Hello my lovelies! Hope all is well with each and every one of you. Here is the next chapter. I attempted to break it up but couldn't figure out a good spot so instead, you now get a super long chapter. It'll be dipping into some of the canon a bit before we branch off from it. Still exciting and good! Hope you enjoy!
Chapter Twenty-six: Unknown
Following the tracks, they seemed to be never ending. At every station there was a new sign and another map. The big question was: who put them there? There were a million possible answers. The speculations were ongoing, everyone having their own opinion on who they were and what we were going to find. Though we did veer off long enough to find supplies, since we'd never make it to the end of the map if we didn't; we even managed to find a decent amount of water, but food was scarce and we were all feeling the effects.
Finding a reasonably safe place to sleep, I stood watch while the others slept. Carl was pressed against Michonne while Rick was just apart from them. He was on his side where he had been pressed against mine. Sleep was trying to take me when I finally moved from his side, stepping away from them. Going to the tracks, I looked up at the sky, seeing the stars. I used to love to just watch them. Lie in fields and stare at the sky. Since the world ended it was hard to find a calm enough moment to appreciate something so simple.
The stars were bright and welcoming. The moon was vivid and the sky was clear. Smiling, I took a deep breath of the night air, shutting my eyes as I took it all in. Though I heard a twig snap and was immediately alert and ready for anything. Staring at the trees I waited for something to happen. When nothing did, I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.
"Linny?" Rick said softly.
"I'm right here." I said walking back up to him, kneeling at his side. "Everything is fine." I added as I put my hand on his thigh.
He nodded, rubbing his eyes before he looked at me. Smiling, he gently gripped my chin, leaning in and kissed me sweetly. Grinning, I put my hand against his face, kissing him deeper. Leaning away, I met his eyes, gently rubbing his beard. Putting my hand against his chest, I leaned in and kissed him again.
"You should sleep." He told me softly. "I'll take watch."
Nodding, I kissed him once more, "Okay."
Lying down, for a moment he pressed himself against me, kissing me deeply before resting his face against mine. Smiling, I ran my fingers through his hair, wrapping my arm around him. He brushed his nose against mine before he was kissing me again. Laughing lightly, he finally moved away from me. Rolling onto my side, I watched him run his hand down his face, rolling his shoulders as he woke up. My eyes felt heavy and then I was asleep.
Waking to Rick pressing against my back, I smiled, taking his hand in both of mine as he wrapped his arm around me. Pressing my lips against his hand, I sighed, falling back asleep with ease, feeling his lips against my neck.
"We need to go." Michonne said, waking me softly.
"She's exhausted." Rick replied. "Just give her another ten minutes. Twenty even."
Rolling over, I got up and walked toward them, "Not needed."
"Sorry." Michonne smiled, putting her hand on my arm.
I just smiled at her, "Who needs sleep anyway?"
"You do." Rick replied.
"Thank you, baby." I smiled, putting my hand against his face. "But I'm good. I feel rested enough." He nodded at me.
"Linny?" Carl said softly.
"Yeah, sweetie?" I said turning to him. He just looked at me. "What is it?"
"You need to eat something." He told me.
Smiling, I wrapped my arm around him, pressing a kiss into his hair, "Have you eaten?"
"Yeah." He said and handed me a granola bar.
"Thank you." I told him softly.
Rick nodded before shifting his feet, "We should head out."
We all packed up camp and started out. Gravitating to Rick's side, we moved out, listening to Michonne and Carl talking behind us. Getting back on the tracks, Rick handed me water, which I graciously took, smiling at him the whole time. He looked behind us, seeing the pair of them distracted before he pulled me to him, kissing me.
"They don't care you know." I told him.
"I know." He nodded. "I just doing feel like flaunting anything."
Wrapping my arm around him, I kissed him again, "I want them to see." He smiled and stopped me, wrapping me in his arms as he took my breath away. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He smiled.
I gently ran my fingers through his hair, "I'm probably gonna need you to do that often."
He laughed lightly, "I think I'll be okay with that."
"Good." I smiled and kissed him again. Then there was a clearing of throats and we looked at Michonne and Carl. "What?" I asked them.
Michonne shrugged, "Nothin'."
"Yeah." Carl grinned. "Nothing."
Rolling my eyes, I yanked him to me, starting down the tracks again. We started a big debate on the comics we'd been reading, getting heavy when he started to go outside of where I was. Michonne joined until we went far outside of where she was, leaving her and Rick to entertain each other.
Carl and I were in our own little bubble, so enthralled with the conversation that we were oblivious to the rest of the world. We were probably yelling too loud and laughing too loud and just being everything we weren't supposed to be, but…we were happy. This was what it had felt like before the apocalypse. This was normal.
"Okay, you two, I can't take it anymore." Rick said pushing between us.
"Fine." Carl said and quickly hung back to talk to Michonne.
"I was having fun." I told him as I wrapped my arm around him. He just smiled at me. Laughing, I pressed a kiss against his cheek. "Fine."
"You two."
"I kind of like you." I told him sweetly.
He swiftly pressed his lips to my neck before meeting my eyes, "I know I like you."
Laughing, I gripped him tighter, "Good."
He let me go, staring at me for a long moment. The blueness of his eyes was mesmerizing and in this moment I couldn't get enough of them. He was such a good man and I felt so lucky in this moment. He was amazing and handsome and strong and everything I wanted. After Ben I didn't think I'd feel like this again. I didn't think it was possible. But here I was, looking at this man, realizing that even though the world was messed up, feelings like this were possible. It was possible to be happy. It was possible to find moments that felt normal and not so screwed up.
Life was possible.
Love was possible.
"I think we've got about a day's worth of water left. We're lucky it's cooled off a little bit, but…" He said and looked at me. "It's quiet." He said and we both turned around to see Carl and Michonne standing on the rails, balancing as they slowly walked along them. "What are you doing?" He asked them.
"And why didn't you tell me?" I added, smirking at them.
"Winning a bet." Carl replied.
"In your dreams." Michonne shot back at him.
"I'm still on."
"You spoke too soon, wise guy."
I laughed as she attempted to put him off balance. "This is fun."
"This might go on a while." Rick smiled. "Maybe we can speed this up."
I gently nudged him, "Let them have their fun."
"Yeah, you're right." Michonne told him. "Shouldn't be fooling around. We should probably – Carl!" She attempted to make him jump but put herself off balance, dropping off of the rail.
Laughing, I applauded Carl, grinning as Michonne stepped back over with a defeated expression.
"I win. Pay up." Carl told her. She pulled two candy bars out of her bag. Obviously trying to offer him one over the other. "Is that really the last Big Cat?" He asked, looking like he was going to go for it, only to take the other instead.
"Oh, come on." She said clearly disappointed.
"Hey, but you said winner's choice." He stated.
She just smiled at him, "Go ahead, take it. It's yours. You won it fair and square."
He did, breaking it in half, offering it to her. She attempted to decline but he kept his hand outstretched, "Come on, we always share."
"Fork it over." She smiled.
Laughing, I looked at Rick who was doing the same. Then we turned and started back down the tracks. We walked until the sun was low, knowing that we needed to make camp. Finding cover in the woods, setting everything up.
"We should set snares." Rick told me.
I nodded before looking at Michonne, "Keep an eye on things?"
She nodded, "Carl and I can debate about things while you're gone."
Laughing, I nodded, "He's gonna win."
Rick's hand found my lower back, "Come on. If we hurry we might catch something for dinner tonight."
Nodding, I ran my hand down Carl's hair before Rick and I moved into the woods. Following various trails, we set as many snares as we could. If we were lucky we'd have full bellies before the end of the night. I was hungry, but I'd been hungrier before. I'd been through worse and now that I had a family I knew that I could face anything and everything that this new world threw at me. We would survive.
"Good job." Rick told me when we started to circle back.
"I know what I'm doing. You know that." I smirked at him.
He nodded and stopped me, kissing me deeply, "I do know."
Keeping his eyes, I simply nodded at him. In the next second I was against a tree, his lips crashing against mine. Shuddering, his hand found my waist, running it around me before he lifted me off my feet. Turning, he laid me on the ground, moving over me as his hand slid under my shirt. Gripping him tightly, kissing him with all the passion I had in me, I pulled on his shirt. He leaned away from me, sitting back as I sat up, pulling our shirts from our bodies before working on our pants. The ground was cool against my skin, swiftly warming as the heat rose between us.
His hands were rough and wonderful against my skin. His touch sending a shock through me, making me want him more and more. His hand reached between my legs, rubbing me until I was shuddering beneath him. He simply smiled and then pushed up inside of me, making me moan with pleasure, my mouth open against his.
Both of us were smiling as we rocked, making love as if nothing else mattered. In this moment it was only me and him and he was amazing. He made me feel like everything was going to be okay. Connecting with him in a way I never had before. Not with anyone. He was so much more than I ever thought him to be. I knew that with him we could beat this world and we would find our family and come out of this stronger than ever before.
Hand in hand, we made our way back to camp, smiling at each other the entire time, talking about anything that came to mind. I was falling hard for this man. He was swiftly becoming everything to me. It was an amazing and yet terrifying feeling. I'd lost many in my life and to feel so strongly for one person made me vulnerable. But I would do anything to keep him alive and with me.
"Took you long enough." Carl told us when we finally returned to camp.
"Sorry, we just wanted to make sure we had the best possibility of catching something to eat." I replied as I sat next to him.
"Mm-hm." Michonne grinned at me.
"Stop it." I shot at her.
She just laughed. Sitting and talking, waiting anxiously for time to go by, stomachs were rumbling, we were thirsty, but at least we had each other. Nothing else was more important than that.
"How hungry are you, scale of one to 10?" Rick asked.
"Solid 8." I replied.
Carl nodded, "15."
"28."
Rick chuckled, "Yeah. Well, it's been a while. I'm gonna go check the snares."
"Thank god." I said and stood, grinning at him.
"Can I go with you?" Carl asked.
Rick's eyes met mine before he looked at his son, "Well, how else are you gonna learn?" He smiled while Michonne still sat by the fire. "Hey, you too."
She looked at me with a raised brow. I just shrugged and smiled, stepping toward our leader. He nodded at me before putting his arm across his son's shoulders, leading the way toward our snares.
"We'll stay another day or two. Get some more rest." Rick told us as we walked.
"Finish healing up?" Michonne asked.
"I'm almost there."
"I can attest to that." I smirked softly.
Carl looked up at him, "We're close now, right?"
"To Terminus?"
"Yeah."
"We are."
"When we get there, are we gonna tell them?"
Michonne frowned, "Tell them what?"
"Everything that's happened to us." He replied. "All the stuff we've done. Are we gonna tell them the truth."
I was going to say 'yes' when Rick replied. "We're gonna tell them who we are." He told him.
"But how do you say that? I mean…who are we?" Carl replied.
"We are survivors." I told him.
We stopped as we heard a walker, looking up to see it staggering toward us. Michonne quickly moved forward, killing it with her sword. We didn't say anything else as I kept walking coming across a few empty snares before we finally found on with a rabbit caught in it.
"There you go. It's a small one. It'll do." Rick told us. "So, this is just a simple slipknot." He explained while I kept watch on the woods. "Tie one on both ends, then you tighten one side to a branch." He explained. "Now, see how the ground here is sort of like a funnel shape?"
"It's a trail." Carl stated.
"That's right." Rick smiled. "That's where you want to set the noose. So you hide it with leaves. Then you put sticks all around it so any animals going by have to run this way right into the trap."
I liked him like this. When he was teaching. When he was acting like a human being and not a relentless crazy person who was on the verge of self-destruction. He was so much more than anyone thought he was. More than even he thought he was. But as happy a moment as this was, it was cut short when there was yelling.
"Help!" A man yelled. "Somebody help!"
Looking in the direction of his voice, Carl took off.
"Carl." I said grabbing him but he quickly pulled from my grip.
"Carl. Carl, stop! Carl!" Rick called as we all swiftly followed him.
"Get back!" The man yelled. He was in a field surrounded by walkers. "Back! Help! Get away! Get back! Help! Somebody help!"
Rick gripped Carl but Michonne had to grip me, both of us being stopped. Carl shouldn't help but we were adults. We were supposed to be helping people. If there was a chance of saving him then we should take that chance.
"There is nothing we can do." Michonne told me. At the same time the man was already being eaten before our eyes. "We can't save everyone, Linny."
"I've killed enough to know that." I shot at her and swiftly moved away. "Excuse me for trying to make up for that now."
"It's not your job." Michonne said following me.
"Not here." Rick told us. "Let's just move."
Without saying a word, we moved to the tracks, once again moving down them. Staying ahead of everyone, there was a group of walkers up ahead. Another man crying over the death of his loved ones. He was fine. He could survive. But he chose to end his life, shooting himself in the head. Anger took me over and I rushed forward, killing all the walkers before making sure the brains of the dead were damaged.
Without looking at the others, I started down the tracks again. We needed whatever sanctuary Terminus had to offer. I needed the hope that we didn't have to live this way. That there was a place where we could live like we used to. A place where the walkers weren't the main concern. Wanting there to be time to play and live and not dwell on walkers and death.
"Caroline." Rick said softly.
"No." I replied, walking faster.
He jogged to catch up to me, "Linny, stop."
"What?" I shot at him. "What is there to say? We need to get there sooner rather than later. We need walls and safety and our people back. We need to…" I said and trailed off.
He looked at the others before me, "You're making them anxious."
"So?" I shot at him. "They both know what's at stake here. We all know that not everyone can be saved. We all know the dangers of the world, Rick. None of us are exempt and the chance of any of us dying is higher than any of us want to admit."
"Stop." He shot at me. "What's with this attitude? You're the positive one. You're the one who holds us all together."
"Then why can't we save people?" I replied. "There are good people out there and we aren't doing enough to save them."
"You just said it yourself. Not all of us can be saved."
"That's not what I said."
"But it's what you meant."
Sighing, I dropped my face in my hands before running my fingers through his hair, putting my hand against his face. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry." He told me, taking my head in his hands. "I just need you to be you a little bit longer. We can't break now. And you're stronger than all of us."
"No, I'm not." I smiled at him. "I am just a girl who's trying to understand a fucked up world."
"You understand better than most." He nodded.
Sighing, I nodded, and he quickly pulled me into his arms. Hugging him tightly, I buried my face in his neck, taking a deep breath of him. He pressed his lips against my shoulder, squeezing me tightly.
"I know you want to save people. I do too. But we both know that sometimes that's just not possible."
I nodded, "I know." Leaning away from him, I wiped the tears from my cheeks.
He smiled and helped me, brushing his thumb across my cheek. He looked at the others before he lowered his voice to me. "You have me now. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
"You have me, too." I replied. "I will never let anything happen to you again. You're more important than I am."
"Not to me." He whispered.
I laughed lightly, "You are, Rick. You are our leader. You're a father. You need to be careful."
"So do you." He said with a hard tone, moving his face closer to mine, his grip tightening. "You're not alone anymore, Linny. You're not fighting against anyone. We're family and I refuse to let anything happen to you."
Smiling, I nodded and kissed him, "Same goes for you. I didn't fall for you only to lose you."
"Never, Linny." He told me. "I fell for you, too." Then a smile crossed his face. "I keep falling all the time."
Laughing lightly, tears filling my eyes again, I started to kiss him. Kissing him as deeply as I possibly could. "You always know what to say."
"So do you." He replied. "We're kinda the same."
"And yet different." I smiled. "Just kiss me again and I'll be over it." He smiled and kissed me again, his arm moving around me. "Thank you." I said softly, leaning into him, staring into his eyes.
"Thank you." He smiled.
Smiling, there were arms around me from behind and I grinned, putting my hand against Carl's. Then Michonne was there, all of us embracing each other.
"Okay, okay." I said and we all separated. "Let's keep moving."
Doing just that, we needed supplies. We needed something to keep us going. But so far we hadn't come across anything that would help. It was discouraging but we still had a destination. There was still hope.
"Thought maybe there'd be some houses down this way." Michonne told us. "Maybe even a store. There's got to be some food around here somewhere."
"Hey, look." Carl said pointed at an abandoned truck, a walker nearby.
Stepping forward, I pulled my knife free, stabbing it in the head. Looking at Rick, he smiled and nodded. Smiling back, we started to set up camp. It was getting dark and this was as good a place as any. The truck would offer security so we could maybe get some solid sleep tonight. Or at least everyone else could. Out in the open like this always made me feel the need to stay awake and make sure everyone survived. I knew Rick would make me sleep, but I was starting to feel like the only way that would happen would be with him against me. He was my security and knowing that he was close made me feel better.
"Are you scared?" Carl asked me as I lay with him in the truck.
"Yeah, I am." I replied, gently running my fingers through his hair.
"Why?" He asked next.
"Because of what happened at the prison. Because of what might be waiting for us at Terminus. Because the thought of anything happening to you, or your dad, or Michonne, terrifies the living hell out of me. We've already lost so much and I can't lose anyone else."
"But that's impossible." He replied, making himself comfortable. "And you know it."
My chest clenched knowing that he understood that. Maybe even better than me. I knew that everyone couldn't be saved. I knew that. But it shouldn't be so black and white. There had to be some grey area where we could stop all the death. Stop watching people die and do something about it. There were bad people in the world. I knew that. They needed to be taken out. But humanity wasn't going to survive if we kept killing each other. People deserved a chance.
As soon as he was asleep, I left the truck, joining Rick and Michonne who were sitting around a small fire. Rick smiled at me, wrapping his arm around me as I leaned into his side. Michonne smiled at me and I reached across Rick and put my hand against her thigh.
"That was one small rabbit." Rick stated.
"It was something." Michonne replied. "Got to hand it to the thing. It traveled well."
Laughing lightly, I took my hand back, "It made the stomach pains stop."
"Have you noticed that's all we talk about anymore?" He replied. "Food. I forgot what this feels like."
"Me, too." Michonne replied. "I hope we get to forget again soon."
"We're close. Just got to make it through another day. If folks there are taking people in, they have to be strong. They have to have a system."
"If they're still there." I said sadly.
"They will be." Rick replied.
"I wonder if the whole thing's legit." Michonne added.
A branch snapped and we all shot up, looking in every direction. Nothing happened but my intuition was telling me that something was off. Rick sat back down.
"We let people in." Rick stated.
"We did. So did the Governor." Michonne replied, sitting back down as well.
"Yeah, it's always the same, isn't it?" Rick said. "Don't get to know until we know. Maybe this place isn't even there anymore."
"Rick?" I said only then there was the smallest whistle and I was on the ground, pain radiating down my arm.
"Linny!" Rick called, only a gun was pressed to his temple.
"Rick!" I called but a man was already to me, his foot against my chest.
"Oh, dearie me." A middle-aged man said with a smile.
Another had a gun on Michonne, her sword being kicked away from her. My hand was against my arm, blood warm against it. Looking at Rick, his eyes were locked on mine before they shifted toward the truck. Attempting to move the foot from my chest, he bent down, taking my gun and tossed it aside before he backhanded me.
"Caroline." Michonne said gently. "You okay?"
"Yeah." I replied.
"You screwed up, asshole." The middle-aged man said to Rick. He was clearly the leader of the group, the rest of them coming out of the woods. "You hear me? You screwed up. Today is a day of reckoning, sir. Restitution. A balancing of the whole damn universe."
A disgusting man moving toward the truck caught my attention, my eyes locking on him. He slapped his hand against the truck window, seeing Carl sitting up. The man slammed his knife against the window with the other, smiling at the boy.
"Stay away from him." I shot at him with clenched teeth.
"Shut up." The man who had me pinned said and hit me again.
"Shit, and I was thinking of turning in for the night on New Year's Eve." The leader said. "Now who's gonna count down the ball dropper with me, huh? 10 Mississippi. Nine Mississippi. Eight Mississippi."
"Joe!" A voice called.
My head jerked toward the sound so fast I had whiplash. "Oh my god." I whispered. "Daryl."
"Hold up." Daryl said stepping forward.
"You're stopping me on eight, Daryl." Joe told him.
"Just hold up." Daryl repeated.
"This is the guy that killed Lou, so we got nothing to talk about." One of the men told him.
"The thing about nowadays is we got nothing but time. Say your piece, Daryl." Joe replied.
"These people, you're gonna let 'em go." Daryl told him. "These are good people."
"Now, I'd think that Lou would have to disagree with you about that." Joe retorted. "I'll, of course, have to speak for him and all 'cause your friend here strangled him in a bathroom."
"It was me." I shot at him.
"Linny!" Rick shot back at me.
"You want blood, I get it. Take it from me, man. Come on." Daryl told him, trying to get him to spare us.
"This man killed our friend." Joe told him. "With the help of his fucking woman. You say he's good people. See, now that right there is a lie. It's a lie!"
"Come on." Daryl told him.
In the next second he was hit, not just once, but again and again and again. Several of the men were circling him, hitting him and kicking him.
"Daryl!" I yelled, struggling against the man who had me pinned.
"No!" Rick called.
"Teach him, fellas. Teach him all the way." Joe called to them.
"What does that mean?" I asked. "What does that mean?!"
The disgusting man pulled Carl from the truck.
"You leave him be!" Rick yelled and attempted to move toward his son.
"Carl!" I yelled, still struggling.
Michonne moved and another gun was pointed at her. "You'll get yours. You just wait your turn."
"Listen, it was me." Rick told them. "It was just me."
"He's lying!" I yelled. "It was me. He's just protecting me."
Rick locked eyes with mine and I shook my head. Nothing could happen to him. He had his son to think about. I was not top priority for him. No matter what we felt for each other I knew that. I knew that Carl came first. He was his son. There was no question as to who needed to be saved. In this moment it wasn't me. We both knew that.
"See, now that's right." Joe said. He was sounding a little manic. "That's not some damn lie. Look, we can settle this. We're reasonable men." He went on, watching as Daryl kept being beaten. "First, we're gonna beat Daryl to death."
"No!" I screamed.
"Then we'll have the girl. Then the other girl. Then the boy. Then I'm gonna shoot you and then we'll be square." Joe finished. "You're a lucky man for having two women with you."
Carl was forced to the ground. His cries made panic run through me. He needed help. He needed help and so far there was nothing we could do.
"Let me up!" I screamed, thrashing as I kept my eyes on Carl.
"Let him go. Let him go." Rick was telling them.
Looking at Rick, I knew he was going to do something, opening my mouth to stop him, but he was already moving. He head butted Joe in the face, making the gun go off, clearly dazing him. Then he was moving, punching Joe before falling to his knees.
"I got him." Joe said, stopping the others from going after him. "Oh, it's gonna be so much worse now."
Looking up, Daryl was still being beaten. The man holding Carl was about to do something unforgivable. Something so vulgar that he deserved to be skinned alive for it. Michonne acted next, hitting the gun away from her face, making it go off. The man hit her, sending her to the ground, aiming the gun at her again. Rick was struggling to get up as well. All the while, the pressure against my chest was getting heavier, the man leaning down and pressed the barrel of the gun to my forehead.
"Come on. Let's see what you got." Joe smiled at Rick.
"You leave him be!" Rick yelled now on his feet.
"Huh? Right over here. What the hell are you gonna do now, sport?" Joe taunted him, putting his head next to Rick's.
"Rick!" I screamed. "Please! Don't hurt him!"
In the next second Rick bit into Joe's neck, blood spilling from his jugular. Looking up at the man who had me, I gripped his balls, twisting them, making him scream, the gun going off next to my head. Shoving him away from me, I scrambled for my gun, seeing Michonne shooting the one who had her, then the one who had Carl. Shooting those that had been beating Daryl, I looked back at Rick who was repeatedly stabbing a man in his gut. He was dead but he kept going.
Tears filled my eyes as I took him in, seeing the blood that was covering him. Looking at Michonne, she already had Carl in her arms. Nodding at me, she stood, still gripping Carl and moved him back toward the truck. Taking a step toward Rick, I watched Carl pull free of Michonne, rushing to me, and threw his arms around my center.
"It's okay." I told him softly. "We're all okay."
"You're shot." He told me.
Smirking, I nodded at him, "Yeah. But I've been shot before. Hell, your dad has shot me before. Should we see if the scars will match?" Taking off my jacket, I pulled my shirt down, lifting my shoulder until I could see the wound. It was about two inches higher than my preexisting scar. "Not quite." I smiled at him.
He smiled back, "Can I help?"
"Nah, I got it." I replied. Michonne put her hands on his shoulders. "Go with Michonne."
"What about Dad?" He asked.
"I've got him." I smiled.
He nodded, looking at his father before getting into the truck with Michonne. As soon as he was out of sight, I was near tears, turning to Daryl. He nodded at me and I swiftly moved to him, wrapping my arms around his neck.
"Daryl." I whispered.
"Linny." He whispered back, hugging me tightly.
"Thank god." I said running my hand down the back of his head. "Thank god." I repeated before I was crying into him. "Daryl."
He hugged me tighter before letting me go, taking my face in his hands. Smiling, I did the same, pressing my forehead to his. Nodding at him, I kept his hand as I turned and looked at Rick. Stepping toward him, I knelt in front of him, taking his head in my hands as I met his eyes.
"You did what you had to do." I told him softly. "Baby, you did what you had to do."
He swiftly kissed me and I couldn't help but taste the blood that was on them. Then he wrapped his arms around me, shaking as he buried his face in my neck. Holding him tightly against me, I ran my hand down the back of his head, repeating that it was okay. That he did what he had to do. At the same time, it was horrible and I knew I'd never forget the taste of Joe's blood. A memory now seared into me.
When he finally calmed down, he moved to the side of the truck. The sun was barely starting to rise and Carl was sleeping in Michonne's lap. Daryl had motioned me away, leaving Rick to just sit there with an expression so distant that I wasn't sure what to do for him. Other than just being there for him. He knew I was. I wasn't going to abandon him. Not now. Not ever. He was stuck with me. But it was still unsettling.
"You and him?" Daryl asked softly.
"It happened when I found him after the prison." I nodded at him.
He nodded at me, "I knew it would happen eventually but…"
"I love you, Daryl." I smiled. "That will never change."
"Yeah." He said still nodding, chewing on the inside of his lip. "Where's Ray?"
I sighed, feeling emotion starting to take hold, pushing it down. "She was killed saving me from a herd of walkers." I told him.
"Linny." He said sadly.
Nodding, I shrugged, only he pulled me into his arms, pressing his lips to my forehead. "I know." I told him.
He took a deep breath, letting it out forcefully. "I'm sorry."
"Me, too." I said before letting him go. "Okay." I added wiping the tears from my cheeks. "I need to see to Rick."
He nodded, holding my hand before I was too far away for him to keep it. Kneeling next to Rick, I took his hand, holding it tightly against my chest. He met my eyes, squeezing my hand just as tight. Smiling at him, I gently ran my fingers through his hair, moving as close to him as I could get.
"It's okay." I told him. He shook his head. "It is, baby, it is."
"Linny." He said softly, emotion crossing his face. Only then Daryl was there with a rag and a bottle of water, pouring some onto it. His expression evened out as he looked up at him. "We should save it to drink."
"You can't see yourself, he can." Daryl told him, sitting next to him. I smiled at Rick as he wiped his face. "I didn't know what they were."
"How'd you wind up with them?" Rick asked. Taking the rag, I started to wipe the blood from his face, holding his chin in my hand.
"I was with Beth." He replied, both Rick and I looked at him. "We got out together. I was with her for a while."
"Is she dead?" Rick asked. My throat was tight and for a moment I couldn't breathe. "Linny." Rick said gently. Looking at him, I took a deep breathe, nodding at him.
"She's just gone." Daryl replied. I took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly to steady myself. He reached his hand out, putting it against my arm. I smiled at him, finishing with Rick's face. "After that, that's when they found me. I mean, I knew they were bad, but they had a code. It was simple. Stupid, but it was something. It was enough."
"And you weren't alone." Rick stated.
"Said they were looking for some guy. Last night they said they spotted him. I was hanging back. I was gonna leave." He went on. "But I stayed. That's when I saw it was you four. Right when you saw me. I didn't know what they could do."
"It's okay." I told him, putting my hand against his face. He quickly covered it with his own.
"It's not on you, Daryl." Rick told him. He clearly wasn't convinced. "Hey. It's not on you. You being back with us here, now, that's everything. You're my brother."
"Mine, too." I smiled, leaning in and pressed a kiss against his cheek, running my hand down his chest. "You're home."
There was a long pause before he spoke again, "Hey, what you did last night…anybody would have done that."
"No, not that." Rick replied.
I bowed my head. I couldn't tell him any different. What he did was vicious. It was brave and it saved us all from being killed but…it was something most wouldn't do. He was straddling a line between doing what was necessary and taking it one step too far. It was needed. He did what he had to do. I wouldn't hold it against him. I wouldn't talk to him about it. But it had been a little scary to watch. I'd done a lot of things, things I wasn't proud of, and even I had trouble stomaching that. The thought of tearing the flesh out of another person. I wasn't sure I could ever do that. But if I had to…would I?
"Something happened. That ain't you." Daryl told him.
"Daryl, you saw what I did to Tyreese." Rick replied. "It ain't all of it, but that's me. That's why I'm here now. That's why Carl is. I want to keep him safe. I want to keep her safe." He said and smirked at me. "That's all that matters."
There was a long pause where Rick and I just looked at each other. Smiling at him, I leaned in and kissed him sweetly. "We should go."
"Yeah." He replied.
Getting up, I tapped on the truck window and Michonne nodded at me. Starting down the road, I heard steps, looking to see Daryl following me.
"I'm fine." I told him, seeing the question in his eyes.
"You don't have to be." He replied.
Laughing lightly, I shook my head at him, "He did what he had to do."
"I know he did. But you still don't have to be fine."
Sighing loudly, I bit my lip as I attempted not to cry, "It was bad."
"Last night?"
I nodded, "That was bad. But it's not just that, Daryl. It's the prison. It's Hershel. It's having to watch Ray die and I couldn't do a damn thing for her. It's about nearly dying for what feels like the hundredth time. I'm tired, Daryl. I am so goddamn tired."
He nodded, wrapping his arm around me. Doing the same, I leaned into his side, resting my head against his shoulder. "There's a light at the end of the tunnel." He told me. "Where we're going might give us time to rest and feel like we can take a breath."
"And if it doesn't?" I asked.
"We'll deal with it then." He stated matter-of-factly.
Looking up at him, he pressed a kiss against my forehead, "Okay."
"Good girl." He smirked.
Smiling, I shook my head at him, "Seeing you made it all ten times better. I've missed you."
"I've missed you, too." He said and kissed my forehead again. "More than you know."
Still following the tracks, Daryl and I were talking while Rick, Carl, and Michonne still trailed behind. When we reached another station, there was yet another map next to the tracks. Looking at it, seeing where we were, I felt Rick's hand on my shoulders, pressing against my back.
"Hey, baby." I smiled as he pressed his lips into my hair. His slipped one arm around my waist, sighing an unspoken question. Turning, I put my hands against his chest. He just looked at me. "Everything's fine." He nodded, not looking like he believed me. "We're fine."
"We're getting close. Be there before sundown." Daryl told us.
"Now we head through the woods. We don't know who they are." Rick told us.
"All right." Daryl nodded.
Letting the men lead the way into the woods, I hung back with Carl and Michonne. After a while Carl moved up with them, talking to his dad. Smiling at them, I felt Michonne's eyes on me. Sighing, I knew what she was going to say and I didn't want to talk about it. Not right now.
"I'm fine."
"I know."
"There's nothing to talk about." I told her, raising a brow.
She smiled at me, nodding, "Mm-hm."
Smiling, I nodded, "It's fine."
"Okay." She replied.
Finding the perimeter to Terminus, we found it reinforced with spikes among other things. So far it looked empty inside. I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. Actually it was making me far more nervous than I wanted to admit. It took all of me not to tell Rick that we should just go. This didn't feel right.
"We all spread out, watch for a while, see what we see, and get ready. We all stay close." He told us before looking at Carl. "You want to stick with me?"
"It's all right." He replied, going off with Michonne.
He looked at me and I felt the overwhelming need to reassure him. "He's fine. The two of you are fine. He's just dealing with everything."
"Are you?" He asked.
For a long moment I just looked at him. "Yeah. I am." I told him honestly.
"What does that mean?" He asked.
Smiling, I brought my hand to the back of his neck, "It means that what you did was needed but was a little shocking." He nodded at me, lowering his eyes. "Rick, that's all there is to it. I will stand with you until the end. No matter what end that might be. I'm with you." He lifted his eyes and met mine again. "There is nowhere else I want to be." I added taking his hand. "I want to be right here with you."
He smiled and kissed me, pulling me against him, "Thank you."
"No." I told him. "Thank you."
Letting me go, we found a spot and dug a hole, taking out just enough guns for us before we buried it. Just as we were putting dirt on top of it, Daryl came back.
"Just in case." Rick told him.
Soon Michonne and Carl came back, everyone giving the same report.
It was quiet.
Rick led the way as we jumped the fence, refusing to even go near the main entrance. Swiftly and silently, we moved forward, letting ourselves in. It appeared to be deserted. There were buildings everywhere and evidence that people where here, but it was so quiet. Following the sound of a woman's voice, we slipped into a room, finally finding people. There were a handful of them, the woman who was the voice of the message, the others were creating the maps we had seen while following the tracks.
"Terminus – those who arrive survive. Follow the tracks to the point where all lines intersect. There are maps at the crossings to help guide you with your journey. Sanctuary for all. Community for all. Those who arrive survive. Terminus, sanctuary for all. Community for all. Those who s-"
"Hello." Rick said as we lined up in front of them.
They all looked up, and one man spoke. His voice was kind. He looked decent. "Well, I bet Albert is on perimeter watch." He stepped toward us. "You here to rob us?"
"No." Rick stated. "We wanted to see you before you saw us."
"Makes sense." He nodded.
He was tall and lanky. Built but I thought I could take him if something happened. It was sad that that was one of the first thoughts now when meeting someone new. Gauging them on your ability to take them out if necessary. Not only that but the vibe you get off of them. And this guy? I had a bad feeling about him.
"Usually we do this where the tracks meet." He went on, opening his arms to us. "Welcome to Terminus. I'm Gareth. Looking like you've been on the road for a good bit."
"We have." Rick nodded at him. "Rick." He said motioning toward himself, then to the rest of us. "That's Caroline, Carl, Daryl, Michonne.
"You're nervous. I get it." Gareth told us. "We were all the same way. We came here for sanctuary. That what you're here for?"
"Yes." Rick nodded.
"Good. You found it." He told us. Looking at Rick, I wanted to reach for his hand but I knew that this wasn't the time for that. Something still didn't feel right about this. "Hey, Alex." He called out to one of the others who stepped toward him. "This isn't as pretty as the front. We got nothing to hide, but the welcome wagon is a whole lot nicer. Alex will take you, ask you a few questions. Uh, but first, we need to see everyone's weapons. If you could just lay them down in front of you."
Looking at Rick, we waited for him to make the decision. He looked back before he nodded, "All right."
"I'm sure you understand." Gareth added.
"Yes, I do." Rick replied as we all set our weapons down in front of us.
Alex and one other came forward and patted us down, making sure we weren't hiding anything. Part of me wished I was, just in case, but we couldn't build trust by starting out with deceiving them.
"I'd hate to see the other guy." Alex said as he patted down Daryl.
Rick gave him a look, "You would."
"They deserve it?" Alex asked Carl.
"Yes." He replied.
"Anything else you want to know?" I shot at him, flinching as he touched my arm.
"Are you hurt?"
"No." I retorted.
"Just so you know, we aren't those kind of people, but we aren't stupid either." Gareth told us. "And you shouldn't be stupid enough to try anything stupid. As long as everyone's clear on that, we shouldn't have any problems. Just solutions. Okay?"
Our weapons were picked up and handed back to us. Looking at Rick, he just nodded at me.
Alex motioned to us, "Follow me."
Going out a side door, I moved closer to Carl, moving him closer to Rick with me. I was still uneasy despite their apparent kindness and willingness to help.
"So how long's this place been here?" Daryl asked him.
"Since almost the start." Alex replied. "When all the camps got overrun, people started finding this place. I think it was instinct, you know? Follow a path. Some folks were heading to the coast, others out west or up north, but they all wound up here."
Walking down a main street, we came to a courtyard, a grill in front of us, tables and various carts placed around it. There was a redheaded middle-aged woman who was manning the grill, turning meat that was cooking. It smelled amazing and all I wanted was to devour it.
"Hi." She told us. "Heard you came in the back door. Smart. You'll fit right in here."
"Hey, Mary, would you fix each of these new folks a plate for me?" Alex asked her.
"Why do you do it?" Michonne asked. "Why do you let people in?"
"The more people become a part of us, we get stronger." Alex told her. "That's why we put up the signs, invite people in. It's how we survive."
While they all talked, Rick's eyes were moving, taking in everything around us. Finally taking my eyes off of the meat, I did a double-take at Rick's expression. Something was wrong. Shifting closer to him, he met my eyes, nodding in a few different directions. Looking, my stomach started to turn. These people were wearing or carrying our family's possessions. Both panic and anger started to fill me. Then I saw Rick's expression go dark, his eyes on Alex. Following his line of sight, I felt mine do the same as I took in Hershel's watch that he had given to Glenn. There was no way in hell Glenn would part with that watch.
Still staring at it, Rick stepped forward and hit the plate of food out of Alex's hands, gripping him around his neck and yanked the watch from his pocket. My gun was immediately out and aimed at the people around us, ready to do what I had to.
"Where the hell did you get this watch?" Rick asked him with venom.
"You want answers? You want anything else? You get 'em when you put down the gun." Alex replied but he was terrified.
"I see your man on the roof with a sniper rifle." Rick replied. "How good's his aim? Where'd you get the watch? Where did you get the watch?!"
"Answer him!" I yelled.
"Don't do anything! I have this!" Alex called to his people. "You just put it down. You put it down! You want to listen to me. There's a lot of us."
"Where did you get the watch?" Rick asked him again.
"I got it off of a dead one. I didn't think he'd need it."
"Bullshit!" I yelled, not wanting to believe it. Not for a second.
"What about the riot gear?" Rick asked next. "The poncho?"
"Got the riot gear off a dead cop." Gareth replied as he came into view. "Found the poncho on a clothesline."
"Gareth, we can wait."
"Shut up, Alex."
Rick looked at Gareth, "You talk to me."
"What's there left to say? You don't trust us anymore."
"Gareth." Alex said a little panicked.
"Shut up."
"Gareth, please."
"It's okay. Rick, what do you want?"
"Where are our people?" Rick asked.
"You didn't answer the question."
Gareth's hand had been open, but when he shut it, Rick spun and gunfire went off, hitting Alex instead. I spun as well, shooting toward the sniper on the roof. The others were doing the same. Rick let Alex drop and then we were running.
Running down the main street, gunfire went off again, only it was at our feet. Turning into a warehouse, we ran through, letting ourselves back outside. Running as fast as we could we ran around cars and crates, gunfire once again going off, herding us in the direction that they wanted us to go. Passing shipping crates there was banging and yelling from inside of them. Something was very, very wrong. Running into the nearest building there were candles that were elaborately placed.
"Rick." I said gripping his arm.
"I know." He replied. "But we have to keep moving."
"They're herding us, Rick." I frowned at him.
He took my hand, "Come on."
Continuing to move, we followed the route they wanted us to. They continued to shoot at our feet if we took a misstep. When it finally got quiet, we were all breathing hard, finding ourselves surrounded with nowhere to go.
"Drop your weapons! Now!" Gareth said from on top of a building. We didn't listen. "Now!" He yelled again. I looked at Rick and he nodded at us. We all put them down. "Ringleader, look to your left. The train car, go." He commanded. "You do what we say, the boy goes with you. Anything else, he dies and you end up in there anyway."
Rick looked at me before Carl, moving toward the train car.
"Now the archer." He said and Daryl went next. "Now the samurai." Michonne. "Now the mother." He said and I looked at Carl. He nodded to me. Moving to stand behind Michonne, as soon as I was there, I looked back at Carl. "Stand at the door, ringleader, archer, samurai, mother, in that order."
"My son." Rick called to him.
Gareth paused before he looked at Carl, "Go, kid." He watched him start walking. "Ringleader, open the door and go in."
"I'll go in with him." Rick retorted.
"Don't make us kill him now." Gareth replied.
Rick didn't hesitate to go up the stairs and open the door, stepping inside. Daryl did the same, Michonne, me, and then we all looked at the door anxiously while we waited for Carl. As soon as he was in the door was slammed shut. At the same moment I had Carl in my arms.
"Mom?" He said and grinned up at me.
Laughing lightly, I hugged his head against me, looking at his father.
"Rick?" A familiar voice said making my head jerk up.
Letting Carl go, I turned as Glenn came into sight. Maggie, Sasha, and Bob were behind him. As well as others I didn't know. "Glenn."
"You're here." Rick nodded. "You're here."
"Maggie." I said and she met me halfway as I hugged her as tightly as I could.
Then I was looking at the others, Rick as well. "They're our friends. They helped save us." Maggie explained.
"Now they're friends of ours." Daryl stated.
"For however long that'll be." A redheaded soldier-type stated.
"No. They're gonna feel pretty stupid when they find out." Rick said with certainty.
The soldier furrowed his brows at him, "Find out what?"
Rick looked at him, "They're fucking with the wrong people."
Pride swelled inside of me and I nodded at him, unable to look away. Rick was all we needed to get through this. And he wasn't wrong. They would be sorry before all of this was over. They truly had fucked with the wrong people. Unbeknownst to them, they reunited one of the most power families of the apocalypse, and if they thought they could get away with this, they were sadly mistaken. A mistake that would cost them their lives.