The weather had finally cleared and the men are ready to go on the run for cribs, clothes, bottles, and mobiles for the babies. Sadly, the women of McAllister Mountain are "too far gone" to accompany them. Daryl is finally going to have that long overdue conversation with Carl about Lizzie.
Baby Run
Daryl and Jesse had to wait until the weather cleared before they could do the baby run. They gathered a large crew to do the run. Daryl knew they needed to go to a superstore or a mall to get enough of everything for four babies and that their best chance for a safe productive run was to have a large crew. Glenn, Brian, Tyreese, Rick, Morgan, Jesse, Daryl, Patrick, Carl, and Caleb were set to go when Josh and Jonathan showed up as well. Jesse referred to his crew as "twelve good men" and Daryl just hoped that this conglomeration of men would stay with the plan.
Daryl and Jesse took a scouting run to check the most likely places. Trinity had a superstore, a strip mall, a furniture store, and a mall with four department stores on each corner. They had always avoided the superstore because there were always so many walkers on the parking lot. They scavenged for the fuel they would need the next day and hammered out their plan on the way home. There were occasional walkers on the road but it was still manageable.
They went in three trucks each pulling a trailer and one box truck. The first truck had Glenn, Daryl, and Caleb. The second truck had Jesse, Rick, and Carl, The third truck had Patrick, Josh, and Jonathan, The box truck was last and Brian, Tyreese, and Morgan in it.
Glenn was glad to take a day away from the power plant to go on a run for the new arrivals. Maggie was expecting their first child so he was hoping to go back up the mountain with things that they would need for their baby too.
They were starting at the superstore. Daryl and Jesse had left a boom box at the very edge of the parking lot with a timing device on it. At eight o'clock A. M. it should began to play disco music. Daryl would radio back to the others if it was reasonably safe to move in. Daryl heard the music as they drove up and the walkers were coming from the neighborhood and the store toward the sound. The rest of the trucks were coming in through an access road toward the back and they hoped to enter the store from the back and move to the front.
Carl, Tyreese, and Caleb were to watch the back and send a radio signal if they needed to leave. Each truck had a dolly and Daryl, Patrick, and Jesse were the first to go in. The back part of dark but everyone carried flashlights and moved in groups of three. The back was empty of walkers and they moved through quickly. Morgan grabbed a flatbed cart and pushed it. The baby section was located close to the back and they moved toward that with the dollies. Daryl and Patrick stood at the front of the aisle while the others cleaned everything out of that section. Jesse kept the path clear. They moved silently and as a team. The section was loaded onto one of the trailers and Carl being using bungee cords to keep it in place. Caleb and Tyreese were busy knocking back walkers. Tyreese used a hammer and Caleb a long sword. Carl used a machete. The area was cleared out quickly and Daryl, Patrick, and Jesse began backing out of the area. They ran to their trucks and scooted out by the access road. They had a trailer load of baby clothes and supplies, but it was time to go to the mall. It was a one level mall so they should be able to move in and out quickly.
The mall had four chain department stores on each corner. Shoppers could enter from either the parking lot or the mall. They drove up to the front of the store and entered from the parking lot. They used the same plan with Daryl, Patrick, and Jesse going in first. The store was dark except for the door areas and they could hear the groans and moans of walkers. Jesse was on point here and he moved like a ghost through the store and the others followed. Daryl had his crossbow at the ready and Rick was beside of him with a flashlight. Together they took out several walkers. Jesse went to the front of the store that opened to the mall and saw that it was partially closed. He and Morgan pushed it together and dragged some shelves in front to block it off. Glenn had taken Josh and Jonathan with him and he soon found the infant section. Daryl and Rick took out walkers along one side of the aisle from the infant section to the outside. Jesse and Morgan took the other side. Glenn, Josh, and Jonathan loaded and moved everything in the section to the trailer outside. Soon they were all out and they drove out to the end of the parking area to look over their loot.
Daryl was glad to see cribs and clothes. He didn't have a clue what most of this stuff was and really the lists were useless. They were grabbing everything and loading it. The stores were too dark and dangerous to take the time to select anything.
The crew ate a sandwich and drank some water. Daryl and Jesse discussed their next move. They decided to do another department store on the other side of the mall. They just started through the door when they were met by a welcoming committee from the walker community and everyone ran for the trucks.
Jesse had looked though the yellow pages of a phone book yesterday and found the address of a high end baby store at a strip mall located on the other side of town. He and Daryl scouted it out the day before and it hadn't been looted. The convoy went in that direction and found the store with pink and blue bears painted on the windows. The store was locked up tight, but Daryl could still pick locks and they were soon in. It was filled with adorable stuffed animals and high priced mobiles and nothing practical. Daryl figured this shit would make Carol happy and it was the safest place that they had been in so they loaded up on teddy bears and musical mobiles. Morgan and Patrick checked out the storeroom and came back with some boxed cribs and changing tables.
There was an electronic supply store and Glenn, Josh, and Jonathan had cleared box loads out of there. The shoe store was cleared out too.
They went to the furniture store next. Jesse was looking for some specific items and they were soon loaded up. Glenn found some things that he and Maggie could use and those were loaded in the box truck.
They decided to try a chain drug store next. It had been looted because America didn't give up its addiction to drugs easily. The place was a mess inside but Jesse boxed up all the drugs left in the pharmacy section. They would be donated to the hospital when they returned. The baby section was relatively untouched and they loaded a few boxes of over the counter baby medicines, toys, baby wipes, lotions, soaps, shampoos, powder, and odds and ends. Rick remembered that Andrea wanted lots of baby powder and he and Daryl looked through the back for more baby items and found boxes of formula.
They went to another chain drug store. There were walkers but if you were swift and fast they found that you could be in and out before you attracted too much attention. They were getting almost full and ready to go home when they saw a box truck parked haphazardly along the side of the road. Glenn parked behind it and Daryl and Rick approached it cautiously. There was a walker inside and he fell out when Rick opened the door. The truck was filled with liquor, drugs, and high end laptops and cameras. They got the truck running and Daryl and Carl jumped in.
They were all glad to be back on the highway that would bring home. Daryl figured that Carl wanted one of the laptops and the kid had earned it today. He was covered with walker grime and he was looking tired. "You did well today, Carl. You kept your head, used the machete to bring them down without a lot of noise and watched everybody's back," Daryl said.
Carl flushed a little at the compliment. "I was scared shitless most of the time," he admitted.
Daryl laughed, "I was scared shitless the whole time. Nothing wrong with being scared as long as you can keep your head and keep moving. Which one of those laptops are you interested in?"
Carl shrugged, "I have one that works but Lizzie really liked making the video and she could use a more powerful one so that she could do more things with it. We found some software in the electronics store that she could use too".
Daryl looked at Carl. The little turd had been risking his life today to bring home things for the babies and he had also been looking for things that would please Lizzie. It was the time and place to have a talk with this lad. "Carl, she is only thirteen. She's still a child. You had better never forget that".
Carl looked at Daryl and knew that it was time to let him know that he would always put Lizzie first. "I know she is thirteen, but she won't be forever. I care about her and I know that you think we are just kids. Nobody gets to stay a kid anymore".
Daryl knew that Carl had lost his childhood on the farm. Shane's death and the loss of the farm had robbed him of a chance to be a kid. He was a child soldier from then on. "I know that you aren't a kid, but Lizzie is. She won't be ready for a boyfriend for years."
Carl said, "I'm not in a hurry. I don't want anybody else but Lizzie. I thought you would understand, Daryl. "
Daryl asked, "What are you talking about?"
Carl looked out the window and then looked back at Lizzie's father. "I watched you at the farm with Carol. You did everything you could to take care of her and find Sophia. You were always watching her like she was some big mystery to you and if you looked at her long enough then you would figure it out".
Daryl thought about Carl skulking around the farm. The kid probably knew more about what was going on than anyone. "I was trying to be her friend, Carl".
Carl made a disbelieving sound, "No you weren't. You picked her out for your own and I knew it. Carol was all broken up over losing Sophia and you were there for her. I watched you when we were wandering around trying to find a safe place to stay. You taught her how to protect herself but you still watched over her. You let her heal. You gave her time to get over the crap that had happened to her. "
Daryl was getting a little pissed at this kid dissecting his actions like he knew what he was talking about, "What does that have to do with you and Lizzie?"
Carl said, "Because I watched you take care of her when she needed you. You showed me that a man can wait until the woman he wants is ready for a relationship. You also showed that you have to put her first. You broke her heart when you went off with Merle. I was there when Dad came back from Woodbury without you. She was so hurt that Dad had to hold onto her. I don't ever want to do that to Lizzie".
Carol had never said anything to him about how she had found out about him going off with Merle, "She understood why I had to do that."
Carl said, "Maybe she did, but she pulled back from you after that. She didn't want to get hurt that bad again. She was busy doing things at the prison and you were off with Michonne chasing the Governor".
Daryl said, "I quit that because I needed to be at the prison"
Carl shrugged, "Well, I could see that you were making your move there right before the end. Then everything went to shit and you finally stepped up and went after her. I saw you go that day and thought, it's about damn time. After that you showed me how a man should treat his wife. Dad and Mom were always at odds, but you and Carol respected one another. Hell, Daryl you are my role model."
Daryl thought that over, "Carl, you just told me everything I did wrong, Why would you want a role model who ran off with his brother and then with Michonne? I could have lost her to some other man".
Carl laughed, "I never said that you were always a good role model. I am not going to run off and leave Lizzie to some Kevin Stone. I learned from your mistakes."
"Kevin Stone? The geeky guy who was always fiddling around with the electricity and the water systems at the prison? "
Carl was beginning to enjoy this part of the conversation, "Yep, totally after her. He found all sorts of excuses to talk to her and he was always coming up with new ways to improve life at the prison. Geeks rule you know. I don't think Carol knew it though."
Daryl decided that he was losing ground. He had started this conversation to discourage Carl from his fixation on Lizzie. The conversation had been turned around to Carl criticizing him for neglecting Carol. Time to straighten this shit out, "Lizzie is not Carol and you might be wasting your time. She might fall in love with somebody else. She is still way too young for you to be serious about."
Carl was glad that all of this was out in the open. Daryl didn't want him waiting on Lizzie. He understood but he wasn't changing his mind. "I'm not asking you to like it; I just want you to know that I will be Lizzie's friend until the day that she wants to be more than my friend. I am not putting any pressure on her; I am just going to be there when she needs me. I'll be good to her; I have watched the way you treat Carol since you got together. So you are still my role model."
Daryl knew it was over; the kid had worn him down, "You do anything to hurt her and you'll answer to me and that will be true for the rest of my life. Lizzie and Mika are mine to protect and I take that real serious".
Carl nodded, "I know you'll put an arrow up my ass if I do anything wrong. I got it".
The trucks went back up to the hill and unloaded everything in the barn. Jesse had the things from the furniture store unloaded in one of the storage buildings. It was getting late and everyone wanted to get home before dark.
That night Daryl finished his rounds of checking the doors and windows. He had given Muffin his last walk of the day. He turned the lights off and walked back to the bedroom. Carol was reading and he took a hot shower and brushed his teeth. He decided to talk to Carol about Carl.
"I had a talk with Carl about Lizzie today," he began.
Carol looked up and he knew he had her attention. "He is serious about her. He said that he will wait until she grows up. He told me how hurt you were when I went off with Merle."
Daryl watched her eyes and saw the hurt that flashed through them. "I understood Daryl", she said.
"I know you understand that I couldn't leave Merle out there all by himself, but I should have told you when I got back that I was sorry that I hurt you. I know how much it hurt me when I found out that you were gone." Daryl had been rehearsing this speech all evening.
Carol said, "That must have been some conversation with Carl."
Daryl smiled, "He told me all about you and Kevin Stone". He saw by the telltale flush of her cheeks that Kevin must have made some move on her.
Carol had been a little flattered by Kevin's courtship but had never encouraged him, "There wasn't anything to tell. Kevin was just a lot of help around the prison. He was quite the handyman."
Daryl kissed her, "Mae West was famous for saying its better to have a man handy than a handyman".
Carol kissed him back, "Smart woman, but aren't your tired?"
Daryl nibbled on her earlobe, "My ass is dragging the ground, but I not going to sleep until I know that I have completely wiped Kevin Stone from your mind".
Carol sought his mouth and kissed him again. She slid her tongue inside his mouth and enjoyed the feel of their tongues caressing one another. She drew back though and said, "Kevin could always fix the electricity; that's a lot to forget. Are you sure that you are up for the challenge?"
Daryl laughed, "Well, I am willing to try and try and try".
Carl never revels in man pain; he just shoots somebody and goes on. Carl on the farm was always popping up at the oddest times. I can believe that he watched Carol and Daryl on the farm and thought that Daryl cared about her.
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