Red River Blue
Chapter 52
Carol didn't have the luxury of a mirror. So she knelt down by the shallow creek and cupped handful after handful of the cool clean water. She washed her hands and arms first. Then she moved on to her face. She scrubbed her hairline as best she could. And even lifted her shirt one side at a time to rinse her armpits. Part of the reason she scrubbed at herself so thoroughly was to remove the smell of walker gore and mud that she had used as camouflage. The other part of her was stalling. Putting off facing the rest of her group. Now that they knew she was a murderer.
Between each handful of water, Carol glanced at Daryl's bow. It was leaning up against a nearby tree with her gun. Carol was afraid of what he might think of her. She was afraid of what Rick had told him. She wondered if he would be happy to see her.
For a brief moment, Carol considered leaving the bow where it was and running. Not only from the group of people that had become family to her. But from her feelings. She had stayed at Terminus long enough that she was sure her people got out. She had done her part. Now she could leave with a clear conscience. But Wren was hiding back at the cabin with Tyrese. She couldn't allow River's daughter to suffer the same fate as her daughter had. Carol had to make sure they found each other before she left.
She took small quiet steps. Edging slowly closer and closer to the small group of people that was clustered together outside the fences of Terminus. Carol had the strap of her gun over her shoulder. Daryl's bow was in her hands. Her heart was beating hard and fast. Her palms were sweaty. No one had noticed her yet. Daryl was the first to look up.
He started running and before Carol realized what was happening her feet were off the ground. The bow was on the ground. And she had her arms wrapped around Daryl. He was hugging her so tight she could barely breathe. He buried his face in her neck. She returned the force of his embrace. Being in his arms was so much better than she had ever imagined. Carol's emotions overcame her better judgment. She didn't think before she pressed her lips to him. She was aiming for his lips but got the coarse stubble of his beard instead. And then she felt her feet hit the ground.
"You did this?," Daryl asked, gesturing towards the smoldering rubble that used to be a cannibal headquarters. Carol nodded. Just a slight movement of her head. She was still overwhelmed with the feel of his embrace.
"Hell yeah she did this!," River hollered.
Carol could see that Rick was waiting patiently nearby. From the look on his face it was obvious that he was full of regret for what he had done to Carol back at the prison. His obvious remorse eased her fears. Before he could speak River barged in front of the man, elbowing him out of her way. River wrapped her arms around Carol. Tears filled both their eyes as they hugged. River released Carol from her embrace but kept hold of the other woman's hand. They both turned to face Rick together.
Rick took a step forward, looking back and forth between the two women. They were standing hand in hand, both staring at him. Daryl and Merle were close behind them. Rick hesitated, struggling to find the words to describe how sincerely sorry he was.
"Well go on then and 'pologize!," River demanded, "and make it good!"
Daryl jabbed at River's ribs, signaling to her that he wanted her to shut up. Merle didn't like his brother poking at his wife so he swung at Daryl with the metal sleeve on his arm. The two men started pushing at each other. River let go of Carol so she could separate them. Rick tried his hardest not to laugh but found it impossible not to at least smile.
"I really am so damn sorry," he admitted, "for everything."
Carol closed the distance between them, allowing Rick to grab her up in a fierce hug. He whispered into her ear, repeating his apology and thanking her for saving them. Carol stepped back.
"I have something you need to see," she announced.
Daryl walked behind Carol and River. They were holding hands in the funny platonic way that only women could get away with. He would have liked to be the one walking with Carol, holding her hand. But he didn't want to intrude. And it made him happy to see the girls together. River and Carol had become extremely close during their stay at the prison. What surprised him was that Maggie was walking with them, sticking close by on the other side of River. Daryl couldn't even remember seeing Maggie and River speak to each other before. And they certainly weren't friends. Now they were smiling at each other as they walked.
Daryl no more than got a glimpse of the small cabin ahead of him before the door was being swung open. Harley zipped past him in a flash of pink cotton. She beat River to the open doorway, snagging her little sister up into a giant bear hug. River reached for both girls, sandwiching Wren's smaller body between her and her older daughter's. Tyrese handed Judith off to Rick and he was trying his best to be gentle with the little girl despite wanting to hold her as tight as River was holding her daughters. The reunion was so emotional that even some of the people that weren't reuniting with loved ones had tears in their eyes.
Once she had been released from her mother's clutches, Wren turned towards Daryl. Merle was next to him and Daryl smiled, wondering which one of them she was going to run for first. She came barreling in their direction, one hand on Carl's hat to make sure it didn't fly backwards off her head. She headed for the two men but shocked them both when she darted through the small space between them and flung herself into Carl's arms. As if giving her father the brush by for a boy wasn't bad enough, Wren and Carl started kissing. And not a little peck on the cheek I missed you smooch either. They had their tongues practically shoved down each other's throats. Daryl cleared his throat. Then cleared it again. Louder. It was bad enough he had been too nervous to kiss Carol in front of everyone. Now he was getting shown up by a twelve year old.
River was gripping her sides with laughter by the time her younger daughter came up for air. Wren's face was flushed pink and her hair was mussed. Carl's hat had been placed securely back on his head. Only then did Wren bounce over and hug her father and her uncle.
"Hi daddy," she grinned.
Merle shook his head as he pulled the girl against his chest. Over the top of her head he could see the expression on Harley's face. The older girl looked like she had been even more disgusted with her sister's little display than he had been. And that made him smile. One boy crazy daughter was more than enough.