Papá's Girl

The Plan

©JRF2016

        The three Dixons were trekking through the woods looking for food, shelter, anything really. Daryl and Merle were arguing about the river they were hearing when Isabella heard a baby crying. "Shhh," she shushed, "Y'all hear that?" The Dixon boys stopped and listened. "Yeah, that's a baby," Daryl said looking back at his niece who nodded in agreement. "Come on," Merle argued, "Why don't you just piss in my ear and tell me it's rainin' too. That there's the sound of a couple coons makin' love sweet love." He smiled looking at his baby brother and pumping his hips. Daryl ran over to the edge of the river bank and looked up at the bridge with Isabella right behind him. The two stood there watching for a minute when Merle walked up and whistled, "Hey! Jump!" He yelled and then chuckled. "Papá ," Isabella looked at him scoldingly, "Stop bein' a jackass." Merle's face dropped as Daryl took off for the bridge. Isabella stared at her Papá before following Daryl. He watched her walk off and then followed as well yelling to them, "Hey, I ain't wastin' my bullets for a couple strangers ain't never cooked me a meal or fellatiated my piece! That's my policy."

Daryl helped the two men dispatch the walkers that had them trapped while Isabella took out the three crawling over their car trying to get at the woman with the baby. Merle was watching the two of them when Daryl yelled, "A little help here!" Merle grabbed at the pistol he had in his belt just as one of the walkers was sneaking up on Isabella and he fired a shot into its cranium. The walker folded to the ground and Isabella turned to her Papá and gave him a slight nod. When they had put down the walkers Merle walked over to the car and started rummaging through the back seat for food. Daryl pulled his crossbow up and pointed it at Merle, "Least they can do is give us an enchilada or somethin'." Daryl looked at the men and nudged his brother in the back. "Get in your car and go!" The men ran around the opposite side of the car and jumped in as Merle slowly turned and locked eyes with his little brother. They stared at each other as the car backed up and left. Daryl broke his eye contact and started walking away. Merle followed and they started arguing. "You and your buddy Sheriff Rick are like that now, huh?" Merle asked Daryl, "I bet a penny and a fiddle o' gold that you never told 'im that we were plannin' on robbin' that camp blind."

"That didn't happen," Daryl replied.

"Damn right it didn't happen because I wasn't there to help ya." Isabella stood there looking at her Papá. She never would have believed he could have done something like that. Robbing people, the same people that had take her in. "What like when we were kids! Who left who then."

"What, is that why I lost my hand!" Merle screamed back at him. "You lost your hand 'cause you're a simple-minded piece o' shit!" Daryl screamed and then turned to walk away. Merle grabbed for him and his shirt ripped revealing the scars on his back. Merle's eyes actually started to water some, "I, I didn't know."

"Yeah, ya did. He did the same to you, that's why you left first."

"I had to man, I would've killed him otherwise." Isabella stepped up beside her Papá and wrapped her arm around him. She never knew her grandfather and judging by those scars on Daryl's back she was glad that she never met him. "Where ya goin'?"

"Back where I belong," Daryl answered.

"I can't go with ya," Merle said watching his brother walk away from him, "I tried to kill that black bitch. Damn near killed the chinese kid."

"He's Korean, Papá."

"Whatever." Before Daryl continued walking he looked back at Merle, "You know I may be the one that's walking away, but you're the one that's leavin', again." Daryl took off into the trees and Merle put his hand on his hip turning around and looking at his daughter. Her eyes said everything he was afraid to admit to, her eyes told him that she wanted to go back too. He was losing his family to that sheriff and his crew. "Suppose you wanna go with him?" Merle looked into his daughter's eyes and his were glistening but he wouldn't let any tears fall. He'd be damned if he let any tears fall. "We are safer with a group Papá," Isabella argued and she had a good point. "Non essere un cazzo," {Don't be a dick.} She cocked her head and gave him a crooked little grin. He loved this girl. She was everything her mother was and still managed to turn the parts of himself into something good. "You just wanna get back to that hot shot deputy," Merle smiled at her. "Non andando bugia ya papà , lui è un grande vantaggio." {Not gonna lie to ya Papá, he's a big plus.} She winked at him.