𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐥《 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘺𝘭 𝘋𝘪𝘹𝘰𝘯 》

e i g h t// S E C O N D C H A N C E

He looked lifeless, lying there on the cold, hard ground. The tragic, shocking view sent weird goose bumps to rise upon Nova's arms.
In the swiftest, most impulsive move she had ever done, Smith took out her knife from the safety of its protection around her clothed waist and forced it into the man who hovered Merle. 
Slushing his winter jacket and ripping through both his shirt of thin material and skin, the man's intentions and plans fell through just like he fell to the floor. 
Given this, she was able to see that Merle Dixon was alive, which was by itself a relief, and not only was he alive he was also ready to fire back. 
His gaze met hers and narrowed for a split second, recognising her face, immediatly associating it with the people of the prison and the Atlanta group and wondering what she was doing there right after.
All these questions inside Dixon's head seemed to have taken more second than he anticipated as he was brutally surprise by a sharp pain on jaw. A punch. The Governor or... his real, less intimidating name, Philip had gotten back on his feet, refusing to be taken down by a backstab.
Merle threw himself on him punching continuously and roughly. Smith stood there waiting for a moment, not knowing which move would be the best when he was pinned down on the floor.
Philip didn't lose time trying his luck, pulling his gun on the man above him and Smith knew it was her chance. Each of the men got back on their feet and kept a safe distance between them for just a couple seconds before Philip lashed out screaming like a warrior in a noble battle. Smith took advantage of being almost oblivious to the man as he clearly only had eyes for Dixon.
Fingers curled tempted around the trigger of her silver pistol as she made sure she aimed directly at him.
But, unfortunately, her attempt to shoot him on the back in a way where his chest could also be injured failed miserably as Merle Dixon punched the man running crazily towards him. This made him spin around at the exact same millisecond as the silver trigger was pressed. Philip fell to the ground holding onto his arm as he let out cries of pain.
"Come on!" She shouted for Merle to follow her out of that place.
"Gotta end this first."
She aimed at the fallen man once more but instead of a bullet shooting out, it was only a clicking sound that came out of the weapon. "Shit. I'm out. Where's your gun?!"
"No idea, man. Must have fallen to the ground when this asshole creeped up on me." He sighed, catching his breath from the adrenaline moment they had just experienced. "Screw it, I'll just stab him." He said, as if it was the most natural thing.
But that idea fell instantly as voices shouted out from the outside and bullets punched through the wooden shack, nearly piercing through them as well.
"Got no time!" She yelled through the muffling noise and pulled him by the wrist.

"You do know what we just did back there, right?" He questioned after a quarter hour of silent walking. "To be more exact, what we didn't do."
Smith avoided eye contact and sighed heavily. "Yeah. I do."
"It's your fault."
She stopped dead on her tracks, her jaw hanging. "My fault? Yeah, and if it weren't for me you'd be dead right now."
"Oh, then I should be thanking you, sweetheart!" She rolled her eyes, resuming her walk, picking up the pace this time. "I wanna be with my brother. My brother, he wants to be in the prison. This little trip? Maybe it would've kept that place standing. Kept those people alive but you--"
"That's why you dragged Michonne with you, right? Your soul is as transparent as glass, Dixon. You don't fool anyone and you sure as hell don't fool me. You dragged Michonne along because you wanted to make the deal."
"Rick came and talked to me. Said he wanted me to do the dirty job for y'all fancy, college graduated fuckers--"
"Don't. Don't even try and play that card. You know damn well that was not Rick's plan, especially executed like this and if you truly believe that, you're just as dumb as it gets. You're trying to get their approval is what you're trying to do."
He scoffed in disbelief. "That's what you think? What do I want your bloody 'approval' for, lady?"
"Because you know Daryl won't leave us. He knows he made a mistake the minute he left with you so you got no choice but to stay too. Like you said, you want to be with your brother and he know where he's supposed to be." She paused, trying to keep a level head and use a calmer, softer tone. "I see they way they look at you and I know you see it too. You think that by saving them or doing a great act of contribution, they'll perceive you with other eyes." That simple statement made Dixon's baggy eyes shift to her figure. "You don't have to do that. Daryl never had to do that. Just try not to be an asshole all of the time and things should cool off. And it'd be better for Daryl than you can imagine."
"Ain't changing for no one." He muttered but she knew he was reflecting on the thing she had said.
He was like his brother in that sense. Always made sure to make sure everybody got the memo they did not care about anyone or anything even though they did. Even though they knew they cared about people or that others' opinions actually mattered a little bit to them, they would never admit such and would go out their way to prove the contrary.
After a while shoe soles connecting with the asphalt, Dixon decided to speak his mind again; A cooler aura surrounding him this time.
"Y'all people look at me and see the devil. But you ain't no different from me. Daryl, he ain't no different."
"Things are different for him."
"Yeah, they are. Ricks says jump, he wants to know how high."
Smith shook her head. "Rick needs him. Respects him. He didn't ask you to bring Michonne here now, did he?"
"Nah, 'cause he wants it done."
"You keep telling yourself that. Like I've said, you thought this would be your shot. With your skills, a whole new beginning. But you choose to stay on the outside. Daryl sees that. It makes him think he should follow behind you even though he's settled."
"You keep trying to get under my skin."
"Mmh. 'Cause I see you as clear as day." He side-eyed her, uncomfortable. "You know it's never too late to change but things happened on their own terms at the right time. The whole thing with Maggie and Glenn- it'll cool off eventually but it'll also take time. I know you have too much pride in you to apologise directly to them-- I'm not calling you out, I've known a lot of people like you. My father being one of them. Always too prideful to say how they really feel. Afraid of admitting when they're wrong because they might seem weak, when it reality it just shows you're strong. What I'm trying to say is... Try to make it up to them if you can't apologise- with time, of course. For Daryl, if not for yourself."
He pursed his lips and nodded once in slight surprise. "Your old man no longer around?"
"No. During the fall in Atlanta, right at the beginning."
"Same with mine."
"I'm sorry."
He hummed in response, unable to say he was sorry about her lost as well.