A/N: Thanks for the support! I hope you all will continue to review the chapters.

Chapter 4

Merle slowed the vehicle to almost a crawl as he noticed the vehicles stopped along side the road. He could see something scattered in the roadway but was too far off to make out what it was. He pressed firmly on the brake and waited for a moment. There were no signs of any movement of any sort. He gently took his foot off the brake and began to roll forward...

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"He did what?..." Gwen didn't have any doubt what Maggie had said...she just didn't want to believe it.

Maggie rested her hand on Gwen's shoulder. "I'm sorry...I'm sure that's the last thing you wanted to hear but try not to worry...Rick and Daryl went after him...I'm sure they'll catch up with him in time..."

"I think I'm just going to go up to my cell...Ethan is tired...I should put him to bed..." Gwen walked up the staircase. She entered the cell and gently laid Ethan in his crib and just stared at him a moment.

Gwen sat on the mattress she shared with Merle and leaned forward, resting her head in her hands. She didn't know if she wanted to scream or cry...or both. Merle wouldn't stop...it wouldn't matter if Daryl and Rick caught up with him, he'd push on...he wouldn't come back unless the Governor was dead. That is assuming he didn't get himself killed in the process.

"Doesn't it feel like all we do is run in circles?" Carol asked as she stood in the doorway of Gwen's cell.

Gwen smirked as she glanced up at Carol. "I'm tired of running..."

Carol sat down next to her, wrapping her arm around her. "I can only imagine how difficult this all must be for you..."

"It's no more difficult for me than anyone else...we all are just fighting to get through to the next day." Gwen responded.

Carol shook her head. "I remember when Sophia was first born...it was thrilling and exciting all at the same time...the realization of having another life relying solely on you to teach them how to do everything...it was overwhelming and so completely frightening. It took me forever to let Sophia sleep through a whole night without checking to see if she was breathing."

Gwen laughed but couldn't help but tear up. "So all new mothers do that?... Not just me?"

"Oh my God I was awful...you could set a watch by me...every half hour I'd check on her...I got better though...eventually it changed to an hour." Carol smiled and nudged her slightly.

"I...I'm so afraid of doing something wrong...I won't protect him enough...or I'll protect him too much and he won't be able to take care of himself if something happens to me...this world is so dangerous...I wake up every morning and look at him, amazed that he's mine but then suddenly I feel guilty...how could I have been so careless to bring a baby into this world? He will grow up in fear and constantly struggling...what kind of life will he really have?" Gwen couldn't help but start to cry.

Carol gently rubbed her arm. "We all have that guilt in some sense...I wish I had done more for Sophia...I wish I had taught her to fight...and not to be so afraid but I was too busy trying to learn those things for myself that I didn't have it to offer...look at you Gwen...you've been out there on your own, injured but you kept fighting...you're strong...you managed to wrangle in Merle Dixon! That's quite the feat in itself...if you can handle that man I have no doubt you are going to be an amazing mother to Ethan...he will be strong...just like his mother...let's just hope he doesn't inherit all that Dixon stubborness...a little won't hurt but not all..."

Gwen couldn't help but laugh as she wiped the tears from her face. "Oh Merle...I swear that man is going to drive me insane...I just want to go after him and ring his neck...he'll just go...he won't think...he just does..." Gwen sighed in frustration.

"If anyone can get through to him it's Daryl..." Carol stood up and started to walk out.

"Thanks Carol...you've always been there for me...and I really appreciate it..."

Carol smiled at her as she walked away towards the stairs. She was glad she was able to help Gwen feel better but she wasn't convinced herself that Daryl could stop Merle from getting himself killed but she knew it was what Gwen needed to hear...

.

Merle stared at all the bodies that littered the ground...the citizens of Woodbury...the Governor's make shift soldiers...each and everyone of them slaughtered. Riddled full of bullet holes.

"Suckers..." Merle remarked as he walked among the bodies. "Ya poor saps never stood a chance...sure y'all thought ya could reason with him until the end...'til he shot ya all down in cold blood..."

Merle couldn't help but become even more discusted with the Governor. He knew deep down he was a cold hearted bastard but seeing all those people...people that attempted to show their allegiance to him all murdered...Murdered because they couldn't fight the way he wanted. Merle shook his head...he wouldn't get sucked into to feeling bad for them... if anything it worked out better for him...fewer people between him and the Governor...

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Andrea was confused by the way Milton abruptly left her locked up in one of the warehouse rooms. She couldn't help but look around and wonder how many others had been locked in that room...how many had been killed there.

"How could I have been so wrong?...How could I have not seen it?" Andrea laughed in despair at herself a little. She couldn't help but feel ashamed for not seeing the truth sooner. And to think all this time Rick and the others had been so close...Merle's disappearance had made her suspicious but unfortunately for her not suspicious enough. Now it was going to cost her her life.

Milton opened the door and rushed over towards her, unlocking her handcuffs. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry I even considered hurting you...I don't know why I..."

"Milton it's alright...it's ok..." She stated as she quickly stood and exited the room with him.

"I heard a commotion at the gate... I think they've returned...we have to hurry if we're going to get you out of here..." Milton cautiously led her down the hallway to the exit. They opened the door and slipped out, staying close to the building as they searched for a way out.

"Wait Milton...get down!" Andrea grabbed the back of his shirt and tugged hard. They both crouched down.

Milton could see the Governor's vehicle pull up on the other side of the street. He stepped out of his vehicle, still gripping his automatic weapon tightly as pointed at Martinez and the tall man with him, giving them instructions neither Andrea or Milton could make out. The tall man began walking in the direction of the warehouse but Milton and Andrea leaned tightly against the side wall, praying they couldn't be seen.

"We're not going to make it..." Milton whispered.

Andrea grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently. "We will..."

They could hear the tall man enter in warehouse but it wasn't long before he was back out and running back towards the Governor. They could both imagine him telling the Governor Andrea was gone with Milton no where in sight and from an inaudible yelling from the Governor he was infuriated. Milton and Andrea stared at one another, both shaking in fear, wondering if there really was a way out.

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Martinez rushed into the building where Tyrese and Sasha had been with those that remained in Woodbury from the attack.

"Governor wants everyone to line up outside...there's an important announcement..." He instructed.

Tyrese and Sasha help gather everyone up. Martinez looked pale and nervous as he helped hurry the others out. Tyrese felt uneasy about facing the Governor again but hoped for the best as he and Sasha were the last to exit.

"Tyrese...Sasha...wait..." Martinez stopped them.

They both looked at him confused. "What is it?" Tyrese asked.

Martinez rubbed his hand over his mouth for a moment and Tyrese could clearly see he was shaking. His eyes began to well up with tears. He couldn't bring himself to make eye contact with him. "You two are new here...you can take care of yourselves...best thing for both of you is to slip out now while you have the chance..."

"What's going on...what happened out there?" Sasha asked.

"As far as I'm concerned, I thought y'all came out with the rest of the group..." Martinez started to walk away.

"I don't understand..." Tyrese looked at him confused.

"I'm trying to give ya a chance..." He glanced back at him as he continued on.

Both Sasha and Tyrese stood still, just staring at each other for a moment. "What does that mean?" Sasha asked.

"I'm not sure but by the look on his face, he doesn't have to tell me twice...come on...we're gettin' out of here before anyone else comes looking for us." Tyrese grabbed her arm and they started to leave in the opposite direction.

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"What's he doing?" Andrea whispered as she and Milton peered out from next to the building.

The Governor seemed to be dividing the townspeople, selecting only a few of to one side and gathering the rest to another. Andrea strained to see over Milton's shoulder.

"Maybe we should make a run for it now...while everyone seems distracted..." Milton suggested.

"Just a sec...I want to know what he's doing..." Andrea insisted.

The Governor paced back and forth for a moment, his rifle down by his side. Andrea wished she could hear what he was saying but she could see the look of confusion on all the people's faces. Suddenly the Governor raised his weapon and gunned down all the townspeople in front of him. The few that had been separated coward back in fear. The Governor quickly turned on them, pointing his gun as he shouted.

Andrea and Milton didn't need to hear what he was saying to get the idea...quickly they both crept towards the back of the building and ran close to the wall until they could find a good part to cross over. Milton struggled to help hoist Andrea up as she straddled one leg across the wall. She looked back at Milton.

"Alright, come on..." She reached her hand out towards him as she braced herself with her other hand.

"I can't make it...I'll only slow you down out there..." Milton looked over his shoulder to make sure they hadn't been spotted.

"Milton I'm not leaving without you...we'll protect each other..." She reached out to him and reluctantly he took her hand...

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