** I was having trouble keeping up with the two different timelines. So this story will be released in a part one (saviors battle) and part two (15 years later, the whisperers). I may eventually reorder the story and go back to flashing back and forth between the whisperers and the saviors war but for now I'm going to publish in chronological order so I can get the chapters up and get the story moving.**
You know lifes a freight liner on
A runaway track
But I'll take the ride knowing
That you'll bring me back
No fates too uncertain no distance to far
As long as you're here in my arms
Holding you, holds me together
-Gretchen Wilson-
Holding You
Part One
Chapter 1
Daryl was still half asleep. The sound of MJ's feet hitting the carpet woke him the rest of the way up. The boy figured out he could climb out of his crib about a week before. After that, Daryl had to install a slide lock on the top of the bedroom door to keep the little shit from wandering the house and destroying the kitchen in the middle of the night. Daryl leaned up on his elbow. MJ had a wicked little grin on his face. His eyes were locked on Merle's back, his little hands already reaching out ready to pinch and scratch the man.
"Hey buddy," Daryl called out softly, "come on over here and see yer Uncle Daryl."
Daryl didn't really care if MJ scratched up his brother. But he knew it would wake Merle up and the man would throw a loud ass hissy fit. And that would wake up RickyJo. And she needed the extra sleep. Being pregnant and chasing an overactive toddler around all day, in addition to whatever other nonsense she was constantly running around town doing, was taking a toll on her. The night before, she rested her chin on her palm and fell asleep sitting right there at the dinner table.
MJ hesitated. He really was looking forward to making his daddy scream. But his Uncle Daryl was awake and calling him over. And sometimes Uncle Daryl had candy. MJ scampered over and reached for Daryl, letting the man pull him up onto the bed.
"How 'bout a nap," Daryl suggested hopefully.
"Mama, mama, mama," the boy chanted, scratching Daryl as he attempted to climb over the man and launch himself at the object of his desire. Daryl swung himself out of bed, taking the boy with him. Setting him down on the floor, Daryl grabbed for his shorts and tried to pull them on before MJ could clamber back up onto the bed and wake RickyJo. When Daryl snatched the boy back up he immediately started open mouth howling for his mother. Daryl clamped his hand down over the boy's mouth.
"Shuddup and I'll give you some candy?," Daryl suggested. MJ nodded his agreement to this.
"Don't give him candy until after he eats breakfast," RickyJo grumbled into her pillow.
Daryl smiled. He set MJ back down and sent him over to the laundry hamper to take his cloth diaper off. Then he leaned in and pulled the covers up over RickyJo's bare shoulders. Her arm slid out from under them, grabbing him and pulling him close so she could kiss him. Daryl only meant to give her a quick kiss good morning. But then her arms went around his neck and his tongue was in her mouth, making her moan.
"GODDAMN SONOFABITCHING KID!," Merle hollered.
RickyJo flopped back down onto the bed laughing. MJ was squealing with delight, having been smart enough to move well out of grabbing range after he scratched his tiny tiger claw nails down the length of his father's back.
"I'LL BEAT YER ASS!," Merle hollered, pointing at the boy. MJ giggled and pointed back, repeating the man's words back to him. I beat you ass daddy! Daryl lifted the boy up, trying not to laugh at him. This was always nearly impossible. But when the kid started trying to get a rise out of Merle, it was even harder. Daryl wrangled the tiny devil into a pair of shorts and carried him out of the bedroom and down the hall. He could still hear the soft tinkling of RickyJo's laughter through the bedroom door.
"Are they getting dressed?," Jessica asked when he passed by her in the hallway. Daryl shrugged. He didn't know for sure what RickyJo and Merle were doing. But when he shut the door they were both naked in bed. And he had MJ. So he doubted that anyone in that room was getting dressed anytime soon. "We have that ribbon cutting thing today," Jessica added, "...I promised Deanna I'd get everyone down there by nine thirty."
Daryl groaned and continued on his way down the hall. He didn't want any part of any ceremony and if Jessica wanted to wrangle everyone in the house out of bed at this hour, she was on her own.
Jessica threw her hands in the air and sighed. She was up and dressed. Morgan was dressed. The freaking kids had been up for an hour. But the other three grown ass adults in the house couldn't get the hell off each other long enough to put their freaking pants on and go cut a ribbon. This whole project was RickyJo's idea in the first place. Jessica pushed her cousin's bedroom door open. She was not surprised to see that not only were the two people inside the room not getting ready, instead they were kissing and groping at each other under the blankets.
"Don't y'all ever knock it off?," Jessica asked. When she didn't get an answer back, Jessica grabbed a paperback book off the closest dresser and hurled it at them, aiming for Merle. "Get up! Come on, we have that ribbon thing today!" RickyJo peeked out from under the blankets.
"Just tell them to go ahead without me," she suggested.
"RickyJo! This whole thing was your idea!," Jessica hollered, looking around for something else to throw.
"It was my idea to build a bar, not to have a fucking ceremony," RickyJo clarified. And it certainly wasn't her idea to have said ceremony at nine freaking thirty in the morning. Didn't Deanna know she was still technically on her honeymoon? It had only been like a month since she got married. And didn't they know she had two husbands instead of one? She was tired. And Merle's hand was sliding up the inside of her thigh. He pinched down on her clit, making her cry out before her eyes started rolling back in her head. The last thing she cared about right now was some stupid ass ceremony that Deanna and Rick planned.
"Get offa her and get out of bed," Jessica ordered.
When it became clear to Merle that RickyJo was not going to be able to get rid of her cousin, he decided he would give it a try. Rolling over on his back, Merle flipped the covers off and gave Jessica a big grin and a good look at his impressive morning erection.
"If yer gonna stand in the doorway you might as well come in," he suggested lewdly. RickyJo was laughing as she tried to untangle the blankets and cover him back up without revealing her own naked body.
"Seen it all before Merle," Jessica announced, "wasn't impressed then and I'm not impressed now."
"That's not what you said when you were gagging on it," Merle hollered back. Jessica couldn't hold herself together any longer. She leaned against the doorframe and let the laughter roll over her.
"Hey man, that's my wife you're talking to!," Morgan yelled from down the hall.
Morgan took most of the nonsense that went on in their house with a grain of salt. Merle had a foul mouth. But Morgan knew the man well enough now to know that he would die fighting before he let anything happen to any of them. But Morgan had to draw the line somewhere. And that line was crossed when the man flashed his dick and started making suggestive comments to Morgan's wife.
"SORRY MORGAN!"
Morgan smiled. That was RickyJo, apologizing to him between her fits of giggling laughter. And she didn't even have anything to apologize for. Except maybe laughing at Merle, which encouraged his bad behavior. Merle's voice was next, repeating her words.
"Sorry Morgan!," Merle hollered. He sounded much less sincere than his wife but Morgan appreciated the effort anyway.
"Just get up and get dressed," Morgan suggested. Jessica backed out of the bedroom doorway, closing the door behind her. She rolled her eyes and shook her head when she heard a muffled moan inside the bedroom.
It was nine forty five when they finally made it down to the open area near the front gates. Deanna immediately motioned to RickyJo, encouraging the woman to come up and stand between her and Rick. RickyJo had a fresh hickey on her neck. Her hair looked a little ruffled up in the back. And the top half of her lace bra was hanging out of her long strappy sundress. But at least she was here and willing to participate in the ceremony. Deanna would take what she could get.
"We are breaking ground today on what we hope will be a place where the whole community can gather together," Deanna announced.
People cheered and clapped. Deanna pulled out the largest pair of scissors she was able to scrounge up and handed them to Rick. Her plan was to have him and RickyJo cut the ribbon together. Then Reg and Abraham were going to use the shovels to break ground where the foundation to the bar was going to be. She had a community breakfast planned for afterwards. Deanna felt it was important to keep the sense of community alive. It helped encourage people to cooperate with each other and work together as a team.
"What's his cop ass even doing up there?," Merle hissed, gesturing towards Rick with his bad arm. Daryl just shrugged. He didn't care whose idea it was to build the bar. Or who was up there cutting the stupid ribbon. Daryl just wanted them to hurry up and cut it so he could get some breakfast. Merle shifted MJ over to his bad arm. Then he cupped his hand around his mouth and yelled.
"YEAH! GO RICK!"
Rick gave a little wave and tried to pretend that he didn't know Merle was the one hollering at him. He and RickyJo took hold of the scissors together. When they had the ribbon between the blades ready to cut, the man yelled at him again.
"BREAK IT LIKE YER BREAKING BETH'S HYMEN!"
Rick stopped mid motion. RickyJo let go of her grip on the scissors and covered her mouth. Rick felt her hand fist into the sleeve of his shirt, holding him in place in case he had any ideas about charging into the crowd and having a go at Merle. A few people were laughing. But most, including Deanna, were just standing there slack jawed. Rick's face twisted up into a wicked smile.
"Maybe I should have your brother come up here and do it for me?," Rick hollered back. This brought on a chorus of laughter from the crowd. Merle flipped him the bird but thankfully didn't have anything further to offer.
Rick turned back to the ribbon. RickyJo's face was beet red and she was biting down on her lip to keep from laughing herself into a fit. Rick figured they better get this stupid ribbon cut before anything else happened. It seemed RickyJo had the same idea because she clamped her hands over his and pressed down hard. The ribbon snapped in half and fluttered to the ground. RickyJo wrapped her arms around Rick and he hugged her back, lifting her feet off the ground and spinning her around. When they were done, Rick grabbed Deanna, giving her the same treatment. People cheered and clapped through their laughter.
With the ribbon cut, Rick was eager to get off the stage and out from in front of everyone. He weaved his way through the crowd until he found Beth. She was having terrible morning sickness so she stayed near the outside of the group in case she needed to make a run for the bathroom. Rick swept her up into his arms, kissing her and running his hand over her stomach.
"I can stay here instead of going on that run if you need me," he offered. Beth shook her head and hugged him tight. They needed food and supplies more than she needed him here watching her vomit.
"Just be careful and come back to me," she whispered. Rick held her tighter and pressed a kiss into her soft blonde curls. The crowd broke out in another round of applause, which hopefully meant the ceremony was over and it was time for breakfast.