Sorry this took so long I'm trying to get motivation to write but it's hard. I would just like to personally thank these amazing people: Iansarmy, ThaliaJoelle, Slytherson, SmillyReaper, kamiccolo's rose, shika93, LaceyLeanne1997, , GuardianAngel45 & PrincessPears who have all reviewed, I really appreciate it! Enjoy XX

Chapter Twelve

General POV (Joelle)

Joelle woke to Daryl gently kissing her cheek, opening her eyes she saw him fully dressed and ready to go, "I'll be back before you know it Elle, I promise," and with those words he left her, her eyes drifted closed as she once again fell into sleep.

Joelle woke to a light shaking of her shoulder and looked up to see Carol and Roxie staring down at her intently. They both grinned as they pulled her out of the bed, forcing Joelle to clutch her sheet to stop her nude form from being seen by the two older ladies. They laughed before stating they better let her get dressed before the interrogations. She dressed slowly trying to put off talking with them but they waited patiently and pounced when she stepped out of the cell.

"So tell what was it like? Was he good? What happened? Tell us? We want all the details now!" the two women rapid fired the questions with no shame and Joelle couldn't help but smile.

"I don't kiss and tell ladies so you're going to have to let it go," Jo danced out of the cell with a smile and her weapons, towards the yard to see what the others were up to.

After deducing that everyone was pretty good doing not much she walked back to her cell and started reading a book she had found lying around, Maggie had picked it up on one of her runs. Twilight; which was surprisingly good if you looked past all of the fairytale aspects and overly dramatic scenes of resistance to her blood. The day drew on longer than it should have and Jo was getting uneasy, she missed Daryl and he hadn't even been gone a full 24 hours yet.

The sun shown down forcefully on the prison, burning the hard cement and scoring the chain link fences. In was cooler deep inside the cellblock but someone had to be on watch and it was Joelle's turn, the rifle sat in her lap the metal cool against her heated skin. There was nothing amiss and if it weren't for the few walkers roaming about and the fact she was sitting in a prison tower Joelle would think it like any other scorching Sunday morning. The birds were singing and the sun shining it was nothing like the horror story they were all currently living.

There was a clatter on the steps and Joelle turned to see Roxanne and Sophia walk up the steps, Roxie holding a glass of water in her hands, "here you go Jo, you must be thirsty, sitting up here in this heat," Jo smiled at her and grasped the cool glass in her hands, she drank deeply before thanking Roxie and giving Sophia a quick hug. "Sophia sweetie go and play with Carl for a bit okay, Jo and I need to talk."

Sophia nodded before running off to go find Carl, "What's up Roxie?" Joelle asked trying to act confused; she knew very well what Roxie wanted to talk about.

"You know what's up! Okay they've been gone over a week but Rick and Daryl are strong, they will be fine!" her voice wasn't raised but there was an urgent tone as she tried to make Joelle see sense, "you need to stop moping, try and distract yourself somehow until they get back."

With that she gave Jo a smile and walked away. Joelle sighed loudly and leaned against the scorching cement wall that had been steadily heating during her watch unaware of the four new people residing in the prison.

Daniel came out not long after to relieve her of her watch, "we have some visitors Aunt Jo, they came through early this morning Dad says be careful, Tyreese and Sasha he thinks are okay but the other two just lost someone… we bet they're willing to do whatever to survive," his voice was low as if they were close by, Jo peeked over the garden to see four strangers standing there a body at their feet. She walked down the tower and around the side just as they began talking.

"Golden opportunity," spoke the rugged looking man.

"For what?" asked a very confused women, Sasha Joelle guessed.

"Little kid and a woman."

"Ask 'em for a hand, get hold of those weapons," the young boy continued.

"What!?" the man who was most likely Tyreese questioned, Joelle waited silently.

"We do it quick, they'll never know what hit them," the man said, sure of himself.

"No, no," Tyreese said quietly.

"We're out here to bury Donna," Sasha said disgusted at what they were implying, Joelle was already liking her.

"We will, after."

"Shut up!" she whispered loudly.

"Look at this place."

"Secure," the boy finished.

"These are good people!" Tyreese reasoned.

"This will be easy," the man explained, "two little kids, a woman, a girl, a boy and a one legged old man."

"Don't forget about the convict," the boy said amused.

"What? You gonna smash the baby's head with a rock?"

"What is your problem?!" he spoke harshly.

"How 'bout a little common decency," Tyreese said, "this isn't what we do.

"You're living in the past Ty, so are you," he looked at Sasha, "this is survival of the fittest, plain and simple. In here we live out there we die and I am not waiting around for the rest of their group to roll in here and throw us out on our asses!"

"Not a chance!" the boy added trying to be mature.

"How'd you know that's gonna happen?" Tyreese said just as Beth and Axel came out with a pair of shovel's which both Tyreese and Sasha took before the other two could move. Joelle waited as they shared a few words.

Joelle strolled up to them casually, "How would you kill me? I'm from the army with more skill than the two of you could handle?" she asked looking at the two white men, whose faces had paled at the sight of her.

She smiled wildly at them, "I'm Joelle ex-Army Medic, sister to the leader of this group and aunty to three of the children you want to kill," she looked at them with an icy gaze, chilling to the bone. She looked at Sasha and Tyreese, "I know you stopped them and I'm thankful, truth is though they would've had a nasty shock when that boy killed them." Jo said nodding towards Carl.

The teenager scoffed, "I doubt it!" he laughed thinking he was being tough.

"He shot his own mother, what would stop him from killing you? And that woman would do anything to keep the baby and the kids safe. That old man was bitten by a walker and survived. The girl is stronger than she looks and me you wouldn't get three steps in before you were chocking on your own blood."

They said nothing, "And you think just because you have the prison your safe? My brother just lost his wife and to come back to find the rest of his family dead, he would kill you slowly and like it. My man is a crossbow wielding redneck, they're fucking mean in a good mood piss him off and you're going to be begging for death. We have two more people combing the catacombs, their son is on guard you kill him you'll have two very angry, very capable parents. There's also the daughter and sister of the old man and girl with her badass husband. You'll be dead in a week, if you managed to take us down. Luckily you have smart friends you son of a bitch or you'd be dead," and with that she walked away into the cell block.

The day drew to a close quicker than Jo expected and before long it was lights out. The bed was cold and there was too much space; tossing and turning it took her hours to fall asleep and when the dreams came it took all she had not to scream her lungs hoarse. She bit her lips hard to keep her from crying out, drawing blood and no matter how hard she fought the hands still scarred her, the images plaguing her mind. Daryl wasn't there to save her this time, no one was.

She woke early the next morning covered in sweat her clothes and blankets sticking to her damp skin. Her hair was damp and matte to her head, Roxie walked in and gasped, Jo looked up at Roxie her skin deathly pale and deep circles under her eyes.

"Dreams," Joelle whispered her voice rough.

"Oh Honey, come on let's get you to the showers," Roxie led her away keeping an eye on her in case she were to fall or stumble.

After she'd had a long shower she dressed quickly a geared up with her hunting knives and a sniper rifle. She was planning on going hunting and taking Lucas with her, they needed some time to talk as well as some fresh meat.

The forest around the prison was dense and thick with trees that thinned out here and there. They weren't looking for deer or boar knowing it would be too hard to get back to the prison unnoticed. But a few squirrels and rabbits should do the trick; keep the others happy for a few days at least.

Lucas trudged through the undergrowth trying to be silent but only making it worse. Joelle was ghostly quiet never making a sound. She had placed a silencer on her gun so that when her meal was shot they wouldn't become dinner for something else.

Four rabbits and 2 squirrels later Lucas broke the silence, "So you and Daryl?"

"Your point dear brother is what?" her voice held a joking note as she playful punched his shoulder.

"Just don't get hurt okay?" he was dead serious.

"I won't okay," she softened her tone, "Daryl wouldn't hurt me like that, at least I hope not."

"Okay dear sister, just don't be too loud at night I don't need to be hearing that," he smirked at her.

Jo's cheeked turned pink at what he was saying, "Same goes for you Luke, we don't want Daniel scarred for life," and with those words she marched of in the direction of the prison.

Everyone was glad when Jo and Lucas came back with meat knowing that they would get a good fill tonight. Carol and Roxie went off to skin and gut their meal while Jo took the children outside for a game of chasey, she was considering hide and seek but it seemed slightly dangerous with the Walkers roaming around.

I was noon when the car drove up to the gates Carl, and Joelle ran up to meet them. Rick got out the car while the rest of them drove up. Jo tried to look into the car but the windows were tinted and she couldn't see much. But he was there; he had to be she, didn't know if she could take it.

"Where's Hershel?" Rick asked after giving Carl a hug.

"In the cell block," Carl replied looking older than his years.

Jo gave Rick a quick hug, "Where Daryl, Rick?"

Rick put a hand on her shoulder, "it's okay he's alive-"

Joelle didn't want to listen to the rest shoving pasting him she ran off down to the catacombs and away from everyone else. He had promised. He had promised her that he would come back and he didn't. He could have but he didn't. The walkers didn't help this time, her frustration and anger soon turned to extreme grief and she couldn't control it when she fell to the floor in tears.

She returned to the cell block to fine the four strangers gone, pity; she liked Tyreese and Sasha. She ignored them all, the sympathy, and the pitying looks. The look from Lucas was the worst, she had reassured him just that morning that Daryl wouldn't hurt her and he had, he'd gone to god knows where alone. Rick's had looked slightly deranged for a moment as if he was seeing something that couldn't really be there and Joelle was worried for him but the worry would have to wait.

As she lay on the bunk that night cold and alone she couldn't help the tears falling mercilessly from her eyes. For the first time since she'd lost Ally she prayed, prayed that Daryl would come back to her and maybe, just maybe, God would listen.