Ch.60

A few days later, Rick, Hershel, and Daryl agree to meet up with the governor to talk. They were hoping to get a better understanding about who they are dealing with. Daryl didn't want to talk. He wanted to go straight to the mutilating, but it's not his decision.

Daryl was only going along to make sure nothing happens to Rick or Hershel. I guess you can say he's the bodyguard. He declares that I'm to stay inside at all times, which I don't have a problem with that. We don't want the same thing to happen again.

Daryl didn't want to leave Merle alone with me, but I won't be alone. I'll have Maggie, Glenn, and the others to back me up if something happens. Though I don't know what would happen, the worst is already done.

I am more afraid of the governor than anyone else right now. I tense up every time someone mentions that evil bastard or what happened those two days of Hell. I promised not to go on anymore runs for a while. I have to get myself together.

If I left the prison for anything, I'm afraid the governor would find me and kidnap me himself. I don't know what it is about me that's so alluring to men. Carol told me that she thinks it's because I look innocent but act sassy. They're contradicting points of interest.

While we're waiting for the others to get back, we gather up all the guns and ammo we could find. If anything happens we need to defend ourselves. For all we know, there could be another truck headed straight for us as we speak.

I hope we don't get in any trouble. Whether it be us or Rick and them, I just don't want anything else to go wrong. But who am I to believe that won't happen. Something always happens. Even during the good.

Merle wants to pack up and join the guys right now. He'd have a decent shot to kill the governor if he did go, but Rick thought it best that he didn't come along. As wuch as I want that bastard dead, we can't let him go. We promised that we would stay put.

"Merle, please don't do this. Just stand back. I would love nothing more than to make that bastard pay, but Rick said..." I begin walking down the stairs after checking on Judith. "I don't care what Rick said." Merle interrupts me.

"Hey! If you're gonna live here with us, it's on our terms. Abide by our rules and we'll have no problems." Maggie states staring causiously at Merle on the other side of the table. He's been packing up a bunch of guns for on the road.

"You guys don't get it, do you? He's my brother! My blood!" Merle yells staring angrily at all of us. "I don't care if he is your blood! We made a promise that I intend to keep!" I scream back grabbing the bag from him.

"Bitch, you better give those back!" Merle shouts grabbing for the bag of guns behind my back. "Only if you promise to stay here like they asked!" I cock a brow waiting for his agreement before giving it back.

Merle snatches the bag without agreeing to do anything. "Hey!" I yell trying to grab the bag back from him. "Who in this world keeps their promises anyway? Bunch of bullshit." he says waving his hands at me to go away.

I glare at Merle for the way he's acting. "You know what? I bet Daryl promised you that he'd keep you safe from harm, didn't he? Well, look what happened. You could end up knocked up by the governor." he spits insults at me.

I gasp in shock at what Merle said, then blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. "Shut up! You take that back, asshole! Don't jinx it!" I say getting ready to fight him. "Guys! That's enough!" Glenn yells from the doorway leading outside.

"What do you know about it, boy?" Merle spits getting in Glenn's face as he walks up the stairs. "Merle, I can't let you leave. I'm not gonna let you put them in danger." Glenn says standing up to Merle.

"Merle! Get your cocky ass down here! I'm not done with you!" I yell getting his attention. "Shut the hell up, bitch! I don't care if you are my brother's woman! Right now you're just the governor's slut!" he rages at me while still glaring at Glenn to move.

"Mother F'er" I start to say, but Maggie finishes for me. "How dare you?!" Maggie screams at Merle's back. I can't believe he just called me that. I am nobody's slut! "Come down here and say it to my face!" I scream but he ignores me.

"This guy cops a feel of your woman and your friend, and you pussy out like this? Get out of my way." Merle states. "Merle, stop!" Maggie states getting angrier. "What?! How would you feel?! This creep rapes your best friend and gets away with it!" he yells turning around and making things worse.

"Shut the hell up!" I cry out as tears flow from my eyes. "Hell, if you were my girl, I would be right there poppin' some rounds in that mother fucker for what he did! I wouldn't just sit here and pussy out!" Merle shouts throwing his hands up at me.

"But Daryl is out there right now making sure nothing goes wrong! He told me he wanted to kill that son of a bitch more than anything! I want to, too! He is there for backup in case anything happens! Rick's trying to put an end to this!" I scream storming around the table.

"And who's to say he won't try it again to you or someone else?! Huh?!" Merle explodes turning back around to yell at Glenn to get out of his way again. Glenn refuses and down they both go to the bottom of the stairs.

"Merle. stop! Now!" Maggie screams as I try to help her stop Merle from hurting Glenn again. He throws both of us backwards as he continues to try to plunge his knife into Glenn's heart.

Michonne also steps up to help kick Merle off. Merle's gone off the wall crazy. It's a horrendous sight when Beth walks in pulling the trigger to get off of our attention. The fighting stops long enough for Glenn to push Merle off.

"Let me go, bitch! I mean it!" Merle yells at Michonne and Maggie as they hold him back. "Merle, if it wasn't for Daryl you would be out there on your own. He's the only reason you're not dead." I say getting up in his face.

"I especially don't like you right now. You're the reason we're in this mess. So don't do anything to piss me off. I can't guarantee I can hold back my anger anymore." I say before turning around to walk back up the stairs.

Merle fixes his shirt after he is released. "You were holding back this whole time? Boy, you sure love to fight, don't you? You better watch your mouth or you'll end up in trouble again." he chuckles causing me to stop in my tracks.

That's it! I've had it with Merle's smartass comments. I storm up to him to punch him in the face, but he catches my fist before it can make contact. He swings me around and pushes my face up against the wall and my arms behind my back.

"Ah-hah. What did I tell you?" Merle grips my hands so that I can't move. The others start to move towards me but Merle hollers for them not to. "Let me go, you bastard!" I say with clenched teeth.

"Merle, let her go!" Beth states pointing the gun at him nervously. He lets out another laugh as he stares at the young girl shaking. "Fine." he grits finally letting me go and storming away.

"Are you okay?" Maggie asks walking briskly up to me. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you." I say smoothing out my shirt. "Are you sure you're all right?" Michonne looks at me with concern and I nod at her.

"I know it's not any of my business, but is it true?" Michonne asks me. "Is what true?" I respond folding my arms over my chest. "Did you get knocked up?" she asks clearifying her concerns.

I let out a big sigh as I tell Michonne the truth. "I'm not sure. Still waiting for aunt flow to show up." I reply looking down sadly at my flat belly. If it's true, my belly is going to keep getting bigger. I can't hide it forever.

"Can't Hershel check it out? Let you know?" Glenn asks sadly looking at Maggie for an answer. "It's still too early." she responds. "What about Daryl? Have you told him?" Glenn stares at my sad face for answers.

"No. She hasn't yet." Maggie replies for me as fresh tears form in my eyes. "Shouldn't you tell him?" Glenn asks worried about keeping such a big secret. "Only if it's true." I softly say while wiping my face.

"Please don't say anything to him. Not yet." I say sitting down beside the steps and sulking. "How many people know?" Michonne asks staring around the room. "So far, just you guys. But like I said, I don't want to tell him unless it's true." I say.

"He's got to have some idea, though. He has to be worried." Michonne states folding her arms. "Maybe, but I'm not bringing it up otherwise. So for now, drop it. Please." I reply crying into my knees.

"Come on. Let's just go." Maggie says watching me cry in a fetal position. Maggie also promised Daryl that she wouldn't leave my side. I just want to be left alone right now. I need time to let my emotions settle.

Soon, the others come back from their meeting with the governor. I'm still sulking in the corner when they walk in. "Hey. Is everything all right?" Rick asks walking up to me with concern. "Yeah, I'm just emotional, I guess." I stare at him with my puffy eyes.

Then Daryl walks through the door staring at the two of us talking. "What's going on over here?" he asks sauntering over to us. As soon as he notices my face, his expression changes to worry.

"Mae, what's the matter? What is it, babe?" Daryl asks crouching down in front of me. "I'll leave you two alone to talk." Rick says walking away after patting Daryl's shoulder. Daryl nods his head to Rick before turning back to me.

"Babe, tell me. What's wrong? What's with the face?" Daryl asks me touching my cheek lightly. I nuzzle my cheek against his hand before looking up at him with teary eyes. "You can tell me." he reasures me.

"I...I can't." I stutter looking down at my knees. "Why not?" Daryl exclaims tilting my face up by my chin. "It's just...I'm really...stressed...right now. Okay?" I finally spit out. He looks sort of hurt that I won't tell him anything. Then I begin to notice his aggravation with me.

"Stressed? About what? What have you got to be stressed about?" Daryl furrows his brows at me. "I just am." I softly say. "How? How are you possibly stressed in this place? If anything I should be the one stressing." he says in an agitated tone.

"Shut up! You don't know what I'm going through!" I yell flinging Daryl's hand off my chin. "Then tell me! Help me understand!" he yells back grabbing my arms. "I can't! Not yet! Just leave me alone!" I cry shoving him out of my way.

"Mae! Get back here! Just tell me!" Daryl yells to my retreating back. I cover my mouth to keep my sobs at bay as I run up the stairs to my sanctuary. I can't tell him just yet. I need to know for sure.

After a while, Rick comes back out with matters to discuss with everyone. He explains to us what him and the governor talked about. The governor wants us all dead for what happened in Woodbury. So this means that we're going to war. May the better man win.

I know Daryl's upset with me for not telling him anything. Not only is he upset about that, but the fact that he's sexually frustrated. I haven't let him touch me the way he used to. All I can think about is the governor's nasty hands all over me.