#fanficofafanfic

[pattysfics]

I Got Your Six

Word Count: 2.3kish

A/N: This is a fanfic of a fanfic… I’m not sorry about that either…The story it is based on is: You Should Know Better by @fuck-yeah-lets-do-negan-ff …All characters (except my boy Dusty) are taken from her story and this was approved by her…This story is in no relation to what will happen in her story. (Gifs are not mine) Also, a BIG thank you to @jeffreydeanneganstrash for proofreading this trash and making it better!! I cried while writing this so be prepared. 

Characters: Joe Merriweather, Natalie Jankoski, Dusty Merriweather, Dustin Ayers, 

Warnings: sadness. MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH..

Joe leaned against his headboard lazily doing a crossword puzzle when he heard the pitter patter of little feet coming towards his bedroom. In a flash, a small body crossed the room and slammed into him. “Buddy,” Joe laughed. “What have I told you about doing that? huh?” he asked as he put down his puzzle and started to tickle his little man.

“Daddy! Daddy stop! Stop,” squealed the child waving his arms trying to pry his father’s hands off of him. 

Joe chuckled when he pulled away and slipped out of the bed. His little man was growing up. If Joe could turn back time, back before the diagnosis, he would. He would go back and spend as much time as possible with his buddy. He won’t be so obsessed with work. It pained him to have to put a facade in front of his child. “Dusty, isn’t it past your bedtime?” Joe asked, clearing his throat, suppressing his thoughts and emotions.

“Why can’t I just sleep right here?” asked Dusty already closing his brown eyes attempting to sleep in his parents’ bed.

“Oh what is this?” asked Joe’s second wife and mother of this precious little human. “Seems like someone is trying to take over mommy and daddy’s bed.”

“Seems that way, Nat. Should we let him sleep here?” Joe mused as he crept slowly back towards the bed. “Or take him back to his room so he can be a big boy,” Joe cracked as he quickly scooped up Dusty in his arms, lifting him out of the bed.

“Daddy! Please,” pleaded the boy.

“Sorry buddy,” Joe said readjusting Dusty in his arms so the boy could wrap his arms around his father’s neck.

Across the room, Natalie was starting to turn down the bed spread for them to sleep. “You got him?” she questioned watching father and son interact.

“Ya. I got him,” Joe said as he brought his hand up and started to rub his sleepy son’s back before turning to head out the room and down the hallway.

Joe pushed the door open. A tiny thump was heard when it connected with the wall. Gently Joe laid Dusty down on his blue and white bed spread. Dusty groaned when he was removed from his father’s body and placed on the cold sheets.

Joe took a breath looking around the superhero themed room. It looked like a typical seven year old’s room. The thing that made Joe’s heart weak was a single picture of him in uniform hanging on the wall under the words “A True Hero Doesn’t Always Have Superpowers”. Joe blinked back the tears as he looked down at Dusty laying in the bed staring at his dad with sleep brown eyes.

“I gotta tell you something Dusty,” Joe sighed sitting down on the edge of the full sized bed.

“Okay daddy.”

“Um,” Joe paused. “If anything ever happens to me, I want you to become the man of the house. Take care of your momma for me. Help out around the house, try not to back talk a lot, just…just be my big man. Okay?”

Dusty furrowed his brows together in confusion. Why was his daddy telling him to take over if anything was to happen? He was supposed to be around forever. “Okay daddy.”

Joe leaned over and placed a quick kiss on Dusty’s head. It broke Joe’s heart that he had to tell his son that. Dads weren’t supposed to make their little boys grow up before their supposed to, but sometimes it has to be done and this...this was just another piece of the puzzle. “Good night buddy,” Joe whispered getting up from the bed and walking towards the door.

“Night daddy,” Dusty yawned slipping under his covers

Taking a quick look back Joe whispered, “Make me proud buddy. I’ll always have your six,” before quietly shutting the door and heading back to his bedroom. ———————————————-

The next morning, Joe was dressed in his black uniform when he walked into the kitchen. Dusty was already up and at the table eating his breakfast. He stopped abruptly when he saw Joe. “Daddy, why do you have your uniform on? You said no work today?”

“I know buddy, but I’m sorry. Coleman got some stomach bug over night and the chief asked me to cover for the day,” Joe explained to his son already seeing the disappointment fill his eyes.

“But daddy you said today was our day,” whined the child.

Joe sighed as he walked over to the table and bent down beside his son. “I know what I said buddy, but duty calls. I can’t just say no.”

“Say no. Please don’t go daddy. Please.”

“I have to Dusty.”

“No you don’t! Please daddy. Please stay home. Please,” Dusty continued to beg.

Joe turned his head and looked at Natalie. She too had some disappointment in her eyes. Joe was about to say something when Nat raised her hand slightly stopping him before he could. Joe nodded his head.

Slowly he rose to his feet and placed a kiss on the top of Dusty’s head. Next, he walked over to Natalie and gave her a kiss on the lips before heading to the door. “I’ll see ya later buddy. Okay? I love you,” Joe told Dusty standing just inside the door. The only response he got was Dusty sliding out of his chair and running down the hallway. The sound of a door being slammed echoed through the house.

Joe was about to head back to his room when Natalie stopped him. “He has a reason,” she defended her son. “I love you. Please come home safe,” she told him as he walked over to her and pulled her into a quick hug.

“I love you too. Tell him I’m sorry. I’ll be home later,” Joe told her as he headed out the door wanting so bad to turn around and go hug his little boy. ———————-

“Dispatch, this is unit 278 we got a 10-38 here on East Lincoln Street. Standby,” Joe said into the radio looking over at his partner Dustin. Dustin had been Joe’s partner since he came out of the academy. He’d been with him through a lot. His divorce from that bitch named Claire. The birth of his boy who was properly named after his best friend and partner.

“I’m going to check this shit out. You hang back near the front of the car. You get a freaky feeling, you shut that shit down. Ya got me?” Joe told his younger partner.

“Yes sir and freaky really?”

“I have a seven year old at home. I do what I can,” Joe said as he climbed out of the cruiser. A few moments later Dustin exited the vehicle and stood where he was told at the front of the cruiser watching Joe interact with the driver.

Joe had a smile on his face when he turned away from the car with the drivers information in his hand. Joe made it about five feet from the car when he heard someone call him back. He heard it before he felt it. His back met the hard pavement in an instant.

He heard the squeal of tires as the car spun it’s tires and peeled back onto the roadway. “10-00 OFFICER DOWN! OFFICER DOWN. 10-71 on East Lincoln. Suspected heading due East,” he heard Dustin yell before his face entered Joe’s hazy view. “278 in need of 10-78. Repeat officer down in need of medical. Copy.”

Joe heard the the crackle of the radio as he started to close his eyes. “Nah ah Merriweather. You don’t get to die on me,” Dustin leaned over him, applying pressure to his wound on the right side of his chest. “Come on Merriweather stay with me. This is 278 where the fuck is my ambulance!” Dustin yelled the last part into his radio. Joe lay there motionless. He was feeling and hearing everything, he just couldn’t move.

“278 an ambulance has been dispatched to your location copy.”

The distant sound of sirens were soon quickly approaching the partners. When they arrived the medics quickly pulled Dustin off Joe and started to work on the fallen officer. “You’re going to be fine Merriweather. Just hang on,” one of the medics told him as they placed him on a stretcher, loaded him up into the ambulance and started the drive to the hospital. Finally Joe allowed his eyes to close. ———————————–

When Joe opened his eyes the next time, he saw the white ceiling of the hospital room. An oxygen mask was placed over his nose and mouth. Even with this mask it was hard for Joe to breathe. The cancer was going to win before Joe wanted it to. He would never watch his little man grow up and see the man he becomes. He won’t be around to meet his future grand kids because of a horrible disease.

Joe heard the sound of light feet running down the hallway, much like last night, but much much different. Dusty comes running into the room, stopping at the door. Joe’s red brimmed eyes found Dusty’s watery ones.

Slowly Joe reaches up and lifts the mask off. “Hey buddy,” he croaks out before having to put the mask back on. He lifts his weak hand and motions for Dusty to come closer. Dusty makes small step towards the bed before he’s right beside his father.

“Daddy,” he cries staring at his weak father. Slowly he climbs on the bed careful not to harm him anymore and lays down with Joe. In mere seconds, Dusty’s sobs are heard through the room.

Joe tries to rub his son’s back trying to calm him down. This was going to happen and instead of killing one, it was going to kill three. Natalie slips silently into the room, silent tears rolling down her cheeks too. The couple shared a look before Joe gave her a nod. This was the end and both of them knew it.

Once again, Joe lifted the mask from his face trying to sooth his son. “Shhh,” he whispered, swallowing hard to wet his dry throat. “Buddy..it’s okay..shhh..breath,” Joe told him as it was getting harder for him to do so. He quickly replaced the mask drawing in a quick breath before pulling it off again. “I love you buddy,” he told him one last time. He looked over to Nat and mouthed an ‘I love you too’ to her before replacing his mask.

“I..I…love you…you..too,” Dusty pushed out between heavy sobs.

Joe laid there. His arms wrapped protectively wrapped around his boy and holding the hand of his wife when he drew his last breath. When it was time to go, Natalie had to pry Dusty off his father’s body. With tears streaming down both their faces, Natalie carried Dusty out of the hospital that night and into their now incomplete home. ——————————————————

*16 YEARS LATER*

16 long, hard, years later, Dusty was standing in line outside the room in city hall. He’d worked hard to get where he was today. Some tried to pity him for losing his father at such a young age, but Dusty was quick to stop that. His dad would be proud.

The signal was given that the line of about thirty-five marched into the room one by one. Today, Dusty was going to do just what his father did. Dusty was joining the police force to serve and protect even if it meant giving his life.

“Dusty Micheal Merriweather,” the sheriff called. Dusty stepped in front of the crowd that gathered and walked towards the sheriff. Quickly he shook his hand and received his certificate and badge before turning and posing for a quick photo.

After the speeches were given and everyone was inducted, the graduates were finally able to mingle with their family and friends.

Dusty made a bee-line for his mother. He was quickly pulled into her arms. Her head fit snugly into the crook of his neck. “He would be so proud of you Dusty,” she told him before kissing him on the cheek.

“I know he would be,” Dusty said proudly. He was scanning the crowd when a familiar face caught his attention. Making their way towards the pair with a big smile on his face was no other than Dustin.

“Hey kid congrats,” he said, bringing Dusty into a quick hug before releasing him and holding him out with his hands on his shoulders. “You’ve grown so much since I’ve last seen ya kid,” he joked.

“I saw you like two days ago.”

“Listen here Merriweather...huh, this is funny it seems like yesterday these roles were reversed,” he trailed of as he started to reminiscence the fond memories. “But anyhow. I’ll see ya at what seven in the morning? That sound good to you? Okay. See ya,” he said as he started to turn around

Dusty looked at him confused. “I don’t understand. I’m getting my training officer tomorrow.”

“Did I forget to tell ya? Damn kid. Meet your new training officer,” he said walking away with a smile when he stopped suddenly. “Oh yeah kid. Check your badge.”

Dusty’s gaze quickly flickered down to the cold piece of metal in his hands. Natalie stood beside him silent, she too knew what was on the back. Dusty turned the badge over. A simple message written in black sharpie handwriting that looked all to familiar.

“You’re the man in the charge now. Make daddy proud. I’m always watching you. Don’t worry I got your six.”

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