So I put an announcement up that I started on the second part, is it weird I felt like I wasted a bunch of space for one line? I felt like I got a huge piece of paper only to write one little word. Anyway, sorry I didn't update yesterday. We're moving along. The prisoners may be in this chapter I'm not sure yet. Remember this story will start being slightly different than the show now.
Chapter 2
A prison. It actually wasn't that bad of an idea. Each person could have their own cell and if it got overrun we could lock the kids in a cell, till it was safe again. It was decided Mia and I would wait in the RV till they came back. I wanted Ella and Carl to stay, but they wanted to help. I had to learn they were growing up, but I wasn't going to let Mia see that. I know I can't protect her forever, but for as long as I could I was going to keep her from witnessing a massacre. She's still too young to understand what's really going on. I often wonder what this world will do to her mental development. People become psychopaths on less. That's why I'm keeping her away.
We hear the gunshots, but neither of us flinch. Mia is too focused on coloring in her coloring book that Daryl found in one the houses we raided. I smile. Try as he might not to, the great Daryl Dixon has a soft spot for kids. The gun fire ceases after a few minutes. I hear, who I assume is T, yell out in celebration. I start gathering our things so we can camp out in the field tonight. I'm so happy we still have the tents, at least it's something to block the wind. I bundle Mia up so she won't get cold and grab a few things to distract her.
I'm all ready by the time Rick, John, Glenn and Bobby come back to get us and the rest of the camping things. When we step out Mia sees the prison for the first time. She gasps. I immediately think she sees something that scares her, but instead she turns to me with shining eyes. Just like her dad gets when he's happy. She smiles so big at me.
"Mommy, are we gonna live in a castle," she says excitedly. I look at Rick and everyone else does too. I swing my head to look at the prison and cock my head to the side. Huh, I guess to a kid it would look like a castle. I turn back to her and smile.
"Yes, baby I guess we are," I say.
"Am I a princess?" I smile and bop her nose.
"You're my princess," I say. Rick laughs and picks her up.
"Come on your highness. Your castle awaits," Rick says.
That night everyone is in good spirits. First with taken over the yard. Then with Mia talking about the castle and how she's a princess, now. I'm honestly so happy she's getting that childlike wonder again. I was afraid she was losing it.
"That's the third time they've went around. If there was a breach they would have found it by now," Herschel says talking about John and Rick. I glance over and see them talking. I smile my husband seems fifty pounds lighter now that we at least have the yard.
We have five tents set up in a circle around the fire. John and Jasmine didn't have one since they had the RV. So Daryl said he could share with T. and John and Jasmine could stay in his. Glenn was sharing his with Herschel and Bobby. Beth and Maggie were gonna stay in ours in one of the rooms with the girls and Carl sleeping in the same one as Rick and I. Brenda and Carol were going to stay in Carol's tent. I missed the air mattresses. Although, we wouldn't have been able to use them tonight anyway. We used the RV's power to air them up and the RV was outside the gates.
Rick and John came back to our little camp. Carl handed him a bowl of food, which Rick immediately passes to me. I eye it. I shake my head and tell him I already ate. He still holds its out. I stare at him.
"Rick Grimes, I know you are not trying to give me your food, when I know you are going into the prison tomorrow. You need your energy, because I'm not being a single parent. Eat your food," I say. I hear a few chuckles. Rick still looks uncertain. I sigh and grab his hand and put it on my belly. Immediately the baby starts kicking where his hand is. He relaxes and smiles. I smile back.
"Does that feel like its weak to you? Yes, I need a little more calories than normal, but you need it too. Especially with what I know you have planned tomorrow. So, eat," I say. He nods and begins eating. Herschel looks oddly proud of me.
"Um, I thought I heard you say something about going into the prison," Glenn says. Rick looks up.
"I know we took the yard and that's great, but we need walls. These tents are great, but won't keep us warm enough. Joslyn is going to pop any day, I would prefer to have that happen inside. So, tonight we're going to rest. John and I think it will be alright not to have watch tonight, have everybody well rested. Then tomorrow we head in," Rick says he looks around and sees all the resigned faces. "Look, I know we're all exhausted, but we need that prison. We need to push just a little bit more. I know we can do it." Everyone looks a little more hopeful, but still a little unsure. Rick is right though. We do need the prison. I could have this baby any day and I would prefer to give birth inside and not out in a field somewhere, call me selfish.
We all woke up more refreshed than we had in months. While we ate some breakfast, Rick went over his idea with everyone else. Basically, they will do a circle formation. No blind spots. No one breaks rank. No one gets bit. In theory, it was genius, but it's always easier said than done.
Rick, John, Bobby, Maggie, Glenn, Daryl and T-dog were the ones that were going. Seven was a lucky number, right? I pull Rick aside. I look up into his sparkling blue eyes.
"Hey, I meant what I said. I can't do this without you. Watch out for yourself out there, ok," I say. He half smiles and pushes my hair behind my ear leaving his hand on my cheek. He gives me a quick kiss on my lips.
"Don't worry. I'll always come back to you," he says giving me two quick pecks and then kissing the crown of my head. I open the gate for them and quickly close it. Mia and Ella were down towards the fence playing with Beth and Carol, while Hershel, Carl, Jasmine, Brenda and I were all watching. The plan seems to be working perfectly, but then they went out of sight.
"Can you see them," I ask no one in particular.
"No," Herschel says craning his head. I bite my lip and hope everything is ok.
Rick's POV
We went in just as planned. We didn't break ranks everyone's back was covered. T. briefly did to grab a weapon, but it wasn't for very long. Then we ran across some walkers in riot gear. I ran to close off the gate. John and Bobby were helping Glenn, Maggie and T. with the walkers that has gear on. So I call for Daryl. When he sees what I was trying to do he runs over and helps keep it closed so I can tie it off.
Once that's done I turn around to go help the others only to find them finishing off the last few walkers. I look around at all the bodies and try to forget these were once people. Glenn goes to open the gate for the others, but I stop him.
"It looks secure," he says unsure.
"Except for that court yard," Daryl says and then points to a woman on the ground, "and that's a civilian."
"We can't risk a blind spot," I say.
"So this place could be overrun with walkers from outside," Glenn says.
"If there's walls down, what are we gonna do? We can't rebuild this whole place," Bobby says. I glance over and see Joslyn.
"We push forward," I say starting at her. We can't afford to move again. If need be we can stay in the yard, till the baby. Maybe, bring the RV in so the baby and kids don't freeze outside. We all head in to the prison. Its oddly quiet. I find a dead guard with keys and snatch them off of him. Then we head into, what's marked as cell block C, and find it empty. All the cells are closed. While we're walking along the top row of cells arms reach out and try to grab us. I glance at Daryl.
Its shockingly easy to clear the cell block. After all the walkers are dead we go ahead and pull them all outside with the others before we let everyone in. When Mia walls in she looks a little disappointed it doesn't look more like a castle inside.
Ella asks Beth if she could share a cell with her and that starts everyone claiming cells. The only ones sharing are Maggie and Glenn, Ella and Beth, Jasmine and John, Joslyn, Mia and me, and Carl and Bobby. Everyone else decided to take their own. Well except Daryl.
"I ain't sleeping in no cage. I'll take the perch," he says. I just chuckle. I watch Joslyn as she tries to find the cleanest one. She finally settles for the one directly under the staircase. I follow her in along with Mia.
"This one seems to have the least amount of walker residue," she says. I look around.
"Yeah, I don't think there was a walker in here," I say not remembering taking one out of this cell. She looks at me and smiles.
"You did it Rick. You found a safe place to have the baby and for the kids," she says throwing her arms around me tightly. I wrap my arms around her and breathe her in. I feel like I can finally breathe deep. Like a huge weight has been lifted off my chest. We can start something here. We won't have to worry about walkers hearing the baby cry, or be drawn in when she's giving birth. I kiss her hair.
"Did you doubt me, wife," I say smiling. She pulls back and looks at me seriously.
"I have never doubted you. Not once from the day I met you," she says. I kiss her and we both walk out of the cell.
"We rest tonight. Then tomorrow we can look for the cafeteria or the prison hospital," I say. Everyone nods still on cloud nine from the win of today. I look at Joslyn and we head back to our cell.
Joslyn's POV
I wake up feeling refreshed and happy. Rick is wrapped around me and Mia is pressed against my front and the wall. I brush a curl from her face.
"She's perfect isn't she," Rick whispers in my ear. I didn't know he was awake. "When she was born, I couldn't believe how beautiful she was. I should have known, with you as a mom. I mean look at Ella, I never realized how much I could love someone till I had Carl. Then I met Ella and she wasn't even mine, but she is you know. Then Mia and it just kept surprising me. This new baby will be the same. I can't wait to meet him," he says, gently running his fingers over my belly. I smile.
"Him," I ask. I feel him smile into my neck.
"I figure you're due a boy. Poor Carl and I are outnumbered. We need someone to even it out. Why you think it's a girl," he asks. I bite my lip and shrug.
"I honestly don't know. I just want it to be healthy," I say. He nods in agreement.
"He will be," he says smugly. I just laugh and then Mia starts waking up.
We head out and start looking through all the things they found when they cleared the cell block. T. picks up some riot gear that honestly should be burned in a pit of flaming, bubbling lava and then have a priest bless it. He says something about boiling it and I look at him like he's crazy.
"There's not enough trees in the forest," Daryl says and I whole heartedly agree.
I kiss Rick and tell him to be careful. It's the same group as yesterday, but Herschel has decided to join the group. I think he wants to find the medical ward and see what they have.
"Keep safe," I say to everyone. They nod back and head out. Rick gives Carl the keys and tells him to protect us. I smile at that.
I decide to clean the place up. Carol joins me and we actually start making a pretty good dent in the place. An hour has gone by Mia, Ella and even Carl are sitting at the table coloring. When all of a sudden I hear Rick yelling to open the gate. Carl jumps up to do that and they come in carrying Herschel, who's a bloody mess and is missing a leg. I usher all the kids into my cell. Carl doesn't stay, but I don't fight him. I run to help with Herschel.
"What happened," I ask frantically.
"He got bit. I cut off his leg. It was the only way to save him," Rick says. I then hear another noise.
"What's that," I ask. Rick looks at me.
"Prisoners who survived," he says. What? I quickly shake my head to clear it and turn to help Carol and Jasmine try to stop the bleeding.
Rick leaves to deal with the prisoners. Come on Herschel you can't die on us. We need you. I think. I don't realize I'm crying till Jasmine tells me I can go. That her and Carol can do it. I look at her and I see understanding in her eyes. I nod and back away.
I go back to our cell with Ella and Mia and sit with them. We can't lose Herschel. I cross my fingers and hope that he makes it through.
Authors note:….I'm so sorry I meant for this to be up yesterday, but it wasn't. I think what I'm going to start doing is post a chapter for this story one day, then none the next and then next day post for my Daryl story. And so on and so forth. So hopefully a chapter every two days. No promises though. Review please. Oh and thank you for all the reviews so far they are amazing!
