Author's Note: Thank you so much for the love on the last chapter! Reviews are so appreciated.
Part Two
..
Four
Outnumbered
.x.
The sun rose in the sky like a canopy of gold; bright amid the blue, bidding the stars to take their nightly rest. As the darkness surrendered, hues of pink and blue shimmered and streaked through the dark charcoal sky. The warmth of the sun settled upon Esther's face as she slept in the armchair, a blanket had been laid on her and her head nestled in the crook of the arm rest. As her eyes fluttered open, she blinked a few times against the sunlight before shielding herself with the blanket.
After a moment, she glanced at the clock ticking away on the wall. It was just before six, and she furrowed her brow as she realised that Daryl hadn't woken her for watch. She noticed the stillness of the room, the calming sounds of morning creeping in through the gap in the window. Her eyes fell on Daryl who sat on the window seat, his observant gaze scanning the streets beneath him, his grip never releasing its hold on his crossbow.
"Hey," she whispered as she stretched, her back cracking in protest.
He looked towards her and offered a small nod.
"You didn't wake me."
Daryl shrugged. "Ya looked comfy… Didn't want to disturb ya."
Esther furrowed her brow and nodded. She pulled the blanket from her, folding it before putting it over the back of the armchair. She stood from the seat, her eyes falling on the sleeping frames of Michonne and Sophia who were settled on the couch and other armchair. She smiled as her eyes fell on the young girl: part of her realising that she wasn't sure if she would ever see her again.
"We should wake everyone and get ready to leave," Daryl said, breaking her from her thoughts. He strode past her without another word, heading into the bedroom where his brother and the two new guys were sleeping. She watched him disappear into the darkness of the room, before she took a breath.
She stood in the calmness of the room for a moment longer, her eyes trailing across the family photographs on the wall. Lilly, Tara and Meghan's entire life was right there for her to see. They had welcomed them into their home when they needed it the most, and now the day had come that they had to leave.
"Morning," Lilly's voice filled the room, an Esther turned to look at her. Lilly noticed her standing in front of the photographs and smiled, moving towards her and staring at them too. "Oh… we had a good life here."
Esther furrowed her brow. "Are you going to miss it?"
"Yes and no…" Lilly replied honestly. "Yes, because this is the place I brought Meghan home from the hospital after she was born, where she learned to walk and talk. And then no, because… I never wanted to stay here for as long as I did. I had plans to move into a house with a garden for Meghan to play in, with an apple tree and a tree house… but when my marriage broke down, it wasn't going to be our reality, you know? This apartment served me, and now… I'm moving on."
"Not the way you wanted to move on but it's something," Esther added to which Lilly nodded.
"Yeah," Lilly smiled. "We have to move on. It's out of our control."
Esther looked back at the smiling faces staring back at her.
"What about you?" Lilly asked, her voice curious. "You ever miss home?"
"I did…" Esther told her. "It gets easier, but I've never felt at home anywhere. I always wanted to travel, to see the world for myself. That feeling of missing home is a feeling I don't think I've ever had."
Lilly furrowed her brow but nodded at her. "You have someone before this thing?"
"No," Esther shook her head, sadly. "I never had time. What about you?"
"No, but I did think about it," Lilly smiled. "Part of me thought that the outbreak happened because I was finally ready to find love again, and the universe has gone 'hell no'."
Esther chortled, running a hand through her hair. "I can assure you that the outbreak didn't happen because of that. It would be pretty messed up if that was why."
"Thank goodness!" Lilly chuckled, before resting a hand on Esther's arm. "I'll go wake the others."
.x.
It was decided that Glenn, Michonne, Sophia and Esther would ride with Tara, whilst Meghan, Rick, Daryl and Merle would ride with Lilly. Though the vehicles were cramped, everyone was ready to endure the journey to the quarry. Glenn rode in the front with Tara, whilst Michonne and Esther cushioned Sophia in the middle. As they drove away from the busy streets and ventured further into the country, the gentle hum of the engine was enough to send the young girl to a blissful snooze.
"I'm so glad I didn't draw the short straw," Glenn smirked as he eyed the animated scenes in the car in front of them. Esther shuffled slightly and watched as Merle was flailing his arms about as Daryl tried his best to hit them away. She grimaced with a playful smirk. "I've only known him for an evening, but I understand Daryl's frustrations with him."
"He seems… I was going to say that he seems like a great guy, but…" Michonne began, struggling to voice her thoughts the way she wanted to. "I just feel like he doesn't understand the terms he uses are not nice."
Esther agreed with a hum. "He's outdated, and that isn't an excuse for his language. The amount of times Carol would tell him off for swearing in front of Sophia and Carl…"
"We should introduce a swear jar," Tara interjected with a chuckle.
The car fell into a peaceful silence, and they avidly watched Merle continuing his flailing arm attack in the car in front. The morning whizzed by them as quickly as the trees did, and they had reached the highway quicker than they had all anticipated. As the vehicle in front slowed, with Daryl and Rick motioning for them to leave their vehicle too, Esther found herself looking around at the wide-open space around them.
"We're blocked," Rick told them, as Esther moved to stand in front of the first car, willing the vehicles blocking them to disappear. As Esther allowed her gaze to wash over the cemetery of vehicles in front of her, she felt a ball of anxiety in her chest.
"Rick, Glenn and me are gonna head out and see if we can find a way through," Daryl began, coming to stand beside her. "Reckon we could push some cars aside, try and clear a path for us."
"If we're blocked all the way through then we might have to find another way around," Rick said lowly, knowing that wasn't ideal. But if there was another way, then it would have to be done.
"Ya can babysit Merle for me," Daryl smirked, his eyes meeting Esther's for a brief moment. As her gaze met his, he furrowed his brow and was just about to say something when Rick called out to him.
"We should head out now, see what the deal is."
Daryl nodded, before turning back to Esther. She was already retreating, heading back to the vehicles. She turned back, "Be careful."
He watched her go, just as Rick and Glenn approached him. Rick wore a smirk on his face, as he noticed the exchange between the two of them. "It's nothin'," he warned him, but Rick simply raised his hands in mock surrender.
Esther reached Michonne who was sipping at a bottle of water. She handed her the bottle and Esther took it gladly, taking one big gulp before handing it back to her. Michonne screwed the cap back on it and rested against the side of the vehicle.
"We should check the cars for any supplies," Esther told the others. "See if we can bump up our inventory."
With a collection of nods, they all set out to find things they could claim as their own. Esther searched the vehicles behind them, keeping a watchful gaze on the others in case anything seemed untoward. She knew the adults had their own weapons on them, but she still felt responsible for their safety; it was a definite habit she needed to unpick over time. She watched as Lilly and Tara collected a few extra clothes, rolling them up and sliding them into their backpacks. Sophia found a small rattle, and Esther observed as her face crumpled at the mere sight of it. Michonne was quick to move her away, finding books in the boot instead.
Merle was lying on the ground in the shade, his face covered by his large hands. "If ya find any booze, it's mine."
Esther rolled her eyes at him before she pocketed a swiss army knife, a couple batteries, and a torch. It was a light loot, but she was sure they would come in handy. She returned to the vehicles and took a seat on the bumper of the vehicle beside her. Her thoughts wandered, and she tried to imagine everyone's last moments on this highway: the sense of chaos at knowing they were blocked and had nowhere to go; of knowing that they had no choice but to leave their belongings on the highway and run. Had the dead passed through here? She couldn't know for sure. As much as it was carnage, with vehicles parked haphazardly and in a hurry, there was a sense of peace that filtered through. It was a crazy thought to her that every single person within this city and the entire world would have a different perspective to the end of the world.
"I was hoping you would've recognised me—" a voice came to her right, and Esther was snapped back down to reality. Michonne was standing beside the vehicle, the glint from the sunshine bouncing off the katana blade burning Esther's eyes. "Sophia told me what you did. I just wanted to say thank you."
Esther furrowed her brow. "I'm sorry?"
"You saved my son that night at the safe zone," Michonne continued. "Andre."
The little boy in the car seat. She had seen him in the distance. The child's eyes were wide and startled.
"Oh," Esther said in disbelief. "You're…"
She slid off the bumper, and reached for her breast pocket, fumbling inside as her fingers felt as though they were made of water. She pulled out the note that she was never without. "My name is Andre," Esther began reading it out loud, her voice soft. "I have a mom called Michonne and a dad called Mike. If you find me, please keep me safe until my mom and dad return."
Michonne's eyes filled with tears and she allowed them to break free. "Sophia told me about you saving my boy that night. How you ran into the crowd once you knew Sophia and her mom were safe…" Michonne's voice broke but she found the courage to continue speaking. "You kept that all this time?"
Esther nodded, her own eyes filling with tears. She was speechless.
"You… you gave him another chance when we failed him," Michonne whispered. "His father left him there to score drugs, thinking he would be safe there with everyone. He always said that someone would watch out for him, that nobody would leave a baby behind. But he did. I asked for forgiveness every day that he was not with me, that I would find redemption, and… I truly believe that's why Sophia came into my life. She told me about Andre, and what you did, what her mom did…"
Michonne closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around Esther who was taken aback by the hug. It was only a mere second that had passed before Esther welcomed the hug and hugged her back. As they pulled apart, Esther smiled at the woman.
"If I know Carol… she would be protecting your son with her whole life, just like way you've been looking after Sophia," Esther told her honestly. Michonne tearfully nodded at her. "We'll find them, I promise."
Michonne returned to Sophia's side as the young girl was telling Lilly, Meghan and Tara an animated story. Esther watched for a few moments before she moved away from the group, pulling the radio from her backpack. She pressed the button, hearing the static for a moment before she began to speak.
"I don't know where you are or if you're still alive, but I just wanted to tell you that… I'm sorry, Abe. I'm sorry for what I did back in that department store. I should've listened to you. I know you were and always have looked out for me," Esther said, her gaze falling on the empty road ahead of her. "I was hurt badly. And there were moments when I thought that I was going to die. But Daryl… he helped me. He was there. He kept me safe and I will never know how to thank him. He didn't have to, but he's been my anchor all this time…"
She trailed off, running a hand over her head to smooth the wayward hair. "I don't know where you are but I'm going to find you. If it's the last thing I do…"
Esther slipped the radio back into her backpack and pulled it onto her back, turning around and coming face to face with Daryl. He shuffled awkwardly from where he stood, as he scratched the back of his neck whilst holding the crossbow to his shoulder.
"We found a way through," he said with a nod.
Esther nodded enthusiastically. "Great… that's great!"
She went to move past him to head back to the others, but a strong hand reached for her and pulled her back, so she was standing in front of him again. He could sense that she wanted nothing more but to escape his intense gaze or the close proximity between them.
"Ya shouldn't apologise for ya actions back at the store," Daryl said after a beat. "I would'a done the same thing."
"I feel responsible for us losing the group back there," Esther whispered, averting her gaze from Daryl's intense stare. "My actions… caused us to be separated from them. And I caused a mom and daughter to be separated as they tried to escape that store… I…"
"Hey, Essie…" Daryl reached for her. "It ain't ya fault. Ya gotta just… not blame yaself for things out of ya control."
"We should head back," Esther said, moving away from him. And this time, Daryl let her go.
.x.
Daryl took control of Lilly's car, navigating it through the hordes of vehicles. As Tara followed closely behind, Esther thought back to her small chat with Daryl. She knew he was right. In every sense of the word, she shouldn't be taking blame for things that happened after the events at the store. She wasn't in control of anything that happened; and she had done what many others would have done if they were in her shoes. Tara weaved through the vehicles, following Daryl's movements down to the point, her driving impressing Esther thoroughly.
The younger sister smiled at Esther as she rested a hand on her shoulder once the vehicle stopped, having passed through the heavy blockage. Daryl exited the first vehicle and motioned for Esther to exit the vehicle. She furrowed her brow and headed out, closing the door behind as Daryl motioned for her to.
"There's an RV up ahead," he told her, as her gaze followed the direction of his outstretched arm. "We should take a look."
Esther nodded, shielding her eyes against the harsh sun. "How long until we reach the quarry?"
Daryl chewed at his lip. "I don't know. Wasn't plannin' on getting blocked on this highway. We could get there by sundown or we'll have to find shelter for the night and head their tomorrow mornin'."
"Okay…" Esther turned back to the vehicles, eyes watching them intently. "Let's try for the former."
Daryl hummed before heading back to his vehicle to retrieve his crossbow. Esther pulled out her knife and motioned for the group to stay.
The RV was parked sideways, its bumper facing the once heaving road beneath it. It was clean amongst the dust and dirt of the highway, a sparkly diamond in the midst of complete chaos. Esther moved towards it cautiously, her knife gripped tightly in her hand. Her eyes met those of Daryl who nodded at her to proceed; he was ready with his crossbow in case a walker decided to ambush them. She reached for the handle, her gaze falling on the startling amount of bullet holes denting the exterior. Esther released a breath as she pulled the door open, awaiting an assault from the deceased but getting nothing but silence.
Esther motioned that she was venturing inside, her footing cautious on the steps, her body in control. Daryl observed as she moved swiftly inside, how she checked either side of the RV, her eyes scanning the contents of the seemingly empty RV. She grabbed the handle of the bathroom, pulling it gently, and meeting nothing but an empty, echoey bathroom. After a moment, she stepped out, shaking her head.
"Nothing," Esther told him, to which he nodded.
"This ain't friendly fire," Daryl surmised, his calloused hands running along the bullet holes along the side of the vehicle. "Whoever did this had heavy machinery."
"Could be military grade but…" Esther trailed off. "They wouldn't attack an innocent vehicle. Whoever did this had one motive."
"To run them off the road," Daryl finished for her.
Esther nodded, her eyes narrowing. She felt unsettled, suddenly aware of how open they were. "This could be a trap… and we could've walked right into it. We're sitting ducks."
Daryl sensed her urgency and nodded. "Ya follow close behind me, yeah? We gotta get away from here."
With Daryl behind one wheel, and Esther behind the other with Tara agreeing to hand over the driving to her. They drove for another hour before they came to a stop in a quiet neighbourhood with the intention to stretch their legs and swap vehicles if they wanted to.
"Why don't we settle in one of these houses? We're all exhausted and hungry," Rick suggested. Daryl threw an uncertain glance in Esther's direction as she scanned the street. When she met his eyes, she shrugged.
"It wouldn't hurt," Esther agreed. "We can search the houses, find which one is in better shape, make sure it isn't infested."
Daryl nodded. "Okay."
"That's settled then," Rick nodded, noticing the relief on the others faces. "Who wants to search the houses?"
Hands were raised in the air, and it was decided that Tara, Michonne, Rick and Daryl would go ahead and search. Esther would remain outside on watch with the others. As Esther waited outside, she listened as Sophia and Meghan sat underneath a tree talking animatedly.
"It's so lovely to see the innocence of a child," Lilly said, her thoughts wandering. "I was so worried, you know, about the change this whole outbreak would have on Meghan but seeing her now… with Sophia, it's like… she's a child again."
Esther offered her a reassuring smile. "You forget sometimes that this has affected other people."
"You really do," Lilly agreed with a slow nod. "Children deserve to have a childhood like we did. And it sucks that it's been robbed from them."
"But we can try and make a childhood for them again," Esther told her. "It won't happen overnight, but we can only try our best to find the best place for them to grow up, safe and loved, and without the fear of whatever is out here."
Lilly wiped a tear away. "You always know what to say to make me feel better."
Esther patted her on the shoulder, words failing her then. Esther never knew how to take compliments. "We've got to stay positive. Even if the whole world is against us."
The rest of the group returned then, exiting the house a little bloodier and more dishevelled than before.
"Ya okay, lil' bro?" Merle asked, noticing a blood streak on Daryl's face.
"Yeah," Daryl said quickly. "Just… a lot of walkers we didn't expect locked in one of the bedrooms upstairs."
Esther and the others nodded, filing into the house. As Rick and Glenn showed the others around, Esther remained outside, her watchful gaze observing the street and houses around her. The houses stood together in all seasons, feeling the rain and sunshine just the same. A white picket fence lined the house, square bays with large windows, an asphalt drive with a garage near the rear; identical to the other houses that lined the street. As the sun was setting, its soft pink hue descending upon them with the sun hanging lower in the sky now, she turned to observe the house. She watched the others mill around, exploring each room and talking animatedly at the others. But she stood there in silence. The walls had heard pain throughout the years, the unspoken tears, and they had heard laughter, too. The walls lived and breathed generations, and even after everything that had happened and the house had stood empty since the beginning of the outbreak, it was harbouring them just the same.
Her eyes met those of Daryl's as he passed by the open door, his brow furrowing for just a flash as he noticed her still outside.
"Ya okay?" he asked, his voice soft and concerned.
Esther found herself nodding. "Yeah, kinda. I'm just… thinking about home."
He offered her a short nod. "There's a storm comin'," he said, looking out at their surroundings. "Don't stay out too long and don't stray too far."
"Yes, boss."
Daryl smirked, shaking his head. He met her gaze one last time before the house engulfed him. Esther looked towards the sky, seeing the looming dark cloud above her. She headed inside and closed and locked the door behind her; her gaze falling on the people settling themselves in for the evening.
Mattresses had been taken from the bedrooms and lined the floors in the living room with blankets and duvets found in closets and in drawers. Sophia and Meghan were sat on the couch reading and talking; Glenn and Rick were in the kitchen scouring the cupboards for food; Lilly and Tara were searching for medical supplies and first aid kits; Merle was already snoozing on the armchair; Michonne was glowering at him as his snores filled the room harshly. Daryl kicked at his brother's boots and silenced him before settling on the window seat. Esther came to sit beside Michonne, casting her gaze on the children giggling together.
Lilly entered the room, arms laden with food and laid down the options on the coffee table. "We've got quite the selection."
"Peaches, beans, vegetable soups, peanut butter, you name it," Tara said excitedly, settling down beside the coffee table. She organised the cans neatly on the surface, beckoning everyone to find what they want. A few chose the peaches, a few chose the beans, and they planned to get the apples from the apple tree outside in the back garden to have with the peanut butter.
After everyone had claimed their dinner for that evening, they went back to what they were doing.
"Uh, guys?" Glenn's voice came from upstairs. "You might want to see this."
