WARRIORS OF THE WALKING DEAD: SAVIORS OF MANKIND
(Hey! Hey! The Gang's All Here)
CHAPTER ONE
Katelyn lay on her side, gazing down into her beautiful daughter's eyes. Lifting her delicate fingers, she smiled at how tiny they were and leaned down to nibble on them making little Hope squeal with delight.
"I thought I heard my girls." Daryl voice called out from outside their tent as he moved the flap aside and entered, taking in the gorgeous picture of Katelyn and Hope lying together as mother and daughter.
Smiling, he flopped down on the mat next to them, leaning forward to kiss Katelyn's forehead tenderly. Looking down at his daughter, he reached out his hand and gently stroked her soft, fuzzy head.
"Madeline's leaving tomorrow." He said, looking at Katelyn.
"Did they find others?" Katelyn asked, hopeful that Major Reese had managed to locate other groups that were working on a way to fight the plague.
"I guess there's a group in the mountains in Switzerland where they've been working on it and they need her information so they're gonna fly her over there tomorrow." He explained, tickling Hope's feet, making her squirm and squeal happily.
Katelyn smiled lovingly at Daryl and reached out her hand to cup the back of his head. Pulling him gently forward, their lips met over their adorable, gurgling daughter who immediately shrieked with delight as if the love her parents shared was acknowledged by her.
"She approves." Daryl teased, picking up the happy bundle and cuddling her to his chest.
"She has good taste." Katelyn said, smiling at the picture Daryl and Hope made.
There was a knock on the tent pole, making both of them turn and look.
"Come in." Katelyn called, smiling when she saw Carol walk through.
"How's my darling baby?" She asked, cooing at Hope.
Katelyn stood up and Daryl placed Hope into Carol's outstretched arms. He knew how much she meant to her and he and Katelyn asked Carol if she would be her godmother. Carol, of course, cried and said yes. They hadn't decided who to ask to be godfather yet. There was a lot of discussion about Rick, but it was Katelyn who brought up Merle.
Daryl had been surprised, the two of them having never talked about what happened with Merle. He thought for sure, that she wouldn't want him around at all, and because of that, Merle'd kept a respectful distance from her, but Katelyn had forgiven him.
Katelyn hugged Carol, and ducked out of the tent.
"I'll be back in a while." She called out to Daryl whose face took on a puzzled expression as he watched her go. He wasn't sure what she was up to.
Kate went quickly across the gym to the doors that led out to the fenced play yard outside, knowing that's where Merle usually hung out so he could smoke. Making her way toward him, she nodded at the others who were outside as she passed by.
"Merle." Katelyn called out, causing Merle to drop his cigarette in surprise.
Merle looked around comically, as if she might be looking for another "Merle" who happened to be right next to him.
"Can we talk?" Katelyn asked, feeling a little shy and unsure of the conversation she wanted to have with him.
"Uh…yeah." Merle said, scratching his head with puzzlement.
"Walk with me?" She asked, motioning for them to walk the fenceline.
Merle moved awkwardly, unsure of what was happening.
"I get it." She stated.
"Uh…get what?" Merle asked, truly not understanding.
"Why you wanted to talk to me that day." She said, looking straight ahead.
"You do?" He asked, stumbling a little as he tried to figure out where this was going.
"Yeah. You love Daryl." She said, stopping to look at him.
He didn't say anything.
"You love him as best as you can and you thought I was a threat to that…to him, because you think love makes you weak." She said pointedly, piercing his soul with her gaze.
Merle continued to be silent, looking down at the mother of his niece.
"You were going to try to convince me to break it off with him." She accused gently.
Merle decided to tell her the truth. He was interested to see where this conversation was going.
"Yeah." He said.
Katelyn nodded.
"And if I'd refused?" She asked quietly.
"I would have found a way to make him hate you." He told her honestly.
"And what changed your mind?" She asked.
"I don't know." Merle shrugged, not having an answer.
"When you…panicked…I panicked. I fell back on old habits. I don't know what I would have done but I've done some pretty awful things in the past." He said to her, inferring that he might have killed her.
"It was about survival for you. You and Daryl against the world. I get it." She said.
"Something like that." He answered, trying to figure out just what kind of person this woman was. He'd never met anyone like her and he wasn't sure what to make of her. He'd accepted her because Daryl clearly loved her, but he didn't get her.
"You would do anything…even kill, to protect him…" She said, her voice lowering to a deadly tone. "I would do anything to protect him as well…and our daughter…your niece. I expect that the love you have for Daryl would extend to his child as well?"
Merle's brows narrowed in confusion as he took in what she was saying.
"Will you love her like you love Daryl?" She asked, her look so intense that it made Merle uncomfortable.
Merle thought about it for a minute. Thought about the only other member of the Dixon family; Hope. His niece. He understood what she was asking him; Would he kill to protect little Hope…even if it made him vulnerable?
"Yeah." He said simply, looking her in the eye again. It was the first time Katelyn had ever seen past the shade that covered his eyes, allowing her to peer into his soul.
Katelyn nodded, staring at him for a moment longer, then turned to leave. Pausing, she turned back to him and said;
"You can stay then."
And with that, she went back inside, leaving Merle standing outside staring at a closed door.
What the hell had just happened? He wondered.
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Rachel, Andrea, and Michonne stood in front of the ammunitions table, listening as Major Reese instructed them on how to assemble and disassemble an M-16.
"All right, ladies. Your turn." Major Reese stated, turning the table over to them.
All three of them dove into their task, tearing apart the weapon as if they were devouring it, before putting it back together and pulling the trigger to show that they worked.
Jackson whistled appreciatively.
"Best students I ever had." He said, chuckling as he checked all of them.
"What's next?" Andrea asked cockily, grinning ear to ear at their quick aptitude with the weapons he'd shown them.
"I'm gonna have to create a unit of all the ferocious women of the Limon Amazons. Woe to any man who crosses you." He smirked causing the women to laugh.
He was impressed with how tough they were, but also at their intelligence and compassion. They had all been through hell and somehow managed to keep their souls intact. It wasn't something he came across much.
After Afghanistan, he'd seen men come home shells of their former selves. War had a way of destroying your spirit piece by piece until there was little difference between them and the walking dead. Though Rachel was new to the group, she threw herself into helping in any way she could. As a nurse, she'd become a vital member of the operation here and strong leader to the community that was being built here.
She'd come to talk to him a few days earlier about creating just that; a community, here in Limon. They'd clear out an area in the city, build a wall around it, and dig out a life for themselves and those who'd survived. He'd thought it was a great idea and put her to work. She'd immediately recruited the Atlanta group who was desperate to create a life for themselves, and a few other stragglers that had nowhere else to go.
They began the operation next week and he was determined to help all that he could. Unfortunately, he'd also received orders from command that would be moving their command. Something that he'd been dreading.
He didn't know what to do.