Avenging Angel (Daryl Dixon Love Story)

Chapter Twenty

Daryl grunted as he regained consciousness. Pain ran through his body with every breath he took, amplified by the slight twitching his muscles did involuntarily. His head felt like he had been spinning in circles. He tried to open his eyes, but the light made everything worse. He tried to sit up, but the pain that shot through his body made him collapse back on the ground. He took a few deep breaths before trying again. The pain shot through him like wildfire.

"What are you into little girls now?"

Daryl froze at the sound of his brother's voice. He opened one eye, squinting, as he looked up to see Merle standing over him. "No, I ain't into little girls."

"Could've fooled me," Merle countered. "You spin more time looking for her than your own brother."

"We went back to Atlanta." Daryl protested, "Me and Rick, we went back, but you were gone."

"Rick," Merle scoffed. "You talkin 'bout the same Rick that me made cut off my own hand?"

Daryl's head lolled to the side as a massive headache pounded within his skull. He felt groggy as he raised his head slightly to get a better look at his brother. As Merle swam in and out of focus, Daryl looked his brother over taking in every aspect of the man. After a moment it finally registered that his brother was in fact whole. This was a fuckin' hallucination. Daryl laid his head back on the rocks, finding it too heavy to keep up.

"I don't even know why you're bothering with them. No one in that group will ever care for you like I do. They're not your blood." Merle said in a reassuring voice.

"You're wrong," Daryl said. "I don't why I'm listening to god damn illusion."

"I'm wrong?" Merle questioned. "How am I wrong? None of them gave a damn when they left me to die. No one gives a damn about you lying at the bottom of this hole. You go back there and shoot your pal Rick in the face for me."

Daryl refused to say anything.

"You're thinking 'bout Alexa." Merle's voice sounded matter-of-fact. "She don't care either. If she did, she would be here with you now. Though I understand why you like her. Mmm, a fine piece of ass that one is, I'll just take her myself."

"Don't you dare touch her!" Daryl yelled before he could stop himself.

"Oh, talkin' to me are ya? Well, get up and do somethin'." Daryl just laid there as he listened to his brother's rant, body too sore to move. Pain shot through him as he felt his body jolt roughly. "Get up, or I'll kick your teeth in."

Daryl's head slumped to face his brother once more only to have the man vanish on him. His attention was brought back to his still moving foot where he saw a walker grabbing his shoe. Adrenaline quickly replace the pain as his heart double in speed. He snapped back to reality just in time to kick the walker off of him, scrambling backwards. His hand fumbled before finding the sick he was using earlier, and he used that to bash the walker over the head. A second walker emerged from the bush, and Daryl managed to remove the only arrow he had from his wounded torso. He quickly loaded his crossbow, and fired a perfect head shot moments before the walked descended on him.

He kneeled there, using his crossbow for support as he worked to catch his breath. Merle was right. None of them cared for him, least of all Alexa. She cared more for that damn dog than she did him. He cut off the ears of the dead walkers and made them into a necklace. He then started to climb the ridge. The adrenaline was starting to wear off and every nerve ignited. Daryl gritted his teeth, clamping down on a cry.

At that moment, Merle's voice filled his ears.

"You were always weak." Merle taunted. "From the very start you never had it in you. I'm surprised you made it this far."

Daryl gritted his teeth as he continued to climb.

"I don't see why Alexa likes you." Merle said, "She needs a real man. I can take care of that myself."

Anger rooted deep with Daryl's heart. He focused on that anger and made his way up the ridge.

"You know that I'm the only one to look after your worthless ass."

"You talk a big... game, but... you was never... there. You ain't here... now; some things... never change." Daryl spat through the exertion.

"I'm as real as your Chupacabra," Merle challenged.

"Merle," Daryl growled.

"Oh, did I make you mad?" Merle teased. "Why don't you come up here and kick my ass then?"

Daryl focused on the climb, his strength fueled by anger.

"Come on, little brother," Merle taunted once more. "Grab your friend Rick's hand."

Daryl reached the top, pulling himself over the edge and on solid ground. He laid on his back, panting in an attempt to catch his breath just as Merle disappeared. "Yeah, you better run!"

Daryl trudged through the woods back to the farm. His anger with the imaginary Merle was still in the for front of his mind, fuelling his drive. His brother was right, no one cared about him. He was just a stupid redneck. They all looked down on him. He saw that now. He recognized the area and new he was getting close. Just wait until he got back...

"Daryl?"

Daryl froze as he recognized the voice. "Alexa?" He looked around and saw her standing a few feet ahead of him. She was just as beautiful as ever, but he knew that she was lying in a bed wounded. This was another damned hallucination. His heart sank at the realization making him wish he was with the real Alexa. "What are you doing here?" he found himself asking the image.

"To help," she replied.

Daryl gave a humorless laugh as he made his way out of the tree line. "How can you help?"

"Walker!"

He heard someone yell, but ignored it. The imaginary Alexa continued to walk beside him. She didn't say anything else, but just the thought of her being there, even if she was a hallucination, brought great comfort. Rick and a few others began to surround him with the cop pointing his gun at Daryl. "That's the third time you pointed that thing at my head. You gonna pull the trigger or what?"

Rick lowered his gun just as the imaginary Alexa stepped in front of the cop, blocking Daryl's view. He tilted his head to get a better look when a gunshot pierced the air. The bullet burned as it grazed his temple, forcing him to the ground. Rick yelled out in horror. Daryl looked up as the men descended on him. His focus was beyond them and on the imaginary Alexa, who smiled warmly before disappearing.

"I was kidding." He managed before his entire world went black.