Author's Note: Thank you so much for all the favorites, follows and reviews, it really means so much to me! I'm sorry I have updated for near a week, Ive been crazy busy! Hopefully my updates this weekend will make up for it!
Chapter 25
Riley's pregnancy was advancing, and now she was five months pregnant, her stomach was really starting to show. Daryl loved it; he couldn't get enough of her, and luckily she was hormonal enough to keep up with him, sometimes even surprising her husband with how much she wanted him. The group had been living peacefully at the prison, but tensions were running high from the constant threat of the Governor and Woodbury. Nothing had been said about it since they saw Andrea last, but now, Rick was going to meet with this evil man, to try and come to some arrangement.
"I want to come" Riley said, to Rick as he briefed the group.
"No" Daryl and Merle both said, sharply, as the rest of the group looked at Riley like she was mad.
"Listen to me, you said this Governor had a kid, right?" she looked to Michonne who nodded. "Well, if he sees that there are children in this prison…babies…maybe he wont attack. Emotional manipulation" she shrugged. Michonne shook her head.
"it wont work, he's emotionally crippled"
"But it's worth a try, right?" Riley argued,turning to her husband "Daryl…you're going, right?"
"Yeah, but I ain't five months pregnant and emotional." He sighed "If you get angry, I know what yer like…could be game ova fer all of us, especially if he's got his lil army wit' him"
Riley opened her mouth to protest
"If she wants to come, let her. She's right, maybe we can pluck at this Governor's heartstrings" Hershel spoke up, silencing Daryl and Riley. She smiled at the old man, who winked back. "You know that she'll be safe with you, Daryl, and I'll look out for her too"
Daryl sighed, but nodded. Riley squeezed his hand and he returned the motion.
"Yer so damn stubborn" he growled and she kissed his cheek as they returned to their cell to gather up their things. Daryl threw a blanket over the cell door as Riley changed into her 'outside' clothes. He leant against the bars, watching his wife as she undressed, with a small smirk on his face. She caught him looking, and flushed a little as she stood before him in her bra and sweatpants, the bump of her belly now more evident.
"What?" she smiled at him, he shook his head, pushing himself away from the bars and towards his wife. He tangled his large hands in her soft hair and kissed her on the lips gently.
"Yer beautiful"
"Even when I'm all fat?" she sighed, poking her stomach gently. He rolled his eyes.
"Ya aint fat, baby, yer carryin' ma baby, do ya know how…sexy that is?" he growled, running his hands down her bare sides. She shivered, pushing him away gently.
"Freak" she giggled and he scowled at her, knowing she couldn't resist his sexy scowl. She rolled her eyes and kissed him hard. "Not now, Dare, we're leavin' soon"
"Hmm, fine" he sighed "I'll just have ta wait"
"Damn right you will" she smiled, before changing into cargo pants (with added elastic, thanks to Carol) and a long sleeved dark gray tshirt. Daryl helped her to lace up her boots as she couldn't bend down to do them, and he scoffed when she slipped a baggy beanie hat onto her head. She stuck her tongue out at him as she pulled on a gilet over her tshirt and tucked her Magnum into the back of her pants, and placing her machete in the holster on her hip.
"Ya look like a pregnant Lara Croft" he chuckled and she flipped him off, laughing herself. They met Rick and Hershel out the front of the prison, and drove to where the governor had instructed them to meet.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Daryl, Hershel and Riley waited outside the barn by the abandoned farm store, whilst Rick went in and had a discussion with the governor. Riley leant against the car, her arms folded as she watched Daryl pace back and forth, his finger twitching on his crossbow. Another car pulled up, and Andrea stepped out, followed by a Hispanic looking guy and a very pale, pasty man with glasses. Andrea nodded curtly at Hershel and Riley, then at Daryl before heading inside the barn. The Hispanic man eyed Daryl up and down, before looking at Riley. His eyes flittered over her belly.
"Yeah, I'm pregnant, what of it?" she snapped and the Hispanic laughed.
"Pretty mouthy for a white girl, huh?" he stepped towards her
"Back off" Daryl growled, stepping in front of his wife "Keep yer eyes off ma wife, or ya'll be eatin' em"
"Dare, it's okay" Riley whispered, placing a hand on his bicep. The Hispanic man snorted and spat at their feet. The nervous looking man cleared his throat.
"The Governor thought it best that he and Rick spoke privately" he mumbled
"Who the hell are you?" Daryl growled, Riley's grip on his arm tightened.
"Milton Marnet" he said "And this is Martinez" he gestured towards the Hispanic man.
"Great" Daryl spat "Governa brought his butler"
"I'm his advisor" corrected Milton, fumbling with his glasses.
"What kind of advise?" Riley asked, looking towards him. He looked shocked that a woman was speaking to him, and his eyes, like Martinez, flicked towards her stomach then back up again.
"Planning. Biters. Uh, you know, miss, no offence… I'm sorry. i don't feel like I don't need to explain myself to the henchmen" he gestured towards Daryl, who glared at him.
"You better watch yer mouth, sunshine" he growled, and Martinez smirked at Daryl.
"Look, if you and I are gonna be out here pointing guns at each other all day, do me a favour, shut your mouth"
Riley rolled her eyes at the male aggression, and watched as Milton sat next to Hershel, scribbling in a notebook.
"What's that?" she asked gently, tilting her head in question.
"A, uh, record of the post apocalyptic events, ma'am" he said, nervously "People will want to know what happened"
"Hmm" agreed Riley, as Andrea came out of the barn, with a face like thunder. The group stood in awkward silence for a while, Daryl and Martinez still eyeing each other aggressively, until they heard the familiar moans and shuffles of a small group of walkers approaching them. Riley pushed herself off the car, drawing her machete and slicing the nearest walker's head in half. "Five months pregnant and I still got it" she grinned to Andrea who smiled back and took down another walker. As it fell to the floor, the women watched as Daryl and Martinez took turns in a 'I can take down a walker better than you' pissing contest. They rolled their eyes, but Riley smirked at Martinez when Daryl picked up his hunting knife and threw it, effortlessly and gracefully it sank into the last walker's eye socket. "That's my man" she whispered to herself. Daryl rooted around in the dead walker's pockets, and drew out a packet of cigarettes, offering Martinez one.
"Nah. Prefer menthols" he mumbled
"Douchebag" growled Daryl lighting the cig in between his lips. Riley sighed at the smell, it had been over a year since she last had a cigarette, and now this was like torture, if she wasn't pregnant she would have been all over those smokes. "Sorry, baby" he mumbled, blowing the smoke away from her. She smiled at him, shaking her head.
"It's okay" she reassured him. "You do look kinda sexy with that, though" she leaned in to whisper to him, he smirked at her, one eybrow cocked.
"Yeah?" he teased and she nodded, grinning. The pair then pulled apart as the Governor came storming out of the barn. He paused for a moment, looking at Riley, the one cold blue eye fixated on her, making her shift uncomfortably.
"How many months?" his voice barked at her, and Riley could feel Daryl's body stiffen next to her. Her hand rose up to her stomach protectively.
"Five" she said firmly, staring back at him. "Nearly six"
The Governor said nothing, merely grunted, before climbing into his car, with Milton, Martinez and Andrea in tow. Riley grabbed Andrea before she could leave. "Andrea…you have to stop this, we have children in that prison, this cant end in bloodshed"
"I-I'm sorry, Riley" Andrea sighed, tugging her arm away from the brunnete and climbing into the car. Riley stared at the vehicle as it drove away, kicking up dust as it went. She sighed, turning towards the rest of her group.
"Let's go home" said Rick, quietly, and the group agreed, getting into their own vehicle and speeding back to the prison. Rick said nothing on the drive back, and the car was filled with a tense, uncomfortable silence. Riley was glad when they finally got back, hopping out of the car with ease. Daryl's fingers linked with hers as they walked back inside, to the rest of the anxiously awaiting group.
"Well?" asked Glenn, looking at Rick. The officer sighed, rubbing his temples, before speaking in a solemn voice.
"He wants us dead" he began, looking around the group "All of us, for what we did to Woodbury…we're going to war"
Riley's heart sank at the words and she clung to Daryl's hand tightly.
"What…what about the kids?" she whispered, her tongue licking along her dry lips. Rick's face was pale as he looked as his daughter in Beth's arms, and the swell of Riley's stomach.
"I..I don't know" he began weakly
"If he wants a fight, he's got one" snapped Daryl "he aint gonna win this Rick, no way"
"But he has the advantage" said Maggie, glancing at her father, who nodded sadly "More people, more weapons, more vehicles"
"We cant just lie down an' surrender!" growled Merle from the sidelines "C'mon Officer Friendly, what about ya kids? Ya aint gonna make Carl fight this war, are ya?"
"I can!" protested Carl
"No" said Carol firmly, making the group stare at her "We cannot risk any more lives,I am not losing anyone else!"
"We wont" Glenn assured her
"How do you know that?!" piped up Beth, cradling the baby in her arms as she began to grumble.
"Everybody just calm down, now!" Hershel raised his voice and everyone was silenced. "It's no good arguing about it, whats done is done and now we need to come up with some sort of plan" he looked to Rick "Walk with me, son"
Everyone watched as the two men walked away from the group and out into the courtyard. Riley swallowed hard, her hand resting on her stomach.
"Don't you worry, princess, aint nothin' gonna happen to ya, or yer baby" Merle assured his sister in law. "Aint nothin' gonna happen ta no-one here" he growled, looking around the room. "I aint gonna let it" he mumbled quietly to himself, thinking no-one had heard him.
But Riley did.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
When everyone was either asleep or in their cells later on, Riley sneaked out of hers, leaving Daryl snoring quietly, and next door into Merle's cell. He was packing a bag, with his back to the door and she bit her lip frowning.
"What the fuck are you doing?" she said sharply, making him jump and wheel around. His jaw locked when he saw her and he tried to kick the bag out of sight. She marched forward, pushing him out of the way and pulling the bag back into view. "The fuck is this, Merle?!" she hissed, as she studied the bag full of weapons. She glared up at him.
"Whatcha want me ta say, sweetheart?" he shrugged, sitting on the edge of his single bed, rubbing his face with his hand.
"I want you tell me that you're not doing what I think you're planning on doing" she whispered, standing in front of him, her arms crossed.
"We aint gonna win this war, darlin', not even wit the ol' man's planning, and Rick's 'leadership'" Merle said honestly "I don't belong here, aint nobody but you and Derle that want me here-"
"We need you here Merle" she corrected him, sighing and sitting next to him, taking hold of his hand. He scowled, looking down at their hands, not used to the physical contact, but he didn't pull away. "Daryl and me…the baby…you're our family, we only just got you back. You talked me out of my shit, I'm gonna damn well talk you out of yours. If you go alone, you'll be killed," he snorted and she frowned "Yes, you will, Merle and you know it. Don't be a fucking hero"
"Sweetheart, don' think I don' appreciate this, but that shit aint gonna work." His eyebrows furrowed as her eyes welled with tears "Why do ya care so much, huh?"
"I…I love you Merle, you're like the big brother I never had, and I don't want to lose you.I don't want Daryl to lose you either. I know you guys fight and stuff but he looks up to you, loves you…it would kill him to lose you for good this time" she sniffed, wiping her eyes with her free hand "If you want to do this…at least don't do it alone" she kissed his scruffy cheek and let go of his hand, walking out of the cell. She paused at the doorway, looking back at him. "I lied"
"Huh?" he looked at her in confusion
"Before, I lied when I said I didn't think you were a good man. I do, I really do. I just don't think you do" she smiled gently at her brother in law before leaving him with that thought. He sighed, throwing himself back on his bed.
"I love ya too, sis" he mumbled into the dark.
Author's note : Phew this is getting hard to write! I'm having some serious writer's block, so if anyone has any ideas, or something they'd like to see happen, please feel free to PM me, or leave a review letting me know! Thanks for reading!