Daryl
"Mother fuck." Michonne rode her horse to the lower fences like a bat out of hell, swinging her sword and taking out any walkers that came close while me and Carol got the gate opened enough. Got the thing shut and followed her to our makeshift stable for the horse. Carol and I shared a look of 'what's wrong' as we got the gate shut and locked back up.
Michonne jumped off her horse and looked around. "Where's Rick?" I nodded towards the guard tower, Rick coming down with Merle following him. For not liking each other they end up on watch together often. They booked it down across the yard to us in a few moments.
"What's going on?" Rick asked Michonne, nodding towards Carol and me.
Merle
Hung back a few steps, watching the Nubian Queen, Mouse, Officer Friendly and little brother. I noticed the way little brother positioned himself on Rick's right side, making true on the proverbial "right hand man."
"I spotted the Governors men."
"Well, I'll be damned. 'Bout time we caught their scent." Everyone turned and stared at me. "Shit, I was his enforcer. I knew he wasn't gonna keep his head down much longer."
"Get everyone together. Council meeting." Rick turned around and stalked off towards the prison.
Everyone split up and went inside, other than the Nubian Queen; she stayed behind cooling her horse down. "Wait." She didn't turn around, halting me in my tracks when I started to take off.
"What's on your mind, Black Beauty?"
"I know you'll be going after him. Keep in mind that you have a good thing going here. Try not to fuck that up."
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"
She turned around, looking at me now. "Things with Beth and Daryl. You have a home now. The Governor isn't worth ruining it all, keep that in mind."
She left me standing there.
Beth
Daryl came in and found me playing with Jude and hanging out with Carl, Mika and Lizzie. More like I supervised them playing 'Sorry'. They'd had three fights in the first ten minutes of playing until I stepped in.
"Steal ya a minute?" Daryl scuffed his boot, worrying his thumb.
"'Course. Carl, ya got your sister for a few?"
"Yeah, I've got her." Carl reached over and plucked Judith out of my arms. I went over to Daryl, slipping my hand into his and we walked a dozen feet into the cellblock.
"Is everything okay, Dar?"
"Nothin' ta worry 'bout, yet. Rick's callin' a council meetin'. We'd rather have ya be at the meetin' but…" He ran a hand over his face. "Will ya keep Carl an' the kids busy? We've caught Lizzie an' Carl snoopin'. Not ta mention Carl's moods lately, too."
"I'm just a glorified baby sitter?"
"Nah, baby. That ain't it. Me an' Merle will fill ya in afterwards, but me and Rick an' everyone don't trust the kids with anyone else. Shit. Maybe Rick shoulda asked ya."
I looked up at Daryl, searching his eyes. I can tell he and everyone else didn't mean it as making me a babysitter or anything. I feel bad now for thinking they did. I stood on my tiptoes, kissing his cheek. I lingered for a second and his hands moved to my waist. I smiled, we've come a long way so far.
"Come get me when the meeting is over, okay?"
He turned as if he was going to leave and I grabbed his hand, getting him to face me again. I kept my hand in his and grabbed the collar of his shirt with my other hand, pulling his head to mind and kissing him.
Daryl
The council meeting started within an hour of Michonne coming back. She told us where she saw the Governors men. Everyone started talking over each other until Rick stood up and started shouting, telling them to shut the fuck up. "We need to scout it out, make sure they aren't planning anything against us. We can't let them get the jump on us." Rick's little speech got everyone talking again. Mostly asking who's going on the mission and when, and why they should go. I glanced over at Merle leaning against the wall, looking bored.
"Some of us need to go and some need to stay." Rick's statement had everyone talking over each other again.
"For fucks sake. Shut the hell up!" Good ole Merle, doing his civil duty and all.
"Rick, I know you and Merle and Daryl are all going to want to go." Hershel's quiet voice broke through the silence.
Rick looked thoughtful. "I s'pose we will. What's on your mind, Hershel?"
"I think at least one of you needs to stay. By my reckoning Daryl nor Merle will stay put if the other goes and we know how well Rick and Merle get along." Hershel looked at the three of us, and then around the room, pausing on Merle when he snorted in amusement.
"I agree with Hershel and I want to go as well," Glenn spoke up.
"If Glenn goes I go." Maggie announced. Saw that one coming. Hershel is right about me and Merle and Merle and Rick. There were several murmurs about the room in agreement and quiet whispers.
"It goes without saying that Michonne is going." Hershel added. Couple more folk declared they were going.
I saw Hershel lean closer to Rick. "If Merle and Daryl are going I need to know someone is here that can protect her, that cares enough to protect her, that I trust. I'm not in a position to do so." Hershel whispered. I looked over at Merle, standing behind them, knowing he heard Hershel's quiet admission.
"Nothing will happen to her. I'll protect her like I will my children."
Merle and I exchanged a look. Least we'll know she's safe.
Merle
They finished their plans and little brother went with Officer Friendly. I went and found Beth and all the rugrats. The closer I got to the cell block the louder a group of voices got. The only people left in the cell block should be Beth and the kids, and they shouldn't be yelling unless something is wrong. I ran the last few feet into the cell block and found them all sitting on the floor in the middle of the room in a circle. Carl and that little girl, Lizzie yelling at each other and Sugar's got her face in her hands and Ass Kicker in her lap, the other kid, Mika, looking terrified.
"What the fuck's goin' on?" Everyone jumped at the sound of my voice, Lizzie and Carl stopped yelling but Sugar kept her head in her hands.
"Mr. Merle, they're arguin' and bein' mean to each other."
When the fuck did I turn into Mr. Merle? "What the fuck ya arguin' about? Suga, ya okay?" I reached down and took the little on from her, hushing her crying.
"I have a headache, I'll be fine." She looked up at me with watery eyes.
"Ya two best explain why yer bein' brats."
"Carl's cheatin'."
"Am not!"
"You are!"
"You're just mad you got skipped again and had to draw 4."
"Enough for fuck's sake. Carl go find yer pops and see if he needs help. You two go find Carol and help her with lunch." I got nods from all three of them and they took of quickly, except for the meek little blonde, she hugged Beth and then took off after her sister. "C'mon." I moved the munchkin to my bad arm and reached my hand out for sugar. I took my girls out to our tower.
Laid little Ass Kicker down on the bed, she snuggled under the blankets and sugar laid next to her, rubbing the kids back until the little one started snoring.
"Thank you," she murmured, getting up and sitting in my lap. I wrapped my arms around her.
"What for?"
"For what you did with the kids. I guess I got overwhelmed."
"Aint like ya. Ya feelin' alright, suga?"
"Jus' got a headache. What was that meetin' for?"
"Governor was spotted. Group of us are goin' after him."
Beth
"Your both goin', aren't ya?" I wrapped my arms around him, turning so I'm straddling him, face tucked into his neck.
"Yeah, we're goin'."
"I don't want either of ya goin'." What if they got killed?
Daryl
Rick and I discussed some detail about the mission until Carl came edging up, head down, like a dog with its tail between his legs. "What'd you do, Carl?"
I almost couldn't hold back my laugh. It was a moment out of any old movie when a kid did something wrong.
"I, um, was arguing with Lizzie and Beth started crying and Merle yelled at us, and sent me here."
"What were you arguing about that made Beth cry?"
"How the hell ya do that?" Me and Rick questioned him at the same time.
"Uno. We were arguing about Uno, and I guess she got upset. We didn't mean to upset her."
"You and I will discuss this. For now, go check the garden and where's your sister?" Rick sounded exhausted.
"Merle and Beth have her." Rick shooed his son away then turned to me.
"You should probably check on Beth. Carl will be by later to apologize. I'll come get Jude."
"Nah. Don't worry 'bout comin' an' gettin' her. I'll bring her to ya later."
"Ya sure?"
"Yeah."
Beth wrapped in Merle's arms, crying with Ass Kicker on the bed asleep behind them, is how I found them when I walked in.
Beth climbed out of my brother's lap and threw herself into my arms. "What if somethin' happens to either of ya?"
"Nothin' is gonna happen to us, baby. We'll come home to ya same's we always do." I pulled back enough from her and wiped her tears away, making her look at me, then I kissed her forehead and wrapped my arms around her again.
"When are you leaving?" She pulled away, grabbing my hand and pulled me to the bed, sitting between me and Merle. Merle looked at me, waiting for me to answer.
"Tomorrow afternoon."
"I hate that you're leaving so soon." More like she hates us leaving, period.
"We ain't gonna be gone too long, Suga."
Ass Kicker woke up and I picked her up, hushing her cries, with Beth looking over my shoulder. "Say bye to ya mama, Ass Kicker. Gotta take ya ta yer daddy."
"I'm not her mama, Dar."
"We havin' this discussion? Even Officer Friendly knows yer the kids mama."
She leaned over and kissed the babies forehead. "Come home quick, Dar. I want to spend time with ya both."
A/N: Here's chapter 21. I've started to see the endgame for this story. I'm going to slowly bring it to it's end. Lemme know what y'all think. Next Your Choice update will be Tuesday.