Born 2 Be Wild-A Merle Dixon love story

Chapter 46

When Rick picked himself up off of the ground, he seemed to be in a trance. Daryl let go of me and went over to Rick.

"Rick, you with me?" Daryl asked, crouching down to him.

After Rick didn't respond Daryl got up. Carl took the baby from Maggie.

"Let me see the baby." Hershel told Carl.

"What are we gonna feed it? We got anything a baby can eat?" Daryl asked.

I shook my head no.

"The good news is, she looks healthy. But she needs formula. And soon or she won't survive." Hershel announced.

"Nope. Now way. Not her. We ain't losing nobody else. I'm going on a run." Daryl said.

I smiled at the way he became so defensive for this baby that he just met.

"I'll back you up." Maggie volunteered.

"I'll go too." Glenn said.

"Okay, think where we're going. Beth and Jess." Daryl finished, waving us to the side.

"Kid just lost his mom. His dad ain't looking so hot." Daryl said.

"I'll look out for him." Beth assured him.

"I'll help Hershel with the baby until ya'll get back with the formula." I told him.

I knew that's what he wanted. He nodded and his eyes lingered on my face a moment before he walked away to start shouting orders.

"Glenn, Maggie, vamonos!" Daryl shouted.

Rick seemed to snap out of his stupor then. He grabbed the ax that he had previously been carrying and stormed back off into the prison.

"Rick!" Maggie shouted, trying to get him to stop.

Daryl didn't let that bother him. He practically ran around us, yelling orders. It wasn't in an asshole way though, Daryl makes a good leader.

"Get the gate! Come on, we're gonna lose the light!" Daryl yelled, running to the gate.

Maggie and Glenn followed him to the cars. I watched as Daryl and Maggie rode off on Daryl's motorcycle.

I took care of the baby while Beth talked to Carl and Hershel went to talk to Glenn. Rick still hadn't come out of the tombs. Glenn went in after him but Rick didn't return with him. Everyone seems kinda lost without Rick's presence. We lost too many people today.

By the time Daryl and Maggie got back the baby was crying almost nonstop. Needless to say I wasn't the only one happy to see them. Maggie immediately started making a bottle with Beth. Daryl sat down beside me and Carl. Carl was holding the baby.

"How's she doing?" Daryl asked, taking the baby from Carl.

In Daryl's strong arms she still cried but she quieted down. Beth handed Daryl the bottle and he fed the baby like he'd been doing it his whole life. He smiled so big his cheeks looked like they'd burst. Any outsider would think that was Daryl's baby, judging by the look of pride shining on his face.

"She got a name yet?" Daryl asked Carl.

"Not yet. I was thinking maybe Sophia. Then there's Carol, too. And... Andrea. Amy. Jacqui. Patricia. Or... Lori. I don't know." Carl answered.

Carl spoke every name with a measure of sadness that a kid his age should never have to know.

"Yeah... You like that? Huh? Little ass-kicker." Daryl cooed to the baby. "Right? That's a good name, right?" He asked us. "Little ass-kicker. You like that, huh? You like that sweetheart?" He continued cooing.

I watched with a huge smile on my face as well. I wish I could pause this moment and it would stay like this forever.

Later that night Daryl finally gave the baby back to Carl. We made her a makeshift bed and she slept in Maggie and Glenn's cell for the night. I left the commons area and went upstairs to my cell. I sat down on the thin mattress and leaned my head against the wall. I heard footsteps approaching my cell and leaned forward. Daryl was walking in, still grinning. He sat down beside me and let out a happy sigh.

"I forgot how it felt to hold a baby." Daryl said.

"You were really good with her." I told him.

"Makes me wish you and Merle would have had kids. Little Merle's running around." He said, before realizing what he said. "Oh shit, Jess. I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"No, it's okay." I stopped him. "It's good that she has you." I added, trying not to sound as depressed as I felt.

Daryl nodded and then he grinned.

"What is it?" I asked him, smiling. His smiles are contagious.

"I was just thinking of that time that Glenn walked up on us. Then that reminded me of that night ages ago that I walked in on you and Merle at Mark's house." He answered.

I felt a blush rise in my cheeks at the mention of that. "Oh God. I'd forgotten about that."

"That was the last time I ever walked in your room without knocking and waiting first."

"That was the first and the last time we ever messed around at Mark's house." I said, laughing.

The memory of that day flooded through my mind.

Merle snuck into my room like he did almost every night. He'd climb up the same way he always did and come in my open window. He was living in a really shitty apartment at the time with some guy I only met once. Merle didn't want me to be around that guy or the part of town the apartment was in. So he'd come through the woods on the side of Mark's property and come up to my room. Usually we wouldn't do much if any messing around, and we never went all the way. I wanted to wait because I didn't want to risk getting knocked up. So every night Merle would beg and my answer was always no, until that night. Even though I had told Daryl that I slept with Bobby back in Blue Ridge, I really hadn't. I just didn't want Daryl to try to mess around with me at the time. So that also went into it, I'd never slept with anyone. Merle of course knew that.

So anyway after I agreed he promised to be gentle and then just about ripped my clothes off. Before we were finished, my bedroom door swung open and there stood Daryl. He had been coming in my room to tell me about an argument he and Lily had. He stood there with a look of complete horror on his face for a moment before he averted his eyes and started apologizing. I was so embarrassed that I wanted to completely disappear. Merle didn't give a damn though. Before Daryl could go out the door and run away Merle had to speak.

"Why don't you stick around, little brother. You might just learn something." He had told him, laughing.

I have never been that embarrassed since. Not even when Glenn walked up on me and Daryl. Daryl's nervous laughter shook me back to the present.

"Merle didn't let me forget about it." Daryl said, shaking his head. "For about a week after that happened every time he'd see me he'd say 'I'm thinking about banging Jess later, you wanna watch?' then he'd laugh like crazy when I turned bright red."

"He never brought it up to me again. After that I'd sneak out and we'd mess around in his car on a back road. But not there ever again. Merle wanted to keep sneaking in my room but I refused. I guess he decided he'd take uncomfortable sex over no sex at all."

Daryl laughed nervously again. "Sounds like Merle." He replied.