AN: So here we go, a shorter-ish chapter. I may have another out tonight, but I will likely not finish it until tomorrow. I had plenty of time yesterday (about 10 hours in the car) which I dedicated to daydreaming about the story (mixed in with bouts of singing to the radio) and now I'm many miles ahead into the story and loving it more and more.
Thank you to all of you who have reviewed and continue to review. I'm glad to see that some of you are so enthusiastic. In response to one of them, I too have grown to really love the character of Carol, through writing the story, and I'm wondering how it's going to affect me when I start watching the show again since for me she was always just a character that was just there, never really disliked, but never really liked all that much.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy.
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"Do you think you think you can build a smokehouse?" Daryl asked Tyreese while they were stacking some of the wood up in the shed that he'd built for Carol.
"I'm sure I could," Tyreese said. "I guess given enough time to think about it I could build just about anything."
"Well start thinkin' 'bout it," Daryl said. "I wanna start huntin' soon as it starts warmin' up an' the animals start ramblin' about. If'n we can smoke meat then we can put it away and it'll last longer. We'll just need to dry it real good too."
"We'll figure it out," Tyreese said. The thought of meat was very appealing. Their canned options for meat had been limited and thought Daryl had tried, the cold weather had meant that hunting had provided them with very little. If they could store it, though, like they planned to store the vegetables and fruits they hoped to grow, there could be a lot more in their futures.
"You did real good buildin' this shed," Daryl said.
"Well, I did a little carpentry as a side job back before all this happened. My dad worked some in construction and some with carpentry, so I guess I picked it up along the way with helping him out," Tyreese responded.
"Yeah, I worked some construction jobs here an' there," Daryl said, "but I weren't never real good at it, I just did it to pay some bills sometimes, you know?"
Tyreese nodded.
"Well, I'm sure we'll figure out how to build something that will work to get us some meat to put in storage, do you think Carol knows much about drying it?" Tyreese asked. He worried sometimes that they demanded a little too much of Carol. Daryl was quick to drop projects in her laps, but she did whatever he asked, pretty much without question. Tyreese suspected that sometimes she really wasn't positive how to do everything she agreed to do, but like with most things they all did around there, she just muddled her way through until she figured it out.
"I don't know if she knows how to do it or not, but it can't be that hard," Daryl said. He grinned at Tyreese, "I know why you built this here shed, you did so as Carol would thank you so she ain't got to try to build no fires with wet wood no more."
Tyreese smiled. "I guess the thank you is part of the pay off. The other part is getting a hot breakfast even when we've had a damp night the night before."
Daryl nodded, still smiling. "I reckon the breakfast had somethin' to do with it, but I think you like Carol alright, too."
Tyreese nodded again. "You're right Daryl, I like her alright," he said.
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"I'm serious, Daryl, we have to talk," Michonne said, though she was sure that her inability not to laugh at this moment did not display the gravity that she was hoping to display. She was not in a serious mood herself, owing to the absolutely ridiculous evening that they'd had.
Per Carol's recommendations, they'd decided to have a game night and Daryl and Tyreese had wickedly agreed upon Twister when they were sent to Maggie and Glenn's to choose a game for them. The game had taught all four of them that they were not as young as they used to be physically, and that they all lacked a little something in the way of flexibility and balance that they didn't really know about. It had also taught them, though, that all of them could be given to fits of laughter when placed in the right position and scenario.
Now, however, the game was through and Michonne and Daryl had retired upstairs, intending to talk on Michonne's end, but it was clear to her that Daryl had other intentions. At this moment, however, she had the bed between them.
"Do we gotta talk right now, 'Chonne? Can't we do it later?" Daryl asked. He started around the bed and she laughed at him, trying to plan her escape route.
"We need to talk, Daryl, and we haven't had much time to talk lately. We've been so busy trying to get everything ready for spring and you're always so tired, that yes, we do need to talk now." Michonne said. Although she really didn't want to talk, and had to admit that she was much more in the mood for the fun that Daryl had in mind, she also knew that it had been nearly impossible to get any time to talk to him lately, and that a relaxed Daryl was the best kind to talk to in order to have any kind of conversation that wasn't going to leave her wanting to beat her head, or his, on the wall.
"I know we ain't had much time together lately, and that's why I don't want to spend it talkin' right now, 'Chonne!" Daryl said.
Michonne knew he was about to make a jump for her, and she was prepared to try to get across the bed to the other side as quickly as possible.
"But if we do what you're proposing first then you'll want to go to sleep and then we won't get to talk and I don't want to wait anymore," she protested, trying not to laugh at him again.
"I got an idea," Daryl said.
"What's that?" Michonne asked.
"How about we do fun first, and then we do talkin', and I'll stay awake 'cause I ain't sleepy and we could do fun again when we're done talkin'," he suggested.
"How do I know you're going to stay awake?" She asked.
"OK, then, if I catch you we do fun first," Daryl said, "but if you can avoid me, then we do your talkin' first."
"OK," Michonne said, "how long do I have to avoid you?"
"Until I catch you," Daryl responded, still grinning.
"That's not fair, Daryl, there's no way for me to win that," she said.
"Exactly," Daryl said.
Finally Daryl made his move and Michonne tried to get across the bed, but he grabbed her by the leg. She didn't fight him. She didn't really want to, and the action just renewed the laughter that she'd been enjoying all evening. Daryl crawled over her and pinned her to the bed, face down.
"You were too slow," he said, lying on top of her so as to pin her completely. He was laughing to now, so neither of them could do much more than lie there. "Admit it," he said, "you would rather have fun right now too."
"OK, Daryl, I admit it, but we have got to have a serious talk," Michonne said.
"'Chonne, it's been a good night," Daryl said. "We ain't done one serious thing tonight, why can't we just keep it that way? Can't whatever you got to talk about keep until mornin'?" He still made no move to get off of her.
Michonne sighed.
"We never talk in the morning anymore, Daryl, you're always out the door to work until breakfast and then you disappear right after you eat," she said.
"So tomorrow I won't. Tomorrow we'll talk before breakfast, and we'll talk after breakfast if you think you still got talkin' to do," Daryl argued. "I won't do no work until you're satisfied that you've done all the talkin' that you want."
"Fine," Michonne said after a minute, "but I'm holding you to it."
Daryl had already stopped paying her any attention the fine had prompted him to start kissing the back of her neck, and though he didn't let up on her any, she could feel him snaking his hand up under her, sliding it in her shirt.
"Daryl," she said after a minute.
"What?" He asked.
"You really have to let up on me a little, you're smothering me," she said.
Daryl lifted up enough for her to crawl up onto her knees. She started to roll over and he stopped her.
"No, stay," Daryl commanded.
She snickered at him. "So that's how this is going down?"
Daryl responded by reaching around her and fumbling with the buttons on her pants, tickling her in the process.
"Fine, Daryl, I'll stay, but at least let me help you out," she said.
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Michonne half expected Daryl to be gone when she woke up the next morning, having probably forgotten all about his promise to talk with her. She was surprised, however, to find him sitting on the bed next to her, watching her when she finally opened her eyes.
"Good mornin', beautiful," Daryl said, grinning.
Michonne smiled at him. "Good morning, handsome," she responded.
"Did'ja sleep good?" Daryl asked.
"Mmmhmmm," Michonne moaned, stretching. "I didn't think you'd be here," she said.
"I told ya I would, didn't I?" Daryl said.
"Hope hasn't woke up yet?" Michonne asked.
"Nope, still asleep. I went in there earlier to check on her, but she was sleepin' good, just like you. I think I'm the only one awake in the house," Daryl said. "So," he started after a minute, "you 'wake enough for talkin'?"
Michonne wasn't entirely in the mood to talk at this moment, but she knew that now was as good a time as any and that they weren't necessarily going to have too many more opportunities like this.
"Daryl," she started, "we have to make a decision about whether or not we're going to try to have another baby," she finished.
Daryl bit at his thumb. "I thought we done decided we was," he said.
"I know we said we were going to, but I don't know…" Michonne said.
"What's changed, 'Chonne? You said you was OK with another one, so what's got you sayin' you ain't now?" Daryl asked.
"I'm not saying that I'm entirely against it, but I want to make sure that we've really discussed this," Michonne said. "When Dora and Frank died, we could have lost Hope."
"Yeah, we could have, but we got lucky," Daryl said.
Michonne nodded. "But if we hadn't gotten lucky, Daryl, we would have lost her. I know what that feels like, you don't."
"I can imagine it wouldn't feel real good, 'Chonne," Daryl said. "I don't wanna lose Hope, and I wouldn't want to lose another baby if we had another one. I don't see how that's gonna change at all."
"It just means we have twice as much to lose, and twice the possibility of losing it, I guess," Michonne said.
Michonne had been over and over details with Daryl. He thought he understood them all. She'd already made it clear to him that they were only going to have two kids at most, and he was fine with that. He'd settled into the idea of having two kids. At least Hope would have a sibling, someone else out there around her age. Daryl didn't know how many babies there were in the world right now, but at least three of them was a good number if they did get to grow up. Daryl also understood that Michonne had pointed out all the ways to him that something could go wrong, ways that they could lose their children, and Daryl understood that. He wasn't under any illusion that they were guaranteed to make it, but he was hopeful that there was some possibility that they would.
"'Chonne," Daryl started, "I know you don't like to talk about it, but if you had the chance, knowing what you know now, would you go back and erase your little girls?" Daryl asked.
Michonne looked at him. She already knew what he was getting at.
"No, Daryl, I wouldn't," she said. She hated losing her girls, but she had dearly loved them and
"And if somethin' happened and we lost Hope, would you be sorry we had her?" Daryl asked.
Michonne half smiled at him. "No, Daryl, I wouldn't."
"So, 'Chonne, ain't nothin' promised to us no more, and I ain't sayin' we even gonna see tomorrow, but if we do, and if Jude and Hope make it, I don't want us to be lookin' back wishin' that we'd had another and we didn't 'cause we was too busy worryin' 'bout what we couldn't change no way," Daryl said.
Michonne sighed. Daryl wanted another baby, and she'd actually let herself become used to the idea, even though on the one hand it went against her better judgment.
"Ok, Daryl, I tell you what, I'll keep it in mind, but I want to talk to Carol about it, and when it's closer to time I want us to talk to the whole group before we make any final decisions," she said.
"Why we gotta talk to everyone? It ain't their business if we want to have another baby," he said, wrinkling his forehead.
"Yes it is, Daryl. Nothing around here is a private decision anymore. If something happens to us, the group is going to end up with Hope and the baby, so I think we should at least discuss it with them before we decide to actually let this happen," Michonne reasoned.
Daryl finally agreed.
"Can we go wake Carol up now an' get some breakfast?" Daryl asked when they'd finished their conversation.
"Fine, Daryl," Michonne said, "Hope needs to get up anyway, I don't want her sleeping too much today and then keeping me up all night."
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"Look, I know you've talked about it, and I know you've thought about it, so I'm fine with it," Carol said. Michonne was following her around and helping her with ration boxes to allow them some time to talk. "I think we're safe for a while, or at least as safe as we can be these days. I'll support you through one more, but that's it."
"No, that's all that's on the table. I've already let Daryl know that one is all I'm willing to do," Michonne said.
Carol stopped what she was doing and smiled at Michonne.
"Then we're going to do this?" She asked.
"It looks like we are," Michonne said.
"Fine, I'll get Glenn and Maggie to do a run soon and get me some books. I've got to read up on farming anyway, so I might as well read up on this while I'm at it," Carol said.
"Carol," Michonne said, "can you do me a favor?"
"What's that?" Carol asked, resuming her actions.
"Can you let me know a few days before we have to make a final decision? I'd like to have a talk with the whole group, you know, allow everyone to give their opinions before we just decide that we're adding another child into the mix," Michonne said.
"I'll be happy to, and I think that's a good idea. At least it will make the group feel like they were involved in this, and not like it's just something that happened to everyone," Carol said. She laughed after a minute.
"What?" Michonne asked.
"I was just thinking that we're probably the only two women left in the world right now that are having a discussion about planning for a baby," Carol said.
"You're probably right, Carol," Michonne said. "You're probably right."
