**It's been awhile huh guys? But guess what, I am finally back, and I will hopefully be updating this story once every two weeks, or even once every week! Fair warning this chapter has quite a bit of F-bombs being dropped, and just all around not happy things… But, bear with me. I love you all so much! Thank you for being patient with me and my incompetence, don't forget to review!

Woodbury was one of those places in this world you'd kill to be part of, literally. Everyone who'd gotten to stay there had sacrificed something to find it, and those who hadn't were just the lucky ones. The Governor's guards were the most feared, and the most looked up to in the town. They kept the population safe, provided food, and kept peace within the walls. The Governor was the master mind of it all, pulling strings here and there, tying up loose ends. He was the man behind the curtain, the one running it all, and everyone loved the Governor. All of them were completely unaware about the man who hid underneath charm and dimples. Philip Blake was a lot of things, but kind? That wasn't one of them.

The people who he'd let in the town were strays he found on sides of roads when he and his original group went out for provisions, they had nothing to offer him, nothing but people to follow him. So he brought them in, but when he ran across people that could be potentially useful to him, or threatening. He made sure they would cause a problem, and that's exactly what Ryder was. Potential use, a threat, someone he was going to have to mold and shape into the perfect solider. The Governor had no interest in the family of two when Merle brought them in, it was odd they were wandering around in a forest; it was odd they had no luggage. But according to their stories their group was over runned, at a motel in the north. But the Governor and his men had just been in the north, and everything there was dead… Dead and rotting and eating anything it was able to get its hands on. The only motel there was filled with burnt corpses. So obviously they were both lying.

It would have been easier to get the information out of the young girl, but Philip may have been heartless, but there was just something about her that stopped him from harming her. She was young, sassy, and so intelligent… A lot like his Penny. So rather than prodding and emotionally tormenting the poor girl, he decided the best approach was to take her under his wing. While the girl's father was being fixed up in the 'infirmary'.

"What do you want?" Ryder shouted out from behind the door they had locked him in, his arm still bleeding, and his ankle still swollen, "Just let us go!" He slammed his fists against the door over and over again, leaving bloody knuckle marks against it until he finally stopped, his hands stretching out over the cool metal.

When they brought them into the town, it was like entering heaven. People were walking around, they greeted them, asked their names, and Jamie actually looked happy when she spotted a few little girls. But then Merle, the one with the knife for a hand had separated them. Took Ryder to wherever he was, and Jamie, he had no idea where they took Jamie.

He was supposed to be taking care of her, he promised Rose, he promised her before she was killed by those things. He had to keep her safe; he had to get out of this town with her before it was to late.

҉

Their footsteps were quiet as they tracked through the woods, Daryl's crossbow raised up high, Rose with her rifle hanging from her back, machete in hand, her eyes lingering on the tracks that Ryder and Jamie had made as they blindly ran through the trees. If Jamie had her way, she would have had Ryder go back towards the prison, but Rose knowing Ryder knew that he'd deem the place unsafe, and wouldn't even know how to get back if he thought it was safe.

"Looks like they went straight for the road," Daryl muttered, taking out a walker in front of them, Rose frowning.

"Jamie wouldn't have gone onto the road," She says, "She would have forced Ryder to find another way, though who knows if Ryder would've listened." She sighs, shaking her head as she moved to walk beside Daryl, glancing at him as he put his foot on the head of the walker, and yanked his arrow from its skull, making a sound of disgust.

"Damn, ripped the head clean off." He grumbled throwing the broken arrow to the ground, and loaded up the crossbow again, "Your man doesn't have any skills on navigation?" He asked, Rose sending him a look.

"My man? Really?" Daryl shrugged, knowing she knew he was just teasing, trying to get her to feel a bit better, but she just shook her head, not even cracking a smile, and "Ryder's useless in the wilderness, if anything all he knows how to do make a bong out of tree bark and deer shit." She says, earning a laugh from Daryl as they reached the road.

Rose looked for walkers before stepping onto the pavement, trying to see any trace of Jamie, some sort of clue, anything say that she went this way, Daryl sighing behind her.

"They probably headed east; Jamie probably remembered the town we stayed at for a few days." He tried, but Rose shook her head, her hand tightening around the hilt of her weapon.

"Jamie knows better," She says, "She wouldn't have gone with him without a fight." Daryl nods as he looks back to the ground, noticing the blood in the sand.

"Hey Rosie," He says snapping his fingers as he knelt down, Rose coming over to him, "Jamie's got your temper, she gets mad and she lashes out right?" He says, Rose nodding, "She also knows when you want to get away, you go for the weak spots," He points to the dried blood pool soaking the sand, "Ryder was hurt, Jamie digs her fingers into his wound, then takes off," His voice trailed off as he turned, scanning the ground, smiling a bit as he noticed the other tracks leading away from the road, "Off into the woods, come on, this way." He says as he stands back up, and snatched her hand up, the two darting away from the pavement to follow Jamie's trail.

҉

Jamie stayed close to the nice lady she met named Karen, who was showing her around the town. The Governor still hadn't let her daddy come and see her, and Jamie was scared. She didn't know any of these people, and they were all so strange… they didn't look scared at all, they didn't carry weapons, and they didn't even have any dirt on them.

"Why's everyone starin' at me?" Jamie whispered up to Karen who smiled looking down at Jamie, her hand going to the girl's hair.

"They're just not used to seeing a seven year old girl carrying a gun," She says, Jamie nodding as she turned her attention back to the people staring. She had refused to give up her gun, made a big enough fuss about it that the Governor let her keep it, until she trusted the people that were caring for her.

"There's nothing to be worried about honey," Karen said as she led Jamie towards the small park that was made, "Everyone here is nice, no one's going to hurt you here."

Jamie shook her head, "There's always something to worry about." She stated, Karen frowning some. It was sad to her to know that such a young child had experienced so much.

"Karen!" Jamie stopped dead in her tracks when she heard a familiar voice, Karen turning with the girl, smiling at the sight of Andrea.

"Hey Andrea! I'm just showing Jamie here around town for the Governor." She called out, Andrea slowing in her steps, her eyes tearing up.

"Jamie?" She called out, Jamie putting her hands over her mouth when she felt the tears building up in her eyes as Andrea walked over, and knelt to the ground in front of her, pulling the girl to her, "Oh Jim Jam! I can't believe it's you." She cried, her hand going to the girl's hair, holding her close.

Jamie wrapped her arms around Andrea's neck, being in her arms reminding her of her mother… her mother… who had died.

When Jamie busted into tears, Andrea's grip on the girl tightened, picking her up off the ground, assuming the reason for the girl's heavy tears and sobs to be something horrible, "Karen, Jamie is my friend's daughter." Andrea said, stroking the child's hair.

Karen nods frowning, "I'll leave you two alone," She whispers, "The Governor wants her back in his home by one." She said, placing a hand on Andrea's shoulder, "I'm sorry." She whispered, Andrea nodding as she turns, and heads over to the empty bench across the street, away from any listening ears.

Andrea set Jamie down, and knelt down in front of the girl as she continued to sob, wiping at her eyes, "Baby tell me what happened." She whispered, reaching forward to brush the tears from her cheeks as Jamie's little hands balled up into fists.

"Mommy…" She choked up, wiping at her eyes, "Momma was trying to save me… she was, and she, daddy said she was eaten." She sobbed, and Andrea frowned, leaning forward to press a kiss to the girl's head.

"What about Daryl? Where's he?"

"I-I don't know, Daddy took us away… made us leave because there were so many walkers." Andrew's eyebrows furrowed together.

"Daddy? baby, are you not talking about Mr. Daryl?" She asked, taking Jamie's hands in hers as she shook her head again.

"No… I'm talking about my actual daddy, Ryder." She sniffled looking up at Andrea.

"Ryder? You guys found Ryder? Where?" She asks, and Jamie opens her mouth, going to say talk about the prison before she realized that it was a secret. Ryder had said they were at a motel… Ms. Andrea had been gone so long… she would surely tell that scary man about where they were…

"At a motel," She murmurs, Andrea staring at her for a moment, and Jamie bit her lip, before bursting into tears again, only faking it this time. She was sad, but there was a chance that her mother might be alive still, Mr. Daryl too, and everyone else… and if her mother was there, she wouldn't want Jamie to tell anyone about the prison, not even Ms. Andrea.

҉

Ryder sat at the metal table that was in the room, his head hung low, staring at the handcuffs around his wrists. It seemed like he had just gotten out of the routine of being thrown into a tiny cell, but here he was again, back in the same routine he'd grown so accustomed to.

"So, Mr. Marks… are you ready to cooperate with me?"

Ryder raised his head, staring at the Governor, the man staring back at him with a strange smile on his face, and an evil glint in his eyes.

"Go fuck yourself asshole." He barked out throwing himself forward some, the Governor not even flinching, but he did sigh.

"Come on now Mr. Marks, I apologized for the rough handling my men displayed," He said politely, glancing down at Ryder's hands, "Though those there were your own causing, if you had just waited patiently you wouldn't be so injured."

"Don't patronize me you sadistic fuck," He spat out, "Give me my fucking daughter back, and let us go!" He shouted, and the Governor just sighed again shaking his head.

"I'm sorry Mr. Marks, but I can't do that." He said, folding his hands on the table, "You see, your daughter is very upset," He said softly, "Her mother just died, like you said, and honestly if she were to see you like this she'd be even more traumatized, don't you think."

Ryder lunged across the table, his hands going for the Governor's neck when he felt the shock of electricity shoot through his body, and he fell to the ground, convulsing.

The Governor stood up now, clicking his tongue as he waved the taser around, showing what had caused Ryder the shock, "Ryder, your life is in my hands," He says kneeling down next to the man, "Yours, and your daughters." He said, smiling as he saw the rage flashing in the man's eyes, "Next time you try to attack me, just think about that."

҉

Daryl stood beside Johanna, frowning a bit as he watched Rose from his spot upstairs. They found more tracks deeper in the woods, five sets of them, meaning most like Ryder and Jamie had met up with people, and left with them. Since getting back to tell the group Rose hadn't spoken a word to anyone. Rick was back in action, sort of, and the rest of the group was dealing with their loses.

"She'll be okay," Johanna whispered catching Daryl's attention as he looked down at the young girl, "Jamie and Rose both." She said, sounding so sure of it, "They're strong girls… and I don't think there's anything in this world that could keep them apart."

Daryl nods slowly, biting at his thumb nail as he looked back towards Rose, who was being bothered by Logan now, demanding that she let him change her bandages.

"Rose is close to ripping your boyfriend's head clean off," He chuckles watching as the two medics started to argue with each other about what treatment she needed, and Johanna sighed.

"Logan's stubborn," She says shaking her head, "Always trying to get his way, no matter what."

Daryl nods, "Rosie's the same way."

Johanna smiles, laughing just a bit when Rose punched Logan in the arm, making him let out a strange noise before she kicked her leg up.

"Fucking change it then before I punch you in the throat, damn kid." Rose yelled, crossing her arms over her chest angrily, Daryl laughing now as he shook his head.

"I'm not a kid," Logan grumbled, setting his kid down on the ground as he knelt in front of Rose, briefly glancing over at Glenn and Maggie when they came over.

"Rose, we're heading into town for a supply run," Glenn said scratching the back of his head, Rose looking up at him.

"We were thinking that you could come with us, we can look for Jamie while we're out." Maggie explained, and Rose nods.

"Yeah of course, once this doofuse is done fixing up my leg I'll get my stuff and we can head out." She says, smiling just a bit for their sake.

"Works for us," Glenn says, returning her smile, Daryl and Johanna heading down towards the small group forming around Rose.

"What's going on?" Daryl asked, sitting down beside Rose when she winced, kicking Logan in the knee with her good leg.

"Careful squirt, you can't be so rough, and don't have it so tight either, you want compress it, not cut off my circulation." Logan looked up at Rose, his eyes a little wide.

"I know how to wrap a sprained ankle Rose."

"Obviously not, Logan."

"Would you two give it a rest already," Johanna groaned, "You're both good at what you do, stop fighting over it, you're stressed, and your silly arguing is just making it worse." Johanna said, Logan frowning as he nods, and Rose rolling her eyes.

Daryl looked back over at Rose, "You should get some rest after this." He says, and Rose shakes her head.

"Can't going on a milk run with them." She said pointing over at Glenn and Maggie, Daryl going to argue, "Don't even, you've got work to do here, and I need to be useful, plus I can look for Jamie too." Rose said now, everyone frowning just a bit at mention of the missing girl as Daryl sighs.

"Alright," He says quietly, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he scratched at his chin, "Just… don't do anything stupid"

Rose smiles some, "When do I ever?"

"Always." The entire group said, and Rose raised her eyebrows.

"Fuck all ya'll then."

҉

Jamie and Andrea had talked for a long time… Jamie thinks she was able to convince Andrea about the motel, the more she cried, the more Andrea believe her, and Andrea was obviously close to the Governor, so maybe her friend would be able to convince him that her daddy was telling the truth. But now she was in the Governor's apartment, poking around in his belongings while he cleaned up in the bathroom.

She didn't want to stay with the Governor one bit, he was… he was scary to her, and there was no way her mother would trust someone like him. "Jamie," Jamie jumped when she heard his voice, and she turned quickly, moving away from the dressed she'd been looking through, "It's not polite to rummage through people's belongings." He said as he closed the drawer.

"Momma always said the best way to get to know someone is to sneak around while they're away," Jamie said, crossing her arms across her chest, raising her head proudly.

"Your momma sounds like she was a dangerous woman." The Governor chuckled, and Jamie nods, frowning a little as she looked back to the ground.

"Where's my daddy?" She asked now, looking up at him as he sighed.

"He's unconscious still darlin'," He said, "He was badly injured you know, lost a lot of blood, it might be awhile until he's back to normal." Jamie frowns.

"Why can't I see him?"

"A girl your age shouldn't see somethin' like that."

Jamie glared up at him, "I'm sure I've seen a lot more than you think mister, you don't know nothin' about me." She yelled, pointing at him, "My momma and I saw a lot of bad things, and a lot of my friends died… there's nothing that scares me." She yells, and stomps away from him, heading towards the window.

The Governor watched Jamie carefully, shaking his head as the girl stared at the window, before her head fell, and she sniffled, "I just wanna see my daddy."

He frowns, and crosses the room over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder, making her jump some, "In time honey, you'll just have to be with me for now." He said, and Jamie bit her bottom lip, squeezing her eyes shut to stop the tears. She didn't want to be with him, she didn't like him.

"My momma would hate you." She whispers, and the Governor chuckled just a bit.

"I doubt that."

҉

"We just hit the powdered formula jackpot." Glenn said, and Rose laughed quietly, shaking her head as she filled her bag with some baby food that hadn't expired just yet. Little ass kicker might not be able to eat it yet, but there was some tasty choices in the bunch, surprisingly enough.

"Thank god," Rose heard Maggie say from outside while the two started to load up the truck, "Rosie don't be long!" Maggie called, peeking into the store.

"Almost done here," Rose called back, moving around the old store, snatching a few more choice items, her machete in hand as always, hearing Maggie and Glenn talking happily together.

"And where is it ya'll good people calling home!?" Rose froze when she heard a man call out to them, and she zipped her bag up quickly, crouching down as she tried to make it to the window without him seeing. They didn't need this right now! They had to get back to the prison, and Rose had to find Jamie.

"Merle?" Rose heard Glenn call out to the man, and Rose felt her heart drop, Daryl's brother, there was no way. She wanted to run out there, but Daryl had told her a few things about the man, and he wasn't the safest, nor the friendliest of rednecks.

Rose made it to the door, hearing Merle laughing as he set down his gun, walking towards them hands, well hand and knife raised up in the air, "Hey! Back the hell up!" Maggie shouted, and Rose moved towards him quickly, placing her machete into the sheath, and pulled out her pistol instead, cocking in and making Merle look at her.

"Well, ain't'chu a pretty young thang'." Rose raised an eyebrow, smirking.

"Nice to meet you Merle," She says tilting her head to the side, Merle smiling his hands up in the air still.

"You seem like a civil person miss," Merle said, turning to her now, her gun, and the others guns still drawn on them, "Can you talk them for me sweetheart, convince them I ain't here for no harm."

Rose shook her head, "Sorry buddy, but I don't know you; now you just talk to my friend Glenn here about whatever it is you want." Rose said, gesturing her gun over to Glenn, and Merle nods.

"Fair enough," He said looking back over to Glenn.

"You made it," Glenn muttered, and Merle smiled. Rose bit her lip, knowing well enough that Glenn and Merle probably had some bad history, praying to god that this wouldn't end with them killing Daryl's brother.

"Can you tell me, is my brother alive?" Rose smiled for some reason, lowering her gun just a bit. This was Daryl's brother; he was family, whether or not he was a stranger.

"Yeah," Glenn said, nodding, Merle smiling bigger now.

"You take me to him, and I'll call it even on everything that happened there in Atlanta, no hard feelings." Rose looked over to Glenn, biting her lip, when he didn't lower his gun at all, looking at Merle's knife-hand-thing, making the man laugh.

"You like that," He asked waving his knife-hand-thing just a bit, Rose furrowing her eyebrows as he looked over at her, then back at Glenn, "Well uh, I found myself a medical supply warehouse, fixed it up myself, pretty cool huh?"

"We'll tell Daryl you're here, and he'll come out and meet yah." Glenn said and Merle started to object, making his way a bit closer to them, causing Glenn and Maggie to panic some, Rose moving closer to Merle.

"The fact we found each other is the miracle." He said, glancing over at Rose again, making her nervous, "Come one now, you can trust me."

"You trust us, you stay here." Merle let out a little chuckle, and Rose glanced over at Glenn just for a brief second, before Merle moved towards her, pulling a gun out of the back of his pants, and grabbed her wrist, knocking the gun out of her hand as she shot it, and paced his knife-hand-thing to her throat, and the other gun to her head.

"Sorry about this angel, no hard feelings." Merle said as Rose struggled in his hold, only making him press the knife closer to his throat.

"Stop! Stop Merle let her go!" Glenn said now, him and Maggie both pointing their guns at them and Merle cocked the gun.

"Ah, ah, ah you two, one foul move and pretty girl here gets her brains blown out." He said smirking.

"D-Don't!" Rose begged, "Please, I have a daughter." She cried.

Glenn watched with wide eyes as Rose broke down, and Merle started to shush her, telling her it was gonna be alright as long as her friend's listened… Glenn couldn't stand to see her like that, Rose never broke down when her life was in threat, she fought back, she didn't give in, she didn't. "Merle, you hurt her you hurt Daryl." Glenn said, lowering his gun, glancing at Maggie, gesturing for her to do the same.

Merle raised an eyebrow, before laughing, "No way! My brother went out and got himself a nice piece of ass?" He laughed loudly shaking his head, "Damn baby bro, already moved on without me." He chortled shaking his head.

"Let her go, and, and we can talk about this." Glenn said, and Merle chuckled shaking his head, "GET IN THE CAR." He shouted now, pointing his gun at them, pressing the knife against Rose's throat, "Drop your damn guns, and get in the car!"

Rose watched as Glenn and Maggie dropped their guns, and stepped back, Rose cursing in her mind before grabbing onto Merle's blade, and stepped on his foot as hard as she could, Glenn turning around suddenly, and darted for his gun as the two began to struggle, Maggie charging towards him to help.

Merle quickly discovered that Rose was putting all her weight on her left foot, and kicked her as hard as he could in her right ankle, which brought her to the ground, and he blocked Maggie's blow pulling her to him, his gun to her head now, and his foot on Rose's ankle.

"Think about this for a second chinaman," Merle said as Glenn watched, his eyes wide, "You make a wrong move, and I kill your bitch, then you." He said, pressing his foot down harder on Rose's ankle, "Baby brother ain't gonna be to happy if I kill his girl so, she'll just come with me, but you two are expendable." He said tilting his head to the side, and Glenn bit his lip, "Set your gun down, and get into your car." Glenn grinded his teeth, looking at the girls, before doing as told. Once he was in the car, Merle moved his knifed hand to Maggie's back, and put his gun into its holster, leaning down and picked Rose up by the shirt.

"Come on now girls, you three are coming home with me."