A Mutually Beneficial Arrangement Pt 4 (Conclusion)

Author’s note: I’m ending this fic in this chapter. I’ll be continuing the story, though, in a sequel featuring Rick and Michonne. 

***

“Come on, man, open the gate,” Shane insisted.

“Why? So you can gun down more innocent people?”

Shane shook his head and looked exasperated. “This ain’t about these people, Rick. This is about us. It’s about you and where your loyalties lie.”

“These people have done nothing--”

“These people ain’t ours!”

Rick sighed. Talking to Shane could be like talking to a brick wall at times, if a brick wall could get pissed off at the drop of a hat.

“They’re not a threat.”

Daryl leaned over the side of the wall and looked Bernard in the eye. “Get your people out of here, now.”

Bernard nodded. He and Beverly helped Ned limp up the street, going, Daryl hoped, to an exit that would give them a chance to survive. They hadn’t even reached the law office when another shot, then another, rang out.

“We have all the gates surrounded,” Merle said. “Nobody’s getting out of here without meeting up with Shane first.”

“You his bitch now?” Daryl asked Merle. His brother spit a mouthful of tobacco juice out but said nothing.

“Shane, put a stop to this, now!” Rick shouted.

“No, man, you put a stop to it. Pick your side and fight.”

“I could ask you to do the same,” Rick said. “Me or the Governor. We were friends years before we teamed up with Brian Blake.”

“It’s because of that friendship that I haven’t gunned you down,” Shane shot back. “You want me to choose, Rick? I choose Brian. I pick him because he understands what it takes to survive in this world.”

“You think I don’t?”

“I know you don’t. If you did, Lori and Carl would still be alive.”

“You shout your goddamn mouth!” Rick snarled. “You don’t mention my family! You don’t get to throw them in my face.”

Shane wasn’t about to back down. “Oh, but I think I do. You left them vulnerable in that town so you could rescue a stranger who got bit and damn near took you out when he turned. I told you not to go, Rick. Brian would never have picked strangers over his own and neither would I. Now, I ain’t gonna tell you again. Pick a side. Do it now or I'll pick for you.”

Rick followed Daryl’s gaze. He saw that Beverly, Bernard, and Ned were now lying dead in the street. Several recognizable men from their camp were marching toward them.

“We tried, man. Better the devil you know,” Daryl said quietly, so that only Rick could hear. He clapped Rick on the arm. “We can try to fight but it'll only get us killed.”

“Yeah,” Rick said slowly, and stared into Shane’s eyes. The devil I know…Their friendship was a thing of the past. That much was obvious now. Shane was just another threat.

“I choose the camp. The Governor,” said Rick.

Shane nodded but he looked almost disappointed. “Wise choice. Now, let us in so I can personally secure the town. Then Daryl and Merle need to have a talk about the mess we left at home with Beth this morning.”

“Beth? What happened to her?” Daryl asked quickly.

“Merle will tell you. Open the gate.”

Daryl and Rick climbed down to move Donny’s body. A few minutes later the gate was wide open and Shane drove in. The noise of the gunshots had attracted the attention of a few walkers. Rick counted five before he and Daryl shoved on the door and closed it, locking them out.

*****

Rick was ostensibly on patrol, when in fact he was pacing. There were eight gates and eight dead guards to be found, even though Shane said they’d cased the place the night before and had found every escape route and now had it covered. 

“They’re either hiding in town or they had an emergency escape that we missed,” Shane said.

“I’ll bet you’re going to gun them down as soon as you find them,” Rick accused.

“Actually, the Governor wants the leaders gunned down, and any man who shows some teeth by pointing or firing a gun. Everyone else is to be interviewed, see if they have any skills that would be useful to the betterment of the group once we move in here. If they do, they’ll live. If not, they die.”

Rick didn’t see a whole lot of living to be done among the Woodbury survivors. Shane nodded at the doors. “The walls here took skill to design and build. People like that can be useful to the group as a whole.”

Without another word Rick started off down a deserted street to begin peering in doors. Shane stayed by his side.

“You don’t have to follow me.”

Shane snorted in disgust. “Come on man, don’t try to bullshit me. Of course I gotta follow you. If I don’t you’ll help whoever you find escape.”

Rick rounded on Shane. The punch took him by surprise, making Shane stagger back into the brick wall. Rick watched him rub his smarting jaw and spit out a mouthful of blood as he glared hatefully at him.

“You ever mention Lori and Carl to me again, you ever throw them up in my face again, I’ll kill you, Shane. Do you hear me? I will fucking kill you, or I’ll die trying. I lost my wife and son, you son of a bitch. Our friendship is over. None of our history will matter if you ever, I mean ever, so much as say their names to me again.”

He turned and stalked off, heading toward the center of town, where the bodies were being piled up. He wanted to check for Jim and Jacqui, to see if they were among the dead. Shane didn’t follow, and he didn’t speak another word.

When he reached the pile of bodies he found Daryl and Merle standing nearby, talking in strained voices. It was immediately clear that Jim and Jacqui weren’t among the dead. Rick was relieved. He’d sent them here to escape the hell of the camp and life under the Governor’s rule. He didn’t want them to die here. He didn’t want more blood on his hands.

“What’s going on?” Rick said, when he approached Merle and Daryl.

“Why’d you bring Daryl here?” Merle said, placing himself between Rick and his brother.

“I told you, Merle, Rick didn’t force me here, I came on my own. It was my choice and I’d make it again,” Daryl insisted.

Merle looked Rick up and down, trying to assess whether or not he could take him in a fight. “You steer clear of my little brother.”

“Daryl’s a grown man, Merle. He can decide who his friends will be,” Rick reminded him.

A dark smile pulled at Merle’s lips. “I’ve looked out for Daryl his whole life. I’ll be damned if I let you get him put on the Governor’s shit list. You’re on your way down, Grimes. You’re not dragging my brother with you.”

Rick leaned in close to Merle. “You’re a piece of shit, Merle. You’re a redneck kiss ass who’d sell his own soul for a bottle of bourbon. I often find myself wondering how the hell you and Daryl share blood because he’s ten times the man you are.”

“I don’t disagree with anything you said in particular,” Merle said. “That won’t change the fact that I’ll kill you if you bring trouble down on him.”

Rick nodded, barely holding his temper in check. “I’m going to let that threat, such as it is, slide, Merle, because I know you’re making it to stand up for your brother. He’s a good man, but he’s also grown. He don’t need either of us holding his hand. I'm walking away now, Merle. It would be in your best interest to keep your mouth shut, or I’ll shut it for you.”

Merle had the good sense not to push Rick, which he was glad for, since the stress of the day was giving him a massive headache. “I’m heading back to camp,” he said. “If you’re coming with me, come on. If you’re staying, that’s your choice.”

He started for the wall and heard Daryl come up behind him.

“Daryl,” Merle called.

“I’ll see you back at camp,” Daryl answered, but he followed after Rick, despite his brother’s demands to return to stay with him in Woodbury. Rick didn't have to look back to know that Merle's face was a canvas painted with bright wide swaths of envy green and rage red.

It didn’t take much for them to wipe out the five walkers that milled about by the wall. When they were down, Daryl opened the gate and Rick drove through. He waited for Daryl to climb in and then they continued on, heading south, heading back to camp.

“What’s going on with your woman?” Rick asked, wishing he had some aspirin and a bottle of booze to numb everything.

“She killed a girl named Jessica. Merle says he saw the incident. It was self defense. Shane saw it too.”

“Then she won’t have any disciplinary problems,” said Rick.

“No, but that girl is soft. She ain’t gonna deal well with this. I don’t need some weepy woman on my hands.”

Rick snorted and rubbed his stubble coated chin. “Something tells me you don’t want this girl getting too close because you’re afraid to lose her. Thing is, I think you're already a goner.”

Daryl didn’t like it that Rick could read him so easily, but he said nothing to confirm Rick’s statement.

“Let’s not talk about me, all right.”

Rick drove on, dodged a walker that meandered down the middle of the road, and kept going.

“I can’t stay in that camp much longer, Daryl. Nobody should. It’s toxic there.”

“You leaving?” Daryl asked.

“I’m gonna have to, eventually.”

“The people would follow you,” Daryl pointed out. “If they knew you wanted to lead. If you were to take control from the Governor.”

Rick shook his head. “That could get messy fast. Believe it or not that man has loyalists. The men in our camp, if you haven’t noticed, have degenerated from decent people to cutthroats and rapists. They like what he provides them. They like the caveman lifestyle Brian expects of them. They deserve to live under his thumb.”

“Does Andrea? Or Beth? What about Mary?”

Rick shook his head. “I’ve got myself to worry about, Daryl. I’m tired of trying to lead. I’m not staging a coup. I’m just gonna do what Jim and Jacqui did and leave one night when it’s quiet. I’ll find another group. I’ll survive.”

Daryl watched the trees pass by and tried to imagine life in the camp without Rick. He was the voice of reason there. If he left, there would be no one to stand up to the injustices visited upon the weaker of the group, or the women. Still, Daryl understood that a man had to do what was best for himself and his own.

“When you decide to leave let me know.”

“Why?”

Daryl settled down in the seat and stared ahead, uncomfortable with what he had to say, but knowing he had to say it. “I’ve picked a side. It’s you. When you leave, I’m leaving with you.”

“What about Beth? What about Merle?”

“She’ll come with me or she’ll stay behind; it’s her choice. I’m willing to bet she’ll come with me. Merle, well, he’ll have to choose too: me or the Governor. No matter what, I’m with you man. I’m with you till the end.”

*****

 Once back at the camp Rick went straight to the Governor’s RV, since a man was waiting for their return to tell him he was waiting. Daryl veered off from the path to the Governor’s to return to his tent. He discovered that Beth was being watched by one of the Governor’s men. A soldier named Martinez. Daryl knew him not only to be in with the Governor, but he was friendly with Shane as well.

“Gov wants to see you. Now,” Martinez said.

“First I heard of it. Why didn’t the guy who summoned Rick tell me to come too?”

He tried to move into the tent but Martinez blocked him and put a hand on his gun. “I don’t know about that. All I know is what the Governor told me to tell you.”

“He say what he wants?”

“Nope. I didn’t ask.”

“A good little mindless soldier never does,” Daryl pointed out.

“Fuck you, Dixon.”

“Right back at ya,” he shot back, and pointed a finger at the tent. “You lay a finger on her, I’ll kill you. No questions, no fighting, you just get a bolt through the chest. I’ll let you turn.”

He turned away from Martinez’ glare and walked on to the Governor’s RV. He found the man himself talking to Rick. He spotted Daryl and motioned for him to sit.

“Take a seat,” he said.

Once Daryl was seated facing him and Rick, the Governor dismissed the girl who served their tea.

“Rick was just telling me that Shane secured Woodbury and that he’s chosen his side. He’s home now. No more running off to play the hero to strangers instead of doing what’s right for his own.”

Rick didn’t miss the dig regarding his family. He regarded Brian Blake, his body trembling with rage, his hand literally itching to pull his gun so he could go out in a blaze of glory and take that smug bastard with him.

In the end, all he said was, “Right.”

“Good. You’re home too, Daryl?”

Daryl looked at Rick, who nodded. “I am.”

“That’s just what I wanted to hear. Now, let’s talk about the situation that happened with your woman, Beth. She killed Jessica this morning.”

“From what Shane told me it was self defense,” said Daryl.

“Indeed it was. However I’m concerned about the impact she’s had on our camp since her arrival. Just yesterday you had to beat Rowley because of that girl. Today one of ours is dead, also because of her.”

“Hold up,” Daryl disagreed. He tried to keep his cool but it was hard. “Yesterday I had to beat Rowley because of Rowley. Today, Jessica’s dead because of Jessica. Rowley put his hands on what’s mine and I couldn’t stand for that. Jessica forced Beth into a fight to the death. She lost, Beth won, and that’s the only reason she’s dead.”

“Actually, you’re to blame for this, Brian,” Rick said.

The Governor turned and eyed Rick coolly. “How is that?”

“Bad leadership. You’re running this group like they’re a pack of rabid dogs but you expect civilized behavior. Then again, I’ve come to know you well enough to know that you like things the way they are, with the raping and the fighting. You don’t want that to stop.”

He made it a point to look the Governor over with as much scorn as possible. “You may enjoy that sort of thing but I don't. We need better laws in order to get better behavior from our people.”

“If I wanted to change things, and there’s not guarantee I do, what would you suggest?”

He asked the question calmly but Daryl and Rick could both see barely controlled rage seething behind his calm exterior. Rick almost wished he would make a move to give him a legitimate excuse to put him down and take their group.

“I’d suggest outlawing rape. Get rid of the token system. Treat our women like people. They shouldn’t have to pair up with men they don’t want, or face gang rape. If a man beats a woman she should be able to lodge a complaint and find protection. They shouldn’t walk around scared and bruised. You should put me in charge of that. I was a cop. I can do that job. I can do it well.”

“That would solve the abuse but not the aggression from some of our more…spirited members,” the Governor pointed out.

“The men could work out their aggression in street fights,” Daryl suggested. “They could fight if they wanted, or they could watch. Hell, we could even make an arena and line it with walkers as they fight. It would add a real element of danger to the sport.”

To their immense surprise the Governor nodded after a long pause. They’d been certain he would blow them off, but he was listening. He was in agreement.

“I like that idea, Daryl. We’ll do the arena when we move our people to Woodbury. That’ll be your project. Rick, I’m putting you in charge of keeping the peace. Work on the new laws for the people with Andrea. She was a civil rights attorney. Plus, she’s a woman. She’ll be a valuable asset.”

“I want to get started now, Brian. I don’t want these women to go another night under their current circumstances.”

“Fine, fine. Submit new proposals ASAP. In the meantime, you can announce that raping of unclaimed women is now illegal. Rick,” he said, standing up to face Rick before the former Sheriff could walk off. They stared into one another’s eyes for a long time. Rick expected a threat of some sort. Instead, the Governor took a different track. “I think you’re too soft for the world as it is.”

“Yeah, I’ve been told that before,” Rick came back.

“Let me finish. I think you’re too soft for what this world is now, but I believe your heart is in the right place. I think you’re made for civilized society, and that’s what a group needs to thrive: civility. I see no reason for us to be at odds on everything. I know that for any ruling body to work there has to be compromise. I can do better in that department, starting now. Shane is a hammer, Rick, but you…well, you’re a scalpel. Do what you gotta do to cut the rot from our group. I’ll give you as much support as possible.”

He poured his cold tea out and went inside his RV. Rick and Daryl started out, walking together quietly until they were out of earshot of the Governor.

“That was a pretty speech,” Daryl said. “You believe it?”

“Not for a second,” Rick answered at once. “Still, I’m gonna do what I can to make this a better camp for however long I’m here. Andrea can give me ideas on new laws but I’m gonna need you to help me enforce them.”

“You want me to be your hammer?”

Rick nodded. “Every toolkit needs a good strong hammer.”

“Not sure I like being called a tool, but I get where you’re coming from. I’m your man.”

Rick clapped him on the shoulder and gave the first genuine smile Daryl had seen from him in a long time. They split up, with Rick going to talk to Andrea, and Daryl heading home to Beth.

“You can go,” Daryl told Martinez. He gave Daryl a smirk in response and stared him in the eye as he passed. Once he was gone, Daryl entered the tent to find Beth asleep, or at least pretending to be. He undressed in the gathering darkness of evening. Outside he heard Rick call the people together under the sound of distant rolling thunder.

He pressed a tender kiss to Beth’s brow and stroked her hair back from her forehead. Considering the day she’d had, considering what a prick he’d been the night before, he figured she deserved some tenderness.

Beth would be able to leave him now. He and Rick would punish any man who broke the new rules but Daryl knew some men would push the boundaries, simply to test his and Rick’s resolve. That would require some poor woman to be attacked first. Daryl didn’t want that poor woman to be Beth.

“I thought you weren’t coming back until tomorrow.”

“Change of plans. Listen to Rick.”

They lay still and listened to Rick’s announcement. It was good news, but when it was over, Beth only heaved a heavy sigh.

“She was gonna kill you,” Daryl said knowing what was on her mind.

“I know.”

“Still sucks,” he said.

“Big time.”

“You’ll learn to live with it. You’ll accept what you did and move on.”

She looked up at him with a deep frown. “Are you being nice to me because you want me to stay and cook for you? Among other things.”

“I’m being nice ‘cause I regret being a dick. I like you, Beth, and I want you to…I want you. Will you stay?”

They fell silent for a long time. He worried she was going to say no. Then she quirked a smile at him and said, “Are you gonna kiss me now or not?”

Daryl did more than kiss Beth. He took his time to undress her. He took his time to caress her, lick her, suckle the most sensitive parts of her body until she moaned with pleasure and not a bit of pain. He took the time to guide her along the long, winding path to climax. When she arrived, Beth gripped Daryl with her strong thighs and came harder than she imagined possible.

He lay down next to her and watched as she disappeared into the inky black of another stormy night.

“Will you stay?” he asked again.

“Will you treat me like this?”

“Yea. I can do that. I should have always done that.”

He felt her lips find his unerringly in the dark before she snuggled down into the sleeping bag with him.

“Then I’ll stay.”