Chapter 3
Disclaimer: I own nothing! any resemblance to existing stories is unintended.
Rick, Daryl, Charlotte, Glenn, Maggie, and Carl sat in a circle on the roof, looking at one another. No one was sure how to approach the subject that needed to be discussed.
"So … what r' we gonna do about them?" Daryl's gruff, quiet voice was the first to break the silence. Rick ran his hand over his bearded face.
"We've lost people over the winter, we could use the numbers." He said. "But we don't even know these people! Who knows what they are like!" Maggie interjected.
"Yeah, but they surrendered their weapons to us, even though they didn't know us from Adam and they basically put their safety in our hands. We could have done anything to them, but they still trusted us." Charlotte said.
The group fell silent, she had a point. "I say we let them stay, one of them is a doctor, we … we need another doctor." Glenn said, trying in vain to keep the pain out of his voice.
Rick stood. "Okay, let's go talk to them."
Rosita nudged Abraham as Rick and the others approached. Everyone stood, there was a tense moment before Rick spoke.
"We have talked it over, and if you want to, you're welcome to stay with us. We'll leave you to talk it over, you can tell us your decision at dinner tonight.
Abraham and his people watched Rick and his people leave. Once he was sure they were out of earshot, they began to discuss their options, which in all honesty, weren't very plentiful. Either they took the offer these people were presenting to them, or they would be back out on the road, left to face certain death.
They all looked at one another, no words need be said, they were all in agreement on what they had to do.
Abraham, Rosita, Eugene and Kaela slowly approached the dinner table that evening, the rest of the group had already settled in and was eating, they all turned to them.
"We … have decided to take you up on your offer to stay, but on one condition, we want our weapons back." Rick nodded. "Fair enough." He said as he reached behind him and handed the large duffle bag containing their weapons to them.
Beth handed them plates full of hot food. "Here, eat, you all look like you haven't seen a good meal in months." She said, a kind, innocent smile on her young face.
"Thank you!" Eugene said as he eagerly took the offered plate of food and passed a plate on to Kaela, who wordlessly smiled in graditude. Abraham and Rosita thanked her roughly and took the offered food as well.
Everyone ate in silence, studying each other, it was clear they all had questions, but everyone seemed unwilling to ask them.
Abraham was up at the ass crack of dawn, forever a slave to his military training, he half expected every morning to hear the morning bugle call, and in the distance somewhere, the cannon going off, signaling the daily raising of the flag.
Rosita was up as well, he suspected also out of habit from her former life as a police officer. Everyone was still asleep, even Rick and the others. Rick had told them they were to accompany a group on a supply run, so he used this time to get his things together. He was sitting at the door, waiting when what he presumed would be his group for the day, walked up.
It consisted of the one eyed woman and her redneck companion whose names he learned were Daryl and Charlotte, and the menacing, sword wielding Michonne.
"Let's go, the day ain't getting any longer." Charlotte said as they piled in the Tucson.
The ride was silent, no one had anything to say, the SUV pulled into one of the many abandoned subdivisions and neighborhoods that were nestled around their Walmart.
"There is so many of these, we still haven't had a chance to scour them all." Charlotte said, as if sensing Abraham's questions. "The important thing is to be quiet! These neighborhoods look clear, but trust me, just make one little fucking sound and see how abandoned they are." Michonne interjected as her sharp eyes scoured the area.
They all exited, careful not to slam their car doors. "Come on, let's make this quick, remember you see any walkers, don't use your gun unless you absolutely have to.
Abraham was going to retort that he wasn't an idiot and he very well knew that walkers were attracted to sound, but he thought better of it as they broke off into groups of two, and he was stuck with the seemingly unstable Michonne.
"Cover me." She said curtly as they prepared to enter a house, to which the front door was ajar … not a good sign.
They crept along, Michonne with her sword ready, Abraham watched their backs with his tomahawk drawn. Luckily for them, the house was clear, and well stocked. The trend had been extreme couponing and many people had basements filled with canned and other nonperishable goods.
They opened their bags and started stuffing things into them, soon they were so full they could barely zip them closed. "Come on, we've been here too long already." Michonne said as they slung their bags over their shoulders and headed out.
She opened the door. "Fuck!" she hissed as she closed it quickly, there were walkers milling about, hundreds of them, and they had no way of communicating with Daryl or Charlotte ... if they were even ok.
A/N- Yes, I know this ended abruptly, but I hope to have the next chapter up soon, I thought this would get more traffic, but I also know its a bit slow, but I am planning some things in the future that I hope will excite it up a bit. Also, Yes Kaela will have a larger part s the story goes on.
