Disclaimer: TWD has all rights to the characters and stories of their show. They belong to TWD and they are theirs to totally screw up in whatever way they wish.
I on the other hand make no profit from anything I write but do enjoy a review. This is my story very loosely based on characters that are beginning to show less and less resemblance to the characters in my story. Enjoy and give some feedback please.
Just Glad to Be Home
Daryl wasn't surprised that Carol and Andrea had run to Michonne first. Somehow, Carol must have known that she needed them right now. He was glad to hug Caleb, picked up Canary and gave him a kiss, and then gave Carol a kiss on the top of her head.
They all went into the house and closed the door. It just felt so good to stop and know that the journey was over. Andrea and Carol walked Michonne up to her room and Rick and Daryl just sat down a minute. Carl and Caleb explained that Carol had decided late that afternoon that they would be back late tonight. So everyone on the hill had been expecting them. There was hot stew on the stove and almost everyone was hungry. They ate at the table and stacked the dishes in the sink. Canary was scampering around excited because they were home but they were so tired that they were almost numb.
Carl and Rick left to go upstairs to see Judith who was asleep in Rick and Andrea's room. Allen and Jamela talked with Alyssa. Eventually they went upstairs. Alyssa had been sleeping upstairs in her own room. Caleb and Carl slept on the couches and they looked as sleepy as everyone else. Daryl took Canary out for a walk. He had even missed this useless little bag of fur.
Daryl took a shower and went into the bedroom. The bed looked wonderful but he walked around the room touching the furniture just to prove to himself that it wasn't a dream. He was home. He took out the map that Carol had made for him and taking a pen he added his part to it. He smiled that his big reunion night was going to be spent alone; he might be too tired anyway. He took off all his clothes and stretched out; it felt like had hadn't really slept since he left here. He was asleep in a matter of minutes.
Rick was lying on his bed with a lamp on so that Andrea could find her way in and so he could watch Judith sleep. He fell asleep with one hand on Judith's crib. It was much later when Andrea came in. She undressed quietly as exhausted emotionally as Rick was physically. She lay awake thinking of Michonne alone in her bed. Michonne thought of herself as a lone ranger but she would need her friends now.
Michonne missed the comforting bulk of Tyreese in the bed. Carol and Andrea had lain down with her and they had talked and cried for hours. Michonne had dreaded having to tell them that Tyreese was dead, but apparently Carol had told them already. It made it easier. Michonne had finally run them out of her bed; she was exhausted physically and emotionally. She was just glad to be home. Michonne knew that she was surrounded by love and that she had a place here with her friends. She turned over and fell into a dreamless sleep.
Jesse had gotten the story from Sarah. Michonne's boyfriend had been killed on the trip and she was grieving for him. He was a dog for sure to be so interested in a woman who had just lost her boyfriend. Jesse understood what it was like to lose someone you loved; he had lost his wife a year ago. He swore to himself that he would just try to be a good friend to this woman and not try to be anything else, for a while anyway. Jesse made that promise and when he went to sleep he dreamed of a dark skinned woman with a dazzling smile waiting for him at a gate.
Carol went downstairs and saw that the boys were fast asleep. She turned the lights off after she kissed them goodnight. They had stepped up while Rick and Daryl were away. Both boys had taken care of all sorts of things that needed to be done and had never complained about anything.
Daryl was asleep when she went in; he had looked like he was ready to drop when he came in. She slipped into pajamas and found the map that she had given Daryl when he left. He had drawn a line to his destination and put a half of a heart there and then retraced his route back to their house. There at the end he had drawn another heart entwined with the one she had drawn. She smiled and put the map in the place she kept her treasures. She turned the lamp off and slid beside Daryl; she thought of Michonne again and the vision of Jesse handing a baby to Michonne came to her. It still hurt that Tyreese was gone but there was a comfort knowing that Michonne would get through this with love and support. Michonne had told her that Daryl had taken care of her like a "daddy" ever since Tyreese had been killed even though he was hurting too. Carol cuddled close and thought Daryl was going to make a good daddy.
Daryl woke early the next morning and was happy to see and feel Carol lying beside of him in their bed. His childhood had been spent moving from place to place whenever either his father or Merle had done something to attract the attention of the local law enforcement. Daryl knew that home now was wherever Carol was but he also had a deep attachment to this place. He would give up the place for Carol anytime but it felt wonderful to have both. Daryl hoped that he and Carol could take a long walk around the farm today. He wanted to see every tree, rock, fence post, and meadow just to reassure himself that they were still there. Daryl watched as Carol began her wake up routine. She stirred slightly, stretched just a little, cuddled back under the covers, and in another minute she would open her eyes and smile at him. Daryl propped himself up on one arm and waited. On cue, she turned and smiled sleepily at him and he thought that his heart would burst. Just being here and seeing her turn to him was worth all the shit that he had gone through in his life. He moved to kiss her, but before he could seal the deal, Carol leapt up and ran out. Daryl jumped into his clothes and ran after her. She was in the bathroom throwing up violently. He went in and got a cold cloth and wiped her face. She was beautiful but she was green. Soon she was back at it, but this time he held her as she vomited. It wasn't the kind of homecoming that you see on television, but he was in the right place with the right person.
Andrea was washing the dishes from last night and wincing as Carol retched. She had brought Judith down so that Rick could sleep. Caleb and Carl were making exaggerated faces of disgust, but they still wanted breakfast so it was all show. Andrea made them oatmeal and toast. She needed to bake some bread this morning; she had been experimenting with different types of bread.
One by one they gathered for breakfast. Carol had gone back to her bedroom and Daryl joined the breakfast club. Andrea made certain that Michonne had hot coffee waiting for her. Carl hugged her and said, "I'm sorry". Michonne hugged him back but was silent as always.
Allen, Jamela, and Alyssa went to the dam site to unload the pieces of equipment. Everyone else went to the new house to see the work that had been done. Carol came out of the bedroom after all the food was put away but took some coffee.
Michonne looked at Carol, "Is there something that you want to tell me?"
Carol blushed and said, "I'm pregnant".
Andrea hugged her, "I am so happy for you and Daryl, but he is going to drive us all crazy with this. Can we send him on a long run for seven or eight months?"
Michonne said, "I think all of those damn girls are pregnant too. This place is going to look like a baby farm." She went on to explain that they had acquired six new people on this trip. "You can blame Daryl; he couldn't figure what to do with them last night. They are at Ashton's now. They're great kids but they must have run out of condoms because all three of the girls are pregnant. They are cute and bouncy, just like puppies. Daryl just couldn't send them to the pound after he got attached".
Carol wondered where they would put everyone, but Glenn and Maggie had been talking about building their own house. Beth and Jonathan were getting serious. Things would work out. There was more security with bigger numbers anyway she liked puppies too. Canary came over and whined for her to pick him up. Carol was feeling better and she and Michonne took the dog for a walk.
Rick interrupted Andrea's bread baking to ask her to go and tell him about their new kitchen. She put everything on hold and grabbed Judith and they walked to their new house. Andrea told the story of the men who had come asking to give them a kitchen because of their generosity toward the people of Adair. Rick loved the story and loved the kitchen. Andrea suspected part of his delight was based on the fact that he wouldn't have to put the kitchen in, but it was a beautiful room. They were heating with wood and the kitchen being finished meant that they could move in earlier.
The day flew by and everyone reconnected and got back on track. Late in the afternoon Daryl and Carol took a long walk. They held hands and she told him about her grandmother's letter and thanked him for writing one for her. Daryl talked about Tyreese and the trip. "How long do you thing the morning sickness will last?"
Carol groaned, "Too long, I don't know, it lasted about a month with Sophia, and that would be long enough".
Daryl said, "I won't leave you again; it's on somebody else next time."
They were coming back down the hill when they saw Jesse riding a black horse toward their house. By the time they got there everyone from the houses was out looking at the horse. Jesse had been in town and a farmer was selling the horse and Jesse had traded some gold pieces for her.
Jesse was beaming. He explained that he had never been around horses until he lived with his brother's family in Nebraska. He had loved the horses on his brother's farm. He said that her name was "Latifa" and that he was going on a run somewhere to get food. Patrick was letting him keep her in the garage at his place but he was looking for a farm somewhere to live.
Michonne was transfixed by the horse; she was an Arabian mare, black as night and full of spirit. "I'll go with you to get hay and grain. We saw farms down near Trinity and there was hay in the barn. Might be grain there too, "she blurted out.
Jesse beamed even more, "Do you want to ride her?" Michonne couldn't resist and leaped into the saddle. "Latifa?"
"It's Arabic for beautiful, lovely, elegant. She is all that, go ahead just don't push her too much. She has had a long day."
Michonne rode Latifa out to the yard and down the road toward Sam and Dave's. Latifa opened up a little and she fell even more in love with this horse as they sped down the lane. Michonne turned the horse around and went back at a more sedate pace. Jesse was shaking his head at her but smiling all the same. Michonne was still astride Latifa and gave him a rueful smile when she noticed that he was very attractive with his golden brown skin, white teeth, and blue eyes. She pushed that thought back; this was about Latifa.
"If my horse comes up missing, I think I will know where to look," Jesse said.
"You'll never find her, "Michonne answered. "Does that farmer have any more horses? You might need one soon."
Jesse laughed, "Can you go tomorrow to get hay and grain?"
Michonne asked, "Let's get an early start; we should stock up on some more food. Don't think those kids will ever leave this hill."
Carol watched all of this with a smile on her face. Her grandmother used to say that people in love were "struck" on one another. Jesse was struck on Michonne and Michonne was struck on the horse. Might work out in the long run.
Daryl wasn't smiling. Michonne was not on the market and who in the hell was this guy? And Carol was smiling at him too. He was going to keep an eye on Jesse.
Carol and Daryl walked on over to Ashton's so that she could meet the "puppies". Three couples barely out of their teens with babies on the way. Terry and Ellen, Jason and Sydney, and Andy and April. They were cute as bug's ears, but they had to be capable fighters to survive that long. Andy and April were African-American and the other two couples were white. They were grateful for a place to stay but wanted to work for their keep. Good news because it looked like the population of McAllister Mountain was growing by leaps and bounds.
Jamela and Allen came home in time for dinner and they were jubilant about the progress of the turbine on the dam. Alyssa was eating dinner at Patrick's house. Josh had been haunting Carol's house for days and he had been to the dam this morning to talk to Alyssa's parents. He had asked for their permission to court Alyssa and they had given it.
That evening was special as they gathered together in the great room of the house and talked for hours. Daryl didn't say much but he was content to just be back. He had found out that he had changed in the last few months. Life here in the mountains was much easier and safer than life at the prison or on the road, but the tradeoff was that he had so much more to lose than before. Carol and their baby were his first concern, and they were followed by all the people that had become his family. Losing Tyreese would hurt forever; he had loved the man like a brother. There is a price for loving and it's paid for by the fear that you will lose them and the pain that you have when you do. That is no excuse not to love, he thought, because the fear and pain never equaled the joy and happiness in the love.
Carol and Daryl found their joy and happiness in each other's arms that night. Daryl had laughed and said that it had been so long that he might have forgotten how. Carol had said, "It's like riding a bike, you'll remember".
"Are you going to spew tomorrow morning?" Daryl asked.
Carol sighed, "Probably".
"Well, we had better make the most of tonight, don't you think?"
"That sounds like a challenge to me." Carol said.
"It will be the best you ever had," he promised.
Carol rested her head on his shoulder and said, "Have I told you today how glad I am that you are home?
"Talk is cheap, better show me instead".
"That goes both ways, you know. The best I ever had was awfully good, do you think that you could top our picnic in the meadow".
"Just don't make too much noise and wake the house up".
I am off to Atlanta to the Walker Stalker Convention. So I won't be posting until next week probably. Carol's latest storyline has kicked my muse in the ass. You don't want to rouse the wrath of a muse, let me tell you.
