THETRUEFATHER

WARNING: this chapter contains some very violent scenes...

Merle's head snapped back from another punch, this time he felt a tooth pop loose. He spat out a mouthful of blood and teeth, before snarling at Travis.

"You'll never fuckin' get him! He's safe from you motherfucker!"

Travis ignored Merle, intent on beating him more, when upstairs, a jingling ring tone started. Merle felt a rush of cold rip thru his body as Travis froze, before stalking up stairs. Merle swore as Travis left the room. He hoped to god Daryl hadn't sent a message saying where he was, for Merle to meet up with him. The jingling stopped, and Travis quickly stomped back in the room. Travis held up the phone, shaking it in Merle's face.

"What the fuck is this?!"

Merle stayed silent as Travis slapped him again. The phone bleeped and Travis fiddled with it for a moment, before Buck's deep voice filled the room.

"Merle I know ya fuckin' pissed at me but that ain't what I want. I want ya to come home; ya belong here, with me and Daryl. I'm givin' ya until tomorrow afternoon, then I'm trackin' ya ass down. I love ya Merle, have a good night son."

Travis grew angrier and angrier as the message continued, before he threw the phone into the wall, the pieces shattering around the room. Merle groaned as his one hope for help was destroyed. Travis grabbed Merle by the throat, choking him as he pressed his palm against Merle's wind pipe. Merle struggled to breathe as Travis raged.

"Who the fuck was that?! Tell me his fuckin' name! Now! Why the fuck is he callin' you his son?!"

Travis wrenched his hand away, stalking across the basement to where his tools where kept. Merle gasped for air, taking deep breathes trying to stave off the feeling of weakness that filled his body. Travis turned around and gave Merle a sickly smile, before he walked back, this time brandishing a saws-all. Merle's eyes went wide at the saw, but he said nothing as Travis stopped in front of him.

"Who the fuck was that?"

Merle shook his head and closed his eyes, knowing more pain was coming. But it didn't as suddenly Merle heard a grating sound. Merle opened his eyes to see Travis dragging an old barbeque over to the window, throwing open the window as he lit the barbeque. Travis dug around in his tools before pulling up an old metal pan, and placed it over the fire. The metal began to heat up as Merle's blood ran cold. Whatever was coming was not going to be pleasant.

Travis stepped in front of Merle one more time.

"Why was that motherfucker callin' you his son?"

Travis' dark voice should have been a clue, but Merle was beyond caring at this point. He had no way of reaching Buck, no chance at rescue. Merle was alone down here, and there was nothing he could do, except take what could possibly be his last chance to piss Travis off.

Merle smirked as he looked up at Travis. "Ma cheated on ya. That man...he's Daryl's real daddy. And ya know what? He wants me too. So I guess...that makes him my dad."

Travis was silent, before he punched Merle across the face repeatedly. As Merle groaned and recovered from the hits, he heard the saws-all start. Merle took one last look at Travis as the man stepped forward and grabbed Merle's right arm.

"Since ya ain't my son, guess I should cut ya off."

Merle screamed as the saws-all ripped into his arm, blood splattering across the room. Travis kept sawing as Merle fought, making the cut uneven and jagged. As the saws-all pushed thru, severing Merle's hand off, Merle saw black and passed out.

It felt like seconds later he was awake and screaming again, this time as Travis pressed the red hot iron to the stump on Merle's arm. Blood was everywhere, coating Travis and Merle, as well as the room. Merle screamed and wrenched his arm back as Travis stepped away. Travis tossed the iron in the corner of the room.

Travis chuckled dryly as he stood over Merle.

"I'm gonna give ya some time to think about what you've done. When I come back, you best tell me where I can find that motherfucker and his bastard son, or the next thing I cut off will be your head."

Merle collapsed, hanging by his one hand as Travis left the room, pain radiating across his body. Merle knew this was it, this was where he died. Even after everything he had said to Buck and Daryl, he still knew he would never tell Travis where to find them.

Merle leaned his head back on the wall as tears ran down his face. The pain was extreme, his body a mass of injuries and blood. But it wasn't the physical pain that led him to cry, it was the emotional.

Merle chose to stay. Merle chose to remain with Travis, and this was what happened. Exactly what Buck said would happen. Travis was going to kill him, Merle knew that. His time was up and he hadn't made things right.

Even to the end Buck was telling Merle he loved him. Buck never gave up; he was always pushing for Merle. But Merle knew he had let his stubbornness get the better of him. God if he had only gone with Buck, then Merle would be with Daryl right now. But he hadn't, he had chosen to stay. And now, even though Buck had always said he would be there when Merle needed him, Buck had no idea how badly Merle needed him in that moment.

Merle for the first time in his life let out a prayer.

"God if ya can fuckin' hear me, get Buck. Please, get Buck."

"So that's the fucker's name."

Merle looked up as Travis walked back in the room, smirking darkly.

"So Buck Dixon finally came back. Huh, figured that fucker had offed himself when I killed Hope."

Merle glared at Travis. "I knew ya killed her you motherfucker!"

Travis laughed as he got down and knelt in front of Merle.

"Ya damn right I killed her. I choked the life out of her and watched as her eyes went dead. Then I burned that bitch, burned her so bad there wasn't much left for ya two fuckers ta bury was there. Don't worry, after I kill Buck, I'll use Daryl to find her grave, and I'll make sure no one ever knows the name Hope ever again. And then I'm gonna kill that bastard, gonna make him suffer. And no one can stop me."

Merle saw the punch coming, but could do nothing as Travis laid punch after punch into him, beating Merle to death.

THETRUEFATHER

Buck sat the swimming hole, watching Merle and Daryl swim. Peaceful, calm moments like this; they were what Buck had been chasing his whole life. His happiness was completed as Hope smiled at Buck as she walked towards him. The next second it was just Hope and Buck, and Hope was pointing out, towards Travis' house.

Hope turned to Buck, giving him a kiss before stepping back and pointing again.

"Go Buck. Go save our son."

Buck shot up in his bed, gasping for air. He dreamed of Hope every night, but never had he had a dream like that. Hope never spoke in his dreams, just smiled.

Buck threw on his pants and shirt, grabbing his phone from the bedside table. He quickly dialed Merle, but it went to voice mail immediately. Buck swore as he dialed another number. It rang a few times before a rough voice answered.

"It's 3 in the morning, who the fuck is this?"

"Moses its Buck, somethin's wrong, I need ta drop Daryl off with ya."

"Jesus Buck what the fuck is happening?"

Buck shook his head as he left his room. "No time to explain, I'll be there in 5."

Buck ran into Daryl's room, shaking Daryl awake. Daryl sleepily looked up at Buck.

"Dad what the fuck?"

Buck grabbed a set of clothes for Daryl, tossing them in his direction.

"Somethin's wrong with Merle, I'm gonna take ya to Moses' house then go find him."

Daryl sat up and quickly dressed. "What do ya mean? Did he text ya back?"

Buck shook his head. "No, and I got a bad feelin'. Merle needs me, now."

Daryl nodded and followed Buck out of the room, and they both ran out to the car.

Buck floored the car, pushing every noise and speed law, but he couldn't give a smaller shit at the moment. His son needed him.

Daryl looked over at Buck. "What do ya thinks goin' on?"

Buck shook his head as the tires squealed around a turn.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, Merle needs me."

Daryl started panicking as they pulled up in front of a house he had never been to, Moses standing on the porch with a woman and Tdog. Buck pulled Daryl to look at him as Moses jogged up to the car.

"Listen ta me, I'm gonna go handle this. You stay with Moses, don't get out of his sight. If whatever this is involves Travis, then you're his next target. Stay safe, I love you Daryl."

Buck gave Daryl a kiss on his forehead, before pushing him out of the car. Moses gave Buck a worried look.

"Need some backup?"

Buck shook his head. "Keep Daryl safe, that's all I ask."

Moses nodded, and Buck took off, flying down the road towards Travis' house. Buck reached and hit the button under the turn signal, popping open the hidden compartment on the side of the door. Buck took out his .45 revolver, checking the bullets before placing it on the seat next to him as he approached Travis' house.

THETRUEFATHER

Merle coughed up a mouthful of blood from where he was chained to the wall. This was it; this was when it all ended. Merle could barely see, but what he could see filled him with dread.

Travis had a large hunting knife in his hand as he crouched in front of Merle. He trailed the knife along Merle's throat, a thin line of blood forming immediately.

Travis smirked at Merle. "Ya should have told me about Buck as soon as you knew. Then it would be that bastard here instead of you."

Merle shook his head at Travis. "No...I never would have told ya."

Travis chuckled darkly. "I know, you're all about your baby brother. Been protectin' that little shit since day 1. That's why you're about to die."

Merle watched as Travis lifted the knife, knowing that his time had come. Suddenly a shot rang out, and the knife clattered to the ground as Travis staggered back, clutching his hand as it poured blood. Merle was confused for a moment, before Travis was torn away from him and thrown into the wall as Buck came into the room.

Merle looked up to see Buck looking down at him. Buck knelt in front of Merle for a moment.

"Hold on Merle, ya gonna be okay ya hear?"

Merle gave Buck a weak nod, and Buck leaned forward, kissing Merle on his head before he stood back.

Buck grabbed Travis from where he groaned against the wall. Merle stared at Buck, not believing he had come. Buck wrenched Travis up by his hair, throwing several hard punches into his stomach and chest. Buck tossed Travis a few feet, and slammed down on his chest, Bucks knees pressing Travis' arms to the floor. Buck growled as he leaned over Travis.

"I have been waitin' 25 years for this. Since the day ya married my woman. Ya broke the code that day Travis, ya took an enlisted man's woman. Ya brutalized Hope, murdered her. Ya took the woman I loved, and ya broke her. Merle should be my son biologically. Ya never deserved him. Merle's is more Hope's son then he realizes. He has her fight, her strength. Hope took what ya gave her, to protect her sons, then Merle took it for Daryl. Merle is nothin' like you, and he never will be. I'm takin' him, and not lookin' back. Daryl is already gone, he's far away from ya. You will never touch my sons again. "

Buck punched Travis as he tried to struggle. Travis spat out a mouthful of blood along with teeth. Buck continued in the same low growl.

"And ya know the best part of this? You die, in a terrifying and agonizing way, and I come out the other side with two amazin' sons, walkin' free. Ya see Travis, I ain't gonna kill ya today. Soon I'm gonna knock your ass out and call the cops. You're gonna be dragged thru the piss and shit of the justice system, and in the end, you'll wind up in the West Georgia Prison. I just got out of there, and let me tell ya, I got a lot of friends up there. And they'll be waitin' for ya. You're gonna be tortured in there, gonna be afraid ta move, ta breathe, ta live. You are gonna be the scum at the bottom of the ranks, beggin' for death. And when they'll kill ya, it will be the most painful way I can think of. You're gonna die Travis, because of what you've done. I'll see ya in hell Travis."

Buck delivered a powerful punch to Travis' temple, knocking him out instantly. Buck was on his feet in a heartbeat, grabbing the keys to the chains from the wall and running to Merle's side. Buck unlocked Merle's arm, carefully lifting Merle to the floor. As he laid Merle down, Buck pulled his cell phone out, quickly dialing 911. Merle groaned as he tried to move his right arm and Buck reached out, rubbing Merle on the shoulder as he looked on worriedly.

"I need 2 ambulances and police to 2910 LaTera road, Winthrop."

Buck waited to hear that the operator had the address, before he hung up. Merle could hear his blood rushing thru his ears, and felt a tunnel closing in on him. Buck gently shook Merle, holding Merle up.

"Stay with me, fight it Merle. Come on!"

Merle struggled but opened his eyes, looking up at Buck.

"Ya came for me."

Buck nodded. "I always will."

Merle trembled in pain as he nodded back to Buck. "I'm sorry... what I said, was wrong."

Buck shook his head. "Travis fucked ya over, ya got burned. I ain't mad about what ya said or felt Merle. Ya needed proof, here it is. I love ya Merle, you're my son, I'll always be here for ya. Until the day I die, I ain't lettin' ya go."

Merle looked all over Buck's face, searching for truth. He found it, in the way Buck looked at him. Buck really loved him, Buck really was his father.

Merle nodded, and rolled into Buck's chest, Buck held Merle close, both shaking lightly as they waited for the ambulances.

Buck leaned over Merle, rubbing his shoulder as he spoke. "Ya gonna be okay Merle, I swear it. Ya gonna be okay my boy."

Merle pressed his face into Buck, unable to stop the tears that came up as Buck spoke.

"I love you Merle, I love you. Remember that, I always will love you."