Changing To Adapt ➵ TWD

➵ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ ꜰᴏᴜʀ

A switch inside of Hershel has flipped since they brought him back from that bar. A blessing in disguise. After Dale was killed, he permitted their stay inside the farmhouse, fifteen people in total. In one house. It's a crazy idea, and yet, he offered.

It'll be a tight fit, but they've been doing it for weeks before they got here, just with the layers of their tents as privacy.

It won't bother most of them. Maybe Daryl.

Rick sends orders, giving jobs from person to person and they take it swiftly, no arguments. They're a group. They can prove they're not broken.

Moving their cars in front of the house was first on the list, then building lookouts and stocking up the basement.

Rick's even chosen to cut Randall loose. It'll take a day or two to come up with a new plan, but it was what Dale had wanted, and Rick stands by that - despite Shane's obvious disapproval.

The ex-officer catches Lucas's small smile and sends him a heartfelt nod. Dale hadn't been the only one preaching for this option.

"You wanna take Daryl and the kid as your wingmen? Be my guest." Shane sniffs haughtily.

Calling Lucas nothing but a kid was a direct jab. He refuses to give Shane the satisfaction and only scoffs, passing Daryl another box of supplies.

Sarcastically, Rick narrows his eyes and says, "Thank you."

"You got it."

Hershel's really come through ever since the day of the barn. He gives up his damn bedroom because he wants Lori - the secret was out about her being pregnant - and Carl - just a kid - to sleep on a comfortable bed.

He's a good man, Lucas understands. He was just greiving the world that was.

Of course, Lori being Lori, argues that she simply can't steal Hershel's room like that.

T-Dog looks over his shoulder with a sneaky grin, "If you two can't decide, I'll take it." He shrugs.

Lucas swings two backpacks out from the front seat of the car. He's only ever been brave enough to carry around one, but being with a group has earned him the need.

He smacks T-Dog jokingly on the arm, "You wanna bunk up?"

T-Dog scoffs, "Only if you're okay to snuggle."

They burst into a small laugh - a first since Dale's death.

Lori rolls her eyes as they move up the steps, but Hershel looks over his shoulder to yell, "The couch is mine!"

"It's gonna get real cosy real fast in here," T-Dog mumbles, opening the door.

Lucas huffs, following him in.

Once he's done stacking his stuff under the dinner table - he may have to move it every time they eat but at least he has shade from the house lights - Lucas moves back outside.

He finds Rick and Daryl gathered on the porch, looking out at the farm with a map sitting on a small, wooden table.

"Take him out to Senoia. . . hour there, hour back, give or take. We may lose the light, but we'll be halfway home by then." Rick says, marker in hand.

Lucas saunters over, looking past Rick's arm to see the map. "It'll be in your favour, really." He shrugs, "Confuse the kid. He can't tell which road is which in the dark."

On the right is Daryl, squinting at them. "This little pain in the ass will be a distant memory." He sits on the railing. "Good riddance."

Lucas leans against the pillar to look at Rick, "I know this was for Dale," He pauses, the memory of his death still foul and painful. "But I'm grateful you didn't choose to kill Randall."

Rick pushes from the wooden table to stand straight, hands on his hips. "Wasn't right to ignore what you were sayin'. It took me my own son to realise that."

Lucas looks away to watch the clouds. He isn't sure what to say.

"I understand what you were thinking." Rick was still watching him, head twisted and expression neutral. "You saw what we did to Randall, and wondered what would'a happened if the situations were reversed."

Narrowing his eyes, Lucas crosses his arms. "Lori told you?"

"Some of it."

He nodded, but couldnt turn to meet Rick's eyes. Despite the reassurances, it felt childish to have been worried, especially after all this time trying to prove he wasn't a kid anymore.

"Wouldn't have done that to ya," Daryl says lowly, flexing his hands to hint towards his bruised knuckles. "If that's what you was thinkin'."

It's hard to believe Lucas dragged him out of the woods that day. Daryl was good at avoiding people. Lucas can't tell if it's because of the few bruises that were traded or if Daryl just genuinely doesn't know him that well - he barely even remembered his name.

"How do you know that, though?" Lucas side eyes the two men and shrugs, "I could've ended up with the same group as Randall."

Back then, things were different. They were less wary, as a group at the quarry. They accepted him easily.

Now they're more understanding of the outside world. The CDC, the bar? It changed the way they see people, they became protective of the ones they had.

If Lucas had rocked up any later, things might have been different.

Rick arches a brow, "Would you have stayed after finding out what they did?"

Jaw clenching, "No." Lucas dropped his head, "No, I would've ran first chance I got."

"That's the difference between you and Randall." Rick says.

Finally, Lucas nods. "You were only trying to protect your people. I get it."

"Our people." Rick smiles like it's funny, and lifts a brow, "You're apart of this group, Lucas. Get used to it." And he smacks him hard on the back.

Lucas manages a laugh.

Admittedly, the acceptance was everything he'd ever wanted from this group.

"You should be saying that to Daryl." He wags a brow at said man.

Daryl scoffs.

"Oh, I've tried. Many times." Rick's eyes land on the crossbowman, folding the map to distract his hands. He lowers his voice into something more serious, "That thing you did last night."

"Ain't no reason you should do all the heavy lifting," Daryl replies, eyeing Rick. And with that, Lucas thinks he has accepted his place.

Shane's car pulls their eyes away, driving up the dirt path and parking on the grass, the boot hanging open to hold wooden planks and hand tools.

It prompts Rick again to look at Daryl. "So are you good with all this?"

"I don't see you and I trading haymakers on the side of the road. Nobody'd win that fight." Daryl takes the map from Rick's offered hand. Then he looks at Lucas, "Well," he shrugs, hopping down from the railing, "you'd be down in seconds, no doubt 'bout it."

Rick huffs a laugh.

Lucas glares half-heartedly at Daryl, "I took you out no problem."

"I had a hole in my side."

Shane hops out of the car, slamming the door shut. Lucas and Daryl share a look between them.

"I'm gonna take a piss." Daryl excuses himself, out of there in seconds.

"Yeah, uh." Lucas shrugs, "Gonna help Hershel out inside." He jabs a thumb towards the house.

Rick and Shane were not doing too well and Lucas wasn't gonna end up in the middle of it like he did with Lori's pregnancy.