Sorry for the late update! I'm just...really lazy lately haha. I'll do better next time!
Andrea
No one except the kids got any sleep that night.
They were too busy planning, preparing and doubling checking to make sure everything was going to run smoothly. Merle still hadn't woken up so they also had to keep checking up on him.
Michonne and Carol was in charge of turning on the alarms once the Governor's men entered the prison, thinking it has been abandoned. Daryl and Rick were going to wait in the tombs with flash-bangs, ready to disorientate and scare the soldiers of Woodbury.
Maggie and Glenn were positioned on the outside catwalks which joined the two buildings together. Once the Governor and his men were scared outside of the prison, they were going to open-fire until they enemy was gone with their tails tucked between their legs.
Beth, Judith, Carl, Jamie and Hershel were waiting in the woods outside of the prison, hidden from view since they were the most vulnerable of them all. So was Merle but with him healing and still out cold, there was no way they could move him. Not without a car, at least, and they couldn't exactly drive a car into the woods.
Which is why it was Brook's job to look after him. She's volunteered for it, knowing that the only other person she trusted to do the job was Daryl but he'd been chosen to go with Rick, and from the look on Daryl's face when she'd told them, he looked like she was the only one he trusted to looked after Merle, too.
...Most likely because no one else could give a shit if Merle died or not, and couldn't be trusted to not kill Merle themselves. Especially Glenn or Maggie.
Hershel had given her some basic medical knowledge; CPR, how to change his gauze if he started to bleed; that kinda thing. It wasn't because the Governor would be staying around, it was because everyone would be in their positions since the sun started to rise and up until the Governor left, and they had no idea what time to expect him. So she didn't know how long she'd been cooped up down there.
"Ya sure 'bout this?" Daryl questioned after Rick left the room. Everyone was in their positions except for Daryl and Rick, who wanted to make sure Brook was fully armed just in case a few of the Governor's men fled into the room instead of leaving once the alarms were switched on.
She nodded, glancing over at Merle as he slept peacefully. "No way am I leavin' him." she replied simply.
He cleared his throat awkwardly and nodded back at her while shifting on his feet as he stood by the door. "Can't tell ya how much this'll mean ta him," he flicked his head towards Merle before mumbling. "Ta me, too." he admitted, squinting his eyes at her. "Ain't no one else I'd rather be here wit' him." he shrugged casually, shifting his crossbow onto his shoulder. "Soon as I can, I'ma come check on ya', make sure ya'll a'ight." he promised her softly.
She swallowed thickly, trying to keep the emotions he was stirring up in check. She didn't know what to say in reply; didn't even think she deserved to be 'checked' up on by him. Then again, he probably didn't mean her – or the both of them - he most likely just meant Merle. So she decided to go with, "I'll look after him."
He gave her a curt nod. "Look aft'r ya-self too," he told her firmly. "Ya been through hell n' back ta get 'ere, ain't 'bout ta lose ya now." with that, he quietly closed the door behind him, leaving her staring at the spot he once stood with her mouth hanging open.
She already knew Daryl had changed from the hard-headed, socially awkward hunter that she knew from the quarry but it still surprised her. A flash-back entered her mind of the first time she hugged him and how awkward he felt and looked after she did it. Her lips starting to curl at the memory and she couldn't help but wondering how he would react if she'd hugged him now, especially with how much he had changed.
She didn't like the way butterflies filled her belly at the thought. She couldn't get emotionally involved with anyone; couldn't trust anyone, especially in that way. The thought made her feel guilty since Daryl – Hell, even Rick, Carol, Glenn and the others – didn't do anything for her to lose her trust in them but...she was scared to trust again.
People – normal, smiley, friendly – weren't always what they seemed to be, which she had learned from Merle, and what she had been through only proved his point stronger.
She couldn't say that she was like this because of the Governor; because she never really trusted him, therefore he never even had the chance to break her trust, which is why she couldn't understand why she was so afraid of something like that happening.
Maybe she was worried about what this world could turn people into nowadays. Maybe she was scared to trust Rick and the others in case they went crazy just like the Governor. Then again, there was no evidence to suggest that Philip was ever normal. As far as she knew, he could have lost his marbles way before the walking dead apocalypse.
It was all giving her a headache and she sighed, glancing over at Merle. His breathing was steady and his top lip kept twitching as he mumbled something under his breath. Did she trust him? She must do considering he was the one person she'd happily leave Jamie to if anything happened to her. That and...he's Merle. All his ever done is try to protect her. Hell, he saved her and almost lost his life in the process. She had no reason not to trust him.
Then again, if Merle wasn't around to do it, she would trust Daryl to. So why did she feel so reluctant to get close to Daryl?
Rubbing her temples, she walked over to the cloest wall which faced the door – prepared just in case anyone entered – and collapsed against it, her back sliding down the concrete until her ass touched the floor. She needed to stop thinking; it hurt her head and she didn't need any distractions. She needed to look after Merle. So...that's what she would concentrate on doing.
"You doin' alright, Merle?" she questioned quietly, knowing that he wouldn't answer but hoping that he would prove her wrong. They could be down here for a while, depending on when the Governor showed up and she was already feeling trapped and restless. She'd spent way too much time locked up in cold rooms similar to this one, but at least this time it wasn't for the same reason as before.
Merle released a loud grumble in reply to her before his breathing softened again. His fingers kept twitching which Hershel had said was a good sign before explaining something about REM cycles, which had something to do with sleeping and not coma.
She snorted a laugh at him before rolling her eyes playfully, "You better not make them noises when Philip's men are down here," she warned him quietly. "You n' your damn snores'll get us caught."
His reply to that? A loud, very unpleasant and obnoxious fart. The sound seemed to echo around the room, making her unsure whether to laugh or crinkle her nose in disgust – which she ended up doing both, anyway – before the smell soon followed.
Covering her mouth and nose with her hand, she silently gagged. "Jesus christ, Merle," her voice sounded muffled. "If that's your way of makin' sure they don't come anywhere near us, you're doin' a great job," she muttered, removing her hand and replacing it with the sleeve of her shirt. "Damn, even Walkers would run off."
Just as the smell started to die down and she felt like it was safe enough to breath without the material of her shirt filtering out what it could, he did it again and this time, she let out a groan.
"I'll make you pay for this, Merle," she promised him as she once again used the material of her shirt to filter the smell. Resting her head back against the wall, she closed her eyes and sighed. "This is gonna be a long day..."
After what felt like a hour of sitting down, she started pacing around. Waiting around was irritating her especially since she couldn't even leave the room. She must have spent another hour walking around, occasionally chatting to Merle who unsurprisingly, didn't talk back. The only noise she'd heard was a loud bang, which was about ten minutes ago now. She couldn't be sure what it was, since it was pretty muffled but since it had happened, there had been nothing but silence.
And then it vanished as a loud alarm filled her ears, making her heart leap in her chest when she realised that the Governor must have made it into the tombs. Her grip tightened on her gun, ready just in case one of them managed to find their way into the room, which was highly unlikely since Rick assured her that they wouldn't allow them to get that far before they set off the alarm.
It was a few minutes later when the door flew open but instead of a Woodbury soldier appearing, it was Daryl and Rick, looking out of breath.
"They gone?" Brook questioned immediately.
Rick nodded, "Yeah, looks that way."
"Fuck'rs looked like they couldn't run away fast enough." Daryl spoke, a hint of a smile on his features, but it disappeared just as quick when he glanced at Merle. "Any change?"
"No," she shook her head sadly and just then, the alarms switched off. She saw the way Daryl's face fell at the news, more than likely he was hoping the alarm would have woke him up. So she decided to try and cheer him up, "He's been lettin' 'em rip like a trooper though." she told him with a grimace.
Daryl snorted and let out what sounded like a chuckle while Rick laughed. "I was wonderin' what tha' smell was." Daryl admitted with amusement.
"How the hell have you survived in here, Brook?" Rick questioned humorously.
"Honestly?" she shook her head, unable to contain her smile. "I have no idea."
Daryl huffed out another chuckle before gesturing towards her and then the door. "C'mon, we need'ta make sure the oth'rs are a'ight."
She didn't need to be told twice; Merle would be fine without them since they'd got rid of the Woodbury soldiers before they could come that far into the tombs. That, and she really didn't want to stick around for any more of Merles 'bottom burps', as her mother would have called them.
Together, they ran and it didn't take them that long to find themselves outside. They rushed over to Glenn and Maggie, who were heading in there direction. Daryl nodded at them in greeting just as Michonne and Carol joined them.
"We did it." Rick commented, his eyes on the gate which the Governor exited through. "We drove them out."
"We should go after them." Michonne suggested stonily, her face void of emotion except for her eyes which darkened at the idea.
Daryl nodded in agreement, his eyes going to Rick. "We should finish it."
"It is finished," Maggie argued, glancing between them. "Didn't you see them high-tail it outta here?"
"They could regroup." Michonne pointed out.
"We can't take the chance they're not gonna stop." Glen spoke up, his breathing laboured.
"They're right," Carol said, just as breathless. "We can't keep living like this."
"So we take the fight back to Woodbury? We barely made it back last time." Maggie disagreed.
"I don't care," Daryl muttered darkly, and Brook knew exactly why. The Governor had almost killed his brother and he wanted his revenge. Also, he knew how badly the Governor wanted Merle's head on a plate – or in the Governor's case, in a fish tank – and Daryl wanted him dead before he could do it.
Brook wasn't planning on speaking up; didn't feel like it was her place to since she just joined them yesterday and she didn't want to overstep her boundaries but she couldn't help herself. "I agree," she admitted, holding her pistol firmly in her grip as she glanced at Rick. "He's not gonna stop...and he won't be expecting us. Now is a good of chance as any."
"Yeah..." Rick breathed distractedly before blinking and glancing between them. "Let's go n' check on the others."
Just as they gathered in the cafeteria, Carl, Jamie, Hershel and Beth who was holding baby Judith, entered. Judith cooed lightly, sounding frustrated but she didn't cry. As soon as Rick saw her, he went over and gently placed his hand on the back of her hat-covered head before mumbling a, "Hey." and giving her a kiss.
Carl stopped next to them and Rick let go of Judith and knelt down before he pulled him into a hug while Beth walked off. "Dad," Carl started as Rick let him go. "I'm coming to Woodbury."
Rick sighed and stood up. "Carl-"
"Dad, I did my job out there." he interrupted. "Just like all of you. Took out one of the Governor's soldiers." Rick looked shocked at the information.
"One of his soldiers?" Hershel spoke up. "A kid running away? He stumbled across us."
"No, he drew on us." Carl argued.
Brook blew out a breath and turned to Jamie who stood awkwardly in the corner of the room. He still wasn't fully recovered from everything that had happened and seeing Carl kill a kid most likely hadn't helped with that. With a sad smile, she approached him. "Hey, baby." she whispered lovingly when she reached him and pulled him into a hug. "How you doin'?"
"'M okay." Jamie whispered back, his voice muffled by her shirt. "You?"
"Fine," she assured him, frowning. She wished she could take his pain away. "I had to sit in the infirmary with Merle," she started telling him with a grin as she pulled back slightly and looked down at him, making him glance up at her. "And you know what? He kept farting." she told him dramatically, hoping for a smile which she got. "It stunk."
Jamie grinned with a laugh. "Does that mean he's awake?" he questioned hopefully.
Crap. She just got him smiling again and she hated knowing that her reply would take that away again. "No...he's still asleep." she told him softly and just like she suspected, his smile fell away. "Don't worry, he'll wake up soon." she assured him.
"Damn right he will," Daryl's voice appeared behind them and they both glanced at him. "Tough as nails my brother. Ya ain't gotta worry 'bout a thing." he told Jamie and reached out to rub a hand against his hand.
"Stop!" Jamie laughed, making Daryl give him a small grin before retracting his hand.
"I need ta borrow your sister for a second, tha' a'ight?" Daryl questioned; Jamie nodded and let go of Brook. "Why don'tcha ask Carol if she can take you to go see Merle?" he suggested.
Jamie's face lit up and he nodded. "Thanks." he said before walking off.
"What's up?" Brook questioned curiously.
"We're takin' this to Woodbury." he told her, resting his hands on his hips. "Rick's decided an'...I 'member ya'll tellin' me once tha' you've never been on a bike." he mentioned casually. "Fancy ridin' wit' me? It's a one-time off'r."
She couldn't help but smile at him as she nodded. "Sure, should be fun."
It was a bumpy ride sitting on the back of Daryl's motorbike and she found herself feeling uneasy, and it wasn't just because she was worried about falling off. No, it was because of the thing – or rather, person – which was stopping her from doing just that:
Daryl.
With her arms wrapped around his waist and hands gripping the front of his shirt, she could feel how well built he was, as well as his muscles contracting underneath her touch, and if that didn't make her feel like something straight out of a romance novel, she didn't know what would.
Despite the chilly air blowing towards them as they drove, her body felt warm and she was trying hard to convince herself it was because of the adrenaline and not because of the lack of space between her and Daryl.
She wasn't stupid though and she couldn't lie to herself. Daryl was hot, and she'd had a crush on him in the past, back when she first joined the camp. The thought made her snort inwardly as she remembered her attempts at courting him...and failing rather badly.
She remembered the time when she gave him a kiss on the cheek before he went hunting and in return, he ruffled her hair before walking away without a glance, and even more embarrassingly – this one she desperately wished she could forget – she remembered coming on to him like a bitch in heat when she got drunk at the CDC.
He eyed her, still fiddling with the bottle. "You're drunk." He commented.
She held up her hand, holding her thumb and index finger a inch apart. "Lil bit." She replied with a goofy grin.
He looked slightly amused. "Ya' ain't gonna be throwin' up chunks in my room are ya, princess?"
She shook her head, clumsily climbing onto her knees and facing him, laying her arms against the couch, slightly brushing his hips. He shifted, looking uncomfortable at the contact. "Nooo," She drew out drunkenly. "I wouldn't wanna embarrass myself in front of you now, would I?" She said with a giggle.
"'N why's tha'?" He questioned, curiously.
She gave him a 'dur' look. "'Cause you're hot." She stated in a obvious tone.
She was glad that Daryl couldn't see her face as she cringed at the memory. God...what he must have thought of her. She hoped that he didn't remember that night...He had been drinking too and maybe – if she was lucky – the alcohol might have made him forget. Man, she hoped the alcohol made him forget. Especially what she had done next...
"You know, I wouldn't mind fuckin' you." She mentioned causally, a small voice inside of her head telling her to 'shut up' but she didn't listen. It felt good being able to say what she wanted and not feel embarrassed about it.
He frowned, shifting in his seat. "Ya kiss yer Ma with tha' mouth?"
"Only on the cheek," She shrugged. "Wouldn't mind kissin' you in a few other places." She flirted suggestively, hoping that she wasn't coming across as a massive whore.
His eyes widened and he cleared his throat. "Stop." He mumbled, bring his drink up to his lips and taking a massive chug.
She gave him a small smile. "Do you really want me to?" She questioned, shifting and leaning closer to his head. She licked her lips as she eyed his.
She had been so forward with him...So desperate and needy...He must have thought she was a total slut. Which, she in no way was, but she wasn't exactly a princess like her parents would have wanted her to believe. Hell, she lost her virginity when she was sixteen. Her Mom and Dad had done a foreign student exchange thing and the guy was a year old than her. He was Italian with long hair, brown eyes and a smile which would make any girl drop her panties. He had flirted with her endlessly until she fell for him and ended up in his bed after two weeks. They only did it once and then he was gone.
Brook didn't really regret sleeping with him. It made her smile at the time and her Dad had always told her to never regret anything that had once made you smile. She only regretted him having to leave. Well, more like requesting a different home which she later found out.
The second guy was her boyfriend of six months. She met him when she was eighteen through her friend. They ended up dating for a year before they split up because his family was moving out of the country and he had wanted to go with them because his little sister had a serious heart condition and she could of died at any moment, so he wanted to spend as much time with her as he could. Brook was heart broken but completely understood, although it didn't make the break up much easier. He promised to come back if his sister managed to get a heart transplant but after six months, they stopped talking and lost contact. To this day Brook doesn't know whether or not his sister got a new heart.
And then there was the Governor. The third man she had ever slept with. Just the thought of his hands on her body made her shiver in disgust. He was- no, she couldn't – wouldn't – think about that. It made her feel sick and she would quite happily forget about that. Although she knew she wouldn't be able to. It was like a scar; always going to be there no matter how much she tried to cover it up or forget about it.
"Ya a'ight back there?" Daryl drawled loudly over the sound of the motorbike.
"Yeah." she called back, realising that he must have felt her shiver. She barely saw it but he nodded once silently. The idea of him being concerned about her made her smile slightly. It was nice to be cared about, especially by him.
Urgh, stop it, she scolded herself, trying to remind herself that her crush on him is in the past, where it should stay. He didn't have any feelings for her, not then and not now. He did push her away after all.
Well...afterwards anyway. Biting her lip, she remembered how he had kissed her back at first...
Screwing the lid back on his drink, he kept eye contact with her as he let it fall forgotten onto the couch before he lifted one hand and cupped her chin roughly. He wanted her to know that if they were gonna do this, it wasn't gonna be sweet n' gentle; it was gonna be hard n rough, jus' like him. "This really wha' ya' want, princess?" He questioned, his eyes dark.
She felt her body heat up and she nodded, eyes on his lips. "More than anything." She admitted quietly, feeling somewhat sober all of a sudden.
"A'right," He drawled. "But don't go round expectin' flowers n shit aft'r." With that, he jerked her forward, slamming his mouth against hers.
She moaned at the contact, loving how rough he was with her. She hadn't expected a kiss with Daryl to be any different and it was on of the things that attracted her to him. He wasn't like the guys she grew up with, worried about money or their looks. Hell, the boys she knew would have gone green if they even came close to a squirrel, let alone have the balls to kill and gut one.
To her, Daryl was a real man.
His hand left her face, tangling itself in her hair, pulling her even closer to his mouth to the point where their teeth clashed, and she found herself wincing when her lip got caught, pinched between their teeth.
She remembered that feeling like it was yesterday. The lust which pulsed through her...the roughness of his lips as they collided with hers again and again. The way his hand fisted in her hand and tugged slightly, almost as if he was gauging her reaction.
The heat spread through her body rapidly like petrol meeting a lit match. It was...like nothing she had ever experienced before. She had never wanted it to end and she knew if it had gone further than that, she wouldn't have regretted it.
But it did end, much to her dismay. She'd never really given much thought as to why. For the first few days, she was too busy dying of embarrassment to even think about it and then her parents died and it was the last thing on her mind since after that, the hits just kept on coming.
What was it that Daryl had said to her after he'd pulled away? He'd told her it wasn't right, and then she had questioned why...
"Girl like you n ah guy like me," He clarified. "It ain't right."
She couldn't help but wonder what he'd meant by that.
"Why isn't it?" She asked, feeling confused.
"It just ain't!" He growled, picking up his bottle of drink and unscrewing the cap. "You grew up with a white picket fence, money n ah perfect lil family," He told her, taking a swig before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "And me?" He scowled. "My good-fer-nothin' family couldn't even afford ah picket fence."
She felt a pang shoot through her heart and she wondered just how bad his childhood had been. "It doesn't matter," She assured him softly. "I don't care 'bout your past. I only care about you."
He scoffed. "So wha', you thinkin' me n you are gonna get together? Beauty n beast style?" He shook his head. "Ain't happenin'." He told her roughly. "Forgettin' tha' we're in the middle of the damned apocalypse, ah jus' ain't right fer ya."
After that, she remembered the humiliating feeling which pulsed through her as she started to regret her actions. She hadn't considered his words before, or what he could have meant by that...not that what he had said had given much a way other than suggesting the way they grow up made anything more than friendship between them wrong. There was something about the next thing he has said to her which nagged her though:
"'Cause ya'll don't want me!" He shouted, standing up. "I ain't nothin' but dirt on the bottom of yer shoe."
She doubted that he meant what she thought he was implying; that she was too good for him but if – just the smallest chance – he had meant that, or something along them lines, she wondered if that had all changed now.
Brook knew that he was damaged. Merle had implied that their father was abusive to him, although he never mentioned anything about Daryl being abused, it wasn't so far-fetched. If their Dad had beat Merle, there was a good chance he had done the same to Daryl.
And if that was what he meant and Daryl had thought that because of his past, he wasn't good enough for her...Would that still be the case? She was damaged goods now too. Used, abused, littered with insecurities and issues which could keep a therapist busy for a lifetime. Hell, he'd probably think that she wasn't good enough for him now.
...Not that any of that mattered, she reminded herself. Again. Nothing could happen between them. Daryl more than likely didn't mean that he wasn't good enough for her; he most likely just didn't want her following him around like a love-sick puppy and was trying to get rid of her. He probably had a thing for Carol anyway.
And right now was not a good time to be thinking about stuff like this. They were on their way to kill the freaking Governor and here she was thinking about her feelings – No, her past feelings. Past tense – for Daryl. She really needed to get her head in the game.
Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and lifted her head from the spot where it laid between Daryl's shoulders. Suddenly, she blinked, staring at the spot, and then blinked again.
And again.
When the hell did that happen?
Great, now Daryl probably thinks she's some weirdo who likes to cuddle with him while he rides his bike. Nice one, Brook.
At least he didn't comment about it. If he had, she swears she would have died of embarrassment. Her cheeks puffed out as she released a slow breath. The breeze caused her hair to fly around her head and she found it rather relaxing and peaceful. She could see why Daryl prefered to ride his bike.
That, and it was a great place to have a good think, apparently.
A small rumble vibrated through Daryl and she leaned her head closer to his ear, questioning him, "Did you say somethin'?"
He nodded his head towards something as his bike slowly pulled to a stop. It was then Brook realised that everyone else was doing the same and she glanced over into the direction Daryl had gestured towards.
Her mouth fell open when she spotted the thing which had caught everyone's attention. "Jesus." she muttered, not moving her eyes away. Bodies – forty or fifty or them maybe – littered the field next to the road they were on. It was a blood bath and one of the most horrific sites Brook had seen since the apocalypse had begun.
"Tha's wha' I said." Daryl mumbled back to her, although his words were distant and more than likely his mind was too. He climbed off the bike just as the others climbed out of their cars behind them and he grabbed his crossbow off the back of his bike while using his foot to nudge the stand into position so the bike wouldn't fall.
Licking her lips, she climbed off too and grabbed her knife out of it's holster. A few more dead bodies laid on the road and on top of them sat a few Walkers. It wasn't anything to worry about since Brook could probably take them down on her own and with the rest of the group with her, it would be easy as piss.
Daryl and Rick went over to the vehicles, not uttering a word while Michonne started killing the walkers. Brook decided to help her as the others began searching through the abandoned cars. She knew she most likely wasn't the only one who figured it out but it was pretty obvious that this had something to do with the Governor. The army truck looked like the same one which Philip had stolen off the helicopter pilots friends all those weeks ago.
As Brook punctured the last Walkers head with her knife, there was the sound of a gun cocking and car door opening, making her glance in the direction. Her eyes went wide when she recognised the face of Karen, a fellow resident of Woodbury, stepping out of the truck with her hands above her head while Daryl and Rick pointed their guns at her.
She looked afraid and Brook couldn't blame her. With Karen being there, it had just confirmed her suspicious that this was the Governor's work and Karen, having witnessed whatever had gone down, must have been scary, and then to top it off, she now had what she once considered the enemy pointing their weapons at her.
Suddenly, Karens gaze turned to Brook and her eyes widened in relief. "Brook, it's me!" she called over frantically. "I-it's me! Don't let them shoot! Please!"
Rick turned his gaze to Brook questioningly but his gun remained on Karen.
Brook nodded at his silent question. "She's harmless." she confirmed, taking a step forward.
The men lowered their weapons and Karen shot forward towards Brook where she tightly wrapped her arms around her. The pressure was uncomfortable and the unexpected force made Brook take a step back.
"T-The Governor killed them!" Karen cried hysterically as she pulled away slightly to look at Brook. Her eyes were red as well as her cheeks. "H-he's crazy, Brook!"
Brook hated the way she felt with everyone's eyes now on them and she awkwardly smiled at Karen, trying to ignore the gazes. "Yeah, we kinda know."
"Miss," Rick interrupted, taking a step towards the women. "I know you're scared but we need you to tell us what happened." his voice was strong, reassuring. It was easy to see that he used to be a cop and it reminded Brook of when he first walked into the camp.
"He shot them all." she whispered hoarsely, no longer holding onto Brook like her life depended on it. "T-then he left."
Rick frowned and shared a glance with Daryl. "Woodbury?" he questioned her.
Karen shook her head and sniffled. "No, he headed the other way."
"Back to the prison?" Brook questioned, paling at the idea.
"Ain't no way," Daryl told her, his eyes reassuring. "We woulda passed 'im." She let a relieved breath and wondered why she hadn't thought of that. Daryl turned to Rick. "What's the plan, boss?"
Rick shook his head, looking unsure. If the Governor wasn't at Woodbury then was there much point in going there? He turned to Karen. "Did he kill all of you?"
She went to nod before changing her mind and she shook her head. "No," she told them, glancing between them. "The ones who couldn't fighter – the elderly and children – they're still at Woodbury." her eyes widened and fresh tears filled them. "Oh god, they're defenceless."
Rick blinked before turning his gaze back to Daryl. Brook watched as they seemed to have a silent conversation and Daryl nodded at him, causing Rick to nod back before turning to Karen. "No, they're not." he assured her. "We have plenty of room at the prison."
Karen looked shocked. "Y-you'd really take us in?" she questioned in a soft whisper. "After everything..."
Rick nodded firmly. "He manipulated you. All of you." he told her. "Made you think you were doing what's best for your group. It's understandable."
Karen smiled gently. "Thank you." she said gratefully. "Andrea said you were a good..." Suddenly she frowned and glanced around. "W-where is Andrea?"
Rick shared a pained glance with Brook and went to reply when Brook interrupted:
"She didn't make it to the prison," Brook told her softly, nerves filling her belly at what Andrea must have been through. "We think the Governor got her. No way a few Walkers could have taken her down." she smiled sadly at the thought, at how much of a survivor Andrea is, or maybe was. She cringed at that, hoping it wasn't the case.
Karens lip started to tremble but Rick stopped her before she could shred a tear.
"We'll find her."
They parked the cars a few minutes down the road, not wanting to announce their arrival. Karen had told them that a few people had stayed behind to protect the place while the others were gone. Newcomers called Tyreese and Sasha.
So they walked the rest of the way. It was now night time, making the air more chilly and the atmosphere more tense. In the dark, it was much easier to be sneaked up on by Walkers, or humans which were just as bad, like the Governor.
As they started to approach the wall, a shot rang out. Daryl and Rick immediately started firing back and Brook raised her pistol and did the same. She guessed that they weren't trying to kill or hurt anyone – especially since the person who was shooting had a good cover and couldn't be seen – and they were just trying to get to the closet cover which was a battered up car.
Once they did just that, the gun fired eventually died down.
"We should go out there," Karen whispered to Brook quietly, making Brook glance over at her questioningly. "They won't shoot us. We're one of them."
Brook raised her eyebrow. "Yeah; you, maybe. That Tyreese guy and chick Sasha have no idea who I am."
Daryl's voice interrupted them, his tone annoyed. "If ya wanna go run out there suicide-style, be my guest but don't bring one'a our own in'ta it." he told Karen warningly.
It made Brook blush slightly, though she had no idea why and she glanced over at him. He wasn't looking at her though, his eyes were on the wall where the shooters were.
Karen made a frustrated sound in the back of her throat, most likely upset about being scolded. She hadn't meant it to come across like she was trying to get Brook killed, she was just so sure that Tyreese wouldn't shoot one of their own. So she decided to take matters into her own hand and she stood up, hands raised.
"Karen!" Brook hissed in a whisper and attempted to reach out for her friend. She had no idea whether of not this Tyreese or Sasha would shoot or not since she didn't know them, therefore she didn't trust them.
"Tyreese!" Karen shouted out suddenly, only to be pulled down by Rick.
"Karen?!" Came a males voice. "Are you okay?!"
Karen shrugged Rick off and stood once more. She walked out from behind the car, holding her hands up. "I'm fine!" she assured him.
"Where's the Governor?" The male questioned.
"Dead, hopefully." Brook couldn't help but mutter and smiled when she heard Daryl hum in agreement.
"He fired on everyone," Karen told him, her tone distraught. "He killed them all."
There was a long pause before he spoke up again. "Why are you with them?!"
"They-" Karen glanced down at the people in question before looking up again. "-They saved me!"
Rick looked as if he was lost in thought before he suddenly announced, "We're comin' out!"
Behind him, Daryl shook his head. "No!" He whispered loud enough for Rick to hear.
Rick ignored him and stood up, making Daryl quickly jerk into action as he copied Rick's movements with his crossbow raised. "We're comin' out!" he warned one last time before stepping out from behind the car.
Brook followed them raised her hands above her head when she noticed Daryl and Rick do the same. Slowly, they started to approach the wall and once they had gotten close enough, a make-shift door on the wall opened.
A black man and woman with similar features – possibly brother and sister, Brook noted – came out with small machine guns in their hands. Once they were a few feet away from each other, Rick, Daryl, Brook, Michonne and Karen lowered their hands.
"What are you doin' here?" The black man – Tyreese – questioned.
"We were comin' to finish this," Rick told him after sharing a glance with Daryl. "'Til we saw what the Governor did."
Tyreese's frowned. "H-he killed them?" he questioned, remembering Karen's words.
Rick nodded, a trouble expression on his face. "Yeah." he confirmed. "We heard that Andrea hopped the wall," his voice was rough. "Goin' for the prison. She never made it." he revealed. After a small pause, he continued, "She might be here." his jaw clenched, knowing what might have happened to their friend.
It was a tense moment as they approached the door. It was obvious something had gone down since blood seeped through the bottom of it, making all their faces fall as it wasn't that hard to figure out who it might belong to.
They were silent as they stared at it and shared pained glances. Brook wanted to say something to reassure them but she knew too well how harsh the Governor could be once you were lock in that room so she remained silent, her mom's words in her head: "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." Although, she doubted her Mom had this kind of situation in mind when she told Brook that.
"Open it." Michonne whispered and for the first time, Brook saw emotion on her face.
Rick was a head of them so he was the one to follow the command. As he raised his hand to the door, Daryls hand tightened on his gun as he held it up, not knowing what they were going to be face with.
"One...two..." Rick whispered before throwing the door open.
Brook, who was at the back of the group, laid a hand on Michonnes shoulder as they approached the inside of the room. Michonne glanced at her, looking grateful for the support before nodding at her and turning her attention back to the room.
Brook knew how hard this must have been for all of them. Rick and Daryl had known Andrea through Atlanta and the farm she remembered Andrea speaking of, and Michonne and spent a good few months travelling with her. As for Brook, she never really knew Andrea. They just didn't click the way friends usually did; they were too different. Of course that didn't mean that Brook wouldn't be upset If something had happened to Andrea. She was a good, strong woman who always tried to do the right thing and that was enough for Brook to respect her.
As they reached the door way, they noticed a dead body on the floor and Brook swallowed, recognising him immediately, "Milton." she whispered, although she didn't know exactly why. Then everyone's gaze went to the floor and Brook's followed.
At the site of the feminine, un-moving hand, they all rushed into the room, following Michonne and her cry of: "Andrea?"
Michonne knelt down next to her body, her sword falling to the floor with a clang as she dropped it. She helped Andrea sit up properly so her body wasn't slating and pulled Andrea into a hug.
Brook stood at the back of the room, watching the two friends sadly. Andrea was covered in blood from the cut on her head to scuff marks on her bare feet. The Governor must have had a bit of time playing with her, and apparently Milton, too.
Andrea mumbled something, though from Brooks position, she couldn't hear what she said exactly, but when Micchone spoke up, she heard it clearly.
"You're burnin' up."
Andrea released at defeated sigh before weakly lifting her hand to the collar of her coat and pulling it aside with the help of Michonne. With the jacket no longer in the way, the bite mark on her neck was clear; Andrea had been infected.
Brook swallowed thickly, the idea of such a fighter getting taken down sending shivers through her body. It just reminded her that no matter how strong you were, you couldn't beat the walking dead.
Rick rubbed his forehead and looked away, unable to look at her wound. If only they had gotten there quicker, maybe he would have been able to help her; save her life but no, she was just another person he had failed.
"Judith? Carl?" Andrea mumbled, her speech a slur as she fought against the fever trying to take over her body. "The rest of them?"
That seemed to snap Rick out of his inner torture and he turned to her. "The rest of us." he corrected her firmly. He needed her to know that, to know that he didn't mean to make her feel so out of place when he roughly searched her the day that she came to the prison.
Andrea gave him a weak smile and inhaled sharply as Michonne brushed the blonde hair out of her face, her expression pained. "Are they alive?"
Rick shared a glance with Daryl before turning back to her. "Yep." he assured her. "They're alive."
Her smile grew bigger hearing that, making Brooks nose tickle as tears threatened to appear. In her dying moments, the only thing that matter to her was the safety of others. Andrea turned to Michonne, the smile staying on her face. "It's good you've found them."
Michonne's gave her a watery smile and nodded, looking as if she was about to break at any moment.
"Nobody can make it alone now." Andrea continued, turning back to the rest of the group. Her eyes fell on everyone one of them pointedly and when they reached Brook, Brook gave her a nod and a sad smile.
"I never could." Daryl replied to her, his voice low and soft.
Andrea was silent for a moment, her eyes unfocused and lined with tears. "I just...didn't want anyone to die." she inhaled again and breathed out slowly. "I can do it myself."
"No." Michonne told her firmly and It was then Brook noticed the tear trailing down her cheek. Pushing her lips together, Brook willed herself not to cry.
"I have to..." Andrea breathed in reply. "While I still can."
It was then Michonne's lips wobbled as she the tears took over and she nodded at Andrea, unable to say anything.
Andrea turned her gaze to Rick. "Please?" Rick couldn't meet her eyes and stared at the floor, considering her request. It took him a few moments before he could finally gaze up at her and when he did, she smiled before saying, "I know how the safety works."
Rick tried his best to smile at the inside joke but he found himself unable to. Reaching down, he grabbed his pistol before gently placing it in Andreas hands. The action didn't help with Michonne's tears and she breathed out shakily.
Michonne managed to find her voice again and told Andrea firmly. "Well, I'm not goin' any where."
For the last time, Andrea gazed at the faces of her friends one last time. Daryl, the once unsocial, loud-mouthed red neck had turned himself into a honourable man she could respect. Rick, a police officer she almost shot and had once hated had turned into very capable leader, and a friend. Brook, the once happy, upbeat, innocent girl had turned into a strong, independent woman, and Michonne...The woman who had saved her life and had her back, always. A woman who had turned into a friend; a best friend...a sister.
She didn't want to die but it was her time and no one could stop that. She was scared, scared of what would come next but with the strength of her friend, Michonne, next to her, she knew she could get through it, like they always did together when things got hard.
She just wished that she had tried harder. Tried harder to see her little sister more who had died of the same thing Andrea was about to. She wished she had tried harder to save Amy. She wished she didn't stay at Woobury and had instead left with Michonne. She wished she had killed the Governor when she'd had the chance. She wished she had fought harder to keep Milton's teeth away from her neck but...
All in all...
"I tried..." she offered weakly.
"Yeah." Rick breathed out, nodding sadly. "You did." he swallowed visibly. "You did." he repeated.
It was once they had all left the room, except for Michonne who continued to hold her friends hand tightly, that Daryl laid his hand on Brooks shoulder.
"Ya a'ight?" he questioned quietly.
She turned her gaze to him and nodded, trying to look stronger than she felt. "Yeah, I'm okay."
He frowned and lifted up his hand. She flinched back slightly and watched as his hand faltered in his movements but continued it's path. His thumb touched her cheek and it was then that she felt the moisture there as his thumb picked it up, causing it to smear slightly. "You're cryin'." he told her, showing her his thumb.
She stared at it for a moment, wondering why he would use such a tender gesture on her. "She doesn't deserve this." she spoke up after a moment, unable to meet his eye.
"No," he said just as the gun shot rang out, causing everyone to flinch and Brook closed her eyes against the ear-ringing sound. "She didn't."
Jeez I think that might have been my longest chapter yet! 8,000 words, 9 pages...Phew. I'm tired! haha.
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Next chapter is in progress! Drop me a review, it'll inspire me and I'll write quicker! ;)