Chapter Twelve
When I woke up the next morning, I felt like something was wrong. Though I wasn't sure what, I sat up slowly and glanced around the container with an apprehensive gaze. Slumbering bodies lay all around me, all except Merle's form which was sat up at the edge of the entrance. My stomach felt a little uneasy though and for a moment I just listened to the silence. It was deafening and the eeriness of the warehouse we were holding up in was taking an effect on me. Something definitely didn't feel right, though I didn't know what.
Hesitantly, I pulled myself to my feet, careful not to wake either Michonne or Sophia on either side of me. I stood for a moment, gathering myself so I was more awake before making a move. Stepping over the bodies, I made my way over towards Merle. The Dixon brother raised his gaze at my approach and he nodded once when he saw who it was. It was strange not to see a greeting smirk and that definitely made me more curious. I sat myself down beside him, so we could talk quietly without waking the others. At first, neither of us said anything though.
"Bit early to be up yet." Merle muttered, running a finger along the edge of his bayonet blade carefully. I nodded slowly, though he wasn't actually looking at me. "Didn't think ya were this much of an early bird, darlin'." I shrugged in response and the Dixon brother eyed me thoughtfully. Finally, he sighed. "This container makes me feel closed in." I was surprised at his admittance, though took in the wariness in his tone.
"Like a prison cell?" I sighed finally, meeting Merle's shocked gaze. After a moment, he finally smirked. Though I noticed it wasn't quite as strong as I was used to.
"I know all about bein' locked in one of those." He returned easily. I shrugged and smiled back.
"So do I." Merle allowed himself a hearty chuckle, quiet enough not to wake anyone, before resting his head back against the container wall. "How long have you been on watch for?" Merle exhaled deeply through his nose.
"Long enough, princess." He muttered back. There was a moments pause before he spoke again, quieter than before. "Something don't feel right." At this revelation, I wasn't sure whether to be relieved that it wasn't just me or more nervous. "About this place." Merle added on as an afterthought. "I've been hearin' a strange bunch of noises all night." I frowned.
"What kind of noises?" I prompted, hesitantly. Merle's eyes glanced briefly down at me before turning back to the opposite wall. He shrugged finally.
"Not sure." He admitted. "Just noises really. Shufflin', rustlin', stuff like that. Once I thought I heard whispherin' 'nd I was gonna go check it out but then the kid got up to come talk to me for a little while." I glanced down towards Elliot, whose slumbering form was sleeping closest to us. "After he went back to sleep, it had all stopped. So I didn't bother goin' to have a look." I thought this over for a moment, an uneasy feeling in my stomach.
"Could have been the wind?" I suggested, weakly. Merle snorted.
"I know the difference, sweetheart." He muttered, shaking his head. "It weren't no wind." Swallowing hard, I stared out the entrance to the container, taking in the morning sky breaking through, just visible through the cracked windows of the warehouse. The air was cold, but not unbearable, just enough to chill my skin.
"Well," I began slowly, shuddering slightly. "We'll be leaving soon so this place will be behind us before we know it. We won't have to think about it anymore." At this, Merle nodded though his expression was clear. He wasn't convinced of that.
I sat with Merle until everyone else had finally woken up. We talked in hushed tones as not to wake them, but once Carl and Sophia both woke up and began their usual natter, the rest began to follow. The container began to fill with life once more and everyone shuffled about in the cramped conditions, getting themselves ready for the day. I watched everyone from the entrance, smiling slightly at the familiarity to it all. However, Merle's words still held strong in my head and I thought over my own feelings about this place too. The smile left my face as I thought it over. Whether it be the fact it was so deserted or so quiet that made me uneasy, I wasn't sure. Memories of that 'figure' that I saw across the facility sprung to mind too, though I didn't want to allude myself with too many theories as I could have merely just imagined something. Whispering, Merle had said. It could have just been the wind, I tried to reason with myself. Though Merle was very sure it wasn't.
"Here's your food, guys." Glenn came over with two plates of food for Merle and I. I smiled my thanks to him and was surprised when Merle muttered his own gratification too. It wasn't such a long time ago that the pair of them were squaring off against one another. I didn't forget the black eye that Merle had given Glenn either and while the two of them weren't friends, they weren't exactly enemies either. "How was watch?" I started eating quietly as Glenn crouched down in front of us. Chewing thoughtfully, it was definitely strange to see the civility between the pair, though it just showed how far the group had come together. Even if it had been in a short amount of time.
"As uninterestin' as this breakfast." Merle shrugged, his mouth full of food. I grimaced at the sight of him, shaking my head when Merle met my gaze. This only made him grin wider, revealing more chewed up food. I looked away quickly, to stop my stomach from churning. "Heard a couple of noises, but it didn't come to nothin'." This piped Glenn's interest immediately.
"What kind of noises?" The Asian man prompted quickly, quietening his voice a little. Merle paused in his eating and looked up at the man, evenly. The pair held each other's gaze before Glenn nodded. "I heard some stuff too when I was on watch before you. Like moving around and stuff. I thought it might have been walkers but I didn't hear any moaning. It stopped after a while, but I was wondering if you'd heard the same thing?" Merle eyed Glenn for a few moments before nodding slowly, glancing briefly at me.
"Heard something similar." He muttered. "But like ya said, it stopped." Glenn nodded again quickly, though his expression was tense.
"It could have just been some passing walkers?" I suggested, raising my eyebrow, taking in the wary expression on the young man's face. "We could go make a few rounds to check? It'll ease your mind." Glenn didn't say anything for a few moments, thinking things over, before the man nodded quickly.
"Yeah, alright." He replied. "I'll go get my stuff and you and I will go take a look." He made to go, but stopped. "Don't tell the others what we're doing or what we heard, it'll only worry them. We'll just say we're scouting the perimeter of the facility or something. You can vouch for us, right Merle?" The Dixon brother shrugged.
"Why not?" Merle smirked, widely. "I love secrets."
Glenn quickly went to get his weapons and I waited, mine already on me. He announced quickly to the group that him and I were going to go take a look around, just to make sure everything was still secure. Rick asked if we wanted anyone else to come with us, but Glenn rejected the offer. When Rick turned to me for confirmation, I nodded back, comfortingly. We departed quickly, climbing back down the ladder to ground level and making our way out of the warehouse. Glenn led the way and I trailed behind, trying to keep up with his long strides.
When we first left the warehouse, I scanned my eyes across the area around us, taking in how bare and deserted it still remained. Unchanged from the day before pretty much. The uneasy feeling in my stomach though didn't subside and taking a glance at Glenn, I realised he must have been feeling the same. The cars were parked to our left as soon as we left the building, but I didn't bother acknowledging them, only taking them in through the corner of my eye. Glenn seemed too preoccupied too to look at them and was walking further out into the grounds of the facility.
"It's not just the noises." Glenn admitted, shaking his head. I caught up to him quickly, almost jogging to keep up. "I've had this horrible feeling about this place since we got here." I nodded.
"Me too." I sighed, eyeing the battered buildings. "Michonne was right; kinda feels like we're being watched." Glenn hummed in agreement. "We'll be gone soon though." I quickly added to try and stop the worrying, as I had done with Merle. Though like Merle too, Glenn didn't look eased by the statement. After a long pause, he sighed.
"C'mon, we'll take a walk around the facility, see if we see any walkers that may have made those noises."
Walking the perimeter of the facility was a tedious job, due to the vastness of the place, but we did it regardless. Starting out from the building we were residing in, we made our way around the backs of the buildings and weaved our way around them. We would pause at each of them, scouting them briefly and checking for signs of walkers before moving on. The bodies of the walkers killed the day before had been laid out outside the buildings they were found in and we paused as we passed the group of bodies, just studying them in silence. I recalled vaguely someone saying that we should burn them and I think the plan was to burn them today, though that was a job for later. For now, they were all laid out in lines before the buildings, unmoving and still.
Glenn didn't talk much, though taking in his expression he seemed too lost in thought to make conversation. He had slowed his pace down now, thankfully, so I was able to keep up. I was happy enough with the silence and strolled along beside him, taking in the air. It was a lot warmer than it used to be, though there was still a chill, and I gathered we had passed through winter now and were moving onto the warmer days. This thought was good. The snow on the ground had long gone, though the air was still cold, the wind bitter. While the snow had helped us out against walkers, the sunny days to come would be welcomed even so.
When we made it across the lot, coming up to the far end building, I slowed my pace slightly. I recalled the day before, remembering the figure I had thought I'd seen and the thought made me frown. Studying the place again, I wondered what it could have been. Perhaps a walker? A trick of my mind or the light? Maybe something else? Glenn must have sensed my trepidation as he turned to me.
"What's the matter?" He asked. I frowned before turning to him, away from the spot. After a pause, I sighed, shaking my head.
"Nothing." I muttered, smiling fully at the man before urging him on again. I thought we'd return back to silence again, so I was surprised when Glenn cleared his throat, awkwardly, preparing himself to speak.
"So," Glenn began, slowly. I turned to him, expectantly, though the man seemed a little apprehensive to continue. The sight amused me and I waited on, staring up at the man with curiosity. "You and Daryl, huh?" He smiled big when he met my gaze, though it was hesitant I noticed, and I couldn't help but smile back. He sure had taken his time to ask me that and taking in his nervous demeanour, I knew he was probably too afraid to bring it up until now.
"I guess so." I nodded, chuckling. Glenn took the information in, a slight smile on his face, though his expression still seemed to burn with questions. While Glenn appeared to have grown and matured over the time I'd gotten to know him, his eyes still reflected the childlike side of his personality that I'd initially met. It was nice to see he was still holding onto it, despite all we'd been through.
"I probably should have seen it coming, I guess." He continued, shrugging. "Though I don't like to pry in other people's business." I nodded again. "Maggie and I talked about it though and she probably would have said something sooner, but I told her to stop being nosy." I laughed at this, nodding. This was something that Carl had told Sophia, I noted vaguely. Stop being nosy. I was sure interested to see how Maggie would approach us now on the subject and I wondered if she was the sort of woman that relished the details. "She thinks it's cute." I raised an eyebrow at this, glancing up at him.
"Cute." I repeated, thoughtfully. Glenn grinned at me before turning away to look around us.
"Her words not mine." He shrugged again. "She'll probably hassle you about it sooner or later. Gives her something to do, I suppose." I laughed again.
"I can't wait." I sighed. "We can have a nice little girly talk." Glenn grimaced at the thought, though a smile still lingered on his lips. After a while though, his grin fell a little.
"Y'know," Glenn began, slowly. "I feel like, since Maggie and I got together, things changed between us and the group." I frowned at this, taking in Glenn's tone.
"What do you mean?" I prompted. Glenn paused to stick his head inside the doorway to the nearest building. I waited patiently as he did a brief check before carrying on scanning the outside of it. We had fully lapped the building by the time he spoke again.
"I feel like we've lost ourselves to our own little world." He confessed, not looking at me. "Before the farm, before I'd met Maggie, things were so different. I was a main part of the group and-"
"You're still a main part of the group now, Glenn." I cut in, quickly. "Don't doubt yourself of that. We need you. Both of you." He nodded slowly, smiling briefly in my direction.
"Yeah I know. But it's different somehow." He shrugged finally, sighing once more. "I know it's been a while and I'm not quite sure why I'm bringing it up now after so long. I just- I don't know." Glenn turned to me, smiling again. Slowly, I nodded.
"Things change, that's what happens when you meet new people." I began. "Look at things now with Abraham and the others. Look how things are with Morgan. I bet a whole lotta things changed too when I turned up all that time ago." He grinned, not denying it. "And I guess sometimes they change for the better. I mean, you have Maggie now. You love her. Yeah, things are different as to what they were before she came along, but it doesn't make you any less important to the group just because you have other-" I paused, struggling to find the right word. "Priorities. You still care for the group, Glenn. Everyone can see that. But everyone knows how much you love her too."
When I turned back to Glenn, his face was thoughtful. He wasn't looking at me, but instead was staring around him. I waited a moment, seeing if he would reply, before wondering if I should speak again even if it was just to change the subject. When I opened my mouth to talk though, Glenn turned back to me, whipping his head quickly in my direction.
"Do you think things will change for you and Daryl?" He asked, boldly. I was a little startled by his question a first, unsure how to answer. "I guess you've always been friends and I should have realised sooner that you did care for one another, but do you think now it's official that it'll change anything? Like it did for Maggie and me?"
"I don't know." I replied, honestly. "I don't think Daryl's the same kind of devoting man as you are to Maggie, not that I'm meaning that as an insult to either of you. He cares about the group, would do anything and everything for all of us. I'm not sure if what's going on between him and I will change that." Glenn thought this over for a moment, eyeing me thoughtfully.
"After the prison fell," Glenn began, finally, drawing his words out. "When we all got separated and thought you and the others were dead, it hit Daryl pretty hard." I felt myself tense at his words, not liking where this was leading. I hadn't been one to have any 'meaningful' conversations with Glenn in the past, so the situation we were growing into was definitely strange. It hadn't touched on awkward yet, but I wondered if that was where it would be heading. Never did I think I'd be talking to Glenn of all people about matters such as this. "I didn't really put the pieces together that it was because of you specifically, I thought it was because of everyone we had lost. He would work relentless at trying to find you all again. I mean, the rest of us did too, but Daryl did especially. It was like losing Sophia all over again, but I think worse some how. Again, I thought it was because there was so many of you missing, so many people to find-"
"It would have been." I cut in quickly. Glenn paused, uncertain. "He wouldn't have been worked up just for me, Glenn. He cares about everyone in the group so it wasn't just for me." Glenn studied me in silence before nodding quickly.
"I know that." He replied with a sigh. "But it's not that I'm meaning. When we- When we considered you all dead, when we gave up on you all, that's when it hit him the hardest. I mean, he's not exactly the most expressive people at the best of times, but it really bothered him. It bothered us all, but Daryl was different. At first, he wouldn't talk to anyone. He'd sit with us, but he'd never talk, never engage in anything. And I know that's not too different than how he is usually, but you could see something had changed. Sometimes he'd go out and sit by your graves on his own, at completely random times. Like we'd be half way through dinner and he'd get up and leave. When we followed him once, to check if he was alright, he didn't say anything. He just sat there and looked at the crosses. Didn't cry or anything, but all the same, it was strange. None of us really knew what he was doing and we were a little afraid to ask." He paused for a long time. "But then one day at dinner, Sophia spoke to him. She spoke about you."
At this, I turned to Glenn, taking my gaze away from the scenery around us. The conversation had already led down a dangerous path, so I tried to concentrate on dulling out the harsh memories of that time. Though when I was brought up, I couldn't help but look at my companion. Glenn slowed his pace to a halt, studying me with a hesitant expression. It was strange to see Glenn like this. Though it was strange to be even having this conversation with him in the first place though.
"Nothing too dramatic, but it was completely out of nowhere. And it was only directed at Daryl, no one else at the table. She spoke about how brave you were. How nice you were." Another pause. "About how much she was missing you." I chewed my lip, swallowing hard. "We weren't sure what to do, because Daryl just stared straight at her, like he was terrified or something. I think Herschel nearly said something before suddenly Daryl replied. He said he was missing you too and that was it. That was the first time he'd spoke really since it all happened and it was about you. After that, Merle suggested they go out hunting together and I think he must have helped in whatever way Dixons do. He was slightly better after that, though would only really talk to Sophia and Merle. Of course, everything changed when you all came back again."
"Yeah I guess it did." I agreed, quietly.
"For the better. Even if things were hard and awkward at first." Glenn added, firmly, and I smiled at the man. After a somewhat awkward pause, Glenn sighed. "So, yeah. I thought you should know that. Though I guess it doesn't exactly mean much now you both are already together." I breathed a chuckle before shaking my head.
"No, it means a lot." Glenn smiled briefly, nodding again. "This is strange. Us talking like this." At this, Glenn laughed. He didn't deny it. We started up walking again, the silence between us filled with a little awkwardness now, though I didn't find myself caring too much. Glenn quickly got back to scanning the area again, though I pulled him out of it suddenly. "As we're on the topic of love then," I found myself immune to saying the four letter word now, smiling almost at the sound of it. "How are things with you and Maggie?" I saw the tops of Glenn's ears redden slightly and I grinned to myself. We had come to the far building now and Glenn stopped in front of the row of walkers that Abraham and his group had taken out when they scouted the building the day before. The man studied the bodies thoughtfully for a moment before crouching over the body of a female walker. I studied the man with a frown as he glanced over her left arm, stopping at the hand. Slowly, Glenn turned to me.
"You're a girl." He stated, bluntly. I snorted.
"I'd like to think so." I nodded, crossing my arms. Glenn cringed slightly before turning back to the walker briefly. I eyed him with curiosity.
"Would you be grossed out if someone gave you this?" He took hold of the walker's left arm and raised it up, turning his attention then to the hand at the end of it and tugging something off its fingers. After a few nasty crunching sounds, Glenn finally yanked the thing off and threw it to me. I caught it out of instinct though grimaced at the thought of its previous owner. I turned to study the object in my palm and revelation hit me when I realised what it was.
A ring. A slim banded, silver ring. Nothing too fancy, with tiny diamonds embedded along a tiny part to the band, leading up to a bigger diamond in the middle. It was quite beautiful, I would admit, despite not being a huge fan of jewellery myself. While the ring was pretty, regardless of its simplicity, it was still stained with its previous owner's blood and some of its skin had caught itself on the larger diamond. Despite this, there was no getting away with what this ring meant to Glenn and what he intended to do with it. Glancing up, I met Glenn's awaiting gaze.
"You'd definitely have to clean it first." I warned, sternly. Glenn grinned, standing up and holding out his hand for it. I passed it back without hesitation.
"Of course I would." He nodded, studying it between his fingers. "I don't care too much about the ring though, I guess I'm only doing this to keep to the tradition of things. I mean, it's not like we'd have a proper ceremony or anything either. Though I have thought about asking Rick to officiate it, because he's been the leader the longest and all that, but it would mostly be for theatrics and I don't think he'd ever agree to it. I don't think either Maggie or myself care about doing it to be official anymore. But I guess I want to do it because I think she deserves it and I do want her to be my wife, not just my girlfriend." He grinned, almost bashfully. "Wife has a better ring to it, don't you think?" I laughed back, images of Rick officiating the proceedings in some apocalyptic wedding ceremony springing to mind. I could imagine the man would bitterly love the role. Glenn quickly continued, his cheeks practically glowing red. "I've already asked for Herschel's blessing." I smiled at this and Glenn met my gaze. "He said yes and now I have a ring. Guess all that's left to do is for me to ask her." I smiled warmly at the man.
"Then let me be the first to congratulate you!" I held my arms around and Glenn excepted my embrace, laughing as he did.
"Thanks." He nodded, before sighing when I pulled back. "I'll probably leave out where I got the ring from though. Taking it from a corpse's rotting fingers probably isn't the most romantic thing to say to a woman you want to marry." I laughed, shaking my head. Patting Glenn on the back, we got to walking again.
"No, probably not."
We had rounded back now, taking a longer time to study the main building due to the size of it, before finally working our way back to the warehouse we and the others had been residing in. Glenn's hand was tucked away into his pocket, the ring no doubt weighing heavily in there. The silence between us now was less awkward than before, a permanent grin etched onto the Asian man's face now. I smiled myself just at the sight of him, his happiness was contagious. As we neared the building, our steps slowed, so we could scout around it, starting from around the back.
"Doesn't seem to be any walkers or signs of them." Glenn pointed out, his grin subsiding now as we turned back to the task at hand. I agreed, eyeing the gravel on the ground to try and make out any footprints or tracks. While my judgement wouldn't be as professional as Daryl's or Merle's, I would surely be able to spot footprints easy enough. Though, despite all my examinations, I could make out nothing. We doubled back round, making our way to the front entrance of the building, deciding that we'd found nothing of interest. "It just doesn't make sense, I'm sure I heard something. Merle heard it too!"
"It could have been the wind." I suggested, as I had done with Merle earlier.
"The wind doesn't explain the feeling of being watched though." Glenn pointed out as we rounded the corner to the front of the building, to where the vehicles were parked. I finally let my eyes scan over the vehicles and when I did, my heart stopped. I stopped dead on the spot, but Glenn was too caught up in his rant to realise. "There's got to be something that we're missing here, I mean-"
"Glenn." The man stopped short, turning to face me. I stared at him with wide eyes, before pointing to what had caught my eye. Glenn followed my gaze and when the sight hit him, he staggered back in shock.
All our tyres had been slashed.
Nothing was said for a long time between the pair of us, not that we weren't used to that silence by now anyway. Though this time it was different. I opened and closed my mouth, wordlessly, trying to form a sentence at this revelation. There, stood before us, were the four vehicles we had been travelling in and each and every single one of the four tyres on each had been slashed and the tyres deflated. Why we hadn't noticed it before staggered me, but there was no getting away from this now. Someone had done this.
"Glenn?" I repeated again, my voice breathless in shock. The man didn't say anything, but instead staggered forward. He opened the nearest door and looked inside. After a few moments, he had backed out and was rushing towards the next vehicle, repeating the same procedure. Again there was a pause as he looked inside that one and I could only stand and stare. After he was done, Glenn slammed that door forcefully, before rushing to the next one. "Glenn?" I asked, almost terrified. I shuffled forward, though was a little scared to approach too close to the cars.
"No, no, no, no-" Glenn muttered to himself, slamming the third vehicle's door and moving onto the next.
At this, I finally moved forward and quickly rounded to the fourth car that Glenn was moving towards into. I studied the man and the almost desperation in his eyes as he opened the final car's door and peered inside. I spun on the spot, taking in the facility and a sincerely uneasy feeling hit me with strong force. I fell back, grabbing hold of the bonnet to keep myself standing. What the hell was going on? Glenn slamming the final car door startled me, though I didn't look away as I scanned the buildings around us. I didn't want to look away incase something happened, incase something moved once more. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears as I swung my gaze around. My eyes studied the buildings, the windows, and I wondered if there were eyes watching us right now. Laughing at us, perhaps?
"Ruby!" Glenn cried, his voice scared. Finally, I turned back to him, studying him as he staggered over, holding onto the car for support too. "It's not there."
"What?" I breathed, my voice shaking. Glenn met my gaze, shaking his head furiously.
"The rest of our supplies. They're not there. It's all gone!" He hissed, eyes wide and desperate. I stared at him, not quite comprehending what he had told me. It was gone? All gone?
"All of it?" I tried, though Glenn threw his hands up in almost anguish.
"Yes! It's all gone! Every single bit of it!" He cried. "There is nothing left!" There was a pause, before he frowned to himself, his eyes suddenly alert and scanning the buildings around us as I was just doing. "Someone else is here!" I opened my mouth to say something, only for a voice to cut me short.
"Ruby?! Glenn?!" A voice that sounded like Abraham's called from inside the warehouse. "Everything alright, friends!? We hear a lot of shouting out there, we're getting worried!" Glenn's gaze and mine met and for a moment it seemed we had forgotten about the rest of the group in our panic. A silent understanding passed between us and without a moments pause, we pushed ourselves away from the cars and were running back into the warehouse.
When we told the others, in the fit of desperation we were in, they didn't quite believe us at first. Abraham snorted, shaking his head and told us to stop with the jokes. Some of the others looked at each other in confusion, though it was Merle's reaction that struck me the most. He stared down at the pair of us, his eyes wide with one straight look of comprehension. He knew we were telling the truth and a brief stricken look passed over the older Dixon's expression before the man hauled himself up so he could climb down the ladder. Merle stormed past us, not saying a word, and went straight to investigate. Glenn and I trailed after him and the three of us observed the vehicles again, myself not quite over this revelation yet. Merle stared down at the ruined tyres silently.
"Well," The older Dixon finally breathed, glancing at Glenn. The pair nodded in acknowledgement of each other before Merle turned to me. "I don't think this was the wind now, do you, darlin'?"
When the rest finally trailed out, they were met with the same revealing scene. Maggie went straight to Glenn, gripping his arm tightly in hers. I backed away as the men examined the cars, muttering curses of anguish as they did. When they found that Glenn was telling the truth about no supplies too, Abraham flew up in a fit of rage and proceeded to pound the nearest car hard with his fists. Rosita quickly jumped in to calm him down.
"Holy shit." Said the man beside me. I glanced up at the hunter as he leaned on the single crutch for support. He stared at the tyres too with wide eyes. Meeting my gaze, I was unsure what even to say to Daryl and he only stared back evenly. No words passed between us though the chaos around us brought us back to the situation at hand.
"What the held do we do?!" Maggie demanded, her question directed at no one in particular. Abraham was still in a rouse of rage but had finished taking his anger out on the cars. Instead he turned his glare towards two members of the group in particular.
"How did you let this happen?!" The red-head shouted, eyes flaring as he stared at Glenn and Merle. "You were both supposed to be on watch, how could this have happened without you knowing?!"
"Ya better back off, tough guy." Merle warned, quietly, even making a point by bringing his knifed bayonet into view. Abraham wasn't bothered though and didn't relent.
"Do you even understand what it means to be on 'watch'? Huh?! You're supposed to keep the group safe!" Abraham continued to shout.
"Hey, don't blame them-" Rick tried, calmly, though Abraham disregarded his comment.
"Look what happened?! You let this happen to us!"
"Stop it!" Maggie hissed, getting in between Abraham and the two men his anger was directed at, though everyone knew it was only really for Glenn's benefit. "It was your idea to stop at this place anyway, so if you're gonna throw the blame around, why not take some yourself?!" Abraham sneered at the woman before Rick quickly jumped in once more. He laid a hand on Abraham's shoulder and pushed him back from the Greene daughter, gently. Abraham kept his glare focused on the woman, but stepped back under Rick's push.
"Lets all just calm down here." Rick began, slowly. "No one here is to blame for this."
"Someone else is here." Rosita stated, uneasily. For a moment, no one spoke.
"Like I said yesterday," Michonne prompted suddenly. "Feels like we're being watched. Guess I was right, someone's already made this place their own."
"But we checked everywhere." I pointed out, weakly. "Surely if someone was here then they'd show themselves already? Make us leave? Why let us spend the night only to slash our tyres and take our stuff, leaving us stranded here?" I realised painfully that our location could have been a bit more desired now our vehicles had been ransacked. I tried to think back to the last town or village we'd passed through before we finally made it here and realised that it was a long, long way back. And it would be made longer now we were on foot.
"Like you said, to take our supplies." Glenn suggested with a shrug, seemingly more relaxed now Abraham had eased back slightly. "Maybe they waited until we were all resting before sneaking over and taking what we've got. I mean, we had a lot of stuff and supplies aren't exactly frequent nowadays. People are no doubt getting desperate."
"Then why the tyres?" Elliot asked, nudging one of the tyres with the end of his crutch. "Now we're stuck here, in their territory. Doesn't exactly seem logical to take our stuff and then strand us here. Surely then we're more likely to come looking for them?"
"Unless this place isn't theirs." Herschel piped up, folding his arms across his chest. "Like Ruby said, we all checked the buildings. We found no sign of anyone or even any clue that someone had been living here at all."
"So they're maybe camped somewhere else? Somewhere nearby?" Glenn nodded slowly, though Herschel shrugged unhelpfully.
"Or maybe they're not here at all." Rick shook his head, before running a hand through his hair. "Maybe they took our stuff and moved on. Slashed our tyres so we were less likely to catch them and take the stuff back from them. Like you said, Glenn, people get desperate and they may have needed the supplies. They took we what had and got the hell out of here, leaving us stranded here so we couldn't go after them so easily." Everyone was silent for a long time, thinking it over. Rick's theory seemed to make sense.
"Or," Merle drawled, suddenly, startling the silence. "They're just doin' it to fuck with us." The older Dixon received a few glares before Abraham stalked away back inside. Everyone watched him go, a little confused as to where he was going and what for, before the man quickly returned with something in his hand. Opening the map as he approached, he slammed it down on the nearest bonnet and laid it out flat. The group quickly gathered round.
"This is where we are now." Abraham muttered, pointing to the spot he meant. It was a big industrial area, a lot bigger than I initially thought it was. "This is the direction we're supposed to be heading in. If we carry on, on foot, then I think we'll reach a town sooner or later, depending on our pace. Hopefully we can find some more vehicles and get moving again. We'll sort out finding more supplies when we've secured some vehicles."
"Fifteen of us out on foot? With no food, no shelter and with only the inkling that we'll reach a town 'sooner or later'?" Maggie demanded, eyeing the man with a raised eyebrow. "That's a bullshit plan." The red-head glared at her once more and I was glad Maggie was a strong enough woman to take all the anger that was being sent her way right now.
"What else do you suggest then, huh?!" He hissed. "Stay here? Anyone else wanna suggest a better plan?"
"Maggie's right, we won't make it very far with our numbers. Our group is too big." Rick muttered, eyeing the map thoughtfully. Abraham grinded his teeth together, his patience apparent worn out.
"So what if our group is too big, we'll make it work!"
"I'd also like to point out that Elliot and Daryl aren't exactly fit for walking yet." Herschel sighed, shaking his head. "That's something we definitely have to consider before we make any drastic decisions." The two men in question both ducked their heads when the attention was focused their way.
"They have crutches." Eugene pointed out, weakly. "They seem alright at walking with them, if not a little slow." Daryl raised his head then to glare at him, heavily, though Herschel continued quickly before the redneck could speak.
"Yes but not for too long a distance." Herschel explained. "What you're suggesting here seems to be a lot of walking and the pair of them cannot take that. We'll be forced to stop and start continuously to accommodate them and that'll only make the journey longer. Like Eugene said, they are slower with their crutches now. That means we'll be left out in the open and vulnerable for a very long time." He paused. "We have only a small amount of supplies now and limited ammo. Coming across a herd out there would be problematic, especially for those who aren't at their best."
"We don't have such great odds out there as we are." Glenn muttered, summing up Herschel's point. "Lack of supplies, current health of the group-" He paused to sigh. "We'll come across all kinds of problems if we try it on foot as the group stands." Abraham studied both Glenn and Herschel silently, for a few moments. The rest of us waited, tense at what the man was going to say. While he wasn't the leader of the group, his opinion did matter, if only because he was part of the council. Finally though, the man sighed before shaking his head.
"So what else do you suggest we do?" Abraham asked, slowly, his anger transpiring away.
"We take a small group out to get vehicles." Rick prompted, given the opportunity. When eyes turned to him, he pointed on the map. "This seems to be the nearest town. A small group could head out now and see if they can locate some cars for us. Two vehicles would probably be enough, just to get us out of here. The rest will stay here, stick together, until they return."
"Stay here?" Merle muttered, raising an eyebrow at the ex-sheriff. Rick nodded slowly.
"If those behind remained inside the warehouse and stuck together, then everything should be fine. I mean, it's more than likely these people have already moved on. At least if the group stays here, they'll be safe from walkers and aren't out in the open."
"I really don't like this place, Officer Friendly." Merle sighed, though didn't argue. Rick nodded again, his expression understanding.
"But it seems the best plan we have. Given what we have to work with." Herschel sighed, eyeing the group. "Who will leave then?"
"I'll go." Rick offered, immediately. I expected as much and wasn't surprised when the man spoke. Eyeing the boy beside him, I wasn't surprised either when he spoke up as well.
"I will too." Carl announced. Rick's fists clenched but he didn't argue. The father and son shared a look and an almost agreement passed between them. If anything, I could imagine Rick would reason with himself that taking Carl with him would be the safer option. So he could keep a constant eye on him. Though, giving Carl the benefit of the doubt, I knew the boy was wanting to earn his place in the group, not just in his father's eyes.
"Do you know how to drive a car, little man?" Abraham asked, suddenly. Carl frowned at the random question before shaking his head. "Then looks like you'll need someone who can to come along too. I might as well go as your father's map reading skills haven't exactly been up to scratch lately. He'll get you lost as soon as you leave the lot." Rick frowned too at Abraham's light insult, but didn't say anything in reply.
"If you left now, how long do you think it'll take you to get to this town and back again?" Glenn asked, his tone hesitant. Abraham studied the man briefly before sighing.
"Shouldn't be anymore than a day if we move quickly. Two at the very most." He informed us all. "How much supplies have we got left?"
"Not nearly enough as we had before." Maggie muttered bitterly, shaking her head. "Though we can spare you a couple of days worth and probably have enough to last us till you get back too." Abraham nodded, slowly.
"How can we be sure this isn't some kind of trap?" Michonne spoke, suddenly. Heads turned in her direction. The dark-skinned woman merely shrugged, indifferent to the attention.
"Well," Abraham began. "Then they've sure as hell have messed with the wrong people."
Almost immediately, Abraham, Rick and Carl all quickly went to gather what they needed. Maggie gathered up some supplies for them to take from the small amount we had now, while the rest of us waited outside beside the vehicles. The plan would be put into motion immediately, not wasting any time. Though as we waited, I kept my eyes scanning the facility around us, the uneasiness still there. Was Rick right? Had whoever taken our supplies gone? Or were they still here? Were they watching us now?
Sophia stood beside me, not saying a word. Though I realised quickly that she hadn't spoken since the revelation of the tyres being slashed and the supplies being taken had been brought to light. Glancing down at her, I saw that her face was paler than normal and her eyes were scanning the buildings around us as I was just doing. What surprised me even more so was the fact her hand gripped her gun, the same one I had given her all that time ago back at the prison. While I was used to seeing her hold the weapon in training with Rick and I, seeing her holding it now was startling.
As if sensing I was looking at her, Sophia turned to me. She didn't smile immediately, as I would have expected her to do. Instead she stared back for a long time before providing a small, fleeting smile. I returned it, uncertainly.
"Do you think those people have gone?" She asked, turning away to look around her again. I hesitated before answering.
"I don't know." I admitted, knowing better than to lie to Sophia. "Maybe. But we've got to keep our guard up while Rick and the other two go get us a couple of vehicles." Sophia nodded quickly, exhaling deeply as she did. Carefully, I placed a hand on her shoulder, noticing immediately how she flinched when I did. "Hey, everything will be alright. Those three will come back with some cars and we'll be out of here before you know it." She nodded once more before chewing her lip thoughtfully. She turned to me then, her eyes wide.
"What if-" She began before cutting herself off. Sophia glanced over her shoulder before stepping closer, then brought her voice down to a whisper. "What if those people aren't gone? What if they attack us? What if I have to-" A pause. "What if I have to kill someone?"
I stared at Sophia, completely taken back by her questions and the uneasy expression she was giving me. She didn't seem scared though. Not by the prospect of another group confronting us or even the idea of having to kill someone. She didn't have the cold look in her eye as I'd seen in Carl's, but she wasn't afraid. Sophia just looked unsure, uncertain about it. With my hand still on her shoulder, I crouched down in front of her, studying the gun in her hand first before turning back to her face. I didn't smile.
"I hope very much that it doesn't come to that." I told her, earnestly. "But, if it does." I licked my lips, thinking carefully. "I will do my best to keep you safe and you must make sure you look after yourself too. You might not always be able to rely on me, so you have to be on your guard, keep an eye out. Keep yourself safe too."
"Even if it means killing someone?" Sophia prompted, quietly. I hesitated again, eyeing the group and meeting Daryl's eyes only. He was watching the exchange from a distance, leaning on his crutch carefully. He wasn't too far away and I was sure he must have picked up some of the conversation anyway by now. Slowly, the man nodded, almost as comfort, before bowing his head to give us privacy. I turned back to Sophia and sighed, giving her shoulder a brief squeeze.
"Sophia, you know I've killed people, right?" I asked, slowly. Sophia's eyes widened and she looked shocked for a moment. Though suddenly it dawned on her and she nodded.
"Those people from Woodbury? The ones who attacked us?" I nodded, briefly thinking about those 'battles' we had had with the Governor and his group. I also thought of the group that held Abraham and the others at gun point and wondered how many Daryl and I had actually killed that day trying to save them.
"We've all had to do it." I breathed, hoping my voice stayed strong. "To keep ourselves safe. To keep the group and those we love safe." I paused, nodding once more. "We love our family, Sophia. And we'd do anything for our family to protect them." She stared at me for a long time, just taking in what I had told her. She was a little scared now, I could see, but not as terrified as I expected her to be.
"We protect our family." She confirmed finally, nodding. "And we do anything for our family, even if that means killing to protect them. But that doesn't make us bad people, right? Not bad people like the Governor? He didn't kill to protect his family, he killed because he was evil. Right?" I swallowed hard, not liking the pressure from the girl's questions.
"We're not bad people, Sophia." I said, finally, taking in the bright smile I received in return. It was only fleeting though as a more sombre expression took its place on the girl's face.
"I'd kill someone to protect the group." She stated, finally. "If I have to." A heavy feeling hit my gut and while I wasn't sure if I liked how Sophia was talking, I nodded anyway. Wanting to bring the conversation to an end, I gave Sophia's shoulder one last squeeze before rising to my feet again. She smiled up at me before looking around. I turned away, scanning the buildings yet again, to keep my focus. Suddenly though, I felt Sophia tug the bottom of my t-shirt and I turned to her once more. "I think Daryl wants to come and talk to you, so I'm going to go stand with Rosita for a bit." I breathed a chuckle before nodding, taking in her final smile before the girl scampered away.
I didn't turn to see Daryl approach, but I heard the light sound of a single crutch on the gravel as he made his way over. When he came to my side, I glanced up at him briefly, smiling lightly as I did. Daryl's eyes scanned my face before the man sighed, heavily.
"This place fuckin' sucks." He muttered and I let out a brief bark of laughter. Nodding quickly, I couldn't help but agree. "Merle doesn't like Rick's idea, doesn't wanna stay here much longer."
"None of us do." I pointed out. "But they're right. If we all try on foot, there's so much stuff that could go wrong. Even if we tried heading to this town that Rick, Abraham and Carl are going, we've still gotta remember that you and Elliot can't walk properly just yet. That'll make the trip longer and draw it out. We may not have the supplies to sustain the trip." I sighed. "At least here, we have the cover from walkers and Rick and the others can make the trip to this town quick with a smaller group."
"Guess it's just me 'nd the kid makin' a pig's ass of things." I glanced up at the hunter and snorted, shaking my head.
"It's not either of your faults. Merle's got a bad leg too, remember. Plus with Sophia and Carl, the pair will only complain more together. At least with Carl going with Rick, he'll be more motivated to get the job done quickly. And, God forbid he hear me say this, Herschel isn't exactly at his fittest either. While he's not too old, he'd still have to take breaks from the walking, probably more so than the rest of us." I met Daryl's gaze and shrugged. "Not just you then." He hummed to himself, a slight frown on his face. "We'll be fine. The rest of us will just have to stay in the warehouse till they get back. We'll stick together, make sure no one wanders off alone. If we ration the food and water correctly, then we'll manage fine until Rick and the others get back. They said they'll only be a day or two, so they'll be back before we know it."
"'Nd if they don't?" Daryl asked, his tone almost bitter but not quite managing it. I stared up at the hunter, startled by his comment and unsure how to take it. Finally, I sighed heavily.
"They will." I insisted, softly. Daryl raised his gaze to study me thoughtfully for a moment before averting it to look over his shoulder, briefly.
"You 'nd Sophia alright?" He probed, his tone gentler now. Sighing yet again, I nodded.
"Yeah, we're fine." I told him. "She's just trying to take it all in. Trying to understand it all."
"She scared?" I shook my head.
"No, I don't think so." I admitted. "Do you think I should be worried that she isn't?" Daryl breathed a chuckle before shrugging.
"I think ya should be pleased." He told me, his voice quiet. I studied him for a moment, opening my mouth to speak before Rick and the others returning from inside the warehouse cut me off. Daryl turned to head closer to the group, though I quickly grabbed his arm before he could. He stared down at it before turning to look at my face. At first, I could only stare back, unsure what I even wanted to say.
"Could you-" I stuttered and Daryl raised a questionable eyebrow. "Could you sleep with me tonight?" My eyes widened in horror at the implications of the question and Daryl seemed a little startled too, before his amusement kicked in. "No! No, I didn't mean- I don't- I didn't mean that! I meant, could you sleep beside me tonight. Beside Sophia and me. Because I'm-" I stuttered off, frowning to myself. I didn't want to tell him I was afraid or uneasy, though I knew he could probably work that our for himself anyway. I sighed, frustrated with myself. "Please?"
Daryl still had an amused little smirk on his face from the previous turn of the question, though his eyes had softened now when he caught on what I was actually asking. I kept my expression straight, hoping I didn't reveal any weakness to the man. Exhaling deeply, through his nose, Daryl's eyebrows burrowed thoughtfully as he took in my expression once more. I didn't miss the way his eyes lingered mostly on my lips as I waited patiently for his answer.
"Sure." He muttered, finally, nodding. Relieved, I sent the hunter a bright smile before we began to make our way back to the group. The previous amusement still lingered on the man's expression though when I chanced a look his way.
Abraham studied the map in front of him, his expression downcast as he scanned his finger along the track they were intending to take. Rick and Carl stood nearby but the latter of the two kept sending his father frustrated expressions as to what the red-head was doing. Rick would only shake his head, a grin on his face, before shrugging in response. The rest of us all stood back waiting, some watching on while others kept their attention focused on what was around us.
"Am I keeping you from something, little man?" Abraham asked, suddenly, not taking his attention from the map. Carl glared at the side of his head.
"We gotta get moving. What's taking you so long?" Carl demanded, not missing a beat. His father raised an almost amused eyebrow, keeping his mouth closed as Abraham turned to his son with an incredulous expression.
"Well," Abraham drawled. "I'm currently reading the map." Carl sent him a deadpanned look at his smart-ass statement. Abraham sighed. "I've gotta make sure I know where we're heading and what we're doing."
"Can't you just give us a direction and we'll walk straight?" Carl probed again, his voice still tetchy. Rick ran a hand through his hair, smile still prominent. Abraham studied the boy before sighing again.
"We could do that, I suppose." He began, nodding. "But that's the way your father would do it and your father hasn't proved to be the best at directions, as you probably know." Rick's smile fell to a frown. "So unless you'd rather do it his way then be my guest. That's the direction we're going." He pointed to prove his point. "Or you could wait for me to finish and we'll do it the right way. Your choice, little man." Carl stared up at the man with a frown before slowly turning to look at his father. Rick's attention was preoccupied with frowning at Abraham to notice though and Carl studied him for a long moment. Finally, Carl sighed and nodded.
"Yeah alright." The boy agreed, folding his arms to wait. Rick glanced between the two, eyebrows raised, no doubt unsure of what to do about the constant insults to his directional skills. Abraham only smirked when he met Rick's gaze, before turning his attention back to the map before him.
"So, two days tops, right?" Maggie asked, breaking Rick's glare. Keeping his back turned from us all, Abraham nodded.
"Two days tops." He confirmed.
"In the mean time, everyone should stick to the warehouse." Rick continued, getting back into his role once more. "No one go wandering off on your own, stay together. We don't know if this other group has actually gone yet, so everyone better be on their guard at all times." There were a collection of nods. Rick's eyes scanned the group before his gaze fell on one member in particular. One who had remained silent throughout the entire time and who I'd almost forgotten was there until I followed Rick's gaze myself.
Morgan.
He was stood away rom the group, his attention seemingly diverted. While he had followed everyone out when the commotion first hit, he hadn't said a word. Morgan kept his eyes fixed on the buildings around us, but I wondered if he was actually paying much attention as his expression seemed dazed. As if he was thinking of something, lost within his thoughts. Realising, he no doubt was, I swallowed hard before turning back to the leader. I was surprised to find Rick staring back and with an incline of his head, I took the hint.
Morgan made no sign that he'd heard my approach and behind me, I heard the group vaguely starting up a conversation, no doubt trying to ease the tension. I made sure my approach was slow though I tried to kick at the gravel to make some noise as to alert Morgan of my presence. He kept his sights fixed though and I sighed deeply when I reached his side. Still nothing.
"Morgan?" I tried, gently, hoping not to startle him. Nothing. Unsure, I glanced over my shoulder and met Rick's awaiting gaze. I shrugged, briefly, before turning back to Morgan, not without noticing Rick's hand on his gun holster in preparation almost. When I turned back to the man beside me, Morgan was blinking strangely. As if he'd just opened his eyes for the first time or awakened from sleep, he stared around him, an unsure expression on his face. The glazed eyed vanished as he focused himself and finally turned to me. I was used to receiving strange looks from Morgan and this one was no different. His eyes were penetrable for a moment, before suddenly Morgan's eyes widened, almost in revelation.
"Ruby." He stated, as if he was confirming my identity. I nodded, smiling as I did, trying to ignoring the aching in my chest. Morgan nodded too before turning away, looking at the scenery around him. I quickly glanced back at Rick once more, seeing the man still frowning at us, before turning back. "This place," Morgan began, his voice suddenly grave. I studied him thoughtfully as Morgan shook his head, a look of disgust on his face. "It may look empty, but this place seems damned. Haunted. Dead faces everywhere, in the windows, in the doorways. They're lingering where we can't see. They're trying to make this place seem empty. Want us to think there's nothing but nothingness all around us." His string of thoughts turned his tone bitter at every word and I waited for him to finish before talking. "What even is this place?!" He didn't look at me and I didn't think his question was even posed directly to me either. Perhaps it was rhetorical. If it wasn't, I assumed it was meant to be before speaking.
"Do you know what's happening, Morgan?" I asked. "Do you know what's going on?" Morgan's gaze swept to me, penetrating, before turning to look at something over my shoulder. The group talking, no doubt. "Someone slashed our tyres. They took our supplies-"
"I know what they did." Morgan bit out, a little more bitter than expected. Strangely enough, Morgan's expression softened immediately to almost regret before he bowed his head. "Rick and his son are going on a search for vehicles with your ginger friend. The rest of us are staying here to wait for them to return." I raised an eyebrow, a little surprised that Morgan had been keeping up in his daze.
"What do you think about it all then?" I tried, hesitantly. "What do you think about the people that did this? Do you think they've gone?" At this, a bitter smile fleeted across Morgan's face and the man let out a hearty laugh. One that halted conversation behind us, no doubt because no one was used to the man laughing. A little confused, I waited for the man to finish, taking in his almost pitied expression as he turned to me.
"Gone?" He repeated loudly, shaking his head. "No, they're not gone." Suddenly, Morgan stepped closer and I was startled by this sudden invasion of space. I didn't step back though, despite the temptation and waited to see what the man would do. He dropped his voice to a whisper, the same bitter smile still on his face as he spoke. "Why else would they slash the tyres?"
Confused and unsure as what to say, I merely stared back. Morgan startled me once more by stepping back completely, a strange look on his face, and walked away, manoeuvring himself around me to get past. I stood there for a moment, his words repeating themselves in my head before I turned on the spot to watch as the man vanished inside the warehouse. The group were glancing between us, apparently also confused as to what was going on. Rick was already halfway approaching me by the time I had turned around. Rick reached me with a questioning stare and I smiled briefly at my friend.
"As unusual as he normally is." I replied to his silent question and Rick nodded slowly, an understanding of Morgan's babblings between us. "You ready to go?" I quickly changed the subject and Rick allowed me.
"Yeah, just waiting on Abraham." The ex-sheriff muttered before frowning suddenly. "I'm not that bad with my directions, am I?" I grinned at the man and Rick sighed. "Suppose you already know about that."
"We've decided already how bad you are, Rick. Just accept it." I laughed and the man sent me a half-hearted glare before running a hand through his hair. "You three going to be okay out there?" Rick's gaze softened then and he nodded.
"We'll be fine." He assured me. "I'm more worried about the rest of you staying here. This place isn't good, I know that. What if something happens when we're gone?" I sighed deeply.
"We'll be fine." I repeated, quickly, trying to produce a convincing smile. Rick stared on unconvinced though. "You won't be gone too long though, remember. Two days tops, right?" At this Rick smiled brightly at me, reaching forward to grasp my shoulder and give it a squeeze.
"Two days tops."
When Abraham had finally finished with the map, there was a tense pause as the group all just stood together. Abraham and Rick glanced at each, their expressions unsure. The rest of us waited, preparing for their departure. Finally, the red-headed man sighed. He folded up the map and tucked it away into his front pocket before turning to address us all.
"We better leave now, gives us plenty of time before nightfall." Abraham muttered, his gaze glancing between Rick and Carl. The father and son both nodded.
"Are we definitely sure this is the right thing to do?" Maggie quickly prompted, her tone nervous. "I mean, what if Michonne's right about this being a trap?"
"If it is, then we'll probably be back before anything takes an effect." Abraham replied, though his comment was less an assuring. "But honestly, I think Rick's right about this group already moving on. It's likely we're dealing with a group of lowlife thieves who are too scared to show their faces. They took the opportunity to take our stuff when we were sleeping and got out of here while they could. They're probably still running for their damn lives right now, shit-scared that we're coming after them."
"But," Rick quickly added. "Like I said, be on your guard at all times. Stick together."
"Yeah, keep yourselves cosy in that shipping container." Abraham nodded. "You'll be sick of it by the time we get back." Their lightness eased the tension slightly at everyone quickly stepped forward to bid their goodbyes.
As expected, Herschel and Daryl were in charge of those remaining, being the remaining council members. All four of them spoke in hushed tones briefly too as the rest of us made sure Carl was ready and wished him goodbye. When the council parted, the rest of the partings continued and after being pulled into a strong embrace by Abraham, one that made me wince, I turned to the remaining member of the trio and allowed him to pull me aside slightly.
"Daryl and Herschel are going to keep an eye on Morgan while we're gone." Rick informed me quietly. "Of course, I know you and Sophia will do the same, but I thought I'd ask Daryl too, to provide extra help." I nodded slowly, not commenting on the whole 'baby-sitting' routine we had developed for Morgan. "Please, stay safe and-"
"I get it, Rick." I quickly cut in. "Stick together, don't run off. You've drilled it into our heads well enough, don't worry." Rick nodded, slowly, breathing a chuckle as he did.
"I can't help but worry." He admitted, holding his arms out and pulling me into a hug, a little more forcefully than I expected. "Make sure to keep an eye on everyone for us too, you can take my place on council while I'm gone." I chuckled into his shoulder, allowing Rick to squeeze me a little tighter than necessary. When I pulled back, Rick's expression was wary. He ran a hand through his hair, a habit I was so used to by now, before glancing up at something over his shoulder. When he met my gaze again, he smiled in amusement. "You can tell me all about how things are with you and Daryl too when I get back as well." I snorted.
"Get in line." I countered. "Maggie wants to pry as too." Rick grinned.
"We should make a girly night of it then. Talk about boys and our feelings and stuff." I raised an eyebrow, refreshed by the lightness of his tone and thinking about how it reminded me of my conversation with Glenn earlier that day.
"Yeah, you can let us braid your hair. It's getting quite long now actually and I bet Sophia would love to have a go at it too. She was actually saying the other day in the car how curly your hair has become, she said she liked it how it is now." Rick raised an amused eyebrow and I frowned in mock musing. "Maybe let us shave your beard too?" Almost immediately, Rick ran a hand over his chin and the thick stubble that grew there. He burrowed his eyebrows in thought.
"I like my beard." He objected and I considered it, thoughtfully.
"It's getting a little grey." I pointed out and Rick frowned in shock, probably unaware of this. "But hey, I suppose you're pulling the whole 'rough cowboy' look quite well." Rick grinned.
"I do try." He laughed, heartedly.
Despite leaving things with them on light notes, as we watched the trio leave, I knew the uneasiness was communal amongst the group. We all stayed and watched them go until they were completely out of sight and even then, no one left. Sophia stood close at my side, her hand gripping the bottom of my t-shirt. No one said anything though I was unsure of what to even say.
The plan we had made was hasty, but we couldn't afford to waste much time. As I thought about the trio that had vanished into the distance, I wondered if splitting like we had done was the best idea. Thinking over our options, I thought about the prospect of us all going and my gaze drew briefly to the man beside me. Despite gritting it all through his teeth, the hunter still leaned on the crutch for support. While Daryl was proving he was getting better at walking, I couldn't imagine hiking through the forest would do wonders to his injury. When he was stationary, Daryl would need to lean on something to keep him standing and even when he walked without the crutch, his hands would grasp around him occasionally, to keep him steady. Elliot, while had improved a lot, was similar if only a little better. Neither were capable of walking properly. The little remaining supplies we had now too only made things worse so we really had been stumped for options.
It was Herschel who made the first move to leave. The old man sighed loudly before declaring he was going to go and make sure Morgan had company before wandering off back inside the warehouse. When he'd gone, Glenn quickly stepped forward and turned to address the group.
"If we do as they say, we'll be fine." He tried, firmly. "We keep our guard up and stay together. No one leaves the warehouse unless they're accompanied by someone else and unless it's for good reason. We'll keep someone on watch at all times and we'll ration the supplies we've got until the others get back." Though Glenn hadn't been assigned in charge, everyone listened to him earnestly and no one cut him short. The man himself seemed a little unsure and he gazed between us briefly before sighing. "Got it?" Some nods were returned. "We should probably head inside."
When everyone returned back to the warehouse, Michonne suggested maybe trying to secure the building itself so we felt a little more safer in the warehouse. Glenn, Rosita, Maggie and Michonne all searched the back of the building briefly while Merle, Daryl, Sophia, Elliot and myself gathered by the entrance. Morgan and Herschel were clearly visible sat up in the raised container and Eugene quickly made it up the ladder so he could join them. In the echo of the warehouse, Glenn was ordering for some of the windows to be boarded up and there was a few clattering noises as the four of them got to work doing so.
"Should we help them?" Elliot asked, though glanced down at his crutch, unsure. Merle shook his head.
"Chinaman 'nd the ladies 'ave it covered." Merle muttered. "We should stay 'ere, keep an eye on the entrance. Plus you 'nd Baby Brother ain't exactly fit for workin'." Daryl glared at his brother, though it was Elliot that spoke.
"We're not incapable, Merle." Elliot bit back, a lot more harsher than I'd ever heard him address the Dixon brother, considering the pair of them got on quite well. The look of shock on Merle's face spoke full volumes too and Elliot didn't linger too long. He made his way over to the ladder, make a point of not using his crutches as he did and began to haul himself up into the container. Herschel offered him a hand up, which he did take, but then the boy disappeared from view completely.
"Kid's gotta point." Daryl added into the tension, quickly meeting his brother's gaze. Merle eyed his brother for a long moment before his gaze glanced down at Sophia briefly. I could sense some nasty comment brewing but was surprised to see Merle hold it back in the presence of Sophia.
"We should try and secure this door." I suggested, quietly, hoping to change the subject. Both of the brothers took it immediately.
The four of us studied the large doors into the warehouse, noting how one of the doors was barely hanging on its hinges. Daryl and Merle talked quietly to each other about 'tightening screws' and other nonsense before the pair declared they'd be able to fix the door without Sophia's and my assistance. Put out slightly by this, Daryl must have sensed so as he quickly suggested that Sophia and I try and board up some of the front windows, while Glenn and the others finished with the back ones. The pair of us got to work immediately, letting the brothers get on with it.
We used some old crates to board up some of the broken windows, though we didn't have the correct tools to do so. Instead, we resorted to propping the crate boards up against the frame and using the few nails that Herschel threw down to us to secure them in place. Rather than using hammers, as they were left in the cars the night before and had now been taken, we used the butts of our knives and guns. At one point, Sophia even asked Daryl if she could use his crutch to hammer a nail in. In response, the man playfully glared at her before hobbling over and knocking the nail in himself.
By the time we had finished with the windows, Daryl and Merle had finished with the door. Rather than fixing the broken one, they had secured it in place, meaning that it was useless as a door. This allowed us only the one door in use now, though it wasn't an issue. The older Dixon pulled the single door closed and attempted to push the heavy lock down to secure us in. As it was a little rusty, Daryl had to step in and help his brother. When Glenn and the others came back, everyone seemed pleased with what had been accomplished.
"At least we've secure in here now." Rosita offered, light-heartedly.
"We should keep someone on watch though, at all times." Maggie added, quickly.
"Outside or in 'ere?" Merle asked with a frown.
"We could put a few people on watch outside maybe?" Glenn suggested. "They could sit in the cars for cover?"
"Thought we didn't want to be splitting up?" Michonne pointed out and Glenn sighed.
"Yeah that's true, never mind." He muttered.
"Is there any access to the roof of this building?" Michonne continued, curiously. "If we could get up there then we've got a pretty good view of this place."
"Don't think we'd 'ave much luck gettin' up there." Daryl shook his head. "The roof don't look too sturdy either. Probably wouldn't be to safe to stand on even if we did get up there."
"We should stay in here." Herschel offered his input from his seat above in the container. "We sleep in here as we did last night. We can have someone sit on the ground level for watch too, so they'll have a better chance at hearing anything going on outside. We try and limit our movements to this warehouse."
"What happens when we wanna go take a piss though?" Merle asked, lightly. "Someone got a bucket?"
"I'd prefer it if you didn't go in here." Maggie grimaced, shaking her head at Merle's smirk.
"So what, we piss outside?" Merle continued. "We buddy up or something when we need to go? Hold hands 'nd all that shit? Plus, I'm sensin' that I'm gonna get a little stir crazy cooped up in this bloody place."
"What do you wanna do then? Go for a nice tour around the facility?" Glenn countered, bitterly. "We stick together, just like Rick and Abraham told us." Merle snorted at this.
"Rick 'nd Abraham ain't here." Merle pointed out.
"No and while they're gone, we can't afford to deal with your shit. Not now. So stop being an ass and cooperate." Glenn hissed and Merle eyed the Asian boy with a glare.
"Things are gonna get real cosy, real fast in this place." Merle muttered, smirking fully now. "We shouldn't coop ourselves up in here while they're gone. We should stay outside, lounge around a little. Let these assholes see us. If they're still around, we should show 'em that we ain't scared of their shit. We ain't the kinda people that they can scare into hidin'." There was a long pause after Merle finished speaking, everyone eyeing each other strangely.
"That's not a bad idea." Michonne shrugged finally, startling everyone with her agreement to Merle's comment. "Like Merle said, if those people are still here and they're planning something, then maybe we should go out there and show them that we're not the kind of people that will just duck away and wait until it's safe."
"But we'll be more vulnerable out there." Rosita pointed out, hesitantly. "At least in here, we've got cover from the walkers."
"We've dealt with killin' geeks before. Ain't gonna be any different now, sweetheart." Merle leered.
"And what about the living?" Glenn put in. "We're more vulnerable to their gunfire out there." Merle smirked.
"That's if they've got the balls to do it." The older Dixon sneered. "We still keep alert while we're out there, we ain't stupid. It'll be harder to sneak up on us anyway if we're all keepin' watch." I frowned when Merle glanced my way. "Ruby's got that sniper rifle of hers, which will come in handy. Not to mention Officer Friendly left his binoculars. We'll see 'em comin' from all around with all the extra eyes."
"Why are you expecting them to come?" Maggie muttered, frowning and folding her arms across her chest. At this, Merle shrugged.
"Just puttin' out the options, darlin'." When Glenn opened his mouth to say something, he was cut off by a smaller voice.
"We could practise my training." Sophia's voice startled me and I glanced down at the little girl, just as the rest of them did. She stared up at me with a smile. "That's what we could do outside, practise my training. Then the people can see we're able to fight." Merle chuckled and nodded slowly.
"I like the way ya think, little lady." I sent the older Dixon a glare.
"You can practise in here, Sophia." Maggie quickly added, softly, though Sophia frowned.
"But I think Merle's right. I don't think we should hide in here and wait." She countered back, her voice strong and firm. "Plus if we're out there then we've got a better chance of seeing them. They won't be able to sneak up on us if we're all keeping watch. But it'll be easier for them to if we stay in here. We can't see them coming from in here." Merle smirked down at Sophia, almost proudly too. I wasn't sure what to make of her comments as I wasn't sure if I preferred Merle's or Glenn's plan. Uncertain, I remained silent.
"We don't have to wander off too far." Michonne picked up, suddenly. "We can just stay near the cars and the warehouse. That way we have full view of the facility and can keep an eye on things. At night, we can secure ourselves back in here, lock the door and all that. But through the day, there's no reason for us to just sit around and wait for Rick and the others to come back. We should do something productive."
"Like training Sophia?" I muttered, slightly bitter. Michonne turned to me and met my gaze, studying me in silence for a long time.
"Maybe Daryl could teach me how to use his crossbow?" Sophia prompted brightly, ignoring the tension between the group. Surprisingly, the hunter scoffed and turned to look at the girl with a raised eyebrow.
"Thought we decided ya 'ave to be able to hold the thing up first without droppin' it before ya can learn to shoot it?" He threw at the girl and without hesitation, Sophia offered her hands towards the man. Daryl met my gaze briefly, tipping his head in a silent question. I nodded once and Daryl took the crossbow off his back and held it out to the girl. She took hold of it and Daryl hesitated before letting go of his hold. Rather than buckling under the weight as she had done before, Sophia held the crossbow firmly and didn't drop it as expected. It wobbled slightly in her grip but Sophia quickly adjusted her hold on it and beamed up at Daryl when she grasped it correctly.
"See!" She gushed, before turning to me. Daryl chuckled, raising his gaze briefly to me before shrugging and glancing around the group.
"I don't mind teachin' her outside if that's alright with everyone." The hunter announced and Merle patted his brother on the back with a heavy hand. Glenn quickly turned to me with a raised eyebrow, his gaze questioning. Mirroring Daryl, I shrugged.
"If that's what Sophia wants to do." I offered, weakly. Glenn continued to look at me for a moment after, before nodding and bowing his head.
"We could take what supplies we have outside?" Glenn finally suggested, his voice wary. "Maybe some of us can do a stock check on what we have left?" He glanced up over his shoulder to where Herschel was watching on in the doorway of the container. His eyes gazed around us, a thoughtful expression on his face, before he sighed too.
"We will all go outside." The old man stated, firmly, leaving no room for question. "We stick together."
Daryl and Merle found a makeshift target for Sophia in the form of a large square piece of wood which they propped up with a barrel they found in the warehouse. With his knifed bayonet, Merle carved in an attempt of a target circle, complete with a bull's-eye and all. Both the Dixon brothers had taken the task of helping Sophia and the three of them gathered together to talk Sophia through the first steps of her training. The supplies we had left were brought out and laid on the ground and Eugene, Herschel, Elliot and, after a lot of convincing, Morgan were set the task of sorting through them. While I was unsure if Morgan was actually going to contribute to the work, Herschel sat beside him and spoke to the man constantly and I was glad the old farmer was keeping an eye on him. Maggie and Glenn wandered together, making sure not to go too far, but were armed and were keeping their attention on watch. Both Rosita and Michonne were doing the same, though they wandered alone and would occasionally stop to talk to different members of the group, while the couple merely kept to themselves.
After Merle's suggestion, I had retrieved the sniper rifle from inside the container, which I was glad I hadn't left in the cars the night before, and I had positioned myself on the roof of the SUV. As the others were doing, I kept myself on watch though I used the scope of my rifle to see further. Michonne had taken the binoculars and the woman would stop occasionally and make a point of scanning the buildings down them, just as I was doing with my scope. After a while, she found herself wandering in my direction.
"How's it looking up there?" Michonne asked, amusement in her tone. I glanced down at her from my elevated position and shrugged.
"Quiet." I replied before sighing and raising the rifle to look down the scope once more. "Nothing to see." Michonne let out a humming noise and suddenly the car was shaking. When I lowered the weapon, I saw Michonne climbing onto the bonnet and moving up towards me. I snorted. "Joining me?"
"Thought I'd keep you company." She replied, briskly. "If it was a nicer day, I'd be lounging up here, working on my tan." She shot me a look then of pure amusement and I couldn't help but scoff and shake my head. The jokes were soon dropped though, when Michonne's face suddenly fell serious. "You're worried about this place, aren't you?" I eyed Michonne, strangely.
"Aren't you?" I countered. Michonne sighed before lowering herself down to sit on the roof of the car beside my feet. I remained standing, taking the pause to let myself scan the facility once more.
"I called it from the start, didn't I?" She reminded me. "I guess you get that sometimes; horrible feelings about places." I nodded in agreement, my very first camp back when I was with Laurent and Jessica, springing to mind. As if reading my mind as well, Michonne smirked up at me. "Guess you and I know all about that." I nodded, smiling too.
"Yeah but this place is different." I sighed. "There ain't a whole lot to really go off as we've had before. Nothing but nothingness around here." I inwardly cringed at my repeat of Morgan's words. "No people this time, well none that we can see. Not like last time with those crazy people trying to terrorise us. I think we had more to go on than this time around." Michonne's silence to my attempt of lightness only made me feel more uneasy. When I turned to look at her, she was frowning to herself thoughtfully. As the silence drew out, I realised that she wasn't going to answer. I sighed once more. "At least if we keep alert, there's little chance anything will happen. Heck, Rick might be right and these people may have already moved on. Might not be this trap that you seem to think it is."
"Maybe." Michonne breathed, nodding slowly. I knew she wasn't convinced but also knew she wouldn't say otherwise. A gleeful shout caught both our attentions and I turned towards where Sophia was stood with the Dixon brothers.
Apparently it seemed that Sophia had managed to shoot her first bolt and that was why she had shouted so brightly. Studying the target, I couldn't see any arrow bolt sticking out of it and under a little more inspection, I saw the object a few more feet past the target, sticking out of the ground. The three of them were talking to each other before Merle sauntered away to collect the bolt, while Daryl talked a bit more with Sophia. She was nodding, furiously, no doubt taking in all the advice given to her and I couldn't help but sigh. I turned away from the scene quickly and looked down my scope once more.
"Do you mind?" Michonne asked, suddenly and I glanced down with a raised eyebrow. "Do you mind that Daryl is teaching her?" I frowned, shaking my head.
"No, not at all." I replied. "It's her choice. She's been training with various other weapons, why not start with a crossbow?" Michonne continued to study me, thoughtfully.
"She's doing well with her training." She stated and I didn't disagree. "You and Rick are good at teaching her. Carl too." I smiled fondly, before nodding.
"They're smart kids. They learn well." Michonne nodded in agreement. "Watch out, they'll be wanting to use your sword soon." At this, Michonne chuckled, letting a large grin grace her face.
"And I'll probably let them too!" She laughed. When the laughter died down, Michonne turned more sombre again. "Is she like her mother?" At this question, I hesitated, a little startled by Michonne's question.
"I didn't know Carol for very long." I admitted in a small voice. "But she was a kind-hearted woman. She welcomed me into her family without much hesitation. She was so loving of everyone." I thought of Carol then, I thought of the little time I'd spent with her and the moment Daryl and I found her bitten and without hope. I thought of her last wish to me, her wish for me to look after Sophia for her. I had barely been with the group at that point in time and she had already bestowed that trust upon me. It was a mighty thing. I sighed once more before gathering myself and glancing down at Michonne. "I guess she was a lot like Sophia now I think about it." Michonne didn't say anything for a moment and instead smiled up at me, looking very sincere.
"Do you ever wonder what would have happened if you never found Sophia?" She asked, curiously. I chuckled a little.
"I guess both our lives would be a hell of a lot different than they are now." I admitted before shrugging. "I don't know. Maybe someone else would have found her if I didn't. Maybe it would have been Rick or Daryl or someone in the group. Or maybe she'd find her way back to them would any assistance at all." I chuckled again, a little bitterly, and shrugged once more. "Maybe she didn't need me to save her. Maybe she would have been fine without me."
Michonne studied me again, her face as thoughtful as usual, before nodding slowly. With a sigh, the woman shrugged and pulled herself to her feet. She hopped down off the car in a graceful motion before turning to look at me, smiling fully up at me.
"Maybe." She nodded, repeating her sentiment from earlier. She shrugged again. "Or maybe not." And with that, Michonne wandered away, returning to her routine of patrolling around once more. I studied her retreating figure before Sophia's shouting caught my attention again.
She had the crossbow raised, both Dixon brothers and either side of her as she pointed it towards the target. While I expected her to have missed it once again, I was surprised then to see what seemed to be an arrow bolt sticking out of the wooden target. It was by no means in the target circle and was imbedded on the outside but nether the less, she had hit the board and I watched as Merle rubbed the top of her head, no doubt congratulating her. Smiling to myself, I was surprised then when Sophia spun immediately on the spot, her eyes seeking something out. Finally, her gaze landed on me and she waved wildly, pointing at the target in a mad gesture. Getting her meaning, I grinned widely and provided her with a thumbs up of approval. Pleased with herself, Sophia turned back and began to gush again to the two brothers. Merle stared down at her, listening to her rant, while Daryl's gaze lingered in my direction. I wasn't sure what to make of his expression from the distance away I was, but I stared back, evenly. After a long moment, Daryl nodded though it appeared to be more to himself than me before looking away.
I turned my attention away from the trio, a smile still on my face before getting back to the task on hand. My gaze passed over where the small group were doing stock take and after I quickly took note of the other four patrolling the area to make sure they were in view. Thankful that they were and I let myself sigh. Suddenly though, as I let my eyes wander once more, something caught my eye.
It was fleeting, nothing more. But I had raised my rifle without hesitation and had it pointed in the direction I thought I had seen movement. It was in the far building again, though it wasn't as obvious as the figure I thought I had seen the day before. It was something in one of the upper windows, just a flicker of movement, almost a passing of light even. It could have been anything, I reasoned. It again could have been the trick of the light or maybe the movement of the trees behind the building. But of course, it could have been something more.
I kept my scope focused on the spot, daring for something to move once more but of course, nothing did. Swallowing hard, I didn't relent though and scanned the upper floor of the building to see if I saw something else.
"Ruby?" I heard Glenn's voice call. The sounds of dim chatter from the group stopped completely. "What do you see?" His voice was nervous and I knew he'd drawn attention from the others now. I didn't answer straight away and instead remained focused, almost afraid that if I looked away it would all disappear. But the longer the seconds drew, the more nothing happened. My stomach fell uneasily and slowly, I lowered the rifle. The rest of the group were all looking to me now, all stopped in their previous activities. I took in all their faces, how hesitant and wary they all seemed. Swallowing hard, I shook my head.
"I thought I saw something." I replied before shrugging. "But I don't see it now." The group all glanced at each other, warily, unsure of what to do. Some eyes flickered in the direction to the building I was looking at but no one made any move. It was Merle who was the first to clear his throat.
"C'mon, lets get back to it, little lady." He declared loudly, eyes meaningful as he stared around at everybody. Carry on as before, that's what he wanted us to do. Slowly, the routine returned and everyone was back to their jobs at hand. Though this time, the tension in the air had increased and the almost blasé attitude that was lingering before had been dropped. People seemed to be playing more for theatrics now and I sighed to myself before carrying on with my own job, following everyone else's example.
Two days tops. That's what Rick and Abraham had said. Two days tops.
I could only pray they were right.
(Author's Note): Hey, sorry this chapter is a little later than it should have been. I've been having a few problems with this website and have only just got it sorted out (I think!). I do believe it may be one of my longest update yet! Thank you all so much for the support from the previous chapter. Please tell me what you think of this latest instalment (if you haven't already!).
I'd like to quickly take the chance now to thank WinchesterDixonBros who has kindly made yet another piece of fan art for this story and this time its a Loginquitas and Supernatural crossover! I've posted a link on my profile along with all the other various fan arts made for this story. Thank you very much for all those who have made some, it really is amazing to see! It means a hell of a lot to me! :)
So this is now everything caught up from before - everything from here on out will be new! And now, I'm afraid things will be a lot slower than before. As recently I've just been re-reading everything, it hasn't needed to take so long. But now I need to get back to writing! Another complication is a little clashing of ideas I've got going on for the next part of this story. While I had intended to go down one route with what's going on right now, after watching season 4 and the finale in particular, I have got a few more ideas mulling around. So it may be a case of getting my ideas together before I do start writing again. I do apologise if things will be a little slow as I'll be trying to get my ideas on track as well as going back to Loginquitas to rewrite a few things which I'm not happy about in retrospective of things. I am sorry for the delay that will no doubt follow but I'll try my best to hurry up.
Like I said, thank you all for everything. Please leave a review, giving me your thoughts (if you haven't already or wish to say something new). It'll be greatly appreciated! On another note, I'm not sure what to do now season 4 is finished. The next few months are going to be torturous waiting for season 5! :)
