Chapter Eleven

Jeanne got outside in time to see a blonde woman with one of the dead on a pole shoving him toward the prison gate. Rick was yelling at her and she was begging him to open the gate. Merle did so and let her in. Jeanne aimed at the woman with her cross bow, as Rick jerked her aside and shoved her into the fence. He began to frisk her as a walker approached the fence; Jeanne let loose a bolt catching the walker in the head as Rick jerked the woman away. Rick threw a look over his shoulder at Daryl; Daryl jerked his head toward Jeanne. Rick shook his head and went back to frisking the woman. Jeanne looked at Daryl and shrugged.

"Welcome back. Get up." Rick said pulling the woman to her feet.

Back inside, the woman began asking questions about people Jeanne didn't know. People she had never heard of, but people who had been close to the group. She felt a pang of sadness for the woman who had missed so much, Andrea, was what the rest called her.

"After the farm we all thought you were dead." Carol was saying as she hugged Andrea.

"I'm sorry." Andrea said looking around. "I'm so sorry."

Jeanne moved away then, taking Ginger's hand and leading her into the cell block. "We need to talk." Jeanne smiled. Ginger nodded and glanced toward the children who were standing behind Daryl, Eve holding his hand. "They are fine. Come on." She said as she walked toward their cell. Once inside Jeanne sat on the lower bunk. "We need to decide what we need to do. Do we stay or go? This isn't our fight, but I'm not going to make you stay or make you go, it's a decision you have to make, but I would rather make it with you. I don't know if it is worth it to put the girls in danger."

Ginger smiled sadly. "I know what you mean. I was actually starting to get a little comfortable. I mean sleeping in a place where I'm not worried about those things every day…" She sighed. "I just don't want to put the girls in danger and you can't go out there alone again. I don't want to leave, but I don't really want to fight either. I lost enough people for a lifetime; I don't want to lose you or the girls, especially not to other people. If ya'll died I don't know what I'd do with myself. I might go crazy or worse. I can't lose the girls. I think this place will give us a good chance. Rick seems like he has good people with him, people who might be able to keep us safe."

"I can keep us safe!" Jeanne said.

"Yeah, you can. But remember how hard it was on you, when we were alone, how hard it was on the girls? They are just now starting to get involved in things. And what about Daryl, will he let his daughter go now that he knows about her, will he let you go?" Jeanne looked away as Ginger came to sit beside her. "Sugar I love you like a sister, you're the best friend I've got, and I will go if you think we should. I would like to stay, but we can go if you think that is the right thing to do. But before we do, do me one favor, look around this place, look at these people, this family that Daryl has made, the way he is now, and tell me you could ask him to leave it all." Ginger took Jeanne's hand. "We've only been here a couple of days, but I've fallen in love with these people, they are smart, and loyal to one another, and tenacious. They want to take root, they want to thrive, not just survive. We can do that too." Ginger gave Jeanne's hand a reassuring squeeze and a smile, then she released her and got up. "I know you'll do what's right for us, whatever that is, I trust you." Ginger stood. "Come on now; let's go meet the new girl."

Jeanne found that she liked Andrea. She was smart and seemed sweet enough. She had a way about her, she obviously cared for these people, was friends with them. When Jeanne finally came out of her cell Andrea was holding the baby and cooing over her. Jeanne smiled.

"Ass-kicker. Actually that's what Daryl calls her, but that's not her real name." Carol smiled as Andrea rocked the baby. "Judith, her name is Judith."

Andrea smiled "Judith. You are just precious aren't you?" She asked the baby bouncing her a bit.

Jeanne passed the two women and headed outside to relieve Maggie of guard duty. When she got outside she smiled at Maggie. "How are you?" She asked when she reached her.

"I'm ok. Jeanne right?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah, I heard what happened at that town. You're stronger than most. I know you don't know me, but you need anything…" Jeanne shrugged. "Glenn's lookin for ya." She told Maggie.

"Thanks." Maggie said handing her the rifle she was holding. "For that, I mean."

Jeanne nodded. "We're all we got." Maggie nodded and headed inside.

Jeanne stood watch for a few hours before Andrea and the others came out to see the woman off. There was little talk of the woman once she was gone. Jeanne wondered what the others were thinking; there was sadness in the air afterward. It was strange to have someone she didn't know come into her life, mean something, then be gone just as quickly. She hoped she would get a chance to get to know the woman better; she seemed like her type of person. She thought that they could have been friends. Shaking it off she took up her post again until Glenn came to relieve her.

That night she stayed away from Daryl, kept her distance. She knew something was going on, she never let her guard too far down and knew what was going on around her, even if she wasn't watching, it came from years of abuse. She was always aware of where people were, she could sense the same in Carol. She didn't look but she knew when Rick approached Daryl and Hershel. Watched out of the corner of her eye as Daryl nodded, then Rick came and sat by the fire and spoke to Michonne. The woman nodded and looked toward Carl, then nodded again.

Jeanne could tell they were going somewhere, but she wouldn't press Rick for answers. It was none of her business she reminded herself. She wouldn't get involved. Beth was signing and the sound was soothing, Eve was leaning against her leg, letting Jeanne finger com her hair absently as she watched, listened, and thought. Emma walked over to the cell where Merle was being kept and offered him a bowl of food through the bars.

"Thank ya." He told her taking the bowl.

"You're welcome." She nodded.

"Your mama, her name was Kandice. Least I think it was. Didn't love her, but she was easy. You know there's gonna be shootin soon don't ya?" He asked Emma.

"Yes." Emma answered.

"Well kid, when that happens, you duck and cover, keep outta the way. You hide if that man comes here, you hide and you don't come out til they're gone. You got that?"

Emma looked at him. "Yes Sir." She said, then turned and walked away, going to sit with Jeanne.

"What'd he say to you?" Jeanne asked.

Emma looked up at Jeanne and licked her lips before sighing. "My mother's name was Kandice. And that if the man from that town comes I should hide, and not come out til he's gone." Jeanne stroked her hand down Emma's hair, then held her close. A little while later Rick took the baby and went to the cell Beth used to put her down, then came back and laid down to sleep.

Everyone else took that as the sign to head to bed. Everyone except Jeanne, she sat up late thinking. Her mind was muddled with different thoughts. She couldn't decide what to do. Each time she had it figured out she had a second thought. Finally as she was about to get up and go check on the girls she heard Hershel coming toward her.

"You still up?" He asked taking a seat on the steps next to her.

"Yes sir. Can't sleep either?" She asked him.

"Phantom limb." He told her. "Keeps me up some nights. Doesn't hurt just disconcerting. What's troubling ya?" He asked her getting straight to the point.

"Ya don't waste time do ya?" She asked with a small smile for the man.

He gave a brief chuckle. "Might be dead you waste time."

Jeanne took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "That is very true." Then she bit her bottom lip. "This ain't my fight." She said softly. "But ya'll…ya'll are Daryl's family, and Daryl is my family. I can't abandon family. But then again, I don't know if I can put my daughters in that kind of danger, they are just children."

Hershel put his hand on her shoulder. "Jeanne, I have two daughters myself, and it doesn't matter what age they are, they are always your children and seem so young. This is my fight and I don't want my daughters involved. If you stay, we would be eternally grateful to you, but if you did leave, no one would blame you, but Daryl, he might go with you, and he would be an awful lose for us. Now that shouldn't color your decision about your girls, but you should have all the information. You are welcome here as long as you want the place, but if you do need to leave, you have a small window, and it's closing quick. Don't think on it too long." Hershel gave her shoulder a friendly squeeze then heaved himself up. Jeanne smiled at him then got to her feet.

"Thank you Doc." She said softly, then headed to bed.

When she woke Rick, Carl, and Michonne were gone. Everyone else was busy working to fortify the prison or looking after the children. Ginger was out on the cat-walk with Daryl putting pallets and riot shields up when she found them. Ginger smiled and offered to go help Beth with the children. Jeanne nodded and agreed.

Daryl and Jeanne worked in silence for several hours, not needing words to convey their meanings. A nod or a look was enough between them. Jeanne let her mind wander a bit as they worked. She remembered the days in the old cabin when Daryl would sleep on the floor in that old broom closet sized room, and she would take his bunk. Merle slept on the bunk above snoring as Daryl held her hand until she fell asleep. She couldn't remember a time that he was near her that he hadn't slept within arm's length reach. She felt safe with him, even now, she knew he would protect her from anything.

"You made up your mind yet?" He asked her suddenly.

"Yeah." She said stopping what she was doing.

"Well?" He asked. She licked her lips then turned to start moving another pallet. He grabbed her arm stopping her forward progression. "You're gonna leave." He told her.

"No." Jeanne said turning back to him. He stared at her a moment, not sure if she was being honest with him. "I've never lied to you." She said as if reading his mind.

"Hate when you do that." He said as he stepped closer to her. She stepped back backing into the fence. He pressed closer. "So you ain't gonna leave me?" He asked cautiously.

"No." she answered, just before her head was slammed back by the force of Daryl's mouth on hers. He kissed her hard, licking and nipping at her bottom lip. His hands going to her face, then moving down to her shoulders and finally to her hips before making a slow steady path back up to her waist and under her shirt.

She moaned softly when he broke the kiss and kissed down from her mouth to her throat and down to her shoulder lifting her shirt as he went and dropping it on the ground. He pushed the cup of her bra aside then latched onto her breast, his mouth drawing her hot flesh in. She moaned again leaning back against the fence as he broke the contact and reached down to lift her.

She immediately wrapped her legs around his waist before jerking his shirt up and off so that she could also kiss his chest, then moved to kiss upward to his throat before nipping then working her way to his mouth again making a long lazy path to his parted lips.

"I want you." He told her reaching between them, as he pressed her back for support, and used his other hand to squeeze her other breast. Just as he was getting her zipper down the door to the catwalk burst open.

"Beth sent me...Oh my. I am so sorry, I'll come back…I didn't know." Ginger said as she turned back to go inside again. Meanwhile Jeanne had leapt from Daryl like he was a man on fire and was busy adjusting her bra and looking for her shirt.

"It's alright." Daryl told Ginger turning away from Jeanne as she grabbed her shirt and pulled it over her head.

"What's wrong now?" Jeanne asked as she turned back to Ginger and pushed past Daryl.

"I'm so sorry." She told Jeanne. Jeanne shook her head.

"What happened?" She asked firmly.

"Evie feel and skinned her knee and is crying for you, plus lunch is ready." Jeanne nodded and headed for the door, Daryl close behind.