Chapter Twelve: Marinette-Bwa-Chech
**Carol**
"Are you sure you're okay with everything?" She asked Merle one last time as Grace adjusted the wimple.
The morning had some slowly, the sun taking it's time to peek over the trees that gave them cover on the east side and Carol was being fitted in one of Sister Gertrude's old habits in the storage shed.
Daryl's brother scoffed. "I've got everything locked down here. I put Father O'Rourke on the new guy, he's good with assholes, plus I'm sure Daryl and the Lieutenant will jump in if needed. Sister Mary Elizabeth is watching over Rick, Glenn's taking over while I head out to hunt up some food and I'm sober as ever, unfortunately. What about you two?"
"Michonne's going with us, Karen and Milton too, we should be fine," she replied. "And if you could manage to keep Sasha calm about the other group for now, we'll figure something out when we get back. We shouldn't be too long."
"When Rick wakes up," Grace added, "you should move him into the infirmary with Daryl and the Lieutenant, might raise his spirits a little to be with the men and not on his own."
"But stay away from the infirmary, Merle," Carol said. "I don't think you going off on that Cash fellow is a good idea right now."
"Jesus, you two seem to think you run the show around here," Merle growled.
"We do for now, but you will when we leave, Merle," Grace stated.
"Awful lot of trust to put on me," he returned.
Carol offered him a small smile as Grace placed the veil on her head. "I wouldn't trust anyone else to watch over things at this point," she pointed out, reaching over to pluck the strand of rosary beads off a nearby table.
"And if someone could convince that woman and her son to leave the infirmary, we might be able to settle them comfortably somewhere inside the dorms."
"Anything else?" Merle inquired sarcastically.
"Be nice to the new man if you cross paths, remember to be Christian."
"Yeah," Merle replied scratching at his chin, "his woman's Muslim though, isn't she?"
"Still does no harm to be kind, Merle."
"We're not entirely sure she is his wife," Carol pointed out.
Merle scowled. "Well, whatever, I'm going hunting now."
"Be careful," Grace added.
"Gee, really?"
The two women exchanged a glance as the man marched out.
"Maybe I should stay behind," Carol said.
"No, I don't want anyone by my side but you," Grace insisted. "Call it me being selfish, but I trust you to look after me if something goes wrong."
Carol smiled at the woman. "I'm honoured."
Grace stepped back with a gentle grin. "You look the part, Carol. I think that's good."
Touching the wimple's collar, Carol laughed softly. "I should wander into the infirmary in this. It'd give Daryl the fright of his life."
Grace giggled. "Oh, you should, it would make my day."
"Could you imagine his poor face?" Carol returned with a wry smile.
The two women laughed.
"Oh, good Lord," Grace sighed. "I have to get dressed. Let me do that and we'll go together to say goodbye."
"You shouldn't torture the Lieutenant with seeing you in the habit," Carol scolded lightly. "Poor man."
"Poor man my eye," Grace replied on her way out. "After the stunt he pulled he should be so lucky I'm saying goodbye before leaving…"
Left alone, Carol adjusted the rosary and fought the urge to tug at the tight white wimple that hugged her face.
..-~-..
..-~-..
She wondered how Grace made the habit so majestic, watching as the woman strolled across the lawns to join her by the infirmary.
Carol felt ridiculous in the nun's habit, but Grace made it look elegant and classy.
Father O'Rourke had passed her earlier with a small grin and she had bowed her head, feeling like she was putting on some kind of farce, mocking the religion.
"…comes in colours pink and pleasant, glows in the dark 'cuz it's iridescent. Take it with you when you travel far."
For the entire ten minutes Carol was outside the infirmary waiting the new man had been softly singing the same tune to himself, or maybe to the child with the woman, either way it unnerved her, he unnerved her. There was something about him she wasn't sure if she didn't like or didn't trust. The man was too much of a contradiction and much too arrogant in the presence of strangers.
"Get yourself a sweet Madonna, dressed in rhinestones, sitting on a pedestal of abalone shell. Going ninety, ah, ain't scary, 'cuz I got the Virgin Mary assuring me that I won't go to hell."
As Grace approached, she smiled at Carol. "You look almost too convincing in the habit."
Carol blushed. "I don't like the idea of deception like this," she admitted.
"Well, I'll feel bad about it once we make this peace agreement and can take in the poor survivors of Woodbury."
Stepping into the infirmary, Cash stopped singing long enough to greet them.
"Sisters," he said, almost awkwardly. "I…didn't actually…huh."
"Do you have everything you need, Mr. Cash?" Grace asked, pausing at his bedside long enough to ensure he was set up before they left.
"If I had everything I needed, precious, I wouldn't be lying here like a bump on a log," he replied smoothly.
"I'm sure you got everything you had coming to you, Mr. Cash," she replied.
Carol smirked at the man's reaction, it was like a little boy with his hand slapped.
"And then some," he returned with a somewhat forced grin. "Of course, what's life if you can't get your nose broken once in a while? Actually," the man said, motioning to the woman and child at his bedside, "if you want to throw these two into a bed somewhere else? They should get some proper sleep. It's been a while for them."
"It's been a while for you too, I'd imagine," Carol broke in softly.
The man turned greenish eyes on her, before smirking. "Well, that one talks, huh? What's your name, bright eyes?"
"Carol."
"Carol," he repeated, "very pretty, almost like a flower."
"Hey," Daryl snarled from his bed. "You don't talk to her, slick."
Glancing over in the direction of the men, Carol found both the Lieutenant and Daryl looking upon the new man with venom in their eyes. Daryl she expected, but the Lieutenant's reaction was interesting. He normally got along with everyone.
Smiling politely to the man in the bed, Carol moved away, heading for Daryl's bedside, where she eased down beside him.
"We'll get your people a decent bed, if they'll be willing to go with us," Grace went on, speaking softly and patiently with the man.
"Nadir?" The man crooked his finger, drawing the boy over. "You take your mama and get some sleep, these people are alright."
"Cash, I don't—"
"No arguing," he insisted.
Carol felt Daryl's hand on her back, tentative, he still expected her to be mad, and she was, just not as mad she should have been.
"You're going to leave us behind," the boy stated.
"I would never!" The man stated.
"You're lying," the boy said.
Cash chuckled. "Alright, I swear if you get some rest I'll at least stay long enough to say goodbye."
"You're lying," the boy insisted.
"Are you so convinced I such a liar, son?" Cash asked.
"Yes."
"Smart boy, but your mama needs her rest."
The boy blinked at him, before speaking to his mother.
She looked panicked for a moment, before nodding.
"Okay," Nadir said. "We'll sleep."
"That's a boy. And get your mother some water she looks pale."
"It's because she's worried about you, Cash."
"Aw, that's sweet. Tell her I still find her awkward and embarrassing."
"You lie," the boy stated.
"Well, don't want to encourage her," Cash replied with a half-smile.
Nadir smiled.
"Come along," Grace said with a grin. "We'll get you settled, sweetie."
The young boy nodded, before speaking to his mother.
The woman eyed Cash quietly, holding a bag clutched to her chest, before she reluctantly followed Grace out.
"You care for them?" Carol asked.
"Not a bit," the man replied casually, sniffing and lighting up another cigarette.
"You must," she insisted.
Inhaling deeply, the man eyed her, blond hair falling into his eyes. "I'm only travelling with them, because I can't pawn them off on someone else, why you do think I'm being so amiable to you lot?"
"Is amiable English for being a dick?" The Lieutenant broke in. "Because I might have missed that in school."
"Well, you are Cajun, so I'm going to forgive the fact you can't comprehend simple words and phrases," the man said.
"You know the Lieutenant saved your life," Carol broke in softly.
"Sister, I've never asked anyone for anything in my life, except to take those two off my hands and I'm not about to go kowtowing to someone for doing something I didn't ask them to do." The man returned sharply.
"Wait," the Lieutenant broke in. "Your name is Cash and you're from Arkansas?"
"So?" The man snarled.
Carol saw a twitch tug at the Lieutenant's mouth.
"What's your first name, capon?"
"Don't have one."
"Are you sure?"
She didn't fully understand what was so interesting, so she spoke up. "Do you know him, Lieutenant?"
"Sure," he said with a smirk, "'cept I thought The Man in Black, was dead."
Daryl scoffed suddenly.
Grabbing the curtain, Cash pulled it across, cutting himself off from the rest of them.
"Fuck him," the Lieutenant growled, his smooth baritone dark, turning to Carol on Daryl's bed. "What's with the habit, ange?"
"I signed up," she teased with a small grin.
"If you could see your man's face right now," the Lieutenant replied with a grin.
Carol gave Daryl a small smile. "We're on a mission of mercy."
"Going outside the walls?" Daryl asked.
"Yes, Woodbury. Milton thinks we might better convince them if they knew we actually come from a convent."
"Pretty sneaky of you," Daryl replied.
"I think so too, but like Grace said 'we'll worry about deception after they're safe with us'."
Pondering this, the Lieutenant sighed and asked, "who are you taking?"
"Michonne, Karen and Milton."
"When are you gonna be back?" Daryl broke in.
"When we get back," she replied.
Chuckling, the Lieutenant stretched his long legs, resting the backs of his ankles on the bar at the end of his bed, the chains they had attached to them rattling. This time Grace was careful to lock him to the solid heavy bar instead of the flimsy middle ones and she was not happy about the bed.
"You keep alert out there," the Lieutenant said kindly. "Watch your ass."
She nodded. "I don't take foolish risks."
The Cajun laughed. "Think she's alluding to our adventures, cabri?"
"Still mad?" Daryl asked, almost cautiously.
Carol blinked at him. "I don't think I'm the one you two have to worry about."
"Ah, yes, my girl," the Lieutenant mused. "She is a spitfire, isn't she?" He rattled his chains again almost musically. "Think this time she meant business."
"Think this time I should have gagged you as well," Grace stated moving around the curtain.
"I have but one regret about doing what we did, baby girl," the Lieutenant drawled. "And it's lying in the cot next door to me."
"This curtain isn't soundproof, you know," the man stated darkly.
"Shut your mouth, Lulu," the Cajun shot back firmly. "I'm going to wait until he's asleep then I'm holding a pillow over his face," he mumbled softly.
"I got your back on that one, brother," Daryl stated.
Easing onto Daryl's bed beside Carol, Grace sighed, setting her rifle butt on the ground and holding it. "Try to be kind, boys, we could use allies instead of enemies."
"Honeychild, if he would have been at least decent enough when he came to, I may have considered it, but all bets are off once he calls the Cajun people retarded. That's not even a PC term and I find that offensive most of all."
Carol exchanged a smile with Daryl who snorted.
"Some people think chivalry shouldn't have died out with them knights and ladies fair," he went on. "A little gratitude isn't a death sentence."
"You go outside these walls, you be careful," Daryl warned, moving the conversation on. "Both of you."
"We'll be fine," Carol said. "Woodbury's secure."
"Famous last words these days," the Lieutenant said. "Seems there's always something going wrong," he turned his eyes on Grace, they were serious and calm. "You take my pack with you, cher. Use whatever you need in it to stay alive and safe if you have to."
"I'm not carrying that thing around with me," Grace argued. "It weighs about a hundred pounds and it'll drag me down more than it'll help me."
"It's only twenty," he replied. "And it'll give me peace of mind to know you have it with you in case things go south. Please?"
She nodded.
Carol felt a little relieved she was going to give him peace of mind, it wasn't a big deal, but if it made him feel better, then maybe it'd stop them from worrying too much.
"You wear it too, none of this leaving it in the truck, yeah?"
Grace nodded.
"Promise?"
"Of course, Lieutenant," she insisted firmly.
"That's my girl, thinking smart," he cooed with a smirk.
Feeling Daryl's fingertips curl against her lower back, Carol slipped her arm around behind her and sought them out, linking their hands together quietly. She paused when she felt something hard and cold being pressed against her hand. Releasing his hand, she found he was giving her the heavy duty combat knife the Lieutenant had lent him with his free arm. He must have had it stored under his pillow as was his habit.
She wrapped her fingers around it and the strap he had wrapped around it as well.
"We should get moving," Grace said, pushing to her feet. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get back."
Standing up as well, Carol hooked the knife to the belt at her hip with the clip the one a rosary currently dangled from, hiding it with the scapular, handing the leather belt it had come with back to Daryl quietly.
He nodded almost approvingly at her, a small smile touching the corner of his mouth.
Finding Grace preoccupied with the Lieutenant's puppy dog eyed pleading for a kiss goodbye, she caught Daryl's hand and pressing it to his chest, leaned down and kissed him gently goodbye as well, trapping their hands together between them.
"This get up nearly killed me," the Lieutenant said.
Pulling away from Daryl, Carol glanced over to find the Cajun had caught Grace by the veil and was tugging it almost playfully.
"Well, if you don't behave yourself you might have to get used to it," she returned archly.
The Lieutenant chuckled. "Let me ask you something I've always wondered about, cher."
Sensing he was about to dig himself into a deeper hole, Daryl interrupted. "You two best get going," he said gruffly.
Catching the Lieutenant's hand in her veil, Grace tucked it back to the man's side with a small twinkle in her eye.
"I guess it'll have to wait," he said.
Glancing back at Daryl one last time, she found him giving her an encouraging nod and a small smile. She waved to him, before smiling at the Lieutenant who was already looking to get into fresh trouble.
The Voodoo Dialect
Marinette-Bwa-Chech – Her name means "Marinette of the dry arms." She is considered to be an evil spirit, a she-devil; the sworn servant of evil.
The screeching owl is the emblem of Marinette. After mounting people, she talks of eating people and confesses hideous crimes. At the end the houngan and the possessed alike jump in the fire and stamp it out. For sacrifice she is offered chickens that have been plucked alive, goats and sows. However, no one can touch these animals whilst preparing them; they must also be buried.
She often wanders the woods and goes to her secret place where the offerings she shares with no one are left.
So many reviews from the last chapter, let's just cover the one's that need replies:
HGRHfan35 - I'm glad you don't like Cash, means I'm doing my job. He's an asshole.
songbird1313 - I agree, Rick is turning into a stone cold killer and I kind of love that about him.
Merle's Right Hand - I never trust a man who's a smooth talker...something suspicious about them.
itsi3 - Yeah, something about an easy going fellow like the Lt. getting angry makes me happy.
Brazen Hussy - It's good to know you have your priorities in order, babes.
Surplus Imagination - Yeah, poor Milton and his lady friend...I hope they tell him where they left her at least.
Jack And Honey - You're the only one who made that connection to Scooby Doo. You get a scooby snack for that.
hopelesslydevoted2svu - Well thank you! Very sweet to hear! It's reviews like that that keep the old machine running.
spygrrl99 - Get in line, at least fifty people want to smack Carl...me personally I think Merle needs to do it, then they can reach a bit of an understanding and maybe some mutual respect.
Jodie Kay - Thank you! Very lovely of you to say! I appreciated every word of that review!
SilverWolf84 - Oh God that would hit the spot right now, huh? A Wolf Pack rumble against Cash with Daryl and the Lt. leading it?
alien-cats - Your reviews were very sweet. Thank you. That first one, whew, it was a book but every word was so beautiful, honestly put the wind back into my sails. Thank you so much for that. Made my week I think. ^_^