skittletitz - ^_^ Merle is going to bug the hell out of them though, you do realize this? (Personally I look forward to it).
Supfan - I'm not a huge supporter of suddenly clothes get torn off and they're doing dirty things Caryl...it's just not in character to me, nor do I write smut well...though I sometimes try to get a wee bit naughty with my characters. If the moment calls for it. ^_^
Kaira Sakamoto - Mah, your review...I have no words for how kind it was. I mean those are the perfect words to bring me close to tears. Thank you. A billion times. I wish all the good things in life come to you for making my life. Sincerely.
LampPostInWinter - What is it about Merle that attracts people? He's such an ass...but dammit, he's just...I blame Rooker for doing this to us. Confusing the hell out of us fans.
Surplus Imagination - I'm more worried about the people leaving...there's biters out there! XD Thanks, as always, for the review!
Brazen Hussy - Hmm...Harry Connick Jr...not bad...also, Merle probably does his best work when he knows it pisses someone off.
A True Dreamer - I've felt that so often with fanfictions...it's why I try to update so regularly. I used to read this one, they'd update like once a month...erg! I can't wait that long, dang it! Thanks for this review and the others.
Lilone1776 - What is it about accents? They just make people more interesting...damn my bland assed Canadian accent...I could be interesting! Carol is so beautiful and awesome if she didn't have Daryl in her life she could have the pick of any of the men, I'd bet you any money. Even Rick would get in line...
MollyMayhem84 - You pretty much summed up how I want the Lt. to seem when it comes to dealing with the Old Missy. I think he's like Chandler from Friends (if anyone ever watched that show) he makes jokes when he's stressed, so his reaction to losing nuns is to try to make light of the situation. I honestly think we haven't seen the last of his grief for the sisters. Anyways, thanks for the review!
Emerald Kitten - Merle is going to bug the hell out of Daryl, I see it coming...^_^ Thanks for the review!
GG - Yeah, Daryl really needs to man up a little and give Carol hugs when she needs them. I'd imagine the Cajun will give him a little push after seeing how badly Carol needs hugs.
Guest - Haha! You caught that real name thing, huh? Yes, she's having a crisis of faith and I think at the moment she's not sure who she is anymore...hopefully I'll be able to explore that a little without taking too many side chapters to get the point across. Thanks for the review!
AFishNamedSushi - I figured Daryl would come back around. He's like a wild animal, if they're used to you enough to let you pet them, they'll always come back tentatively if you scare them off with a whoopsie moment. Haha, I had to look up Brawny-Towels...we don't have them here (that I know of)...but I laughed. Hard. Thanks for that.
Axelrocks - I won't lie to you. Hugs are the best. ^_^ I think the Lt. is secretly shipping Caryl too. He's on to them, that's for sure.
LL - Ilkka Villi wasn't bad...a little younger than I envision, but that's the lovely thing about stories, people can see who they want to see. I know. My Merle isn't evil enough...should get him into a racist or sexist fight in the next chapter...bring back some evil Merle...
Violeta27 - I think I'm with you on that Vi, I couldn't for the life of me find someone who made me happy. The closest I got was young Liev Schreiber...but even he wasn't just right. And for casting an Old Missy, I couldn't find anyone who pleased me enough. What about you? Anyone in mind for her?
Newsqueen123 - Ehehe...how can I pretend-cast Sean Patrick Flanery to be the Cajun when I had him cast as Father O'Rourke from the very beginning? (Yes, I honestly had him in mind when I wrote the character).
I make no apologies for this 'filler' chapter. I'm trying to lighten the mood before things get heavy.
Chapter Thirty-Two: Embêter
**The Lieutenant**
It wasn't that he didn't trust Michonne, but he didn't really feel up to turning his back on her, not the way she eyed him.
They had been hunting for two hours before he caught the trail of a deer.
Stalking quietly through the underbrush, aware that he was both on the hunt and potentially being hunted by uggies, he kept his senses clear of all else but the woods around him. It was a good idea to hunt in pairs, he supposed. So focused he was on tracking the deer, that at times he forgot to look up, to check his surroundings for threats.
While he wouldn't turn his back on Michonne, he had a feeling she at least had his back.
Holding up his hand as they pushed over a hill, he stopped their progress at the sound of rushing water. If it was rushing water, he supposed they had hit Skunk Cabbage Creek and that was probably where the trail ended. It wasn't actually called Skunk Cabbage Creek, he had no idea what the real name of the stream was, but there was a hell of a lot of skunk cabbage edging the water, so the Cajun had renamed it when he was mapping the area.
He hoped the deer was still there getting it's fill of water.
Before he joined the military, the Lieutenant had never been one for hunting, didn't much care for it, but times being what they were, experiences overseas and the training he received, he knew that sometimes it was do or die.
Crawling over the hill the rest of the way on his belly, he peered through the trees and branches hoping to catch a glimpse of a deer.
Below them the creek bed split the forest open like a gash on the earth and gave the Lieutenant a clear view of a nice fat buck bowing it's head to the water.
Smiling a little in triumph, the Cajun slowly adjusted his position, readying himself for the shot before even thinking of raising his rifle. Cautiously, he moved the gun into position, spying the handsome buck through the scope.
With the uggies eating up everything that crossed their paths, it seemed a shame to have to take down the deer, but their people would soon start going hungry and empty bellies was the one thing the Cajun couldn't abide. Not if they were in his charge.
Taking the shot, the buck was felled instantly and the Cajun sighed. "Sorry, podna."
Settling his rifle on his back, the Lieutenant hopped down the hill, followed by Michonne.
"Cho-co!" He exclaimed softly, eyeing the buck. "This is a big fellow! We're going to feed everybody twice tonight!"
The woman eyed him with the same cold façade she wore for everyone – except for the death glare she gave Merle – and eyed the woods around them.
"Except I never hunted anything this big without a truck…well, no one that I was planning on eating. How do you suppose we…" he eyed the woods as well. "Tripod…ah, we'll make a tripod…drag him back? Though…I don't want that trail of fresh blood leading to our door." Remembering how he liked to squirrel things away in his pack, he removed his rifle and the pack to dig through the heavy canvas bag. He had put an old sheet in there at the very bottom, folded up neat and small to use for emergency bandages when his supply of gauze ran out, he could wrap the buck up tightly in it. Pulling things out of his bag, he felt the woman's eyes on him.
Arranging the things he dug out of his bag in a neat line up of items, he finally reached the sheet and dropped it onto the ground proudly.
Michonne seemed less than impressed, but that was probably just her default look. Kneeling she picked up the cluster of dog tags he kept, eyeing them one at a time.
Wrapping the buck up in the sheet, the Cajun watched her with quick glances between weaving the sheet around the animal.
"I thought we'd eventually have some place where I could hand those in," he explained simply. "The ones that didn't have much left of them, the ones we had to take down, the ones I had to take down." He went on nervously, almost afraid she'd accuse him of doing his job.
Michonne fingered every single tag, it seemed. All one hundred and sixty-four of them, before she set them back down on the ground.
"I know they're added weight," he admitted softly. "I just don't have the heart to just toss them away."
Wiping his hands on a rag he started keeping in his back pocket due to seeing some sense in the one Daryl carried around, the Lieutenant pushed to his feet and offered the woman a grin. "Well, I figure if we rig up some kind of tripod now…we can drag the carcass back home, yeah?"
She nodded. "I'll find some branches."
..-~-..
..-~-..
By the time they reached the convent with their kill, they found the nuns and those who remained all outside eyeing the garden, hacking away at the sod to make the plot bigger. On the wall Father O'Rourke and Carl both patrolled, hands on their weapons, the gates manned by Sister Joan and Herschel, the latter letting them in the back way with a grim nod.
The Cajun had always wondered about the back gate. It didn't lead to a road or anything visible, but when he asked Father O'Rourke, the priest said that years ago the convent confessor wasn't allowed to live on the property with the nuns; the old rectory was placed off grounds and had a little path leading from it to the convent. The gate was apparently for the priest's use only.
All that remained of the old rectory was the foundation and a shed that held nothing much more than a family of possums and some rusty tools too worn and brittle to be used.
Pulling the buck beside an old walnut tree that the Mother Superior had designated specifically for dressing their kills, the Lieutenant began to unwrap the buck, nodding his thanks to Michonne who looked eager to leave his side for some reason.
She nodded back and moved off.
Stringing up the buck, the Cajun eyed the creature for a moment.
"No, turkey, huh?" The wee boo chirped from his side.
The Lieutenant peered down, finding Annie and the dog and Beth and Judith standing there, he grinned at them. "Well, we need more than just a turkey for tonight." He explained. "Besides, venison is delicious."
Climbing him like a tree, the Little Missy draped over his shoulder and poked at the buck with a tiny finger. "You should make his skin into a rug for Mother Mena's room, the floor is always so damned cold." She griped, running her finger over the smooth hide.
Ignoring her language with a small grin, the Cajun moved on swiftly. "Well, she's not supposed to have luxuries like rugs, boo, that's the whole point of a vow of poverty." He explained. "Beth you ever dress a deer?"
The young woman shook her head. "I saw Daryl do it once, but I've never done it."
"How about a lesson?" He asked. "I learned from a man in my unit before we parted ways, he showed me some neat tricks."
The young woman beamed. "I'll go and give Judith to Sister Mary Claire and be right back."
As Beth hurried off, excited to be learning something helpful, the Cajun gripped Annie playfully and dragged her off his back, dangling her off the ground by her ankles.
The little one giggled loudly, her dark hair brushing the ground. "Hey!"
Easing her onto the ground gently, the Lieutenant laughed as she scrambled to her feet, her face split ear to ear with a broad grin.
Flopping onto the grass, he allowed her to clamber onto his lap, the dog trying to fit on as well. Wrapping his arms around her, the Cajun rest his chin on the top of her head and eyed his kill.
"Not bad, though, yeah?"
"Yeah, he's pretty big. I bet he's the biggest deer in the entire state!" She declared, wrapping her arms around his neck and smacking a kiss to his chin.
Scratching the dog behind the ear, the Cajun beamed. "Why stop there, I bet he's biggest in the country."
Annie giggled harder. "Biggest in the world!"
"Oh, definitely." He murmured into her hair. Lately he had found much time to spend with her, but he was grateful she didn't seem to mind much. The little one seemed too smart for her own good some days and he was glad she had the brains to know he had things that needed taking care of first. But sitting on the grass, waiting for Beth to get back, he enjoyed just sitting around with her like he used to.
"Lieutenant?" The wee one chirped.
"Hm?"
"Do you know how babies are made?" She asked suddenly.
"No."
The girl faltered, before glowering up at him. "Everyone does."
He shrugged. "I'm not everyone."
Waving his ear closer, she cupped her hand and giggled wickedly. "Mouth kissing."
Laughing the Cajun pulled back from the girl. "Really?!"
"Um-hm! It's true!"
"How do you know everyone knows about this?"
"Because…because Jeffrey Collins said so."
"Who?"
"My friend. He lives in Savannah."
"Ah, well, he's probably an expert then."
"Yeah, he's older and knows everything!"
Saddened by the thought that the poor boy was probably no longer living as they knew it, the Cajun sighed and tugged at Annie's hair playfully. "Why don't you go and find Mother Mena? I'm sure she could use a hug, okay?"
Annie nodded. "Okay. Can we play tag later?"
"I'll pencil you in, Little Missy."
The girl beamed and raced off, the dog at her heels.
..-~-..
..-~-..
Smirking proudly as Carol and Sister Mary Agnes bustled around the kitchen later that night preparing the venison, the Lieutenant leaned against a counter and soaked in the moment. He had caught deer before, but none as big as that buck.
It was so big the women had to divide it up and cook it in three different ways. They were roasting it in the oven, frying it on the top of the wood stove and Mother Mena and Sister Mary Claire had taken parts out to the campfire to braise it over the open flame.
Sure, he had a good reason to be smug, he had never provided so much food to so many people before and it gave him a little bit of a God complex.
Rick and his group still weren't back, but they had said it could be a day or two, depending on how many walkers were lingering around the outside of the prison. He wasn't worried, they knew what they were doing and he had enough back up that they could take shifts on the gates and wall without anyone missing much sleep.
"Oh, that man could drive a good woman to sin," the Cajun hopped onto a nearby countertop as Sasha and Beth entered the kitchen through the backdoor.
"Lieutenant," they greeted on their way past, both women unable to maintain eye contact with him.
"Ladies," he returned.
Speaking of sinning, he hopped down just as quickly as he settled, heading for the rag bin that the sisters tucked into a corner cabinet. Reminded of an earlier plot he had in mind.
Pulling the bin out with a covert glance behind him, he snatched the red scrap of material off the top of it and jammed it into his pocket, returning to the counter to perch on it in time to beam widely at Mother Mena who stepped in from the night as well, plate of cooked meat in hand.
She looked him up and down quickly, setting the plate on the counter at his side.
"Don't sit on the countertop, Lafayette." She ordered.
Slipping down he apologized quickly.
She continued to study him, picking up a plate of uncooked venison to return to the campfire with. "Is there something you could be doing instead of lingering like the scent of lilacs?" She demanded.
"I'll make a few rounds right now." He stated, heading for the hall that lead through the dorms towards the front door.
"Good, ah, honey, use the backdoor." She called after him.
He spun around at the table. "I'm going to sweep the dorms first, make sure nothing's lurking."
Mother Mena eyed him for a moment with that hard edge look of hers, before quirking a brow and going about her own business.
Hooking a hand around Carl's upper arm as he moved past the boy in the shadows of the kitchen, he dragged him along with him into the hall.
"What's up?" Carl demanded, pulling his arm out of the Cajun's grip.
"I need you to pull lookout for me, can you do that?"
"Sure. Why?"
Stopping halfway down the hall, the Lieutenant looked about. "Just keep watch alright, you hear or see anybody give me a head's up."
The young man looked at him doubtfully. "Why?"
Carefully pushing open the Mother Superior's door, the soldier smirked. "Because I'm teaching a good woman not to lie to a wicked Cajun."
"Lieutenant?"
Pulling out the lingerie the Cajun folded it nicely and placed it under the nuns pillow.
"What?"
"I think you should teach Annie how to use a weapon of some sort."
"Naw, she's too young."
"She should learn."
Pulling out a scrap of paper and a pen from his pocket the soldier bowed his head to it in the near dark.
"She'll learn when she's more mature. I know you're worried about preparing her for the worst, but she still thinks babies come from mouth kissing."
"I just think she should have something on her at all times."
Glancing over his shoulder, the Cajun smiled at the young man in the dark. "At her age she's more likely to do more damage to herself with a weapon then an uggie ever could."
"Just think about, okay? For me?"
Scribbling a teasing note on the paper, Lafayette laid the makeshift card on top of the red lacy thing on the nun's cot and turned to face Carl.
"I will. I'll figure something out. I'm not completely dense that I think she doesn't need one, I'm just worried about her maturity carrying one around."
The two wandered back down the hall, heading for the kitchen again.
"Thanks for taking my suggestion seriously," Carl said.
"Thanks for watching my back and…keep this between us, yeah?"
Carl nodded.
"Good man."
Before the hit the kitchen, the Lieutenant pulled Carl to a stop.
"Can I ask you something?"
Carl nodded. "Sure."
"You knew Carol's little girl, yeah?"
The boy nodded, brow furrowing.
"What was she like? As far as little girl's go?"
"Hm, well, she was nice. Always listened to her mom, quiet around the adults, never spoke much. She was good." He avoided the Cajun's eyes by taking in their surroundings cautiously. "I miss her, sometimes. Like, she knew what it was like. We told each other things that the adults didn't want to hear or didn't have time to hear. But..." he trailed off, "I miss a lot of people these days."
Hearing about the boy's mom through the convent grapevine and what he had to do, the soldier nodded. "Me too. But you know, we have all of us here and now, in this time and place. That's why we need to live in this moment and not the past."
"It still doesn't make it easier," Carl said.
"Nothing ever will, but at least us stronger ones can make things better for those around us, yeah?"
Carl gave him a barely-there, ghost of a smile. "Yeah."
"It's why we have to torment nuns while we can." The Lieutenant added.
This finally pulled a smile from the boy.
"She's going to be so mad." He laughed.
"Why are you doing it, then?"
The Lieutenant sighed. "Because if she's mad at me, then she's not thinking about what happened with Sister Gertrude and Sister Mary Monica. It's a temporary solution to something that requires more help than I can give at the moment. But I'll figure something out eventually and then I'll stop pissing her off."
"And then what?" Carl asked.
"And then...I don't know...take a wife and settle down. Live to be about one hundred and three and become the best uggie killer this side of the Pecos."
"At least you're setting realistic goals." The boy replied softly.
The Cajun Dialect
Embêter – To aggravate; to irritate. Or to trick.
Cho-co! – Cajun equivalent of 'wow'.