Chapter Fifty-Two
Daryl grabbed the strap of Sophia's pack, pulling her back as she lunged towards her mother. He shook his head when she looked back at him, hurt that he wouldn't let her greet Carol. Rick was first. Carol had been left under his leadership, his protection, when she'd disobeyed his orders. To make matters worse, she'd then lied about where she was going and gotten herself captured, killed or worse.
Rick's mouth was set in a thin line of displeasure as the marine stepped back with a nod, leaving him alone with a room full of women. Carol stood next to a pretty brunette who seemed to be in charge. "You!" he hissed. "How am I supposed to trust you when you take off like that?"
Carol grimaced, biting her lip. "I can explain, Rick. I –"
"Do you want me to take you off runs indefinitely for this?"
Daryl snorted where he leaned against the wall, the kids at his side. Rick knew Daryl went nowhere without his wife if it could be avoided.
"I don't care if I have to ground my best man, too! You risked your life –"
Fire flashed behind her azure eyes. "I risked my life for my husband! Now back off, Grimes! You would have done the same if it had been Lori or Carl, so stop being such a hypocrite!" She gentled her tone. Now was not the time to bicker with their leader, not when decisions had to be made. "I know it was wrong, and I was taking a huge risk, ok? It won't happen again."
His hands planted on his hips, his chin dipping against his chest, he shook his head. "Until the next time, right?"
Carol grinned sheepishly. "Probably?"
Rick sighed and pulled her into a quick hug. "I'm glad you're ok, but please don't put me through that again, Carol. The kids were frantic, and I thought I was going to lose my mind having to tell Lori I'd lost you."
She poked him in the ribs playfully, freeing herself from his embrace. Her husband could be a beast when he was jealous, even when there was no cause for such where Rick was involved. She turned to the woman avidly watching their exchange, and smiled. "Rick, this is Tori. She's the leader of this group, and I'd like for you to talk to her. Listen to her story, let her tell you about her people, and then make a decision. Don't go into this thinking of them taking Daryl captive. I want you to have an open mind, alright?"
"You've made up your mind, have you?" he asked, the corner of his mouth lifting in a half-moon grin.
Carol gave his shoulder a squeeze. "It's you who must be convinced."
Rick sat down on one side of the table as the Dixons and Carl took the other. Sprite and Kayla brought in steaming bowls of stew for Rick and the kids, Daryl and Carol having already eaten.
"How's that head, sunshine?" the nurse asked the hunter as she handed Sophia a spoon.
He gave her a long measuring look before he nodded.
She turned to Carol. "We're gonna let you all settle in. Miles brought up some blankets and pillows from storage downstairs," she said pointing to a corner of the commissary. She shrugged. "Someone's always in here, so we thought it would be a good place for y'all to bunk for the night. If you need anything, just holler."
Sophia held her bowl as she stared longingly at her father. "Daddy?" she whispered, not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention.
Daryl knew exactly what she wanted. She'd almost lost him today, and she was feeling mighty vulnerable. He held his arms open to her. "C'mon, Soph," he said gently, letting her crawl onto his lap. She settled with a contented sigh and began wolfing down her food.
Carol shook her head. Sophia was becoming more and more like Daryl, even taking up his eating habits. They were coming to learn if you didn't eat fast on the road, you may very well go hungry. At least she didn't lick her fingers. Carol didn't think she could stand it. Their girl set her bowl on the table and burrowed into her father's embrace. Her eyes were heavy, and Carol knew it wouldn't be long before Sophia drifted off.
"Tori – oh sorry to interrupt, ma'am – but where do you want this?" Rory asked as he and Miles brought up two of the twin mattresses from the basement.
The woman pointed to the corner and the men left, but Carol had a sneaking suspicion they wouldn't venture too far. She knew Daryl wouldn't trust them if the situation were reversed. She chanced a glance in his direction to see his own eyes drooping. His gaze shot from her to the corner, and she didn't hesitate to make a place for their daughter on one of the proffered mattresses. He winced as he rose with Sophia in his arms, no doubt from the throbbing in his head, and tucked her in.
They returned to the table in time to hear Rick questioning the leader of this new group. He pulled Carol down onto the chair next to him and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. After the day he'd had – the day they'd both had – he needed to reassure himself she was real.
Rick scrubbed two fingers over his chin as he regarded the woman. She seemed strong and capable, willing to compromise. She had done well for her own group so far. "How many walkers have you killed?" he asked, curious. It was the first time he'd felt the need to ask that question, and he could feel Daryl's curious gaze upon the back of his neck.
Tori shot him a puzzled frown, but answered nonetheless. "I don't know … more than a dozen but less than fifty? I'm good with a knife … we all are, but the men are more proficient with their rifles. As I said, it's been a hard road."
"For some more than others," he murmured sympathetically. "How many men have you killed?"
The woman swallowed audibly and looked down at her hands clasped on her lap. "One."
"Why?"
Her hazel eyes flashed hotly. "Because he took my Joseph from me. After we escaped, my men went back. They slaughtered that entire camp. I can only be thankful there were no children. He was their lieutenant. There was no way they wouldn't avenge his death. They brought the ringleader to me … and Jamie handed me Joseph's knife." Her lip trembled, her voice wavered. "I drove it right into his gut. I knew it would be painful, and that it would take time … time for him to suffer. I wanted him to feel the pain he'd caused me. I sat there and watched him bleed out. I listened to him scream, and then I watched him turn. Only then did I end him for good." She grasped onto Rick's hand as he reached out and covered hers. "I'm not proud of what I did, but … it gave me strength … to do what I had to do to lead my people in my husband's stead." She squared her shoulders, girding herself against the coming rejection. "I guess you wouldn't want to have anything to do with someone like me, but please don't hold it against them. They need this."
"You would let them go?" he asked incredulously.
"If it would keep them safe and fed … yes."
That statement made up his mind, and Rick turned his gaze to Daryl who nodded. Carol's own eyes were pleading with him to make the right decision. "My brother," he said gently, tipping his head towards the hunter, "he once told me this isn't our world anymore … the old world. We have to adapt and change to fit it. You protected your family and god knows how many others those people would have destroyed along the way. I think we'd do well to have you join us."
Her eyes widened. "Join you?"
Rick sat back in his chair and picked up his bowl which had gone untouched while he listened to her story. "I don't see why we couldn't shift things around a bit to accommodate y'all. As long as you're willing to put in the work and pull your weight."
"Of course! My people aren't afraid of hard work. And we have supplies to contribute. My sister-in-law is a nurse … she scavenges meds like you wouldn't believe." She couldn't keep the relief out of her voice.
Daryl shook his head, unable to help the smirk curling the corner of his chapped lips. "They got a decent cook too. Keep Lori's ass outta th' kitchen."
He grunted as Carol poked him in the ribs. "Don't be mean," she scolded.
The former deputy grinned. Even he had to agree with Daryl that Lori wasn't the genius Carol was in the kitchen. "Go on. Tell your people what was decided. We need to get y'all packed up to move out tomorrow."
Tori leaned in and kissed his stubbled cheek. "Thank you," she whispered with heartfelt gratitude. "We won't disappoint you."
*.*.*
It didn't take long for Rick to take up residence on one of the mattresses the marines had brought up, tucking Carl into his side for warmth and pulling a blanket up over their heads. The facility which had once served as a spa didn't have power, and it got rather chilly at night. Daryl insisted his wife curl up next to Sophia on their mattress and he made a pallet out of some of the spare blankets on the floor next to them.
Sophia sprawled all over her mother's back as Carol laid down, throwing an arm over her chest and one slender leg over Carol's hip. She was snoring softly again in moments. Carol didn't mind, the warm weight of her daughter a comfort to her. She took her husband's hand in hers, twining their fingers together and tucking their joined hands beneath her chin.
He rolled onto his side to face her. "Y' look mighty pleased with yourself, woman," he scoffed.
"I am. Our group is growing. More protection is good for us … for them too."
"More mouths t' feed," he grumbled. "More bodies takin' up what limited space we got. Ain't got no privacy as it is."
Carol ran the fingers of her free hand through his shaggy hair, smiling as he shivered. "Then we'll find a bigger place. I have faith in you … in Rick and Shane." She leaned over the edge of the mattress and brought his lips to hers for a long tender kiss. "I miss you, too, Pookie," she purred breathlessly.
He pressed his body closer to the mattress as she tossed a blanket over them, seeking her warmth. "Gonna pack yer ass out t' th' woods," he warned, closing his eyes wearily against the dull throb in the back of his head. "Getting' t' where I cain't get no time with m' own wife."
She sniffled, bringing his gaze back to her. "I'm so glad you're ok. If something –"
Daryl leaned up and kissed her quiet. "Hush. I ain't goin' nowhere, Carol. Done toldja that."
Carol brushed her tears away and closed her eyes. "You do, and I'll hunt you down, Daryl Dixon."
He chuckled and smiled into his pillow. "Don't I know it."
*.*.*
"Naw … there's got to be some kinda mistake."
"T-Dog's right," Shane cut in. "This is Dixon we're talking about."
Maggie rolled her eyes at the two as they stood on watch on the front porch of the Colonial. "There's no mistake. Y'know even Daryl isn't invincible."
Glenn shook his head. "From what we've gathered, Carl and Sophia saw it go down. He was backing away from these guys – marines from the looks of them – and this woman clocked him in the back of the head with her rifle. They took him to their camp, and Rick sent us back here to drop the supplies and get you to come with us, so we can come up with some kind of plan to rescue him."
Lori wrapped her arms around herself, dropping her head as she forced herself to remain calm. It was late, and she'd been pacing the porch for hours waiting for the run group to return. She hadn't expected them to come back without her husband and son. "But Rick and the kids? Carol … they're ok?"
"They were fine when we left them," Maggie said, shouldering her pack. "I'm going to bring these meds in to Daddy and grab some more ammo. We need to get back there as soon as we can. I don't like the idea of them being out there alone."
"Why didn't he send the children back with you?" Lori demanded.
T-Dog disappeared into the house behind Maggie to grab some provisions and more weapons.
Glenn shot her an incredulous look. "Do you realize what kind of hell we would've had to deal with trying to bring them back? They weren't just going to come along nicely with Daryl being held by unknowns. Not to mention they're both a crack shot."
"Glenn, they're children!" Shane snorted, and her head whipped around, her dark eyes glaring daggers at him. "You got something to say, Walsh?"
"Uh … no?" He rubbed at the back of his neck, not wanting to get into it with her. "But you know if Rick had forced them to come back to the house we'd have had to lock them in a room to keep them from sneaking out again."
Glenn pressed his lips together before he started laughing and couldn't stop. "All I'm saying is Rick may need them to be there. Carl and Sophia aren't your average kids, Lori. They know how to take care of themselves … Daryl trained them himself."
"He's right," Shane said. "They'll be fine."
"I'm going with you," she declared, reaching for the door to go grab her own gear.
"You're not serious!" Glenn nearly shouted in alarm. "You're pregnant. Rick would have all our heads if we brought you back with us."
"Oh, hell no!" Shane growled. "You're going to stay here and wait. Someone has to keep an eye on Andrea."
Lori knew what he was doing, playing on her sympathy for her sick friend, but it didn't help to calm her fears any. "That is my family out there, Shane! And my best friend and her daughter! How can you expect me to just sit back and wait?"
"Carol?" Shane scoffed. "She'd be the first one to kick your ass for putting yourself and that baby in danger."
"Lori, we got this," Glenn added calmly. "We'll be back in a couple of hours … all of us."
She shot them both a heated look and stalked back into the house to worry, to fret, and most of all … to pray.
*.*.*
Daryl grunted softly as he sat up. His neck was stiff, and his back ached, but what was worse, he couldn't tell what it was exactly that had woken him. He reached for Carol, squinting at the watch on her arm and hoping he hadn't disturbed her. Three a.m. At least he'd been able to get a few hours' sleep. He rotated his head, wincing when his neck popped, and looked over to where Carl snored softly. Rick was nowhere to be found.
"Where are you going?" his wife's whispered query reaching him.
"Gotta take a piss. Did I wake you?"
Carol shook her head. "Couldn't sleep."
"Try," he growled the command. "I'll be back." He pulled his jacket on and grabbed his crossbow, nodding to one of the marines as he passed. Damned if he knew which one it was. If they were going to become part of their group, though, he'd have to learn their names. He stopped at the bathroom and took care of business. Funny how the facility had running water, but he wasn't complaining.
Daryl slipped outside to find Rick and the sergeant chatting quietly about the move. "Hey. Couldn't sleep?"
Rick winced. "Not with my son kneeing me in the groin," he said ruefully. "We were just talking about going up the hill to wait for the others to come back. I don't think it would be a good idea to think we'd got taken too."
"I'll go," Daryl volunteered. He knew his girls – or at least Sophia – would rest for several more hours, and there was little chance of him falling back to sleep on his pallet. He was used to going sometimes two to three days without slumber when the situation warranted. "Just let Carol know where I went. She gets reckless when she's kept outta th' loop."
"Y' think?"
Tessa shot him a narrow-eyed glare as she opened the gate for him, but she didn't say anything. That was a formidable woman, and sneaky as fuck. He wanted to stay well away from her. He zipped his jacket and snapped his vest closed against the cold before slipping into the shadows. The place really wasn't fit to offer any sort of protection aside from the wall. The area surrounding the drive was the only open space they could see anyone approaching, and the hill would give an enemy a vantage point to study them for days. He'd been surprised when Rick had offered sanctuary with them at the colonial, but the hunter wouldn't object. Not for decent people who could only add strength with their numbers and various skills.
Stealthily, he crept up the incline, sticking to the shadows and moving with as little noise as possible. The fine hairs rose on the back of his neck, a tingle of alarm crackling along his spine as he ducked behind a thick beech tree. The whisper of voices, the unsteady movement of heavy boots. None of which belonged to his people. He knew the sound of every pair of feet in his group. There were strangers creeping around in the woods surrounding the spa. Damnit! He hurried his own steps up the incline to the top of the hill, wanting the advantage.
He was met with the barrel of Shane's Mossberg. "Dixon! The hell, man?! We thought you were being held prisoner!" came the former deputy's grumbled hiss. "Where's Rick? Carol and the kids?"
Glenn clapped him on the shoulder – which was uncomfortable enough – and then Maggie threw her arms around him in a bear hug. What the hell was it with everyone always wanting to be so touchy-feely? He shook her off with a pained grimace and leveled Shane with his piercing stare, daring the man to try something. T-Dog merely grinned. Assholes!
"We got bigger problems than where our people are." He beckoned them to kneel at the edge of the hill where he could now see movement towards the back wall.
T shrugged. "So, let them take out the people who held you. Save us the trouble."
"No!" Daryl swung around to look at them all. "Rick jus' had a sit down with their leader. They're coming back t' th' house with us in th' mornin'."
"What?!" Maggie gasped. "Daryl –"
He closed his fist, bringing her quiet instantly as she recognized the signal. He pointed to her and Glenn and gestured to the far wall. "Go, come in on th' west side from th' main road weapons hot. They don't look too friendly. Shane?"
"You're asking me? Looks to me you're doing just fine on your own," the man snarked with a grin.
T-Dog wiped the amusement off his face and volunteered to take the east wall at the bottom of the incline. Which left Shane and Daryl coming in from the north behind the rogue group. With a nod, they gave T, Maggie and Glen time to put some distance between them before they headed down the hill, slowly trekking north. They were spread out enough to see their partner, but far enough not to be right on top of each other. Perhaps if Daryl hadn't been so busy watching out for Shane, he would have seen the man easing out of the trees to ambush him. The hunter groaned as the impact jarred his stitched head. His crossbow flew from his hands as he hit the ground, but he wasn't defenseless. Daryl's hand closed over his knife as he rolled into the man's legs, tripping him. Before his enemy could gain his footing again, Daryl drove his blade through the back of his skull. He didn't need the bastard turning and causing another complication.
The sounds of their scuffle drew the marines on watch, rifles and a battery powered spotlight pointing towards the rear wall as Tessa and Rick covered the gate. Daryl counted ten men before they ducked and covered, hiding in the woods as they opened fire.
Shane cursed as he dove behind a fallen log and took aim in the dark. "You sure none of our people are out here?"
"Naw, jus' us," he replied, pulling back the string on his crossbow and checking for damage to his weapon. He ducked down next to his partner as a hail of bullets flew over their heads.
"They don't know who to fire at. Might give us an advantage."
"Shit!" More men were coming in behind the rogues, firing upon them. Were they enemies or did they want a piece of Tori's camp for themselves. "Shane," he growled, jerking his head in the newcomer's direction.
"What are we supposed to do now!?"
Daryl crouched low and stepped over the fallen log. "C'mon, we'll make a break for th' back gate. Maggie an' Glenn should already be there an' we can grab T on th' way."
Shane followed, covering Daryl's flank. The hunter took small comfort in knowing he wouldn't get shot in the back. And then the world fell away and he felt as if he couldn't breathe. The kids were up on the wall with their bows. He saw one of Sophia's arrows lodge in the throat of a big bear of a man, her mouth set in a grim line as she nocked another arrow and took aim. He ran faster, gripping his crossbow more tightly in his sweaty hands. He fired, taking another down, but he had to get to his family. If the kids were on the wall, then Carol had to be in an equally dangerous position. Why couldn't he see her?
Another of the rogues barreled his way into Daryl's path and he took him down with his knife. Shane fired behind him, assuring the hunter he hadn't lost his partner in the melee. They were almost there. He could see Carl casting his bow down and drawing his Browning pistol. Sophia wasn't on the wall anymore, but he could see Carol now, .45 clutched in her hand. Another hundred yards and he'd be there fighting at her side. A shot, far too close for comfort had him veering to the left, but Shane dispatched the man easily. T-Dog was at Shane's side as they grew closer, but his wife was down, and Rick was dragging her back through the gate behind the safety of the wall. Maggie was barking orders for a stretcher, some help to bring her inside, and he felt as if his chest were going to explode with the fear and rage pumping his heart.
"Carol!" he roared, just a few yards from the gate. He went down too, only this time Shane and another man had a firm hold on him. He tried to fight them off, wild in his need to get to her. The face of his brother stared back at him, and the dam of emotion he kept so fiercely constrained broke loose and he fell into Merle's arms.
A/N: Ugh! Another cliffie? *evil grin* I really hope y'all enjoyed it. Lemme know whatcha think. :D Next time: Marty and Maggie patch Carol up and Merle has a lot of explaining to do. Thanks so much for reading!
