Sticks and Stones

Summary: A little Daryl/Andrea something to get us through the hiatus. It's probably hitting a prompt post or two. Daryl Dixon in Woodbury? Andrea can't believe it. Is this what it means, to be a part of the Woodbury community? Way AU, more wishful thinking than anything else, but fun all the same.

Rating: T.

Disclaimer: The Walking Dead belongs to Robert Kirkman and AMC, I just wrote this for fun with no copyright infringement intended.

###

Andrea stands in the arena, feeling alone and claustrophobic all at the same time as she listens to the feral cheers of the people who by day are mild-mannered townsfolk. She can't focus on their screams, on their bloodlust. She can't focus on Merle's face, so different to the other faces that she's seen him wear. She can't even focus on The Governor's face (she can't bring herself to call him Philip. Not now). All she can see is the man, the other man in the arena.

Daryl.

Daryl Dixon.

Daryl Dixon in Woodbury? She can't believe it.

From the look on his face, he can't believe it either. Can't believe that she's here, in this place. How it must look to him, her living behind these walls, with these people who have dragged him into this place, who are making him fight his own brother. How they must look to him. How she must look to him. Is this what it means, to be part of the Woodbury community? She thinks about what she saw in The Governor's apartment, that room where she found Michonne.

Oh God, Michonne …

She's drawn out of her stupor by the sound of flesh hitting flesh. Merle, true to form, has been the one to throw the first punch.

It's a solid one; she can see and hear the impact as his fist makes contact with Daryl's face. The younger Dixon drops to his knees, probably more from the shock of being hit by Merle rather than the punch itself, although as Andrea thinks back to her and Daryl's interactions (she can't even remember how long ago that was, and it makes her ashamed) she somehow knows that Daryl's no stranger to Merle's fists. Even so, she can't bear to watch the way Daryl's mouth kisses dirt. Daryl might have been many things when she was with the group, but weak he never was, and to see him brought to his knees is a terrible thing.

"Are you alright?" The Governor's at her side although his gaze is on the scene in front of him.

"You can't do this." Andrea moves to push through the crowd, where Daryl's recovered and is returning Merle's favour. "Merle's his brother-"

"They're both terrorists!" The Governor says, and when he finally looks at Andrea, all she can see is that room with the fish tanks, the heads at her feet as he clutched his eye and howled for vengeance. "You saw what havoc he wrecked on our town, the town we've worked hard to build. Merle betrayed us, and this is his punishment. Their punishment."

Andrea takes a step away from The Governor, suddenly feeling the overwhelming urge to shower. "Who are you?" She manages to splutter, as though she's seeing clear for the first time. "What is this place?"

The Governor shakes his head and gives her a sympathetic smile. "You know what this place is, Andrea." He says. "Of course you know. This place is life, is the future. And what future isn't worth fighting for?"

"Fighting for?" Andrea says. "Fighting for? You call this fighting for our future? This is killing people for fun, for sport! We're supposed to be fighting what's out there, not between ourselves!"

"We've always had more to fear from the living than the biters, Andrea." The Governor looks sad, as though she's disappointed him. "How has it taken you so long to figure this out? And I thought you liked what happened in our little arena?" He takes a step closer, his body in her personal space as his fingers tease over her hips.

"He's my friend." Andrea takes a step away, desperate to put some space between them. "He's my friend. He saved my life."

"So you only like it when it isn't people you know?" The Governor snaps. "He left you out there in the woods to rot! He left you out there like a lamb to be slaughtered – they all did! He wasn't your friend, your family, not like we are. You've built a life here, Andrea, a life worth fighting for. We saved your life, Andrea, not him!"

"Michonne saved my life, Philip." Andrea snaps. "Michonne." She bites back tears as she thinks about their last exchange, the words exchanged between them. "I chose you." She says. "I chose you over her. Even after what I saw … what did I see?" She says. "What did I see, in those fish tanks? Why do you have them?"

"Because I need to be reminded every day, what we have!" He snaps. "What I'll do to protect it. Michonne didn't value that, and neither does Merle, or his brother. And if I have to, I'll add their heads to my collection."

Andrea takes another step away. "You're insane."

She's gone before The Governor can grab her, darting through the crowd just as a well-aimed punch sprawls Daryl on top of her. They go down in a tangle of arms and legs, his bulk knocking the life out of her. He smells like sweat and blood and the forest and all those smells she'd grown so used to, living out with them on the farm, and when she feels his blood, hot and slick on her arm, something snaps inside her.

"Get back!" She shouts, wriggling from under him and pulling her pistol from her waistband. "All of you, get back!"

She doesn't know who's more surprised: her, Daryl, The Governor or the crowd, but it obviously works because they part like the Red Sea, shocked at her display.

It's Merle who's in her face first. "Damn, Blondie." He leers, wiping blood and snot from his nose. His face looks like it's been put through a grinder and the sight of it makes her glad. Daryl fought back, like she knew he would. "Y'all developed a saviour complex."

"Get back." Andrea's got the gun in her face as she drags Daryl to his feet and prays that he can run because they're going to have to pound the pavements if they want to make it out alive. "All of you. Back, now."

"You'd better have an escape route planned." Daryl spits blood in her ear as his head lolls against her. "Think I might sit this one out."

"Not on your life, Dixon." Andrea whispers. "Because we've got about ten seconds before we get mobbed to death."

"This is your town, not mine. I'm just a tourist, took a wrong turn."

"Andrea, what are you doing?" The Governor looks confused. Andrea can understand that; she guesses that he isn't used to his perfect community answering back.

"I'm fighting back, Philip." Andrea snaps. "I'm fighting for my future."

TBC