AN: So a thanks to anyone who is still reading. As always, reviews are greatly appreciated so let me know what you're thinking.
I may not be updating as frequently (or frequently at all) during the remainder of this week. I've got a lot going on real life, so I'll write when I can, but it may not be all that much.
No worries though, I'm not leaving or anything, and I know we've got a lot ahead of us. I had to laugh at messages that have called this story both a "saga" and a "novel". I thought it might end up being long when I started, but I really wasn't sure. All I really knew was that I was curious to see how Daryl and Michonne might end up together…I honestly had no idea that it would turn into the journey that we've been on so far!
That being said, I hope you're still enjoying yourself!
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"Them kids is just a step above animals," Daryl said. He was sitting in the living room with Carol, Michonne, and Tyreese. Everyone was still trying to get over the busy evening that they'd had trying to clean up and tame the new arrivals to some degree. Libby was patched up, finally having been medicated by a frustrated Mark, and had insisted that they all share a room in the house that Beau was currently occupying alone.
"We don't know what they've been through, Daryl, and chances are those two boys are pretty feral, depending on how they've been raised," Carol responded. "All of them were filthy and covered in ticks. Mark had to basically cut all their hair off because it was so tangled, and he only managed that with me and Tyreese holding them down. Not to mention I'm pretty sure they've got nearly second degree sunburns. Life hasn't been easy for them."
"None of them talk," Tyreese said. "Do you think it's because they can't talk or because they won't?"
"I don't know," Carol said. "They can scream pretty well, so their vocal chords are intact."
"Maybe they just need time, I mean it is a lot to take in," Michonne said.
"What I wanna know is how she kept all them young'uns alive," Daryl said. "Just don't make sense to me."
"We don't know her story, Daryl," Michonne reminded him. "We don't know how long they've been alone. That baby isn't hers, and someone had to have it."
They sat in silence for a minute. Daryl chuckled and everyone cast their attention in his direction.
"What is it?" Michonne asked.
"Just thinkin' 'bout things…" Daryl said. "We sure have found us a mess a' people since we left Atlanta, an' I don't think none of 'em was what I expected."
Carol laughed.
"Our group is very different than it was outside of Atlanta, you're right about that, but I don't think many of the additions have been poor choices," Carol said.
"What we gon' do with a bunch a wild young'uns?" Daryl asked.
"I guess we're just going to have to tame them," Tyreese responded.
"And if we can't tame 'em, I reckon we gotta turn 'em loose," Daryl said.
"I'd hate to do that," Carol said. "Those boys are just babies and that girl, Emma, she's probably not even twelve. I'd hate to throw them back out there to try it on their own again."
Michonne nodded her agreement. It did seem terribly cruel to think of expecting children to survive on their own out there.
"But there's a reason we don't keep hornets as pets," Daryl said. "If they gon' be outta control it ain't safe havin' 'em here."
"I can agree with that," Tyreese said, "but I think they need an adjustment period. They need a little time to rest and adjust. They all ate like they were starved, and I think they drank a couple of gallons of water each. We don't really know how any one, especially children, would act in their position."
"At least let's sleep on it," Carol said. "They may even be better after a good night's rest without anything trying to hurt them. I just hope Beau is OK in the house with them."
"I think Beau can hold his own," Michonne said. "Knowing Beau, if it gets to be too much he'll just sleep in a tree in someone's yard."
Everyone laughed at her. It was a funny thought, but sadly it was true.
"Fine," Daryl said. "I ain't gonna worry 'bout it no more tonight. Tomorrow we'll see what we got."
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"I think I wanna move," Beau announced as he waited on his breakfast plate from Carol. She frowned at him. Nearly everyone was sitting down eating. Beau was one of the last to pass through the kitchen.
"Where's Libby and all the kids?" Carol asked.
Beau looked at her, expressionless.
"Why do you want to move, Beau?" Carol asked.
"'Cause she's crazy Carol an' that room smells like piss an' it's too hot ta have a room that smells like piss," Beau said, reaching for his plate. Carol realized she'd never handed it to him.
"I'll see what I can do, Beau, but you're welcome to bunk anywhere you please for the time being," Carol said. She handed him his plate.
"Don't'cha go up there alone, Carol, I'm tellin' ya she's plumb outta her head," Beau said. He slipped off toward the dining room.
Carol sighed and walked into the living room, regarding those that were still eating, those that were chatting about what needed to be accomplished during the day, and even those who were done and thoughtfully stacking dishes up for her take out to be washed later.
"Beth," Carol said, "do you think you could handle dishes today? I'm going to see if I can't go and make some connection with the new ones."
"Sure, Carol, I can wash dishes," Beth said.
"I can help her," Maggie said. "It's not like it's hard to keep an eye on the gates from out there."
"Thank you. Michonne, can you watch the girls?" Carol asked. She knew that Michonne had been planning on resuming her clearing of the fences, that much was obvious by the fact that she had her katana standing in the corner.
"No problem," Michonne said. "Are you sure you don't want me go with you?"
"No," Carol said, shaking her head. "I'd rather you stay with the girls."
"I can walk you over there," Tyreese offered.
"I don't think that's a good idea either," Carol said. "I don't want to intimidate them if they're a little shook up."
"Take Sadie," Mark offered. "She doesn't look like much, but she's pretty good to have as backup, and all their banshee screaming won't bother her if they choose to go the way of last night."
"That could work," Carol said. "Get her attention and ask her if she'll go with me."
A few minutes later the two of them were walking down the street toward the house. Daryl was a few steps behind them.
"I don't think you need to come, Daryl, you might rile Libby up," Carol called back to him.
"Ain't tryin' ta rile no one up, but I'm gonna wait downstairs just in case y'all need my help," Daryl said.
Carol giggled at him and they continued on. When they let themselves into the house and started up the stairs, Carol heard the door upstairs slam shut.
"Wait down here, Daryl," she said. Daryl stood awkwardly in the middle of the living room floor.
At the top of the stairs Carol knocked on the door that was closed, assuming that was the one the newest arrivals had taken. The upstairs did smell bad, so she could understand Beau's earlier complaint. They waited a moment but there was no response from behind the closed door.
"Libby, open up," Carol called. "We think you should come down, get something to eat."
Learn the way we function around here. Carol thought.
"She won't open the door?" Sadie asked, looking at Carol in a confused manner. Carol shrugged.
"Not yet," she replied. "Libby, I'm going to open the door now," Carol said. She reached up and turned the knob, pushing the door open and stepping back a bit, not quite knowing what to expect.
All the blankets and pillows that had been put in the room were piled on the floor. Emma and Jacob were hunkered down in the corner while Sam, the little one, was toddling around the room. Libby was standing between the door and the children.
"Libby, wouldn't you like to bring the kids down and get them something to eat?" Carol asked.
"Who the hell is she?" Libby responded, looking at Sadie.
"That's Sadie, she's not going to hurt anyone either," Carol said. "We just thought you might want to come down and have something to eat."
"An' if we don't wanna come out?" Libby asked.
"Libby, the kids are dirty and they smell, I promise you that no one is going to hurt you if you don't attack them first. We just want to help you. No one here is dangerous unless they're threatened," Carol assured her. "We've got kids here too. Sam would probably like to play with them. There are toys and everything here."
"Why you wanna give us stuff?" Libby asked. "What'cha want from me?"
Carol thought the girl was softening a little. She smiled.
"We don't want anything from you," she said. "No one here lives here because they have to. If you don't like it you're free to leave anytime."
Libby cocked her head to the side.
"You ever had nobody that left here before?" She asked.
"No," Carol said. "We've never had anybody that left here before. Come on out, you're safe here. We'll help you get the kids."
Carol was fairly confident that Libby was going to come out of the room now. Carol touched Sadie on the arm and gestured to her.
"Go ahead, Sadie, get the little one and Libby and I can bring the other two," she said. Sadie nodded. She walked between Libby and the door, passing into the room.
"Don't you touch him!" Libby commanded.
Before Carol could think, Libby turned and lunged at Sadie, who wasn't expecting such an attack. Sadie responded quickly and Carol backed up involuntarily as the two tangled up. The youngest child started wailing and ran in the direction of the other two children who were hunkered in the corner out of the way. Libby was on the floor fighting, and Sadie was on top of her.
"Daryl, get up here!" Carol yelled. Daryl was already bounding up the stairs.
"What happened? What's goin' on?" Daryl asked. He reached Carol and watched the scene, standing there for a minute.
"Do something about it!" Carol said.
"What'cha want me ta do about it?" Daryl asked.
"Aren't you going to break them up?" Carol couldn't believe that Daryl was just watching them.
"Who started it?" Daryl asked.
"Well…Libby I guess," Carol said.
"And Sadie's winnin'," Daryl said. "Way I see it, maybe Libby needs to be whooped a little, an' it ain't really no unfair fight, ain't like Sadie outweighs her…"
"Are you serious, Daryl?" Carol asked. She didn't know if she should try to break the two up or not. She wasn't even really sure what was taking place in the fight. For the most part it looked as though Sadie's entire goal was pinning the girl, but Libby didn't appear to have any rhyme or reason to her thrashing about.
Daryl shrugged. "We gotta tame her up somehow. If nothin' else she's learnin' that ya don't go startin' fights around here. I'll get her if she gets the best a' Sadie."
Carol realized Daryl was serious. He was really willing to stand there and let the two women finish out whatever kind of battle was taking place. She turned her attention to the kids.
"It's scaring the kids, Daryl," Carol said.
"Then get 'em outta here. Libby's too busy to worry 'bout you right now," Daryl offered.
Carol walked toward the quiet kids.
"Come on, we're not going to hurt you. Libby is going to be fine," she offered, trying to keep her voice soothing. "Let's get out of this room, OK? Everything's going to be fine."
Carol stepped forward and Sam came to her easily enough. He was regarding the two women, but he seemed to be the least skittish of all four of them. She picked him up, cuddling him to her for a minute to reassure him.
"Come on, you two…Emma, Jacob, can you come with me? We'll get you something to eat. Come on," she urged, holding her free hand out toward them. "It's OK, come on."
Jacob finally came toward her timidly and she caught his hand.
"That's right, come on," she said.
She started out the door with the two boys, realizing that Emma was not coming easily.
"Get 'em on outta here," Daryl said. "I'm 'bout to break them two up, 'cause Sadie ain't even fightin' no more, she's just ridin' Libby 'til she wears out. I reckon I'll be out with the rest of 'em in a minute."
Carol took the boys and started out the house.
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Michonne wondered if someone should go and check on Daryl. He'd been in the house alone for a little while, and Daryl alone with three females might not go that well.
Finally, though, just as she was considering asking Tyreese to walk down there with her, Daryl came walking down the street. Beside him was a slightly disheveled Sadie. Libby walked just behind them with Emma holding her hand.
"Are they alright?" Michonne called, getting up from the chair she was sitting in watching the children play. Sam had made fast friends with Hope and Judith, and somewhere Glenn had Jacob, taking him to find some toys and clothes with Maggie.
"They are just fine," Daryl said. "Got some future black eyes an' busted lips, but nothin' that won't heal."
As they approached, Sadie slipped by and walked into headquarters. A few minutes later Mark came out.
"Mark, can you take our friend Libby here an' get her cleaned up? You might wanta take a look at them stitches she got last night, too. She mighta put a little stress on 'em today when she decided to tangle up with Sadie," Daryl said.
"Come on," Mark said, gesturing toward Libby who looked a little pouty about her situation. "Carol's got plates made up for you too. Emma can eat while I'm cleaning you up."
"Go on, now," Daryl said.
Libby and Emma both started toward Mark and followed him inside headquarters.
"What happened?" Michonne asked Daryl.
He grinned at her.
"Nothin' really, 'Chonne," Daryl said. "I made her an' Sadie make up, an' I told her that my beautiful wife and me was gonna take her on a tour of our community 'fore she made any decisions, but that if'n she wanted to leave, she was free to go after that."
"And she agreed that easily?" Michonne asked.
"Well, if we ain't holdin' her here, an' she can go if she wants, I don't really know what they is to complain about. You feel up ta playin' tour guide with me?" Daryl said.
Michonne shrugged.
"Sure, Daryl, I'll play tour guide with you," Michonne responded.
"Good, I reckon we'll get started just as soon as they done eatin'. Where's Carol?" Daryl asked.
"She's around back tending the rabbits," Michonne responded.
"I'ma tell her that she needs ta get that room cleaned up 'cause it smells something awful. I told Libby that if they stay she can have that room with Emma and we could help 'em get a room for the little ones fixed up in that extra room," he said.
"You really think that they're going to work out here?" Michonne asked. "Carol told me that she jumped Sadie."
"Sadie ain't sore about it," Daryl said. "And I reckon that they gon' work out just fine once Libby realizes we ain't tryin' to hold her captive in no prison nor nothin'. We ain't exactly got a bad place to live here, 'Chonne. She just needs ta see we ain't like that damn Governor. We don't aim to keep no one here that don't wanta be here."
Michonne nodded her head. If Daryl thought that all the girl needed was a tour of the community and the option to leave, then she was willing to give it a try. She'd been against them staying whenever Carol told her that she'd jumped Sadie, but if Sadie didn't hold a grudge about it, then it certainly wasn't her place to hold it against the girl.
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"So back here is where we do our business," Daryl said. "Ya had a bucket last night, but we don't normally do it like that."
Michonne walked along beside Daryl, watching Libby's reaction from time to time. The girl had examined their rabbit pens, listened to the various functions of headquarters, and had been introduced to the idea of the ration boxes, laundry, and meals. She'd also been shown the storage houses and assured that she and her family would get ration boxes with anything they needed should they decide to stay with the group. Now they were continuing their tour.
"As I reckon you done figured out, this here's the main street that we all got our houses on," Daryl said, pointing down the back side of the street.
"No one lives in them other houses?" Libby asked as they walked. Michonne noticed that the nature of the girl was already changing. She was obviously more relaxed than she had been earlier. She was walking more loosely, her arms swinging instead of rigidly folded across her chest.
"No," Daryl said, "at least not yet. I reckon they could if we decided they could stay, but we ain't brought in that many people."
As they continued on, with very little to point out at the moment, Michonne noticed the girl looking uncomfortably at the fences. The Walkers that gathered outside them were a normal sight to all of them, but she imagined that it might be difficult for someone who was new to the place to trust the fact that they weren't much of a threat.
"The Walkers haven't gotten in at all," Michonne said, addressing the concern look on Libby's face. "We try to clear the fences from time to time so that they don't pile up too badly, but so far they haven't been a threat inside the community, at least not since we cleared the place out."
Libby looked a little nervous still, but she didn't say anything.
"If'n ya decide to stay then you can go in any of the extra houses and take anything ya want. That's where we'll get'cha some stuff for the kids and get'cha room set up for you an' Emma," Daryl said.
"So no one cares if we take anything out of the houses?" Libby asked. "We ain't gotta pay nothin'?"
"No," Daryl said, "we don't pay for nothin' 'round here. Everythin' we got belongs to everybody, we're family."
Libby looked a little confused. Michonne was almost amused. It seemed like every time they'd brought someone new into the fold it had seemed strange to explain their situation. Now they were explaining how their family worked, how their lifestyle worked, and it didn't sound any less odd than it had before if you considered it with ears that hadn't built their current society.
"'Round here you gonna see some houses we tearin' down," Daryl said. "We're workin' on clearin' more land for things we need it for. We was gonna use it all for plantin', but if we can come up on some more animals then I'm thinkin' we might figure out how ta make it into some kinda home for our animals. Tyreese is workin' right now on figurin' out about stablin' 'em, especially for the winter."
"So this is where you're puttin' my pigs an' goats?" Libby asked.
"We might put our pigs an' goats there, but we're still thinkin' on it. Right now they're penned up at another house," Daryl said.
"So if I leave my food ain't goin' with me?" Libby asked.
"If ya wanta leave, we'll send ya some food, but you ain't takin' the animals. If ya decide to stay, though, then ya gonna get your share of whatever meat we got," Daryl responded. "Anyway, if ya stay you can work all kinds a' jobs, and one of 'em is demolition. That means ya can pick to tear this stuff up if ya like it. Sadie likes demolition a lot…that's prob'ly why she got the best of ya this mornin'."
Michonne noticed that Daryl turned to look at Libby then with a mischievious look on his face. The girl screwed her face up.
"She only got the best a' me 'cause I didn't expect it," Libby said.
"You hit her first, I reckon she was the one that didn't expect it," Daryl said. He smiled a half smile. Watching him, Michonne couldn't help but smile. Now that the girl was calming down a little it appeared that Daryl was starting to become a little fond of her.
Libby huffed, but she didn't respond to Daryl's teasing.
"That there's the fields," Daryl said. "That's where we grow our food. Everybody works to pick it an' keep it watered."
Libby looked wide eyed at the variety of thriving plants. Daryl raised his hand, waving at Junior, Jimmy, and Chelsea who were currently working in the fields.
"You work here all day?" Libby asked.
"Depends," Michonne responded. "No one really has an assigned job. You do what you feel like doing, or what needs to be done. If you get tired of working one kind of job, you can always do another. Carol keeps up with it though. She's not really the boss, so to speak, but she keeps track of who's doing what so that nothing gets ignored that needs to be done. We all pull our weight how we can."
"Then there's the other jobs we got around here, like watchin' the gates, takin' care of the kids, an' of course people gotta go for water an' go huntin' if you're good at that," Daryl said.
"Most everyone takes turns going for water," Michonne said. "It's not that hard to do. Usually we go in threes to be able to carry more water back safely."
"I know ya had a gun, but ya weren't no good at usin' it," Daryl said, "so what else ya been usin' as a weapon?"
Libby screwed her face up again.
"I reckon I do alright with a gun, it sure scared ya," she said.
Daryl chuckled.
"Yeah, it scared me, but I hit you, you didn't hit me," Daryl said.
"I ain't used ta shootin' it no way," Libby said.
"Fair enough," Daryl said. "So what's your weapon?"
"My weapon? I don't have a weapon," Libby said.
"What'cha been usin' ta kill Walkers?" Daryl asked.
"Walkers is what you call the dead people?" Libby asked.
"Yes, that's what we call them," Michonne responded.
"Whatever I can get my hands on," Libby said. "I had me a tater fork, but I left it in the barn with the kids when I went out ta try ta make sure y'all didn't steal my food."
"Where'd ya get the gun?" Daryl asked.
"It was my Pa's," Libby responded. "I had more of 'em, but we done used 'em up, so I left 'em when we used 'em up."
"You left 'em, huh? So you been on the move for a bit?" Daryl asked.
"Yeah, what's it to ya?" Libby asked.
"Just wonderin'," Daryl said. "We'll get ya somethin' as a weapon, whether ya decide to stay or not."
As they circled around the community and ended up back at headquarters, Daryl stopped.
"I reckon that's all there is to see, so what's it gonna be?" Daryl asked.
"Do you have any questions?" Michonne asked.
Libby squinted her eyes at Michonne.
"Yeah…why y'all wanta let us stay here when we ain't got nothin' ta give ya?" Libby asked.
Michonne thought about it a minute. She didn't know Libby's background, but she could understand that the girl might question their motives.
"You can work, can't you?" Michonne asked after a minute. "You could do something around here to help out, right?"
Libby considered it.
"Yeah, I reckon I could," she said.
"And Emma, she's old enough to help with the little ones, isn't she? Or do other things, maybe?" Michonne continued.
"Well, yeah," Libby said.
"And Jacob and Sam, they'll grow up and be able to help contribute too," Michonne said. "We can always use the extra hands around here. It takes a lot to keep this place running. Every one of us here started out not being part of this family, and every one of us here has found our place. If you stay, and you look for it, you'll find your place here too."
Libby considered it.
"I s'pose that's fair. We don't mind workin' fer keep," she said.
"Anything else you want to ask?" Michonne asked.
"Is he the boss 'round here?" Libby asked, pointing at Daryl.
Daryl snickered.
"I can tell ya that one. I ain't the boss around here. We ain't got no bosses. Everybody gets a say in all we do," Daryl said. "I'm just the one that tends to listen to all everyone's got to say an' figure out what's the way we gon' do things. Carol, she ain't the boss neither, but she keeps up with what needs to be done, so we listen when she tells us what we oughta do. There ain't nobody 'round here that's no more important than anybody else though. If'n you can learn to act like ya got the sense that God gave dirt then you'll have a say in what we do too. Same goes for the little ones when they can reason through it."
"Well said," Michonne said.
"So what's it gonna be?" Daryl asked again. "We ain't got all day for ya to make up ya mind. Not if'n you wanta get that house set up and comfortable before it gets too late, an' if ya goin' then ya best be hittin' the road before it gets any later than it is."
Libby considered him a moment. Then she considered Michonne.
Michonne didn't know if it was the fact that she was pregnant or the fact that she'd left her katana at the house, but Libby didn't seem to look at her with the initial look of fear that many of their new arrivals tended to regard her with.
"I reckon we'll stay," Libby said.
"Fine," Daryl said. "But you remember our deal. If you gon' stay, you can't be scrappin' with people for no good reason.
"I had a good reason!" Libby snapped back. "I told her not ta touch Sam an' she was still aimin' ta do it so I socked her one!"
"And I done told ya that Sadie can't hear not a damn thing, so no sockin' her for not respondin' to what ya say!" Daryl snapped back. "That ain't the way we do it around here no way!"
"Fine," Libby said, crossing her arms. "I said I was sorry. I ain't gonna hit nobody else 'less they really need it."
"You ain't gonna hit nobody else unless they're actually doin' somethin' to hurt you or someone else, not just 'cause you think they might do something," Daryl said. "Same thing goes with your weapons. They're for Walkers an' outside people that threaten you, not for the family."
"But y'all ain't my family," Libby said.
"Around here," Michonne said, "we all regard each other as family. That's just how it is. You'll get used to it, I promise. You might even learn to like it."
"We'll see," Libby said.
"Welcome to the family, Libby," Daryl said, a half smile on his face. "Now you better get to work gettin' your stuff together for the house. Just ask for help when ya need it and someone will be glad to help."
Libby didn't say anything, but she did start off in the direction of some of the empty houses, presumably in search of whatever items she had on her mind.
"Do you think they're going to fit in here, Daryl?" Michonne asked, watching Libby bound away.
"You know, 'Chonne, I ain't sure, but I think they might," Daryl responded. "Won't be the first time we've had ta make a square peg fit in a round hole 'round here."
Michonne snickered.
If there was nothing else that was true about their ever growing family, it was that everyone was unique. Maybe that's what made the community function the way it did. Every person came with their challenges, but they also seemed to always bring something new to the table. She liked to think that maybe there was a place there for Libby and her crew, and she was curious to see what they could do to enhance the life of the community.