Alice stayed her distance, refusing to meet his eyes when they all sat together as a group. The prison had been quiet the past few days, everything seemingly going to plan for once. Alice had stayed by her mother's side, helping with the baby as much as she could, trying to keep her mind from straying to Daryl. It wasn't long until the woman with the baby products had turned up at the fence gates, throwing everything into the air once again.

Maggie and Glenn had been taken, that much was clear as Rick sprang into action. They had no idea who or what they were dealing with but they all wanted to help. In the end it was Daryl, Rick, Oscar and Michonne who left. Alice stood beside Carol as they watched them pack up the car, almost ready to head out.

"Stay safe," Daryl was at their side, glancing to them both briefly.

"Nine lives, remember," Carol smiled at him.

They watched as the car left the prison. Alice put her arm around about Beth's shoulder, uttering that it would be okay, Maggie was strong and so was their group.

The day they arrived back Alice had been helping Axel prepare food for the new comers. It was her mother who told her that they had found Merle and that the Dixons had gone off on their own. Though she knew it shouldn't, it still made her heart ache, tears coming to her eyes as she wrapped her arms around her mother. Carol and Daryl had been close, she knew that and to everyone else around them Alice shouldn't have been the one crying about his absence.

She sat in her cell, staring at the wall opposite her, deep in thought. It wasn't long before Beth visited her, sitting beside her on the bed.

"Carl told me about Daryl," She spoke softly.

"He chose his brother over us, I can't blame him for that," Alice uttered with a shrug.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," She forced a smile.

"It's okay if you're not," Beth wrapped her arms around her in a sideward hug. With that her chest heaved and the tears fell heavily as Beth rubbed her back.

"I just – I don't know," Her voice was muffled, "I never got the chance to talk to him properly about everything. I just needed time to calm down and then I was going to talk to him or at least end things on a more positive note."

"It's in the past, don't think about it."

"I just regret it all-"

"Don't. It's not worth it. When Jimmy died you told me that I needed to move forward, things would get better."

"I know, I know, it just really sucks."

"I know," Beth cradled the older girl, her fingers combing through her hair.

Beth helped pull the girl back together, the two of them helping Axel and Carol put up the defences. It didn't take long with the four of them, Alice listening to her mother and Axel's conversation as they went. She liked the man, he seemed good at heart. Heading down to the yard, Beth, Alice and Carl stood to one side as they looked out across the green. Hershel was talking to Rick, they could only just see that and though none of them said it they hoped it would be both of them that came back up to them.

The calm crumbled as a shot was fired. Axel hit the ground before anyone could even comprehend what had happened. Lowering their bodies to the floor, Alice was hyperaware that her mother had been stood right next to Axel but now she couldn't even see her. She tried to get up and run for her but Beth stopped her, the three of them running for cover as gunfire surrounded them. Her heart beat raced and adrenaline ran through her, every scenario going through her head. Maggie appeared with guns in hand, arming them all and managing to cover Carol as she managed to run to them. It was all happening so fast.

Walkers were released into the field, none of them knowing what to do except try and take out the shooters. It was chaos. Pure anarchy. As soon as the gunfire stopped it was eerily quiet until the revving of an engine, bringing Michonne, Glenn and Hershel back to safety, caught their attention.

That night was terrifying, none of them felt safe anymore. As soon as Daryl had entered the cell block again with Merle in tow the others immediately locked the older Dixon next door, separating him from them all. Everyone was on edge as it was without having Merle breathing down their necks.

Alice sat in her cell that evening, her mind reeling over everything that was going on. She couldn't sleep - she knew none of them would be able to that night. Standing from her bunk she was about to head for her mother's cell when she stopped, eyeing Daryl as he appeared in her doorway.

"I wanted to make sure ya were alright," He uttered. Alice's mouth quirked slightly into a smile before she flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck – she just couldn't help herself. Daryl stumbled backwards slightly and anyone that was in the lower floor would've seen the embrace if they had been looking up at that moment but Alice didn't care; she didn't care in the slightest.

He walked her forward slightly as she burrowed her face into his neck.

"I'm so sorry," She whispered. "I'm so sorry I was such a bitch."

"Think now's a good time to talk?" His hand was in her hair, holding her to him whilst she fisted his top.

"Better late than never I suppose," She uttered, slowly letting go though a small part of her was afraid he would suddenly disappear again. They sat on the bunk, she cross legged facing him.

"I'm sorry," She started, realising he was waiting for her. "I… we- it was just confusing the hell out of me."

"Why? Everything was fine and then ya just snapped," She could see the hurt in his eyes, she had only seen that look a couple of times and that had been a hell of a long time ago.

"Everything wasn't fine though. It leaves me feeling like shit you know," She fidgeted, playing with her fingers as she looked down, "We'd have this… amazing sex but then that was it. You never talked to me, never opened up, it was just sex. And then I'd see Glenn and Maggie together and it just brings a girl down." Daryl stayed silent, going through what she had just said in his head. "I care about you Daryl. It sounds stupid but I do. I get that it was just sex to you and I was silly for wanting more but I couldn't help it. I mean even now I still can't help but feel something even after all of the shit," Alice was laying herself bare, feeling like an absolute idiot as she stared down into her lap. She heard Daryl exhale what sounded like a small laugh, making her feel even smaller.

"Ya an idiot," He uttered and she felt a shot of anger spike her spine, her eyes shooting up to his. She was about to punch his arm, hard, when he caught her lips, leaning over her slightly as she reciprocated after a stunned second, the anger draining from her.

"Course I care about ya," He uttered, his mouth against her cheek, trailing to her lobe. "You think I just go about fucking different women in this place?"

"I don't know, do you?" She uttered, feeling slightly breathless as his breath tickled her ear.

"No. I don't," He bit her ear slightly.

"Doesn't explain why wouldn't you talk to me," She uttered, pushing him back lightly, forcing him to meet her eyes. He sighed, sitting back, chewing at the skin of his thumb before meeting her eyes.

"Ya make me feel vulnerable. If I stayed detached then it wouldn't hurt when I lost ya. I was wrong on that part." She felt her heart race in her chest, watching the Dixon in front of her with tired eyes. "Ya mom told me you weren't ya usual self. I already knew that. I just didn't know what I could do."

"Sex wasn't the answer."

"Yeah, I got that," He murmured.

"So what now?"

"We kill the Governor."

"Not what I meant," Alice uttered, raising her eyebrows slightly. He was all bravado when it came to touching her but as soon as feelings were mentioned he quietened, the Daryl everyone else saw reappearing. She felt like she was actually getting somewhere though, this was the most she had ever had out of him regarding feelings.

"I don't know. What do you want?"

"I want to try again. Properly this time, no distancing yourself."

"The others would kill me if they knew."

"They don't need to know. That's fine. But for God's sake Daryl, treat me like a human being this time yeah?"

"Am sorry," He uttered, kissing her again.

"So we have a deal?" She whispered as he leant over her in the tight bunk, her legs stretching out beneath him.

"Mmhm," He grunted, his lips going to her collarbone, feathering kisses all over her skin. His hand found hers, linking their fingers together as he kissed her softly. She had butterflies in her stomach, all of this feeling so new again as Daryl squeezed beside her in the bunk. He spooned her, his hand holding hers against her stomach. She could feel his rhythmic breathing on her shoulder, his teeth gently biting her when he couldn't resist. They both felt drained and it didn't take long for them to drift off.

Daryl awoke early, carefully leaving her bunk before heading back to his own, not realising Merle's eyes were on him the whole way.