Part 15: Family
Dawn stood with her hip against the window, her hand wrapped around the ax handle, and her gaze darting between the open forest and the secured stranger. His green eyes never wavered from her and she refused to be disturbed by his scrutiny. If anything, she was more concerned about the three who had left close to an hour ago. Although she and her son hadn't spoken for several minutes, she sensed Dom's agitation as clearly as if he had confided in her. Noon had passed, and only something beyond Nik's control would prevent him from coming back to them.
"I can help them," Dean said, his voice straining in a deep, husky rasp.
Dawn shook her head. The conversation had been on repeat since Lorenzo left with Michonne and Carl. She understood his desire for freedom, but untying him on a whim was foolish. It wasn't that she harbored distrust like with the cousins Clay and Nash. He didn't give off that vibe. But there was something else about him. Something that she could not define. She felt it every time their gazes connected.
"This is a waste," Dean grunted, indicating the binding that kept him secured. "I'm not a threat. I can help. At least, let me be a lookout for you and your boy."
"Mama..." Dom said as he moved from one window to another. "Ask him the questions."
"Ask me!" Dean said. Then he added, "What questions?"
Dawn ignored him and looked at her son. "Those questions are for people who stay. We can't make that call yet."
"How many's in your group?" Dean asked. "I don't always do well with crowds, but there's safety in numbers if nobody's a punk bitch. Um, sorry. You know what I mean."
She frowned at him.
Dean grinned. "Okay. That was presumptuous. Of course, a smart, beautiful woman like yourself wouldn't give that kind of info away."
"Hey!" Dom stepped to his mother's side.
"No disrespect."
Dawn studied Dean. Having bandaged and stitched his wounds, she knew that he carried the normal scars and bruises of true survivors in this new world. He also had the body of a man who knew how to protect himself. She dared another glance into his eyes, and that's when she realized that underneath the loud bravado, there was some sincerity.
She sighed and said, "How many walkers have you killed?"
His eyes widened and narrowed at the question. "Walkers, huh? More than I can count."
She nodded. "How many people?"
His mouth tightened, but he didn't look away. "Five."
"Why?" Dom asked.
A muscle flickered at Dean's jaw. No doubt he didn't like having a teen interrogate him, but he wanted the questions, Dawn thought. Her grip on the ax handle tightened and she lifted her chin.
Dean answered, "Three tried to run over our camp. The two were attacking a mother and her daughter."
Before Dawn or Dom could respond, the ground trembled. She looked at her son, and he clutched his crossbow. Dom was poised to run outside, but she shook her head.
"Sounds like something from my stash," Dean said. "I guess they reached Terminus. I hope they burn the fucker to the ground. Excuse me. Burn the hellhole. It's rotten filth. If you untie me, I can help your family."
His tone was so inviting, but Dawn was not inclined to accept. Instead, she said, "Want some water. We have granola bars. Hungry?"
His eyebrows quirked. "Got pie?"
"We haven't found any so far."
Dean grimaced. "The granola will do."
Dawn nodded at her son, and he tossed a couple of granola bars at Dean. As the man tore in the wrapper, she directed her attention toward the window. A cloud of smoke hung in the distance. She readied herself for more trembles, but none came. Patience was a virtue that she worked on, so waiting was painful. She hated to consider the "what ifs," but they always lingered in the back of her mind. If the others didn't make it, she and Dom would carry on, but what to do with Dean? Dawn supposed she would let him go. Still, it was too soon to make that call.
Minutes that felt like hours passed. After a while, movement shifted the foliage. She clutched the ax and watched. Dom moved to her side.
"What is it?" Dean asked. "I can help!"
"Ssh!" Dawn said harshly. Her gaze remained trained on the forest.
Soon, she realized that the group was alive and not roaming walkers. At first, she recognized no one. Then a familiar tall, dark, handsome man rushed across the parking lot.
"Dad!" Dom ran from the building before she could blink.
Dawn spared Dean one glance and then she was right behind her son, letting the ax fall to the ground and falling into her husband's arms. As Nik held her close, she saw Lorenzo behind him. He gave her a slight frown. Before she could register Lorenzo's warning, Nik had released her and was headed for their temporary sanctuary.
"Nik, wait!" she called, but it was too late.
Nik had Dean by the collar. Nik's olive-skin was reddened with rage that Dawn had only seen a few times before. She tugged on her husband's arms.
"Go outside, Dawn," Nik ground out. "You too, Dom."
Dom obeyed his father, but Dawn refused to let Nik go.
"No, let him go," she said. "We're fine. He didn't do anything."
"Dammit, Dawn!" Nik said. "First once, just do what I say!"
"He's tied up—"
"Cut me loose," Dean said. "Make it a fair fight or does coming after me like this make you feel like a big man?"
"Shut up," Lorenzo said, moving forward to grab his brother. "You're not helping." To Nik, Lorenzo added, "Did you notice that they're fine? Both Dawn and Dominik are okay."
Nik tossed Dean to the floor. "No thanks to you." His hand balled into a fist as the two brothers glared at each other. "All I've ever asked is that you protect them. I never expect you to put my wife and son in harm's way."
"Harm's way?" Dean sputtered. "I'm tied up. Besides, I offered to help—"
"Shut up," Dawn said. She closed her hand around Nik's fist and stroked his arm with her other hand. The heat from his body was scorching. "Nikky, please. You have cuts and bruises I need to tend to. Let me."
"This isn't done," Nik said to Lorenzo and Dean before he allowed Dawn to lead him to the kitchen.
$%^&
A crowd gathered outside the sanctuary and Rick knew a decision would have to be made soon, but the noises inside the building demanded that he tend to the most pressing issue first. He felt Michonne follow him as he eased into the room. Rick was poised to break up a fight, but he quickly saw that his services weren't needed. The Cassidy brothers had parted with Nik joining Dawn in the kitchen and Lorenzo standing over the stranger.
"Who's that?" Rick said.
"The name's Dean," the man answered. "Dean Winchester."
Rick nodded as he noticed the secure bindings on the man wrists and ankles. Dean appeared physically worn like the rest of them, but his mental state wasn't as easy to discern. Footsteps sounded to Rick's right. Dom and Carl entered. Then came Maggie, Glenn, and the other newcomers.
"Mama asked him the questions," Dom volunteered.
"Yeah," Rick said, returning his stare to Dean whose eyes glared back at him. "You had the rockets and shit?"
"Had it," Dean said, "until she took it." He jutted his chin toward Michonne. "Had more than that, but I guess it was used to break you out of that shithole they were calling a sanctuary. Terminus…what a load of bullshit. Tell me you blew it the fuck up."
"What do you know about it?" Glenn asked.
"Know it's a hellhole and nothing what it claimed to be," Dean said. "Found out the hard way. Barely got out."
"Where'd you get the firepower?" Rick asked. "Is there more?"
Dean shook his head. "That was it. If you used it up, tough shit."
"Where's your group?" Rick asked.
Dean's mouth tightened. "Who says I have one?"
"Everyone has one at one time or another," Bob said.
"I lost mine," Dean stated.
"How-?"
Dean cut off the big, burly red head. "Look, I get the twenty questions, but it all comes down to three things. One, you let me go. Two, you kill me. Three, we work together. Which one is it?"
Rick didn't answer. Instead, he looked at Michonne. Her silence commanded his attention. He felt as if he knew which way she was leaning, but he wasn't about to speak for her. She and Bob had made it out there alone, but Michonne had done it far longer than any of them. She couldn't have survived without learning how to read people. He trusted her instincts.
As if sensing his unspoken question, Michonne gave Rick a slight nod. Rick spoke to Lorenzo who hadn't moved from his position over Dean. "Will this be a problem with Nik?"
"This?" Dean grumbled low. "I have a name."
"Nothing I can't handle," Lorenzo said. He gestured to Dom. "Was there any problem while we were gone? Tell me the truth."
"I always do," Dom said. "Nothing really. He kept asking to be untied. Said he could help you at that place. He wasn't a jerk to us though."
"You sure?" Lorenzo asked.
"I wouldn't hurt a mom and her kid!" Dean muttered. "I'm not a complete asshole."
"Had me fooled," Michonne said barely containing a faint trace of humor.
"We have to make a decision," Maggie said. "And he's not the only one. This place ain't big enough for all of us."
"We all ain't staying," Abraham said. "We'll take the Suburban or the Explorer and be on our way—"
"The hell you will," Nik said as he and Dawn returned to the main room. "I have no say about the Chevy—that's Rick's call—but you for damn sure not taking the Fords."
"Fuck trekking to D.C. on foot!" Abraham replied. "There's enough room in the truck and a SUV for the rest of you. We need something with wheels."
"You'd best find what you need, but not in that damn parking lot." Nik folded his arms across his chest.
"We're keeping the Chevy," Rick said.
Abraham seemed ready to argue, but Rick waited.
"What's so special about D.C.?" Carl asked.
"Everything," Abraham said.
Later, while everyone else was taking turns in the shower or eating the food that Dawn rationed out, Rick and Michonne chatted outside at the tailgate of the Chevy. He took her hand, but resisted the urge to pull her closer. With new bodies and emotions still on edge, he felt as though he needed to be alert. Rick knew he wouldn't be able to give his full attention if was holding Michonne the way he wanted to.
"Do you believe that story?" Rick asked. "Sounds like a pipe dream with just enough reality sprinkled to make it seem doable."
"You thinking about heading north to Washington?" Michonne asked. A slight frown wrinkled her brow. Her expression became unreadable caught in the shade of the building and the vehicle.
"Not saying that," he said. "But it's not like we have a set plan. Maggie's right. We can't all stay here. It's too isolated and the resources are few."
"D.C. is miles away. We have 3 vehicles…four if we count Daryl's bike." She sighed. "Fuel is not guaranteed."
"What's the alternative?"
Michonne glanced toward where Beth was sitting on a log with Maggie, Glenn, and the new guy, Noah, stood nearby. The four of them were talking, smiling, reuniting. "The new kid…Noah. I heard him say something about where he came from. He said they had blocked off their neighborhood, but there were still some empty houses."
"How long ago?" Rick asked. "It seems like he'd been at Terminus a while. Anything could have happened since he left."
She looked down at the ground and nodded. "That's true."
Rick cupped her face. "Whatever decision we make won't offer guarantees. My gut's saying we oughta move on."
"I agree," she said, covering his hand with hers, "but we have to know when to stop, too. I fear what'll happen if we stay out here too long."
"But D.C.?" Rick asked. "I don't know. It doesn't feel right."
"Let's sleep on it," she said. "We have a roof, running water, and food. Tomorrow, we can figure it out. Make a decision about Dean, too."
Rick nodded. "We're sleeping in the Chevy. Carl too."
She smiled. "Of course."
$%^&
"I can't believe you think we'll find a deer out here," Sasha said.
"Ssh!" Daryl pressed a finger to his lips and waved for her to follow him. He pointed at the ground. "Look. Those are deer tracks. Fresh ones. We'll find something."
"The boys caught rabbits."
"Not enough to feed us all," Daryl whispered. "Now hush, woman."
Sasha rolled her eyes, but she remained quiet as she moved in line behind him. Her gaze traveled over his crouched form. His shoulders were tight and raised as he held the crossbow. To be honest, she enjoyed the sight of his biceps and forearms, too. She relished the hardness of him on those occasions when he let his guard down and hugged her close. In the back of her mind, she scolded herself for allowing her thoughts to wander, but the recent events at Terminus had her keyed up. They had come so close to losing themselves and each other. She wasn't too keen on wasting any more time to doubts or hesitation. If food wasn't a major concern for all involved, she would—
"Sasha!" Daryl whispered as he pulled her down alongside him in the brush. "Did you hear that?"
"The deer?" she asked, confused.
"No," he said. "Listen."
"What?" Sasha scanned the area around them. Trees loomed overhead. Twigs and branches lay scattered over the drying grass. Gold and brown leaves reminded her that summer had given way to fall. Bushes cluttered the space and offered numerous hiding spaces. But other than an occasional breeze nothing moved except for her and Daryl.
"Voices," Daryl murmured against her ear. "You didn't hear it?"
"No. Maybe we should get back."
"Forget the deer?" Daryl asked.
Then Sasha recognized the brightness in his blue eyes and the faint twitch in the corner of his mouth. She shoved him. "You!"
"Ssh!" he whispered, smiling.
"Is there a deer?" she asked, "Or are you fooling about that, too?"
Redness crept across his cheeks as he looked away for a moment. "The track's a little cold."
"So we're just out here wandering around because…?"
He tilted his head until their gazes locked. "It's crowded back there with everyone getting adjusted and all. Not so much here. Quiet, too."
"You could've told me that. You didn't have to make up a deer…voices." She shifted to sit on the ground, facing him. "I would've come without the pretense."
"I know," he mumbled so low that she had to think to understand his words. "Don't want them wondering what we're doing is all."
"What are we doing?"
He moved onto his knees, set the crossbow within reach, and took hold of her shoulders. His breathing was uneven, but his face was determined. A moment later, Daryl closed in and Sasha felt his breath on her mouth, then his lips on hers.
The kiss was soft, tentative, and gentle. The first taste of him was very Daryl. Sasha angled toward him, wanting more and knowing that going too fast could be the wrong move. But without thinking, her mouth parted and her tongue skimmed his bottom lip. For a second, his fingers dug into her flesh as he stiffened and held himself still. The second felt long and endless until he drew her closer, his hands sliding to her waist and his tongue thrusting against hers. Sasha trembled as his moans vibrated through her and he lowered them to the earthen floor.
$%^&
Michonne was tired. Having Maggie, Glenn, Bob, and Beth back was more than she could have ever hoped for, but she hadn't realized how smoothly things were running before the huge groups were situated under one roof. She supposed the Cassidy family had made the previous transition easier. Dawn's shit was organized and falling into her groove had made sense to Michonne. However in just a few hours, Michonne realized that despite how smooth everything had been prior to their escape from Terminus, the different factions weren't blending well. The tension angered and annoyed her, but she worked on keeping herself in check. Maintaining a level head kept her steady even as it made her exhausted.
"Want me to do something?" Carl appeared at her side. He and Dom had skinned the rabbits and Lorenzo and Glenn were working the makeshift grill.
"Like what?" she asked.
Carl shrugged, cocking his head as he gazed at her from under the brim of the Sheriff's hat.
She hefted the katana onto her shoulder. "I was thinking about doing a perimeter check."
"Dad's on it. He, Dom, and Nik just left," he said.
"And you didn't want in on that?" she asked.
He shook his head.
"Rick sent you to check on me?" she asked, planting a fist on her hip.
"No," Carl said. "I saw you alone." He pushed the hat back and wiped the sweat from his brow. "What are we gonna do with all these people?"
"Some will stay," she said. "Some will go. I imagine it'll work itself out."
"The big one's still talking about one of the cars," Carl confided. "If he tries to take one…"
Michonne shook her head. "He won't. There's more of us and one of him. He'd be a fool to try it."
Carl gave her a look that she had to resist chuckling in response. "Do you believe what he says about D.C.? That the one with the weird hair knows how to stop the walkers?"
She sighed. "I don't know. It sounds good, though, doesn't it?"
"Maybe too good," he murmured. "Bob's filling up bottles of water. I'm gonna see if he needs help."
"Stay close by."
Carl nodded as he walked away. Michonne watched him. The wooden post at her back offered some relief, but she was not foolish enough to let her guard down. Her senses kicked in to take in the smells and noises that alerted her to approaching walkers or other dangers. The newcomers threatened to throw her off, but nothing really came close to the odor of decaying bodies.
"Have you seen Nik?" Dawn approached with the ax handle gripped tightly in her hand.
"He's with Rick and Dom," Michonne said. "Perimeter check. Something wrong?"
Dawn positioned herself to face Michonne and the former wildlife sanctuary. "He's still pissed, and that big red head… I don't know about him."
"He's quick and a good fighter," Michonne said.
"You need more than that to make it out here," Dawn said. "His mouth… Nik's still pissed about Lorenzo. About Dean. About almost not coming back. The big one…what's his name?"
"Abraham."
"Yeah… Abraham's still talking smack about us having vehicles and him needing to get Eugene east…" Dawn shook her head. "If he tries to take one, hell's gonna break loose. I can talk Nik down 95% of the time, but it's that 5% few are ready for."
Michonne frowned. "He hurt you?"
Dawn scoffed. "Never. He's protective, but he's not an asshole. Right now, he's still working through whatever's bothering him. Figuring out new people is hard. The girl in the Daisy Dukes…?"
"Her name's Rosita," Michonne said.
"Okay, Rosita," Dawn said, "she was just trying to tell me how to ration the food supplies."
"That explains the ax," Michonne said.
"Huh?"
"Nothing. What happened? I didn't hear a yelling match."
"Did you hear laughter?" Upon Michonne's blank stare, Dawn continued, "Dean fell on his ass laughing like it was a comedy. I hadn't said a damn thing to her. Nothing. I just looked at her."
"Was it the look you're giving me now?" Michonne asked.
Dawn's usually soft features were darkened into a stern mask. Her brown eyes blazed and her mouth was a straight, firm line. Michonne remembered seeing that look on her mother's face anytime she was out of line. It was standard among black mothers.
"What are you talking about?" Dawn snapped. "I'm just looking at you. I'm not giving you a look."
Michonne bit back a smile. "So, what happened with Rosita?"
"I informed her that we already have a system in place and if she is more than welcome to learn it." Dawn rolled her eyes. "As if we didn't know not to gorge on our findings. Besides, what the hell is she thinking? One scratch and she's done. If I had a spare pair of jeans, I'd hand them over. It's too cold to walk around like that anyway."
"I'm thinking Nik's not the only one with that 5% thing," Michonne said, gesturing for Dawn to join her against the wooden post. "Did something happen while we were gone? You sure Dean is okay?"
Dawn nodded, looking at the ground. "Nothing. He's fine."
"We'll have to figure out what to do with him."
"He could be an asset," Dawn said. "Hard to say."
"What does your gut tell you?"
Dawn chewed her bottom lip. "He's not a bad guy, but…"
Michonne frowned. "But what?"
Dawn hesitated and then she shook her head. "Nothing. He answered the questions. Gut says he was telling the truth."
A short while later, Michonne still continued to assess newcomers. After finding a home and a family at the prison, she was not so quick to shun the possibility of expanding. Dawn and Carl's observations were similar to hers, but she hesitated on making a call. She noticed that Glenn, Maggie, and Bob seemed to get along with the oddly matched group of four. The other one, Dean, was a wild card. Michonne had spoken to him again and he seemed legit. She sighed. Did she really want to think about this now?
"Hey!" Rick stood not two feet from her and his face crinkled with concern. "Something wrong?"
"No, just thinking," she said. "You've been standing there for a minute, haven't you?"
"Give or take," he murmured. He took her hand. "Come with me."
He led her past the makeshift grill. As they passed, they heard the friendly banter between Glenn and Lorenzo. Maggie gestured for them to get something to eat, but Rick assured her they would in a minute.
With a wide oak tree at her back and Rick at her front, she gazed up at him. Her fingers circled his belt loop and she pulled. He flattened his hand against the tree, leaning forward to kiss her cheek, nose, and forehead.
"Thank you," he said.
"For what?"
He didn't respond to that. Instead, he asked, "What's got you all worked up?"
"I'm hardly worked up," she said. "Just thinking. There's a lot of us now."
"Nik and I were talking about that," Rick admitted.
"Has he calmed down?"
Rick shrugged. "Some. He had good reason."
"Think Abraham will be a problem?"
Rick shook his head. "Nothing we can't handle. Is he the only one you're concerned about?"
"Pretty much," she said. "Not worried about Dean. If I had been, I wouldn't have left him with them."
"I know," he said. "Nik understands that." He looked away while he gathered his words. "Terminus was…off. They were doing things there… We came close today, Michonne. It was different. We need to find a place that's ours."
"Are you thinking D.C.?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," he answered. "Sounds like a pipe dream. What do you think?"
"What if it's legit?" Michonne held the same doubts as Rick, but she didn't want suspicion to prevent them from putting an end to the ceaseless wandering. Carl and Dom needed stability. It wasn't fair that they had to grow up this way with their innocence taken with every walker kill. "I want a home, Rick."
He pulled her into his arms. His words came as a whisper against her ear. "So do I, Michonne. So do I."
$%^&
Daryl killed six squirrels to make up for the deer, but that wasn't the cause for the shit-eating grin that he failed to contain. Every glance at Sasha made him puff with pride and grow warm with the memories of her sweet kisses. A few times doubt crept in and he wondered if she knew that he was no expert. He had feared being sloppy or tensing up when they got too close. Yeah, she was his girlfriend and all that—no, she was his woman, but he didn't want to shame himself with his inexperience. But when their mouths touched none of that mattered. He refused to let himself think about sex. One day, he'd tell her his full story, but the going slow worked for them and he wasn't ready to rush it.
The food seemed to ease the weird vibe that had greeted him and Sasha upon their return. After the meal was done, cleanup happened quickly and the tension from the day's events kicked in. Prior to the addition of the newcomers, the wildlife building had been just big enough for their group. Now, everyone was bitching about space and what was the next plan. It got to the point that Daryl had enough.
"Okay, everybody just shut up!" he said. "We got a roof over our heads. Food in our guts. Shit could be a whole lot worse."
"We can't stay here forever," Rosita said. "We have to keep going."
"Ain't nobody stopping you, but you'd be a fool to head out tonight," Daryl said. "Can't it wait til the mornin'?"
"Just the morning," Abraham said. He glanced at Eugene. "But we ain't going on foot."
"We've already settled this," Nik said. "You ain't taking my truck or my brother's."
"The Chevy is ours," Rick said quietly.
"The Harley belongs to Daryl," Sasha added.
Abraham's face reddened. He looked ready to explode, but Glenn spoke first.
"We can figure this out," Glenn said. "Maggie and I told you that we'd help you get to D.C., but you're not taking anything from our friends. We can find vehicles out there."
"You're doing what?" Beth asked. "You didn't tell me."
"We just decided," Maggie explained. "Of course, I want you to come too if that's what you want—"
"Noah's place is fortified," Beth said. "I think we should go there. D.C. just sounds like what we found at the C.D.C..."
"We don't know that," Glenn said, gently. "There's only one way to find out."
"But Noah, tell them," Beth said.
"This is some stupid shit—" Abraham cut in.
"How do you know?" Carl asked. "You don't know what happened at the C.D.C. You weren't there. I'd bet there's nothing left in D.C. It's just a burned out city like Atlanta."
"There's things about the government that you don't understand, kid," Abraham said. "A protocol that's in place—"
"I'm going with Noah," Beth said. "I've seen enough protocols. Terminus was full of them. If this could've been fixed, the government should've done a long time ago. Tell them about your home." She looped her arm around Noah's and pulled him toward the center.
"It's not too far from Washington," Noah said. "We turned our neighborhood into a compound. We'll have extra vehicles. There's enough room for everyone."
"If it's so great, why did you leave it?" the quiet brunette asked. Daryl thought her named started with a "T" but he couldn't remember.
"We…my dad and me…came to Atlanta to look for my uncle," Noah said, his voice deep with an undercurrent of emotion. "We never found him. I lost my dad. Leg got busted. Ended up at Terminus."
"How long were you there?" Dawn asked.
"A few weeks," Noah said. "You know, it's kinda hard to tell anymore. It could've been a month, but I don't think so. Why?"
Dawn glanced at Nik but she didn't answer. Dean, who was now freed from his confines, said from his stance against the cement wall, "'Cause a lot can happen. Things can flip on a dime."
Noah shook his head. "No, we have a good system. Good people looking out for each other. You'll see."
Daryl felt Sasha move to stand close to him. He sensed her unease before he saw it on her face. He turned away from the group to fully face her. "What is it?"
"We're still not too far from the prison," she said quietly. "Tyrese… I can't… I know it doesn't make sense, but we got Glenn, Maggie, Beth, and Bob back. He's my brother, Daryl."
"They can go," he said. "If they want, they can leave. We'll stay behind."
"You don't have to—"
"I'd never leave without you," Daryl said. "He's your brother. We can double back and see what we find. At first light, we'll head out."
Wetness glistened in her brown eyes as she gave him a faint smile. "Thank you."
"You don't ever have to say that to me," he said. "Not ever."
"Rick?" Nik said. "You're quiet."
"Listening," Rick replied. "Now, that we're all together again, I'm not too keen on us parting." He looked at Glenn and Maggie to emphasize his point. Then he directed his gaze to include everyone. "One thing's for sure, one night here is more than enough. Noah's place sounds like a good place to start. It'll be a snug fit, but the three trucks should be enough to get us there—"
"We ain't taking no detours—" Abraham said.
"No one's suggesting that," Michonne said. "It's on the way to D.C. It only makes sense to stop there and see. Ain't no harm in that and if you need to move on, do it."
"And since none of us are volunteering our rides," Lorenzo added, "this is probably the best deal you'll get."
Daryl grabbed his and Sasha's things and they headed to one of the smaller rooms in the back. He had already stashed his bike in there. Sasha laughed softly when she saw the Harley. Daryl tossed their sleeping bags onto the floor, lit a couple of candles, and sat against the wall. She snuggled next to him with her head on his shoulder. The conversation sounded muffled as it passed through the concrete structure. Daryl decided that later, after everyone had said their fill and quiet settled over their refuge, he'd talk to Rick and Michonne. Other than Sasha, he was closest to them and wanted them to know their plans. And maybe he wanted the chance to tell them goodbye if it came to that.
[A/N: First, if you're still reading, thanks! And if you're new, welcome! I haven't forgotten about this story or any of them, but my real life dictates my fic writing schedule. That's the way it goes sometimes. Any hoo…for clarity and in case you're not sure, Daryl and Sasha did NOT have sex. At least, not yet. So, they're all together and things are crazy. The story focus will remain the same, though, with a little extra to accommodate some of the newcomers. Your thoughts, suggestions, and respectful rants are appreciated. Here's a little preview for Part 16…Sasha/Daryl may have help with their journey. We'll see. Thanks again! ]
