Thanks for the reviews! I want to apologize for any typos (I found some repeated and dropped words in my last chapter). Our computer was stolen a couple months ago so I am writing on my iphone.
Daryl is finally going to get out for a bit. What's going to happen while he is gone?
Carol began to breathe a little easier once Daryl began to prepare for his hunt. Some weight had seemed to lift from his shoulders at just the thought of getting away from the crowds. He even joked a little with Glenn and Rick in the four days between the decision to go and actually departing. The phase of the moon was the reason he gave for not heading out immediately. However, Carol had her suspicions. Tyreese and Sasha were scheduled to make an overnight run the same day Daryl had planned on leaving for the day. It was evident to Carol that Daryl was preventing her from being alone around Tyreese. Many women would have been offended and thought Daryl didn't trust them. But she knew Daryl's quirks and decided to let it slide. He was worried about her safety, like always.
Besides that issue, Carol found it cute, almost to being comical how well he prepared for a day long trip. In his excitement to get back out in the woods he almost seemed like a little boy preparing for his first camping trip. Every spare minute was used to prepare the little gear that he carried. New arrows were made, fletched, and re-checked to make sure they flew true. His buck knife had been sharpened to a razors edge. He didn't ask Carol to prepare some trail food but he didn't have to. In the past he would go hungry or just eat some of his catch. But there was no way she was going to let that happen with all the provisions they had.
Even with Tyreese gone Daryl wasn't totally comfortable leaving Carol. Carol also worried about his welfare outside the fence, but she knew he was more at home in the woods than within the prison despite the walkers. He mentioned heading out to Yellow Jacket Creek in a way that had Carol wondering if the place had something to do with Merle. She hoped maybe he would get some peace on that issue while he was gone also.
That morning, Daryl had slipped out of bed before the first rays of sun streaked the sky. Carol would always be amazed at his internal alarm clock. Sleeping in wasn't even in his vocabulary. She knew he was trying not to wake her but she wanted to see him off. This was his first real hunt since they had become...well, Carol couldn't exactly say what they were. Boyfriend and girlfriend seemed juvenile. Husband and wife didn't sound right either even though she knew both their dedication to the other ran that deep. She was content to be considered his woman and he her man. Maybe that's what marriage in this new world amounted to now that there were no court houses and laws.
Daryl was slipping his bow on his back as Carol sat on the side of the bed. He grinned and said "Mornin' sleepyhead" when she had hissed as her feet touched the cold concrete floor.
"How can you tell? It's still dark." She padded over to where he stood and wrapped her arms around his waist. Daryl returned the embrace and placed his chin on her head.
"Hell, it's almost late to leave for huntin!" he laughed and kissed her forehead.
Carol squinted up at him through sleep bleary eyes and asked sarcasticly "You're not excited or anything are you?"
"Nope!" Daryl kissed her on the mouth this time. The kiss was sweet and gentle at first but got a little heated toward the end. One of Daryl's hands slipped under her tee shirt to caress her breast. Carol groaned and tried to pull him back to bed. Daryl huffed and stood his ground "Now, woman, I'm 'sposed to be going out to get a big buck, not stayin in to get a little ass!"
Carol punched him in the arm. "Fine, then keep your hands to yourself Mr. Grabby!"
They slipped downstairs quietly side by side. Carol had pulled out the packets of food she had prepared from the kitchen and helped him put them in his pack. Daryl scowled playfully and asked "Damn, woman, I ain't leavin but for a day. Ya packed enough food for a week." Carol just made a face, she knew he needed someone to think about his comfort for once in his life and that he actually appreciated it.
They walked out to the gate, shoulders brushing with every other step, an easy silence between them. Carol couldn't help but beam up at him as they leaned against the chainlink.
"You look so happy, I'm surprised you're not skipping."
"Ain't never skipped in m'life not startin' now." He didn't try to hide his grin.
They had held one another for a brief moment before sharing a few quiet words. Daryl checked the knife on her belt one last time (he had sharpened it to a razor's edge the night before) and reminded her to keep it on all the time. She rolled her eyes and huffed but agreed. Then he had slipped through the gate and she had locked it behind him, arms wrapped around herself as she watched him move to the shadows of the tree line. They were beyond tearful goodbyes. Besides, he needed this so badly. Carol was confident that he was safer outside the walls of their home for one day than all of them would be if he stayed cooped up.
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Carol stood at the counter starting lunch when Carl ran into the kitchen from where he had been on watch with Glenn.
"Where's Dad?!"
Carol whirled around without even dropping the can of potatoes in her hand. "What's wrong?!"
"We have people at the gate. A family, want to know if they can come in."
"Go, he's in the common area with Herschel!"
Carol set down the food, and grabbed her rifle from where it sat behind the makeshift kitchen area. She then made her way out to the yard, making sure she had cover in case the new people made trouble while still staying close enough to get a look.
The first vehicle was a black half ton king cab truck that pulled what looked like a stock trailer. A man stood to the side of it, hands in the air as Glenn talked to him through the fence with his gun raised. He looked to be very tall, well over six foot with a powerful build. He was wearing a camo t-shirt and khaki cargo shorts. She could see movement behind the front windows of the truck but nothing enough that she could identify how many others were inside.
The second vehicle was a white passenger van, covered in mud and dents like most of their cars these days. Carol could make out what seemed to be a woman behind the wheel but at that distance she couldn't be sure.
Rick rushed past her, Carl and Herschel hot on his heels. Rick acknowledged her with a hand on her shoulder as he passed but didn't speak. She was doing what she was supposed to do, stay out of sight and be ready to fire.
Rick conversed with the man through the fence, then Herschel joined in. Carl just kept his head down, eyeing the whole group suspiciously under the brim of his dad's hat, hand never leaving the butt of his gun.
After what seemed like hours (but was probably in all truth not more than ten minutes) Rick turned on his heels and trotted to Carol's spot. He stopped at her side for a second just long enough to speak and jerk open the door to the cell block.
"C'mon. We gotta talk."
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"Rick, truthfully. Do you want me to give you what I think would be Daryl's answer or do you want me to tell you what I think we should do?"
Carol paced in the dining area in front of the table where Rick sat, an ankle crossed over the opposite knee.
"Carol, I just want to know your opinion. Do we lettem in or not? Herschel says yes but you know the fact that they have livestock is swaying him. He's been aching for some kind of sustainability here since we took this place."
"And what do you think?"
"I don't know! We took on a lot when we took on Woodbury's folks. But these people could contribute a lot more."
Carol moved to sit across from him. If she was going to have to stand in Daryl's spot in their leadership while he was gone, she was going to get as much information as she could before she made her decision.
"How much more? Besides the animals?"
"Alot. The wife was a nurse, they have medical supplies. Some weapons, of course but not close to what we have here. Some long term storage foods. They lived on a homestead about an hour north of here outside of Rome. They were overrun a few months ago by a herd but had enough advance warning to pack up."
"Do you catch even a whiff of the Governor on them?"
Rick sighed before answering. "No, no way he would give us that many supplies. More likely he would send one or two people with nothing, thinking we would be more likely to let them in."
"If they are so set up with supplies then why do they need us though?"
"Basically, the animals. They haven't been able to graze them, been having to feed them sacked grain only and keep'em confined. Said they already lost a couple goats to sickness. They actually asked to set up camp between the inner and outer fences. That the animals would help keep the grass down for better visibility. It makes sense."
Carol sat back and looked at the ceiling but before she could speak Rick cleared his throat.
"They've got kids Carol. Little ones..."
She sat forward. "How many?"
"A bunch. I know I saw five in that truck."
Carol's hands went to her mouth and she slowly nodded.
"We can't say no..."
"Carol, I didn't tell you that to force your hand..."
"I know that, I was going to say yes anyway. Herschel is right, we have to start building some kind of civilization, some kind of sustainability. I'm just warning you, about Daryl..."
"He's gonna be pissed."
"Yes, I know he wouldn't have wanted to let them in. But he's not here and you asked me. I'll deal with him when he gets back."
Rick nodded before rising. "I guess I better go unlock the gate then, get these folks settled."
Carol rose also, headed in the opposite direction "I'll get Deena to handle my lunch duties. I want to help, get a feel for them because Daryl's going to be grilling me when he gets here. I'll be right out."
She ran her hands through her hair. Grilling would be the least she would get from Daryl when he got back later that night and saw they had let this large of a group in without his input.