"GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" I screamed, kicking the guy in the crotch. He let go of the handcuffs, going to hold his crotch in pain. I pushed him against a tree, "never touch me again or there'd be nothing to kick no more."
China Town pried me off the asshole, making me glare at him.
"For your question, I was a wrestler." I spat, picking up the key to the cuffs and twisting it, making the cuffs drop to the floor. "And I was good."
"Belle," Dale tried, grabbing my hand. I pushed off of him.
"Have any of you heard of personal space?" I hissed, looking around. All the women and children were holding onto each other, like I was some kind of a monster. "Whatever," I spat, taking out a cigarette putting it in my mouth.
I fished out the clipper with the boobs drawing on it, lighting the cigarette up.
"Those redneck fuckers are no good," I heard, making me see red again.
Merle saw the look on my face, and the fact I was about to walk back, and grabbed my arm.
"Breathe baby sis," he said, "we're gonna be out of this camp soon enough, stripping them till they've got nothing, then make a run for it."
I eyed him, nodding. He was right.
He put an arm around my shoulder, guiding me away. We walked past all of the tents until we found Daryl sitting in the edge of the camp next to a worn out tent, playing with his crossbow.
"Naw, Daryl, playing with yourself?" Merle smirked at my comment, but Daryl simply glared.
"Go to sleep, baby," he mocked, and I sat next to him. He gave me my gun, making me smile.
Daryl threw an arm around me, pulling me closer to him. He was eleven years older than me, so by the time I got around he was pretty much old enough to take care of me and protect me best he could. Daryl was my father figure, while Merle was out there, dealing and doing drugs, giving us some money once in a while and checking up on us.
While I looked up to Merle in admiration, I loved Daryl to death and a day without him felt like hell.
"Heart warming and all," Merle spoke, "but your little sister there just got into a fight with officer smiley face."
"He cuffed me," I whined.
"Kicked him right in the balls, I hope," Daryl commented, making me grin. "Atta girl!"
"Stop cheering her," Merle complained, "we need to hang on as long as we can to clean the camp up."
"Relax Merle," the two of us waved him off, "it'll be okay."
"Yeah, a'right," Merle flipped us, "I'm off to sleep."
"SQUEEZE MERLE!" I called to him, reminding him we all have to squeeze into the same tent, that was most definitely not made for three adults to sleep in.
He didn't respond, and within moments we heard the grunts of his snores.
"Ya really should sleep," Daryl nudged me with his shoulder.
"Don't wanna sleep before you do," I shrugged. I was a little dependent when it came to Daryl, kind of needy. He hugged me close to him, kissing the side of my head once more.
"I love ya, kid," he muttered. "I'm so glad ya found us."
"Always," I smiled. "No matter what," he nodded, running a hand through my hair softly, slowly lulling me to sleep. When he realized that he pulled me up, and into the tent, covering me with the sleeping bag and a blanket, squeezing next to me in the third sleeping bag, that could barely fit the tent.
"Feels like home, doesn't it?" he asked, referring to the tent being too small for the three of us, much like the house we all shared.
I nodded, smiling. "I missed the two of ya," I muttered. "I hate contests."
"But ya won."
"And then the world went to shit."
We stayed silent. "World's went to shit years ago," Daryl stated, turning to the other side. "Good night Belle."
"Night Daryl," I told him, turning to Merle's side, who was laying on his stomach, facing the other way.
Daryl could fall asleep hugging me, but during the night he couldn't stand it, unlike Merle, that can't even cuddle for a minute while awake, but has to hug something when sleeping.
I poked Merle lightly, making him turn to face me, throwing his arms around me.
I inched closer to his chest, trying to fall asleep. I felt him twitch in his sleep, and he suddenly rubbed my back.
"Don't ya worry, baby sis." he whispered sleepily, "ain't no one's gonna hurt you."
Merle was just a huge softie undercover, and he showed it best when he was sleeping, or when everyone else were.
He pulled me closer to him, and I knew that he'll keep his word. When he came back from the Army tour he was much more protective, and when he got out of jail for whatever he did there, he started doing it more. Holding me when he thought I needed comfort.
It was funny, I knew that Daryl was always there, but I counted on Merle to be there when shit went down.
I felt a kick in the back of my leg, and knew it was starting.
After a night with the Dixon Brothers, you're lucky to get out with no bruise. Both were kickers, but then again, rumor says it I am too.
•••
"Come on," Daryl called, making me groan.
"It's over three hundred already, do I really have to keep goin'?" I asked, sweat dripping down my face.
"Yeah," he replied simply. "Twenty more," he decided, leaning on the tree. I let out a loud, annoyed breath. Motivated to get over with it, I quickly hop the rope twenty more times. It was unbelievably hot.
"Done," I announced, stopping. I twist my shoulders a bit, hopping from one leg to the other for few moments. Daryl threw a bottle of water at me, and I catch it, chugging down most of it.
I left some water in the bottle, washing my face with it.
Merle walked to where the two of us were standing, "world's ended, what you still doin', training?"
"World's ain't ending," I waved him off, "it just hit a major speed bumper, and when it's back on track, Imma be best MMA fighter left and take all championships."
Merle looked up at the sky, "couldn't at least wait for sun to rise?"
"Nope," both of us replied. I laid on the floor, waiting for one of them to sit on my legs.
"Damn you," Merle muttered, sitting on my legs. I smirked at him, starting to pull myself towards him, and then up, to standing. "Two hooks, jab and uppercut," Merle mumbled, which meant I need to do that combination at any order each time I pulled up.
We settled into silence as they kept giving me orders for which exercises I should do, until finally, Mr. Bad Cop woke up, first of the others.
He looked to the roof of the RV, speaking to someone. Only then did we realize that Dale was keeping watch and was awake the whole time.
"Any of ya noticed he was there?" Daryl asked, confused.
"Yeah," Merle said as I shook my head. The two of us turned to the oldest brother, confusion written on our face. I moved to the side, dodging a jab, and as he went for a grab, I ducked.
"Ya noticed?" making him nod, "Well, why didn't ya say nothing?"
"Figured you knew," he shrugged. "Listen, ya gotta work on ground," he concluded, stopping all together. "Ya can't hope that no one will take you down, I mean--"
"Hey, I'm decent at ground," I huffed, making him roll his eyes as he straightened up. I grabbed both his legs, making him fall down. "See?"
"Cheater," he muttered, as he dodged a punch. I went for an Americana Armlock. "Okay, I tap, le' go."
"Yer no fun," I muttered, standing up, and offering a hand to my big brother. He pulled himself up with my help, and Daryl rested a hand on my shoulder.
"Breakfast?" he asked, signaling that it's time for us to eat a proper meal. Or, as proper as a meal could get in the apocalypse.
We started skinning some squirrels, while making some canned corn a morning snack. "You should eat Tuna," Merle said, digging through some cans.
"Yeah, we'll see it later," I waved him off, handing him the now skinned squirrel. Merle started cooking it as I started skinning my second, Daryl finishing his third. "Are we even sure that those spoiled assholes wanna eat squirrels?"
"Whatever, more for us," Daryl shrugged.
Officer Smiley Face, as Merle decided, walked over to us, making me smirk.
"How're the future kids?" He glared at me silently, sitting down opposite to us.
"What are you doing?"
"During the night we took out everybody's livers. Now we're gonna eat 'em."
"Belle," my two brothers sighed.
"Wha'?" I wondered, shrugging innocently. Officer Smiley Face eyed the three of us strangely, before standing up, making the three of us stand up, ready to defense ourselves.
"Look, the three of you could help us greatly," he stated. "You are all what could be very active members at the camp, and you could be crucial. Don't go around picking fights, a'right?"
"I wasn't picking no fights," I stepped up, "China Town over there was the one threatening me."
"He did what?" Daryl and Merle questioned, "wha' was he sayin'?"
"Said he'll stab us," I muttered back.
"I'm gonna show 'im," Merle muttered, but was stopped as Officer Smiley Face placed his hand on his shoulder.
"No, you ain't, cuz it ain't what he said." He eyed the three of us, "what he said was that you're making everyone wanna stab you."
"Sounds the same to me," Merle announced, shaking his hand off and grabbing a knife.
Daryl stopped him from walking off, "Merle, relax!" he called, "you too, Belle."
"Why should we, baby brother?" Merle asked, "We're just the trouble, the rednecks, the trash. Let's show 'em."
"No, stop it," Daryl pushed Merle back towards me.
"What the hell, Dar?"
He simply glared at the two of us, making both me and Merle turn to Officer Smiley Face. He's done it now.
I stepped forward, only for Merle to pull me behind him, pushing him straight to a tree, and half choking him as he muttered something too low for us to hear.
A dark haired woman walked to us, stressing about Officer Smiley Face, which turned out to be Shane. Daryl walked over, prying Merle off of Shane.
I stood back, glaring. Daryl reached me, still clutching Merle's arm, and started pulling the two of us away. I looked back, to see the woman rushing to Shane's bleeding face.
"Nice," I complimented Merle's handy work, making him smirk.
"Would the two of you explain what's going through your minds?" Daryl hissed.
"Whatchu mean big brother?" I asked, leaning on a tree as he stopped pulling us.
"Stop fighting with everybody, we need 'em to trust us even just a bit."
"Why?"
"Yeah, we could clear the camp right here and now." Daryl shook his head, like we're a couple of dumb-asses.
"Go clean the blood," Daryl told Merle, "and you," he pointed at me, "the sweat."
"Yes mother," I muttered, pushing off of the tree, and walking with Merle to the quarry.
"Since when is he so bossy?" I shrugged, and Merle placed a hand on my back protectively. I turned back for a moment, catching China Town glaring at us, talking to some Mexican man.
I wasn't sure why, but I smiled at him. He looked surprised, and awkwardly smiled back.
I could practically hear Daryl's voice nagging me, "now, ain't it much better than fightin'?"