Disclaimer: I don't own The Walking Dead. This is the episode Arrow on the Doorpost.
(It's been a few days since the last chapter.)
CHAPTER TEN
The feeling of dread hanging over today is making waking up this morning very difficult. A part of me just wants to lay here and sleep through it all but we no longer have that luxury.
Two days ago Andrea came back to tell Rick that this Governor is willing to talk with him. So today Daryl, Jack, Rick and Hershel will be going to meet him to divide the state. I hope this man will agree but after everything he has done, I don't have any faith for an easy agreement between them. I just pray they come back home alive.
After finally getting up, I make my way to the common area where I hear the girl's giggling. When I walk in I see Gracie spoon feeding Daryl, as he overly acts while taking a bite, which makes her, Anna and Haylee laugh away.
"Morning guys and how did my girls sleep last night." I ask as I make my way around the table kissing them each on their heads before sitting done next to Anna and Haylee. "I slept ok but I'll need another blanket, it got a little cold." Anna tells me before taking another bite of her food.
"I sleept ok to mama and I didn't have no bad dreams eiver." Gracie said before taking a bite of her oatmeal. "Well that's great to hear baby bear and how about you honey bear." I asked Haylee while brushing a few loose strands of hair away from her face.
"I had a nightmare but… but then daddy came and shot the dead man and then it was ok again." She said happily as she looks up at me before smiling back at Daryl. "Well I'm glad it wasn't all bad." I said before kissing the side of her head again before looking around the room.
Daryl says something suddenly which makes me jerk my head back round to look at him. "What?" I ask him not sure what he said. "You need to eat." He tells me again and I just nod my head.
"I'll eat in a little bit. I can't even think about stomaching anything right now, but I will eat soon, I promise, ok." I tell him while lightly rubbing my belly. The thought of food right now, when he and Jack and the others will be out there with that mad man soon, it makes me want to throw up.
After breakfast and when everyone gathers in the common area, Rick goes over the plan one more time with us. After talking about it he tells us to load up the guns while they are gone and get a few of the other chores done.
Watching them walk out of the door makes my chest ache and seeing the looks on my babies' faces just made it all worst. After waving them off, Carol and I take Judith and the girls up to their room where Carol is going to watch them play for away as Judith takes a nap. I don't want them near all the guns while we are loading them all up.
"Carl come here. You stash these at the loading dock. All right? Beth put these up on the cat walk. If anyone gets pinned down, we need to make sure that they have plenty of ammo. I'll go work on the cage outside." Glenn said as he passes each of them a few boxes of ammo before grabbing his gun and a blow torch to cut a few holes in the cage out front.
"What we should be doing is loading some of this firepower in a truck and paying a visit to the governor. We know where he is right now." Merle says as he leans against the doorway of his room that is in the common area. I look at him before rolling my eyes, him running off halfcocked is the last thing we need today.
"Are you suggesting that we just go in and kill him?" Glenn asks him almost angry that he said that or well anything for that matter. "Yeah I am." Merle says back it a snappy tone. "We told Rick and Daryl that we'd stay put." Michonne said through a clenched jaw as she turns and look back at Merle.
"I've changed my mind, sweetheart. Being on the sideline with my brother out there ain't sitting right with me." Merle said I just shake my head as Maggie and I continue to load up the extra cartridges.
"The four of them are right in the middle of it. No idea we're coming. They could get taken hostage or killed. A thousand things can go wrong." Glenn tells him before walking closer to the door.
"And they will." Merle says, which makes Carl stop walking and he looks over to him. "My dad can take care of himself." Carl tells him before walking to the door.
"Sorry, son, but your dad's head could be on a pike real soon." Merle says but Carl doesn't even break stride as he walks out the door. I look over from the door and glare at Merle.
"Don't say that to him." Maggie growls at him as she angrily continues to load another cartridge. I keep my mouth closed and I set down the shot gun I was just loading almost afraid I will shoot him.
"It's not the right move. Not now. Can't take the risk of putting them in the crossfire. That's my decision. It's final." Glenn tells him before leaving and I can tell that really annoyed Merle but he looks back at me and we just stare at each other before he finally looks away and he goes back and sits on his bed letting us get back to loading all these guns.
A few minutes pass as we all silently continue with our work when high pitch screams come from the cell block. We all drop what we are doing and start running towards the cell block, Michonne and Maggie a head of me.
"It's ok, it's ok. It's just a rat." Carol yells as she and the girls stand on the cat walk out of the room. I sigh in relief as the girls run down the stairs to me and I take them to my room as Michonne and Carol go back to the room to get the rat.
We have had some problems with rats but the walkers eat them so we haven't had a bad problem with them yet. This is only the third one we have found in the cell block and common area so far.
After getting all the girls to calm down, I leave my room and thank Carol for helping with the girls and Michonne for taking care of the rat.
We start walking back to the common area when we hear clanging noises and the door opening and when I follow in after Maggie, I see Merle packing up a bag of guns and ammo and a very pissed Glenn as he comes through the door.
"Hey you're not going." Glenn tells him as he shuts the cell door leading to outside. "I don't need permission." Merle says over his shoulder as he packs up an assault rifle.
"I can't let you." Glenn tells him but Merle just shakes his head and continues packing. "You can't stop me." He says as he grabs the bag and I look up at Glenn to see him pick up his gun which makes me take a step back and place my hand over my gun just in case.
"If you're gonna live here with us, it's gonna be on our terms. If Michonne can do it, why can't you?" Maggie yells at him when he turns for the door.
"Cause it's my brother out there, that's why. What's the matter with y'all?" He snaps back as he looks from Maggie to me than to Michonne before walking up the steps just to be stopped by Glenn.
Glenn and Merle whisper back and forth before Merle yells 'Get out of my way!' while pushing Glenn aside which makes Glenn tackle him and they both roll down the steps.
When they stop rolling Merle holds his knife arm in front of Glenn's face which makes Maggie run over to them and she jumps on top of his back and puts Merle in a choke hold that Daryl taught us long ago.
Michonne jumps in and grabs his arm when he tries to stab Glenn again. I pull out my gun and look over towards the door when I see Beth running in. She takes off the safety off her gun and shoots up at the ceiling as I walk around the table towards them.
"Let me go! Let me go!" Merle yells and Maggie and Michonne back away as I step towards him and he stops moving when he hears me cocking the gun.
"I will not hesitate to shoot you be it a leg wound or not." I say as I move the gun up towards his head and he turns his head and looks me in my eyes.
"Do not give me a reason. If you so much as step outside this prison and risk Rick's, Hershel's, Daryl's and my sons life… I… WILL… KILL… YOU." I all but growl as I press the gun to his forehead making sure he fully understands that I will follow through if need be.
Glenn pushes away from him and I finally lower my gun and put it back in its holster as I walk in between him and Glenn and up the steps. I grab the bag he packed and walk back to the table and I start unpacking the bag all the while looking at him as he fumes in his cell.
Not much happened for the next few hours, we just finished with the guns and the few chores that needed to be done and had a small lunch. About two o'clock they finally get back and I hug Jack and Daryl so tight not wanting to let go and Rick tells us he wants to talk with everyone so we all go to the cell block and get Carol, Maggie and Beth.
"So I met this governor. I sat with him for quite a while." Rick tells us as he looks around at everyone as we all stand around the cell block.
"Just the two of you?" Merle asks him and Rick nods his head saying 'Yeah.' "Should have gone when we had the chance, bro." Merle says to Glenn as he walks past him and Maggie and I glare at him as he passes by us and it doesn't escape Daryl notice.
"He wants the prison. He wants us gone… dead. He wants us dead… for what we did to Woodbury… We're going to war." Rick tells us before walking out of the cell block and up to the catwalk outside.
I knew something like this would happen but hearing it, living it is a whole other deal. I swallow the fear as I make my up to the girl's room to check on them.
After covering them back up with a sheet, I turn to leave the room. I stop in front of Daryl as he leans against the door way outside. "You want to tell me what that was earlier." He asks and I look down to the first floor to see Merle not so subtlety staring up at us.
"I will tell you later." I say when I look back at him and he gives me a small glare before telling me ok and he pulls me to him and he grabs me chin lightly before kissing me. When I pull away I smile at him before leaning my head against him and we just stand there in a comfortable silence, probably the only one we are going to have for quite a while.