Merle couldn't get the Governor's words out of his head even with Karen's constant yapping. He was about to gag her. By the way his brother was white-knuckling the steering wheel and the protruding vein that throbbed along on his neck, he knew that Daryl felt the same way about their unwanted passenger.

When Karen came through the front door of the farmhouse, they both turned their guns on her but she was unarmed and shock, disbelief, and maybe anger warred with each other as she sat down hard on the front steps of the porch. At the time, the Dixons decided that they couldn't leave her though now Merle was wondering why the hell not? There certainly was no advantage that he could see in taking her back to the prison.

The woman's maddening prattle kept intruding on his thoughts no matter how he tried to shut her out. "So that's why you left Woodbury, Merle? The Governor…raped your daughter." Karen never would have believed that he was capable of such an atrocity if she hadn't heard the ugly truth from the man's own mouth.

Merle didn't answer; he just stared out the window into the darkness. That filthy cocksucker violated his baby girl and he he should have protected her. He felt like vomiting. He needed to kill something or someone. He wouldn't rest until that mother fucker was dead.

Once again, the bitch's voice cut into his thoughts like a jagged knife. "I'm so sorry, Merle. I didn't know. He told us you killed Martinez and Rowan. Does that mean they're not dead?" she said laying her hand on his knee. "Or did he kill them?"

He made no indication that he heard her. He was doing his best to tune her out but her voice was an annoying noise in the background...like crickets at night or a mosquito buzzing around his head. Merle closed his eyes. Martinez knew all along. Could he really have been that wrong about Martinez? He didn't want to think so. He trusted his family's safety to the man. Maybe the Governor lied. That's what he wanted to believe. Blake was a first class liar and knew exactly what to say to calm a crowd or rile them up. Maybe he was just trying to get under his skin. "Fuck!" Merle hit the dash with his fist. He still couldn't believe the bastard got away.

Amanda lay awake on a bunk in the last cell on the second floor of Cell Block C. Rick insisted that they all stay close together until he deemed it was safe to venture out. The thought of the governor attacking the prison terrified her. Added to that was the fact that her daddy and uncle were still out there somewhere and she prayed that they were safe.

Relief had washed over her when Caesar came back unharmed tonight. He had been gone all day and she had been afraid for his safety. Afraid for herself. He was the rock she leaned on for support. He was dependable. He was always there. Even though she was forging a stronger relationship with her daddy, Merle had let her down to many times in the past and she couldn't let go of the fear that he wouldn't be there when she needed him most.

She listened as heavy, tired footsteps headed towards her cell, their cell. When Caesar returned tonight, she realized how much she needed him. She couldn't say she loved him like she loved Rick but Caesar was always there for her. He accepted her 'situation' as it was and never once made her feel like she was being judged. Amanda sat up in the bed when he walked in.

"Hey baby," he said wearily, taking off his hat and placing it on the small table by the bed, followed by his gun and knife.

"Hey," she replied, getting up. "I brought some towels in here for you." She grabbed two from the top bunk.

He took one gratefully, removed his soaked shirt and began to scrub his hair and shoulders dry. Amanda used the other towel and rubbed it across his back, her fingertips brushing across rain-cooled skin.

Caesar turned around and she dried of his chest. "I have more clothes for you also," she said, leaning forward to meet his lips.

He buried his hands in her hair and pressed his lips softly against hers. "Thanks for taking care of me."

"You do so much for me," she said, letting her hands linger on his bare chest. "It's the least I can do."

"Hmpf," he raised his eyebrows and unbuckled his belt. "I didn't do such a good job," Caesar commented, observing her bruised forehead.

"That wasn't your fault."

He stepped out of his wet pants and dried his legs. She handed him a dry pair of boxers and climbed into the bunk while he changed. Amanda lifted the blanket and he crawled in beside her. She snuggled as close as she could, trying to warm him.

"I'm sorry, Caesar," she said softly, as she nestled into his shoulder.

"For what?" he asked, suppressing a yawn.

Amanda kissed the angle of his bearded jaw. "For taking you for granted."

"Baby…" he admonished, lifting her chin to meet see her eyes.

"No, Caesar, Let me finish," she pleaded. Her fingers absently played with the dark hairs on his chest. "I didn't realize how much I depended on you until you weren't here today and I was afraid something might have happened to you. I started to panic when I thought that you might not come back." She paused with a shuddering breath. "I am so sorry."

"Amanda, I'm here because I want to be here…with you," Caesar tried to reassure her. He wrapped his arms around her and gently kissed her forehead.

"I'm afraid you're going to realize that I'm more trouble than I'm worth," she admitted for first time to him and herself.

"Hush, love," he said, turning on his side to face her. Caesar wiped away the single tear that slid down her cheek.

Her voice quavered, "I have nothing left to give."

He brushed an errant curl from her forehead. "I'm not asking for anything, baby."

"Why do you even want to be with me?" Why would anyone? The tears began to fall freely.

"Amanda." How did he explain how he felt about her? He thought he loved her but maybe that was too much to lay on her right now. "I want to see you the way you were the first day I saw you."

"I'm not that person anymore." That girl died in Woodbury.

Caesar sighed and leaned his forehead against hers. "I know that, baby, but you were strong and healthy, full of fire and I think that you still have it in you."

"I don't," she said and dropped her gaze.

Ignoring her words, he lifted her chin, "And I want to help you get it back."

"Caesar…"

"Shhh," he said kissing her tenderly. "I'm right where I want to be and I'm not going anywhere."

"I can't believe he left me," Karen said for the hundredth time, at least that what it felt like to Daryl. The three of them were squashed together in the front seat of a classic Ford truck. His head was pounding as it was, after having to fix the old beat up truck he found in the barn while this…this…yapping bitch held the flashlight and his brother supervised…Fuck, they were lucky that he didn't shoot 'em both.

"Why would he just leave…?" the bewildered woman continued on.

"I'll tell you why he fuckin' left ya," Merle bellowed, causing Daryl to cringe and grip the steering wheel even tighter. "'Cause ya probably never shut the fuck up!"

"Why are you being so mean to me, Merle Dixon?" Karen asked, hurt in her voice. She turned her head to look at the older man. She knew him from Woodbury and he was…he was rough around the edges but always polite to the elderly, a gentleman to the women, kind to the children and the men respected him. This Merle Dixon was just plain mean and nasty.

"Cause ya held a fuckin' gun to my brother's head and let that bastard Blake get away when we coulda had 'im if ya just hadn't butted in." Merle leaned forward to look around the woman at the driver. "Speaking of, how the fuck did ya let this bitch get the drop on ya, Darylina?"

"Same way she almost blew your fuckin' head off, jackass," Daryl yelled back. "Now, will ya both shut the fuck up so I can drive!?" Driving at night was hard enough without headlights and none of the lights, inside or out, on this truck worked. That coupled with the constant whining and bitching since they left the farmhouse had his teeth on edge. Crashing and killing them all would at least put an end to his misery.

The woman started in again, "I have to get back to Woodbury, my son needs…"

"And I tol' ya we ain't goin' to Woodbury," the older Dixon said through gritted teeth with more than considerable restraint, Daryl thought.

"But Noah…" she whined.

Merle roared, "Stop the fucking truck!" So much for restraint.

Daryl stomped on the brakes and the truck screeched to a halt and Merle jumped out the door. "Get out!"

"What? You can't mean that…" Karen scooted away from the angry bull of a man and toward his younger brother, practically climbing into Daryl's lap as Merle reached for her.

"Get the fuck out, woman! Woodbury is that way." He gestured with his head in the opposite direction. "If ya wanna go so fuckin' bad, ya can walk."

She squeaked. "But…"

Daryl pushed Karen roughly away from him and Merle grabbed her wrist with his left hand and jerked her so close that her face was mere inches from his. "But nothin'! Either shut the fuck up or get the fuck out."

Amanda woke up to a cell block that was still quiet and dark. Caesar's chest rose and fell slowly under her hand. She snuggled in closer and he tightened his arm around her mumbling incoherently in his sleep. She smiled against his skin and placed a small kiss on his chest. His other arm came around her.

"Is it morning already?" he asked, sleepily without opening his eyes.

"No. I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep."

Caesar rolled over on top of her and found her lips with his. "How can I when you start kissing me?"

"It was one little, very innocent, kiss," she said, meeting his tongue with hers in a not-so-chaste manner. She felt him grow hard against her thigh and shifted so he fit between her legs. Her hands slid down his back and into his boxers to squeeze his ass.

He groaned in her mouth and pulled back. 'What are you doing to me, Amanda?

"Trying to seduce you," she said, rising up enough to kiss the hollow at the base of his throat.

"Fuck," he said, letting his head drop to her shoulder.

"You don't want me to?" she asked, suddenly unsure of herself.

He wanted this more than anything but not out of any obligation she felt to him. "Oh God, baby, how can you ask that? I just don't want you to feel like you have to. I told you last night, I'm not going anywhere." He pressed his lips against her bare shoulder.

Amanda pulled her hands out of his boxers and let them fall to the mattress.

"Wait," Caesar groaned at the loss of her warm touch. "I didn't say you had to move your hands," he said, kissing her again.

"What makes you think I'm doing it because I feel like I have to?" she asked, bending her knees to cradle his hips between her thighs.

"Because the other night you said you weren't ready." His lips trailed a path of kisses across her collar bone to the top of her shoulder.

"Well," she said, nipping at his ear, "It seems I was wrong."

"Amanda." Caesar propped his weight on his elbows and tried to see her face in the dark. He reached over to the small table for matches to light the lamp

"What are you doing?" she asked nervously.

"I want to see you," he answered, striking a match.

She blew the tiny flame out. "No."

"Why?"

"Because I'm ugly," her soft voice trembled at the admission. Amanda had seen her reflection in a mirror in the infirmary and was appalled; she didn't recognize her own reflection. Dark circles ringed her flat eyes, her normally bouncy hair was dull and limp…and her bones…she could see the outline of bones in her chest and shoulders…

"Baby…" he admonished gently.

"I am, Caesar. I didn't realize how awful I looked until today."

"Amanda…"

"If you see me, you won't want me." How could he? She looked…dead.

"Amanda, Stop," he said with a little more force than he meant to use. He started again softer. "Amanda, baby, what I see in you, is in here." He placed his broad hand over her heart. "My Amanda is in here. And she is beautiful." Then Caesar pulled the gold cross over his head and placed it around her neck, tucking just inside her cami, between her breasts. "I want you to have this. It gave me the strength to go on when I didn't want to anymore. I hope it will do the same for you."

Her hand went around him, pulling him into her chest. Her body shook with silent sobs. He moved up to kiss her eyes, her lips, kiss her tears away. Sliding his arms under her, he rolled on to his back with her draped across his chest and held her until she fell asleep in his arms.

Daryl replayed the scene in his head a dozen times. First, how the fuck did he let this stupid skinny bitch sneak up on him? He was better than that…he got careless after two easy kills. He miscounted the Woodbury soldiers and his mistake almost got him and Merle both killed. And on top of it all, that mother fucker got away. He hoped Merle's stabbed him good enough so he'd bleed out before he reached Woodbury. They would have chased the fucker down and finished him off if the F250 hadn't been shot to shit.

Now he was driving a '54 Ford truck that barely made fifty miles per hour. And they had to unload and reload the supplies for a second time. This had to be the worse fuckin' supply run he'd ever been on.

His stomach turned at the thought of the slimy bastard being the father of Possum's baby. Daryl thought his own brother was going to be sick. He watched the blood drain from Merle's face as the Governor's confession sank in; then when the bastard said he would take Possum's baby, all the blood came rushing back and his older brother exploded.

And Martinez…Fuckin' hell. Daryl didn't much like him anyway but he thought the man had real feelings for Amanda. Was he wrong? Was Martinez just getting close to her so he could get her back to Woodbury and the Governor? Fuck, he needed a drink…a strong one.

Daryl still couldn't believe the lucky bitch survived the crossfire. She came stumbling out of the house in a daze and collapsed on the porch. They shoulda fuckin' left her behind. He wouldn't have lost a damn bit of sleep over it.

Caesar woke before dawn with Amanda still sleeping on his chest. He ran his hands under her shirt and over her thin frame. It broke his heart to see how much she had withered since the first time he saw her. Looking back, he couldn't see how he could have done anything different because if he'd known what was going to happen to her, he would have stopped it. Somehow, he wanted to believe he could have stopped it.

Amanda shifted against him and he tightened his embrace. She pressed her lips against his bare chest. "Morning," she mumbled against warm skin, his nipple constricting under her warm breath. Her fingertips searched out his other one and rolled it into a hard pebble like its counterpart. She whispered softly, "Please let me show you how much you mean to me."

Caesar groaned and moved his hands down her back to her hips. "You don't have to do it this way."

"I want to," she said, sliding up his chest to kiss him.

He pushed her hair behind her ear. "And I will take you up on that but not today. You need to get well first, baby."

"I'm not sick; I'm pregnant," she told him with a pout forming on her lips.

He smiled and pulled her lower lip into his mouth. "But you're not healthy either," he reminded her, deepening the kiss while trying to remember what his objections were as his body responded to hers.

"Maybe, you're just not attracted to me," she stated, reaching down to stroke the growing bulge through his boxers.

"Damn it, Amanda. That's obviously not true," he said with a frustrated groan, pulling her hand away reluctantly. "I think I'm falling in love you."

She sat back on her heels, straddling his middle. "Are you serious?" she asked dubiously.

"Of course I am." He placed his hands on her thighs. "Why do you think I hang out with you all the time?"

She shrugged. "Maybe you just wanted to get laid."

He chuckled, "Well I do want that, baby, but I can wait. I want you to be sure it's what you really want. And I want you healthy again first."

Amanda placed her hands on his larger ones. "I am sure, Caesar."

"Okay, then, as soon as your healthy enough…we will," he said, squeezing her thighs.

"Who's going to be the judge of my health?"

"Hershel?" he offered.

"You can't be serious, Caesar!" Amanda giggled. "I'm not going to ask him if I can have sex! Can you imagine the look on his face?"

He grinned and pulled her down to him. "When he says you are healthy enough for physical activity then I'm not going to let you out of the bed for days."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

The sun had just cleared the horizon when the '54 truck pulled up to the prison gates. The rain had passed and the skies promised a beautiful day. Merle bellowed out the window for someone to open the goddamn gate.

Glenn closed it gate behind them and Beth threw herself at Daryl as soon as he opened the door but before he could get out, covering his mouth with hers and practically strangling him with a bear hug.

Rick eyed the woman they brought with them warily "Who's this?"

Merle answered, "Lock her up."

Grimes didn't question him and led the protesting woman to the prison, depositing her in a cell with Tyreese and Sasha, the other former Woodbury residents.

"Where's Martinez?" Merle roared to no one in particular as he entered the dining area.

Hearing his voice, Rowan came running from the kitchen but stopped in her tracks when she saw the bloody mess that was his face. "Oh my God, Merle! What happened?"

"Not now, darlin'," he growled, pushing past her. "Where the fuck is Martinez?"

"H-He's asleep…with Amanda." Rowan answered, suddenly wary of his furious demeanor. "Merle, honey…"

He stormed toward Cell Block B. Rowan looked toward Hershel far end of the table wondering if she should tell Merle they were here in C Block.

Daryl burst into the room and demanded "Where'd he go?"

"W-What's going on?" Rowan was so scared. She had never seen Merle this angry except when he saw Grimes for the first time since Atlanta.

"Martinez!" he roared, charging back into the dining area after finding the other cell block empty. "Where the fuck is he?"

Rowan glanced nervously toward the sleeping area. The older Dixon took that as an indication and tore off in that direction. She ran after him. "Merle…Wait…"

"Hold up, Merle!" Daryl hollered, racing after his brother.

"MARTINEZ!"

Many thanks wonderful readers and reviewers! Welcome new followers!

Special thanks to Siarh for her editing services. Check out her stories. You won't be disappointed!

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