Chapter 127-Preparations
Carol's P.O.V
Carol walked up to Ezekiel as he got the horses ready, petting one with affection. "So, what are you doing?"
"We are going to get more food for the fair," Ezekiel says with a smile. "Then we have another item we need to get."
"What is that?" Carol asks, thinking the list over and was sure they had everything.
"It is a surprise, but trust me. It will be worth it." Ezekiel says with a smirk that was as pleased as punch.
"There are six of us. Don't you think we should get a larger group to make this easier?" Looking around at the community and than back at her husband.
"Who do you have in mind? A decent amount of our fighters are of clearing and protecting the roads, and more are in the nearby forests."
"Alden, Connie, Daryl, Alicia, and Nick are still here," Carol says. "We could ask them."
"Very well, you go talk with Daryl and Alicia. I'll find the others," Ezekiel says, and Carol nods.
"What is the run for?"
"A projector bulb," Ezekiel says with a grin, and Carol paused, then grinned at this idea, as she walks away.
After a short amount of time, she finds Daryl helping a few members of the communities setting up a booth, and she can see Alicia helping another group of them while Arya and Nabila watch the kids, who were playing fetch with Dog barking back and forth.
"Daryl. Alicia!" The two paused and looked as Carol came over.
"What's up?" Alicia asked, rubbing her hands on her pants.
"I need your help for a run."
"Carol-" Daryl starts to protest.
"I know you're staying here for a family, but we aren't going after the Whisperers. We are going into town, hunting, and getting something from the movie theater." Carol explains.
"What do you need from a movie theater?" Alicia blinked.
"A projector bulb." Carol answered, causing Alicia's brows to raise. "Ezekiel wants to play a movie. Your kids could see a movie. We have patrols on the streets. The Whisperers won't get close to us."
Daryl looks at Alicia. "Your choice, you about killed me yesterday, and I don't feel like getting on your bad side again." Daryl says, making her chuckle. She looks at the kids and smiles.
"We'll come, but if we get any word of Whisperers or a herd, we are coming back," Alicia says, and Carol nods, thinking that sounded fair. "We'll go see the kids."
Daryl's P.O.V
Daryl and Alicia walk up to the kids and motion them over. "We'll be back in a little bit," Alicia tells them as she sits down.
"You said you weren't going to fight anymore!" Ofelia protested, stomping her foot.
"I know, but we aren't fighting the Skin people. We're going to get something for the fair and some food, just a quick run." Daryl tells his daughter.
"What is it?" Merle asks, a little calmer then his sister.
"It's a surprise." Alicia says with a smile, leaning down and winking "We'll be okay. We'll be with Aunt Carol and Uncle Ezekiel."
"No fighting the skin people?" Merle asks, and they nod. "When you get back, can we help skin the animals?"
"Sure thing." Daryl says. "We'll find the biggest one and skin it."
They nod as they hug their parents. "You do everything Nabila says," Alicia tells them as she kisses their head. "We love you."
After, the kids run back over to Nabila and the other children, and they start to walk away. "I wanna come!" They look at Charlie as she walks up to them. "Rachel is out with John. Please."
"Alright alright, don't worry, come on." Daryl says as they walk toward the others.
Carl's P.O.V
Carl slammed his hatchet down on a walker's head and looked at Negan as he killed one, slamming it on the side of the head. He brushed the blood off and looked around warily. "No skin freaks yet, much less that crazy Bitch." Negan says.
"They might be trying to come up with a plan now that Beta's dead." Carl says.
Negan sighed "Fuck great, now make me paranoid."
"Just being honest." Carl walked ahead with Negan closed behind
"So when are we going to have the talk?" Negan asks with a smile making Carl look at him confused. "You're going to be meeting the girlfriend soon."
"What are you talking about?" Carl blinked "Girlfriend? Wait you mean-"
"Arya and Lydia, come on, Kid. You're not the blind. Even though you are missing one eye."
Carl stares at Negan as if trying to process. "How can you be so sure? I mean yeah Arya cares but they just met-"
"Cause she pretty much admitted it to me, heck the door was closed," Negan says with a smirk as they see another walker. Negan looked at Yumiko as she shot it in the head with her bow. "I'm just saying you might want to have the birds and the bees talk. Just instead, it's another woman she's with."
"Please, stop talking." Carl groaned, rubbing his head not wanting to deal with that right now. "I don't even want to think about that."
"Your little girl is growing up. I mean heck before you know it we're In-Laws!"
"I'll cut out your tongue, and nobody will complain 'cause I am doing them all a favor," Carl says as he walks away, and Negan chuckles as he follows.
Yumiko raised an eyebrow "He always talk this much?"
"No sometimes he's worse, just don't get him singing, then he'll never shut up."
Negan looked offended "I have a lovely singing voice!"
John's P.O.V
John shot a walker through the head as they headed down one of the roads, forests on each side. "You think they're sending them after us?" He asks Morgan.
"No, we're just making a lot of noise," Morgan says as some of the others cut a tree and start to move it, lifting it onto one of the carriages.
"I'm surprised Rosita isn't out here," John observed.
"She's barely left Coco's side since we got back." Morgan says. "Before I had her and Rosita, I didn't care if I died as long as I died keeping my family safe. Now I can't die. I have to protect them. I have to be there for them, and I know Rosita feels the same." Morgan glancing around at the forests, no movement in sight..
"We might not be able to control that." John softly claimed, causing Morgan to glance at him in surprise. "Troy, Dwight, Oceanside. They're dead, and it hasn't even been a week."
"They will be the last." Morgan reassured.
"Not if this fair happens." John shook his head in frustration, taking his hat off. "I talked with Ezekiel. Tried to get him to postpone it, but he won't."
"I agree with him." Morgan says as he stabs a walker through the head with his stick, not seeing John's stunned look. "We've been planning this for the better part of a year. We need this, especially after losing Oceanside, Troy, and Dwight. We need to show these bastards that we'll stand together no matter what they do and to regroup."
"We don't need this fair to show them that, Jesus Morgan I hoped you were smarter then this." John says as he walks over to the tree, clenching his fists
Alden's P.O.V
Alden and Connie followed at the back of the group as they headed for the movie theater, and some of the others took the animals they killed back to the Kingdom. Connie taps Alden on the shoulder, making him look at her. She holds her notepad out to him. "How are you doing?"
"I'm okay." Alden shrugged. "I'm hoping this goes well. I would love to see a movie, can't even remember the last one I ever saw before The Fall."
She nods as they arrive at the movie theater. "Let's get them out, Jerry," Ezekiel tells the man, who nods as they move a stereo and a car battery to the other side of the movie theater. Alden and Connie walk up to Daryl, Alicia, and Nick.
"This could attract Whispers." Alden says.
Alicia looked over to Alden with a sigh "Alden calm down, we haven't seen-"
"Walkers." She turned to her husband as he seemed to realize looking around "No walkers anywhere, usually we see one on a day like today but look...nothing."
"We'll be in and out before they get here." Nick assured his brother in law. "We've been planning this for a while. It will work."
"How's Sherry?" Daryl quietly asked.
"She's upset, don't get me wrong she still cared about Dwight," Nick assured, not bothered at that notion. "But hoping this fair will cheer her up and take her and Amanda's minds off it."
Maggie's P.O.V
Maggie and Rick lead a group through the woods, many trailing behind to keep an eye on their rears to ensure no dead snuck on them. "Doesn't look like anything been through here," Rick looked at the ground.
"You're a tracker now?" Maggie asks with a smile.
"When you spend half of your time with Daryl, you become pretty good at it. And hey this old man does know a thing about tracking now." Rick says with a grin, causing Maggie to chuckle. "We'll keep going for another mile and circle around!" Rick told the others, who nodded. Rick looks at Maggie, a look of concern on his face. "So, what's been on your mind?"
"What are you talking about?" Maggie asks, but not meeting his gaze as she looked ahead.
"You've been spacing out. Something is bothering you," He said in concern "Is it about the skins?"
"No Rick it's..." She took a breath and turned to him, her eyes worried "The kids are starting to ask questions about Negan, about his past. Why people hate him."
"What?" Rick paused a second then kept walking, looking back "Shit, of all the times...what do you think?"
Maggie bit her lip and looked down at the ground, causing Rick to stare a moment then realized.
"You're worried about what Hershel will do when he does find out that Negan killed his father."
"Aren't you worried about how Judith and Andrea will react?" Maggie asks, dodging the question implied.
"Oh trust me Maggie, at first? Yes I was. But over time, no." Rick says, to Maggie's surprise as she looked at him. "They love Negan. I get why you are worried, Maggie. But it'll work out."
"I almost got you killed, Rick." Maggie mumbled. "That guilt has never gone away. I don't want him to do something like that. It tears you apart."
"You know I don't blame you for that, I never did." Rick says softly. "Back then. We made decisions. Maybe they weren't for the best, but now, you and Hershel have a big family. You've grown, and it has been my honor to watch you, and I know damn well your Father would be proud of the woman you are. The boy his grandson is going to become. That's why I know that when he does find out, you'll make him understand."
"How can you be so sure?" Maggie asks.
"Because I know you, and I knew Glenn, and that is Glenn's kid. I can see more of Glenn in him every time I see him. He'll show mercy, just like Glenn did, and so did you, you know that he was always the first to be compassionate and to show mercy." Rick says. "Everything is going to be okay."
"Thank you, Rick."
Rick put a hand on her shoulder nodding firmly "Always, but Maggie right now we need to focus. I'm not being cruel, but with Alpha still out there-"
"I know." She nodded firmly "You can count on me."
Carl's P.O.V
Carl walks up to Arya as she is outside, sitting on one of the porches and looking down as Lydia was sitting with Jerry and Nualia, the two talking to her kindly as she wrung her hands but was at least not looking too nervous. "You're back!" Arya says with a smile as she runs at her father, hugging him.
"We're taking a break. The second crew is out there. Need to eat and rest and then back out there." Carl says. "Can we talk quickly?"
Arya nods as she follows him, tilting her head. "What's up?"
"Something going on with you and Lydia?" Carl asks Arya, who froze and looked at him wide-eyed.
"How- It was Uncle Negan was it? I'm gonna fucking-"
"Arya." Carl just said firmly.
"If you are about to give me the talk, I'm going to take your other eye. Or if you ask me to stay away from her." Arya threatens.
"I'm not. You're almost a woman now." Carl says. "I'm just saying that I should get to know her a little better. Maybe I'll tell her some stories about your childhood."
Arya groans. "If you love me, you won't."
"I'll think about it. When your Mom gets here, I want her to join us for the fair and maybe a dinner."
"...You haven't told Mom yet?" Arya asked, eyes wide.
"No. I'm not. You are."
"Shit."
Daryl's P.O.V
The group rode back into the Kingdom and climbed off their horses. "See? Easy." Carol says.
"We had to take out a small herd." Daryl shook his head.
"Easy," Carol says with a smile as she walks away.
"That woman is going to be the death of me," Daryl says.
"Either she will or I will," Alicia says with a smirk as they walk toward the kids who are skinning a deer with Clementine. "You started without us."
"You took too long," Clementine says.
"Next time you go on the run I'll skin the deer," Daryl tells Clementine, who chuckles as he withdraws his knife. "I'll finish the skin," Daryl tells Clementine, who nods as Daryl removes the skin after he cuts the deer open and starts to remove the guts. Behind him, Alicia picked up a piece of the guts and held it out to Merle, who took it, and she pointed at Daryl. Daryl felt something wet hit the back of his head and turned around and looked at his kids and wife, who were all laughing. Daryl dropped his knife and picked his son up, making the child laugh harder as he grabbed a piece of meat and threw it at Alicia, covering her shirt in blood.
Carol's P.O.V.
Carol watched them with a smile as Ezekiel walked up to her. "What are they doing?" Ezekiel asks in mild horror.
"Throwing guts at each other," Carol says with a smirk.
"We're not going to stop them?" Her husband looked at her wide-eyed
"No, he needs this," Carol says as she watches them with a smile.
Thanks for reading. This was more of a breather chapter, and we have a couple more of those and then you know what. Next chapter, the group will meet A new group on the the road, and Alpha will start to form a plan. As always, suggestions, ideas, and feedback are welcomed. Until next time.