Hey guys! I wanted to say thank you for all the views, favorites, follows, and reviews! It's awesome to have so much support from you guys! I need to ask for a favor that I would really appreciate. This is my first time writing my main character in my story as a pregnant woman. I've been doing my baby research but if you have any knowledge about pregnancy and the birth I would greatly appreciate it. Being the youngest in my family I haven't had that much experience with pregnancies. I have a nephew and another on the way but I don't get to see my brother and my sister in law that often so I really don't have an inside source besides what Google gives me. Just please PM me if you have any tips! Thanks so much and please feel free to review! Happy reading!

Chapter 11: Way Too Close

Brooke was asleep and heard a knock at her door very early in the morning. She got up and walked over to open it.

"Brooke, you need to change." Merle said. "We have somewhere to go."

"Merle, what's going on?" she asked.

"Just get dressed now." He said and she did as she was told. They sneaked around the guards and into the woods. Once they were there Brooke saw many men from the army there.

"Merle, what's going on?" she asked as she saw the Asian man that she met from the first day and smirked.

"These are your reinforcements." Merle answered. "Ready to start a rebellion?"

Prison

Lori had just delivered the baby after twelve hours of labor. Herschel and Beth had cleaned the baby up. Rick waited with Lori as she rested. Herschel walked in with the baby girl.

"Here you go Rick, she's healthy and perfect." Herschel smiled and gave Rick the little girl. Rick smiled and held his new child. He looked at her face and sighed. The baby looked just like Shane. Jet black hair, brown eyes, and olive skin. This wasn't his baby and he was devastated. Lori looked over.

"How is she?" Lori asked.

"She's fine." He replied. "So, Sophia?"
"We promised Carl." Lori said. They had been very distant lately ever since she tried to get Brooke separated from the group.

"I know she isn't mine, Lori." Rick said. "I mean look at her. She looks like him."

"I know." She replied softly.

"But, I want to help you take care of her." Rick said. "You didn't cheat on me, you needed someone. I'll help you raise her as if she were mine. We'll raise her just like we did Carl." Lori started to cry and Sophia squirmed a little. Rick sighed knowing that Shane had told him to do it. It was the right thing to do though.

Daryl waited with the others but kept shooting looks at Andrea.

"What the hell was she so worried about?" Daryl thought. "Why was she so secretive?"

Andrea could feel Daryl glancing at her every once in a while. Andrea knew she had screwed up big time. If he did know, Brooke's plan would fail. He would go berserk and would definitely go on a rampage. She walked away so that maybe she could escape his gaze but she heard him stand. She walked on but as soon as they were far enough away from the group he grabbed her left shoulder.

"What's goin' on?" he asked. "You ain't tellin' me somethin'." She sighed and thought of something to tell him. She could talk him through this.

"Alright, The Governor has asked Brooke out on dates." She confessed. "She's gone with him."

"But it doesn't mean anything?" he asked.

"It means nothing. She feels like shit every time. They had only been on one when Michonne and I left. She hated herself for it." Daryl sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "They haven't done anything, like, you know."

"I know she wouldn't do that." He snapped back.

"You mad?" she asked.

"No." he grunted. "It doesn't mean anything."

"It's also helping her keep his guard down. It's helping." She added. "She hates him Daryl. It doesn't mean anything. All she kept saying was that she felt awful."

"I know she's not cheating on me." He said. "I know she won't do anything past a peck on the lips." Andrea patted his shoulder. "Come on, we need to get back."

In the woods

Brooke was overwhelmed by the tragic stories of the most of the Woodbury soldiers. Most had lost their wives because of Blake. Many had children that had "run away". Wes, the Asian man, had lost both his pregnant wife and little boy who was only six years old. Merle looked at Brooke and nodded. She stood up and took a deep breath.

"All these stories are heart wrenching to me." She began. "This is all the more reason to go against Blake. He has destroyed our lives, piece by piece, little by little, and it's time he pays for what he's done to all of us. He's threatening the lives of my friends, my family, everything that I care about. He has done the same to all of us. It's high time that WE step up. WE take control! No more dictatorship, we need a democracy. Blake says that this is as close to normal as we're ever going to get. So this is where it ends? We are dictated and restricted to the very ground? No! We need to have our own decisions! We have our own lives! He can take our weapons, our family, our friends, but he can't take our freedom, our minds, and our pride! We have something he doesn't. We have the power to over throw him! To start over! We can change our fate, we have a chance! I'm going to take that chance, so who will join me?" the speech moved all the soldiers. They were far enough away from Woodbury so they couldn't be heard. The men cheered and they made their plan. Nothing was going to stop them. It was fifty against twenty. If they planned it just right, with all their skills combined, they could win. All the men took their routes back to Woodbury while Brooke and Merle snuck back into Becky's house.

"How did it go?" Becky asked sitting at the kitchen table with a coffee mug.

"Very well." Brooke answered.

"We'll be able to do it no problem, we jus' gotta time it right." Merle added.

"How are you feeling?" Becky asked Brooke. "You know, with the pregnancy and all."
"I feel fine, the morning sickness has gotten a lot better in the past couple of days but I guess it's because I know how to handle it now."

"You've been takin' the vitamins right?" Merle asked.

"Yeah, um, Becky could you leave us alone for a minute?" she asked and Becky nodded.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I heard what happened last night." She said.

"I didn't hurt them." Merle said.

"I know but are any of those men in the rebellion?" she asked.

"No, they all kiss the ground the Governor spits on." He replied. "I ain't gonna let that happen to you."

"I'm not going to let it happen to you either." She said. "How can you sit through that?"

"I've been 'round stuff like that long enough to become numb to it. Now, shooting the family I wasn't numb to but you learn after two or three of 'em to sit through it like a man." He explained. Becky came back in not long after that.

"So, how is the baby going to be protected?" Becky asked.

"She'll wear a bullet proof vest." Merle said. "We have some meant for fatties that she could use."

"Thank you for putting it so nicely Merle." Brooke replied and he snickered.

"How big are you?" Becky asked. Brooke stood and lifted her shirt. It was getting into shape and there was a bump on the lower part of her abdomen, not her entire stomach yet. "I still can't believe you've managed to hide it. It's noticeable. You're about three months now, right?"

"Only if I wear tighter clothing. I wear men's shirts so it's baggy and yeah, I think I'm about three months. I counted and it had been a month and a half so I didn't know for that long." Brooke explained. "So what's the plan for here when we're gone?"

"The people in town are going to gather and some of the people who are in on it will help me announce it. We won't have any trouble; he's taking the entire army so that means no guards. No one will disagree with us. We've wanted to rebel but it's too dangerous without weapons." Becky said. "We're all ready to have a democracy and our freedom."

"And we'll be able to get that." Merle told her. They all slept in Becky's house that night. Brooke smirked as she laid on the couch. Merle and Becky could try all they wanted but Brooke knew they were living together. She woke up early the next morning and sighed. She had dinner tonight with Blake. She ran a hand through her hair, which had been cut a little past her shoulders by Becky. This would be a difficult night.

Brooke walked down the office as she did the first night in Woodbury but she knew that this time it would just be her and Blake. She opened the door and Blake was sitting at the table. She sat at the opposite end. The entire thing felt awkward but they were able to have many conversations. Some that interested her but most was not interesting to her. At the end of the meal she went to leave but Blake walked over to her.

"Goodnight Brooke." Blake said.

"Goodnight Blake." She replied and he kissed her once again. This time was different. It was with more heat. He place his hands the back of her neck and she placed hers on his chest. They both knew what he wanted but he didn't know she didn't. His hands move to her back and she knew that one bad move and he would be able to feel her stomach. She pulled away quickly. "I'm sorry Blake." She said and thought very quickly.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm sorry Blake but I can't do this. Not yet anyways." She sighed. "I have a confession to make." She said and he listened. "It wasn't just me in the woods. I had my husband with me. We had been together since high school and he got bit a week before you found me. I had to put him down. It just doesn't feel right." She started to cry and Blake sighed.

"I had no idea." Blake said actually saddened by her story. "I know how it feels to lose someone very close."

"You had a family?" she sobbed.

"I had a daughter. She was only five years old. I lost her a couple of days before we found Woodbury." He explained. Her theory had been proven right. This wasn't about population, he wanted others to feel as badly as he felt. She took some pity on him for the loss of his daughter but not much. No one deserves what he had gotten but he had taken his emptiness too far. Somehow, she could understand his actions. "Her name was Darcy."

"I'm so sorry Blake." She said.

"What was his name?" he asked.

"Daniel." She replied and he nodded. "I like you Blake but I think it's too soon."

"Brooke, I like you a lot too. I understand completely." He said. "Would you still like to go out?" he asked.

"Very much it's just we're moving too fast." She said. "I enjoy going on dates with you." She lied.

"I enjoy them too." He smiled. She gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Goodnight Brooke."

"Goodnight Blake." She said and walked out of the room. She walked to her room quickly and laid down in her bed. She sighed and held her hands to her forehead. "Oh, that was too close." She gasped. "Way. Too. Close."