Chapter twenty-seven: Shut the front gate.
"Every risk is worth taking as long as it's for a good cause and contributes towards a good life."
Glenn, T-Dog, Maggie and Beth drew the Walkers to the fence by screaming and rattling the fence, stabbing them in the head once they were close enough.
"Hey come on, get over here come on!" Beth shouted, slapping the fence and taking down another Walker. Glancing at Rick, Lori readied herself to pull open the gate and let me into the yard; she only opened the gate enough for me to slip through, keeping my eyes and ears open, I jogged up the driveway, taking down the odd Walker here and there with a handgun, rifle across my back. Behind me, I could hear the others still shouting and trying to draw Walkers to them, but the noise and movement from me was a bit of a distraction.
The Walkers closest to me suddenly fell down as a round of gunfire cracked out, an arrow taking one out that I'd missed; pausing, I removed the arrow and tucked it into my belt. I lurched to a stop as a bullet ricocheted off the gravel at my feet and shot Carol a glare.
"Sorry." She called and I shook my head before moving again, Beth's voice getting so loud I could hear her from the gate. Kicking a Walker back, I clipped the gate shut and yanked open the door to the guard's tower, taking out the two Walkers inside before shutting the door, listening to hands banging on it as I caught my breath before finding stairs.
"Light it up!" Daryl bellowed and he was followed by a fire at will, I saw the bodies dropping after having gotten to the top of the tower; pulling the rifle from my back, I took aim and started to fire, seeing Rick doubled over with laughter behind the fence. As the last Walker fell in a heap, more laughter crackled around the group and soon we were all laughing at the relief.
Heading back down the steps, I pushed open the tower door and stepped over the bodies, stomping on the head of one that wasn't quite dead yet. The rest of the group converged and we rejoiced the space we had, we could spread out and still be safe.
"Oh! Oh, oh! We haven't had this much space since we left the farm!" Carol exclaimed and I grinned, embracing her tightly before stepping back to watch Glenn take down another Walker that had avoided a head shot earlier. T-Dog threw his head back and howled, tailing off in laughter as I wrapped my arms around Daryl tightly.
"What happened to not takin' stupid risks?"
We started to shift the bodies around for the rest of the day, piling up about half of them before Hershel told us to stop, citing the courtyard as our reason to not exhaust ourselves on the bodies; Daryl went hunting as I helped Sophia set the fire up, using some old benches from around us as kindling. He brought back a string of squirrels, announcing that there was a healthy supply of them in the surrounding copse of trees and that we would be well fed. Carol and Lori took over the cleaning and cooking of the animals as Daryl left us and spoke to Rick briefly before heading to the overturned bus blocking the gate and climbing up, pacing back and forth as he kept watch and Rick circled the whole fence.
Once the food was cooked, I picked up a plate and got up, wincing as my knees popped before crossing the field to Daryl. The underside of the bus provided a pretty decent ladder and I climbed up one handed, passing up the plate so I'd have both hands free.
"It's not much. But if I don't bring you somethin', you won't eat at all." I commented as Daryl took the plate and nodded.
"Guess little Shane over there's got quite the appetite." He joked, chewing up a piece of squirrel and spitting a bone over to his right.
"Don't be mean." But I couldn't contain my laughter as our eyes met. "Shane could never have gotten us this far, him and his bald head would have gotten us killed." I added and Daryl shrugged, rolling my shoulders I felt a little stiff and rubbed the muscle absent-mindedly.
"What's wrong?" I shook my head.
"It's just that rifle, the kickback. I suppose I'm not used to it." He nodded and put his plate down.
"Hold on." Licking his fingers, he set to massaging the muscle I'd been worrying, fingers pressing down harder than mine had been. Smiling softly, I turned around and laughed, ignoring his pink cheeks.
"We'd better get back." I shrugged and looked around, marvelling at the impressive view we had from the top of the bus.
"It's pretty romantic." I looked him up and down. "Want to screw around?" Daryl snorted and made to climb down from the bus as I laughed.
"I'll go down first." With a nod, I stepped closer.
"That's an even better idea." He paused and scowled over his shoulder as I laughed again. Daryl moved away from the edge of the bus as I sat down and kicked my legs out over the edge, watching the rest of the group from the distance. "I don't wanna go back yet, Hershel was plannin' to get Beth singin', that ain't my idea of a peaceful night." I could hear her start to sing around the fire from here, listening to the bus creak as Daryl sat next to me.
"Wanna tell me what's goin' on up there?" He poked the side of my head and I sighed, looking away. "You got somethin' you need to say?" I hesitated and chewed my lip for a few seconds. "Ain't been actin' normal these last few days, somethin' Carol said been eatin' at you?"
"She keeps tryin' to play match maker, so does Maggie." I replied quietly and he nodded, looking down at Rick as he passed beneath us. "You know I've never met a man like you," he sniggered, "it's the truth, I've never met a man who can track, hunt and piss at the same time; you just have that way of lookin' completely at ease even when you're brickin' it and this group really is fucked without you."
Beth's voice was echoing towards us, singing and I shuddered. The seconds ticked by as we sat there and listened, Rick creeping back over to the others and accepting his plate, forcing Lori to take some of his food as extra.
"You ain't helpin' with the courtyard tomorrow, too many Walkers." I nodded and scooted closer, under his outstretched arm where I wriggled as close as I could. "Help Andrea pile up the bodies instead." To me, it was clear as glass why the others thought there was something between me and the Redneck, the way we were sat now.
"Who's takin' next shift?"
"No one is, ain't gotta keep watch, not with these fences…sleepy?" I nodded and pulled back, getting up before stretching again and feeling like there were lead weights attached to my limbs. "You wanna talk about dealin' with Carol and Maggie?"
"Just what I should tell them." I replied and climbing down from the bus after Daryl, feeling his hands wrap around my ankles to help me down the last bit, were there wasn't a foothold. Pinned between the redneck and the bus, I let my hands fall onto his shoulders, closing the gap a little more.
This was our moment, hidden from the rest of the group where no one could see us and gently, slowly, I pressed my lips against Daryl's, feeling him move with me, like this had been expected. Resting my forehead against his, I grinned and kissed him again before letting him go.
"Tell 'em the truth."