New Meanings To Old Words: Love
Alright, so last chapter we had Rick and his crew make it to the Greene's farm. Carl was laying in bed, waiting for surgery. Shane, Miles and Otis left for the FEMA triage center. Lori had shown up at the farm with Maggie, and Callie made the horrible discovery that Jenna had been scratched and infected.
This chapter, we're gonna back track a bit here and catch up with what went down with Daryl and the crew when Maggie caught up. And catch up with Dale, Danny and T-Dog back at the highway. Before making it back to the farm.
As a sidebar…I realized that somewhere down the line in all my crazy ass writing I started losing track of chapter numbers…so in an effort to keep myself sane I just cut out the numbers completely. Starting with this chapter the only thing you'll see is the chapter title in bold before each section of story. Not that you care…but I wanted to let you know.
As always, read, review and most of all enjoy!
~Michelle
Disclaimer: I own nothing, except Callie and the crew of misfits (Danny, Miles, Jenna, Mike, Nina, Ben and Gracie).
Timshel
Daryl's head snapped up from his close inspection of the ground, his eyes yet again slipping to the rest of the group milling about slowly behind him. He tightened his grip on his crossbow, both of his hands working in what he'd never admit to being a nervous way along the familiar weapon. He squinted at the sun filtering down on them through the trees, his eyes doing a quick sweep of the branches above.
Daryl slipped his eyes back down, his head bowed the ground now pretending to check for the trail, but really watching the worried group at his back. Lori had yet again paused, her hands gripping the straps of one of the red emergency backpacks from the CDC.
Daryl still remembered the way she and Rick had smiled at Carl when the boy had insisted on bringing it after they said he could come along. Daryl had stood there watching as the two supposedly responsible fuckin' parents shook their heads at the boy who was so damned excited to be able to finally put on his fuckin' big boy pants and come with the adults. Then Ben had figured he'd be allowed to come, and had waltzed up to Daryl and asked him.
And why the fuck was he askin' him? Because Callie and Danny thought they were funny motherfuckers, that's why. He'd snapped at the boy without any remorse. He wasn't gonna let that boy come along and get hurt. Rick could do whatever the fuck he wanted with his kid, didn't mean Daryl was gonna join the party. This wasn't some fuckin' father/son campin' trip where he wanted to be worryin' about his boy gettin'-
Fuck. His boy. The fuck was wrong with him?
Daryl shook his head and snarled at himself. Then of course, not long after they'd started out, he found himself practically sick with the worry about who he'd left that little boy and his baby sister with. An old man, and two wounded sum'bitches.
Daryl ran his hand over his head now and scratched at his hair, his eyes catching Glenn's as the younger man worked a hand around to the back of his neck. Daryl shook his head at the worried expression marring Glenn's face as he sat down on a log beside Carol. Andrea stood not far off, her eyes slipping around the wooded area, then to Carol and then back to the woods.
Daryl snarled, which was becoming too familiar a reaction to these idiotic people now, and slipped his gaze back to Lori who continued to stare behind them. Her hands gripped tight into the backpack so tight he could see her knuckles turning white. The fuckin' backpack Carl had insisted on bringin' along, and then grown too tired to fuckin' carry on his own. Daryl sniffed harshly and spat at the ground.
"C'mon!" Daryl yelled out, catching the startled attention of the thin brunette, along with the rest of the group. Lori turned with wide eyes to face him, and he glared at her. "Rest time's over."
"You can't tell me your not worried about that," Lori said slipping her eyes behind them again as she slowly began to back towards where the rest of the group was. She turned to face him and raised a brow as he glowered. "You said it yourself," Lori continued her eyes slipping to the rest of the group slowly getting to their feet. "Back at the church. Someone out here was shooting Walkers, and they could be still out there." She turned away again and looked behind them. "You can't tell me you're not worried."
"It was a gunshot," Glenn provided removing his hat and wiping a hand over his sweaty brow before shifting his attention from Lori back to Daryl. He hefted his backpack on his shoulder and gave a sheepish look to Daryl's shaking head.
"Supposed to be diffusin' the women's hen-peckin' worries Chinaman," Daryl grumbled as he made his way past the younger man, his shoulder bumping Glenn's roughly. "Not addin' fuel to the fuckin' fire."
"I was just sayin', " Glenn started letting out a bit of a sigh as Daryl glared at him over his shoulder. "It was only one. I'd be more worried if we heard more."
Daryl's feet stopped and he half-turned to face Glenn, Lori turned as well. Daryl couldn't help but smirk at the younger man, nodding his head idly before turning to face Lori. Lori seemed surprised to see Daryl standing beside her and absently backed up a step when his gaze fell hard onto her face.
"He's right," Daryl said quietly, his eyes scanning the area behind them. His eyes skipped back to her, watchin' that fuckin' look of awe that he was actually speaking real live fuckin' words to her fly onto her face. Shaking his head Daryl again scanned the area. "One shot ain't nothin' to be worryin' 'bout. We got shit to do here."
"You're worried," Lori said quietly, watching the man beside her fidget. He shifted his gaze and glared down at her, the sun igniting his blue eyes and causing Lori stare. "You are."
"Ain't nothing new. I always end up worryin' when that woman takes off," Daryl said rolling his eyes away from Lori. "Girl's like a magnet for trouble when she's left to her own devices." He snarled a bit and rubbed his hand down his face before continuing. "But she ain't alone. She's with Rick, and Shane, and fuckin' Miles." Daryl caught Lori's eye quickly and then averted his gaze back to the forest behind them. "Carl's fine. Callie's fine. They're all fuckin' fine. It was one shot."
"I think the question is why was it only one?" Andrea spat out, causing Daryl and Lori to both turn and face the rest of their little group. Daryl growled and hunched his shoulders realizing now that everyone had been listening to him as he talked to Lori. Daryl skipped his eyes back to Andrea's watching in annoyance as she raised one of her perfect little brows at him and smirked.
"I got ten-to-one that it was Miles," Glenn said with a wide grin earning the attention of the rest of the group. "Shane promised him a bit of target practice," Glenn shrugged as Daryl's gaze slipped to him. "I'd bet it was him. Rick, Shane, Callie none of them would risk shooting a Walker. But Miles shooting a tree," Glenn lifted a finger and pointed at Daryl. "That I'd believe in a heartbeat. Kid's a dumbass."
Daryl looked back to see Lori staring at Glenn in a bit of shock, her lips forming a little 'o'. Daryl shook his head and then turned and stalked away from Lori back to the front of the group and began picking his way towards the highway. He again bumped his shoulder harshly into Glenn's and this time held the kid's gaze as he went.
"What?" Glenn said raising his hands to the sky as Daryl stalked by him.
"Honest to God, Chinaman, you're worse 'an me at makin' women feel better," Daryl grumbled tightly trying not to garner the attention of the women slowly gathering at his back.
"Hey, I'm tryin' here," Glenn said lifting his hands to the sky before lowering his voice and quickening his steps to catch up to Daryl. "Maybe you could go up and give them all sweet little kisses to make them feel better." Daryl spun in shock, anger playing his features as he advanced on the still smiling Glenn. He lifted his clenched fist to the kid, watching as he stepped back but kept laughin'. Daryl clenched his fist tighter and then turned away and shook his head as he walked away. "Aw, what, it seemed to work for Callie."
"Shut up," Daryl shot over his shoulder before he turned now walking backwards so he could gage how far he and Glenn had walked away from the women. "Just fuckin' shut up," Daryl said as Glenn continued to grin and chuckle. Daryl stopped walking and let Glenn catch up to him. The both of them stood there watching as Andrea and Carol talked and Lori yet again turned to face the opposite direction.
And again Daryl let out a gruff sigh as he too scanned the area behind them.
For the past twenty or so minutes since that gunshot had first gone off, Daryl had been tryin' hard as he could not to worry 'bout it. He'd focused himself to his task and kept the ragtag group of hens-yeah he considered Glenn one of the fuckin' women for the amount of complainin' he'd been doin'-from lingerin' long. He'd kept them movin' at what Merle always called 'a good ol' mind clearin' pace'. One that kept your feet movin' so you didn't have time to let your mind wander nowhere but to the next step.
But it hadn't worked. Not for Lori. Not for Carol who was still so worried 'bout her little girl being out in these woods that her steps had faltered more than once as she followed his almost too fast pace. Not for Andrea, who was hiding her worry well but kept sneakin' glances behind them and around them when she thought he wasn't lookin'. Not for fuckin' Glenn who fidgeted more than a preacher in whore house when he was anxious.
And it hadn't worked for him.
Again he slipped his eyes over Lori, her back stiff and neck craning to try and see what lay behind them. Lifting his thumb to his mouth he began to chew around the nail bed, his eyes slipping to where Glenn stood working the frayed edge of his backpack strap.
"It isn't sitting well with any of us," Glenn said quietly, making Daryl shift his gaze from the ground to him. "None of it. Sophia and Jenna. Splitting up," Glenn sighed and again shifted his hat on his head and squinted at where Carol and Andrea were talking, Lori walking up and putting her hand to Carol's shoulder. "That gun shot. No one's expecting you to be okay with it. If you wanna talk-"
"The fuck you think this is Oprah?" Daryl snapped, his thumb falling from his mouth. "I don't fuckin' need to talk 'bout nothing." He poked Glenn in the chest and pushed the kid back a few steps. "What I need is to get all your asses back to that fuckin' highway so I can search these woods proper for them girls. Without constantly being stopped by ever'body needed to fuckin' talk 'bout their feelin's, and random fuckin' gunshots," he shot his gaze behind him before continuing. "And people goin' on 'bout how worried they are we ain't gonna find 'em."
Daryl shot his gaze to where the women were now looking at him wide eyed and he pointed an angry finger at them.
"We're gonna find 'em," Daryl snapped turning back to Glenn before he started stalking off again. "Fuck people, am I the only one Zen 'round here." Daryl stalked off, and Glenn stood back watching wide eyed as he made his way through the trees.
Daryl's bare arms shot out wildly pushing at branches that were in his way as he continued to grumble for a few more steps. Glenn heard Andrea and the others walk up to where he was still watching the angry redneck take out his aggression on the defenseless forest around them.
"So that's Zen?" Andrea asked with a raised brow.
"Dear God," Glenn said in a hushed tone and wide eyes as he looked at the blonde standing next to him. "Don't poke the bear, Andrea." Glenn shook his head and Andrea let out a bit of a chuckle.
"C'mon! Move your fuckin' feet people," Daryl's voice yelled back from his position a good ways away.
"I think you were right before, Glenn. That man has lost his mind," Andrea muttered pointing a finger ahead at Daryl as she started to pick her way around a few downed branches. Her eyes tipped to where Carol and Lori were walking slightly ahead and she caught the brunette's eyes.
"I think we all have," Glenn said quietly shifting his eyes towards Andrea before continuing on. "I mean who can honestly say that they are really and truly sane anymore?" Glenn continued, and Andrea stopped for a minute to watch the kid walk. "He's worried. And he's not really used to being bothered by such human feelin's." Glenn said the last word in his best impression of Daryl's accent.
"You're sayin' he's not human?" Lori asked with a bit of a smile as Glenn caught up to where she and Carol were walking.
"According to Ben, he's Superman," Glenn shrugged and looked ahead. "I said he was more of the Hawkeye sort. Of course, Hawkeye used a bow not a crossbow," Glenn lifted his eyes to where Lori was now chuckling and shaking her head. "What? Hawkeye? Come on. He's an Avenger." Glenn shook his head and followed behind her. "You can't tell me Carl never read The Avengers." Lori kept walking. "Seriously what boy doesn't read comic books?"
"I'll bet Daryl didn't," Carol shot in quietly, earning a chuckle from Lori and Andrea.
"Daryl doesn't count," Glenn shot back grumpily as they worked to catch up.
"Right, cause he's not human. He's a superhero," Lori said still laughing a bit as she exchanged a laughing glance with Andrea and Carol. Glenn bit his lip as he tried to hide his smile as he followed behind them. His eyes skipped up to where Daryl now stood looking back at them.
Glenn smirked back when Daryl just shook his head. Let that redneck say he wasn't good at cheering people up now. Of course, Glenn now felt like shit. But that's what happened when you threw yourself under the bus in order to make people feel better. Glenn half-listened as the women began to discuss how men seemed to be stuck in a constant state of adolescence and he rolled his eyes. Honestly, when would women learn that-
A low moaning sound to Glenn's left had his thought process stopping instantly and his head turning just in time to catch the Walker reaching out to him. He backpedaled letting out a small huff of breath that he would never admit to being a scream, and ended up tripping over a large tree root. He hit the ground hard, his backpack smashing into his back painfully as he watched the Walker scramble towards him.
"Oh God!" Andrea's voice rang out and he turned his head away to look at her. She was making her way towards him now. Over her shoulder Glenn could see Daryl rocketing through the space between them his crossbow up and ready.
Glenn scrambled backwards in crab crawl as the Walker came forward after him, his hands worked to free his knife from where he had it strapped to his belt. And then a completely foreign sound entered into the equation, something loud and thumping that filtered into Glenn's body through his hands from the vibrations in the ground below him. He turned his head and his eyes widened as a figure on a horse came bursting through the trees.
"Jesus!" Glenn hissed as he ducked, his hands going to his hat as he pulled himself down. The figure on the horse rode at breakneck speed, and hefted a bat high before angling it down in an arc and smashing it into the head of the Walker.
The Walker flew backwards from the force of the hit, and Glenn let his hands fall from his head. Andrea had reached his side now, and was kneeling down beside him asking him something but his attention was riveted to the figure on the horse.
The girl on the horse.
"Lori Grimes!" the girl asked, her eyes wildly searching the people she'd just come across. She slipped her eyes over Andrea and then to the other two women looking at her as Daryl jogged up and pointed his crossbow at her. "Lori Grimes? Are any of you Lori Grimes?"
"I'm Lori Grimes," Lori said stepping forward her eyes sliding to where Daryl had placed himself instantly between her and the newcomer. Andrea helped Glenn to his feet, and Daryl watched them from the corner of his eye, letting out a small sigh of relief at the sight of Glenn nodding that he was alright.
"Who the fuck are you?" Daryl spat at the short-haired woman working to catch her breath as she slid her eyes around the group. She eyed him with a bit of what Daryl could only figure to be annoyance before shaking her head and looking to Lori.
"You need to come with me," the girl said and Daryl's face contorted in annoyance as he watched Lori try move forward. His hand shot out, his arm stopping the stupid woman from moving while he squinted up at the girl on the horse. "Look, I don't have time for you right now." The girl said yet again sending him an annoyed glare before turning back to Lori. "Rick sent me. Carl's been shot."
"The fuck?" Daryl's angered outburst overtook Lori's startled 'Oh God', and he turned to face the slender brunette. He turned and immediately caught her as her steps faltered as she worked to get closer to the newcomer on the horse. Lori held tight to his arm for a moment, her eyes hitting his with such force that he actually felt the pain that had been ignited in her heart at the simple idea that her baby boy had been injured. He felt her push him away a bit and get her feet under her. He held on to her arm as she walked towards the girl on the horse who was lowering her hand down to Lori.
"You can't just go with her," Daryl spat his hand reaching out and grabbing at Lori's arm. She looked back at him in shock. As if he was the fuckin' crazy person goin' off with some strange bitch on a horse just 'cause she knew a few names. Morons all of 'em.
"Back off, Robin Hood," the girl on the horse shot back, her eyes glaring at Daryl as she caught sight of Glenn and Andrea coming closer.
"The fuck you call me?" Daryl snarled up at the girl pulling on Lori's arm and dragging her away from the girl on the horse, as he yet again angled his crossbow up at her.
"You need to come with me now," the girl said rolling her eyes past Daryl's angry glare and over to the shocked form of Lori. Daryl yet again put a hand to her arm but this time Lori's hand landed on top of his and worked to slowly peel his fingers off.
"There were others," Glenn's voice broke through and had Daryl and Lori both looking to him. The girl on the horse shifted her slightly annoyed gaze to him and he took a step back. "Um," Glenn shifted his eyes around his group and then caught the girl's annoyed yet expectant gaze. "There were other people with Rick and Carl-"
"The dark-haired guy and the kid with the foul-mouth," the girl said in an understanding tone her head nodding. Glenn let out a bit of a sigh and nodded back, his hand settling on his hat as he looked to Andrea and Carol. "They were there. They went with Otis to get supplies." Turning towards Lori she again reached out her hand. "Your boy needs surgery, and you need to come with me. I can explain on the way."
"Surgery," Lori said quietly again reaching out a shaking hand. The word hit them all like a punch to the gut and Daryl let out a gruff breath, knowing that Lori needed to go. Stanger or not, the story was too convoluted to not be true.
"Wait," Daryl didn't really grab Lori this time but just put a hand to her shoulder as he stared up at the now completely aggravated girl on the horse. "There was a woman," Daryl said his eyes sliding off of the girl's face and over to Glenn and then Carol and Andrea. He felt Lori stiffen just a bit and look at him. Sniffing hard he glared at the girl as she looked at him in utter confusion. "There was a woman with them too."
"There wasn't anyone else. I'm sorry. No one else showed up," the girl said quietly, her fine dark brows narrowing in confusion as she slipped her gaze to the faces of the now worried group. "I'm sorry," she shook her head and then her eyes opened wide and she was nodding. "Wait, the kid," she pointed her finger at Glenn and smiled a bit. "The kid kept goin' on and on as I was leavin', I heard it in the background as I was gettin' Nelly ready. Boy's got a voice that carries," she said angling her attention to the chuckling Glenn who was nodding. Looking back to Daryl she continued "He said that there was someone else comin'. Said to tell y'all they found your girl."
"Oh God," Carol's voice slipped out and luckily Andrea was nearby to catch her as the other woman's legs buckled.
"Which one?" Glenn asked quietly a bit of excitement riding his voice.
"Ya lost more than one girl out here?" the girl said with a raising of her brow at Glenn, who much to Daryl's annoyance blushed. She took in a breath and let her eyes ride the group. "I'm sorry, I don't know," she shook her head her eyes lingering on the form of Carol clinging to Andrea. "I'm sorry. I didn't see them. They hadn't made it back by the time I was leaving to come find ya." She said the words to Carol instinctively knowing that was who she needed to speak to. "I'm sorry."
Daryl let out a gruff breath and raked his hand through his hair, his other hand finally falling from Lori's arm. His eyes slid around the forest as he clenched his hand in his dirty hair and pulled just a bit. 'Course that woman wasn't with them. 'Course she would be the one to not make it back with the others.
"Y'all'er on the highway right?" the girl said, her eyes sliding back to Daryl, her expression softer than it had been as she read his unease at her news. He glared at her for a moment and then nodded. She nodded as well as she reached down a hand to the now waiting Lori. Daryl moved forward and lowered his cupped hands for Lori to step into, boosting her up he stood and waited for her to settle in behind the girl.
Daryl rested his hand on the flank of the horse and looked up at utterly distraught Lori for a moment before shifting his attention to the girl as she took in a deep breath.
"Head back down the road 'bout two miles or so," the girl continued holding his gaze, before shifting her eyes around the rest of the group. "There's a turn off. Down the road a ways you'll find us. Name on the box is Greene." She expertly turned the horse around, and then turned to look at Daryl over her shoulder. "I'm sure your girl will have made it back by now. Come find us."
With that the girl took off back the way she came, leaving the rest of them to watch as they disappeared into the dense forest. Daryl scrunched his face and bit at the inside of his cheek as he listened to Andrea, Glenn and Carol all begin to mutter about what just happened. His brain wasn't processing what they were saying though, it just kept circling one phrase 'round and 'round.
She wasn't there.
Someone's hand touched his shoulder and he spun around to see Glenn backing up a bit with that hand that had touched him raised to the sky. Daryl growled at the kid and then stomped off, his ears once again picking up the noise around him.
"I'm sure she's okay," Glenn said quietly watching Daryl move off towards where the Walker had flown when the girl hit it with the bat. Glenn watched in horror as the undead thing worked to sit up, it's head sitting at an odd angle upon it's shoulders.
The twang of Daryl's crossbow was the response Glenn got. Not that he was really expecting anything different. Glenn watched as the redneck stalked up to the now dead Walker and pulled his arrow free of the its head, wiping it on his pant leg before reloading his weapon. Glenn then saw Daryl rubbing his hand at his hip, an almost pained expression on his face as his eyes slid back to where Lori and the girl had disappeared. Glenn's mouth opened to ask the man if he was alright, but it snapped shut as the redneck's glare settled on him. The two of them just stared at each other for a moment, Daryl's hand lifting from the place it had been rubbing and settling on his crossbow. He jutted his chin at Glenn and then turned around.
"C'mon!" Daryl spat over his shoulder as he started walking again. "Show's over. Move your fuckin' feet people."
Danny pressed his right foot down onto the RV's brake pedal wincing as even that movement sent a stinging pain up his wounded left leg. He clenched his hands around the thin almost ridiculously large wheel in front of him and closed his eyes for a moment as he struggled to push the pain to the back of his brain. Opening his eyes he slid his gaze out the open window to forest where the rest of the group had disappeared hours upon hours ago.
Danny wasn't a man to let worry get the best of him. He was more the glass half-full until someone told him otherwise, ore broke the fuckin' glass to pieces type. That was the attitude that had gotten him through this fuckin' shit storm of an existence. The attitude that kept him going, even after takin' out Leslie.
Kept him believing that he would find Jake. And that he would find him alive.
So, instead of sitting outside talkin' out his feelings and listening to Dale and T-Dog discuss what might be going on in those woods, Danny decided to test himself a theory. Sliding his gaze back to the wheel in front of him he let a small smile slide onto his lips. See, Danny, figured he knew Dale well enough, and he was damn sure he knew Miles well enough, to be able to tell when they were lying through their fuckin' teeth.
Settling his hand to the key sitting in the ignition Danny smirked as he turned it. The RV roared to life and Danny grinned like the fuckin' idiot he was.
"Danny," Dale's voice filtered in through the open door at the back. Danny swiveled in his seat and craned his neck so that he could grin at Dale as the older man stuck his head in the door.
"It's an apocalypse miracle!" Danny shouted back his hands lifting from the wheel in an over dramatic gesture to on-high. "Praise Jesus!"
"Shut it off," Dale practically growled through his teeth as he lowered his heavy gray brows in a frown. "Now."
Danny chuckled and slipped his hands back to the keys, turning them and swiftly cutting the engine. He swiveled the seat around and grabbed for his crutch watching as Dale slipped back outside shaking his head. Danny worked his way painfully to the little open door and then smiled widely down at T-Dog who was staring confusedly up at him as he worked his way down the few steps to the ground. Dale begrudgingly moved to help Danny, and again shook his head at him before removing his helping hand heading back to crouch down in front of T-Dog.
"Ya fixed it?" T-Dog asked confusedly, his brow raising as he took a long drag off of the cigarette in his mouth. He winced and looked back to where Dale was lifting his blood-soaked bandage and Danny shook his head.
"No, like I said," Danny said watching Dale's head tilt down a bit as he worked to not make eye contact with either man. "Fuckin' miracle."
"Danny," Dale said letting T-Dog's bandage go and tilting his eyes up to where Danny stood. "Stop."
"Oh, come on, Dale." Danny said chuckling a bit as he slowly maneuvered himself to rest against one of the abandoned cars beside the RV. "It's not like I believed a damn word you and Miles were sayin' before. You gotta remember, I know that boy." Danny raised his brows as Dale settled his hands over his thighs. "And I know you."
"What's he goin' on 'bout?" T-Dog said through a pained breath, letting a puff of smoke fly over Dale's head as he tossed his cigarette butt to the side. He turned to Danny, "You high?"
"No," Danny bit out angling an angry brow at the now chuckling T-Dog. "Just waiting for a bit of an explanation." Dale took a long breath in through his nose and firmed his lips as he stared up at Danny. His shifted his attention back to T-Dog as he let that breath out and ran his hand over his bald, strangely hatless head.
"I figured that Rick needed a bit of time to," Dale waved a hand around as he shifted his gaze from Danny to T-Dog. "Figure things out. So I lied," Dale said, a wide eyed sheepish grimace marring his face as he looked at the now completely confused T-Dog.
"'Bout what?" T-Dog said shifting his eyes to Danny slipping himself slowly onto the hood of the car he'd been leaning on. "The fuckin' RV? You lied 'bout it breakin' down?"
"And got Miles to lie 'bout it too. For shame," Danny said shaking his head. Dale let out a breath and Danny lifted a brow at his friend, pointing a chiding finger at the slightly annoyed older man. "You know Dale, for a fuckin' moral compass, you're kinda shifty."
"It's not like we were going anywhere, anyway." Dale said waving his hand around. "I just thought that, in case Daryl did find a way around, we could use the excuse to stay put for a few hours. To figure things out." Dale rested his knuckles to his bottom lip and looked at both men. "This push forward to Fort Benning for the past couple of days hasn't been sitting well with anyone."
"Except Shane," Danny added in earning a look from Dale.
"Right," Dale said quietly. "Rick wasn't going to stop moving, not after what happened at the gas station," Dale let out a breath. "Not unless he had a reason." Dale looked at Danny. "The man needed time to process and settle his thoughts, we all did. This group's morale is running thin, and the further we extend that tendril the quicker it's going to snap."
"This ain't the first time you pulled this shit is it?" T-Dog said a bit angrily as he pushed to his feet. Dale helped him up despite the larger man's obvious discomfort. T-Dog shook his head, obviously recalling their four hour stop a few days ago right after they left the gas station.
"No," Dale said shaking his head and watching the weakened man move slowly out into the sun to stand by Danny. "I'm not apologizing either."
"You don't have to," Danny said smiling and shifting his gaze to T-Dog, watching as he crumpled his now empty pack of smokes and threw it angrily to the highway. "Like you said. It's not like it makes a difference now. I was just wondering why."
Dale nodded his head and squinted his eyes at T-Dog stalking around with his back to Dale. Danny shook his head and slid off of the hood of the car he was on, coming painfully back to his feet. Grabbing for his crutch he worked his way towards T-Dog and slapped the man on the back, his hand stayed there for a moment as he felt the heat rolling off of the man's skin through his shirt. Angling his eyes back to Dale, Danny shared a worried look with the older man.
"C'mon, Theodore," Danny's said clapping his hand against T-Dog's shoulder, earning a scathing glare. "Let's go see if we can scrounge us up some more smokes." Danny pushed T-Dog forward a bit in the direction of the Hummer, his eyes staying held to Dale's as the older man watched them walk. Danny gave him a lopsided grin before angling his attention to the top of the RV.
"Hey Ben," Danny's voice rang out and he watched the little boy stick his head over and stare down at him, binoculars held tightly in his hands while Dale's floppy bucket hat sat slightly askew over his dirty blonde hair. "How's it look buddy?"
"Looks like trees," Ben said confusedly down to him. "Is it supposed to look different?"
"Nah," Danny said chuckling as he watched T-Dog shake his head and try not to smile. "Just let us know if you see something strange, a'right?" Ben nodded and rolled his eyes in a 'd'uh Danny' motion that had Danny cracking a wider grin as he and T-Dog worked their way towards the hulking orange monstrosity of a Hummer.
"So you knew he was lyin' this whole time," T-Dog said quietly, wincing as he ran his hand over his sweaty brow. Danny nodded and T-Dog let out a gruff sigh. "Man this is fucked up. How the hell we supposed to survive this shit if we can't even trust one another?"
"That's not what that was," Danny said as they continued on, watching as T-Dog slipped his eyes back over his shoulder.
"Dale don't trust Shane," T-Dog said in a matter-of-fact tone that had Danny's brow raising. "Don't take a genius to see that, Danny. That," T-Dog continued with a thumb thrust over his shoulder. "Was Dale's attempt at stagin' himself a coup."
"Yeah, I know," Danny said shaking his head as T-Dog settled his ass along the abandoned car next to the Hummer. T-Dog was shaking his head now, and rubbing his left hand at the space right above where the large blood-soaked bandage sat. Danny opened the Hummer's passenger door and began rummaging in the glove box.
"Man I don't have a shot in hell of actually survivin' this shit," T-Dog mumbled as Danny leaned back out holding a fresh box of cigarettes in his hand. Danny raised a brow and whistled to get T-Dog's attention before tossing him the pack.
"The fuck you talkin' 'bout? You got a fuckin' scratch compared to this shit," Danny let his hand rove over his frame as he leaned on the now closed door of the Hummer. T-Dog slipped smoke out of the box and glared up at Danny like he was an idiot.
"That ain't what I'm talkin' 'bout," T-Dog said shaking his head as he squinted down the road at the RV. Placing the smoke in his mouth he slipped a lighter, Callie's old lighter Danny noted, out of his pocket and lit it up. Danny continued to stare, his brows lifted as he waited.
"Well c'mon now, don't leave me hanging there, Theodore," Danny said earning yet another scathing glare from the man. Danny smiled widely as T-Dog removed his cigarette and puffed smoke at him.
"You see, Dan," T-Dog continued, making Danny's smile grow wider at the use of the name that Danny hated. Give and take, that's what made relationships last, Danny thought smiling as T-Dog shook his cigarette at him. "I'm talkin' 'bout all these fuckin' white assholes that can't just survive. Gotta make more problems for us all," he grimaced at Danny and Danny lifted a brow.
"White assholes, huh?" Danny said chuckling.
"Yeah, dumbfuck," T-Dog said causing Danny to full on laugh. "White assholes. Livin' this shit like it's a soap opera. How long you think it's gon' be 'till that distrust their stirrin' up starts rearin' it's ugly head in my direction. Fuckin' good 'ol boys," T-Dog continued, and he muttered something else that Danny just didn't pick up because he was laughing too hard.
"You sure you didn't hit your head when you scratched your fuckin' arm?" Danny shot back shaking his head. "I mean seriously," Danny tilted his head down and tried to control his laughter. "What do you think's gonna happen, one day us white people are gonna just wake up and go 'Shit, T-Dog's black what do we do?'."
"Laugh it up, man. But in case you hadn't noticed I'm kinda in the minority here. It ain't fuckin' farfetched, 'specially with Daryl getting buddy-buddy with Rick."
"Look," Danny said pressing his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose as he worked to stop laughing. "I don't think you have to worry 'bout Daryl." T-Dog scoffed and Danny looked up and crossed his arms over his chest. "Before, at the Quarry, with Merle at his ear constantly. Yeah, then I'd agree with you, kind of," Danny pointed a finger before T-Dog could continue. "But now," he shook his head. "Didn't that fuckin' redneck just save your ass?"
"Not 'cause he wanted to," T-Dog said quietly.
"I think you got him pegged wrong," Danny said shaking his head and watching T-Dog roll his eyes. "And as for Rick. I don't think that man even knows the meaning of the word racist. Shane," Danny shifted his hand side to side causing T-Dog to laugh in spite of trying really hard not to. "Sum'bitch's is a chauvinistic bastard, with what I would say is a bit of a healthy God-complex, but I don't think you have to worry 'bout that. It's not directed at you," he shook his head again and let out a breath as he shifted his eyes to where Dale was now standing atop the RV with Ben and Gracie. Dale was looking out at the trees, and Ben was handing up the binoculars.
"Look," Danny said quietly as he turned back to T-Dog smoking away at his cigarette. "You do make a valid point about something," T-Dog's brow narrowed as Danny's grin widened. "You're kind of like a fuckin' endangered species now. So, being the wonderful humanitarian that I am, I'm gonna put your black ass on the list," Danny pushed off the Hummer and grinned wickedly as he slowly began to work his way back towards the RV. Lifting a hand over his shoulder he continued with a chuckle. "I swear, man, first Black Person Preserve we run into I'll drop your ass off."
"Fuck you, Danny." T-Dog said chuckling a bit, his eyes now catching the excited movements of Ben and Dale atop the RV. "What's up?"
"Not sure," Danny said as he continued walking towards the RV. He watched as Ben bounded towards the ladder and scrambled down. His eyes shifted a bit towards the hillside and he saw figures breaking through the tree line. "They're back," Danny said over his shoulder as T-Dog worked his way up beside him.
"Bout damn time," T-Dog said back, smashing his hand into the back of Danny's shoulder. Danny groaned but smiled at the man as they walked to where Ben was now jumping up and down at the guardrail at the front of the RV. Dale met them at the bottom of the ladder.
"It's just a few of them," Dale said quietly and Danny brushed on past to where Daryl was angrily working his way over the guardrail.
"Where's everyone else?" Danny asked watching as Daryl put a hand to Ben's head and then angrily stalked past everyone.
"Carl's been shot," Glenn said, eliciting a moment of sheer panic and shock out of the rest of them. Glenn grimaced as he worked over the guardrail and looked into the faces of the three men who were staring at him.
"Where's Lori?" Danny asked his eyes shifting over everyone. "Shane? Rick? Callie?" He put his hands to his head. "Fuck Miles?"
"They're at a farm house," Daryl seethed settling himself against a nearby abandoned car. Ben settled himself next to Daryl and stared up at him, worry etched across his features. Dale worked to help Gracie down the ladder and shot his gaze around the newly returned group.
"A farm house?" Dale asked, as he put Gracie down on the ground. The little girl immediately worked over towards Daryl and grabbed his pants as she looked around. Daryl was glaring but he uncrossed his arms from his chest and offered his pinky to the girl to hold on to.
Glenn then proceeded to tell them everything that had happened, and Danny's head felt like it was fuckin' spinnin'. The tents. The bodies of the kids. The church. Danny slipped his eyes to where Andrea was rubbing a hand along Carol's arm as the other woman just shook her head. Glenn got to the point that they split up and Danny heard Daryl let out a huff and watched the man kick the tire of the car he was settled on. Gracie's hand broke free from his and she stared after him as he paced around. Then there was the gunshot, and the arrival of the mystery girl on horseback with the horrifying news.
"And you just believed her? Just let Lori go with her?" T-Dog said incredulously as he shifted his eyes around at everyone. He slumped against the RV again and slid to the ground shaking his head. Danny wanted to echo the concern, his mind instantly going to Lori's delicate fuckin' condition that he was the only fucker privy to. He rubbed a hand along his bearded jaw and let his eyes roam over everyone.
"She knew everyone's name," Glenn provided as Daryl seethed not far off. "Why would someone make that up?" Glenn looked to Dale who put a hand to his shoulder and nodded his head.
"We should go," Dale said quietly, his eyes scanning the area.
"One of the girls is still out there," Danny said his eyes shifting around as his head began to shake. "We can't just leave, what if they make it back."
"If we leave and Sophia or Jenna would come back and see us gone," Andrea shook her head and looked at Carol. "That would be horrible."
"Alright," Dale said nodding and looking between everyone and at the little kids. "But some of us should go. Rick and Lori need our support right now," he looked at Carol and then Glenn. "Glenn, you should take Carol," he reached out as the woman began to shake her head. "We don't know who they found. It could be Sophia. She'd want to see you." Carol's jaw clenched but she nodded as Glenn stepped forward and smiled at her.
"And T-Dog," Danny piped up, earning a bit of a shocked expression from the man. "His arm's infected, the fever's just getting' worse, they may have some better stuff there to help with it." Danny looked to T-Dog who was glaring at him. "Gotta protect ya, don't I?"
"Fuck you," T-Dog said working to get to his feet. Surprisingly Daryl, who had begun to stalk around the group like a caged tiger, reached down and helped him up without a word.
"Take the Hummer," Danny said tossing the keys to Glenn. "There's more stuff in there that Carl might need. All the drugs," Danny nodded putting his hand to Glenn's shoulder. "Take it all."
"You should go too," Andrea said quietly stepping forward. Danny turned to her and smiled as he shook his head.
"No way," Danny said. "If you're stayin' I am. Like Dale said, could be Jenna still out there," he shook his head and looked at Daryl who just nodded to him. "I'm staying."
"Alright," Dale said quietly looking around. "Glenn will take T-Dog, Carol and the kids-"
"Nuh uh," Ben said surprising everyone as he stepped forward and crossed his arms over his chest. "If Daryl and Danny are staying so are we."
Dale opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Daryl's shaking head. Danny and Daryl then shared a look and Danny nodded.
"S'alright, they can stay with us," Danny said taking a step closer to Dale and Daryl. "If what you said is true, and for some reason that I don't even want to think about right now, Callie isn't there," he took a breath. "I don't want those kids there to find out without one of us being there. Rick's got enough on his plate I'd think."
"Okay," Dale said sighing as Daryl gruffly nodded his agreement with Danny. Dale looked back to the wide eyed Glenn still clutching the keys to his chest. "You, T-Dog and Carol find this farm. See what you can do to help. We'll stay here," Dale looked around at the cars. "If we don't come up with anything after the rest of the day today, we can leave a note and supplies for whoever is still out there. Then we'll head in and meet up with you all. We can man the search from the farm."
Glenn shifted on his feet and looked between everyone before nodding his head. "Okay," Glenn said quietly shifting his eyes to Carol who looked utterly beside herself with the possibility of seeing her daughter. "Okay, let's get everything ready and get moving then."
Danny felt his body go slack as he rested himself against the front end of the RV. He held his head in his hands and let his wide eyes just stare out in front of him for a few moments as he listened to the group ready to split up. Again. Danny cupped his hand over his mouth as he let every pin prick of pain from his own gunshot wounds travel his body. Thoughts of Carl laying in some stranger's home, his own body wracked with that pain, nearly made him vomit.
Carl. The boy who looked so much like his own son that it was sometimes painful to be around him. Carl, pale and in pain and possibly dying. No matter how much he wanted to be there for Lori. For Rick. He knew that right now, he couldn't possibly handle seeing that.
He sat there for he didn't know how long, just thinking about the horrors of this new fuckin' world. The sun was lowering in the sky, a sign of either how long the group had been gone, or how long he'd just been staring off into space.
"They're almost ready," Andrea's voice sounded from behind him and Danny blinked and turned to look at her. Her blonde hair was pulled back away from her face. A face tight with control of her emotions. Fuck, how he envied her that ability. He nodded and let his hand slide from his mouth and fall to his good knee, while he shifted his weight off of his bad leg.
"Okay, I'm coming," Danny said as he pushed to his feet. Andrea was there, at his side, helping him and he looked at her. His hand lifted automatically and cupped the side of her face holding her forehead to his. He closed his eyes, relishing the moment, slightly amazed that she'd let him do it.
"It'll be okay," Andrea said, and he opened his eyes to watch the way the words seemed to distort her face. She didn't like saying it. He could read the ill-taste of the words on her face no matter how she tried to mask it. She didn't believe a single word of that small phrase, and yet she'd said it. For him. He pushed away from her and let his thumb glide along her jaw before placing a kiss to her forehead.
"Yeah," Danny said smiling widely and hooking his arm through hers. "Of course it will."
Callie's feet stumbled a bit and her knees buckled as she stood and Lori grabbed her arm a worried frown marring her features.
"Are you alright?" Lori asked quietly, holding Callie up and steadying her. Callie turned to face her and placed a clammy hand atop the other woman's on her arm, nodding her head.
"Just a bit," Callie blinked and looked to the doorway where Hershel stood. After sitting there and giving blood for she didn't know how long, and then sitting and trying to wait for the world to right itself before she got up there was really only one word that fit. "Drained."
"That happens," Hershel said quietly nodding his head and reaching a hand out with a cup of water in it. "You and Rick are going to be off your feet for a while at the rate you're giving blood. Come on," Hershel said placing his hand at Callie's arm and helping her to walk towards him and out the door. He looked back to Lori who was shifting her eyes back to her helpless little boy. "Try and rest," Hershel said causing Lori's eyes to snap back to him.
"I'll try," Lori said as she fell back into the chair beside Carl's bed, her shaking hand reaching out to touch Carl's. Her eyes slipped up to where Callie stood at the doorway. "Thank you, Callie."
"Of course," Callie said smiling slightly, her eyes then lifted to Hershel as his serious face blocked her view of the other woman. She licked her lips and took a sip of her water as he guided her out into the hall.
"You need to rest," Hershel said quietly as he and Callie worked their way down the hall. She nodded idly and then slipped her eyes up to him. "Patricia's in with your girl now," Hershel said as if reading the question in her eyes. "She and Maggie got her a bath, and dressed in some fresh clothes. She'll stay there until you feel up to going back in."
"I just," Callie took a deep breath and closed her eyes as a wave of dizziness threatened to buckle her knees again. Hershel's grip at her elbow tightened as they continued on towards the screen door. "I just need a few moments to gather myself," Callie said using his words from earlier.
Hershel looked down at her and she wondered if the man had any other expression aside from a frown in his repertoire. Then again, there really wasn't much to be smiling about right now. He let out a breath and nodded, as they stopped at the screen door. Callie stared a bit confusedly at him before she looked out and saw Rick leaning a hip against the railing his arms crossed over his chest as he stared out into the growing night.
"How long have they been gone now?" Callie asked idly as she handed Hershel the now empty cup.
"Seven hours give or take," Hershel said back, his jaw clenching just a bit. "Longer than I'd like, but it's not out of the question that they would take this long."
"But how long can Carl—"
"I've already discussed this with Lori and Rick," Hershel said shaking his head, his fingers tightening a bit on her arm. "You have enough on your plate. Let them deal with that when and if it comes," he removed his hand, put it to her shoulder and looked hard into her eyes. His eyes skipped down her body and his brows furrowed a bit. "Where's your gun?"
"I left it in the room with Jenna," Callie said quietly holding his eyes. "Just in case." Hershel's jaw clenched, the muscle there ticking and Callie could tell he wanted to say something. His hand tightened on her shoulder and she winced as he pushed into her still sore wound there. He let go quickly, apparently noting the pain on her face and let out a breath.
"It looks as though you all have had a bit of a hard time," Hershel said letting his eyes roam out to Rick still staring out into the night. "I want to speak with you after you've had time to rest. About your girl, and your plans."
"I don't really think that's your concern," Callie said quietly.
"If she's in my house, and on my land then it is," Hershel said succinctly, and Callie simply tilted her head in acknowledgement. "But now," Hershel said quietly his eyes again falling to Rick. "Perhaps you should talk with Rick. The burden your carrying alone here is just as heavy, if not more so, as the one on him. Shared grief can be a comfort in times of need."
"Or an added burden to a man who already has too much on his shoulders," Callie said quietly letting her eyes fall to Rick. She looked back to Hershel as he slipped his hand over his face tiredly. "Thank you," she said.
Hershel nodded and let out a small sigh before turning and leaving Callie to exit on to the porch at her leisure. Slipping her eyes to her arm where bandage lay around the place where the needle had pierced her skin not long ago she lifted her right hand and rubbed idly at the soreness. She then pressed her hands into her eyes as she felt the pull of tears and took three deep breaths in before turning towards the screen door. She pushed it open and the sound immediately had Rick turning to face her.
"Hey," Rick said his voice tired, and the smile on his face small but sincere. Callie smiled back and took a step out the door, immediately her knees began to buckle and she was tilting towards the ground. "Easy," Rick moved fast and caught her, his own exhaustion nearly flooring them both. Again. Callie couldn't help the exhausted giggle that fell from her lips as her right hand rose and curled into his shirt as she worked to keep herself up. Rick chuckled too, and she felt his lips move on her hair as spoke, "We're quite the pair you and me."
"Yeah," Callie said wincing slightly as she got her footing. "That's a way of putting it." Rick wrapped his arm around her and they worked towards a large handmade wooden rocking chair.
"Here, sit," Rick said as he settled her down. He then sat himself down on an apparently well-made table that matched the chair she was in and put his hands to his knees as he stared at her. "Are you okay?"
"I'm just," Callie felt her lip tremble and wished she'd have taken a few more moments to gather her wits before coming out to him. She looked up into his tired, worried eyes and felt the tears again begin to sting at her eyes. She took a breath and pushed a wavering smile to her lips as she waved a hand at the matching bandage on his arm. "You know," Callie took a shaking breath in tried not to look at him as he worked to get her eyes on his. "It's been a day," she said firming her lips as she looked at him.
"What is it?" Rick said reaching forward and putting a gentle hand to her arm. "Is it Carl," he was working to his feet now and Callie grabbed his hand her head shaking.
"No, he's okay," Callie said smiling. "Lori's with him. He's okay."
"Is it Jenna?" Rick said immediately his hand on her arm tightening a bit as he searched her face. He shook his head and ran his other hand through his hair as he looked away. "I haven't even gone in to see," he stopped and looked at her.
"You've got quite enough to worry about," Callie said quietly trying to wave off his concern.
"She was hurt. Is she okay?" Rick said as if he hadn't even heard her, his eyes staring hard into hers. Like he could pull the truth out of her with the strength and determination in those exhausted orbs.
Callie worked hard to put an impassive face up and just shook her head slightly. She felt herself wavering under the intensity of his stare, felt her chin trembling and her jaw working convulsively as she desperately tried to control it. Her breath hitched twice and she let out a deep one as she tried to control it, blinking her eyes wildly against the sting of the tears.
She wanted to scream the word 'no', to scream that she'd lost another person she loved. Wanted to yell it and have the weight of it lift from her body. Wanted so bad to bury her head into his chest and cry and relieve an ache that just seemed to grow and grow.
Despite the comfort Rick provided, she wanted his hands to be someone else's. Warm and calloused and gentle despite all appearances, and she wanted those hands to cradle her and soothe her.
He must have seen something in her eyes because in an instant he was pulling her to him, his own body lifting form its perch to pull her up as he wrapped his arms around her. His lips again found her head and he breathed in deeply as she wept into his chest and pulled at his shirt. They crumbled to the chair, him awkwardly trying to fit beside her on the not quiet wide enough seat. She was half sitting in his lap when his hand settled at the nape of her neck and he pressed her hard into his chest.
"What is it?" Rick said quietly into her hair. Callie worked to lift her head and Rick let the pressure on her neck go so that she could look up at him. "Callie, what-"
The sound of a car pulling along the gravel, and the screen door opening drew his attention from her and they were both looking at the large pair of headlights blinding them as they sliced through the now dark night that surrounded the house.
"It's the Hummer," Callie said her voice raspy from crying. She pushed at Rick and he helped her to her feet, reluctant to let her go. He held tight and stared at her while she pressed her hands to her face and righted herself. Shaking her head she looked up at him and smiled. "C'mon."
"Callie," Rick held tight to her arm as she pulled away and she looked back to him.
The screen door opened again and Rick looked over Callie's head as she turned towards it. Maggie stood beside Hershel both watching interestedly as people disembarked from the hulking vehicle. Hershel's jaw clenched as he stared, obviously a bit upset by more strangers invading his home. His eyes shifted over to Rick for a moment before he worked his way back into the house, a hand to his daughter's elbow telling her to follow. She nodded, but waved him off as she watched Glenn help T-Dog up the stairs.
"Hey," Glenn said to Maggie, a tiny smile of discomfort on his face. "Found it," he said brightly and she nodded raising a brow at the sight of T-Dog gripping his arm.
"Y'all've been through the ringer, ain't ya," Maggie slipped her gaze to Rick and Callie and then held out a hand to T-Dog. "C'mon. Let's take a look. What happened?"
T-Dog left with Maggie, his head nodding at Callie and Rick before he slipped into the house. Glenn watched them go and then turned to see Rick and Callie. He slipped his hat from his head and stepped towards them, his eyes skipping to the Hummer.
"How's Carl?" Glenn asked quietly his eyes skipping over both of them as he bit at the inside of his cheek.
"He's hangin' in there," Rick said, his hand still tight around Callie's arm. They all looked towards the Hummer watching as Carol got out slowly and began to make her way up to them. The woman's eyes darted about before landing on Callie. Rick's brow creased in confusion before his hand tightened on Callie's arm and he let out a breath and looked at Glenn.
"The girl," Glenn pointed his hat towards the door where Maggie had disappeared. "She said you guys found one of the girls." He skipped his eyes to Carol standing at the bottom of the steps. "We didn't know-"
"It was Jenna," Callie said quietly, finally working her arm free of Rick's grip. She took a step and then steadied herself on the porch rail, both Glenn and Rick reaching out for her. She waved them off and stared down at Carol's distraught face. "Carol I'm so sorry. It was Jenna. She's-" Callie took a breath and shook her head. "We missed Maggie when she left. I'm sorry to have-"
"Sophia's still out there then," Carol said quietly. She turned towards the dark world around them and wrapped her arms around herself.
Rick was moving now, his finger's brushing Callie's arm as he worked past her and down the stairs to Carol. His eyes held Callie's for a moment before slipping to Carol, a look that clearly said they weren't finished. Reaching out Rick put a tentative hand to Carol's arm and turned her around, slowly leading her up the stairs to the porch. Glenn settled in next to Callie and they exchanged a glance as Rick led Carol to the door.
"We're gonna find her Carol," Rick said as he worked himself inside the house. "C'mon and sit down." Rick shifted his gaze over his shoulder and pierced Callie with it. She felt the heat in that stare like a knife to her heart and knew that Rick would be coming back for a reason to her breakdown.
Callie let out a shuddering breath and turned away to look out to the night. Glenn settled a hand to her shoulder and she jumped at the contact.
"Hey," Glenn said quietly, slipping himself up beside her at the porch railing. Callie shook her head and he slipped his hand around to turn her. "Hey. What's wrong?" Glenn's brows narrowed as he looked at her and she blinked hard. "Is Jenna okay?"
One deep shuddering breath and Callie felt her head shaking without her permission. The truth just pouring out as she stared at Glenn's now horrified gaze. The need to not be alone in her suffering to powerful.
"No," Callie uttered in a whispered shaking voice as her head began to slowly shake. Even as she said the words she felt bad for burdening the younger man with the horror of the truth she'd yet to share with Rick. "No, Glenn, she isn't." Glenn's hand fell limply from her shoulder and Callie let the tears fall down her cheek as he stared at her in stunned silence.
Cold is the water
It freezes your already cold mind
Already cold, cold mind
And death is at your doorstep
And it will steal your innocence
But it will not steal your substance
But you are not alone in this
And you are not alone in this
As brothers we will stand
And we'll hold your hand
Hold your hand
And you are the mother
The mother of your baby child
The one whom you gave life
And you have your choices
And these are what make man great
His ladder to the stars
But you are not alone in this
And you are not alone in this
As brothers we will stand
And we'll hold your hand
Hold your hand
And I will tell the night
And whisper "Lose your sight"
But I can't move the mountains for you
~Timshel / Mumford & Sons
AN: So, I know y'all are probably going "What about Shane and Miles and Otis?" well, don't worry next chapter we're going to be catching up with that little trio. I really hope that the format of this isn't too confusing to follow. I'm trying really hard to keep it from becoming a clusterfuck…but I'm pretty sure that's exactly what it is.
As always I want to give a shout out to all of the awesome readers-the many silent readers-that have favorited or put this story on their follow list. I can't express how much I appreciate your support of my little endeavor. You are what keeps me going and I am forever in your debt for making me feel as though I have purpose again… strange as that may seem to hear. This entire writing binge has been quite therapeutic for me on many levels, and I thank you for reading!
Now for the chatter:
Babeelove: I'm sorry that I had to make you wait. There is A LOT to cover in these chapters. Honestly. I'm working hard to get chapters out as quickly as I can to keep the pace up for ya!
Druid Archer: Sorry 'bout the sad face, but glad that I've caught your attention. I think what I have planned will probably just kind of implant that sad face on you permanently though…
Emberka-2012: Yeah, Jenna's fate was written in the stars my friend, as for Sophia…NO SPOILERS FOR YOU. Next chapter should give you that needed fix for Shane and Miles so stayed tuned. As always thanks for the review!
Vaughn Zomby: OH MY. I didn't mean to traumatize you! The something's in my eye excuse is a good one, my fall back is "must be my allergies" *shrug* I'm actually really happy that I was able to evoke that kind of response in the death of an OC. As for Hershel's feelings on the matter, and what Jenna's going to do.. stay tuned.
Piratejessieswaby: Honestly, even in the show they FOUND Sophia…. *Evil smirk* NO SPOILERS FOR YOU!
TrustInFaith: Yes, very sad… gonna be that way for a while here at the farm. Again, done and done *salutes*
LadyLecter47: I try not to disappoint, so it's very nice to hear that I don't! Yeah, Hershel and the Jenna situation is going to be a bit interesting isn't it. And as for Miles/Shane…. Guess you'll have to wait for the next chapter to see if you need to get your pimp-hand strong and smack up a Shane.
Sdwafford: You hit the nail on the head with that one. It would be very unrealistic if I had left it with all of my OC's being safe when the rest of the group's gonna be torn asunder pretty soon. And YES, absolutely YES. There's nothing worse than when tragedy befalls a child. Glad you agree with that. Hope you keep on enjoying what I'm putting out there.
The Current—Guest reviewer: You've got some great questions, and I will see what I can do to answer them without giving too much away. Yes I will be staying with the Season 3 plan-Woodbury, the prison…and because it's me a bit of original content is planned as well-but mainly the Season 3 plan. As for Fort Benning… I think that you'll find that touched on in this installment so I'm not going to say much more than that. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review. I'm so glad that you're enjoying what I'm doing enough to be thinking so far into the future already.
AlabastR: *resuscitates from death by sadness-only to probably have you die again from sadness* Life she is a cruel bitch, ain't she. I'm sorry for the sads… and I think you're right when Miles and Daryl find out it's gonna be extra sad, not to mention when Danny finds out… jeeze I'm really stickin' it to 'em ain't I? I am SOOO glad that you liked what I did with Maggie there. I'm really trying to fill out her character and the farm's eerie sense of tranquility among the devastation of the world, and I'm glad that it's coming through. Maggie's one of my faves too, and I really look forward to seeing her character grow in the upcoming Season 3. In the meantime I'll just have to build what I can and hope I stay on track. And *whew* I'm so glad that you though Hershel was SPOT ON. I was struggling a bit with him and was hoping I got him down. I'm a watcher, in case you couldn't tell, I really like to get people's physical ticks down so that I can really give life to their character… and I do not own the DVD's in order to get a fix and really watch people… so I'm going from memory here. Very glad it was thought to be SPOT ON. As always thanks for your review dude! You make my day each and every time you do, and your reviews always cement that I'm doing an actual GOOD job on this piece of work.
Cotton Strings: My great goodness, that was a lengthy review. But I feel for you. I hope you are over your flu, or at least feeling a bit better. You are absolutely right, there is A LOT going on right now…which is probably why my brain is 'bout to explode. Jenna/Carl, the juxtaposition in their plight and the distraught parents is going to be rough. The highway, the town, the farm itself slowly being invaded by forces beyond any of the Greene's control. It's gonna be a rollercoaster ride for sure. Rick and Callie are a big portion of this, I've been trying to work in the way that they mirror one another and compliment one another as we've gone on. And I think watching the way that this plays out is going to change their relationship a bit (but not in romantic way). And as you said, if it weren't a strictly Daryl/Callie world I think I'd be pulling for Rick/Callie too. As for Rick/OC…NO SPOILERS FOR YOU (wait, was just saying that a spoiler….) I'm contemplating a few things right now, so for now we'll just stick with NO SPOILERS and leave it at that. Anyway, thank you so much for your review-long winded as it was. I have no problem with lengthy reviews, I'm a long winded son of a bitch myself…as I'm sure everyone can see. HOPE YOU'RE FEELING BETTER!
PiratesLife: Bit of a spoiler for you….I haven't even gotten started on the heartbreakin *DUN DUN DUN* As for the not bawling like a baby thing… let it fly man, let it fly. You don't need to give an explanation… and if you do. Say you stubbed your toe. Thank you for the compliment saying that it was amazingly written-superb even. I really just let it flow and was quite pleased with how it came out so I'm really glad that you enjoyed it. And that it evoked such emotion out of you. As always thank you so much for your review, I really appreciate the feedback.
BecomingScarlett2012: OH NO LAPTOP CRASH! I seem to be breaking everyone's heart with Jenna, and I'm sorry for that. As for Miles, he's coming up so stay tuned. I'll try not to break your heart again, but make no promises. Thanks for your feedback!
GrimmSapphire: HOWDY! I've broken yet another heart I see. Sorry I'm really glad that you felt that way about the chapter, I was going back and forth with so many ideas on how to actually write it without just writing exactly what everyone already knew. Honestly that's one of the main reasons that a lot of the scenes we all know and love are written from the perspective of one of my OC's to give a new take. I'm glad the drama wasn't lost and that it sparked that visual ref for you. Miles and Shane are coming up so keep your eyes peeled! Thanks so much for the review, it's great hearing from you. I've finally caught up on your fic *points to screen* reviews forth coming my friend!
A'right, people, shows over… see ya next chapter!