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Chapter Forty-Three: Smoke

**Adele**

Something clunked down the stairs, clanking over the hard earth floor of the cellar and rolled to a stop against her knee as she knelt in the dark with Celeste in her arms.

She didn't know what it was, but instinct told her to fling it away and she did just that, slapping it in the direction of the stairs where no one was. Later she would think of how grateful she was for this instinct, because the instant the canister clunked under the stairs, it flared, flashed, blew up with a blinding, painfully bright light and the loudest noise she had ever heard.

Instantly Adele's head was filled with ringing and her eyes struggled to readjust to the darkness around them.

Holding Celeste tightly against her, she blindly swayed and worked her jaw, trying to stop the hard ringing that buzzed her eardrums.

Her head swam, the ringing disorientating her and all she could do was hold her baby tightly.

A bright light cut a swath through the grey haze of her fuzzy mind, registering something or someone standing in front of her.

Deep orders cut through the ringing, but they were like someone was shouting at her down a tunnel, only the low tones came through, but a hand was grabbing her by the upper arm and shoving her hard onto the cellar floor.

She managed to land on her side, avoiding crushing her baby and tried to get up again, only to be forced down once more roughly.

As some sense came back to her, she realized that the light was attached to a rifle, being waved in her face and the man holding it was still shouting something at her, though she still couldn't understand him.

The whole cellar was confusion, men in military gear were subduing the others, one of them literally standing on Herschel to keep him pinned down, the others using force to keep the women and children down.

At her side O'Hara was on his hands and knees, reeling, heaving dryly at the floor.

Boo the dog was backed up against Annie and Grace, teeth bared, Clyde cowered behind Carol, who was forced onto her knees, Celeste was writhing, squirming in her arms, as the soldier pinned Adele hard against the floor with his boot.

O'Hara stood on shaky legs as one of the soldiers approached him and Adele's hearing cleared enough for her to hear only their cool, wary greeting of each other.

"Milner," O'Hara said, eyes glazed from his concussion. "What are you doing?"

"My job."

The ringing was fading, and she became aware of how hard the soldier was forcing her down, how the bones of her collar were pressed into the dirt cellar floor.

"Your job has never included this," O'Hara said.

"Restrain that woman!" Milner shouted to a soldier who was having a hell of a time holding onto Grace, who was desperately trying to protect Annie, keep the soldiers from touching her. "And shut that dog up!"

Adele gasped loudly as Boo was shot in front of Annie, the spray from her beast splashing across the child's pale, terrified features. She knew that would be it for the child. There was no coming back from any of this for her.

"You heathens!" Grace snarled. "You monstrous bastards! I hope God finds you wanting and casts you into the pits of hell!"

O'Hara took a single step towards Milner, which had the man taking one back to compensate. "You son of bitch! These are women and children! They are not fighting you! They are scared and they are cowering."

"I said shut that woman up!" Milner commanded to the soldier who had shot Boo.

The soldier raised his rifle butt, but before he could bring it down on Grace's face, Carol stepped between them calmly, eyes defiant.

"Enough," she said simply. "That's enough now."

"Hell, shoot them both then, save us bullets," Milner said calmly.

The soldier eyed Carol's stomach and hesitated.

Adele curled herself around Celeste tightly, balling up into a fetal position on the floor.

"Get your soldier off the old man," O'Hara commanded coolly. "And stop pointing your rifles at pregnant women."

The soldiers remained still, all of them keeping someone subdued.

"What are you doing here, O'Hara?" Milner asked calmly. "Kidnapped?"

"I'm doing my job," O'Hara insisted.

"Shoot the bitches," Milner commanded.

Adele spied the hesitating soldier waver a little, before raising his rifle, taking aim at Carol's chest.

Clyde sprung into action then, knocking the soldier down and tearing at his throat. A gunshot fired from a nearby soldier, hitting the large dog, but it didn't even seem to slow him down as he tore the throat out of the soldier.

Carol moved at that moment too, grabbing the flailing soldier's rifle.

Everything seemed to happen at once and much too fast for Adele to follow, there was gunshots lighting up the cellar, thuds and thumps and then more people bursting into the cellar, down the stairs.

In the beams of light and gunfire, Adele wrapped herself around her daughter protectively and kept her head down as her brother ordered, feeling boots and feet kicking and bumping and tripping over her.

Something pierced her leg and it burned white hot, but she didn't once release her protective grip on Celeste, her mind racing, fearing for Judith and Annie who were somewhere in the fray.

In the lights from the rifles, she spied a few forms dropping to the ground, Clyde still tearing throats, Carol grappling with a soldier, and then she felt arms around her, hoisting her up and to her feet.

"Run," O'Hara was telling her, gloved hands gripping her upper arms tightly. "Don't look back."

"Run where?" She demanded, as he pushed and shoved her towards the stairs, stepping over a body.

He paused to scoop Annie and Judith up, bobbing and weaving up the stairs at her side, tripping at the top, but managing to hand Judith over to Annie. Pointing at the back door, he commanded again. "Run!"

Adele stood for a moment, listening to the sound of gunshots and fighting and Clyde's barking and snapping and the gurgling of people dying, before she ushered Annie out with her.

They slammed hard into another soldier and she panicked, staggering back, before registering her brother's concerned eyes.

"Fate!" She exclaimed, slamming hard against him and burrowing there. "The cellar! Lord God, the cellar!"

He glanced past her, hearing the gunshots and took off, the others with him following.

Only Glenn remained behind, making sure she took cover, leading them to the infirmary for the time.

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**Daryl**

The fight was already well underway when they burst into the cellar and in the bands of illumination cast by rifle lights, he could see it was fucking pandemonium.

"Carol!" He shouted, elbowing the first form that flew at him, in the near dark he hoped to God it wasn't one of theirs.

Grabbing a soldier as a band of light slipped across his uniform, Daryl threw him onto the ground and stabbed him in the face, making sure the asshole stayed there.

"Carol?!" He shouted over the noise as he blindly felt through the dark for her.

A small frightened hand took hold of his and he paused.

A stray light lit up Mary Claire's frightened face and Daryl grimly swung her up and onto his back, heading for the stairs with her, shoving and punching at anyone who tried to stop him.

He dropped her at the bottom as Fay arrived, flashing the entire room with a road flare, lighting it up with a hellish red fire glow. Figures the dumb ass Cajun would survive the church, that asshole was like a cockroach.

Daryl spun and found Carol at the far back, being restrained hard against the wall with a rifle held by a soldier and he tore off for her, sliding to a hasty stop, slamming into the soldier from behind and ripping him away and off of her.

Carol kicked the man in the face on his way down and stepped back as Daryl struggled with him, aided by several of the soldiers who had come with him, the others hanging back to explain that they weren't the bad kind of soldiers, speaking with O'Hara near the stairs in urgent tones.

Wrenched the soldier into a trapped position beneath him, Daryl shoved his face into the dirt floor and growled.

"You alright?" He asked Carol.

She nodded.

Pulling out his knife, Daryl pressed it to the back of the soldier's head.

"Wait," O'Hara said, heading for them on shaky legs. "That's Milner. He comes with us."

"Fuck that," Daryl snarled. "This asshole's going to get this knife in all orifices before I finish with him."

"I'd like to put him to a fair trial," O'Hara said.

Daryl narrowed his eyes at the man, glancing behind him to the destruction. Half of their jars of food were overturned on the shelves, Clyde was battered and broken near the stairs, still snarling at the dead soldier he just finished tearing through being barely restrained by Merle and Mary Agnes from going after one of the good ones, Herschel on the floor holding Boo, Grace hyperventilating under a pile of soldiers as Fay tore through them to get at her. Cash helping Layla and Nadir out of the hellhole from where they were cowering under the stairs, Layla's hand on a death grip around her modified weapon, holding it out before her, eyes wide and frightened. There was blood and death everywhere, it was a fucking mess.

"Without law there is no order," O'Hara said. "I think…maybe it's my furry grey matter, but…I think my men and I are the law to fill the void. Give us a chance for justice to be done properly?"

"To hell with your justice!" Daryl snapped. "I'mma gut this little bitch like a fish!"

"Please?" O'Hara insisted, Rhoades moving stand beside him. "Let us restore the law in Georgia? Start here?"

"No, no, no, Gracie girl, no!" Fay whimpered from nearby, catching Daryl's attention.

The tall Marine was hunched over Grace, holding her tightly against his chest and sobbing hard. From where he sat on Milner, Daryl could see the woman was moving, but there was a lot of blood.

His blood froze and he stood up, shoving Milner into O'Hara's hands, moving for Grace and Fay, skidding to a stop on his knees beside them, as Herschel moved towards them on the ground, his crutch lost somewhere in the destruction.

Grace was pale, her hands clutching into a praying position tightly before her, her eyes filled with tears.

The blood seemed to be seeping from her shoulder.

"We have to get her to the infirmary," Herschel said. "Now!"

Without any further word, Fay scooped his woman up and took off with her in his arms.

"Help me, son," Herschel said. "I can't find my damned crutch."

Daryl helped Herschel, Carol following with the whimpering Boo who was abandoned in Herschel's haste to save Grace and the baby.

Daryl passed his brother and said, "take care of my dog, he's a good dog."

Merle nodded and dropped his free hand to stroke Clyde's grey, blood soaked fur.

As they hauled ass to the infirmary, they passed Carl and his soldier, who were still keep watch over the yard. Carl took one look at the blood on Grace and took off for the gate, Daryl didn't think much about it, trying to half carry, half drag Herschel in the direction of the medical building.

Inside Fay spread Grace on the bed and stepped back to allow Herschel in, hovering nervously in the background.

Daryl moved to stand beside Carol, who was gingerly laying Boo on a bed of her own. The dog was whimpering and bleeding out, but still alive.

Quietly, without needing anyone to say anything to her, Carol set about repairing the dog.

"It's a dog," Daryl growled to her, agitated from the night, wanting her to just sit down and relax before she ended up in Grace's state.

"Boo means the world to Annie," Carol said firmly. "I'm going to try to save this dog." She added with a whisper, "it'll break Annie to lose her."

Daryl glanced into the dark corner where Annie sat holding Judith, blood covering her face, eyes blank and horrifyingly glazed. It was then that he realized she was watching both her adopted mother and her beloved pet being put under the knife.

He frowned, feeling rage boiling inside, but quelled it, moving across the infirmary to ease down beside the girl.

She didn't even acknowledge his presence.

Daryl glanced at Adele who was quietly checking over her daughter, changing her diaper and cooing to her on a nearby bed. He frowned and then looked back at Annie, bumping her with his elbow gently.

"You alright, honey?" He asked.

She blinked.

"Want me to take Judith?" He offered.

Again Annie simply blinked.

Carefully, Daryl took Judith off her hands and settled their lil' asskicker on the floor at his side.

Quietly, Annie stood up, still looking dazed and moved off.

Daryl hurried to hand Judith over to Adele, who was watching the girl with panicked eyes.

He caught up with Annie outside the infirmary, the little girl was walking and looked like she had no intention of stopping.

"Annie?" He called after her, sliding on the dewy grass.

Annie kept walking, heading for the gate, her little bare feet leaving dark trails in the grass.

"Sweetheart," Daryl scooped the girl up to prevent her from wandering further, not sure if the area was still secure.

She didn't fight him or do anything, just allowed him to cart her back with him to his shed. He'd put her to rest there, away from the infirmary, away from the dorms, away from the smouldering church.

"Are they all gone?" She asked suddenly, as he opened the door into his shed.

"Yes," he said.

"Even daddy?" She inquired innocently.

"Baby girl, your daddy's just fine, remember? He's in the infirmary? You walked right past him?"

"Daddy's gone. They're all gone."

Daryl didn't know what was wrong with the little girl, but he hugged her tightly, holding her against him as he sat down on the bed. He didn't know what to do, Jesus it was all a fucking mess.

"Maybe you should try to sleep," he suggested to the girl.

She limply allowed him to lay her back on his bed in Carol's spot, eyes dead. "It's okay, Uncle Daryl, you don't have to worry. I'm not scared about being taken by those things anymore. I want to die too."

Feeling tears sting his eyes, Daryl stood up before she could see him cry and moved to the door. He collected himself, and then returned to her, finding Annie still wide awake, staring at nothing.

Easing onto the bedside, he pulled out his rag and carefully cleaned the blood off of her face.

There was a soft knock on the door and Mary Agnes peeked in, Merle and Clyde with her.

"We're just clearing the place out," she explained softly, but nosed further inside when she spied Annie on the bed. "Is she alright?"

Daryl shook his head.

Merle and Clyde nosed their way inside as well, both of them standing over Annie on the bed.

Annie's eyes flickered to Merle and she blinked.

"Hey, rugrat," he greeted gruffly.

Annie lay there quietly.

To Daryl's amazement, Clyde climbed up onto the bed and curled his large frame around Annie, his large head nuzzling in against her. The gunshot to his thigh was bandaged tightly and the blood that coated the dog didn't even seem to bother anyone. Everyone was coated in it.

Leaving Annie in Clyde and Mary Agnes' care, Daryl stood up with his brother and moved for the door.

"Glenn and the others are putting down the soldiers, O'Hara and Rhoades have taken Milner and that other soldier into custody, Sister Joan says Carl and his friend there took off for Delgado's to get some medical back up."

Daryl nodded. "You believe that bullshit O'Hara's spouting about law and order in Georgia?"

Merle shrugged.

"I mean, I guess if we have to split Georgia up three ways a bunch of soldiers who want to uphold the law couldn't be bad…let them take on the shit and abuse."

Again Merle shrugged.

They reached the peach tree and stood under it quietly, eyeing the church as Cash and Layla struggled to save it, running from the well pump with buckets of water, several of the Marines and soldiers with O'Hara and Rhoades helping out.

The two Dixon's sighed heavily.

"Jesus, look at this fucking place." Merle growled.

Daryl was quiet, eyeing the destruction. "Fuck it," he said. "Let them eat smoke, let it burn. We'll rebuild." Sniffing at the church, he turned and headed back for the infirmary, stepping inside in time to find Fay hitting his knees at Grace's bedside.

This threw Daryl into a panic and he looked over at Carol.

Thankfully, she merely returned her attention back to Boo. Herschel and Milton over Grace seemed unconcerned, still hooking her up to monitors.

Carefully, Daryl took a knee beside his brother.

"Think he'll even listen to me?" Fay murmured, head bowed. "I mean…I sort of stole his girl, you know?"

Daryl frowned. He knew what the asshole was doing, but he also knew it would do him no fucking good.

And then the Cajun broke a little, a sob escaping him, but he sniffed it back quickly, head still bent, strong body shaking, hands clasped together so hard they were turning red at the edges.

Knowing the shit that life seemed to constantly hand the poor bastard and now this, it tore Daryl's heart a little. The resilient fucker seemed to always bounce back, but this would kill him. Grace seemed to be the one thing that kept him truly grounded lately.

Not really one for cuddles or comfort, Daryl eyed the man, before deciding to just fuck it all, moving in he carefully wrapped an arm around his shoulders. He felt stupid doing it, but instantly forgot about feeling like an asshole, when he spied the Cajun's hands unclench, when he felt that tension dissolve.

"Herschel says she'll be okay," Fay said. "But…they don't…they think in the next few days she'll…" he sobbed again. "They don't think the…our baby will make it." Sinking low, the Marine stooped over so low his forehead almost hit the floor and he sobbed wretchedly, before recovering again with a sniffle. "But…ah…my girl will be okay, that's all that matters, isn't it?"

Daryl didn't know, so he didn't say.

"That's all that matters, yeah, cabri?" Fay demanded.

"Yeah," he said, knowing they were both bullshitting each other and themselves.

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Lilone1776 - Down time coming up in the next few chapters!

itsi3 - Thank you! I really appreciate hearing that! ^_^

vickih - O'Hara is a legend apparently. I wonder why...there must be a good story in there somewhere...

DarylDixon'sLover - Indeed!

Brazen Hussy - Yes.

Merle's Right Hand - A giant fucking cicada. Ehehe.

Yazzy x - I agree. I think Ryan would be good for Carl. He seems okay with letting the little dude lead them about.

Surplus Imagination - I hope I didn't destroy the place too much with this storm...