A/N: A reminder that I do NOT own The Walking Dead! This is for entertainment purposes only

Chapter Six – Home

Both Darci and Michonne had reached the 'Nightmare Merle decapitated with Michonne's sword. It was still alive, so Michonne put it down permanently. Darci heard faint footsteps and looked up to see Daryl coming their way. How did he find us? "Where's Merle?"

Neither of them answered him, so he asked, "Is he dead?"

Darci shook her head, "No… He said he had something he needed to do." She couldn't help but wince as another spasm of pain went up her leg.

"What happened to your leg?"

She paused, "Stabbed."

He didn't ask anything else and just left the both of them there, heading in the direction they just came from. Darci figured he was going to find his brother. "Come on, let's go. I don't want to be out here after nightfall."

The cloth around her leg was entirely soaked in her blood and by now she didn't even care about the blood that trailed behind them. "Better get you back quick."

The two of them had finally reached the prison, after what felt like a decade. They were quickly ushered through the field—still filled with 'Nightmares—by Rick and Carl. "Where's Merle? Did you find Daryl?"

Michonne answered, "Merle said he had something he needed to do, Daryl went after him."

They quickly called for Hershel as they put Darci on her bed. Lilly was in there and almost gave a squeal when she saw Darci, "W-what's wrong with her leg?"

Frowning, Darci wondered if it really looked bad, "It's just bleeding is all…" Hearing herself she realized her voice sounded slurred.

Hershel came inside and said, "Lilly, I need you and Michonne to leave the room and give me some room, okay?"

Lilly was apparently not paying attention, "Is s-she going to be okay?"

"Yes, now please follow Michonne," Hershel put his hand on her back and began to usher her out.

Lilly wouldn't stop looking back until she and Michonne were out of sight. Rick was on his way out as well, "I might need your help here in a second." Hershel stopped him as he was beginning to take the bandage off of her leg.

"Well, it isn't broken… Whatever went through though, went through pretty far." Hershel told Darci after lifting the bottom of her jeans a bit to examine the wound.

"It's not permanent, is it?" she asked.

He began to shake his head, "Just a simple stab wound. It'll heal, but we need to keep it clean." Looking up he added to Rick, "I need you to get me a towel, bandages, alcohol, and a couple 'a pillows."

As Rick disappeared from view Darci couldn't help but give a short bit of laughter. Hershel smiled as he lifted her head to shove the current pillow there under her head, "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing really… I just find it a bit funny how you just ordered him around, not sure why." She had her eyes closed, facing the bottom of the bed above her.

Rick came back inside with the items Hershel requested. He lifted her injured leg—Darci stifled a grunt at this action—and placed the pillows under it. "We need to keep this elevated."

He used the towel to wipe off the blood that had spilled, then warned, "This is going to hurt a lot."

Darci grabbed the side of the mattress with her left hand and braced herself. He poured alcohol over the open wound and she clenched her teeth to bite back a scream, flinching in the process. Hershel then ripped off a long length of bandages from the roll, lifted her leg once more, and began wrapping the wound around it.

Finally, after sticking the end of the bandage inside another fold of it, he lay her leg down again. "Now, it shouldn't be too much of a problem but I don't want you to move for a few hours. I'm gonna come back and check on you in a bit, don't go nowhere."

Hershel gave one last smile before leaving the room. Rick hesitated for a moment. As he was about to follow Hershel, Darci called out, "I understand… Even if you did go through with your plan, you wanted to protect your group." Her eyes remained closed, "I'm not going to hold anything against you, I understand…"

She looked over, "I take that back, I will hold a little anger for considering leaving Lilly alone without me. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if I was gone; but you had to consider it, I know."

He only returned an apologetic look before turning away. There was a long pause before he replied, "Yeah," and left.

Darci lay there thinking to herself. She began to look around each way, becoming very bored. Yup. Same situation you're in as you were when you first came here. Great going, genius! She heaved a sigh before adding to herself, Shut your god damn mouth next time!

Lilly walked in timidly, "Darci? A-are you awake?"

She looked up, "Oh, yeah. How're you doing?"

"I'm doing okay…" Her sister came over—hands behind her back—and sat down across from her in a chair, "What about you? Are you going to be okay?"

"Suure," Darci smiled, "I'll be fine. Like I said, it's only a small wound."

Lilly sighed in relief, "Well, wanna see what I drew?" she herself began to smile.

"Of course!"

She stood up and came over, and pulling her hands from behind her back she showed Darci her picture. After looking at it carefully, Lilly began to explain, "That's us over there, and next to us is Mr. Grimes and everyone else! We're standing in front of the prison!"

Darci realized everyone was holding hands. "And we're a part of their group." Lilly added while she looked up.

"It looks beautiful, Lilly! You're getting better and better girl!" She gently shoved her sister in the shoulder.

Lilly gave Darci a hug and muttered "I hope you get well soon," before skipping out.

The hours began to tick by slowly. She was growing very restless before finally falling asleep. She dreamed about being home in her warm bed, waking up to the smell of a freshly cooked meal… Coffee being made… Rick talking quietly outside her room…

Wait. That wasn't a part of her dream. Darci opened her eyes, realizing Rick was talking to someone a few feet away from her room. She couldn't understand exactly what they were saying but she eventually saw Rick flash into view for a moment before he was out of sight again. Then Daryl went by and Darci realized that's who else must have been speaking.

Michonne came in around eight minutes later. She sat down in the chair across from her. Darci furrowed her brow, "What's wrong?"

She found it strange enough for Michonne to come in let along not say anything. "Daryl found Merle." She paused.

Darci felt she already knew the outcome as Michonne finally finished, "he's dead."

"Oh…" Darci looked around.

Sure, Merle was a bad person to be around—or seemed that way—but she never wanted him dead. "That's terrible…"

"Seems like he took a few of the Governor's men with him, though." Michonne continued, "Walkers were all over the place."

She stood up and began walking out, "Just thought you ought to know. Hope your leg gets better soon, we've got something planned out."

Darci raised her head, "Oh?"

"We're going to pack everything into a few vehicles and park them outside the prison. Rick plans to make it seem like we've baled, but he's sure he'll search the prison thoroughly. We've got some traps set up for when they explore deeper within here. If everything works right, we'll scare them into never coming back." Michonne explained.

"Sounds like a good plan." Darci sat upright, "I'll get packed."

"You're not supposed to be moving. I can do it or see if Lilly would want to. She finds excitement doing anything it seems."

She thought for a moment. "I'll get Lilly, thanks."

"Need help getting up?"

"My leg isn't broken. I can walk fine." She retorted.

Michonne nodded, "Alright… Just call if you need help," and left.

Darci felt bad for snapping like she did. She put her good leg on the ground and stood up, careful not to put her other leg on the floor. She then hopped over to the door and looked out. She watched Beth go by with a big bag over her shoulder.

"Lilly!" Darci called to her sister after spotting her near the prison door.

She looked up and skipped over. She gave a smile, "are you feeling better?"

"Yeah a bit, could you help me pack our things?"

Lilly looked around for a moment, "everyone's packing stuff, we're not leaving, are we?"

Darci shook her head, "no, just planning ahead. Come on," she backed up into the room again and turned around.

Lilly muttered, "one second," before disappearing.

She was back within a minute with an empty bag, "okay, so just stuff everything in here?" she looked up at Darci.

"Let's try to do it neatly, alright?"

Lilly gave a spout of giggles before grabbing their stuff. It took Darci a moment to realize the bag Lilly carried was theirs—from before they came across the prison group. "They let you take that?"

"Glenn said we could have it back. He says he trusts us." She explained.

Darci nodded and hopped over next to her, grabbing her book and tossing it in the bag. "You got your stuff?"

"Yeah," Lilly looked around, "Seems like there's more, though. Y'know?"

Giving a smile, Darci took the bag from her and led the way out. Lilly helped her limp outside with her hand around Darci's back. After reaching the car, she threw the bag into the trunk of one of the cars with the others. Rick walked up to them, "Good you're not passed out. Was just about to wake you."

Darci turned around, "Michonne told me what you were planning, most of it anyway."

"Alright, saves me some time, then." A grin showed for a second before he looked out to the woods, "Hershel, Beth, Carl, and Judith are going to stay outside while we set up here. Would you mind staying with them?"

Darci shook her head, "Of course not. If you need any help, though, I guess you'll know where we're I'm at."

Rick grabbed her shoulder lightly, "I trust you," Darci felt like he forced this out before he continued, "But if you decide this is your time to try anything, you will not win."

"Of course," was Darci's only response.

He turned away and went back inside the prison. Hershel called out to Darci, "We're ready to go."

She hesitated. "Come on, Lilly. Let's go," she entered the vehicle closest to her while Lilly went into the back.

Hershel opened the passenger seat door to the other vehicle and disappeared from her sight. "Well, here goes nothing," she followed the car in front of her out of the prison and into the woods ahead, "It won't take too long."

To Be Continued…