Interlude

Carol kicked off her boots and wondered if getting undressed was worth the trouble. The Wolves were quite literally at the doors of Alexandria tonight. The attack could come at any time.

Daryl came out of the bathroom looking weary, "Add some heavy clothing to your run bag. It's colder here than Georgia." Being prepared for the worst was part of who they were.

"We're not going to lose this place." Carol was surprised at the fierceness in her voice, "The Wolves have woken the citizens of Alexandria out of their happy little dream world. They are starting to get it. You either fight or die in this world and most of them have chosen to fight."

He sat down on the bed beside her. "So you have chosen to fight for Alexandria? Why?"

"I want to see the basement finished. I want to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas here. I want to see Judith go to school and Carl get married. I want to spend the rest of my life sleeping in the same bed with you. I want a home." There it was out and she knew how dangerous it was to have hope, to declare a want out loud where an uncaring universe could hear.

Daryl stood up and grabbed her feet and moved her legs so that she was lying on the bed. He stripped off her socks and began kneading her feet with his calloused hands, "In Atlanta you said that the you that was at the prison got burned away. You said that this world consumes you. The fire burns the dross away and whatever is left is stronger for it. You never let anyone get really close to you at the prison after we lost Lori and Andrea."

There was truth in what he said and Carol admitted, "I liked not being vulnerable. You were okay with that too."

Daryl nodded, "We're two of a kind in lots of ways. The prison gave us important jobs to do. Our job was who we were. Then the prison was taken away. We both went through the fire. I let my past get burned away. It felt good to watch it burn. I couldn't change what had happened but I could stop letting it control me. Coming here was a new start for us. I meant what I said in that barn. We're not dead."

"Who am I? The cold merciless killer or the happy homemaker that I pretend to be?"

"It wasn't just a role, this sweet cheery woman who smiles at everyone. That's part of you. The woman who blew up Terminus and who views everyone as a potential thread is part of you. They aren't different people, they are all you. I saw you today working with the other women on how to fight. You made them feel that they were stronger and more capable than they thought they were." Daryl had watched her from the tower, watched her slender graceful figure move in and around the other women demonstrating how to use knives to kill walkers. He had been both proud and terrified, but he accepted that to be part of the toll for loving such a complicated woman.

"I need to tell you what happened on the road with the girls." This was as good a time as any. She began by explaining how she had tracked the girls and Tyreese. Her voice wavered when she talked about making pralines with girls and how Mika had resisted killing the deer. Carol looked at her hands when she got to the part of the story where she finds Mika covered with blood and the depth to Lizzie's madness is revealed.

Daryl has pulled her down onto the bed so that she is lying in his arms when she tells of taking Lizzie for that last walk and then carrying her body back to the house. That night she gives Tyreese the pistol that she used to kill Lizzie and confesses to putting down a dying Karen and David. Her voice is too calm and he knows that she had told that story over and over to herself. Condemning herself over and over again.

Daryl doesn't know what to say. He holds her close and says over and over again, "I love you and I am sorry that you had to do that." He cries for her and his tears seem to fuel her own weeping. Carol sobs until she falls asleep and Daryl kisses her tear stained face and gives into his own weariness.

TWDTWDTWD

Daryl is gone when she wakes the next morning and she stumbles into the bathroom to take a shower. She wears the cargo pants and low hiking boots today but she adds dark rose top. She liked some of her new wardrobe and Daryl was right. Part of her wanted wear pretty clothes and smile at people. The sweater had different color of pink woven into it and it went well with her hair. Carol saw how vulnerable she looked, but she accepted that as part of her she really was.

Michonne is downstairs cleaning her weapons. She put down her chamois rag and stared at Carol. "Sleeping late and dressing in feminine clothes. What hath Daryl wrought in you? Was it that damn good?"

Carol recognized that Michonne was trying to be her friend. It would be good to have a friend like Michonne. Carol gave a whirl so that Michonne could see her sweater from all sides, "Not all of us can carry off that unisex constable outfit and still look good. I have a gorgeous red sweater that would fit you for when you go wild and let your inner fashionista come out."

"No time to be a diva today. Rosita and Tara are going to watch Judith. The menfolk are all out doing things that require heavy machinery. Don't expect Daryl to be back anytime soon. He and Aaron are out on some sort of scouting mission. You and I have been delegated to training the locals to find their inner warriors."

Michonne sounded so disgruntled that Carol grinned. "We'll do that later. I'm going to go grab something to eat and you are going to wear that sweater this morning. Time to check on my friends today and then after that we'll put on something unflattering and make killers out of our neighbors."

It was an Alexandria that Michonne had never seen. Carol's friends were mostly old people who didn't get out much. The Gray Panthers knew all about the threat to the town and acted as if they wanted to get involved. Carol warned them that the walls might be breached and wanted them to move into the community center. It had a large basement and those that were ambulatory would be moved there if something happened during the day and they would sleep there at night. The others would need to be transported and Carol made a list.

Michonne enjoyed the visits. Most of them were feisty and spirited and she could see why Carol liked them so much. The women liked their sweaters; the men flirted outrageously and everyone expressed their opinions freely.

Their last stop was the Thompsons. Jeremiah wasn't strong but he was clear headed. Karen was fragile and vague. Mr. Thompson had given Carol a bottle of whiskey on her last visit, "Have you enjoyed a drink yet?"

Carol shook her head, "Not yet. We've been busy."

"I bought that bottle when I retired from teaching. Karen had already retired and we had big plans on what we were going to do. We were going to build a house in the mountains and then drink a toast of that whiskey off the deck at sunset. We bought the property for the house but before the house was finished she began to fail. The house is finished and we lived there before she got sick again. She wasn't allowed any alcohol so we never drank the toast. The house is in the mountains of West Virginia and I have the directions marked on this map. I want you to have it. Someday you and your man can sit up there and drink that toast for us."

He handed her a map and an envelope of directions. "I need something from you. Karen can't go to that basement. She is very weak and confused lately. I want you to get me a pistol. I can't let them have her and I have no reason to stay here without her." Jeremiah wiped the drool from Karen's face carefully. Carol was worried about her; she was noticeably weaker than she had been two days ago. What would happen if she died of natural causes in a basement full of elderly people?

Carol sent Michonne a beseeching look and her friend answered, "You need to go to the community center. I'll make sure that you and Karen can stay in the office area. It will be quieter there. Do you know how to use a pistol?"

Jeremiah Thompson nodded, "I grew up in the mountains. I can handle a pistol."

Carol smiled at Karen, "I'll give her a sponge bath. Jeremiah, you take a break with Michonne."

Karen smiled at Carol, "You look pretty today, Miss Carol."

The old man led Michonne out to the porch. "Karen loves Carol. Says she has kind eyes and gentle hands. Barely knows her but she was the one to tell me that Carol should have our house."

Jeremiah sat down on one of the two rockers and turned his face up to the morning sun. "Karen has had a bad couple of days but she is a little stronger this morning. She doesn't have long left on this earth. Both of us have accepted that. I can't let her turn and I can't bear to think that she might be torn apart by the dead."

Michonne took his hand, "I'll get you a gun if you promise to go to the community center."

Jeremiah turned to Michonne, "I hope that you are with them when they drink the whiskey. Either with Rick or that new man who has kind eyes. We built a bigger house than we needed. Karen needed to be closer to doctors and the hospital so we came back to Northern Virginia. We were staying with Reg and Deanna when this went down. They brought us to Alexandria."

Later, Carol and Michonne walked back to their house to get ready for another afternoon of teaching fighting skills. Daryl was sitting on the porch steps when they got back. Michonne went on in the house. Carol sat down beside of Daryl. The sun was warm on her face and she closed her eyes and put her hand in Daryl's.

"I saw plenty of sign of the Wolves in the woods, but they aren't out there right now. I think they pushed themselves back but they are still coming." He inched closer to Carol. "You stay close to me when that happens. Can't lose you again."

She nodded, "It feels good in the sun this morning. The bright day is done, and we are for the dark. Shakespeare said that a long time ago. My version is different. The dark is done, and we are for the bright day. We'll get through this and we then we'll get a bright day."

Daryl nudged her shoulder, "You are my bright day. I ought to get up and go work on the walls."

Carol leaned against him, "Michonne and I are teaching this afternoon. Let's go upstairs for a while. Let's just have some bright day right now."

Daryl tensed beside her, "Is that what you want or you just want to give me what I want?"

Carol laughed and stood up, "Daryl, I want both of us to get what we want. I'm going upstairs. You can go work on the walls or you can go upstairs and have sex. Don't take all day making up your mind." She went in the house.

Michonne came out of the house and stood looking out over the town. "You be good to her or I'm cutting your balls off. Just saying." She started down the steps. "You got two hours and then Miss Carol better get her ass out there and help me."

Daryl was at the door by then, "Two hours of bright day. Not nearly enough time."

Carol had her clothes off and had donned a bathrobe by the time Daryl thundered up the steps. He slammed the door shut behind him and locked it, "Michonne says we have two hours." He kicked off his shoes and threw his shirt over his head. He stopped to look at her. "Don't take that off until I get rid of these pants."

Carol opened the blinds so that the room would be lit by the sun. Daryl had worked his pants off and he followed her to the window. "Tell me what you want". He kissed her lips and his hands undid her robe pushing it to the floor. He kissed his way down her body and they both settled on the floor. He pushed her legs apart.

He kissed the insides of her thighs, "I want you to say my name when you come. I want to be inside you when I come." Carol looked at the ceiling. One of the old ladies had given her a sun catcher she had hung it on the window and never thought about it again. The sun catcher was throwing a rainbow of colors onto the walls and ceiling of her bedroom. Daryl licked her clit and she bucked into that pleasurewanting more. He moved so that he could suck her nipples and his hand slid into her center and a lazy finger circled her clit and then she bucked again and he laughed against her breast. "Tell me what you want."

"I want to go down on me. Now." She had always wondered how that would feel. She had stroked herself into orgasms before, but she wanted everything now that she had never had before. Wanted pleasure and wanted to give pleasure freely. Wanted to know how it felt to make love to someone without holding anything back.

"Yes, Miss Carol. I can do that." He kissed his way back down, stopping to trace a stretch mark with his tongue and then his mouth settled back on her clit and this time he didn't tease. His tongue plundered and conquered and in the end she could only give way to the need to give herself completely to the pleasure and to call his name over and over.

Daryl was lying at her side when she sighed, "That was amazing."

He smirked, "I get that a lot."

"I want you inside of me." He had said to tell him what she wanted.

"Damn woman, always wanting something." Daryl pushed his boxers down and settled over her. "Don't blink, 'cause this ain't going to take all day."

It lasted long enough that she came with him. They rested on the floor watching the lights move on the ceiling as the breeze moved the sun catcher and cooled their bodies.

Daryl insisted on moving to the bed. Carol slipped on her robe and went downstairs and brought back some food. They ate the brownies but Carol was never sure the buzz she felt was anything but being naked with Daryl as they explored each other's bodies. Carol remembered that her grandfather used to say, "Don't leave anything on the table." He told her that it meant that you enjoyed whatever you had and you didn't waste it. If this was the only time that she would have with Daryl she didn't want to leave anything on the table.

Michonne shook her braids at Carol when she showed up. "You're forty five minutes late. Miss Carol. We've got work to do."

That evening Carol and Michonne cooked a big dinner for everyone. Judith cooing from her high chair and everyone fresh from their showers. Every bite was eaten and Morgan and Rick cleaned the kitchen while everyone relaxed on the porch and watched the sun set.

Rick had changed the watch schedule and he and Morgan were going to be on until midnight. Glenn and Nicholas were going to be in the tower from midnight until dawn. Weapons were being cleaned and loaded. Carol and Daryl walked to the community center and made certain that the elderly were there and comfortable. Michonne followed later with Judith who was the center of attention.

Jeremiah and Karen were in an office with an adjacent bathroom. Someone had moved a hospital bed in there and Karen was lying in bed. Jeremiah was sitting in a comfortable chair. Karen hardly roused and Carol thought that she might be slipping away. Michonne handed Jeremiah a revolver and a small box. "It has six shots in it and there is six more in this box."

Carol took Karen's hand and began to rub it gently, "It was a beautiful day, Karen. So bright and the leaves are so pretty this time of year."

Karen barely nodded, but her voice was strong enough so that everyone in the room could hear her. "We lost our little girl a long time ago. Leukemia. Been missing her so much lately but it won't be long now. I'm tired and she is waiting just on the other side. Now you go do what you have to do. I just want to be with Jeremiah now."

Jeremiah walked them to the door and hugged them goodbye, "The key is in the envelope that I gave you. We'll be alright here. You be careful tonight."

They walked back together. Judith cooing at the full moon that just coming up over the walls. Daryl and Aaron were going out beyond the walls tonight and Aaron was waiting for him on the front steps. Daryl kissed her goodbye, "We're not going far. We see anything then we will give the signal and head back for the gate."

Tara and Rosita were staying downstairs tonight with Judith. Aaron had helped Eric down the steps already. Maggie and Glenn were patrolling the inner walls. Spencer and Sasha were walking the same walls from another direction. Abraham and Eugene were guarding the power station. Rick was taking Carl with him to the tower. Carol and Michonne were on guard on the front porch.

The town lights were off tonight. The basement lights were blacked out. Carol looked at Jessie's house. It was dark and Jessie and Ron were on their front porch and she could see Sam sitting between them.

Michonne stood and stretched. Her katana reflected some of the moonlight as she moved it back and forth. Carol had locked the back door and Rick and Morgan had moved the table against it. The front windows had been covered with plywood. The safe room had been stocked with supplies. Eric and Tara would go there with Judith. Rosita would come up to fight if there was an attack.

The moon had risen to its zenith and Alexandria was bathed in its light when Carol saw Daryl and Aaron coming down the street. They were calling out to people as they came. "Get ready, the trucks are headed this way."

AN

I love that quote from Shakespeare and wanted to work it in.

How did you like "Interlude"? Review?