Disclaimer – I still have yet to acquire them. See chapter 1 to see who it stopping me :)
AN – On to Season 3 this will be containing the plot elements of 3x01 – Seed, I am also taking a little liberty to start to branch the Buffyverse and Wdverse more.
"This place is perfect." As soon as Rick said this, both Daryl and Buffy snorted.
"This is going to be a bitch to clear out." Buffy stated the obvious as she bounced Hope on one hip, looking on into the prison yard.
"Sophia, flip the coin." Sophia grinned and pulled out the quarter she found a few weeks back and flipped it, heads was Daryl, tails was Buffy.
"Heads."
"Okay then, have a good day at work dear." Buffy lifted her head to Daryl and accepted the kiss coming down to her after her cheeky comment on the new normal of their lives, then handed him Hope to say goodbye.
"Mind your ma, okay Hope?" He kissed the top of her head and handed her back to Buffy. Hope was only ever scared when they were not there. No longer shy about screaming and laughing, one of them had to be in her sights at all times to keep her calm, hopefully something she would grow out of soon once they finally settled into one place for a while. The group left in the safely between the fences attracted the attention on as many walkers as they could to dispatch them to make it easier for the ones inside. Even Hope got into it, her squeals of laughter and calling for her poppa collected more of the walkers to Buffy's spot on the fence.
The grassy expanse of yard was soon secured and they had the yard to themselves. Once they were inside, Buffy sat Hope down with Carl and Sophia so both she and Daryl were in eyesight as they dragged the walker bodies to a corner of the yard.
A few hours later once food had been had and talking around the campfire has been done, Rick came over and broke the silence.
"Tomorrow we work on clearing the interior past the next gate." Rick said this and Buffy nodded in agreement as she looked down on the sleeping kids.
"I am going to go get Daryl." Buffy stood up and walked over the overturned truck that Daryl was standing on, ever vigilant in keeping them safe.
"Not ideal, but this could work." Buffy said this as she climbed up to the top to stand next to him.
"We can always tell Hope she is a princess and this is her castle."
"I love you, you know that right?" The sudden seriousness of her tone caused him to worry a bit.
"I know that, now what's goin' on in that head of yours?"
"See, I have a past that I really should have told you about a long time ago. At first I didn't think it needed to be said since I was not planning on staying, then I did and I was afraid you would think I was crazy and I couldn't stand the thought of that." Before she could continue, he cut her off.
"First thing I noticed about you was that you moved like a predator. Too silent, too accurate in your attacks. Almost endless stream of energy. Reminds me of a girl I met one night when I was younger, she was hitchin' rides from Florida to California. Never told anyone here this after the Chuppacabra teasing, she moved like you do, not as graceful mind you. Attacked a man that was after a girl about Sophia's age. Man just seemed to turn to dust. Played it off as an over drunk mind at the time. She gave me some story about him running off, before goin' into a tale about nekkid alligator wrestling, then asked where the nearest truck stop was. In light of the dead walking..."
"You knew Faith? You knew all this time about me?" Her voice trembled slightly as she asked this and he nodded slightly.
"Knew you were like her, not sure of the what that is, but you didn't seem the type to harm us, and you saved the girl, so why worry? Kept me from worrying too much when you were fightin'. Made me fall in love more knowing you could take care of yourself. We all have a past. When you are ready you can tell it all to me. An' if you were so worried, why bring it up now?"
"If we stay here and settle in then there is less fighting, I get more restless." Buffy looked up at the sky, daring not look at Daryl.
"Then I guess I better find more vitamins on the next supply run so I can keep you from getting too restless." Buffy gave a soft laugh at this. "Come here and stop worrying. When you are ready we tell the others in small batches, family sticks together." Daryl slung his crossbow across his back and pulled her in to his arms.
The next morning, Buffy was helping clear the courtyard with Rick, Daryl, Glenn, Maggie and T-Dog. Hope was happily clapping at them as she sat behind the safety of the fence.
"Shit, they have armor." Buffy said this as Daryl's arrow bounced off the helmet of the walker wearing the riot gear.
"We got a civilian, may be a breach we need to secure." Daryl announced this and took out the female walker coming towards them and Maggie was able to take out the riot gear walker when she was able to get her knife under the helmet straight into the brain.
T-Dog picked up a fallen riot shield and was helping with herd control so they could take out the remaining walkers in smaller groups.
After the courtyard was cleared and gates secured, the rest of their group came in.
"Okay, body moving then a break before going in to clear some of the interior?" Rick nodded at Buffy's assessment and they started to clear a path of the bodies.
Buffy won the next coin toss and headed into interior to start to clear it out. It only took a few hours to get a clear area in the C block of the cells, once cleared the group all entered and started to grab a cell of their own.
"A couple of throw pillows and I say it is home."
"I ain't having girly pillows that I can't use in here."
"Seriously? That is where you draw the line Daryl?"
"Buffy I am serious. I am still a man. Let me be stubborn about this."
"Yes dear." Buffy said this and smirked at him as he handed her Hope then went to go help unload the group gear.
"Rest up, we are heading further in once all the gear is in." Rick announced this.
"They are going to need more help. So Grandpa Dale, want to calm a screaming Hope in a bit?" Dale chuckled and nodded, holding out his arms to accept the precious bundle.
They were making their way further in to the prison, tight formation and everyone was still standing. Then they got rushed. Maggie and Glenn got separated from the group. They had to pull back to regroup so they could go back in.
They thought they were safe in that corridor so when they heard the faint calling of Maggie they did not hold Herschel back. Now they wish they had. His screams were haunting as a walker they thought was dead bit Herschel in the calf. Buffy shot it in the head as the men dragged him into the closest room. Piled of bodies and haphazardly stacked cafeteria tables bore witness to what was next.
As they put Herschel on the ground, Buffy tore open his pant leg and swore. She held down the bad leg with one hand and his good leg with the other as Daryl and T-Dog held him down the rest of the way, Glenn comforting a horrified looking Maggie.
"Scream if you have to. No judgments." Daryl said this to try to calm the man as Rick began to amputate the bitten limb.
Herschel passed out halfway through thankfully, and once they were done Daryl looked up with a muttered "Duck" and jumped up with his weapon at the ready at the five people that could be seen on the other side of the cafeteria window.
