a "We're not leaving," Rick insisted.
"We can't stay here," Herschel argued as he re-wrapped Airianna's side. She grunted as the gauze scrapped against her stitches, but remained as still as possible.
"What if there's another sniper?" Maggie asked. "A wood pallet won't stop one of those rounds."
"We can't even go outside," Beth added.
Airi rolled down her shirt once Hershel was done, "Not in the daylight, anyway."
Glenn nodded, "If Rick says we're not running, we're not running."
"No, better to live like rats," Airi groaned as she turned her head to where Merle was standing at the barred door, separating him from the rest of the group.
Rick eyed the man, "You got a better idea?"
"Yeah, we should have slid out of here last night and lived to fight another day."
"Too bad I was bleeding out last night thanks to your buddy," Airianna glared at her brother-in-law. Merle opened his mouth but stalled when he caught the heated gaze Daryl was sending him from the other side of the room.
"I'm sure he's got scouts on every road out of this place by now," He muttered absently.
Daryl scoffed as he shifted Eren around in his arms, "We ain't scared of that prick."
"Y'all should be," Merle warned. "That truck through the fence thing, that's just him ringing the doorbell. We might have some thick walls to hide behind, but he's got the guns and the numbers. And if he takes the high ground around this place, shoot, he could just starve us out if he wanted to."
Maggie scoffed, "Let's put him in the other cell block."
"No," The female Dixon muttered. "He's right. This Governor is a man who knows how to take out other groups, yesterday was pretty good evidence from that."
"This is all you," Maggie hissed at the oldest Dixon. "You started this."
"What difference does it make whose fault it is?" Beth argued. "What do we do?"
"I said we should leave," Hershel reminded the group. "Now Axel's dead. We can't just sit here." Rick ignored his words and started to walk away, but Hershel got to his feet and yelled, "Get back here!" The leader paused. "You're slipping, Rick. We've all seen it. We understand why. But now is not the time. You once said this isn't a democracy. Now you have to own up to that. I put my family's life in your hands. So get your head clear and do something."
Rick sighed but nodded his head in agreement before he picked up a rifle and left the cell block. Most of the group dispersed from the meeting area to do what little work they could, Carl going after his father, Michonne wandering into one of the empty cells, Glenn and Maggie going to check supplies, and Beth and Hershel moving to check on Judith. Leaving Airianna alone with Merle, Daryl, Eren, and Sophia.
"Sophia, hon, can you help me up?" The girl nodded and moved to assist the redhead off of the floor.
"Since when you become a mother of two?" Merle joked. "Last I check little miss Peletier here had an asshole of a daddy and a mousy momma."
"Shut up Merle," Daryl snapped at his brother.
Sophia eyed the one-armed man as she helped Airi to her feet, "My dad died in Atlanta and my mom died trying to save me."
"Huh," The grouchy man mused. "You seem to be holding up well."
"People die, all you can do is keep going or die too," The blonde girl muttered as she left Airi's side to go to the cell she shared with Beth.
The redhead groaned, "Could you for once have some common decency, Merle?"
"What I do?" He asked. "You mad cause of her or cause my baby brother smarted up and finally picked me over you?"
"I'm not mad, just disappointed. But y'all made your choice that you don't want me as part of this family so I will grab my son and be on my way." She scooped Eren out of Daryl's arms and limped up the stairs to her and Daryl's cell.
"Fuckin' asshole," Daryl grunted at his brother.
Airi sat in silence until Rick returned into the cell block with Carl, Glenn, and Maggie. She peeked her head out of her cell as the man motioned to Maggie, "Take watch. Eyes open, head down." He passed his set of keys to her as she moved to leave. "Field's full of walkers. Didn't see any snipers out there, but we'll keep Maggie on watch."
"I'll get up in the guard tower, take out half them walkers, give these guys a chance to fix the fence," Daryl suggested.
"Or we use some of the cars to put the bus in place," Michonne brainstormed.
Herschel shook his head as the joined them, "We can't access the field without burning through our bullets."
Airianna slowly made her way back down the stairs as Glenn sighed, "So we're trapped in here. There's barely any food or ammo."
"Been here before," She stated as she finally reached the end of the stairs. Daryl reached an arm out to steady her, but she slapped it away. "We'll be alright."
"That's when it was just us," Glenn pointed out. "Before there was a snake in the nest."
"Man, we gonna go through this again?" Daryl scoffed. "Merle's stayin' here. He's with us now. Get used to it."
"Cool it, Daryl," He paused when his wife finally spoke directly to him, but stepped away in annoyance when she refused to meet his gaze.
"Seriously, Rick, I don't think Merle living here is really gonna fly," Glenn continued once Daryl walked away.
"I can't kick him out," Rick pressed.
Glenn shook his head, "I wouldn't ask you to live with Shane after he tried to kill you."
"But Shane was completely off his rocker," The female doctor noted. "And as much as I am pissed at Merle he is really deep down a good person with strong loyalties. Still a piece of shit though, but he will have our backs now that he's here."
"Merle has military experience," Hershel added. "He may be erratic, but don't underestimate his loyalty to his brother."
"What if we solve both problems at once?" Glenn whispered. "Deliver Merle to the Governor. Bargaining chip. Give him his traitor, maybe declare a truce."
"Better toss in Michonne, since she cut his eye out," Airi sarcastically chimed. "And Rick, since he's our leader. Maybe Maggie too, didn't sound like he was done with her either."
"What are you being such a bitch?!" Glenn snapped.
"To open your eyes. Giving Merle to him won't stop him from killing all of us," She hissed back.
Glenn crossed his arms, "It's a good start though."
She groaned and stepped away to feed Eren in the common room, but groaned again once she was there when she saw Merel sitting in the separate cell in the room. She ignored the man as she grabbed a bowl of oatmeal for her son, but Glanced towards him as he tried to duct tape a box cutter to his prosthetic.
Airi shook her head and set Eren with his food on the ground before shuffling up to his cell, "Let me see it."
Merle snorted at his sister-in-law, "Like you know what you doing with this." He waved the metal arm around.
"You want it properly fixed or not?" The man sighed and offered it up to her. She silently grabbed the arm and unwrapped the tape from it, placing the box cutter on the cot as she puttered around the common room to grab the small toolbox they had. She took out the busted screws his old knife was attached to and started to add new ones. She then adjusted one of the straps so the cutter could slip in and tightened everything once she was done.
Merle eyed her handiwork and shrugged, "Thanks, I guess. Not that I need your help or nothin'," She rolled her eyes but smirked when Hershel came up to the pair. "You're the farmer Hershel."
"And you're the black sheep Merle."
Merle glanced at his missing leg, "How'd you lose it?"
"I was bit," Hershel explained.
"Bit? You hack it off yourself?" He wondered.
"No," He moved into the cell and sat on a small box. "Rick did."
The older Dixon scoffed, "Awful kindly of him."
"Saved my life. Gave me more time with my girls. Gave you more time with your brother. Can't put a price on that," He softly said.
Merle absently nodded, "Can't put a price on anything anymore."
Hershel watched the man as he fiddled with his prosthetic and Airi stood from her spot next to Merle, "I found this," He pulled a small Bible from his pocket. "In one of the cells. Lost more than the Good Book there for a while. Lost my way. 'And if your right hand offends you, cut it off, cast it from you. For it is profitable that one of your members should perish-'"
"'And not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.' Matthew 5:29 and 30," Airianna eyed Merle oddly as he raised his head to meet Hershel's gaze. "Woodbury had a damn fine library. One of the only things I miss about it." He sniffed and shifted his gaze from Hershel to Airianna, "When the Governor returns, he's gonna kill me first. Michonne, my nephew, Airi here, my brother, then your girls. Glenn, Carl, the baby, whoever else is left. He'll save Rick for last so he can watch his family and friends die ugly. That's who you're dealing with."
Airianna wandered from the cell to give the men more privacy, picking up Eren and his empty bowl of food. She left the bowl on one of the tables before she limped her way to the cells, finding Daryl sitting in an empty one by himself. He glanced up and smiled slightly at the sight of his wife and child.
"Haven't had the chance to say that I'm glad you came back," She muttered.
He sniffed, "To what? All this? Thought you were pissed at me."
"Oh I am," She assured him. "But happy all the same. This is our home, our family."
"This is a tomb," He grumbled.
"That's what T-Dog called it," She said as she took a seat at the end of the bed. "Thought he was right when I was trapped until Carl and Tyreese found me."
"Sorry I didn't keep lookin'. I should've," Daryl apologized.
"I don't blame you for that," She admitted. "But you left Eren, he's your son."
Daryl sighed and sat up to wrap his arms around her, "I thought I failed you. Thought all I was gonna do was fail him too. At least if I went with Merle I wasn't failin' him."
"What made you come back?'
"The same thing that made me come back all those years ago, I realized Merle wasn't doin' me any favors," He said as he rubbed Eren's arm.
"I wonder if one day you'll decide to stay instead of leave, or if you'll just do it again?" She passed her son to him and lightly kissed Daryl on the cheek before walking away.
She moved over to where Sophia was laying in her cell and smiled at the blonde girl, sitting down next to her, "How's your side?" She mumbled at the woman.
"Feels like shit, but I'll live," She lightly rubbed the girl's back.
"Are you going to forgive Daryl?"
Airi shrugged her shoulders, "He's gotta earn my trust back before I can forgive him. He did fuck up kinda majorly."
The girl nodded, "Do you still love him?"
She slightly tilted her head towards the girl, "Yes, I do," She hopped from her spot on the bed. "Want to get some food with me?" Sophia nodded her head and followed her out of the cell and into the common room. The two sat at a table and nibbled on some stale crackers and soup as Michonne did push-ups on the floor.
Merle wandered in and sat near the exercising woman, "Smart to stay fit. Don't leave out the cardio...You know, if we're gonna live under the same roof, we should clear the air. This whole hunting you down thing, that was just business. Carrying out orders."
"Shit way to apologize, Merle," Airi mumbled into her bowl. Michonne held back a smirk at her comment.
"Hmmm, like the Gestapo?"
"Yeah, exactly," Merle smiled.
"They were executed for war crimes," Airi remind her brother-in-law.
"I've done a lot of things I ain't proud of," Merle continued as he ignored Airianna's words. "Before and after." He said towards the redhead instead of the swordswoman. "Anyway, I hope we can get past it. Let bygones be bygones."
Michonne glared at the man as he walked away, "And that's as modest as he gets."
She glanced at the mother and the little girl, "How did you put up with him for so many years?"
"Easy," She replied. "If he wasn't sober he wasn't allowed in my damn house, near my kid, or near Daryl. He learned my rules pretty quick."
"And he followed them?" She wondered.
"Back then yeah, he hated my guts but I think he at least respected me," She figured. "He knew how much I cared about my family."
The woman seemed to want to ask more, but Glenn came rushing in, "Andrea's here." The three females jumped to their feet and follow the man outside. They stayed back as Rick approached the gate.
"Are you alone?!"
"Open the gate!" Andrea cried back.
"Are you alone?!" Rick asked again.
"Rick!" She yelled as walkers started to notice her there with her restrained walker. The leader tossed the keys to Daryl and he opened the gate for her. She let go of her walker and ran into the safe side of the gate.
"Hands up. Turn around," She begrudgingly did as she was told and Rick started to pat her down. "I asked if you were alone."
"I am," She let out as she gazed at the group in confusion.
Rick grabbed her arm and started to lead her inside, "Welcome back."
Everyone shuffled into the cell block after them and Airi watched as Andrea looked around in slight disgust at the messy common room. She moved to hug Sophia and the girl happily returned the hug of the woman who tried to save her mother. Airianna sat down on one of the tables and watched the moment, nodding to Glenn as he passed Eren into her lap.
"After you save me, we thought you were dead," Sophia said as she pulled away from the blonde woman.
Andrea glanced at the group, but paused on Hershel's leg, "Hershel, my God," The older man shrugged and she continued to glance at the rest of the group. "I can't believe this. Where's Shane?"
Rick shook his head at her.
"And Lori and Carol?"
"Carol got caught by that herd on the farm," Airianna chimed in.
Beth shuffled up to Andrea with Judith in her arms, "She had a girl, but Lori didn't survive," Herschel lightly elaborated.
"Neither did T-Dog," Daryl added.
Andrea gasped, "I'm so sorry. Carl," The boy stepped away from her when she moved to approach him. She furrowed her brows and turned to Rick. "Rick I-" He stepped away from her as well and refused to meet her gaze. "You all live here?"
Glenn nodded, "Here and the cells," He pointed to the door behind Rick.
"There?" She started to make her way over to Rick. "We'll can I go in?"
Rick stepped in her way, "I won't allow that."
"I'm not an enemy, Rick."
"We had that whole field and courtyard safe until your boyfriend tore down the fence with a truck and shot us up," Rick argued.
She bit her lip, "He said you fired first."
"Well, he's lying."
"I can vouch with my lovely stomach wound that he fired first," Andrea glanced at the female doctor and cringed when she rolled up her shirt slightly. "Exit wound is in the front, got me clean and clear from behind."
"He also killed an inmate who survived in here," Herschel further explained. "We liked him. He was one of us."
"I didn't know anything about that," Andrea proclaimed. "As soon as I found out, I came. I didn't even know you were in Woodbury until after the shoot-out."
Glenn scoffed, "That was days ago."
"I told you, I came as soon as I could," She repeated. She glanced around once more before she turned to Michonne. "What have you told them?"
The black woman shrugged, "Nothing."
"I don't get it. I left Atlanta with you people and now I'm the odd man out?" She questioned.
"He almost killed Michonne and he would have killed us," Glenn reasoned.
Andrea pointed to Merle, "With his finger on the trigger! Isn't he the one that kidnapped you? Who beat you?" She sighed and rubbed her face. "Look, I cannot excuse or explain what Philip has done. But I am here trying to bring us together. We have to work this out."
Rick clenched his teeth, "There's nothing to work out. We're gonna kill him. I don't know who or when, but we will."
"We can settle this," Andrea argued. "There is room at Woodbury for all of you."
Merle chuckled, "You know better than that."
"I'm with Merle on this one," Airi spoke up. "Not down for a town with a built-in torture chamber."
Andrea eyed the injured doctor with confusion, but Hershel caught her attention, "What makes you think this man wants to negotiate? Did he say that?"
"No."
"Then why did you come here?" Rick asked.
"Because he's gearing up for war," She finally admitted. "The people are terrified. They see you as killers. They're training to attack."
"I'll tell you what," She looked over at Daryl. "Next time you see Philip, you tell him I'm gonna take his other eye."
"We've taken too much shit for too long," Glenn agreed. "He wants a war? He's got one."
Andrea moved back over to the group leader, "Rick, if you don't sit down and try to work this out, I don't know what's gonna happen. He has a whole town. Look at you. You've lost so much already. You can't stand alone anymore."
"You want to make this right, get us inside," Rick declared. She shook her head, "Then we got nothing to talk about."
"There are innocent people," Her words fell on deaf ears and Rick wandered further into the block. Andrea sighed and stormed outside with Michonne hot on her heels.
Airianna groaned at the drama and wandered into the block with Beth, setting up a small blanket on the ground for the two children. Beth beamed as Eren and Judith sat on the blanket together, Judith on her stomach and Eren sitting up straight as he fiddled with a few foam blocks Beth laid out. The girl got up and came back with Eren's favorite deer toy, the boy squealing when he caught sight of the stuffed animal.
"Surprised he still has it," Airi turned at the sound of Andrea's voice.
She shrugged as she watched her son violently shake the deer, "It's his favorite."
Beth gently picked up Judith and brought her over to the other blonde, "You can't leave without meeting Little Ass-kicker."
"May I hold her?" The teen passed the young infant into Andrea's waiting arms. "Oh, look at you."
"Beth," The girl turned to the redhead sitting near her son. "Would you mind grabbing a bottle for Judith? She'll be hungry soon." The teenager happily nodded and wandered out to the common room to prepare the formula.
"Let me guess, Daryl named her Ass-kicker?" Airi nodded at Andrea's question.
"Her name's Judith," She chimed as Eren tossed a block at her.
Andrea smiled at the mother and son playing together, "Judith. Hi Judith. Oh, how precious are you? What happened to Lori?"
The doctor sighed, "During a C-section. Maggie did it, and carl had to-"
"Oh, my God," Andrea muttered. "What happened to you and Hershel?"
"Prison got attacked by some crazy asshole," She explained. "Hershel was trapped with Beth and Eren while T-Dog, Sophia, and I got lost in the tombs. T-Dog died protecting us, but we were missing for quite a few days."
"And Shane?"
"Rick killed him," She admitted. "The night we left the farm. That whole Randall thing was a lie. Shane tried to kill Rick."
The blonde shook her head, "Shane loved Rick."
"Shane loved Lori."
The woman sighed as she shifted Judith in her arms, "Rick's become cold. Unsteady."
"He has his reasons," The mother defended. "The Governor, you need to do something."
Andrea offered the baby back and Airianna stood up to take hold of Judith, "I am."
She shook her head as she laid the little girl back down nest to her son, "No, you need to sleep with him. Give him the greatest night of his life. You get him to drop his guard. Then when he's sleeping, you can end this."
Andrea gazed in shock at the gentle doctor before she silently walked away. Airianna rolled her eyes but smiled when Beth came back to feed the baby. The two stayed inside as the rest of the group saw Andrea off, keeping an eye on the two youngest children. When the rest of the group piled back inside they knew Andrea had chosen to return to Woodbury. Beth got up to help Maggie with Dinner and the rest of the group congregated around the kids. Airianna got up to put Judith to bed and when she returned she noticed Eren had walked his way over to Merle, reaching for the man to pick him up.
"Surprised he still remembers his ol' uncle Merle," The man muttered as he swept the boy up with his normal arm.
"Not a surprise really," Daryl replied. "He saw your ugly mug all the damn time when he was real tiny, makes an imprint or somethin'."
Everyone else sat in silence as Beth and Maggie passed bowls of food around. Airi thanked Maggie as she handed her a bowl and started to eat the rice and canned fish as she kept a close eye on Merle. She was thankful he had unclipped his prosthetic and was using his stump arm to keep Eren in place as he spoon-fed the toddler.
Merle looked up at her and quickly turned his head away to hide his blush, "Used to do this with Daryl when he was all tiny, guess it's nice."
She offered him a small smile, "Children are a blessing."
Hershel nodded in agreement and the silence resumed. Beth glanced around at the group and started to lightly sing, "They hung a sign up in our town. If you live it up, you won't live it down. So she left Monte Rio, son. Just like a bullet leaves a gun."
Maggie smiled at her sister and light chimed in, "With charcoal eyes and Monroe hips, she went and took the California trip," The two sang in harmony as Rick slowly got up and climbed down the stairwell. "Well, the moon was gold and her hair like wind. Said 'don't look back now just come on, Jim.' You got to hold on, hold on. You got to hold on. Take my hand, I'm standing right here. You got to hold on."
Rick wandered over and leaned next to Hershel on the wall as they listened to the singing. Airianna put her bowl down and surprised the group by joining in as well, "Well, he gave her a dime-store watch and a ring made from a spoon. Everyone's looking for someone to blame. If you share my bed, you share my name..." She paused her singing when she heard Daryl speak up.
"Some reunion, huh?" He asked Rick over the sisters' voices.
Rick shrugged, "She's in a jam."
"We all are," Hershel pointed out. "Andrea's persuasive. This fella's armed to the teeth. Bent on destruction."
"So what do you want to do?" The men turned when they heard Airianna's question.
"We match it," Rick answered. "I'm going on a run."
Daryl nodded, "I'll head out tomorrow."
Rick glanced between the hunter and his wife, "No, you stay here. Keep an eye on your brother. I'm glad you're back, really, but if he causes a problem, it's on you."
"I got him," He promised.
"I'll take Michonne," Rick muttered.
Airi stood up and walked closer to Rick, "Are you sure that's a good idea? She's still healing."
"I'll find out," He said. "I'll bring Carl too. He's ready."
"Take Sophia then as well," Airi suggested. "They're both getting stir crazy."
The leader nodded, "You hold it down here."
"You got it," Daryl agreed.
The four then listened to the Greene girls finish their singing, separating as the girls hit their last notes together. The mother shuffled over to Merle and moved her hands in a 'come hither' motion. The man grunted but relented the boy over to his mother. She nodded to Merle and started to make her way up the stairs. She sighed when she heard footsteps following her and stopped outside her cell when Daryl placed his hand on her arm.
"I'm still mad at you," She mumbled.
"I know," Daryl acknowledged. "I just wanted to kiss Eren goodnight."
She passed the toddler over to him and waited as Daryl hugged the small boy and lightly kissed his forehead as he whispered to him. He gently passed the sleepy boy back over to his mother and waved them off.
"Daryl?"
He turned his head, "Yeah?"
She paused as she tried to think of words to say, "Have...Have a good night." He gave her a light smile before he glanced away and moved back down the stairs.