The More They Remain the Same
Carol helped put the last box in the truck. The Suburban was packed and they had everything ready to go. The plan had been that they would finish up here today and go to the mountains tomorrow. Morgan and Daryl had taken a load up this morning and they were coming back today so that they could leave tomorrow morning. Alia had looked at their tree this morning said, "I want to go now. We could take our presents and put them in the car and just go now. I want to go see Emily's horses and Grandma Lydia's chickens. This is where we used to live."
Michonne had picked Alia and up and hugged her, "Alia, you are the smartest little girl in the world".
"Aunt Michonne, do you want to go too?" Alia grinned at her and Michonne realized how much she loved this child.
Carol had looked at them, "Let's go. Let's finish the packing and move up today. We can be there in a couple of hours. We need to wait for Daryl and Morgan but they'll be back early enough to get there before too late". Carol was feeling impulsive and like Alia this house had begun to be the place they used to live.
Rosita, Tara, and Eugene were packed and ready. They moved their bags and the already loaded boxes into the truck and Suburban. The day had been dull and now there was excitement in the little group that remained. They were ready to get on with their lives in a new home. Everyone was waiting until Daryl and Morgan came back to leave.
Carol was feeling restless and wanted to leave now. She didn't feel safe here now. Michonne had caught her jumpiness and they decided to take the children for a walk. Alia and Judith both needed some fresh air before they took a long drive. Carol dressed both children in their heavy coats and grabbed Judith's diaper bag as they went out. Most of Judith's things were sent up this morning but she had put several bottles, extra clothes, and lots of diapers in the bag. She had a bag for Alia too. She was going to put them in the Suburban for the trip. Little ones needed distraction on long trips.
Michonne carried Judith and Carol took Alia's hand and went outside to a cold clear day. Tara and Rosita were on watch and Eugene had the vehicles turned around and headed out. He said, "The vehicles have been fueled and the keys are in the ignition. I am so ready to go".
Rosita and Tara left the watch tower and they all talked for a few minutes. Carol decided to put the bags in the car when she saw walkers coming around the corner of the houses. Carol pointed to the walkers who were moving toward them and said quietly, "We had better go now." Carol opened the gate while Tara, Rosita, and Eugene got in the truck. Eugene said, "The keys are in the Suburban". Michonne handed Judith to Carol and said, "Wait here and I'll get the car".
Michonne ran toward the Suburban and Eugene drove the big truck through the gate. Carol moved the children to the other side of the gate and watched as Michonne fought her way to the car but there were too many walkers and the ninja had to retreat to the gate. Carol closed the gate but the yard was filling with walkers. They couldn't get to the Suburban and they needed to get somewhere safer. Carol said, "Let's go to the rock". She handed Judith to Michonne and grabbed the bags and picked up Alia. The two women went as fast as they could up the hill. They were both carrying a pistol, a knife, and their swords and they were encumbered with bags and children. The truck was out of sight by now.
Carol saw the walkers push against the gate and knew that it wouldn't take long for a herd that size to push it open. She shut her mind to anything but moving up the hill as fast as she could. Michonne was behind her a couple of steps. "Not all of them are behind us, but there are enough so that we can't fight them without putting down the children", Michonne gasped out.
Michonne was amazed at the pace that Carol set. She did have longer legs than Michonne and she was using the longer stride to eat up the distance to Indian Rock. The walkers were falling behind but they were still on their trail. At last they made the turn to the meadow and the big rock came into view. The walkers were lurching and moaning behind them and the two women gave the last one hundred yards all they had.
The flat top of Indian Rock was twelve feet off the ground and there was only one place that was accessible. You had a series of step like rocks that brought you up about eight feet and the last four had to be climbed holding onto the rock. Carol had only been here with Daryl and the children and he had helped them to climb the last part.
She carried Alia up the steps and threw the bags up onto the rock. She helped Alia to climb the last steps and sat her on the flat top. "Wait here".
Michonne had started up the final push and Carol sat down on the rock and reached down to Judith. Michonne was holding her up and Carol locked on to her and pulled her up and then rolled out of the way so Michonne could climb up.
Both women lay on the backs for a second and looked at the blue sky above and tried to breathe. Michonne was the first to recover enough to get her katana and stand up. The walkers were trying to climb the rock but they couldn't navigate the slippery rock steps.
Alia had been quiet on the trip but she was crying now and Carol picked her up and soothed her, "I want Daddy. I want Daddy," Alia kept wailing and Carol could only agree. She wished Daryl was here but he wasn't and she and Michonne were going to have to deal with this.
Michonne had picked up Judith who seemed remarkably unperturbed by being carried up a hill while snarling zombies followed her. Carol stood beside Michonne with Alia and was embarrassed at the trembling of her body until she realized that Michonne was shaking as bad as she was. She was still Michonne though, and the insouciant warrior had something to say, tat
Carol laughed, "Let's see, we are surrounded by walkers who think we are their entrée for the evening. Snafu for sure. I say we take turns going down closer to them and killing them until we get them all. You got anything else, Tonto?"
Michonne grinned at her, "I'll take the first round," She handed Judith to Carol and began to slowly make her way down the rock to the little ledge at the end of the steps. Carol moved back so that the children couldn't see Michonne start to clear the walkers.
Carol called down, "Talk to me, Tonto". She could hear Michonne grunt a bit as she swung her katana at the monsters who scratched and clawed at the rocks in a desperate attempt to reach her.
"The rock ledge isn't very wide and I don't want to overextend myself. This is really pissing me off. It's Christmas Eve and I planned to drink wassail on the mountain this evening. I had a new sweater I was going to wear too." She punctuated her sentences with grunts as she swung her katana. "So what are you giving the Archer for Christmas? From the sounds of things from your room last night he got his present early, but did you have anything wrapped up, Kemosabe?"
"It sounds like you are getting a little tired, pull up out of there and rest a while. I mean it, Tonto. We have plenty of daylight left. I am giving Daryl a set of hunting knives and thermal underwear. Come on up now, Tonto". Carol was relieved to see Michonne pull herself up and over to the flat rock.
"Kemosabe, that shit is real down there. Don't be a damn hero. Just let them come to you and step back when too many are crowding around. We can drink wassail and sing Christmas carols by the fire tonight." Michonne had crawled over to the little space in the middle of the rock where Carol had camped out with the kids.
Carol took out her sword and nodded, "I know my limitations and I am a natural coward. I'll be careful." She kissed Alia's cheek, "Mommy will be back in a few minutes. Be good for Aunt Michonne." Carol kissed Judith and crawled over to the edge of the rock and looked over, "Same shit, different day." She smiled at them and began to edge her way down the rock. Carol took the time to assess their situation. There were a few stragglers coming in but it appeared as if Michonne had taken the bulk of the horde down. Her sword was shorter so she needed to be a little closer.
Michonne called out, "How are you doing down there?" She knew she could kill them all but Carol was determined to do her part. Michonne needed to rest, swinging the katana into dead flesh took a lot of energy.
Carol had positioned herself so that her weight was back against the rock and she used her sword to stab at the walker's eyes. She had to quickly wrench it back to ensure that they she didn't get pulled down. She took down a couple of walkers before she answered, "We are getting some coming up closer because they are standing on the dead. So I can stand on the ledge. Got a few stragglers but not a herd, so it's all good." Carol paced herself and found that her system was working. She didn't have Michonne upper body strength so her stabs had to be on target. She was gratified by her success but kept her pace slow.
"Kemosabe, leave some of those for me. I am ready to go back down and work out my frustrations on those walkers. Do you think I could get that Suburban up the hill to this rock?" Michonne was trying to figure a way to get out of this mess.
Carol's silver head came into view, "Well, let's see. We have to get down the hill and into the yard and then drive the vehicle up that almost overgrown path. Sounds like a plan."
Michonne made a face at her, "I have to get down the hill. One of us will have to stay with the girls. They could fall off the rock if one of us wasn't here. Besides I am a better driver than you. This ain't no grandma going to the grocery drive. This is a job for Tonto."
Carol argued, "You drive fast and not necessarily well. I am the stealth fighter. I can cover myself with walker guts, walk down and get the Suburban as well as you can."
Michonne said, "Let's take care of the walkers around this rock and then we'll decide who is going to do this." She walked over to the edge and squatted down, "Ready or not, here I come". Michonne could tell that Carol had been a busy girl. There were only a few left and she dispatched them readily. She went down and put a stab through every head. She gutted a particularly nasty walker and covered herself with guts and gore. She puked and Carol heard her.
"Tonto, what are you doing?" Carol suddenly sniffed something more disgusting than what she had previously smelled. She handed both girls a cookie and told Alia to stay put. Carol walked over to the edge to see Michonne down on the ground rubbing herself with walker guts.
"Stay here, Carol and I'll get this done. Just be ready to move when I get back." Michonne waved to her and her dazzling smile peeked out. "See you later, Kemosabe".
Carol watched her scamper across the meadow taking out a straggler walker. She sighed a bit and walked back to the girls. She put everything back in the bags and moved the girls a little closer to the edge where she could watch for Michonne to come back. Carol prayed for her friend and waited.
Michonne felt the adrenaline in her system as she moved swiftly down the hill. She killed a couple of walkers and moved them out of the road. She found more walkers as she got closer to the house but they weren't paying much attention to her. She was one of them and she moved steadily down to the house and opened the gate. Michonne kept her head down and moved at the pace of the walkers. Finally, she reached the Suburban and cautiously opened the door. She slid in and shut the door quietly and then sat for a minute. The smell inside the vehicle was so bad that she almost puked again. She pushed the driver's seat back and pulled her clothes off. Carol always had handy wipes between the seats and Michonne wiped off the guts from her body and her boots. She laughed at the sight of herself in underwear and boots. She took a look around at the wandering walkers in the yard and said to herself, "No guts, no glory". Michonne started the vehicle and put it in reverse gently taking down the walkers behind her. She put the vehicle in drive and drove carefully through the gate and then opened the door long enough to shove out the stinky clothes and started up the hill.
Carol had talked to Alia about being quiet and waiting for Michonne. Alia said, "It's alright if we have to stay here. Daddy will find us and tonight is a full moon and the animals might come out."
Carol had to smile at Alia, "Let's try to find Daddy on the road going up the mountain". She took a wipe and cleaned the cookies off her face and then cleaned Judith's face. Carol put everything in the bags. She grabbed a diaper and found a marker in Alia's bag. Carol wrote, "Gone to mountain" on the diaper with the marker and found some tape that they used to keep the diapers in place. She would put it somewhere Morgan and Daryl might find it. She looked at it again and added a large J, A, C, M on it. Alia was smiling at her work and Judith looked like she was ready to take a nap.
Carol could hear the big vehicle powering up the hill. She put everything back in the bags and prepared herself to keep these two girls safe. Michonne drove out onto the meadow and Carol dropped the bags down to the ground. Michonne drove as close to the rock as she could get and jumped out. Carol laughed when she saw that Michonne was wearing a bra and panties and her boots. Michonne leapt up the rock and Carol handed Judith down to her and Michonne ran back to the vehicle and put Judith in her car seat. Carol moved down the rock and Alia followed her. Carol got down to the ledge and Alia fell into her arms. Carol carried her down the step part and Michonne was there to grab Alia and put her car seat while Carol grabbed the bags. Carol got in the Suburban and eyed Michonne, "Did you stop for a quickie with a walker, Tonto?"
Michonne growled, "The Eau de Walker was a little strong in a closed car, shut the hell up, Kemosabe". Michonne drove more slowly down the hill toward the house but they were still attracting the attention of walkers. She maneuvered around the walkers in front of the house and soon they were going down the rutted road.
"Stop, I have to put a sign up", Carol said, and she taped her homemade sign to a large boulder at the entrance to the road that went up their hill.
They stopped a few miles further out to let Michonne get some clothes out of her bag in the back. Carol was on watch outside as Michonne found some pants and Morgan's favorite sweatshirt to put on. Carol thought that Michonne wearing Morgan's sweatshirt was her security blanket but she had the good sense not to mention that to Michonne.
The two children went to sleep as they hit the highway that led to the mountains. Michonne had taken a look at the clock on the dash and calculated the speed that she needed to travel to get there before dark. Carol winced a little at the speed in which they were traveling but knew they needed to get there before it became completely dark. These were the shortest days of the year and they didn't have much time.
"Eugene would have to drive more slowly in the truck but he'll tell them that we got trapped in there. Morgan and Daryl may think the worst." Carol was keeping her eyes on the eastbound lanes hoping to see the truck that they were driving heading down the mountain.
Michonne was watching the other side too. They were making good time and the miles were flying by at this speed and they were the only vehicle on the road. They would get up the mountain before it was fully dark and tonight there would be a full moon.
Michonne turned up the road to the new home before dark. They hadn't met Daryl and Morgan but they were home. She had forgotten how curvy and narrow the road was but she slowed down and drove more carefully. She took a deep breath. They were alive and they were home.
Michonne parked in front of the biggest house and got out and undid Judith from her car seat. Rick and Carl were there to take her and hold her close. Eugene had gotten here an hour or so ago and given them the bad news.
Everyone rushed out to greet them. Rick said, "Morgan and Daryl left here in time to go home. They thought that they were staying there tonight so they weren't in too much of a hurry."
Carol was exhausted and worried, but some part of her knew that Daryl and Morgan could handle almost anything. They all went into the house and talked before the fire. Eugene hugged her, "I am sorry that we didn't go back for you. I saw you and the girls at the gate and I thought that you were lost."
Carol saw true remorse in his face. Eugene was getting better at defending himself and he was trying. "I had my faithful companion Tonto so I was fine".
Eugene smiled at her Lone Ranger reference and shocked Michonne by giving her a heartfelt hug. Michonne gave him a halfhearted hug, "Good to see you too, Eugene". He brought them both some hot coffee and Carol and Michonne sat together drinking the hot beverage and tried to decide what to do.
Alia sat beside Carol looking tired and little overwhelmed. Carol said, "We were supposed to be at Grandma Lydia's tomorrow, but I don't want to go in after dark." She needed to feed Alia and put her to bed. Carol had fed Judith on the way up the mountain and Alia had eaten a sandwich, but she might be hungry.
Carl had sat down beside of Michonne with his own cup of coffee and she teased, "Have you met the fair Arya yet?" Carl blushed and went speechless and Michonne said, "Looks like you have".
Arya saw their Christmas tree and left Carol's side to check it out. Michael showed her how the lights worked and the two youngsters sat together looking at their Christmas tree.
Abraham was standing at the windows that faced the road, "Hey, there are lights coming up the mountain,"
Carol moved to the window and saw that the lights were on a truck that was headed in their direction. She noticed that Rick and Glenn checked their weapons but she knew it was Daryl and Morgan and they pulled up behind the Suburban.
Carol didn't even try to be nonchalant and casual. She opened the door and stepped out on the deck of the house just in time to be caught in Daryl's arms. "You scared the shit out of me, Carol." She burrowed her face into his shoulder and he held her tight. Alia said, "Daddy, there is a full moon". Daryl released Carol long enough to pick up Alia and they moved together to the end of the deck to look at the rising moon and to reunite in private.
Michonne the cool warrior goddess that she was handled it much better. She walked toward Morgan and casually hugged him and then burst into tears. Morgan rubbed her back and said, "That's my sweatshirt". She smiled at him and said, "Not anymore".
Morgan and Daryl had stopped at Grandma Lydia's house on the way in and she was waiting for them at her house. She had a big pot of vegetable soup with thick cheese sandwiches ready.
Alia was quiet on the way over to Grandma Lydia's house but she finally said, "What if she doesn't like me?" Carol reassured her that Grandma Lydia would like her.
Grandma Lydia hugged and kissed all of them when they got there. She had supper ready but insisted that Michonne take a bath before they ate. Michonne slunk off to the bathroom with some clothes and returned smelling better.
They told the story of their adventures as they ate. Alia ate some soup, and Carol let her lie down on the couch while they talked. Daryl and Morgan had decided to go pick up some more toys for the neighborhood children. They had driven back to the house and met some walkers on the road and that had scared them so much that they hadn't seen the sign. They had made it up the hill and saw that they house was deserted, but Morgan had recognized Michonne's clothes on the road covered with guts. They drove up the hill to Indian Rock and saw a pile of dead walkers.
Daryl was driving and he saw the sign on the boulder when he got to the bottom of the hill. He jumped out and got it and Morgan calmed down when he saw the "M" on the sign. Daryl laughed, "We made record time coming up that mountain".
Lydia had made wassail out of cider and spices and they drank it by the fire. Carol and Michonne exchanged smiles. They had made it home for Christmas.
AN
Most of you have probably never watched "The Lone Ranger" on television. Tonto was the Lone Ranger's faithful Indian companion and Tonto called him Kemosabe.
I was going to stretch this story out but decided to put everybody back together for Christmas. I like Michonne and Carol as friends and since women on TWD never seem to have much to say to one another I like to have them interact more.