Rick finished strapping his holster through the loop of his jeans and put his gun in its place. He looked back into the cell block for the fifth time in the last minute, hoping to see the familiar form of the hunter he was waiting on.

"You seen Daryl yet?" He asked Hershel who was ready and sat waiting to leave.

Hershel shook his head, a slight frown on his face. It wasn't like the hunter to be late.

Rick stepped into the cellblock purposefully and made his way up the stairs. He peeked into the cell he knew Daryl had been staying in but it was empty, though the bed looked slept in. In fact, the sheets were disheveled and falling off the edge of the bed, which wasn't like him at all. Daryl was usually very neat and tidy.

Rick was starting to get worried, while Daryl did keep to himself a lot of the time, this was out of character, he would never disappear when he was needed.

He walked back down the stairs slowly and his eyes, almost subconsciously, moved to Rhiannon's cell. He'd seen the way Rhiannon had looked at Daryl the night before, like she was dying to get to him, and it wouldn't be totally implausible that they'd made up.

Everyone had been bugging them both about it enough.

With a coy smirk on his face, Rick approached her cell and pulled back the sheet. He had to bite back a laugh at the sight in front of him. Daryl was always a pretty intimidating man and despite knowing him for some time now, Rick still got a little cautious around him when he was in one of his moods, but seeing him curled around the small woman that held his affection shattered the notion completely.

Rick cleared his throat and whispered his name, trying to wake him up in the most peaceful way, he didn't want to embarrass the poor man, or get yelled at.

"Daryl."

Daryl frowned and let out a low whine, tightening his grip on Rhiannon who was still fast asleep in his arms.

The sound of laughter made his eyes snap open because it sure as hell wasn't Rhiannon's laugh and that made terror clutch at his heart and he was suddenly fully alert.

He slowly rolled onto his back, his body uncomfortably tense. Through bleary eyes, he could make out Rick standing in the doorway of the cell, the amusement on his face making him blush even deeper. His eyes widened slightly and he immediately reached over to pull the blanket up higher to cover Rhiannon's bare back. She wasn't showing anything too scandalous, but Rick seeing her so exposed rubbed him the wrong way.

"What?" Daryl barked out, trying hard to hide how embarrassed he was.

"We're waiting on you."

"I'll be right there." He mumbled, hoping Rick could tell how uncomfortable he was and make a quick exit.

"Hey man, I'm happy for you." Rick smiled, his eyes drifting over to Rhiannon who he still had in his grip.

Daryl sent a glare to the leader, only making Rick all the more amused. "Don't push your luck, Grimes." He growled.

Rick snorted and finally left, leaving Daryl to flop back on the bed with a heavy sigh. He felt his cheeks burning at being caught literally with no pants on. He looked over at Rhiannon and smiled lightly despite the intense embarrassment he felt.

While he was overjoyed about last night, he couldn't help but feel nervous that she'd regret it or feel like they'd moved too fast. He would understand if she needed more time to get over how he hurt her, no matter how much it would destroy him not to have her with him.

She said she forgave him, but he couldn't help but still feel anxious about the whole thing.

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her shoulder, his arms moving to find their way around her waist again.

She stirred, making a soft sound of protest as he broke her from her sleep. His heart swelled, suddenly realizing just how much he'd missed the little things she did that made him dizzy with happiness. Those memories were the ones he clung to in their week apart. They were the only things that kept him sane.

Just the solace of laying next to her was incomparable to anything else he'd ever had in his life.

"Gotta leave soon, darlin'." He said softly, the feel of his scruff against her soft skin making a shiver run down her spine.

Rhiannon sighed heavily and rolled over to face him, her smile growing when she saw him looking down at her with an expression that was so peaceful, it almost hurt that she didn't get to see it too often.

"Do you have to go?" She mumbled tiredly, nuzzling in closer to him.

Daryl nodded and held her tightly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Gotta sort this out. That bastard needs to be taken care of."

Rhiannon frowned and looked up at him, now feeling more awake at the prospect of Daryl walking into danger. "Don't do anything stupid. You're just there to talk."

Daryl stayed silent, thinking over her words carefully. He knew he couldn't just shoot the Governor the second he saw him, no matter how much he wanted to. He knew he had to try hard to keep his cool out there. "I'll be fine."

"Watch out for my dad. Can't believe he's going with you guys." She added quickly, clearly still having trouble accepting that Rick was letting him go.

"Your dad's tough, he can handle it out there."

"He has one foot." Rhiannon stressed, looking up at him unamused. "I don't even know why you're bothering with this. The Governor's not gonna give in, it's not in his nature."

Daryl sighed, he'd been thinking the same thing, but he refused to voice it out loud, worrying that admitting it would make it real. Despite how implausible it may seem, Daryl wasn't going to give up an opportunity, if a truce is what kept her safe, he was going to try it.

"It's worth a shot."

"Is it?" She asked, sitting up so she was eye level with him. "I don't want him near you."

"Don't want him near you, 's why I gotta go."

Daryl's words made that same feeling of safety he'd always given her swell into a haze of happiness. She was so thankful they made up, she couldn't imagine going through all this shit without him by her side.

She leaned forward and kissed him deeply, her hand holding his cheek in an affectionate gesture that he loved, it always made him feel cared for, something she never failed to make him feel.

Daryl kissed her back passionately, his hand moving to hold onto her waist tightly. He was suddenly aware that they were both still bare from the night before and he felt arousal cloud over him. He growled against her lips and pulled at her hips so she straddled him.

Rhiannon smiled at the way he touched her so desperately and pulled away, raising her brows in surprise. Daryl narrowed his eyes at her, not pleased with her teasing smirk and starting placing sloppy kisses to her neck.

Rhiannon's eyes closed as he found her sweet spot he knew so well and she ran her hands through his hair.

"Daryl," She mumbled when he continued to ravage her, clearly expecting it to go further. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" She reminded him, her voice laced with amusement.

The man groaned in annoyance and leaned his forehead against her shoulder. He just got her back, the last thing he wanted was to leave. And the thought of her at the prison without him to intervene if Merle caused trouble, which he definitely would, made his stomach twist with nerves.

Rhiannon saw the distaste in his expression and gave him a small smile. She moved off of him and reached for her clothes that littered the floor. She winced slightly as moved, feeling a pull in her side. She pressed her hand to the bandage on her ribs, hoping it would relieve the ache.

Daryl's face fell when he noticed the strained look on her face. He knew he had been too rough last night. He was kicking himself for not having any self control, he should've waited until she was better.

Rhiannon could feel the sudden tension in the room that surrounded them. She turned and saw Daryl's gaze locked onto the bandage she wore.

"Don't do that." She told him forwardly and he averted his gaze, refusing to look at her.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled.

"I'm not. Last night was amazing, trust me, the ache is worth it."

Daryl blushed and his wide eyes met hers, but there was a pleading look in his expression that let her know her words had gotten to him the way she wanted. He sighed deeply and fell back onto the bed.

"Didn't mean to."

"I know you didn't. Daryl, honestly, it's not a big deal."

The sincerity in her voice had him relaxing and he turned on his side to face her, his eyes studying her carefully. She could tell he was deep in thought and she worried when he was lost in his own head.

"You need anything?" He asked.

She smiled and shook her head. "I'm fine." She told him and turned her attention back to getting dressed. Daryl stayed quiet and focused on her, looking for any more signs that she was in pain, but was pleasantly relieved when he saw none on her face.

"They're waiting for you." She reminded him gently, looking back at him and blushing when she noticed his eyes glued to her bare skin, like he was lost in a trance as he watched her move.

As she finished dressing herself, Daryl reached out and intertwined his fingers with hers before she could move to stand. She looked over at him curiously, noticing how nervous he suddenly looked.

"Did you mean it last night?" He asked softly, still worrying that she thought they'd moved too fast.

Rhiannon didn't waste any time in throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him closer to her. "Daryl, there's nowhere else I'd rather be. What happened is in the past and you and I both know the past doesn't matter."

Daryl caught onto the underlying meaning of her words. While she meant that him walking away from her was in the past, he couldn't help but think back to the moment they'd come clean about their past for the first time. Her scars and his scars didn't change how they felt, something they had to remind each other when the secrets first came out, and it made Daryl love her even more for how understanding she could be.

He smiled lightly, the sight making her heart flutter wildly and he leaned into her, reveling in the feeling of having her close, something he'd missed while he was away from her.

Rhiannon watched him fondly as he reluctantly pulled away from her and began to get his clothes on. She knew he was annoyed that he had to be leaving, but the world didn't stop just because they wanted time together, they needed to get this Woodbury situation dealt with.

Once he was done getting dressed and he had his crossbow hung over his shoulder, he turned to her, almost shyly, as he pondered what to say to her. What was there to say to the woman he loved before he went off to face the man that tormented her?

Rhiannon saw his apprehension and stepped toward him, slowly snaking her arms around his waist.

"Come back to me." She said softly, resting her head against her chest, comforted by the sound of his steady heart beat.

"I will, you know I always will, darlin'."

"Good, we have to make up for lost time." She smirked when she felt his chest shake with silent laughter. She looked up at him and felt satisfied when she saw the blush on his cheeks.

He pressed his forehead against hers, his hand moving to graze against her cheek and he kissed her softly. Rhiannon closed her eyes blissfully, wishing they could spend all day doing this.

"Daryl, let's go!" Rick yelled, causing the couple to break apart.

Daryl looked out his cell with a scowl, but the sound of Rhiannon's laugh had it disappearing in an instant.

"Go, he's embarrassed you enough today." She told him, lightly pushing him forward.

She followed him out of the cellblock and immediately moved to her father, still riddled with anxiety at his decision to go.

Hershel sighed at the look on his daughter's face and pulled her into a hug as soon as she was close.

"Do you really have to do this?"

"I do." Was all Hershel said, it was enough of an argument to let Rhiannon know there would be no changing his mind. She wanted to call him stubborn but she knew she'd be the biggest hypocrite in the world if she did. She just had to let him go.

"Just...don't-"

"I'll be fine, baby girl." Hershel reassured her, looking down at her lovingly, his heart swelling at her concern for him. It was a stark contrast to her relationship with him just over a year ago.

She watched anxiously as he grabbed his crutches and moved to leave with Rick. She moved her gaze to Daryl who was speaking with Merle. He didn't look happy, it was as if all the peacefulness he'd gotten this morning with her was gone the second his brother opened his foul mouth.

She frowned when she saw him stomp away from him, his face darkened with anger. She moved towards him and reached for his hand before he could leave the prison to follow Rick and Hershel outside.

"Hey, you ok?"

Daryl turned to face her but his eyes didn't quite reach hers. He didn't want to tell her all the lewd comments his brother had made about her and the fact that he'd stayed in her cell the night before.

"Merle's just bein' an asshole." He growled. Rhiannon sighed, noticing how he seemed to distance himself from her by not even looking at her.

"Don't let him get to you. He knows he's not on top here, he's just being rude to get a reaction from everyone."

Daryl squeezed her hand and brought her closer to him, his intense gaze finally meeting hers. "Keep your distance, ok?"

"He's not gonna hurt me." Rhiannon argued. She knew Merle was an asshole, but he was different from the kind of sadistic man the Governor was.

"Not physically. Just don't want him talkin' shit about you."

Rhiannon smiled lightly and brushed her thumb over his knuckle. "I can handle him."

That caused Daryl's scowl to disappear and his face lightened up just the slightest. "Don't break his nose again."

"No promises."

Daryl laughed, the sound sending a pleasurable jolt through her. He leaned down and kissed her chastely. "Just watch yourself, ok?"

Rhiannon nodded, reluctantly pulling away from him, their hands dropping to their sides. "You too."

Daryl nodded and looked down at her, reluctant to leave. He suddenly remembered something he'd wanted to tell her. "No goin' through the tombs by yourself either."

Rhiannon's lips parted but she didn't have a rebuttal for him. She was wondering when he was going to berate her for her stupid decision to go through the prison by herself yesterday.

Daryl smirked at the surprised look on her face. "Yeah, don't think I forgot 'bout that." He told her sternly. "Be good."

Rhiannon looked up at him with a playful glare at his words, but she suddenly smiled in that teasing way that drove him wild. "Or what, you'll punish me?"

Daryl's eyes darkened with lust and he groaned slightly, now even more annoyed that he had to leave. "Don't do that shit now." He warned, making her laugh and despite the frustration he felt, he smiled at the sound.

Rhiannon's smile fell slightly, realizing she couldn't stall him any longer and he absolutely had to go.

He gave her one last look of longing and with a sigh, he turned on his heel and walked out of the prison where Rick and Hershel were waiting for him yet again.

He kept his head down as he approached them, he knew they'd seen how he and Rhiannon acted this morning, it was obvious that things were different between them now compared to how they were last night, and not to mention, Rick had caught them in bed together.

Hershel smiled at the man and clapped his hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad you two sorted things."

Daryl tried hard not to blush. He nodded and Hershel had to stifle a laugh at how bashful the usually brash man was being.

"Let's get goin'." Rick said, sparing Daryl from any more embarrassment.

Daryl was more than thankful for the distraction from his love life and quickly moved to his motorcycle. He was tense as he guided his bike out through the walker filled field and away from the prison. He usually felt at home and relaxed when he was on the bike, but this time it was the last place he wanted to be.

It didn't feel right leaving her again, no matter the circumstances.


Michonne kept her distance from the others. She watched as they moved as a team, handing out weapons and ammo as they talked quietly amongst themselves. She felt a pang in her chest, they were clearly a close group of people and she had never felt like such an outsider before.

She hated that she was in the same category as Merle Dixon, the ones who didn't belong.

"Hey, you good?"

Michonne flinched slightly, surprised that she'd been caught off guard, and turned to face Rhiannon who looked at her curiously.

"Yeah, fine." She shrugged.

"How'd the run go yesterday? I hope Carl wasn't too hard on you."

That got the quiet woman to smile, showing Rhiannon more emotion than she had the whole time she'd been at the prison.

"He was fine." Michonne said with a slight laugh. "He said he was putting up with me cause you told him to."

Rhiannon snorted, didn't sound like Carl was the nicest to her, but he was getting to the teenager phase of his life and Rhiannon knew better than anyone just how rude you could be in that moment.

Michonne smiled with her but her face suddenly turned down, all trace of amusement gone. "We ran into one of Rick's old friends, Morgan."

"Whoa." Rhiannon muttered, her eyes going wide. Rick had told her about the man from King County, the first person he'd run into when he woke from his coma. She was starting to feel bad that she'd been so disconnected the night before and hadn't gone to him to see how the run had gone. He didn't exactly have time this morning to talk about it.

Michonne looked at the woman beside her thoughtfully, well aware that she was the one who had tried the most out of the rest of the group to make her feel welcome. She was the one that would talk to her for no reason despite the obvious trauma she'd been going through and despite the awkwardness that still lingered between the two of them who were still practically strangers, Michonne appreciates the effort she put in.

It was clear to her that Rhiannon had a big heart, something Michonne wasn't used to being around.

"So, everything better with your man?"

Rhiannon looked over at Michonne in confusion, taken aback by her bluntness. The woman suddenly smirked and Rhiannon smiled lightly, shaking her head. "We're that obvious, huh?"

"Oh yeah." Beth answered for Michonne, having heard the whole conversation.

Rhiannon turned and scowled at her baby sister but she just smiled, her innocent image made even more apparent by the baby she held in her arms. "Just stating the obvious." Beth shrugged.

"You didn't...hear us...did you?" Rhiannon asked awkwardly. She had tried her hardest to stay quiet, but she knew there were moments where that had been the last thing on her mind.

Beth laughed loudly and even Michonne couldn't keep a straight face. Rhiannon blushed and looked at the both of them impatiently.

"We didn't hear anything. Daryl coming out of your cell this morning was enough evidence." Beth explained smugly and Rhiannon sighed in relief. "That doesn't mean I've never heard you two. Those storage units had thin walls."

Rhiannon's eyes widened in horror and she looked at her baby sister, the one she thought she'd been safe from teasing, in shock.

"Ok, I'm done with this conversation." Rhiannon said, quickly walking away from the two woman who laughed at her expense.

She was thankful that Glenn had unknowingly saved her from embarrassment as he started giving out orders to everyone.

"We'll make sure every watch point has a cache of guns. Beth, put more up on the catwalk. If anyone gets pinned down we need to make sure they have plenty of ammo."

Rhiannon nodded to Glenn and started fiddling with a rifle, adding ammo from the box in front of her.

"What we should be doing is loading some of this firepower in a truck and paying a visit to the Governor. We know where he is right now." Merle spoke up, his voice echoing throughout the room.

Rhiannon stopped her motions and looked up, sharing a look of impatience with Glenn who looked more pissed off than she'd seen him in a long time. She turned her head to look at Merle with a raised brow.

"You suggesting that we just go in and kill him?"

"Yeah, I am." Merle stated with finality, like it was an easy decision.

"We told Rick and Daryl that we'd stay put." Michonne interjected, giving Rhiannon another reason to trust her. Anyone that could stand up to Merle Dixon the way she had immediately had Rhiannon's respect.

"I've changed my mind, sweetheart." Merle told her and Michonne sneered at the pet name. "Bein' on the sideline with my brother out there ain't sittin' right with me. You honestly gonna tell me you're ok with your sleeping buddy puttin' his life at risk for you?" He asked, now looking directly at Rhiannon.

"I don't like it either, but this is the safest option. If we go in, guns blazing, people get caught in the crossfire. A million things could go wrong and I'm not gonna risk their lives because I was too emotional and didn't think it through." She told him sternly, ignoring the backhanded implication that Daryl was just her 'sleeping buddy' and nothing more.

Merle's face hardened at the insinuation that he wasn't thinking clearly and shook his head, silently disagreeing with her.

"You think they're gonna be able to handle it if things go wrong?" He countered.

"My dad can take care of himself." Carl told him, his voice filled with attitude that made Rhiannon proud.

"Sorry, son, but your dad's head could be on a pike real soon."

Rhiannon grit her teeth and sent Merle the dirtiest look she could muster. She had a million insults and curse words tumbling around her head that she was ready to throw at him, but when she saw Carl stomp out of the prison with his head hung low, she pushed her anger to the side. Carl was more important to her than kicking Merle's ass.

"You're a fucking idiot." Rhiannon told the man as she passed to follow Carl out.

When she finally caught up to him, he was sitting on the ground with his legs crossed, focusing intently on loading the gun he was holding. He didn't even look up at her as she approached.

"Hey, Bud. You doing ok?" She asked tentatively as she took a seat next to him.

"Fine." He answered, clearly disinterested in talking about his feelings.

"Merle's an asshole. I know you're smart enough to realize that nothing he says matters."

Carl stayed quiet and he stopped what he was doing, his eyes subtly shifting to look over at her.

Rhiannon frowned, she hated the animosity she could see on his face. This wasn't the same sweet little kid she'd met on the farm, he was hardened and bitter the way most adults were.

"Your dad's a good leader, he can handle this." She assured him.

"Can he? You saw him scare those people away, you know things aren't the same as they were. He's different."

"He's grieving." Rhiannon corrected him.

"So am I, but you don't see me going crazy and threatening people with guns." Carl snapped at her, making her eyes go wide.

"Carl, that's not fair. No one's ignoring what you've been through, you're just handling this a lot better than anyone expected and unfortunately your dad isn't, but that doesn't mean he's never gonna get better. We just have to wait it out."

"And the Governor, are we just supposed to wait him out? Maybe Merle's right, we can end this right now."

"Watch your mouth, kid. You start agreeing with Merle Dixon, we're gonna have a problem."

Carl cracked a smile when he caught onto her joking tone and he rolled his eyes, nudging her lightly with his elbow.

"You're smart, you know this is more complicated than just marching into a fight and ending it with one bullet."

"I know, I just want this to be over. He doesn't deserve to live after what he did."

Rhiannon was struck by the intensity in Carl's voice and the darkness in his expression. It was almost unsettling to see. She bit at her lip in contemplation, wondering what the hell she was supposed to say to the boy that had lost his childlike innocence in the worst way possible.

"I hate that you have to be so strong."

Carl frowned. "It's not a bad thing."

"It is. You're a kid, you're not supposed to be dealing with shit like this."

"Well, there's not much we can do now." Carl mumbled and Rhiannon smiled sadly at how headstrong he'd grown to be.

"You know I love you, right?"

Carl blushed at her words and averted his eyes bashfully. She smiled, it reminded her of the way Daryl would get shy whenever she was outright with her feelings.

"I love you too." The young boy muttered.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you?" Rhiannon teased him.

"I love you too." He said louder, sounding annoyed and embarrassed.

She laughed loudly, bringing a smile to Carl's face.

"By the way, telling Michonne I made you be nice to her, is the exact opposite of being nice to her." She teased him, changing the subject, which she knew he was thankful for.

Carl rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless. He knew she'd have something to say about that.

"We're gonna be just fine." She assured him and he sighed deeply before nodding, knowing deep down that she was right, though it didn't do much to calm the anger that had been simmering inside him since he lost his mother.

Rhiannon smiled at him and pat his shoulder affectionately as she stood to leave.

"Rhi?" Carl called out to her. "If Merle leaves, will you and Daryl go with him?"

"I'd never leave you."

"But do you really think him living with us is gonna work?"

Rhiannon shrugged, her face impassive. "I'm not sure. Maybe he'll surprise us."

She didn't know if she really had hope in Merle or if she was tricking herself into thinking it so she didn't crumble with the weight of stress that hung over her.


As soon as Rhiannon stepped back into the cellblock, chaos was everywhere. She cursed under her breath and ran forward, trying to figure out where the hell she could jump into the fight without getting an elbow in the face.

"Merle, get off him!" She yelled, watching helplessly as Maggie and Michonne tried to pry his grip from the chokehold he had on Glenn.

The sound of a gunshot echoed through the room, making them all flinch and divert their attention. Rhiannon had her hand hovering over the gun at her waist, ready if there was any danger, but when she noticed the shot had come from Beth who had successfully broken up the fight, a small, amused smile began to form.

"Damn." She muttered, looking at her baby sister proudly. She hadn't expected that kind of fierceness from her.

"Let me go!" Merle yelled, shrugging off the women behind him, the force of his movements making Rhiannon's expression harden.

She looked to Maggie, silently asking if she was ok. Her sister nodded to her, reassuring her before moving her attention to Glenn, but he quickly shook her off and stormed out of the prison.

Rhiannon watcher her sister sulk back into the cellblock and she crossed her arms over her chest, barely able to contain her frustration.

"Merle, can I talk you?" She asked through gritted teeth, eyeing the man harshly.

Merle just rolled his eyes and ignored her, moving to sit at the table with his back turned to face her.

"Merle, get your ugly, white trash ass over here right now." She scolded, glaring at him sternly.

Merle's eyes narrowed at her and he was ready to protest stubbornly and lash out at her like his instincts told him, but when he looked at her wide eyes that had haunted him since he'd seen them pleading with him when he left her alone with the Governor, he found himself at a loss for words and a loss of options.

He grumbled curse words under his breath and followed her to the dark halls of the prison.

"Gotta say, Bambi, I'm flattered, but I ain't the type to screw over my brother."

Rhiannon's eyes narrowed dangerously at what he was insinuating and pushed at his shoulder, making his back hit the wall behind him.

"I'm so sick of your shit. What do you think being a dick is gonna accomplish? You're here with us, get used to it and stop being so fucking self destructive. Are you really that selfish?"

"Back the fuck off." He snapped at her, his face clouded with anger.

"Daryl loves you and he wants you here. Can you really not let go of your ego to make this work, at least for him?"

Merle's silence forced her to ask the question that had been on her mind the entire time he'd been with them, but had been dreading to ask.

"Do you even care about Daryl? Do you care that he's happy or are you really that narcissistic that you'd ruin it just cause you're not his boss anymore?"

Merle's eyes darkened and Rhiannon shifted slightly, worried that she'd poked the bear too hard and should flee before she got mauled.

"You got a lotta nerve stickin' your nose in where it don't belong." He sneered at her, taking a step closer, making her take a step back. "You think you know my brother, what we've been through? You think just cause you're fuckin' him I'm supposed to like you?"

Rhiannon glared at him, crossing her arms over chest. "I couldn't care less if you like me, but you have to tolerate me, you have to tolerate all of us for Daryl's sake."

Merle rolled his eyes, letting out an amused scoff.

"You know he left because he thought you'd be different. He thought you could actually give a shit about him and part of the reason he came back was because you made it clear to him you didn't."

Rhiannon was expecting to be yelled at, but she was thoroughly shocked when, instead, she saw his eyes soften and a look of regret passed over his usual scowl. Her lips parted with surprise as she practically gaped at him. She didn't know what to say now.

Things between them shifted, the tension wasn't as suffocating as before.

"Look, don't freak out on me for saying this, but I know about your past and I can't even begin to imagine what that must have been like. I know family hasn't had much of a meaning for you, but that can change. Daryl made it mean something to him and I think if you really tried, you could too. No one can go through all this shit alone. I know you know that, I mean, why else were you with the Governor if you could?"

Merle wanted to scream at her for bringing up his past, but strangely, he found that what he was feeling wasn't rage, which was practically unheard of. He knew she was right. The Governor had brought him in when he was close to dying and while he knew that he was a sick man, he didn't leave because he didn't want to be alone, something he had trouble admitting to even himself.

Merle's weakness was Daryl and Rhiannon knew that, but instead of immediately jumping to the conclusion that she'd use that against him, he knew she wanted what was best for his baby brother, something he couldn't fault her for, it actually made him like her, which he was trying hard to suppress.

She called him out on his bullshit and didn't back down when he raised his voice, in fact, it only made her yell even louder to match him and he couldn't deny that he found it quite amusing. He had never met someone who could do that, not even Daryl did that.

"You're a lot like Daryl was when I first met him." She started after a long silence, realizing Merle wasn't going to respond to her. "You both build these walls to keep people out cause you're scared of being judged for what happened to you, which wasn't even your fault. I just think it's pointless to keep up this careless tough guy act. It's not doing anyone any good."

"What, you my therapist now?" Merle asked sarcastically.

Rhiannon snorted in amusement. "There's not enough money in the world that could make me get inside that brain."

Merle smirked and the two of them were left in silence again. Rhiannon's smile fell slightly and her face turned serious again.

"Merle, I know you don't like me, but if you care about Daryl at all, you'd try to make this work despite everything. You can't keep abandoning him."

Merle looked down in contemplation, avoiding her gaze. He felt shameful that this woman he just met knew about all the ways he'd failed his brother.

"I love my brother." He finally admitted, surprising the both of them.

"Then prove it because he doesn't know."

Merle nodded, but when he looked up and met her eyes, she could see that spark of mischief that told her their strange heart to heart was coming to an end.

"Don't get used to this. One civil conversation don't mean I'm ready to hold your hand and start callin' you sis."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes. "Make this right, Merle, before it's too late." She told him as she slyly took the gun from her waistband. "You hurt Daryl again and I'll castrate you." She threatened, holding the gun against his crotch.

Merle smiled widely, thoroughly amused while simultaneously nervous about the weapon pressed against his junk. "C'mon, sweetheart, thought we were havin' a moment." He drawled sarcastically.

"We are, sweetheart. Trust me, I'd be doing that thing a favour. I don't even wanna know where it's been."

For reasons he didn't want to think about, Merle wasn't pissed off or offended by her subtle digs. Instead, he laughed. He appreciated her blunt sense of humour and he was starting to understand just why his brother was so taken with this woman. She was easy to talk to.

But in classic Merle Dixon fashion, he refused to admit that she'd been able to make him consider an attitude change and he settled for walking away from her before he ventured into territory that was too friendly.

"Good chat." Rhiannon mumbled sarcastically as he left without another word.

With a heavy sigh, she walked back to the cellblock, strangely finding herself without a heavy heart like she expected to feel after a conversation with Merle.

She hoped this was the start of a good change. It hurt her knowing how much Daryl had been let down his whole life and she wished he could finally have a good relationship with his brother.

Things were tense and the last thing they all needed were strained relationships and animosity between them. They were fighting against the Governor and they didn't need to be at odds with the people around her. So no matter how much Merle Dixon got on her nerves, she was willing to look past everything he'd done, she'd do it for Daryl.


"Hey, can I talk to you?"

Rhiannon looked up at Maggie who stood in the doorway of her cell, her fingers fidgeting nervously.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"You and Daryl, you guys made up."

Rhiannon nodded, her eyes narrowing at her sister in confusion. "Yeah, we worked things out. Are you and Glenn still not talking?"

"Not really. I think he's still blaming himself for what happened."

"Then try talking to him again."

"I've already tried, he just doesn't understand. He's making this all about himself." Maggie told her, her voice strained.

Rhiannon frowned and gestured for her to take a seat next to her. Maggie huffed and sat next to her, taking her hand in hers.

"Glenn loves you. It's almost nauseating to see. I'm betting he's never had to deal with something like this and he's totally out of his element." Rhiannon told her, finding it strange how similar Daryl and Glenn could be, something she never thought would happen. "He may not be showing it in the best way, but he's doing all this because he cares about you."

Maggie nodded, though she still felt at a loss about what to do. Rhiannon noticed the hesitation on her face and she smiled sightly.

"You know there's one thing that can guarantee an end to a fight."

Maggie suddenly smirked, her eyes narrowing at her older sister. "You're talking about sex, right? Is that how it worked for you and Daryl?"

"Yeah." Rhiannon shrugged casually. "I could talk and talk forever and he still wouldn't get it through his head that I forgave him. Sex was pretty much the only thing that could make him understand."

And even then, Daryl still had trouble believing he was out of the woods, despite the amazing sex they had the night before, but he was slowly getting it.

"So you think I should just jump his bones and forget about the fight?"

"Don't forget about it, just move on. Some fights just don't go anywhere. He knows he's been acting out, you know none of what happened was his fault and you're left at a stalemate. You just need to bang it out and move on."

Maggie snorted at her blunt words that contrasted her deep thoughts, but the more she thought over her words, her smile morphed into a frown and she looked at her sister worriedly.

"When you and Daryl...did you... think about him at all?"

Rhiannon's heart practically leapt out of her chest at Maggie's question. She squeezed her hand tightly, looking at her sadly.

"Not at all." She told her honestly. "After what happened with the prisoner, after he...touched me, I wasn't hesitant to be with Daryl. It felt like I was in control again after that asshole took it from me. It helped to be with him, especially after what the Governor did."

Maggie nodded, smiling weakly at her sister.

"I'm not pressuring you to do anything. If you don't wanna have sex with Glenn, then don't. I'm just saying, from personal experience, when it's with someone you love, it won't be scary at all."

Maggie squeezed her hand. "Thank you." She said quietly, her voice filled with emotion she hadn't been able to express since the incident in Woodbury. She felt like she'd been stuck this whole week.

"This whole thing is gonna blow over soon." Rhiannon assured her.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm good. The bruises are almost gone, Daryl's back, things are looking up." She smiled. "Are you?"

Maggie nodded slowly, a content look on her face. "Yesh, just stressed. Maybe I do just need to get laid."

Rhiannon laughed, nudging her lightly. "Well, get to it."

Maggie laughed with her and stood to leave her cell, sending a smile back to her big sister before she left. "Hey, thanks for this. It really helped."

Rhiannon smiled, feeling almost shy from her praise. "Anytime."

As she watched Maggie leave, she suddenly felt much lighter, like there was one less problem to solve. Maggie hadn't been herself since Woodbury and it was so comforting to see her finally getting back to herself and reclaiming her body after what the Governor had done to her. She was relieved that things were finally getting back to normal despite the circumstances around them.


Daryl was itching to see Rhiannon and make sure she was ok. The way he left things with Merle this morning made him hesitant to leave him with the rest of the group and he was nervous to see the damage that he'd most likely done while he was gone.

"Dad!" Carl yelled, running out of the prison to greet his father.

Rick smiled in relief, pulling him in for a hug.

Daryl watched as he got off his bike, eyeing Rick carefully. The leader had been tense and unusually quiet since they'd parted ways with the Governor and even as he hugged his son, his face was still drawn tightly and his eyes were hard.

Daryl greeted the kid with a nod as he passed by him to make his way into the prison. He immediately spotted Merle who was sitting by himself, looking bored.

"Hey." Daryl said, catching his attention. "Everythin' go ok?" He asked, looking around at the others, pleasantly surprised when he didn't see any tears or black eyes on the others, or even on Merle.

"We're all fine and dandy." Merle smiled fakely and Daryl rolled his eyes, moving past him to find Rhiannon.

He looked into her cell and his brows furrowed, his heart rate picking up when he saw it was empty and her things that littered the floor just this morning were gone.

He stumbled back, his eyes moving frantically around the cellblock to catch a glimpse of her. He looked up to the cell she'd picked that first day in the prison, the one he stayed in by himself when he came back.

His heart jumped, clutching to that shred of hope he had desperately. He made his way up the stairs and as he stood in the doorway and saw her putting her stuff on the lone shelf on the wall, he sighed in relief.

She turned to face him and a brilliantly bright smile stretched across her face.

"Hey, you ok?"

"'M good." He told her, stepping towards her slowly, looking around the cell as if to make sure all her stuff was there to assure himself that she really was moving back in.

"I hope you don't mind. Figured we could stay in here...together."

"Course I don't mind." He said, his lips quirking up into a small smile. He could barely comprehend how relieved he was that he wouldn't have to suffer through another night without her next to him.

"How were things here? Did Merle start anything?"

"He doesn't have a broken nose, so I'd say things were ok." She said with a smirk. She didn't exactly want to go into detail about the way she'd threaten his brother's dick with a gun to force him to be nice to people. That probably wouldn't bode well for either of them.

Daryl huffed out a laugh and moved forward, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. Rhiannon smiled against him, moving up on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck.

"How did it go today?" She asked once they'd finally pulled away from each other.

"I dunno, Rick ain't said much about it." He shrugged. "C'mon." He grabbed her hand and together they walked out of their cell and down to the others that were waiting for Rick to explain what happened with the enemy.

She caught Maggie's eye and gave her a knowing smirk when she blushed and looked down. Glenn sent her a smile, having an idea that Rhiannon had been the one to give his girlfriend a push.

She smiled back at him and leaned against the wall next to Daryl, his arm brushing against hers in a simple gesture of affection that was enough to make her heart beat faster.

"Did you talk to him?" Rhiannon asked quietly, almost nervous for his answer.

"Nah, let Rick do all the talkin'. Knew I wouldn't be able to look at the guy without wantin' to put a bolt in his eye."

Rhiannon smiled lightly, her heart fluttering at his protectiveness, before she turned to face Rick. She was immediately taken aback by the look on his face. She hadn't seen him so tense since he lost Lori.

"So, I met this Governor. He wants the prison. He wants us gone." Rick started, looking at all of them with a calculated stare. "He wants us dead for what we did to Woodbury." He paused, his jaw tightening. "We're going to war."

Daryl tensed beside her, his hands clenching into fists. Rhiannon looked up at him and she nudged his hip with hers, making him look down at her. When his blue eyes saw that familiar warm brown colour that never failed to send a spark through him, he calmed down, giving her a slight nod.

No other words were spoken and the group began to separate, their minds reeling with the words their leader had told them.

"I'm gonna talk to Merle."

Rhiannon nodded, reluctant to let Daryl go after they'd been separated the whole day, but she knew there were things he needed to sort out with his brother.

Daryl leaned down, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead, and left her side.

Rhiannon watched him go with an endearing smile, slightly taken aback by his display of affection. She bit her lip and looked down, moving to leave the cellblock, and her eyes immediately locked with Rick's who was already looking at her intently.

"You ok?" She asked, her smile falling into a look of concern.

Rick quickly looked down and nodded. Rhiannon narrowed her eyes and stepped closer to him, noticing how he tensed as she did.

"Michonne told me you guys ran into Morgan yesterday. Are you ok?"

Rick let out a shaky breath, looking pained by her concern.

"Rick?"

He shook his head and plastered on a weak smile that looked faker than he intended. "I'm good. Just a little stressed."

Rhiannon pursed her lips, having to force herself not to call him out on what was a clearly bullshit answer. "Ok, well, if you need anything, let me know."

She gave him a strained smile, one he didn't return, and she left his side. Rick watched her, his tense body sagging as she left. His face twisted like he was in pain and he pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling tears spring to his eyes

His heart was heavy and it physically hurt to think of what the Governor had told him.

"If you aren't interested in a compromise, why the hell did you come?" Rick asked, his glare locked onto the man sitting across from him.

"You have something I want." He stated simply, leaning forward in his seat.

Rick raised his brows, motioning for him to continue.

The Governor's calm facade suddenly slipped and Rick could see how unhinged the man really was. He was almost shaking in anticipation, his eyes wide and wild with an emotion Rick couldn't recognize.

Rick shifted in his seat, eyeing the man uncomfortably.

"I want Rhiannon."

Rick's stomach dropped and he shook his head, his teeth gritting to keep from flipping out and ruining how hard he'd been trying to keep his cool during this whole meeting.

"Not gonna happen." He shot him down immediately.

"I wouldn't hurt her." The Governor told him and Rick shook his head again, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Who is she to you?" He asked. It was something he'd asked Rhiannon and she had played dumb, telling him she didn't know why the Governor had treated her differently from Maggie or why he'd kept her separate from the others.

"She's familiar. It's...comforting having her around. I know she might protest at first, but I can assure you, I won't kill her."

Rick couldn't keep the look of distaste off his face and he looked at the man across from him with confusion. He had a inkling as to what he meant, but it was unsettling to comprehend.

"Let me guess, your wife had blonde hair and brown eyes, right?" Rick asked, a taunting tone to his voice.

The Governor's eyes darkened dangerously, murderously, and Rick stiffened, realizing just how insane the man was.

"If you don't want to give her up, that's fine, I can bargain."

"You're not getting Rhiannon under any circumstances. I don't care if you won't hurt her, you words meant shit. You aren't touching a hair on her head." Rick snapped at him.

"Then I want Michonne." He countered.

Rick clenched his jaw, he'd been backed into a corner without even realizing.

"Is Rhiannon's life, which you're so valiantly protecting, worth Michonne's? Is one woman worth all those lives at your prison?"

Rick averted his gaze, unable to keep up his calm facade. There was no way he was giving up Rhiannon to the psychopath in front of him, but could he really give up Michonne? That was surely a death sentence for her.

"Michonne or Rhiannon, one or the other and I leave you alone."