AN: This one's a short one. Sorry about that. I hope to have a longer one out for you tomorrow when our group goes on another little adventure. ;-)
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"I bet you, though, where there's one farm there's another," Tyreese said. "So that poor farmer's cows and chickens didn't make it, that doesn't mean another one's didn't."
"I don't know the area well enough to tell you that. I only ever came here to do things in town, not to ride out through the countryside that much, but I do know that when I was first wandering I came upon a lot of houses," Michonne said.
"But were they farm houses?" Daryl asked.
"I don't know, I wasn't paying that much attention. Those were the early days. I did my best to avoid houses because where there were houses there were people, and where there people you were either going to find Walkers or get yourself shot," Michonne reasoned.
"I think we should go out and at least see what we can find," Glenn argued. "I wouldn't mind eating some fresh eggs again."
"And you have to admit that fresh milk would sure be a lot better than the powdered stuff," Maggie said.
"If we're going to start raising livestock, we've got to have a barn, that's all there is to it," Tyreese said. "I bet we could convert one of those houses in some way, but any animal we're going to keep penned up is going to have shelter, and that little dog pen might hold those goats and pigs, but it isn't going to stop a cow unless ole Bessie is really docile," Tyreese said.
Glenn and Maggie had come over after dinner to visit with the household and now they had launched into talking about the "what ifs" of maybe collecting more animals. The thought of producing more than crops and rabbits was exciting enough to keep them all up after what they would normally consider their bedtimes.
Now the girls were tucked away, exhausted by playing with their company, and everyone was bunched around the living room, watching each other in the lamplight.
"I'm pretty useless for a while," Maggie said, referring to her arm which still had quite a bit of healing to do after her injury in the battle, "but I can feed and water animals well enough. It would give me something to do, some way to help contribute."
"You contribute plenty, Maggie, don't worry about that," Carol said. "Still it could be nice to have milk and eggs, I'll admit to that."
"Could be trouble, though," Daryl said. "Too many of 'em would draw more Walker attention, so we gotta keep a close check on the fences, keep 'em cleared so they don't get too bunched up against 'em."
"I could clear fences," Michonne said. Daryl turned his head and looked at her. "I'm serious," she protested. "Think about it, how hard is it for me to walk around the parameter and stab Walkers through the fence? I need some exercise, and I could always stop when I get tired."
"I reckon that would be alright," Daryl said, "but I don't want ya takin' Hope ner Judith with ya to do it. I don't want them playin' round them fences."
"That I can agree with," Michonne said. She tried to hide the fact that she was a little excited to be on some kind of active duty again, even if it was just walking around and clearing Walkers through the fence. It would have to be more stimulating than laundry and crop watering.
"So tomorrow I'll see if I can't get some people working on figuring out at least some sort of temporary shelter until I can get some kind of barn made up. Daryl, are you going to take some people out to see what other animals you can scrounge up?" Tyreese asked.
"I reckon so," Daryl said. "I'll take Beau an' Carl so they can show me where they found the ones they got. Even if we don't get much we can at least scout the area, see what we might expect ta be able ta bring in."
"And this little one and I," Michonne said, rubbing her belly, "will make sure the fences are nice and clear."
Daryl leaned over and pulled Michonne to him, kissing her.
"You real excited 'bout that now, ain't'cha?" Daryl said smiling.
"I am," she admitted. "I won't lie. I've been feeling a little cooped up for a while."
"You're getting closer, though," Maggie said. "Are you excited about that?"
"I've still got a bit to go," Michonne said. "I don't know if excited is exactly the right word."
"I'm excited," Daryl said, putting his hand on her belly, "I want him ta hurry up an' get here."
"Him?" Maggie asked.
Michonne snickered.
"Daryl is determined it's a boy," she explained.
"Oh, and you don't think it is?" Maggie asked.
"I don't know if it's a boy or a girl, but I'm not as determined as Daryl either way," Michonne said.
"As for when he or she will get here," Carol piped up, "we've still got a while by my calculations. If I'm right, this little one is coming well on into the winter, which is good for Michonne because it means she won't have to be huge with the heat."
"Ok, I have to ask," Glenn said after a second, "is it really all that bad? I mean as men we get bombarded with all these stories about hormones and heat and labor, but honestly is it all that bad? Isn't some of it just a put on?"
"You, son, are treading on dangerously thin ice right now," Tyreese warned.
Glenn looked over at him and smiled a nervous smile.
"I mean no offense," he said, raising his hands up at Michonne, "if it is all that bad, I didn't mean anything by it, but I really want to know."
"I'm not going to answer that," Michonne said. "If I answer that question then it's just going to be discredited, like everything else, as being a result of my hormones."
Maggie laughed so hard that she snorted and in response several others laughed at her.
"I'll answer it then," Carol offered. "I guess it all depends on the woman as to what she feels about pregnancy and birth. Parts of it are great, but parts of it are awful. When I was pregnant…"
"And dinosaurs roamed the Earth," Glenn said, grinning. Carol shot him a look and he dropped his smile. "Sorry, it was too perfect."
"Do you want me to answer your question or not?" Carol asked.
"I'm sorry, go ahead, you were saying…" Glenn said, holding up his hands defensively.
Tyreese silently pulled a pillow from behind his back and handed it to Carol. She leaned over and swatted Glenn with it twice.
"I was saying…that when I was pregnant the morning sickness really sucked. There were hormones, but I tried to control them…I wasn't really in a position to be moody. Sophia was born right in the middle of a Georgia summer, and I can tell you that I was miserable with the heat. As for labor and delivery, I opted for drugs, and even then I don't remember it as being the most fun I ever had," Carol said.
Michonne snickered.
"I can tell you that my experience with drugs and my experience without them varied greatly," Michonne offered.
"Fine, you win," Glenn said. "I guess I'll just have to accept that it is that bad, since I'm not going to have any way of finding out, and I'm starting to think that I wouldn't want to if I could."
"Good answer," Tyreese said. He stretched and stood up. "If you good people will excuse me, I think I'm ready for bed. And you, young lady," he said, reaching his hand out to Carol, "it's past your bedtime."
Carol smiled at him and took his hand, letting him pull her up to her feet.
"You're probably right, us old folks need our sleep. Goodnight, everyone," she said. She followed Tyreese up the stairs.
"I guess that's probably our cue to head off to bed too," Maggie said. "Game night soon? We could get Mark and Sadie down here too."
"Sounds good ta me," Daryl said. He got up and offered his hands to Michonne who accepted his help getting off the couch.
"I vote charades," Glenn said. "We put Sadie and Michonne together. The woman with the fewest expressions I've ever met playing with the woman with the most expressions, that should be entertaining in itself."
"And I bet we skunk everyone," Michonne said.
They saw Glenn and Maggie out, bidding them goodnight, and then Michonne and Daryl took their lamp and started up the stairs.
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"What would ya rather have, 'Chonne? Chickens or cows?" Daryl asked.
Michonne wasn't sleepy yet, so she was forcing him to engage in conversation with her. He was laying sleepily on his side while she sat up in bed. He was trailing his fingers lazily over her stomach.
"I think I'd rather have the eggs than the milk," Michonne said. "Do you think we could milk the goats?"
"I reckon we could, 'Chonne, but ain't never tried ta milk no goat," he answered, yawning.
"What would you rather have?" Michonne asked.
"Don't matter to me none," Daryl answered. "In the end they all eat the same."
"If we get more pigs we could butcher a couple of them," Michonne said.
"You want'cha a pig to butcher?" Daryl asked.
"I have to admit that the idea of bacon does sound good," Michonne said. She didn't mention that it sounded even better to her if it was bacon and eggs. She could make due with whatever she had, and she didn't want to seem too demanding.
"If'n ya want'cha a pig for butcherin', then I'll get'cha a pig for butcherin'," Daryl said. "Beau said they was more of 'em out there, I'll just make sure one of 'em goes to slaughter."
"And what's everyone going to say about you deciding to butcher a pig if they weren't ready to start butchering them?" Michonne asked.
"I reckon it'd be a pretty bad accident, if'n I was to accidentally kill one a' them pigs on the way back," Daryl said. "Wouldn't have no choice but ta butcher it then, 'Chonne."
Michonne snickered.
"Have we become that devious, Daryl? You'd pretend you accidentally killed a pig just to butcher it for me to have bacon?" Michonne asked.
"Ain't nothin' new, 'Chonne," Daryl said. "I can't give ya much, but I'd do whatever I had to do if'n I could give ya somethin' ya wanted. That ain't gonna change. Somethin' little as a pig ta eat is easy."
"You do a lot for me, Daryl," Michonne said. "I just want you to know I appreciate it, all of it."
Daryl sat up the, rolling over and resting on both of his elbows, looking up at her leaning against the pillows.
"I know you 'preciate it, 'Chonne. I like doin' stuff for ya," he said. "It's all I can do for everythin' you do for me."
"What have I done for you, Daryl?" Michonne asked. She didn't feel like she'd done much for Daryl, not really. It seemed like Daryl was always trying to figure out some way to make things work, some way to keep them going, to keep them safe. Lately Michonne was feeling pretty useless, and right now she was feeling very useless. She picked at the blanket.
"What'cha goin' through, 'Chonne?" Daryl asked. He looked at her with a concerned look on her face. "You done plenty for me. I mean just ta name the a couple a' things you gave me Hope an' right now you're busy growin' this guy for me," he said.
Michonne looked at him. She was suddenly feeling emotional, but she didn't want to be feeling that way.
"I didn't exactly get pregnant on my own, Daryl, and it's not some big feat to have a baby," she argued.
Daryl smiled.
"You in a mood, 'Chonne?" Daryl asked. "My part in all this weren't that big, ya know. I reckon you put a lot more into havin' 'em than I do, so you oughta get more of the credit."
Daryl reached over and took Michonne's hand, kissing it gently.
"I can see ya in a mood, 'Chonne. Scooch on down here an' let me hold ya 'til it passes, OK?" Daryl said, smiling.
Michonne slid down in the bed, pulling her pillow up under her head.
"I'm sorry, Daryl," Michonne said when he wrapped his arm around her.
"What'cha sorry for?" Daryl asked.
Michonne didn't know how to explain to Daryl that she had no idea why she suddenly felt like she did right now.
"I'm just sorry," Michonne said.
"Don't be sorry, 'Chonne, ain't nothin' ya gotta be sorry for. Just close ya eyes an' go to sleep. You'll feel better in the mornin'," Daryl said. He snuggled Michonne against him and kissed her neck, trailing over to kiss her shoulder and then her back. "Just go ta sleep, 'Chonne," he said, yawning.
"I love you, Daryl," Michonne said.
"I love ya too, 'Chonne," Daryl said, squeezing Michonne again and yawning once more.