A/N: Warning.. some mild swearing in this chapter... sorry it took a while to come but I've been trying to get it right, not sure if I have managed it though... let me know your thoughts :-)

Chapter 25

"She seems to be ok" Michonne said of Andi "she keeps asking if she can go down to see Blake."

"I know" Rick replied shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun "part of me wants to take her down there to him but then I think, well what are you going to do to him?"

"She'll kill him" Michonne said simply looking out to the tree line.

"I know" Rick sighed "I'm just not sure about cold blooded murder."

"Well think of it this way Rick" she turned to him "if the world hadn't turned, Georgia is a capital punishment state. For what Blake has done, now and before, he would be on death row anyway. You want to be righteous about it just think about that, most of the men in those cells right now are right where they probably should be. Behind bars."

Rick thought for a moment and nodded "that's a good point" he said now thinking maybe he might take a trip down to Blake's cell. Maybe he should just say to Daryl and Andi, "here, take the keys, do what you like to him, he's all yours."

Daryl wanted to leave. He wanted to get out of this place and back to being on his own, at least the only person that way he could hurt or let down was himself. He had been packing his bag when he heard footsteps outside of his cell and looked up to see Herschel standing at the door.

"Can I come in?" he asked putting one hand on the cell bars.

Daryl shrugged "I aint changin' my mind" he said gruffly "this group is better off without me, I aint helpin' no one by bein' here."

"Well son that's where you're wrong" Herschel sat down on the man's bunk and propped his crutches up against the wall "we do need you, no-one in this group can hunt like you, track like you. No-one in this group has the will and power to do what is needed here. You're more valued in this group that you realise.

"Humf, hardly" came Daryl's response "my fault Carol's dead, my fault Andi's hurtin'. I didn't do my job fast enough" he said quietly "I'm outta here."

And with that he grabbed his bag and made for the door of his cell, Herschel pulled himself up,

"Wait Daryl, hang on" he said holding his hands out to the man as he tried to leave "just hear me out" he said almost pleading.

"Ok" Daryl sighed "you got 30 seconds."

"Could you wait, just a week or two so that Andi can heal? We really don't have the manpower to protect the prison and could really use Andi's help if, when you leave. But that way she is now, she can't do much, I will ask that you stay just as long as Andi needs to recuperate and then, I promise you no-one will stop you leave if you choose to."

Daryl looked at the man; of all the people in the group he had come to like the old farmer. Straight and to the point, Herschel always had an opinion and was never afraid to tell people his thoughts and those opinions.

"Plus, maybe you could get some more meat while you're still here, like I said, no-one here knows how to hunt like you" Herschel added.

"Ok" he nodded "two weeks, then I'm out of here and no more beggin' or pleadin'" he said coming back into his cell and dumping his duffle bag in the corner of the room.

Herschel nodded "fine, perhaps in the time that you will be staying you can finish some business that should have been done a long time ago, help some old friends regain their lives again, their worth."

Daryl went to find Andi, there was something that they needed to do and he was, in a way glad Herschel had convinced him to stay.

"Rick" he called out across the yard, jogging over to him "have you seen Andi?" he asked.

"Up in the guard tower" Rick said nodding in the direction of the tower "Daryl" he said as he watched the man walk purposefully towards the tower "thank you for staying" he said with a small smile.

Daryl just nodded and turned but then stopped and looked back to Rick "I'm taking Andi down to Blake" he said before turning and walking away before Rick could even respond.

"You're what?" Rick shouted out chasing Daryl and stopping him as he reached the door of the guard tower.

"You heard me" Daryl said hoisting his bow on his shoulder and opening the door "we should 'ave dealt with this bastard the day he stepped foot in this prison. And so we're going to." He turned and stormed up the stairs, not caring to look back at Rick at all.

"Andi?" Daryl came out on to the ledge and found Andi sitting on a chair overlooking the grounds. She had her machetes on her lap and binoculars in her hand. She looked up at him and nodded but said nothing. Daryl could see her eyes were still empty, nothing in them and he hoped that what he was about to do would close this chapter in her life and give her some kind of closure. He wanted to see that fire in her eyes once more.

"Come with me" he said taking her hand, as always whenever anyone touched her she flinched away but this time she took his hand a second later and followed him down the stairs and out to onto the yard.

"Where we goin'?" she asked looking at Rick as he approached the pair.

"Rick" Daryl said holding his hands out to him, stopping him "We're doin' this, aint no-one gonna stop us."

"Let them go" came Herschel's voice from the door "it's something that needs to be done."

Rick stood with Herschel and watched as Daryl opened the door as Andi questioned again what they were doing.

"Are you sure?" Rick asked.

Herschel nodded "it will bring them closer, bring them both some closure and that is something that they both need right now, yes I'm sure. You have to trust me on this one Rick."

Rick was still unsure, neither was emotionally ready to do this, but he trusted Herschel so he would wait.

Andi followed Daryl through the living area and to the cells and stopped as he unlocked the door down to Blake's cell. She stared at him.

"Are you sure?" she asked him as he found the key and unlocked the door.

"Wouldn't be standing here right now if I wasn't" he said holding the door open for her. He noticed her gripping one of her machetes so tightly he could see her knuckles turning white.

He stopped her at the door into the cell block that held Blake and put his hand on her arm "are you sure?" he asked quietly. She looked up at him and then into the cell block.

"Yes" she said staring into the block "I'm sure, but you understand what will happen don't you?" she asked him.

"I'll help you" he said as they walked into the block and down to the cell that held the man that had caused so much damage to this group.

"Well look at you" Blake smiled as he saw Andi standing staring right at him. He was lying on his bunk but you could see the bruises, fresh bruises covering his face.

"Wondered when you might come back down here to see me spitfire, couldn't keep away huh?" he smiled standing up from the bunk to stand by the cell door "come back for thirds huh?" he grinned leaning with his arms hanging over the cell bars.

Andi just stood a few feet away from the grinning man, she could feel that fire starting to burn inside her from deep in her gut, her breathing started to get quicker. She gripped her machete with her good hand and in one swift motion lifted the blade up and swung down taking his right arm below the elbow right off.

"Fuck!" Blake shouted falling back into the cell clutching what was left of his arm, trying to stem the blood flow from the severed artery.

Andi stepped in closer to the cell then turned to Daryl "open it" she demanded.

Daryl looked from her to the screaming man lying on the floor of the cell and walked towards the cell door, unlocking it and hauling it open for her.

"Thank you" she said walking slowly into the cell looking down at the man bleeding on the floor.

Daryl stood back and watched as she kicked Blake in gut and then held the machete to his throat, she looked down at him her face filled with anger and pain.

"Death like this is too good for you" she spat in his face "an arm for an arm" she said pointing to her still strapped and basically useless right shoulder before kicking him in the head knocking him unconscious.

She turned to Daryl who was leaning against the cell door "help me take him out" she said to him grabbing a leg.

"Where are we taking him?" Daryl asked her grabbing the other leg and the pair started to drag him out and down the hallway.

"Out" she simply said "outside."

As soon as he heard that he knew what Andi had in mind and stopped "you're feeding him to the walkers aren't you?"

Andi looked at him and nodded "it's better than he deserves but at least it will be painful for him, let 'em eat him bit by bit. And you know what I'll be doing?" she asked him, stepping up to his face "I'll stand there and watch and I will enjoy every second that he is still breathing and trying to get away, but you know what?" she asked again looking down at him "he wont be able to get away, he wont be able to run. He will have his freedom taken from him, the ability to defend himself and it wont be quick but it will be painful. Now" she said picking up the leg again "you helpin' or not?"

Daryl nodded, it was to easy a death for him considering what he had done to Andi but this was what Andi wanted, this was how she wanted to do it and so he would do what he could to help her.

They dragged Blake through the cells, the living area and out into the yard and dropped him onto the hot pavement of the yard. Rick came towards them.

"What's this?" he said pointing to Blake before noticing his missing arm, he looked at Daryl and then to Andi.

"I cut it off' she said simply "I didn't want to listen to his bile talk any more."

"And now?" Rick asked.

"You might want to take Beth, Herschel and anyone with a soft stomach inside" she said bending down slapping Blake so he would wake up.

"You can't be serious?" Rick said taking hold of Daryl's arm "you can't let this happen."

"Watch us" he said pushing Rick off him "and don't even think about pulling that piece on me again" he said pointing down to Rick's holstered colt.

"Wake up you piece of shit" Andi spat at Blake as his eyes adjusted to the light, which he hadn't seen in a good few weeks.

"What the fuck?" he asked trying to sit up but was pushed down again by Andi who held her machete to his throat again.

"Shut up" she shouted "you've caused your last bit of pain on anyone you vile bastard, this is for the countless people you've hurt and murdered in your pathetic excuse of a life."

She moved her machete and cut through each of the man's achilles tendons, causing him to scream once again as the pain shot up through both legs, and then with Daryl's help they dragged him towards the gate and looked over to where Rick and Herschel were standing, watching but not interfering.

Daryl nodded at Andi and opened the gate and helped to drag the screaming man out of the protection of the yard and to the gathering walkers, who were attracted to his screams. They dropped him and then ran back up to the gate, closing and locking it behind them.

As they watched Andi turned to Daryl and put her hand on his shoulder and leant in close to him "thank you" she whispered into his ear before looking back at the lifeless body of the man who had caused so much pain in her life, who had murdered her husband, his family. The man who had raped her daughter, her baby and for the first time in what seemed a lifetime, she smiled.