Warning: If you've seen season 3 of TWD then you already know what happens to Maggie. So just a warning that rape is mentioned in this chapter and almost carried out. Almost. It might be graphic or not. I'm not totally sure but just a warning. It was difficult to write...
Attack - Thirty Seconds to Mars
Merle stood over Tara after kicking her again, pissed off that she didn't reveal the location of her group. The Governor would raise hell if he didn't collect the information that they needed.
"I'm gonna ask again. Where is yer group hidin' out?" Merle knelt down next to Tara, totally unprepared as she spit some blood on him.
"Fuck you..." Tara coughed up some more blood, not sure how many more hits and kicks she could endure from Daryl's ruthless older brother.
He used his good hand to grab an aluminum baseball bat that stood against the wall. "You wanna talk now?"
Tara kept her mouth shut as she eyed Merle's new weapon, wondering how much this would hurt. He just shook his head as he raised the bat in the air, waiting a few seconds before he brought it down on Tara's weak body. She didn't dare yell out in pain as he brought it down again a few more times, her breaking point getting closer.
"Now?" Merle questioned as he spit on his prisoner. Tara just glared at him, telling her captor once again to fuck off.
Merle just shook his head, frustrated with his prisoner. He wasn't used to someone holding out as long as she had. Usually, they always pussied out after a couple of rounds of beatings. Roughly, he grabbed Tara by the shoulders, dragging her to the chair that was in the middle of the clustered room. Merle forced her to sit down as he glanced around until he found what he was looking for - duct tape.
He reached behind his prisoner, cutting off her binds with his hand-blade attachment. Merle then started to tape Tara's forearms to the wooden arms of the chair, making sure that there were several layers of tape so she couldn't get free. Merle worked in silence as he listened to Tara's breathing which was already labored.
"You know it doesn't gotta be this way. Just tell me where Daryl's at and we can be best pals," Merle taunted as he stood up, but Tara didn't say anything. Roughly, he grabbed the military dog tags that were hanging around her neck. Merle inspected them briefly for a few seconds before losing interest.
"Iraq? Fightin' those towelheads over there, huh? Well, I've gotta say, that military trainin' they gave you has really paid off. You've lasted a lot longer than I thought," Merle chuckled as Tara continued to remain silent.
Merle just shrugged nonchalantly as he glanced at the pathetic figure in front of him. Tara had a black eye and other various bruises forming on her face. Her nose was bleeding and a large gash was on her forehead. Tara's arm that had been cut during their earlier scuffle had finally stopped bleeding, but it was definitely going to need stitches. Merle was willing to bet that Tara had a whole lot of marks and bruises on her body from his forceful kicks, probably a couple of broken ribs also. He knew exactly what to say to get a rise out of the Marine and break her down some more.
"Ya know, if ya don't talk then I'll have to go talk to yer woman. And that's not so bad, I wouldn't hurt her like I'm hurtin' you, but my boss might have other plans. He likes the pretty ones..." Merle watched as Tara glared at him when the fateful words left his mouth.
The cold-hearted man wasn't expecting Tara's next move as she shot up as far as she could from the chair, head-butting him hard in the process.
"Son of a fuckin' bitch!" Merle shouted as he stumbled backwards, grabbing his eyebrow where blood was now collecting.
Merle stood up, staring down at Tara as he tried to control his anger. He had the right mind to put a bullet through her brain for that mess. "You've gone and done it now. You're gonna pay for that, sunshine."
Tara watched as Merle angrily stormed out of the room with the bat, slamming the door behind him. She listened carefully, hearing nothing but silence. Tara hoped that was a good sign that Maggie wasn't being tortured or hurt like she was. Sweat dripped down her face as she tried desperately to get her arms free from their restraints but it was useless. Merle had put enough layers of duct tape to make an escape impossible.
She kept trying to break free, the strength in her body fading fast but Tara wouldn't give up. She remembered Merle's threat about what his boss would do to Maggie and she couldn't let that happen to the love of her life.
"Fuck..." Tara groaned in frustration. She closed her eyes for a second, thinking about Maggie in the next room, so close but yet still so far away.
Suddenly, the door burst open as Merle returned with a hungry walker on the end of a long animal snare pole. He guided the walker into the room as the creature made its way to Tara. The walker was inches from her face, teeth chomping in anticipation, its foul breath filling Tara's nostrils.
"This is your last chance, where's yer group? Where's my brother?" Merle demanded again as Tara just stared him down.
Merle thrust the walker so close to Tara's face that she could feel the spit as it bit hungrily at the space between them, her scent driving it wild with trepidation. "You know what those fuckers did to me? Rick? Glenn? Do you know what it's like to have to cut off your own goddamn hand?"
Tara remained silent as Merle pulled the walker back, its hands reaching out for her as it made incoherent sounds. Merle was beyond pissed now since Tara was staring death in the eye and still not backing down.
"I want you to imagine what it was like for me to get off that damn buildin' cuz of yer friends. My hand in pain, blood everywhere, walkers comin' at me," Merle yelled as he struggled to hold the creature at bay.
Merle stared Tara in the eye as he slowly made his way to the door. "You're a big snack for this fella, but ya know what they say...he'll get hungry again in an hour."
Tara watched as Merle slammed the door shut after he released the walker, leaving it loose in the room. She knew what he had meant with his subtle threat - that Maggie was next on the feeding schedule if she didn't kill this roamer now somehow. The two stared at each other for a split second before the creature started to make its way towards Tara at a fast pace.
She knew she didn't have many options since she was tied securely to the chair so Tara tried frantically to get the upper hand. The walker stomped closer to her, its arms grasping for her flesh, ready for a meal. Tara kicked out her legs, hitting the creature square in the abdomen as they both went down to the floor in a loud clash.
The walker rolled around for a few seconds before it started to get up, instinct telling it that flesh was near. Tara only had a moment to think before she struggled to her feet, the chair still attached to her back. The heavy weight of the chair made her hunch over as she tried to put some distance between her and the walker. The creature trampled closer as Tara used the legs of the chair to hit the heavy boxes that were stacked in the corner. The boxes tumbled on both of the them as the walker went down to the ground again.
Tara used this time to slam the chair into a nearby wall, trying to break the legs so she could finally be free. Her attempts were futile as she ignored the pain that started to form in her back from the hard hits. The creature immediately scrambled to its feet, marching closer to its victim. Tara quickly swung around, the chair legs hitting the walker, forcing it to stumble into the wall. Tara was desperate now since she knew that time was running out with the roamer only a few feet away and getting closer.
Spotting a brick wall on the other side of the room, Tara ran as fast as she could to it, slamming the chair as hard as she could against it. The first try failed as the walker came closer, just a few inches away, its foul odor permeating Tara's nose. The second try was a bit more successful as a couple of the chair legs broke, freeing one of Tara's arms.
Tara barely had time to react as the walker lunged for her neck. She blocked the creature's teeth with the duct tape that was still attached to her forearm. She could feel the teeth scratch the surface of the tape as she slammed the chair into the wall again as hard as she possibly could, finally breaking the remaining legs.
With both arms free, Tara grabbed a piece of broken wood that was stuck between her back and the wall just as the walker jumped, aiming for a bite from her shoulder. With the walker's teeth barely centimeters from her skin, Tara used all the strength she had left to plunge the broken wood up into the creature's jaw, forcing the weapon into the rotting flesh as far as it would go.
Finally, the walker's movements ceased as it fell to the ground. Tara took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her raging adrenaline as she stared at the dead body. Angry and frustrated, Tara let out a long distressed yell as she stomped onto the walker's head until it was nothing but mesh.
"Is that the best you can do?" Tara shouted to the empty room, grimacing as she pulled the duct tape off her skin, ripping it off as fast as she could, ignoring the sting. Just as her adrenaline started the decline, the pain hit like a freight train as she remembered all the hits and kicks Merle had delivered.
Tara limped to the door, trying it even though she knew it was probably locked. She cursed to herself as she tried to use her shoulder to bust it open but it was hopeless. She grabbed a broken piece of the chair leg as all the strength left her body, forcing her to fall against the wall in defeat.
She tried not to think about what was happening to Maggie as time passed by. Tara waited for Merle to come back so she could ambush him and escape this godforsaken room. Tara stared at the dead walker, trying to keep herself from passing out from all the pain she was in.
A few minutes later, Merle cautiously opened the door, expecting a walker to lunge at him, ready for its next meal. Instead, when he walked into the room, he spotted the walker dead on floor, much to his surprise. Against the wall, Tara was seated, barely holding onto a piece of broken wood, passed out.
"Well, you are one tough son of a bitch. I'll give you that," Merle laughed as he gave Tara a couple of kicks to wake her up.
Tara blinked a few times, her eyes trying to adjust to the dim light. She glared at Merle, realizing that she had passed out, missing the opportunity to ambush her captor.
"So you wanna talk yet?" Merle asked once again. Tara remained silent as she thought about Lilly, Meghan, Carl, Judith and the others.
Merle let out an exasperated sigh. "Alright, suit yerself. Just thought ya might wanna know that yer girl is havin' a private session with the Governor."
"Please...don't hurt Maggie..." Tara felt her heart break, wondering what horrors Maggie was going through.
"It's outta my hands now, kid. Maybe she'll be more willin' to talk to him," Merle stood up, walking over to the door. "I'll be back."
The door slammed shut again as Tara couldn't fight the tears that started to fall, thinking about Maggie. After a few minutes, anger replaced sadness as Tara grabbed the broken chair leg, determined to stay awake. She was going to get out of this hellhole. She had to. Then, Tara was determined to kill whoever hurt Maggie...starting with Merle.
Tara stood up, taking her place by the locked door, waiting for it to be opened again. Her body was wracked with aches and pain, but she ignored it. Tara had a mission in mind and she was determined not to fail.
Meanwhile, Maggie sat on a chair in a dark room that was empty except for the table that was in front of her and another empty chair. Her hands were still bound behind her back with duct tape as she tried desperately to try to free herself. Silent tears ran down her face as all the commotion from the next room could be heard loud and clear.
Maggie wondered what was happening to Tara, horrible scenarios filled her imagination. Judging from all the sound, Tara was in a losing fight for her life. She prayed some more as the minutes ticked by and she continued to listen to the brutal assault. Finally, there was silence, but Maggie wasn't sure if that was a good thing.
The door forcefully swung open causing Maggie to jump in surprise. She had figured out that the man that had kidnapped her and Tara was Merle, Daryl's older brother. He stood in the doorway with another unfamiliar man.
"Your Romeo is one tough son of a bitch. Wouldn't give us any damn information. Maybe you'll be more talkative," Merle grinned as he started to make his way into the room, but was stopped by the other man.
"I'll talk to this one," the other man said, his voice pleasant but full of contempt at the same time.
"You sure, boss?" Merle asked. He wanted to object since he knew what the Governor was capable of. Violating women wasn't Merle's style, no matter how cruel he could be.
"Yeah. I'll make her talk," the Governor simply replied as he walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. Merle just sighed as he went to check on their other prisoner and let her know the bad news.
The Governor stepped beneath the single light that gave the dim room some sort of glow. Maggie looked up at the Woodbury leader in panic, taking in all his sharp features. The Governor was tall with serious blue eyes and graying brown hair. He was in his mid forties, wearing a brown shirt with a pair of blue jeans. He glanced at Maggie, intimidating her and demanding respect and fear.
There was silence for a few seconds as the Governor stared at Maggie, making her uncomfortable. He pulled out a knife from the sheath that was attached to his belt. He showed her the sharp blade of the knife, the light reflecting on the steel. Slowly, the Governor walked behind Maggie as her heart started to beat faster.
Maggie was unsure what to think as he cut away the duct tape from her hands. She immediately rubbed her wrists which were aching and red from the strong tape. The Governor stopped at the other chair that was directly across the table in front of Maggie.
"May I?" he politely asked, pointing towards the chair as Maggie nodded. She doubted that she had much of a choice in the matter.
The sound of the chair scraping against the floor was deafening as the Governor sat down. He stared at Maggie for a few more seconds, wanting to make her uneasy.
"So...Maggie. I'm Phillip or maybe you've heard Merle call me the Governor. You can call me whichever. So I hear that you're part of a group out there somewhere. Why don't you tell me where your people are? Then this can all be over," the Governor smiled, trying to play nice...for now.
Maggie didn't say anything as the Governor licked his lips, waiting for a reply. About a minute passed as he could feel himself get angry, but holding his ruthlessness back.
"Come on, we're not gonna hurt your people. We just want to make sure that everyone knows their boundaries. Hell, we might even be able to help y'all. So tell me where y'all are holdin' up," the Governor tried once again to get an answer but Maggie didn't say a word as she looked down at the table.
Phillip sighed, trying once again to get some information in a nice way. "This is all just a big misunderstanding, really. I know Merle can jump the gun and he's just excited about his brother. But tell us where your people are and we'll take you and Tara back to them and we can forget this all happened."
Maggie knew that the man in front of her was lying. She knew that if he found out where the prison was then he would probably attack so she kept silent. The Governor realized that the nice guy approach wasn't working so he decided to let his cruel side loose.
"Fine. You wanna make this difficult. Take off your shirt," Phillip demanded as Maggie tried to hide how scared she really was.
"What? No..." Maggie refused, trying to stand her ground against the man seated across from her.
The Governor stared at her, a cold-hearted look on his face. "You heard me. Now, take off your shirt or I'll bring you Tara's hand. From what I hear, she won't put up much of a fight since she's pretty fucked up."
Maggie thought about Tara. She knew that Tara had already been through so much. She couldn't let the Governor hurt her even more. Maggie closed her eyes as she grabbed the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head. She slowly let the blouse fall to the floor as she stared at the Governor, trying not to let him intimidate her.
"Take that off too," the Governor pointed at her black bra.
Maggie blinked away tears as she stood up and reached behind her to undo the clasp. She pushed her bra away as she quickly covered up her breasts by crossing her arms in front of her chest. The Governor stared at her with a look of hunger in his eyes and he wasn't done yet.
"Pull down your jeans, now," Phillip ordered as Maggie just shook her head. She couldn't fathom what was about to happen to her.
The Governor just gave her a greedy smile. "Do it or I'll go right into that other room and put a bullet in Tara's head."
Maggie kept her tears at bay as she reached down to undo the button and zipper on her jeans. She hunched over to hide as much of her body as she could as she pushed her jeans to her knees, standing almost naked in front of the cruel stranger. Phillip stood up, making his way to her as he started to unbuckle his belt, waiting for her reaction. She didn't flinch or make any movements as he touched her skin.
Suddenly, Maggie felt herself being roughly pushed against the table as the Governor stood behind her, a fistful of her hair in his hand.
"Tell me where your group is or else," Phillip threatened as he thrusted against her, giving her a warning.
"Do what you're gonna do, then go to hell," Maggie defiantly said even though she was scared to death about what was about to take place. She could feel the Governor harden against her as he moved his hips into her, his hands all over her body.
"I will...don't you worry about that. Hell, I might take you to the other room and make Tara watch the show," Phillip answered as he started to unzip his jeans. Maggie closed her eyes, waiting for it all to be over, hoping that Tara would be able to forgive her.
Outside the room where Maggie was being held, Merle paced the hallway, wondering what was happening behind the closed door. He wasn't a soft man by any means, but he still had some kind of heart and he didn't appreciate the act of rape which was what he feared was going on. He raised his hand to knock on the door, but stopped, trying to convince himself to stay out of the Governor's business.
A few seconds went by before Merle couldn't help himself any longer. He knocked on the door as hard as he could. There was silence for a few moments before the Governor told him to enter the room. Merle stood in the doorway, looking away when he saw that Maggie was pushed against the table with the Governor behind her. He could tell that the young woman was humiliated as she stood there, a few silent tears escaping her eyes.
"What?" Phillip demanded as he pulled Maggie's hair, wanting to get a reaction from both her and Merle.
Maggie was grateful for the sudden interruption. The Governor had just unzipped his jeans, telling Maggie exactly what he was going to do to her and how he was going to drag her into the other room and force Tara to watch while he repeatedly violated her. She could feel how excited Phillip was as he was about to take that final step when he was stopped.
"Your woman's lookin' for you," Merle lied, making up the story about Andrea needing him so the Governor would leave Maggie alone.
"Shit. Enough of this bullshit. I'm gonna get my information one way or another," the leader angrily replied as he zipped up his pants, turning to Maggie. "Pull up your fuckin' jeans."
Merle glanced away uncomfortably as Maggie did what she was told. She kept her arms over her breasts as the Governor snapped at her to leave her shirt off. Maggie was scared but she was grateful that Merle had stopped the Governor before he could rape her which was what he fully intended to do.
Phillip gave Maggie a cunning smile as he roughly grabbed her arm, pulling her into the dark hallway, leading her at gunpoint towards the room where Tara was being kept. Merle and Martinez both followed their leader, not daring to say a word.
Tara waited for the door to open, the piece of broken wood ready in her hand. Suddenly, the door swung wide open as Maggie stepped into the room, a gun pointed at her head by a man who she assumed was the infamous Governor.
"Maggie?" Tara immediately noticed that her girlfriend was topless, trying desperately to cover her breasts.
Tara glanced at the Governor who just smiled at her. She could feel her body fill with rage as Maggie bursted into tears.
"You fuckin' bastard," Tara furiously tried to attack the Governor but was stopped when Martinez pointed his gun toward Maggie. Angry adrenaline coursed through Tara's body as she assumed that Maggie had been raped by the man standing in front of her.
"I'm tired of playin' games. Someone will tell me where your camp is or else," Phillip threatened as he aimed his gun at Tara's head, his finger on the trigger, ready to pull it.
Maggie could hear the gun being cocked, unable to stay quiet any longer for fear of losing Tara. "Ok! Ok! We're camped at a prison near Nunez."
"How many?" the Governor asked, planting the muzzle of the gun onto Tara's head.
"Not many...fifteen or less," Maggie answered as Phillip laughed, finally having broken down the stubborn couple. He glanced over at Tara, deciding to taunt her some more for the fun of it.
The Governor gently grabbed Maggie, pulling her close for a hug, kissing her forehead. "There, there, everything is gonna be alright. It's alright, it's over now."
Tara had to restrain herself from attacking the Governor as he put his hands on Maggie, her body trembling with outrage. She could hear Maggie sob as Phillip stared her down for a few seconds before roughly pushing Maggie into Tara's direction.
Tara caught Maggie, hugging her close, trying to comfort her as she sobbed into her shirt. Maggie wrapped her arms around Tara, never wanting to let go, finally feeling safe and secure again.
"I'm so sorry," Maggie cried, tears falling down her face.
"Shhhh...it's ok, baby, it's ok," Tara soothed as she glared at the Governor who was just grinning.
"We'll be back. You should be happy, Tara. I was plannin' on makin' you watch what I was gonna do to your precious Maggie," the Governor chuckled as he, Merle, and Martinez stepped out of the room.
"I'm gonna kill you," Tara warned as Phillip just chuckled as if it was the funniest thing he had ever heard.
"We'll see," the Governor sneered, slamming the door shut and locking it securely behind him.
Tara led Maggie to the nearest wall, holding her as she leaned against it. Slowly, they both fell to the floor as Maggie clung to Tara for dear life, soaking her shirt with tears. They were both silent for a few minutes, both trying to process what had just transpired.
"Here babe...put this on," Tara shrugged off her plaid shirt, leaving on her black tank top. Maggie slipped the shirt over her shoulders, watching as Tara lovingly buttoned it up.
"Tara, what did they do to you?" Maggie felt fresh tears start to fall as she took her first good look at Tara. She reached over, gently caressing the numerous bruises on Tara's face and her prominent black eye. Maggie knew that Tara was trying to hide how much pain she was really in.
"I'll be fine I promise...as long as he didn't...did he?" Tara wasn't sure how to ask what she needed to know, her breathing becoming more labored as the pain became more pronounced. Her ribs were aching, her sides and back were throbbing in agony, her leg was sore. Tara was pretty sure that she wouldn't be able to run if needed.
Maggie started to sob softly as she shook her head. "No, he didn't."
Tara wasn't sure if she believed Maggie, but that would have to wait until later. Instead, she pulled Maggie close, holding her tight, telling her how much she loved her. They huddled in each other's arms for a few minutes, comforting one another. The dead walker's body was just a few feet away, almost mocking Tara in a way.
Forcing herself to stand up, Tara limped to the dead walker. She bent down, using what little strength she had left to yank one of its arms off the body. Tara snapped the walker's forearm in half, digging into its flesh until she pulled out a shard of bone. She wiped her hands on her shirt before handing the sharp bone to Maggie.
"Here babe, use this as a weapon when they come back, we're gonna ambush them and get out of here. But no matter what, I want you to run and get out of this hellhole even if it means leaving me behind. Will you do that? Promise me?" Tara almost pleaded with Maggie before she started to cough up a storm, spitting out a mouthful blood.
Maggie just nodded, making a promise she wasn't sure she could keep. "I promise."
Tara collapsed against the wall once again, coughing up more blood as she grabbed the broken chair leg, waiting for their visitors to come back. Maggie gave Tara a worried look, gently caressing her arm.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Maggie questioned.
"I'm fine. Just be ready," Tara closed her eyes, the pain becoming more unbearable as she tried to ignore it. She hoped that Rick and the others had figured out by now that something terrible had happened. She just wasn't sure if the group would be able to find them before it was too late.
"All this time, we've been runnin' from walkers, we forgot how dangerous people can be," Maggie sighed as Tara didn't say anything, trying to keep from passing out from exhaustion and agony.
Tara and Maggie waited, their makeshift weapons ready as their heartbeats quickened, knowing that this could be their last chance to get out of this mess alive.
Rick paced around the corridor of the prison as he glanced at the worried faces that surrounded him. He turned toward the cell that held a prisoner who had just shown up at their gates, carrying a shopping basket full of baby supplies. The mysterious woman had arrived with a katana and was badly injured when she collapsed at the gate. Rick and Carl had immediately grabbed her and the supplies, pulling both into the safety of the building as Harley barked wildly in the background.
He had successfully revived the stranger before asking her name. After a few tense minutes, the woman had informed him that her name was Michonne and that she had some bad news for his group. Now, Rick wasn't sure what to think as he thought about what to do.
"And you're sure?" Rick asked Michonne, who was still locked up in a cell. He wasn't about to let her free since he wasn't sure if they could trust this mysterious newcomer.
"They were kidnapped, I saw it. One was wearing a plaid shirt and she had tattoos on her arms. She was with a pretty girl. They were abducted and taken to Woodbury," Michonne informed the group in front of her about the events she had witnessed just a couple of hours ago.
Michonne watched as a baby was carried around by an older woman, wondering briefly where the infant's mother was and if she was the one that had been captured earlier. The couple had been looking for baby supplies so she could only assume. A boxer dog sniffed around her cell, letting out a low whine.
"Woodbury?" Glenn questioned. He was worried sick about Tara and Maggie, hoping that they weren't in too much trouble.
"Yeah, Woodbury. It's a town of about 75 that's run by this guy, calls himself the Governor. Pretty boy, charming, Jim Jones type of fella," Michonne described the community and its ruthless leader as best as she could to the strangers in front of her.
"Are Tara and Maggie in danger?" Lilly demanded to know as their "prisoner" gave her a look of sympathy.
"Simply put, yes. The Governor is a man whose cruelty knows no bounds," Michonne answered as a young blonde girl became visibly upset.
Beth started to cry, pleading to Rick and Glenn. "We have to go rescue them! Tara wouldn't leave any of us behind, she would be out there lookin'! You have to save them!"
"We're gonna go get your sister and Tara. I promise...we'll get them back somehow," Rick tried to comfort the distraught teenager as Michonne watched the scene unfold.
"Dad, we need to get them back. We need to leave now. You heard her! This Governor is bad news!" Carl all but shouted at his father as the baby started to cry. Carol quickly started to soothe Judith, trying her best to get the little girl to quiet down.
"I'll help you. I can take you there and help you find a way in," she offered. Rick glanced at her, distrust in his blue eyes.
"Why would you help us?" Rick interrogated. He still wasn't sure about the mysterious woman in front of him. There was something different about her but he wasn't able to figure it out.
"I have a score to settle with the Governor. Plus, your friends seemed like nice people, but we need to get moving as quickly as possible. The Governor likes fast results," Michonne watched while Rick paced around the corridor. She could tell that he was considering the offer. Rick turned to Daryl and Glenn who both nodded their heads.
"Let's go get our friends back. I ain't gonna leave Tara and Maggie there to suffer," Daryl adamantly announced as the others agreed.
"I'm going too," Glenn declared, ready to bring his best friend back home.
Oscar shyly stepped forward, a bit intimidated by Rick. The prisoner hadn't spent a lot of time with the former sheriff so he was unsure of what to think about him. "I'll go too. Tara's my friend and she's good people. Maggie too."
"Thank you," Hershel thanked the former prisoner who just nodded.
"Alright, it's settled then. We're goin' to go rescue Tara and Maggie...with the help of..." Rick turned to the cell where the stranger was still locked up.
"Michonne," Michonne simply reminded Rick of her name.
"Daryl, Glenn, Oscar, Michonne, and I will go to Woodbury and get our people back. The rest of you stay here and keep alert for any strangers. Do not let anyone in this prison. Let's get ready to head out," Rick instructed as the rescue team started to gather the supplies they needed. Carl cautiously opened up the cell where Michonne was being kept, stepping aside so she could walk out. Harley wasted no time as she sniffed her jeans and jumped up to be petted.
Rick handed Michonne the long sword she had on her when she first arrived, both trusting each other to get this mission done. Meghan ran up to Rick, distraught at the thought of Tara and Maggie not coming back.
"You promise to get Aunt Tara and Aunt Maggie back?" Meghan questioned Rick as he bent down to her level, promising that he would bring them both back home. He silently hoped that it was a promise that he would be able keep but he had an ominous feeling about this Governor fella.
Rick made eye contact with Lilly as he stood up, feeling all the silent encouragement that she was sending him. He was confused about his feelings for the attractive woman but now wasn't the time to dwell on it. He simply gave Lilly a quick hug before he went to get ready to lead the rescue team.
After a few minutes, Rick and company were ready to head out to face Woodbury and its infamous Governor. He stopped beside Carl, patting him on the back a few times.
"Be sure to hold down the fort while I'm gone," Rick reminded his son as the boy nodded.
"Tara taught me a lot these last few weeks. I can handle anythin' now," Carl bravely stated as Rick wasn't sure what to make of his statement. He decided to ignore it for the time being as he hugged Carl, Lilly and Meghan goodbye before following the rest of the rescue team to the car they would use until they got a few miles from the community.
Beth stood in the background holding Judith, trying to comfort both herself and the baby by singing the soft melody of "Amazing Grace". "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind, but now I see."
Everyone listened to the teenager as she sang, trying to take some comfort in the inspirational words, praying that their friends were still alive and that everyone would be coming home later. The rescue team piled into the car before Rick started to drive down the gravel road, uncertain about what danger he was leading his family into. Lilly closed the gate after the car drove through, watching until the vehicle disappeared into the distance. Rick glanced at his passengers before stepping on the gas, hoping that they would make it in time to save Tara and Maggie.
The Governor paced around his apartment as Merle watched. In front of them, on a table, was a map where they had figured out the exact location of the prison. The Governor was a bit worried about how resilient the prison group would be since they had somehow cleared the grounds of the numerous walkers that had been there - something that had seemed impossible.
"I'm gonna wipe out that whole group and then let the walkers repopulate the prison. Maybe your brother can work for us from the inside," the Governor suggested as Merle shrugged.
"I'm sure I can persuade him. Nothin' happens to Daryl though," Merle demanded as his boss just laughed.
"Of course not," Phillip reassured his best soldier before glancing at the map again. "Take the prisoners to the screamer pits and let the walkers deal with 'em before Andrea finds out."
"Sure thing, boss man," Merle didn't object as he left the room to collect another soldier, named Warren, to help him with the brutal task. The screamer pits were large holes that had been dug into the ground where numerous walkers were kept. The walkers were used to dispose of enemies or to entertain the townspeople.
They were called screamer pits because when you threw someone in there, the poor bastards would usually scream when the walkers started to tear their flesh apart. It was really a horrid way to go out.
Merle wasn't sure if he could dispose of the prisoners in that way but it was out of his hands now. What the Governor wanted, the Governor received - no questions asked if you knew what was good for you. Merle didn't dare cross the man in charge.
He stormed into the so called "break room" where all the soldiers went to get some downtime during their shifts. Warren was sitting in a chair, his feet up on a desk, reading an old Playboy magazine.
"Git yer ass up! We gotta take those prisoners to the screamer pit so get up!" Merle barked out orders as Warren immediately jumped up.
"Alright, alright!" Warren grabbed his rifle, making sure that it was loaded. Warren was tall man with black curly hair and a pair of brown eyes. He was intimidating when he wanted to be, ready to follow Merle's orders at a drop of a hat.
Merle started to lead the way to the where the prisoners were being kept. "Let's get this shit over wit so I can go fetch my brother."
Warren and Merle started to head into the basement area, both thinking that this would be an easy task for the two of them. They weren't prepared for the ambush that was waiting for them on the other side of the door.
Meanwhile, Tara and Maggie were waiting for their captors to return, their weapons ready. Tara coughed up some more blood, spitting it out onto the concrete floor. Maggie gave her a look of sympathy, rubbing Tara's back in a loving manner.
"I'm fine...just be ready. Whoever comes in here, stab them, alright? Leave Merle to me," Tara reminded as Maggie nodded in response. Suddenly, they heard footsteps coming down the long hallway, indicating that their captors are on their way.
"Get ready," Tara ordered as she pulled Maggie behind her, getting ready as the doorknob started to turn. Maggie could feel her heart thumping in her chest as she gripped the sharp bone shard that Tara had made.
"Just know that whatever happens that I love you and I always will," Tara glanced at Maggie before turning her attention back to the door.
"I love you too," Maggie forced herself to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.
Tara had the broken piece of chair leg, trying her best to keep a grip on it. Truth was, she was in a lot of pain and her head hurt like a bitch. Tara knew that her body was broken and weak but she needed to make sure that Maggie at least had a chance to get out. She stared at the door, waiting for it to open, ready for what could be her last stand.
Outside the perimeter of Woodbury, Rick and the others had finally arrived as they tried to find a way to sneak into the community undetected. Night had fallen, the darkness helping to keep them undercover. Rick wasn't sure how they would get through the tall walls as he scoped the place out, trying to come up with a plan. He suddenly realized that their party was missing one.
"Where's Michonne?" Rick whispered as Daryl and Glenn glanced around, noticing that she wasn't with them anymore.
"I saw her go into those bushes a few minutes ago," Oscar pointed into the direction as Rick cursed to himself.
"Shit! She could be workin' against us. We need to find her," Rick demanded just as Michonne reappeared, clearly having heard what he had just said.
"I found a way to get in. Come on," Michonne ignored the puzzled looks in her direction as she led the group to a part of the wall that was not secure and easy to climb over.
The rescue team easily made it over the wall, landing onto the pavement on the other side. Rick glanced around his surroundings, taking in the neat buildings and the nice paved roads that had sidewalks on both sides. Even though Woodbury seemed nice, Rick could tell that it was hiding some dark secrets.
"They have your friends locked up in the prison area. You see that building over there?" Michonne pointed to a large building that wasn't as nice as the others and unguarded. It looked like a warehouse type facility.
"Yeah," Daryl confirmed as he crouched behind another building, trying to scope the place out and get a feel for the kind of manpower this place possessed.
"That's where they're being kept...in the basement area. Be careful, the guards might be in there so watch out," Michonne informed the group before she started to head to the Governor's apartment.
"Where are you going?" Glenn wondered as Michonne briefly turned around.
"I'm gonna take care of the Governor but I'll meet up with y'all later. Get your friends," Michonne instructed before she disappeared into the night. The rest of the group stood there for a few seconds before Rick started to run into the direction of the building, the others following. Suddenly, loud gunfire erupted from the building as the rescue team stopped momentarily.
"Come on!" Rick shouted, running as Daryl, Glenn, and Oscar followed close behind. He hoped that they would make it in time to save Maggie and Tara, praying that they were still alive. Rick willed himself to run faster as more gunshots were heard in the distance.
The door swung open as Merle and Warren stepped into the holding room where their prisoners were being kept. They were totally unprepared as they were ambushed by the two captives. Tara hit Merle with the broken chair leg so hard that he fell to the ground, blood starting to run down his face. Warren started to panic as he raised his rifle in Tara's direction, firing shots that barely missed their mark.
Maggie realized that she needed to take out Warren before he shot Tara since he was still wildly firing bullets in her direction. Maggie saw an opportunity when Warren was distracted by Merle and Tara as they fought each other, trying to get the upper hand. Maggie didn't waste a second as she took the shard of bone, stabbing the unsuspecting man in the throat.
Warren didn't realize what was happening as he dropped the rifle to the ground, his hands grasping at his throat that was spilling out blood all over his clothes and the floor. Warren fell to the ground, quickly dying from the loss of blood.
"Shit!" Merle shouted, thinking that now he was outnumbered. Just as Tara was about to grab the dropped rifle off the ground, other soldiers stormed into the room led by Martinez.
"On your fuckin' knees before I blow your brains out, pendejo," Martinez threatened Tara as he kicked Warren's lifeless body out of the way. One of the soldiers shot the dead man in the head so he wouldn't reanimate.
Tara glared at the soldiers, counting at least six pointing their rifles at her and Maggie. A couple of the men roughly grabbed Tara, forcing her onto her knees as Maggie did what she was told. Merle quickly jumped to his feet, furious about what had happened. He grabbed one of the soldier's rifles, shooting a couple of bullets into the roof.
"I'm fuckin' sick of you already, soldier. I can't wait to put a fuckin' bullet in your goddamn head," Merle shouted as he raised the butt of the rifle, hitting Tara in the face with it. The gun made contact with her eyebrow ridge as a loud crack was heard. Tara fell to the floor before Merle struck her again for good measure.
"Stop!" Maggie pleaded as Merle just laughed, roughly grabbing Tara's shoulders and forcing her back into the kneeling position.
Tara felt dizzy and disorientated as she tried her best to stay conscious. She could feel fresh blood dripping down her face from the fresh gash that Merle had just created. Tara was in undeniable pain as she blinked a few times, trying to stay conscious. She could feel Maggie trembling beside her, feeling how scared her girlfriend was. Tara wished she could offer Maggie some kind of hope but she could barely form coherent thoughts at the moment, her head pounding in agony.
"Any last words, soldier?" Merle asked as he stuck the muzzle of the rifle onto Tara's head, his finger caressing the trigger, ready to end this mess.
"Fuck you," Tara defiantly replied as Merle and the men just laughed. She reached down, grabbing Maggie's hand, wanting a piece of comfort in her last moments.
"See you in hell," Merle spat out as Tara closed her eyes, waiting for the end, her life flashing before her.
Suddenly, before Merle could pull the trigger, the room filled with white smoke as a couple of smoke grenades were thrown into the small area. Merle and the men quickly became distracted as smoke got into their eyes, stinging a bit.
"Fuck!" Merle shouted as he was suddenly pushed aside by an unknown figure. The force of the hit caused him to fall into the wall, disorientated by the confusion.
"Come on!" Tara heard a familiar voice as she felt herself being pulled by someone. She grabbed Maggie's hand as they were led out of the room and into the hallway.
Before Merle and the other soldiers could react, the door was slammed shut as Glenn shoved a chair under the doorknob. The door shook violently as Merle shouted explicit after explicit as he tried to burst through.
"Let's get outta here. That probably won't hold long!" Glenn handed Maggie and Tara each a handgun as he started to lead the way, stopping when he realized that Tara couldn't run as fast. He also noticed what horrible condition Tara was in, blood and bruises all over her face.
"Tara's really hurt-" Maggie was interrupted by Tara as she readied her pistol, ready to gun down some soldiers as payback for her brutal beating.
"I'm fine. Let's just get the fuck outta here," Tara said a bit harsher than she meant.
"You can barely walk!" Maggie started to argue as Glenn ran to Tara, grabbing her arm and tossing it over his shoulders so he could help her navigate.
"Maggie, cover us! Rick, Daryl, and Oscar are waiting for us," Glenn instructed as they quickly made their way out of the building and onto the dark streets that were still empty, except for a few soldiers running around in panic.
Rick and Daryl immediately ran to help Tara when they saw what condition she was in, barely able to walk on her own. Bullets started to fire in their direction as Rick threw another smoke grenade onto the street to help hide them from view.
"I told them where the prison was. I'm sorry...they were gonna kill Tara," Maggie revealed to Rick, trying to hold the tears back.
"It's okay, Maggie. We'll deal with that later, let's just get outta here," Rick reassured the young woman as he gave her a quick hug, letting her know that it wasn't her fault.
Tara grabbed Daryl's arm. "Your brother's here. He works for the Governor."
"Merle's alive?" Daryl asked in surprise, excited to hear the news.
"Yeah, and the bastard beat the shit outta me. He was gonna execute us," Tara spat out as Daryl glanced at all her injuries, wondering if Merle really had been that ruthless. Daryl ran into the opposite direction, intent on finding his older brother.
"Where are you goin'?" Rick demanded as he dodged a couple of bullets that were fired at them.
"I'm gonna find Merle. He'll let us go if he knows it's us," Daryl shouted back in response. Before Rick could tell him that it wasn't a good idea, the archer had disappeared into the night.
"Dammit! I'm gonna go find Daryl. Get outta here!" Rick ordered as he ran into the direction that Daryl had taken off in.
"Let's go!" Oscar yelled as he returned fire, leading the way to the wall that they had climbed over earlier. Glenn helped Tara run as Maggie followed close behind, making sure that they were covered.
Bullets flew at the group as they ran, almost hitting their mark a few times. Tara aimed her gun at a soldier who was crouched behind a car, expertly hitting him in the head before Glenn urged her to move on. Rick's posse finally made it to the wall as Oscar started to climb over it. He made it to the top before he was struck by a bullet in the chest, falling onto the other side.
Tara immediately returned fire as she urged Maggie and Glenn to climb over. Once she was sure that they were safely on the other side, Tara gathered up the rest of her strength as she climbed up the makeshift wall, a few bullets flying in her direction. Glenn reappeared at the top, firing back at their enemies, as his best friend tried her best to reach the summit. Just then, Rick appeared as he returned fire and made his way up the wall, helping Tara in the process.
Maggie waited anxiously for Tara to appear as she stumbled onto Oscar's lifeless body. He had been shot in the chest, the gaping wound evident in the dim moonlight.
"I'm sorry," Maggie whispered as she fired a bullet into Oscar's head so he wouldn't come back as a walker.
By now, all of Woodbury had heard the commotion as the soldiers urged the residents to stay indoors. The Governor announced that the community was under terrorist attack and that his men should take prisoners but shoot to kill if necessary. There was chaos and confusion as smoke from the smoke grenades filled the streets and gunshots rang out all over the town.
Rick and Tara reached the top of the wall as Glenn kept firing at the Governor's men. Rick jumped onto the ground, landing on his feet as Glenn did the same. Tara fired a few more bullets, hitting a couple of soldiers before she fell to the ground, her landing not so graceful as she rolled onto her back. Suddenly, a mysterious figure appeared as Tara raised her weapon at the unfamiliar woman in front of her.
"She's with us! Come on!" Rick ordered as he and Glenn grabbed Tara, dragging her into the cover of the forest around them. Maggie and Michonne followed close behind, making sure that no one was pursuing the group.
The group ran until the gunfire was heard into the far distance, all of them trying to catch their breath as the cold night air soothed their sweaty skin. Tara leaned against a tree as she started to cough up blood, trying her best to keep herself from throwing up.
"Daryl's still back there," Glenn announced as Tara closed her eyes, trying to keep the dizziness at bay.
"We have to go back. We have to get him back," Tara replied as she coughed up even more blood.
"You can't go. You can barely walk on your own," Maggie argued as she gently rubbed Tara's back in a soothing manner.
"I'm going. I need to get the Governor," Tara defiantly argued as Maggie shook her head in frustration. She hated how stubborn Tara could be at times.
"No. You're stayin' here! You're only gonna get yourself killed if you go back. You can barely walk...you're a mess," Maggie snapped as everyone glanced at the young couple, staying out of the fight.
"But what he did to you..." Tara struggled to say as Maggie shook her head.
"Tara, leave it. Not now," Maggie almost pleaded so she would keep quiet. Tara kicked a nearby tree in anger as she tried to calm down. Rick decided it was time to intervene so everyone could settle down.
"We're goin' back. We need to get Daryl outta there as soon as possible. Come up with a new plan," Rick turned to Michonne. "Why did you leave us like that? Huh? I should kill you for puttin' everyone in danger."
Michonne just shook her head. "You need me to get Daryl back and you need me to get Tara and Maggie back to the prison. Besides, I was trying to kill the Governor and end this mess."
This caught Tara's attention as she faced the stranger in front of her. "Did you kill that fuckin' bastard?"
"No, but I did stab him in the eye. I'm pretty sure he lost it," Michonne answered as the others didn't know what to say.
"That's a shame. I'm gonna kill that fucker when I get the chance," Tara threatened as she and Michonne shared a look of understanding, their hatred for the Governor running deep.
Rick sighed as he paced around the forest, trying to come up with a plan to get Daryl out of Woodbury. He ultimately decided that he, Maggie and Glenn would go back to the community and rescue Daryl. Tara objected to the plan at first, wanting to be part of the rescue group, but Rick reminded her of the horrible condition she was in. Maggie pleaded with Tara to stay behind just this once which she finally reluctantly agreed to. Michonne was ordered to stay with Tara, just in case they were attacked or her condition went south.
Tara kissed Maggie briefly before she left, threatening Rick and Glenn if anything happened to her girlfriend. Tara watched until the trio disappeared into the dense trees, trying to keep herself from passing out. After a few minutes, Michonne helped Tara walk to where Rick had parked the car they had traveled to Woodbury in. The group had decided to meet up on the road where the car had been left. The vehicle was only a couple of miles away, but their trip took longer since Tara had to stop to take frequent breaks, her ribs aching from all the movement.
Michonne and Tara finally reached their destination as they waited for the rest of their group. Time seemed to drag on as Tara waited for any sign of Maggie's return, ignoring her aching body as she leaned against the car. She tried not to think about what the Governor had done to her girlfriend as the anxious seconds ticked by, the nightmare refusing to end.
Maggie stayed close to Rick and Glenn as they headed back to Woodbury to rescue Daryl. She had her rifle ready to shoot at the first sign of danger, briefly remembering all the target practices Tara had conducted with her over the last few months. Maggie prayed that Tara would be able to make a full recovery since her condition wasn't so great and she was struggling to stay conscious most of the time. Merle had really done a number on Tara, beating her mercilessly for the information. She knew for sure that Tara probably had a concussion, some broken ribs, a blowout fracture and other serious injuries. Hopefully, Lilly and her father would know what to do when they got back.
Rick made a signal for the small group to stop as they neared the Woodbury walls. He scoped out the place as cheers and shouts could be heard from the other side. There were only two guards on the perimeter as Rick signaled for Glenn and Maggie to follow him to the weak spot where Michonne had guided him earlier.
They quickly climbed over the wall, Glenn helping Maggie down to the other side. They crouched behind buildings and vehicles as they followed the loud cheers, wondering what the hell was going on. Rick realized why there weren't so many guards out and about, there was some kind of sporting event that the whole town seemed immersed in.
"Let's get closer but stay hidden," Rick whispered as he crouched behind a couple of huge gas barrels. Maggie followed him, making sure to stay undetected as Glenn knelt behind a nearby bush.
Maggie poked her head out from behind the metal barrels, trying to comprehend what she was seeing. In the middle of the town was a clearing where a couple of spectator stands stood. The stands surrounded a makeshift dirt arena where barrels full of fire lined up the outside of the area, creating a hot glow. In the middle of the dirt arena were Merle and Daryl, fighting each other to the death as five walkers approached from all sides. The Governor announced to the whole community that Merle had betrayed Woodbury and worked with the terrorists, so now his punishment was to fight to the brutal death against his little brother.
The crowd cheered and jeered as the walkers came closer to the two brothers who fought together to defeat the creatures. The townspeople shouted for Merle to kill Daryl as the two brothers stood staring at one another. Phillip waited to see if Merle would redeem himself in the end and join him once again. Maggie could feel her heart race with dread and panic when the Governor came into her line of sight.
Rick pulled out a smoke grenade, throwing it into the arena. "Shoot!"
The crowd panicked as smoke filled the arena, making it difficult to see. Rick threw another smoke bomb for good measure as Maggie and Glenn fired at the Governor's men, who were running around in confusion. Soon bullets and gunfire filled the night air as Rick yelled for Daryl and Merle to join them at the hiding spot. Maggie was pretty sure that she had taken out one of the soldiers as the Dixon brothers joined the rescue team.
"This way!" Merle shouted as he ran towards a gate. The others were right behind him as they continued to shoot their way to the exit. Bullets flew in their direction as the Governor's men had finally spotted the group hidden among the smoke.
Merle kicked the metal gate as hard as he could, forcing it open as he ran through, motioning for the rest to follow. A walker was on the outside of the gate, clamoring to get into the safety of the community. Merle considered killing the creature but left it alive as it started to enter the broken gate, straggling into Woodbury.
Rick and the others ran until the gunfire was lost in the distance. Finally, they stopped to take a breather as Rick checked to make sure that Glenn, Daryl, and Maggie were unharmed.
"Well, that's some way to start the day," Merle laughed loudly as the early light of dawn started to take over the night sky.
"Shut up. If you're gonna be here, you're damn sure gonna follow orders," Rick glared at Merle as the other man just raised his hands in a mock surrender.
"Ohhh don't hurt me, Officer Friendly," Merle chuckled as he threw an arm around Daryl's shoulders, happy to be with his brother again.
"He ain't the one you gotta worry about," Glenn replied as Merle just scoffed. He knew that Tara would be angry when the group came back with Merle in tow, especially after how bad she had been hurt.
The group walked in silence through the dense forest trees, making sure that they weren't being tracked by the enemy. Maggie stayed as far away from Merle as she could, hugging her own body close as she tried not to remember what the Governor had done. Glenn and Rick could sense her discomfort as they gave her concerned looks, wondering just what horrors she and Tara had been put through by the ruthless Woodbury leader.
They finally arrived at the road where the car had been left. Tara was leaning against the vehicle, hunched over, her eyes closed as pain pounded throughout her head. Michonne was standing next to her, monitoring the situation and making sure that Tara didn't pass out.
"Tara..." Maggie couldn't hold back as she ran into Tara's arms, being careful not to hug her too tight. Tara pulled her close, placing a soft kiss on Maggie's neck.
"Are you okay?" Tara checked over Maggie, making sure that she wasn't hurt, completely ignoring her own pain.
"I'm fine but Tara..." before Maggie had time to explain Daryl walked up to the couple, giving Tara a hug and pat on the back. Just as Tara was pulling away, she spotted Merle standing behind Daryl, looking a bit uncomfortable that his brother had bonded so close to someone else.
"What the fuck is he doing here?" Tara demanded as she aimed her rifle at Merle, fully intent on killing him. Michonne swiftly pulled out her katana, ready to harm the man who had tried to kill her.
Daryl quickly stepped in front of his older brother, trying to calm the situation down. "Woah! It's alright, Tara. He's with us now."
"What the fuck? No! He ain't with us! Do you know what he did? That bastard fed me to a walker while I was tied to a chair! Then, he almost executed us," Tara nearly shouted as Daryl tried to calm her down.
Merle just laughed like it was the funniest thing ever. "Awwww, come on, sunshine! We were just havin' some fun! A little bondin' moment."
His laughter stopped momentarily as Michonne raised her sword to his neck, the cold steel resting against his skin. Merle just wouldn't quit as he gave the woman a snide smirk.
"Awww, samurai here is just upset that her lady lover, Andrea, is gettin' the dick love from the Governor," Merle chuckled as the others looked at him in shock.
"Our Andrea?" Rick questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Sugar tits? The one and only. She's gettin' real cozy with the Governor now," Merle taunted as Michonne willed herself not to end his life at that moment.
Daryl roughly pulled Merle away. "Will ya shut up? You ain't makin' a good case for yerself to stay!"
"Fuck no! Merle ain't going back with us! Do you really want him back at the prison with Maggie, Beth...Carol?" Tara almost shouted to Daryl as Glenn had to restrain her from attacking Merle.
"What? Merle ain't no rapist! He ain't no saint but he definitely ain't that!" Daryl argued as Rick stood between him and Tara, both glaring at one another, their loyalty to each other being tested.
"He might not be, but his buddy sure is. Merle's the one that delivered Maggie to the Governor...do you know what he did to her?" Tara demanded as she tried to keep calm, anger taking over her emotions.
"Tara...leave it," Maggie pleaded as Daryl gave her a look of sympathy, not wanting to think about what had been done to his friend.
Merle scoffed at the Marine. "Come on now, soldier. Maybe if ya weren't such a pussy, yer girl wouldn't have been taken to the Governor."
"You motherfucker!" Tara lunged at Merle, ignoring the pain she was in, hatred in her eyes, determined to hurt the redneck.
"Stop! Calm down!" Glenn yelled as he and Rick held Tara back, trying to keep her from injuring herself more.
"Shut up!" Daryl yelled to his older brother as he just burst out laughing.
"Come on, lil' brother. We don't need these democrats, queers, goody two-shoe types. We can fend for ourselves like we've always done," Merle remarked as Daryl thought about his offer. Would he really leave the people he had come to think of as family for his brother? Daryl wasn't so sure he could do it, feeling torn between his old life and his new one.
Rick injected himself into the heated conversation, deciding he needed to step in at that point. "Daryl, he can't come back to the prison. There is way too much bad blood and I don't trust him."
"So I have to choose?" Daryl sighed, frustrated. Rick just shrugged his shoulders in response, at a loss for what to do. There was no way Tara, Michonne, and Merle could coexist peacefully at the prison after everything that had happened.
"Come on!" Merle shouted to Daryl as he began to walk away, stopping briefly to wait for his younger brother.
"Don't ask me to leave him. I already did that once," Daryl pleaded as Rick just shook his head, indicating that he needed to make a choice on whose side he was on.
Daryl glanced at his family before he started to follow Merle into the forest. He had just made one of the hardest decisions of his life, his loyalty to his brother too great to ignore. Tara stepped in front of him, not wanting to believe that this would be the last time she would see Daryl, who had become like a brother to her in so many ways.
"So, that's it?" Tara asked as Daryl just shrugged and nodded in response.
"Yeah," Daryl said in a sad voice as Merle gave Rick a cocky smile in victory.
"What do I tell Carol?" Tara sighed.
"Tell her, I'll be alright," Daryl replied as they stared at one another for a few seconds, both unwilling to walk away.
"I guess I'll see ya around then," Tara finally turned away, walking back to where Maggie was standing, trying to hide how much it hurt to lose one of her best friends.
"Yeah," Daryl simply said as Merle threw his arm around his little brother's shoulders, smirking at the rest of the group as he led Daryl away into the forest. Daryl glanced back at Tara one last time before he was out of sight, gone.
Suddenly, the group heard the sound of a walker approaching from the other side of the road. Tara glared at the creature as she grabbed her rifle, knocking the walker to the ground. Tara let out all her anger and frustration as she started to hit the walker over and over again with the rifle as the others stood by.
"That's enough," Glenn tried to get Tara to stop but she just continued her assault, finally stopping when the pain in her body became too much.
"What are we gonna do now, huh? The Governor's gonna be after us. We're down a couple of men...I swear to God when I get my hands on that bastard, he's gonna lose more than just his goddamn eye," Tara warned, rage in her voice, ready to make the bastard pay for what he did to Maggie.
"We'll figure it out somehow. Let's just get back," Rick ordered as Tara glared at him.
"Why didn't you kill him, Rick? Why didn't you kill the Governor? Do you know what he did to Maggie?" Tara stepped up to the leader as he took a couple of steps back, not wanting to fight.
"Tara, leave it! We can deal with everythin' back at the prison. Let's just get home, please, baby..." Maggie almost begged as Tara stormed away, trying to calm the fury that was taking over, along with the pain.
"Whatever," Tara snapped at Maggie as she leaned against a tree, pissed off about everything. Maggie was a bit startled by Tara's rough response as she tried to keep from crying, not expecting that reaction. The others could feel the tension starting to build between Tara and Maggie, unsure of how to help the young couple.
Tara glanced over at Maggie, wondering what had really happened with the Governor. She doubted that Maggie would tell her anytime soon which pissed her off more for some reason. Maggie made brief eye contact with Tara before turning away and following Rick to the car they had driven. Glenn and Michonne glanced over at the broken Marine before doing the same. Tara could tell that Maggie wanted to cry but was holding back. She felt bad for snapping earlier but she kept herself from comforting Maggie, feeling her pride take over.
Tara was pretty sure that the group dynamic that she had worked so hard to build and keep was quickly fading away. Now, Daryl was gone. Maggie seemed a bit frightened of her. There was growing tension between her and Rick. Tara wasn't sure how they were going to defeat the Governor and his army, but she hoped that the group would be able to pull together soon. Something told Tara that things would only get worse before they got any better. She could only hope her family would be able survive whatever evil was headed their way. Tara could tell that the Governor was unlike any enemy they had faced before and this time their strength would ultimately be tested.
Well, that chapter is done with! I'm sorry if it was difficult to get through in some areas. :/ So the Governor is on the scene now and he is a pretty brutal guy. How will our group deal with this new threat? Which side will Andrea choose? Will Daryl come back? Will Maggie and Tara's relationship be effected by what happened? :/
So anyways, review if you want! Thanks for reading and making this story pretty popular. You guys are seriously the best. I definitely owe y'all one.