The Crossroads

by Carrot Top

Jenna Matthews lost everything and everyone to the apocalypse. Alone and with nowhere else to go, she kept pushing for Fort Benning, hoping her brother would still be alive and be waiting for her there. But when a twist of fate lands her in a new group, she finds herself on an entirely new journey full of all kinds of unexpected twists and turns. - Currently in Season 3 -

60. Chapter 60

Hi all!

I come to you today feeling rather nostalgic. I've been working on this story for a very, very long time, and it's crazy to me to think that after all these years, we're now almost to the end. If what I've planned out is correct, then there's only four chapters left in this story after this one. FOUR. Me being me, there's always a chance it might be more than four (my chapters don't always go how I planned them), but still. We're almost done, you guys, and that's just…bittersweet.

I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read this story, anyone who has added it to their alert/favorite list, and, of course, a big thank you to all the people who leave messages and reviews. The support over the years has been just amazing. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I hope you're excited to see how the story ends!

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Walking Dead, only the OC's.

---

Chapter Sixty

Jenna stood facing the bunk bed in her cell and silently eyed her small collection of shirts, which had all been laid out on the bottom mattress.

Normally, she couldn't be bothered to care about what she wore, because it just really didn't matter anymore. The only things that mattered when it came to clothes were that they were easy to move in, that they catered to whatever season it was, and that they weren't completely falling apart. Other than that, she really didn't think much of her wardrobe. There were more important things to worry about than her appearance.

Today, however…today she actually did care a little bit. It was not for vain reasons – she wasn't trying to look good for anyone or impress anybody. But they were going to be meeting with the Governor soon, and she wanted to look a little more put together when they did. The Governor was a powerful man with a fully functional town and resources that she and her friends could only dream of having at his disposal. She doubted his wardrobe was as tattered and run down as theirs was. She was also fairly sure that he thought everyone at the prison was nothing more than an uncivilized barbarian.

Maybe it was a silly thought, but Jenna didn't want to show up to the meeting in ratty clothes, looking like a wild person that couldn't even find decent clothes to put on her back. Despite what they lacked as far as material things, she and her friends were strong. They were smart, they were fighters, and they knew how to make it in this world. And that was the image she was going to make sure she presented in front of that egotistical bastard. She was going to show up looking put together, like the strong, battle ready survivor that this world had forced her to become.

Jenna eyed her clothes again, looking at the many ripped t-shirts and stained tank tops she rotated through on a day to day basis. Those wouldn't do. Her gaze then landed on a green, flannel pattern peaking out from beneath the rest of the clothes. Jenna unearthed the shirt, revealing a long sleeve, button down flannel she had often worn during the winter time. No obvious tears, no visible stains. It was probably the nicest thing she owned now.

Jenna pulled off the shirt she had slept in and slipped on the flannel, her fingers quickly doing up the buttons. She rolled the sleeves up to her elbows and tucked the shirt into her jeans, then smoothed her hands over the fabric to make sure the wrinkles didn't look too bad. It was a little hot for the flannel, but she felt good and she felt confident.

Jenna combed her long, red hair and secured it in a neat braid. Then she turned to the metal shelf behind her to retrieve her gun, making sure it was fully loaded. She shoved it into the holster at her hip, then stowed extra ammo in her pockets just in case.

"Do you have to go?"

The arrival of Chloe had Jenna turning around to look at the girl. Chloe stood in the doorway of their cell, her skinny arms crossed tightly over her chest and her big, brown eyes filled with anxiety. Jenna looked at her with a combination of apology and sympathy – she understood why Chloe was worried, and she felt bad for being the reason for that worry in the first place.

"Yes, I do," Jenna said, moving to put a hand on Chloe's shoulder. "This meeting is extremely important. I need to be there to make sure things stay civil between Rick and the Governor," she explained patiently.

"But it could be dangerous," Chloe reminded her. "The Governor might be planning something. You should stay here to lead us if something goes wrong," she urged.

Chloe was not the first person to try to talk her out of going to the meeting. Rick had tried to convince her to stay back at the prison, as had Sam and Hershel when they had found out she planned to attend the meeting, too. Surprisingly, Daryl had not voiced any objections to her going – she did not think it was because he was alright with it, but rather because he already knew it would be pointless to try to talk her out of it.

Jenna smiled grimly and squeezed Chloe's shoulder. "I know the risk. But I also know that I need to be by Rick's side for this one. This is my job now, Chloe," she reminded the girl gently. "As dangerous as it might be, I've gotta be there."

Chloe sighed, then her shoulders slumped with defeat. "Okay," she said reluctantly.

Jenna released Chloe's shoulder to ruffle her hair affectionately. "It'll be alright, kid," she said, ignoring the nervousness that had knotted up her belly all morning at the thought of meeting with the Governor. "You don't need to be scared."

Chloe gnawed on her cheek fretfully. "I'm trying not to be, but I don't trust the Governor. I'm afraid the meeting is a trap," she admitted with a frown.

The idea that the Governor had ulterior motives for agreeing to meet with them had certainly crossed everyone's mind. After everything he had done, they would have been idiots not to be suspicious of him. They had taken precautions, though. Jenna and Rick had sat down with Merle the day before to pick his brain about the Governor and find out what sort of tricks he usually hid up his sleeve. Merle had told them what to watch out for and suggested they send a scout out to the meeting spot a few hours early, just to keep an eye on the place and watch for any signs of an ambush. T-Dog and Glenn were already at the silo keeping an eye on things – if they saw anything even remotely suspicious, they would call and warn them away.

Thankfully, there had been nothing to report so far.

"I don't trust him either. But we're being as careful as we can," Jenna reassured. "He won't get the jump on us again, I can promise you that," she added with a firm nod.

Chloe nodded slowly. "So if the meeting goes well, all of the fighting will be over?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Hopefully yes," Jenna said with an optimistic nod. "We've got a pretty good deal to propose to the Governor. If he accepts, all of this will be over and life might actually be normal again."

Chloe finally offered a smile. "That sounds nice."

Seeing that smile on Chloe's face made Jenna smile in return. With how hard things had been recently, Chloe's smiles seemed to be few and far between. Jenna had already desperately wanted their problems with Woodbury to go away so that she and her friends could feel safe again, but in that moment, as she looked down at the strong girl she had taken in as her own, she wanted peace again simply for her. So that they could all have a chance to start over and so Chloe could finally have some semblance of a normal, quiet life.

She just had to hope that Rick and the Governor would be able to put their differences aside and come to an agreement. And if for some reason they couldn't, and this war dragged on, Jenna vowed right then and there that she would do whatever it took to keep Chloe safe. She would fight off any enemy that came their way, would fight until there was no one left to harm them. And then she would give Chloe the life she deserved.

Voices downstairs pulled Jenna from her thoughts. She moved past Chloe and stepped out into the stairwell to look down at the first floor, where Hershel, Rick, and Daryl looked as though they were all preparing to leave. Daryl glanced up and caught her eye, then nodded toward the door.

"We're headin' out," he called.

Jenna nodded. "Be right there."

While the men continued on, Jenna turned back to Chloe, who looked worried again. Jenna immediately pulled her into a tight hug, resting her chin on top of Chloe's dark hair as the girl hugged her fiercely in return. When they parted a few moments later, Jenna braced her hands on Chloe's shoulders.

"I want you to stay close to Sam while I'm gone," she instructed with a firm look. "Help him keep an eye on things around here." Jenna paused, her brows stitching together seriously. "I also want you to keep a gun on you at all times. The prison will be vulnerable with us gone. If anyone from Woodbury shows up here to make trouble…do whatever's necessary to protect our people."

It was a lot to ask of Chloe. Hell, the girl still struggled with killing walkers sometimes – she was way too innocent, way too kind-hearted to fight off other survivors. But she needed to make sure the girl was prepared, that Chloe wouldn't be caught off guard while she wasn't around to protect her. Nervousness and fear flashed through Chloe's eyes, and her lip trembled a little at the thought of having to fight another person. But she quickly pulled herself together and lifted her chin, her eyes full of determination now as she gave Jenna a firm nod.

"I'll protect the group. I promise," she said without even a waver in her voice.

Jenna's heart swelled with pride. She hugged Chloe again, squeezing her for good measure, then pressed a kiss to her dark hair. "Love you, kid."

Chloe gave her a small smile. "Love you, too."

They finally parted and headed downstairs to common area, where the rest of the group had gathered. Rick was holding Judith and sharing some quiet words with Carl off to the side, Hershel was being fussed over by Maggie and Beth, and Daryl was talking to a black-and-blue Merle in the little nook that the elder Dixon had claimed as his sleep space.

As soon as Jenna and Chloe stepped into view, Sam and Carol came over to greet them. Carol, Jenna noticed, was carrying a large duffel bag in her hand.

"I packed some supplies for y'all, just in case somethin' goes sideways and y'all can't get back to the prison straight away," the older woman said, looking a little anxious as she passed the bag to Jenna.

Jenna smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Carol paused, then pulled Jenna in for a hug. "Be safe, okay? And watch your backs."

"We will, I promise," Jenna assured her, patting her back.

Carol released her with a tight smile, then moved to say her goodbye's to Daryl. Jenna turned her attention to Sam, who's lips seemed to be permanently turned down into a frown.

"You keep making that face and it's gonna get stuck that way," she joked lightly to ease the tension.

Sam looked unamused. "Is there any point in trying to convince you to stay?" he asked, ignoring her joke.

Jenna shrugged and shook her head. "Nope."

"Figured as much." Sam heaved loudly through his nose, then gave her a serious look. "Keep your eyes open and stay on your guard. If that asshole tries anything, don't hesitate. Put a bullet in the bastard's head," he instructed. "I expect you to come back here alive and in one piece, you hear me?"

Jenna blinked, then nodded slowly. "Loud and clear."

Sam nodded, looking satisfied with her answer, then wrapped a long arm around her shoulders and yanked her to him for a firm hug. It was obvious he was scared for her, and he wasn't bothering to try to conceal that. Jenna hugged her brother back tightly, swallowing past the lump that had formed in her throat.

"I'll be fine, Sam," she told him in a reassuring voice. "I'll be back before you know it."

"You damn well better be," was all Sam said in response.

Sam kissed her on top of the head and let her go, though he looked reluctant to do so. Barely a moment later Rick appeared by their side, his expression all business.

"I just spoke to Glenn and T. Everything's still clear at the silo," he informed her. After Jenna nodded in understanding, Rick passed the walkie talkie to Sam. "When ya talk to your friends, tell 'em I'm sorry for how things went down that day, okay?" he asked.

Sam took the walkie and nodded. "I will."

Rick nodded gratefully, then headed for the door. Jenna took that as her cue and grabbed the bag Carol had packed, slinging it over her shoulder. She headed out into the courtyard with Sam and Chloe and went straight to the Tucson to pack the duffel into the trunk. The rest of the group had come outside to see them off, and after saying one last round of goodbyes to everyone, it was time to go. Rick and Hershel got into the Tucson, while Jenna joined Daryl on his motorcycle. Her eyes caught Michonne's as she settled on the bike behind Daryl and they shared a silent nod.

Jenna looked away from the quiet woman when Merle came sauntering over to her and Daryl. Merle's face was a mess, all bruised, battered, and swollen from his fight with Sam the day before. Despite how terrible he looked, though, he had gone back to mostly acting like his normal self again after having a night to lick his wounds.

"I got a favor 'ta ask of you, ginger," he said to her, looking uncharacteristically serious.

"What's that?" she asked warily, half expecting him to say something wildly inappropriate.

"Look after my brother," Merle said, nodding toward Daryl. "If there's anyone I trust to watch his back, it's you."

Jenna shared a surprised look with Daryl. She had not been expecting Merle to actually say something nice. Judging by the shocked look in Daryl's eyes, he hadn't either.

"Did one'a those punches knock somethin' loose in your head?" Daryl asked, giving his brother a weird look.

Merle huffed with annoyance. "What, I ain't allowed to be concerned?"

Daryl didn't seem to know what to say in response, so he didn't say anything at all. Jenna, however, nodded her head resolutely.

"I'll take care of him," she assured.

"Good," Merle said. Then he smirked. "And if ya get the chance, feel free 'ta tell that dickhead that I said he can go fuck 'imself," he encouraged with malice in his eyes.

Now that was the Merle that everyone knew and hated. Jenna rolled her eyes, even as she fought back a smirk of amusement. "No promises."

Merle's only response was to chuckle darkly.

Daryl started the loud engine after that, bringing an end to the conversation. Jenna moved closer, wrapping her arms tightly around Daryl's waist as Carl went to unlock the gate for them. She looked back one more time at Sam and Chloe, who were standing close to one another with similar looks of unease on their faces.

Jenna offered them one last encouraging smile, and then their little caravan was off to meet with the Governor.

---

The closer they got to the abandoned grain silo, the more the knots in Jenna's stomach tightened with anxiousness.

She kept a good grip on Daryl as he steered his loud motorcycle along the overgrown backroads. Chompers wandered into view here or there, drawn out of the woods that lined the road by the roar of the motorcycle, but they were of little concern. Daryl simply steered around them, as did Hershel and Rick in the Tucson, and they continued on as if they'd never even seen the flesh eaters in the first place.

When they were perhaps half a mile out from the silo, they met up with Glenn and T-Dog, who had been waiting for them to arrive. After being reassured that everything had still been quiet before they had left to return to the truck they had hidden, Glenn and T-Dog gave them the walkie-talkie they had been using to communicate with them, told them to be careful, and then the two groups went their separate ways. Glenn and T-Dog went back to the prison, while Jenna and the others continued on to the grain silo.

When they finally reached the meeting spot, it was indeed very quiet. Daryl pulled the motorcycle up close to the silo and cut the engine. Jenna got off the bike, taking her gun in hand, and glanced around at the abandoned sight, taking in the large, rusted silos and the overgrown foliage that was around it. When she heard the crack of a twig, she tightened her grip on her gun and narrowed her eyes as she looked for the source of the sound.

Though Glenn and T-Dog had not seen anything suspicious while they'd been on watch, it had probably taken them at least fifteen minutes to walk back to their truck. Anyone could have shown up since then, which meant anyone could have been lurking out of sight. She looked at Daryl, who had also heard the noise, then swung her sharp gaze back toward where she'd heard the cracking sound, watching as Daryl inched a little closer to investigate. They both relaxed when a small bunny suddenly hopped out from behind a bush and then quickly scurried away.

Jenna looked back toward the Tucson as Hershel parked it close by, but did not cut the engine. Rick climbed out of the passenger seat, looked around with untrusting eyes, then nodded toward Jenna.

"Daryl an' I are gonna look around. Stay with Hershel," he instructed quietly. "If anything goes south, you an' Hershel get outta here."

Jenna nodded once in understanding. She shared a brief look with Daryl, telling him with her eyes to be careful, then watched as he and Rick raised their weapons to the ready and then walked out of sight.

She went to the Tucson and slid into the passenger seat, closing the door quietly behind her. Jenna rolled down the window, eyes sweeping the landscape around them. She let out a heavy sigh, then glanced over at Hershel when she noticed him fidgeting in his seat a little. He had strapped some ammo to his leg and was checking to make sure it was still secure. When he was satisfied it wasn't going anywhere, he took hold of one of the rifles Rick had gotten from Morgan and turned his eyes back to the window, his entire posture stiff as he kept a sharp eye out.

For some reason, seeing him wielding the powerful weapon made her think back to an interaction they'd had many months ago on the farm, when they'd only just first met each other. Hershel, who had been very upset after Shane had rallied the group to kill the walkers in his barn, had gone to leave for town unarmed. When Jenna had tried to convince him to take a gun with him for protection, he'd flat out refused, because he'd been against guns at the time.

Of course, a lot had changed since then, and she'd seen him with a gun in his hand more times than she could count. Still, it was interesting to see how comfortable he was now after being so resistant to them in the beginning.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Hershel suddenly asked, making her blink as she came back to the present. He was looking at her with raised brows.

"I was thinking about that day on the farm, after that asshole convinced everyone to kill the walkers in your barn," Jenna told him. She did not refer to Shane by his name if she could avoid it – saying his name always left a bitter taste in her mouth – but she didn't need to. Hershel knew exactly who she was talking about. "I tried to give you a gun before you left for town. You were so disgusted, I thought you might actually spit at me for suggesting it," she said with a small smirk. "It's just interesting to see how things have changed," she concluded, nodding pointedly toward the gun he was holding.

Hershel nodded in understanding. "That's life, I s'pose. These days, ya gotta adapt, or else you won't make it far in the world. Besides…I ain't the only one that changed," he said, giving her a knowing look. "The Jenna Matthews I met back on that farm was a skittish, scared woman doin' her absolute best not 'ta get close 'ta anyone. Now you're a vital part of this group an' might very well be our leader someday." Hershel smiled at her kindly. "It's a good thing I didn't make any bets on who I thought would end up bein' Rick's successor. That's a bet I would'a lost."

Jenna laughed softly. "I guess people do change, huh?"

Hershel nodded. "Sometimes for the better, sometimes not. In the case of you an' me, I'd say we've changed for the better."

Jenna looked forward at the silos, a frown pulling at her lips. "Don't suppose there's any hope the Governor will change for the better," she commented.

"Unlikely," Hershel responded grimly. "The best we can hope for from him is that he'll accept our deal an' just leave us be."

Jenna nodded slowly, then turned to look out her window again.

There was no sign of Daryl or Rick for nearly ten minutes. With nothing to do but wait for them to come back, Jenna fidgeted in her seat, feeling tense and anxious and a little bit like a sitting duck. Hershel was quiet next to her, holding tightly to his gun as they kept watch on their surroundings. Finally, when Jenna was almost to the point of not being able to stand the waiting any longer, Daryl came walking into view. Jenna felt relief at first, but then frowned with uncertainty when Rick didn't make an appearance.

"Where's Rick?" she asked, leaning over the center console as he approached Hershel's window.

"There's a feed store on the other side'a these silos," Daryl said, pointing back the way he'd just come. "Rick's in there…with the Governor."

Jenna tensed again at the mention of the Governor. "He's here?"

Daryl nodded. "Alone, apparently." He cast an untrusting look at their surroundings. "Somethin' don't feel right," he said with a shake of his head.

Jenna couldn't explain why the Governor might have shown up alone – maybe they were trying to pull something, or maybe he was just that confident. Whatever the reason, he was there with Rick, which meant she needed to be there too. "Let's relocate closer to the store," she said.

Daryl nodded, and after he was on his motorcycle, they made the short drive over to the feed store. They parked just outside the entrance and Jenna got out of the Tucson, putting her gun into its holster. When she started toward the door, Daryl immediately stopped her with a hand around her arm.

"Where do ya think you're goin'?" he asked with a frown.

"Inside," Jenna stated obviously.

Daryl shook his head. "I don't want ya anywhere near that asshole."

Jenna gave him a pointed look. "I didn't come all the way out here to twiddle my thumbs outside. I'm gonna go in there and keep an eye on them." Daryl started to protest again, but held his tongue when she put a hand over his. "I'm going inside," she said firmly.

Daryl really looked like he wanted to argue, but after a few moments of grinding his teeth together in frustration, he finally, reluctantly let her go. "I'll be right here the whole time," he said, giving her a meaningful look. "If you need me – "

"I'll know where to find you," she finished for him with a gentle smile.

Jenna squeezed his hand, and after they shared one more look, she went to the door and pulled it open.

Her eyes immediately found Rick and the Governor. The Governor had taken a seat at a large table on a raised platform in the middle of the room, but Rick was still standing. The loud creak of the door opening had made both of them look in her direction – Rick's expression was stoic and all business, while the Governor was looking at her with mild curiosity.

"Gentlemen," Jenna said in greeting.

She went to stand by Rick's side, her nerves prickling with awareness as the Governor watched her every move.

"Well, hello there," he finally greeted, flashing a smile.

She didn't say anything in response, just gave him a scrutinizing once over. If not for the eyepatch and the horrible reputation he'd earned with the group, he would have seemed like just another normal guy. The Governor looked like your run of the mill, good-looking, middle-aged man with a charming smile. If she hadn't known better, Jenna probably wouldn't have ever suspected him of any wrongdoing.

But she did know better. This was the man that had assaulted Maggie. He had tortured her friends. He had tried to have Daryl killed. He had attacked the prison and tried to put them all in the ground. That smile wasn't fooling her for a second. Jenna knew exactly the kind of man the Governor was – he was nothing but a ruthless, sadistic psychopath, and she was immediately repulsed by the mere sight of him.

It took a great deal of control to hide her disgust.

The Governor waited a few seconds for her to respond, taking the time to look her up and down with his one good eye. He didn't openly leer at her, as some men had done in the past, but the look in his eye was still unnerving. "Rick, aren't you gonna introduce me to your ladyfriend?" he asked, his eyes never leaving her.

"My name is Jenna, and I'm not his ladyfriend," she immediately corrected before Rick could say anything.

The Governor's smile widened a little. "Well, Jenna, while I don't mind havin' a pretty lady around, I do have to ask …why are you here?" he asked, tilting his head curiously.

Jenna smiled tightly. "I'm here to mediate…and make sure you two don't shoot each other," she told him.

The Governor held up his hands for her to see. "I'm unarmed, as you can see," he reassured, nodding toward a post behind him, where she could see his pistol hanging. "In fact, it seems I'm the only one unarmed," he added pointedly, his gaze flickering from her gun to Rick's.

Jenna looked at Rick, who still had his pistol on his hip. She pursed her lips, knowing he probably wouldn't be pleased with her next move, but held a hand out to him regardless. Rick, who knew exactly what she was asking for, immediately looked at her as though a third eyeball had just sprouted from her forehead.

"This is a peaceful negotiation," she reminded him. "It's only fair "

Rick stared at her, heaved loudly, then reluctantly unbuckled his holster and handed his gun to her. Jenna offered an apologetic smile and went to hang it from another post. She then turned back to the table, where the Governor seemed a little too amused by the fact that Rick had caved to her demand.

"That wasn't so hard now, was it?" he asked Rick. Rick's response was to shoot him a venomous glare. "Don't suppose you'll be taking yours off, will you?" the Governor asked her, nodding toward the pistol on her hip.

"Not a chance," Jenna said. "But I also don't intend to use it…not unless you give me a reason to, anyway." She glanced around, then quirked a questioning brow. "I was under the impression Andrea would be here," she said. "Where is she?"

"She'll be along shortly," the Governor said vaguely.

Jenna pursed her lips at the response, but did not ask him to elaborate further.

"How 'bout you take a seat an' we get this meeting underway?" the Governor suggested to Rick, gesturing to the empty seat in front of him.

Rick made a move like he was going to sit, but Jenna stopped him with a hand on his arm. She remembered something Merle had told her when they'd been questioning him about the Governor. He'll have a weapon nearby at all times, even if he tries 'ta make it look like he's unarmed. Check the stuff around him for a gun or knife. You'll prob'ly find somethin'.

She wasn't going to let Rick get any closer until she knew, for a fact, that it was safe. And the only place she could think of for the Governor to stow a secret weapon was at the table, which was the only thing close by to him.

"I need you to back away from the table for a moment," she told the Governor.

He frowned immediately. "Come again?"

"Please back away from the table," Jenna repeated firmly.

The Governor looked like he wanted to say no, but after a few moments of staring her down, he finally pushed his chair back away from the table with a loud scrape. Jenna, very aware of the fact that he was watching her like a hawk, crouched down by the table, looking underneath it for any hidden weapons. She didn't find anything. As she stood up, however, she saw that the Governor looked tense, which told her she had to be on to something. Jenna walked all around the table, eyes scanning every inch, until she stopped right where the Governor had just been sitting.

There was a gun taped to the side of the table, positioned in such a way that nobody sitting on the opposite side would be able to see it.

Jenna looked down at the Governor again, who didn't look so amused anymore, then calmly removed the gun. "I'll just take this off your hands," she said, before turning to stow the gun somewhere the Governor couldn't reach it.

"Let me guess," the Governor drawled behind her. "Merle gave you a few pointers."

Jenna turned back around to face him. "He sends his regards," she said, thinking it wiser not to relay his real message.

Deeming it safe to move closer, Rick sat down in his chair, one eyebrow quirked as he stared at the Governor. "So much for bein' unarmed," he huffed.

The Governor scooched his chair back up to the table, his expression still a little sour. "Do you blame me for bein' cautious?"

Rick scoffed. "You attacked us," he reminded the man. "You tortured our people. It was you who started this mess, not us."

"Actually it was Merle," the Governor corrected. "Yet you seem willin' enough 'ta forgive him." The Governor's good eye narrowed. "I can only assume you're lettin' him stay because he offered 'ta help take me down," he stated.

"I didn't come here 'ta talk about Merle," Rick deflected. "I came so we could talk about endin' this war between us. So are we gonna negotiate or what?"

Jenna internally cringed. Rick was being a little aggressive, which honestly didn't come as a surprise – he had been a wild card for several months now, and him having an attitude was nothing new. Still, Jenna wished he would reign himself in a little just to keep things cordial. The Governor didn't seem affected by Rick's snippiness yet, but she doubted he'd have the patience for it for very long.

"Let's all just take a breath for a second," Jenna said calmly, though that was directed more at Rick than at the Governor. Neither man looked at her, since they were too busy staring one another down. "A lot of shit has gone down, and there's not a lot of trust in this room. But obviously since you're both here, then I have to assume neither of you wants to see anymore bloodshed," she said, looking back and forth between the two of them. "So let's talk about this calmly and see what we can accomplish, alright?"

The Governor looked at Rick for one more moment, then held a hand up and relaxed into his seat. "Alright. I'm listening," he said, motioning for Rick to speak.

Rick, looking at least a little calmer, started to speak, but before he could get a word out, he was interrupted by the sound of a car arriving outside. Jenna instinctively put a hand on her gun and looked to the door, her mind immediately jumping to the conclusion that the Governor was launching an attack. She glanced untrustingly at the Governor, who seemed cool as a cucumber, then looked to the door again, listening intently for any sounds of a fight or struggle outside. When the door suddenly opened a few moments later, she tensed and almost drew her weapon. Jenna relaxed, however, when she realized who had arrived.

Andrea looked a little displeased as she stepped into the feed store and halfway closed the door behind her. Jenna glanced at the door, saw that an agitated Daryl was pacing just outside, then looked back to Andrea as she approached. She seemed mildly relieved to see that Jenna was there, but still turned an almost accusing look on the Governor.

"What's going on here?" she asked him as she came to stand next to Jenna. "Why did you come without me?"

"There's nothin' to worry about. We're just talkin'," he told her innocently. "Your friend Rick is a little testy," he said, which earned him a glare from Rick. "Jenna, however, seems like quite the Georgia Peach," he added, giving her another charming smile.

Jenna didn't like the way he kept smiling at her. It almost made her feel dirty. "I'm from Texas, actually," she corrected.

"Ah," he said, his smile widening. "The stars at night, are big and bright," he sang, before clapping four times. "Deep in the heart of Texas."

Jenna quirked a brow at the man's behavior, while Rick made a sound of annoyance. "You finished makin' jokes?" he snapped, his patience slipping again. "I didn't know bein' a stand up comedian was part of your resume."

"Rick," Jenna immediately interjected to catch his attention, before giving him a look that clearly said to take it down a notch.

"Yes, listen to the lady, Rick," the Governor practically taunted, having understood the silent exchange. "Just relax," he told him in a placating tone, as if talking to a wild dog.

Jenna started to tell the Governor to shut his mouth, but Andrea beat her to the punch. "Philip, that isn't necessary," she said, going about it far more politely than Jenna would have. "We didn't arrange this meeting so you two could antagonize each other. We're here to end this, before anyone else gets hurt. Save the bullets for the real threat."

"And you think he ain't a threat to us?" Rick questioned, his eyes trained on the Governor with pure loathing. "I know what you've done. I heard about the raids, the heads…Maggie," he said, his tone going bitter.

"As we've already established, that was Merle's fault," the Governor deflected calmly.

"That's not what he's talking about," Jenna said before she could stop herself, the words snapping past her lips.

The Governor gave her an unreadable look, which Jenna met with a hard one of her own. Andrea, she could see from the corner of her eye, was looking back and forth between them with uncertainty, but did not get a chance to ask for an explanation.

"Well, I s'pose we all know what each other's done," the Governor said to steer the conversation elsewhere. "I don't care about any of that, though. The past is the past." He gave them a smile that immediately gave Jenna the creeps. "We're here to move forward, right?"

Rick said nothing, merely continued to stare at the Governor with an expression caught somewhere between hatred and annoyance.

"That is the hope, yes," Jenna confirmed when Rick took too long to speak, making the Governor look to her again. "We've come up with a plan, one that would ensure none of our people ever have to be near each other again."

"Really," the Governor said simply, tapping his fingers against the table.

The Governor looked back to Rick, and for a long, silent moment, the two men stared at one another again. Jenna looked at Andrea, who was glancing back and forth between the Governor and Rick with a slight frown. The blonde, feeling her gaze, looked Jenna's way. After Jenna shrugged a shoulder, Andrea sighed and stepped closer to the table.

"Look, I've known both of you at different times," she said to try to ease the tension in the room. "After the world went to shit, you both stepped up for the good of others, at great personal risk – "

The Governor suddenly waved a hand, as if silently telling Andrea to be quiet. It was such a rude dismissal that Jenna raised her brows, surprised – and yet not at the same time – that the Governor would treat her that way.

"Just get on with it," he told Rick, ignoring Andrea's words.

Jenna gave a stung looking Andrea a brief look of sympathy, then looked back to the men as Rick smacked a map down onto the table.

"We've drawn out a boundary between our two communities. Woodbury takes West of the river. The prison takes east," Rick said bluntly. "Nobody crosses. Nobody trades. Zero contact from this day forward."

Jenna crossed her arms over her chest, watching as the Governor unfolded the map and looked at the boundaries she, Rick, and Daryl had mapped out the night before.

"It's a good idea," Andrea offered up. "We should set up borders between our two communities and just – "

"I'm sorry, what is this?" the Governor interrupted again, looking at Rick with a quirked brow.

"It's a solution," Andrea insisted. "And a good one at that."

The Governor chuckled and tossed the map back to Rick. "Absolutely not."

Rick looked instantly furious. "What the hell are we doin' here then?" he demanded, his eyes swinging accusingly toward Andrea. "You said he was willin' to talk."

"And I am," the Governor assured with a nod. "But the truth is, Rick, she doesn't have a say in any of this," he said, which made Andrea frown again. "I came here for only one thing – your surrender."

That was all it took for Rick to fly off the handle. "Oh, you want surrender?" he asked, chair scraping loudly as he stood up and leaned threateningly over the table. "Come and take it, then! You think we hit Woodbury heavy last time? You ain't seen – "

Jenna immediately moved to grab Rick by the arm to try to get him to back off. He resisted the tug on his arm at first, but Jenna didn't give up and finally managed to pull him a few feet away from the table. "Rick, calm down," she said firmly, knowing his aggressive behavior wouldn't help anything.

"You heard what he said," Rick growled, pointing at the Governor.

"I did," she confirmed. Jenna glanced back at the Governor, who looked smug as he watched their exchange, then turned a frown back on Rick. "But this is still salvageable, so stop trying to pick a damn fight, alright?" she hissed.

Rick still looked furious, but at least he was no longer trying to launch himself at the Governor to wring his neck.

"Let's all just take it easy, alright?" Andrea suggested. "We're here to settle this, not squabble like children."

"You're right," the Governor agreed, before gesturing to the door. "Why don't you step outside?" he dismissed, barely sparing Andrea a glance.

Andrea immediately looked affronted. "Excuse me?"

"Rick and I got a lot to talk about," the Governor told her. "In fact," he added, glancing at Jenna. "Why don't both of y'all step outside."

Anger immediately flashed through Jenna's veins, making the back of her neck feel hot. "Yeah, no," Jenna refused with a shake of her head. "I don't take orders from you. I'm not going anywhere, and neither is she," she stated with a nod toward Andrea.

The fact that she had argued back made annoyance pass over the Governor's face. "Alright then, ladies, how 'bout I put it in a way you understand a little clearer – you can leave an' let Rick and I discuss what we need to," he said slowly, "or I can end this meeting right now an' we all get 'ta see how bloody this war between us gets." He raised his brows, his expression condescending. "Your choice."

Jenna pressed her lips together tightly. She was pissed, there was no denying it and certainly no hiding it. The last thing she wanted to do was leave Rick and the Governor unattended, but the asshole wasn't really giving her much of a choice. She glanced at Andrea first, who looked equally as pissed off as her, then turned her eyes to Rick. He didn't look happy either, but he still gave her a reluctant nod to indicate that she should leave.

"Fine," Jenna snapped, before pointing a finger at the two. "Keep it civil or we're coming back in."

The Governor smiled. "Thank you, sweetheart."

Jenna glared at the man and had to bite her tongue to refrain from saying something rude. The Governor seemed completely unaffected by the way she was looking at him, just kept that same, infuriating smile on his face. Jenna gave Rick one last meaningful look, then, with a heave, she and Andrea finally turned to leave.

---

Sam's boots made a steady clunking sound as he paced the length of the second floor of the cell block. It was past noon, and though he was on the right channel and had tried reaching out, there had been no word from Sasha or Tyreese yet.

Be patient, he told himself. Maybe they just got held up.

He reached the end of the walkway, then turned around and went back the other way.

Chloe was sitting on the walkway with her legs hanging over the ledge and her arms braced against the lower bar of the railing. She glanced up at him as he neared, her expression knowing.

"Still nothing?" she asked.

Sam shook his head.

Chloe looked up at him contemplatively, then tilted her head. "Wanna sit with me?"

His fidgetiness made sitting down sound like a dubious task, but he eased down next to the girl anyway, letting his much longer legs hang over the edge. Chloe liked to talk, and he thought maybe listening to her chatter would be a good distraction while he waited for his friends to connect with him.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, both of them looking at the large window across from them. Finally, Chloe looked at him again.

"What do you think is happening at the meeting right now?"

Sam shrugged. "Hard to say."

Chloe nodded and leaned forward to prop her chin up on her arms. "I hate that Jenna and Daryl went. They always tell me to be careful, but they're the ones always running off to do dangerous stuff. It bugs me."

Sam couldn't help but agree with her. Jenna seemed to have no problem diving head first into dangerous situations, and from what he had heard, Daryl was even worse. He sincerely hoped there would come a day where everyone could just relax and not put their life on the line every other minute.

"Rick depends on them," Sam told her. "It worries me too, but I understand why they do it. And at the end of the day, I think a lot of the reason they do it is because they're protecting you."

Chloe sighed. "I know. But my dad died because he was protecting me. I don't want that to happen to them," she said with a shake of her head. "Jenna and Daryl…they're the only family I have now."

Sam looked down at the girl who was basically his unofficial niece now. They hadn't known each other for long, but he liked the kid. He also knew how important she was to his sister, and because of that fact alone, he already knew he'd do anything to make sure Chloe was protected. "That's not true," he said, before nudging her with his elbow. "You've got me. And you've got everyone else in the group. We're your family, too."

Chloe smiled a genuine smile and nudged him back. "Thanks, Sam."

"Anytime."

Raised voices down below interrupted the moment. They both frowned and looked in the direction of the common area. Ever since Glenn and T-Dog had returned from keeping watch on the silo, the rest of the group had been making preparations just in case a fight came their way. Sam couldn't see what was going on from where he was sitting, but he could definitely hear what sounded like an argument.

"I'm gonna see what's going on," Sam told Chloe.

He stood up and went downstairs, unsurprised when Chloe followed close behind him. The noise of the argument was growing in volume, and as people began to shout, Sam quickened his steps, making Chloe jog to keep up with him. When they reached the common area, he saw that Glenn and Merle were rolling around on the floor, clearly fighting, while Maggie and T-Dog seemed to be doing their best to separate the two.

"God damnit," Sam grumbled in annoyance, before striding over to them purposefully.

He wedged his way between Maggie and Merle, making the woman back off. With T-Dog's help, they hauled Merle off of Glenn. Sam immediately got him in a headlock and dragged him away, while T-Dog helped Glenn up from the floor.

"Let go of me!" Merle demanded, attempting and failing to throw Sam off.

Sam obliged the request, practically throwing him into the nearest wall. Merle managed to catch himself before he could fall, his chest heaving as he whipped around to glare at Sam.

"You can't help yourself, can you?" Sam snapped. "You always gotta start shit. Wasn't getting your ass beat once enough?"

"I'm just tryin' to end this shit once an' for all," Merle snapped back.

"He wants to go to the silo and kill the Governor," Glenn revealed when Sam looked to him for an explanation. "He doesn't even care that he'd be putting the others in danger by doing it."

"I care about Daryl," Merle interjected. "That's why I'm tryin' to take that fucker out before he goes after my brother." Merle looked back to Sam. "Your sister's out there too, prob'ly in the same room as a man that'd do all kinds of horrible shit 'ta her if he got the chance. You really gonna hide out here an' let that happen?"

Sam clenched his jaw, ignoring how uncomfortable the picture Merle painted left him feeling. "They're out there to talk, not fight. I trust that my sister knows what she's doing, and I trust that they're all watching each other's backs. You going there will only make shit worse," he said.

"Oh come on – " Merle started to complain.

"Just sit down and shut the hell up," T-Dog suddenly snapped, catching Sam by surprise. So far, T-Dog had seemed like a pretty nice, chilled out guy. The animosity in his expression and the venom in his tone was unexpected.

Merle glared at T-Dog, then finally huffed. "Guess I'm outnumbered here," he said, jutting his chin. "But when shit goes south an' you all wonder what you could'a done different, you're gonna think about this moment. And I'll be the one sayin' I told you so."

With that he walked away, leaving everyone to stare after him as he retreated to his nook. Finally, Glenn straightened himself out and retrieved the items he'd dropped during the fight.

"We should get back to work," he suggested.

Glenn looked at Sam, nodded once as if silently thanking him for intervening, then headed outside. Everyone else went back to what they were doing as well, though not without several people casting irritated looks in Merle's direction.

"Asshole just doesn't know when to quit," T-Dog muttered to him, shaking his head.

"Apparently not," Sam agreed.

Suddenly, the walkie talkie clipped to Sam's hip crackled.

"Sam?" a voice said through the speaker, though the static that accompanied it made it a little difficult to hear. "Sam…there? Its – " the voice sounded again, going in and out, as if they were only just out of range.

It was Sasha. He knew that in an instant. With a jolt in his stomach, he grabbed the walkie and lifted it to his mouth. "Sasha?" he called back. "Sasha, can you hear me?"

There was a reply, but he couldn't make out what she was saying. With a heave of frustration, he looked around the room, ignoring the people looking at him as he tried to figure out what to do, before his eyes landed on the heavy door that led outside. Sam immediately went that way, stepping out into the hot Georgia sun as he went to the courtyard.

"Sasha, can you hear me?" he called again once he was out in the open.

"There you are," Sasha said back, sounding much clearer now. "I was starting to worry that we were out of range."

Sam sighed with relief and smiled. "I'm here, and it's damn good to hear your voice."

"You too, Sasquatch," Sasha said back, which made him laugh. "There's someone else who wants to say hi."

After a short pause, the walkie came to life again. "Hey, Sam," greeted the much deeper voice of Tyreese.

"Good to hear from you, Ty," he said back. "Is everything good? Where are Allen and Ben?" he asked in a rush.

"Things are…okay," Tyreese said. "As for Allen and Ben – "

The walkie cut out for a second, then Sasha was back on, as if she had stolen the walkie from her brother. "Allen and Ben have lost their damn minds, Sam," she said bluntly.

Sam frowned and went to sit down at one of the tables. "What do you mean?" he asked unsurely.

"They've been working with the Governor practically since we got here," she said, which made his stomach turn uneasily. "After the Governor found out we'd been at the prison, he started asking for information. You know – the lay out, weak spots, things like that. I guess Allen and Ben really wanted to make sure they earned their spot here, because they started singing like canaries."

"They sold us out?" Sam asked, unable to help the anger in his tone.

"Pretty much."

Sam couldn't help but feel betrayed. He hadn't known Allen and Ben all that well, but he had still thought of them as friends. He could understand if that incident with Rick had left a sour taste in their mouths, but giving up information on the prison? Willingly putting him, his sister, and the entire group in even more danger than they were already in? That was unforgiveable.

"Look, we tried to talk 'em down," Tyreese said as he took the walkie back. "There was no convincing them to keep quiet, though. I'm sorry, man."

"I'm sorry, too," Sam replied bitterly. "I'm sorry for trusting them."

"I don't think it's anything personal against you, for what it's worth," Tyreese said. "They were scared of gettin' kicked outta Woodbury, and they were mad about what happened at the prison. I mean, hell…we were all mad about that."

Sam sighed. "I don't like what happened either, trust me. But I've talked to Rick about it, and he feels awful about what happened," he told them earnestly. "He was in a bad place when we turned up. His wife had just died and there was a lot of shit goin' down with Woodbury. He was stressed and, unfortunately, he took it out on us. If he could do things differently, he would. He told me that himself," he said, hoping it would change their view on Rick and his behavior.

"Really?" Tyreese asked, sounding unconvinced.

"Really, man. Jen and I even went out the next day to find you guys and bring you back to the prison. Rick wanted y'all to come back," Sam insisted. "But we never found you, and then Andrea turned up and told us y'all were at Woodbury, and…" Sam sighed. "I'm not gonna lie, guys. I'm worried about you being there. That place is bad news."

"We're starting to get that impression," Sasha replied, coming back onto the walkie. "After some of the things we've seen and heard…I don't think this place is as good as it wants everyone to believe."

"It's not. Not while the Governor is running things, anyway," Sam said with a frown.

"What did he do?" Sasha asked. "What really went down between Woodbury and the prison?"

Sam immediately filled them in on everything that had happened, from the Governor trying to have Michonne killed, to Glenn and Maggie getting kidnapped, to all the bad shit the Governor did behind closed doors. Finally, he ended with the surprise attack that had been launched on the prison just days ago.

"That's awful," Sasha said, sounding disturbed. "He seemed so normal when we met him. I would'a never guessed he was capable of that."

"He's a maniac. And he's dangerous," Sam said. "He's meeting with Rick right now to try to work out some kind of peace treaty, but…if you ask me, I think it's all bullshit. He's not gonna back down from this," Sam concluded.

"It certainly doesn't look like that from our point of view," Sasha confirmed. "They're definitely gearing up for somethin' big here. They're gettin' ready for war."

Sam sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead. The news didn't surprise him, really, but it certainly wasn't what he had wanted to hear, either. To know that the Governor was preparing for war, to know what might be headed their way, made a bad feeling sink into his gut.

"We're worried about you, Sam," Sasha continued gently. "We're worried about all of you."

Sam laughed humorlessly. "Me, too. But I'm also worried about y'all. I'm worried about what happens if the Governor finds out you've still got a connection to the prison. I mean…Allen and Ben already sold us out. How do you know he won't do the same to you?"

There was a long pause. "At this point, there's no telling what they might do," Sasha admitted uneasily.

Sam looked around for a moment, trying to decide what to say next. His biggest concern was making sure that his friends were safe, but where exactly was safe? Staying in Woodbury was risky, especially if Allen and Ben had already gone to the other side. Coming to the prison wasn't safe either, because it would put them right in the middle of the war most likely coming their way. Jenna had tried to convince him that it might be a good idea to have them spy on the Governor for them, but…honestly, he didn't like that idea at all. That was putting them right in the crosshairs, and he couldn't, in good conscious, do that to his friends.

"Look," Sam finally said. "You guys have gotta get the hell outta there. You're not safe as long as you're in Woodbury."

"The prison isn't much safer," Sasha pointed out.

"I know," Sam sighed. "Which is why you guys need to go somewhere else. Take a walkie, take some supplies, and find a place to hole up for a while. Just get off the Governor's radar. Once this shit is over with, once things are safe again, I can contact you and have you come back to the prison."

There was another pause. "And what about you?" Tyreese asked unsurely.

"My family is here. Our future is here. I have to stay and fight," Sam said firmly.

"And you think you'll win?" Tyreese questioned.

Sam frowned deeply. "I don't know," he told them honestly. "But we're sure as shit gonna try to."

When the walkie crackled again, Sasha was back on. "We appreciate the concern, but running and hiding isn't our style," she said with determination. "You see, we kinda like you, and we'd both prefer it if you and that group didn't end up dead because of some crazy asshole. If you're gonna fight, then so are we. We're gonna stay here in Woodbury," she said, sounding like her mind was made up. "We'll keep an eye on Allen and Ben, keep an eye on the Governor, warn you of any trouble coming your way. Those dudes won't get the jump on the prison again."

Sam frowned uneasily. "That's dangerous, Sasha."

"So is going to war with a town that has triple the amount of people and resources as you," Tyreese jumped in. "You need help if you wanna beat him, Sam. This is the best way we know how to help, so we're gonna do it. We're in this now."

Sam knew already that there would be no convincing them otherwise. "You're sure?"

"Positive," Tyreese confirmed.

Sam sighed, then slowly nodded in resignation. "Alright. I don't like it. Not even a little. But…alright," he conceded.

There was a long silence on Sasha and Tyreese's end, long enough to where Sam almost worried that something might have happened, or that someone had caught them talking to him. Just when he started to worry, the walkie crackled again.

"I think we're gonna have to cut this short," Sasha said. "We found a safe place to call you from, but there's still people nearby. The last thing we need is any of the Governor's goons finding out we talked to you."

"Okay," Sam said, even though he didn't really want to say goodbye. "Are you sure you two will be alright in there?"

"Don't worry. We know what we're doin'," Tyreese reassured.

"Okay," Sam said again. "Just…keep your heads down and play it safe. If you ever, ever get the feeling that you're in danger or that somethin's about to go sideways, you get the hell out of there, alright?"

"Alright," Sasha agreed. "In the meantime, we'll watch what's goin' on here. If anything big happens, we'll reach out on this same channel."

"Sounds like a plan." Sam paused, then smiled a bit. "I'm glad we talked. I, uh…I really missed you guys," he admitted.

"Says the dude who was chomping at the bit to run away from us," Sasha teased, which drew a smirk from Sam. "We missed you, too," she added in a more serious note. "Watch your back and try not to get yourself killed, alright Sasquatch?"

"I'll do my best, as long as you do the same," he countered.

"We will," Sasha promised. "Talk to you soon."

"Bye."

Sam stared at the walkie-talkie as it went quiet again, then looked to the forest beyond the prison.

As glad as he was that he had talked to Sasha and Tyreese, he couldn't help the uneasy feeling in his gut. With Allen and Ben turning against them and giving the Governor inside information, there was even more shit working against the group, which meant this Woodbury situation was dangerously close to being well beyond their control. He probably should have felt relieved to know that Sasha and Tyreese were on their side and would do their best to keep the prison protected, but honestly, knowing that his friends would be spying on the enemy only made him worry even more. It was dangerous, and if they were caught, they would definitely be killed.

It was their choice, though, Sam reminded himself. They were smart and seemed determined, and all Sam could do now was just trust that they knew what to do, and hope that all of this would be over soon.

---

As soon as she and Andrea stepped outside, Jenna turned on the blonde with a frown of irritation.

"What the hell was that in there?" she asked. "When you came to the prison, you made it sound like he wanted to work out some kind of agreement with us."

Andrea shrugged and threw her hands into the air, looking annoyed and confused. "I-I thought he did," she said quickly. "He seemed willing to hear what you guys had to say. He made it seem like he wanted peace."

"Well, clearly that's not what he's after," Jenna huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What's goin' on?" Daryl asked as he appeared next to them.

"That asshole kicked us out," Jenna told him, sending a glare toward the feed store. "He didn't even wanna hear about the borders we drew up. All he wants from us, and I quote, is a surrender."

Daryl's frown was immediate. "An' what does that mean?" he asked, looking back and forth between her and Andrea.

Andrea seemed unsure what to say, while Jenna shook her head. "Can't mean anything good," she replied.

The sound of approaching footsteps brought their conversation to a halt. A tough looking man that Jenna had never seen before was walking toward them. He was from Woodbury, that was obvious, and he must have arrived with Andrea while she'd been inside. Sure enough, she could see another truck parked not too far away from the Tucson. She could also see that there was another man that had come – Milton, the same guy that had come with Andrea to the prison to arrange the meeting.

"Can you take your bitchin' elsewhere?" the tough looking guy demanded, looking back and forth between Jenna and Daryl. "I doubt boss wants to hear you yappin' away out here," he added, motioning to the door that was still slightly open. "I said move it," he snapped when nobody made any moves to go anywhere.

"We don't answer 'ta you, shithead," Daryl snapped back.

"I don't care. Princess Ariel over here is loud as shit," the guy said, motioning toward Jenna. "Move it, or I'll make you move it," he threatened, glaring at Jenna.

Daryl, as anyone who knew him could have predicted, immediately squared up and gave the guy a murderous look. "You so much as breathe on her an' I'll put your eyeballs on a skewer," he threatened, his grip on his crossbow tightening.

The guy looked amused if anything. "What, you her guard dog or somethin'?"

"And what're you? The Governor's bitch?" Daryl retorted.

The insult wiped the smirk right off the guy's face. He took a threatening step toward Daryl, who was more than willing to meet the challenge, and for a second it looked like a fight was going to break out. Before one could, however, Jenna and Andrea intervened.

Jenna put a hand on Daryl's chest, moving so that she stood between him and the loud mouth from Woodbury. "This isn't the time for this," she said, understanding why he was angry but knowing the last thing they needed was to get into a brawl with the Governor's goons.

"Shut your mouth, Martinez, and stop riling people up," Andrea snapped at the same time with a glare and a shove to the man's shoulder. "This is completely unnecessary."

Though the two men still were exchanging glares, they both seemed to get the message and backed off. Without taking his eyes off Martinez, Daryl put a hand on Jenna's back and led her over to where Hershel was standing. The older man looked a little alarmed by how quickly things had escalated, but was otherwise perfectly calm. As for Martinez, he shut the door to the store completely, then went back to the truck he'd arrived in, shooting Daryl a dirty look in the process.

There was a tense silence between the two groups for several minutes. Jenna stayed between Hershel and Daryl, trying to quell the anxiousness she felt as the minutes dragged on. Martinez was leaning against the truck, unabashedly watching them like a hawk, while Milton was on the other side of the hood, scribbling down something in a book. Andrea, Jenna noticed, had gone to sit by herself on a bench not far from the door to the feed store. She looked angry and confused and like she was struggling to wrap her head around something.

Suddenly, Milton closed his book and stepped toward them. When Daryl turned an untrusting glare on him, Jenna thought she saw Milton fidget a little.

"I think we all…got off on the wrong foot," he said calmly. "There's no reason we can't use this time to talk things out ourselves." His gaze turned to Jenna, which had her standing a little straighter. "I got the impression yesterday that you're next in charge after Rick. With you being second in command, and with me being the Governor's most trusted advisor, perhaps the two of us should talk as well," he suggested.

"She's not goin' anywhere with you," Daryl bluntly refused.

Jenna caught Daryl's eye to give him a look that said she could speak for herself. "I don't really see the point," she said, looking back to Milton. "Your Governor made it pretty clear that he's not interested in any negotiating."

"Boss said to sit tight and shut up anyway," Martinez interjected, giving Milton a look. "Just leave it be."

"Philip can be stubborn," Milton admitted, ignoring Martinez. "But that doesn't mean there isn't hope. Nobody here wants another battle," he insisted. "He and Rick will work something out."

"I wouldn't exactly call that a battle," Daryl countered.

"I would call it a battle, and I did," Milton said, holding up the book he'd been writing in. "I recorded it."

"Really?" Jenna said. Milton nodded in confirmation. "Why?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Milton gave a small shrug. "Somebody's gotta keep a record of what we've gone through. It'll be a part of our history."

"That makes sense," Hershel admitted.

The small showing of interest on Hershel's part seemed to spark something in Milton. "I've got dozens of interviews," he said, taking a few steps closer. "If you want – "

Before he could say anything more, they heard a loud metal clang somewhere in the cluster of silos across the way, accompanied by distinctive growls that could only mean one thing – walkers.

Daryl started off to investigate the noise and Jenna made to go with him, but he motioned for her to hang back. "Stay with Hershel. If it's a herd, be ready 'ta run."

Jenna nodded and stayed back, watching as he jogged away, followed closely by Andrea and Martinez.

She, Hershel, and Milton were quiet as they waited to see what would happen. Jenna, keeping her pistol in her hand just in case, was already formulating a plan in case it was a herd coming through the area – she would make sure Hershel got into the Tucson first, then she'd get Rick. Once the men were on their way to safety, she would get to Daryl and help out however she could. He'd probably be mad at her for staying, but Jenna didn't really care – there wasn't a chance in hell she was just going to leave him.

Thankfully, she discovered about five minutes later that her escape plan wouldn't be needed. Andrea came walking back into view, shaking her head a little and looking annoyed. Jenna expected Daryl and Martinez to show up after her, but they didn't, which made her frown at Andrea unsurely.

"Where are Daryl and Martinez?" she asked as Andrea rejoined them.

"Competing to see who's better at killing walkers," Andrea informed her with a slight roll of her eyes. "I didn't wanna stick around to watch their pissing contest."

Jenna nodded in understanding, relaxing a little more now that she knew Daryl was fine.

Andrea glanced at the feed store, her brows pinching together, before looking at Jenna again. "Can we talk? Alone?" she added meaningfully.

Jenna blinked, then nodded. "Sure."

She followed Andrea over to the bench that the blonde had been sitting on before the walkers had shown up. Andrea sat down with a heavy sigh, propping her elbows up on her knees. After staring at the ground for a second, she blinked and looked up at Jenna.

"I'm sorry about all this," she apologized with a shake of her head. "The way Philip acted in there, the things he said…I had no idea he was gonna be like that." Andrea pressed her lips together for a moment. "I practically begged you to get Rick to come out here, and I just…I feel like I let you guys down."

Jenna immediately felt bad for Andrea. With a sigh, she sat down next to the woman, mimicking her pose as she leaned her elbows on her knees. "It's not your fault. The Governor seems like he keeps you in the dark about a lot of things. Can't say I'm surprised he didn't tell you the truth about how things would go down today." Jenna then frowned at her. "Does he always treat you like that?"

Andrea shook her head. "No." Then she thought about it and shrugged. "Well, not until recently," she admitted. "He's been different since…" Andrea trailed off, as if unsure how much to reveal.

"Since what?" Jenna prompted.

Andrea glanced over at Milton, whom Jenna could now see had gone to sit on another bench with Hershel several yards away. Jenna sat a little straighter, unsure if she liked Hershel being alone with Milton – as harmless as the man seemed, she still didn't like him being so close to someone she cared about so much. Hershel, as if sensing her stare, looked her way and gave a quick wave, silently indicating everything was fine. Jenna relaxed, but only a little bit.

"He had a daughter," Andrea said, making Jenna look back to her. "Penny," she specified. "She died and…turned. He was keeping her in the same room he was keeping those heads. He was…feeding her, taking care of her, as if she was still alive," she explained with a concerned look. "When Rick brought that group to Woodbury to rescue Glenn and Maggie, Michonne broke into the room. She killed Penny," Andrea revealed. "He's been…off…ever since."

Jenna mulled the information over, unable to help feeling a little disturbed by the fact that the Governor had been treating his zombie daughter as if she was still alive. In a way, she supposed it wasn't too different from how Hershel had treated the walkers in his barn back in the day. Then again, Hershel hadn't known any better at the time – the Governor had certainly known better, though.

"Michonne didn't say anything about that," Jenna said with a frown.

"Michonne plays it close to the chest," Andrea said.

Jenna snorted. "No shit." The woman was practically the walking, talking equivalent of Fort Knox.

"Jenna," Andrea said after a few moments, looking at her uneasily. "What happened between Philip and Maggie?"

Jenna had been expecting the question to come after Rick had mentioned it inside. Still, she stiffened and looked at Andrea cautiously. "You sure you wanna know?" she asked slowly.

Andrea took a shaky breath, then nodded. "I want to know. I need to know."

Under any other circumstances, Jenna would not have gone into detail about what Maggie went through. Maggie had told her the truth in confidence, and it was not Jenna's place to tell anyone else. But Andrea was directly linked to the Governor, was more or less in a relationship with the guy. If anyone needed to know the truth about what kind of man he was, it was Andrea.

"When Maggie and Glenn were being held captive, the Governor took her into another room. He made her take her top off, bent her over a table, and touched her in ways he had no right to," Jenna explained. "He threatened to hurt Glenn if she didn't comply. He was trying to scare her, trying to break her. And I think he would have done a lot worse if she had been uncooperative."

Andrea stared at her in shock for a moment, then tears sprang to her eyes and her chin began to tremble. As she let out a long, shaky breath and rubbed her eyes with her thumb and forefinger, it was clear that the revelation of Maggie's assault had greatly upset her. Jenna said nothing more, giving Andrea the time she needed to process what she had just learned.

"Jesus," Andrea finally breathed, pulling her hand away from her face to look up at the sky. "How am I so goddamn blind? How could I not see him for what he really is?"

Jenna shrugged and sat up straighter. "He's a good liar."

Andrea shook her head and closed her eyes. "I should've done it while I had the chance," she muttered.

"Done what?" Jenna questioned.

"Killed him," Andrea said bluntly. "Carol…she put the idea in my head. And I thought about it. I really did," she explained. "But I stopped myself and now…" She went quiet and swallowed hard, then looked at Jenna with emotional eyes. "What am I gonna do?" she asked helplessly. "I can't go back there. I can't be with him. After everything he's done…just the thought of him makes me sick to my stomach."

Jenna had been thinking about Andrea's predicament quite a lot over the past few days actually. Considering Andrea had put herself right smack in the middle of an increasingly dangerous situation, Jenna had found herself growing more and more worried for the woman's safety. It scared her to think what might happen to Andrea if the Governor decided she was too sympathetic toward the group, that he might question her loyalty and punish her for it.

There was only one solution Jenna could think of that would ensure Andrea's safety. Jenna turned so that she was facing Andrea and reached for her hands, giving them a firm squeeze. "Come back with us to the prison," she practically pleaded. "The Governor is ruthless, and if he starts to question who's side you're on, there's no telling what he might do to you."

"I'm not on anyone's side," Andrea countered. "I just want what's best for everyone."

"I know you do," Jenna replied patiently. "But he won't be as understanding. You're not safe with him, Andrea. Let us protect you from him."

Andrea went quiet as she considered the offer, her eyes searching Jenna's pleading ones. "I want to come with you. I do," she said with a nod. "But…what about all those people in Woodbury?" she asked. "They have no idea what he's really like. Someone has to protect them from him," she insisted.

Jenna knew Andrea's heart was in the right place, but she still shook her head. "You can't keep playing the middle man, and you can't protect everybody. All it's gonna do is get you killed." As Andrea gulped, Jenna gave her hands another squeeze. "You and I never really got the chance to become friends, so I don't know how much my opinion matters. But I really don't want to see anything bad happen to you. I'm worried about you, Andrea. Please," she begged. "Come with us. You belong with us."

Andrea didn't seem to know what to say. She stared at Jenna for a long moment, then sighed heavily and pulled her hands away from Jenna's, her expression troubled as she considered her options. Sensing her indecision, and not wanting to stress her out by pressuring her, Jenna patted her arm gently.

"Just think about it," she said to Andrea quietly. "Okay?"

Andrea nodded. "I will."

Jenna offered a supportive smile, then crossed her arms and leaned back against the bench.

She knew Andrea had a lot to think about, and that it might take time for her to come to a decision. But time, unfortunately, was not on their side, and all Jenna could do now was hope that Andrea made the right decision before it was too late.

---

It took a very long time for Rick and the Governor to emerge from the feed store.

Jenna sat with Andrea in silence, periodically glancing up to the sun to gauge the time, then looking to the door as she waited for the men to emerge. It was hard not to fidget with anxiety as she waited to find out just what exactly the men had discussed, and whether or not they'd been able to come to an agreement on anything. Daryl had long since returned and relocated closer to her. He was currently having his third cigarette from a pack he had found while killing walkers with Martinez. Jenna wasn't a smoker, but she was getting so anxious that she almost asked him for one just to try to calm her nerves a little.

Finally, the door to the store opened with a loud creak. Jenna and Andrea both stood, and everyone in the vicinity turned to watch as the Governor came strolling out. He seemed very calm, as if he didn't have a care in the world, and went straight to the truck Martinez and Milton had been hanging out by. Without a word to anyone, he opened the door and got inside.

Rick came walking out next, his gaze locked on the Governor as he watched the man prepare to leave. He then looked at Jenna, his expression hard to read, before nodding toward the Tucson to silently indicate that they should leave, too.

Rick and Hershel got into the Tucson, while Jenna took her place with Daryl on his motorcycle. As Martinez and Milton made themselves comfortable in the backseat of the Governor's truck, Jenna's eyes turned to Andrea, who was the last one left to get into a vehicle. The blonde seemed hesitant, as if she was considering getting into the Tucson with Rick and Hershel instead of going with the Governor. Her eyes met Jenna's, and Jenna silently willed her to choose them. To leave the Governor and Woodbury behind and come back with them to the prison, where they would be able to watch her back.

Andrea gave her a small, almost sad smile, then turned and got into the Governor's truck.

Jenna barely had time to feel disappointed before Daryl revved the engine of the motorcycle and the two groups went their separate ways.

It was a relief to get back to the prison. Jenna eyed the walkers infesting the field as Daryl steered the motorcycle up to the courtyard, where Sam and T-Dog, both armed, unlocked the gate to let them pass through. Once everyone was safely in the courtyard, T-Dog locked the gate to shut them in.

As Jenna climbed off the back of Daryl's bike, Sam came walking over with a relieved expression. "How'd it go?"

Jenna shrugged, glancing toward Rick as he and Hershel got out of the Tucson. "Not sure yet," she told him honestly. "What about you? Did you talk to Sasha and Tyreese?" Sam nodded. "What did they have to say?"

"They're gonna stay in Woodbury," he said, frowning slightly with concern. "Allen and his son sold out the prison to the Governor," he revealed. "Sasha and Ty want to stay there and keep tabs on what's going on, be our inside men."

"Spyin' on the Governor?" Daryl asked as he came to stand next to Jenna, having overheard their conversation. "That's risky."

"They know," Sam told him, before shrugging. "But they wanna help, so they're willing to do it."

Their agreeing to help was certainly good news, especially so now that Allen and Ben were giving the Governor information. Having allies in Woodbury would greatly work in their favor – they would know what the Governor was doing and when he was doing it, which meant they wouldn't get caught off guard again. If the Governor found out what they were doing, however, it would mean a death sentence for Sasha and Tyreese. Jenna could only hope now that they went about things carefully and that they didn't get caught.

She started to say something in response, but was cut off as Rick went walking past them with a purpose. "Everyone inside," he ordered with authority.

Without a word, the rest of them followed him back into the common area. The group was waiting to greet them, looking relieved that everyone had returned unhurt but also anxious for news about how the meeting had gone. Jenna smiled as Chloe rushed forward to greet her, hugging her tightly. She had just barely managed to hug her back and kiss the top of her head when Rick called for everyone to convene in the cell block. She ushered Chloe forward, shuffling along with her friends as everyone gathered around Rick.

He paced for a few moments as everyone got settled, his brows furrowed as he rubbed a hand along his stubbled jaw. He looked troubled, and Jenna suddenly wished they'd had a moment to talk about the meeting before he'd called everyone into the block.

"So, I met with the Governor," Rick said, turning around to face them all. "Sat with him for…quite a while."

"Alone?" asked Merle, who stood a few feet away from her.

"For the most part, yeah," Rick confirmed.

Merle huffed and turned to walk past Glenn and Maggie. "Should'a gone while we had the chance, bro," he muttered to Glenn.

Jenna frowned and glanced at Sam, who was standing near her, silently asking what Merle had meant by that. He shook his head and mouthed, Tell you later.

She turned back forward as Rick continued on. "The Governor wants the prison. He wants us gone." He paused, then raised his eyebrows. "Dead," he corrected himself. "He wants us dead for what we did to Woodbury."

The tension in the room rose at those words. Jenna chewed on the inside of her cheek, an uncomfortable feeling settling in her belly. She glanced down at Chloe, who had stiffened considerably, and pulled her closer, wrapping an arm securely around the girl's shoulders.

"So…what does this mean?" asked T-Dog warily.

Rick looked at him, then glanced around at all of them. "It means we're going to war."

Jenna closed her eyes with defeat. Those were the words she had been desperately hoping she wouldn't hear. Helplessness consumed her as she realized that it had all been for nothing. Everything she and Andrea had hoped for, everything they had worked for, had been a waste of time. The Governor would not simply leave them be, and Rick would never surrender. The only option left was to fight.

Jenna opened her eyes again to look around at her friends, who were all standing in shocked silence as they processed the news. Some looked terrified, some looked unsurprised, and some – like Merle – looked ready to start fighting. Jenna tightened her grip on Chloe, who was trembling a little, and shifted her gaze to Daryl. They shared a long, meaningful look, but said nothing.

"Jenna." She blinked and looked at Rick, who nodded toward the door, indicating that he wanted her to come with him.

Jenna nodded, watching as he went upstairs and disappeared onto the catwalk outside their building, then kissed Chloe's head one more time. "I'll be right back," she whispered.

Chloe nodded absently, her gaze trained on the floor. Jenna gave Daryl one last look, then turned to follow Rick, patting Sam on the shoulder as she went past him.

Rick was standing with a hand braced on the fence, his eyes staring off into the distance. Jenna crossed her arms as she stopped next to him, her own gaze searching for any threats beyond their borders.

"Guess it was all for nothing," she commented with a heavy sigh. "I should've known better than to think he'd actually let us out of this scott free." Jenna sighed again, then shrugged. "There is some good news at least," she said, which made Rick glance at her. "Sam talked to Sasha and Tyreese. They're gonna stay in Woodbury and keep tabs on the Governor for us."

"That's good," Rick said without much infliction.

Jenna nodded slowly. "At least we'll know when he plans to come and kill us all."

Rick didn't say anything for a moment. He stared at the walkers pacing aimlessly around the field in the distance, his gaze contemplative. "There is another option here," he revealed. "A chance to avoid the war."

Jenna frowned at him unsurely. "What do you mean?"

Rick turned to face her. "The Governor…he gave me a choice. A way outta all this." A frown pulled at his lips. "There's somethin' he wants, an' if we give it to him, it's all over."

Jenna couldn't help but think his words sounded a little ominous. "What is it?"

Rick hesitated, his gaze boring into hers. "Michonne."

A cold feeling of dread swept through her. It was one thing to want their supplies, or their weapons, or just the prison itself. But to want them to hand over a person? A living, breathing human? That was something else entirely.

Jenna shook her head. "Of course he does," she said with disgust, thinking back to what Andrea had told her back at the feed store. Rick gave her a questioning look. "He was keeping his undead daughter chained up with all those heads. Michonne killed her to get revenge for putting the hit out on her when she left Woodbury. I can only assume the Governor wants to settle the score." Rick nodded slowly in understanding. "You're not gonna go through with it, are you?" Jenna asked with a frown.

Rick lifted an eyebrow. "You think I shouldn't?"

"Hell no," Jenna said immediately. "We both know what a sick, twisted bastard he is. If he gets his hands on Michonne, there's no telling what kind of terrible shit he'll do to her. Just killing her would probably be the best case scenario with him," she pointed out.

"We barely know her," Rick said. "Do you even trust her?"

Jenna sighed and took a moment to think about it.

She didn't know Michonne and she'd certainly had her reservations about the woman at the start…but did she trust her now? Michonne had come to the prison and told them about Glenn and Maggie being kidnapped when she could have easily just gone on with her life. Sure, she'd had ulterior motives for getting back into Woodbury, but she'd still helped Rick and the others break in so they could rescue Glenn and Maggie. She'd saved Hershel from getting eaten when the Governor had attacked, and, according to Rick himself, she'd helped Carl out of a tight spot when they'd gone searching for ammo the day before. All in all, Michonne had done far more good than bad, and she hadn't tried to betray them yet.

In short – she had yet to give Jenna a reason not to trust her.

"I'm starting to, yeah," Jenna said truthfully.

Rick sighed and turned his eyes forward again. "He'd probably still come after us even if we did hand her over," he mused aloud. He went quiet for a moment, then looked over at her again. "But what if he doesn't? What if this really is the way out?"

"It's not right, Rick," Jenna said with a shake of her head. "And I think if you asked anyone else in there about it, they'd say the same thing," she added.

"Even Merle?" Rick countered.

Jenna gave him a flat look. "Merle doesn't count."

Rick huffed, and for a few moments, nothing was said. Jenna crossed her arms tightly over her chest, thinking about everything he had said. Finally, she raised her brows questioningly.

"Are you gonna tell the rest of the group about this?" she asked.

Rick nodded slowly. "Eventually," he said. "Right now, I want them 'ta think about what it'll be like 'ta go to war with Woodbury. Right now, I need them to be scared."

"Why?" Jenna questioned.

Rick gave her a look. "Because if they're scared, it's the only way they'll accept givin' Michonne up."

Jenna's stomach flipped uneasily. "You're gonna do it then?" she asked, not bothering to hide her disapproval.

Rick shifted on his feet and let out a long breath. "I've got two days to decide what I'm gonna do," he told her. He then turned toward her and gave her a serious look. "I'm hopin' you can talk me out of it before then, Matthews."

---

It was a very weird night that night.

With the threat of war looming over them, almost everyone in the group was anxious and stressed. All anyone could talk about was the Governor and Woodbury, and most of the night had been spent debating what the group should do. A few, like Carol and Beth, thought they should go back to the road, take their chances against the walkers and try to find a new home far away from Woodbury. Others, like Merle and Glenn, had already accepted that a fight was coming and were starting to plan for it. From what Jenna had overheard, the majority of the group seemed ready to stand their ground and fight for the prison. Even Michonne had thrown her two cents in, claiming that they should strike Woodbury first.

Michonne.

Jenna couldn't even think about the woman without feeling overwhelmed with guilt. It had been difficult to be around her that night, and she'd found herself actively avoiding her. How could Jenna look her in the eye after all the things Rick had told her? There was no chance of acting normally around her, not when the woman's fate was practically in her hands now. Because if she couldn't convince Rick not to hand Michonne over to the Governor, then the woman's life would surely be over.

But was convincing Rick not to give Michonne up even the right call?

Jenna frowned as she made her way back to her cell after a shift on watch with Glenn, her mind working overdrive as she thought about everything.

Her knee jerk reaction when Rick had told her about Michonne was to not hand the woman over. Michonne had helped them in a lot of ways, and she had proved that she could fit amongst their group. And as a woman, how could Jenna possibly be alright with giving Michonne over to a man that had proved to be a cruel, sadistic monster? Just the thought of what the Governor might do to the woman made Jenna cringe and left her feeling horribly uneasy. There was no way she could agree to the exchange knowing what Michonne would be subjected to. It just didn't feel right.

But she'd had some time to think about it, and part of her had started to wonder if giving Michonne up was the answer. She had shown signs that she could be one of them, but that didn't mean she actually was one of them yet. No, Michonne hadn't betrayed them despite ample opportunity to do so, but that didn't mean she never would. The woman played it close to the chest, and with how little they knew about her, it stood to reason that they didn't know what she was capable of. What if she was only taking advantage of their hospitality now while it benefited her, then turned on them when what they had to offer no longer suited her?

Then Jenna thought about the group – her friends, her family. Maybe the Governor was lying and still planned to attack them even if they did give Michonne up – Jenna didn't know. But she did know that if they didn't give her up, then the Governor absolutely would attack them. That would put Daryl, and Chloe, and Sam, and everyone that she loved most in the world in grave danger. People would get hurt. People would die.

The bottom line was that their lives were more important to her than Michonne's. Maybe it was cold hearted of her to think that, but…it was the truth.

She finally reached her cell and quietly walked inside, taking off her gun and setting it down on the metal shelf. When she turned back to the bunkbeds, she paused as her eyes met Daryl's and she realized he was still awake. Jenna glanced at the top bunk, where Chloe was snoozing away, then crept over to the bed.

"Why are you still awake?" she asked in a whisper.

"Too much on my mind," Daryl said with a shrug.

Jenna nodded in understanding, then pulled a face. "I know the feeling."

She leaned down and then carefully climbed over him, taking her usual spot between him and the wall. Daryl scooched over to make a little more room for her, then, when she was comfortable, he turned to face her.

"What're you thinkin' about?" he asked quietly.

Jenna decided that since Rick hadn't told her not to tell Daryl, then it was safe to confide in him about the Michonne situation. She told him about the Governor demanding Michonne in return for a peaceful end to their feud, and how Rick seemed ready to follow through with it if Jenna couldn't convince him otherwise. By the time she was done explaining the situation, Daryl was frowning.

"Don't feel right, handin' her over," he admitted with a shake of his head. "We don't do shit like that."

"I know," Jenna sighed. "But…what if this is how we get out of this mess?" she asked, raising her brows. "If giving her up means we're all safe again…maybe it's worth it."

"And you'd be alright with that? Even though you know what he'd do 'ta her?" Daryl asked, giving her a look.

"I didn't say I'd be happy about it," Jenna countered with a frown. She rubbed a hand over her face, then sighed and shook her head. "We've still got two days," she said. "I think I need to sleep on it, wait until my head's a little clearer before I make any decisions. After today, I'm way too on edge to think about this clearly."

"Pretty sure everyone is on edge," Daryl said.

Jenna nodded in agreement, then turned and snuggled into his side, sighing as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. The day certainly hadn't gone as she had hoped and she was feeling more than a little stressed, but in that moment, being in the safety of their cell and cuddled up with Daryl in their bed made her feel just a little bit better.

But then she remembered the war looming on the not so distant horizon, and any contentedness she'd felt was quickly overshadowed with dread.

"What about you?" she asked to keep the conversation going, hoping it might distract her from her own feelings. "What's keeping you up?"

"Keep thinkin' about Woodbury an' the war," Daryl said. "I keep tellin' myself that maybe it'll be okay, that we'll find a way 'ta win. But…I'm scared," he admitted.

Jenna lifted her head to look at him, unable to help feeling surprised by what he'd said. Daryl very rarely admitted to ever being afraid of anything. "We all are," she told him. "Woodbury has a lot of fighters, and the Governor – "

"I ain't scared of that," Daryl interrupted gently, making her fall silent. "I don't give a shit about the Governor or his goons." He paused to search her face intently. "Only thing I'm scared of is losing you."

Jenna felt a lump form in her throat. "You won't lose me, Daryl," she said, reaching for his hand to lace her fingers with his.

"You can't promise that," he countered with a shake of his head. He let out a heavy breath, his brows pinching together a little. "That guy Martinez said somethin' to me today," he finally continued. "Said his wife an' kids were killed by walkers."

As annoying as Martinez had been, Jenna felt a tiny swell of sympathy for him. It was hard losing the people you loved to the chompers, and after losing plenty of people she cared about, she didn't wish that kind of pain on anyone. Not even her worst enemies.

"We get so caught up in the everyday grind that sometimes I forget that any day with you could be the last," Daryl continued. "There's been so many close calls already. You leavin' the farm. You gettin' hurt last winter. You gettin' stuck in that confinement cell after the courtyard got overrun. Now some prick on a power trip wants 'ta put us all in the ground, an' it scares the shit outta me thinkin' he might actually do it."

Jenna squeezed his hand again. "He won't," she said with determination, sensing Daryl's vulnerability and offering him the comfort he clearly needed. "I don't know how, but…we'll find a way to make it out of this."

"We will," Daryl said with just as much determination. "Cause I can't lose you, red. I won't lose you. Not to him, not to walkers, not to nothin'."

Daryl lifted up onto an elbow so he could look into her eyes more directly. "You know my life wasn't nothin' special before the walkers came. I've done a lot'a stupid shit an' made a lot'a bad decisions in my life…but bein' with you? That was the best decision I ever made," he said, making that lump form in her throat again. "I don't know what's gonna happen tomorrow, or the day after that, or any of the days from here on out, but…I do know that you're the best thing that ever happened to me." He paused, his eyes searching her face intently. "I love you, Jenna."

Jenna couldn't help the tears that immediately sprung to her eyes, simply because she hadn't been expecting any declarations of love and hearing those words from him had made her so indescribably happy. She smiled probably wider than she had in her entire life and buried her face into his shoulder, hugging him so fierce that she almost knocked him onto his back.

"Should I be worried you're cryin'?" he asked unsurely.

Jenna laughed and pulled back to look at him with a sappy eyes. "These are happy tears," she reassured, quickly wiping her eyes. "I…I honestly wasn't sure if I'd ever hear you say that," she admitted.

Daryl flushed a little and shrugged. "Should'a said it a long time ago. Almost did the other night when we were talkin' outside, but I chickened out." He gave her another resolute look. "I ain't gonna be like that no more, though. I love you, an' I ain't afraid of that no more."

Jenna smiled again. Not only had Daryl told her he loved her, but now he had gone and said it twice. She placed a hand on his cheek and leaned in closer, so that their lips were barely an inch apart. "I love you, too."

Daryl gave her a rare smile, then leaned in to kiss her. Jenna sighed, her arms tightening around him as their lips moved in a sweet, unhurried pace. He pulled back to look at her, then kissed her again, this time a little firmer. Daryl eased her onto her back, settling on top of her as their lips began to move with a bit more urgency. Jenna welcomed the weight of his warm body, her legs spreading wider to make room for him as he pressed against her tighter, kissed her harder, as his hands began to wander. Jenna let out a quiet moan of approval, her fingers finding their way into his hair, drawing an answering moan from Daryl as she moved her hips against his.

He pulled his lips from hers to trail kisses down her neck, one of his hands slipping up underneath her shirt to touch the warm skin of her stomach. Jenna tilted her head to give him more access, a gasp escaping her as his teeth nipped at her jaw.

Suddenly, the mattress above them squeaked, making them both instantly freeze. She'd gotten so caught up in the moment that she'd actually forgotten Chloe was still asleep above them. Judging by the cringe on Daryl's face, he had too. They waited in silence to see if she had woken, then relaxed when the girl sighed in her sleep and stopped moving.

Daryl looked down at her for a moment, his chest heaving and his eyes darkened with desire, but there was a look of regret on his face that instantly told her they wouldn't be going any further.

Jenna was disappointed, there was no use denying it, but she also knew that they weren't exactly in the greatest place to take things further. As much as she wanted to, with Chloe directly above them and with Sam only one cell over, it would be risky, not to mention weird. Jenna wanted her first time with Daryl to be special, and she couldn't think of anything that would ruin it more – or be more mortifying – than one of those two people potentially catching her and Daryl in the act.

"I want to. I really do," Daryl said quietly when he saw her disappointment. That was a massive relief to hear, since the last time things had gotten heated, it had ended in complete disaster. "It's just – "

"Not the right time," Jenna finished for him, smiling gently. "I understand."

Daryl nodded, gave her one more lingering kiss, then rolled back off of her. They settled into their usual sleeping position, with Daryl on his back and Jenna snuggled up into his side. As his arm wound around her again, Jenna couldn't help the smile that found its way back onto her face.

There had been a lot on her mind that night, none of it good and all of it making her feel overwhelmed. But for now, there was nothing but happiness in her. Tomorrow would be busy – she still had to make a decision about Michonne, would probably have a lot to discuss with Rick, and there would be a lot to do around the prison to get ready for a battle.

But tonight her loved ones were safe and she was with Daryl, the man she loved and who also loved her in return. And in that moment, that was all that mattered.

---

See you at the next chapter!