**Here's the new chapter guys, I hope you all like it! Next chapter should be up soon, though I said that last time… Thanks for bearing with me, I love you all! xoxo
Rose wasn't sure how it all had gone down, everything had been a blur, and she barely was able to fight back when the Governor had grabbed her, his hands on her skin making her feel sick to the stomach, and she feared for her life, for her dignity all over again. But he didn't do anything to her this time, just knocked her to her knees, and zip tied her hands together. She noticed Merle, looking scared as well as one of the Governor's men pointed the gun to his head, not moving as the Governor placed a hood over Rose's head, and forced her back up to her feet.
"You think you can just leave?" The Governor's voice was in her ear, making her cringe as he pulled her close, "I've taken a liking to you Rose, you're mine now, and there isn't anyone else left to save you, they're all dead.." He said, his hand tightening around her arm, and she could feel bruises forming, and she let out a small sob.
She tripped over her own feet as the Governor dragged her someplace, she could hear the chattering of a large crowd of people, and she could feel the heat of a fire nearby, maybe torches. She was forced down to her knees once again, only hearing the people around her talk, all talking about the attack, how they were scared, and Rose wondered how all these people managed to trust the Governor, but she was sure it was more fear than trust. Fear of what waited for them outside those walls, and even fear of turning against the Governor.
She felt the Governor's hand leave her head, and she fell forward just a bit as he walked away, the crowd growing silent, "What can I say?" He fell silent, and Rose swallowed down the lump in her throat, keeping her tears at bay, moving her hands as much as she could, trying to break those ties around her wrists, "Hasn't been a night like this since the walls were completed, and I thought we were past it. Past the days when we all sat scared, huddled in front of the TV, during the early days of the outbreak. The fear we all felt then, we felt it again tonight."
Rose remembered those days, the days she'd spent with her momma and daddy, watching the horrific news on the television, how she had to keep Jamie from the room so she wouldn't be exposed to the graphic videos people filmed of what then they thought were just crazy people attacking innocents, but turned out to be dead bodies reanimated, hungry for flesh, and desperate to have it.
"I failed you, I promised to keep you safe. Hell look at me…You know I, I should tell you that will be okay, that we're safe, that tomorrow will bury our dead and endure but I won't, cause I cant. Because I'm afraid. That's right, I'm afraid of terrorists that want what we have. Want to destroy us. Worse, because one of those terrorists is one of our own." Rose wanted to curse when the crowd all gasped, taking in every word that man said, believing it, "Merle, the man I counted on, the man I trusted, he led them here! He led them in, and he tried to help one escape!" The Governor's voice was closer, and Rose let out a yelp when she felt his hand grab her by the collar of her shirt pulling her up, "You lied! Betrayed us all to save this girl!" He shouted, and Rose heard more people coming, the sound of someone struggling, the Governor's hold on her tightening even more, before she was thrown towards Merle, who caught her so she wouldn't fall. "And this, this is another one of the terrorists." The governor said, Rose turning in Merle's arms, "Merle's own brother!" Rose screamed out a no, Merle unable to hold her any longer as she fell to her knees, and she felt someone grab at the hood on her head, and pulled it off, Rose falling back, seeing Daryl in the first time in what felt like forever, looking panicked when he saw her.
"No, no Rosie." He whispered, trying to walk over to her but a man grabbed him by his shirt, and jerked him back, Daryl glaring at man as he looked back at Rose. He had to leave her before, and he had come back, despite Rick's orders he had come back to try and find her, and he was caught… Now they were both going to die.
"What should we do with them huh?" The governor asked looking down at Rose as the crowd began to shout 'kill them', "What?" The crowd responded to him, shouting louder now, and Rose closed her eyes shaking her head as she looked around, seeing elderly, children, parents, everyone in the crowd seemed to be wanting to watch them die, until she met a familiar pair of blue eyes, and she shook her head.
"Andrea?" She barely managed to get the girl's name out before she was picked up by her hair, forced to stand on her feet, trying to step towards Daryl, but held back by the Governor.
Rose looked back towards Andrea, who was fighting with somebody, trying to get the man to let her go before she managed to break free, only to be held back by another man, "Phillip!" She shouted towards the Governor, and Rose swallowed as she watched Andrea, who looked from the man, to Daryl, and to Rose, "She's my friend, they're my friends."
Rose frowned closing her eyes as the Governor's hold on her tightened, "It's not up to me anymore, the people have spoken."
Rose was pushed forward by the Governor, and she stumbled until she was in front of Daryl, her eyes welling up with tears as he whispered her name, and she shook her head, moving to stand beside him, looking over at Merle as the Governor began to speak to him, "I asked you where your loyalties lied." He said, someone coming up behind Rose and untied her hands, before Daryl quickly took her left hand in his right, the two of them looking at each other, "And you said here." Rose rested her head against his shoulder, and wrapped her other arm around his chest, letting him hold her close and she closed her eyes letting a few tears slip out, kissing his skin, "Well prove it, prove it to us all." He said, looking over at Rose now, who had her face buried against Daryl's shoulder, "Brother against brother." The crowd cheered, "Winner goes free."
Rose pulled back suddenly, "No! No! Please!" She screamed at him, feeling someone's arms wrapping around her chest, and pulled her away from Daryl, who fought to grab a hold of her, getting a gun pulled on him, "Don't do this!" Her voice was echoing Andrea's, and she kicked her feet, trying to get whoever was holding her to let go, Daryl stopping his movement to get her back, death staring the man who had his gun pointed at him.
"Fight to the death!"
The crowd erupted into cheers, arms were thrown in the air, whistles were heard, things were thrown, and Rose screamed, "No, stop this! Stop! Please don't do this! Please!" She couldn't believe this was happening, that this man could be so heartless, so evil.
Rose watched carefully as Merle looked around, the look on his face unreadable before he raised a hand in the air, "Ya'll know me!" He shouted, the crowd cheering a reply, "I'm gonna do, whatever I got to do to prove," Rose screamed when Merle punched Daryl in the stomach, making him fall to the ground, "That my loyalty," Rose screamed out, 'Fight back! Please Daryl' as Merle kicked him in the face, making him turn over, "To this town."
"No! Merle! Stop! Stop! Please! Don't hurt him!" Rose sobbed, clawed and screamed as she fought with the man holding her, and managed to use all her weight to throw him over her shoulder, and she ran to the circle, and hit Merle as hard as she could over the head, stopping him from beating Daryl, the two of them hearing the moans of walkers now. Merle threw a punch, hitting Rose in her cheek, and knocked her back towards one of the walkers that were being brought over, Daryl standing up now, and went to her aid as the walker grabbed her.
Rose could hear Merle and Daryl fighting behind her as she fought with the walker a man was holding, it's nails ripping at the fabric of her flannel, its grip on her tight, and she couldn't pry his rotting fingers off.
"No, no, no." She sobbed, fighting to get away, but she couldn't break free, she was so weak, so useless. She let out a sob when she felt something grab her around her waist, and pull her away, her tears stopping when a familiar pair of hands graced her face, and she looked up through wet lashes, seeing Daryl.
"Rose, Rose you gotta fight, you've got to fight." Daryl's voice was in her ear, and she finally took in her surroundings, seeing now that Merle was helping them still, the three of them back to back as the men holding the walkers got closer, and she let out a cry as she pushed the walker away from her, making the man holding it stumble, Daryl punching another in the face, Merle doing the same before a gun shot was fired, and the walker's, blood splattered across Rose's face, her eyes wide as the crowd began to scream.
Daryl grabbed her hand, both of them ducking down as guns went off, smoke from a smoke bomb filling the air, "Merle, come on." Daryl called out to his brother, his hand on Rose's tightening as he dragged her through the smoke, and Rose did her best to will her legs to keep moving.
Rose saw a light shining through the smoke, and she squinted her eyes as Daryl let go of her hand, managing to get his crossbow back before yelling at her to keep moving, and she followed after them. She spotted Rick, and he smiled at her, glad to see her face, and happy that she looked alright, for the most part.
Daryl's hand found hers again, making her move faster, calling out to her but she didn't answer. She couldn't speak right now, there was no way… She was safe, she was with Daryl, but she couldn't stop thinking about it. About what the Governor had done, what he had done to her, to Ryder, what that man had put her family through… and she was going have to tell Jamie everything, and she'd have to watch her little girl's heart break all over again.
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Johanna stood beside Logan, passing him the medical supplies he needed as he wrapped up Allen's leg, Hershel at his side watching over him, "You can take those stitches out yourself in a week or so." He said, Logan nodding as he finished up the bandage, and leaned back giving the man a small smile.
"Ain't that painful either, just need a little booze and you'll be alright." He joked, trying to liven up the spirits in the group that Carl had brought back, though it seemed the only ones alright with the being there were Tyrese and his sister.
"Thank you," Allen said, nodding as Logan patted his leg before standing up, looking over at Johanna as she smiled at him.
"Pretty nice having medical training," Tyrese said Logan nodding as he looked over at Hershel.
"Only gets you so far, I was only just a veterinarian, Logan here's the one with the real training." Hershel added in, Tyrese looking over at Logan as he gave a little shrug.
"I was well on my way to be a doctor before the world went to shit," He sighed scratching the back of his neck, "Rose though, Rose was the real deal… She'd probably be on my case about the way I snitched your leg up." Logan laughed sadly, Johanna taking his hand in hers.
"What happened to her?" Tyrese asked, and Hershel turned towards him, placing his hands on his knee as he sighed a little.
"Her girl went missin'," He started leaning back against the table as every started to listen to him speak, "Rose though, she's such a strong woman, even when we thought she'd lost herself she managed to come back, and she never give up hope." Hershel frowned, closing his eyes, "She was taken from us when she went out looking for her daughter, my daughter was taken too."
"The people that took them," Johanna said, "They're not good people, Logan and I have seen some of the things they do to survivors, they're cruel. But our leader is out looking for them, and hopefully they're alright still." She said, looking over at Hershel, and gave him a reassuring smile.
Tyrese frowns, "I hope they are as well, it's such a shame what the world's turned us into." He muttered shaking his head.
"The world didn't turn us into anything," Logan said, gaining the others attention, "Men like that… that prey on the weak, they were always cruel, whether you believe it or not… they just used this shit world to do as they wanted." Johanna sighs a little when she felt Logan getting worked up, and she ran her hand down his back, resting her head against his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her waist, pressing his lips to her hair still wishing that he could have gone with the others, so he could help in some way to get them all back safely.
҉
Rose followed behind the group through the woods, Maggie, Rick, Merle, and Daryl all moved in front of her, Daryl glancing back at her now and again as she limped, and stumbled behind them, still not have said a word to him.
Rick had hugged her once they were safe, and he told her that they had gotten Jamie back, the news lifted her spirits, but she just couldn't shake the feeling she had, she couldn't make the pain go away.
"Glenn," Rick called out, and Rose looked up, noticing that they had reached the road now, and the survivors all slowed, Glenn hurrying over to them, thanking god, before freaking out over seeing Merle. Rose stood to the side, watching as they all began to fight amongst themselves, Merle being a jackass, and Michonne and Glenn ready to kill.
"EVERYONE SHUT THE FUCK UP," Rose shouted, speaking for the first time, and everyone looked over at her, frowning as they looked at the girl in blood soaked clothes, covered in cuts and bruises "This is not the fucking place to do this right now, just-," Rose didn't get a chance to finish when she heard a familiar voice, and she turned, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Mommy," Rose felt her heart drop seeing Jamie standing there, her eyes red and puffy, "Mommy." Rose sobbed as she ran forward, falling to her knees in front of her daughter who jumped into her arms, both of them crying now. "I thought you were gone, momma you were dead, you were dead."
Rose shook her head shushing her girl as she kissed her hair, and her head, holding her close as she fell back onto her bottom, feeling the relief wash over her to have her daughter in her arms again, safe and sound.
She heard footsteps creep up behind her, and Daryl kneeled down beside her, the fighting in the group completely stopped for now as he put his hand on Jamie's head, the girl looking up at him, and smiled.
"I knew you'd come for me," She whispered leaning into Daryl's touch as Rose continued to sob, "I knew you and momma would be alright." She said and Daryl couldn't help but smile, wrapping his arms around them both now, holding them tightly as the girls began to cry again.
Merle watched his brother carefully, who was kissing Rose, and hugging Jamie, looking so happy that it was making his own damn heart feel heavy, "Ain't that sweet, regular ol' Brady bunch here, girl's got my brother pus-," Daryl turned when he heard Merle's sentence cut off short by the blunt end of Rick's gun.
"Asshole,"
҉
With half of the group gone, Logan felt responsible at trying to restore order since the break in of walkers. Hershel had his eyes on the group they had recently brought in, Carol and Beth were taking care of the baby, and Carl did what he could to help out. So Logan thought that clearing the dead walkers out of cell block D from the other day would be the best thing could do, and maybe him doing this would help them be able to expand further into the prison.
Logan's original plan was to do it alone, but once Johanna found out about it she forced him to let her help, now the couple were moving dead bodies from the cell block, and piling them up in the field to be burned.
"Some of these smell really, really bad," Johanna coughed out as they slung another body onto the growing pile, Logan nodding in agreement as he placed his hands on his hips, breathing heavily as he titled his head back.
"God it's hot," He groaned, wiping at his brow with the back of his hand before gesturing with his head back towards the prison, "Come on, we're almost done."
They both wandered into the cell block that they'd originally found Johanna in – and she frowned. "I hope Jamie's okay." She muttered under her breath as she lingered by the entrance, not really wanting to go back in there – not really wanting to see the withered body of the child that was once her little sister.
Logan glanced back when she lingered before he realized where they were, and a heavy sigh left his lips as he moved forward. "Jamie's fine, she's tough." Logan told her, "I mean I haven't met a child with that much gut in a very long while." He laughed a little as he picked up one of the bodies. Johanna moved again, seeing that he needed help, and grabbed its feet as they both moved out again to sling it into the growing pile.
As if she'd just heard Logan's answer, she started, "Yeah, Lizzie was always the girly one." She said with a small smile as they walked back towards the cell block. Logan glanced down at her and frowned, shaking his head, "That's not-"
"It's okay, really." Johanna shrugged and took a deep breath as she squatted to pick up her lifeless, withered sister into her arms. "She's better off." Johanna muttered as she held her close, wincing at the memory of her kicking at her own sister's head till it was nothing but blood. Johanna swallowed thickly as she laid the small girl at the end of the pile, and then glanced back at Logan, "I wish we could bury her."
Logan pulled another body into the pile and sighed as he ran a hand through his face, not really knowing what to say except wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her in to press a kiss to her temple. They both broke away and wandered back into the cell block, working again.
"Remember what your mother said, Jo." He started, grunting as he hauled up a body, "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not-"
Johanna cut him off with a smile as she continued, "-okay then it's not the end." She finished as she helped him with the body. The smile fell of her face with a frown, "I know I said that I hoped she was right about this, but I really hope Rose & Jamie are okay." She told Logan, "We could use some 'okay' at this moment." Johanna muttered as she shook her head, "How long has it been, Logan? A year?" She asked, tilting her head towards him.
Logan nodded slowly and frowned – a year since the outbreak. Well, a year and a month. He kept track of the days. Time was not something else that he was planning on loosing, neither was Johanna. They'd survived through so much – there was going to be an end to this, right? A few months back, Logan would have believed it. But now, they weren't just up against the dead, the living too – and Logan was not so sure any more if it was all going to be okay in the end.
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Rose sat with Jamie by Merle who was still bitching about the others, moaning and groaning as he rubbed at his head, listening to Jamie as she explained how nice he had been to her, even if he was a jerk to the others. It was nice to know that Merle at least was willing to take care of her little girl in Woodbury, made her respect the man just bit, but only a tiny bit since he had let the Governor kill Ryder, and.. She closed her eyes, still not able to come to terms with what had happened to her in there.
"Momma," Rose turned back to Jamie, stroking her hair as she smiled a little.
"What is it sweetie?" She asked, wiping some of the dirt from Jamie's face with her thumb.
"He's dead isn't he," She said, glancing over at Merle who looked away from her, before back at her mother, "Daddy… Mr. Governor killed him didn't he?"
Rose nods slowly as she closes her eyes, "He loved you so much honey," She whispered as she took Jamie's hand in hers, looking back at her, "Your daddy… he died loving you, wanting nothing more to keep you safe, to make sure that I got back to you." She said, wiping away a tear that slipped from her daughter's eye, "He died a hero baby, and he loved you more than anything in this damn world."
Jamie nods slowly, wiping at her eyes, resting her head against her mother's lap, crying softly as Rose ran a hand through her hair, Jamie's whimpers ceasing as she dozes off.
Jamie was so used to death now, she was used to her friends dying, she was used to seeing people come back and kill others, and that alone made Rose feel broken… but knowing that one day, one day her daughter was going to be alone, that was what really got her, and she did her best not to cry.
"She's strong," Merle's voice coaxed Rose from her thoughts, and she turned to the man, "Your girl, she's a strange one, lot tougher than half the men back in that damn town, and she'll be alright." Rose gave him a small smile, biting her lip.
"You have a heart after all," She murmured, Merle chuckling.
"I ain't no tin man pretty girl, got a soft spot for babies, just like my damn brother, it's the Dixon curse." He joked, Rose nodding slowly as she let out a small sigh, her eyes closing.
"I don't want him to know Merle," She spoke softly, the man looking a little confused, "About me… about the Governor." She said seriously, "I don't want you to tell him if he asks."
Merle nods slowly, "Whatever you say angel, but he'll find out eventually." He said with a shrug, Rose ignoring his comment and thanking him quietly as she turned her attention back to Jamie, who was now fully asleep. They'd all been through so much in the past few weeks, Jamie had told her everything… How Andrea and the Governor were together, how he locked Jamie up with the walker that used to be his daughter… the man was sick.
Rose looked up when she heard the others calling after Daryl, and she saw him walking away, Rick following after him, saying something to him before they walked over to the car, where Daryl pulled his bag from the back, before walking over to them. Rose stood up, pulling Jamie into her arms, the girl resting her head on her mother's shoulder, her arms and legs wrapping around her body..
"What's going on?" She asked quietly, Daryl looking over at his brother for a moment, before returning his gaze to Rose.
"They don't want him in the prison," Daryl explained, Rose nodding slowly as Merle started to bitch again, "I… I can't leave him again Rosie." He whispered, taking her hand and lead her away from his brother.
Rose bit her lip, she expected as much, knowing what Merle had done to Glenn, what he let the Governor do to Maggie, there was no way they'd let him stay with them, but she at least thought they'd give him a change like they had Ryder, make him stay with the prisoners, or in the guard tower. Rose looked back at Daryl as he stroked Jamie's hair, the look on his face she knew well, and knew exactly what he was thinking, that they'd stay behind, that they'd leave him.
"What are you going to do?" She asked, taking a step closer to him.
"We'll just… just have to make do on our own," He said looking down some, "You and Jamie… you guys should stay, the prison's safe for you, and Jamie needs support."
Rose shook her head, "No." She could tell she surprised him, "No, our home is with you Daryl, we're safer with you, Jamie needs you."
Daryl knew that he should have put his foot down, and forced her to stay with Rick, with the others. But when he met her eyes, and saw her standing there, Jamie asleep in her arms, he couldn't bring himself to make her leave. He was already in to deep, and life without them wasn't one he could imagine, it wasn't one he wanted to imagine.
"You might want to let the others know," He said, and Rose nods, "They… They ain't going to be happy."
Rose smiles sadly as she nods, "Yeah well, they'll understand." She said, sighing when Daryl leaned his forehead against hers, "We'll make do," She murmured, "We'll all be fine."
҉
Daryl stood beside Merle, the two men keeping an eye on Rose and Jamie down by the creek, Rose trying to clean herself up a bit. Daryl still couldn't shake the feeling that something was the matter, something had happened to Rose, but she wasn't talking, hell since their talk when they left the group she hadn't said a word to him, yet again. It wasn't like her at all, Merle even made wise cracks at her, and she took them, didn't argue, or curse, or nothing. It was like… like she wasn't Rose anymore, and he knew something horrible must have happened in that town, something other than the death of Ryder.
"So how'd you wind up with a nice piece of ass like that? Bet she had you whipped in the first hour of meeting her." Merle leaned against the tree, Daryl looking over at him, rolling his eyes as his brother made a suggestive face at him.
"Man knock that shit out," He sighed shaking his head as he looked back over at Rose, watching as she pulled her shirt over her head, revealing a bunch of bruises on her sides, and he frowned, "What happened to her in there?" He asked turning back to Merle who shrugged.
"Dunno brother, wasn't allowed near her once the Governor found out she was your girl." Merle lied easily, Daryl nodding slowly, "You gotta at least tell me if you hit that yet."
Daryl groaned, sending his brother another look as the man laughed, "I said knock it off Merle, ain't none of your damn business."
Merle laughed loudly, his hands clapping together as he moved his arms up, his way of cheering "Awh man you did! You've gotten a taste of that, tell me how it was? I bet she dirty, I've heard that damn sailor mouth she's got on her."
"I swear to God if you don't shut up right now." Daryl barked out, Merle laughing more now as he continued to make perverted comments, Rose watching from the creek as Daryl began to fight with his brother, Jamie laughing.
"Mr. Merle's funny," Jamie said as she washed her mother's back carefully, trying to get the dirt and blood off of her, Rose nodding as she sat on her knees in the creek, rubbing her tank top together under the water, watching the blood soak out of it some, "He was always trying to make me laugh when I was by myself… Andrea played with me sometimes, and there was this nice lady Karen, but Merle was the funniest." Jamie giggled, and Rose smiled some, she had missed that noise so much.
Jamie, despite finding out the death of her father, didn't seem very upset, and Rose wondered if her daughter really hadn't let it sink in yet, or if the girl was doing her best to remain strong, like Rose had always taught her to. Jamie really was the only thing keeping her together right now, knowing that if she wanted Jamie to be okay, Rose had to stay okay…even if she wasn't.
"Momma," Rose let out a hum, turning some to look at Jamie as she stopped scrubbing her back, "Momma how'd you get so bruised up?" She asked, feeling her mother's muscles tighten some beneath her hand, and she frowned, "Did the Governor do this momma?" Rose closed her eyes, nodding just a bit as she looked away.
"Y-yeah baby, he did, but I'm alright." She muttered as she splashed some water on her face, letting out a sigh as she watched her reflection in the water for a moment before she stood up, "I think this is as clean as I'm going to get." She muttered, looking back at Jamie, her daughter smiling up at her a little, "Let's go change into those clothes we got."
Rose took Jamie's hand as they walked out of the creek, and to the bag on the edge that Daryl had packed for them just in case they needed clothes when he found them. It was nice, knowing that he, despite the odds, was so determined to find them that he brought some of their clothes, and since they had left the group at the prison it was good to have some of their stuff. Rose pulled an old Aerosmith tee shirt over her head that hung off one of her shoulders, her bra that was still wet soaking through the fabric some.
"Aren't you going to change your pants momma?" Jamie asked looking up at her as the little girl pulled a tattered blue dress over her head, and a pair of jeans on under it, "Your skirt's kind of ripped." Rose gave Jamie a smile as she nods.
"Y-yeah, I just don't want to change in front of them." She said gesturing towards Daryl and Merle, and Jamie nods, "You go up there, tell Daryl that I'll just be in the woods over there, getting dressed." She said pointing to where she was going as she picked up the bag, and Jamie nods before hurrying back over to Daryl.
"Where's she going?" Daryl asked, a little worried as Jamie stops in front of him.
"She's going to finish getting ready over there," Jamie said and waved her hand in the direction her mother headed in, "She doesn't want you and Merle to see her butt." She giggled, and Merle chuckled, Daryl nodding slowly as he watched as Rose walked away, her figure disappearing in the trees.
"Merle," Daryl turned to him, "Keep an eye on Jambo." He muttered, Merle nodding as Jamie sat down on a tree root, pouting as she watched Mr. Daryl walk away after her mother.
Rose sat her bag down once she felt she was far enough away from Merle and Daryl seeing her, and she closed her eyes, her hands going to her stomach as she lifted up her shirt, and looked down at her hips, frowning as she saw the bruises on her skin. She ran her fingers over the sore spots, wincing a little as she tried not to remember the hands that had caused those bruises. She let out a shaky breath, and pushed her skirt down, and quickly grabbed the pair of underwear from her bag, and pulled them on.
'You really should learn your place Rose.' Rose closed her eyes, hearing his voice in her head again, 'You're mine now," shaking her head as she tried to block it out. She knelt down, and started to go through the bag, finding a pair of cut off shorts that would hide the markings on her body well enough, and she stood back up, pulling them on, ignoring the voice that was echoing in her head, not aware of the sound of someone coming up behind her.
Daryl spotted Rose getting changed, pulling her shorts up as he came up to her, and took her elbow in his hand, not expecting her to scream and swing at him, and he blocked her blow to his face, shouting back at her, "Hey! Hey, Rosie calm down, it's me, it's Daryl." He said, grabbing onto her arms as she tried to push him away, the look of fear on her face causing him to worry more until she finally came to and saw him, her eyes blurry.
"D-Daryl, I…" She trailed off her hands flattening out on his chest, and he looked down at her, stroking her hair with one of his hands.
"What is it Rose? What's wrong? What happened?" Rose shook her head as she closed her eyes, muttering out nothing, "Rosie, come on… just… just talk to me." Daryl begged, his hands going to her face as she shook her head.
"I'm fine," She said, shaking her head as she tried to pull away from him, "I'm fine, Daryl, I'm fine, I'm fine." She kept repeating it, her voice cracking, "Nothing happened, y-you just scared me." Daryl wiped away the tear the slipped down her cheek, not believing her for one second.
"Rosie, tell me." He whispered, watching as she opened her mouth, her lip quivering as she turned her head, and let out a sob.
"I, I did everything I could," She said grabbing onto his shirt, "I, I tried, I tried to stop him, I did… but, but I…I, Ryder… he… I can't, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
Rose began to sob, her entire body trembling as her knees gave a little, Daryl keeping her up as he watched her carefully, taking in what she was trying to say, and his jaw clinched when he put the pieces together.
Daryl knew what had happened, he saw those bruises on her side, how she acted when he touched her, how distant she was… The Governor, he had.. He closed his eyes, he couldn't even think about it, he didn't want to think about it, about Rose being hurt like that, violated like that.
Daryl stroked her hair, shushing her quietly as he held her tightly in her arms, not planning on letting her go any time soon, and didn't let himself feel angry right now, even though he wanted nothing more to go and lash out at Merle for letting it happen, for bringing Rose to that place, for putting her in the position where she had to go through that… and he wanted nothing more than to find the governor, and beat the man to death, to make sure there was no way he'd ever hurt Rose again, or Jamie.
"I love you," Daryl whispered, holding her closer as he let them sink down to the ground, knowing that was really all he could say, because there was no taking back what was done, there was no undoing it. He pressed his lips to her forehead, his eyes closed before wrapping his arms around her neck, and let her cry into his shoulder.
Merle shushed Jamie when the little girl sniffled, both of them ducking back behind a tree they were behind, Jamie looking up at Merle as he sighed.
"What's wrong with my mom?" Jamie whispered, wiping at her eyes as Merle turned to her frowning a little, "We shouldn't be watching… this isn't right."
Merle let out a groan as he sat down at the tree nodding, "No it ain't, I was hoping for something I could use against him," He said picking at the grass as Jamie looked at him strangely, "This is just like watching a damn soap opera." Jamie sent him a look rolling her eyes.
"You're so weird," She muttered as she stood up, and walked back in the direction of their stuff, Merle rolling his eyes.
"You're so weird," He mocked as he stood, and hurried after her, glancing over his shoulder at his brother as he held his girl, and he frowned just a bit, wishing he had come in sooner to stop the Governor.