AN: Here we are, another chapter here.

I'm not sure how many people are reading this, but I wanted to make sure that everyone knows that there are two couples in this story, but they're monogamous couples. They're not going to "swap" or anything of the like. There will be friendships, fights, etc. but I'm not doing any kind of "group" sexual relationships. I promise you that, if I were to do that, I'd be sure to let you know far in advance, but I'm not going to do that. I just wanted to clear that up if anyone isn't sure.

I hope that you enjoy! Let me know what you think!

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"He has to stop somewhere for the cold," Michonne said. "He can't keep going, uncovered, once it gets cold. He'll die from exposure."

Daryl snorted.

"I know you're smart enough to know he ain't likely to die from the exposure of a Georgia winter," Daryl said.

It was true. Michonne did know that the Governor would probably live through the winter, even if he didn't have proper shelter. They all would, except for maybe Judith. It wouldn't be easy, and it wouldn't be pleasant, but it could be done.

And Daryl knew that she knew. She wasn't pulling the wool over his eyes or tricking him in any way. He was smarter than that.

"Listen," she said, "I'm going to be honest. I just feel like he's close by. I feel like he didn't go far. He's too wrapped up in wanting the prison. He's too wrapped up in wanting me and wanting revenge for everything he blames me for. We saw—even with Maggie? People don't let go of things any more today than they used to. Maggie's not even mad. He is. He's going to be far less likely to just move on. I just think—he'll come back, and he's not going far."

Daryl sucked his teeth and pretended, for at least three minutes, to have a truly vested interest in carefully picking the scraps out of the bucket, one by one, and throwing them to the pigs that were practically fighting over them as they hit the ground.

"He's comin'," Daryl said, without looking at Michonne. "He's coming and he's probably gonna do it just as soon as it thaws. He's gonna try to catch us with our pants down. But—you right. He's somewhere close. He didn't go far."

Michonne felt relief when she heard Daryl confirm her suspicions that the Governor was, more than likely, somewhere in their vicinity. It was a validation that she needed at the moment, even if she wouldn't tell him that. It was the confirmation that the gnawing feeling she had that the man was nearby was, if not more practical, at least as practical as it was emotional.

"I want to go look for him," Michonne said. "Once more. If he comes? And I know we didn't look after that first time? Really look? I'm going to feel guilty if anyone dies. And not just Andrea. Anyone."

Daryl straightened up, his bucket empty now, and put the bucket on the ground. He pulled a rag from his pocket and wiped at his hands. When he looked at Michonne, though, he simply nodded as a response.

She sucked in her bottom lip to keep from smiling at him.

"We should look near nightfall," Michonne said. "Just when it's still light enough to see, but it's getting chilly. We can start looking while we're still here, but then we can go out if we need to."

"For fire?" Daryl asked. "Smoke?"

Michonne nodded again.

"It's getting cold," she said. "He's going to need to eat. He's going to want something to keep him warm. Wherever he is—inside or out? There's going to be a fire."

Daryl hummed.

"Tonight," he said. "I'll make sure I'm on watch before the sun goes down. I'll eat out here if I gotta. Start looking then for the fire. If he's around here and burning a fire? We'll know at least which way to head."

Michonne thanked him then, still hiding the urge to let Daryl know that part of her thanks simply came from the validation that he'd given her, probably without even knowing it, that she wasn't slipping back into the overwhelming paranoia that had taken over for her for some time.

"But 'Chonne?" Daryl said, as soon as he'd accepted her thanks. "We look for a day. Two tops. Once we leave the prison? If we don't see him? We move on."

Michonne nodded.

"You got it," she confirmed. "If we don't find him, we just wait for him to come to us. But—we keep our pants up."

Daryl chuckled at the joke, took his bucket, and walked off, signaling that for him the conversation was over. And it was over for Michonne too. They'd look again, this time with level heads all around. They'd either find him or they wouldn't, but at least she'd know that they'd done the best that they could do. Whatever happened after that? They'd simply be ready for it.

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"I think you're absolutely insane," Carol said, though there wasn't any malice to her voice. She hadn't even raised it above the low volume that she'd been using for the rest of their hushed conversation.

Andrea was cranking open cans with a manual can opener. It was one of the few cooking jobs that she really felt like she could do well. She wasn't as creative as Carol was. Once upon a time she could have cooked for a group like this, but that was back when she had recipe books and time to shop for a crowd. Now it was about taking what they had—which at times wasn't a very impressive selection of items—and turning it into something that could be stretched. Andrea was sure she'd fail at it entirely. Carol, though, seemed more than able to handle the task.

"I'm not insane," Andrea said. "It's really...I think it's a good idea."

Carol hummed and shook her head.

"Things happen on runs," she said. "You have to run, you have to fight...you don't know what you'll run into. I don't think you should go."

"I'm not going to sit on my hands while everyone else does everything to get ready for the winter," Andrea said. "I can't, Carol. Even if I wanted to? I'd die. The guilt of just—sitting here? It would eat me alive faster than any Walker could."

Carol gave Andrea a look that said she didn't appreciate the comparison at all. Andrea smiled softly at her as her only response.

"Maggie and Glenn like going on runs," Carol said. "They like them and they're good at them. I feel like—I feel like we all do what we can do. Some of us are better at some things than we are at others. We do what we can do and what we're good at. Put our strengths in the places where they really come through, you know? Everything gets done, then, and it gets done by someone who knows what they're doing."

Andrea appreciated Carol's genuine concern for her welfare, and she understood what Carol was saying, but she also felt like she wasn't going to be swayed on this. Michonne had tried to tell her not to suggest going on a run, but she hadn't listened to her either.

"I'm not good at anything in particular," Andrea said.

Carol opened her mouth to protest and Andrea spoke again before the woman even had the opportunity to form a single word in response.

"I'm not saying that for you to argue with me," Andrea said. "I'm saying it because it's true. I can hold my own here or there, but there's nothing that I really bring to the group that anyone would miss. I want to go on this run to feel like I'm doing something. I know that I'm not going to be contributing as much when some time has passed. I want to do what I can, while I can still—run, fight Walkers...whatever."

Carol sighed and shook her head in the same way that she might if she were Andrea's mother and Andrea was suggesting some trip to Mardi Gras to collect as many beads as was humanly possible in the span of a few hours.

Then Carol's expression changed.

"What about Maggie?" She asked. "I don't think it's a great idea right now. Not until she's had a little time to cool down about everything."

Andrea smiled to herself, but she knew that Carol saw the smile too.

"I'm aware of Maggie," Andrea said.

"I didn't say you weren't," Carol responded.

Andrea sucked in a breath and considered her words. She passed the last of the cans she was opening to Carol and then she shifted around so that she was facing her.

"You and I both know that Maggie's—upset about what happened," Andrea said. "And—she has every right to be. I don't like what the Governor did to her. She didn't deserve that. Nobody does."

"But that doesn't excuse her behavior," Carol said.

Andrea shook her head.

"But—if I go on this run?" Andrea said, raising her eyebrows at Carol, "And something happens? Then Maggie sees that she's not that mad at me. It's not me that she—hates or whatever. It's him. It isn't me. And if something were to happen? If I was in danger? Maggie would realize that. She'd realize that she's mad at him, and I'm not him."

Carol's face changed entirely now. It was almost humorous to Andrea because it looked like Carol couldn't quite decide if she was amused or if she was horrified by the suggestion that Andrea was making.

"You would not do something stupid," Carol finally stammered out.

Andrea started shaking her head, even though she was allowing Carol to finish speaking.

"You would not do something stupid to put yourself in a bad situation!" Carol said, this time with more force behind her words than she'd employed at any other point.

Andrea held her hand up, then, to stop Carol before she got any farther into the clearly horrible scene that she was creating in her mind.

"I'm not going to do anything stupid," Andrea assured her. "And I'll have a knife on me. I'm not talking about really being in serious danger. I'm just talking about making Maggie think it's something dangerous. Just enough to—to trigger something in Maggie."

Carol smirked now.

"Reverse psychology?" Carol asked.

Andrea smiled.

"Something like that," Andrea said. "It might work. It worked for Beth. Maybe it'll work with her sister, just in a different type of situation."

Carol sucked in a breath and visibly held it for a moment while she thought about the proposal that Andrea was making about the run.

"I think it's—I don't want to say a good idea," Carol said. "It could work. But—I don't like the idea of you putting yourself in a situation where things could go bad. Even if you're armed, you know that things can get out of hand quickly. Things have a way of just going bad."

Andrea nodded.

"But it's a chance I have to take," Andrea said. "At least—whether it works or it doesn't? I'll know where we stand. Besides, I'm faster now than I used to be. Michonne—she's taught me a lot. We had to survive out there, and it was different than being in a group. You had to be on all the time."

"It's just that—things happen," Carol reiterated.

Andrea laughed to herself, ironically more than out of any genuine feeling of humor.

"The worst that could happen is they just leave me there," Andrea suggested. "And—if they do? I'll be back. I'll just—make my way back."

Carol frowned at her.

"If they left you, and they aren't, but if they did? We'd come for you," Carol said. "Michonne? I would come."

Andrea shook her head and reached a hand out, touching Carol's arm. Carol's eyes followed to look at where Andrea's hand was resting and she moved her own hand to cover Andrea's. She squeezed her fingers around Andrea's hand for a brief second and then she patted it.

"Just don't do anything stupid," Carol said.

Andrea smiled at her.

"I'm glad I have your blessing," she said, raising her eyebrows at the woman once more.

Carol made a noise at her, dismissing the comment, but she did smile.

"It's not a terrible plan," Carol said softly before she turned her attention back to making some kind of magic meal that would feed them all with their scanty provisions.