Ch. 14

"So, he's gone, ran off with Merle. And Rick's back in crazy land. Shite," Sam closed his eyes and tried to process what Glenn had told him. From what he had heard, things had gone to shit very fast. They were down two men, Daryl gone, Rick bat shit, and for all they knew The Governor was planning to attack. "Guns, what guns do we have left?"

"Shotguns, probably three rifles, hundred twenty rounds between them. We don't have enough," Glenn told him.

"Rick really fucked us over when he chased those guys out," Oscar said off handedly. "We could've used the muscle, guy was built like a fucking truck, man!"

"Yeah well, it's a little too late for that isn' it," Sam told him.

"We need to lock this place down, now," Glenn suggested, "If he comes back with even half the guys he has, we're done."

"You're right," Sam agreed. "But how did those people even get into the prison?"

Glenn reached down and grabbed a map of the prison. "Carl told me that they said that there was a breach here. Now if there's a whole section of the prison gone, then we need to plug it up."

"Agreed," Oscar and Sam said together.

"Want to go check it out, we'll stay here and hold things down?" Sam asked him.

Glenn nodded and the three adjourned the impromptu meeting to carry out their respective tasks.

"The tombs outside the boiler room are overrun again," Glenn said as he and Carl came back from the tombs.

"That whole section had been cleared," Beth said as she shut the gate behind him.

"It's a steady stream of Walkers," Carl said, a bit out of breath and his cloths bloodied.

Sam swore under his breath while Hershel spoke up. "We're wasting time. The Governor is supposedly on the way and we're stuck in here with Walkers."

"Die in here or die out there," Sam muttered.

"For the last time running is not an option!" Glenn told Hershel.

"Glenn, if the tombs have filled up again, it may just be a matter of time before they push in here," Carol said softly, hoping that Sophia didn't hear. Sophia was currently taking care of Judith in the cellblock while everyone else discussed options.

"Or until a fence gives way," Beth said.

"Or one of them herds is passing through? Or settled?" Axel told him.

Glenn seemed as if he was struggling with the weight of command but eventually told everyone that he was going to go and scout the far side of the prison to check on the breaches. He went alone while everyone else stayed to help with the fortifications of the prison.

Sam had a hard time watching the others work while he stood off to the side. Hershel told him that he would need to keep the bandages on for a few days, and that if he were to remove them he would probably need to keep his shoulder wrapped up longer.

Carol and Axel had decided to take a break and were looking out at the field below. Sam had taken a liking to Axel. Sure, he had been a bit unstable when they had first met, but he was a good guy. A bit of a coward, a terrible shot, but a decent mechanic.

Sam took a seat on the ground and rubbed his shoulder, it crackled and throbbed a bit, but it was undoubtedly a lot less than when he had woken up. Who know, maybe he would get the bandages off sooner than a few days.

There was a loud bang and Carol screamed. Sam rose to his feel quickly and saw that Axel and Carol were on the ground. That was when more gunfire started and Axel's back erupted in red from the bullets that his body was taking in order to shield Carol.

Maggie came running out of the cellblock, two rifles in her hands. She handed one to Sam who took it and quickly ran over to try and get Carol out of the mess that she was in.

Sam lifted the rifle and tried firing it with one hand, but the recoil sent him tumbling to the ground.

"Maggie, I can't really fire," he told her as he set the rifle down. "But I can see an asshole in the tower over there. I have a plan."

"What is it?" before she could say anything else Sam leapt out of cover and began zigzagging around the yard drawing the attention of the man in the tower. He fired down at him peppering the ground around Sam's feet with lead.

He saw Maggie firing at the man and when he heard a grunt and the shots around him stopped, he knew she had killed him. He ran to Carol, his head down and heart racing, and brought her to her feet. She was shaking and trying to wipe the blood from her face but Sam managed to get her back to cover.

A white and orange van came into view and at full speed it pushed its way into the prison, taking down both of the main gates, letting the Walkers stroll into the yard. The van stopped in the middle of the yard.

Sam saw Hershel and Michonne were still in the yard.

"Shite, come on Maggie!" Sam told her and he drew his pistol and ran for the gate.

A ramp dropped from the van's rear and hit the floor with a loud thud, then Walkers began pouring out of the back. Hershel pulled his gun and began shooting the dead as a man in body armor jumped out of the van and ran out of the yard.

Sam opened the gate and rushed into the yard shooting the Walkers, clearing a path toward Hershel. He could hear Maggie shouting for him to get back to the fence, but he tuned her out.

Hershel hopped as quickly as he could, Sam tried his best to keep the Walkers away but those that he couldn't shoot, Michonne took care of them.

The gunfire that cane from outside the prison stopped and Sam took that as a sign that the Governor and his men had left. There was another vehicle approaching and Sam recognized it as the one that Glenn had taken to scout out the collapsed area of the prison. Hershel and Michonne both hopped in the bed of the truck which quickly made it back into the safety of the gate.

With the fences, down and Walkers flooding the yard, Sam's hate for a man he had yet to meet spiked to levels he didn't even know where possible.

"We can't stay here!" Hershel's voice echoed through the chamber of the Block.

"Rick says we're not running, we're not running!" Glenn argued for Rick.

"No, better to live like rats," Daryl's newly returned brother Merle.

"You got a better idea?" Rick asked him.

"Yeah, shoulda slid outta here last night and lived to fight another day. But we lost that window, didn't we?" Merle replied. "I'm sure he's got scouts on every road outta this place by now."

"We ain't scared of that prick." Daryl told his brother.

"Y'all should be. That truck through the fence thing, that's just him ringin' 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," Sam closed his eyes and leaned his head against the guard rails of the stairs. He disliked Merle, but not to the same degree of everyone else, he understood why he had done what he did. He was in the same position once. Michael had not been a saint, at times Sam was convinced he was the devil.

"Let's put him in the other cell block," Maggie suggested.

"No," Sam spoke up, "He's got a point. Governor had the guns and numbers, but from what I've heard of him, he wouldn't let this turn into a siege. He likes to kill his victims himself, starving us out would take the joy out of it for him. Wouldn't it Merle?"

"He would tell us not to waste bullets," Merle began, "We would tell ourselves that it was to really save 'em. But, nah, he enjoyed it. The killing. Looking in their eyes when the light went out. That man's a monster."

"And you worked for him!" Glenn stood to his feet.

"We've all done things we aren't' proud of!" Rick yelled. "Sit down!"

"I still say we should leave," Hershel resumed his argument. "Now Axel's dead. We can't just sit here!" Rick turned and began to walk away, and Hershel was having none of it. "Get back here! You're slippin', Rick. We've all seen it, we understand why. But now is not the time. You once said this isn't a democracy and 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!"

The arguing dissolved into a shouting match. Eventually they all called it quits and everyone went back to their cells to sleep. Everyone except for Sam, who had been put on guard duty… again. It wasn't that he minded being put on guard duty, it was just that they made no effort to rotate him off of the night shift even though he had a list of shit to do during the day.

He scanned the tree line with his scope, seeing nothing but the sentries and the van that had rammed the gates down. Sam thought back to what he said about the Governor not turning it into a siege. From his point of view, it already was a siege.

There was the clanging of shoes on the metal staircase behind him and Sam thought that someone had come to relieve him from guard duty.

"Hey," Beth said softly.

"Beth," Sam smiled taking his eyes away from the field. "Well isn' this a nice surprise."

She smiled and sat down next to him. Sam saw that she had her knife strapped to her belt but her gun was missing. She was wearing a white tank top that, Sam couldn't help but notice, gave him a glimpse of her... assets.

"I thought that I'd keep you company," she told him.

"Well I'm afraid that you're jus' wasting time you could be spent sleeping," he said, "Nothing really happens on watch. To be honest, I'm ninety five percent sure that this is all a conspiracy to keep me from sleeping."

She laughed and leaned on his shoulder. Sam enjoyed the feeling of her leaning on him in the cool summer night. He closed his eyes and leaned against the metal wall of the tower. He could hear Beth humming softly next to him and he smiled.

When they had been on the road there were very dark times. Times where they would not stop moving for days at a time. It was during those times where Sam would grow slightly depressed. He would wonder what would happen to the group, who would be the first to die. It was not a good time for him. And whenever he would sink to low, Beth would sit beside him and sing to him softly, bringing him back, letting him know that there was something left.

"Since you're not gonna be sleeping, maybe there's something else we can do," Beth whispered into his ear, sending shivers down his spine and making his face go red.

"I-I uh… what?" Beth laughed and turned his face so she could kiss him.

Sam put one hand on the side of her face, brushing her hair back, and deepening the kiss. Sam licked her lips and she opened her mouth letting him slip his tongue inside her mouth. As their session progressed, they began to lose more and more of their clothes until they wore nothing. And soon enough, that guard tower had become Sam's favorite place in the prison.

Sam wasn't sure why what had happened last night had happened. He wasn't one to complain. And the last thing he wanted to do was over analyze the situation and ruin the moment. It had been amazing, at least for him, he wasn't sure if it had been as pleasurable for Beth. He had heard stories from Michael how boys who had never had sex would only last a few seconds if they were lucky. But to Sam's surprise, and his ego, he had lasted what he considered to be quite a while.

Beth had yet to wake up, so he had taken that as a good sign. What was he supposed to do now? Was he supposed to stroke her hair behind her ear like in the movies? Was he supposed to stare at her longingly until she woke up? No scratch that, that sounds creepy.

Thankfully he was brought out of his thoughts when Beth began to wake up. Shit, what do I do? Uh… act natural Sammy!

Beth opened her eyes and Sam looked into the deep blue pools. He felt his face heat up and he smiled shyly.

"Morning," she said.

"Hey," he told her. "I uh… how are you?"

Beth raised an eyebrow before she broke down into a fit of giggles and Sam, though reluctant and embarrassed, joined in.

"After what we did, you ask how am I?"

"Give me a break, I've never exactly been in this kind of situation before."

"Neither have, I," she pointed out.

"Alright then, I suppose it's my fault for speaking first." He said, "But, uh, ok fuck it, was I alright? I mean, I've never, done this, as I told you before, but was I alright?"

Beth giggled again and Sam felt his stomach drop. He thought that she was laughing at him, that he was a failure as a man for being able to last long. But then his mind went blank when Beth leaned over and kissed him.

"You were fine. With a little practice, you'll be great." Practice… practice, does that mean that…. Oh! Oh, alright then. I can do that.

When Carl busted into the Block shouting about Andrea Sam had reached for his rifle prepared for a fight, and from the looks of the others, he wasn't the only one. Rick and Merle had grabbed their rifles as well and Daryl his crossbow. The others grabbed what weapons they could and made their way to the yard.

They moved with what Sam would have thought was military efficiency, ensuring that the woods and hills surrounding the prison were clear before they move up another couple of yards, only to repeat the process.

"Are you alone?" Rick called out to her.

"Open the gates!" Andrea said, her voice filled with panic as the Walkers began to notice her.

"Are you alone?" Rick asked her again.

"Rick!" He paused for a moment but then tossed Daryl the keys. The gate opened and Andrea threw camouflage aside before dashing in.

"Hands up! Turn around!" Rick forced her up the gate and started frisking her. Sam kept his gun up and scanned the tree line again. "I asked if you were alone."

"I am," She answered, her tone laced with disbelief. As if she had expected to receive a warmer welcome after they had been attacked.

"Welcome Back," Rick said after he had searched her.

"Where's Shane?" Andrea asked after she had been given a brief tour of the outside of the cell block. When no one answered her, she got the idea of what had happened to Shane. "And Lori?"

"She had a girl," Hershel told her. "She didn't survive."

"Neither did T-Dog," Maggie spoke next.

"I'm so sorry. Rick, I-" She began, but Rick looked away from her and took a step back. "You all live here?"

"No, we jus' set up shop," Sam said sarcastically.

"Here and in the cell block," Glenn said quickly, trying to cover Sam's sarcasm.

"There? Can I go in?" She started to make her way to the cell block but Rick cut her off.

"I won't allow that," Rick told her.

"I'm not an enemy, Rick."

"We had that field and courtyard until your boyfriend tore down the fence with a truck and shot us up," Rick told her.

"He said you fired first." Sam laughed at that.

"Right, because psychopaths are so reliable."

"He killed an inmate who survived in here," Hershel told her.

"He was my friend," Oscar spoke next. "We had each other's back in here. Your boy just shot him without a thought."

"He was one of us," Daryl told her.

"I didn't know anything about that. As soon as I found out, I came. I didn't even know you were in Woodbury until after the shootout," She tried to defended herself.

"That was days ago," Glenn said.

"I told you, I came as soon as I could," she looked confused and looked at everyone, before turning around to face Michonne angrily. "What have you told them?"

"Nothing," Michonne replied evenly.

"I don't get it, I left Atlanta with you people, and now I'm the odd man out?"

"He almost killed Michonne and he would have killed us!" Glenn shouted at her.

"With his finger on the trigger!" She pointed towards Merle. "Isn't he the one who kidnapped you? Who beat you? Look, I cannot excuse or explain what Philip has done. But I am here to bring us together. We have to work this out-"

"There's nothin' to work out" Rick cut her off. "We're gonna kill him. I don't know how or when, but we will."

"We can settle this" Andrea replied. "There is room at Woodbury for all of you."

Merle laughed. "You know better than that."

"He wouldn' let us stay there. Even if he did, he would slit our throats in our sleep." Sam told her

"What makes you think this man wants to negotiate?" Hershel piped up. "Did he say that?"

"No."

"Then why did you come here?" Rick asked.

"Because he's gearing up for war. The people are terrified, they see you as killers. They're training to attack!"

"I'll tell you what," Daryl sat at the table with his feet propped up, holding his crossbow. "Next time you see Philip, you tell him I'm gonna take his other eye."

"We've taken too much shit for too long, he wants a war, he's got one." Sam smiled a bit at Glenn's statement.

"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!" She turned around and addressed the rest of the group, nothing but pit and contempt on her face. "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 demanded.

"No."

"Then go," Sam told her. "Run on back, to the Governor. We won' stop you. But you tell him this. He killed out people, he tried to take us out. Tell him, we're comin' for him." Sam turned and began to walk away, as did most of the group.

"There are innocent people!" Sam stopped and turned around. He stormed over to Andrea and got in her face.

"What are we?! What about everyone here?! I know I'm not innocent! I'll be the first to admit it! But what about Judith? What are you all going to attack and kill all of us then raise Judith as an orphan?! What about Sophia? Or Carl?! Are they not innocent?!" He didn't wait for her response.

AN: Hey guys, so here you all are! Also I have great news, I am now 18! Well not officially, I have two hours when this chapter is posted, but still! So Sam and Beth had sex, not sure on how well I wrote that little scene, if you wanted a lemon then I apologize, I tried writing it and it came out horrible, so I don't think that I'll be writing any, unless someone wants to write them for me. Anyway, what do you guys think? Good, bad? Let me know, please leave a review! ~Pacco1