Grace's P.O.V
The next morning, I was gathering up dirty clothes for us to wash later today. I walked down the dirt path carrying a laundry basket full of dirty clothes, soaps, and the handwashing boards.
Clive was playing with Sophia, Carl, and Morales's kids by the tents.
As I was about to walk to the truck to load the basket, when the sound of a scream filled my ears. Panic started to fill throughout the entire camp, "Carl?!" Lori called out, before looking into the direction it came from.
A panicked look came onto my face, "Clive!!" I called out, dropping the basket from my hands and sprinting towards where the screams came from. Lori, Rick, Shane, Morales, Jim, Glenn, Dale, and Carol followed behind me.
A worried look was on my face, as I ran through the woods, "Clive?!"
We heard both him, Sophia, and Clive scream in response.
"Carl, sweetie!!" Mom called out.
"Clive!!" I called out, "Bubby!!"
With our calls out to the kids the only response that came out was screams. It only made us worry more.
We ran through the bushes until Jacqui ran Carl, Sophia, and Clive towards the top of the camp. A look of relief came over me once I saw that they were safe.
I got down on my knees, as Clive ran into my arms, "Are you okay, bub? Did anything bite you or scratch you?" I quickly asked her.
"No, nothing happened to me Aunt Grace." He said, pulling away from me. I pushed his bangs out of his face, as his eyes stared down at me, "I wanted to kill it, but I was afraid. I tried to be brave like dad and mom, but I got scared."
"It's okay, Clive." I soothed, a light smile on my face, "All that matters is that you're safe."
The sound of the guys killing the Walker started to fill my ears. I looked up to see Andrea and Amy walking down the pathway where the men were. They were standing in the pathway watching them kill the Walker.
I looked to my nephew, "Stay with Lori and Carol, okay?" I asked, raising my brows. I stood up to my feet, and started to walk over to their side, when he stopped me, "What are you going to do?"
My blue eyes shifted over to him, "I'm going to help them kill it." I replied, I pointed over to where Lori and Carl were, "Go to Lori, and wait until I get back."
Clive stared at me for a couple of seconds, before nodding.
I turned over to Andrea and Amy, and started to walk down the dirt path towards them. I walked around the two girls, and watched as Dale took a hatchet and cut the Walker's head off.
"Holy shit.." I said, stepping out next to Glenn.
Dale's eyes stayed on the Walker, "That's the first one we had up here." His eyes shifted over to Shane, "They never come up this far up the mountain."
My eyes glanced between them, "They must be running out of food in the city." I said, raising my brows a bit, as Jim walks over to stand behind the deer.
Shane's eyes shifted over to me, "I have to agree with you there, Grace." He says, nodding to me.
We then heard the sound of ruffling coming from the woods. I pulled out my dagger from my pocket, and opened it up. Shane stepped out in front of us, as he held his gun up in the direction.
A bit of a nervous look was on Glenn's face, "Is it another one of those things?"
I glanced over at him, "Possibly."
A couple seconds later, Daryl Dixon came walking out from behind the rock. A bit of a puzzled look came onto his face whenever he saw us, "What the hell is all this about?"
Shane scoffed quietly, as he lowered his gun. He took a couple steps back, as Daryl walked closer to us. His eyes then dropped down onto the dead animal on the ground, "Son of a bitch!" He walked over and started to stand over the animal, "That's my deer! Look at it all nawed on by this.." He started to kick the Walker's body, "Filthy, disease bearing, motherless bastard!"
Dale shook his head, "Calm down, son, that's not helping."
Daryl's eyes shifted up to him, "What do you know about it, old man?" He asked, walking over to him, "Why don't you take that stupid hat of yours, and go back to 'On Golden Pond'?" He turns back to the deer, "I've been tracking this deer for miles.." He started to pull the arrows out of the animal, "I was going to drag it back to camp, and we could've cooked us up somethin."
Shane rolled his eyes, as he placed his gun on his shoulders.
He walks over to the wound that the Walker had put into the deer, "Do you think we can cut around this chewed up part right here?" He asked, his eyes shifting to Shane.
A bit of a cringe look came onto his face, "I wouldn't risk it, man." He says, shaking his head.
Daryl sighs loudly, "It's a damn shame." He says, looking down at the deer, "I got some squirrel, about a dozen or so." His eyes started to glance between us all, "I guess it will have to do."
Just then the head of the Walker then woke up, and started to clank its jaws together. A cringe look came onto both Amy and Andrea, "Oh gosh!" I looked over to see them both walking away.
"Come on, people, what the hell?" Daryl asked, grabbing his crossbow off of his shoulder and pointed it at the head. He then shot an arrow, and killed it instantly, "It's gotta be the brain." He says, pulling the arrow out of its skull, "Don't you know nothing?"
Our eyes followed after him, as he walked past me and down the dirt path. I took a breath, as I looked back to everybody else, "Somebody's gotta tell him about Merle, now." I stated, raising my brows a bit.
Shane looks over at me, "I know, Grace, and we will."
I turned and walked back up the dirt path, through the bushes, and towards where the top of the camp was. I closed my dagger, and shoved it back into my pocket.
I saw that everyone in camp was huddled around the R.V as they watched Daryl come into their sight.
"Merle!" He shouts, looking around the area.
I quickly scampered past him, and over towards the R.V. I got under the shade, as Clive went down to my side.
"Merle!!" Daryl shouts, looking around the area, "Get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrel."
Rick and Shane quickly chased after him, as Daryl put the crossbow down against one of the campfires. A bit of disappointed looks was on their faces, "Hey, Daryl," Shane says, placing his gun into the jeep, "Slow up a bit, I need to talk to you."
Daryl's eyes shifted over to him, "About what?"
"It's about Merle." Shane says, walking over to him, "There was a..there was a problem in Atlanta." He says, placing his hands onto his hips. Daryl's gaze fell down to his feet, "Is he dead?"
Nobody responded at first, as Shane's eyes fell down to his feet, "We're not sure.."
"It either he is or he ain't."
"There is no easy way to say this, so I'll just say it." Rick said, he walks over and stands next to Shane. Daryl's eyes shifted over to him, "Who are you?"
"I'm Rick Grimes."
"Rick Grimes?" He snaps back, anger starting to rise through him, "Do you got something you wanna tell me?"
"Your brother was a danger to us all. So, I handcuffed him to the rooftop hooked onto a piece of metal." Rick states, he takes a breath, "He's still there."
"Hold on.." Daryl replies, rubbing his eyes, "Let me process this." His gaze pierced into dads, "So, you handcuffed my brother to a roof, and you left him there?!"
Rick stared at him for a couple of seconds, before he nodded, "Yeah."
He stared at him father for a couple of seconds, before he took the squirrels off of his shoulder and threw it at him. My eyes widened a bit, as I pulled Clive closer to me.
Rick moved out of the way so he wouldn't be hit by the squirrel. Shane then rushed over and pushed Daryl a couple feet back. He then took out his knife, and stood back up to his feet. He then swung it at Rick, which caused Shane to pin his arms back.
Rick kicked the knife out of Daryl's hand, as Shane put him into a chokehold.
"You best let me go!!" Daryl shouts, squirming as he tries to get loose. A cringe look came onto Shane's face, "Ah, I think it's better if I don't." He started to pull him to the ground.
T-Dog took a couple steps closer to them, a bit of a worried look was on his face as he watched the scene.
"The chokeholds illegal!-"
"Yeah, well, you can file a complaint." Shane pants, keeping his arm around him.
Rick then got down on the ground in front of Daryl, "I would like to have a calm conversation about this topic, do you think we can manage that?"
He didn't respond, he just breathed heavily.
"Do you think we can manage that?"
Still, Daryl didn't say anything.
A couple seconds later, Shane let him go. Daryl scrambled away from him, while Rick's light blue eyes stared down at him, "What I did wasn't just on a whim. Your brother does not work or play well with others."
"It's not Rick's fault." T-Dog spoke up, Rick and Daryl's gaze shifted over to him, "I had the key, and I dropped it."
An annoyed look was on his face, "You couldn't pick it up?" He asks, squinting his eyes at him.
T's eyes shifted over to her, "I dropped it down a drain."
A pained look came onto Daryl's face, as he stood up to his feet. His eyes pierced into T-Dog, "If that was supposed to make me feel better, it don't!"
"Well, maybe this will." T-Dog says, his eyes glancing between the both of them, "I chained the door on the roof shut, so the Geeks couldn't get to them. It was with a padlock too."
His eyes glanced between all of us, "The hell with all of y'all!" He looks back to Rick, "Just tell me where it is, so I can go get him."
"He'll show you.." Lori spoke up, my eyes shifted over to her. I saw a bit of an annoyed look on her face, "Isn't that right?"
Rick stared at her for a couple of seconds, before nodding, "Yeah, I'll go back."
A hurt look came onto her face, as she turned and walked into the R.V.
Rick then turned, and walked towards our tent to get ready.
~~~
Rick, Glenn, T-Dog, and Daryl went back to the city to get Merle down from the rooftop we left him on.
Currently, Andrea, Amy, Carol, Jacqui, and I were down in the waterhole doing laundry. Clive was with Carl and Shane, he was learning how to catch frogs.
I sat next to Andrea scrubbing clothes onto the board. It was quiet between us until Jacqui took a breath, "Can somebody please explain to me how the women ended up doing all the Hattie McDaniel work?" An annoyed look on her face, as she rang out the shirt she had in her hands.
Amy looked back at her, "The world ended, didn't you get the memo?" She asks, a light smile on her face.
Carol looks back at her husband, Ed, who was patiently waiting for his wife and son to be done with the laundry. She turns back around to the bucket at her feet, "It's just the way it is.."
It went quiet between all of us, as we scrubbed and drained the clothes we were washing.
Carol then takes a breath, "I do miss my Maytag." She says, scrubbing the shirt on the washboard in between her legs.
"I miss my Benz, and my Sat Nav." Andrea chimes in, a light smile on her face.
"I miss my coffeemaker." Jacqui smiles, ringing out her shirt, "The one with that drip filter, and that built in grinder."
"I miss my computer.." Amy replies, scrubbing the board. A pouty look coming onto her face, "And texting.."
I took a breath, as I slowly stopped scrubbing the pair of jeans I had, "I miss the little hours of sleep I used to get, whenever my brothers and I would go on hunts."
It started to go silent between us, before a smirk came across Andrea's face, "I miss my vibrator." She bluntly said, smirking lightly. A surprised look came onto all of our faces, as we all giggled quietly.
"Oh my gosh." Amy chuckled, looking over at her sister.
Carol glanced back at Ed, before her eyes turned back to the washboard, "..Me too."
Everyone else immediately busted out into laughter, while Carol smiled at us.
The sound of footsteps soon could be heard making their way over to us, "What's so funny?" All of us looked over to see Ed making his way over to us. A cigarette in between his fingers, and a bit of an annoyed look was on his face.
Andrea looks back at him, "We're just swapping war stories, Ed." She then turned back around, and started to scrub the dirt off of the shirt she had on her lap.
It started to grow silent between all of us, as Ed walked closer and closer to us. Andrea then looks back at the man hovering over us, "Is there a problem, Ed?"
His eyes rolled over to her, "None that concerns you." His eyes started to glance between Carol, "You outta focus on your work. This ain't no comedy club."
I scoffed quietly, rolling my eyes a bit as I scrubbed the jeans on the washboard.
"Do you got something to say, Missy?" Ed snaps, his eyes piercing into me.
An annoyed look came onto my face, "No." I bluntly said, rolling my eyes. I looked back at him, "But somethings do come to mind whenever I do need to say something to you." I stated, forcing a smile onto my face.
I watched as the man grew angrier by the second.
Andrea then stood up to her feet, "Ed, I'll tell you what." She started to walk over to him, "If you don't like how your laundry is done, you can pitch in and do it yourself." She then threw the wet cloth at him, "Here-"
As soon as it touched Ed's chest, he immediately threw it back, hitting her in the neck. He shakes his head, "Doing laundry, it ain't my job."
"Andrea, don't." Amy says, standing up to her feet.
"What is your job, Ed?" She replies, taking a step closer to him, "Sitting on your ass smoking cigarettes?"
"Well, it sure isn't listening to some uppity-smart mouth bitch." He snaps back, his eyes shifted over to his wife and son, "Come on, let's go."
Carol quickly stood up to her feet, as I threw the jeans I had into the bucket. I stood up to stop her from leaving with him, "Move girl.." Ed growls, glaring down at me.
My blue eyes pierced into him, "I don't think they need to go anywhere with you, Ed."
"And I say it's none of your business." He snaps, his eyes shifted to the woman behind me, "Come on now, you heard me."
Andrea looks over at her, "Carol-"
"No, it's okay." She whispers to her, tears filling her eyes, "It doesn't matter."
"Don't think I won't knock you on your ass." Ed threatens, his eyes glancing between Andrea and me, "Just because one of you is some college educated Coose." He says, pointing to Andrea, before his eyes shift over to me, "And the other thinks she fights monsters."
A shocked look came onto both mine and Andrea's face after he said that.
His eyes shifted to his wife, "Come on now, or you'll regret it later."
"Why? So, she can show up with fresh bruises later, Ed?" Jacqui snaps back, his eyes rolled over to him, "And we've seen them."
Ed chuckled, rolling his eyes, "Stay out of it." He says, pointing at her. I shook my head, as I raised my brows, "We're not going to let you take her." I said, keeping myself in front of Carol.
He forced a smile onto his face, "Now you all keep prowling the bull, now I am done talking." He then grabbed hold of both Carol arms, as he began to drag him away. Andrea, Amy, Jacqui and I started to stop him.
A pained look was on Carol's face, "Ed-"
"What?" Ed shouts at her, "You're going to tell me, what?"
"Ed-" She was cut off by her husband giving her a hard smack across her face. Her lip busted open, as she stumbled back a bit. My eyes widened, as an angry look came onto my face, "You son of a bitch!"
All of us began to shout, as Amy dragged Carol out of Ed's reach.
I punched Ed as hard as I could in the jaw, which caused him to slap me across the face. He then pushed me away from him. I fell into the water, making me fall flat on my ass, as the water splashed me in the face.
Amy continued to try to keep Carol away, as Andrea and Jacqui continued to fight him off. Shane then runs over, and grabs Ed by the back of his shirt.
My eyes widened a bit, as I glanced behind me to see Lori, Carl, and Clive walking up the gravel driveway.
Shane started to drag him by his shirt away from us. He then threw him into the ground, and got on top of him. He started to punch him in the face over and over again.
Jacqui pulled me out of the water, and back onto my feet, "Are you guys okay?"
I nodded to her, "Yeah, I'm fine." I stated, panting loudly.
She gave me a nod, as our eyes shifted over to Ed and Shane. We watched as he beat Ed over and over again. He wasn't stopping, and I don't think he was going to stop.
A couple of seconds later, Shane grabbed Ed by his shirt, "You put your hands on your wife, your little girl, or anyone else in this camp, I will not stop next time. Do you hear me?" He growls.
"Yes." Ed chokes up.
"I'll beat you to death, Ed." Shane swung at him, "I will beat you to death!" He then stood up to his feet, and kicked him in the side.
Carol then ran out of Amy's arms and over to her husband. She got down on her knees, and started to apologize to her over and over again.