Dixons Divided | Daryl Dixon

Chapter 2

Present

Their days passed by in peaceful tandem, shifting one after the other without much fuss. When Daryl looked at his wife, he saw that same girl that had bounced right up to him on that hot summer day. Their daughter, Irma, was growing up to be one hell of a spitfire. At eight years old, she already had a reputation in school as a troublemaker. While Daryl and Ava didn't particularly want to encourage this behavior from their daughter, the still couldn't help but be proud as their daughter pounced on bullies and stood up to anyone who dared try and defy her. Merle, on the other hand...

"Good work, squirt." Merle ruffled her hair, not shy about giving her positive reinforcement. The girl had gotten herself suspended for a second time; although, this time it had been for beating up someone who'd been picking on her. She'd earned herself a pretty bad bruise on her cheek in the scuffle. If Irma felt any discomfort from it she didn't tell anyone. The rage Daryl had felt when he saw someone had dared touch his little girl had made the principal drop the lecture and let them go on their way, so maybe she thought it was better not to draw attention to it. 

"Don't encourage her, Merle." Ava laughed. "We'll be back soon."

"Be careful, yah her?" Daryl was going on a hunt with Merle and their uncle Jess while Ava and Irma went to visit Mrs. Irma Horvath, the very woman they'd named their daughter after. She wasn't doing all that well from what Daryl had heard. Neither was Ava's mother, who was in the hospital now, but Ava was trying her best not to think about it. She had come to terms with her mother's illness, but that didn't make it any less painful to look at the woman. Being a surgeon and knowing she couldn't save her mother? Daryl couldn't even begin to imagine what something like that was like. 

"We will!" Irma chirped. "Don't let no bears eat you."

"I'll protect yer daddy. Don't you worry your pretty little head. Ain't nothin goes against a Dixon and gets out alive." Merle grinned down at the little girl, who grinned back, her blue eyes mirroring those of her uncle's. Daryl bent down to hug the little girl before turning to his wife, who wrapped her arms around him and pressed her lips to his. Irma made an audible gagging sound while Merle wolf-whistled. 

"Ah, wait. Give me your band." Ava said suddenly, fingers lacing with his as she pulled away. She gave him a half-grin that made his heart turn to jelly. "I don't want you losing it."

"That's right." Daryl realized, slipping the ring off his finger and dropping it in her hand. She grinned at him, standing on her toes to give him one last peck on the lips before pulling away. Irma made another gagging sound before turning to scramble up into the car. Daryl watched Ava turn to help their daughter fondly and with mildly concern. They'd made the trip to Atlanta by themselves plenty of times before, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. It was odd. A deep gut feeling that pervaded him and made him want to stop them from going. 

Anyone else might've brushed it off, but Daryl's hunches were seldom ever wrong. He couldn't very well stop his wife and daughter from going to see their dear, dying family friend just because his stomach was doing flips. Though he was sure Ava would humor him and stay behind if he asked sincerely, he didn't want to do that to her, or to Irma Horvath. They didn't deserve that. Instead, he just smiled and helped them set their bags in the car. They were going in for two nights. It seemed foreboding despite the short amount of time. 

Ava and Irma set out with happy waves and wide grins that made his heart flutter. There was something a little heartbreaking about watching half your family drive away that made him want to call and tell Ava to turn right back around, but he didn't. He knew they'd come back to him safe and sound just like they always did. Merle clapped him on the back, seeming to understand to an extent what he was going through. Merle adored Irma. They were partners in crime, really.