How many of you guessed that I was going to go there? Well, I hope you're getting excited again. I'm always worried about boring people. And just keep in mind that I completely LOATH the Governor. And also, more stuff is going to start happening and I'm going to try my best to keep the updates flowing as fast as I can but there is definitely going to be days where I only post one chapter. *gasp* I know. It happens, but it will happen more frequently now that I am at this part of the story. But the chapters are getting longer too so that has to count for something ;) So read on, my friends. I hope you enjoy this one. Thank you for the reviews! It helps. A LOT! Let me know what you think! And have a great morning! =)
Chapter Seventy Seven
Carol knew there wasn't anything to worry about but she worried anyway. It was one of the things she did best. She was standing in the courtyard talking to Andrea and she had just realized that she had no idea what Andrea was even saying. She shook her head. "I'm sorry. What were you saying?"
Andrea rolled her eyes and then walked over to a bench. Carol followed. "I was saying that I think we should talk to the group about staying here."
Carol looked around. It really was nice to be able to be outdoors again without that constant threat hanging over her head. But Rick had said over and over that staying in one place for too long was dangerous. But what were his plans? Running forever. Lori was going to have a baby and even though that wasn't really an issue at the moment it would be eventually.
"So, what do you think?" Andrea asked.
Carol nodded. "Your probably right. The way this place is set up is pretty perfect. I just don't know if Rick will go for it."
Andrea made an annoyed sound in the back of her throat as she leaned against the back of the bench. "We could do what we did at the farm. You and I can talk to everyone else before he gets back. Make everyone jump on board. He wouldn't take his family and leave with just the three of them. It would be suicide."
Carol looked down at her hands. That was exactly what Daryl had suggested yesterday. She knew that Rick was under a lot of pressure but she didn't think he was under as much as Daryl. Everyone looked at Rick for guidance and leadership but then Rick himself looked at Daryl for survival. It was two places she was glad she would never find herself in.
"Do you really think it would be safe to stay?" She asked.
Andrea draped an arm over her shoulders and smiled. "This is probably the safest place we'll find. No where is totally safe but this place can be defended from Walkers and we still have a decent supply of guns and ammo. We could have a real home." She grinned. "And would you stop worrying. They'll be back any minute now."
She felt the corners of her mouth turn up. Sometimes she had no clue what she would do without Andrea. She glanced towards the glass doors that they had left open. Something was going on inside now. There were several people all talking at once. They got up, drew their guns and hurried inside. There were three newcomers standing in front of Daryl by the front door. Rick was holding up a hand trying to establish some sort of order as every person in the room had weapons trained on the men.
"Shut the fuck up a second!" Merle shouted over the others. Everyone grew quiet and the three men looked at one another worriedly.
Her eyes spotted Sophia as she took off down the hallway with the boys on her heels.
~H~
Sophia slammed the door to the bedroom that she had shared with Beth the night before. "This is bullshit." She growled as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You two know this is bullshit, right?"
Carl and Duane glanced at one another and then back to her. "It just don't sit right with me." Duane said somberly, "But what can we do? Nobody is gonna listen to anything we have to say."
Carl glanced between the two of them. "Merle was right. We should just stay here. The only people we can trust anymore is our own. Those people are strangers and from what the leader said there's a lot more of them than there are of us."
Sophia felt better knowing that she at least had them on her side. When she had listened to that creep talking about that stupid town of his he kept glancing down at her. It gave her the creeps. She should have shot the bastard in the head as soon as he tried to touch her.
"I don't like the way he was looking at you." Carl said, his face growing hard.
Duane nodded in agreement. "Me neither. One of us should have shot that asshole. Then we wouldn't be in this mess."
She had tried to catch Daryl's eye out there but he had been all ears as the man told them about why they had been out looking for survivors. The town was closed off so Walkers couldn't get in and he had mentioned lots of other people. Stores, food, electricity, even a school, which she was definitely going to refuse to go to. She didn't need other people and she sure as hell didn't need school. What could they teach her that she didn't already know? She could already read and write. She needed to know how to protect herself and her family. Merle and Daryl had already taught her that.
Just when she thought things were going to get better this had to happen. They had found the store and stocked up on food and supplies. They had found this building, which could really be their home. Their home. Not a town full of strangers that could turn out to be total psychos. Hadn't they learned anything from their run in with those maniacs that had been Randal's group? You couldn't trust the living. Sometimes the living were worse than the dead.
"Maybe no one will buy it." Carl said as he sat down heavily onto the bed. "Maybe we can still just stay here."
Duane scoffed. "You're dad already showed them this place. Even if we don't go to that town, we wont be able to stay here."
Carl looked down at his boots, Duane flopped down onto his back and Sophia fingered the small charm at the end of her necklace. "We were so close to everything finally getting better." She sighed.
She felt Duane's hand pat her back. "Maybe somehow this'll all work out. And not to change the subject or anything but, girl, you were bad ass out there." He gave her one more pat and then chuckled.
She couldn't help the grin that was tugging at the corners of her mouth but it didn't stay there long. She laid her head on Carl's shoulder and sighed. They sat like that for a long time, each lost in their own thoughts until suddenly the door opened and her mom and Daryl walked in. She didn't move her head from where it still rested on Carl's, now tense, shoulder.
Daryl scowled but didn't say anything as her mom shut the door. She could tell by the guarded looks on their faces that the news was going to be grim. At least for the three of them.
"We're going to go to a town called Woodbury." Carol said as she searched Sophia's face.
She finally raised her head. She tried to make her face as neutral as she could as she nodded stiffly. "Okay." She said quietly. What was the sense in fighting them on this? Her only hope was Daryl and Merle. Surely they wouldn't fall for this man's crap. Or would they? If they believed that this was the only way to keep everyone safe then maybe they really would believe the man. Maybe they were just that desperate.
"Ya sure you're alright with this?" Daryl said after studying her for a few seconds.
She gave him a dry smile. "What good would it do me to fight?"
He frowned. "This really is the only option we have, kid." He argued and then she realized that he was trying to convince himself just as much as he was trying to convince her.
"And what if the guy is full of crap?" Carl said angrily.
Sophia shot him a look. He was looking right at Daryl, eyes flashing.
Daryl crossed his arms across his chest and glared at the boy. "You got another fuckin' plan in your pocket? Some grand scheme to keep us alive, boy? Cause if you do then I'd love to hear all about it. And if you don't then I'd advise you keeping your trap shut."
"You know you guys are probably gonna drive us right into our graves right?" Carl said angrily, ignoring the angry look on Daryl's face, "How many times have I heard you say to only trust our own? That's a town full of people that we don't know."
Daryl looked dangerous and Sophia, without thinking grabbed Carl's hand before he could shoot up off the bed. She had to admit, she was impressed.
"Then what should we do you little smart ass? Go back out there on the road. We're almost up to twenty people right now. You think that haul we got from the store is gonna feed us all for long? Would you rather us starve to death? Or maybe freeze? Or maybe not be able to find fuel for the vehicles and then try to outrun a herd on foot. We're fuckin' dead either way you look at it so stop givin' me shit. Go talk to your goddamn dad. He's the one that brought'em here. Not me."
Sophia let go of Carl's hand as soon as Daryl's eyes zeroed in on it. Carl didn't look like he had any fight left in him anyway. He pretty much looked the same as Daryl now. Defeated. She could sympathize. She felt the same way. One quick glance at Duane confirmed that it was a mutual feeling. The only person that didn't look as though they were about to go to a funeral was her mom. She was glaring at Daryl, her arms crossed.
"Can I talk to you?" She snapped and Sophia could see the exasperation all over his face.
"Mom?" She said before she even knew what she was going to say. "Can I talk to him first? Alone?"
Carl and Duane got up to leave but Carol just eyed her for a second. With a weary sigh she nodded and followed the boys out.
When the door was firmly closed Sophia launched herself off the bed. "We can't do this, Daryl. You know how dangerous this is? Are they all for it? Every damn one of them?"
He shook his head but didn't mention any names. He looked away, towards the window, that defeated look taking root on his face once again.
"Merle, right?" She asked quietly.
On cue the door flew open, banging into the wall and then slamming shut after Merle and Duane entered the room. Duane shot Sophia a wide eyed look and then hurried over to stand next to her. Carl slipped in before Merle could even open his mouth.
"Mother fucker!" Merle roared and then turned around and kicked the wall. His foot went through it.
"Calm the fuck down, Merle." Daryl said in a hushed tone.
"We have to do somethin'." Duane muttered looking at the men. "We gotta make a plan or somethin'. We can't just march in there like a bunch of targets."
Merle's head shot up and he looked at Duane, eventually he grinned at him wickedly. "Good boy." The grin stayed in place as he looked from face to face. "He's right. We need to think of somethin'. Somethin' quick too."
Daryl snorted. "Don't you think I've already been doin' that, dumb ass?"
"I don't think we have to worry about anything. Not right away. Do you?" Sophia asked. "I mean, Rick gave them the option to turn around and go while you all had your weapons on them but the guy was real determined to talk to you. He wouldn't invite us to that town if he wanted us dead. But something isn't right with him."
Carl finally spoke up. "He said that they looked for survivors because they are trying to build a real community and the more people they have the more secure the town is. So they try to find people to take them back to the town. That way the people they find are safe and the town is better protected."
Merle and Daryl shared a look. Sophia had listened to all the crap the man was spouting out there on the street. She had watched Rick as he absorbed it all and took the mans word.
"It sounds legit." Merle muttered. "Too legit."
Duane shook his head. "I still don't trust the guy. Maybe it's just cause of what happened on the farm and what happened before that with me and my dad. But the only people I'm trusting is ours."
"Me neither, kid." Daryl said as he crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "We all have been through too much shit to think any different."
"So everyone else is all for this?" Carl asked the same question Sophia had asked Daryl.
Daryl nodded. "I think they're all just hopin'. Everybody wants this to be the real deal."
Sophia sat back down on the bed, the wheels in her brain spinning furiously. When she looked up Daryl and Merle were watching her. "I think I have an idea." She let the corner of her mouth turn up in a smile.
~H~
Carol could understand why Daryl was so frustrated. He didn't trust people. It was that simple. It didn't help that she was the exact opposite. She trusted too easily. Which made little sense to her since she had been duped by a man like Ed. If anything she should have been just as, if not more, cautious than Daryl. She could tell that Merle felt the same way. Especially after he had stormed off and slammed the door. She just wished that Daryl could have kept his mouth shut. At least in front of the kids. Like they didn't already have enough on their shoulders. The change in them just since leaving the farm was monumental. They weren't even children anymore. Not in the way they acted or spoke. They were adults trapped in the bodies of children. Even their faces had matured.
That was the whole reason she was doing this. By agreeing with the rest of her eager group she had inadvertently taken sides. And right now it wasn't Daryl's side she was on. But the group had to try for the kids. They needed stability. They needed to be children for as long as they could. If it wasn't already too late. And she feared it was. They had been put in situations that she herself had never even been put in. Both boys had killed living men. She wasn't even sure what she would do if she was put in that situation herself, but she was sure that if she took someones life, she wouldn't have handled it the way they had, with complete indifference. It scared her. Sophia scared her.
Sometimes it felt as though she wasn't even her daughter anymore. She was like a stranger to her at times. She knew that Rick and Lori felt the same way about Carl. The whole group was worried. But she didn't think that any of them were as worried as she was. Sophia needed this too work. The boys needed this to work.
She was about to go to the room to see what was going on when the door suddenly opened and they all filed out. She knew something was amiss as soon as she saw their faces. They were too calm. They were up to something and when Daryl looked at her and gave her that lopsided smirk of his, she knew it was bad. Merle winked at Duane who grinned up at him.
This was bad. This would end badly, she was sure of it. The Dixon's were dangerous enough when they set their minds to something. Now they had back up. Sure they were just kids but these were kids that had been under Merle's wing for a while now.
"We need to talk." She grabbed Daryl's hand and nearly yanked him into the other bedroom. The one they had used. She shut the door firmly and then spun around. "What are you up too?"
He frowned. "What? Why the hell ya think I'm up to somethin'?"
"Because earlier the five of you were nearly throwing a fit about this. Then after ten minutes you all seem to be fine. You, Merle and all three of your minions."
He laughed. "We just figured it wasn't worth fightin'. We ain't a bunch of infants Carol."
She narrowed her eyes. He was lying. She didn't know how she knew because he seemed to be telling the truth but she wasn't going to fall for it. They were all much too relaxed now.
"Daryl, please don't do anything crazy." She said softly.
He put his hands on his hips and narrowed his eyes at her. "I ain't. You think you can climb down off my back now? Fuck, Carol."
She felt her face grow hard once more. "No. I'll stay on your back for as long as it takes to convince me that you and Merle aren't planning something."
"Why do you want this so much?" He asked, finally letting some of that anger from earlier shine through. It actually made her feel better. This was how he was suppose to be acting.
"I want this for Sophia." She said quietly.
He snorted. "Sophia don't want this any more than I do."
Carol sighed. "You were the one that was intent on leaving the entire group. You think she would have wanted that anymore than she wants this? She needs this."
"Why do you keep tellin' me what she needs. The only thing we need to do is survive." He snapped.
"I'm tired of surviving. The more we try to survive the less we live. It sounds stupid but it's the truth."
He started chewing his thumb nail and she reached out and pulled his hand away from his mouth. He looked down, clearly still troubled despite his earlier good mood. "I don't see how you can just trust these assholes." He growled as she stepped foreword and put her head on his shoulder.
"I don't have a choice." She mumbled as his arms went around her.
~H~
Merle watched the men closely as they chatted with the rest of the group. Apparently they were excited to have Hershel and Milton since so far this little town of theirs didn't have a doctor. Not that Hershel or Milton either one were doctors, really, but he figured they were better than nothing. They had done an okay job so far.
He was starting to wonder where the hell Daryl was. He was much better at this people reading bullshit. Sophia stood next to the wall with Duane and Carl. Maggie was next to him and she looked as grim as he felt. She didn't trust these men any more than he did but she kept it to herself. He hadn't missed the way the leader looked at her when he was finally introduced to all of them.
The only other person that he could tell showed any mistrust with these men was, ironically enough, Randal. He was watching them with unveiled suspicion, much like Merle was doing himself. He hadn't made his dislike of them a secret. Sophia was openly glaring at the man who occasionally glanced up at her with this weird look on his face. Merle had to smile to himself when he thought of what the girl had done earlier. This Governor fellow hadn't been expecting that one at all. Hell, even Merle hadn't expected it.
Finally his brother and Carol came in. Daryl looked like he was trying to keep his face calm. Their eyes met and held for a few seconds before Daryl nodded slightly and then glared towards the men once more.
"So, how many people are in this town?" Rick asked from his spot on the couch.
"I believe we're up to seventy five now. A lot of women and children though. What we've been looking for are more men. Men that can help keep the town safe. Looks like we've hit the jackpot with your group here." He smiled. "Even your children are soldiers in this group." He cast another glance towards the kids, who were all glaring. "What about your women?" He asked.
"The fuck you wanna know about our women for?" Merle glared.
The man looked up, studying him curiously. "What I meant was, are they trained? The gun that little girl had digging into my head out there tells me that your children are, what about your women?"
Uh oh.
"Sophia!" Carol gasped as the room grew silent and all eyes fell on the girl.
Daryl made an exasperated sound.
The man held up his hand. "It's fine, it's fine. Your husband handled it quite well."
"Oh, I'm sure my husband was real professional about the whole thing." She growled.
Merle almost laughed at how red Daryl's face was turning as everyone stared at him. Finally he grabbed Sophia's hand and they made their way to the courtyard. A glaring Carol was right on their heels.
"Poor Daryl." Maggie whispered.
Merle looked down at her and frowned. She looked worried. More worried than she should have been about Daryl facing the wrath of an angry woman. He reached up, pushing her hair behind her ears and causing her to smile slightly. "What's wrong?"
She glanced towards the men once more before her eyes came up to meet his. "I don't trust'em." She whispered. "I want too. I really do but I can't. It's just a feelin' I guess."
"This comin' from the girl that fell for a man like me?" he raised one eyebrow at her.
"You're a good man. It didn't take a genius to see that, just a person willin' to look. I don't see any good in them. But I could be wrong. I hope I'm wrong."
Her words had a slow panic seizing hold of him. He was suspicious of everyone and he knew that Daryl, although a very different man than he had been, was still the same when it came to trusting other people. But Maggie wasn't like that at all. She was the type of person that searched until she found the good in others. So for her to say this about the men made him even more uneasy.
"If ya don't want this then we ain't gotta go. We can go somewhere else." He mumbled into her ear.
She shook her head and then wrapped her arms around his waist. "There ain't no where to go andI can't leave daddy and Beth."
He placed his hand on the back of her head and sighed. He'd kill every person in that fucking town to keep her safe. He glanced up and saw Duane and Carl watching him. He gave them a nod. They needed to get everything ready soon. He watched the boys slip down the hallway and into the bedroom that faced the street. He hoped they were careful out there.