Here's the next chapter! I'm proud to say I'm getting my grove back for this story. :) Probably because I no longer have the show messing up my feels anymore. Well, anyways, I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 38

Phillip Blake didn't know what time it was or how many days he had been left strapped to the wooden chair. Dried blood was caked on his face and his head pounded. Buck's men, Tomas and Andrew, had taken turns beating him for no reason than to just cause pain. The men were just as sick as the man who had taken over Woodbury.

After the last beating, he had wished they would just kill him. It was obvious there was no reason to why they were keeping him alive other than to just keep using him as a punching bag. They had removed the gag from his mouth but there was no way he could call for help, even if there was anyone to hear. His lips and cheeks were so swollen and bloody that all of his words came out slurred and unintelligible.

The door to the room opened and Phillip watched a man approach through the slits of his swollen eyes. From the man's girth and build, he could tell that it was Buck Dixon. He hadn't seen the man since they had barged into his room a week ago and smashed him over the head with a blunt object.

"Well, how's our little Governor doin'?" A scraping sound had Phillip wincing as the noise made his ears ring. Buck had dragged a metal chair over to set in front of him and the large man settled in it. Crossing his arms over his massive chest, Buck smirked at him.

Phillip didn't answer him and wouldn't have if he could speak normally. Buck got off on fear and pain and he would be damned if he gave him the pleasure of seeing both of those in him.

Buck didn't seem to mind that he'd be having one-sided conversation and continued talking. "I bet you're wonderin' why we're still keepin' your ass alive, huh?" Uncrossing his arms, Buck leaned forward and inserted himself in Phillip's personally space. "Tell ya the truth; I don't know why you are, either. My men are tired of kickin' the shit out of you."

Phillip just stared at Buck, hoping, that despite his swollen eyes, he appeared to look defiant. Phillip Blake didn't scare easily and he was especially not scared of the man in front of him, even if he could kill him in a blink of an eye.

"We got ourselves a little surprise this mornin'. A nice lookin' black woman showed up at our door." Buck adjusted his belt. "I'm goin' to have a little fun with her tomorrow, if you know what I mean." He winked and Phillip was immediately feeling sorry for the woman who had been unfortunate enough to come here.

"Luckily for you, she's put me in a good mood." Reaching to his side, Buck took out a gun. "I was goin' to kill you, today and then, she showed up. Mr. Phillip Blake, you have one more day to live." He stood up and walked to the door. "You're welcome."

That night, Carol went to bed, alone. Daryl was still out with his brother, Shane and Rick. Tomorrow, Glenn, T-dog, Shumpert, Marc and Milton would be joining them and they would take on Woodbury. She was worried about him. He and Merle would come face to face with their father, a man they hadn't seen in five years. The same man was responsible for the scars on Daryl's back. There was no telling what was going to happen when all three Dixon men reunited. Carol just hoped Merle and Daryl would come out on top.

Someone knocked on her door and Carol sat up in the bed to turn on the battery powered light on the bedside table. "Come in," she called.

Maggie peered around the door and when she saw Carol in bed, she smiled and climbed into the bed with her. "Can I stay here for the night?" She already had the covers pulled up to her chin.

Carol smiled. "Bed feel to empty to you, too?" Maggie nodded. "Of course, you can stay." Carol turned off the light and lay back down on the bed. Turning on her side, she faced Maggie.

"Just think, Carol, this time tomorrow our boys will be back to us. Hopefully."

"They better be," Carol smiled. "Or we'll just have to go after them and drag them back, right?"

"There won't be anything that will stop us," Maggie agreed and Carol knew that they were some truth to their words. Daryl and Merle would be pissed but if they took longer at Woodbury than they planned, then Carol and Maggie would be on their way to see what was up.

Things were silent, but neither one of them went to sleep. Carol giggled softly when she remembered something that she had seen earlier.

Maggie turned on her side and watched as Carol continued to laugh quietly to herself. A crease appeared between her brows and Carol knew she was probably thinking she was crazy. "What's so funny?"

"Guess who I saw making out again after supper?"

Maggie groaned and flopped to her back. "Not again. Beth had better watch it before Daddy catches her. One time he caught Beth and Jimmy making out in the barn. They got in a massive fight and I heard all about it for weeks."

"She's older now, Maggie. I don't think she'll act like that this time and besides, Glenn seems like a nice guy."

"As long as she's just sneaking off to make out with him and not to do...other things."

Carol elbowed her. "Not ready to be on aunt, yet?"

"Hell no. She's not allowed to have kids until I do and with the way things are right now, it may be a while."

"But you do want children?" The conversation turned serious, again. Maggie and Carol were best friends but they had never gotten the chance to talk about children before.

"Of course, I do and believe it or not, so does Merle."

Carol scooted closer to her friend. "Aw, really?"

"Yeah, but things are crazy, right now and I don't know if bringing a child into this is the smart thing to do." Maggie sounded sad.

"Lori's pregnant," Carol blurted and immediately covered her mouth with both hands. She definitely did not mean to say that aloud. She had promised Lori.

"What?" Maggie sat up and looked down at Carol. "Does Rick know?"

"Not yet." Carol figured the damage was already done. "She didn't want him to worry more than he already was."

"I still don't know. Maybe I'll bring it up to Merle when everything gets settled down."

"Do you know yet if he's going to want to stay here or in Woodbury?" Carol asked.

"No, do you know about, Daryl?"

Carol shook her head. "I think I want to stay here. Woodbury isn't that far, so we could visit everyone if we wanted to, but being locked up in a town with a dozen others doesn't sound appealing to me and it probably won't sound appealing to our boys, either."

"Then, it's settled. We'll tell them what we want to do when they get back," Maggie said firmly. "Knowing them, they're probably waiting for us to make the first move, anyways." She chuckled lightly and rolled her eyes. "Typical Dixons."

"What I wouldn't give to have my fuckin' cell phone," Merle complained as the four men sat around the small fire they had built. Earlier they had dined on a meal of rabbit that Daryl had caught on the return trip back to the campsite.

"I hated the damn thing, but I'd kill to have it back, now," Daryl agreed. The only person who called his phone was Carol and right now, he wished he had his so that he'd be able to speak to Carol somehow.

"Same here," Rick spoke up from his spot next to Shane. "I'd like to know how Lori's doing right now. She's been acting a little different, lately and I don't know why."

Daryl knew exactly why, but had been sworn to secrecy by Carol. Besides, Rick would find out eventually, anyway.

"Probably jus' her time of the mouth," Merle said and Daryl elbowed him hard in the side. Merle gave him a sour look.

Rick shrugged. "I guess it could be that. I just want this whole Woodbury thing to be over with and then, I'll sit her down and make her tell me what's going on." Rick wasn't stupid and Daryl knew if the man was left to dwell on his wife, he might figure out what her problem actually was.

"I'd like to know how Michonne is doing," Shane mumbled.

"Well, we haven't heard any gunshots, so I'm goin' to say she's doing fine," Merle chuckled and Daryl elbowed him hard again. "What the fuck?" He growled.

"Sometimes you need to think before you speak," Daryl growled right back.

"Hey, I'm jus' tryin' to keep the mood light, baby brother."

"Ain't doin' a good job." Daryl grabbed his crossbow and stood up. "I think we should get some sleep, Merle." He was tired and he didn't want to leave Merle with the two former police officers in case he tried to keep the mood 'light' again.

"All right," Merle agreed reluctantly and followed his brother to the one tent they had pitched.

"You'll wake us up for our watch, right?" Daryl asked Rick and Shane before ducking inside the vinyl tent. Both men nodded and Daryl was satisfied with the answer. The tent was barely big enough for the two Dixons, but it was better than sleeping on the ground outside.

"You ready for tomorrow?" Merle asked once they were settled into their sleeping bags. Daryl groaned silently when it looked like his brother seemed to be in a talkative mood.

"As I'll ever be, I guess."

"Ready to take out our ol' man? Cuz you know that's what goin' to happen," Merle looked over at Daryl and he could see the grim look on his older brother's face. "Buck ain't leavin' that town alive."

"I know," Daryl sighed. He had never killed a human being before and knew that killing his pa wouldn't be easy, but if it meant Carol would be safe, then he do it. The man wasn't a direct threat to them, but as long as he was still out there, Daryl knew he would always be looking over his shoulder, waiting for him to appear.

"We'll be fine, Daryl." Merle reached over and squeezed his shoulder with reassurance. Daryl surprisingly believed him.

Andrea returned back to the room later than what she had planned, but she hadn't expected the woman to be on the same side as them and they had done a lot of planning in that small room. Oscar was instantly on his feet when the door creaked open and Andrea was reminded of her father when she saw the stern look on his face.

"What took you so long?" Yep, Andrea thought. Just like my dad.

"We had a lot to talk about," she crossed the room and placed her gun on the table by the window. Axel had been dozing off in the chair and was jarred awake by the sound of her voice so close to him.

"Did you do each other's nails, too?"

"Damnit," Andrea exclaimed, sarcastically. "That's the one thing we didn't do." She shot Oscar a withering glare and went to sit on her bed.

"Well, then, what did you two talk about?" Oscar walked around the bed and sat on the windowsill.

"We made plans," Andrea said. "Tomorrow a bunch of men are going to come to take back Woodbury and Milton's going to be with them!"

"He's alive?" Axel and Oscar asked at the same time.

"Yes!" Andrea nodded happily. "He's alive and he's going to take back the town. Michonne and I just have to take out the two men on watch on the east and west sides and-"

"Hell no," Oscar interrupted and stood up. "That ain't happening."

"Excuse me?" Andrea paused and crossed her arms. "Who made you my father?"

"Andrea, you're-

"Pregnant, I know, but this is a way I can help and it's going to be an easy job. I'm going on the side Big Tiny is on and we all know that he'd never harm a fly, let alone me." She fixed both men with a look. "I'm going to do this and neither one of you is going to stop me. Got it?" Axel nodded enthusiastically, but Oscar was more reluctant to agree.

"Andrea..."

"Oscar, please. I need to do this. Especially if it means I'll be able to see Milton, again."

Oscar finally agreed, knowing that even if he didn't Andrea would still do it anyways.

I know things have been slow going these past few chapters, but things will be picking up here soon! :)

Thanks for reading!