Dear Reader,
I have absolutely no ownership of these characters. TWD has proprietorship; I am just a humble scribe wishing to write from my imagination. So if I want to change the story just a little to correct a grievous error I will and I did in this chapter. Please review; I can handle criticism as much as I prefer praise.
Home Is Where the Heart Is
Michonne was awake and ready very early the next morning. She came bursting down the stairs expecting Daryl and Carol to be ready to go. Daryl's bed on the couch was empty, and Carol's door was closed. "AL righty then", she said and thumping hard on the bedroom door, "Get up, children it's time to get up now". Michonne grabbed Canary's leash and took her for a morning walk in the first vestiges of the day. Canary wasn't in any big hurry, and investigated every part of the fenced in area so by the time Michonne got back Carol and Daryl were dressed and ready to go. Daryl's hair was particularly unruly and Carol looked sleepy but they were good to go.
Everyone's run bags had been packed the night before. Their weapons had been cleaned the night before. There was little conversation, they checked and rechecked their equipment and supplies. This was how they changed their mindset from enjoying life with their friends to concentrating on the job at hand; getting information that would lead to the execution of the Governor.
The crunch of a vehicle on the gravel road signaled the arrival of Joaquin, they all hugged Canary goodbye, picked up their stuff, and went to the awaiting suv. Carol locked the door behind her because Tyreese was still asleep upstairs. She thought about the dream she had in which the door had stood open waiting for her to enter. She gave a quick prayer that they all would get back and go through this door sometime very soon.
The vehicle was a bit of a surprise, Carol had figured it would be a Humvee but it was a medium sized suv. It looked like something a suburban mom drove the kids to soccer practice in. Joaquin got behind the wheel, Daryl and Carol got in the back, and Michonne took shotgun. The interior was different, there were bucket seats in the back and plenty of cargo room between the seats and in the back. Joaquin turned the ignition on a very quiet engine. He explained that was an electric car and that he had extra batteries stored in the back.
Joaquin drove them down the hill and soon they were waving goodbye to the two people on roadblock duty. This time it was a man and woman team. Joaquin explained that the roadblock was to check for walkers coming in along the roadways and for survivors. The town had set up a refugee area for temporary shelter but they worked with newcomers to find them shelter and jobs. There was a no work no eat policy but most refugees were positive additions to the community.
Carol and Daryl were soon asleep, and Joaquin looked back through the rear view mirror and gave Michonne a quizzical look. "Probably too nervous to sleep last night", she said, laughing to herself and thinking that she was going to get the story from Carol sometime today. "Did he ever remember where your friends are?" Joaquin asked. "I don't think so, but he seems to be back to his old self today," she replied remembering Daryl's hair standing on end this morning.
Michonne and Joaquin talked the morning away; she found out that he had been part of the Army Corps of Engineers and not a fighter at all when this had started. She told him about her work as a prosecutor and how she had become interested in martial arts. He was an interesting man and the time and the vehicle moved quickly.
Daryl woke up and but pretended to be asleep. He wanted to think about what had happened last night and try to piece his emerging memories together. He had always been attracted to Carol and they became close friends at the farm, but he would not allow it to go past friendship. He was damaged goods growing up with an abusive father whose malevolent shadow he could not seem to escape. He was afraid that he might hurt her as his father had hurt his mother, Merle, and him. They had continued to be close after they were at the prison, but after he lost Merle he had pulled away. Daryl couldn't remember very much after that, but last night as Carol was taking a shower he went to the kitchen to get a drink of water and could hear the shower running. He found himself mesmerized by the sound and as he listened he remembered Carol washing his hair in the shower right before they left the prison. They were naked and comfortable with being together. He remembered washing her hair and then he remembered having sex while the warm water coursed over their bodies. Damn, he wished he had remembered that first.
Carol was thinking about Daryl as she took a shower. He was back to normal, no headache, no dizziness, but his memory had not returned. Tomorrow they were returning to the prison, she could lose him or die herself. She had been fascinated by Greek myths as a girl and was particularly fascinated by the myth of your missing half. Every human had been severed in two and was doomed to live their life as half of a whole. The lucky few found their missing half and were able to live as a complete whole. She had never believed that Ed was her missing half but she had felt an immediate connection to Daryl. The fates had not always been kind to either of them but had allowed them to find the other half of themselves. It was time to reconnect with her missing half.
Carol turned the water off and Daryl moved back to the couch covered his hard on with a blanket. Was the memory real? His brain had taken a good whack, was he just remembering a particularly vivid sexual fantasy, a wet dream, or had it really happened? He still couldn't remember where the group had gone but he could remember that he and Carol had been blowing up vehicles and killing walkers some time recently. He could hear Carol open the door to her bedroom and then in a little while she was standing beside him. She held out her hand, Daryl hesitated because he didn't know if it was real or his imagination, but he wanted her to be real. A real woman took his hand and pulled him up. He couldn't remember all the details of why and how they had been together before but he didn't care right now. He banished the shadow of his father from this place. He laid Merle to rest once again, and he went down the hall with Carol.
A wise man had once told Daryl that you should start out every serious conversation with an absolute truth. He told Carol that he loved her, and he knew that they had been together but all he could remember was their having sex in the shower. Carol laughed and said that had been pretty memorable for her too. He slid out of his clothes, he had spent so much of his life hiding his inner and outer scars from the world but the one thing he knew from his one clear memory was that Carol had loved and wanted him scars and all. Carol would have taken a moment to appreciate the view but an impatient Daryl was taking her clothes off as well. They stood in the candlelight like Adam and Eve unashamed of their nakedness.
Daryl carried her to the bed and slid in beside her. He reined himself back; he wanted this coupling to be memorable too. They kissed, their tongues made love to one another, their bodies seeking and searching for union with their missing half. Their bodies tried to please the other, and their hearts opened to the joy of coming back together. It was too hurried to be a perfect coupling, but it worked for them. The next was even better and the middle of the night we just woke up together was just about perfect.
Carol woke up in a vehicle headed toward all sorts of bad news, but as she nudged Daryl from his pretend sleep she was at peace with the world. She loved him and knew that he loved her. It was enough.
They were out of the mountains now and Joaquin had a map with their route mapped out. The incoming refugees gave information about open roadways and so far the information was correct. The car was fast and quiet. They stopped to eat behind a truck stop, but had to stop and lay waste to a group of walkers who came by for a snack. Joaquin was impressed with their fighting style, cautious but thorough. They gave each other room to fight but worked as a team. They wound up eating the MRE in the car. The tension ramped up as they neared the prison. It was important to get close so that they could walk there easily; Daryl navigated them onto an almost hidden road that brought them to an abandoned farm. They parked their vehicle inside the old barn and Joaquin changed the battery. Daryl took them through some fields and woods toward the prison. There were walkers, but they were in small groups and manageable. Soon, they could see the rooftops of the prison through the trees. Daryl had investigated every inch of the land surrounding the prison in order to locate places in which they could be watched and he used that information to find good places to spy on the prison. It was occupied by men wearing army fatigues. There were two men at the gate, and at least one in the watch tower. They counted six Humvees and a couple of army trucks. The Governor may have lost some of his men but he still was a force to be reckoned with.
Joaquin drew a sketch of the prison. The soldiers seemed to be settling in. Another truck came in and went up to the prison and more soldiers came out and started carrying boxes in. Finally, they saw the Governor come out to greet the truck driver and to look over his new kingdom. Another Humvee came in and unloaded four soldiers, they looked like a hunting party to Daryl looking for the group or for other victims. He was glad that they were empty handed. He led them further away from the prison so that they could talk. Joaquin asked questions about the prison and added it to his sketch. Suddenly, they heard the unmistakable sound of someone stepping on a dry branch and they froze in place. Daryl motioned them down and went to investigate.
He and Carol moved toward the sound and could hear at least two people talking in low voices. They moved between them and the prison with Daryl leading the way. The others were moving into their trap and they stationed themselves on either side of the faint trail far enough back so they could not be easily seen Carol got Zak ready and unsheathed her knife. Daryl had his crossbow turned toward the trail and as they came into view Carol and Daryl lowered their weapons. Rick was in the lead and right behind him was Andrea.
Rick grabbed Daryl in a bear hug and Carol hugged Andrea close. The reunion was completely silent and Daryl motioned them to follow him. They moved further away from the prison to talk with Joaquin and Michonne. Rick and Andrea had come to scout the prison and to look for them. Michonne introduced Joaquin to Andrea and Rick. Joaquin was a damn beautiful man, all big and manly, but with soulful brown eyes and Michonne was glad to see a certain awareness of Joaquin's attractiveness in Andrea. She had escaped from Woodbury and battled to the prison through a minefield of walkers with the Governor pursuing her the entire way. Andrea had lost her confidence in her judgment; she suffered from nightmares, and had become meek. She took the humblest jobs and worked tirelessly to win a place back with them. Andrea even swore off men to the amusement of Carol and Michonne and she had not seemed to be interested in anything but being useful to the group. However, she was now patting her hair and taking a good luck at Joaquin who seemed to have that effect on women. It was good to see Andrea, the real Andrea, not the plaster saint Andrea of the last few months.
Daryl led them back toward their vehicle. He was not surprised to find Rick had hidden his jeep in the same place. They had picked the farm as a location that a spy might use. They exchanged news. Carol told them about finding them a new home in the mountains and Rick told them that would move today if possible. Joaquin wanted to go back to the mountains and get his men and material here. Rick needed to get his people to safety and out of the range of the Governor who was sending out patrols to look for them.
Rick and Joaquin were going back to the fall back place with them and help them get everybody to the mountains today. Carol and Andrea were going too, the constant threat of a Governor's patrol finding them was still present and they needed them to help. Carol wanted to stay with Daryl but recognized that she would be better at getting everyone settled in at the home place. Daryl and Michonne would stay and keep watch on the prison. Rick and Joaquin would return at dawn with the reinforcements. They would try to end this thing tomorrow.
Carol and Daryl kissed goodbye and he whispered "Be safe" and she whispered, "I will be back tomorrow". She jumped into the jeep with Rick. Carol had seen a glint in Joaquin's eye when he talked with them and looked at Andrea. Sometime in the quiet confines of an electric car might spark something more, and Andrea should be finished with her redemptive time.
Andrea didn't protest riding with Joaquin, no women in either her right or wrong mind would complain about it. Joaquin seemed pleased as well. It was dangerous of course; they could meet another patrol on the way.
The two vehicles drove out slowly, the electric car in the front and the louder jeep in the back. They moved cautiously on the highway and Daryl and Michonne tried to make the driveway look as abandoned as before.
Joaquin allowed Rick to pass because he knew the way. They traveled quickly and Carol was relieved to find that the fall back place was actually on the way back to the mountains. They stopped a couple of time to see if they had been followed but within two hours they were in an abandoned middle school. The school had been used to store supplies for the school system and the school officials had put tall chain link fences around it to keep intruders away.
Glenn and Maggie let them in; they quickly loaded up and took off within 20 minutes. It seemed the more you moved the quicker it became. Carol grabbed a ride with Joaquin and Andrea, and they led the way toward the setting sun and their new home.
Daryl and Michonne settled down in the abandoned barn. Dinner was a MRE and they divided up watches but their minds and hearts were traveling northwest toward the mountains.
