"We're all here to talk 'bout what to do with this kid-"

"Jeremy Peters," Elizabeth interjected.

"The asshole that shot Marie," Daryl corrected. He didn't want the boy's name to stick. He didn't deserve a name after nearly killing Marie, who was in bed at the moment, resting, healing. Tyreese was absent as well, still grieving from the loss of his sister.

"I don't think in an actual trial you can put labels on it, technically it's only assumed anyhow," Milton piped.

"It ain't assumed! Caught the little fucker red handed with the Goddamn gun!" Daryl exclaimed.

"And he ran," Rick added. He was completely on Daryl's side with this one. He didn't care that Jeremy was only fourteen, that was old enough to be tried as an adult in Rick's book.

"If we do this, how will it be done?" Michonne asked. They needed to be smart about it. "Are you going to make it quick and painless, or are you going to make him suffer?"

Daryl was taken aback by the question. He wanted nothing more than to make him suffer, but a nagging voice reminded him that it was a child…and then another thought popped into his head. "What if his asshole of a dad put 'im up to it?" he offered.

"The one you beat up?" Maggie asked, she and Glenn had returned with medical supplies two hours earlier. Daryl nodded. "It'd make sense…So where does that leave us?"

"Somebody should talk to the boy," Milton suggested. "Find out the whole truth. Have him write it down or something…" Everybody turned their attention to Rick. He was the only one among them that could have any experience with that sort of thing.

"Y'all are gonna trust me with the guy that shot my little sister?"

"You want justice where justice is due, Rick. I know you. You won't do anything unnecessary…you'll talk to him and find out what really happened. If he did this on his own accord or if his father put him up to it," Elizabeth assured him. Rick looked over to Daryl.

"I trust ya 'lone with 'im, more than I do me."

"Okay. I'll talk to him. We all meet back here before dinner. I'm doing this completely alone. Everyone get to thinking about what we should do either way…"

As everyone dispersed, Milton made his way over to Daryl. So how is Marie doing?" He asked.

"Better. Ain't able to walk on 'er own, but she's on our cell. Jus' need time, I guess."

"I'm glad to hear it. Please don't take anything I said as disagreeing with you. I only want all of the facts. Marie is a very sweet woman and she did not deserve being shot. But, some young boy doesn't deserve to die if he was only a pawn to his father," Milton explained.

"I guess being shot is a Grimes thing," Rick said, catching part of the other men's conversation.

"You were shot as well?" Milton asked.

"At the beginnin' of all of this. Carl was not to long after."

"Wow…bad luck all around."

"It's a good thing we're all the same blood type," Rick gave a weak smile. It was very fortunate that they shared the A positive blood type, Gavin too.

"Do you guys want to go find me a book in the library?" Marie offered Carl, Sophia, and Gavin. She knew that they must be bored simply sitting there. But, they had all refused to leave her side.

"What about the twins?" Carl asked.

"They're asleep. Plus I'm sure that Daryl'll be back any minute now."

"What kind of book do you want, Momma?" Gavin asked.

"Why don't you surprise me?" she offered with a smile.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Carl asked.

"Go on guys. You don't need to keep my company. I know how to be alone." She rolled her eyes at them. With that, the three were off.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, Daryl walked into the cell. "How ya feelin'?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she smiled. "How'd it go?" She hadn't wanted to be a part of what every happened to the kid. She was against killing him, simply because of how young he was. Although she thought that he should be punished in some way.

"Rick's gonna question him. I'm thinkin' maybe his ol' man put him up to it…"

"That's possible," she agreed. "So are you just going to hang out with me until Rick gets finished?"

"I can," he shrugged. "We're gonna meet 'gain 'fore dinner."

"Mm. I sent the kids to find me a book. It's rather boring just sitting here."

"Wish ya didn't have to." She patted the seat next to the bed and he took a seat.

"It's not your fault," she smiled at him softly. "Promise me you won't every shave your facial hair."

"Why?" Daryl asked. He wasn't sure what had compelled her to say that. It seemed rather random.

"I don't know. I was just thinking about how I never liked facial hair…but then I pictured you without it and that would just be weird. Plus…I don't know. It just makes you look like you," she laughed.

"Yer so different now than ya were when we met," he stated, watching her.

"What do you mean?" It was her turn to be confused.

"You used to be quieter. Now yer laughin' a lot…after ya jus' got shot. I'll never understand ya," he smiled.

"Good, it'll keep you interested in me," she grinned.

"Babe…Do ya think I'm not gonna be interested in you?" He was surprised he'd noticed the way she'd said it. She tried to make it sound casual, but he noticed a hint of worry in her tone. If it were anyone but her, he wouldn't have picked up on it.

"It's not like I'm that special, Daryl…" she admitted. "Isn't that what happens when people have been together for so long? I mean…they just get bored…right?"

"Don' know how it usually works, but I ain't ever been this close to anyone. An' I don' see that changin'."

That was only of the many reasons she loved him. His honesty was amazing. Even if he didn't mean to, he was always so sweet. She found it odd that Daryl could be called sweet, but he was.

"Momma, we finded you a book!" Gavin exclaimed, holding up a book.

"Oh did you? What'd you find for me, sweetheart?" Marie asked her son. He came over to her and put a book in her lap. She picked it up and examined the cover carefully. My Sister's Keeper. She was rather confused as to why a men's prison would have this book in her library, but she shrugged it off. She hadn't read this one yet, but she had seen it and heard that it was very sad. "Why'd you pick this one?"

They all kind of just shrugged. "What's it about?" Sophia asked, figuring Marie would know.

"Well, I haven't read it, but I know that the younger sister is there to save her older sister's life because she has cancer….People said it was sad."

"We can pick you something else…" Carl offered.

"No, that's okay. I'll read this," she gave them all a kind smile. "Thank you." There was a knock on the outside of the cell door. They all looked towards it, and Carl scoffed when he saw the blonde.

"Marie…" Jenna began. "Can I please talk to you?" She could almost be considered timid, if they hadn't see her in other environments.

"I'm listening," the brunette said coolly, in an even tone.

"Alone maybe?"

Marie sighed. "Kids, can you go somewhere for a few minutes? Please…Ten minutes and y'all can come back." She wouldn't send Daryl away though. He could stay at her side.

"Momma…" Gavin complained.

"Please? You can come sit with me in a little bit. Maybe you can find a book I can read to you?"

"Fine," he sighed. He didn't trust the blonde woman. Not in the least.

"Daryl…would you-"

"He stays," Marie interrupted. "He's gonna find out whatever happens one way or another, so he might as well just sit here."

"Okay," Jenna sighed. She looked down at her hands nervously. "I want to apologize…for everything. I was cruel to you, and it was uncalled for. You are a sweet woman, and you two truly deserve each other. I was a wrong to try and come between that. I guess I just…Daryl was the closest thing to Merle I would ever get…and if I lost him to you…Well, I would continuously be alone. I'm so sorry. And you're clearly the bigger person here, I mean you didn't judge Amanda based on me. And for that, I thank you. Again, I'm so, so sorry."

Marie took a moment to process what the blonde was saying. She was slightly shocked. She would've never thought that in a million years Jenna would apologize. "Honestly," Marie began. She paused, considering her next words. "I don't know if I will every be able to trust you. You were cruel and you could've very well spit Daryl and I up…Had I not been who I am. If I would've assumed…we would've been done. And, I think that was what you were hoping for. Was it not?"

"It was," she admitted guiltily. "That's how most people are…"

"Well not us. I asked him. But, I do appreciate your apology and I will take it into careful consideration."

"Thank you. Daryl, I'm sorry to you too. I shouldn't have done what I did, and now I realize that you do love her. I see why too, she's very sweet."

"Mm," Daryl wasn't sure what to say. He didn't really want to say anything. He too was unsure of Jenna.

"I had a nice long chat with Jeremy, and I talked to his father too," Rick told the group that had reconvened.

"What'd he say?" Daryl asked.

"Just what we thought. It was all his dad's idea…Where do we go from here."

"That boy ain't stayin' here either way."

"We could drive him out like we were goin' to Randall," Glenn suggested.

"It's kinda hard to miss the prison," Maggie replied.

"Think about it…How would he be able to get back in without being see?" Milton offered.

"Dude's got a point," Daryl agreed. It was only because the kid was fourteen that he even hesitated. Kids that young were impressionable. That, and he couldn't imagine if it were Gavin, or any of the kids.

"And what of the dad?" Elizabeth asked.

"We won't have to worry about him anymore. We kill him," Rick stated. He had made the mistake of letting him live the first time. Anybody against that?" Nobody replied. Rick counted that as a yes.

"Tomorrow, then?" Daryl asked. Rick nodded. The former took his leave from the council.

After dinner was over and the children were all in bed, Daryl and Marie laid down together. They'd traded sides of the bed, on account of Marie's rib. It put her at a disadvantage to the twins, but Daryl had been waking to get them.

"We're gonna take the boy out, an' let 'im go," Daryl told her softly.

"Like with Randal?" He nodded. "And if he comes back?"

"Can't get in without bein' seen. An' I figure we'll be long gone by then."

"About that…" she started nervously. Before he could object, she spoke again. "I'm not saying it's the wrong idea…just…What about Carl? I can't just leave him here…"

"Bring 'im."

"And Rick? You know he won't go for that. Hell, I don't even want to tell him!"

"We'll figure somethin' out," Daryl promised.

"Okay," she trusted him wholeheartedly. Marie pressed a kiss to his neck, given that she couldn't reach his lips. As her hand rested on his chest her fingers fiddled with the buttons of his shirt. His chest rumbled in an almost growl.

"Can't do that," he said.

"Why?" she pouted. "I feel fine…" She wasn't too sore.

"Don't ya lie to me," he knew that her side was in pain and she refused to take anything for it, simply because she felt as if someone would have worse pain and need it the limited supplies that they had.

"Daryl, I'm not lying. I'm fine."

"Doctor said two weeks, it's been a day." Usually Daryl wouldn't have listened to the doctor's orders, but he didn't want her hurt worse. Plus, the sooner she was healed, the sooner they could leave.

AN: I'm truly sorry guys, this chapter was not my best. It was kinda just all over the place…I was pushing to get it done because I've got a really busy week coming up. We have a match on Monday-an hour away, then we have team pictures/practice Tuesday, I start school Wednesday (Ugh) and have a match and this week is just going to be so hectic. I'm not even sure that I'll be able to update Friday/Saturday. Please review, those I will be able to check :). Thanks, sorry again!