A Modern Love

Two Months Apart

Two Months Apart

It's been two months since the incident. Beth has more than moved on from it. But Daryl... Daryl has turned back into his pumpkin of a drunk. Merle's been trying to help him out of it, but every time Daryl sobers up, he just goes out and restocks the fridge with more alcohol. Merle can't keep on top of him, with work and trying to pay Daryl's bills. He sold his favorite of the two motorcycle to be able to pay off the bills that have been piling up over the last two months.

Daryl looks homeless almost. Back to wearing ripped jeans, holey boots, and cut off plaid shirts. He look like a walking dumpster. But what does he care, he never leaves his property. He doesn't give a shit any more. Merle's been trying like hell to help his brother, but he himself feels weak and lost.

Beth on the other hand has found a small ray of sunshine in none other than Mark Matthews. Sure, she has rules against dating co-workers, but if all she needs is a distraction from the pain, then she'll take what she can get.

He is nice and smart, sure he's more of a chatter box than she normally is, but he's great looking and gives her attention. She started seeing him a month after she left Daryl. She still doesn't like to think about it cause she's afraid of those feelings popping back up again.

Sitting on her couch, she's about to call Mark to see if he could pick up Chinese, but there's a knock at the door. She doesn't bother to look through the peep hole, cause she figures it's probably Mark, already here off work. Opening the door, her smile fades as the once familiar face of a Dixon stares back at her with pleading eyes.

"Merle... what.....uhh, what brings you here? How'd you even know where I lived?" She offers him to come in and he does. He looks run down and worried.

"Found ya online, not to be a creep. I uh have to talk to you."

"Please have a seat. You look exhausted." She grabs him something to drink and sits on the couch next to the arm chair he's sitting in.

"I am. I heard bout what happened, I'm really sorry."

"Oh.... it's okay, Merle." She tries not to think about it. It still upsets her quiet a bit.

"It's Daryl. He's lost it. He's been drinking himself dead basically. Can't keep alcohol off him, without almost getting hurt or somethin'. He's become worse than his old self...."

"Merle, I know Daryl has a problem, but we're not together any more and no offense, but it's not really my problem..."

"Now, I knows you still cares about him. An he really still loves you. Yer the only thing that can bring him back. Even if ya jus' talk to him..."

"Beth, I got us some.... Who's this?" Mark walks in and Merle tenses. Beth feels embarrassed. She doesn't want Merle to think bad of her. It's not like she's really with him with him. She's just trying to get a new friend to help her through her troubles. They never even had sex yet.

"This is Daryl's brother Merle. Merle this is Dr. Mark Matthews. Merle jus' stopped by to catch up on a few things." Beth feels like she has to hide the fact that Daryl has his brother coming here to plead his case.

"Oh. Well it's nice meeting you, but I you could go now, that'd be great. Bethany and I have few things to talk about." Merle doesn't like how Matthews is seeming hostile toward him and Beth. He grabs ahold of Beth's arm tightly. Merle tenses up at the sight. He knows Daryl would never touch her like that and wouldn't allow her to be touched like that.

"How bout you release her arm fore you leave a mark." Merle stands up and Beth feels the Dixon fight boiling in his blood.

"The only mark I'm gonna leave is a black and blue one on yer face if ya don't get up outta here, Redneck!" Mark grasps Beth harder and she winces at the pain. She just wishes he wouldn't have come back so soon. Merle steps up closer and Mark pulls Beth closer to him.

"Tha' a threat? Cause it ain't sound like no promise." Merle gets almost so close to his face that he can feel Mark's warm breath on his nose. Mark is a good few inches taller than Merle, so it would t be too easy to fight him.

"It's a promise. Now I suggest you leave."

"Let 'er go first."

"Make me." That was it. Merle pulls a drunk Daryl and sucker punches him right in the jaw. Mark releases Beth, who steps back. But then again, knows she should do something. Mark tackles Merle into the couch and starts wailing on him. Merle shoves him off and into the near by wall.

"Stop it! Stop it! Jesus Christ, yer gonna kill him!" She pulls on Mark's arm and be elbows her in the face. She falls back and knocks her head against the coffee table. It knocks her out and Mark keeps punching Merle as hard as he can. Merle's face is all bloody and when he sees Beth on the floor, gives a below the belt knee to Mark's groin. Mark goes down and Merle hoists him up with all his strength and takes him downstairs out the door and shoves him into Mark's expensive Cadillac, breaking a side view mirror in the process.

He rushes back upstairs and into Beth's apartment. He props her up against his best and taps her face. She has a black an blue on her right eye and a bruise on her temple from the table. Carrying her too her room, he fluffs her pillow and waits a few minutes.

"I need to call Daryl." He grabs his cell phone out of his pocket and calls his brother.

"Lo?" Daryl picks up, half hung over and half just depressed.

"Beth's hurt! Get yer ass to er apartment now! And shave first! You look like a god damn Communist!" Merle hangs up the phone before Daryl can say anything.

Daryl stares at his phone. Why is Merle at Beth's. Why is she hurt? why should he really care?

Because. Even if they're both hurting, he needs to help. Even if she doesn't love him any more, he needs to be save. Even if she can be his, she still needs him now.