Chapter 26
Melissa held Daryl's waist tightly as they drove down the road on his motorcycle. The day had been a hot one and the feel of the wind as it blew on them was refreshing. It almost would have been fun to be back on the bike again if they weren't so concerned about their friends. While no one actually said it, everyone was worried that something terrible had happened to Glenn and Maggie. As Daryl drove all Melissa could do was hang on and wait. As she did she thought back to their discussion by the car.
"I understand where you're coming from, Melissa, but it's too risky," Rick had argued.
"I'll go," Daryl offered. "We can take the bike, that way if somethin' does happen to us ya'll still have a car."
"I remember the routes they were going to take," Melissa said. "I was sitting there when they planned it out. We'll take the same route, visit each location and, unless they went off route somehow, we'll find them."
"And if you don't?" Rick asked.
"We'll head back here. If we're lucky maybe they'll be waitin' for us when we get back," Daryl answered.
Rick knew they were right. Glenn and Maggie were their family and Rick wanted to ensure their safety, but sending Daryl and Melissa back out into the world meant risking their safety too. The possibility that they also may not come back felt all too real. Rick thought hard about it, but he didn't see any other option. If something had happened and Glenn and Maggie were out there somewhere the longer they waited the greater the chances were they wouldn't see them again. One nod of Rick's head was all it took and Daryl and Melissa were off, walking back into the prison to get ready.
Daryl got the keys to the motorcycle while Melissa grabbed a few cans of food and two bottles of water and threw them into a backpack. She strapped the backpack on, placed an extra clip of ammo into the side pocket of her dark grey cargo pants and headed back outside where Daryl was already waiting for her. When she reached him he twirled his finger, asking her to turn around and zipped an extra gun and a few rounds of ammo into her backpack then jumped on the bike, starting it up. Melissa hopped on behind him, wrapping one arm around Daryl's waist and holding her loaded gun in the other as she waited for Rick to open the fence. As soon as the fence was open Daryl took off and Melissa started shooting down any walkers that blocked their path.
Rick watched them drive away, Melissa taking out a walker or two here or there as needed as they made their way up the driveway. As soon as they were on the main road and she could no longer see any walkers she tucked her gun into an open side pocket in her cargo pants and wrapped her other arm around his waist. Once Daryl felt her other arm wrap around him he sped up. Rick waited until he could no longer hear the bike in the distance then went off to fill in the rest of the group, hoping he had made the right decision.
As Melissa's mind wondered she felt Daryl's hand touch the top of hers, his thumb gently rubbing her skin as if he was trying to tell her not to worry. She hugged him tighter around his waist in response. As he put his hand back on the handle and accelerated Melissa rested her cheek on Daryl's back, watching the scenery go by as they made their way down the road. Before long they were at the first stop.
As they pulled into the parking lot Melissa scanned the area. There was no sign of the car, but they swept the store anyway just to make sure Glenn and Maggie weren't hiding or injured or worse. Inside they found two walkers, which they took out with no problem, but no sign of their friends so they drove on to the next location. There was no sign of Glenn and Maggie there either.
As they drove to the location of the final store Melissa refused to allow herself to worry and kept focused by scanning their surroundings. They hadn't been back on the road for long when Melissa spotted something she hadn't expected. She lifted her head, looking closer. Daryl suddenly felt her tap him on the shoulder.
"Look!" Melissa yelled over the roar of his engine, pointing at a building in the distance with several cars parked in front. Daryl squinted his eyes to read the sign on the building. Clove Market. It was a local grocery store. Daryl nodded his head and turned onto the side road that led to the market. He was glad she had spotted it. Since it was visible from the main road it was possible that Glenn and Maggie could have also noticed it and decided to check it out for more supplies, which meant that Daryl and Melissa had to search there.
As they pulled into the parking lot they both saw it immediately. The black BMW was parked in front of the store and the driver's side door was wide open. Melissa held onto Daryl with one arm, the other pulling her gun out of her pocket in case there was any trouble. As they pulled up next to the car they saw the back window had been shot out.
"Daryl," Melissa said softly. The site of the car confirmed their worst fears and Melissa couldn't hide the concern in her voice.
Daryl turned off the bike, put his finger to his lips and shook his head gently and she knew he was telling her to be quiet and keep focused. She swallowed hard and climbed off the bike. Reaching into her pocket she screwed a silencer onto her gun as she waited for Daryl to load his crossbow. When he was ready she followed him inside.
Once they got inside Daryl gave her the signal to stay with him instead of going their separate ways and meeting up at the end of their search as they had at the other stores. Even if they stayed in sight of each other, in Daryl's opinion, any distance from her was too far away given the situation. It would take twice as long, but he didn't want her out of arm's reach. They moved swiftly and quietly, searching the store front to back. It took a while, but eventually they determined that the store was clear. They hadn't even run into any walkers, although there were a few walker bodies on the floor that Daryl figured Glenn and Maggie may have taken out.
When they got back outside Melissa approached the BMW. She noticed that the keys were on the concrete next to the driver's side door. She picked them up and pressed a button on the fob, popping the trunk. Inside were cans of food, diapers and baby formula.
"What do we do?" she asked, looking up at Daryl.
"Best get back. Practically sittin' ducks here," he said.
"We can't go back without them." Melissa looked around as her mind started to piece together all of the things that could have happened to Glenn and Maggie.
"Hey," Daryl said gently, pulling her focus back to him. She looked up and was met with sympathetic eyes. "You gotta drive the car." he instructed.
She nodded, unable to speak. She knew he didn't want to go back without Glenn and Maggie either, but he was right. They needed to go. There would be plenty of chances for them to worry or think about what could have happened to Glenn and Maggie once they got back to the prison. He lightly touched her shoulder and gave her a reassuring nod then walked past her to start his bike.
The last time she had driven the BMW she had a smile on her face the entire time. This time she felt sick to her stomach. She wanted to cry. Her saving grace was being able to watch Daryl on his motorcycle in front of her. Seeing the others get excited and then lose hope as they realized Melissa was the one driving the car back into the prison was awful and made Melissa feel worse than she already did. She knew they would think it was Glenn and Maggie at first and the dread she felt in anticipation was nothing compared to the way it actually felt when she saw the look on their faces; especially Hershel and Beth's.
Melissa shut off the ignition and headed straight back to the Hyundai. The map was no longer spread out, but was refolded and back in the glove box. As she unfolded the map back onto the hood she could hear Rick and Daryl talking nearby.
"Where was it?" Rick asked.
"Place called Clove Market. Locally owned and totally cleaned out," Daryl said.
"What do you mean cleaned out?"
"There's supplies in the trunk of the beamer, but I doubt they got any of them from this place. Shelves were empty."
"How'd you find it?" Rick asked.
"Spotted it from the road," Daryl said as he gestured to Melissa and the two men noticed that she was studying the map again.
"Maggie and Glenn probably did the same. Show me," Rick requested, walking up next to Melissa.
Daryl picked a pebble off the gravel and stood on Melissa's other side, scanning the map. "Here," he said as he placed the pebble on the map.
As Melissa's eyes scanned the map she suddenly held her breath. Her eyes widened and she leaned closer to the map to make sure.
"What is it?" Rick asked calmly, noticing her sudden alarm. He and Daryl watched as Melissa pointed her finger to the name of a town near the pebble on the map.
Woodbury.
….
The discussion as to whether or not they would go into Woodbury to try to find Maggie and Glenn was a short one, which came as no surprise to Melissa. There was barely even a discussion at all. As Rick, Daryl and Oscar went inside the prison to load up on guns, ammo, flash bangs, smoke bombs and anything else they would need Melissa did her best to comfort Hershel and Beth.
"We're gonna find them," she said softly. "And we're gonna bring them back."
Hershel and Beth tried their best to look optimistic, but Melissa could see the fear in their eyes. Soon the door to the prison opened and the men filtered outside and began loading the Hyundai with their bags of weapons.
"Melissa, got a minute?" Rick asked, gesturing for her to follow him.
She walked with him away from the group to the side of the prison and leaned gently against the brick wall. "What's up?"
"I'd like you to consider staying here," he said.
"What?" She asked, half shocked, half confused.
"I need someone to look after Hershel, Beth and Carl in case we don't make it back."
"I lived in Woodbury for three days and you want me to stay here?"
"I know you did, but Daryl knows his way around the town fairly well and Michonne – "
"Wait, you're taking the psycho with the sword instead of me?" Melissa interrupted with a whisper.
"Like I said, I'd like you to consider it."
Melissa looked behind Rick at Daryl as he loaded gear into the back of the Hyundai. Traitor, she thought, knowing he must have convinced Rick to try to talk her into staying behind. Perhaps while they were inside loading the weapons into the bags.
"I considered it and I refuse," she answered calmly. "Daryl spent half a day in Woodbury and most of that time he was sitting on a wall. I know the town. If Glenn and Maggie are there I can help you find them. And I know where to find Andrea. If they've been hostile toward Glenn and Maggie Andrea will come back with us. You need me. I'm going."
Despite Daryl's meandering of the situation, Melissa still believed enough in Rick as a leader that she wouldn't have gone if he really didn't want her to. She stood and waited for his answer. When Rick nodded she walked past him toward the car, helping Oscar with a bag of gear. As Rick watched her help the others he knew she was right. He did need her.
After she loaded a few bags Melissa sat on the back bumper of the Hyundai and looked back at Rick to see he was talking with Carl, probably giving him the same speech about taking care of things. When she noticed Daryl heading toward the Hyundai with the last bag of ammo she stood. He walked up next to her, placed the bag into the car and closed the lift gate, then turned to face her.
"Stay safe," he said gently.
"I will," she smiled. As Daryl turned and made his way to the passenger's side Melissa followed him. "Hey Daryl," she started as he opened the door. He turned to face her once again, resting his forearm on the roof of the car. "Was it Rick's idea for him to tell me he needed someone here he could trust or was it yours?" She asked as she removed the empty clip from her gun and put in a new one. She looked up at Daryl and watched as it registered on his face that she had figured him out. She smiled, tucked her gun back into her belt and climbed into the back seat. She wasn't mad at him for trying.
As Rick walked up to the car Daryl shot him a look and Rick shrugged his shoulders as if to say "I tried, but she's a feisty one." Daryl looked away. Of course it had been his idea. If she didn't go she didn't run the risk of not coming back, but there she was in the backseat and Daryl felt unnerved at the idea of having to sneak into Woodbury, rescue Glenn and Maggie and keep an eye on Melissa all the while. Not that she wasn't capable of handling herself. Daryl knew what she could do. He knew he needed to get used to fighting alongside her, but that didn't mean he had to like the idea.
Daryl climbed into the passenger's seat and shut the door with a little more force than necessary, causing Melissa to grin from ear to ear. She understood why Daryl would have wanted her to stay behind, but that just wasn't going to happen.