Carolina in my mind

Chapter 31

"You've got to be kidding me," Carolina grumbled, pausing by one of the outdoor picnic tables as she gathered her hair up into a sloppy bun on top of her head. Michonne didn't add her opinion. She just slid her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose as she stared across the courtyard towards the pool.

Rick was too distracted by the horses to cause any trouble when they arrived. But his desire to corral the animals into a specific part of the prison grounds only kept him busy for so long. He was currently standing near the pool with his head cocked to the side, giving all the kids a lecture about how loud they were being and how much water they were splashing onto the ground. Carolina didn't know when the man became allergic to fun. But there was no reason for him to ruin the afternoon for everyone else.

"I already told him to leave them alone," Lori remarked, rolling her eyes at her husband as she propped Judith up on her shoulder to pat her back. "This is the first fun they've had since they got here." Carolina snorted out a laugh. Apparently the fight between Rick and Lori was still brewing. Which explained at least part of the reason he was being such a gigantic asshole.

Carolina's mouth dropped slightly open. Not only was he still yelling at the kids, now Rick was actually ordering them out of the pool.

"I'm sorry Lori," Carolina said, "...but I'm afraid I'm going to have to drown your husband."

"Have at it," Lori huffed with a slight laugh.

Carolina thumped Michonne with the back of her hand, gesturing for the other woman to follow her. A few of the kids were already glancing hopefully in their direction as they stood pouting in the wet grass. Rick didn't seem to be paying the two women any mind. He was busy arguing with Carl since the boy didn't seem as willing as the other kids were to listen to him.

Michonne tapped Rick on the shoulder. When he turned in her direction, she pushed him. He wasn't expecting the sudden rough contact and he stumbled back with a look of shock on his face. That's when Carolina grabbed him. She wasn't as muscular as Michonne, but she grew up wrestling a twin brother that was taller and heavier than her. She grabbed Rick under his armpits and jerked him off balance while Michonne went for his ankles. He was in midair before he realized what they meant to do. Rick hollered out his loud protests as he thrashed and wriggled, trying to escape from the hold they had on him.

"On three," Michonne barked, adjusting her grip on Rick's legs so he couldn't kick her.

"Hey! Let me go!", Rick demanded. The kids around them wore mixed expressions of concern and glee. Carolina could hear a few of them squealing with laughter. When Michonne started loudly counting to three, they swung Rick's body back and forth, getting the momentum needed to launch him over the side of the pool.

"NO!" Rick's voice went at least two octaves higher, turning suddenly from one of authority to a loud pleading whine. "MY BOOTS! MY GUN!" A rather unmanly sounding scream burst out of him as he flew flailing through the air, landing in the water with a giant splash. Seeing their opportunity, several of the kids that had been ordered out of the pool leaped back in, squealing as they splashed more water at him.

Carolina was deep into a round of near hysterical laughter, watching Rick literally pour water out of his colt python, when she heard Michonne's sudden shriek. Carolina turned to see Tyreese lifting the woman into the air and tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Her sunglasses fell to the ground near his feet. And like Rick had about his gun and boots, Michonne was protesting loudly about not wanting to get her hair to get wet. She hit the water with a giant splash and more excited laughter from the kids.

Carolina's urge to laugh even harder at her friend was tempered by the knowledge that if someone had just ambushed Michonne, she was probably next. She turned just in time to Daryl lunging for her. She jerked out of the way as he made a grab for her arm. He caught nothing but air and Carolina took a few more quick steps around the edge of the pool. She went the opposite direction from Tyreese, in case the two of them were planning to pull the same stunt on her that she and Michonne just pulled on Rick. Carolina kept moving until she and Daryl were on opposite ends with the pool between them. She eyed him curiously, wondering just how invested he was in catching her.

"Yer all a bunch of little traitors," she told the kids, all of whom had apparently decided that they didn't care anymore who was on their side as long as they got to see someone else get thrown in the pool. They were laughing and squealing as they cheered Daryl on, encouraging him to chase after her. He waved them off, stepping back away from the pool and pulling his cigarettes from his pocket. The kids booed him, convinced that the fun was over. But Carolina wasn't totally buying his act of nonchalance. He didn't just move back from the pool, he moved off to the side so that less of the large structure was between them. When he clamped his cigarette between his teeth and glanced over at her, Carolina saw the predatory gleam in his hooded eyes.

Carolina took a step back. And then another. She kept her eyes on him until she saw his body tense. Daryl dropped the cigarette he was pretending he was about to light and charged at her. Rick cringed as Carolina screamed absolute bloody fucking murder. She took off, hauling ass through the garden area. Her sandals flew off her feet and her hair fell down out of the sloppy bun she tied it up in. She made it most of the way across the yard before she started to question her life decisions. Just why in the fucking hell she was running away from Daryl? With her insides clenching at the thought of being caught, Carolina altered her course and darted inside the lower level of the guard tower. Someone left a mason jar full of water on the bottom step and Carolina snatched it up before flattening herself against the wall next to the door. When Daryl charged in a moment later, hitting the door with so much force that it slammed against the wall on the opposite side, she was ready. Carolina squealed as she tossed the water at him, splashing it all over the front of him and into his face. When she jerked her arm back, the jar slipped and flew against the opposite wall, shattering into pieces when it hit the cement floor.

Daryl shook the water off as he reached for her. Grasping her by the wrists, he pinned her hands against the wall above her head. Something that was fairly easy for him to do considering she wasn't resisting in the slightest. Her chest was heaving, both from the run and the adrenaline that was coursing through her body. His chest was pressed against hers, nothing but the damp material of his shirt and her bikini top between them. Carolina fought back the urge to kiss him first. And it was well worth it when he captured her lips with his. She yielded to him immediately, moaning when his tongue slipped between her parted lips.

"Is everything okay down there? I thought I heard a crash…"

Daryl jerked away from her, releasing her wrists as he looked up at Hershel and gave the man a little wave. Carolina covered her giggles with her hand as Hershel retreated back out onto the platform. From where he was standing, at the top of the stairs, he'd no doubt gotten an eyeful of their hillbilly courting ritual.

"Hey, what are you doing?," Carolina squeaked, giggling as Daryl tied her wrists together with his handkerchief.

"I caught ya," he teased. "...now yer gonna hafta walk the plank."

"I think I'd rather play this game in private," she whispered, her smile widening when she saw the blush creeping up Daryl's neck. When Carolina spoke again it was in a falsetto and what she hoped was some approximation of a british accent. "Please Captain, don't throw me overboard. I don't wanna die a virgin."

Daryl, who by now was red all the way to the tips of his ears, grumbled a few expletives under his breath before he grasped her by the arm and pulled her out the door and into the prison yard. Carolina laughed as the kids whooped and cheered. Though she was the one about to be tossed into the pool, she was quite certain that Daryl needed a dip in the cold water worse than she did. When they got closer to the pool, Carolina wriggled away from his grasp.

"Cannonball," she hollered, holding up her bound wrists before she took off at a run towards the pool.

Carolina was planning to hurdle over the side and leap in. But then she hit the wet grass near the pool and went sliding. Her body crashed against the side and she flipped over the edge of it, landing head first in the water with her feet flipping up into the air. The worst she got was a nose full of water. But her landing must have looked worse than it was, because when she popped up, Daryl was leaning over the side of the pool asking if she was alright. Carolina's wrists were still attached together. And she hooked them around his neck. Since he was already leaning forward over the edge, it didn't take much effort on her part to drag Daryl into the pool with her. By this time, the kids had pretty much gone completely feral. They were screaming and splashing and jumping all over her and Daryl. Carolina slid the wet handkerchief off her wrists, handing it back to him. Daryl had taken his boots off before he came after her. But other than that, he was fully dressed. And one of the little girls used this to her advantage, gripping his shirt as she attempted to climb onto his back.

"I wanna play too," she demanded. "Will you tie me up next?"

Carolina turned, catching Michonne's eye for only a moment before both of them cracked up laughing. Daryl tossed the hanky away before he pulled the little girl off his back and launched her as high as he could into the air, letting her splash down into the water. This kicked off a new game. And eventually, Carolina and Michonne retreated to sun themselves on towels in the grass while Daryl and Tyreese took turns throwing the kids in the air or letting them climb onto their shoulders and jump off.

When the kids finally exhausted him, Daryl shuffled over and collapsed in a dripping soggy heap on the grass next to her. Rolling onto his back, he pulled his cigarettes from his pocket and tipped the pack sideways. Water poured out of it, making both of them laugh.

"Imma go dry off," Daryl announced, forcing himself up onto his feet and heading across the yard to the cell block. Carolina smiled after him, enjoying the way his wet pants were clinging to his ass and thighs. Once Daryl was out of view, she took a long look around her. There were a few people patrolling the fences. But other than that, it would be easy to look around and feel like the apocalypse never happened. And Carolina realized this life no longer felt like a game to her. She was fully invested in the fate of this community. And if she wanted it to be a happy one, there was something that needed to be done. They were going to have to find the governor and stop him before he could come back and attack this place.