The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.

Carl Rogers

Changing Seasons

Carol, Michonne, and Morgan stood in line for the vaccine the next morning. Daryl and Sam were home minding Judith. Rick and Deanna had decided that vaccinations for those who wanted the vaccine should start the morning after Christie arrived. At any time a group of armed mercenaries/soldiers might roar in and demand their vaccine back.

Christie and Jesse were giving the injections. Most women were making an effort to get in his line. Carol understood. He had gentle hands and he was very good looking. Morgan had jumped to Christie's line. Carol understood. Christie had gentle hands and she was very good looking. Carol didn't care who gave her the injection because she was going home to Daryl who had gentle hands and was very good looking.

She and Daryl were in a quandary about Sam. Should he take the vaccine? No one knew for sure the side effects. Would there be another chance? Carl was in line, but what about Judith? Like everything else in this new world there just wasn't an easy answer. It felt strange to Carol to make decisions with Daryl, but she realized that she wasn't autonomous anymore. She had to change if she and Daryl were going to be equal partners. They decided to talk to Deanna and see if she had any objections.

Christie smiled at her, "Carol, I promise not to hurt you." One quick swipe of a cold liquid against her arm and a quick injection later Carol was finished. Christie patted her shoulder, "It's over."

Most of the citizens of Alexandria were in line. Christie had met with everyone this morning and explained how the vaccine worked and possible side effects. She and Jesse had taken the vaccine secretly at the compound. She had been fine but Jesse had ran a slight fever. A few people had ran a high fever that responded to medications.

Carol noticed that the elderly had been the first through the line. A group of volunteers were tending to the seniors today in case they became feverish. Most couples were taking the vaccine on different days. Eric was taking it today and Aaron tomorrow.

Christie wasn't staying in Alexandria long. She, Morgan, and Jesse were leaving for Salem Valley in a few days. Christie wanted to stay long enough to give everyone here a chance to take the vaccine and to see if there was a reaction. Morgan thought that she would be safer in Salem, and it was obvious that Christie's safety was a priority for him. All three of them could stay in the log house for a few weeks and inoculate anyone in Salem Valley that wanted the cure.

Carol watched Jesse swab Michonne's arm saying something to her that made Michonne smile at him. Jesse smiled back and then quickly injected her. Carol knew Michonne hated needles and getting her flirt on with Jesse seemed to make getting the injection easier. Jesse took his time putting on the gauze protection on Michonne's shoulder and he said something else that made Michonne laugh again.

Daryl had already ratted Rick out to her for having sex with some woman named Elise at the compound. Sex for Daryl was about trust and lust. Once he trusted you and himself enough to let his libido control the event, he trusted you enough to keep his secrets. Pillow talk was new for Daryl but he was trying not to keep things from her. Carol wasn't surprised that Rick had finally moved on from Lori, not after the way he looked at Jesse. She was just surprised that he would risk losing his chance with Michonne by having a casual affair.

Carol looked at Jesse who had finally ran out of reasons to keep Michonne by his side. Michonne was moving toward her. Carol grinned, "You didn't get a lollypop?"

Michonne looked at her bandage, "It did hurt, but I was brave."

Carol patted her arm, "You were brave. Not a tear, but then you were standing beside old blue eyes over there."

"He is a damn fine looking man, and he is funny and smart. Why does he have to leave so soon?" Michonne lamented. She looked toward Jesse who was swabbing another woman who was obviously striving her his attention. He looked up and smiled at Michonne. "Look at that skank trying to get her swerve on with Jesse".

"We better go before you get out your constable gun or your katana and begin clearing out the competition. So he is still leaving with Christie and Morgan?"

Michonne nodded sulkily, "They are going to take the cure to Salem. Saving the world takes precedence over staying in Alexandria."

"Go with them. You can help save the world too. Go if you want to. How many blue eyed African-American men are left in Virginia? " Carol rebuked herself for giving advice to Michonne. It wasn't her style, but there was something in the way that those two were together. Michonne was lighter hearted, her smile more present, and Jesse obviously smitten with Michonne. He seemed delighted with Michonne's skill with a katana without being resentful or competitive. He would let Michonne be Michonne.

"Look at you, being all big and bold. Just because you and Daryl finally and I mean finally started being the beast with two backs doesn't mean that the rest of us can just run off with a handsome stranger." Michonne smiled at Jesse who kept glancing up from his job to look at her.

"We better go before Jesse stabs the needle into his own shoulder. You're distracting him." Carol started toward the door and her friend followed her.

"Where is Daryl? Home resting? You probably wore him out last night and this morning." Michonne was rewarded by a faint pink tinge in Carol's cheeks. "Good on you both. Seize the day and each other."

Carol stopped to put on her jacket and handed Michonne her jacket. The two women went down the steps to find that Daryl and Sam were walking toward them. Sam had Buck on a leash. Daryl was carrying Judith. He might be domesticated enough to carry a baby but not enough to push a stroller. That was fine with her. She was willing to let Daryl be Daryl.

It was cold and windy. There had been a heavy frost last night and leaves were whirling in the air. Judith and Sam were wearing jackets and Daryl's concession to the cold was wearing a long sleeved shirt under his vest.

Daryl handed Judith to Carol, "How are you feeling? If you're okay, Aaron and I are going out to look to see if there are any unfriendlies around. Rick and Morgan are going in another direction."

"I feel fine. Be careful out there." Daryl was never going to be the guy who let someone else do the heavy lifting. He had changed enough to allow himself to give Sam a pat on the back, kiss Judith's cheek, and give her a fleeting kiss.

Michonne was surprisingly silent.

She and Michonne visited with Deanna. The older woman cuddled Judith and laughed when Sam showed her Buck's one trick. The combination of baby, boy, and little white dog was irresistible and Deanna seemed happier than she had been in weeks.

Deanna had been the first one through this morning. "Where is the press when you have a perfect photo-op?"

Carol finally asked, "What do you think about Sam taking the vaccine? Daryl and I would like you to make the decision."

Deanna nodded, "Let me talk to Sam alone."

Carol and Michonne took a sleepy Judith home. Sam came back later. Carol and Michonne were peeling potatoes for the evening meal when he came in. "I want to take it tomorrow. Mrs. Monroe said she will let you and Daryl make the final decision. I'm not afraid and I don't want to miss my chance."

"We'll talk to Dr. Alston when she comes in later," Carol was still up in the air but Daryl wanted Sam to have the vaccine.

It started to rain that afternoon. Carl played video games with Sam downstairs. Michonne kept checking Carl for signs of fever but he seemed to be fine.

Christie and Jesse had made the rounds to check on everyone who had taken the vaccine. A few cases of low grade fever but nothing to serious so far. They joined them in the kitchen. Jesse made cornbread "just like my grandma used to make". Christie made the dessert.

Daryl and Rick came in complaining about the cold and both were soaking wet. No unfriendlies were found. The weather had gotten worse. The temperature was still falling, rain and fog had limited visibility, and they were both glad to be out of the weather.

Christie asked if she could give a blessing over the meal. Daryl remembered that she had always bowed her head over her food before she ate. Carol didn't miss the look of adoration from Morgan. He wasn't too shy to run off with a stranger.

Daryl and Rick did the dishes. Carol felt tired and went upstairs. Christie took her temperature, "You have a slight temperature. Try to drink room temperature liquids. I am going to give something to bring it down."

Daryl came upstairs to take care of her. She didn't feel bad enough to not want the attention. Sam came to check on her and then went to his room to read. Michonne's fever was a little higher than hers and Jesse volunteered to tend to her. Carl and Morgan were both fine.

Daryl and Rick had watch that night. Daryl had left their bedroom door ajar and Carol shamelessly listened to Jesse and Michonne talking. Her fever had dropped after medication but he stayed close by because he was worried it would spike up again. He had a nice voice Carol decided. Masculine but soft as if he had nothing to prove. He was telling Michonne that his first job after high school was working at a small airport for flying lessons. Once he got his pilot's license he signed up to work in Alaska for two years. He worked twelve hour days for twenty four months working on the big machines used in oil production.

He came back to Virginia swearing never to go north of the Mason-Dixon Line again and with enough money to buy an airplane and begin a small charter company in northern Virginia. His brother had married and moved to Austin, Texas. He had been busy with his airline business and adding to his collection of old airplanes. His parents were living in Virginia but they liked to travel in their Winnebago. He visited his cousin Christie who was a doctor/professor at the University of Virginia fairly often. They had always been as close as siblings.

"Christie called me at the hangar early that morning and told me that some sort of virus had been found in Florida. My parents were visiting my brother and her parents were killed in a car crash years ago. I flew down and by the time I got there all hell was breaking loose in Charlottesville. I had a weekend home in the Shenandoah with a landing strip on the property. We stayed there for a couple of months until Elise and her soldiers found us and we have spent the rest of the time in the compound. I was a soldier until I had an accident and hurt my knee two months ago. I'm doing rehab on it now."

Carol translated all that as Jesse wanting Michonne to know that he and Christie were their only living relations and he couldn't let her go off without him. He knew how to fight and was available. Carol smiled thinking of all those on-line dating service in which applicants listed their characteristics (probably all lies). Jesse's could be an attractive thirtyish African-American business owner seeks a relationship with a katana wielding lawyer with serious trust issues.
She amused herself by writing Daryl's: A scruffy but handsome fortyish former drifter with a laundry list of issues stemming from being abused as a child. Will hunt for food. He is looking for love with a fortyish widow who has similar past issues with abuse and who suffers from PTSD and prone to random acts of mass destruction.

Carol was feeling better and she went to check on Sam. Fast asleep and yes Buck was curled up beside him. She peeked in at Michonne who was also asleep. Jesse was curled up beside her on top of the covers. She threw a blanket over Jesse and went back to bed, falling asleep almost at once.

Daryl woke her when he came to bed. She nestled close to him; for once he was the cold one and she was the warm one. "How you feeling? Better?"

He sounded so hopeful that Carol smiled. She felt perfectly fine. She turned to face him and kissed him letting her hand travel down to his dick and rubbing it firmly enough to let him know she was interested. "How do you think I am feeling?"

He groaned a bit, "Carol, go to sleep. I'm tired and you are acting weird. Are you out of your head?"

She nibbled his lip and sucked at his neck, "There is a part of you that isn't tired. It's acting like it wants to stay up all night."

Daryl kissed her forehead, "You don't have a fever. You ain't delirious. So you keep this shit up I'll have to show you what happens to naughty patients who don't follow doctor's orders."

Carol cooed, "Tell me more".

"I'll have to do a complete examination. Take off your clothes and don't bother with that gown where you ass hangs out. This is a very difficult case. I'll have to check your entire body."

"Be thorough, doctor." Daryl had eased out of his briefs and was kissing her neck while he gently squeezed her breasts. "Just take all the time you need to rid me of this weird feeling I have."

"Weird feeling?"

"Like I just have to have you inside me. Is there any cure?"

Daryl laughed, "It's a chronic condition. The only treatment is a good rubdown, lots of contact with the afflicted areas, and of course long slow thrusts inside you to relieve the pressure."

"Chronic? You mean it's going to be coming back?"

"I sure hope so."

TWDTWDTWD

The sun came out the next morning. Carl and Rick went scouting. Sam was vaccinated with Carol and Daryl on either side. He insisted that he was too traumatized by the experience to go to school that day. Daryl agreed that he should go back to the house and stay in bed all day.

"Let's take a walk outside the gates," Carol was feeling restless. She wanted out of Alexandria and into some fresh air. "We can take Sam if he isn't too upset."

They took a few minutes to gather weapons, water, and food. Soon the three of them were outside the walls. Daryl had refused to let Buck go, "He's just a pup and we might walk too far for him."

Carol knew that wasn't the reason. Dogs tended to bark when you needed them to be quiet.

Daryl spent most of the hike teaching Sam how to walk quietly in the woods and the importance of being aware of everything around you. The air was clear and cool and squirrels jumped from limb to limb like miniature hairy acrobats. There were rabbits in the open areas. Daryl taught Sam how to make snares, "We'll get dinner on the way back." Daryl patiently identified trees and flowers for Sam.

They ate lunch on a rock that overlooked a few houses scattered along an empty road. Sam sat between them. There hadn't been a walker in sight all morning but three staggered toward them as they started back through an open field. Daryl ordered, "Get behind us, Sam."

Carol knew that Daryl could have handled them on his own, but this was about teaching Sam not to panic. She grabbed her knife. "I could shoot them with my pistol, but the sound will bring more." She moved swiftly toward a walker that was coming from them from the side. Carol raised her weapon and struck it through the walker's eye and then wrenched it out. She wiped her weapon clean.

Daryl had dispatched the other two. He showed Sam the entry wounds. "Gotta hit them in the brain, every other place and they're still coming for you." Sam looked shaken, but not terrified. They cleaned up at a small creek nearby and walked back.

Daryl and Sam checked their snares on the way back. There was a rabbit in the first snare. Carol watched their surroundings. The meadow was starting to lose the battle with bushes and trees. Daryl was explaining how to quickly dispatch a rabbit when Carol saw a big buck come out of the trees and walk across the field. He was magnificent but he was also food.

"Daryl". She stood still and kept her voice low.

He looked up immediately, "Something wrong?"

"There is a big buck headed our way. He is behind you about fifty yards. He doesn't see me."

Daryl grabbed his cross bow and straightened up slowly. The deer had come closer and had lowered his head to eat. He lifted his head and Carol knew he was going to bolt away at any second.

Daryl's bolt was already on its way. It was a clean hit. The deer was dead by the time they made their way there. Daryl motioned for Carol to take Sam away while he did the field dressing.

They waited close enough for Daryl to be there if things went wrong. "I wouldn't get sick," Sam insisted.

Daryl dragged the carcass to the trees and unearthed a nylon rope. He tied the rope around the deer's head and hung it up high enough to keep other animals from getting to it. They hurried back then. It was still early in the afternoon, but Daryl was going to come back with a four wheeler to help transport the meat.

Dinner that night was rabbit stew. Daryl had given the deer to Alexandria's butcher, John Walls who would let it hang for a few days before the cut it up. They would be given a portion of the venison.

After dinner Christie and Jesse gave more details of the plan. They did intend to go to Salem Valley and vaccinate those that wanted the cure. Then, they were going to meet up with Elise and her soldiers at Charlottesville. The University of Virginia's research facilities were still intact and there were several doctors and researchers still alive in the area. The soldiers had been ferrying supplies to the area for six months, one small load at a time. Solar panels had been installed to provide enough power to run the equipment needed to make the vaccine.

Elise was there now. Fort Belvoir was providing engineering support. The goal was to make as much vaccine as possible and begin giving it out to everyone who wanted it. Christie smiled, "We need to get UVA up and running as soon as possible. We can't put the world back the way it was, but at least we can allow humans to die knowing that they won't come back as a monster. We're hoping for a harsh winter that will wipe out most of the zombies in Middle Atlantic States. They are almost nonexistent in the northern plains, the Rocky Mountains, and New England."

Rick asked, "What can we do to help?"

"You've done enough. You and Daryl got us out of the compound and on our way to Charlottesville. Morgan is going to help us go the rest of the way."

Christie was persuaded to stay long enough to make sure that the vaccine had worked and that everyone recovered with few side effects. The small convoy leaving Alexandria that day included Christie, Morgan, Jesse, and Michonne in the Land Rover. The next vehicle carried most of the supplies and Daryl and Aaron. Sitting in the back seat were Carol and Eric and in the third row was a boy named Sam and a dog named Buck.

Carol looked at the boy sitting beside her, "I should have left you with Deanna. Stay close to the adults and keep that dog quiet."

Daryl said, "I should have left Carol at home."

Aaron said, "I should have left Eric at home.

Eric had a walking cast now, but Aaron knew he couldn't run. Eric was tired to keeping the home fires burning while Aaron had all the excitement.

Daryl had been adamant that Carol stay behind. Carol disagreed and there had been a long protracted argument between the two of them. In the end, they both compromised. Carol and Eric would stay at Salem Valley. The others were moving on to Charlottesville.

Sam had made his case for inclusion. Carol was a definite no and Daryl broke the other way. "How safe is it anywhere? He should be with us. If you go, then he goes".

Finally Carol agreed. "I don't want to leave him either. You're right, Sam should be with us. "

Aaron met Eric's eyes in the rear view mirror and smiled. Sometimes the heart overrules the head and it surely had in this case.