Chapter 24: Homecoming

Merle jerked awake in the passenger's seat when Daryl swerved to miss something in the road.

"Jesus Christ! You got your head in the clouds over there?" Merle asked, turning in his seat to see the burnt shell of a car in the middle of the road. "You didn't see that piece of shit from a mile away?"

"Sorry," Daryl muttered.

"Slow the fuck down," Merle barked, glancing at the speedometer to see Daryl was going well over eighty. Daryl let up off the gas. He hadn't even been paying attention. His mind was back on the farm, back with Carol and Lydia and how very close he was to getting home to her. The closer they got, the more anxious he became.

In the past two days, they'd been going in circles. A large herd had forced them fifteen miles in the wrong direction, and in course of re-directing themselves, they'd come upon no less than six impassible roads. They'd holed up in an old liquor store in some backwoods little town for a couple of days. While it had been Heaven for Merle, Daryl had wished he was anywhere but there.

"You're in that much of a hurry to get back to her, you're gonna get us both killed. They say a case of blue balls never killed a man, but I'm startin' to wonder if this might be one for the books."

"Shut the hell up, 'fore I leave you in the middle of the road." He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "It's been a week."

"Yeah? And ya told her it might take longer."

"Never shoulda left her."

"No. Ya shoulda kept your ass back on that farm. But here we are." Merle rubbed his hands over his face, yawning and stretching as he straightened up in his seat. "How close?"

"Not far," Daryl muttered. "Made good time 'til ya distracted me."

"You mean 'til I kept you from runnin' head first into a tree? Yeah, you're welcome, dickhead." Daryl shook his head and muttered something under his breath. "You weren't never this big a pain in the ass before. Hell, when it was just you and me on the road, you barely said two words. When I wanted to ransack that camp, you didn't do a damn thing to stop me. But the second we got there, you pussied out. We coulda took 'em. 'Course, you'd probably be dead, and so would that pretty wife of yours. Guess it worked out for the best, right?"

"We were talkin' 'bout buildin' another house on the property," Daryl said quietly. "Out near the old barn. Thinkin' maybe further out now. Which room do you want?" Merle snorted at his brother's suggestion, and he shook his head.

"Who says I'd wanna stay in the house with you and the Mrs. anyway?"

"Why? Jealous?" Daryl asked with a laugh.

"Jealous? Pfft. I sleep naked. Just worried she'll accidentally get a peek at what I'm swingin' and realize she picked the wrong brother."

"You're a dick," Daryl laughed. Merle grinned then, and he leaned his head back.

"M'happy for ya, baby brother. Really am." Daryl made a turn down a road that looked more familiar to Merle, and he squinted off toward the horizon. "Gettin' close to supper time. Wish she knew to expect us. Could go for a home cooked meal. Jerky and canned fruit only goes so far. Christ, I could go for some of Grandma Dixon's biscuits and gravy."

"Just 'cause Carol can cook don't mean she's gonna cook all your meals for you. You're gonna have to learn a thing or two. First thing is, I can't cook for shit, so don't ask me." Merle laughed at his brother, and Daryl took another turn down an even more familiar road.

They rode a while in silence after that. Daryl felt his heart thud when he made one more turn onto the road that led to the farm house. A cold dread pooled in his stomach, and a sinking feeling washed over him. He'd been gone for days on end before, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something had happened. If she was hurt or if Lydia was…no. He wouldn't let himself think about it. He couldn't.

He looked at the old sheriff's hat on the dash of his truck, remembering what this trip had been all about. Rick was gone. Dead or not, he was gone. There was no trace of him, no trail. And Daryl had a family to put first. Merle had been right, as much as he hadn't wanted to think about that either. Rick had a family to think about, but Daryl did, too, and it was time to put the past behind them and focus on what they had then and there. If they were meant to find the group again, they would. But he couldn't waste another minute of whatever time he had left looking for people that might as well be ghosts in the woods.

"Hey, slow down. You're gonna pass right by." Merle nudged his brother's shoulder, and Daryl hit the brakes, sending them both lurching forward a bit. Merle looked at him, and Daryl ducked his head a little. He turned into the drive, and Merle hopped out to get the gate. The first thing he noticed was dried blood pooled on the gravel in spots. He paused and looked up at Daryl.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Nothin', I think." After all, it very well could have been his own blood. He'd been in such a sorry state the night he'd come to the farm that it very likely was his blood. Still, it was the first he'd noticed it. Daryl narrowed his eyes at him, but he said nothing. When Merle got back in the car, he kept his eyes trained on the driveway, while Daryl headed up around a curve.

The house came into view, and it was still standing. The cold dread eased up a little, but Daryl knew it wouldn't fully until she was in his arms. As the truck rumbled on toward the house, Daryl noticed Dog pop his head up from where he was on the porch. Dog shot off the porch like a bullet from a gun, bounding toward the drive through the tall grass. Daryl grinned then, and when he saw the front door swing open and Carol walk out, hit the gas, speeding toward the front of the house, despite the fact that he knew she hated when he pulled up right by the porch. He figured she'd forgive him this time.

The truck came to a halt, and Carol rushed down the steps with Lydia in her arms, and Daryl didn't even cut the engine before he was out of the truck and rushing up to meet her.

"I can't believe you're home," she gasped, when he pulled her close, being mindful of the baby in her arms. "Daryl, I was so worried."

"M'sorry I was gone so long."

"So long? I thought it might be another week. I'm glad you're here. I just…" She looked toward the truck. "No luck?" He looked down and shook his head, and Carol hugged him again.

"I'm glad you're home."

"Ain't leavin' again." He sighed heavily, and when he let her go, she passed Lydia over to him. "Hey sweet girl. Did ya miss me? Huh?"

"She did," Carol murmured, squeezing Daryl's arm. She looked back toward the house. "Daryl, something happened while you were gone."

"Are you ok? Lydia's…"

"We're both fine," Carol promised. "So is Dog. We…we have company." Merle leaned over to cut the engine on the truck and got out.

"You say company?" he asked, stepping around the truck. "Kind of company we talkin' here?"

"After you both left," Carol started, "a man and woman broke into the house." Daryl started for the door, but Carol grabbed his arm. "His wife was in bad shape. She'd been bitten, lost her arm. She was pregnant and in labor. The baby's healthy, but the mother, Lucy, is still really weak."

"The hell they doing breakin' into houses when…"

"Tell me you wouldn't do the same if it was me or Lydia that was hurt? They needed a place."

"Jesus," Daryl muttered, running his fingers through his hair. "You're sure you're alright?"

"Fine. I've been helping Negan with Lucy and the baby. She's still not out of the woods yet, but if she was going to turn, she would have long before now." Daryl and Merle looked at each other, before Daryl turned back to Carol.

"You trust these people?"

"I'm keeping Lydia close. Dog's been very protective. Lucy's kind, and Negan's been beside himself with worry for her. I think he still half expects to wake up and find her gone or something." She shook her head. "I couldn't send them away, Daryl."

"I'll do it," Merle volunteered, stepping up toward the door before being grabbed by Daryl. "What? You gonna let some strangers take our food and sleep under the same roof as your wife and kid?"

"Merle," Carol warned. "Stop. They have a baby."

"Yeah? And so do you. You gotta look after your own first." He started for the door again, but Carol grabbed him then.

"If people only looked after their own, nobody would have looked for my little girl. And I probably wouldn't still be here." She looked from Merle to Daryl. "We have plenty of room. And they probably aren't going to stay."

"Probably?" Daryl asked.

"Look. If she goes out there in her condition, she's going to die. They probably all will." She took Lydia back into her arms then.

"Yeah? What if they just wanna take this place for their own?" Daryl asked, eyeing his wife. "What then?"

"Then we'll deal with it when the time comes. We've talked about this before. If we're going to build this place up, we're going to need people. Please." She looked to Merle. "Just give them a chance."

"Your call, bro," Merle muttered, looking from Carol to Daryl. Daryl looked to Carol. He knew her heart was in the right place. He also knew that if she had any feeling whatsoever that having these people around was dangerous for Lydia, they would have been out of the house already. He trusted her. But he was going to reserve judgment on the newcomers until he met them. Carol and Lydia were everything to him, and he already knew he had it inside of him to do whatever it took to keep them safe. He gave her a little nod then, and he looked to Merle.

"Guess it's time to meet our guests."

Author's Note: Yes, that's right. Two chapters in one day! Hope you enjoyed it! Feedback is always appreciated!