There is a bit of a time jump here, but the story is going to start in early March. It would still be cold in the mountains but spring is on the way.

Signs of Spring

Daryl and Morgan took off their muddy shoes and left them by the front door and in unison they said, "Honey, I'm home", and they stopped and looked at Michonne, Carol, and Eugene with their heads bent over the blueprints to the new addition. Michonne had been taken off of runs as her pregnancy advanced and she had begun to obsess over the new addition. She and Eugene came up with a different design about every two days.

Carol looked up and smiled at him. Michonne called Morgan over to look at yet another scheme to redo their house. Daryl took a moment to check Carol out. She had gained a few pounds since she had come to the mountains and they all landed on erogenous zones. Her hair was a little longer but she seemed to like it short and he didn't care. She looked prettier every time he looked at her. She looked a little tired today though and he knew why. He had woken up last night to find her gone and he found her in the living room staring out the window at the distant mountains barely visible in the moonlight. "What are you doing up in the middle of the night?" He had put his arms around her and she had leaned back against him but her eyes stayed focused on some faraway place. Carol had only scattered glimpses of the sight since Grandma Lydia's passing. Daryl had felt a chill come up his spine and he knew that she had a glimpse of something that had driven her from their bed to contemplate all alone.

She had refused to talk about it last night, but Daryl had coaxed her back to bed. Carol had agreed and they had gone back to their bedroom. She had slid into bed and had lain on her back staring at the ceiling until she had suddenly launched herself at him. Avoidance sex happened. Carol needed distracting and he had been more than willing to distract her. Afterward, she had nestled close to him and went quietly to sleep. He and Morgan had left early on a run and there had been no time to talk.

Daryl walked over to Carol and kissed the top of her head, "Where are the dumplings?"

Carol put her hand through his and squeezed, "They areat Emily's. We are going to eat dinner there tonight and bring them home. How was the run?" She met his eyes again and he knew that she was ready to share whatever it was that she had seen the night before.

Morgan answered, "It went well. Glenn and Elijah had perfected the wood gas generators on the trucks. Gasoline is getting harder to get all the time but there is plenty of wood". Morgan put his arms around Michonne, "Can we please just pick out a plan. Sometime before the baby gets here?"

Eugene laughed, "It would be easier to build a new house, but Ebony and Ivory don't see it that way. What happens if I find Mrs. Eugene? Will we build another addition on?"

Daryl looked at Eugene. He was such a strange agent that he couldn't imagine who would ever agree to being Mrs. Eugene without being coerced or drugged. "You find Mrs. Eugene and we'll build another addition on or build you your own Taj Eugene."

Eugene said, "Michonne said that every pot has a lid. She'll show up sometime. Did you find any survivors on the run?" Eugene was in no hurry to leave this house but he sometimes wished he had a wife like Carol or Michonne. Well, more like Carol because he was still a little afraid of Michonne.

Daryl shook his head, "Not this time, but we found a shitload of solar panels at that house site. And we got another saw mill. Good run. Gotta take a shower." Daryl went off to the bedroom hoping Carol would follow but she stayed out in the living room with the others.

They all walked to Emily's house. It was fairly warm outside and the longer days had everyone thinking about spring. They met Jesse and Temperance carrying the twins and they could hear the sound of children playing before they saw the house. Brian, John, and Greg had built a playground for Candace and Melody and all the children were out in the yard. John and Greg were watching over them and Daryl couldn't help but remember how the high pitched laughter of children seemed to bring the walkers out of hiding. He saw Carol and Michonne check on their swords. Morgan and Eugene both put their hands on their knives and he had touched his crossbow.

Dinner was fun but Daryl didn't miss that Carol disappeared for a bit with Jesse and Emily. It was still light enough to see their way and they walked home. Eugene carried Matthias and Alia held Carol's hand. Daryl liked to keep his hands free in case of trouble. There weren't many walkers around her but Daryl was always wary when they were outside the fences. Soon, they were going through the fences that protected the house and the barns at the Homestead.

Carol and Daryl bathed their children and put them to bed. Then, they went back to the living room where Morgan, Michonne, and Eugene were waiting at the dining room table. That meant serious business was to be discussed. Carol sat down and waited until Daryl was seated beside her. He took her hand and she gave him a grateful look.

"Last night I saw the General again. I have had random sightings of him but I never could pinpoint where he was. I never had a clear view of his surroundings. Last night I saw him riding down a street in an open car. It wasn't dark and I recognized the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist and other places in Savannah. My art teacher took a group of advanced art students to Savannah when I was in high school. I loved that trip and I loved Savannah. He was definitely in Savannah.

His driver stopped at an old house and he was got out with three men, bodyguards I would say. They went into this house and met with some other men in uniform. They kept looking at maps and talking. The army stayed in Savannah during the winter but they are getting ready for the spring campaigns. They have blocked off the historic part of the city for their use. Interstate 95 is the way they go in and out of the town. They are going to South Carolina in a few weeks and from there they will move into North Carolina staying away from the cities. They are going to look for survivors. They want the white survivors to settle on the large farms or to work in factories. They will be killed if they resist. All people of color will become slaves either on plantations or factories. They want to repopulate areas in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina." Her voice was matter of fact. She could have been discussing the weather but Daryl could feel the tremor in her hand.

Morgan asked, "How many soldiers do they have?" He had been an army ranger and he knew how important it was to know the facts about your enemy.

Carol shook her head, "I don't know, but I think there is about four or five hundred soldiers that are the elite fighters. They swoop in with their flags and uniforms and promise to take the survivors to a "safe zone". Once they are in custody they separate the survivors by color. The whites go one place and the people of color go another. Their army is growing with ever survivor group they find because they force some of the survivors to become soldiers."

"What happens to the people of color?" Michonne could feel Carol's hesitancy to talk about that.

"They are processed, the old and weak are put down. The healthy and young are taken to work site, either on farms or in work crews. Any sign of rebellion and they are put down." Carol's voice was strained. "They may wear the uniform of American soldiers but they are Nazis at heart."

"South Carolina is a long way from here. We could move everyone further west. It might be a long time before they venture into the mountains." Eugene was trying to think of a way to escape the army without having to actually go into combat.

"The longer we wait to engage them the stronger they will be. This force is like a snake. Cut off its head and it will die. We have to intercept them before they get to the mountains." Carol looked resolute and decisive. She had cast off the guilt and remorse from what happened with Karen and David and was thinking like a warrior. She and Morgan exchanged looks and Daryl remembered that the two of them had attacked Terminus with a few Molotov cocktails and a few rifles.

Daryl wanted to slow this train down but it was leaving the station and he had better run to catch it. "Do you know where they going in South Carolina?"

Carol shook her head. "They are going to be heading north on I-95. They have used their soldiers to clear the vehicles and gather all the fuel they can find. They will bring most of their army with them. They have an area in South Carolina that they want to settle. I think they have a place in mind to settle in North Carolina. We need to find them before they get started this summer. We need to be in South Carolina before they get there."

Daryl had the sinking feeling that Carol intended to be part of the "we". He wanted her to stay on this mountain. She had been working out with Michonne every day with her sword, and had become proficient with a long bow. She was an excellent marksman with a rifle and pistol, but she was no match for an army. He decided to try to slow her down anyway, "Sweetheart, you are needed here. Alia and Matthias need you."

"Emily and Brian will watch them until we get back. We are going to have to use shortwave radio to communicate. My guess is that our best chance to intercept is somewhere on I-95 before it reaches Columbia, South Carolina." Carol took out a highway map of South Carolina and traced I-95 from Savannah to Columbia.

Eugene had been pacing the floor, "I'll have Elijah and Glenn to set up the shortwave radio. I can handle that. When do we leave?"

Carol nodded at him, "In a couple of days, are you certain that you want to do this?"

Eugene rolled his eyes at the group, "No, I want to stay home and be perfectly safe. I am no hero for sure, but this isn't about me. It's about a sweet girl named Alia, a good man named Morgan, and a hormonal pregnant woman who I both love and fear named Michonne. Mankind is capable of extraordinary feats of science and technology but is also prone to fits of idiocy and racism. I love all of you, and I can't live with myself if I don't do everything I can to stop this."

Michonne hugged him, "You can be our Spock. Every expedition needs a smart guy to give logical advice that we will continue to ignore".

Morgan had been looking at the map. "We need to spread the word as we travel that survivors can't trust the army. Americans trust their military and they are going to think that help is finally here when those vehicles roll by. They probably used loudspeakers to broadcast too. Survivors will be desperate after another winter. They'll jump at a chance to go to a safe zone. " He was remembering Terminus and how the survivors of the prison had just walked in or been easily captured."

They talked for hours hammering out details. Finally they decided to go to bed and work on their plan tomorrow morning. Eugene hugged everyone goodnight before he went upstairs. "Shit, I am going to war with Eugene by my side," Michonne said glumly. "He can barely use a rifle and if he is captured they'll pay us to take him back."

Morgan hugged Carol, "See you tomorrow, Silver Fox. I guess we'll have to take the old ball and chains this time". He patted Daryl on the back, "Don't think we will get much out of this guy though."

Carol hugged him back, "I think the Archer and the Samurai will come in handy, Black Knight. I don't think we can do this without them." Carol hugged Michonne. "Spock will come in handy too".

Carol went into the children's room and sat on the rocker for a while. Daryl had come in and checked on them and then went back out. He went to their bathroom and brushed his teeth just as if it was an ordinary night. Carol came in as he was getting in bed and he waited until she came to bed to turn the light off. She was wearing a sleep shirt and Daryl asked, "Take off your shirt, please". Carol shrugged it off without saying a word and got into bed. Daryl drew her closer to him and ran his fingers down her side and continued to use his hands to touch her knees, ankles, and all over her body. He was tracing her and she finally understood. Daryl was terrified that he would lose her and he was trying to "remember" her. He wanted to feel every inch of her so that he would have a complete memory of her if she didn't survive this. Carol knew that Daryl wanted her to stay here but he wasn't fighting her. He had shown her he loved her in all sorts of ways since they had married but accepting that she was going to put herself in danger shown more love than anything else he could ever do.

Carol began to trace him too. She was terrified that he would die out there. She was afraid that he wouldn't be here to watch over Alia and Matthias. She was afraid that she would have to face life without him by her side. That they would have so little time together before it was taken away. She loved him and she tried to express that as she touched him. This wasn't about sex. This was about remembering to just love somebody.

Later Carol told him that the vision had frightened her so much that she didn't want to deal with it. John and Greg had come over that afternoon with an invitation to dinner and she had known that Emily had seen something. Carol, Emily, and Jesse had joined hands and revisited the vision that they had shared. Emily was going with them and Jesse too. Brian and his sister Temperance were staying to take care of the children. John, Greg, and Arya were going, but Bree was staying.

"We need Rick and Abraham and honestly we need Elijah. He is so good with machinery. I don't like to take too many from here and leave this place vulnerable." Daryl was thinking out loud.

"I worry about taking Morgan and Michonne, but we can't do it without them. I don't want to recruit anyone. Just tell them what we are going to do and let them make that decision. Eugene made the decision to go on his own. He has this weird creative mind when it comes to making instruments of destruction. We might as well use it for a good cause." Carol smiled and added, "I feel so much better about this after I talked with Emily and Jesse. It isn't something I dreamed up because they had the same vision but maybe not as clear as I did."

"We take one day just for us and the children. Just spend the day together. How about that?"

Carol nodded, "That sounds good. Let's go to one of those cabins that they found to hide the children in. We'll stay one night and the next day and come home before dark."

TWDTWDTWD

The next day Daryl and Morgan visited each house on the Homestead to talk about the vision. They didn't ask for volunteers but that afternoon the recruits began to show up. Rick, Carl, and Abraham. Rachel and Sarah were staying to tend to the children.

Elijah, Beth, and Tara from the "Green House" volunteered. The romance between Rosita and Tara had been short lived and Rosita was living in another house. Maggie was pregnant and Glenn were staying.

Eugene had smirked at Tara when she came to the house, "I knew you would do almost anything to spend time with me, but this might be going too far."

Tara had thrown him her best pissed off look, "Eugene, shut the hell up. I wouldn't be with you if you were the last woman on earth". She added, "You would be one ugly woman though".

Eugene shook his head, "Is that anyway to talk to a brother in arms? Let us make a deal. I save your ass and you have to put out one time. You save mine and I'll never hit on you again." He held out his hand and Tara shook it. She figured she would have to rescue him from a walker before they got out of the mountains.

Bob and Sasha signed up and Tyreese and Rosita were staying. Everybody knew that Rosita and Tyreese were together now, but considering that she had been with Abe and Tara no one was taking it too seriously.

The surprise was the number of volunteers from the rest of the mountain. Most were coming back to put their crops in when spring came to the mountains and a few were in for the long haul.

TWDTWD

Carol and Daryl took their children to a one room cabin where they cooked over an open flame in the fireplace and then slept on bunk beds on either side of the cabin. Daryl laughed, "Not a lot of room in this bed. I used to lie down in my bunk and wonder how you would fit there. Now I know. "

Carol smiled, "I did have some thoughts from time to time about you forgetting where your cell was and accidentally crawling into my bunk." She gave an elaborate sigh and he laughed,

Daryl glanced at the bunks on the other side of the room, "Are they asleep? 'Cause now seems like a good time to see if our fantasies could have even happened." He kissed her and traced her lips with his tongue.

"They are asleep but we have to keep quiet." She pulled down his sleep pants. "Well, it looks like you are ready to take one for the team".

Daryl said, "How about a little friendly competition? Only allowed to use your hands, first one to bring the other to an orgasm is the winner. So you're a winner either way".

Carol said, "Game on". This was going to be ridiculously easy. She pulled down his sleep pants. "Well, it looks like you are ready to take one for the team".

Daryl slid down her panties and put his fingers into her wet center, "I could smell you before I ever put my hands on you. You know that you want more than these fingers so just let yourself go and I'll give you what you want." His fingers were making her insides clench already. She put her hand on his cock and rubbed it hard. Her long thin fingers began to explore his testicles and shaft and Daryl tried to think about cleaning up squirrels. That usually worked when he was in too much of a hurry.

Carol panted, "I am so damn close and so are you. I'll cry uncle if you will".

Daryl closed his eyes and thought of squirrels, "Okay, on the count of three. I am going in."

Carol opened her legs a little more and Daryl thrust his way in. They began to move together and they managed to slow themselves down long enough to enjoy being together. They came together and Daryl collapsed to her side.

Daryl whispered, 'I could have held out a little longer".

Carol giggled into his ear, "The squirrel thing doesn't work for me and it worked out the way it was supposed to be. I love you, Daryl".

They spent the next day in the woods checking for signs of spring and enjoying being together. Winter was loosening its hold on the mountains and they knew that spring was already there in coastal Georgia. Every bud and every sprig they found confirmed what they already knew. It was time to go.

AN

General Sherman didn't destroy Savannah in the Civil War. It is a beautiful city and St. John's Cathedral is a magnificent building. I can see Carol recognizing it from a previous visit.

The next chapters will bring our heroes in harm's way.

Please review.

+… doing up in the middle of the night?"