Chapter 14
A tender rubbing on my shoulder lifted me from the coma that had been nothing more than an exhausted sleep. I rolled over to face the man beside me who's hand was gently massaging the muscles around my neck.
"Good morning." I smiled to him. He gave a faint smile back then wrapped his arms around me and buried his face into my neck. "You okay?" I whispered, careful not to wake the sleeping baby not more than five feet away, sleeping in her makeshift crib with a dog at each end, keeping careful watch over her as she dreamed.
"Couldn't sleep." he mumbled.
"It's alright. We're safe here." I rolled onto my back, moving his face so that it laid on my chest where I pet his hair. His right arm was strung across my body so he could hold me tight to him.
I laid with him until I heard Ember starting to whine in her bed. It had to be close to feeding time so I sat up and threw on some clothes before heading to the bathroom where I filled up her bottle then mixed in some formula. When I came back into our room, I found Daryl holding Ember, ready to feed her. I could feel my face brighten when I saw this then sat down beside him, handing over the bottle. She took quickly and finished the bottle within ten minutes.
"Great job." I breathed into Daryl's ear as I took Ember from him and burped her. She seemed to be in a good mood, so I changed her then made the holding sling around myself. She laid quietly in it while I waited for Daryl to get dressed. "Are you really alright?" I asked again. He was moving slowly getting dressed, but not like tired slowly either.
"I'm fine." he answered over his shoulder as he pulled on another long sleeved button-up shirt. He was moving like he was sore, but I could understand that after sleeping on the floor.
I came up behind him and slowly started to massage the stiff muscles of his shoulders when he leaned into my hands. "You're so stiff, babe. The floor wasn't a good choice for you. I'll see if there are any empty couches or something that we can move in here for you."
"It's fine."
"You didn't sleep you said. We can make it more comfortable to sleep then."
"Luce, worry about her." he nodded back towards the baby that was holding onto my shirt. "I'll be fine."
"We are in a hardware store and Bed Bath and Beyond is just down the street. We can get something better." He didn't say anything after that, but I continued to message his back for a few minutes.
When I finished, we ventured out to the main room where a few other early risers were already waiting around. Carol was opening a can of fruit while Glenn digging through a bag of chips.
"Morning," I waved that them.
"Good morning." Carol smiled above the can at us.
"How'd you guys sleep?" Glenn looked up at me with a pained look on his face. "That bad?" He nodded. I guessed a trip to Bed Bath and Beyond was in the cards.
"The food is all over there." Carol pointed to a nice sized pile of crates, all overflowing with cans and boxes of food.
"Awesome." I licked my lips before sorting through a pile, looking for the best options for breakfast. Even Daryl was beside me digging. Eventually I settled on a nice can of pares, my favorite and Daryl had a can of peaches.
We popped the lids on the cans and both sat down in lawn chairs we had dragged over and enjoyed our first breakfast in our new home.
"Are those any good?" I asked once I was halfway through my fruit.
"You tell me." He held out a slice of fruit on a fork towards me. I bent down to take a bite of the sweet fruit and swallowed it with an, "Umm, they are good."
"Those?" he nodded at my can.
"You tell me." I smiled and mimicked him with my fork out with a pare half on the end. He did like me and bent down to taste the soft fruit, sucking the sweetness off the utensil. He eyed me then swallowed and nodded his head as he licked the juice off his lips.
"Aww, come on you guys. It's too early for this." Glenn whined. "PDA doesn't start until noon."
"Haha, sorry Glenn." I giggled as I finished my food. Soon more and more people joined us for breakfast. Most of them had fruit, but Maggie insisted on sharing the bag of chips with Glenn. When they started giggling from their hands touching, I cleared my throat and looked over at Glenn with a sly smile. He smiled back then started to give Maggie his googoo-eyes. He was right, ew.
Once everyone was awake, we all scattered to start chores. Most of the men started dragging in the rest of the food from the car while Carol and Lori watched Carl and Ember. I went to brush down Paille and feed him. The building had running water so I was able to refill his bucket with ease. When I came back, I noticed how everyone looked horrid in the daylight. We were all sweaty and dirty. After everything two nights ago, I realized that we had no clothes other than what I had left in my bag.
When we all sat down for lunch I asked Glenn what else was in the shopping plaza down the road.
"A Bed Bath and Beyond, a local grocery store, a bank, and a Marshalls. Why?" he looked up at me.
"I think I'll be making a run today."
"For what?" he asked scrapping the rest of the noodles out of the soup can.
"We don't have any clothes and we need something better to sleep on." He nodded and looked around.
"Listen, I know Rick, T-Dog, and Hershel are going to be boarding up the windows too keep the cold out later, but I'll go with you." he volunteered.
"Go where?" Maggie came up.
"We need clothes and better bedding. I'm making a run later. Would you like to come with us?" I offered.
"Sure, I think it'll do everyone some good to have some fresh clothes. Only problem is that daddy won't let me or Beth out of his sight. Not after the other day." I nodded.
"Then we'll have to wait for them to get to work then sneak around the back of the building." Glenn suggested.
"Good idea, but before they get outside. They'd hear the car and know it was us." Maggie said.
"I'll have to wait for Daryl to go back to sleep though. He wouldn't risk me going out either. After he finishes eating again, I'll see if I cant persuade him to get some rest." I almost grinned.
"Lucy, you dirty thing you." Maggie eyed me with a laugh.
I could see Daryl was just about done with his food when I said, "Get some bags together, I'll meet you at the loading docks." They nodded and I went over to Daryl who was yawning.
"You look exhausted." He looked at me, his eyes confirming my statement. "I've finished my chores for the day, why don't we go lay down for awhile." He took no time standing up and following me back to our room.
Once the door was closed Daryl scooped me up and ignored the sweaty oder leaking from my shirt as he planted his lips right on mine. I threw my arms around his neck and pushed myself deeper into the man as my tongue slid into his mouth. My heart was pounding as he stepped forward and gently put me down in the bed on the floor. I patted the bed beside me when he kicked off his shoes and slid down with me.
"Your winter hair is coming in." I said looking at his darkening hair. "It's sexy." I breathed as I jumped in his lap and pull on the buttons of his shirt, popping them open. His hands wrapped around my back as he started kissing and sucking on my jaw line then moving down to my collarbone. Soft moans escaped my mouth as his wet lips met my the hallow of my chest. His hands were moving, one pushing me closer to his mouth and the other traveling south, pushing my lower end up against his. Under me I could feel a bulged pushing up.
"Now?" he breathed into my ear, only giving himself a second to ask.
"Now." I agreed. He rolled us over with me below him. I wiggled out of my pants and shirt as he pulled off his own, our lips never parting.
When we were both naked, I spread my legs and grabbed at his hips, dragging them closer to me. He was just about to enter when he parted and mumbled, "Hold on." As he went through the bag, I did my best to get my breath back, but I failed. He returned after opening the shinny wrapper of a condom and slid it on before finally entering me.
It was just as thrilling as I remembered it. He thrusted back and forth with his hips, making small whimpers build in my throat. Everything was flowing through my body as he worked me. He grunted with each thrust as I felt something building up again inside of me. Daryl pumped harder and harder into me so I had to grab the blankets under us to hold me still.
When I felt it coming closer, I pushed up my pelvis making each thrust stronger until it finally came. I released and quietly moaned his name just as he finished himself.
He pulled out then sat up for a moment to catch his breath before he gazed down at me. I was panting below him as he looked me over.
"What?" I breathed.
"Nothing," I pried with my eyes. "You're just the most beautiful woman I've ever met." he almost whispered.
"Trying to win brownie points are we?" I sat up and kissed his cheek. "It might just work." I whispered.
He smiled at me then disposed of the used rubber before joining me under the blanket. Still naked, we cuddled, laying as close as we could get to each other.
When he stated to snore, I pulled away and quickly got dressed. After I was ready, I grabbed my bag then headed for the door, but turning back before leaving. "I'll be back soon, love." I whispered then headed out to where I met Maggie and Glenn.
"Jeez, we thought you'd never get out here. Daddy and the other's are almost ready to go outside, we need to hurry." Maggie urged.
"You two got guns?" I asked. They nodded when I motioned for Lucic to follow me. He was at my side in a moment and we headed out the back door.
We jumped in the truck then drove off quickly down the road to the empty looking shopping plaza. First we stopped for bedding.
"We have to find a padding or mat of some sort, a cot even." I suggested. They nodded and we ran in then combed the isles. We couldn't find any cots or mats. A bed pad was the best we could do, but that wasn't good enough for me. Then I thought of something. "Guys, how many of these do you think we can fit into the truck bed?" I asked pointing to the bed displays used for showing off the bedding sets.
"Three, maybe four if we only take the top mattresses." Glenn answered.
"Alright, let's take these then and a few bedding bags." Maggie got three carts what we used to haul the mattresses to the truck where we loaded them quickly then grabbed a few bedding set bags and threw them in with the mattresses.
Our next stop was a store over. We had to bust open the front door to get in, but that was an easy job. After braking in, we searched the store front for any lose walkers, but got lucky that no one was home. We then spread out and dug around for clothes we liked before shopping for everyone else. I found a few pairs of jeans my size that I threw in my bad along with some nice tops and a few sweaters. Then I found stuff that I thought Carol or Lori might fit into. Maggie did the same for her and Beth before we went to help Glenn get clothes for all the guys.
We figured we were just about done once all our bags were full then we headed out to the truck. We threw everything into the truck when Glenn said, "Shoes?" I looked at Maggie who was nodding. He was right, we were going to need shoes too. I kept Lucic in the car this time, but rolled up the windows most of the way, just in case.
The three of us headed back into the store and made our way to the back corner where shoes were kept, but they were just about out. The only ones really left were kid sized. Maggie grabbed a pair for Bath and I grabbed a pair for Carl and threw them into a shopping bag I had grabbed from the front of the store.
"Maybe they had more in the back?" Maggie suggested.
"Probably had a shipment waiting to be put out on the racks." I agreed and we went into a large door to large back room with closed loading docks. We looked around until we found a whole stack of shoe boxes, just waiting to be sorted. "Tell me if you find boots, black, size eight." I said, going through as many boxes as I could.
"Glenn, these fit you?" Maggie asked, holding up a pair of glittery golden heals. We both laughed as he rolled his eyes and kept working.
"Maybe he is more of a silver man?" I guess, holding up another pair, only these were silver instead of gold. Maggie and I both started cracking up, which I why I never heard the creature that grabbed Maggie by the shoulder and dragged her backwards. She screamed as Glenn took out his gun and shot it in the head.
That's when we saw the rest of them. Twenty or thirty of them heading right for us.
"Oh shit!" I yelled and ran with Glenn and Maggie beside me towards the back of the storage room. There had to be another way out through here.
"There!" Glenn yelled and pointed to a door with a strong latch. We piled in only to find out it was a cleaning supplies closet. We pulled the door shut behind us locking them out there, but trapping us in here.
"Great! Now what?" Maggie yelled over the slamming of rotten fists and loud moans.
"This was really stupid." Glenn said.
"How the hell are we going to get out of here now? No one knows where we went." I reminded them.
"I don't think they'll moving any time soon." Maggie gestured to the door that wasn't budging but still being pounded on.
"They'll notice the truck gone and come looking." Glenn was hopeful but I knew he was right.
"But how will they find us back here?" Maggie went on, her face was fear stricken.
"The glass wasn't broken yesterday when they came here for food. Maybe they'll notice it. The truck is parked right out front, they should be able to figure it out." I said and Maggie nodded her head before we all sat down in the small space on the floor.
The banging and moans died down eventually, but the occasional slam made us jump.
Someone's stomach growled and we looked at Glenn. "Sorry, I'm starving."
"Me too." I agreed.
"How long we been in here?" Maggie looked around.
"Don't know. I don't have a watch." I said.
"Me either." Glenn rolled his head back, resting it on a shelf.
Hours past with no rescue. All three of us were very hungry and starting to fall asleep to pass the time.
"We are in so much trouble when we get back." I eventuality laughed to myself.
"Yeah," Maggie smirked. "Daddy it going to kill me if one of those walkers don't get me first." A grim hint was added onto the word first.
"All three of us." I corrected. "Rick, Lori, your dad, and Daryl. We are dead." Just then, a loud banging on our door made me jump. "Fuck, I hate those things." It quieted down outside the door again for a little while, and I decided it was best to just close my eyes for a little while.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
"What was that?" Maggie awoke instantly, as did I.
"It sounded like-"
"Like gunshots!" I finished for Glenn. I jumped up and started banging on the metal door as loudly as I could. This only made the walkers more rambunctious.
"Lucy, what are you doing? It's only making them worse."
"Maggie, we have to let them know we are in here. They won't be able to hear our voices over their moans, so if we bang they could hear that, or at least the walkers can and will be drawn to our door. They'll know something is trapped in here."
"Good thinking." Glenn agreed and they both joined me, pounding our fists into the old metal. There was a loud PING! Off the door, making us all duck down. After that, there were no more moans, slams, or shots outside the door.
"You think it's safe to open it?" I looked at Glenn.
"Just have your gun ready." Maggie and I nodded at him and took out our guns before he jiggled the handle and pushed on the door. "Shit," he mumbled.
"Dude, check the lock." I said.
"I did, the door won't budge."
"Ya don't think that gun shot on the door bent it too far, do ya?" Maggie asked and we looked at her.
"Crap," I rammed the door and pounded on it with my fists again. "Hey!" I called.
"Anyone there?!" Glenn called beside me, just as something pounded on the other side.
"Maggie, you in there?"
"Yes daddy, but the door won't open!" she called back to Hershel through the door.
"Is anyone hurt?" Rick asked.
"No, we're fine." Maggie called back.
There was mumbling on the other side before Rick called back with, "We're going to get you out of there. Hold tight."
"Okay." We sat down again, calmer knowing that they we were safe.
A little while later, we could hear an odd noise coming from the door, a bending sound.
"Back away from the door." Hershel yelled. We did as told, not that we could get very far away in such a small closet.
"Okay." I yelled back at them when we were backed up. The noise started up again on the other side of the door and we could see it starting to lean to the right. Then there was a very loud SLAM! The door was yanked to the side and we were freed. Maggie and Glenn were the first to run out, then I followed them. Maggie rushed to her father, who had a very disapproving look on his face. Rick, T-Dog, and Daryl, oh crap, they all were very pissed looking.
"What on earth were you guys thinking?" Hershel was the first to ask once Maggie and I were in the van with Rick, Hershel and Daryl. T-Dog and Glenn were driving the truck back with all the clothes, beds, and Lucic. Maggie and I were in the back seat like children.
"We thought maybe some new, clean clothes and better beds would cheer everyone up." I answered calmly.
"Daddy, even you said this morning that your back couldn't take another night on the floor."
"Maggie, that didn't mean run out poorly armed and get beds."
"We know that it was a mistake." I said with my head down.
"It was stupid and reckless. I expected better from you Lucy, more than anyone." Rick spit. I could hear Daryl mumbling something to Rick but I couldn't make it out.
We were quiet the rest of the way back, knowing that the second we got inside, we were going to be hit with another full blown attack of ridicule. Rick wasn't wrong. It stupid and reckless, but we were only thing of the rest of the group, wanting to provide some comfort for them.
When we pulled up it was dark, so the beds and clothes were brought right in. Glenn, Maggie, and I sat in the back of the store where we had made a spot to eat. Lori sat at one edge of the circle, shaking her head at us. I didn't really care what she thought of us, but I did care about how Daryl felt. I knew before we did it that he would be very angry, but I figured that we'd be there and back before anyone really noticed. It didn't go as planed and now we were in a world of hell.
"I can't believe you three." Lori mumbled to herself, making this night number two that she was on my bad side. I ignored her and ate my dinner.
I was wrong about the reprimand. Lori and Rick were the only really angry looking people. Hershel I'm sure wasn't pleased, but he didn't voice it. I think he was just happy that we were safe again. Everyone else, I believe, wan't angry because they were happy about the new beds and clothes. We really needed them and they all were thinking the same thing.
The beds were moved into the proper rooms before we started heading off to bed. I was one of the last ones to go, dreading the awaiting argument that was already laying in my room, but when it was only me and Rick left, I felt like I had to go. It was too awkward bring around him after today. We'd talk it out tomorrow and everything will be back to normal.
I took my time going to our room, stopping at the bathroom to change and getting a drink before actually heading into the dimly lit room, where the baby was already sleeping with the dogs beside her.
When I opened the door, I was surprised to find our bed already in place and made up with all the new bedding. But Daryl was on the bed facing the baby. I couldn't see his face so I didn't know what kind of mood he currently was in. I closed the door behind myself as quietly as I could, trying my best not to wake the baby. Daryl then looked at me. I readied myself for his assault of anger, but nothing came. I sat down on the bed beside him, looking down at Ember. After about a minute of nothing I finally spoke, "You're angry."
"Not anymore." he said calmer than I expected.
"Not anymore?"
"I was mad, but I was scarred." He looked at me finally and I could clearly read his eyes. They were yelling at me. They were screaming, "I woke up and you were gone! No one knew where you three went, and you were gone for hours! Trapped in a walker-infested store, you could have died! You could have died for clothes!" Then his eyes softened and said, "You could have died trying to help the group, so I wouldn't have stopped you." Then the sadness moved into the blue oceans in his eyes. Memories of the pain he felt from two days ago refilled him. They flashed in his head and I could only glimpse what they were doing to him. He was frightened and angry that he hadn't been there.
"I'm sorry." I apologized, finally understanding what I had just put him through.
He bent down and put his arms around me, whispering, "Please don't do it again." I nodded against his chest then stilled to listen to his heartbeat.
When I sat back up I was still staring off trying to imagine what it would have been like to go a whole day thinking that Daryl had died. The pain throbbed in my chest. A pain worse than any bullet or bite.
"Don't cry." his voice brought me back as his thumb wiped away a tear that was running down my cheek. "Come on." He nudged me down to the bed where we got under the covers then he turned down the light.
The second the light was out, I wrapped myself around him, catching Daryl slightly off guard. He laid back down with me then wrapped his arms around me and kissed me. I nuzzled his neck then cheek before finally getting into a comfortable position to sleep, facing him.
"I'm so sorry." I whispered again.
"Shh," he hushed me then leaned his forehead against mine before stroking my face. His touch sent me right to a sleep that I wouldn't want to wake from.