Thank you guys SO much for the great response on the last chapter. Your reviews fuel me to keep putting out chapters for this. Thank you to:

DarylDixon'sLover

APanting

KH4EVR

OBSERVER01

Your reviews were awesome and made me keep writing. Thank you also to the follows and favorites, ya'll are just as awesome too and makes me feel like people want to read my stuff, which is the best. Now, onto this chapter. Enjoy :)

The young woman woke up to the sound of children outside the house that she was staying in. She looked around to see that she was wearing fresh clothes, and she wasn't filthy anymore.

It hadn't been a dream. That man and the young woman had actually looked after her and hadn't expected anything in return. It made her relax slightly. Only slightly though. Maybe these people weren't like the Whisperers.

Maybe.

She then saw the photo on the bedside table and looked at it sadly, her fingers tracing the faces of her two brothers and best friend. It hurt not knowing where they were, but a part of her knew they were still alive.

Will had been in the army and had been a sergeant. She missed her oldest brother badly, not to mention James and Tammy, her best friend. She hadn't found their heads on spikes, so they were safe…but for how long?

"Please god, I don't know if you care but please keep my brothers and best friend safe. Please," she whispered tearfully, her voice hoarse from not speaking for so long. She wiped a few stray tears from her face but still cried.

The door opened, revealing the man who had helped her yesterday - the one who had been kind to her. She nodded at him as he sat down in the chair, and gave her a notepad to write on with a pen.

She gave him a grateful smile. She still didn't feel quite safe to speak or talk after encountering the Whisperers. They terrified the living hell out of her, one specifically.

"I know ya goin' deaf in yer left ear, so ya can write in that notepad to talk to me or Beth. Alright?" he asked quietly. She nodded and waited for him to ask his questions.

"I understand," she wrote honestly. He nodded as he began asking her questions about her life, and how she had crossed paths with the Whisperers.

"How did ya get involved with the Whisperers?" he asked. She shuddered at the mention of the group who gave her nightmares since encountering them.

"We unknowingly crossed their border, a year ago. There was me, Will and James, who are my brothers, Tammy my best friend, Andy who is her younger brother and Scarlet - she was Will's friend from the army. They just came out of nowhere. They took me away but I escaped twice before the tall Whisperer...he hurt me really bad and said if I spoke, then he'd know where I was and he'd kill my brothers, my best friend and Scarlet," she wrote on the piece of paper, feeling more tears swim down her face.

Daryl felt his stomach sink at the distress she was in. The Whisperers had done a number on her both psychologically and emotionally.

"I know we had issues before, but I still wanna know: what's yer name?" he asked gently. She sniffled and hastily wrote down her name for him to read.

"Isabelle Doyle."

He knew right then she wasn't a spy for the Whisperers, but a victim just like Lydia.

"Ya mind if I take the photo, just to show my group if we find yer brothers, and best friend?" he asked gently. Isabelle nodded and trustfully gave him the photo.

It was worn with age but cared for. He nodded at her.

"I'll look after it. I promise. And I'll give it back to yer as soon as I'm done," he promised. She nodded silently as she watched him leave before she tried to sleep again. Maybe she'd be safe here for the time being. Maybe.

Only time could tell.

~%~

Daryl wasn't surprised to see the schoolroom was swarming with people. He looked for Lydia and found her sitting next to Carol, Beth, Gracie, Aaron, and Judith.

"Is that girl with the Whisperers, Daryl?!" Alden asked angrily, causing some of the people who had been Highwaymen to shout and call Isabelle horrible names.

"She ain't one of them," he instantly states, trying to get the attention of everyone in the room. "She was their prisoner. She said that a tall Whisperer kept her as his personal slave, and told her that if she tried to run away or said her brothers and best friend's names, then they would kill them. Said that if she ever spoke, he'd know where to find her. She ain't spoken in God knows how long," Daryl said grimly, and held up the photo that Isabelle had given him.

Beth stood up then. Her expression was calm, but everyone could see the determination in her eyes.

"I examined her last night. When I was stitching up her stab wound, I gave her an exam of everything. She's been a victim of repeated sexual assault, and there are faded scars on her arms and back. She also has bruises on her throat, like she's been strangled…some of which look like permanent marks and some recent," she said grimly. Daryl looks over at Lydia.

"Does she let the men do that to women?" he asked quietly. Lydia nodded silently and spoke up.

"She lets the men do whatever they want to the women…says that it's nature. So she lets the men rape the women and gets angry if someone tries to stop them," Lydia remarks. Daryl could see her eyes look to the ground, and knew her mind was back in that camp right now. The abuse she had gone through was real.

A horrified silence, with no one being able to speak. Finally, Margo spoke up after some time.

"Even if she's fucking hurt, there's no reason to keep her here unless she can help us. Can she tell us where their camp is so we can kill these bastards? Or is she covering for them?" Margo asked annoyed. A few people glared at her.

"She's scared and broke down crying. She wants to find her brothers and best friend, but she ain't in any condition to fight," Daryl said firmly, standing his ground.

Beth stood up then, looking at them. "She has three broken ribs and a recovering dislocated right shoulder. She can't go anywhere for a while."

Margo stands as well. "But there's no point in keeping her here then. We need to think about the rest of our lives here. There are people out there watching us and we openly have someone in here that they hate? That's so fucking stupid!"

"She ain't going!" Daryl suddenly snaps.

Everyone turns to look at him, clearly shaken by him speaking that way. He glares at the ones that do, before turning his attention to Michonne. She had been silent this whole time, but Daryl knew that she was quietly watching everyone's reactions to this situation.

"I know ya don't want people here, Michonne," he says quietly, trying to calm the anger that he buried itself deep inside of him. "But this girl has been through all hell. Ya can think she's a traitor or whatever, but she can barely even walk right now. She aint a threat. And I can't feel right knowing that people would willingly throw her back out into the wild despite her being hurt. That ain't good shit at all. She needs to stay, if not just to fuckin' heal. She misses her family. She's delirious. Just think what ya would be like in this situation, Michonne. If Judith suddenly disappeared."

Judith glances over from where she sat before looking over at Michonne. Daryl had clearly hit a sensitive spot. "I think Uncle Daryl is right," she admits softly. "I think we should give her a chance."

Michonne sighs before standing, looking at everyone, and then turning her eyes right back to Daryl. "I know that we aren't willing to let many people into our borders anymore, and especially not now with everything that has been going on with our lands. Our people. Daryl…you have a point. I don't feel comfortable throwing out a girl back into the world when she's clearly hurt. But here's the thing. She's not just a girl. She's a close tie to the Whisperers. We are already at risk having Lydia here. What makes you think having this girl here is going to make it any different?"

"Then she'll be my responsibility," Daryl states, gesturing outside. "I brought her back. I'll keep 'er here. But ya can't just throw her out. I ain't goin' to let ya do that."

Michonne stares him down before taking a deep breath. Hesitantly, she turns back to Judith, offers her child a small smile, before her lips return to a serious expression to address the schoolhouse.

"I know we are all scared about what is happening…but for the time being, I will allow the girl to stay and recover." Instantly, cries of protest and anger emerged from the group. "IF." They all quiet down at her loud anger. Michonne looks around. "If she proves to be nothing but a burden, she will leave. If she can prove herself once she is healed, she will stay. How does that happen? That's up to you, Daryl."

He nods quietly, watching as people started to disperse. He noticed as he was standing there that Carol hadn't come, and a part of him felt upset about it. At the same time, she was going through shit that he didn't even understand, so she had all the right to stay away.

Beth squeezes Daryl's shoulder. "You're doing the right thing, Daryl. Trust me."

He sighs. "I hope yer right."

~%~

Hours passed before Isabelle heard any movement in the house. She had been watching another old movie when the door to her room opened. She expected to see Beth or Daryl come in, but instead saw a young teenager, carrying what looked like a bowl of soup.

Instantly, her eyes recognized her.

"Lydia," she croaks.

The girl sighs. "I was scared you'd remember me." She places the bowl on the nightstand of the bed, sitting next to her. "Daryl told me to bring up some food for you; didn't expect to see you awake."

Isabelle nods slowly, looking over at the soup. She takes it with shaky hands and sips at the spoon, her eyes turning back to the young girl.

"I know you might have some judgments about me…to be honest, there were so many followers for my mother that I didn't even know you and your family had been involved at any point. But I want you to know I'm not like them…and I'm not with them anymore. They've been keeping me safe here. Daryl has. And maybe they'll keep you safe too."

Isabelle places her bowl down and grabs a pad, writing quickly. "Have they treated you well?"

Lydia reads the note quietly before biting her lower lip. "Some do. Most don't. You might get some of that too." Isabelle throws her a sad look, glancing at the ground. "But hey, as long as they don't see you frown, you'll be fine. Just…ignore them, I guess. That's what Daryl's told me to do."

Isabelle starts to write again. "Is Daryl nice?"

Lydia smiles at the note. "Daryl is pretty cool. Beth is too. A lot of people here are, they're just…worried. A lot of stuff is happening and people want to be prepared."

Isabelle nods softly, glancing outside. She sees some children playing in the dark before going inside. She turns back to Lydia and writes again. "It's so nice here…I wish the world was like this still."

Lydia grimaces. "I don't even remember a world like this."

"I'm sorry," Isabelle writes.

Lydia shakes her head. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Don't worry."

At that moment, the door opens and Daryl walks in. Isabelle offers a kind smile to him, to which he returns it by sitting down next to her and sighing. "Look, lot of these people aren't happy yer here, but I'm gonna try my fuckin' hardest to make sure they don't hurt ya, okay?"

She nods quietly, feeling her hopes sink at his words. At least he was being honest with her, but that didn't make her feel less shitty. Why were so many people against her? What did she do?

"Are they outside right now?" Lydia asks him. Daryl nods. She sighs and shakes her head. Before Isabelle could write, there was something suddenly thrown into the window, breaking the glass. Daryl jumps up and Lydia shouts, while Isabelle backs away into the wall, holding herself as it lands on the covers.

She read only one thing.

'Silence the Whisperers,' on red brick, covered in what looked like walker blood.

Daryl walks over to the window, fuming. "Get the fuck outta here!" he snaps, yelling at the people down below who had thrown it. At a further inspection, he could see it was Gage who had done it and was glaring at the archer before disappearing into the dark. "Fucking assholes," he growls before turning back to Isabelle.

At seeing her reaction, he instantly walks over and rubs her shoulder. She was shaking and crying.

"Hey, it's alright," he says quietly. "It's okay. They ain't gonna hurt ya."

Isabelle swallows, not responding. Lydia looks over at Daryl before nodding at him. "How about I stay with her for the night? Make her feel a little better?"

Daryl looks over at Isabelle. "Ya want that?" Isabelle slowly nods, letting out a deep breath. He nods. "Alright, Lydia…keep her okay. Have her watch a movie."

Lydia nods as Daryl leaves, putting the TV back on. Anyone else would think that maybe putting the two Whisperer girls together might be bad, but if anyone understood the girl's PTSD, Lydia would. It was better for her to calm her down for now.

I really wanted to do a Lydia/OC friendship because I feel like people never do it, so here we go with that haha

Hope you guys enjoyed and don't forget to follow, favorite, or leave a review to let me know what you think. They always make me wanna keep writing, and I'm really enjoying how this is going so far!

Also, to answer one of my reviewers, KH4EVR, questions: I do have an idea of a plot, but I am always opened to ideas. They fuel my brain haha.

Have a good day, love you all :)