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**Grace**
"We need to talk."
She had just finished feeding Five and making sure Scout had what was left of the formula.
They were watching the girl close to see if there were signs of malnutrition because the formula was technically way past it's best before date.
So far Scout seemed to be doing fine on it, but the formula was gone, it was no more and before nightfall they'd need something else.
Now, she had entered her study with the babies in both arms, about to set them down in the crib placed there by Daryl, only to find Sister Ruth sitting behind her desk looking dour.
"About what?" Grace asked, moving to place the children in their crib.
"About getting you back on your road," Ruth said.
Quirking a brow, Grace tucked Scout's little hand to herself as the infant flung it in Five's face and sighed. "What road?"
"The one to salvation."
Standing up, Grace expected nothing less from the woman, though she was hoping the conversation would come at a better time.
"Ruth—"
"You've strayed far, Grace, I'm only trying to bring you back to the flock."
"Ruth," Grace insisted firmly, not allowing her to get anything out. "A shepherd can't join a flock of sheep. You mind your place or you will be out among the wolves. Now I have brought you and yours into my convent – yes, mine – because you needed some mercy and compassion and I am still a woman of God."
"You've gone so far from the path of God—"
"I am doing God's work!" Grace snapped.
"You've taken a man to your bed and where is he? Lord knows, he probably ran off with that woman."
"And our bed is none of your business, nor is the fornication we perform there nightly. I am still a woman of God and I am still doing His work and my pride and arrogance didn't lose me any of my flock."
"Except the two missing, the other two after them, the two after those two," Ruth returned coolly.
Calming herself, Grace took a mental step back and a physical step forward to place her hand on Ruth's shoulder.
"Sister Ruth," she said calmly. "You've had a hard seventy-two hours. I know you're exhausted, I know your back is sore and your mind is in a jumble. Maybe you should go take a rest with your little ones and try to find some peace."
"My heart will never know peace until I set you—"
"Sister Ruth—"
"These other sisters here are too soft on you! I am ashamed of what you have become! The leader, the guide, the beacon of light for us at this convent and you've fallen so far, so fast."
"Maybe I've pulled my head from the clouds and fallen back down to earth, Sister," Grace argued. "God is not some man sitting in the sky judging us. He's here, he's inside all of the good we do. When we raise a hand for good, it's God moving the limb. I may have abandoned my vows, but I am still serving Him and I am still spreading his message of peace and love. It may be hard at times and yes I've fallen in love with a man, but I am also mere flesh and blood and I find peace with him by my side. The God I worship wouldn't care one bit if I loved while my time on this earth ticked by, He created us and He knows we need love to thrive."
"You're just making excuses for your sins," Ruth snarled.
"And you're tired and under severe stress," Grace shot back, squeezing Ruth's shoulder kindly. "Go to bed, Sister. Please get some rest?"
Ruth seemed to hesitate, before she dropped her chin and closed her mouth. "I'm sorry, Grace…you're right, I'm…I'm all fired up and spouting off at the wrong person."
Smiling at the woman as she turned tail and left, Grace kept the plastic emotion plastered on her face for only a fraction of a second after the door closed, before sighing heavily and padding to her desk to toe off her shoes, before heading over to the crib to peer down at the infants sleeping there.
Scout was sleeping with her head turned to Five, her little arm up and resting between them over top of Five's. The two cherubs sleeping.
Holding her stomach staples, she leaned over carefully and stroked a finger down Scout's soft little baby fat arm.
Five warbled in his sleep and she frowned.
The door to her study opened and careless little feet thumped over the floor, heading for her.
"Came to say 'hi'!" Annie chirped, wrapping her arms around Grace's waist, Olivia skidding to a halt on the study rug.
"Shh," Grace warned. "Say 'hi' softly, sweetheart."
Olivia stood on her tiptoes to peer into the crib, her little hands gripping the railing of it like a prisoner in a jail cell. "Babies sure are ugly," she pointed out.
"You were one once," Grace said.
"Blerg," Olivia replied.
"Hi, ugly babies!" Annie greeted loudly, jumping up onto the crib and peering down like a hungry vulture.
Shooing the child off the crib for her own safety, Grace huffed as Five began to whimper, before squalling, his little face scrunched up.
Tsking, she shooed the girls towards the door.
"Now you've woken them, you little troublemakers," she said. "Go on to your lessons now!"
Annie and Olivia giggled evilly as they scampered out the door.
"You little shits best watch your behaviour," someone drawled from somewhere near Grace's desk. "Or I'll tell your daddy."
Annie and Olivia continued to laugh out the door, slamming it hard behind them as Grace made for the crib, scooping up Five, just as his fist knocked Scout in the face.
The little girl wriggled, then squirmed, but thankfully slept through the crying as Grace managed to sooth her son quickly, scooping him up and bobbing him in her arms, watching as Daryl emerged fully from under her desk.
"How long have you been here?" She asked.
"Under your desk or on God's green?" Daryl returned, moving to check on his little girl in the crib, standing beside Grace.
"Did you hear—"
"I heard everything," he said. "That Ruth has a voice like a tornado siren."
Daryl was quiet for a moment, studying his feet, before he said almost impishly. "Fornication nightly, huh?"
She flushed. "It was heat of the moment, you!"
They fell silent, Daryl reaching down to stroke his little girl's cheek with a rough finger, while Grace cooed to her son.
"Been spending too much time with Fay, I guess," Daryl explained after a moment.
"That man would put the devil in anyone," she replied.
"Puts the devil in you nightly from the sounds of it," Daryl murmured.
Gasping in shock at his joke, she stood for a moment unsure how to react.
His sheepish shrug had her laughing softly.
"You used to be such a sweet man," she joked.
He was silent, still gingerly touching his little girl's hand, her fingers curling around his finger in her sleep.
"How much—"
"None."
Daryl nodded.
"I'm amazed you haven't taken off after them yet," Grace said, turning to return to her desk, easing down carefully with her son, minding her pulling wound.
"Girl keeps me close," the new daddy said. "Can't let her lose both parents."
"That girl isn't going to lose either one of you," Grace insisted firmly. "You know Lafayette would rather risk his own fool head then let anything happen to Carol."
"There's nothing that would keep Carol from her little girl," Daryl said. "Except—"
"Lord, I didn't take you for one of those roll over and die types, honey," Grace broke in quickly before Daryl could finish his thought. "Is that why you've been moping around here? Honey, you are a strange duck! Carol is just fine, she's hung up somewhere, but she is just fine and that man of mine he's watching her back, he's getting her home, he may be many things, but he is selfless and stubborn and Carol is tough as nails, she's a fighter, a she-wolf, she'll be home soon enough."
Daryl was quiet, his hands were together now, one picking at a hangnail on the other, bottom lip worried between his teeth, eyes solemn and on her.
Grace quietly soothed her son, hand rubbing his back. She still found amazement in the fact that at her age, with the path she thought she had chosen, she had a child that was her own flesh and blood. It felt like a part of her had broken off and was floating away, it was both beautiful and frightening thinking about that. Her son would grow up –with the grace of God – and he'd become a man with thoughts and beliefs all his own. He was a little human being that she made, that she created. That she and Fate created out of love.
She knew she'd have to confess pride to Father O'Rourke, because she felt nothing but pride for her son, for the family she had.
Standing across her desk was a part of that family, the brother of her husband in all but blood and he looked tired and he looked worried and it broke her heart.
"Oh, honey," she cooed. "I know. It's easy to say they're okay, but…I know. Out there, these days, anything could happen. But remember they're together and they're both so strong."
"And what about Scout?" Daryl asked. "Can't feed her without formula or her mama."
Grace nodded. "I know. I—"
"I swear you've begun ducking me," St. James said, pushing into the room with a sweeping force. "Thankfully—" he stopped short seeing Daryl and stepped back. "Sorry. I was…am I interrupting anything?"
"Since when do you care?" Grace teased. "Come in, honey, we were just discussing Scout."
St. James stepped into the study and approached the crib worriedly. "Why? What's her symptoms?"
"No…we ran out of formula this morning. I wouldn't even know where to begin to get some…Blue said he'd run to Atlanta if he had to, but…that's so far and…she'll need to eat—"
"It's not encouraged," St. James began tentatively. "In fact a good doctor would warn you against it, but…if Carol may be gone some time…if you produce enough milk, Grace…"
"Herschel told me it wasn't good for the baby," Grace said. "I've already—"
"Well, starving isn't good for her either." St. James replied. "She'll get sick during her adjustment and if Carol returns I wouldn't recommend jumping back to her milk one change in diets will probably be enough for the little one…you may want to think about it."
"How sick will she get?" Daryl asked.
"Vomiting, diarrhea," the Air Force medic pocketed his hands as he stood by the crib. "But we'll be sure to keep her electrolytes up and get her through until her body adjusts to Grace's milk. But I wouldn't suggest volunteering, Grace, unless you're sure you produce enough milk for two babies."
"Jude, honey, don't you stand there and bald face act like you haven't see the copious amounts of milk I have to express on a daily basis," Grace said. "For the love of God, honey, Lafayette won't beat you down for seeing my altogether. You had to give me a gynecological exam three months ago, you've seen everything."
"I'm under hypocritical oath, I can neither confirm or deny that—"
Sister Mary Claire burst in, her brown eyes bright with elation. "Mother Superior! Mister Delgado's at the gate with some people, says he heard about our missing people! He wants to help!"
"Carl and Glenn," Daryl murmured. "That boy would head straight for Ryan's help."
Grace eased her sleeping son back into the crib and asked St. Jude to watch over the babies, before heading for the door, holding her stomach and moving as fast as she could, which wasn't very fast at all.
Daryl moved at her side, politely hovering nearby in case she toppled.
"We just heard," Delgado greeted as she approached them in front of the church.
Grace smiled through the pain of her over exersion and pulled the man down for a gentle hug, making sure to touch each and every one who came with him kindly, letting them know they were as good as kin.
"Thank the Lord for you, Corporal," she panted. "We've been…so scattered."
Delgado beamed at her. "Don't worry. We'll find them. Which direction did they head last you saw?"
"No, Corporal, we…there's been those…things out there lately and—"
"Don't worry about us, Grace, we're here, let us help." Delgado said. "None of these people with me were forced to come."
"We wanted to help," Gwen stepped forward. She frowned and peered down at Grace critically. "Did you…was it a C-section, Grace?"
"Yes."
Gwen's eyebrows rose. "You…shouldn't be out of bed…your stomach muscles—"
"I appreciate your concern, but I have a convent to run," Grace protested.
"You'll run yourself into the ground doing that," Gwen said. "Nope, you're going to bed, come on. Eve and Vivian came with me, we'll watch the babies while you rest."
"It's not just…"
"No arguing," Eve insisted, tweaking Daryl's chin on her way past the man. "Hi, daddy. Don't worry, we're here now. Everything will get better."
Daryl flushed and followed the women inside, but Grace didn't miss the small, sad, but proud grin that teased the corner of his mouth.
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Brazen Hussy -Don't think I've forgotten about Merle...
vickih - I'm hoping Rick will settle back into a normal, sensible Rick. Hoping...
Yazzy x - Milton and Eugene forever!
itsi3 - Yeah, those two in a well, with no way out...kind of a random shitty situation. I hope they get out too...
Surplus Imagination - It's actually really bad for another mother to feed a baby that isn't hers. I didn't know this until you made that comment and gave me the idea...research does a writer good! ^_^
Merle's Right Hand - Can I call you Ray?
Ciao Bella - *IF* they ever get out of that well. ;)
Claire Randall Fraser - The scary thing about mob mentality is how a normal, kind person can get so scared of standing out that they go with the flow to protect themselves...St. James was lucky, he managed to get out of the situation...but I'm sure he saw a lot of messed up things with Martin's people