Clover (Daryl Dixon X Male Character)

Mercy Kill

A/N: my step dads Pitbull sliced my hand open but I'm still typing, guys. Chapter song is losing my religion by REM, definitely a Jaxx song as it represents his internal struggle with his belief and the constant thought that maybe he should abandon it.

Jaxx flinched as Daryl once again threw a punch at Bee. She sat on the empty coop floor, leg still messed up and face bruised from Daryl's interrogation last night. Rick and Shane had returned with her, both of them bloody and beaten themselves. Neither would explain what happened. Now here they were, attempting to get something, anything out of Beatrice about her group.

"I told you, Daryl-" she began, Daryl gave her a swift kick in the ribs for her efforts. "I barley know them! Dave and I met them out on the road!" She said, sitting up and spitting out a bloody tooth. Jaxx sat in the corner of the coop.

"How many in the group?" Daryl demanded, with no answer from Beatrice he unsheathed his knife. "Oh come on!" She exclaimed, jumping as Daryl came closer and stabbed the knife into the floor. "How many?!"

"Thirty! Fucking Christ, man." She answered. "And where are these thirty people?" Jaxx asked, after no answer Daryl ripped the bandage off of Bees wound.

"I don't fucking know, I swear!! We traveled around never stayed in one place for more than two days!!" She screamed, Daryl heled his knife to her leg wound. "Scouting? Planning on staying local?" Jaxx asked, Bee shook her head.

"I don't know! Okay I left I wanted to leave with you guys why are you so bent on this?!" She begged, Daryl dug the knife into her wound a little, making her scream in fear.

"I'd tell us everything, Beatrice. You know how well Daryl can carve up fresh meat." Jaxx said, leaning his back against the wall.

"Okay! Okay, they have weapons. Like heavy auto's, shotguns, all that. But I didn't do anything! I was just following Dave!" She pleaded.

"Or was Dave following you? Had that gun to my neck as if you'd done it hundreds of times, now you're tryna' tell me you're innocent?!" Daryl demanded, Bee nodded profusely.

"Yes! Yes I swear, these people took us in! Sure they're kinda aggressive towards females, but that's it! We thought we had a good chance with them! But then I started going scavenging with them, usually it was just the men but Dave kept bringing me along.. One night we found this campsite, some guy and his two daughters... Girls couldn't have been older than sixteen, real young... Pretty." Bee paused to catch her breath and sit up, but her story had caught the attention of both Daryl and Jaxx.

"And their dad had to watch these guys... They didn't even kill them after it was done! But I did.. I killed their daddy, slit those two girls throats... I did it for the best, though! I swear-" her attempts to wriggle out of the whole she dug for herself was cut short, this time Jaxx had flown off of the barrel he sat on and punched her. Then he kicked her. Then he kicked her again.. And again... He kept kicking until Daryl pulled him away and out of the chicken coop they kept her in.

The moment the coop door closed Jaxx began to sob, his face in Daryl's chest. Daryl held onto his husband. "Chill out, Clover. It's alright.." Daryl said softly in an attempt to comfort him. Jaxx thought back before the apocalypse, to his friend Bee. She would cry if she accidentally killed a spider.

"What the fuck has this world done to her?" Jaxx asked between sobs, Daryl rubbed Jaxx's back as he held on. "It's broken her.. It ain't gonna do that to us, though." Daryl reassured, helping Jaxx regain his balance. As they walked towards the group, they all noticed Jaxx crying. Jaxx's face felt red hot with embarrassment.

Without a word he ran to his and Daryl's camp, Carl hopped down from the tree he sat in to follow. "Beatrice gotta gang. Thirty men, got heavy artillery an' ain't lookin' to make friends. If they pull up our boys are dead, and our women.. They sure will wish they were." Daryl said, wanting to summarize as quick as possible to get to Jaxx.

"What'd you do?" Carol asked, Daryl shrugged. "Had a little chat.. She told us 'bout something she did an' Jaxx... Kinda flew off the deep end for a second." Daryl replied before heading off to his camp. Once he caught up, Jaxx was sitting on a tree stump, Carl sat across from him, talking.

"I want you to stay far away from her, Carl.." Jaxx said, his voice slightly hoarse from crying. Carl nodded and stood up, giving Jaxx a quick hug before running back to the others and leaving the couple alone. Daryl took off his jacket/vest combo and draped it over Jaxx's shoulder before sitting directly in front of him on the ground.

"Clover.. Like you said before, our Bee died with the rest of our family.." Daryl said, holding Jaxx's hand.

"I know I just.. To hear her say that she did such terrible things..." Jaxx attempted to explain himself, but the lump in his throat began to form once again.

Daryl stood up and lead Jaxx to their tent, zipping the opening shut once they were inside.

"Never in my life would I have imagined this.. Beating up what used to be my best friend..." Jaxx said, fiddling with the beads of his rosary. "Used to be. She ain't that no more." Daryl replied firmly.

"Heard Dale sayin' he wants to keep her alive... Give her a fighting chance." He added, Jaxx looked at his husband. "There's.. There's no way she's a loose cannon!" Jaxx exclaimed, Daryl nodded in agreement.

"I know, I know.. Tell Dale that... You gonna be okay by yourself for a bit?" Daryl asked, Jaxx kissed his husbands cheek. "Of course, wonderboy. You go do what you got to." He replied, Daryl smiled for him before leaving their tent. Jaxx glanced down at the Celtic Cross on his rosary, surely there was still room for religious morality in this new world?

If that were true, Jaxx wouldn't have lashed out on Beatrice like he did. That sudden jolt of pent up rage made him question himself.

The sound of footsteps snapped Jaxx out of his head, cautiously opening the tent he poked his head through only to find Dale looking for him.

"Dale, over here." Jaxx called out, waving Dale over. Dale entered the tent, his rifle on his back as always. "Hey, Jaxx.. Whats your say on what happens to Beatrice?" Dale asked, clearly hoping for a good answer.

"I.. I just don't know, Dale. On one hand she was my friend before all this, and on the other she's clearly not who she used to be. She's killed people as if they were cattle, she was ready to throw Dave under the bus... She's a danger to us, but at the same time shes an asset. I truly cannot give you a good answer." Jaxx answered truthfully, Dale nodded along as he spoke.

"I understand that, But by sunset you have to make up your mind." Dale replied. Jaxx sighed.

"Sunset? What is this, high noon? Jesus.. Thanks for telling me, Dale. I appreciate you." Jaxx said, Dale gave him a small smile. "It seems like you're the only one these days... Well you and Glenn." He responded, Jaxx shook his head.

"That's not true, the others appreciate you all the same. Daryl does, he just isn't good at showing it.. I may not have a decision now but I will by sunset." Jaxx thought about the possible execution of his friend, was he willing to agree to such a thing?

Once Dale had left, Jaxx emerged from the tent to see Carl by their camp in the treeline. "Carl! What're you doing all the way out there, lad?" Jaxx asked, Carl froze and turned to face Jaxx.

"Nothing.. Just wanted to explore the woods..." He answered, jaxx cocked an eyebrow in suspicion. "And does your parents know you're exploring?" He asked, Carl shook his head. "No, I just want to do kid stuff.. I'm still a kid, right?" He asked, Jaxx nodded slightly.

"Okay, you've got me there... Just please be careful. I'll be right here if anything happens." Jaxx said, Carl smiled. "Thanks Jaxx!" He called out as he ran further into the trees. Jaxx sighed and sat in a lawn chair beside his tent.

"Sweet baby Jesus if anything happens to that boy I will go mental."

A/N: besties idk how y'all read the first few chapters of this fic my wording was fucking terrible. Also I'm just now noticing this is chapter 31, damn.