my angel ➶ ➶ daryl dixon

f o r t y o n e

The men soon slow down, and I catch up with them at a car where Glenn, Maggie, and an African American woman, who I assume is Michonne, are waiting. "What the hell is he doing here?" Glenn scoffed as Merle walked up with us.

"Glenn..." Rick started.

"No. He was the one who was torturing us! He's the Governor's right hand man!" Maggie defended Glenn.

Daryl turned to Merle. "Is this true?"

"Well, I-"

"Don't you lie!" I stepped up, startling many of them. They evidently didn't know I was following them. "You were there every day. Every time that man hurt me. Every time he tried to violate me." I looked at Daryl. His eyes flashed with pure anger.

He spun on Merle. "You let him touch Aspen!"

Merle tried to stand strong against his brother, but you could tell he was rattled. "I was waiting my time. I had a plan-"

"Shut up, you liar!" Glenn yelled at Merle. But before another word could be said, a gun shot echoed through the trees. All of us looked around with wide eyes, trying to find where the bullet had landed. I finally locked eyes with Merle, and blood quickly spread across his shirt. 

"Merle!" Daryl sprinted towards his brother, catching him before he could hit the ground. "Merle! Talk to me! Yer gonna be ok." Daryl frantically pulled off Merle's jacket and shirt, revealing a large bullet wound that was quickly gushing blood.

"Apply pressure!" I ran up to the two men, grabbing Merle's shirt, and helped Daryl hold it over the bullet wound.

Our efforts did nothing to stop the blood, and his shirt was soon soaked. I leaned back, and glanced at Daryl. I could tell he was trying to hold off tears as he held his brother. "Merle, come on man. Yer fine. It's not ya time."

Rick kneeled by us. "Daryl-"

"No! He's fine! Yer fine Merle. Come on man." Tears were starting to form in Merle's eyes as he gasped for air.

"Daryl, you're gonna be alright brotha." Merle whispered as his eyes closed and he took one last breath.

"No!" Daryl yelled, shaking his brothers body. Rick reached over to try to stop him, but Daryl jerked away. "Don't ya touch me!"

"Excuse me." A voice called from behind us. We all spun around. Thomas. He was the one who shot Merle. "I was actually aiming for you, red neck." He motioned to Daryl. "But I seemed to be a lousy shot."

"You!" Daryls eyes were filled with red hot anger as he turned on the boy. "Ya shot him, ya fucking coward. Come fight like a man."

"No! Daryl, he has a gun." I grabbed his arm, stopping him from moving towards Thomas.

Thomas smiled slyly at us. "Oh, this?" He set it on the ground, and turned towards Daryl. "Lets see who the real coward is."

Daryl took two strides and he was on the kid. Normally I would say Thomas would've had at least a small chance against the country man, but Daryl was filled with more anger than I had ever seen in him. With one punch, Thomas was on the ground. A second one and Daryl had broken his nose. After the next few, Thomas' face was barely recognizable. I could see anger leaving Daryl with each punch, and soon the angry grunts turned into sobs as tears began to stream down his face.

Daryl's POV:
All the anger, all the jealousy, all the pain, came out on the boy. In another life, I would've had some sympathy for him, but not in this one. He had taken my Aspen away, and now he had taken my brother away from me forever. He wasn't going to live to see another day.

"Daryl-" I felt a small hand on my back as I took one last punch. I turned to see Aspen with tears in her eyes. I hadn't realized I had some on my own face until I stopped. A sob racked my body as I scooped her into my arms. I held her as tight as a could, and it was definitely hard for her to breathe, but she didn't complain. She rubbed my back as I sobbed into her shoulder, soaking her shirt.

I finally pulled away, looking at the small girl who was holding my heart together with her hands. "I'm sorry." She whispered, not breaking eye contact with me.

"Daryl, we have to go." Rick said quietly. The rest were already in the car. I took one last look at my brother before I grabbed Aspen's hand and pulled her towards the car.

Rick started the engine, and we drove off. I watched in the mirror until I could no longer see the two bodies we had left behind. I closed my eyes, and leaned my head on Aspen's shoulder beside me.

Sometimes even the strongest of us need some support.