Author's note: I came up with this idea when I was writing 'Never Saw That Coming'. I was trying to write a funny scene (read not so serious. I refuse to believe that laughter died during the walker apocalypse) to give me some inspiration so I wrote a little parody piece that involved Michonne, Abraham and Sasha doing the 'Time Warp'. I don't know why it popped into my head. This also gave me an outlet like 'Wish' for just Daryl and Michonne.
Michonne always struck me as being more savvy than blindly following anyone, regardless of her attachment to Carl. I guess I'm still salty re: Daryl and Michonne.
When Michonne opened her eyes she could tell it was morning and Daryl was sleeping beside her. She yawned, stretched and got up. Sitting on the sofa, she pulled the bag over and dug through it. "Yes," she whispered as she pulled out one of the toothbrushes and one of the small tubes of toothpaste she'd found at the hotel. Grabbing a bottle of water she headed for the bathroom. After taking a pee, she wiped her hands with some cleaning wipes she found under the sink, then brushed her teeth. After rinsing, she went back to the living room to see Daryl was still asleep.
She nudged him with her boot. He sat up fast, crossbow in hand.
"What?"
"It's time for you to go back, Daryl," she told him as she stuffed the cleaning wipes in her bag.
"Figured I could go with ya. Make sure."
She shook her head. "No. Carl and Judith need you more. Like I said, if it doesn't work out I'll head to one of the ski resorts."
"Those in the mountains?"
She rolled her eyes. "Yes. Here," she took out one of the brochures and passed it to him.
He took it and looked it over. "Should go back and get the others. Try this place."
"It's up to you. Will Rick want to leave? They have electricity," she said sarcastically.
"Funny, Michonne."
She frowned a little. "I'll miss you, Daryl. Even if you're a dumbass for following Rick and Carol."
He stood up and stretched. She took another of her toothbrushes and gave him the tube of toothpaste she'd used. "Brush."
"You ain't my momma, Michonne," he scoffed.
"I know. Consider it a parting gift."
"Should just let me come with ya. If it looks alright I'll leave. I won't tell Rick."
She nodded once. She could trust Daryl for that.
Daryl looked over the map Michonne handed him when she got in the driver's seat. He left his bike in the house they'd stayed in last night.
"Smart. Stayin' on state routes," he admitted.
"I'm always thinking."
He shot her a look.
She shrugged. "I should have made you leave."
"Ain't far. Go with ya. Check it out. I'll leave then. Won't tell Rick."
"I'd appreciate it. And if this doesn't work out? You'll go back."
"Yeah, I'll go back."
"Thank you," she said to him as they passed a sign for Bealeton.
"Part of our group."
She ignored him.
Daryl liked ridin' with Michonne. She didn't talk a lot. It was one of the best things about lookin' for the asshole. He sometimes wished he'd gone back out there with her. They mighta found his rat bastard ass and they'd still be at the prison. Yeah, it was a dump, but it was the first stable place he'd ever had. In his whole life. He snorted.
"What?"
"Nothin'. Just thinkin'."
She didn't say anything. He always, everyone always thought, he'd end up there. He did. At the end of the fuckin' world.
When they turned onto Friedens Church road Daryl saw a few buildings. "Water around here somewhere."
"Yes. There are a lot of trees. I could stay around here. Clear out one of the buildings close to some water."
"Good idea." He cleared his throat. "What else this place got?"
"Look for yourself. The brochure's in my bag."
He turned and found her bag in the back. He opened it up, gave her a soda and took one for himself. He found 'Days of Yore'. It didn't look like Disneyland. They did have flags flyin'. He grunted and started to read. "Don't look half bad."
"If they never got a chance to open, it's intact. I can't imagine there were a lot of people there."
"Animals are probably dead."
"And the plants. I'll have to come back this way. I'm sure there are some farmhouses in the area."
"Moat. Water."
"And a drawbridge."
Michonne was getting excited and she couldn't believe it. This felt…right. She might be fooling herself, but it was deserted out here. She could find a farmhouse or barricade herself in one of the buildings that had fences around it. Start a garden, like they'd had at the prison. Maybe she could find some chickens or something. Rabbits. She'd seen Daryl kill and skin them enough. It would probably take her a while to get the hang of it.
She eyed her katana in the backseat through the rearview mirror. She'd learned how to use it quickly. She could bring in people. She wasn't stupid. She couldn't do this by herself. Not now. Not after being, albeit, not totally, part of a group. At least, not for long.
She'd already memorized the way there and made a left onto N. Main Street. Keeping her eyes open she made a right onto Airport Road. Michonne almost smiled when she saw the faded billboard for 'Days of Yore Next Left'. On Wise Hollow Rd she turned left and slowed down.
"Can't see much," she heard Daryl mutter.
She almost shouted when she saw 'WARD CASTLE NEXT RIGHT'. The little guard shacks on either side of an almost overgrown road told her she'd made it.
"Think we should check it out. On foot," Daryl recommended.
She put the car in park and shut it off between the little shacks. "Good idea," she agreed.
"Always thinkin'," he smirked.
She shook her head and got out. She looked as Daryl grabbed his crossbow from the back. Following his lead, she grabbed her katana. He motioned with his head. They fell into step with each other, her katana out, his crossbow up. She frowned when she saw a brick overpass, with trees on either side. They stopped and looked up.
"Probably the visitor's greeting place," she recalled from the brochure. "From." The picture had shown a knight, a monk, a king, a queen and serfs, smiling and waving in front of colorful flags.
"Saw," he whispered back. "Don't see or hear nothin'."
They listened and watched. She shrugged and moved ahead. She could picture Daryl rolling his eyes. She still didn't get any bad vibes and she'd learned to pay attention to her instincts. They'd saved her ass in Woodbury and they'd saved her ass in Alexandria. They continued on the overgrown cobblestone path before they came to a stop. A rusty chain link fence, like at the prison, was erected. Inside the fence was a strip of land with overgrown green grass and a wooden drawbridge outside of a wooden door and a stone building. Michonne walked to the left a little before heading back to Daryl.
She looked at him. He shrugged his shoulders.
"Looks deserted," she nodded her head in the direction of the castle.
"Yeah."
He looked at the fence and saw a chain and a padlock through the links. He pulled his gun and shot off the lock. Michonne rolled her eyes.
"What? Lock's off, ain't it?"
They heard the growling and turned to see a few walkers come from the woods. She stabbed them through the head while Daryl waited. When they didn't hear or see anymore, he opened the door, taking the chain with him.
He looked at the wooden drawbridge. "Rotten in places. Be careful."
She acknowledged him and gingerly stepped onto it, carefully placing her feet. When they made it to the middle Michonne walked over near the side and looked over. He moved beside her. "Big," he grunted.
She turned and made her way to the wooden door. Daryl thought she paused a minute before she pushed it open a little and waited. Then she pushed it open farther and slipped inside. Daryl followed and stood with her as they looked around. Quietly he pushed the door shut and frowned. Seeing the metal brackets on either side he picked up the piece of wood next to it and slid it in place.
She nodded and raised her katana.
Michonne moved quietly to the first building. The sign called it the 'Apothecary'. Knocking on the door she stepped back and waited. She did it again and still didn't hear anything. Daryl stood to the side and opened it before they both moved back. When no walkers came out, she walked inside and smiled a little.
It was a gift shop. She put her katana away, walked farther in and looked around. She saw shot glasses, t-shirts, shorts, sweats, chips, a case for drinks that was full, little stuffed animals of horses, sheep, cows, pigs, knights and chess pieces. "Gift shop," she told Daryl as they walked around. She headed to the register and looked under the counter. Bags, paper and plastic, with 'Days of Yore' on the front along with register tape.
This was a good idea.
Daryl walked around the gift shop. All kindsa crap around here. He headed for the drinks and pulled out a bottle of water. "Cold," he raised his voice.
"What?"
"The drinks are cold, Michonne," he held it up, twisted the lid and drank. Shit, it was good. He hadn't had cold water in a few days. Then he shook his head, pulled out another one and tossed it to her.
She did the same. "Good. I wonder how?"
"Don't know. Let's check the rest of this place out." He shifted on his feet and headed for the door when she raised her eyebrows. "If it's empty it'll be a good place for ya."
She nodded and pulled her katana.
Daryl didn't know how long, but the sun was low in the sky by the time they'd toured the whole place. The whole thing was stone. There were steps that led up the walls with a sidewalk all the way around. That took some time. He could see inside the entire place and some of the outside from towers. It was how they found the solar panels. They saw empty places with wooden fences. Michonne said they must have been for horses and farm animals. "It was supposed to be a working farm," she reminded him. Hell, they'd even seen some food growin'. Not a lot, but some. Bigger garden than what they had at the prison, but not big like Hershel's place. The glass houses were greenhouses but everythin' in there was dead.
"I can grow something in here," she gestured.
Daryl grunted. They found the clinic. Everything was dusty, but new lookin'. Weird. A look through the rooms and he saw band aids, gauze, tape and drugs. "Why?" he held up a vial of penicillin.
"I don't know."
They found a library full of books on growing food, coffee and tea, raising animals, knights, castles, kings and other crap. Movies, music and games took up a few shelves. He flipped through some of them. Flutes, drums. "Shit. No good music," he muttered. Michonne ignored him as she pulled out books and put them back.
The castle took the longest. When they walked in he saw a front desk, all in wood with some kinda book on top. Michonne walked over. "Guest book," she flipped through a few pages. "No one ever stayed here."
"You said it never opened, right?"
"Right."
He huffed. "Let's look through here, too."
She walked around and came to a stop. "They had a computer reservation system."
He strode over and leaned on the counter. "How do you know?"
She pointed to the computer on a lower shelf before she turned it on. They waited. He went and stood beside her. After the monitor came on Michonne started typing.
"You know what you're doin'?"
"No, but I can figure it out," she murmured. After more clickin' and typin' she stood up. "They have thirty rooms. I assume they have a laundry and a kitchen."
She looked around the lobby. The furniture was definitely not medieval. Beige sofas, a few loveseats in the same color, little tables, colorful rugs on the stone floor and a few chairs in different colors hanging from the ceiling. It had a large fireplace with rotted wood next to it. "Fireplace works. Or it did," she pointed.
"Check it out before I leave," he offered.
"Thanks." She found some paper and crushed the roach that was crawling across the desk before looking through more papers. She handed him one. "Maps of the hotel. For the rooms, anyway. Split up?"
"Nah. Stay together."
"You should stay the night then. It's getting dark."
"Know. I will. Keys?"
She turned and took all of the old fashioned keys that were hanging up. She looked one over. "Numbers are on them."
"Let's go," he gestured with his crossbow. They went through the bottom floor and found the laundry and kitchen. It took them some time to do it. They went through all the cupboards. Michonne was really happy. She found flour, rice, noodles, jars of sauce, sugar, creamer, coffee and tea and spices. Another room turned up dishes, trays, silverware and cloth napkins. They found the freezers, with some food. She frowned. It would probably be freezer burnt by now, but she'd eat it. "I'll cook."
Daryl walked in the freezer and pulled out a few things that looked like steak to her. "Alright." He walked by her and put the steaks in the sink. She turned on the oven and was still pleasantly surprised to see the red light come on. After digging through the cupboards she got out a baking sheet, lined it with foil, opened the steaks, put them on the sheet and put them in the oven.
"Why waste time?"
Daryl was tired by the time they got through the hotel. They found a little room down the hall from the front desk with a TV and a stereo system with surround sound. It had fluffy tan chairs and a sofa, some more tables and a bar. A stocked bar. They found some empty storage areas. One had stuff in it, but wasn't full, down the stairs from the laundry room. It had some of the things in the kitchen, alcohol and rollaway beds. "Weird."
Michonne shrugged.
The rooms were huge. Big ass beds, big ass bathrooms. Little couches and a coupla chairs. Michonne turned on the shower in the first room and let the water get warm. Daryl stuck his hand underneath the spray that came from the ceiling. Hugs ass tub. "Jacuzzi," she pointed it out. The sinks, two, one on each end of the counter, had faucets and a lighted mirror. All the rooms were like it. Fireplaces with pokers and empty containers next to 'em. Probably for firewood. None of the beds were made. They found towels and sheets in the closets on each floor, along with rolling carts that were stocked with little shampoos and soap 'Days of Yore' all over 'em.
Daryl was really surprised there weren't more bugs until he thought about it. No one was here. Nothin' to eat. After they'd gone through the three floors they headed back down to the kitchen. Michonne had gone back down a few times then would come back up to help. Satisfied no one, living or dead, was inside they went back down to the kitchen.
She put on some of the frozen vegetables and laid out silverware and plates in the dining room.
"Go get us something to drink," she directed Daryl as she checked the steaks and vegetables. When he left she looked around. Almost like Alexandria. Better than, actually.
She heard footsteps coming from the front desk. "I'll get glasses," she told Daryl.
"Cool. I hate drinking from the bottle," a woman's voice told her.
Michonne turned around to see a white woman with brown hair, filthy, pointing a gun at her.
Daryl moved slower the closer he got to the dining room. Then he heard a voice that wasn't Michonne. He put the bottle of scotch on the floor and moved his crossbow from his back. He saw someone standing there and Michonne had her hands up. He couldn't tell if it was a man a woman or but he knew the person had a gun. He came up behind him and pushed with his crossbow. Next thing he knew his crossbow was out of his hands and he was on the floor.
The woman, he finally saw when he looked up, was holding his crossbow pointed at him in one hand and a gun pointed at Michonne in the other.
"I'm not here to start trouble. I just need a place to stay. It's big enough. I think we can share," she said.
Rand eyed the two people standing across from her in the kitchen. They looked okay. She still had her gun pointed at them while she heated up water. "How?" she pointed at the stove. They didn't say anything. Truthfully, she didn't blame them. It sucked out there now. Not that it didn't suck before. People were dicks before this. Nothing to stop them from still being dicks. When the water boiled she dropped some in noodles and started the sauce.
"You can eat," she pointed to the plates on the prep table.
The man narrowed his eyes at her. Yeah, he was pissed. Most men didn't like being put on their asses, let alone by a woman. The woman wasn't happy either. Rand looked at their weapons on the counter near her. "I'm not going to hurt you," she repeated. When they didn't say anything she stopped trying. After her dinner was done, she plated it and started eating. "Shit," she groaned in joy. She hadn't had anything, outside of junk food, for the past week. After she was finished she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and stood up. She put their weapons on the floor and slid them over with her foot. Then she held up her gun and pulled out the magazine, placing both pieces on the counter. "See? Not here to hurt you."
They both picked up their weapons and trained them on her. She rolled her eyes and made more food.
Michonne watched as the woman made more spaghetti. She didn't try and go for her gun, so Michonne started eating. Not in a nice dining room like she planned, but she was hungry.
The woman turned and looked around. She found the room with the dishes and came out with a mug. After putting water on to boil she ate more. It seemed like she was slowing down. Daryl just stood there with his bow up. The woman ignored them both before digging for cream and sugar. "Shit. Coffee," the woman sighed as the scent hit her.
"Who the hell are you?" Daryl yelled.
"Rand," she replied. "You?"
Daryl frowned. He was hungry and didn't wanna deal with this bullshit. Michonne was eating. He put his bow down and grabbed his plate. When the water went off the woman poured it into the coffee maker and continued eating.
"How'd ya get over the wall? Put up the board," he questioned.
The woman shrugged. "I'm resourceful." She stared at them and frowned. "Full disclosure? I've been watching this place for a few days. I was going to take it over tomorrow. You beat me to it. So," she ate more. "Share? It looks like it's pretty big."
Daryl eyed her as he ate. He was still pissed she put him on his ass.
"How many walkers have you killed?"
"Walkers?" the woman raised her eyebrows. "You mean the reanimated?"
"Reanimated?" Daryl echoed.
"Yeah, you know, dead people coming back to life and trying to eat your ass?"
"Yeah. Walkers," he persisted.
"Enough not to get dead," Rand rolled her eyes again. When the coffee was done she poured a mug, added cream and sugar before taking a sip and sighing again.
"How many people have you killed?"
She paused. "Is that a trick question?"
"Answer the question," Michonne finally spoke.
She sipped again. "Alright. Before or after this?"