The Baker and the Butcher

Chapter 12

It was a mess.
It looked like Daryl's old trailer park had thrown up on the market.
Food was ripped open and thrown haphazardly on the ground, chairs were broken and lay in pieces all over the store, all the tables were flipped over the flowers and plants stepped on.
Daryl took a deep breaths as he walked over to his butchers block.

It was gone. All of it. Gone.

They had stolen all of his equipment and trashed his work bench.
He could feel himself shaking with anger. No. He wouldn't let that happen. Not in his home. Not to his family.
He felt a hand clap his shoulder and knew it was Rick.
" We'll get them brother. Together."
He nodded.
It was an odd moment to remember him but he thought of Merle.
He loved Rick. Rick was his true brother ,but he would never fully understand what he had been through.
Merle wasn't a bad guy.
He was damaged. But so was Daryl.
He would know exactly what to do in this situation, unlike Daryl who just wanted blood.
" alright y'all let's get to cleaning this mess up and make it good as new."
Hershel bellowed from the front of the store. He seemed to gain back his optimism and was smiling with carol and spun her around to the frank Sinatra playing over the markets speakers.
Everyone looked up confused. The sadness on all there faces was enough to make Daryl's knuckles ache.
No one moved as they looked at the mess in front of them.
Suddenly, the beautiful voice that graced his shower walls came from the corner of the market as she glided over to carl .
" just call my name I'll be there in a hurry you don't have to worry" she sang along with Marvin Gaye grabbing carl and swinging him around dramatically slow dancing with him. He was grinning and joined in on the singing. He goofily sang off key meshing with her clear full voice.
" cuz baby there ain't no mountain hiiigggghh enough"
She passed carl off to Lori who grabbed her little boy and spun him around.
He heard Rick from behind him. Who had joined in at some point.
"Ain't no valley low enough"
Michonne surprised him singing along with Tyreese who actually had an amazing voice.
Glenn and Maggie were smooshed close together
" ain't no river wide enough "
Abraham and Rosita were dancing oddly seductive to such a song. He quickly looked away from those two.
Eugene clearly didn't know the words but that didn't stop him from dancing like a complete fool.
Carol was singing her heart out next to Hershel. Who was trying to get Tara and Sasha to sing along, as they blushed bright red.
Suddenly he felt two thin arms around his back grabbing him into a hug.
" to keep me from getting to you babe."
He heard Beth hum softly behind his back. He tensed for a second before relaxing into her arms as she rested her Chin on his shoulder standing on her tippy toes.
He found himself humming along to the second verse and smiling as Beth sang along while everyone danced around the shop picking up garbage and mess.
They sang along to the radio and danced along for 4 hours until all the cleaning they could do was finished.
When they finished it really didn't look so awful. All of them had huge satisfied smiles as they left for the day.
Hershel had asked Rick to drive up to the distributor with him so they could pick up more products.
Hershel had surprised him when he asked him to come handle legal matters with him.
"I reckon I wouldn't be much help in that department" he'd admitted
Hershel stared him in the eye.
"This is our market son and you and I have some things I figure we need to settle. Were getting our home back Daryl and you're the best man to help with that."
He didn't cry because he wasn't no bitch but his throat did get a little tight.
On the way out Beth smiled at him giving his hand a tight squeeze and smiled. Just as she was about to walk out the door she turned around
"Oh and and Daryl?"
He whipped around at her voice.
" I reckon I won't be doing anything at around 8:30 tonight and I just got new minutes on my phone, have a nice night." She smiled slyly. Walking out as the door swung shut behind her.
He stood there with his mouth wide open and his eyes wide.
Glenn and Rick both "ooooohhhhhh" ed him
He threw the dust rag at there corner
"Shutup"
Did he ever mention that he was screwed.