Disclaimer: I own nothing.
– – –
"Hey, look who's awake." Glenn smirked at Daryl, handing him a bottle of water. "Finally. You had us worried."
He grunted and accepted it, blinking at the light, his tongue thick. "What happened?"
"You don't remember?" Maggie studied him.
"Pentaghast, the camp, her hurtin' y'all," he recited, "but it's fuzzy after. I just remember...cold ground."
"You were out of it. She had you heavily drugged." Maggie urged him to drink and listen more. "We got out of her camp, saved the equipment and the medicine. We're all okay."
Glenn lowered his eyes. "Except for Lee and Morris."
Maggie nodded slightly and found Daryl's eyes. "We've been on the move ever since. It's been about a day. We're stoppin' to scout some, find some supplies, syphion for gas. That type of thing."
"Good idea." He twisted the bottle close.
"It is, especially since we don't know where we are." Glenn nudged his wife with his elbow lightly. "We kind of drove blindly through the night and early morning, but Denise is working with Eugene to find a route home."
"And the others?"
"Well, Abraham, Tom, Spencer, and Amber are passed out in the backseats of various cars." Maggie stuffed her hands into her pockets. "They're completely wiped."
"Can't blame 'em."
"Not with the driving we did," Glenn agreed. "Francine—and Eugene once he joins her—will be searching a couple cars ahead, Rosita and Jenny are on watch, and we're about to follow a trail that might lead to a small store with Tara. We're not sure, but we're hopeful."
"Why? Is there somethin' we need?"
Maggie nodded. "It's personal, but we might find other things the group needs."
"Personal?" He didn't want to know. "Okay. I'll...try and gather my bearings."
"Good idea." Glenn chuckled at his attempt to stand. "Do it slowly. I'm here, if you need me."
"I'll be good." He cleared his throat. "Just gonna sit here a minute."
"Okay. I'll get you another water, talk to Denise on my way back." Glenn skirted around Maggie towards Denise and Eugene.
"I should see if we have any snacks for you." Maggie moved hair from her face. "It can only help you at this point."
"Hey, wait." Daryl caught Maggie before she wondered off to find him food. "Here, this is yours."
She gasped at the sight of her rings and grinned at him. "How...? You got them back? With all of that was goin' on?" She hugged him. "Thank you, Daryl."
"You're welcome." He certainly was close enough to her to take them back.
"I'll be back." She hesitated and met his eyes sorrowfully. "We'll miss the appointment. It's four or more days back, and we've burned through a week already."
"I know." He averted his eyes.
"She still has the sonogram, doesn't she?" He nodded. "Well, you'll have a new one waitin' for you at home."
"Yeah."
She set a hand on his shoulder. "There'll be plenty of next times."
He smiled a little. "Thanks, Maggie." He locked his gaze in hers. "Really."
She squeezed his shoulder with a soft smile and walked off to get him something to eat, he dragged a hand through his hair and finished off the water, and the memories of what happened that night began to bubble up in the back of his head. He didn't want to know about it. When he did, he wanted to find her and destroy her. Not kill—destroy. She not only threatened Carol and their unborn child but the whole of Alexandria. She would pay for making those threats if he ever saw her again, and unfortunately he had a feeling he would see her again. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day in the future when he least expected it, he'd see that red-haired cunt.
He rubbed his neck and turned his head to the side, grateful to be able to move and feel his entire body. He was damn lucky. He knew Maggie would never know how much he meant that thank you. That small little warrior did more for him in one moment than he'd ever done for her probably ever. He wouldn't be able to find a way to make it up to her, but maybe one day. He'd owed her one day.
He squinted as he raised his gaze to the sky, smiling a little at the thought of being home. They were five days out? Six, maybe? It'd be an impossibly long drive, but once it was through, he'd get to see the baby, see Carol. He couldn't wait to see her, to embrace, to burn away the feel of Pentaghast's hands on his body. He could do that with a shower too, but he knew Carol would get the feeling of what she intended to do off his skin and out of his mind whereas the shower would only wash it off. He wanted it seared off, and he prayed Carol's embrace could do that.
––
Daryl wanted to tag along with the trio to find this store, but he didn't have the energy just yet, so when Eugene joined Francine, he partnered up with Denise. She had a broken or bruised rib, and he felt funky, so why not partner up? It would be easier for him right now to hang around with her than wandering around, looking for supplies. Although he was a little miffed with himself, and Denise was picking up on it as they continued to map out their way home.
Eugene and Francine were able to get a bit more gas, found a small first aid kit and a couple bottles of aspirin. There were also a few items of clothing that could be salvaged. They needed to be washed and then likely re-washed, but they were in good condition considering. Francine found a suitcase of children's clothing in the truck of one of the cars, and there were a few items for an infant. There was no blood or broken glass in or around the car, so perhaps they made it. Or more likely they didn't, not out there, not with an infant in tow.
Rosita and Jenny had switched spots at the front and rear of the line of cars, Jenny hadn't seen anything much, and she hoped it stayed that way after this run. Rosita, on the other hand, wanted that bitch to show herself. She wanted to make her pay for what she did to their team, and she wanted to make her pay for any threats she made on their family. She could smell the crazy on that one, and she didn't want that rat following them back home or stumbling upon Alexandria one day. She wouldn't see the inside of that gate. The last thing she'd seen was the gate before she or Sasha blew her head wide open with a long distance shot to the temple. Their sniper rifles weren't for show. Rosita would be sure to use it if that bitch showed herself ever again.
Glenn, Tara and Maggie were trekking through the woods to find the small store they'd seen an advertisement for. It might come up dry, but they had to give it a shot. They wouldn't be returning home empty-handed, but what was a little more? They wouldn't push their luck. They barely escaped that nutjob's camp with their lives, but they might find something they didn't know they needed. Perhaps more food, which was always a plus, or perhaps ammo, again a plus. Or maybe they'd find something else. Gas? Clothing? Tools? It didn't matter as long as they could make use of it, and they likely would be able to. If they couldn't, Eugene could. Or Carol. She was pretty crafty herself these days. They'd just have to find out, and as they ducked their way through branches too thick to chop through, they saw the store; its window peeking through the kudzu which had overgrown and pretty much swallowed the building. It was almost beautiful. Nature reclaiming what has rightfully been its all along.
Back at camp the sun was beginning to set, those who were sleeping were beginning to rouse, and Rosita and Jenny were ready to head out. Denise and Daryl had finished up the map with a safe route home. They were confident they wouldn't run into Pentaghast or her people, and they'd be home in a week. They hoped it'd be within a week, but they had gotten sidetracked escaping that nut. They didn't think of the correct path out of there, just the swiftest, and now they had to backtrack to the road that lead home. It'd be okay, though. They were alert. They were mostly well-rested, and they were together. They had what they came out there for, and they wouldn't let anybody—anybody—stop them again.
"Are you all right?" Denise finally asked when Abraham came to collect the map and retrieve a bottle of water to wash the taste out of his mouth.
"Not really." He picked at the console between them.
"Do you want to talk to me about it?" She tilted her head. "I'll listen to whatever it is. If it involves this run or Pentaghast—I'm here."
He shook his head. "It's just... I told Carol I'd bring somethin' home for the kid, and I didn't. I don't got anythin'. I missed her appointment, and I didn't find anythin' for the kid."
Denise actually laughed. "That's what you're worried about? Not having an apology gift?"
"No. No, it ain't an apology gift. It's just...a gift, all right? We've been gone a long while, and they gotta be worried. I just wanna give her somethin' to... I dunno, break the ice?"
"Well, it's your lucky day, Daryl." Maggie popped up by the window. "We have a lot of things you can give Carol."
"What do you mean?"
"We hit the jackpot in baby stuff," Glenn explained. "That small store? It was local owned, and I guess they had a baby shower or were planning a baby shower—I can't really say. But we found a lot of stuff in the back room for a baby."
"Not to mention some medicine and self-adhesive wrap and some essential oils." Tara placed to loaded bags into the back. "Also quiet a bit of stuff for construction."
"We left some of the more useless items behind." Maggie handed her bags to Glenn, who loaded up the trunk in the car in front of the SUV. "But if we need them, we know where to find them."
"Let's hope we don't. It's a long drive out here." Denise pointed out, "And I don't care to relive this."
"Me either." Glenn closed the trunk. "So, let's hit the road. It's gonna be a long drive back."
– – –
And it was a long, taxing drive back. It took a total of five nights and six days. They were all grumpy and ready to shower and sleep in an actual bed. They were eager to take up their every day responsibilities and shifts and patrols. They were keen on not being shoved into a car with someone they'd been inside a car with for the past five nights. They had learned a lot about each other, some would say too much about the others, and they were just done with this trip.
The drive home was pretty slow. They encountered only a small patch of walkers, Rosita and Daryl and Abe made quick of it while the others slept or remained in the driver's seats. There was not even a whisper of a human threat, and Daryl kept a sharp eye out. Rosita as well. They were both planning on coming back to try and track Pentaghast down, but the trail would likely be dead. Animals or walkers will have contaminated the campsite, so there would be little point. But one day...they or she would cross her or their path, and it wasn't going to be pretty. Rosita would ensure that, and Daryl made a vow that it would end with her death. Because if she didn't die, it wouldn't end, and he wouldn't have his child be in the same world as that cunt, so clearly she was the one who had to go.
Daryl pulled the truck to a stop and rested his arms carefully around the wheel, placing his head on them, and he heard Denise chuckle in the seat beside him. He didn't have the energy to even glare. He was exhausted, ready for his own bed, for a hot cooked meal and a steaming shower. God, he longed for those things.
The gate was yanked opened, they pulled inside, and they all bolted from their cars to rejoice in being home. The others emerged from their house as the team who'd been gone for two weeks stretched or helped an injured friend out of their seat.
Rick came off the steps and did a count, seeing two wrapped bodies on the back of the car, and he pushed a hand through his hair, smiling at the sight of the group. They were back. They were mostly in one piece, and they were home.
Daryl closed the door to the truck, jogging around to help Denise out, though Tara said she had it. He still helped. He walked through the various cars and made sure they were all right, especially the ones who had injuries, and he came to a stop by the lead car, his eyes narrow at the morning sun glaring off the sidewalk. A breath escaped his chapped lips in a visible white puff, and he inhaled the scent of his home. There was no place he'd rather be.
His once narrow eyes widened at the sight of Carol. He didn't know why he was so stunned to see her. He'd seen her every day for what felt like a lifetime. It wasn't surprising. It wasn't astonishing or earth-shattering, but those were the emotions that coursed through him at the sight of her. She was all bundled up in a winter coat and jeans, and he thought she looked smaller than he remembered. He wasn't honestly sure. When was the last time—
His thoughts were cut off when she ran towards him, he stumbled forward, but only got that one step in before she was in his arms—or perhaps he was in her arms. It really didn't matter, because once her small hands were digging into his back and her head was nuzzling into his chest, that was all that mattered. She was all that mattered, and his heart felt so painfully full as he wrapped his arms around her. He dropped his head onto her shoulder and buried a grin there. He felt her begin to tremble, and he knew she was crying. Be it her emotions from the pregnancy, or her worry due to their delay, he decided it didn't matter, because he would ease her sorrow. He always would, because he loved her. He loved her. He loved her. It didn't matter if she didn't love him back, not right now. Right now all he could feel was his love for her and his need to console her. The rest would come later.
"I guess we're not getting their help," Rick commented to Glenn about unloading the trunks and truck.
"You're not even getting our help," Glenn replied. "We have a couple wounded, so I'll take them to see Enid. Denise can instruct her, but she might be fine on her own. I'm also pretty sure I'm going to pass out the second I see a bed, so...yeah. Good luck."
Rick chuckled and squeezed his shoulder. "Get some rest. You deserve it."
"You have no idea." Glenn glanced over at his wife, who was opening the back of the truck and instructing those who came to help.
"Maggie! Glenn!"
Glenn turned in time to find Enid barreling over to them, and he was nearly tackled to the ground by her embrace. Rick caught his shoulders so they didn't fall to the ground, and he steadied them before taking over for Maggie who rushed over to embrace both of them. She smoothed down Enid's hair and kissed her temple, remembering all the reasons why this run was important to her, and she felt her eyes burn. She wasn't sure exactly why, but there were many reasons: Pentaghast, Lee and Morris, returning home after being gone for so long, the success of their run. It was a combination of all of those things and seeing their daughter again. Of being with her family again.
"I'm so glad you're back." Enid held them both tightly. "I missed you."
"We missed you too." Glenn rubbed her back. "And you're not coming next time."
She laughed. "We'll see."
Maggie smiled and rested her chin on Enid's head, gazing at her husband, and she cupped his cheek. "We'll talk about it."
He didn't like it, but he didn't say that. "Okay."
Enid pulled away and wiped her eyes. "So, you have wounded? Where's Denise? We'll uh, get to work."
"Denise actually needs work." Glenn nodded towards the clinic. "Tara's already taken her to the clinic."
"Okay. Just bring in any others. I'll go check on her." She jogged off towards the clinic.
Abraham called back to Glenn to lend him a hand since Daryl had yet to move away from Carol, and Spencer and Francine were already helping him, and Maggie had a messed up arm. Then to his surprise, the weight on his end shifted. He looked over as Sasha grasped the machine, sending him a welcome back smirk. He chuckled, and they moved together towards the clinic.
––
"I'm sorry." That was the first thing that came out of Daryl's mouth. "I'm sorry." He wasn't entirely sure what he was sorry for, but he was very sorry. He couldn't pin it all on the missed appointment, but he had a feeling whatever else he was sorry for, she understood.
She chuckled and lowered her hands from his shoulder blades. "Don't be."
He slowly released her and held her elbows, running his eyes over her. "How are you?"
"I'm better than I've been in a long time." She dried her eyes and smiled at him. "So is the baby."
"Oh, yeah?" Daryl smiled back at her.
"Yeah, you just missed her kickin'," Rick teased.
"What?" His brows shot up. "Her? It's a girl? She kicked? The hell did I miss?"
He snorted and busted out laughing at the panicked and envious expressions burning across Daryl's face. "No. We—we don't know the sex, and no, it didn't kick. She's not far enough along. She Carol, not she the baby."
"You're an asshole." Michonne roughly shoved a bag into his arms. "I told you about teasing him."
"What? You didn't see his face." He adjusted the bag in his arms. "And it's his own fault. He's late."
"They never said when they'd be back."
"She's right." Carol grasped Daryl's hand. "But they're back now, so it doesn't matter. We have a lot to unload, so we ought to get to work."
"We?" Daryl frowned. "There's nothin' light enough for you to handle."
"Medicine. I'll help Maggie organize it in the clinic." She loosened her grip on his hand. "We'll talk later. We need to unload the cars and put away what needs to be put away."
Daryl gripped what few fingers of hers he could before she slipped away and headed to the clinic.
"Okay, lover boy," Michonne broke into his thoughts before he could have any, "come and help us. You can rest when we're done."
His eyes lingered on Carol, but he nodded. She wanted to talk to him, and it was important enough that it could wait. His heart wasn't sure if it was thrilled, mortified, or a weird mixture of both, but he was excited. Excited to see her, excited to have this run over with, excited to learn what had happened with the baby. He couldn't wait, so he'd better get a move on it. They had a lot of little shit to unpack.
– – –
Everyone in Alexandria seemed to come out and help them with sorting the myriad of items they had, ranging from medicine to clothing, and Francine and Rosita kept a duffel bag of mysterious items to themselves. They also moved some covered items into Olivia's house. Daryl knew what they were and what they were for, but honestly it was a bit much. Carol couldn't even see them. She was with Enid and Denise organizing the medicine and such. It was still nice of them to try. Carol would be very surprised.
Once everything had been placed, tucked and locked away, they moved the cars around back, and most of the group disperse to get some rest. Glenn headed to the clinic to catch a nap with Enid and to see if Maggie's arm was all right, and Daryl trailed after them to find Carol. Glenn caught Maggie entering the clinic at the same time as them, holding her injured arm, and he frowned. She put a finger to her lips at a sound.
There was laughter, mostly from Denise who was medicated, and Carol was trying to get her to stop laughing, but she was giggling herself. So was Enid. The three of them exchanged a look and decided to creep up on them.
"Stop it. That's awful." Carol was leaning against the counter.
"But it does." Enid was smiling. "I bet once it's all formed, it'll look like you and be cute, but it looks kinda of like a lumpy potato."
"It did get something from Tobin then," Denise snickered.
"Okay, now that's awful." Enid giggled. "She's high on pain killers, so ignore her."
"Give it to me." She held her hand out. "And it's not funny."
"Here." She handed it over. "It's kind of a shame that...whatever it's called that does sonograms was damaged on the trip. We could have shown the baby to Daryl."
"Eugene might be able to fix it, but it's all right. It's what Carson's for."
"Will when you start to show?" Enid inquired. "You have a little...roundness to your stomach, but I don't know if it's always been there or not."
"You too now?"
"I'm sorry. Was that rude? I was just curious. I've never really been around a pregnant woman."
"No, it's okay. I can't say when exactly, but soon." She smoothed a hand down her shirt.
"Do you want to know the sex?"
"I don't know. I haven't thought about it." Her hand lingered on her stomach. "I'll see how I feel when Harlan asks me."
"That's a good idea." She met her eyes. "But be a girl or a boy, they'll love the blanket."
"You saw it?"
"You were curled up with it last night, remember?"
She blushed. "Not really. I was too tired."
"Yeah, Michonne and I had to unwrap you first."
"Oh, right." She remembered now. She was dreaming about food, and then Michonne woke her up to tell her dinner was ready. It wasn't what she wanted, but it was still good. She had to figure out how to make homemade icing. She could do the other part of it, but it'd been so long since she'd made icing. She'd have to find replacement ingredients for it. "So, you like it?"
"I do." She smiled. "There'll be no prying it out of the baby's hands."
"Or yours from the sound of it." Maggie entered the room and hugged Carol. "I didn't get a chance to say hey."
"Hi." She smiled. "It's good to see you all."
"Sorry we're so late." Glenn hugged her next. "How's my godkid?"
"Healthy." She released him and presented the sonogram. "I'm in my second trimester."
"What does that mean?" Daryl asked from the doorway.
"I'll tell you about it later," Carol replied. "I need to talk to you about it anyway."
He nodded.
"I can't wait to meet you." Maggie gazed at Carol's stomach. "I'm glad to see you too."
"Don't worry. It's okay to favor...erm, seeing the baby." She crossed her arms. "So, how was the run?"
"Long." Glenn handed the sonogram to Daryl. "We...ran into some trouble, lost Lee and Morris."
"What kind of trouble? Walkers, or...people?" Carol studied them. "Should we be making preparations?"
"No," Daryl lied. "It's nothin' to worry about. We got 'em."
Glenn and Maggie looked at him, he didn't look back at them, and they played along. They talked about what happened on the run until they were too exhausted to keep talking. Enid finally forced Maggie to show her her arm, and Carol slipped back into her jacket, and she left with Daryl as Glenn got comfortable on one of the beds in the back room. They headed home, Daryl's hand finding hers and lacing through her fingers, and she didn't pull away, though her hand was cold so she might be enjoying the warmth.
Once inside they removed their coats, and Carol told him to get washed up. He nodded and nearly rushed to his room, and he heard her following him. He didn't know why until he walked through the door and found his room littered with her things. He blinked and turned to face her.
"Sorry. I—I spent some nights here while you were away." She collected her things.
"Don't be sorry. It's all right."
She smiled a little and met his eyes. "I'll be in the living room. Take your time."
He grabbed fresh clothes and stepped into the bathroom, diving into the shower. He scrubbed off the events of the run, blood and grime running down the drain. He placed his hands other the wall in front of him, bending forward slightly to let the water run over his head, his eyes closed, and he savored the feeling of hot water running over him.
The soap washed away the earth from being held captive, the water relaxed every muscle in his tense body, and the washrag aided the soap's efforts. He scrubbed himself clean until all he could smell was the soap's fresh ocean scent, and it was comforting. It was Carol's soap from her bathroom. She must have spend most of his trip in his bedroom, even moving her toiletries into the bathroom downstairs. She made herself at home in his things while he was away.
He lifted his head, the water gliding across his face, catching on the uplifted corners of his lips, and he dragged a hand through his hair. He layered himself in white foam one more time before rinsing off and drying off. He brushed his teeth while he dried his hair, and he changed into clean clothes. He scanned himself in the mirror and blew out a sigh before he stepped out to find Carol.
He found her in his bedroom instead of the living room, sitting on his bed, and he frowned a little, entering the room, and she turned to face him.
"Hey." It was said with a warm smile. "You look much better. I didn't even have to threaten you this time."
He chuckled. "No, you didn't."
"Come here." She moved over to the other side of the bed, and he drew closer, but he didn't sit. "I don't bite."
"Thought we were gonna talk in the livin' room."
"I changed my mind. Sit. Please."
He lowered himself down onto the bed slowly, his heart sinking at the unknown, and he didn't like how his heart was pounding. It wasn't because he was happy to finally be having this talk. It was out of fear. She didn't seem like she had good news to break to him, and all moisture vacated from his mouth and from his throat. Sadly not his eyes, as they began to sting and fill.
"It's not that late," Carol commented. "It's probably a little past noon, or so."
"Yeah?" He tried to keep the thickness out of his words, but she wasn't looking at him. "Your point?"
"My point is you need some rest." Her eyes drifted over to his, but she didn't acknowledge the tears in his eyes. Her heart did, as it contracted and ached.
"I'm fine. I slept—"
"Not sleep, Daryl—rest. There's a difference, and I can tell something happened out there. Something you don't want me to know about. It's okay. It's your secret, and I won't pry, but you should rest."
"I thought we were gonna talk."
"And we will, but I'd like to talk to you when you feel better."
"Better?"
"Yes, better. Right now, you don't look so good, and I'm worried about you. So since I'm not going to pry, could you please just rest here with me?"
"With you?"
She nodded. "I could use some rest too."
"I got one condition."
"You name it."
"Tell me what happened at the your appointment."
She smiled. "Okay."
He lied down, stretching out and nearly moaning blissfully at the comfort and warmth his bed brought, and Carol chuckled at his expression. He didn't care. He was too comfortable to be bothered by embarrassment, and exhaustion set in rapidly, despite his sleeping the previous night. He rolled over, his head finding her lap, and she didn't make him move so he remained there. His eyelids grew heavy, and he closed them.
Carol covered him with a blanket and weaved a hand through his hair. "The baby's grown some," she told him in a whisper, keeping her word on telling him what had happened with Harlan. As she spoke, he drifted further and further off, his grip on the world fading, and before he slept, he tilted his head.
"Daryl..." Carol blushed when she felt his lips brush against her stomach. She didn't know if that was due to exhaustion or not, but she hadn't expected it. She made out an apology, but he was asleep a second later. She chuckled softly through her nose and smoothed hair down. "Don't apologize. It's okay." She muttered, "I love you."
He nuzzled his face into her leg. "I love you too," he murmured.
She grinned. "I know." She kissed his temple. "Welcome home. We missed you."
They would talk when he woke up. Or likely when they woke up. She did feel better, but her sleep was irregular, and his warmth and his soothing and steady breathing were lulling her to sleep. Those few hours she missed working on the blanket were catching up to her, and she shifted carefully, lying against the pillows as Daryl's arm wrapped loosely around her hip in his sleep. That was all it took—lying in the arms of the man she loved—and she was out like a light.
