A/N: Thank you to anyone still interested in reading this. I'm not good with writing action scenes as dialogue is more my thing.
Did you ever wonder what happened to the group that destroyed Terminus before Carol?
"Huh." Rand muttered as she looked at Michonne and Daryl as they sat in their normal chairs in the office. "Good idea."
"Ain't invisible," he mocked. "At our last place, we had 'em."
"Sheet metal walls. I like it." She leaned forward. "Can you find that much sheet metal?"
"Found some, me and 'Chonne, when we was out lookin' for the barbed wire. Can go get it, see how much we have, do another run for more."
"Hmm." She put her head down on the desk. "Were they cemented in?"
"I don't think so. Daryl?" Michonne asked.
"Didn't look like it."
Rand put her chin on the desk and stared at her advisors. She'd be an idiot not to notice something different about them and she was no idiot. They looked like they just got laid. Good for them.
"I like it but I want you to listen as I think this through. Happy?" Daryl, the ass, coughed. She sat up and rolled her eyes. "Whatever. We've been lucky and we've taken the only fight we've had with dicks to them. I know dicks will find us eventually. It might be me," she frowned. "I might be a bad luck charm."
"Why?" Michonne raised her eyebrows.
"Two out of three places I'd been in I had dick encounters. My ratio isn't good. Over sixty percent. Erring on the side of caution, I'd like to do the walls outside the pits in the woods and in the back, keeping the front just pits and fences. Our trading partners may want to visit. They don't need to know everything we have and it'll look sketchy if we always to go them. Like we don't trust them."
"You think Linda will want to visit?" Michonne questioned.
She shrugged. "I wouldn't call her a trading partner. We've only done one trade, so far. Possibly. If not her, maybe another partner we find."
"We don't trust 'em," Daryl pointed out.
"I know we don't trust them. Yet. Even if we do, they still don't need to know it all. Besides, I heard fences make good neighbors." Rand stood up and paced the office. "Tom will know how much cement we have. Maybe we could cement some posts and weld the sheet metal to them." She shrugged. "It's worth a shot." She shot Daryl a look. "Until we can find some invisible walls," she drawled.
He smirked.
He walked outside to see Rand pounding the rebar stakes in the ground. Coffee in hand, he strolled over.
"I thought we were doing pits," Waya asked.
She stood up, sledgehammer in hand. "It'll take too much work. I'm not trying to kill us. I figured a spike field. We can pound the rebar in the ground and string barbed wire in between them. We can make it larger, make a bridge we can put over it."
He nodded. He hadn't been looking forward to digging pits.
"It's a good idea but it would take a lot of work. This would be more manageable, if done right. Then put up those sheet metal walls in the back and in the woods. It's not perfect, but, I don't know, more protected. Or maybe I'm paranoid as all fuck."
"You're paranoid as all fuck," he agreed. "Good idea."
"Easier to take down in the future," she nodded.
"You think we'll be able to?" he raised an eyebrow.
"I hope. I." She paused. "This? This is a license to be a dick. Not all people are dicks. Daryl and Michonne seem to think Linda and her group aren't. Like everyone else, they don't trust easy. She shouldn't. We won't." She shrugged a shoulder. "One day, I hope, it'll be like before. Minus the dicks."
"There were dicks before this, Rand," he reminded her.
"There were, no question. At the very least I'd like to try to create a community of communities. Or help create one. Like before."
"Are you going to go find them?"
She put another rebar spike in the ground and tapped it with the sledgehammer. "I am. I'd like to start walking the Trail. We need more friends, Waya. The four of us should go first. We'll go south for a week or so. We know Linda's north. The next group can go check on her, see if we can trade something for something."
"The four of us?"
"Leaving the new power couple here," he could see her grin.
"What are we?"
"The power quadruple? I don't know. It's an odd relationship."
"We like it. Don't we?"
She looked at him again. "We do. For however long it lasts. We'll find more people or they'll find us. You, Seth and Adrian will meet other women."
"The others can do what they like. This is it for me," he told her and she froze.
"Really?"
"Really." Waya didn't know if he loved Rand, but he suspected he did. She wasn't beautiful in the conventional sense, but her other qualities; intelligence, humor; even during this, her caring nature and no bullshit attitude made her attractive in his eyes. She could take care of herself. He didn't think he'd meet anyone else quite like her.
When they started this… thing it had been blowing off steam. They were healthy men and she was a healthy woman. The pickings were slim. None of them were going to touch Michonne, out of respect for Daryl. They liked Michonne. They liked Daryl. He was a good man. She was a good woman. Waya didn't care what they'd said in the beginning, they'd been together. It took them a while to catch up to what he already knew.
He sipped his coffee. The middle of the damn apocalypse and he meets a woman he wants to have children with. Rand continued working. Waya didn't expect her to say anything. When they'd started this it was unspoken: no words on feelings. How people felt things during times of crisis were different than how they felt after the crisis had passed. It didn't pass, but it was manageable. They were behind walls, not ready to fight or die all the time. They had food, water and some medical care. It was a good place. He and Tsula had good people. They could live a good life in these conditions.
"Where are you going?" Michonne asked as they sat in their office. Rand was sitting behind the desk, as usual, legs crossed at the ankles, on top.
"We're going south for a week or so. You've seen what I've started. You and the others can handle it."
"No pits?"
"Not right now. After the barbed wire and spike field is finished, we'll work on the walls. I'll be here for that. I like the idea of pits. It'll be hard. We can take our time with them."
Michonne conceded Rand was right. The field would stop a lot of walkers, maybe some people. "A bridge?"
"Still working on it," she huffed. "We'll figure it out. I'd like to find some friends and trading partners."
Daryl shot her a look. "The four of ya?"
"For right now, yes. When we get back, you and Michonne can start the runs for the walls. Maybe take a turn."
"Hm. Maybe," Michonne muttered. It wasn't a bad idea.
"Not going to ask if I'm coming back?" Rand looked at Daryl.
"Nah. You'll come back. Got Tsula and Jenny here. You wouldn't leave 'em."
"Would you follow me if I didn't come back?"
Michonne was shocked when Daryl said no. "We wouldn't need to. You'll always come back, Rand. Unless you're dead. Good place here. You know it." He stood up. "Let us know when you're goin'."
"We're leaving tomorrow," Rand stood up with him. "I'm not sure how much I like you knowing how I work."
"Don't matter. I do."
Michonne smirked. She knew how Rand worked, too and the woman knew it, judging by the narrowed eyed look she was on the receiving end of. "We'll watch the girls and get as much of the field finished as we can."
"You guys are assholes," she hissed.
Michonne laughed. "Be careful."
Michonne stood up in the dining room after the four left and got everyone's attention while they were eating. "Rand, Waya, Seth and Adrian left for a week. They're trying to find friends or trading partners. We'll be finishing up, as much as we can, the spike barbed wire field Rand started before she left. Those rebar spikes will come in handy."
"Just the four of them?" Graciela raised her eyebrows.
"Just the four of them. They're going south on the Trail. We'll have Janet and Jamal walking the castle, Tsula and Lupe can bring us water when we need it, Jenny, Mark and Tom will kill walkers that find us and the rest will be pounding spikes. I figure we'll get the spikes up first and wrap the barbed wire after. Tom? Do we have enough?"
"It depends on how big you want to make it, Michonne. We may have to send someone out on a run," he responded.
"Fine. We'll pound the rebar spikes and string what we have. Demarcus, I'd like you doing watch on the road. I'd like to start in the back. If Janet and Jamal walk they may not see everything."
"Sure," he looked at Ray, who nodded.
"Good. Eat up everyone. We've got a long day ahead of us."
Several hours later Michonne strolled along all of the spikes that had been pounded in the ground. They had them at different heights and spaced close together. "Do you think we have enough?" she asked Daryl.
"Don't know. Doubt it. Get the back done first then we can concentrate watch by the road," he recommended.
"The rate we're moving we should be done in the next few days," she muttered.
"Good. Then we can plan a run. Might have to go farther out."
"Shit." She shrugged. "We have the gas for it."
"Sure as hell do," he smiled a little.
Daryl stood under the hot water and sighed. Damn, he liked this place. Got most of the spikes pounded in the back, up to the woods on either side of the castle. Him, 'Chonne and Tom decided they'd finish what they had, string the wire and plan another run after the Four came home. He heard the door open, turned and saw 'Chonne steppin' inside.
"Hey," she kissed him before she moved him from under the spray.
"Hey," he mumbled. "What the hell?"
"Save water," she winked at him before taking one of those puffy pink things and pourin' his body wash on it.
"Huh," he grunted as she started on his left arm. He stood there and let her. Felt weird but nice. When she had him turn around he leaned against the wall.
"Uh uh. Turn around," she demanded.
"'Chonne," he warned.
"I know, Daryl."
"How?" he yelled. "I didn't want ya touch me there."
"Because you didn't want me touch you there. And the house with the moonshine." She leaned in and kissed him. He couldn't help it and kissed her back. "I don't care. You don't have to hide anything from me, Daryl. Ever. I see you," she whispered.
When she pulled him from the wall he dragged his feet. She finally bullied her way into him being under the water and washed his back gently, like he was fragile. He felt her kissing his scars and dropped his head.
"So strong," she murmured in a low voice. "A survivor."
When she was finished she turned him around and had him rinse off. "Don't touch my hair," she demanded before she started using his body wash on her. "I like how it smells," she grinned.
He stood and watched. When she was finished she turned off the water and stepped out. Taking one of the towels, she tossed it to him before taking another one. 'Chonne wrapped it around herself, picked up her clothes, kissed him again and told him she'd see him in the morning before leavin' the bathroom.
"You ain't stayin'?" he asked quietly.
She turned in the doorway. "I'd like to, Daryl. I don't want to make you more uncomfortable."
"I," he muttered.
She nodded her head. "Thank you for not hiding. It means a lot to me."
"Stay?"
"I'll stay."
When he woke up the next morning 'Chonne was gone. He looked out the window and saw it was daylight. "Hell," he yelled before he threw on more clothes, put on his boots and went outside. He nodded to Tom and Ray before heading across the drawbridge and in the direction of the voices he heard in the woods. When he made it to the back he saw 'Chonne was with Steve and they was stringin' barbed wire.
"Hey." She pulled gloves from her back pocket and passed them over. He took them, frowned and headed toward Janet, Helen and Bradford.
Michonne let out a breath after Daryl took the gloves and wandered over to Janet's group before moving to Jake, Demarcus and Graciela. Last night, showering, had been a gamble on her part. Daryl's back. He was sensitive. The week or so they'd been…involved they'd only been intimate three times. Watch for him and her and it wouldn't change until the Four came home.
The first time he didn't like her touching his back. The second time he still didn't like it. The shower yesterday… She wasn't lying when she called him a survivor. Looking back at Merle Michonne wouldn't have been surprised to find out he'd been beaten, too.
She knew Daryl was insecure with women. Hell, aside from Carol, she couldn't remember him ever seeking out any of the other women in the prison. Beth made him jumpy, Sasha he treated like he did Glenn and Maggie? Maggie was with Glenn. Daryl wouldn't have tried anything with her. Glenn was his friend. At the puzzled look she received from Steve she concentrated on the task at hand.
He was hers now. Those people, important at one time, weren't here. She needed to follow her own advice. They were here. Building a life together.
Helen and Janet shared a look and a smile as Daryl headed over to Jake, Demarcus and Graciela. To Helen, it seemed like she'd known these people for years, not the actual months she did know them. An apocalypse made for strange bedfellows.
Rand was an incredibly strong minded woman. A force to be reckoned with. The castle and all they'd done, were doing to protect it, was evidence of her determination. She was happy they didn't kill Michonne and Daryl when they'd shown up at the farm. They were formidable in their own right. The few times Jake had gone with them for runs, after he'd gotten over the shock of stealing, he'd had nothing but good words about both of them. Michonne and her katana. Daryl and his crossbow. The decision to come here was a good one.
And it was nice to see love at the end of the world.
"Helen?" Bradford asked. From the look on her husband's face he'd been trying to get her attention for a while. She leaned over and kissed him quickly.
"Stop, Mom," she heard Jake shout in a strangled voice.
"Oh, hush you," she shot back, winking at her love.
Michonne smiled when she looked over the large barbed wire spike field they'd finished in three days. They needed more rebar for the pits. Maybe they wouldn't need the pits. In the back.
"Looks good, 'Chonne," Daryl commented as he stood behind her.
"It does. Maybe we won't need the pits after all," she remarked.
"Might. We have problems they'll be in the front."
"Probably."
"Tired and hungry," he muttered.
"Me, too,"
"Michonne," Mark's voice came from one of the police radios they'd used when they put up the fence. "I heard a car."
"Back early?" Daryl looked at her.
"It's not them," she whispered.
Daryl took her radio. "Mark, you run your ass back to the castle. Tell your dad to pass out guns for everyone."
"Okay, Daryl," he whispered.
"We gotta go," he grunted before they were running through the woods, heading for the side gate. They were across the drawbridge when the car stopped. Daryl pushed her ahead of him. "Close it up," he yelled when they heard gun shots.
"Shit," Michonne shouted.
"Daryl. We have a problem," Steve yelled from the battlements.
"Hello, inside," a man yelled. "We come in peace."
Daryl looked at Bradford and saw the man was frowning. Taking the binoculars from Steve, he looked through them to see a fat white guy, dirtier than shit, in a biker jacket, jeans, boots and carrying a gun pointed at the sky, standing outside the fence.
"Gotta funny way of showin' it," Daryl yelled back.
"I'm sorry about that, friend. The last two places we tried to ask for help they started shooting at us before we could get a word out. We weren't shooting at you. We needed to get your attention."
"What do you want?"
"Help, like I said. Me and my boys here we're looking for a place to lay our heads. It's bad out there. We had to leave Georgia. The water's drying up. We couldn't support ourselves. North and South Carolina are full up of those things. They kept eating our animals."
"Bullshit," Michonne hissed.
Daryl knew it was bullshit, too. Although they left Georgia a while ago, it wasn't as bad as the man was tryin' to make them think. The water situation. Well, they'd been on the road, didn't take time to look, they'd just kept walkin'.
"Plenty of places 'round here got water," Daryl shouted.
"We see. We need help. Any ideas where we could start? Every place we've tried has people. Not very friendly people. Wasn't this the state for lovers?"
"We're not friendly either," Michonne yelled.
"Come on, lady. We're not your enemies."
"Sure as hell not friends. Get on down the road. Final warnin'," Daryl advised loudly. He saw Steve and Jamal move into the battlements with rifles up. He hoped it wouldn't come to that. He relaxed when the man went back to one of the cars, got in and they drove away.
"They'll be back," Bradford warned him in a low voice.
"Yeah, they will. Dicks."
"Good call, son," he praised before the sound of one of the cars reached their ears.
"Shit," Michonne shouted when part of the fence was torn down by the racing car.
Daryl's eyes almost popped out of his head when he saw Bradford with one of the RPG's. "In the Air Force," the man shouted as he fired. Quickly he nodded down at his feet. "Had Tom bring two. Get it, Daryl. This is our place."
Helen held Graciela's hand as she lay on the table in the clinic and felt useless.
"Gracias, Helen, for letting us stay," she whispered.
Helen had been in the keep with the children during the dick encounter. She'd wanted to be out there, protecting this place, but Tom said someone needed to be with the children. Jenny was livid. Helen knew Jenny had been working with Rand on shooting guns. She'd kept insisting they might need help with the bad men. When the sound of an explosion reached their ears the girl almost ran out of the keep until Helen yelled she needed to stay here. Before Jenny could argue further, Helen relented and gave her one of the guns Tom had left. "Just in case, Jenny," she warned. Jenny had nodded, sat on one of the sofas in the lobby and watched the door, gun out.
The 'war' sounded like it had lasted forever, though realistically Helen knew it hadn't. When the firing stopped and she saw Bradford in front of the windows, he shook his head. It was her cue to finally leave. Her hand was over her mouth before she could stop herself when she stepped outside. She saw Steve and Thomas on the ground and Tom was running over with sheets to cover them up.
"Graciela's in the clinic with Ray," he forewarned her in a low voice.
"Mama," Lupe screamed.
Graciela had been shot in the stomach. Ray shook his head when she came in with Lupe. Her mother kissed her on the cheek and told her to listen to Helen as Graciela kissed her daughter one last time, tears running down her cheeks. Ray took Lupe out of the clinic, sobs still ringing in her ears.
When she stopped breathing Helen moved her hair out of her face, kissed her on the forehead then shoved her knife in the back of Graciela's head. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she did it.
Bradford closed his eyes and bowed his head as they buried Graciela, Steve and Thomas. He was tired of burying people he knew. Decent people that were just trying to stay alive. He hadn't known the boys long, though it felt like a lifetime, and he was helping to bury them. Graciela hurt more. They'd lost her husband, Jorge, at the farm from a walker attack. She'd told him and Helen, after they buried him, she never wanted to be one of those things.
Coming here seemed like a good idea at the time. It still was a good idea. If this had happened at the farm? Everyone would have been dead. It might have been worse for the women. He had a lot of respect for Daryl and Michonne, taking a stand. It helped they had more firepower than the farm, but they didn't know how everyone else would react to the situation. Everyone stepped up to protect their place. He looked at the castle in the distance. It was their place and they'd protect it. They did protect it. It cost lives. Graciela wouldn't get to see her daughter grow up, but grow up she would. In a good place.