AN: OK, here we go…let's move on with the tale that we're spinning here, shall we?
I hope you're still enjoying and please let me know what you think.
Also, if you like Caryl AUs, then I invite you to check out my new story "Sweet Junction." It's a Caryl AU, but there's involvement from a good number of people from the group. I hope you enjoy it if you choose to read, and if you don't, I hope you enjoy what's coming up in this story!
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"OK, losers, let's get a move on! We got a lotta fuckin' shit to do today," Alice called, heaving a bag into the trunk of the car that contained food and water for everyone going on the run. The idea was to just take the one car, stealing everything else they needed once they got back to the Governor's old lair.
"Keep your shirt on!" Daryl called back to her. He turned back to Carol.
"I want you to be careful," Carol said, leaning toward him. Daryl rested his forehead against hers.
"I'm always careful, woman. 'Sides, ain't nothin' gonna happen. We just goin' ta raid the place, ain't no one even there," Daryl said.
Carol nodded her head.
"I understand that, but be careful," she said again. Daryl smiled and wrapped his arms around her. He lifted her gently off her feet and kissed her deeply before setting her back down.
"Back 'fore dinner, you'll see," Daryl said. He turned to see Alice saying her goodbyes to Mel. When she noticed him looking her in direction she raised her hand and shot him the bird. He laughed at her.
"Quit looking you fuckin' perv!" Alice called. "Play tonsil hockey with Mama over there, but stop minding my business."
Daryl flipped her off and turned his attention back to Carol, kissing her again. He let his hand ghost quickly over her belly. He was still weirded out by the whole thing, but it seemed important to Carol that he touch it, so he made himself do it. In the past few days since it had become noticeable, she'd grown to not only be fond of it, but to strut it, insisting on wearing clothes that he knew she would have otherwise never worn, saying they were too tight. He didn't mind though, the tight shirts she wore showed off what she had to show for the baby, but they also showed off her tits, and he wasn't going to turn his nose up at a good view of them.
"I love you," Carol said softly.
"Love ya too, woman," Daryl said.
He broke away from her then and joined Michonne, Hank, and Alice at the car. The women piled in the backseat and Daryl got behind the wheel. He pulled through the gates as Carl opened them and drove in the direction that he'd come the night he'd rescued Carol.
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"The question is do we split up or not?" Alice said from the backseat. "We need to hit at least two different areas and it's going to tank Hank a hell of a minute to get those generators loaded up once we get one of the flatbeds running."
"I reckon it don't matter too much if we split up, they ain't nobody there," Daryl said.
"We don't think there's anybody there," Alice corrected.
"Ya said everybody left," Daryl said, looking in the rearview mirror.
"No, I said I thought everybody left," Alice said. "We've been gone a while, just because they fucking left doesn't mean they didn't come back. What I've got to do won't take long, though, so I can go on my own."
"Ya ain't doin' no such thing," Daryl growled. "We'll get Hank set up to load the generators and Michonne can stay with him while I take ya ta get whatever the hell ya need," Daryl said.
"Fine," Alice said, "whatever, just as long as we get the shit we need."
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When Daryl finally pulled into the gates of the community, he felt a shiver run up his spine. He remember the last time that he'd come through there, taking down those very same gates. The place looked abandoned, and what's more, it looked like some kind of riot had broken out here before it had been abandoned.
"What the fuck happened here?" Daryl asked.
"Pod people went crazy," Alice said. "When the Governor was dead they had no idea what to do about it. They didn't know what the hell was really going on, so they thought that some evil terrorists had broken in and killed their beloved fucking leader. It was a shame, really."
Daryl decided that she didn't sound like she really thought it was a shame. He had learned that Alice had little regard for the citizens of the community whom she referred to as the pod people. He was unsure if that was because they hadn't suffered the same reality that she had under the hands of the Governor, or if she just genuinely had no sympathy for the individuals that blindly followed him, regardless of the fact that they apparently had no reason to know that it was a bad idea to do so.
"Where ya want me ta go first?" Daryl asked. He pulled the car to a stop and Alice sat up between the seats. This part, these couple of streets were the ones that he kept mostly for making a happy land for the pod people," she said pointing. "That's where the best of the generators are located. You're gonna have to go back toward the back of the community though, back where the rest of us were, if you wanna get the trucks and tractors that he kept stored up to move the shit. Might be more generators back there, but I'm not sure."
"So trucks an' tractors first," Daryl said. "Ain't gon' do us no damn good ta find the generators if we ain't got a way ta move 'em. How we gon' get 'em back?"
"That's no problem," Alice said. I can drive a semi, and Hank's going to drive one of the backhoes back so he can unload the shit at the prison. You and Michonne can carry whatever else we decide to load up. Steal another truck or van or something."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Michonne said.
Daryl drove forward and followed Alice's instructions to get to the back of the community where she said the equipment and most everything related to the Governor's behind the scenes operations was located. It didn't take long to find exactly what they were looking for.
"What if them trucks ain't got keys?" Hank asked, breaking his trip long silence.
"I reckon I can hotwire just about any damn thing," Daryl said. The thought of more electricity than they could even dream of right now was enough to get him excited. He was starting to love the loud mouth brunette in the back seat more than he thought possible.
They got out of the car near the equipment and started milling around. Alice trotted toward one of the largest flat beds and crawled up in the cab. A Walker surprised her by rounding the corner around the cab, but she was quick enough to cleave its skull before it really got anywhere close to grabbing her. She swung up into the cab.
"Sweet ass!" She called, reaching down and turning on the truck. It roared to life. "Got almost a whole fuckin' tank too! We're home free with this baby!"
Everyone backed up as the truck lurched forward.
"I'm taking this beauty up to the front where Hank can load her up, get him a tractor and I'll meet you down there," she called out the window, waving as she maneuvered the truck through the small obstacle course of equipment.
"So she's a doctor with a fuckin' mouth like a sailor that drives big rigs?" Daryl said, shooting a look at MIchonne. Michonne shrugged and walked off to take care of a few Walkers that had been stirred up by the sound of the shouts and the roaring engine.
Hank stood in front of a selection of tractors. Daryl knew they were for different things, but for the life of him he couldn't have identified what any of them were for.
"Anythin' here gonna work?" Daryl asked. Hank walked around them a few minutes. Finally he pointed to one of them.
"I reckon that's the one that's gonna work out the best," he said. "Gotta see if she'll crank though, no telling how long they just been sitting here. I helped unload some of them generators before, but that was a while ago."
"Get to it, fat man," Daryl said. He walked around the tractor twice making sure that there were no Walkers lurking to throw a wrench into their plans. Everything was shaping up nicely and the last thing they needed was Hank to get chewed to pieces when he was the only one comfortable with handling these beasts.
Hank pulled himself up and adjusted the seat in the backhoe. He cranked the tractor. It didn't immediately roar to life, so he dropped down from it and opened a small door on it.
"Ya reckon it's gonna crank?" Daryl asked. Hank had his arm buried inside the machine.
"Oh yeah, it'll crank," Hank said. "I had one like this. She was just tempermental is all. You just keep a watch out for them dead'uns and I'll get her singin' in no time. I could stand a wrench though," he said.
"Michonne, get a wrench out the toolbox in the back of the car," Daryl called. Michonne saluted him to show she'd understood and went behind the car. A few minutes later she came back, passing the wrench into the grease covered hands of Hank.
The old man tinkered around a bit, declared himself satisfied and retook his position on the tractor. This time it choked once but roared to life a moment later.
"Singin' like a bird," Hank said. "We gon' have ta find some fuel, though. She ain't gon' make it through loadin' down that truck and get back to the prison to unload."
"Don't worry about it," Daryl said. "Ya just get on up there with Alice an' we're on our way. We'll find ya some fuel."
Daryl and Michonne got back in the car to head to the front of the community where Hank and Alice should be waiting for them, hopefully already at work loading up the truck. Daryl didn't know where to find the fuel or exactly what kind the old tractor needed, but he had the sinking suspicion that Alice would know and would be able to find it when they came back for whatever it was that she wanted.
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Daryl and Alice left Hank loading generators while Michonne kept watch for Walkers and any possible straggling pod people. They hadn't decided what they would do with the people were they to encounter them, but Michonne had given herself strict orders to kill them should they try to attack anyone. Daryl thought that seemed fair enough. They could deal with anyone that had come in peace later.
The first stop that Daryl and Alice made was at the house that Daryl recognized as one that Rick and Glenn had searched. He glanced over at Alice and couldn't help but think to himself that they hadn't done a very thorough job, but then again, if they had they would have probably killed her, and they wouldn't likely be here scavenging medical equipment for the prison.
Daryl followed Alice into the abandoned house. She found a bag and went to work packing it upstairs. The room looked like it had been rigged to be an examination room with a bed in it. He shuddered a little looking at the blood stains on the bed and wondering what all had come through that room. He wondered if this was the room that Carol remembered from her nightmares.
"It's really a shame to leave all of this," Alice said. She was stuffing things into various bags that she'd somehow acquired now. "We just can't carry it all, not in the back of the car. This place was set up too, man. I coulda fuckin' done just about anything. I did some fuckin' sweet ass operations here. I mighta done a fuckin' head transplant if anyone needed some shit like that."
Daryl could see that she really did look bothered as she walked about selecting things to pack into the large bags.
"If'n it means that much ta ya, we can always come back an' steal another one a' them big damn trucks," he said. "Ya could take all the shit with ya that ya wanted then."
"And where would we put it in the prison?" Alice asked, stopping to look at him.
"Hell, we 'bout got cellblock D cleared out. Ya could take some a' them offices back there an' make yourself ya own damn hospital for all I care," Daryl said.
Suddenly a grin came across Alice's face.
"Are you for fucking real?" She asked. Daryl eyed her suspiciously. She looked like she might hug him and he didn't consider Alice the hugging type. He considered her the noogie type, he considered her the wedgie type, but he didn't consider her the hugging type.
"Sure," he said, backing up just enough to show that he had no intention of hugging her. "Why the hell not? If takin' some a' this shit back with ya makes it so's ya can save somebody that needs savin', I'll make the run with ya myself."
"Fuck yeah!" Alice said, grinning. "Do you know what all I can do with all this shit? I mean just in these bags I got every fuckin' thing I need ta pull her through if I gotta deliver your kid by c-section. The Governor had me doing some shit that I never would have fucking thought I had the skills to do, but I pulled it off."
Daryl smiled at her. She looked like it was Christmas and all he'd done was promise that another day they'd come back for the rest of her shit. She wandered around a little longer until the bags she had were busting at the seams.
"I guess that'll have to do for now," Alice said. "We'll get the rest when we come back."
Daryl heaved up two of the bags and left her the last one. They made their way outside and Alice waddled in front of him, clearing their path with her machete of the three or four Walkers that had decided they were of interest.
"Now we gotta get fuel for Hank," Daryl said, shutting the back of the car.
"Fuel tanks were with the equipment. If they don't have enough in them we could always siphon it out of the other shit that we're not gonna use." Alice said. Daryl nodded his head in agreement and drove back to the place they'd been before.
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"This stuff tastes like shit," Alice spat. They'd almost finished filling all the fuel containers that they could find and the back of the car was pretty well packed. Daryl didn't want to try to cram much more in for fear that it would slosh everywhere. Despite the fact that it would smell terrible and the fumes could possibly kill them all, he worried it might make the car a rolling fire hazard.
"Yeah, well, ya ain't s'posed ta drink it," Daryl said, waiting to take the last container that Alice was filling.
"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Alice said, rolling her eyes at him.
"We best be gettin' back ta Michonne an' Hank soon. I reckon they oughtta have a good couple a' them generators loaded by now," Daryl said. Even from across the community he could hear the sound of the tractor running, so he knew the two of them were still there and Hank was still working.
"We're done here," Alice said, handing over the gas can and getting into the car while Daryl loaded it into the back.
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When Daryl and Alice got back with the fuel, it looked as though Hank was almost done. The truck was pretty well weighted down.
"I can't tie those fuckers down," Alice said. "I'm just going to have to drive easy and hope I don't get pulled."
Daryl snickered. He watched as Hank worked to maneuver another generator into place. It looked to him to be a very difficult activity, and he had a sudden respect for the old man and the grace with which he handled the mechanical beast under him.
"I reckon he weren't lyin' when he said he'd done it all his life," Daryl said.
"He's been just as happy as he could be up there," Michonne said, stepping beside Daryl and shading her eyes so she could look directly in the direction of the old man.
"How's it been down here on the ground?" Daryl asked. "Ya had any comp'ny?"
"No," Michonne responded. "I mean a few Walkers, but either all the people are gone or they're just hiding."
"Either way I don't give a shit," Daryl said, "long as they ain't botherin' us none."
They stood a little longer watching Hank do his magic. It would soon be time to head home and see how excited everyone would be by the trailer full of generators.
"Told Alice we'd come back an' get us another truck later. She wants ta get the rest a' that stuff she's got for doctorin' people," Daryl said.
Michonne nodded her understanding but didn't offer any words.
Unexpectedly, a man appeared from somewhere behind Hank's tractor. He crossed wide around the tractor and circled near Michonne and Daryl, keeping his distance from them.
"Weelll," he said, spitting in the dirt, "what have we got here? Hiya princess, didn't think I'd see you again."
Daryl realized the man was addressing Alice who was standing beside him, him and Michonne between the two of them. Immediately he could tell from the look on Alice's face that this wasn't a happy reunion. At first Alice looked a little frightened, but then she drew herself up.
"Wouldn't think a sorry son of a bitch like yourself would still be around here," Alice spat. "Why didn't you run off with the rest of your boys when the Governor fell?"
The man smiled slowly.
"My boys didn't run off, doll face. We just changed our location, a lot like you did. Where the fuck you hiding out these days?" He asked, looking around at the equipment.
"None of your fucking business," Alice spat back at him.
Daryl wasn't really sure what to do in this situation. Hank was oblivious to all that was going on below. Alice seemed, for the moment, to be confident in her interactions with the man. Daryl didn't know who the man was, but he'd already come to the conclusion that he was one of the Governor's men, and that meant he was bad news.
"Come here," the man said loudly, "I got a lot to talk over with you." He lunged forward as though he was aiming to grab Alice and Daryl stepped between them, his crossbow already in his hands.
"Ya keep ya fuckin' hands off her," Daryl growled at the man. He didn't recognize him, and he was fairly confident that he'd never seen him before, but he had no doubt now that the man didn't come in peace.
"I see you got you a boyfriend now," the man said. "Did you lose that little puppet you carried around with you?" When Alice didn't respond, the man shifted his wait, not moving any closer because of Daryl's loaded crossbow. Daryl heard Hank kill the engine on the tractor, but hopefully the old man wouldn't make any moves. "Did you try to bite his dick off too, princess?" The man asked.
"Even if I wanted to I can't open my mouth that fuckin' wide," Alice said. "It was a lot easier with that little swizzle stick you call a dick."
The man stepped forward and Daryl thought, for a split second, about whether or not he should just shoot him and be done with it. He was momentarily surprised, however, when his answer came in the form of the man's head flying off his body and rolling away as what was left of him crumpled forward. Daryl cast a glance at Alice. Her jaw was open and her eyes were wide. It was the first time he'd really seen her speechless. He looked back at Michonne who was resheathing her katana.
"I got tired of his mouth," Michonne said.
"Fuck," Daryl said. He turned toward Alice. He'd already figured out for sure now that the man had been one of the Governor's men, but now it raised the question as to how many were left. "How many of the fuckin' Governor's men got away?" He yelled. He didn't mean to be as loud as he had been and Alice jumped.
She shrugged her shoulders and stood there for a moment, still not completely over the beheading she'd just witnessed.
"I…I don't know," she stuttered. "I thought you cleaned out most of them when you came rolling through here."
"Fuck!" Daryl said again. "And you're sure the fuckin' Governor's dead?"
"Oh yeah," Michonne said, "The Governor's dead."
"That don't mean he's the only sick fuck among 'em, though," Daryl said. He shouldered his crossbow and cursed again. Suddenly the bright spot in his day that had come from finding the generators was dimmed by the thought that there could be other men out there, other groups, other armies even, with the same sick intentions as the man that they'd seen, even briefly, as their only truly living enemy in this new world. "Fine, we gon' get this shit back ta the prison. We ain't gon' say nothin' 'bout this ta Carol or Beth 'til we talk ta the others," he said. "We might not even have ta worry, but we need ta at least discuss it. They don't need ta know nothin' 'til we got some kinda plan. Ain't no need havin' 'em worry that some demon's gonna come poppin' outta their fuckin' heads an' try ta kill 'em again."
"Agreed," Alice said.
Michonne nodded her head when he looked at her. They went to work and quickly refueled Hank's tractor, telling him that he was to say nothing about the man that they killed, or at least nothing in detail, until they'd had a chance to at least talk it over with Glenn and Rick. Hank agreed without any problem.
When they were ready to go, Alice crawled into the cab of the truck and cranked it. She lurched forward leading the caravan with Hank behind her on his tractor and Michonne and Daryl following just behind him.
On the ride back the car was silent. Michonne, thankfully, didn't seem to want to discuss what had happened, and Daryl was lost in his own thoughts about what it could mean if some of the Governor's men were out there. There was a chance that they knew nothing about them, and there was a chance that even if they did they'd leave them alone, but there was also always the chance that some sick fuck among them would try to step into the Governor's shoes and take everything they'd worked for, no matter how little it really was.