Juliet watched as Rick quickly pulled his gun on the man standing in front of them. He had reached for his belt. "I'm gonna remove my weapon, and as a sign of good faith I would ask the same of you." The man said looking at Rick. Juliet started to wonder if he even saw her.
"You attacked us." Rick said not putting his gun down. "Makes things pretty clear." He said.
"I was tryin' to make things clear." The Governor said. "I could have killed you all and I didn't." He nodded. Rick still hadn't put his gun down. "May I?" The Governor asked. Rick still had his gun on the man and Juliet stepped forward. She placed a hand on Rick's and lowered it. She nodded to the man who did what he wanted. He placed his belt on the hook behind him. "See..." He put his hands up again. "No trouble." He smiled. "Now you." He said. Rick shook his head and place him gun back in his holster. Rick stood back next to Juliet and the Governor smiled at her.
He was about to sit down and she noticed something about the way he looked at the table. "Wait." She stopped him. She walked over to his side and saw what he was hiding. Juliet shook her head with a smile. "Good faith?" she asked taking the gun that was taped up to the table.
"She's smart." The Governor smiled at Rick. "Who are you?" he asked looking down at her.
"What's going on?" Andrea's voice came from the door as Juliet stepped away from The Governor. She didn't like the way he looked at her.
"Nothing. You're friend isn't much for small talk and he brought along his very pretty side kick." He said looking over at Juliet. Andrea looked her way and gave her a small nod.
"You wanna talk? Then talk." Rick said.
"I wanted you to talk." Andrea said. "To many people have died for no reason." She spoke shaking her head and Juliet stood next to Rick. "Let's end this. Save the bullets for the real threat. We can solve this. That's why I asked you to come here."
"I know what you've done." Rick said. "I heard about he raids, the heads, Maggie..." Rick said.
"Merle did that."
"No." Juliet shook her head. "You know what he means." he said narrowing his eyes.
"You know all about me and I know all about you." He smiled. "but I don't care about any of that. We're here to move forward." He said. He smiled. "and no offence dear but I don't think you have any place to talk." he said. "So why don't you go outside and try not hurt yourself."
Juliet shook her head with a smile. "Woow." She looked over at Andrea. "Quiet the charmer you got here." She smiled back over. Juliet had one last thing to say. "Kiss your daughter with that mouth." She smiled and the Governor's smile dropped and turned to hate. He was about to stand up and kill her himself if it weren't for Rick pulling her back.
"Juliet." he said. She turned and looked back. He gave her a nod and she knew that meant for her to leave. She sighed and headed to the door. Andrea eyed her up and down and Juliet choose to ignore it.
"Might want to watch that mouth of yours." She heard the Governor call out. "Could get you killed." Just the tone of his voice made her shiver a bit. She stepped through the door to see two men next to a truck. One Hispanic with a gun and the other with glasses and a notebook.
No one had noticed her when Hershel spoke up. "Maybe I should go inside." He sighed.
"The Governor thought it be best if him and Rick spoke privately." The one with the glasses spoke.
Daryl turned his head. "Who the hell are you?" he asked just glaring at the man.
"Milton Manmet." he said.
"Oh great he brought it butler." Daryl shook his head turning away.
"I'm his advisor." Milton corrected him.
"What kind of advice?" Daryl asked rolling his eyes.
"Planning, Bitters... I'm sorry I don't feel I need to explain myself to the henchmen." Milton said. Juliet couldn't help the smile that popped up.
"Better watch you mouth sunshine." Daryl said getting defensive. Juliet watched as he took a step closer.
"Look if you and I are gonna be out here pointing guns at each other all day..." the Hispanic man spoke up. "Do me a favour, shut you mouth." He said as Daryl looked at him. Juliet's mouth dropped a bit. No one had ever talked to Daryl like that since Shane first met him.
Daryl exhaled keeping his eyes on the man. He walked over quickly standing toe to toe with him. They both just looked at each other trying to look tougher. "We don't need this." Hershel said. "If all goes south in there we'll be at each other's throats soon enough." Hershel said trying to break the two men up. They didn't seem to move.
Juliet rolled her eyes and sighed. "Big mouth here started it." Daryl sounded like a child.
"Yeah well then I'll finish it." Juliet walked over quickly. Once Daryl heard her voice he looked her way and back off a bit. The other man laughed a bit.
"I'm supposed to be afraid of you?" he laughed a bit.
Juliet smiled turning his way. "What's your name?" She asked. He rolled his eyes. "I asked you a question."
"Martinez." He sighed shaking his head.
"Well Martinez look at it this way, you don't back off I'll take one of his arrows and shove it up your ass." She smiled up at him. She heard Daryl's small laughed. She was trying to be tough and Daryl thought it was adorable in a way.
"Martinez." Milton called him off. He just huffed and leaned back on the truck.
Juliet walked past Daryl and over to Hershel. "What happened?" he asked.
"Painted a mark on my back." She sighed. Hershel shook his head. "Michonne told me about his daughter and I may have just threw it in his face..." She rubbed her face not particularity proud of what she had done.
"Wouldn't expect you do anything else." Hershel laughed a bit.
"What's so funny?" Daryl asked joining the two.
"Nothing." She shook her head. "Just starting to see that coming here was a mistake for all of us." She sighed.
"You're tellin' me." Daryl said looking back at the two men standing over by the truck.
They stood for a second in silence before Andrea came out looking pissed off. Martinez stepped up to her but she shook her head and looked to Juliet. "What the hell was that Juliet?" She asked.
"What was what?" Juliet asked.
"I am trying to fix this and you throw something like that in his face!" She was angry. "Who the hell told you about Penny?" She asked walking over quickly.
"Michonne did." Juliet stepped up to her and away from Hershel and Daryl. "And for the record he has no right tellin' me where my place is." Juliet narrowed her eyes. Andrea rolled her eyes. "You think this is really going to work don't you?" She asked and Andrea looked away. Juliet laughed. "Andrea... He had a wall of heads." She started with. "He fed his daughter people who didn't do as he said." Andrea's eyes widened a bit. "Oh yea Merle talks too." Juliet said. "Then he kept Maggie and Glenn hostage, threaten to take Glenn's hand off if she didn't take her clothes off." Andrea still looked a bit shocked, like she didn't know all of that. "Then he put Merle and Daryl against each other, and threw in some walkers for fun." Juliet shook his head. "Then he full on attacked us..." Juliet narrowed her eyes.
"You attacked first." Martinez said.
"Really?" Juliet looked over. "What would you have done if people you cared about were taken from you?" She said. "Would you sit back and wait to see if they came back alive or not?" Martinez was quiet and shifted his eyes down. "That's what I thought."
Juliet hushed her voice. "Carol told me what she told you to do when you left." Andrea's eyes looked down. "What happened? Couldn't kill a man who has killed before?" Juliet asked quietly so the other two couldn't hear them. "You had your chance to fix this... and you bailed." Juliet sighed taking pity on Andrea.
Juliet saw no point in talking anymore. She shook her head and walked over to the front of the car and leaned on the hood. Her head was down but she could feel Martinez and Milton's eyes on her. Milton had noticed Juliet's little limp and the scar along her cheek. As he wrote in his notebook about the people from the prison he wanted to what had happened to all of them. He had a feeling Phillip had not told him everything that happened between him and these people and after Juliet's speech he had his doubts.
Milton watched as Hershel kept his eye on Andrea as she walked away and sat on the bench. Daryl paced and every so often would look over at Juliet, almost as to make sure she was still standing. Milton had wondered why Juliet was with Rick before. Were they both leader? Did they have a relationship like the Governor and Andrea? Milton just wrote what he saw. Daryl exhaled in annoyance and Juliet looked over at him. He watched as her smile calmed him a bit.
Milton finally got the courage to speak to Juliet. "Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?" he asked walking over.
"Better mind your distance." Daryl barked at him. Juliet smiled again at his protective nature.
"Ain't that sweet. Got yourself a guard dog. Would you mind callin' him off." Martinez smiled and Juliet and Daryl glared at him.
"Why do you feel the need to talk?" Juliet asked shaking her head. She looked over at Daryl and just the way she looked at him he backed off a bit. "Shoot." She said to Milton who continued to walk over and stand in front of her.
"You were in there with Rick." Milton stated. "Why?"
"He asked me too." Juliet saw no reason to lie.
"So you and him..." He paused and before could finish his sentence there was a commotion from just ahead. Sounded like walkers. Daryl and Martinez were first to race over to them. Andrea and Juliet followed ready to help if needed. Milton and Hershel watched from a far.
"After you." Daryl said after lowering his crossbow.
"No please after you." Martinez just shook his head.
Juliet watched the two men and just smiled. Andrea huffed and rushed forward and killed the closest walker. Juliet didn't move. There was only three more walkers and she wanted to see Daryl and Martinez show each other up.
Martinez whacked two with his bat and splattered it's head everywhere. Daryl rolled with eyes with a shrug. He aimed and shot one in the head and with the same arrow got one in the neck. Martinez stepped up to bashed it's head in but before he could Daryl took out his knife and threw it from where he was standing. Juliet smiled, Daryl always managed to impress her. The knife got the walker right in the head and as it went down Martinez looked back at Daryl.
Andrea had rolled her eyes and walked back to where Hershel and Milton was as Juliet watched and crossed her arms. Daryl went to retrieve his knife and when he looked back to find Juliet just smiling at him he was proud. That was half the point. He for some reason felt the need to show off, and it worked.
"Feel better about yourselves now?" She asked as both men started walking back. Daryl rolled his eyes at her and Martinez just watched as she smiled brightly at him.
"What you a cop or something?" Martinez asked looking Juliet up and down.
She laughed. "What makes you think that?"
"Attitude basically." he shrugged. Daryl laughed and Juliet looked over at him. He shook his head and searched the pockets of the dead walkers.
"Naw, my brother was." She shrugged. "Him and Rick actually." She shrugged and looked down at her necklace. "I was a journalist at one point." She corrected him. Juliet nodded toward Martinez and turned her back.
"Your brother." He called out after her. "He at that prison?" he asked.
Juliet turned and sighed. "No." Was all she said before turning her back on both men and walking back to join Milton and Hershel. Martinez watched as Juliet walked away.
"She always like that?" He asked Daryl who was still looking through the walker's pockets.
"Like what?" Daryl asked looking over his shoulder at the man he didn't even know.
Martinez thought for a second. "Mysterious?" he finally came up with a word.
"That's one way of putting it." Daryl shrugged. He found some cigarettes in one's pockets and offered on to Martinez.
"No thanks. I prefer Menthols." he said looking away.
"Douche bag." Daryl huffed as he lit on. He kept a close eye on Juliet as she walked back over and Milton continued to question her. He couldn't hear what he asked or her answers but he didn't trust anyone of them.
"You and Rick..." Milton restarted his question. "Married or just in a relationship?" Milton asked and Juliet just looked at him.
"And why would you want to know that?" She asked crossing her arms.
"I um.." he suddenly got nervous. "I'm keeping a record. This will all be a part of our history someday." He explained.
"And whether me and Rick are a couple is part of that history?" She asked.
"They recorded who kings married back in the day. Why not now?" He asked. Juliet looked over at Hershel and he shrugged. Sure she saw no harm in telling Milton but maybe she shouldn't. "Of course you don't have to share. I understand... two sides here I guess." he sighed and then Juliet felt bad.
"No." Juliet sighed and Milton looked at her. "Me and Rick aren't married nor are we a couple." She said. "I've known him since I was 16. Best friends with my brother." She shrugged.
"So you are someone he trusts?" Milton asked.
"He trusts all of us." She corrected him. "How can you live with people you don't trust?" She asked looking at him. He was jotting something down but when she finished he stopped and sighed. He looked like he agreed with her and he did. Juliet watched as he shifted. "You don't have a choice do you?" She asked standing straight.
"What happened to you cheek?" Milton changed the subject quickly. She noticed how nervous he was and he was jumpy.
Juliet looked back to Hershel who had noticed it too. "Um a prisoner who was stuck in the prison before we broke in. He wasn't exactly friendly." She said.
"And I couldn't help but notice the bit of a limp you have." He said.
"Some walkers got into the cell blocks and I fought some off only to have them come crashing down. Dislocated my hip." He said. "We lost good people that day." Juliet sighed.
"You mentioned you have a brother?" Milton asked.
"Had a brother." She corrected him. "Died about a year ago." She said.
"I'm sorry for your loss." Milton nodded.
"What about you?" She asked. "We have all lost someone... Who did you lose?" She asked.
"No one." Milton said. "I wasn't with anyone when this all happened and I didn't have much family to begin with." Milton said.
"Well consider yourself lucky." She sighed. "It's not easy." Juliet sighed as she watched Daryl and Martinez rejoin them. Milton turned to walk back to Martinez when she reached out for him. "If you don't trust the people you live with you care signing your own death certificate." She said.
"Either way..." Milton started. "We die." He whispered rushing back over to Martinez and the truck. Juliet sighed as Daryl stood by her.
The time went slowly by and no one really said much. Hershel talked to Andrea and Milton for a bit but not much else happened. Soon everything was quiet and they could hear someone's footsteps. The Governor was first to step out and he looked at the prison group. They all stood straight and watched him. He stared right at Juliet.
"I meant what I said." he said in a low cold voice just staring at her. Juliet didn't give him anything but a small smirk. He jumped into the truck and everyone exchanged glances. Hershel was fixed on Andrea. Juliet had hoped she had come to her sense and would come with them but she just walked right back to the Governor. Juliet smiled over at Milton and Daryl gave Martinez a slight nod.
They drove one way and Rick led the other back to the prison. Juliet sat behind Daryl and it was quiet when they all got back. "Get in side." Rick ordered everyone who was waiting for them.
Daryl and Juliet were last and before they stepped in he spoke up. "What did he say to you?" He asked.
Juliet panicked a bit. He would be pissed but she couldn't lie. "uh that I should watch my mouth. It was going to get me killed... or whatever." She tried acting like it's no big deal. "It's nothing." She smiled. "Come on we should go in." She said. He didn't want to move after what he heard. "Come on." She rolled her eyes gently grabbing his hand and walking in with him.
"So I met this Governor." Rick started. Juliet stood next to Carl and Daryl walked over to the side with Carol. "Sat with him for quiet a while." He said. Juliet watched Carl shook his head at his father.
"Just the two of you?" Merle spoke up and Rick nodded. "Should have gone when we had teh chance bro." He said to Glenn as he walked past him.
"He wants the prison. Wants us gone, dead. He wants us dead." Rick look down. "For what we did for Woodbury." He paused for a really long time and he looked at everyone. "We're going to war."He said. Rick took a breath and then headed out the door. Juliet watched as Rick's words finally registered in their brains. Daryl looked to his brother as Juliet watched Carl take off. Juliet tried to reached out for him but he pushed her arm away. She sighed looking over to Hershel. She quickly walked over to him.
"Maybe you should go talk to him... They sat together for a long time. He must have given Rick an option."
"I agree." Hershel nodded as he made his way after Rick.
Juliet watched as everyone went to their cells. Carol looked a bit distraught and so did Beth. Juliet didn't know what to think. She didn't think going to war with another group was a good idea but what could she do. Then she saw Merle still looking her way.
"You were gonna come after us weren't you?" She asked getting straight to the point. Merle nodded. "So then why did you want me to go?" She asked shaking her head.
"In case things got out of hand."
"You were just gonna burst in and started shooting?" She asked and Merle shrugged. "You're and idiot." She sighed shaking his head. "You were gonna put me and Hershel, more importantly Daryl in the cross fire. I told you to stay here and just keep quiet." She snapped a bit.
"No one would have gotten hurt other than the Governor." Merle rolled his eyes.
"Is that really what you think?" She laughed. "Cause I met Martinez and I'm pretty sure you putting a bullet in his leader's head wouldn't exactly be okay with him." She said stepping closer. "And if he saw you coming well he would have shot Rick on the spot. Leaving Carl and Judith without a father. Then he would have killed Hershel. Leaving Maggie and Beth without a father. Then he would have shot Daryl..." Juliet stopped hating the words coming from her mouth. "He would have made us both watch. Then hopefully he would kill me." She sighed.
"A bit dramatic don't you think?" Merle said.
"You think putting my family in danger isn't dramatic!" Juliet had to hush her yell. "You may only care about yourself Merle but we happen to care about each other here. I thought you understood that." She shook her head at him. "We had a deal and you were just gonna come anyway..." She shook her head again.
"Yeah well maybe you shouldn't be so damn emotional." Merle rolled his eyes.
"Emotional?" She laughed. "Why shouldn't I be?" She asked.
"We are all gonna die eventually." Merle said.
"That may be true but that doesn't mean it had to be today, or tomorrow." She spat back at him. "I don't need to see anyone I love die okay." She glared at him. "So next time you get the idea to do the exact opposite of what you are told, lock yourself in one of the cells and just keep your mouth shut." She said before storming up the stairs.
Merle stood alone in the cell block, stunned at how Juliet had spoken to him. No one, especially not a girl ever spoke to him like that. Before all this if anyone spoke to him like that he would beat the crap out of them. Merle had the need to follow her and smack her back in her place but as he looked up to see Daryl looking down on them he backed off. If Merle did what he wanted than Daryl would no doubt beat the hell out of him.
Daryl had heard Juliet speak her mind and listened. He wondered what kind of deal she had made with Merle and why he was being such an idiot. Juliet came storming up the stairs and stopped when she saw him looking down at Merle. She looked at him as he looked over to her. He was leaning on the rail just outside their cell and she sighed and walked past him. He turned and placed his back against the rail and watched as she took her shirt off, kicked off her boots and sat on the bed in just her tank top and jeans pulling her legs up and sat cross legged. He watched as she pulled her hair into a ponytail and sighed looking down. He smirked and walked into the cell. He didn't sit down just stayed by the door.
"If yeah wanted to scare him, you could have just pulled a gun on him." Daryl said and she looked up at him.
"You should talk to him about his choices." She said shaking her head. "Only person he seems to listen to around here is you." Daryl rolled his eyes. "I'm serious. Daryl if he did what he was gonna we would be dead." She said in a panicked voice.
"Alright calm down." Daryl saw her breathing heavily. "We ain't dead yet." he shook his head and sat next to her. "Long as I'm around, I ain't gonna let anyone hurt ya." He shrugged with a smirk. Her eyes snapped to him quickly.
"But if you're not around I can't-"
"Hey." He stopped her looking confused. "None of that." he shook his head. "You can do perfectly fine without me." he nodded.
"But I don't want to have to this without you." She said in the middle of a breath as she turned looking at him. "Sounds a little crazy but I'm serious." She said.
"But why?" He asked looking away.
"What do you mean why?" She asked. "So I can end up like Rick? Going out of my mind missin' you and seeing you everywhere I go? No thanks." She shook her head. She placed a hand on his cheek and made him look at her. He grabbed on to her wrist when he saw the actual pain in her eyes. He wasn't even in danger and she was freaking out. "I love you and you can't leave me alone." She said with a small smile and tears in her eyes.
He melted at her touch and look. She looked so heart-broken and it was for him. He smirked a bit and looked at her with a sigh. "I love ya, and I ain't going anywhere." He nodded and it brought a smile to her face immediately. That was the first time he had ever said those three words to her, or anyone for that matter. He pulled her into him quickly and sealed his sentence with a kiss.