Guess what? An ice storm is coming to a town near me tomorrow night, so I am going to try to get some updates out before the Mountain State turns back to third world status. Not much fluff in this one but Carol and Michonne are on a rescue mission. Can't have my CAMmie all broken up any longer.

What Comes Our Way

Michonne hesitated at the door and edged it open a crack and peered into the dark. She could see the door of the warehouse and saw a man standing there guarding the door. It was one of the Governor's inner circle and she knew that Andrea was in the room already. She shook her head and moved out of the way so that the others could see.

Carol looked the guy over. He was short and fat; the kind of guy who nobody had paid much attention to before this all happened. He had latched himself onto the Governor and would turn a blind eye to anything that he did in that room.

There was a two short bursts from an automatic rifle down toward the front gates and Carol saw the door open behind the guard and a tall man step out. The light from inside the warehouse back lit the tall man and Michonne hissed in her ear and Carol figured that must be the Governor. The tall man shut the door behind him and walked deliberately toward the sound.

Carol whispered to Michonne, "I got this" and eased the door open. She walked away from the warehouse and slipped through the alley to emerge in front of the warehouse. Carol pushed her shirt behind her favorite knife and made sure that it was one quick grip away. She called out, "What's going on?" and walked toward the guard.

"Stop right there, why are you out after dark?" The guard's voice reminded her of Ed and for an instance Carol faltered, but Andrea was behind that door.

"I'm new here. A patrol found me and my girlfriend today and brought us here. I was taking a walk and then I heard gunfire." Carol continued to move toward him slowly. He opened the door behind him just a bit so that he could see her. She channeled her inner flirt that she only used on Daryl, "I am afraid to go back that way. Maybe I can keep you company."

The guard looked her over and she could see that he was still a little suspicious. "I didn't hear anything about patrols finding some women."

Carol grinned, "The guys that found us wanted to keep us for themselves. They are busy now and I wanted to see what this place has to offer. You must be somebody in charge and I like to be with a man who has some power. You know what I mean?"

The guard smirked back, "I am the Governor's right hand man, but he doesn't want anybody down here". He looked at her again and she saw lust win out over reason. "How about you give me a taste of what you can do?" and he pointed to his groin.

Carol moved closer and used her left hand to pull his zipper down and she smiled at him while her right hand eased the knife out and then in on swift move cut his jugular. Blood spurted out and he fell down clutching his throat.

Jesse grabbed his feet and dragged him around the side of the building. Michonne and Carol darted into the warehouse and moved to the back portion where Merle had seen the secret room. Michonne had brought a pry bar and they quickly jimmied the locked door open.

The room was lit by a single hanging light and underneath that was a dentist chair. Andrea was tied onto the chair and her mouth was gagged. She had been beaten and she was bleeding from several wounds, but she was still alive. The Governor had been called away before it went too far.

Carol used her knife to cut Andrea loose and Michonne tore the gag away and gave her some water to drink. The plan was to get her away as quick as possible. Jesse was standing guard outside but the governor could be back at any minute. Carol grabbed the medical back pack that she carried and quickly wiped off any blood ignoring Andrea's cries of pain. She slapped duct tape bandages on and they put Andrea between them and half carried her to the door. Michonne knocked quietly on the door and Jesse answered, "Come on out".

Jesse took Andrea from them and they shut the door to the warehouse and moved back to the "back door" storage building. Daryl met them there. He had come back to make sure that Carol was alright and to see if Jesse could join them.

Carol hugged him and said "We have to get her out of here. We are going to go to the vehicle and then to the place that we were in today. I need to take care of her wounds before they get infected."

Andrea was in pain and shock but she wanted out of Woodbury now. "I can walk. Let's get out of here."

Michonne said to Jesse, "We got this. Carol and I can get to the suv and we'll meet you there later. Don't go be some damn hero". She kissed him quickly and he and Daryl moved toward the sound of gunfire.

Michonne undid the holding pin and slid the steel back far enough to slide out and she held out her hands to Andrea, "Let's get the hell out of here. Andrea". Andrea moved through awkwardly and Carol followed close behind. They were out in the dark with every walker in miles being drawn in by the sound of gunfire but took the time for a quick hug.

Michonne let the way. She had excellent night vision and instincts honed by many months of survival out here. Andrea hobbled more slowly but except for an occasional hiss of pain she made no complaint. Carol was last and she kept her knife ready and was able to bring down a walker that staggered out from behind a pine tree between Michonne and Andrea. Two followed them for a few steps but Michonne had turned and with one sweep of her katana swept their heads away.

Andrea had watched the decapitation with a smile, "Good times". The rest of the trip to the vehicles was uneventful but there was a group milling around the clearing that they had parked in. Michonne began drawing them to her as Carol escorted Andrea to the suv. Carol stabbed the walker waiting by the door with one hand and opened the door with the other. She closed the door in time to see a tall walker coming her way. There was a running board on the tall suv and Carol jumped up on that and stabilized herself by grabbing the cargo carrier with her left hand and using her right to stick the knife through his eye.

Michonne got the driver's door open, "Are you coming?"

Carol got in the driver's side and crawled quickly to the passenger side, "I'm good to go". Michonne shut the door and started the vehicle in one quick move. She maneuvered out toward the road and drove toward the rendezvous point. It was ten miles away and it was the now fully dark. There were walkers out on and along the road and she concentrated on keeping the vehicle moving toward their hideout.

Carol had bailed to the back seat and opened her medical supplies. She gave Andrea an injection of pain medication and another of a strong antibiotic that Merle had put in the pack. She used a small flashlight to check Andrea's wounds. The Governor had raped her from the looks of the bruising on her body. Andrea had bruising on her ribs and legs and some of those ribs might be broken. He had used a knife too but just enough to make her bleed. He wanted to instill terror and to make the experience last as long as possible. He had bitten one of her breasts hard enough to require stitching and Carol wished that she had gone with Jesse and Daryl. She would have liked to watch this man die.

Michonne asked, "How is she doing?"

Carol answered, "She is going to be alright. This woman is tough". Andrea managed to squeeze her hand and Carol put her other hand over hers. "I mean that Andrea. You are tough enough to get through this and you don't have to go by yourself. Michonne and I are going to take care of you. We are going to do whatever it takes to protect you."

Michonne saw the turnoff ahead. "Merle gave me the key to the building. If you can get it open, I'll drive it in and we wait there". The suv lights showed an open driveway and Carol took the key from Michonne and got the door open. Michonne pulled in and Carol locked the place from the inside.

They used blankets from the suv and an old dining room table to make Andrea a bed. Carol had brought a pair of sweatpants and a large button up blouse with her. She had scavenged these yesterday and packed them in case Andrea needed something. Carol helped Andrea out of her bloodied dirty clothes and washed her again with the baby wipes that were in the pack. Michonne had turned away when she saw the blood and the bruising and Carol knew that she was fighting back tears. Carol checked the wounds and cleaned them again and bandaged them more carefully. She threaded a sterile needle and motioned for Michonne to hold Andrea down and she stitched up her breast and the wounds on her arms and legs. Andrea gritted her teeth but the pain meds were kicking in and Carol moved quickly. Then she and Michonne dressed her in the sweat pants and put the loose shirt on her buttoned it up. Andrea had a cut on her cheek that she stitched up last. Carol knew there would be a faint scar there to remind all of them of this night.

They propped her up a bit and Carol kept encouraging her to drink water. They had turned off the battery lamp and were only using a solar light. Michonne held Andrea's left hand and Carol held her right. Michonne reached her other hand out to Carol and for a minute they just closed their eyes and breathed.

Andrea went to sleep and Michonne said that she would take watch if Carol wanted to sleep. Carol went to nap on the back seat of the suv. She thought about the night before when Daryl was in her bunk and how it had felt to be with him. She understood why that happened. Carol was still shocked that she had screwed Daryl in the kitchen before the run. Sex with Ed had been about his pleasure and her submission. She had never initiated sex with him. Today she decided that she wanted him and she had acted on that impulse. Something had happened to her when she was trapped in the closet. She wasn't afraid anymore.

Carol went to sleep for a few hours and checked her watch. There was still hours to go before daylight. She took watch and pushed Michonne toward the suv. Michonne nodded and Carol began checking Andrea's vital signs. Andrea was just getting over pneumonia and needed to recuperate somewhere better than this warehouse. She wasn't feverish and that was a good sign.

Michonne slept restlessly and finally she gave up on sleep. Andrea was still sleeping and Carol was keeping watch. It wouldn't be long before they could ease out of here and make for the compound. Merle's group wasn't here but they may have stayed in Woodbury. She refused to think that anything bad had happened. Somehow, she had faith in Merle. He had stood in this place yesterday and told them exactly where to go and what to do. Merle had qualities of leadership that she had never suspected. Merle wasn't going to let anything happen to Jesse because he was Christy's brother and he obviously loved Daryl. Oscar and Axel might be in trouble though.

Carol had hoped that Daryl would show up last night but Merle seemed determined to rid Woodbury of the Governor and his henchmen. He wanted certain people there to run the place and she figured that was going to take a while. Carol saw Michonne stretching after getting out of the suv and knew that she might be able to clear up some questions.

Michonne joined her beside of Andrea and put her hand on Andrea's forehead and she seemed relieved that Andrea didn't have a fever. "I understand that you and Merle were looking for Daryl but where did you find Christy, Caleb, and Jesse?"

"I think God has a strange sense of humor. Merle and I were being hounded down a dirt road by a herd of walkers. No place to go but forward and we came to a locked gate. We climbed the gate and saw that there was a strong fence around this place. We left our truck on the other side and began walking along a road and we got captured by Caleb and Jesse. They took us to Christy and she and Merle had been together twenty years ago when he was in the army. Caleb is Merle's son. Christy thought Merle had been killed on some secret mission and he thought that she had married someone else. Merle believe it or not adores her and apparently always has. Even more weird is that she is this beautiful kind woman who could have had her choice of men loves Merle. I can't imagine why." Michonne still found Merle and Christy a mystery.

Carol thought about it, "He is different now. Clean and sober. He loves her and he will protect her. That goes a long way these days. Maybe she could have had other men but the Merle that I saw today was a man willing to take on the Governor and Woodbury for no other reason except to right some wrongs. I saw the way he looks at her. She looks at him like he delights her. He wouldn't be boring."

Michonne decided to ask a question of her own. "So when did you and Robin Hood hook up? Merle was sure that Daryl was still alive and that he would make sure you were safe."

Carol was surprised that Merle would remember who she was. She had been a silent drudge at the quarry just trying to keep Ed from erupting. "Daryl and I were just friends until last night, but I have loved him far longer than that. We just moved into the prison a couple of weeks ago after seven months on the run. We lost two of our people this week, and life is a gift worth enjoying. I decided to enjoy it and I guess Daryl did too."

Carol decided to switch the subject to Michonne and Jesse. "Jesse is Christy's brother? He is so handsome with those beautiful blue eyes and that sweet smile. He is one of the nicest people I have ever met."

Michonne laughed, "Okay, I met him yesterday and slept with him last night. The man even sleeps pretty. He's a good man and I am never letting him go. I am usually one of those women who take forever to decide how I feel about people. I can honestly say that I love him."

Andrea opened her eyes and her voice was more of a croak, "I let you out of my sight for a few days and you run off with Merle and slept with the first man you ran into. Shit, I knew by the time the gate closed behind you that I should have gone with you. Don't rub it in by telling me that you found Mr. Perfect."

Carol propped her up and gave her some more water to drink. Andrea said,"I might be in pain, but hell girls, I want the dirt. Dish it out." Andrea sat up a little more and looked at them. Carol had changed since she had seen her almost get eaten by a walker at the farm. She was leaner, meaner, and knew how to fight now, but she was still kind and compassionate. Michonne had come back for her even after she had been an idiot about Phillip. These two were friends worth having.

Michonne said, "She isn't kidding; the woman wants to know the details". Michonne was so happy to see Andrea awake and cogent that she would tell her anything she wanted to know.

Carol blanched, "Daryl would have a heart attack if he thought I was telling you about our sex life."

Andrea turned to Michonne. "So Michonne?"

Michonne said, "The best I ever had".

Carol interrupted, It's getting light outside. I am going to give you another injection. We need to get moving toward Christie's. She has real medical training and if you are well enough to be nosy, then you are well enough to move."

Michonne helped Andrea up and they took turns visiting the pot at the back of the building. Carol unlocked the warehouse and sneaked a look out. No walkers out front. Carol and Michonne helped Andrea to the suv. Carol went back and grabbed their bags and closed the door and set the lock closed but not locked.

Michonne had settled Michonne in the back seat and was ready to go. Carol put their bags in the back and jumped in the front seat. The morning sun was starting to chase the morning mists away and Michonne drove west toward the compound. She looked back in the rear view mirror but didn't see Merle's truck coming. She did see Andrea falling asleep in the back seat. She turned to Carol and said, "Mission accomplished".

AN

I hope you are curious about what the men have been doing all this time. I hate that Andrea was taken from the television show and I course corrected to make certain she is around to keep Michonne and Carol entertained.

I would appreciate a review.