F O R D|| L O N E L Y ||(TWD)

Camp- 04

Three minutes, that's all it took for Merle to be an idiot and get himself handcuffed to a pipe on the roof. Ford getting grabbed and dragged into a truck by Andrea, T-Dog came barreling down into the truck, huffing and panting. Ford looked around before stopping at T-Dog. "Where's Merle?" His voice dangerously edgy and sharp, T-Dog ducked his head. "I dropped the key... I'm sorry... I dropped the key down the drain..." Ford slowly got up, hands bawling into fists before he glared at T-dog, Andrea and Morales wrapped Ford up into their arms tightly. Ford yelled and kicked, squirming in their arms as he yelled at T. "You bastard! You fucking bastard!! You left him up there! You left him up there to fucking die!"

His anger level beyond comprehensible to the group around him. His eldest brother took him out on multiple occasions to get him away from their father, knowing damn well Ford was getting abused. Merle kept him safe, gave him a pocket knife for his ninth birthday for protection. He might not have been as close to Merle as he was to Daryl, but they were still brothers, no matter how many years apart from each other they are. Rick looked back and shook his head, letting Morales crawl in front with him, Andrea keeping a strong hold on Ford as he kicked and squirmed.

"Let go of me, damnit, let go! I'm fine! Let the hell go of me!!" He yelled out, kicking her again in the shin slightly, crawling into the corner of the truck, glaring at everyone before going dead silent. Rick got slightly concerned for the young boy, slowing to a stop at a camp, tents, campfires that weren't lit, an RV, and people wandering about. Ford got out first, jumping out and grabbing his stuff, glaring so very harshly at T-Dog. Who kept his head down as he got out of the truck. Ford stuffed his hands in his pants pockets, a small boy and a young woman ran over to Rick and hugged him, the boy yelling out 'Dad' as he ran. Ford watched on in disinterest before a man walked over, holding his hand out.

"I'm Shane, what's your name kid?" He asked with a friendly voice, Ford stared at his hand shortly before looking up at him. "Don't call me kid. And my name is none of your business." Rick looked over and sighed softly. "His name's Ford... Ford Dixon..." Shane let his hand fall. "Where's Merle...?" Ford glanced over at T-dog. "I dunno. Where is my idiot, useless brother?" His tone harsh, danger-like. T-dog flinched. "He... Was being an idiot... Rick handcuffed him to the pipe on the roof... Gave me the key... I dropped it... Down a drain..."He said slowly. Ford looked over at an older man, voice softening slightly. He respected older people, normally at least. "Where are my brother's set up...?" The old man, Dale, pointed to a tent made for two, Ford nodded and walked over to it, throwing his stuff onto Merle's messy bed and laying down.

He shifted and rolled around for a moment before settling onto his back, looking up at the roof of the large tent, a small tapping noise making him glance over at the tent entrance. "Come on in.." A slightly shorter than himself, brunette, blue-eyes boy with a slightly round face slowly opened the flap of the tent. "Thank you... For bringing my dad back... And I'm sorry about your brother..." He whispered, Ford slowly sat up, looking at him. "You're Carl? Your dad talked 'bout you a lot..."

A smile pulled onto Carl's lips as he swayed. "I didn't catch your name..." Ford watched him carefully. "Ford... How old are you?" Carl nibbled his lip softly while thinking. "I'm twelve, how old are you?" Ford looked at him with a confused look. "You don't look twelve. I'm twelve too." Carl smiled and opened the flap again. "C'mon, Mom's gonna start class soon, she still wants Sofia and I to learn stuff..." Ford sighed softly. "That's stupid..." He mumbled, getting up and following behind him. Carl nodded softly, "You have a cool name... Ford..." Carl sounded slightly dazed as he spoke, making Ford smile just a slight bit, the two sat down next to Sofia and listened to Lori speak.

By the end of the small math lesson, the two weren't paying attention and simply messing around, throwing random stuff at each other under the table. Ford sent a playful glare at Carl as he threw an acorn at him. Carl glared back before wrinkling his nose. "That hit my thigh, Ford" He whined while standing up, Ford rolled his eyes and nudged him softly. "Suck it up~" He was slightly less angry, more or less completely calm at this point after talking with Carl and goofing around with him. The boy who was the same age as him, yet didn't look it, had completely calmed him down in the matter of just under an hour.

As nighttime fell the two boys sat down near Rick and Lori, Rick looked over at Ford and smiled at him and his son. "Did you two enjoy your math lesson?" Ford nodded slightly. "Mhm. At least, I did, did you, Carl?" Carl smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I did, it was a nice lesson, thank you mom" "Did you boys learn anything?" Ford slowly looked over at Carl and slowly nodded. "I learned... Carl doesn't like things being thrown at him from under the table..." Carl and he scooted closer at Lori looked at them. "You two weren't paying attention??" Ford coughed softly.

"Uhhhhhhhhhh... N... No..." He glanced over at Carl and started laughing, Rick smiled softly, everyone around them started laughing as well, Ford ate what he was given before getting up and dusting himself off, hearing a loud grunt followed by yelling a bit away from the camp. Ford looked over, Carl got up as well, following Ford to the noise. The adults shot up, rushing ahead of them, Ford held a protective arm out in front of Carl. Wondering what was happening, he heard an all too familiar voice. His eyes widened, darting forward, moving through the group to tackle his brother.

"Daryl...." He whispered, feeling Daryl freeze up in his arms, "The fu- Ford..?" Ford looked up and smiled a tiny bit, looking down at the dead deer and the walker, which made him scoff, stomping his foot through its head. Daryl's arms tightened around Ford, wondering where their other brother was. "Merle?" Ford looked over at Rick. "He's... Uhm... He... He got handcuffed for being a jackass... And... A lot happened... It all went so fast... That... We left him in Atlanta." Daryl slowly let go of Ford, looking down at him with a glare. "You... You left your brother... Handcuffed to a roof...?" Ford swallowed and straightened his back.

"If you're mad, be mad at me. It's on me. I left his side... I wasn't paying attention... I... I... I forgot... I got dragged out of the building... He... I couldn't find him... I... I'm sorry..." T-Dog was about to say something before Rick looked at him, shaking his head. Daryl gritted his teeth before walking off. "Fucking... Useless..." Ford swallowed thickly. "yeah. I know. What's your point? Merle wasn't doing us any good in Atlanta Daryl. He was being an ass to Morales and T-Dog. It's his own fault for being a racist ass in the first place. He'll be fine! So suck it up and get over it!"

Daryl turned and looked at him. "We thought you were dead. We went to the house. You weren't there. We found dad dead as a walker. Where were you? Where have you been for the past multiple months?" Ford looked at him. "I found a hospital. I hunkered down. Made sure Rick was taken care of. I went on runs. If you want me gone. Say it, Daryl. Say the words. You won't see me again. If you're that upset we left Merle behind, just. Say. It." His voice shook a small bit, he hated arguments. The group around them gasped, watching the twelve-year-old talk back to the thirty-year-old.

"We were better off without you Ford! We didn't have to look after a kid who didn't know what the hell he's doing half the time. You don't know how to hunt or track. You don't know how to do anything for yourself. You're useless here." In the heat of the moment, anger rushing through him, Daryl said shit he would soon regret. Soon being just a second later, seeing his younger brother's blue eyes dull. Ford turned and walked off without a word, grabbing his bags from Daryl's and Merle's tent before looking at Daryl once more. "Good to know you think just like our father. I'm gone, Daryl. Count me as gone. I won't be a worry to you anymore. Thanks for keeping me company Rick.. Been a good time..." He whispered, head ducking shortly after before he walked down the trail, leaving the group in shocked silence. Rick became angry shortly after, yelling at Daryl.

Ford's eyes stayed dull as he rushed through the tree's, Daryl was quick to grab his crossbow and run after him, still being yelled at by Rick.