Daryl woke up feeling amazingly rested...and something more. Sated. His face was relaxed and nestled comfortably in Lane's neck and his breath was rhythmic against her skin. He took a deep whiff of the slight coconut and flowery scent of the long hair that trailed in lacy designs over his chest and he absentmindedly began to twirl the silky strands between his fingers as he slowly woke up.

Woodbury! Merle! The Governor! It all came rushing back like a freight train as Daryl hissed and sat straight up. A war was coming. The only question was how long did they have to prepare. And whose side was his brother going to be on?

"Hey, what's wrong?" Lane sat up, leaning into him, her naked breasts pressed into his back and resting her chin on his shoulder.

"What isn't?" Daryl heaved a sigh longing for the days when it was just the walkers they had to worry about. A part if him wished he could focus on the naked woman pressed flush against him. A very hard part.

"The Governor is coming. Soon! An' we ain't in no way prepared." He still reached around and snaked an arm around her waist, allowing himself the momentary luxury of lingering over her naked skin.

She scooted closer and wrapped her arms around his waist and just sighed, resting her cheek to his back. She'd seen first hand the fire power and man power Woodbury had.

"I suppose we should go talk to Rick? And quit lollygagging?" Lane suggested, her voice dripping with reluctance. Still she couldn't stop herself from running her hands up over his taut chest then back down over his abs...as if to commit the feeling to memory.

Daryl groaned uncontrollably and his morning hard-on jerked and twitched at just her touch. He knew they had to get going but he just wanted a few more seconds of something good...before he had to face all the shit that surely awaited them outside this RV. He turned over and pressed her back down on the bed, propping himself up on his elbows and settling between her legs as he looked into her impossibly green eyes.

"Lollygagging?" he asked before he bent down to kiss her collarbone, running his tongue along the silky and slightly salty skin.

"Is that what ya'll rich folk call it?". His erection pressed firm against her thigh as she squirmed to get him closer to where she needed him.

"Do you think we have time for maybe just a quick 'lollygag'? Lane boldly pressed her lips all over his neck, chest and everywhere except his lips, teasing him and taunting by writhing beneath him. "We could be really fast," she peppered his cheek with more kisses.

"Yea?" he still couldn't believe this was happening yet he instinctively positioned himself to enter her, reaching down to stroke her. She was warm and wet and pliant.

"Well...maybe not super fast..." her voice was low and breathy in his ear as he slowly slid into her and felt her cry out and arch beneath him.

-/-

"Rick!" Daryl yelled out figuring a command center would already be set up and plans for defending this place were being made. Lane had to run just to keep up with him, her hair still damp from their quick post-sex shower. What they found was Rick just sitting around calmly and feeding Judith while everyone else was eating breakfast around the two tables they'd pushed together so everyone could sit together.

"Good morning you two!" Ethel stepped in front and handed them each a steaming bowl of oatmeal. Again with the oatmeal, Lane sighed and looked around desperately for the coffee pot.

"Here ya go, is this what you're looking for sweetie?" Miriam stepped forward with two steaming cups, and after a couple of swigs Lane decided she just might make it through the day. Well, that was always a crapshoot these days but she'd at least have a clear head.

"Rick! What are we doing? Ya know they're coming! What's the plan? We need weapons to defend this place?" Daryl was crazy-frantic like someone with ADHD without their Adderol, the way he rattled off questions and accusations. Apparently the sight of everyone sitting around so calm only pissed him off more.

"I don't know." Rick was despondent and for the first time their leader was less than confident and something else...afraid and indecisive. Reluctant to lead. So apparently the answer was to ignore the problem.

"Come on? What kinda answer is that Rick? Jeezus! We spilled blood fer this place and ya wanna just walk away?" Daryl slammed his fist on the table and all the dishes clanged loudly. Judith immediately startled and began wailing her displeasure.

"Way to go Daryl!" Carl accused, immediately reaching over to try and soothe his sister.

"Sorry man," Daryl muttered, immediately feeling like a jerk. He was only slightly soothed by Lane's hand comforting him as she rubbed his back in support.

"Daryl's right, Rick," Glenn piped up, his face still swollen and covered in ugly purple, green and yellow bruises. "They're coming for us and I, for one, am tired of running. What? So we leave this place and spend the next six months on the run, praying we find something half as good? Who says another group of assholes won't come try and take that!" Glenn didn't anger easily but when he did...it was for real.

Daryl gave him a knowing nod of support. They both needed to protect 'theirs' and understood exactly what that meant...and what it would entail. But Glenn quickly looked away from Daryl, as if it burned or sickened to just look at him.

"What about the new folks? And we still need to deal with Merle!" Maggie spoke up, cringing at Glenn's face.

"The fuck ya mean by that? Deal with Merle?" Daryl accused, turning on her. He knew his brother had done awful things to these people. Hell, Merle routinely did far worse to him. But he was still his kin. They couldn't just kick him out?

"Yer kidding right? He can't stay. He tried to kill Glenn. Woulda let the Governor rape me," Maggie's temper flared as she yelled, doing her best not to cringe at the memory of the Governor hands on her.

Daryl looked away, ashamed of being related to Merle. But he was.

"He can't stay Daryl! You know that! It's not safe," Glenn slammed his hand on the table, glaring at Daryl to even try and defend Merle.

"We hold Merle...for now," Rick finally spoke up but it didn't give Daryl a warm fuzzy feeling.

"Go take Merle some food. I need to have a chat with the newcomers?" Rick rubbed his eyes then his temples as he tried to process everything he had to deal with.

-_\_

Lane was terrified when Daryl left the cafeteria to talk to Merle. She could see the difference in him already. He didn't stand as tall nor did he have the sharp look of confidence in his eyes. And he could barely look Glenn in the eye.

"Hey Glenn! Can you wait up?" Lane reached for his arm as they all headed to the makeshift war room where they stored their meager arms cache, mostly just armor and guns they'd taken off the dead.

"Yeah?" Glenn looked at Lane hesitantly.

"Glenn, you must know that everytime Daryl looks at you he sees what Merle did. But you can't ask him to choose." Lane begged, only a little hesitant to be butting into Daryl's friendships. He'd been with these folks a lot longer than she had.

"Lane. I get that you like him. But you have no idea what his brother is really capable of," Glenn looked her in the eye, a fierce glare in his eyes as he remembered.

It suddenly began to dawn on Lane. He actually did blame Daryl...at least a little. "You have to know it is killing him, knowing that Merle did this? He would die for any one of you!" Lane's eyes began to water. "He's risked his life for you! How many times now? Kept ya'll fed!" Lane felt the emotion begin to get the better of her.

"I hate Merle too. But Daryl isn't Merle and you know that. And we still might need Merle...for now anyway." Lane pleaded with Glenn.

"I'm afraid, Glenn," Lane turned away as she revealed her deepest fear. "We'll lose him...I'll lose him," Lane squeezed Glenn's hand as he absorbed and considered all she was saying. Glenn was silent for a good while and Lane let him have the time.

"Lane, I just don't think I can. I have people to protect," Glenn knew Maggie was even angrier about over Merle's beating and torturing him.

-

"Hi Rick. We thank ya'll fer taking us in. And Hershel for patching up Alan's leg. We'd sure appreciate the chance to be a part of this group. We'll pull our weight. Help you defend it," Tyreese spoke calmly, his voice smooth and sincere.

Rick seemed to listen for a while and debate the pros and cons while everyone else spoke up in favor of letting them stay.

Lane stood with her aunts nearby as Hershel spoke with a still reluctant Rick. This was a no-brainer. What was he thinking?

Hershel seemed to be actually beginning to get through to Rick when suddenly he looked up at the window on the balcony as if he saw someone.

Rick started saying crazy things that made no sense and spun around, obviously disoriented. He then yelled and pulled his gun, screaming, "No, you can't be here! Just go away! I can't do this!"

No one could believe what was happening. They managed to get Tyreese and his group safely away and Glenn was able to get the gun away from Rick.

"What the hell is going on around here?" Lane sighed and looked at her aunts. "We can't let him do this. It's not right."

-

"Merle. What the hell were ya thinkin'? Hitching yerself to that crazy fuck?" Daryl kicked the cinder block wall as he waited for Merle eat.

"I was thinkin' I almost bled out thanks to Officer Friendly. And they could have left me. Hell, I'da left me. But they didn't. They patched me up and we built us up a safe place." Merle said between greedy swallows.

"So, whats the plan Lil' Bro? How long ya gonna let them keep me in here like a dog?" Merle accused.

"What do you think? If ya hadn't tried to kill half our group..." Daryl's voice trailed off just when the clang of the locks alerted him to Rick's presence.

"So Ri-iiick. Ya here ta let me out?" Merle's gruff laughter taunted.

"So ta speak," Rick's eyes were glazed and vacant. Daryl picked up on the change and tensed.

"Ya aren't welcome here Merle. I've got some supplies for you, but you're leaving now!" Rick had had enough with people like him living in the group. Hurting the group. If he'd done the right thing in the first place Lori would still be here. T-Dog too. "Right Now!"

"Naw Rick! Ya cain't do this!" Daryl spun around, shocked that Rick would betray him. "If Merle goes, I go!"

"Daryl! You don't have to do this. Yer our family!" Rick hadn't anticipated Daryl would actually leave. Not after everything they'd been through together. Somewhere deep through the fog Rick felt how wrong this was begin to penetrate. But he'd made up his mind.

"Daryl! We can't have him here! It wouldn't be safe! I have a son and a daughter to think of. And there's also Carol, Beth, Maggie...and Lane."

"And Merle's my brother. He's an asshole but he ain't no degenerate and he wouldn't have even been with those assholes if YOU hadn'ta left him there on that roof," Daryl stepped up, chest to chest with Rick.

"I know what I did...and I remember exactly why I did it! Let's not forget that," Rick snarled. Daryl had never seen Rick like this. Half crazed.

"Now get yer shit and get going!" Rick insisted to Merle, then turned and walked away.

"Well Baby Bro. Looks like its just us again. Just like always," Merle grabbed the few belongings he had and Daryl unlocked the cell, feeling sick to his stomach.

"Get yer shit and lets get goin'," Merle shoved Daryl ahead. "Let's see how long Officer Friendly can keep his kids fed ...or alive."

-

"You did what?" Lane screamed at Rick a few hours later when he finally came back and told her what happened with Daryl. She felt herself beginning to hyperventilate as the weight of his words sunk in. Even Ethel and Miriam came running to see what the ruckus was about.

"I begged Daryl to stay. But he said if Merle couldn't stay then he couldn't either." Rick tried to explain, but now that it happened he couldn't believe Daryl was really gone. And he had pushed him out.

"Why the hell did you give him an ultimatum? Merle was fine where he was. He wasn't a danger. We could have eventually worked it out. But NO! You have to go and run off your best friend. Then you go all crazy berserk with the new people ...people willing to offer their help to fight for this place. If this is what this group is becoming, I don't want a part of it. You keep this up Rick and you'll be down to just yourself, Carl and Judith." Lane was like a crazy person. "How long does that baby have before you put a gun in her hand?". Rick blanched at the accusation.

"We need MORE people, not be running good people off. Yes we had some bad luck. But how is that any different than before? You were shot by bad people! Did you write off the rest of humanity? Carl was shot and Hershel took you in. Now it's your turn to do the right thing. I'm sorry but I don't think you're fit to lead this group any longer!" Lane was now face to face with Rick, trembling from the anger.

"Well if that's how you feel, maybe you can still catch up with the Dixons?" Rick snarled, unused to having his authority challenged.

"Fuck you Rick! Maybe you're right. It's better than sitting here in your little dysfunctional fantasy land while you wait around and get everyone slaughtered." Lane stormed off and her aunts slowly followed, beyond shocked at the turn if events.

-

"Lanie? Are you sure you really want to do this?" Miriam's eyes bored into Lane's blazing ones.

"Are you serious? Rick is losing it! He could have shot any one of us today, including his infant daughter which he has yet to hold more than five minutes. We're better off against the walkers. If a place like Woodbury exists here, then maybe there are other communities. They all can't be headed up by psychopaths," Lane realized she wasn't sure whether she was talking about Rick or the Governor.

"Ok, we'll go get our stuff. Say our goodbyes," Ethel patted her hand and looked over at Miriam who was in agreement with Lane.

-

Hershel watched Rick cautiously from afar. Everyone had witnessed the argument with Lane and were all shell-shocked. They needed to talk about this though. With everyone. They were about to lose three more. In one day, Rick ran off nine people.

"This is wrong," Maggie finally whispered, catching Rick and Glenn's attention. "Lane was right...about Merle. Daryl. Tyreese. About everything. We are disintegrating into nothing. And it's our own fault." Hershel smiled with pride as his daughter finally lost the haunted look she'd been wearing and spoke up.

"I told you all how it was going to be if you stayed," Rick stood up, preparing to lay down the law. "What I say goes!"

"Well, I'm sorry Rick. That was when you were still semi-sane. Now you talk on a disconnected phone to dead people, drive away our own people and run off good new ones." Maggie stood her ground.

"Not only that, but you could have killed any one of us today. I get it. Lori died and it's hard. Well tough shit! Its time you put on your big boy pants because we've all lost people. And you at least still have Carl and your beautiful baby. A baby that has food to eat because of Daryl Dixon! A baby you can hardly bring yourself to hold!" Maggie finally finished, pleased when Rick at least had the sense to look ashamed.

At first Hershel had been afraid Rick was actually going to hit Maggie, as the rage began to flit across his face. Hershel hobbled forward to stop him but Glenn got there first.

But Rick never intended to touch Maggie. Instead he walked past her and punched the cement wall, rewarded by the sickening sound of bones crunching. Everyone watched a broken Rick then slide to the floor and began sobbing.

"Glenn, let's get him to the infirmary so we can take a look at his hand," Hershel hobbled behind as Glenn helped Rick, both looking at each other wondering just how fucked they were.

-/-

"Rick. You need to be honest with me. We can help you, but you need to talk to us," Hershel finished setting the bones and taped up his hand, thinking it may not be a bad idea that Rick couldn't shoot.

"First, have you been hearing voices?" Hershel knew he had and Rick nodded Yes.

"What about hallucinations?" Hershel's eyes narrowed. Rick nodded again. Hershel looked at Glenn as they digested how bad Rick was. Hershel knew Rick needed hospitalization but that wasn't an option.

"Lori. She was there. On the balcony today when I was talking with Tyreese," Rick's voice was little more than a whisper.

"Did Lori say anything to you?" Hershel kept up, his voice low and soothing.

"No. She just kept looking at me. Accusing me. I didn't keep her safe." Rick lost it as he cried. "She came to me before she died. Wanted my forgiveness...to start over but I wouldn't." Rick rolled over on his side, his body wracked with sobs. "I thought I had more time. We were supposed to have more time..."

"Rick, I'm going to have to give you some medication. We need you to rest." Hershel didn't wait for any agreement. He swiftly injected Rick with the Lorazapam. While they waited for it to start to work, Hershel handed Rick a pill and some water which he obediently swallowed, not even bothering to ask what it was. Fortunately the prison had quite the selection and inventory of anti-psychotics and anti-depressants, and Hershel selected the strongest.

As Rick began to sleep Glenn came around to talk to Hershel. "What are we going to do now?"

"We need to keep Rick isolated and sedated for a bit. It will take a few days before we see any improvement and for the hallucinations and voices disappear. I should have started him on these long before," Hershel admitted he badly underestimated how ill Rick was. "But he can't have access to weapons! Not in this condition!"

"What about the Governor?" Glenn worried.

"Let's go talk it over with the others." Hershel said, as he locked Rick in the same room they kept him in last time. "l think we need to seriously consider packing it up."

"How is my Dad?" Carl ran up to them as soon as they returned from the infirmary.

"He's real sick Carl, I won't lie. But the good news is that we have medicine for him. The only trouble is that it will take some time for it to take effect," Hershel explained to Carl as everyone else gathered round to hear the fate of Rick. It was beyond terrifying to consider the man they had come to love and admire was actually cracking. And how much of it was their fault? Because they had allowed Rick to carry the burden for so long.

Lane and her aunts entered the block just in time to hear Hershel explain to everyone about Rick's condition.

"Lane, you were right and we all really hope ya'll decide not to go. We need you. All of you," Hershel asked.

"Lane? Ethel and Miriam? Please don't go?" Beth, Carl and Maggie joined the pleas.

"I love you all. We do. But I can't stay here and defend a dysfunctional Ricktatership. Not because of Rick. But because I can't bear to watch any of you die," Lane cried out even though she wanted to stay and to build a future, but not to watch them wither away and die. "Not when he's sending folks like Tyreese out there. And sending Daryl and Merle away. And we're under attack."

"But that's what we're saying. Rick's too sick so we have to make the decisions now," Glenn told her and she turned to look at him. Could they stay? If crazy Rick wasn't making the decisions could it maybe work?

"On the important decisions, we need to all have input. And talk out the ramifications," Lane insisted, basically laying out the terms for them staying...in a new sort of democracy. "And we welcome Daryl AND Merle back should we be lucky enough for them to come back? Merle stays in the other block." she qualified, not naive enough to think Merle could change.

"Does everyone agree?" Lane asked and looked around at all the desolate and terrified faces. First Maggie, then Glenn, Carol and soon all of them nodded yes.

"Ok, first issue is the new people. You know them best," Lane looked to Hershel, Beth and Carol.

"They seem like good folk. I say they stay," Hershel spoke up, quickly supported by Beth, Carl, and Carol.

"Ok, we better go explain to them quickly and hope we haven't scared them away. I'll ask them if they'd be willing to come back here to talk with us." Lane looked over at her aunts before she left, hoping hey were ok with the abrupt change in plan. Ethel was already hugging

-/-

Lane managed to catch up with the foursome and explained to Tyreese, grateful they hadn't gone too far. She sheepishly asked them to come back, refusing to dwell on the fact that Daryl had left her. She'd been on her own most her life...this just proved how dangerous it was to depend on anyone.

"I want to start off first by apologizing profusely for how you were treated by Rick. Rick hasn't been himself. But to clarify, he did lose his pregnant wife less than a week ago. Honestly, he wasn't even talking to you earlier," Lane continued as they made their way back, not feeling qualified to expound on Rick's condition.

"You all have been through a lot and it sounds like this Rick has had more than his share" Tyreese didn't seem to be holding Rick's behavior against them. Nor did the others. They'd put together that the baby was Rick's so managed a great deal of empathy.

"We just thank you for giving us another chance," Tyreese answered.

"After you find out what we're up against you might not be so thankful," Lane admitted wryly. "No hard feelings if you choose to leave."

-/-/-

Lane felt such emptiness and loss yet she forced herself not to focus on the fact that Daryl wasn't there as they made plans with the newly assembled group. They were so much weaker.

She still couldn't believe that he just left...without even a goodbye. Or ask her to go with him. And she would have gone with him, she had no doubt and admitted freely to herself. She'd have followed him to the gates of hell...and never looked back.

"You said you all came through the Admin side. Do you remember seeing an armory?" Lane asked the four, trying not to sound so desperate.

"It all happened so fast," Sasha tried to think as she thought back to that day. It had all been so crazy, with Donna bit and trying to make their way past the infestation.

"There was this one building," Tyreese spoke up. "I thought it was strange because it was the only other one outside the inner fencing."

"That could be it," Glenn piped up, hopeful for the first time since they'd got back to the prison. "If not, then there just isn't one."

"Well, we have to try and get to it. We have no chance if we don't," Lane verbalized what they all were thinking. "Can you lead us back there?"

"It won't be easy. Going back through the tombs," Allen recalled how many walkers they'd encountered.

"You said it was in the outer perimeter. Why don't we take the truck and drive around? Get to it the way they did?" Maggie suggested.

"That'd be safer for sure," Tyreese agreed. "Faster too."

"Ok, we need to decide who goes." Lane knew they had to hurry.

"I'll go," Tyreese offered.

"Me too," this time it was Sasha who spoke up.

"I'll go," Glenn was the next to speak.

"No way Glenn. You need to heal. We can't risk you getting hurt worse. I'll go. Who else?" Lane looked around and it hit Glenn and Maggie just how badly their insistance that Merle go had hamstringed them. They had no Daryl, no Rick and Michonne was sleeping and far too hurt. "Carol? Are you up for this?"

"No, not Carol. I'll go," Alan spoke up. "No offense but I think you could use another guy. Tyreese?," Alan continued and Carol smiled to him in gratitude.

But it did not go unnoticed that their survival likely depended on these four people who Rick had just kicked out of the prison less than an hour ago.

-/-

It wasn't easy going by any means but it was still a hell of a lot easier than trekking through the tombs. They drove the Suburban back outside and around the perimeter, then right over the downed fence and up to the building. Lane looked up, snapping out of her depression and was actually encouraged by the sight of the bars on the windows.

Tyreese first drove to the far side, cutting his hand slightly just to soak a dirty shirt with his blood. He tied it on the far end of an interior fence, which started to clear the area enough to make their way to this building.

Tyreese stood beside her as she hurried to try the master key. There were at least a dozen keys on this ring, so she prayed the master worked. But it didn't. It took another four tries before the door finally opened.

"Holy Shit! What should we take?" Sasha exclaimed as she and the others took in the sight before them.

"We take it all!" Lane didn't know enough about assault type weapons to know what they needed.

So they rushed to take everything. It was just too dangerous leaving an arsenal like this right outside their front door, so they folded down the seats and loaded the truck...the bags of guns stacked high to the ceiling. They even tossed bags on top.

-/-

"We found it," Lane said as she re-entered the cell block, both arms loaded down with canvas bags, packed full.

"Holy shit," Glenn and Maggie raced forward to help the others unload.

"I hope Rick gets better soon so he can help us with these," Lane collapsed on the chair and looked at the piles of guns. She was quickly joined by the others who collapsed beside her.

"Did you take it all?" Carol couldn't believe the arsenal in front of her.

"We couldn't risk leaving anything behind," Tyreese answered, and Sasha sat beside him.

"Does anyone know anything about these kinds of guns," Lane looked around helplessly.

"Let me take a look," Miriam stepped forward and joined them, Ethel right behind her. She grabbed the first automatic rifle, then started rummaging through the bags of ammo and magazines, efficiently slamming it into place.

"We need to get these magazines loaded, have as many as we can ready to go," Miriam threw the bag on the table. "Beth, Carol, Carl and Ben. You can get started now. Do it like this," she instructed calmly and efficiently, helping out when necessary. "You should be able to get thirty rounds in each."

"These are Heckler & Koch submachine guns. Good for close up, but not so much from the tower. We should keep them here with us in the cells, but lets hope it doesn't come to that. But they may come in handy later on," Miriam continued her lesson.

"Now these are sniper rifles, but I doubt anyone here has the skill to effectively use it. Still, they'd be good to have in the towers. But these babies...the HK-53's are what we should focus on." Miriam admired the quality and craftsmanship. "Best accuracy at a good distance."

"How do you know all this?" Lane asked Miriam after gaining the ability to speak.

"My Daddy was on the SWAT team back in the day. He didn't have all of this kinds stuff on the job, but he remained a real connoisseur of all types of guns long after he retired. He was an instructor...a mighty fine one. I kept up the interest, especially...after, you know. It's also why we taught you to shoot," Miriam had never told her much about her Daddy, and suddenly Lane felt ashamed for never asking.

"I'm not as familiar with these," she looked down at the bag full of grenade type things and other miscellaneous canisters.

"Maybe we can find somewhere to practice?" Sasha and Ben asked, never having used guns anything like this.

"I don't think we can risk it." Glenn spoke up. "It would attract every walker within five miles. Not a bad thing if we're under attack, but not now."

"Well...these guns have been sitting around almost a year. We don't have time to clean each one and test it. We sure as hell don't want them jamming when we need them!" Miriam pointed out.

"You're right Miriam. But everyone's exhausted. Let's set up a watch schedule, and get some rest," Hershel knew everyone was dead on their feet. "We'll deal with the guns tomorrow."

-/-

"Hey sweetie. Are you going to be ok?" Ethel made her a mug of instant hot chocolate they had tucked away.

"I don't know. I suppose so. I mean a few weeks ago, I never even knew he existed and I was happy. It shouldn't take long to get back to that," Lane spoke but wasn't convincing anybody.

"Baby, we both know that's not true," Ethel sat beside her on the bed and stroked her hair.

"I just didn't know it would hurt this bad," Lane finally admitted as the dam of tears broke, streaming down her face.

"Come here," Ethel held her tightly, gently rocking back and forth. "Shall Miriam and I sleep in here with you? Keep you company?"

"No. Thank you but I could use some time...lick my wounds," she tried to smile.

"Aunt Ethel?" she called out as her aunt opened the RV door. "I love you...so much."

Ethel smiled back at her niece, her heart breaking for the pain she was in. "I love you too." Ethel replied, softly. "Try and sleep ok."

"Yeah right," she muttered as she lat back down. "Daryl...I will never forgive you." she moaned in despair and cried into her pillow.

-/-/-