating at her. "Do you not want me then Daryl? I'm a kid and...you don't want a family of your own." her face burned red at her words. "I always wished for a dad."
Daryl raised a brow at her and chewed his lip. How the fuck did he respond to that? Shifting in his spot Daryl looked over the town. This is exactly what he meant. Even her as young as she was he was terrible with words and talking. If she started crying he wasn't sure what the fuck he'd do.
"You think cause I didn't have kids and get married that I don't want you around?" Daryl questioned stalling.
Sophia sucked in a breath and nodded against him. Her voice was low as she spoke, "Mac is a asshole and has Brian and Hannah. You're a lot nicer then him so it don't make sense."
Daryl laughed outright at her words, "I like the way you think." Daryl chuckled again shaking his head, "You told me out there that I was all you had and that road goes both ways. Stuck with me."
Sophia didn't speak after that instead they both watched the people below them but she was no longer tense. While the world was falling apart around them these people were moving around like the world out there didn't matter. It bothered him. It was why he kept himself away from the town for the most part. He didn't need some false sense of security. He was going to keep pushing Sophia in training her to hunt and defend herself and make sure that she would never have to worry.
He felt eyes on him and knew it was brothers without even looking. It wouldn't be long now that they knew where he was before they were up here or one of them at least. Brian was the one who made it up there bursting through the door like he was on fire.
He dropped down on Daryl's other side and huffed, "Whatever you and dad done mom is all bitchy now."
"I ain't done shit." Daryl growled.
"Well he's draggin' you under the bus with him then." Brian laughed, "Or Merle tossed y'all both under there."
Daryl looked over at him and raised a brow, "What the fuck you talkin' about? Why the hell would she mad at us?"
"Dad was talking about runs and she got pissed. Somehow it got blamed on you." Brian laughed. "She threatened to do some mean shit to Merle and you."
Brian laughed outright and then Sophia started with him. Both were howling by the time he stood up glaring at them both. Sophia dropped over on her side still laughing clutching her side and Brian was leaning back swiping his eyes.
Shaking his head and turning Daryl left the roof and the two howling kids behind. He could hear them trying to catch up to him. Stepping outside into the street more than a few people looked his way and he cringed. He hated dealing with people. He hated even more that a few of the women were always eyeing him. It made him uneasy. More than uneasy he wanted to fucking leave when they done that shit.
Looking over his shoulder as Brian and Sophia both appeared red faced from laughing. Sophia grinned at him and Brian was doing the same. He wanted to call them both fucking assholes but knew as soon as he did Hannah was likely going to be close by and then he'd hear her bitching.
Walking into the house Sophia was relentless, "Do we get to go with you hunting?"
"What about on the run?" Brian countered.
Daryl grit his teeth as they threw more and more questions at him. The two of them were getting to where if you said something to one you were arguing with both. Grimacing when he realized they were just like him and Mac, even Merle he shook his head.
"How about no." A voice above them spoke.
Daryl glanced up seeing Mac leaning over the banister. Sophia and Brian both groaned and stopped following him immediately. The tone of his brother's voice alerting them to stay away.
Sophia huffed watching Daryl and Mac stand off. It wasn't something she had seen before and it was making her uncomfortable. Since running into Daryl him and his brothers seemed to have this unshakeable bond. This entire feeling of family that Sophia wanted. She wanted that. She wanted her mother but she didn't want to lose these men. She didn't want to lose Daryl. After talking to him earlier she felt better. She was unsure of what to think when it came to him. Most of these people in town thought she was his kid and she let them. She never corrected them and when people asked her who she was now she told them Daryl daughter. She didn't know if he knew and part of her worried he'd be mad. She longed for days when Ed was still around for someone like Daryl. He was strong and always there for her. He had a smile for her any time she looked to him and he always listened to what ever she had to say. He never seemed irritated with her and that was such a difference from Ed. She looked to Daryl and she seen a chance, hope. She seen who her real dad was. Brian had told her that blood didn't make family that it was more than that and she heard the same from Merle. If that was true then Daryl was just going to have to accept that he had a kid now and was a dad.
Brian mirrored her huff and she followed his eyes. That same woman from the other day was standing over to the side watching Mac and Daryl.
"Your mom is gonna be mad." Sophia's voice was low.
Brian looked over to her and gave a sharp nod, "Everyone thinks she's so nice but I'm serious...I think she is crazy."
Sophia grinned at his words and shook her head, "You're scared of her."
Brian made a face, "Am not."
"Your dad is too."
Brian's eyes went to where Mac had followed his uncle. Sophia looked over and seen anger flashing through Daryl's bright eyes at his brother. She didn't know what happened but she knew that whatever it was he was hurt. It was obvious to her but she wasn't so sure if the others seen it. The thought of Daryl hurt made her even more uncomfortable.
"I don't like those women looking at him." Sophia growled.
Brian chuckled at her and she slapped him in the chest with the back of her hand. "Laugh all you want Brian but if some woman comes around that is just another crazy female you have to tolerate."
Brian's face changed and he shot her a look, "I don't like it, I don't like her." They both glared at the women.
"Glad to see we agree."
"FUCK you." Daryl snarled.
Mac's response was lower as both sets of eyes landed on them. Brian and Sophia were watching them with almost pleading eyes to not argue. The thought of the tension in these two men that meant the world to her was upsetting. She seen what fighting in families done. Ed was never a dad and he'd hurt her mother every day. She didn't want to see that again, she couldn't.
Standing up Sophia walked up to them Daryl's eyes coming to her. His face went neutral his eyes softening from the steel they were. Mac looked down at her and she grabbed his wrist getting his attention again.
"Please don't fight. Don't." Sophia pleaded, "You all have each other and that's what matters." Her voice shook and she felt tears starting to well up.
Mac's eyes darted from her to Daryl and back down at the sight of her tears. "Shit she's leaking." Daryl snorted but Mac shoved her towards him. "Fix her she's broke or something."
Sophia wrapped her arms around Daryl as Mac backed away from them. The fight between them forgotten as Daryl's arms went around her. He was the one person she could count on. Her mother was out there and she would believe that till the day she died. She knew it was a long shot finding her. She'd overheard Merle talking to Daryl - she wasn't stupid. She was young but not dumb. Till the day she found her mother Daryl - the Dixon's were all that she had in this world. She would fight and do what she had to keep them safe and together.