Clary's POV
I stayed in my cell the better part of two days. Mainly this was because of my gunshot wound healing. Hershel said I was lucky. If the bullet hit a bit more to the right, it would have severed an artery and I would have died in minutes.
Jamie came in to hand off baby Judith.
"She just ate, so she'll probably go to sleep soon." She told me.
I nodded and looked at the precious baby.
"Are you going to talk to Daryl? I mean, are you going to work things out?" Jamie asked, making me look away.
I sighed. "I—I don't know, Jamie."
"Why? You still love him, right?"
"It's not that simple." I told her.
"Yes it is." She argued.
"He left us, Jamie. He left me, for his brother. He didn't even have the balls to come back here and tell us, or ask us to come with him. I had to find out from Rick." I explained.
She frowned. "His brother's not so bad once you get used to him."
I looked at her, shocked. "You've talked to Merle?"
"Yeah. He's an asshole, but you get used to him. He ain't a threat."
I pursed my lips. I didn't like the fact that my sister was talking to Merle. I didn't want to have any association with the Dixon brothers right now. I was still too upset with Daryl for leaving us.
"Hay, I could use some fresh air. Let's go see what's up with the rest of the group." I offered.
She took the baby from me as I stood up, careful of my injured leg.
"We're not leaving." We heard Rick call out.
"We can't stay here." Hershel argued.
"What if there's another sniper? A wood pallet won't stop one of those rounds." Maggie told Rick.
I figured out what they were talking about fairly quickly.
"We can't even go outside." Beth piped in.
"Not in the daylight." Carol amended.
"If Rick says we're not running, we're not running." Glenn told everyone, backing Rick up.
"No, better to live like rats." Merle jeered.
"You got a better idea?" Rick challenged.
"Yeah. We should have slid out of here last night; live to fight another day. But we lost that window didn't we?" He shot back. "I'm sure he's got scouts on every road out of this place by now."
"We ain't scared of that prick." Daryl said defiantly. He looked down at our group. For a second we locked eyes, but I tore away; afraid to get attached again.
"Ya'll should be. That truck through the fence thing, that's just him ringing the doorbell. We might have some thick walls to hide behind, but he's got the guns and the numbers. And if he takes the high ground around this place, shoot, he could just starve us out if he wanted to." Merle said, suddenly serious.
Jamie whimpered and looked up at me.
"Don't worry. We'll be just fine." I whispered.
"Let's put him in the other cellblock." Maggie growled out.
I wanted to do the same since he was scaring me, but we couldn't.
"No. He's got a point." Daryl said, taking up for his brother.
"This all you! You started this!" Maggie exclaimed to Merle.
"What difference whose fault it is? What do we do?" Beth asked, wanting action.
"I said we should leave. Now Axel's dead. We can't just sit here." Hershel voiced.
Rick just looked at the old man, then walked away.
"Get back here!" The old guy yelled out, scaring me as well as the baby. She started softly crying out for comfort.
Rick stopped in his tracks.
"You're slipping, Rick. We've all seen it. We understand why, but now is not the time. You once said, this isn't a democracy. Now you have to own up to that. I put my family's life in your hands. So get your head clear and do something."
Rick, for a moment, looked like a human again and looked at all of us.
"Okay."
After Hershel gave his speech, I took baby Judith to my cell.
"Are you hungry?" I asked the little girl.
I looked through the cell for her bottle but couldn't find it. Shit I forgot Beth took it to wash.
Then I remembered that I still had a bag of things in the perch. I might have an extra bottle in it.
"Come on kid, we're going on a little trip, okay?" I cooed as I picked her up and walked to the stairs.
Once I started climbing the stairs, I had to grit my teeth to ignore the pain in my leg. This really wasn't the best idea, but I needed the exercise.
"Hello?" I called out.
I waited to see if I would get an answer. Since I didn't, I just walked in. And as I did so, a wave of emotion hit me. Daryl's scent, his presence was so strong in her. It made me miss him. It also made my heart hurt more. How could he do that to me and Jamie?
Regaining control of my thoughts, I started my search for my bag.
"What're you doing here?" A gruff voice asked.
I whipped my head around and saw Daryl standing there.
"Judith's hungry. Thought I left a bottle up here." I explained, trying not to show how much he affected me.
"Guess it's not here." I said, going to leave.
But before I could leave, Daryl grabbed my free arm.
"Clary."
"Don't do that Daryl." I said, still not looking at him.
"Hay, look at me." He said, harshly. "Don't what?"
"Don't try and act like you didn't leave me and Jamie and everyone in this prison! Don't act like nothing happened." I glared.
"Clary jus—."
"No, Daryl. Save it. I get why you did it. You had your reasons. I'm not mad anymore." I told him, my eyes welling up with tears.
His grip on my arm slackened and I went to leave.
"Are we even still together?" He asked.
I heard the pain in his voice and it broke my heart.
"I don't know. Just—just give me time." I told him honestly.
He nodded and I walked downstairs.
"Field's full of walkers. Didn't see any snipers out there, but we'll keep Maggie on watch." Rick told everyone.
I'd finally been able to feed Judith and she was sleeping soundly in my arms.
"I'll get up in the guard tower, take out half them walkers, give these guys a chance to fix the fence." Daryl offered.
"Or use some of the cars to put the bus in place." Michonne spoke up.
"We can't access the field without burning through our bullets." Hershel voiced.
"So we're trapped in here. There's barely any food or ammo." Glenn told us.
"I don't mean to throw more shit into the pile, but Judith is almost out of formula and diapers." I said timidly.
"Been here before. We'll be alright." Daryl said calmly. He glanced at me. I gave him the smallest of smiles and looked back down at the baby.
"That's when it was just us. Before there was a snake in the nest." Glenn said, implying that the snake was Merle.
"Man, we gonna go through this again? Look Merle's staying here. He's with us now. Get used to it." Daryl said, defending Merle.
Rick tried to consol him, but he walked away, back up to the Perch.
"Seriously, Rick, I don't think Merle living here is really gonna fly." Glenn still argued.
"I can't kick him out!" Rick seethed.
"I wouldn't ask you to live with Shane after he tried to kill you!"
"Hay! Enough!" I yelled out.
Both men looked at me.
"Glenn, I get what you've been through, but this is the hand we've been dealt. Sometimes you just gotta suck it up and deal with things, whether you want to or not. I think Merle being here will help us out." I said with relative confidence.
"Clary's right." Hershel said, backing me up. "Merle has military experience. He may be erratic but don't underestimate his loyalty to his brother."
"What if we solve both problems at once? Deliver Merle to the Governor; bargaining chip. Give him his traitor, maybe declare a truce."
"You do it, you're dead, Glenn. Daryl will beat you till you're face is part of the concrete. He loves his brother, and he won't just hand him over. Not like that." I said, shaking my head.
Judith started crying again. This time, Rick was the one to take her from me.
"You two talk things out. I'm gonna have Hershel check my leg." I said, walking away.
Hershel led me to his cell and checked the bandages.
"It's looking good. How's it feel?" He asked.
"Hurts like hell right now. I walked up to the perch today." I told him.
"I noticed. I also noticed Daryl was up there."
I bit my lip. "Yeah. He wanted to talk."
"And did you two talk?"
I shook my head. "I wouldn't let him."
"Why not?" He asked as he put on fresh bandages.
I sighed. "I don't really know. I'm just—so hurt. Every time I look at him it—it's like a knife being stabbed through my chest. I can't face being hurt like that again. It'll kill me."
He just listened quietly as I ranted.
"Love doesn't kill, Clary. It makes us stronger. It makes this life worth fighting for. And what you and Daryl have, is definitely love."
"Glenn and Maggie are in love." I observed.
"They are. But we're not talking about them. We're talking about you and Daryl."
"He doesn't love me. If he did, he don't anymore."
"And how do you know that? For the past few days, he's been pestering me to death over how you were. He's too shy to come see you and knows you need your space."
"He's a good man." I admitted.
"He is."
"I want to forgive him and stop being so hurt, but I just can't." I mumbled, sad.
"You can and when you're ready, he'll be waiting for you. He's not going anywhere." Hershel encouraged me.
I smiled as he finished up with my leg. "Thank you."
He smiled back and sent me on my way.
Daryl's POV
I went back to my cell to cool off. Glenn and Maggie wanted my brother gone or dead; not that I blamed them. But still, he was my brother.
My mind went back to a few days ago when we came back. I remember seeing Clary bleeding badly.
When Hershel told me she'd been shot, I wished I coulda taken her place.
I remember her glaring at me and telling me she'd moved into a cell and that my stuff was still in the perch.
She was mad, and had a right to be. I hurt her. It was my fault.
Just then, Carol walked in, interrupting my thoughts. "Haven't had a chance to say, I'm glad you came back."
I scoffed, still messing with my arrow. "To what? All this?"
"This is our home." She told me, sitting down on an empty crate.
"This is a tomb." I said.
"That's what T-Dog called it. Thought he was right, till you found me."
We just stared at each other for a while.
"He's your brother, but he's not good for you. Don't let him bring you down."
"He's all I got." I shot back.
"That's not true. You've got Clary and Jamie."
"Nah, they'd be happier if I left again." I admitted, not meeting her eyes.
"Why say that? While you were gone, Clary was…broken. It was like a part of her left with you." Carol informed me.
I shook my head. "That's why. I hurt her. I hurt her and the kid, even when I promised them I wouldn't."
"Daryl, you're not perfect. No one is. From what I see, you have been taking care of those girls and they love you." She said sympathetically.
"Clary don't love me. Hell, we've never even said it to each other before."
"So what's stopping you?"
I just looked at her. She had to be crazy.
"Clary's a good woman. Don't let her slip away." She finished, leaving me to my thoughts. And all those thoughts were filled with Clary.
Clary's POV
Carl came running into the cellblock to tell everyone that Andrea was back, or at least he and Maggie thought so.
I limped outside with the rest of the group, aiming my gun. There could be snipers or worse out here.
"Are you alone?" Rick screamed once the blonde got close to the gate.
I could just hear Andrea yell back about opening the gate.
"Are you alone?!" Rick repeated.
"Rick!" She shouted, sounding quite scared. The walkers had caught on that she was in the yard…and they were hungry.
After a moment, Rick tossed the keys to Daryl who unlocked the gate. Rick still had his gun aimed at Andrea in case she was a threat.
"Hands up! Turn around!"
"What?" The blonde screamed, scared by Rick's authority.
"Turn around now!"
He frisked her then got in her face.
"I asked if you were alone." He growled.
"I am." She said breathlessly as Rick ripped her bag from her and threw it.
It was quiet as Rick questioned himself as to whether he'd allow Andrea to stay.
"Welcome back." He said, grabbing her arm and pulling her to her feet. "Get up."
Once we got back inside, Andrea and Carol hugged things out.
"After you saved me, we thought you were dead." Carol told her.
Andrea then looked to me. "Clary, I—I can't believe you made it."
I smiled. "When we were running from the farm, I fell down some cliff and found my way back to where everyone else was camped. Miracle I found them at all."
"I can't believe this." She said, looking around, taking everything in.
"Where's Shane?" She questioned, looking to Rick.
He just looked away, not up to telling that story again.
"And Lori?"
"Dead." I confirmed.
"She had a girl. Lori didn't survive." Hershel finished.
"Neither did T-Dog." Maggie chimed in.
"I'm so sorry." She managed to say.
Once she regained herself, she started asking more questions.
"You all live here?"
"Here and the cellblock." Glenn said.
"There?" Andrea pointed.
"Can I go in?"
"I won't allow that." Rick told her coldly.
"I'm not an enemy, Rick." She pleaded.
"We had that field and courtyard until your boyfriend tore down the fence with a truck and shot us up."
"He said you fired first."
"Well, he's lying."
"He killed an inmate who survived in here." Hershel spoke of Axel.
"We liked him. He was one of us." Daryl mentioned.
"I didn't know anything about that." Andrea told us. "I didn't even know you were in Woodbury till after the shootout."
"That was days ago." Glenn said, looking right at her.
"I told you, I came as soon as I could."
"Woulda been better if you'd came sooner. Maybe I wouldn't have gotten shot and Axel wouldn't be dead." I growled.
She just looked at all of us.
"What have you told them?" She asked Michonne.
"Nothing." The black girl said, leaning against the wall.
"I don't get it. I left Atlanta with you people and now I'm the odd man out?" She asked incredulously.
"He almost killed Michonne and he would have killed us." Glenn told her.
"With his finger on the trigger!" Andrea pointed to Merle. "Isn't he the one who kidnapped you? Who beat you?"
She then looked to me. I just shook my head.
"Look," She said, obviously hurt. "I cannot excuse or explain what Phillip has done, but I am here, trying to bring us together. We have to work this out."
"There's nothing to work out. We're gonna kill him." Rick told her. "I don't know how or when, but we will."
"We can settle this. There is room at Woodbury for all of you." Andrea offered.
Merle started chuckling. "You know better than that."
"What makes you think this man wants to negotiate? Did he say that?" Hershel asked.
"No."
"Then we're not negotiating." I said. I disliked this Governor Phillip guy bout as much as I disliked my step mom.
"Why'd you come here?" Rick questioned.
"Because he's gearing up for war. The people are terrified. They see you as killers. They're training to attack."
"I'll tell you what." Daryl rasped out. "Next time you see Phillip, you tell him I'm gonna take his other eye."
"We've taken too much shit for too long. He wants a war, he's got one." Glenn said.
"Rick, if you don't sit down and try to work this out, I don't know what's gonna happen. He has a whole town." Andrea told Rick.
"Look at you." She continued. "You've lost so much already. You can't stand alone anymore."
"You wanna make this right, get us inside." Rick demanded.
"No." She told him.
"Then there's nothing to talk about." He said, walking away.
"There are innocent people."
But that didn't stop him. Rick kept walking, leaving the cellblock.
Carol and I were taking care of Judith when Andrea appeared.
"Play nice." Carol whispered to me.
I chuckled as the blonde came up to us.
"You can't leave without meeting Lil Ass Kicker." Carol told her.
Andrea laid eyes on the baby and instantly fell in love. "Can I hold her?"
"Of course."
Carol handed the child off to Andrea. "Got her?"
Judith started fussing.
"Oh look at you." Andrea cooed.
She then looked at me and Carol. "Let me guess. Daryl named her Ass Kicker."
All three of us chuckled.
"That's not really her name." I told her.
"Judith." Carol said lovingly.
"Hi Judith." Andrea cooed at the baby. "How precious are you?"
She stood there rocking the child for some time.
"What happened to Lori?"
"During a C-section, Maggie. Carl had to—."
Andrea swore, looking horrified.
"T-Dog died leading me to safety." Carol continued.
"And Shane?"
"Rick killed him." Carol informed her.
"I was there. Shane was trying to kill Rick." I told Andrea.
"The night we left the farm. That whole Randall thing was a lie, just a decoy to get Rick alone."
"Shane loved Rick." Andrea protested.
"Shane loved Lori." Carol explained.
"Rick's become cold; unsteady."
"Can you blame him?" I asked.
"He has his reasons." Carol said, looking away.
"Andrea…about the Governor." I started to say.
"You need to do something." Carol told her with a grim look.
"I am." She said.
"No. You need to sleep with him." Carol said as Andrea handed the child back to me.
"Give him the greatest night of his life. You get him to drop his guard. Then when he's sleeping, you can end this." She finished.
Andrea just looked at us, horrified.
"You have to do this." I said, making her look at me.
Maggie opened the door to let Glenn drive a car into the inner courtyard of the prison.
Andrea thanked Rick and asked if we could spare the vehicle.
She then looked around at everyone. She looked…sad.
"Well, take care." She mumbled, getting ready to get in the car.
"Wait, Andrea!" I called out on impulse.
I then ran to her and gave her a hug.
"Come back to us, okay? Remember what you have to do." I whispered.
She nodded and returned the hug, smiling even.
I stepped back and she got in the vehicle. Rick stepped up and gave her a knife and gun.
"Be careful." He told her.
"You too." She responded, starting the engine of the car.
Merle opened the gate to let her out, and all of us watched as she drove away, back to Woodbury.
Night time came fairly quick. Carl and Jamie were roasting marshmallows around the mini generator we had going.
I walked out of my cell and handed Rick his daughter.
"She needs her dad." I said, passing her off.
He took the baby and smiled down at her.
I then walked over to where Michonne and Armando were. The group hadn't quite accepted them yet, but I wanted to get to know them better. Even though Armando had been my friend, he felt like a stranger to me.
"You guys hungry? Got some jerky in my cell if you'd like." I asked.
"I'm not hungry, but thank you." Michonne said in a civil tone.
"I'm not hungry either, but I sure could use a cig if you got one." Armando told me.
I chuckled and pulled out the cig from behind my ear. He lit a match and lit up the cigarette.
I sat beside him and we listened as Beth sang a pretty song. She had a really good voice. Everyone was captivated by it.
I saw Rick, Daryl, and Hershel have a small meeting. Daryl glanced over his shoulder and our eyes met.
I did my best to give him a smile. I was trying my hardest to forgive him. Maybe tomorrow we'd talk things out. I needed him.
"I'm gonna turn in. I'm dead tired." I said, yawning out.
Armando hugged me goodnight and I gave Jamie a hug too before going to my cell for the night.
I woke up in pain, sometime in the middle of the night. My leg was cramping like hell. Quietly, I got up and tried walking it out around my cell. Eventually it eased up enough that I wasn't ready to curse in pain.
But then I heard someone mumbling. Instinctively, I grabbed my knife and a flashlight. The mumbling got louder. It sounded like a drunk, or at least what I remembered a drunk sounding like.
Cautiously, I peeked out and lowered my guard once I saw who it was.
"Armando. What are you doing out here?" I asked.
I noticed a bottle of liquor in his hands. He was piss drunk.
"C'ary I'm—I'm gonna—I'm gonna tell you sum'in and—you're gonna listen." He mumbled out.
I chuckled and grabbed the bottle from him.
"Come on, let's get you back to your cell." I said, guiding him.
"Y—you know I love you." He slurred as we walked back.
"No you don't. You're drunk." I told him, reaching his cell.
He managed to walk in without falling and pulled me in with him. He pulled me so hard that I lost my balance and slammed into him.
He then took that opportunity to kiss me.
I pulled back in shock. "What the hell was that?"
"I—I lov—love you Clary. You don't need that dumbass red—redneck."
"Go to sleep, Armando. You don't love me." I growled, going to leave.
Just then he grabbed me again and stared right at me.
"Let me go, Armando. Sleep this off, alright." I told him calmly.
"N—no. You're mine. You've been with me since we was—since we was kids." He said, moving a strand of hair from my face.
He then started kissing my neck and shoulders while his hands moved to my waist.
I wriggled away and ran for the cell door so I could get away. But he was faster. He grabbed me and pinned me to the ground. Tears filled my eyes and pain filled my leg. I was going to be raped by my best friend.
I then remembered, I had my knife in my belt. Armando straddled me, slowl
"Let me go, Armando. Sleep this off, alright." I told him calmly.
"N—no. You're mine. You've been with me since we was—since we was kids." He said, moving a strand of hair from my face.
He then started kissing my neck and shoulders while his hands moved to my waist.
I wriggled away and ran for the cell door so I could get away. But he was faster. He grabbed me and pinned me to the ground. Tears filled my eyes and pain filled my leg. I was going to be raped by my best friend.
I then remembered, I had my knife in my belt. Armando straddled me, slowly lifting my shirt. Finally, I was able to reach my blessed knife. Without thinking, I sliced his arms. I gave him another gash across his chest. He crawled away from me and I started to leave.
Both of us then heard a gun cock. I looked up and saw Carol. She had a horrified look on her face.
"Make one move shit head and you die tonight." She told him.
I scrambled to my feet and ran to Carol's side. She wrapped an arm around me and led me away, but not before locking Armando's cell.
"I—I'm fine. I'm fine." I mumbled, cursing the tears that were about to fall.
Carol hugged me closer as we walked to her cell.
Once we got there she sat me down.
"What the hell happened back there?" She asked.
And that's when I started sobbing. I was in a form of shock.
"He—he was drunk and—and I took him to his cell. And he said he—he l—loved me." I cried out.
Carol gave me a sympathetic look and hugged me.
"That was a very stupid thing you did. I'm glad you had your knife with you."
"I didn't think he'd hurt me." I said, feeling like an idiot. "I didn't think at all."
"You made a mistake. These things happen." She said, trying to comfort me.
"Don't tell Daryl, or the others about this."
She just looked at me.
"Carol, I am begging you. I don't want them finding out I made a mistake." I said, trying to compose myself.
"Clary, you were almost raped. You have to tell someone. What about Maggie? Or Glenn? Or Rick?" She asked.
"I can't tell Glenn. He'll kill Armando before anyone can get answers out of him." I said wearily.
"I'm telling Rick. I won't tell him about what happened, but I'll tell him you need to talk to him." She said, rubbing my arm.
"You put up a good fight. Now let's get you back to your cell. You need some rest."
I nodded my head and sniffed. My head was pounding. All I did want was sleep.