Lyra woke to banging in the shop. She bolted upward and looked over to see Cory already at the bench working.

"Hurry," she whispered.

Cory got up quickly and ducked in the spare room closing the door behind him. Lyra slid down the ladder, clenching her teeth as a shot of pain ran through her knee.

"Shit…"

Lyra rushed over to the bench and sat down, scattering the finished bullets and empty casings. She sprinkled some gunpowder on the bench before hunching over and preparing a casing. She looked over in time to see Dwight and Jordan coming in.

"Time's up," Jordan said as he swiped the bag off the table. He looked inside and gave an expression of disappointment. "This it?"

"No," Lyra said taking the bag back, "that's not it. Plus I have another five days."

"Negan wants it now," Dwight interrupted, "and he wants double."

Lyra's eyes widened.

"That's impossible!"

"Negan doesn't think so."

"I don't think it's Negan who's working twenty-four/seven on biscuits and water."

Jordan stepped forward and took out a baton.

"Bitch you want to say something?!"

"Jordan."

The hunter looked back at Dwight who was leaned up against a metal table, his arms folded across his chest.

"Wait outside."

"Wha-."

"Do it."

Jordan visibly bristled but walked out. He scowled at Lyra as he went out the door. Once the door was shut Dwight turned back to Lyra who was sitting on the stool. He took off the bag slung over his shoulder and dug through it.

"Got you some more painkillers," Dwight said tossing the bottle to Lyra.

The apprentice caught it. "Don't need painkillers, I need fucking antibiotics."

"Negan's getting the doc to count the pills at the end of the day."

"Then how the hell did you sneak these?"

"From my own personal stash."

Lyra turned away. Since he got his face burned, she knew Dwight had being sneaking a few pills from the medic bay. Before getting excommunicated, Lyra had seen the hunter in the medic bay a couple times with the bandages on his face when she was in there herself. The two never spoke a single word to each other while in the building but started to a couple days later when Lyra had gained access to the main building where Negan stayed to fix up a couple of the spacers that had rusted through. She had given Dwight updates on Sherry, his wife.

"If you get found out, you won't have a face left before he kicks you out."

Dwight nodded knowing all too well. "So I can trust you'll keep that mouth shut right?"

"Yeah."

Lyra took one of the pills now despite not feeling anything. She needed something to numb the darkness in her mind, the same that usually edged her vision.

"Jordan ain't kidding," Dwight continued, "Negan wants double by five days."

"And I want to be on an island with music and a fishing rod, guess we can't all have what we want."

Dwight gave a slight smirk, the burned portion of his face twitched lightly.

"That's a nice fantasy."

There was a tense silence between the two. For Lyra it was nice, something to do other than work on making bullets for a maniac, but for Dwight he knew he couldn't dawdle. They did have one last stop to make.

"Why the double bullets?"

The hunter sighed rubbing his face.

"Shit Ly do-."

"Don't fucking call me 'Ly'."

Dwight paused and raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Right…sorry….But apparently someone's being giving Negan shit and he ain't too happy."

Lyra perked up hearing someone had the balls to fight Negan.

"Don't get too excited," Dwight warned, "double bullets means he's going to tear those shits to pieces."

"Well someone having the balls to do something is enough for me."

Dwight stiffened and was about to speak but he closed his mouth. He gave Lyra an annoyed gesture as he headed out.

"Five days Lyra."

XXXXXX

"You'll be gone for how long again?"

Lyra watches as Cory places on the body armour, then his jacket to cover it. He grabs his gun off the table and straps it around his waist.

"Just don't do anything stupid."

"Seriously?" Lyra asked raising an eyebrow. "I work my ass off for these guys!"

Cory nodded, "and everyone appreciates it, but can you do it without looking like you'll murder them so much as if they sneeze the wrong way?"

Lyra rolled her eyes.

"Serious Ly."

"Fine…I'll find somewhere else to put the bodies."

Despite himself Cory let out a short chortle and Lyra joined in. She looked over to see his military dog tags hanging off the post.

"Hey…you aren't wearing those?"

Cory made a slight face. "Nah…you can have them if you want."

Lyra raised an eyebrow. She turned them over to see Cory's name and position stamped deep into the metal.

"Stop pissing around, they're yours so why don't you want them?"

"I don't deserve them."

Lyra let out a small sigh.

"It's about your discharge isn't it?" The apprentice knew only bits and pieces but has never brought it up entirely. It was because the ex-pilot would immediately shut down and avoid questions even at one point eye contact with her.

"Dishonourably discharge," Cory corrected, he ran a hand through his hair as his eyes went downcast. "I fucked up Ly, big time. Was one of the best pilots and I blew it all fucking away. I misread the nav-points and botched up a pick up and all the men died at the LZ." Cory bowed his head. "My family was built on military values, so when I came back my old man basically told me 'to get the fuck out.''

'So when the apocalypse came around, I was sleeping in a men's shelter working for low tips at a diner."

Lyra closed her eyes as she watched as Cory's body slumped against the wall for support. A shaky hand ran through his hair while the other hung limply at his side. She walked over to Cory, the tags pressed hard in her hand.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, for her it was a pathetic thing to say. But what other words could she?

Cory looked at her. Lyra took in the depressed eyes. "Why? You didn't do anything?"

"Just to know that it still hurts you, its…" Lyra didn't know how to finish but she didn't have to as Cory drew her in and embraced her. Lyra wrapped her arms around him in return giving him a reassuring squeeze.

"Thank you."

From the back of the crowding group outside, Lyra watched as Cory got into the front passenger seat. He looked up and gave her a small wave, Lyra obliged and waved back. The vehicle roared to life and drove around before going out the front gates with another following close behind.

Slowly the crowd dispersed. Lyra watched as people went back to their chores for the day and she decided to go back to the shop. As she walked, she could feel the imprint of the tags in her pocket. Lyra didn't really feel comfortable wearing them but kept them on her. She was a bit unsure of the reason.

Lyra rolled up the front door on her shop and started turned on the power generator as well as feeding more oxygen into the coals in fire pit on the ground.

With her previous experiences in school with welding, one of her professors had taught her some techniques of blacksmithing.

Lyra walked back out and took the list off the side. She had placed it there in case anyone needed something done but she wasn't in. Lyra scanned it quickly to see most usual chores and fixings. A few rusted beams that needed replacement and sealing, and a few pits that needed resealing on the sides, etc. The list seemed pretty basic for the apprentice.

"Lyra."

She turned and restrained the scowl that shadowed her face. The Governor entered, his hands on his hips as he surveyed the small garage. He nodded his approval before looking down at Lyra.

"Moving in nicely," the leader noted, "you have everything you need?"

Be nice…don't do anything stupid…damn Cory….

"Yes," she decided to reply simply.

"Good, I see that the people are comfortable with having you around. I hope that they aren't over-working you."

Lyra shook her head.

"I've heard some reports that you attempted to go over the wall…on several occasions."

Lyra twisted an electrode into the gun: "and?"

The man raised an eyebrow. There was no response and Lyra gave a slightly irritated sigh.

"Look I needed more material and since you weren't sending any enforcers out. Figured that I'd just go myself, I know the way and I've being to the store on my own thousands of time."

The Governor cleared his throat. "Well that may be, but you need to follow the rules."

Fuck the rules.

"If you need something, you can put it down on the lis-."

Lyra tuned him out easily. She did looked at him however…Cory did tell her to be nice. Once his mouth finally stopped moving, Lyra walked over to the material closet and gathered what she needed. To replace the rusted beams she needed to break the rust and then place sheet metal ove-.

"He's not going to be long."

Lyra wished she had her father's handgun on her.

"He's always come back," she replied knowingly. Then Lyra narrowed her eyes, "unless there's a reason for him not too." Lyra was unsure of where that last one came from but it was now out in the open.

The Governor studied Lyra carefully with close eyes. He didn't say anything for a long time and Lyra knew she had hit a nerve, she just wondered how deep. Wordless the Governor left.

XXXXXX

Lyra worked at regular pace. Fuck Negan and his rules. She looked over to see Cory pouring the powder into the empty cool casings before stamping them shut. They worked in silence, no words could be said.

Cory took the news as expected. He grumbled for a couple minutes before sitting back on the stool and getting to work. Lyra wasn't sure why he didn't bitch some more, it would at least keep them from working that much longer. That wouldn't be such a bad thing…would it?

"You don't give him what he wants," Cory's voice carried louder than expected. "Then you get the iron."

Lyra's heart went cold. Her eyes blinked as she recalled the screams from the rapist when she was first introduced to Sanctuary. Lyra would've just straight up killed him if she had gotten her hands on him. Not a quick death like a gun, she would've used her welding hammer and put a few holes into his joints before delivering the killing blow. But the iron was something for sure, brutal wasn't a good enough word for it. 'Something worse than death'….hell…something that Lyra didn't want to experience.

Unconsciously Lyra started working a bit faster. Cory opened his mouth about to apologize when he closed it.

"Don't...," Lyra said. "Just worry about yourself Cory."

Cory said nothing, just shook his head.

They were silent the rest of the night. Lyra took off her shirt and climbed up the ladder feeling the brace pinch against her skin, but that was it. A feeling, but it wasn't pain rather an odd sort of numbness that she had grown accustomed to.

Crawling into bed, Lyra looked over to see the teenager lying next to her.

What the fu-.

"Where is Cory?"

The teen shrugged. Through the streaked light coming through the dirt covered window at the top of the wall. It was the teen from the prison, Lyra remembered him. Hard youth, and the leader's son and had a secret profound hatred for anyone who came into Woodbury – including her.

Shame…boy's gonna break hearts. But why you?...What's so damn special about you boy?

He didn't answer, instead turned over. Lyra closed her eyes and took in a breath, when she opened them, the teen wasn't there. Lyra gently rapped her hand against her head mentally telling herself to get a grip.

"Push over."

Lyra frowned but shimmied over anyway as Cory lied down.

"You alright?" he asked.

Lyra nodded dimly, happy that it was partially dark so that Cory couldn't see that she was lying. The man always had an odd knack for knowing when she was lying.

"See you in the morning," Cory sighed.

Lyra nodded again. She closed her eyes, inviting the darkness.

XXXXXX

It has being eight days.

Lyra was standing on the edge of the garage, leaning up against the wall with her arms crossed on her front. Her eyes moved slowly back and forth. She observed the couple running from the coffee shop, to the auto mechanic closing up shop early. Her eyes went back to the double doors.

Eight fucking days…

Lyra ran a tired hand over her equally tired face. It had being five days since she had gotten a decent sleep, a decent meal was four days ago. Lyra had ignored over several of the Governor's dinner invitations, she had too much on her mind for formalities.

After a few more minutes, Lyra kicked the generator off and angrily walked out of the garage letting the door slam behind her.

The next day Lyra woke early like usual. She ignored breakfast and walked out the door. Just as she was about to walk down the hall, someone crashed right into her, knocking the two the ground.

"Shit…what the hell?"

Lyra looked over to see a young enforcer pulling her feverishly to her feet.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he gasped, "the enforcers are back!"

The apprentice perked up and ran down the hallway with the young enforcer. The two raced out the door at the same time and saw the large crowd outside of the gate. Enforcers had made a large barricade to allow the vehicle to enter. The young enforcer ran forward to the crowd, but Lyra stayed behind.

A lump grew in her throat cutting off the air. The atmosphere tensed around her, as if encasing her in a tight, suffocating cocoon. Lyra watched as a blood splattered jeep slowly wheeled into the town. Gasps echoed around Lyra but all she could hear was her own blood pumping heavily in her ears, deafening her. She watched as the enforcers pushed people back as the vehicle continued onto the garage.

Without thinking, Lyra sprinted through the shadows avoiding detection as the Governor and two enforcers chased after the vehicle. She slunk up and pressed herself against the wall. She could hear the heavy breathing from inside.

"…shit…bastards ambushed….only ones…." – Merle.

A heavy sigh was faint through the thin metal walls.

"Wh…did…stay…."

Lyra pressed herself further against the metal until she was sure that her fists were making imprints.

"Where is Cory?"

XXXXXX

Lyra woke, she saw nothing. Her eyes blinked several times, her head turned to the side. Cory was lying beside her.

"You lied."

A/N: Please leave a review, thanks. Spitfire47