Holy crap! Thanks guys. Glad to see that people followed over from "Remind Me" Just makes me want to write more. If you're liking the story please review!
Oh all the money the e'er I spent
I spent it in good company
And all the harm the e'er I've done
Alas, it was to none but me.
And all I've done for want of wit
To memory now I can't recall
So fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be with you all
Oh of all the comrades the e'er I've had
Are sorry for my going away
And all the sweethearts that e'er I've had
Would wish me one more day to stay
But since it falls unto my lot
That I should rise and you should not
I'll gently rise and I'll softly call
Good night and joy be with you all
….The Parting Glass (The Wailin' Jennys)
Chapter 2
Glenn quickly worked the bolt cutters down the length of the division fence. His hands shook as he tried to block out the sound of gunfire around him. He pulled at the small links and ushered everyone inside the empty walkway to the prison. Daryl pulled the fencing back together and Glenn weaved a bungee cord to sew up the hole. Rick surveyed the open field outside the main gate.
"Alright" he took quick attendance and made sure everyone was paying attention "The walkers seem to be coming and going through that main gate. If we can get it closed off we'll be able to take the field. Glenn, Maggie, Beth and T-Dog, you distract them near the fence and see how many you can take out without wasting ammo. Hershel and Carl, you take the first guard tower. Carol, you're becoming a good shot. You and Daryl take the other guard tower. Remember to take your time" He reminded the older woman "Ra and I will make the run for the gate."
"Hell she will." Daryl snorted "She can take the fence with T, Glenn and the girls"
"I know it's a risky run" Rick raised his hand up to focus Daryl "But next to Glenn she's the quickest and next to you she's better at hand to hand. I need your sharp shooting on the guard tower."
Ra put her hands on her hips and paced the fence back and forth "I can do it" she nodded and turned back to Daryl "I can do it. The walkers are spread out. They'll be easy to take down especially with you guys on the tower. Long as everyone remembers their target practice and doesn't get sloppy and shoot me, I'll be fine.
Daryl's upper lip tightened as he shifted his weight to one leg and studied her face. She held his gaze as confidently as she could. If there was even the slightest reluctancy evident on her face he would know.
"We don't have time to argue. The walkers are gonna start pouring out that gate if we don't close it soon." Ra already released two blades from her belt and held them tightly in both fists.
"Fine" Daryl said tightly "Everyone pull their heads out their asses and focus on their aim. You hit her you answer to me."
The group broke apart and went to their designated areas at Rick's request. Daryl caught Ra's hand just as she turned to follow after Rick and Lori.
"Keep moving. If you lose a blade, leave it. We can go back later and get'em. Don't give the geeks a chance to gang up on ya."
Ra nodded and gave him a partial reassuring smile but Daryl's face remained stern while he gripped her hand tighter in his.
"Ra. Daryl. Come on" Rick shouted over his shoulder.
Go Ra mouthed to her husband.
She watched Daryl pass through the metal door of the tower and quickly made her way to Rick and Lori waiting for her at the first sliding security gate. Lori's fingers were already gripped to the links and they could hear the others shouting and taunting to gain attention from the mindless prisoners dragging their bodies around the fence. Lori waited for Rick's silent okay before she undid the lock and pulled back on the fence. She released the two runners like horses out of the gate and shut it behind them. Brandishing his Colt Python tightly in his hand, Rick ran ahead of Ra and proceeded to fire off only the necessary rounds to get them passed the few walkers blockading the gravel path. Ra gained momentum and bolted passed Rick, her eyes focused on the gate in front of them. She heard a bullet ricochet and looked over her shoulder at Rick who suspended his movement momentary behind a cloud of dust rising from the ground.
"Sorry" Carol called out.
More walkers in the prison yard sprang to attention and began making their way towards the gate. It was the first time Ra could ever remember rushing towards a herd of walkers. They could overpower them if they didn't get to the security gate soon. Ra reached out and grabbed a hold of gate post as Rick came up behind her and kicked back the advancing prisoners. The gate slammed shut and Rick managed to clasp the ends of another hooked bungee cord to secure the fence.
"Take the tower" Ra yelled to him before spinning around to head back to the field.
The rusted door moaned open and shut heavily behind him. Once he was in she heard Daryl whistle loudly.
"Light it up!"
The sound of gun fire broke the silence of prison. Ra's adrenaline rose as her legs pumped underneath her, speeding past walkers and bullets. The ones that were careless enough to descend upon her were met with the sharp end of her blades. They moved fluently through the rotting flesh like a hot knife through butter. She jumped up and her knee connected with a walkers chest, forcing them both to the ground. Ra straddled the prisoner and slammed the sharp edge into the top of his head. His movement ceased and Ra wiped the brain from her knife with a cocky smile.
"Behind ya!" Daryl roared over the shots.
Ra spun around as the outstretched gnarled hands of another walker reached out for her neck. Her leg jutted out from underneath her and sent the prisoner toppling to the ground. It was unfazed and continued to snap its jaws while using its fingers to pull itself closer. Before she had a chance to even catch her breath the walkers head dropped with a heavy thud to the ground, an arrow protruding from the back of its skull. She shielded her eyes from the sun and looked up at the guard tower. Daryl was standing like a bronzed statue holding his crossbow up in front of his face. The last gunshot echoed off the prison walls and everything grew silent once again. Ra let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding in since the gates had been closed. Her heartbeat dropped back to a normal rhythm and her hands stopped trembling. There was a collective sound of celebration from each end of the field.
Lori opened the gate back up and one by one the entire group stepped into the seized battlefield. Ra joined Rick walking back from the tower
"Nice work." He commended, slapping her on the shoulder.
"Just doin' my job boss" she joked.
Daryl walked the gravel road with everyone, keeping his eyes narrowed at Ra.
"Gettin' ahead of yourself there ain't ya?" He asked, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand "Think I lost track of how many times I had to save your ass."
She jumped up and nearly took Daryl off his feet as she wrapped her legs around his waist stirring up laughter from the rest of the group.
"Hard to take out a Dixon, remember" She laughed, giving him a quick kiss.
"Eh. It's an ass worth saving anyway." He lowered her back down on the ground and put an arm around her waist as they walked.
"We haven't had this much space since we left the farm" Carol spun in a circle and jogged freely across the field cluttered with walkers.
They would still have to keep an eye out despite being surrounded by the barbed wire and chain linked fences, but Carol was right. Even if it only lasted for a little while, it was like a huge weight was lifted from everyone's shoulders. Tonight they could feel the grass beneath their fingers and breathe the fresh air. All the feeling they had took for granted in the past. Tonight they would revel in their victory.
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The sun had fallen below the horizon and the prison was blanketed in dark blue and velvety black hues. There was an air of calmness surrounding the newly acquired utopia that hadn't been felt in months. The gunfire from earlier had caught the attention of a few passing walkers mindlessly pummeling themselves against the fencing but their presence wasn't cause for even the mildest concern. Daryl's heavy boots thudded across the broad side of an overturned truck, his eyes meticulously scanning the woodlands around the perimeter. Despite the circumstances, he had learned in the past to never get to comfortable in one place no matter how "safe" they thought it was. "Safe" was no longer a part of their vocabulary. The rising sound of laughter drifted passed his ears and Daryl's eyebrows knitted together at the foreign sound. The group sat together in the middle of the field, circled around a low burning campfire. They choked down pieces of owl and squirrel and spoke in whispers and hushed voices so low he had to strain his ears to listen. His eyes landed on Ra and he nearly walked off the edge of the trucks cab. She was sitting on the ground in between Hershel and Carl, clad in one of his dark blue flannels. The bare flesh of her knee peaked through the rips in her jeans stretched out in front of her as she crossed her ankles. He studied her from a distance as if it were the first time he was really seeing her. He watched the soft breeze pick up stray strands of her long black hair that she would collect between two fingers and throw back over her shoulder. She gathered the flannel tighter around herself and brought her knees up to her chest and rested her chin down. The flames of the fire danced across her tan face and made her light up like an angel with a halo. She was an angel. His angel. Sometimes he had to remind himself that she did belong to him. For better or worse. Till death. An impending fate whether walker or not. A fate that she deserved better than. Ra's eyes rose up from the fire and flicked over him. She offered the smallest tired smile and the corners of his lips turned up in return, if only for a moment.
"You want me to run some food up to Daryl?"
Ra turned her attention to Carol, standing over her with a plastic cup of cooked game meat and organs. She stood up and stretched her back out.
"No sit by the fire and rest. I'll go play the good housewife." Ra smiled and collected the cup from Carol.
She understood that Daryl and Carol had grown close over the last couple months and she had set her jealousy aside for more reasonable emotions but, she also wanted to draw her line in the sand in case Carol's feelings crossed into more than just friendship. Daryl didn't take his eyes off her as she trotted over to the truck.
"Little help here" Ra smiled, reaching up her hand to Daryl.
"Ya climb a tree like a squirrel but ya can't get up onto a truck?" he reached down at caught her hand, bringing her up to him in one swift movement "thought ya were a tough guy now"
She acknowledged the comment by playfully shoving the cup of food into his hand. Daryl grabbed a piece of meat between his fingers and popped it into his mouth.
"I was being serious earlier." He said, in between chewing "Ya got cocky today. Ya stopped movin' and it almost got ya killed."
"I was fine. I knew what I was doing. Besides, I had you there to back me up." She smirked and reached out to wrap her arms around Daryl only to have him move away.
"I ain't messin' with ya Raven" his face was etched with concern "You know better than that and I ain't gonna always be there."
Ra's frown deepened. The very thought of Daryl not being there, for whatever reason, made her physically sick. She looked down at the ground, rubbing her lips together and kicking the toe of her boot repeatedly against the heavy metal. She heard Daryl sigh loudly and suddenly she was pulled to his chest, wrapped in his embrace.
"Ya just scared me is all. You're hard headed and as much as ya piss me off, I love that about ya." Ra wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled into the side of his neck. She felt Daryl's mouth move closer to her ear. His warm breath tickled her lobe and his hand rose up so the pad of his thumb could trace small circles on the back of her neck "Told ya before I ain't gonna lose ya again." He whispered "Stop givin' me reasons to have to worry I might"
He kissed the top of her head and gave her one last tight squeeze before releasing her reluctantly. He took his crossbow back into his hands and straightened up, scratching his chin.
"Rick's walked that perimeter couple times now" He said, changing the subject "Think we're goin' in there tomorrow."
She followed his eyes to the shadowy figure of Rick set against the backdrop of the linked fence.
"We're not gonna have the ammo for it." She reminded him.
"Naw we're not" Daryl walked to the end of the truck and gestured for her to join him "I have a feeling he wants to go in fightin'. Come on. Let's head back and hear what he's got to say. Glenn's turn to take watch for awhile."
Beth's voice grew louder as they walked back to the warmth of the campfire. The song was one Ra had never heard before but seemed fitting to the circumstances. She noticed Daryl watching the young blonde, his eyes holding the slightest traces of sadness in them. She slid a hand into his tightly clenched fist, using her fingers to separate his from his palm. She felt the sting of guilt from his earlier words. Maybe she had gotten caught up in the moment and become reckless in her actions. The need to protect the group overshadowing concern for her own safety. Because of their relationship, Daryl had lost out on a brother and had chosen her over his blood. If anything happened to her, he would slip back to being the person that Merle had made him or worse. He would give up all together. She tugged on Daryl's hand to gain his attention.
"I'm sorry" She said, just loud enough for him to hear.
He nodded, chewing on the inside of his bottom lip as Rick approached, his intent for tomorrow being held behind his eyes. He crouched down next to Lori and Carl handed him a bowl of food. He wordlessly passed it to Lori who refused, only to have it silently forced upon her. Beth finished her melancholy song and all that remained was the crackle of firewood.
"I know we're all exhausted" Rick finally spoke up "But we have to push just a little bit more." Their was a collective frustrated sigh as Rick laid out his plan for the morning. They would go in hand to hand and clear out the yard leading up to one of the cell blocks. Most of the walkers were still in there blue jumpsuits causing Rick to speculate that it had fallen early on to the epidemic.
"Food, water medicine. This place could be a goldmine" He continued.
"Weapons?" Daryl asked.
"An armory" Rick corrected "I'm gonna keep watch tonight. I'll walk the perimeter one last time and see where the walkers are getting in and out."
He stood up and walked away before even granting anyone a chance to voice any concerns. He had made it clear already, you stood with him or you would stand alone. Ra flinched when Lori pulled herself from the ground and trailed behind her husband through the field. She didn't know what her intentions were but she could tell by the look on Rick's face he not only didn't care what she was saying but couldn't be bothered with her requests. Daryl walked up behind Ra and followed her stare to the other married couple in the middle of the field. He knew that Lori and his wife confided in one another but he didn't want her head clouded with concern. They both needed to concentrate on what lay ahead of them tomorrow.
"Come on" he tugged at her hand, pulling her away to their designated spot near the fire "Let's get those blades sharpened than get some sleep."
She hummed a response and followed next to her husband obediently but not before casting one last glance over her shoulder as Rick walked away from Lori, leaving her standing in the empty yard.
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I know this is super short! I didn't have a lot of time to write but wanted to at least get a chapter in this week like I promised. My laptop charger blew out on me and I wanted to post what I had before it went out again. Ordered a new one that should be her by Monday of next week so the next installment shouldn't be to far behind. Thanks to again to everyone that took interest in this story. REVEWS KEEP ME FROM TURNING INTO A WALKER! XOXOXOX