[A/N: Thanks for the reviews people! This one took a bit of wrestling, but think I've finally got it to a point where its ok. Let me know what you think.]

'What the hell is that?' Glenn asked.

Asha had a neoprene glove on her left hand and was pulling a steel mesh glove over top. She pulled the strap around the wrist to secure it in place.

'Butcher's glove. Haven't you ever seen one before?'

Glenn shook his head.

She held her hand up and wriggled her fingers. 'Butcher's use 'em to make sure they keep all their fingers when they're chopping meat.'

Glenn arched a brow at her. 'Ok...Why?'

Asha grinned. 'You'll see when we get in the yard.'

Michonne had suggested that they use some of the razor wire around the prison to fortify the yard, in case the Governor planned to repeat his trick of charging down the gate with a vehicle. The group had been quick to adopt the suggestion. Turned out none of them held out much hope that Rick would be returning with a peaceful resolution. Fortifications made sense. As Michonne had said, they didn't necessarily have to win, they just had to make the Governor's getting at them more trouble than it was worth. They had spent most of the afternoon securing long coils of razor wire to strips of wood, and the light was beginning to fade as they gathered in the courtyard preparing to lay them out in the yard.

Asha tossed her spear gun into back of the silvery dual cab, next to the long rolls razor wire, then settled herself on the tailgate. Michonne took a spot on the other side of the tailgate. 'Ready when you are Glenn,' Asha called.

'Let's give Carol and Merle another minute,' he said. 'Don't wanna have to deal with any more dead then we have to.'

Asha glanced across the yard to where Merle and Carol were in the dog run, yelling and rattling the chain link fence in order to draw the attention of the walkers still flooding the yard. They had the attention of most of them, although there were still a few stragglers scattered across the yard, and they were stabbing them through the chain link—taking advantage of the easy kills offered as the dead massed against the fence.

'Right,' Glenn said after a moment. 'Let's do this.' He climbed in behind the steering wheel, waved at Maggie who pulled open the gate and the dual cab lurched out into the yard. Glenn drove out in a wide loop in around the yard before circling back to the drive and pulling up near the flattened gate, garnering the attention of a handful of straggling walkers as they went. Three were coming up on Asha's side of the truck and four on Michonne's, and a thin scattering beyond that had turned in their direction, but fortunately most of the dead remained focused on Merle and Carol.

Asha pushed herself off the tailgate, leaving her spear gun and reaching for her knife. From the corner of her eye she saw Michonne leap from the truck, katana whirling.

The closest deadhead surged towards her, teeth gnashing through stripped back flesh, filling Asha's nose with the stench of putrefaction. She bared her own teeth and slapped her gloved hand palm down on the deadhead's face, ignoring the harmless scrabbling of its teeth against the stainless steel mesh. Then she wrenched its head back and drove her knife up through the soft flesh under its jaw and into its brain. The creature went limp as the tip of her knife crunched home and slumped to the ground as she quickly drew the blade out. She turned to the two remaining walkers, dealing with the closest in the same way. Then she curled her gloved hand into a fist and swung it backhanded across the face of the last walker, driving her knife through it's exposed temple as its head swung to the side.

Breathing a little heavily, she shook most of the gore off the butcher's glove and wiped her blade off on the grass before turning back to the truck. Michonne was waiting at the tail gate. They took hold of either end of one of the long pieces of wood to which they'd secured the razor wire and pulled it out of the tray back. They dragged it towards the edge of the road, leaving it there for the moment since there was no use blowing the tyres out of the vehicle which Daryl, Hershel and Rick returned in. Which would be any time now. She realised she was looking at the flattened gate and dragged her eyes away as she climbed back into the tray back.

They stopped and repeated the process a couple more times along the drive—taking out a few more walkers who got too close—leaving some coils on the side of the road, to be dragged across it later, and hiding others in the grass on either side. Eventually, they pulled the last coil from the truck. Asha staggered a little as she took its weight. It wasn't heavy as such, just awkward to carry with the coils of wire protruding from it. They took a couple of steps and Asha's grip slipped as a sudden pain shot through her ribs. The wood hit the ground and Michonne stumbled at the other end for a second.

'Shit, sorr,' Asha cursed, sucking her finger where she'd jagged herself a splinter. She bent to pick up the length of wood, exhaling sharply through her teeth at the pain stabbing through her ribs.

'Alright?' Michonne asked.

'Just fine,' Asha hissed, jaw clenched. She wrapped her hands around the wood and they deposited it at the edge of the road. They leapt into the back of the dual cab—well, Michonne leapt, Asha managed a half assed kind of roll with one hand wrapped around her rib cage. Michonne pounded on the cab roof, and they roared back towards the prison courtyard.

They had a good view of the flattened gate from back of the dual cab, and Asha noticed Michonne was looking at it too. The dread locked woman looked away as soon as she realised Asha had seen her.

Asha forced a smile. 'Any time now.'

Michonne nodded, then hesitated. 'Thanks for the help with Merle this morning.'

Asha arched an eyebrow. 'Thanks for yours...and not pulling your sword on his stupid ass.'

Michonne nodded.

Maggie had been watching and had the gate ready. The dual cab lurched over the grate and into the courtyard and the gate was quickly chained shut as they rumbled to a stop. Glenn climbed out of the cab. 'Nice glove,' he called to Asha. Then he jogged over to Maggie and they headed back into the guard tower to resume their watch.

Asha levered herself gingerly towards the end of the tray. Michonne hadn't moved, and there was an awkward silence as she frowned, eyes flickering between Asha and the flattened main gate. 'Atlanta' she said eventually.

Asha's brow furrowed. 'Umm, sorry? That one went by me a little too fast.'

'Where I was,' the dark skinned woman said. 'Before all this.'

Asha nodded, sensing for an instant how difficult volunteering that information had been for the reticent woman. 'Atlanta's a big place, anywhere more specific.'

Michonne's face closed over, but then she grimaced for a second and answered. 'Brookhaven. I was an art dealer.'

'No shit? That is impressive.'

Michonne gave a tiny shrug, but a fleeting expression of loss ran across her face.

'So, what were you doing before you met Andrea?' Asha asked.

Michonne's eyes flashed at her and her lips compressed into a thin line.

Asha grinned. 'Oh come on, you didn't let me off light.'

Michonne's jaw tightened and she shook her head.

'Righto then,' Asha shrugged. She got carefully out of the tray back and reached for her spear.

'You any good with that thing?' Michonne asked.

Asha bit her lip and then gave a small nod. 'Wouldn't have survived long on my own if I wasn't.' She gestured with her head towards Michonne's katana. 'Don't have to ask you. I saw you in the yard, saving Hershel, the first day I arrived.'

Michonne shrugged a little. 'Like you said, you don't survive long on your own otherwise.'

Asha slung her spear across her back, keeping her free hand pressed to her ribs.

'I was on my own before Andrea.' Michonne said, unexpectedly. 'For a long while.'

Asha waited patiently, as Michonne swallowed, hesitating. 'I was just...wandering,' she said eventually. 'I know what it's like to be out there alone.'

Asha nodded, throat suddenly tight. Michonne's eyes, beyond the defensiveness, were shadowed with pain.

'So what happens when this is all done?' Asha asked. 'You go back? You and Andrea?'

Michonne looked around, eyes unreadable as they roamed across the prison walls and the yard, the walkers starting to mill about the yard again since Carol and Merle had abandoned their efforts at distraction. She snorted and shook her head. 'Back where? Andrea will want to stay. I...' She shrugged. 'This group's alright I think.'

Asha pursed her lips. 'Hmmm. They seem to have warmed up to you.'

Michonne's mouth quirked and she nodded noncommittally.

'Any tips with that?'

'Don't show up with Merle?'

Asha glanced across the courtyard to where Merle was holding open the door at the base of the corner guard tower to let Carol out of the dog run. He said something—too far away for Asha to make out his words—but Carol rolled her eyes and smiled as she shook her head. Not that she held it against any of the others, but Asha was glad that Carol, at least, seemed to be willing to give Merle half a chance.

Asha snorted. 'Showed up with Daryl too remember?'

'Maybe stop picking fights with Rick?'

Asha grunted. That would be the smart thing to do, but it wasn't that she was deliberately trying to aggravate him. He just put her on edge and her instincts were to fight back.

They started back towards the cell block. Michonne looked at her from the corner of her eye as they walked. 'Overheard Daryl talking to Rick yesterday. Reckons you'll pull your weight if you do stay.'

Asha shrugged. She'd always pulled her own weight. The end of the world hadn't changed that.

Michonne grabbed her by the arm to stop her, her dark eyes catching the last rays of sunlight and practically glowing. 'Besides, don't tell me you want to go back out there alone?'

'No one wants to go back out there alone,' Asha said quietly. 'Especially those of us who have done it already.' She held Michonne's gaze a long moment. 'Merle's been out there on his own too remember?'

Rick, Daryl and Hershel returned to the prison not long after dark. Asha was helping Carol prepare dinner, and the older woman froze with a sharp intake of breath when Rick and Hershel came in through the cell block door. Asha, watching from the corner of her eye, noted that it wasn't until Daryl followed them in that Carol let out a quick sigh and resumed preparing the food. Merle quickly appeared by his brother's side and clapped him around the back of the neck, his relief obvious in the sudden relaxation of the tightness around his eyes.

Rick called them all into the open space in front of the cells to hear his report. Maggie and Glenn were called in from watch. Rick wanted everyone to hear what he had to say. They waited in silence, the air so taut with anxiety it felt sharp to breath.

Rick seemed oblivious for the moment, leaning against the rail at the bottom of the stairs, cradling baby Judith in his arms and crooning softly to her. Asha studied him, trying hard to see what Daryl, Hershel and the others saw in him—what she suspected that even Merle thought was in Rick. That he was someone worth following, that could keep them alive, and that was worthy of their loyalty. The regard the group had for Rick was obvious—even if they were treating him a little carefully at the moment—and logic told her that it was unlikely that the whole group was mistaken about him being worthy of that regard. Even Michonne seemed to have warmed to him following their run out to King County together.

Asha hadn't had much opportunity to watch Rick with members of the group since joining them. He'd been away a lot, or hidden in the bowels of the prison. But watching him with his daughter now, she knew he wasn't fundamentally a bad guy. He seemed fairly capable, and he had kept the group alive and together this far. Yeah, they'd lost people, but the fact that the group wasn't broken and scattered across the state meant they were doing better than most other groups Asha had seen. It wasn't that she doubted that he had it in him to make the tough calls needed to survive, and from what the others had said, he didn't make those calls lightly.

She just couldn't bring herself to trust it. There was something in his eyes, something that burned, that kept her guard up. Maybe it was just that she didn't know him as well as the others, and that, admittedly, Rick wasn't at his best at the moment. Maybe it would come with time. What scared Asha, deep to her core, was the thought that what she saw in Rick was a reflection of what was writhing in her own soul. She wouldn't trust herself to lead these people, so she was finding it hard to trust Rick.

Rick raised his face from Judith, and looked around the room, meeting the eyes of everyone present. The air near hummed with anticipation. 'So, I met this Governor.' Rick said calmly. 'Sat with him for quite a while.'

'Just the two of ya?' Merle cut in.

Rick nodded.

'Shoulda gone while we had the chance bro,' Merle said to Glenn, brushing past him to stand near the back of the group with Asha.

Rick looked around the group again. His voice was quiet, but no less intent for that. 'He wants the prison. Wants us gone... Dead...' He looked down at baby Judith cradled in he arms, and then back up again. 'He wants us dead. For what we did to Woodbury.' There was beat. 'We're going to war.'

There was a long silence whilst that sunk in. Asha looked around the room. Mouths were tight, hands white where they clenched furniture or each other, but their faces were all determined—even Beth and Carl's. There was a gleam in Michonne's eye and Daryl's face was resolute. Asha couldn't help but be impressed by the lack of panic in the room. It wasn't till her eyes fell on Merle, standing next to her, his mouth pressed into a grim line and his eyes shadowed, that her own stomach did a nervous flip.

She turned back and her eyes met Rick's, dark and burning.

'Time to make a call Asha. If you stay then you're with us. If not, then you leave right now.'

Asha pulled her arms across her body, rubbing her upper arms with her palms. She still hadn't made a decision, she'd been avoiding it, truth be told. She looked around the group again. Carol and Maggie gave her small smiles and Hershel nodded. Merle was behind her, but she didn't need to see him to know he wanted her around. Daryl chewed his bottom lip, but his eyes held hers for a moment and she thought he wanted her to stay too—though for herself or just his brother, she still wasn't sure. Rick's face was unreadable, but she supposed that was an improvement on open hostility.

As she looked around, she realised that all of the people here were—more or less—what they appeared to be. There was no hidden agenda. Rick's mental state and Merle's attitude aside, they were all pretty much functional and looking out for each other—living in each other's pockets as they were, she felt fairly sure of that. Her breath caught as she realised just how rare that had become.

And it was close to the river, and Merle would come looking for Nash with her...

She drew in a deep breath, taking in the row of expectant faces waiting for her answer.

'Stop lookin' so nervous,' Merle growled behind her. He draped a heavy arm across her shoulders. 'She's stayin'.'

Asha arched her brow as she looked at him. His eyes narrowed for a second, daring her to contradict him, but also—she thought—shadowed for a second with the fear that she might. The corner of her mouth pulled up in a smile. 'Yeah,' she said turning back to the group. 'I'm in.'

She was met with smiles and nods from the group, and Merle's arm tightened around her for an instant before he let her go. Even Rick smiled tightly, though it didn't reach his eyes.

Later that evening, Asha stood in one of the cells—her cell. With assurances that the door didn't need to be locked, she'd moved her scant belongings out of the space she'd been sharing with Merle and into a vacant cell. She picked one on the upper level, with a couple of empty spaces between her and Michonne, who had the next one.

She craned her neck to look over her shoulder into the tiny dirty mirror bolted to the wall, carefully easing up her singlet up over her ribs and tucking it into her bra. A mottled blue and purple bruise covered the back of her rib cage and spread under her left arm around to the front. She winced as she explored the tender area with tentative fingers.

Daryl's voice sounded from the doorway. 'Glenn told me 'bout Merle earlier, and what ya did— ' He cut off abruptly as he registered what she was doing. There was a flash of embarrassment across his face, but it was quickly replaced with anger. 'What the hell?' He clamped a hand on her shoulder and turned her so he could see her better in the faint light from the hurricane lamp. 'Merle,' he hissed through his teeth, and started straight for the door.

Asha grabbed his arm, freezing him in his tracks. 'Don't,' she said quietly. 'He didn't mean it—and it's not helping him with the group if you make an issue about it.'

Daryl's jaw rippled, but after a moment he nodded. 'Hershel still oughta look at ya.'

Asha shook her head. 'I don't really want to have to explain this.' Even just Hershel knowing wasn't going to do Merle any good. She was sure Daryl was thinking the same thing.

He grunted, but didn't push it. 'Just bruised?'

'Dunno.' Her fingers went back to her rib cage. 'Mostly, I think.' She traced the gap between her bottom two ribs on her left side. 'But every now and then, there's sharp pain— ' she winced as her fingers found the spot '—here.'

Asha was surprised when Daryl brushed her hand out of the way and ran his own calloused fingers down the ribs she'd been touching, gently at first and then a little more firmly until Asha's flinch told him he'd found the right spot.

'Cracked I reckon,' he said. 'Hurt like that anywhere else?'

Asha shook her head.

'How about when ya take a deep breath.'

She took one, gritting her teeth slightly as the tender spot pulled.

'Nope, just that one spot.' She smiled a little bemused.

'What?' He shrugged, dropping his hands. 'I've had cracked ribs before. Oughta strap em. It'll help with the pain.'

'Was gonna,' she said, stepping over to the bunk and picking up a bandage she'd pinched from the stash of medical supplies earlier on. She started awkwardly wrapping it around her ribs. 'You started saying something before?'

'Wanted ta thank ya for helping with Merle earlier, him wantin' to come after us. Glenn said ya helped stop him, talked him down…' He snorted. 'Was gonna say without him hurtin' anyone, but obviously that ain't the case.'

'You're welcome,' Asha said, then cursed as she dropped the end of the unevenly wrapped bandage. The whole thing started unravelling and she cursed again as she instinctively slapped a hand to her ribs trying to catch the material.

'He didn't mean it.' She repeated, trying to recover the end of the bandage. Daryl snorted, and recovered the bandage for her, waving her hand off as she tried to take it off him. He started wrapping the bandage around her ribs.

'He apologised yet?'

'No.' She hadn't pushed him to, to be honest. 'But don't worry, I'll make him.'

Daryl grunted.

'Daryl, really, it's not that big a deal.'

He finished up with the bandage and she gingerly pulled her singlet back down. 'Thanks,' she said, and then she smirked at him. 'Maybe your brother wanted to see if it really was that easy to break me in two.'

Daryl snorted. 'Hell, if Merle wanted to break you in two, you'd be in two.'