Chapter 64 - Take me to church

"It's been a while since I've been inside a church. I hope I don't get smote!" declared Tahlia, then she frowned. "Wait. Smote? Smited?"

Tara laughed as she skirted a fallen tree. "Smotered! Smeet!"

"Smootasaurused!"

"Fuckin' hell. I hope ya do." muttered Daryl then quickly blocked a jab from Tahlia.

He'd spent the past half hour walking with her and Tara and was baffled by the constant stream of bantered nonsense between them to pass the time. He knew Tahlia could talk a lot of shit, but the two of them together was next level. Just then, the small church came into view through the thinning trees up ahead, and Daryl stopped suddenly and caught hold of Tahlia, stopping her too.

"Stay right next to me. I mean it. We dunno what we're walkin' into here."

"Sir, yes sir!" proclaimed Tahlia with a grin, but she quickly dropped it when she saw the serious look on Daryl's face.

"Tahly, please." he implored lowly, his eyes bright with worry.

He knew he was being overprotective but couldn't help it, couldn't dial it back. Didn't want to - not yet, not after everything, and he didn't care how unnecessary it was. All he cared about was keeping her safe; keeping her with him.

"I will." Tahlia gave a solemn promise. "I will."

The cries for help that they had heard earlier had led them to a man clinging to the top of a large rock in a feeble attempt to evade a small group of walkers. Rick and Michonne were first on the scene and made short work of the undead, then, as the man climbed down praising God repeatedly for sending help, they realized that he was clad in black garb and a clerical collar. The man claimed to be a priest and told them his name was Father Gabriel, said he'd just been going for a walk when the undead came for him.

It seemed such an innocent story that everyone was automatically dubious, and it didn't help that when Rick asked him the questions, Gabriel told them that he had never killed a person or even a walker - Rick was so openly mistrustful that he might have ended him right then and there just to be safe, had it not been for Michonne's steadying hand on his arm. Gabriel, however, was effusive with his gratitude and offered them refuge in his church nearby in return for their help, and after some deliberation, it was decided that the promise of food, water and shelter was worth taking the risk of going with this stranger.

Together the group conducted a thorough sweep of the surrounding area before cautiously moving into the church itself, and when it was deemed to be safe they began to lower their guard (except Rick, who was still wild-eyed and unsure that he'd ever be able to lower his guard again).

"It's really just been you here alone this whole time?" Maggie asked as she gazed around.

"Yes." Gabriel replied earnestly. "We were running the annual food drive right before everything went… went bad, so I had some boxes of food stored here and then I scavenged from places nearby. There's a well outside for water, and I have God as my companion."

The others exchanged skeptical glances but after everyone had washed up in freezing but refreshing water from the well and were feeling clean and almost brand new as they sat down to feast on a host of tinned food on the carpeted floor in front of the church altar, Gabriel's story seemed a lot easier to digest.

After they had filled their bellies and shared several bottles of church wine (which Gabriel assured them was really just wine until it was blessed), talk turned to the next leg of their journey.

Raising his glass a little too exuberantly and sloshing red wine onto the floor, Abraham stood and declared that Washington, D.C. should be the next destination for them all.

"Right now, all you're doing is surviving." he declared, pacing alongside the altar like he was giving a sermon. "Is that what you want? To just scrape by on survival? Don't you want a purpose? We could all go together and get Eugene to Washington – he can put an end to all of this, he can stop the dead from walking, then us, the living – we can take this world back again, we can live!"

Whether it was the false sense of security that being under a roof together afforded them, the buzz from the wine, or just the hope of ending all of this craziness, the group soon came around to Abraham's proposal, the mood immediately lightening with the knowledge that they had a plan.

"Hey." Tara nudged Tahlia from their position leaning against the front pew. "Don't you think Eugene should look a little happier now he knows he's got all of us as bodyguards all the way to D.C.? But he looks like he's seen a ghost!"

"Shit!" Tahlia gave Tara a mock-horrified stare. "Maybe he has! There's that creepy graveyard right outside!"

Tara snickered, then elbowed her again. "Really, though. Abe's just delivered an Oscar-worthy speech and got everyone on board with his plan, but Eugene looks miserable. He's got that look again, the one I told you about. Reminds me of the one my niece used to get. My sister would get all excited about Meghan's ballet recitals and go on and on about them, and Meghan would just stand there, going along with it, looking like that – and we all knew that actually she hated ballet. It's just… I don't know. Something weird."

Tahlia gazed at Eugene who was definitely looking more wide-eyed and serious than usual. "Maybe he's just nervous because the closer he gets to Washington, the more he's worrying that he won't be able to stop all this."

"Maybe." agreed Tara, but she didn't sound convinced.

"Well." Tahlia stood up. "I'm going to see the priest."

"What?" Daryl's attention was on her in a second.

Tahlia shrugged. "I got a lot of shit to confess."

Now Daryl was on his feet and caught her arm. "Seriously, where ya goin'?"

Laughing, Tahlia shrugged him off and started down the aisle. "Just going to check on him. We're here eating his food and drinking his wine and he's just sitting by himself in the sacristy! I just want to say hi and see if he's ok."

"Naw." Daryl grabbed her again. "We don't know the first thing 'bout this guy! He could be dangerous!"

"Dangerous? He's never even killed a walker!"

"So he says."

"Oh, come on! You've seen him - he's terrified of his own shadow! He's hardly a threat.""

Daryl folded his arms. "'Kay, then am comin' in with ya."

"Uh… no you're not." Tahlia shook her head. "No offence, but you're not really giving off a 'hey, let's be friends!' kind of vibe. More like the opposite, and that goes against the whole purpose of me going in there to ease his mind about us brutes he's invited into his home."

"Y'ain't goin' in there alone." asserted Daryl stubbornly.

"Oh my God, Daryl. I'll leave the door open."

"What if he tries to hurt ya?"

"Well, I'll knife him." Tahlia declared dramatically, feigning an over-the-top stab.

Just then, Rick appeared from the direction that Tahlia was heading in.

"Everything alright, guys?"

Daryl jerked a thumb at Tahlia. "She wants to go in and hang out with that weirdo."

"Oh, well I was just in there." Rick told them casually. "I don't think he's anything to worry about danger-wise. I think he might be hiding something, but in general, he seems harmless. Anyway, I did just tell him if puts any of our family in danger, hurts any one of us, then I'll kill him."

"Good." said Daryl at the same time that Tahlia's mouth dropped open.

"What?! You said that?!"

Rick shrugged. "Yeah. Coz I will."

"Rick!" scolded Tahlia. "Well, I definitely have to go in there now! That poor guy's probably gonna be too scared to even look at any of us after that!"

Daryl rolled his eyes. "You and ya damn bleedin' heart. Go and give him a shoulder to cry on, then. I'm gonna go do a couple laps outside, check on things."

Tahlia was still in the sacristy with Gabriel when Daryl came back, so he milled around near the door until she emerged.

"So?" he asked, falling into step with her as they made their way down the aisle.

"So what?"

"What'd he have to say?"

"A bunch of stuff." shrugged Tahlia. "We just talked about life before, how he got into the priesthood, that kind of thing."

"And what 'bout what Rick said? That he's hidin' somethin'?"

"Obviously I didn't ask him about anything like that!"

Daryl stared at her for a moment, then shook his head. "Course ya didn't. Bet ya know all the names of his damn childhood pets and his fuckin' favourite colour though, huh?"

A small smile spread across Tahlia's face, but before she could say anything, Daryl caught her in a light headlock, his lips quirking as he pulled her against him. "Don't fuckin' answer that."

The moonlight filtered through the stained-glass windows and cast eerie pools of colour on the floor as the wind hassled the trees in the woods beyond. Weary from being on the move, everyone was settling down for the night and had taken cushions from the pews to set up makeshift beds in various places around the church.

Daryl led Tahlia to a pile of cushions in an alcove to the right of the altar.

"Got a good view of all the doors from here."

"Daryl," said Tahlia softly, "We've got a watch going outside. You've got the night off, remember?"

"Just gonna stay up for a little bit." he told her as he sat down with his back to the wall, then opened his arms to her. "C'mere. Want ya to get some sleep."

Obligingly, Tahlia sat down sideways between his legs and tucked an arm around his back, her head in the crook of his neck and her legs stretched out under his bent knee.

"Ain't hurtin' ya like that?"

"Mm-mm. Perfect." she mumbled dreamily. "Although… I'm really missing our prison cell right about now."

Daryl let out a long exhale. "Shit, girl. Me too. Keep thinkin' 'bout the last time we were in there."

Tahlia gave a soft laugh against his neck as she recalled the slow morning they'd spent in bed - the conversations, the cuddles and everything in between.

"That was a very good morning."

"Gonna find somewhere else for us like that. Somewhere safe. Somewhere to put down roots again."

"You've never struck me as a putting-down-roots kind of guy." remarked Tahlia, kissing the edge of his jaw.

"Not 'til I met you." he stated, stroking her arm. "Lotta things ain't never happened to me 'til I met you. And don't even think 'bout sayin' nothin' smart to that. Shut your eyes."

Rick had been slowly pacing the aisles with Judith cradled against his chest in an effort to lull her to sleep, and on one lap he passed near Daryl and paused to check in.

"Hey. You alright down there?"

Gazing up at Rick, Daryl chewed on his lip for a moment before giving a slow nod. "Yeah, man." he said softly, sincerely, pulling a dozing Tahlia closer. "Never been better."

A warm smile spread across Rick's face and he nudged the toe of Daryl's boot with his own. "Think I kinda get the feeling." he said, indicating his now sleeping daughter nestled against him.

All was silent and still when Tahlia jolted herself awake in the wee hours of the morning, and Daryl's arms tightened around her reflexively.

"S'ok, I got ya." he murmured against her hair.

A contented sigh slipped from her mouth, and then Tahlia gazed up at him through sleep-heavy eyes.

"Have you slept yet?"

"Naw." he admitted. "Can't relax enough to sleep."

"Oh, honey." she breathed, pushing herself up a little. "Swap places with me. I'll stay awake and you rest."

"Naw." His grip tightened around her again. "Been restin' just fine sittin' here with you."

Tahlia wiggled around so her back was against his chest and stretched her arms out in front of her, then caught sight of something on her inner wrist. Tilting her arm to catch the moonlight, she squinted to see what it was, and then immediately sat up and fixed Daryl with a withering look as she indicated her wrist and the 'Property of D.D.' that was written there in black marker.

"What?" he asked innocently, biting back a smile. "Ya said I was gettin' my property back. Thought I'd better name it so I don't lose it 'gain."

"That's never gonna happen again." smiled Tahlia as she leaned in to drop a light kiss on his lips. Then she gave him a pinch. "But stop drawing shit on me when I'm sleeping!"

Daryl chuckled at that and then saw she was making to stand up.

"Whatcha doin'?"

"Just got to move around a bit. Stretch my legs. Going to walk down to the doors and back."

He nodded and watched her disappear into the gloom as he stood up to stretch as well, then abruptly, Tahlia was back at his side.

"Hey, you need to come with me."

There was a low note of urgency in her voice, and adrenaline immediately surged through Daryl. "What is it?"

"Just come. Now."

He reached down for his crossbow, but she stilled his arm.

"Don't need that."

They moved silently past their sleeping friends, down to the back of the church and out through the heavy oak doors. Tahlia led the way across the narrow lobby and through a side door by the front entrance that Daryl hadn't noticed before. It opened into a tiny room and the moonlight through the small window was enough to make out the armchair in one corner, a baby changing table against the wall and a set of shelves on the other wall.

Tahlia clicked the door shut behind them, then gently pushed Daryl back against it.

"Tahly, what-?"

"You need to be really, really quiet." she breathed, her lips right against his ear before moving further down his neck, teasing out a lazy line to the base of his throat.

"What are ya doin'?" Daryl hissed, pushing her back by her shoulders.

"You need help relaxing, don't you baby?" she purred with a playful smirk in her eyes, and he gave a low reflexive growl.

"Can't do this here!" he protested, but she just shot him a languid smile.

"Can. Like I said, just need to be really, really quiet."

Then she wound her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his and was pleased to find that, despite his seeming reluctance, he was already hardening.

Daryl frowned down at her for a moment as he considered resisting her once again. But they'd had next to no time alone since they'd been reunited, and in a powerful rush he realized how much he was craving this, and suddenly, he crashed his lips to hers, needful and urgent, his tongue thrusting roughly in her mouth, his hands raking her body like she was something to be discovered.

Finding the hem of her t-shirt, he dragged it unceremoniously over her head, then quickly flicked the clasp of her bra undone and discarded that too, a hungry moan dragging from his gut as he grasped her breasts, her nipples hard against his palms.

Then abruptly, he pulled away from her with a sharp intake of breath.

"Baby, your wound!" he exclaimed in distress, staring down at the bandage around her waist, chastising himself for not remembering it was there. But Tahlia just gazed at him with big imploring eyes as she slowly shucked off her bottom layers then let her fingertips ghost across the top of her thighs.

"Forget about that. I want you to make me feel good."

A deep rumble vibrated from Daryl's chest as he gazed at his girl, naked in front of him, wanting; and in that moment, need flooded him, floored him. Far beyond desire. He needed her. Inherent and undisputable, like he needed oxygen. Like in order to erase the soul-slicing pain he'd felt losing her, he needed to get as close to her as possible. Like that was the only way to cement the fact that he really had her back. Like if he didn't have her then something inside him would be extinguished and disappear forever.

A low, carnal moan escaped from him as he grabbed hold of her, pulling her against him once more, his mouth on her neck, her breasts, devouring her. His hands were restless, exploring her body, setting her aflame. Eventually one hand slipped between her thighs and he swore into her mouth at the abundance of silky wetness that met him there. He stroked and circled as she attempted to undo his shirt, but her concentration didn't stretch long enough to undo more than a few buttons. And then all she could do was grasp hold of him when he slid two fingers inside her, then on the outstroke, thought the better of it and added another. Tahlia gasped and squeezed her eyes shut tight and bit his lip hard as she reveled in the sensation, but it wasn't enough. She needed more. Only one thing would suffice. Fumbling with his belt, she just managed to undo it and shove his pants down before Daryl took over, kicking off his boots, his pants following, his shirt close behind. Then he scooped his hands under her ass and lifted her up and Tahlia wrapped her legs around his waist as he turned and jammed her up against the wall, neither of them noticing the accompanying loud thud. Daryl was achingly hard now, and he positioned her so that his cock was nestled between his abdomen and her pussy, warm and wet and heavenly, and he pulsed against her as she tilted her hips into his in response, clinging to him and whimpering at the delicious friction, coming apart at the seams already.

"Put me down." she panted, begged. "Need you now."

Carefully, he set her back on the ground and she moved to the change table, bending forward and resting her arms on it, angling her ass out to him.

"Fuuuck, giiiirl." growled Daryl, stroking his throbbing length, his mouth slackening as he relished the sight of her spread and glistening in front of him. "Ya sure? I don't wanna hurt ya…"

Tahlia cast a sultry look over her shoulder. "Now. Fuck me now." she commanded in a breathy whisper, but there was an undercurrent of desperation in her tone and Daryl realized that she needed this just as much as he did.

Teasing at her entrance, wetting his tip, he then entered her slowly, cautiously, but she pushed back hard against him, burying him inside her and they both bit back a simultaneous moan, floored as always by the sense of completeness; the intoxication of bodies made for one another; the fucking perfection of the two of them united.

Daryl wanted to be gentle for fear of hurting her, tried to be, but an animalistic desire was rising in him, stretching to his corners, darkening all rational thought. Gripping low on her hips, his fingers clamped around her and he drove into her, harder and harder, losing himself, completely helpless to stop.

Every thrust jarred Tahlia's side painfully, and to begin with, that was all she could concentrate on. But it wasn't long before the euphoric feeling of him inside her, hitting that spot over and over soon sent her skyward and mingled with the pain, shifting it into pleasure in a way she hadn't experienced before, the pure intensity of feeling the whole spectrum of sensations sparking and awakening her every cell.

Deep within her, the heat was building, edging out further and further with every thrust, and she surrendered to him, to it all. Arching her back and bracing herself against the table, she clamped her teeth over her forearm in an attempt to keep silent. Gazing down at her with lust-fired eyes, Daryl had a sudden urge to grab a fistful of her hair and pull her head back away from her arm so he could hear her moan and cry his name; see her face, because fuck he loved that he could take her to that place, send her into oblivion. But instead he focused on fucking her harder, deeper; focused on tipping her over the edge, and he could feel her starting to shake. Tahlia was clutching the table for dear life, barely able to hold onto any semblance of reality, then suddenly, she was alight, combusting, and she clenched around him, stifling her cry against her arm, the vice of Daryl's hands around her hips the only thing keeping her standing. Reveling in her pleasure, Daryl kept pounding into her feeling himself building, tightening, and then his face contorted as he exploded into her, the intensity of his release nearly taking him out at the knees. Pitching forward, he sandwiched himself against her, wrapping his arms around her as his movements slowed and still she trembled against him, then he lightly bit down on her shoulder as he tried to catch his breath.

After a long moment, he stood and reluctantly eased himself out of her, but Tahlia stayed as she was, leaning forward over the table, her face buried in the crook of her elbow.

A rush of guilt for being so rough mushroomed inside him, and he laid a hand on her back.

"Fuck, Tahly. Shit, I'm sorry… y'alright?" His voice wavered with worry. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't… was that too…?"

"Mm." she hummed happily, turning her head so she could peek back at him through one eye. "More. Again."

Daryl let out a sigh of relief and a chuckle, then reached for one of the folded muslin cloths on the shelf under the table and slowly wiped the sweat from her back and then moved it between her legs to gently wipe there too, before turning the cloth to himself. Then he drew her up against him and backed them over to the armchair in the corner of the room, pulling her down sideways onto his lap as she wound her arms around his neck.

"Sure I didn't hurt ya, babygirl?"

Tahlia smiled, a blissed-out look on her face. "You mean when you fucked me to within an inch of my life?"

"Shit, don't say that!" Daryl's brow knitted anxiously, but Tahlia just gave a quiet laugh.

"There'd be no better way to go, Dixon. I mean it. You're amazing."

That little ego boost made him smile, and he pulled her closer, never close enough. "Needed that. Needed ya real bad."

Then he leaned in to kiss her, long and languid, his fingers drawing lazy patterns over her skin. Areas that hadn't had his touch in days. He'd make up for that now. Reclaim every inch of her.

They sat there for a long time enjoying one another, not caring about the chill creeping over their sweat-cooled bodies because it felt like they had all the time in the world. Although, as much as he tried to ignore it, that feeling scared Daryl, because he knew that really, they didn't. He knew that whatever safety they felt would only ever be temporary. An illusion. They'd never be truly safe.

All those things that he'd been wanting to say to her still simmered just below his surface, and he knew that because nothing was certain, he shouldn't let another opportunity pass him by… but he didn't want to just promise her love. He also wanted to promise her life, longevity, happiness, the fucking world, a better world than this… but there was only one of those promises that he could keep.

Tahlia didn't know what was on Daryl's mind but she could feel the tension building in his body and could see the shadows darkening his eyes, so she raised her thumb to his lips, pressing against them gently, refocusing him, and he couldn't help but flick his tongue against the soft pad, tasting the vague saltiness of her skin before drawing her thumb into his mouth and biting down on it gently.

She whispered her lips across his jaw to his ear. "Don't think about any of that, whatever it is. Not right now. Just be here. With me."

Sucking in a shaky breath he nodded, his eyes shining as he realised, perhaps, that one promise was enough, was all they really needed, so he took her hand and pressed it hard against his chest.

"I know." she said tenderly. "I know. Me too."

When they finally managed to untangle themselves and find their clothes it took Tahlia a long time to actually get dressed because Daryl couldn't keep his hands nor his mouth from her and she had to intersperse pulling her clothes back on with fending him off. Creeping back out, the night silence fell heavily around them, and as Daryl put his hand on the big brass handle of the church door, he paused to shoot Tahlia a wicked look.

"You're definitely gonna get smote now."

Quietly they made their way back to their spot at the front of the church and shared a guilty look, praying that no one had heard them - but also feeling too sated to really care.

Tahlia sank down against the wall and placed a cushion in her lap.

"You should be relaxed enough to sleep now." she whispered.

Daryl dropped down onto his side next to her with a dirty smile. "Ain't gonna be able to sleep for thinkin' 'bout that. Lie down with me."

Tahlia narrowed her eyes. "No!" she hissed. "I draw the line at doing stuff inside the actual church!"

He laughed softly. "Not for that, girl. For sleep. Think I'm relaxed enough now for us both to get some."

So, she adjusted the cushions and lay on her back and he shifted closer, snaking an arm around her and it was true – he felt more relaxed than he had in days.

Dawn hadn't yet broken when Rick carefully made his way over to the corner where Daryl and Tahlia lay.

Tahlia was still on her back and Daryl on his side pressed up against her, one thigh over hers, his forehead almost against her temple, her head tilted slightly towards his, their hands linked and resting on her chest. They were lying so still that Rick hesitated for a second, thinking that they were fast asleep, but then Daryl slowly turned his head in Rick's direction. Taking a step closer, Rick could now see the glint of Tahlia's open eyes and suddenly got the sense that he had interrupted a private moment, perhaps a hushed conversation that his approach had put pause to. Sometimes he wondered what they talked about. Daryl had never been a huge conversationalist, but he seemed to have a lot to say to Tahlia.

Crouching down next to them, Rick whispered, "Hey, Tahls – come with me." Then looked to Daryl and just pointed up, and Daryl nodded in understanding, turning his face back to Tahlia's.

"C'mon, girl." he said lowly against her ear. "Let's get up."

Then he was on his feet, pulling Tahlia up as well, and the three of them quietly made their way down the aisle and outside. Leading the way through the gloom, Daryl moved cautiously around the side of the building, checking for walkers or any signs of danger, the others following behind. Stopping suddenly, he pointed to a ladder attached to the wall, starting about 3 feet from the ground.

"Think ya can climb up there?"

Tahlia raised a brow. "Up there? What for?"

Daryl ignored her question. "Gonna go huntin'. Go up with Rick and I'll see ya soon." Bending down a little he linked his fingers together. "Here. Give y'a boost."

Glancing curiously between the men and wondering at the fact that they'd obviously already discussed this at some point – whatever this was - Tahlia decided that she trusted both of them enough not to question it, and shrugged before stepping onto Daryl's hands as he boosted her onto the first rung. Slowly climbing up the ladder, Rick following right behind, Tahlia soon found herself on the roof and Rick directed her to a flat space just in front of the belfry.

"It's been a while. Thought maybe we might both need this."

Then he pointed out to the creeping pink hue lightening the sky towards the east, and Tahlia realized that he had brought her up here to watch the sun rise.

Beaming at him, Tahlia squeezed his arm. "This is exactly what I need, thank you."

Rick smiled. This was as much for him as it was for her. The morning routine they'd started so many months ago had brought him a sense of peace, stability, and he needed to find that again now, even if were just for a stolen moment of quiet in the whirlwind of the day.

"If only we were going to feed the animals and work in the gardens after this." Tahlia remarked ruefully and Rick let out a pained sigh at that thought.

If only.

If only they were back in those days when they thought they were building something lasting, happily working hard in their sheltered community; if only they were back in those days of naivety and ignorance about what people in this world were really like, how ruthless they could be.

Gazing at him, Tahlia could see that whatever was on Rick's mind was weighing him down. "How are you doing?" she asked softly. "Really?"

Rick picked at a patch of moss. "Honestly? I'm angry. Angry about losing everything we worked for, losing so many people. I'm angry that people keep trying to fucking kill us. You know what I said once, a long time ago? That we don't kill the living." He let out a sharp laugh. "And I meant it. What an idiot I was. They're the most goddamn dangerous. And right now I feel like I want to kill everyone we come across without even waiting to see if they deserve it."

Tahlia nodded, her eyes on the brightening sky ahead. "I get it. We've been through a lot of shit – you more than most –" she said, in reference to the Claimers. "All of that is still so fresh. It's understandable that you're on high alert; strike-first mode."

"I don't know if I'm ever going to have a different mode. Not now."

"You will." Tahlia assured him. "You've got your kids; Michy. You've got this big-ass family of us that'll keep you grounded, keep you from turning into a complete savage."

Rick couldn't help but smile at that. "I don't want to let this big-ass family down."

Tahlia nudged him. "You never could. Don't be so hard on yourself. We're in this together, and whatever comes next, we'll face it together."

They talked for a while longer and it was well after sun up when they finally climbed back down, only to find that there was discord amongst the group as to when they should leave for D.C. Abraham wanted to leave as soon as possible, but there were others who wanted to stay at the church for at least one more day, to rest before hitting the road again.

The argument was put on hold when Daryl pointed out, "Ain't nobody goin' nowhere if we can't get the church bus runnin'."

So, while Daryl and Rick went to work on the bus around back, a few others headed out to scavenge for fuel and supplies around the nearby area, and Abraham and Rosita spread their map out on the grass at the front of the church to try and come up with a route.

It was early afternoon when Daryl threw his hands in the air at the welcome sound of the bus engine turning over.

"Finally."

"Nice work, handyman." remarked Tahlia from her position in the driver's seat as she revved the engine.

She was just stepping out of the bus when Tara came running over.

"Oh my God, you're not going to believe this!"

"What?"

"Abraham just decked Eugene. Think he broke his nose."

"What?!" Daryl jumped up, ready to run around the front.

"Wait!" said Tara. "There's more! So, you know how Abe and Rosita have been trying to map a route today and Eugene's been acting all antsy… well, he knew that you were back here trying to get the bus going, and when he heard the engine start he just cracked!"

Rick shook his head in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"He blurted it all out!" exclaimed Tara, throwing her hands in the air. "Said he's not a doctor, not a scientist - everything he's told us is total bull! He doesn't know shit about a cure, there's no one expecting him in Washington, he's just a regular guy who wanted to survive! He knew he had no chance on his own so he made up the whole story to get people to protect him, keep him alive!"

The three of them gaped at her, and Tahlia was the first to speak. "God! You were right! You knew there was something off about him!"

"Fucksake!" Rick cursed, kicking up a cloud of dirt as he started to pace back and forth.

Tahlia shrugged. "It's a pretty good mode of survival though - getting other people to watch your ass. He is definitely very smart."

Daryl tossed his rag at her. "Shuddup, Tahly. That guy just bullshitted all of us and the first thing you do is find his silver linin'?"

Tahlia balled up the rag and threw it straight back at him. "We're all trying to survive. He just came up with a unique and low effort method."

Repocketing his rag, Daryl rolled his eyes, but then moved in behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, giving her a squeeze. Sometimes the way her mind worked made no fucking sense to him, but he'd always admire her positive outlook on the world.

Rick drew his hands over his face. "Shit. So, now what?"

They glanced around at one another, then Tara shook her head.

"Guess we'd better go figure it out."

Everyone was gathered around at the front of the church, palpable tension crackling through the air. Eugene was sitting on the front steps with a bloodied cloth against his nose, Rosita at his side, while Abraham stalked back and forth along the edge of the graveyard shooting murderous looks Eugene's way.

Rosita shrugged. "We can still go there. I mean, the real reason Eugene wanted to go to Washington was because he'd worked out that it was the safest place to go – it's equipped for a pandemic. Food, shelter, protection."

Rick nodded in agreement. "That's true."

"So, we still wanna do that? Still want to head for D.C.?" asked Maggie, glancing around, most people shrugging in ambivalence.

"Got nowhere else to be, right?" remarked Sasha, ignoring Abraham's angry growl.

"Guess we don't need to rush now, though." Michonne chipped in. "We can spend another day or two here."

"Alright." decided Rick. "I guess that means we-"

Just then there was a loud shout from Glenn, who was on the roof keeping watch. "Uh, guys?! We got walkers!"

"How close?" Rick called back. "And how many of us need to go and take them on?"

Glenn was standing at the edge of the roof now, panic on his face. "We'd need a lot more people than what we've got. It's a horde!"