A Happy Marriage?

Chapter 16: One Year Later

(Sorry for the jump but it's important to the story)

"Hey you going home tonight or you gonna come out for a drink?" Tyreese looks over the toolbox at his disheveled friend who had been chugging away at the same gear for the last forty five minutes. He doesn't know why the poor redneck had been butt hurt for so long, but nearly every night for the last few months Daryl was just not, well, Daryl. He had slacked in his work. Had been missing a few times at random, and seems to have acquired the taste for a midnight brewskis down at Zwiller's Pub. Now Tyreese was never one to pry into other people's business, but lately he had become concerned for his dear friend. "I found a cockroach on my face this morning...."

Nothing.

Walking around the red metal barrier, Ty crouches beside his friend and notices that he isn't even awake. Sleep working.

"Daryl!" The white man jumps out of his seat as his token friend's booming voice shakes him from his dreams. He hadn't been sleeping lately. He can go to bed early every night and not get a good nights sleep. It's been like this for almost two months. And it's all because she's gone. "Go home man, you're not even working. And sleeping like that is gonna ruin your back."

Standing up, Daryl nods his head, and puts his hand on his friends shoulder.

"I just can't sleep man. The only thing that puts me out is the bottle..."

"Fuck that shit. Go home, take a hot shower and lay in your bed." Pushing his friend towards the elevator, he gets the door almost all the way closed until an unfriendly appearance makes his way into the box.

"Leaving early again? You think you'd want the extra pay?" Negan straightens his tie and slicks his hair back. His newly shaven face makes him seem more evil than normal. "I don't know about normal employees, but if I was married to the boss, I personally would work as hard and as long as I can to prove I'm not useless."

Daryl says nothing and Negan just laughs.

"Ya know, you are something else. You can't even acknowledge someone who is just looking out for the betterment of his company." Daryl glares at him and as the elevator doors open, Negan hits the emergency stop button. The doors close and the lights go off. It's quiet in the metal container. "You know, I don't think you have been keeping up with your husbandly duties. Your wife has been away for months and you should be working your ass off like a dog so that when she gets back you can shower her in silver and gold. But all you're giving her is piss and shit."

"What do you want from me?!" Daryl gets back in Negan's face and the man kind of has an 'oh shit' smile on his face.

"I was not expecting that fire from you."

"What. Do. You. Want?" Daryl angrily growls.

"I. Want. You. To fucking get back to WORK!" Negan yells back and Daryl looses his shit.

"I'm tired. That's dangerous! Working with the machines I do. It's all fine and dandy for you pencil pushers though. You just sit on your ass and answer the fucking phone and twiddle your dick!" Getting more angry, Negan slams Daryl up against the wall and has his forearm against Daryl's wind pipe- hard.

"You forget, I'm in charge at the moment. And if grunts aren't gonna work...then grunts are going to become lost in the shuffle. I suggest, I strongly suggest, that you back the fuck up off your empowered pedestal and get your tired, sorry ass back to that garage and get. That. Bike. Done." He pulls away from Daryl, who is ashen now, and presses the button on the elevator, opening the door once more. Getting off, he presses the inside button back to Garage and it sends Daryl back to the pits of hell.

Going back to his station, Daryl sits down and tries to work again. Tyreese looks over the tool chest and notices his disheveled friend again. Shaking his head, he goes back to work on the throttle of his bike and ignores the cruel torture Daryl is enduring.

At Midnight, Daryl sluggishly stands up from his work- the motorcycle finished and running, and just closes his eyes. It took him all night, but it's done. As he's about to grab his stuff to go, Negan comes walking over and around the motorcycle. He smirks at Daryl, who could careless at this point.

"So you finished."

"Yes."

"I'm impressed." Negan nods and Daryl just heads towards the door. "You missed something though."

Daryl stops in his footsteps and turns back towards the malicious man.

"No. I didn't. It's done and I'm going home." He takes another step, and hears the breaking noise of the bike hitting the floor. The kickstand is several feet away from it and Negan stands idly by.

"The kickstand isn't properly mounted. Now your tank is leaking gasoline and that's hazardous. Looks like you'll need to clean up the mess and fix it before you punch out." Negan chuckles and Daryl just fumes. Going over to Negan, he looks between him and the bike and loses his shit.

"Oh I'll punch out." Next thing he knows, he punches Negan square in the face sending him tripping over the motorcycle. Standing up, Negan touches his bloody nose and shakes his head angrily.

"You're fired."

"You can't..."

"I can. And I did! Beth will see the camera footage when she comes back and she can't ignore what you just did. You're done Dixon." Negan walks passed Daryl and out the man door to the steps. Daryl looks over towards the security camera and shakes his head. He's too tired to care. Beth won't fire him. She needs him for the arrangement. He's never lied to her either. Negan can't get away with it. Not if Daryl can help it.