All we do is sit in silence waiting for a sign
Sick and full of pride
All we do is drive

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"Aight...Shit this is killin' me." Merle mumbled, and that had Daryl's head pop up to the side as he was currently leaning as far back into the seat as he could. "What's that?" 

"The girl...Her ma. Ya know her." That didn't offer much of protection as Merle would've liked, whether this was the comedown of his high or the anxiety he was feeling about Blake.

It'd be better that he find out now, instead of fearing if she dies. 

"How the hell would I know the girl's ma? Don't know anybody with no kids." Merle tilted his head, but the second he was about to respond. Did he see the obvious attention of the army colors coming through to the scene.

"That's the girl's brother, can ya—" 

"I got her," Daryl claimed, taking up the girl to put her leaning against her backpack. He just continued to mindlessly flip through the magazine for the fifth time. But his eyes were staring towards the man in uniform.

He looked young.

Across the ways did Jarod hold a very stern expression as he saw Daryl holding a sleeping Addie. "Why'd you bring him?" 

"He wouldn't let up, what was I gonna do?" Jarod sighed as he rubbed his hands over his face.
"She's not going to—" 

"Blake's got internal bleeding and a broken rib, and that's all I got. That's from hours 'go." The tears in Jarod's eyes were blinked away.

But it wasn't the manliest thing to do, but Merle could understand. "She best be aight." 

"Does he know?" Merle just cleanly his head, and that made Jarod sigh. "Him seeing me will—"
"Will let 'im know."

It was a decision that Blake wouldn't be present for, and with this...Will cause more than a long list of problems, Merle was hoping that Jarod would make the decision rather the Dixon himself.
"Fuck it. She'll be pissed at me later." Jarod growled, taking the long strides towards Daryl. And he just calmly looked up to see the new figure, the mystery girl's brother as he looked to the military personnel.

When finally it hit him.

His back straightened almost as if he's been forced back into time. There wasn't a cell in his body that wasn't in fear. "What're ya doin' here? Ya—" His mouth clenched in the moment as he looked to Merle. 

"It's Blake. Ain't it?" He growled, and Merle, who was scratching his back and nodded.
"I need you to step away from her." Jarod took the incentive, and Daryl rose just to his feet to allow Jarod to take the position. And he was more than comfortable to take Addie into his arms, almost fitting in the instant.

"Why the hell didn't ya tell me? Tell me that ya still talked to her first?" He hissed towards his brother, and Merle, for the first time in his life was caught in complete silence.

"Dixon. Cut it out. Now." Jarod ordered, and now he was targeted in the instant.
"Didn't think I was talkin' to ya Holden." He countered. And all Jarod could do was laugh, laugh although he took a tear away from his eyes.

"She's going to kill us." He whispered, soothing the little girl in his arms who was soundly asleep, the medication she was given was kicking in full effect now.
"Ya got a plan lieutenant?" Merle questioned, his arms crossing over as he clearly didn't have anything to think of.

"Yeah...Mom's coming on the next flight...But Addie shouldn't stay here, think you can take her over to her friend's house. I'll call—" Merle shook his head.
"Best thin' for that girl is to stay in her own bed, we'll take her home."

Jarod couldn't argue with that, not in the least bit. Instead he nodded, until his eyes targeted Daryl. "Not him."
"Why ya hatin' on me so much, didn't do nothin' to ya." He huffed and in the second, did Jarod lean in for a moment. "You're joking, right?" The serious expression compelled Daryl to feel the guilt.

"You broke her god damn heart."
"That was fuckin' years ago, ain't she gonna say thanks that we watched her kid?" He offered out, looking to his own brother for any help. But the secret wasn't getting across to Daryl. Not in any way.

"This ain't right," Merle whispered, but as he did. He was looking to Addie in desperation.
"If this was the time, she can't be mad."

"But she's gotta focus on gettin' better." Merle countered, Daryl on the other hand was looking between the two of them as he couldn't read in between the lines.

"What the hell are ya two goin' on 'bout?" He cheered, but as sluggish as he asked. As sluggish did Jarod respond.
"Addie's your kid." He claimed, and that sent Daryl to fall back a bit. Struggling to keep to his feet, and instead did he plop into the seat across from both his brother and the army fanatic.

"W-what?" 

"Ya were talkin' to her, lookin' at her. Ya felt it brother, bet ya did. Always had that intuition 'bout thin's." Merle mumbled, and now it was up to Merle to get Addie home.

"It's ya call man, ya want him to stay at her house?" Jarod looked to him, trying to read what he was thinking of. But right now, Daryl couldn't do anything more than look to Addie through the thickets of her own locks of hair.

The gene she had gotten from Daryl. Long brown hair.

"Fine...But you tell her-" 

"I won't. She's got 'nough to worry 'bout." Daryl promised first and foremost, his entire demeanor complete red in the face as he looked panicked. So Jarod nodded once again.

"Take my car." He issued, giving the keys off to Merle as he knew that'd happen in the instant. And instead, did he rise up and hand his niece off to the other uncle, eyeing Daryl straight into the eyes.

"I wouldn't put it past Blake to kick your ass, broken rib or not." He threatened, and Daryl gulped. Thinking directly back to the fearful day he had a gun shoved into his gut, a single twitch of the trigger wouldn't ended him for sure.

"Gonna put her to bed, ya call me if ya hear anythin'. No matter what." Jarod nodded as he looked off to the nurse and went to go trade places with Dixon's that he is there for Blake instead of them. As well as filling out anything she might need.

He smirked as he had to write her occupation. And felt very proud in being able to write the fact that it was three letters. FBI.

"Come on lil brother, ready to see her house?" Merle cheered, Daryl didn't realize how this would play out. But nodded otherwise and took the girl's bag in hand while following Merle back to the parking lot.

The man was silent, watching so carefully how Merle took care of his niece.
Daryl's daughter.

He allowed Merle to drive considering he knew which way it was. But the second Daryl looked back see her slouched into the child's booster seat. He sighed. "How old is she?" 

"'bout six. Almost seven. Ya both born in the same mouth, couple days 'part." Merle responded, just exiting out of the parking lot in the midst of getting to the house.

It was currently early morning, almost two.

Neither brother didn't want to admit it, but they were scared. Worried. Shaking even.

"Why didn't ya tell me?" He whispered, the only light illuminating the small space is the control panel before them both. The question only made Merle huff.

"She asked me not to. Ain't gonna fight her on this, man she was desperate and scared." 

"That's my god damn—" Merle growled in warning, and Daryl stopped in the mid of the sentence and nodded at that.

"She is...No question 'bout it. She got ya eyes, ya energy...Brother, I wanted to tell ya, but Blake—" The name made Daryl sigh into his resting arm. Silencing the entire car.

"Rory hid her from me." 

"Do ya blame her? Ya fought her, called her a whore. She just didn't wanna bother ya. She always thought it was her fault, maybe ya can change her mind." Merle offered.

"Why ya—" 

"Cause then I get to spend more time with my god damn niece." He argued, loudly. But Addie always called him an uncle so it just matched the description.

It was another half an hour until they made it king's county. "That cop said somethin' 'bout her workin' in king's county. What she doin'?" Merle glanced back for a moment, and the side smirk stumbled up as it was actually a bit humorous that he asked.

"Ya ain't gonna believe me man." 

"Try me." Merle's lip shrugged on it's own as he took a few eyed glances so he wouldn't miss the house.

"She works at the police station, part-time..." 

"Her workin' part-time don't right." Daryl chuckled, thinking back to Rory's work ethic.

"Then part-time at Quantico."
"She's a fuckin' FBI—!" The man shouted, and the anger plastered onto Merle's face as he glanced back to Addie. She was still asleep.

"Ya wake her up I'm beatin' ya ass...Look, she's doin' fine by herself and she don't need ya. Ya best 'member that when she's in the clear." He huffed, and the second the driveway was picked. Daryl readied himself for the reveal.

And he wasn't any less disappointed. "What in the name of—"

"Wait 'till ya see inside." Merle smiled, parking the car right beside Blake's other vehicles.
"Somebody home?" 

"Nah, that's her work car and then that's—" 

"She got a work car?" Merle calmly hummed as he went to get Addie from the backseat. The poor girl was knocked out due to the medication given to her by the nurse.

"Ya got her?" Merle held her deep into his chest as he held onto her backpack as well. He motioned to the door. "Key's under the third rock I think. One of the others." He pointed with his semi-free hand, ordering Daryl as he quickly found the fake one and used the key at the door. 

"Careful, Lucky is gonna—" The reaction Daryl had in seeing Lucky was the same as Lucky had in seeing Daryl.

His tail wagged, and plowed his way through to both of the men. "I'm gonna get her to bed, just—stay here for a sec aight?" He offered, and it was a loud shocker that he took his shoe off before heading up the stairs.

Although Daryl looked to the inside of the living with wide eyes, smiling so brightly to see how homey it felt. Seeing the pictures, the love and amount of care Rory put in her own house.

He too took his brother' approach in taking off his shoes as well as walking into the dark offering of the opening in the wall, he flicked on the light to reveal the kitchen. The nudge Lucky had given him made him look down.

"Ya hungry boy?... Aight, let's find ya kibble." He grumbled, looking around the kitchen in awe as everything was organized to the brim. And Lucky just sat down, his chin connecting solely to the ground with wide eyes.

"Yo Daryl, fuck I was gonna give ya the tour."
"Where's the dog's food at?" Daryl asked, closing the fifth cabinet he attempted at. And Merle so quickly opened the side cabinet and held up the box. "Her bike's in the garage." 

"She still got Ripply?" Merle chuckled as he forgot the name of the bike, but shook his head at how quickly Daryl could recall information.

"Ya said Addie's six? What grade that make her in?"

"First grade...Yeah, Blake said somethin' 'bout her startin' real school,girl was hella proud." Daryl had only asked because on the fridge were plastered pictures and Addie's attempt at handwriting.

He smiled so brightly, like the proud father he continued to look around. 

"Ya wanna just snoop in her kitchen or ya wanna snoop in the rest of the house?" Daryl stood in the center, confused out of his mind as the house just completely smelled like Rory from way back when.

Like her imprint protected her and the soul essence of this house. "Yeah, show me 'round." And Merle nodded, offering a handout. Turning on the lights to the dining room.

"Blake made some bomb ass meals, guess it's safe to tell ya that I've been over for dinner...Livin' room, Addie got a limit on the tv from what I 'member and Blake don't got time to watch tv." Daryl's eyes were still wide-eyed to see the pictures, the happy faces.

But he stopped at one particular picture, to see Blake sitting on the ground and Addie in her lap laughing at something so candid that Daryl couldn't help himself but feel the happiness.
"She's—" 

"Yeah, she didn't age brother. Not one bit, but I don't wanna ruin it...But she's gonna look—" The cold stare that Daryl had given his brother stopped his processing thoughts.

So they both sighed down.

"Think it's gonna be bad, like bad bad?" "I dunno man, but she's gonna need help. Not fights." He reminded, and Daryl sighed. He could be angry later. Instead he allowed his brother to finish.

"The basement looks fuckin' great. Comeon, Lucky boy ya wanna come with?" Lucky wagged his tail down to the basement and it was completely finished.

"Blake had this whole house fixed up, she bought it foreclosed. Kitchen, this here and the porch are all fixed up cause of her." Daryl saw the finished basement which might as well be categorized as a movie room. But the door that Merle went to first made him look back.

"She's gonna beat ya ass, and I got no doubt in that. Even if she rockin' a cast." Merle allowed Daryl to enter into the personal gym, and Daryl sighed.

Loudly.

"I'm fucked. Aren't I?"
"Maybe ya brin' flowers and talk to her ma, can figure somethin' out." Daryl liked the idea of that, playing completely nice. But he continued off back up the stairs and another flight.

"So Blake ain't got a boyfriend or nothin'?"
"Ya know what she told me...When Addie was three months? That she ain't gonna even try, and she did. And none of 'em worked out." Merle explained, continuing down the hallway to Addie's room as he peeked his head in. He allowed Lucky to get on into the room, and he quickly took his position in the girl's bed and she snuggled close to the dog.

"Was gonna think it's all princess and shit."

"Nah, that was last year. She's likin' wolves now man." Daryl barely stuck his head in as he saw all the mystical wolf posters and a little statue.

"If that ain't the cutest thin'...I dunno know is." Daryl whispered, looking up to his brother.

"She is...She's gonna have to learn how to use that bow 'gain." He whispered, closing the door slightly. Just in case Lucky wanted to get out. And instead they continued down the hall.

"This here's Blake's office, got her god damn degrees just plastered over the wall." He opened the door and Daryl scoffed the moment he saw it. Newspaper clippings on the wall, as well as a trophy case as the awards, were showcased the progress Blake had done with her studies.

"Ya kiddin' me right...She did all this—With Addie?" Merle just smiled and pointed to the picture at the bottom of every degree, was Addie as a baby or toddler. The beauty of it, was that Daryl didn't screw up her life as much as he first thought.

Instead, she battled through it all.

"FBI?"
"Hmm, she had to leave for three months." Daryl's head snapped back.

"Three months? She left for three months?" Merle nodded, closing his eyes as he didn't like the idea either.
But it's what pays the bills.

"She ain't even here half the year, what—"

"Man it's what gets dinner on the table. Pays for the house, ya know Addie's school almost paid for." Daryl's eyebrows scrunched together as he couldn't begin to understand what the hell that meant.
"What?"
"College. Blake is startin' her college fund already." Merle responded, and although Daryl was about to say something. It was the little girl in the doorway crying that made both men snap their heads on back.

"Aw hun, what's the matter?"

"Where's mama?" She cried, and she pushed away an offering Lucky as he nudged her side. The girl was crying and neither men knew what to do.

"Ya 'member what happened sweetheart?"

"Car accident?" Merle nodded as he bent down before her. Tugging at her shirt for a moment.

"That's right, Jarod's with ya ma and Grandma's on her way back. She outta town, but right now I think ya should get on dressed for bed." Addie sniffled a little bit as she reached her arms out and Merle sighed as he couldn't say no.

"I'll be right on back aight?..." He motioned to Daryl and the man was watching wide eyes. More or less taking notes on how to talk to the little girl, something he still couldn't process just yet.

But something else sparked, he saw the French doors and it called to him as he peeked his head right on in. Seeing the master bedroom, and shook his head at how luxury and comfortable the bed looked.

His eyes masked to the dresser, and he looked to the side. Knowing that Merle would take a given minute with Addie, so he took the given strides to the draw. Taking it open to see the long list of thongs that he was desperate in seeing.

And in the other room was Merle reading to Addie something quick and simple as she too fell asleep once again, Lucky at the end of her bed curled up. Almost knowing that something is completely wrong.

And when Merle turned back to the office, Daryl was no longer there. Instead he saw his brother right in front of her dresser.

He stomped right on over, not allowing the little brother any sort of effort to respond quick enough. "Ya fuckin' kiddin' me?" Daryl dropped it back into the drawer and closed it.
"What are we doin' now?"

"Not lookin' through her shit no more. Christ, ya better listen to me or else I'm tellin' her." Daryl growled but now he had negative leverage on him that he huffed and nodded.

"I'm fucked either way man, last time I'm gonna be in this fuckin' house." Merle couldn't deny him that, and to be fair. This might be the last time he is allowed in either.

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Date Posted: 12-08-18

Time: 12:54

Word-Count: 3183