A/N: Thanks to LadyIngenue for her excellent notes.

Chapter 3

That evening at dinner Beth filled her plate with food and went to sit by Bob Stookey. He'd joined the prison community a couple of weeks back and was slowly settling in. He gave her a wide smile as she joined him.

'Good to see you, Beth. You make sure to tell your father something for me. The next time there's a supply run, I'm going on it. I want to start earning my keep. You be sure to tell Herschel that; maybe he'll be good enough to bring it up with the Council.'

'I will,' she promised. She ate slowly. 'You were out there a long time. Did you ever hear of a place called Terminus?'

He frowned. 'Now that you mention it; yes, I did. One of the people I was travelling with: she said she saw a sign on a train track once, but decided not to go there.' He looked at her curiously. 'Why ask?'

'Tara: the woman we brought in yesterday. She says she went there.'

At her tone he laid down his cutlery. She told him briefly about the ambush, Tara being kidnapped, how she and Brian – the Governor – had been the only ones left alive.

Bob shook his head slowly. 'It sounds like he got rid of a nasty place.'

Beth looked at her plate. 'That's what I thought.'

She spent the following morning helping her father gather plants with medicinal properties. More and more of the medicine they found nowadays was past its use-by-date; and Herschel was insistent it was time to start making use of the natural remedies at their disposal. As the sun started to dip from its zenith, they made their way across the baking concrete of the entrance yard. Beth carried a cloth, bandages and a bowl of clean warm water. They were on their way to tend to the Governor again, and Beth couldn't help feeling apprehension after the revelations of the day before. The image she'd held of him for the last six months was slowly being challenged; she didn't feel ready to face the implications. Seeing him again, she was frightened she would have no choice but to do so.

'Herschel!'

They both turned around at once. A woman was running towards them. Beth recognised her as one of the survivors from Woodbury. 'It's Jake; he's having another asthma attack. Come quickly; please!'

Herschel started forwards; then hesitated, looking at Beth with worry.

Beth guessed his thoughts at once. 'I can go,' she said. 'I won't be alone.' Not like Maggie, she thought, though she didn't say it. 'Tara will be there; and Carol will be just outside. I know what to do; it'll only take a few minutes. Now go and help Jake.'

He nodded with reluctance. 'All right. But call Carol if you need to. Find me as soon as you're done.'

She watched him hurry away with the woman, then continued to Cell Block A. Carol was wary of Herschel's absence, but agreed to let Beth in, with a warning to take care. She opened the door and Beth stepped into the cool darkness of the main gallery.

It was the worst of the cell blocks. There were cells on both sides of the room, and the bars seemed to press close. Despite the high windows, the room was badly lit, with scarcely any sunlight getting through the windows. This would have been death row: the thought made her shiver.

There was no one in sight. She took a few steps forward, looking into the empty cells on either side of her. A raised voice from the Governor's cell made her jump.

'Goddammit! Can't you get it into your thick, stupid head? If you won't stay, neither will I.'

Beth stalled, not wanting to intrude. But now Carol had shut the door behind her; and if she knocked she would be discovered.

She heard the Governor's voice, quiet but steady. 'You're the only one who wants me here.'

'You mean that you don't want to be here.' Tara's voice became sad, pleading. 'You think there's nothing left for you. But there could be. This place could be it; if you'd just let it. After all the searching, we've found a place where we can just be.' Her voice began to break, high and trembling. 'Lilly and Meghan … I can't stand it that they're not here with us. But they died looking for a place like this. They died so we could find it. If you just throw that away –'

Beth felt her insides turn cold with pity and sympathy. She couldn't have moved if she'd wanted to.

'In two more days there'll be another vote. This is our chance to convince them to let us stay. If you'd just say something –' She broke off. 'Just think about it,' she said at last. 'Please. For Meghan and for Lilly if not for me.'

He was silent.

Tara came out of the cell, her dark brows drawn together; her shoulders hunched and weary. Halfway down the gallery she saw Beth and started.

'I'm sorry,' said Beth quickly. 'I didn't mean to eavesdrop.'

Tara didn't answer for a while, watching Beth quietly. 'Maybe it's good you heard,' she said at last. 'Where's Herschel?'

'He was called away. It was an emergency.'

Tara nodded. 'Thank you for yesterday. For listening.'

Beth felt a rush of sympathy. 'I was glad to.'

They smiled at each other shyly. Then Tara waved towards the cell. 'I guess you're here to check up on him.'

'Should I come back another time?' Beth half-hoped Tara would say yes. But Tara only shook her head and disappeared into her cell.

Beth continued down the hall, her skin going cold with nerves.

She stopped at the doorway and looked in to see him sitting on his bed, his head bent, his hands clenched at his sides. He was thin, his face drawn and gaunt. He looked exhausted; as though he hadn't slept properly in days. In the set of his face and shoulders she saw a deep grief, too recently stirred to be easily hidden, though he tried.

She had to look away for a moment. Yesterday she'd been sceptical when Tara had talked about how he'd loved her sister and her niece. Now it was difficult to doubt her.

She forced herself to be calm. 'May I come in?' She was intensely conscious that this was the first time she'd spoken to him.

'Herschel's not here?' Was she imagining it, or was there was a hint of dread in his voice?

'He was called away for an emergency. But I hope I can change a bandage by myself.'

His lip lifted very slightly; then he bowed his head, remote once again.

'Is it all right if I do it?' she prompted.

His voice was barely more than a murmur. 'Yes.'

First she set down her bowl of water on the small table in the corner, and wet the cloth in it. She went to his side and carefully untied the bandage. Very gently she washed away the blood which had dried underneath and around his eye, taking care to avoid touching the sensitive, painful spots. His head was tilted away from her touch and she saw that his jaw and throat were tense.

She wondered if he knew she'd overheard his talk with Tara – but she didn't dare bring it up.

'The wound's healing well,' she said carefully. 'In a few more weeks you'll be able to leave off the bandage.'

He didn't speak. Yet she saw the answer written plainly in his expression: It makes no difference.

Her hands were hasty and unsteady as she applied a new bandage. She spoke almost in a rush. 'You're not the only one who's changed. We have, too; all of us.' She kept her eyes fixed on her fingers as she spoke. 'Maybe you won't have to leave. Maybe you could stay.' She tied the knot quickly and stepped back. 'I'll be back tomorrow.' Then she gathered up the bowl and left without looking at him.

Later that afternoon Beth sat in her room, keeping an eye on Judith while attempting to memorise a list of muscle groups. But her mind was too full to concentrate on the textbook and she quickly gave up.

'Hey.'

Beth looked up from helping Judith stack cups. Daryl was standing in the doorway. His watchful expression made her heart sink.

'Maggie and Glenn are back.'

'Are they –'

'Everyone's back safe.' He paused. 'Rick and your dad are talkin' to 'em now.'

Beth's stomach plummeted. Rick would be telling Maggie about the Governor.

Daryl looked at her with quiet understanding. 'How is she? The girl; Tara.'

'She's all right. Shy. She's been through a lot. She wants to stay here.'

Daryl's eyes narrowed, his voice staying neutral. 'What about him?'

Beth looked down. 'I don't know.'

Daryl was quiet for a while. 'Glenn ain't gonna like hearin' what Rick tells him. But he wasn't there. If we'd turned 'em away…' He studied the floor. 'They weren't gonna last another day.'

Beth gazed at him in surprise. He must have voted to take Tara and the Governor in, at least for a short time. 'Do you regret letting them stay?' she asked quietly.

He shrugged. 'It'll make it harder to turn 'em out again, if it comes to that.' His face was closed now; and she knew better than to probe him any further. 'Better go,' he muttered at last, turning to leave.

The next half an hour was unbearable. She tried to distract herself by playing with Judith, but her thoughts always returned to Maggie. How was Maggie feeling right now, as she found out that her old enemy was inside the walls of her home? And what would she think when she heard Beth had helped nurse the man who'd threatened to rape her?

'Beth.' As if summoned by her thoughts, Maggie stood in the doorway. She looked weary and tense, watching her sister with a keen green gaze.

Beth's first instinct was to run to her and embrace her. But she couldn't; confused emotions tightened her stomach, making her feel almost sick.

'I'm so sorry,' she said, not quite able to look at her sister.

Maggie didn't say anything; just watched Judith playing with her stack of red cups in the corner of the room. Then she sat down on the opposite end of the bed, her head bowed.

The two sisters sat in silence for a while.

Beth swallowed; her throat suddenly dry. 'I went with Daddy to help treat him.'

Maggie sighed. 'I know. Daddy told me.' She paused. 'I'm not angry, Beth. You're a nurse now, and Daddy's a doctor. It's what you have to do.'

Beth looked at her sister at last and saw that Maggie meant what she said. She felt such a deep relief that she nearly cried. Maggie scooted over and put an arm around her shoulders.

'You didn't really think I'd be angry with you?' She let out a sigh. 'I'm just glad I didn't have to see him, or be here when they brought him inside. I didn't have to sit somewhere while they voted, knowing they'd decide to take him in.' She closed her eyes. 'It was the right thing to do; but I don't have to like it.' When she spoke next her voice was low, uncertain, as if she didn't know what to feel. 'Is it true what they say? That he's blind?'

'Yes. He probably won't ever see again.'

Maggie was quiet. 'I ought to be glad, but I'm not. Too much has happened… If the Council votes to let him stay, I'll have to see him. I don't know if I can bear that.'

Beth took her hand. 'But he won't see you.'

Maggie nodded, but her mouth was tight and hard, her eyes pained.

'Rick.'

It was the first time the Governor had spoken to him since Rick had questioned him outside the walls. Rick paused in the act of setting two plates of food on the table. He'd prepared them himself from the pot that would feed the rest of the community; he wasn't prepared to test just how far people's tolerance towards their new guests would stretch.

'Yes?'

Blake had risen to his feet, his face turned in the direction of Rick's voice. 'You have a good place here. I don't just mean the fences.' He looked down, pausing for a moment. He spoke quietly; each word an effort. 'You have the tank now. But it won't be enough. There'll always be people out there; waiting to take what you have.

'Back when Woodbury… I kept a hidden cache. It was in the middle of nowhere. It had weapons… a stockpile. Not even Martinez knew about it. Bring a map next time you come. I'll give you the location.'

Rick frowned, surprised. But he said nothing, waiting for what Blake might say next.

Blake hesitated. 'Have you been to Woodbury? Since…'

'No. It's overrun.'

'The weapons locker was pretty secure. The medicine store, too.'

'Why are you telling me all this?' Rick asked coolly, scrutinising Blake's face.

Blake said nothing, his mouth tight with exhaustion.

Rick watched him narrowly. 'I'll bring a map tomorrow.'