Okay, friends. This is the second to last chapter of this story. I honestly didn't expect to get this much feedback and support with my first story on this site and I'm really thankful. Now more than ever, please review-I want my next story to be much improved and your feedback helps me grow. Much love.
Maggie stood with an arm on her hip trying to mask her irritation. By the time she had gotten up the next morning, Shane had already secured his place on their run.
She'd walked past him and he smiled coolly at her as he lifted a bag of weapons into the truck.
Maggie found Rick to tell him that she and Glenn were still coming along, and to her surprise she didn't meet any argument. Rick and Shane had already discussed that this was a big run, and they should have a larger group than usual on the task-especially with the rooky going along.
She couldn't hide her distaste on his last comment. Rick shifted his weight a little uncomfortably.
"You know I didn't mean anything by that, Maggie. I adore her."
"You do, huh? Maybe her and Daryl should sit this one out, then. They've been through so much and-"
"I already suggested that to them, even though a lot of the group didn't want me to-Daryl is the best at…several things. But there is no Daryl without Rose and she wanted the experience and to help out. What could I say?"
Maggie shook her head worriedly, and Rick took note.
"What exactly is it you're afraid of?" he asked gently.
She crossed her arms. "I don't know. Any number of things. You know exactly what I'm worried about."
"Anything besides walkers and the general dangers of travel these days?" He looked at her expectantly.
Sighing, she replied. "Yeah. Shane. He's a creep and you know it."
Rick returned her sigh. "I'm aware he has a thing for Rose…but he's not going to harm her, you know? He's a good man for today's job, and I'm thankful he offered to go in my absence-Lori is still sick."
Maggie wondered just how "sick" she actually was.
"Well, the three of us will be watching him" she said, trying not to sound too bitter.
Rick nodded. "Glad to hear it-certainly won't hurt anything."
The five of them decided that Shane, Maggie, and Glenn would take the truck-they could load it up with goods, and Daryl and Rose would go on the bike.
The two of them had a private conversation about this and how comfortable Rose was with going on the bike. She smiled softly and cocked her head to one side. "I think I'm ready. I think I trust you" she winked at him and he pounced her and nuzzled his face into her neck. "Alright, kid. Hold on to me and you'll be fine."
She beamed. "I'm quite good at that."
They finished gathering their gear and had a meeting of the minds before they got into their vehicles.
Maggie mentioned she saw a couple of houses on their way to the Pharmacy the other week while they were still in the country-those would be a couple of good places to start.
Daryl had Rose sit on the bike for a minute. Showed her where to most comfortably put her feet, and tested out different ways she could hold onto him that made her feel safest. They also did a quick trial run before they actually took off-which went well.
"I feel so much more comfortable than I thought I would!" she exclaimed happily.
Daryl ruffled her unruly hair. "You look like a wood sprite or somethin'."
She grinned brightly. "Really?! That's one of the best compliments I've ever gotten!"
He laughed and kissed her sweetly.
Andrea heard this exchange and it made her sick to her stomach. She was so glad she wasn't asked to go along today.
The small group got on the road, the truck leading the way. Rose held on to Daryl tightly and rested her face against his back. The air whipping around her made her feel light and carefree.
Their first stop appeared to be an old farmhouse. It was a somewhat sad sight to see, with its chipping paint and broken windows. Splintered steps. The yard contained several tires, rusty (and empty) gas cans, and…lawn gnomes. Rose raised an eyebrow at this and Daryl laughed, shrugging his broad shoulders.
They checked around the outside of the house and wondered if much of anything inside would be of any use to them.
Shane went in first. The house seemed to be clear.
Daryl and Rose went upstairs to search the bedrooms and bathroom. The bathroom cabinets had several bars of soap, a couple bottles of shampoo, razors, a couple of rolls of toilet paper, and a stack of clean towels. "Fantastic!" Rose gushed when she saw the linens.
Both beds in the bedrooms were made up perfectly. They smiled at each other and started stripping them excitedly. They came downstairs with their arms piled high with blankets and pillows.
"Score!" Glenn said, giving Rose a hi-five.
Shane didn't look amused and didn't say anything either. Maggie had watched his grumpy demeanor surface as they cleaned out the kitchen cabinets.
They weren't so lucky in the food department-a few random canned goods and some flour. But it was something, and they still had at least one more place to go.
The kitchen also contained a drawer full of dish towels, silverware-including knives, and two water pitchers.
The five of them loaded the truck, piling the cans on top of the sheets so they wouldn't blow away. In all, they made out with two sheet sets, two blankets, two comforters, six towels and eight pillows.
"Not too shabby", Rose nudged Daryl and Glenn, who were closest to her. They looked confused. "Yano, shabby…like shabby-chic? The style of the-"
"I gotcha" Maggie said, laughing. "You cute little nerd."
The next house was considerably further out and more secluded than the first. The weeds and grass leading up to it were knee-high, and the trees that usually comforted Rose so much made her uneasy in this place.
Rose frowned. "Something feels…off ", she said to Daryl.
He squeezed her leg. "Nah, its fine. We'll be extra cautious though, okay?"
She nodded and took his hand.
The door was locked, which gave them pause. They made their way around the house together looking in all of the windows and didn't see any sign of life.
Back on the porch, Shane was ready to break the window when Rose reached out and lifted it up-it smoothly opened and she pushed it to the top, where it held nicely.
Shane snorted. "Well, ladies first".
Daryl gave Shane a look. "I don't think so". He stuck his head inside and looked around again before climbing in. Once inside, he listened for a moment and took note of his surroundings before reaching his hand out to Rose.
