Parallel Hearts (Chapter 20)

A/N: Hello all. Hope you've been looking forward to this update because I'm glad to finally be delivering it to you. Enjoy!

Previously: Rick, Michonne, and the others leave Woodbury while Tyreese and Donna end up there. The Governor watches the prison from afar and kidnaps Michonne and Herschel.

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The anxiety and fear continues to run through Rick's veins, his thoughts consumed with Michonne as they prepare to start a search. He sends up a silent prayer while he gathers what they could possibly need. He left it to Glenn and Daryl to tell the others what was going on and now they are all gathered in the courtyard, discussing who goes and who stays.

He has no time for arguments. He places some items in the bed of the truck and turns to the others, interrupting them. "Listen. I know all of you want to take part in this but we don't know what we're dealing with, what we could be facing so it's best if some of us stay behind to guard this place."

"But do you really think someone took daddy and Michonne? Why would they do that?" Beth asks.

"I don't know. We don't know much of anythang right now but we've got some tracks and that's our best bet of finding them." He gives her a nod. "We'll bring them back Beth. I promise."

"Alright. All this talking ain't doing us a bit of good. We gotta go," Daryl states as he steps to Sasha and gives her a short but thorough kiss.

Maggie grabs Glenn in a tight hug and kisses him soundly. Shane was about to do the same with Jacqui but T-Dog interrupts. "I'm going man. You stay here."

Shane shakes his head. "Naw I….."

"No arguments." T-Dog is firm as he walks to the truck and takes the passenger side next to Rick in the driver's seat. Daryl and Glenn climb into the back while Noah and Maggie race to open the gates.

Meanwhile Michonne is struggling like never before not to gag. There can't possibly be anything left in her stomach to come up but that doesn't stop the churning and roiling. Between the disgust she feels and the fear of dealing with someone who is obviously insane, she is having a difficult time.

The low growls, the smacking, and the clang of the chains dominant the room as Phillip tries to carry on a conversation with her at his dinner table. Only a few feet away from them, a child walker is on her knees in front of a tin bowl filled with human appendages. Her semi white dress is stained with blood, pieces of human flesh clinging to the material, her face smeared with gore as she holds a foot to her mouth and gnaws on it continuously.

Michonne darts her eyes from the child to Phillip and back again, unable to look away, watching their every move to ensure her safety. All she has within reach are plastic utensils, a plate full of food, and a cup but she is prepared to use them if need be.

"You haven't touched your food. I thought you'd be starving," the Governor tells her. He laughs as he looks to his daughter. "Penny sure is hungry isn't she?"

Michonne wants to remain silent but part of her honestly hurts for this mad man. He clearly couldn't bring himself to put down his child so he decided to keep her in this state which only proves how unstable he is. That and the fact that he is feeding her. She doesn't even want to garner where he is getting the bodies. The flesh on the parts doesn't appear decayed, the blood isn't discolored…..She lets out a deep breath and wills herself to put her mind on something else. "How….how long has she been this way?"

"Way? What way? Hungry?" He asks.

"She's…..your daughter's a walker," she offers.

"Her name is Penny and she will always be my child…..our child," he corrects. "She's the reason I'm going to make this world right again. Milton will find a cure but until he does we can't have those vermin killing us off." He claps his hands suddenly and smiles. "I'm not going to talk shop today. We're supposed to be having a nice meal together as a family, one of many to come. Things are going to be so much better now. Penny has a mother and soon she'll be a big sister."

"I….."

"Milton and Dr. Stevens will take care of your problem tomorrow. I think they said we'd have to wait a few weeks before we can start on our family but that's fine. I'll be patient." He takes a sip from his cup. "So tell me what you did before the turn."

She is slow to answer, trying to piece her words together carefully. "None of that matters now."

The Governor gives her a curious look. "I suppose you're right. We have to live in the here and now. Is that what you're trying to tell me?"

"We….we can't live in the past." She is trying to work her way up to telling him that he needs to put Penny down. She knows she shouldn't care but having a walker only a few feet away and not driving something through its head is making her even more anxious.

"I couldn't agree more. You have to let go of your past and embrace your future and I'm going to help that along. I wasn't going to take the prison until tomorrow but why wait? Rick and his baby are keeping you from your future with me and Penny so I'm going to take care of it all. Tomorrow will be a new day for us."

The mention of harm coming to Rick and their baby yet again is pulling forth her anger more than any other emotion coursing through her. "Do you honestly think I'm just going to sit here while you dictate what happens in my life? What makes you think you can get rid of Rick so easily? Are you that threatened by him?"

"Do I look worried about facing a dead man?" He counters.

"He's not a dead man and you should be worried about facing me."

The Governor scoffs, his upper lip twitching with anger. "We'll see what you'll be saying when I bring you his fucking head on a platter." He pushes away from the table forcefully and walks toward Penny. He kicks the bowl away from her and bends down to lift her to her feet. She growls and snarls, snapping her teeth at him as he chains her hands and places a hood over her head.

Once he leaves the room, Michonne looks around wildly, trying to grab something more substantial than plastic utensils. He tied one of her ankles to the leg of the chair but she doesn't care. She wraps her hands around the seat of the chair and tries to stand while lifting it to keep the noise at a minimum. She inches toward the kitchen and reaches for the first drawer she comes to.

The Governor returns from securing Penny, sees Michonne's place at the table vacated, and takes several long, hurried strides to reach her. He grabs her by the hair and swings her around to face him. She grimaces and gasps as the chair doesn't move with her and she twists her ankle in the process. She grasps a small knife and tries to stab him but he clutches her wrist and forces her to drop it.

He drags her, chair and all, towards his bedroom, flinching as she connects with her one free hand and one free leg. He smiles as he realizes she is going to be a wild one in bed and that's just how he likes them.

Moments later, he has a bloody nose and a busted lip but she is secured to the bed. He steps back, admiring her angry glare and the way her chest heaves up and down rapidly with every breath. He retrieves a handkerchief from his shirt pocket and wipes his nose and mouth. "Violence between mates should never be tolerated. Don't force my hand again."

Michonne rolls her eyes before closing them briefly, wishing this nightmare would end. She clings to the thought of being reunited with Rick, safe in his arms once again. "I….am not….your mate."

He walks away and returns shortly, carrying her sheathed sword. "All of that will change very soon and I'm going to use your sword to make it happen." He gathers some other items and makes his way out the door. The new guy stands there, ever alert. The Governor sizes him up once again, knowing he is going to need strong men like this one on his side. "What was your name again?"

"Tyreese."

"Well you're doing a fine job so far Tyreese and I appreciate that. Now make sure no one goes in or out. Got it?"

Tyreese nods. "Everything ok in there? I heard some banging or something."

"Everything's fine. Just keep up the good work," the Governor tells him as he drapes the sword over his shoulder.

Tyreese stares at it, knowing only one person who carries a sword and questions the chances of this man having one that looks just like hers. He watches as the Governor walks away then looks at the door, wondering what could be on the other side.

The Governor meets with ten of his people, ensured that is all he needs to take the prison especially with the fire power they have. He plans to kill Rick first to show the others that they don't stand a chance against him. They would either follow him or die. The women will be spared as they are more valuable now than ever. He'd have his men impregnate them as soon as possible. He takes pride in his strategy, knowing that everything is coming together just as it should.

His eyes move to Zoe. She'd be the only one to give him some trouble but she is surprisingly quiet. He smiles, thinking to himself that she is learning. This isn't the first time nor will it be the last that they've conquered a group. He instructs them to be ready to leave in one hour as he has some things to take care of with Milton and Dr. Stevens beforehand. He walks off with Martinez, Shumpert, and Cathy in tow.

Zoe moves away from the others, her thoughts racing through her head like wild fire. She takes note of her surroundings, ensuring that most of them had branched off and wouldn't notice where she was going. She follows the Governor, watching as he and the others make their way to Milton's office. She makes a mad dash for his apartment only to have Tyreese detain her.

"Please," she begs. "Something awful is about to go down and I won't stand by any more and let it happen. It's not right."

"What are you talking about?" Tyreese asks with a frown.

Zoe looks around cautiously. "This place isn't what you think it is. The Governor is holding a woman against her will in there and he's preparing to take out the prison where her people are. You…."

"Wait a minute. Did you say prison?"

"Yes."

Before Zoe could say anything else, Tyreese is rushing inside the apartment, going from room to room and gasps when he comes to the bedroom and sees Michonne tied to the bed, her mouth covered with tape.

She lifts her head, her eyes glowing with hope when she recognizes him. She struggles against her restraints, desperate for him to release her.

"Michonne? What the….." He rushes forward and retrieves a knife to cut the ropes binding her. "What's going on?"

She quickly removes the tape from her mouth, groaning from the discomfort. She goes to speak but Zoe interrupts.

"You two know each other?" She shakes her head. "Never mind. There's no time. The Governor is preparing to go to the prison now. I was coming here to let you go. Maybe you can get to your people before we do and warn them."

"What about Herschel?" Michonne asks.

"I'll take you to him but I can't be gone long. They'll be looking for me. There's an old run down shack not far from here. I've been stockpiling supplies there and I hid a truck behind it. We went through that area weeks ago so it should be clear. Get there, get the truck, and go straight to the prison."

Michonne doesn't have to be told twice as she readies herself to escape Woodbury. She puts weight on the ankle she twisted earlier, ignoring the slight pain then looks to Tyreese. "Is Donna here?"

Tyreese nods. "She's too much of a wild card. I'll come back for her. Right now, we've got to get to the prison."

Michonne agrees after only a moment's pause. She knows Tyreese is right.

Zoe arms Michonne with a gun and a knife and leads them out of the apartment, the three of them exiting as quietly as possible. They choose a path behind the buildings to go unnoticed, coming to another apartment area where Zoe asks them to wait while she speaks to the guard watching Herschel. She has to resort to knocking him out as he was asking too many questions and growing suspicious.

Several minutes later, she brings Herschel to them, handing him a gun, and giving them precise directions to the shack. She escorts them to the rear of the community, promises to delay the Governor as much as she is able, and wishes them the best of luck. They thank her, check to see if the area is clear, and make their way over the wall.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Guys…..this road…..this direction….this is the way to Woodbury right?" Glenn asks cautiously.

"If that's where the tracks lead us then so be it," Rick states.

T-Dog shakes his head. "From what Zoe told me, this guy is crazy. We might be walking into a trap or something. How do we know they aren't scouting this road right now?"

"T's got a point Rick. We might need to ditch this truck. If they're the ones who took 'em they won't be expecting us on foot," Daryl relays.

Rick looks around cautiously, already leery of being watched. He knows he has to play this smart so he veers off the road, driving into the wooded area as far as he can to provide them some camouflage.

They exit the truck, gather what they will need, and continue towards Woodbury on foot. The tire tracks led in this direction and this is where they will go although none of them are completely sure they are on the right trail. Rick continues to focus on the task at hand, not allowing himself to dwell on what Michonne and Herschel could possibly be facing right now. They're fine. He repeats the words to himself over and over again.

A telltale snarl alerts them to the presence of a walker. They hunker down and scope the area to determine if it is a lone walker or several. Of course where there is one, there are others. They wait several beats and count at least six walkers. Daryl quietly takes out one with his crossbow and while he reloads the others move in with knives.

A gunshot echoes through the air and they all jerk toward the direction they think it came from. Glenn and Daryl finish off the last two walkers and Rick questions whether they should move towards the gunshot or away from it. T-Dog makes the decision for them as he walks towards it, another shot ringing out which propels them to move faster.

They come upon a dilapidated shack with a small herd of walkers gathered towards the entrance. Something or someone is drawing their attention but whoever it is they are fighting back as walkers continue to drop.

"The porch! Get up on the porch!" A man yells.

Rick, Daryl, Glenn, and T-Dog rush into the danger, using their knives to take the walkers out.

Three people make their way onto the porch, three people they recognize instantly. Michonne, Tyreese, and Herschel continue to fight the walkers even more determined now that they have some help and realize they will get out of this a lot faster than they anticipated.

The seven of them make quick work of the herd and Rick reaches Michonne in two long strides and a leap onto the porch. He pulls her into his arms and hugs her tightly. She holds him even tighter, whispering in his ear that she is ok.

Rick asks, "What happened?" but before he gets an answer T-Dog, Glenn, and Daryl follow with "How did you find Tyreese?" "Were you taken?" "Where's Donna?"

Michonne shakes her head. "It was Phillip…..the Governor….or whatever he calls himself but we've got to get home. He's on his way to the prison now. That girl Zoe helped us. She said she'd try to stall them but I don't know if she'll be able to."

"On the way to the prison for what?" Glenn asks.

Michonne looks to her boyfriend cautiously. "He plans to kill Rick."

"Fuck that," T-Dog exclaims.

"All of this because we didn't agree to join him?" Rick inquires.

"It's more to it than that. When I tell you he's crazy….I mean it," Michonne relays.

"There's a vehicle behind the shack. Let's go," Tyreese instructs.

The small SUV was hidden with tin panels and shrubbery but they manage to uncover it, get it started, and travel towards the prison.

Michonne remains quiet while Herschel tells of their abduction and Tyreese relays how he found her tied to a bed and gagged.

"Donna and I have only been there for a few days but I never would've suspected anything like this. The man is out of his mind."

"You left Donna there?" Glenn asks.

Tyreese nods guiltily. "I couldn't risk her messing this up. I had to help Michonne and Herschel get away. Plus Zoe was urgent about us making it to the prison. I think he plans to take it and we all know what that means."

Rick squeezes Michonne closer to him and whispers, "Are you sure you're ok?"

She looks into his eyes. "I'm fine but….." She stops mid-sentence as Tyreese slows down, noticing some vehicles in the distance.

"You think it's them?" Tyreese asks.

"Who else? Looks like they're having car trouble. Maybe Zoe was able to pull something off after all," T-Dog says.

"If we turn around, we'll never make it to the prison before they do," Glenn states.

Rick looks to Michonne then at the road ahead of them. "Keep going. They won't make it to the prison at all if I have anythang to do with it."

Michonne remains quiet, accepting Rick's decision to face the danger head on. She checks her gun for ammo and retrieves the knife she had from the vehicle's floor at her feet.

"Herschel, Michonne y'all should stay in the car, I….."

"I'm not staying inside. If we're going to face them then we're ALL going to face them," Herschel states. He checks his gun as well, preparing himself.

"Let's do this," Daryl utters.

Rick knows now is not the time to put forth any argument. He trusts in the ability of the people with him and prepares himself to face the group who poses a threat.

Tyreese travels to them slowly, parking several feet away. They all start to file out of the truck, Rick stepping in front with his hands up, his python on one hip, a hunting knife on the other, and an automatic weapon strapped to rest on his back.

Michonne is at his side, T-Dog on the opposite as the others gather behind them.

At least four people, including Zoe were standing by one of the vehicles with the hood up. She keeps her expression neutral as Martinez recognizes them and calls for the Governor.

"What the hell is going on now? I thought….." the Governor trails off as he encounters Rick and the others. His eyes zero in on Michonne and he grits his teeth in anger and aggravation. He rubs his temple anxiously. "How did you get out? You're not supposed to be here." He looks to Tyreese. "Is this your doing?"

"It is."

The Governor lets out a harsh breath, his hand itching to draw one of his weapons and unload on Rick Grimes but he can't take the chance of hitting Michonne. It would be best to lure Rick away from her first. "Well, things have changed so it seems. You found me out huh? This is all part of my elaborate scheme to get your people to join mine."

"Is that so?" Rick asks. "That's not what I heard. From what I've been told your scheme is to kill me and take the prison."

The Governor's laugh rings false as he contemplates Rick and formulates a plan to unnerve him. "Now why would I want to do a fool thing like that?"

"I'm hoping you'll answer that for me," Rick returns. He quickly sizes the Governor up, taking notice of Michonne's katana at his back, the gun at his hip, and he is more than sure he has a knife on him as well.

"Listen. We can talk through this amicably. I'll tell my people to stand down and I'm sure you'll do the same. We'll set some terms so our…..co-existence will be….peaceful."

Rick purses his lips in frustration, knowing this man is nothing but a snake in the grass and cannot be trusted. "Alright. Let's talk."

The Governor scoffs. "Well, this is kind of awkward with you way over there and me over here. Why don't you come a little closer?"

Rick smiles. "I got a better idea. How about we just meet half way?"

The Governor nods, throwing a look Martinez's way. A look that did not go unnoticed by any of the others in both groups. He walks forward to meet Rick half way in between the vehicles.

Michonne's hand itches to reach out and grab Rick and keep him by her side but she quells down the impulse and readies herself for a fight. For some reason, she thinks that's what it's going to come down to. She shares a look with her comrades before returning her attention to the two men standing face to face now.

The Governor looks down on Rick, trying to intimidate him but the latter stares right back, unwilling to glance away or even blink. The taller man leans forward and whispers in Rick's ear, "I want Michonne."

A/N: There is more to come and I promise not to make you wait much longer. Thanks for the awesome support.