[Finished] Living Among the Dead

38. New Best Friends

I'm walking around the town holding Hope, getting stopped by nearly everyone, so that they can look at her.
I see Daryl walking as Ezekiel and his gang of crazies along with Morgan get out of their trucks.
I walk over as Daryl engages, "Hey. Where'd you go in them trucks?"
Morgan turns to the boy he seems to have taken under his wing and says, "I need to speak to Daryl alone. That okay?"
He starts walking over towards Daryl just as I reach Daryl, who spares me merely a glance.
The kid responds with, "Yeah, I'll get you something for that cut."
"Yeah."
"You went to see them, right?" Daryl demands.
"Yeah."
"Part of your deal?" When Morgan doesn't respond, Daryl steps closer, "What the hell's wrong with you? You're bleeding. They did that to you. You know what they are."
"I do."
"You know, if Carol were here, she saw all that, if she knew about Abraham... and Glenn... she'd be leading us right to them, ready to kill them all."
"She would," Morgan agrees. "And that's why she left, man."
Daryl scoffs and walks away.
"I'm sorry about him," I say, watching after him. "He's been... touchy I guess... it's not you."
Morgan smiles, "He doesn't like me."
I shrug, "He doesn't like you, because Carol didn't like you. I don't know what happened between them before I came around... but those two, well they had an inseparable bond. He just feels abandoned." The realization of how true my words are hits me as I speak them.
"How are you two?" Morgan asks.
I sigh, shaking my head, "We've been in arguments before. The first one was my fault, hell now that I'm not nearly as pregnant and hormonal I can see where he was coming from during the second one, too. But this time I don't even know what I did to piss him off so bad."
"I'm sorry."
I shake my head, "Don't be. We'll either get through this, or we won't... but for the record, Morgan. I want those Savior dicks dead. I'm almost to the point where I would love for them to suffer unimaginably and then when their begging for death, we feed them to the dead. I know you're all anti violence and stuff, I get it. But," I shake my head. "My two year old daughter was bitten because of those bastards. My best friend killed themself after watching Negan bash Abraham and Glenn's heads in with a baseball bat that he calls Lucille. The Savior's have taken too much from me for me to even consider any none violent resolutions."

Daryl walks up to me, "Come on." He orders, gruffly.
I give him a look, "Excuse you, I was under the impression that we're still fighting."
He glares at me for a moment before saying, "I found out Carol isn't far... I wanna introduce her to Hope. Figured you would like to see 'er, too."
"Carol?" I can't help the excited smile light up my face, "She's alive? She's okay?"
"Let's go find out."
I quickly get up, let Mason know where we're going, and allow Daryl to hold Hope as we go knock on the door to a home just outside of the Kingdom's walls.
Daryl hands Hope back to me as we wait for Carol to answer.
When Carol does, she looks surprised and I watch as they both embrace, Carol starting to cry, but Daryl pulls away.
Carol hugs me, and looks at both of us, so Daryl starts explaining. "Jesus took us to the Kingdom. Morgan said you just left. I was out here and Richard said you were here. Why'd you go?" When I hear his voice break, hear the emotion in his tone that isn't anger or nothing, I myself almost break down.
"I had to." Carol whispers. She then looks to me, "and who's this little one?" She asks.
I smile, "Carol, this is Hope."
"Can I?"
I nod, gently placing Daryl and I's daughter into her arms. She holds her close, then looks to Daryl, "She looks like you."
He shakes his head, "Nah. She looks like 'er ma. Thank god."
We all chuckle, but I shake my head. "She looks like you, but with my eyes. She's the female Harry Potter."
They both give me an incredulous look.

When darkness hits, I glance out Carol's window as she lights a fire in her fireplace. Daryl is holding Hope; but I'm waiting to go back to Mason as patiently as I can. I know reuniting with Carol is good for Daryl, hell I know it's important to him. But leaving my teenage son in a community that I don't know or trust just doesn't sit right with me.
It's been silent for a long time before Carol finally breaks it. "I couldn't lose anyone. I couldn't lose any of them. I couldn't lose you." I keep my eyes out the window, knowing this conversation is for her and Daryl. "I couldn't kill them. I could. I would. If they hurt any of our people... Any more of them; that's what I would do. And there wouldn't be anything left of me after that. The Saviors, did they come?"
"Yeah." Daryl grunts.
"Did anyone get hurt? Is everybody okay?" Her voice breaks. "Did the Saviors- Is everybody back home okay?...Daryl?"
"They came. We got them all. Made a deal with the rest of them, like Ezekiel. Everyone's all right." I close my eyes and relive again the deaths of my friends as Daryl repeats, "Everyone's all right."
I hear Carol's relieved sobs.
"We gonna eat or- or do the woman and I gotta be royalty or somethin' to get food around here?"
Carol chuckles, and I finally turn back to the room as She replies. "Shut up."
After a moment while Carol prepares the food; Daryl asks, "Ezekiel is he okay?"
"Yeah, I think he is."

When we've finished eating we leave. Walking out the door, Carol and I exchange a quick hug, she brushes her hand gently over Hope's hair, not disturbing her from her slumber.
We make it off the porch before Daryl turns back and hugs Carol, saying, "Watch out for yourself, all right?" Then he returns to me and we make our way back to the Kingdom.

I leave Hope with Mason once we get to the Kingdom and Daryl asks me to talk.
We make it to where Shiva is kept, and sit in front of her cage.
"Look," he begins. "Thanks for not rattin' on me."
I sigh, "You wanted to protect her, I get it."
He looks at me for a long moment, almost looking like he's in pain before he says, "Why do you stick around?"
I tilt my head slightly, observing him. I finally see a vulnerability in his eyes that he's kept hidden from me for so very long. "What do you mean?"
"Why do you listen to me? Why do you stay 'round when I do nothin' but yell at ya? Pick stupid fuckin' fights with ya?"
I sigh, "Because I did the same thing... You keep saying I'm comparing you to my late husband. Really, I'm finally learning what I put him through. I used to pick fights and throw tantrums-"
"I don't throw tantrums."
I chuckle softly, "Right, of course not. Well I did. A lot. I guess I stay because I understand exactly where you are coming from. I get why you pick the fights that you do; even if it sometimes annoys the hell out of me. But still, I understand. And within this last year, I've fallen in love with you. I can't see my life as bearable without you. Do I wish we fought less, hell yeah. But can I put up with the small arguments, definitely. And I will. As long as you let me, I'll stay."
"I'm leavin'. I ain't stayin' here and lettin' Rick and 'em fight without me."
I nod, "Okay, then I'm coming with. We'll pack up the kids, and we'll follow you, to the end of the world if we have to."
"Alright."
I turn to watch the tiger pace her cage before coming to lay near Daryl, I can't help but smile a little.
"Well, you're good with her." I turn to see Morgan leaning against the entrance. "Ezekiel will be impressed."
"Well, figure any guy that has a pet tiger can't be that bad. He's okay by Carol. Yeah, I found her, out in that little house."
"Look, what I said," Morgan starts. "When I said she just went away it's; what she told me to do."
"No, I get it. We need the Kingdom. You got to make that happen."
"I'm sorry. I mean, I-I really am, but, uh... it can't be me."
Daryl stands up, sighing. "Look, whatever it is you're holding on to. It's already gone, man. Wake the hell up." He packs up, and then reaches his hand out, helping me up.
"You're the same as me, Daryl."
"You don't know shit about me," Daryl snaps.
"No, I do. 'Cause you didn't tell Carol what happened. You didn't, 'cause she'd be here otherwise. And I'm glad for that. See, we're all holding on to something."
Daryl strokes Shiva through the bars of her cage before turning back to Morgan, "I'm going back to Hilltop in the morning and getting ready."

[A.N.] They made up again!! And now their on their way to Hilltop, ready to fight the good fight.
Was it just me or did the Negan storyline go on for way too long? Like, it was a long rivalry, am I right? Not that I'm complaining too much, Jeffery Dean  Morgan is a beautiful man and all, but still.