Notes: Sorry for lack of update, no internet as of lately. Unfortunately there is no smut in this chapter but the next couple of chapters are going to be intense (at least I think so) and one will have plenty of smut ;) So hold on for now! Chapter bounces around prison to Woodbury so stay with me here. May have spelling errors, had no time to edit.
Chapter Fourteen: The Away Team
It had been a while since Maggie and Glenn had left for a supply run and the group was beginning to worry if they had been overrun by walkers. As Rick walked around the compound with the newborn girl he saw something unusual off in the distance. Rick handed her over Joanna and motioned for the group to stay put.
"What does he see?" Carl questioned Joanna, she shrugged in response, "No idea...I just see a bunch of biters."
Rick drew his gun as he got closer to the fence. Who he saw was Michonne, covered in walker blood and holding a shopping carrier full of powdered baby food and other preservatives. It clicked in his head that something awful had happened to Glenn and Maggie and he stared her down while she gripped onto the chain-link, limping on her wounded leg.
Merle dragged his knife along the makeshift wooden table towards Glenn and smiled, "You don't even know why yer here," He started, looking down at the man duct taped to the chair, "I didn't mean you no harm. I lowered my gun, you raised yers. You were an asshole out there...just like you were back in Atlanta." He sighed.
"We went back for you." Glenn defended.
"Ain't chu thoughtful." Merle scoffed and shook his head. "All of us went back," Glenn spoke, "Rick, Daryl, T-dog…"
"T-dog...hmm, the one I was pleadin' with. The one who drop the key. Tell me where he is, maybe we get let bygones be bygones." Merle leaned forward and Glenn dropped his head, "He didn't make it." He whispered.
"How 'bout the rest?" Merle sat down on the table in front of Glenn, "How 'bout my baby brother? You can't tell me he's alive then hold out on where he is…" He coaxed. Glenn stayed stone faced and silent until Merle spoke again, "Well maybe the farmer's daughter will know?" He grinned and Glenn swallowed hard.
Maggie sat alone in the room next to them and overheard Merle attempting to scare information out of Glenn by using her safety. She breathed harder and faster as Merle talked about killing her knowing that Glenn may break. She listened in more then heard Glenn being repeatedly punched and beat by Merle.
Michonne looked at Rick with pleading eyes as she walked along the perimeter of the fence and Carl stood at the gate with his gun drawn. A walker caught her live scent and began stumbling towards her, she dropped the basket and whipped her katana out and slice the head off the walker. As she walked backwards towards the gate more walkers headed towards her and she fought to stay conscience. Michonne's vision began to turn black and she thought she was done for when gunshots rang out and walkers fell beside her.
Carl ran to grab the basket as Rick picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, "Carl get the gate!" He ordered and the boy ran to lock the gate behind them as they rushed into the prison. Carl opened and locked doors as they ran through and Rick placed her down on a mattress and looked her wound over.
He opened a bottle of water and poured some of it on her to bring her back, as she stirred he tried his best to relax and soothe her, "Hey, hey. It's alright, who are you?" He asked. Michonne looked shocked and scared as she realized how many people were surrounding her, instinctually she reached for her sword but Rick kicked it further away.
"Chill. We're not gunna hurt you unless you try sumthin' stupid first." He explained and held her on the mattress. Joanna handed the baby off to Beth and took a look down at the woman and he gun wound.
"Rick," Everyone turned to see Daryl, "Who the hell is this?" He looked to Michonne, then to Jo. Jo leaned over and helped Michonne sit up, "Want to tell us your name?" She smiled. She refused to answer and instead avoided eye contact with everyone. "C'mon in here guys, you'll wanna see this." Daryl mentioned.
Everyone walked into the cells and was surprised to see Carol sitting on the bed, alive and well. Rick couldn't believe his eyes, he smiled and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "I found her hidin' in a cell, walker body in front of it." Daryl explained, Jo smiled and patted his back, "Good work."
When Carol saw the baby she beamed and felt tears falling from her eyes. She then turned to Rick who only nodded and her happiness turned bitter when she realized Lori must have passed away during childbirth. She sobbed and pressed her head to Rick's as he began to cry, "I'm sorry…" She whispered. Joanna felt a pain in her stomach from the guilt of Lori's death on her hands, even forgiven she still felt responsible for her demise.
Carol held the baby in her arms and rocked her back and forth, "Hello beautiful." She greeted and smiled at everyone, glad to be alive. Jo looked to Daryl, "Can I talk with you outside?" She asked quietly, not wanted to disturbs Carol's moment. He looked concerned then nodded, following her into the waiting room then outside. "What's up?" He asked, once the sun hit their faces.
"I haven't been entirely honest with you." She blurted out and leaned against the wall. He narrowed his eyes and stood in front of her, "What do you mean?" He pressed. She bit her bottom lip then took a deep breath, "I, I have someone waiting for me back in my town. We're...well, we're not a couple or anything but we are together." She explained, suggesting the idea she was in a 'friends with benefits' arrangement.
"I see…" He mumbled then crossed his arms. "So, at that daycare was just you gettin' what you've been missin' and nothin' more?" He asked, not sure he really wanted the answer. Jo slowly nodded, "I'm sorry. It's just taken me being away from him to realize how much I care about him." She tried to reason with her own mind as she explained the situation to Daryl.
Daryl felt rejected but it was nothing new to him. He scratched his head, "Well, do we just pretend it ain't ever happened or sumthin'?"
"That seem like the best option." She let a faint smile cross her face. "We cool?"
"Is that the whole truth? Ain't gunna get anymore surprises?" He stared her down intensely and she shifted. "Oh, just that my fuck buddy is your brother…" She thought of admitting, but it was not the time or the place. Come to think of it she was never sure there would be a right time or right place.
"No." She lied, "That's the whole truth."
Daryl smiled back at her, "Then we're cool."
The two walked back inside to meet up with Hershel and Rick about to talk with Michonne. "We'll tend to that wound for you. Give you some food and water then send you on yer way." He offered. "But yer gunna have to tell us how you found us and why you were carryin' formula."
"The supplies were dropped by a young Asian guy, with the pretty girl." She started, "They were taken by the same sonofabitch who shot me." She spat thinking of Merle. Rick looked to her more intently, "There is a reason you came here…"
She swallowed, "There is a town."
Jo froze knowing that it had to be Woodbury she was about to speak of. "Woodbury." Michonne whispered and Joanna's heart dropped in her chest. Jo took in a shaky breath and moved uncomfortably where she stood.
"A whole town?" Rick asked. "About 75 people. Run by a man who calls himself the Governor. A charmin', Jim Jones type. Secure from walkers but I can find you a way in." She promised.
"Hershel is the girl's father. He'll take care of you." Rick introduced then walked off with Daryl and Jo. Joanna was screaming in her mind knowing full well the muscle Woodbury had and where to sneak in and what would happen to Rick and Daryl if they went to Glenn and Maggie. "You have to go back and stop this from becoming a blood bath." She told herself repeatedly but fear was overtaking her and she was afraid to face Merle.
Glenn sat beaten and bloody on his chair and Merle stayed sitting in front of him. "Yer a lot tougher than you used to be." He laughed. "So tell me...where ya'll been livin' at?" He questioned.
He looked up to Merle and spit blood from his mouth, "Just a matter of time until they come looking for us." He warned. "We have everyone. Rick, Shane, Dale, Jim...Andrea." He partially lied and Merle sneered, "Really...is that right?" He called his bluff.
"How can we trust her?" Daryl questioned.
"It's Maggie and Glenn, there is no question. We need to get them." Beth demanded then stepped forward, "I'll go." She offered. Rick shook his head, "No, you stay here. Hershel can't lose both girls if sumthin' goes wrong."
Axel offered to join as well but Rick asked him to stay with Joanna, Carol, Hershel and Carl to guard the baby and the prison. The group only consisted of their best shots, Oscar, Daryl and Rick with Michonne as their guide into Woodbury.
When the car was finished being packed Jo, Carol and the baby walked over to the group and wished them luck. Joanna looked at Daryl with saddened eyes, "Stay safe." She whispered and he acknowledged with a nod. He looked to Carol, "Don't get into trouble."
"Nine lives remember?" She laughed and Daryl chuckled and shot a smile to both women before heading to the car. Off to the side Carl was chatting with his father.
"Daryl's been calling her little asskicker." He admitted and Rick laughed, "Is that so?" Carl laughed as well, "What should we really call her?"
"What do you think?"
"What about Judith?" Carl stated.
"I think that's a fine name. Judith it is." He smiled to his son and patted him on the back.
As they piled into the car Hershel looked to Rick with tears in his eyes, "Bring 'em back." He pleaded and Rick smiled, "I will." He whispered to him. They started up the car and drove off into the woods while the group waited for their arrival back.
Jo walked off into a secluded area and began having a panic attack. Her breathing was labored and her heart was racing. "What if they mention me? The Governor will have my head. He'll kill Merle too and the others. Oh god I've fucked up this time." She felt tears streaming down her cheeks and her legs gave out and she fell to the ground, sobbing.
"You're going to lose everything." She told herself and slipped into a deep depression.
Merle charged into the room with a walker on a leash. "Last chance, where is yer group!" He threatened. Glenn remained silent but flinched as the walker drew closer. "Suit yerself!" He shouted then let the walker go, slamming the door behind him.
The walker shuffled towards Glenn and he kicked it, falling backwards in his chair. He struggled to free himself from the duct tape and knocked over bags and suitcases to block himself from the walker. He hid behind a bed spring and slammed his chair against the wall to break it and the walker lunged forward and tried getting at him through the spring.
Glenn backed into the wall several times and broke the back freeing most of his arms, as the walker drew near he swung his arm and a piece of the arm embedded itself into the walkers head and through it's eye. He panted from exhaustion then screamed at the top of his lungs from frustration.
He made a weapon out of wood and readied himself to attack, Merle and Martinez busted through the door, "Uh-un." Merle warned and Maggie was ushered into the room topless. Glenn went to take a swing and Martinez aimed his gun, "Drop it!" He ordered.
"We're through with games. One of you is gunna give up yer camp." The Governor ordered. He aimed his gun at Glenn and Maggie caved, "We're at the prison." She uttered.
"It was overrun."
"We took it." She stated.
"How many are you?" He pressed.
"Ten."
"Ten people killed that whole prison of biters?" He said in disbelief.
The Governor walked back up to Maggie and stroked the side of her face and kissed her head, soothing her. "It's a'right. Don't worry." He whispered to her, making her feel sick to her stomach.
Merle shifted in his spot, that is how he spent countless nights helping Joanna relax when he usual anxiety or panic attacks would hit her out of the blue. It didn't help that Maggie and Joanna looked somewhat alike and she was topless before him, he was craving Jo even though she was long gone by his knowledge. The Governor let Maggie go and she ran into Glenn's arm and sobbed. Merle stared them down in sadness over his loss of that comfort with Jo then left the room following Martinez and the Governor.