Daryl couldn't sleep; between Carol's sobbing in her sleep and Andrea fidgeting with her gun, trying to put it back together, the noise was terrible. He gets up off the RV floor and grabs his crossbow and a flashlight.
"I need my gun and my clip now." He tells Andrea; she hands it to him. "Gonna walk the road, shine a light in the woods so if Sophia's got something to focus on."
With a nod to Carol, who just wipes away her tears, the Beta woman follows him out, not wanting to be stuck on babysitting Carol again. She also has a few things that she wants to talk to Daryl about. They inform Dale as he was on watch and take off, making sure they don't wander too far away. They walked in silence for a while, but Andrea couldn't stand it anymore.
"Do you really think that we're going to find Sophia? The pup has been missing for two days now." Daryl shines the light in the Beta's face, giving her a stupid look.
"Of course we're going to find that little girl. What the hell's wrong with you people, we just started looking. It's Georgia, she's probably hiding in some farmhouse or somethin'."
"She's only 12, Daryl. You can't expect her to be able to protect herself or anything. She's away from the group and probably scared."
"I got lost when I was younger than her." Daryl kicks the dirt with his heel and spits; Andrea scowls in disgust at it but stays close. Daryl continued, "Spent a little over a week lost in the woods, eating berries, wiping my ass with poison oak."
"They found you I'm guessing." Andrea snorts. Of course, Dixon would compare his great story against a baby Omega's tragic one.
"Hell no." The Beta woman looks at the hunter in surprise, "My old man was on a bender; hadn't seen him in a couple of months. Merle was in another stint in Juvie. Both of them didn't even know I was gone, though I doubt they would have cared if they had. I found my way back, went straight into the kitchen, and made myself a sandwich. The only difference is Sophia's got people looking for her. I call that an advantage." Daryl says after they stop.
"Why didn't they care; what about your mother?"
Daryl's voice dropped and took on a raspy thick southern accent, "The world ain't ever gonna be given no shits 'bout some Dixon boy. Don't expect it to, them how the weak get weaker and die. Yer a Dixon boy, Dixons ain't weak. You take after yer whore of a moth'a and I shoot ya meself. I ain't raise no bitch."
Andrea stops walking, staring at the other man. Daryl didn't notice, yet he stopped to look for movement in the trees. "He would have done it too my old man. It's how he was raised, no bitches unless they're yours."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Andrea gasps.
"My family didn't take Mates or wives, only Breeders." Daryl swallows, "Dad only had one and got attached. Never took another after my mom died, it would've killed him. He loved him, my mom. My uncle had six. The first one I remember was Shelley, his fourth. I had a cousin from her, my uncle loved the kid; the only boy he ever had. When he presented my uncle went to his room, saw the mess he made with his heat slick, and shot him in his bed. Went and sat on the porch and had a beer with my dad. Shelley came out with his shotgun, didn't say anything, and blew her brains out. The two of them laughed and went and got my uncle another one. He fucked the new woman on the porch next to the corpse with the whole neighborhood hootin' and hollerin'. Took her inside and knotted her over his son's body. Told her she better never give him another bitch. I still remember her screams sometimes."
"I thought you said you were raised Traditional. That's beyond Traditional; that's barbaric." Andrea stutters. "And I thought you said your dad was on a bender with a Beta when you got lost, but he never took another partner after yer mom?"
"I was 8 when I got lost, 11 when my cousin presented. My mom had killed himself when he found out dad was runnin' off playing hooky. My mom might have been a Breeder, but he loved my dad too. It hurt him because he always thought he wasn't enough."
"Daryl? Why are you different? You don't believe in that stuff, I know you don't. Why?" Andrea watches the Beta's face.
"Because even though he was an asshole, Merle wanted the best for me. He raised me to be better than my dad, got me out of there after I presented and into a New School district. Made sure to beat all my dad's lessons out of me when he could. Still had to stay with the old man when Merle got picked up and served time, but Merle did alright by me."
"That why you don't trust Shane?" Daryl didn't say another word, but Andrea had her answer.
Carol and Dale are waiting for them to get back. When Carol sees them without her daughter, she starts crying, getting down from the RV and heading inside. Daryl turns off the flashlight and goes inside to comfort the other Omega.
…
Glenn and T-Dog arrive at the farm after dark in the jeep. They walk up to the door slowly, T-Dog leaning on Glenn heavily. Reaching the steps, they see blood. Glenn swallows and tries to joke it off, making sure T-Dog can hear him. "So, should we ring the bell or…?"
"Did you close the gate up the road when ya drove in?" Maggie asks, smiling. Glenn moves in front of T-Dog and bares his teeth, surprised by the other Alpha. When he realizes what he did, he stutters an apology, throat bare, but he stays in front of T-Dog.
"Sorry, hi. Yeah, we closed it." Glenn glances at T-Dog. "We came to help. Anything we can do?"
Maggie glances at the Beta and the cut on his arm. "It's not a bite. I cut myself pretty bad though."
"We'll have it looked at; I'll tell them you're here." The two of them follow Maggie inside with the promise of food.
Glenn could smell Rick, Lori, and Carl the second they stepped in. He whines, looking between Maggie and the room, not knowing if he could see them or not. T-Dog moves closer too, and Maggie smiles tightly, gesturing to the room. Glenn runs over just to stand in the doorway, watching.
Maggie looks at T-Dog in question. "We think he comes from a big family of Alphas, so he's Suppressed, badly. The first time I've seen him act on his Alpha instincts was out there on that porch and you saw how quick he was to submit after it. Rick has done some good things for him and he ain't even been with us that long."
Maggie gives Glenn a little nudge towards Rick, and the Alpha whines to get his Prime's attention. Rick turns around and stands up, going to his Packmates. He hugs them both and scents them, nodding to T-Dog's cut. "It getting any better?"
"Yeah. Daryl gave me some good-ass painkillers and stuff. They're going to stay on the highway tonight, make a sign for Sophia, leave her some supplies and stuff." Rick purrs softly and rubs their necks when T-Dog tells him what the Packs were doing for the pup. Glenn steps behind Rick with a whimper when Hershel stands up from checking over Carl. Lori looks up at the noise and cuts off whatever the Elder Alpha is going to say.
"If they-"
"I'm sorry but Glenn," The Asian Alpha flinches at the way the Beta woman says his name, drawing Hershel's attention with a frown. "My son is lying here, internally bleeding and I don't have the patience to deal with your games. Grow up or get out of this room."
"LORI!" Rick roars, eyes black. "Be quiet. Now is not the time for your insensitive, Traditional Beta hierarchy shit. Keep my Pack out of your mouth."
Rick turns to Glenn, the Alpha's lip is bleeding, and his throat is shaking with all his efforts not to make a sound, so he can stay in the room with the pup. Rick rumbles loud and threateningly at Lori, but he massages Glenn's neck, trying to loosen the muscles before the Alpha cuts off his airway, trying to please the Beta bitch. When that doesn't work, and Glenn's breathing turns shallow, he moves.
"Maggie, please, help me get him in the other room, T-Dog makes sure he keeps breathing, we have to get him away from Lori. Now move, move!" The Prime shoves Glenn gently out of the room, and they make their way to the couch. Once Glenn is seated, Rick hits his knees in front of him, dragging Glenn's head forward and rubbing their scent glands together, purring as loud as he can. The others stayed back and watched, even Hershel, who had followed them in case the Alpha needed medical help because none of them knew what to do. How do you help an Alpha that is so Suppressed he takes orders from a Beta that wasn't even a part of his own Pack?
Glenn clings to Rick, and when he starts to purr back, the Prime gestures for T-Dog to join in. The Alpha pulls Daryl's rabbit's foot out of his pocket and holds it up to Glenn's nose as well. The smell of the four men helps, and Glenn finds the strength to speak.
"I'm sorry, I wanted to stay for Carl, I didn't mean to-"
"Hey, look at me." Rick waits until Glenn looks him in the eye, "I'm your Alpha, right? Not Lori, not Shane, not Dale, me, right?"
Glenn nods. "So, who do you listen to?"
"You and anyone you put in charge. But Lori's his mother and she has a say about-" Glenn whimpers and Rick cuts him off. "-But I'm his father and if I say you can be in there, Lori can't do shit. Now, if it makes you feel better, I'll take you and T-Dog in there later when Lori comes out, so you won't have to worry about her saying anything to you, okay? You listen to me, not Lori; my orders, not anyone else's unless it's for the good of the Flock. We're going to listen to Hershel and his Pack because we are on their property, their rules. Both of you understand?"
"Yes, Alpha." Glenn and T-Dog reply. Hershel raises a brow in surprise that the younger Alpha would defer his Pack to another Alpha's decisions. It was a refreshing bout of manners the older Alpha hadn't expected.
"Now I'm going to go back in there to check on Carl, and deal with the Beta." The way Rick said that made the Greene Pack wonder how the pup could be the two of theirs if they didn't get along well. Rick ignores the other Pack while he purrs at Glenn, making sure the Alpha knew he wasn't in trouble, "But I need you to do something else for me. T-Dog's hurt right now, so I need you to take care of him while I take care of Carl, okay? Can you do that for me? Be his Alpha right now while I deal with the pup?"
"Yes, I can do that. I know where Carl's room is if we need anything. Maggie can help show me and T-Dog around, right?" Glenn looks at the other Alphas, hopeful. Rick looks at Hershel, pleading, who nods his consent. Maggie goes over to T-Dog and helps him stand; Glenn rushes forward to grab his other arm, the injured one. He looks to Rick one more time.
"You know where I am." Rick purrs softly and waves them off.
"If that boy had a tail, it would be wagging so hard, I'd be scared he would sprain it." Rick laughs at the image and turns to the older Alpha.
"I mean it, my Pack will defer to you and yours. But Shane has his own Pack, and our Flock tends to fight amongst each other on what's right and wrong. I can't promise anything for them or the ones that stay unattached, but you have my word that I will speak with them and warn them about any rules you set up. They look to me, even Shane, as their Prime, so they are my responsibility. I hope we can come to an understanding." Rick holds out his hand for Hershel to shake, and he does. "Now, can we return to Carl and Lori? You were trying to tell us something about our son…. my pup and I want to know anything we can get."
…
Lori ran when Hershel told them he would have to operate without the respirator if Shane and Otis didn't get back soon. Rick finds her on the porch, crying silently, with her arms wrapped around her sides as if they were the only things holding her together.
"Maybe this isn't a world for children anymore." Lori sighs.
"Yeah well, we have a child. And he's here now, so I guess-" Rick tries to joke off, not liking where the conversation was already going. Lori cuts him off with a scuff.
"Maybe he shouldn't be. Maybe this is for the best." Lori turns to the Alpha and gasps.
Rick's eyes were completely black, white fist tremble by his sides with veins popping out like it was taking everything in him to hold back. The Alpha turns around, clenching and unclenching his hands, taking deep breathes through his nose. He snarls when she tries to call his name, and Lori seems to realize that she has finally pushed too far. Once he's calmed down and his eyes are no longer black, Rick addresses the Beta woman. "You can't mean that. That boy in there is OUR SON."
"Why? Why would we want Carl to live like this? So, he can see more people be ripped apart in front of him? So, he can run away until he's- he's going to have to go to sleep with one eye open, hungry and scared and tired, every night for the rest of his life, for however long that will be? And if he does survive- what then? He lives as an ANIMAL, living off instincts? If he dies tonight, that's it. He doesn't have to be scared anymore. Jacqui and Amy and Jim; they don't have to-"
"ENOUGH." Rick growls angrily. "I won't- I will not listen to this anymore. THAT IS OUR SON! And you-"
Rick's voice breaks, his eyes water. How could he have ever loved this woman; how could Shane still? Rick shakes his head and walks away, ready to hit the Beta and knowing it would be wrong. Hershel's Pack wasn't like his, and they didn't know their story. The Alpha couldn't risk them not treating T-Dog and Carl because he couldn't control his temper around his ex.
"Rick!" The Alpha stops, holding the door open with one foot inside, waiting for Lori to continue, "You have to understand, I can't have my son growing up in a world like this one."
"Then maybe Carl shouldn't be your son." Rick leaves her to sob on the porch. The nerve of that woman.
…
Carl wakes up later, not knowing where he is. Rick and Lori calm him down and introduce Hershel before Carl goes into a seizure. Rick hits his knees, crying as he watches his pup shake in pain. He offers his arm before Hershel even says anything, "You're wasting time. Help my pup, please."
The others come in with the noise, All of Hershel's Pack and Rick's. And Lori chooses that time to make things worse. "I renounce my Claim."
Rick freezes, and the group stares at her in shock. Lori wraps her arms around herself as Hershel asks, breathless in disbelief, "What do mean you renounce your Claim; Claim to whom?"
"To Carl. I don't want any child of mine to live in a world like this. What would they think of me?"
Rick knew where she was going; it was where she always went. The opinion of how others would view HER. The Alpha snaps. He turns to Lori with a snarl, "They're dead! Your friends, your family, your MOTHER. Their opinions don't matter anymore, because they're gone! How we raised Carl was never any of their business in the first place, it damn well isn't now. THIS IS YOUR SON."
"He was my son." Lori sniffles, "This is hard enough for me, Rick. I don't need you villainizing me-"
"You're his mother. He needs you now more than ever and you're- you're going to-" Beth, Hershel's youngest daughter, and an Omega start to sob. Patricia herds her out, shushing her and glaring at Lori.
Rick ignores everyone else and begs Hershel to take more blood. "I can't take anymore from you Rick, you'll die."
"I can't lose my pup, please-"
"Take mine." The two men look at Glenn, who was already moving to the seat next to Rick, rolling up his sleeve.
"Young man-"
"He's A Positive, I'm O Negative; I can donate to anyone. Take mine." The Asian Alpha insists, "Carl's a part of my Pack, my family. We take care of our own."
It was a blatant dig at Lori, and the Beta was quick to retaliate while Maggie rushed to get him set up.
"I'm not going to apologize for MY parenting choices to some-"
"That's it." T-Dog comes up and grabs Lori by the back of her neck, dragging her from the room. "I've had to listen to the bullshit comin' out of yer mouth for the last five months, and now that the pup ain't your no more, I'm done. I'll guard the door." it shut behind the two of them, and the ones left can hear them argue.
Hershel turns to Rick, who was purring and Scenting Glenn softly in thanks. "I'm sorry but I need an answer. If I'm going to operate I have to do it now."
"Do it."
…
Shane gets back just as they're moving Carl to the table for surgery. Glenn stays where he is while Patricia gets the supplies ready. Rick runs out of the room to meet the two, Hershel following. Lori is already by the other Alpha since she was sitting outside with T-Dog when he pulled up.
"Carl?" The man pants, praying he wasn't too late. Hershel and Maggie grab the stuff and head back in. T-Dog took the bags from Maggie, telling her to go greet the guys and thank Otis for getting the stuff before running after the Elder Alpha as fast as he could. Maggie goes down where Rick and Lori are filling Shane in when she notices that something is missing.
"Otis? Is he-" she chokes back tears when Shane shakes his head, "no one tells Patricia. She needs to help daddy and she can't do that if she knows he's-"
Maggie goes back into the house without another word. Rick pulls the Alpha that had risked so much for his pup into his Scent glands and just breathes, allowing his scent to calm the man. Lori has disappeared when they pull apart.
Glenn was released from blood duty after Hershel came back in with the stuff from Shane and Otis, T-Dog right behind him. He goes to check on his Alpha when Maggie comes through the door sobbing. He follows her instead and lets her tell him about Otis. His death, how the Greene Pack knew him; she told him about the others she had lost to the New World, whose pictures hung on the fridge. And when she couldn't talk anymore, he lets her use his shoulder to cry on, hoping his scent was as comforting to her as Rick's has been for him.
…..
Rick goes with Hershel to tell Patricia about Otis once Carl is stable enough. Shane watches as the woman breaks down at the table before he goes sees the pup. He finds Lori in there after not seeing her for hours.
"Why didn't you come to see him after Hershel told Rick he was going to be okay?"
"I did something stupid; said something I regret but can't take back." The Beta takes a deep breath.
"I renounced my Claim; I couldn't bear the thought that he was going to die the same way he thought his father had. If I had just said it in front of Rick it would have been one thing, it could have been played off as both of us being over emotional because our son was dying. But I said it in front of everyone else and I just-" Lori stands up, sniffing and wipes her hands on her jeans, petting Carl's hair one more time. Shane fights down the feeling of ripping her hand off the boy. You don't abandon your pup, ever. "-There's a shower upstairs and your clothes and some towels are already in there."
She walks past him and places a kiss on his cheek, wiping more tears away and heading towards the porch. Part of the Alpha wants to go after her; his Mate was upset and in emotional pain. Another part of him thinks she deserves to be. He decides to go take a shower; hopefully, it will wash away the feeling of guilt he has for sacrificing Otis. He shaves his head, praying no one had noticed the patch of hair the Beta had ripped out, trying to keep Shane from leaving him there, the Alpha's last bullet in his leg, preventing him from getting up.
…...
The rest of the Flock show up on the farm in the early morning, while the Packs moved stones to set up a memorial for Otis. Daryl rides in front, the others following in the RV. Glenn could hear the motorcycle coming before they could see it, and he let everyone know they were here before running inside to get Rick and Hershel. They were in Carl's room, and the Elder Alpha was giving Rick the excellent news that his pup would be fine with some rest. They discussed handing over the Flock's medicine as payment for Carl and T-Dog's treatment and letting them stay here while they looked for Sophia.
"They're here Rick, Hershel." They follow the younger Alpha outside as Daryl puts the kickstand down and turns off the bike. The rest of the group piles out of the cars and walks over.
Daryl's the first to speak, pacing. "The pup okay? Thought you were gonna meet us back at the highway but we get Zorro here," he points at Maggie, "riding in on a horse, taking Lori, and talking about Carl being shot. What the hell happened huh? Can we see him; is he up?"
Daryl was pacing, like a cornered animal, watching everyone with suspicion. Hershel's Pack watches him without saying anything or looking at anyone else, which puts him on edge even more. The second Rick walks to him, he stops, waiting.
"He'll pull through. He's been in and out for a while but he's going to be okay." Daryl huffs, clasping Rick on the shoulder, and moves back, behind everyone else. Glenn and T-Dog make their way to him, talking about the Greene Pack and Carl, how he was shot and Shane and Otis going for supplies, Otis's death, and T-Dog thanks him for the pills. Everyone else goes to congratulate Rick and Lori, which the Beta takes in stride.
Carol hugs her, "Thank God he's okay."
The Beta feels guilty for deceiving the Omega who had lost her child and wanted nothing more than to find her. "Carol, I-"
"THE HELL YOU MEAN SHE RENOUNCED HER PUP?!" The Packs look at Daryl, who was livid, looking at T-Dog for answers, Glenn hiding behind the Beta.
"Daryl." Rick calls out, trying to draw the Omega's attention. The hunter ignores Rick and stomps towards the Beta, crossbow bouncing on his back. Shane steps in front of his Mate, blocking Daryl from advancing. The Omega made a terrifying image, pissed and looking for a fight.
"I don't see why it matters to you, Dixon. My family isn't any of your business." The Beta swallows, trying not to show her fear.
"Bullshit lady! They ain't yer family anymore; you gave them up. And the hell it ain't my business! Or did you forget who brought the kid back after ya left him in the middle of a fucking herd at the CDC? I did!" Daryl makes a sarcastic wave at Lori, "Because his Mama didn't want to pay attention to where her fucking kid was. Guess you ain't got to worry about that now huh?"
Lori takes a step away, and Shane gets in Daryl's space, pushing back. "That's enough Daryl."
"What are you going to do Walsh? You ain't my Alpha." Shane tackles the Omega to the ground, throwing a punch to the man's head.
"HEY!" Rick roars, running over to break the fight up. Daryl turns his head to avoid the punch while sending out one of his own. Knocking Shane off him, the Omega stands up and pulls the crossbow off his back, resting the pre-set bolt-on Shane's temple. The Alpha rumbles softly from where he sat on his knees, the group all begging Daryl to stop. Rick gets right next to the man and pushes the bow to the side, away from everyone.
"Daryl, stop. You're scaring everyone, including Hershel's Pack. We need them, and if the two of you are fighting after just meeting them, Hershel can kick us off his land." Daryl's eyes snap to the older Alpha on the porch before looking at Rick, "We need to stay here. For T-Dog and Carl to get better we need to stay, they might even have a map, so we can start looking for Sophia better too."
Daryl's grip slacks and the bow moves further away from the Alpha's head, which Shane tries to take advantage of. Still, Rick squeezes the man's neck, one of his thumbs pushes on his Scent gland, causing his body to go limp with a whine. Rick never takes his eyes off the Omega in front of him, though, and Daryl nods, pulling away. Rick lets go too and backs up. Daryl spits at the ground where Shane is and walks to Hershel. He looks at the other man and bares his throat an inch.
"I'm sorry. I'll stay away from the knot-head and his bitch; you won't have to worry about no more fightin' from me. Them woods, can we hunt in them?" The group was a little shocked that he was asking that after almost killing the other Alpha, but Hershel just nodded.
"Just not on my farm or any of my animals. And I ask you don't skin them on my porch. Maggie or Patricia will show you where you can dump the unused parts when you get back." Hershel tells him. Daryl nods and shoulders his bow, walking away.
"Be back 'fore dark." And he goes to disappear into the trees.
"Be safe. Carl will want to see you." Rick calls after him. A raised hand was his only reply.
…
Hours later, the group had finished putting the piles of stones together, and Hershel said a prayer for Otis. Shane speaks as well as he was the last to be with Otis. Daryl wanders back a little after, three bags on his shoulders, crossbow in hand. He walks up to Hershel, sitting on the porch with Maggie and Patricia while the other Packs set up camp.
"Why's everyone crying? Did I miss something?" Daryl asks quietly. Glenn comes out of the house and stands next to the door.
"Otis's funeral. We just finished." Glenn nods towards the pile of rocks under one of the trees.
"I didn't know y'all were doing that today. My apologies, I would have been there to pay my respects." Patricia sniffles and says thanks before going in to check on Beth, Carl, and Jimmy, Beth's boyfriend. Daryl pulls one of the bags open, looking inside before checking the next one. He pulls it off and holds it up, unsure.
"I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier, so I- I brought tribute. It's the best parts of the animals I could find. It's mostly squirrel and opossums but-" The Omega shrugs, and Maggie smiles and takes the bag. "I'm gonna sort through the rest after I drop our share off, the furs and stuff might be useful as the winter hits."
Hershel nods and follows him and Glenn back to the group. He drops the bags off, telling everyone that one was food, the other was guts. Jimmy and Maggie come out with a map, and Shane, Rick, Daryl, Andrea, and the three from the Greene Pack circle around, placing rocks down to hold the map open.
"We can finally get this thing organized," Rick says, eyeing the map in consideration.
"Not you, not today. You gave three pints of blood, five minutes in this heat and they'll be dragging you back unconscious." Hershel tells Rick before turning to Shane, "And if you don't rest that ankle of yours, you'll be out for a month."
"Guess it's just me." Daryl grunts, pointing to a spot on the map, "I'm gonna head back to the creek, start from there, and make my way back."
"I can still be useful." Shane cuts in. "I'll drive back up to the highway, check, and see if Sophia came back."
"Alright. Tomorrow, we start this right." The Alpha nods.
The group goes to split off when Shane stops them. "We also need the gun training that we've been promising the Packs. Can't just have our people out there with knives, pointy sticks, and shit."
"I'd rather your people didn't have guns on my property." Hershel rumbles.
"With all due respect, you get a crowd of those things-" Daryl cuts Shane off, reaching over to place his gun on the hood of the truck they were gathered around.
"Shane." Rick rumbles, "This is Hershel's land. We will respect his decisions. If he doesn't want guns on his property, we won't carry guns." Rick places his gun on the hood next to Daryl's and waits until Shane caves, surrounding his as well, before turning to Hershel.
"I do request that we have a lookout on the RV, with a rifle. Dale has the experience, he's responsible. I doubt you'll even see it, but our people would be less inclined to carry if they knew there was one ready."
"Just the one. And not until I have spoken with the man and okay it. I will let you know when he can have it out." Hershel nods.
"Thank you." Rick bows his head, allowing his neck to show a little.
"Hate to be the one to ask but what if we find the little girl and she's bit?" Shane lowers his chin, voice low as well.
"We do what has to be done. Keep it quiet from Carol and Carl until it's over." Rick shakes his head.
"What are you going to tell her mother?!" Maggie cuts in, surprised.
"The truth." Andrea looks at the Alpha like she is stupid. "The girl's bit, we kill her. Zero tolerance for Walkers or them-to-be, right Rick, Daryl?" She looks at the two before walking off.
Daryl was the only one who noticed the look shared between Hershel and Maggie and the older Alpha's silent shake to not say anything. The Omega narrows his eyes but leaves it be for now.
The others leave until it's just Rick, Maggie, and Hershel. They talk about supplies for a while, then Maggie says she is going into town. Rick offers Glenn to go with if they want, but only if he's willing. The Alpha stares hard at the two of them, "I haven't done a lot to get Glenn where he is, but it's going to take a lot more before he's willing to do things on his own. I respect that this is your property; I ask you to respect that they are my Pack."
When Maggie nods and Hershel gives his okay, Rick calls Glenn over to them.
"I hear you are fast on your feet and know how to get in and out." Maggie says when the other Alpha stops next to his Prime. Glenn whines and looks at Rick and Hershel wide-eyed, hands up to defend himself. Rick rumbles softly and tries not to laugh. Maggie smiles at the other Alpha's embarrassment and continues, "Got a pharmacy run to town. You in?"
Glenn sighs and drops his hands, relieved. He looks at the other Alphas, waiting for something. Rick steps in, rubbing Glenn's neck gently. "Hershel said it was okay, and I'm giving you my approval as well. But it's your choice, you can say no."
"Uh…. sure…."
"Sir?" Dale interrupts quietly. Hershel turns to him, "What's the water situation here?"
Hershel takes the Elder around the corner, talking to him about the wells. Maggie leaves to saddle the horses, and Glenn watches her leave. Rick coughs, and Glenn turns around, scared.
"Just be careful Glenn. And make sure you have her and Hershel's consent before you do anything, okay?"
…
Rick was sitting on the porch when Daryl walked past him. He calls out to the Omega and jogs over to him when he stops. "You gonna be okay on yer own out there?"
The Omega huffs, "I'll be back before dark."
"Daryl wait." Rick moves in front of him, ensuring he doesn't touch the hunter, knowing how much the man hates being touched.
"You got a point to make or just chatting?" Daryl snaps. The Alpha was taking valuable time away from the hunter that he could use to find Sophia.
"I just want you to know since you're unattached you don't owe the Packs anything. Carl and Sophia aren't your responsibility, but I AM grateful for all you've done for them." Rick speaks over whatever Daryl was about to rip him for.
Daryl waits for the Alpha to finish talking before he swallows, shifting the crossbow on his back a little, looking at the ground. "You are my Pack, so Carl is my responsibility. Sophia's a pup and a fellow Omega, I can smell it on her. Carol and her…. I have to protect them, instincts and shit."
"You'll let me claim you as Pack?" Rick lowers his voice.
"Between you and Walsh, you're the better choice. And them pills ain't gonna last much longer, especially if we're giving them to Hershel like ya'll were talking about, for payment for Carl and T-Dog. Rather be in a New School Pack when I go into Heat." Daryl huffs. "You can do it later when we don't have to worry about everyone snooping around. I ain't gettin' scented in front of the others."
"Whatever makes you comfortable, we'll do. I don't want my Pack to hate me cause of something simple we can fix." Rick reaches into his pocket and pulls out the chain and rabbit's foot, handing it back to its owner. "Thank you for this too. It's helped. Come back safe, your Pack will be waiting for you. Carl will also want to see you. Good luck."
Daryl takes the little charm from the Alpha's hand, HIS Alpha's hand. Rick hesitates but holds out his hand after rubbing it on his scent gland. Daryl snorts but does the same thing before heading out to hunt, his Alpha's scent clinging to him.
Rick walks back to the house, meeting Hershel by the porch steps. The Alphas watch the Flock get their tents up, Dale on the RV on the lookout without the rifle. Rick turns to the older Alpha, "We could give you more space, move over by the barn."
"No, no need for that. It will be better for us all if you stay close to the house." Hershel gestures for Rick to follow him, and they start making their way to the field behind the house. "Now Rick, I don't say this easily. We're not used to taking in strangers, even Before. I don't think we're going to start now either. Once your pup is up walking around and your girl is found, I expect you to move on. We need to be clear on that; this arrangement is not permanent."
…
Glenn was waiting for Maggie to show up with the horses, ready to go on a run with the other Alpha. He watches through the binoculars as the woman comes closer. Lori steps in front of his vision, and the Alpha jumps in fright. Good thing this Beta couldn't smell Glenn's embarrassment or interest in the Alpha female.
Alphas weren't supposed to get together, not from a Traditional view. If the Beta had been anything else, Glenn could have been in trouble. Not that Lori could do anything; Rick was right. She wasn't part of their Pack, and she couldn't do anything to him now that she had gotten rid of the last link to his Alpha by renouncing her son. But her going to Hershel ….
"Hi. Here, the list of stuff for the Packs." Oh. Right. He takes the paper from her and looks it over, already mapping out where he would need to go in the store to find everything. "And uh…. There's one other item, I wrote it down separately. It's personal. If we could be real discreet about this, okay?"
"Um… what is it?"
"That kind of defeats the purpose of it being discreet." Lori rolls her eyes. Glenn doesn't say anything, figuring that Lori was so air-headed she didn't realize Glenn would find out what the thing was when he had to go get it. Fucking Traditional Beta.
"Where is it? I have no idea how long the other Alpha wants to be there, so I need to find this quickly."
"Try the feminine hygiene section." Oh. OH. Glenn blushes but reassures her that he'll get it.
…
Glenn and Maggie ride the horses in silence. Glenn thinks back to Rick in Atlanta and smiles in amusement. He keeps thinking about things his Alpha and new Pack have done for him, making him a bit more confident to talk. He tells Maggie about some of the runs he did back in the Quarry; about meeting Rick in Atlanta, the car he got to drive to lure away Walkers. The Alpha notices that Maggie would scowl and urge her horse a little faster anytime he mentions Walkers, so he doesn't talk about them. When they get to the pharmacy, he asks if she is alright and gets brushed off.
"Back at the well earlier today… was that the first time you saw one of them killed up close? I guess it is kind of a shock, I know mine was. Out on the road, I guess we see it so much, we've gotten numb to it." Glenn says with a grunt as he gets off the horse.
"I guess so." Maggie gets down with ease, and they head in. A sign in the window reads: 'Take what you need, and God bless.' Talk about southern hospitality. They split up, Maggie looking for antibiotics behind the counter and Glenn looking for the item Lori asked for. When he finds it, he almost growls. Everything was clear now, her not fighting so much with Rick and the Pack, her renouncing Carl. Lori was pregnant with Shane's baby. She was either cutting out a possible threat by having two pups with different fathers or abandoning Carl because she couldn't get Rick back and hoping to start over. As Glenn thinks about which option was more than likely to be accurate, a rumble starts up in his throat. Maggie's voice behind him sends him into action, hiding the pregnancy test in his bag and grabbing the closest thing next to him.
"Find anything?"
"Yeah just uuh…" he holds up the item and sighs. Why did God hate him?
"Condoms? You got a girlfriend or a Mate I don't know about?" Glenn stutters, and Maggie rolls her eyes,
"Glenn, I'm an Alpha, I could smell your arousal and interest in me the whole was here."
"Right."
"I'll have sex with you." Maggie takes off her hat and leaves it on the shelf next to them.
"Really? Why?" Glenn mentally slaps himself, "We-we can't. We're both Alphas and from different Packs. You're Traditional and I'm New School, and-"
Maggie kisses the other Alpha, and Glenn melts. She smells so good but weird, like the farm and cleaning chemicals and old books.
"My father knows I'm not Traditional, I switched to New School while I was in college, he also knows I experimented while I was away." Maggie pulls off her top and bra before stepping up to Glenn, who has closed his eyes. "You wouldn't be the first Alpha I've been with. You're not the only one who gets lonely. Do you want to stop?"
Glenn shakes his head and opens his eyes, whining loudly with a flushed face at seeing the Alpha's bare chest. He pulls his shirt off too and calms down a bit when he smells Maggie's attraction as well; they kiss again.
They were almost to the Flock's camp when Glenn apologized again. "I'm sorry."
"We both got off; it's fine. Stop trying to spoil it." Maggie sighs heavily with a small smile. Not all sex has to be penetrative, Glenn. We still did it, and you got your other Alpha cherry popped."
"I think you popped more than just that cherry." Maggie turns in the saddle to look at the Alpha; Glenn just shrugged. "It was my first time doing anything like that. Suppressed Alphas don't really have the confidence or desire to engage in sexual pleasure unless forced because of the hormone imbalance."
"What about you?" Maggie asks.
"I have Rick and the Pack to thank for that. I'm getting better every day. Maybe one day I'll even be able to go all the way, ya know?"
"This was a one-time thing." Maggie raises an eyebrow at the other Alpha.
Glenn urges his horse closer and smirks, "So it was good."
Maggie laughs, and they greet their Alphas in front of the house. Glenn hides behind Maggie until he can reach Rick, keeping his head down from Hershel's accusing glare. The two Alphas smelled heavily of each other, and the Pack leaders could smell it too. Rick grabs Glenn's neck so he doesn't run, but not punishingly, more as a reminder that Glenn didn't go anywhere without facing whatever consequences were needed, if any.
"I know my daughter, and I know both of you would have had to consent to that for it to even happen. I would ask that it not happen again, or I will be forced to act to protect my family. Rick, Glenn, I'll leave you two alone to talk it over." Hershel goes inside.
"I'm sorry." Glenn whines. Rick gets him calm with just a rumble, causing both to preen at the improvement. They talk for a bit, then Rick sits with Carl, and Lori appears next to Glenn.
"Did you get it?" She demands arms crossed over her chest. Glenn hands over the box wrapped up in a brown bag. Lori snatches it from him and shoves it into the back of her waistband.
"You need to tell Rick and Shane, or I will." Glenn rumbles in warning, swinging the bag onto his shoulder, and starts making his way to the camp. Lori snarls and grabs his shoulder, turning the Alpha around.
"You're not going to say anything to them or so help me-"
"Or what?!" Glenn snarls back, eyes almost black, "You can't boss me around anymore Lori. You lost that right when you renounced Carl, cause now nothing is connecting you with my Prime. Tell them or I will."
…
Daryl was away for a couple of hours when he found the older farmhouse in the woods. He gets the crossbow ready and approaches slowly, not knowing if Sophia is hiding there. Kicking in the front door and searching rooms, the hunter doesn't find anything until he gets to the kitchen. Most people wouldn't have even noticed it, but Daryl had always been more observant than most.
The trash was what tipped him off that someone had been here. Most of the content was old, rotting, and covered in dust. Months old. One can, though, wasn't covered in dust. The glance at the trash turned into another search altogether when he noticed that. He pulls out the can of sardines and checks the rest of the can. Everything else was old. After a quick sniff, pouring the liquid into the can tells Daryl the can was opened recently since the oily water hadn't evaporated yet. Still, the smell indicates it was a few days old. The Omega's thoughts turn to Sophia. He notices the cabinet door is swinging open, and he points the crossbow at it. Going over to it, he swings the door open completely. Nothing.
No, not nothing. Two pillows and a blanket on the floor indicate that a small person was sleeping there, a child. On the door handle was a knotted string, preventing the door from opening past a certain point. Looking at the knot, Daryl recognizes it as the ones Shane was teaching Carl about before Rick showed up. Carl had been showing Sophia how to do some when they had free time. Sophia had been here because Daryl had just found her Nest. He sniffs it a few times, trying to catch a scent, but all the food above it and the dust… nothing.
Daryl goes outside and starts calling for her, hoping she will come out if she hears someone she knows. No dice. He sees something and walks over to it, away from the farmhouse.
He comes back to the camp almost unnoticed, his gift down by his side. Walking into the RV because he knows that's where he will find Carol, double-takes when he sees how clean it looks. He goes to the back where Carol was sewing up a blanket.
"I cleaned up some. Wanted it to look nice in here when she comes home." Daryl nods and looks around again.
"For a second there, I thought I was in the wrong place." He gets a little laugh out of the other Omega and places a beer bottle with a flower inside on the table.
"A flower?" The Omega question the man.
"It's a Cherokee Rose." Daryl points at it with a huff. "Story is that when American soldiers were moving Indians off their land, on the Trail of Tears, the Cherokee mothers were grieving and crying so much. Cause they were losing their little ones along the way, from exposure and disease…...starvation. A lot of them just disappeared, mostly the Omegas. Historians think that they were sold in slavery. So, the Elders said a prayer; asked for a sign to uplift the mothers' spirits, give them strength….and hope. The next day this rose started to grow right where the mothers' tears fell."
Daryl pauses for a moment to let Carol compose herself and wipe away her tears. "I'm not big enough of a fool to think any flowers are blooming for my brother. But…. I believe that this one…... bloom for your little girl."
"Thank you." Carol sniffles with a whisper and chuckles.
"You're welcome. I need to find Rick, talk to him about what I found. Just wanted to give you the flower. Do you want me to tell you what I found? I didn't want to get your hopes up since it wasn't much but…. still think you should know if ya wanna." Daryl sits on the bench across from the older Omega.
Carol nods her head with a small, please. Daryl tells her about the house in the woods, the food he found, and the little Nest in the closet. He explains that it could have been anyone, the smell was long gone by the time he got there, but Carol was still grateful for the information. Something was bugging her, though. "Why Rick? You said you had to tell him what you found, but why him? Why not Shane? Or Hershel? They're our Alphas too, now."
"I don't want to go to Hershel cause of what happened between Shane, Lori, and me before. I don't trust Shane. I've been around too many Traditional Alphas to put much trust in them, to begin with. But how Shane's been treating me….and that's with him thinking I'm a Beta."
"You're not?"
"Naw. I'm an Omega, just been on Suppressants my whole life. Merle taught me how to overcome my instincts, and I learned quickly. With my neighborhood, it was either that or I was sold to be someone Breeder or killed. Besides out of the two Packs, Rick's is safer if I go into Heat. I want this to be a secret though, some of the others might fight back if they realize that an Omega was doing a lot of dangerous shit. Ya know how some people think we need to be cuddled, like Dale and Andrea with Amy. I'd rather avoid that." Carol nods at Daryl's explanation.
"Are you going to let him Scent you?"
"Tonight. After we talk, gonna have Glenn and T-Dog there too. Get all that shit out in one go. Might see if we can do it in Carl's room so we can Scent the pup too." Daryl gets up and leaves. He stops by the door and looks back at Carol. "You and Sophia can join too, ya know? Just in case. I think she's really going to like it in here."
…
Daryl had Rick's Pack in Carl's room and filled them in on everything when Carl woke up, gasping. Rick's quick to go to the pup's side, calming him with his purrs. Once Carl calms down, he turns to his dad. "What's wrong with mom? I can't feel her anymore. Did something happen to her?"
The group was silent. Rick rumbles softly with a sigh. "No puppy, she's fine. It's just…...she…."
Carl starts crying. The Pack moves as one, all three of them purring and releasing pheromones to calm the distressed pup. Daryl closes the door and pulls the curtains shut, and blinds down on the window. He stands by the foot of the bed, "What's wrong pup?"
"She got rid of me, didn't she?" Silence. "I remember talking about the deer we saw before I was shot, then nothing, then I remember her saying something about a Claim, everyone was loud, then…. She renounced me, didn't she? Did I do something wrong? Was I bad?"
"Hey," Daryl snaps, "none of that. You didn't do a damn thing, this is all on her. Do ya hear me, don't blame yourself for that bitch. Besides, you got yer daddy and this Pack, ya don't need her. If ya want someone to mother you, ask Carol. Once we find Sophia, her instincts are going to be in overdrive. I have no doubt ALL of us are going to get it whether we want to be or not."
Carl nods, sniffling. Daryl shrugs his apology to Rick for the language, and the Alpha accepts it. Carl sits up a bit more and looks around the room, noticing the whole Pack was here. "Why's the whole Pack here?"
"We're-"
"-including me. Unless you don't want me in the Pack?" Daryl grunts when Rick trails off, not knowing what to say about Sophia. Carl tries to jump up and yelps when he pulls the stitches. Rick pushes him back down so he doesn't hurt himself.
"Of course, I want you in the Pack. I told you that before, at the CDC when you found me, and again on the highway while we were looking for Sophia. Have you guys Scented yet? Can I?" The Pack laughs at the pup's enthusiasm. Glenn walks over and bares his throat completely, close to the boy so he wouldn't have to reach far. Carl looks at Rick, not knowing what to do.
"You rub your glands together, so it catches and remembers Glenn's scent." Rick purrs softly. The pup nods and lifts enough to rest his gland on Glenn's. The Alpha rubs a bit, causing the oils from their glands to pool on each other's skins. After Glenn moves away, Carl starts sniffing.
"I can smell Glenn!"
"You're imprinting his scent right now, while it's strong." T-Dog goes next, careful of his arm. They scent mark as well before Carl turns to Daryl. The Omega grunts as he moves to sit next to the pup on the bed, smelling distressed and nervous. Carl reaches up and wraps his arms around Daryl's neck, hugging him while rubbing their glands together. The archer shifts uncomfortably, holding the pup to him, his eyes never leaving Rick. The Alpha could tell that the Omega was watching him. Some Alphas got territorial over their pups. When Carl finally releases him and lays back, Rick places his hand on Daryl's neck. Rubbing his scent into the Omega's glands while he was still passive from Carl's scenting.
"There." Rick smiles with a rumble, "Now, you're officially Pack." Daryl nods and backs away from the bed to give his Alpha a minute to put the pup to bed.
"Dad?" Carl whimpers, "Where am I going to stay? Do I still sleep in mom's tent or do I sleep in yours?"
Glenn pats the pup on the knee, "I'll grab your things from Lori's tent and move them into your dad's for now. We can get everything situated once you're okay to be up moving around, okay?" Rick purrs his consent, and T-Dog and Glenn leave to go do it before it gets too dark.
"I'm going to go check on Carol, then I've got the watch. If you need me, I'll be there." Daryl makes his way over to the door, stopping when Carl calls out to him.
"Daryl wait. I'm happy you decided to be part of the Pack. Thank you." Daryl nods again to the Alpha and his pup and leaves, his chest tight.
On his way to the RV, Daryl walks past the pasture by the barn, not noticing Lori kneeling in the grass. She was sobbing, a positive pregnancy test clutched in the Beta's white-knuckled fist.