Author's Notes: Love you long time.

TWDTWDTWD

Tyreese and Alex helped them find the diesel they needed to get the truck on the road. Daryl felt it a little too good to be true. He believed that Tyreese spoke honestly. He trusted his instincts. But they were too eager to make friends. There was something amiss, he just couldn't figure out what.

They pulled up to the farmhouse and the brief spell of dry weather they'd had that day seemed to be coming to an end. The air was heavy, the wind picking up, and Daryl felt sure there would be more thunderstorms tonight. He couldn't remember a fall where it rained so relentlessly.

No-one came to the door when they pulled up, probably keeping warm against the wind. When he came through the door, he was instantly hit with the smell of something spicy. Tomato? He couldn't tell. Carl came rushing to the door as Daryl pushed the bolt over, jabbering to his father about something or another.

"And anyway, dinner's ready." He finally breathed out and Daryl just shook his head at the boy, pushing past to find the source of the food.

The smell got stronger as he strode through the house, passing by the youngest Greene girl who skirted past him, head ducked down, too afraid to catch his eye. Scared of her own shadow, that one was. He pushed the door of the kitchen open, bracing himself for a crowded room but was surprised to find that there was only Carol and Lori.

Carol stood at the old stove, the one he thought they'd never get working, but clearly someone had been busy in his absence. She was stirring a pot, the source of the smell. Lori was sat at the tiny kitchen table, counting out silverware. They both snapped up to look at him, Lori instantly out of her seat.

"Where's Rick?" She asked, dropping the bouquet of forks in her hand onto the table.

Daryl jerked his head towards the hall and Lori was out of the room before he could even step out of the door way.

"Everything go alright?" Carol turned from the stove to watch him as he crossed the room in four steps, reaching for a bottle of water.

He didn't answer her straight away, twisting the cap from a bottle and taking a long pull. She watched him as he leant back against the counter, twisting the cap back on slowly, considering the question. Obviously it hadn't gone badly, because both he and Rick were back unharmed. That was always the priority.

"Rick will wanna tell y'all together, I'm sure." He answered finally, setting the bow down in the corner of the room. "You ain't gonna like it."

She raised an eyebrow at that, one hand going to her hip, wordlessly telling him of her displeasure at his answer. But it was true, he didn't think she was going to like it and he wouldn't blame her in the least. Going to a prison, with a bunch of cons when she couldn't defend herself? He could take care of his own ass and even he didn't like it.

She gazed at it him for a moment, probably wondering if she was going to get any more out of him. But he didn't intend on saying another word. Rick wanted to take control, let him do the dirty work. And he figured Carol wouldn't be the only one to have an issue with going to the prison. Lori definitely would, the whole Greene family too, most likely. She turned back to her cooking, giving the pots one final stir.

"Carl!" She called out into the hallway and a few seconds later, the boy scurried in. "Can you go tell everyone I'm about to dish up and to come get it please?"

Carl nodded and Carol lifted the pot of rice from the stove, brushing Daryl aside to get to the sink. In less than a minute, the hungry horde had descended on the tiny room and Carol hastily began dishing out heaping plates of rice with a tomato sauce. She pushed one Daryl's way first and he made a quick escape, ploughing through them all to get to the sitting room.

They hadn't all even sat down before the first of the questions filled the air. Carol didn't even want to hear it. If Daryl said she was wasn't going to like what she heard, then she would be quite happy to delay the inevitable.

"Let's just eat shall we? We can talk it out afterwards." Rick waved his fork around as he spoke.

"Come on, Rick, just spill it. Is the prison an option or not?" It was Maggie who spoke out, pushing her plate aside to hear his answer.

Rick sighed, swallowing his mouthful slowly, fork clinking against the plate as he dropped it. His hand came to his face, rubbing over his jaw as he chose his words.

"We went to the prison. There were Walkers. Plenty of them. It's a bigger building than I thought it might be. But..." He sighed once again. "We met two men. Living men. The prison is their home."

The silence in the room came to an abrupt end at Rick's words, questions forming on everyone's lips.

Two men. One a prisoner, one claiming not to be. Offering a space on their home. All they wanted in return was help protecting the prison. More manpower. It seemed to good to be true. Rick spoke as though this place would be their salvation. A new place to rebuild. To forge new alliances.

Carol did not miss the way that for all Rick's talk, Daryl did not say a word. He sat back, focused on eating his meal, occasionally glancing up when someone said something that piqued his interest. How did they know that this man, this Tyreese, wasn't a criminal? Or that any of them weren't? Or that they weren't murders or rapists?

And then a thought occurred to her. "Rick." She cleared her throat and the rest of the room stilled. Probably because they were as surprised as she was that she had spoken up. The first time since they left the Greene farm. She hoped that this time would not go as badly as the last. "Macon State is high security prison." She remembered something about that. She was sure that her former next door neighbour used to complain about having to travel there after her son was convicted of rape. "Where they send those who commit serious crimes. There aren't many tax dodgers and thieves. Chances are, you've probably arrested men who've wound up there."

She paused there, wondering if Rick got the meaning of her words. She looked from him to Daryl and he had paused, fork midway to his mouth, gazing at her. He got it instantly, she knew.

"Criminals don't like the police. Do you think that'll have changed?" She resumed her eating, letting the others process this new bit of information.

"I...I hadn't considered that possibility. Obviously, we'd have to be clear that that particular bit of information remained within our group. Until we are certain that everyone can be trusted."

She nodded then, content with having said her piece, however small. To her, the prison sounded like an awful idea. Mixing with people who couldn't be trusted was a risky idea before the Walkers, now it was just plain moronic. But Rick was determined, he fought his corner valiantly and even though noone seemed inclined to give up the conversation anytime soon, she could see Rick getting his way on the matter.

Hershel would support whatever Rick said. So with Hershel, came Beth and even though it might be reluctantly, Maggie would go too. Glenn would follow, absolutely no question. T-Dog she couldn't be sure about. He hadn't said much, but Lori had told her that when they left the farm, he was hell bent on heading to the coast.

Lori put up the biggest fight. Understandably. She had a child to protect. Carol couldn't even begin to conjure a picture of a few months time, when Lori would give birth. In a prison cell. Life was cruel.

"And you?" Carol was broken from her reverie by the question that was thrown in her direction. "What do you think?"

Carol shrugged. "I agree with Lori." She muttered, looking away from Rick, who was shooting her a disappointed look. "But...I will of course, go wherever you feel is best." She sighed, standing and clearing some of the empty plates. "I'm not going to argue." Those words felt like stones in her heart. Giving up her right to choose. The only way she was going to survive.

Rick nodded his understanding and she carried the plates to the kitchen to begin the washing up. She took her time with the chore, calling Carl to help her, trying to pretend that she couldn't hear what was going on in the other room.

"I think a prison would be cool. Like, we could lock the Walkers in cells and stuff. And they got those towers, where they watch the prisoners, we could like shoot them, from up there." He spoke enthusiastically, like only a child could and Carol was starkly reminded of how much this boy had to deal with, despite his tender years.

Carl was adept with a gun, far better than she would ever be, than Lori could be. His aim was impeccable, even Daryl had made murmurs of appreciation only the other day, when Walkers stumbled upon them. He'd taken three out with a single head shot to each, standing on the bonnet of the car, pulling from his mother's arms to do so.

"Maybe, Carl. But as you know, we have to go on with a mind to watch our backs. Nowhere is a guarantee of safety, not yet." She spoke easily, trying to hide her upset at how easy it was for Carl to say such things.

"I know, I know, still, it would be cool. And they have those shields and stuff, for when they have riots. That could stop people getting scratched." Carol smiled blandly and ruffled his hair, passing him the last of the plates to dry.

By the time she had completed the task, prolonging it for as long as possible, the group began to scatter, Lori coming to find Carl and send him to bed.

"So, I think we're going." The pregnant woman sighed out, a hand unconsciously going to her stomach.

Carol nodded, swallowing thickly. "We're going to be fine." She put her hand on Lori's shoulder. "We will."

Lori nodded, nudging Carl towards the door. They both glanced at the window before she left, where the rain was pounding down heavily again, hammering against the glass.

The sitting room was empty when she returned to it and she set to unfolding her blankets. As she kicked off her shoes, the door opened and Daryl walked in. He didn't say anything, just setting his weapons down on the coffee table, propping his crossbow along the wall underneath the window, taking a final peek through the gap in the boards before pulling the drapes shut.

It was still early, but then, they all seemed to go to sleep straight after dinner now, to make sure they rose at first light. Still, she wasn't quite ready for sleep. She sat on one side of the couch, drawing her feet up, hands wrapping around her knees.

"What do you think?" She spoke out finally, as he settled himself on the floor, parallel to the couch, between her and the coffee table. His arms were tucked under his head and he didn't say anything for a moment, didn't acknowledge the question at all and she found herself wondering if she had forgotten to speak the words out loud.

"Don't think there is anythin' else better waitin' for us." He said finally, turning his head to look at her.

"That...that doesn't mean anything." She bit out, frustrated. "Those people, I'm scared that-" Daryl cut her off with a scoff.

"When aren't ya scared?" He huffed out.

She shot him a glare, unfurling herself to lie down on her side, looking over him from the edge of the sofa.

"Walkers aren't scary anymore, Daryl. They're awful but, I've gotten used to that. They're predictable. People, not so much. I would rather die in the jaws of a Walker than in the hands of one of those people, like those people in Randall's group. I know what that can be like and I can't go there again." She sighed softly, tugging the blanket up to her chest.

"It ain't gonna happen like that. Noone's gonna let it go down that way." He told her resolutely.

Despite the firmness of his words, Carol wasn't so sure.

TWDTWDTWD

Despite the majority of group being satisfied with the decision on going to the prison, it didn't stop nearly every one of them dragging their heels when it was time to go. Daryl and Carol were the first ones up and Carol set to work straight away on packing their food and other supplies.

Eventually the Grimes family got up and Daryl lead Rick away to hammer out the final details of the meet up. When the cars had all be loaded up and there was nothing left to do, she clambered into the passenger side of Daryl's truck without waiting for his permission that it would be alright to do so.

He didn't do more than spare a glance at her as he stepped up into the truck and turned the key in the ignition. Truthfully, it was probably better. He'd discussed the potential of dangerous inmates giving them trouble, particularly the women. It was Rick's idea to make sure each woman was accompanied by a man, to never look like she was alone in any way. It was his idea to arm everyone. He'd been kind of hoping that Rick would be the one to explain that though, especially considering how worried she was the night before. He couldn't handle women, especially when it came to shit like this.

"Here." He almost threw the knife at her, a bolo that he'd acquired the week before. It was sheathed and she grasped it in trembling fingers. "Don't cry 'bout it, a'right? Just put it on ya belt. Ain't tellin' ya to use it or some shit, but they-" He waved his hand out in the direction of the prison as he drove. "-don't need to know you ain't used it before. Don't let 'em spot a weakness."

"It'll be painfully obvious that I don't know to use this." She told him, turning the knife in her hand.

"Look, it's all 'bout how you act." His hips lifted off the seat and he rummaged in his pocket for the switchblade he'd found in the truck the day before, pushing it into her hands. "Take that one too."

He turned to look at her when she didn't say anything and his heart jumped when he could see her jaw trembling, eyes glistening, hands shaking. The last thing he wanted to deal with was crying. He could feel himself getting irritated and he tried to lock it down. They didn't need an argument now, for anyone to see anything but a united front.

"Just put the knife on. It ain't gonna come to that, it's just bein' prepared, right?" He told her resolutely. Eventually, she nodded and tucked the flick knife into her jean pocket and began unbuckling her belt to thread on the bolo knife in it's sheath.

Tyreese was there before them. Alex, the blonde ponytail guy was absent but there were two other men sitting on the hood of the van, another big guy, white, grizzly looking. He reminded Daryl of bikers that used to prop up the bar back home. The other guy was smaller, younger, maybe not even thirty, tan with wild curly hair and he gripped the butt of his rifle so hard his knuckles had turned white. He was clearly as nervous as they were.

"Hey, good to see you." Tyreese held out his hand to shake Rick's, both he and Daryl had gotten out from the cars to see the man and once again his demeanour was easy and friendly. "We all set to go?"

Rick nodded. "Is there anything we need to know? Before we make the jump?"

Tyreese paused for a moment. "Everyone knows you're coming. Not everyone is entirely happy about it. I don't anticipate trouble. But I would suggest that everyone stick together for now." He stopped again, clearly wondering how to express his next thought. "A few of these guys, they've been in that place for a long time. Some will be up front as to why." He gestured behind him. "Axel has been inside for almost twenty years for armed robbery."

The older guy nodded and gave a salute. Daryl had the same feeling of honesty in this guy as he did Tyreese, even though he hadn't said a word. Tyreese clearly knew how to pick his men.

"Connor had been coming to the end of three year sentence for assault." Connor nodded too, albeit far more reluctantly. "These are men I trust. There are more of them, back there. But some won't tell you why they ended up there. We have no way of finding out. It's been a long time since they've seen women. I don't mean to worry anyone, it might be completely unfounded, just...keep them close for now."

"And if there are problems?" Rick pressed. Daryl did not doubt there would be.

"It'll be dealt with. We have no tolerance for any poor behaviour against any member of the living. You have my word on that."

Rick considered the words for a moment. "Let's go."

"Follow the van around. We radio in on our approach and somebody will distract the Deadheads. There will be strays to take out, don't use guns, there's only a small window of time to get into the building. Just follow our lead." Tyreese directed them, patting the black radio attached to his belt.

Rick and Tyreese shook hands once again and Carol didn't stop watching the men even as they parted and Daryl came back to the truck, opening her passenger door.

"You need to drive." He told her and she clambered over the gearbox to get into the seat. "Ready?"

"As we'll ever be." She replied, turning the key in the ignition.