...

They didn't lock her back in the antechamber when they returned to the main part of the cell block—more because it was useful space then anything to do with trusting her and Merle she figured. They were instead allowed the limited freedom of moving around inside the main part of cell block C. Asha took the opportunity to empty out and repack her pack, figuring she might as well make the most of being locked in to do a bit of maintenance on her gear. She sat down on a bench against the wall to replace the mangled flopper on her spear.

Only Michonne and Carol were in the immediate area. Michonne, working through some exercises on the floor and Carol looking through some of the food stacked against one of the walls. Asha, hardly daring to hope, had asked Carol whether she could spare any washing powder. The silvery haired woman had laughingly confirmed that they had plenty of that, the prison having had a well stocked laundry. Asha was itching to wash her clothes—as soon as Michonne was done with her exercises so her two guards could accompany her. Asha knew it wasn't a coincidence that the two of them just happened to have tasks to do in the space she happened to be in. Obviously she wasn't trusted to be left alone. It grated on her, but she let it lie—since if their roles were reversed, she'd be insisting the outsiders were watched as well.

Merle walked out of one of the cells, securing a ten inch blade to the cylindrical strapping around his stump with the last of a role of gaffer tape. He smirked at Asha when he saw she was looking. She grinned. 'Careful now. You old guys can be a bit unsteady on your feet, and we wouldn't want you to cut yourself now would we.'

He spread his arms wide, smirk spreading into a grin. 'Girly, if ya want to see what I can do with ten inches, all ya gotta do is ask.'

Asha snorted and turned back to her gear.

Merle leaned casually against one of the posts and turned his attention to Michonne, engaged in methodical push ups in the centre of the floor. There was an awkward silence until he said, 'Smart to stay fit. Don't forget the cardio.'

Asha listened with half an ear, and she could see Carol doing the same.

Michonne ignored Merle, but he continued anyway. 'Ya know, if we're gonna live under the same roof, we oughta clear the air.' His trademark half smirk half leer was on his face, but Asha, who was getting used to the way Merle dealt with people, could see the tightness around his eye. He rubbed the back of his neck. 'That whole huntin' ya down thing,' he drawled. 'That was just business. Carryin' out orders.'

Michonne looked at him coldly. 'Like the gestapo.'

'Yeah, exactly. I done alotta things I ain't proud of... before and after.'

Asha figured that was as close as Merle was ever going to get to offering an apology.

'Anyway,' he pushed himself away from the post he was leaning against. 'Hope we can get past it. Let bygones be bygones,' he said walking toward the door to the courtyard.

Asha raised both her eyebrows as she met Michonne's eyes, and the dread locked woman arched one of her own in reply. It may not have been the most elegant olive branch ever offered, but it was Merle after all.

Carol looked at them curiously, but just as Merle reached the cell block door, it slammed open and Carl dashed in, his eyes a little wild. 'Andrea's here' he shouted, dashing past them in to the main cell block, where Rick and Daryl were. Michonne was on her feet and through the door in an instant. Asha was quickly on her feet too.

The next moment, Rick marched into the room, followed by the other members of the group. He had rifles in hand.

'We don't know she's alone.' Rick said, passing one to Carol and one to Merle.

A flicker of surprise crossed Merle's face. Daryl nodded tersely at his brother, and received the same gesture in return.

'You all be ready.' Rick said. He paused at the base of the steps, turned, and fixed Asha with a glare. 'You, stay put.' His eyes burned. Asha glared right back at him. 'If I see you outside, I will shoot you myself.'

He continued out the door without giving her a chance to respond.

Asha opened her mouth, but thought better of it as Daryl caught her eye and, gave a tiny half shake of his head. She pushed herself back to sit on the bench, muttering disgustedly to herself and turned her attention back to her repair work, very pointedly not watching the group walk out the door.

...

It seemed like they were gone forever. She tried to focus on her work, but the second she paused, her eyes drifted back to the door.

'God damn it,' she growled. No, Rick be damned. She put her spear to the side, and put her hands down to push herself of the bench.

The cell door banged open the group flowed into the room. Daryl first, who perched on the table in the centre of the room, crossbow held nonchalantly in one hand. Merle brought up the rear, semi automatic rifle across his chest, barrel resting on his stump. In front of him came an attractive blonde woman, her face was calm, but her eyes were trying to be everywhere at once. Andrea, Asha assumed. Rick tossed a bag and handgun on the table near Daryl, and turned cold eyed glare on Andrea. Andrea surveyed the group.

'Shane?' She asked.

Rick shook his head.

'Lori?'

Rick's face closed over.

'She had a girl,' Hershel said sadly. Asha's ears pricked up. Somehow no-one had said her name before. 'She didn't make it.' Hershel finished.

Asha watched as Andrea's overtures to her former companions were met with a lukewarm reception. At least it wasn't just her. She squashed a momentary surge of sympathy.

'So I'm out in the cold whilst Merle's welcomed back into the fold?' Andrea demanded.

Merle's leer didn't budge, but his eyes narrowed.

'Along with whoever that is,' Andrea's flashing eyes fixed on Asha.

'She ain't been shacked up with a madman,' Daryl spat.

'What do you want Andrea?' Rick asked. 'What are you doing here?'

'Philip, the Governor, he's gearing up for war.' Andrea drew a long breath, she took a step towards Rick, voice pleading. 'If you don't try to work this out. I don't know what's gonna happen.'

'Sneak us into Woodbury,' Rick said.

Andrea took a step back, shaking her head.

'There are innocent people there.'

'Then we got nothing to talk about,' Rick said, walking away into the cell block. Andrea cast around the group for support.

'Next time ya talking to Philip,' Daryl said quietly. 'Ya tell him, I'm gonna take his other eye.' He pushed himself of the table and followed Rick. Andrea's shoulders slumped as the group started to break up. Michonne was quick to grab Andrea's attention and pull her towards the door back to the courtyard.

'Wait' Asha called, pushing herself of the bench. 'Andrea.'

The blond woman turned in her direction. Her eyebrows drew down for an instant before smoothing out.

'Yes?'

'I'm looking for my brother, Nash. Is he at Woodbury.' She gave Andrea a quick description. A look of sympathy crossed Andrea's face as she shook her head. 'He wasn't there this morning.' Asha's face dropped and she fought hard to swallow the bitterness at the back of her throat.

'Hey' Andrea said. 'I'll keep an eye out for him.' She hesitated. 'Daryl already asked me about him you know.' Asha's hands tightened momentarily on the spear she still held.

Andrea locked her eyes on her. 'These are good people. Don't blow your chance with them.'

Asha gave a bark of laughter. 'If they're so good, why are you cavorting with the enemy.'

Andrea stiffened. 'Because I'm the only chance that we get out of this without all out war.' She stalked away, Michonne glaring at Asha as she followed.

Good job Asha, way to alienate people.

Merle sniggered. 'Ya been spending too much time in my company girly. My people skills seem to be rubbin' off'.'

'Shut up Merle.'

Asha titled her head back against the cool of the concrete wall behind her. She had slunk away from the group and was sitting in the corner of the courtyard, tucked out of sight of the walkers. She closed her eyes, relishing the solitude. In the excitement of Andrea's visit, the group had forgotten about leaving a guard with her. Now would be the perfect time to slip away, if Andrea's information hadn't meant that she had no where in particular to go. The sour feeling of disappointment swirled in Asha's stomach and her throat constricted. She cast her mind around for a distraction.

Andrea was still there. Michonne and Andrea had spent quite a while talking quietly together, and although the others had been wary at first, they had gradually warmed to the woman who had once been part of the group—once they accepted that she wasn't an immediate threat. Except for Rick that was, who had disappeared somewhere into the bowels of the prison and hadn't returned. Asha was a little unnerved by the twinge of jealousy she felt as she watched the group's walls tentatively come down, and the genuine warmth with which they treated each other.

She was also feeling increasingly guilty about the comment she'd made to Andrea. The more it played over in her head, the more she felt like a judgemental bitch. Her guilt was a tiny drop of ill feeling next to the ocean of longing for her brother, but at least she could do something about it. She sighed and pushed herself to her feet. It probably wouldn't make any difference, but she figured she owed Andrea an apology before she left.

She was checking the cells when she heard Andrea and Carol up on the perch, cooing over baby Judith.

'What happened with Shane?' Andrea asked.

Asha stepped back into the shadow of a cell. She was curious about that too—Andrea's mention of the name that morning had been the first she'd heard of it. Surprising when she'd picked up so much other information from the groups conversation. There was a long pause before Carol spoke.

'Rick killed him.'

Asha held her breath as Carol continued. 'That last day at the farm, the whole thing with Randall was a set up. A trap. Shane tried to kill him.'

'Shane loved Rick,' Andrea said, shock clear in her voice.

'Shane loved Lori,' Carol said sadly.

Asha started breathing again as the pieces of that puzzle slipped into place. Obviously Rick hadn't made peace with Lori before she'd passed. She felt a twinge of sympathy, and suddenly the edge of crazy she seen hovering at the back of Rick's eyes didn't seem quite so strange. Not that it made him any less crazy of course.

Asha took a deep breath and half stepped forward when she heard Carol speak. 'You need to do something.'

'I am' Andrea snapped.

'No' Carol said, her voice low and intent. 'You need to sleep with him. Give him the greatest night of his life. Get him to drop his guard and then when he's sleeping...' There was a beat. 'You can end this.'

There was a stunned silence from Andrea. Asha felt a bit that way herself. Not at the suggestion itself— if the Governor was as bad as she'd heard, then there was a certain logic to what Carol had said. It was quick, clean.

She heard Andrea's footsteps on the stairwell to the perch and stepped all the way back into the cell, thinking furiously. Carol had sounded perfectly calm and in control when she'd made that suggestion, and as she thought about it, Asha knew without a doubt that if she was in the position to do so, Carol would do exactly what she had suggested to Andrea. Asha wasn't sure how that made her feel about Carol, but she was damn sure it meant she had underestimated her. She shivered suddenly.

She stayed hidden in the cell until Carol came down the stairs and headed out of the cell block.

The sun was setting as they gathered in the courtyard to farewell Andrea, the walkers in the yard casting long slow moving shadows in the golden light that shuffled across the concrete ground and prison walls.

'Can you spare it?' Andrea asked looking at the car.

'Uh huh,' Rick said.

'Please Rick,' Andrea begged. 'If i can organise it, will you speak with him? At least try to sort something out before blowing each other to bits.'

Rick looked at the faces around the courtyard.

So did Asha. She could almost see the wary hope behind Hershel and Beth's eyes, maybe Carol's too. Rick's eyes, when she met them, were unreadable.

He glanced around the group once more, eyes skirting across the catwalk and then flinching away suddenly. He knuckled the bridge of his nose and took a couple of deep breaths. Then he grunted. 'If you come back and swear to me that he is willing to talk. I will meet him.'

Andrea smiled in relief.

'Stupid,' Merle hissed quietly in Asha's ear. She jumped. He had slunk up when she wasn't paying attention and was standing right behind her shoulder.

Rick locked eyes with Andrea. 'On neutral ground,' he said. ' I'll pick the place.'

'Thank you,' Andrea said putting her hand on his arm. 'Thank you.'

She made a circuit of the group, exchanging hugs and farewells. When she got to Asha and Merle she nodded stiffly and made to move straight past them.

'Andrea,' Asha said.

Andrea looked at her, face cold.

Asha swallowed.

'Sorry about before,' she said. 'Sometimes my mouth gets away from me.' There was an awkward pause. 'I say stuff i've got no right to.' Not the most eloquent apology ever.

Andrea looked at her, eyes narrowed.

'Hell girly, don't go sugar coating an apology,' Merle drawled. 'Might have ta revise my good opinion of ya if ya let that backbone of yours turn to mush.' He draped his arm around her shoulder, no doubt enjoying the shock that flashed in Andrea's eyes.

'Oh, don't be jealous now blondie,' he leered. 'Ya never did take me up on that offer of bumpin' uglies. Can't complain if I've found me a younger, blonder model.'

Asha rolled her eyes. 'Well the uglies would be all on your side in that equation,' she said dryly. She shoved Merle's arm off her shoulder with a finger. 'But you keep on dreamin' old man. I hear you old guys have thin blood and i guess you need something to keep you warm at night.'

Merle roared with laughter.

Andrea was looking at her with a mix of aversion and bewilderment. Then she shook her head slightly. 'Well, if you're puttin' up with Merle, I guess I can forgive you a slip of the tongue.'

Asha gave her a small grateful smile before turning around to punch Merle in the arm. He brushed her off, still chuckling. She caught Daryl's eye as she turned back. He had a look of disgust on his face, but the corner of his mouth quirked upwards before he got it under control.

Rick passed Andrea's bag, gun and knife to her through the open window of the car.

'I'll be back within two days.' Andrea said seriously. 'If not, well...'

Rick nodded.

'Take care' she said.

'You too.'

The gate was pulled open and Andrea drove out through the walker filled yard into the golden evening.

As the rumble of the engine faded into the distance, Rick spoke. 'I'm goin' on a run.' he said. 'We don't have the guns or ammo to go up against the Governor.'

'I thought we were just meeting to talk,' Beth said, the worry clear in her voice.

Rick nodded. 'We are. But best to be prepared. We don't know what's gonna happen after those talks.' He rubbed a hand across the stubble on his face. 'I know a few places in King County that are still likely to have weapons, ammo. Gonna take advantage of the time we've got to stock up.'

'When d'ya wanna leave?' Daryl asked.

'Not you.'

Daryl blinked, then his lips compressed into a thin line.

Rick nodded in Merle and Asha's direction. 'You stay here, keep an eye on your brother and the stray.'

Asha felt a muscle twitch in her cheek.

Rick put a hand on Daryl's shoulder. 'I'm glad you're back, really. But if either of them causes a problem, its on you.'

Daryl spat. 'Fine. But ya people are just gonna have to get used to him being here. He ain't leavin'.'

'You can't go by yourself.' Hershel said.

Rick nodded. 'I won't. I'll take Carl,' he paused. 'And Michonne'.

A momentary flicker of surprise crossed Michonne's face but she nodded quickly.

'Everyone back inside' Rick said, voice louder. 'Glenn, you got first watch.'

Glenn nodded and headed for the guard tower.

The rest of the group headed back into the cell block.

'You sure Michonne's a good idea?' Asha overheard Daryl murmur quietly to Rick.

'I'll find out.'

[A/N: Next one won't be up till after Christmas guys. I'm going to be away camping and will be without electricity and phone reception. Merry Xmas!]