Chapter Text
The sound of an explosion sounded through Hilltop, followed by the earth shaking. Up in their room in Barrington House, Tara and Rosita shot up in bed, startled.
“What the hell?”
Rosita got up out of bed, pulling her robe on. She goes to toss Tara hers when she sees her frozen. “Tara, hey.” She strokes her cheek, concerned at the faraway look in her eyes. “Tara?”
She shakes her head to snap herself out of the daze. “I—what was that?”
“I don’t know,” she looks at the window worriedly. “We should probably find out—” she’s cut off by Coco’s bloodcurdling scream from the other room. The explosion must have woken the baby and now she was screaming after the shock wore off and neither parent was in sight.
Tara got out of bed, dressing quickly while Rosita went to grab her daughter. She found the baby sitting up in her crib with big tears rolling down her cheeks. She looked up at Rosita red-faced and sobbing, arms outstretched towards her. She lifted her up, kissing her warm head and brought her back to their room. “I’ll take her,” Tara offers so Rosita can dress in more than just her robe. Rosita passes the sobbing baby over and quickly throws clothes on.
“I don’t think she’s going to let us pass her off to Barbara, she’s shaken up good,” Rosita says softly. Coco buried her face in Tara’s shoulder, her sobs turning to whimpers.
“I don’t want to pass her off either. I hate seeing her so upset,” Tara says softly as she holds the baby close. “Why can’t we just catch a break?”
“We don’t know what it is, babe. Could be nothing.”
“It was an explosion. We’re going to have a new horde to deal with at the very least, Rosita.”
“Could have been far away for all we know. We won’t know unless we go and check, though.” Tara followed her out, soothing Coco by rubbing the baby’s back. They went down the steps and out the door, greeted by a bunch of anxious and concerned Hilltoppers. “Back it up!” Rosita called when several people tried to swarm them for answers that they didn’t know. “Don’t crowd our baby.” Rosita paved the way through the crowd with Tara at her heels. At a quick look around, she spotted Maggie, Jesus and Laura already up at the guard post. “Can you climb up there with Coco?”
“Done it plenty of times before.”
“You’ve what?” Rosita raises her eyebrows, smirk playing at the corners of her mouth.
“When I’m bored or stressed I like going up there and looking out. Coco likes going with me.” She tickles the baby’s side lightly, “Coco. Look.” Coco whines and rubs her eyes but looks with a string of babbles. Her eyes widen and she babbles more contentedly at the sight of the guard post. She points and shouts. “See?”
“Anything else you secretly do?”
“It’s not a secret, really.” She shrugs. “I just worry when you go out and I stay here.”
“I know the feeling,” she rubs her arm. “You go first. I’ll be right behind you if you need help.”
Tara adjusts her hold on Coco before climbing the ladder. She hears Rosita climbing up behind her. When she reaches the top Jesus is there grabbing her arm and helping her up. Then he aids Rosita despite her not carrying a baby.
“Good, we were just about to send for you,” Maggie comments, looking away from the smoke in the distance.
“What happened?” Tara asks, anxiety evident in her voice as she stares at the smoke in the air.
“Dunno. Woke up to the boom. Not nuclear, thank god. Not sure if something crashed, a building gave way on explosives, someone set it. It’s far enough away. The wind carried the sound but it’s not too close.”
“The skins gathered all the walkers in the area,” Laura joins in, “but that’s going to call every single one in a hundred mile radius of it. Which puts risk of a horde forming and coming our way.”
“Also if it’s near brush or trees there's the risk of a fire. And it could spread fast. With autumn coming there’s dry leaves everywhere,” Jesus adds.
“Anyone have a plan?” Rosita asks.
“Dianne went to radio Alexandria. Rachel went to radio Cyndie.”
Jesus shifts with a sigh. “I’m thinking we go out there and see.”
“We does not include you,” Maggie gives Tara a look. “After that migraine and dizzy spell you had the other day we can’t risk anything happening on the road. It’s not safe.”
“I know,” Tara sighs. “Not you either, though.”
“I’ll have to go.”
“No, you won’t. Maggie.”
“Tara’s right,” Jesus butts in, “You, Ro and Tara can stay and take care of Hilltop. Laura, Dianne and I can handle it. I’d bet Aaron and Alden will come. Daryl would likely come.”
“No, guys,” Tara protests.
Rosita gives her shoulder a squeeze, “someone needs to go. We can’t all stay. Jesus and Laura will be okay. And this is saying that both Alexandria and Oceanside even agree. They could both say ‘hell no’ to the plan and want to wait and see what happens. This is just a possibility.”
“What if they don’t?” Maggie is the one who asks, her voice cracking slightly. “We’ve had too many close calls.”
“Mags, we’ll be okay.”
“Don’t say you’ll be fine, Jesus! You don’t know that!” she snaps, running her fingers through her hair. “I’m sorry, I just rather we all stick together. I’m worried.”
“You got the right to be,” he sighs. “We’ll radio you often, okay? Keep you all in the loop.”
“Alright,” she sighs, wrapping her arms around him. “We should go see what Alexandria and Oceanside says.”
****
The sound of Daryl’s motorbike entering Hilltop reached their ears. He was followed by Aaron and Alden who were on horseback. Jesus pulls his pack over his shoulder and he gives Maggie’s shoulder a squeeze before walking towards them. Maggie follows him.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” Daryl grunts, getting off the bike. “Walls damaged from those skins back home, too. Couldn’t spare too many fighters so just us.”
“Just you is much better than no one,” Laura says, approaching them. Dianne walks up behind her. “We couldn’t spare too many people either so it’s just us three, too.”
“Not you?” he looks directly at Maggie.
“They won’t let me, Tara or Rosita go,” she sighs.
“Good. Need less people at risk. Connie and Lydia gave me hell for goin’ and leaving them. But the less people we put at risk, the better.”
“I know,” she agrees with a grumble. “I just wish I didn’t feel so useless.”
“You were complaining the other day that you wanted a break from crazy and that you just wanted a week to just spend time with Hershel. You haven’t gotten a week of that yet,” Jesus reminds her, patting her shoulder. “Trust me, with our track record there’ll be plenty of times for you to come put fires out.”
“I know.” She shoves her hands in her pockets.
“You better not leave without saying goodbye.” Jesus looks over his shoulder at Tara who was approaching with Rosita at her heels.
“I would never,” he pulls her into a big hug and then does the same with Rosita. Both women embraced Laura and Dianne as well.
“You be safe, too,” she tells Daryl. He hugs her tight. Tara was one of the handful of people he always hugged without questioning it or grimacing. Ever since they had fought side by side against the Saviors and shared mutual hate for Dwight while being forced to work with him he had bonded with her. He had bonded with Maggie around the same time, though their bond formed from his guilt from her husband’s death.
“You too,” he has an edge to his voice that makes her brow crinkle in concern. She’s not stupid, she knows danger could come their way at any moment.
After everyone embraced and said their goodbyes and wished luck, the group was on their way out of the walls and out towards where they were needed.
****
“Fire ain’t bad and it looks like it’s gon rain anyways,” Daryl says, looking up at the graying sky. “Unless we get a shit ton of wind before the rain I doubt there’s gon be a wildfire.”
“Agreed,” Aaron bobs his head.
“Think that’s our priority,” Laura nods at the dozen walkers in the distance. “We just got rid of a massive horde. Last we need is a new horde forming this close to the communities.”
“So what, we just lead it away?” Alden asks.
“How are we going to do that?” this time it’s Dianne asking.
“This helpful?” Aaron asks, holding an airhorn up.
“Where did you even—” Laura raises her eyebrows at him. “You know what, never mind. Yeah, I think that could work somehow?”
“How many you got?” Daryl asks.
“You have more?” Laura lets out a short laugh.
“Airhorns, timers, flares. I don’t plan on taking chances, not with Gracie back home. And Adam, Judith, RJ.”
“Smart,” Dianne nods. “What are we doing with it exactly?”
“Maybe we can set a few up on the buildings heading the opposite way. Time so they go off every four minutes for a bit then they stop, then the next location starts,” Alden suggests. “Spread ‘em out for a few miles leading away from the communities.”
“Not a bad idea,” Daryl says after a moment. “C’mon, let’s do it.”