Chapter 36

We wheeled Hershel into the cell block, Daryl locking the gate behind them, leaving us in the main room. He pulled me into a quick hug as they wheeled Hershel to Carol. He kissed my forehead. "Don't speak too much." He warned, letting go of me and crouching on the metal table, raising his crossbow at the open gate. I raised my Honey Badger, waiting for what was destined to happen.
Then, one by one they came. The one hit on me with the black greasy hair, one really pale one that had a blonde and weird looking mustache, a really tall black man, average sized, and small one.
"Don't move." My hunter warned, ready to use his crossbow.
The one who talked a bunch took the first step closer. "What the hell was that back there?" He asked. "You cut off a mans leg!"
"Are ya keeping us prisoners here?" The really big and tall guy said.
I couldn't help but snort a bit. They already were prisoners. We just freed them.
"We aren't." I snapped. "Go. Leave us."
"Excuse me hot stuff," the leader started. "but until you tell us why you killed these people and you broke into a prison, we ain't going."
Well, that pissed my boyfriend off. He was trying hard not to press the trigger. "Ya talk to her again like that I'll make you into one of those. Now leave. Yer free to go."
He crossed his arms, a smirk on his face. "You know what, this is our cell block, we can stay."
"Let's just leave and get outta these people's hair, Tomas." The one said with the odd mustache.
"Good idea." I backed up, walking closer. "Maybe you should listen to him." I told Tomas.
Tomas didn't like that. His lips drew closer together and he ran his fingers through his greasy hair. "We want answers." He said, walking a step to close to me before Daryl shoved him away.
"Damn it Katherine," He hissed. "Get back."
"She's a grown woman." Tomas said. "Let her do whatever the hell she wants. She doesn't need to listen to her worthless, red neck boyfriend. You ain't got no control on a woman like that."
And just before I could kill the bastard, Rick charged in the cell, his pistol against his neck. "Did they tell you to leave?"
The group of prisoners nodded, scared of my brother.
"Then do it."
"But what are those things?" The tiny one asked, clearly the second in command to Tomas.
"Shut up Andrew." The really big one demanded. He was nervous and a bit flustered.
I lowered my gun. "How long have you guys been in there?" I ask as Daryl flashes me a look for speaking again. If I'm handling a walker, life is fine and dandy. But god forbid me talk to another man, one that doesn't seem dangerous at all despite his towering statue.
The man looked at me with sad eyes. "Two hundred and ninety two."
"Ninety four." The weird mustache guy corrected.
"Shut up Axel." Tomas muttered.
I bit my lip, throwing my gun on my back. "We're going to take you outside." I commanded.
"We are?" Rick asked.
I nodded. "Yes. Now get your gun off of the mans neck."
"I like it there..." Daryl muttered, angry at me for some reason. Prisoners, those I could handle. Understanding my boyfriend...that was difficult.
I rolled my eyes at him, walking out the door, the mustache man named Axel holding it for me.
Daryl growled, getting closer to me, his arm brushing against my side. I rolled my eyes, upset that he was acting so damn childish.
"You killed these people too?" Andrew asked, terrified of us but not showing it to Tomas.
"You're next if you keep looking at her like that." My hunter snarled at the leader of the group.
Tomas snorted, crossing his arms. "Like you could lay a finger on me."
"Is that a challenge?"
"Hell yeah it is!"
I grabbed Daryl's hand, pulling him behind me. "Knock it off." I hissed at him, my hands on his chest, eyes warning him. "I mean it Daryl Dixon."
He rolled his eyes, his hand now on my waist. God his was pissing me off but at the same time I also thought he was being really sexy acting all protective. Sexy yet infuriating pretty much summed up the man I loved.
"And no, we haven't killed any people in a while." I answered, turning back to face the prisoners. "Those," I said, pointing to the walkers. "used to be people. They aren't now."
"Cause you killed them." Andrew said again.
And once again Daryl was pissed. "Why don't ya shut up and let her talk?"
"We killed them after they were no longer people." I responded, ignoring my second teenager with a temper. "There is a disease type thing that infects the brain. They can no longer think as they did normally. There is no humanity left."
"It's kill and eat." Rick added, stroking his beard. "Everything that made them human is gone."
Tomas face turned so it was apparent he was thinking. "We aren't leaving."
"Says who?"
"I do! This is our prison! You are trespassing!"
I laughed, rolling my eyes. "Alright, we can force you back into the cafeteria."
"Please don't do that, kind lady!" Axel begged, desperation lingering in his tiered eyes. "I can't go back there."
Rick started to stroke his beard once more, indicating his thought. "We'll help you clear out a cell block."
"What?!" Daryl and I demanded at the same time.
"We're sending them to their death if they go out there now." He said to us, trying to make us see his reason.
My hunter didn't like his, getting in Rick's face. "Let them have their way out there. We did for months!"
"Damn it Daryl, I'm not going to risk lives for your jealous ways."
He snorted. "Jealous? Is that whatcha think I am?"
"That's exactly what I think you are!"
"Well ya wrong! I have no need to be jealous of some prisoners who smell like piss and have IQ's of zero. I'm protecting my woman, her kid, and my family! Have ya forgotten that also means yer sister and son?!"
Rick was silent, eyes sinking a bit.
"That's what I thought." Daryl muttered, stepping down a bit. He grabbed my hand, pulling me closer.
"I'm not changing my mind." Rick mumbled. "I'm standing my ground. We'll clear a cell block tomorrow for them and get half of their food." He turned to their prisoners. "But if we see you even near our block, we will kill you without a second glance."
Tomas shook his head. "There isn't much food left."
Rick held his pistol up at him. "Well there would be more if there was once less person, wouldn't it?" He turned away and started walking into the cell. "You can sleep outside tonight."

I walked back to my cell with a towel wrapped around my head and my dirty clothing on. I didn't care that my clothing stunk but I loved the feeling of having all that blood and dirt off of my skin. Sighing in contentment I turned into my cell to find a dark sheet hanging over the bars. I rolled my eyes, a smile on my face. Was I still pissed at my hunter? Hell yes! But I couldn't resist his charm that he didn't even know he had. I pulled the sheet back to find the bunk beds gone but their mattresses pushed together, our bags in the corner, a single candle standing on the metal nightstand next to Daryl who was grinning from ear to ear at his accomplishment.
"Welcome home baby." He cooed, my favorite smile on his lips. "Ya like it?" He asked, suddenly self-conscious once more, his smile dying.
I flopped down on the mattress, rolling on top of him. His hands instantly found my waist and he pulled me closer. "I love it." He attempted to kiss me but I pressed my finger against his lips, pushing him back. "No way mister. Not after earlier."
He groaned, rolling his eyes in a very Daryl like manner. "What did I do wrong this time?"
I sat up, straddling his chest while putting my hands on my hips. "Um, you were acting as if someone took your Clifford book."
He chuckled, thinking I was kidding. "It was actually my Curious George book." He jokes, his hands finding their way up to my face, gripping it lightly. "Walkers are different. Ya can defend yourself against them."
"And I can't around those men?" I questioned, growing a bit angry.
If his hands weren't on my face at the moment, I'm sure he would be chewing at the corner of his thumb. So he dropped his hands back to my waist. "Katherine, no. Men are different."
Now I was angry.
"Ya saw what almost happened with Shane." He said, his stormy blue eyes clouded.
"It's been almost a year since then! I'm much stronger!"
"I agree, don't get me wrong. But yer used to walkers."
I crossed my arms, anger filling me from head to toe. "Wow." I said, taking his hands off of me and stepping off of the mattress. "It's great to see how weak you think I am." I snapped, ripping the towel from my hair and throwing it at my bag. "You know, poor little Katie Grimes! She needs the big and strong Daryl Dixon to keep her safe from other men!" Giving him my best death glare I could, I turned to exit but before I knew it I was back on the mattress, my wrists pinned down, Daryl hovering over me. He wasn't smiling but I could tell that he was glad he made his point.
"Are you happy?" I asked breathlessly. "You've made your point."
He wasn't. He wasn't even close to being done. "Walkers are driven by food." He bent down and pressed his lips against my neck. "Men are driven by sex." Another kiss on the opposite side. Yeah, I was just making his point more clear. But men didn't have any power on me alone, it was him, the big and strong Daryl Dixon. He changed everything. "And Katherine..." He breathed, making my heart stop. "There ain't much women left in this world, let alone extremely beautiful ones. That puts ya in even more danger." His grip on my wrists grew tighter. "That's where my job comes in handy. I will protect ya till my dying day." His lips mine that evolved to a passionate kiss until he pulled away.
"You can't die." I breathed. "You're a Dixon."
He grinned, pushing a strand of my damp hair behind my ear. "And yer a Grimes. The definition of bullet proof."
I snorted, so very unattractive but Daryl smiled, thinking it was cute. "To bad there is no Dixon/Grimes. They couldn't die in a million years!" I didn't realize what I said until I said it for a cloud floated across his face. My heart stopped as be backed up, getting off the mattress.
"I just remembered we're out of fuel for the car." He mumbled, his voice and eyes completely unreadable. "I'm gonna go out on a run."
"It's night..." I whispered, absolutely terrified.
He shrugged. "I'm a Dixon. That doesn't change a thing." He still saw the worry in my eyes, though he had mistaken it for his safety. He kissed my forehead, probably for the last time I assumed. "I'll be careful. I promise." And then he left.
I clutched my sapphire heart I still wore on my neck as I sunk my teeth into my bottom lip. I was certain that I scared off the one man that I had truly ever loved.