Chapter 25-Working together
Two months later
Four months since the end of the war
Daryl's P.O.V
Daryl walks outside of the prison and looks at Carol and Lori as they cook. "Your mother has all kinds of skills," Daryl says to Judith, who smiles at him. He walks to the edge of the fence and stares at the front of the prison. There was a trench in the ground with spikes sticking out of it, black tarps covered the fences, and very few walkers stood around the prison, and any of them that were alive were trapped in the trench. "We've done good," Daryl looks at Lee as he walks up beside him. Daryl has been working with the man a lot for the last two months. They have been working together on the fence and the trench.
"You still coming with me to Woodbury?" Daryl asks Lee, who nods.
"Yeah, they need the food, and we need the fuel," Lee says. "You mind if Clementine tags along? She wants to see it."
"I don't mind," Daryl says.
Lee nods as he walks away, and Daryl walks up to Lori and Carol. "You ready to spend a day without your daughter and girlfriend."
"I'll never get sick of her," Daryl says as he kisses Judith's head. "You, on the other hand, yes, I am ready."
"You can sleep on the couch," Lori says with a smile.
"We don't have a couch," Daryl says as he sees Rick. "Rick we have any couches?"
"No," Rick says with a chuckle as he walks up to them. "She's serious, man. She made me sleep on one plenty of times."
"Only when you pissed me off."
"Your problem now," Rick says. "Who's all going with you to Woodbury?"
"Lee, Clementine, Oscar, and Haley," Daryl tells him. "Should be back before dinner. Andrea said she wanted to talk with us about something."
Rick nods as Lori hands them a plate.
Andrea's P.O.V
Andrea walked down the streets of Woodbury and looked at Martinez, who stood on the wall with Ben, Shumpert, and a few other residents. "Martinez," Andrea says. Martinez looks at her and walks down the steps.
"What's up?" He asks as he starts to walk with her.
"How's the kid doing?" Andrea asks. Donna and Ben had moved to Woodbury shortly after Allen's death.
"He's getting better each day," Martinez says. "But that isn't what you want to talk about."
"I need to talk with you about our meeting with Daryl today," Andrea says. "We need their help if we want to clear the construction site, and we need the steel. The walls need to be reinforced. It's getting weaker each day," Andrea says.
"I know," Martinez says.
"You're the only person who has seen it. I need you there with Negan and me," Andrea says, and Martinez nods.
"I'll be there."
Merle's P.O.V
Merle, Hershel, Rick, T-dog, Laura, Franklin, Sasha, Michonne, and Carol sat in the meeting room. "Daryl and Oscar won't be joining us today, but they have agreed to what we are here to talk about," Merle says. "Over the last four months, a lot of people have started to live here. We have decided that it is time to start to split them up," Merle says.
"What do you mean?" Carol asks. "We've cleared all of the cellblocks. Everybody is split up."
"Not what I meant," Merle says. "There will be people that will do different things. Franklin will lead the medical team with Lily and Carol. Hershel will run the garden team. They'll farm, and they'll take care of the animals. Carol and Lori will be in charge of the inventory team. They'll keep track of our supplies and ration if we need to. T-dog will be in charge of the construction crew. Sasha will be in charge of watches and the clearing crew, and I'll be in charge of the run crew," Merle says. "Hershel, Franklin, and Lori already have a list of the people that will help them. As for Sasha, T-dog, and I. We'll take whoever is ready for or needed. Everybody will take a watch and help clear the fences, and whoever isn't doing that will help with construction and runs. We'll have different people in each run, but I will set them up."
They all nod. "Doe anybody else has anything to say?" Rick asks, and they all shake their heads. "That is all for today, then."
Daryl's P.O.V
Daryl drove the truck into Woodbury and stopped it. He climbed out and looked at Andrea as she walked up to them. "I'll get some people to unload the food and get the fuel loaded up. We need to talk," Andrea tells him. She looks at Clementine. "There is a group of kids in front of the clinic," Andrea says, and Clementine looks at Lee, who nods. She smiles as she runs away from them. Andrea leads them to her apartment, where Negan and Martinez are waiting.
"How's your life at Woodbury?" Daryl asks with a smirk.
"Boring as hell," Negan says. "I kind of enjoy it. But it kind of seems like it is about to get more interesting."
"What did you need to talk about?" Oscar asks her.
"Our walls are weak," Andrea says. "The steel was already in bad shape when Philp put them up, but they have gotten weaker over the last four months. Over the last month, we've had four walkers get in. Thank god we've killed them all before they killed anybody. But we need steel."
"We don't have any," Lee says.
"I know," Andrea says. "There's a construction site not far from here."
"Why don't you take what's there?" Oscar asks.
"It's overrun, fences around it, and there are a dozen or two walkers. We don't have the firepower, and most of my people can't fight very well. We need the prisoner's help. We'll split the supplies. There is plenty," Andrea says.
"Have any of you been there?" Oscar asks.
"I have," Martinez says. I would say two of three dozen walkers. Looks like someone used it as a camp. Tents and blankets were out. Fell pretty early, the gates are still locked, and the supplies are still there. It looks like they had just started, but there was enough steel and wood there for both the prison and Woodbury," Martinez says.
"I'll talk with Rick and Merle and figure something out," Daryl tells her.
"Thank you," Andrea says, and Daryl nods as they leave.
Michonne's P.O.V
Michonne walked through the tombs and stopped outside of Philip's cell. "What are you doing here?" He asks.
"I haven't seen you in a couple of months," Michonne says. "You look like shit. You want something to shave that forest off your face?"
"I don't mind it," Philip says. "I look the part now. When I get out, I'll shave it."
"You will never get out," Michonne says.
"Yes, I will," Philip says with a smirk as he walks up to the cell door. "You see, Rick keeps coming down here, Merle keeps coming down here, and both of them are telling me about this great world that you are building for each other but do you want to know the truth?" Philip asks.
"What is the truth, Philip?" Michonne asks.
"The world that you are building, you're not building it for yourselves. You're building it for me. I'm just waiting till it's finished," Philp says.
"If you ever get out of this cell, I'll take your other eye," Michonne growls.
"You will try," Philip says before he sits back down, and Michonne walks away.
Abraham's P.O.V
Abraham stood on watch, staring at the walkers in the field. He looks at the steps as Eugene walks up them. "It isn't your watch yet," Abraham says.
"I know that," Eugene says. "Our interactions have been tense the last few months since you beat the shit out of me."
"I apologized," Abraham says.
"Not that you needed to," Eugene says. "What I did to you, I should have died for that. You showed me mercy."
"I almost killed you," Abraham growls.
"Yes, you did," Eugene said. "I want you to teach me how to survive. I should have had you do that from the start."
Abraham stares at him for a moment and then nods. "I will do it. We'll start tomorrow."
Rick's P.O.V
The council sat together once again, staring at Daryl and Oscar as they explained everything that Andrea had told them. "What do you think?" Daryl asks.
"I think we could use that supplies," T-dog says. "That would help us reinforce the gate, and we could use it to reinforce the fence at the back of the prison. We could use the wood and steel to make it even stronger so that not even people could break it down."
"Three dozen walkers," Rick says. "We have the firepower. We could do it."
"We would need a pretty big group," Merle says. "I'll get one together. I'll radio Andrea and tell her to come here with Martinez and Negan tomorrow. We'll make a plan tomorrow, and I'll get a group together, and the next day, we'll hit the site."
"Alright," Rick says. "Has anything changed since our last meeting?"
"We need more seeds," Hershel says. "We need to finish our farming soon."
"I'll take a group out," Daryl says, making them look at him. "The town nearby should have some. It shouldn't be hard to get 'em. I'll take a group tomorrow."
"You haven't been out in a while, baby brother," Merle says.
"I'll be fine. I'll take Oscar, Abraham, Michonne, Glenn, and Joel," Daryl says. "That should be fine."
"Alright, baby brother," Merle says. "You'll leave early."
Daryl's P.O.V
Daryl laid Judith in her crib and looked at Lori, who lay in bed. "You sure you don't want me to come tomorrow?" Lori asks.
"One of us should always be here, just in case something happens," Daryl says as he sets his vest down on the chair and pulls his shirt off, and sets it on top of it. He lays down on the bed and smiles at her. "I'll be okay. It's about time I got back out there, and I already know you're going to volunteer to join the run to the construction site," Daryl says.
"I will," Lori says.
"I'll go tomorrow, and you go the day after," He says as he kisses her. He pulls back.
"I love you," Lori says.
"I love you, too," Daryl says as he kisses her again. Lori smiles as she flits him on his back and climbs on his thigh. She kisses him and then pulls her shirt off.
Thanks for reading. Next chapter, Daryl goes on a run. Merle and Andrea make a plan. Abraham thinks about his future, and Michonne voices her concerns about keeping the Governor alive. As always, suggestions, ideas, and feedback are welcomed. Until next time.