"MARTINEZ!"

Caesar reluctantly opened his tired eyes. He thought he heard Dixon's voice but it might have been a dream; his brain was still groggy from too many days of not getting enough sleep.

Amanda stretched beside him and yawned. "Did you hear Daddy?" she asked sleepily, snuggling against Caesar's warm body.

"MARTINEZ!"

"It is Daddy! They're back!" Amanda said, eagerly, sitting up and kicking off the blankets. She grabbed the nearest shirt which was Caesar's and tugged it down over her flimsy camisole.

Caesar smiled at her enthusiasm. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and pulled his jeans on. It was good to see her excited about something, anything, again.

Merle thundered up the stairs, two at a time, and reached the cell door before his daughter could get out of the bunk. His fist landed on Caesar face with an audible crack, knocking him back against the wall.

Jumping out of the bed, Amanda screamed, "Daddy! What are you doing?"

To Merle's surprise, Martinez regained his balance swiftly and came back with a punch of his own that rocked the older man but didn't take him down. Caesar was holding his own by sheer survival instinct. He didn't know why Dixon was trying to kill him but he wasn't going down without a fight.

"Stop it, Daddy!" Amanda screamed again, trying to pull him off of Martinez but strong arms grabbed her from behind, pulling her back. She kicked hard at the only thing she could reach.

"Shit, Mandy!" Rick exclaimed when her heels connected with his shins. "Stop it! You're gonna get hurt!"

"Merle!" Daryl hollered. "Damn it! Merle!" Beth clutched his arm tightly, eyes full of fear. He squeezed her shoulders and told her to go downstairs and wait for him with her daddy.

The blonde shook her head vehemently and clung to his side. "I'm not leaving!" Daryl pushed her roughly behind him to keep her away from the flying fists.

Merle Dixon couldn't hear anything but his own blood pounding in his ears. He didn't even feel his nose break for the umpteenth time when Caesar punched him back.

"Let go of me! He's going to kill Caesar!" Amanda pleaded frantically, struggling in his arms.

Rowan cried out, tears streaming down her face. "Merle! Oh God, Merle! Please stop!"

Merle kicked out at the younger man, tripping him up so Martinez fell against the rail. He leapt at the unexpected opportunity and pushed Caesar against the railing, most of the man's weight over the edge… it would just take a little shove and he would be over the side, splattered across the floor. It would be so easy…

"Daddy!" Amanda's screams finally cut through the red haze of anger that enveloped the older Dixon. "Stop it Daddy! Don't kill him!" She jerked away from Rick and flew at her daddy, digging her nails into his arm. "Please Daddy! Stop! Somebody help me!" she begged. "Daryl! Rick! Please help me!"

Rick held Amanda back while Oscar and Daryl pulled Merle off of Caesar. Martinez slid to the floor gasping for air.

Amanda fell to his side. "Oh my God, baby, are you okay?"

He closed his eyes and nodded slightly, surprised to still be alive. He squeezed her hand.

Merle, still being held by Oscar and Daryl, was yelling incoherently when Amanda went over and slapped him as hard as she could across the face. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded through angry tears.

Stunned, he blinked and looked around at the terrified faces that surrounded him. His heart almost stopped when he met Rowan's tear-filled eyes, wide with fright. Fuck. He didn't remember much of anything after he saw Martinez with Amanda…just that he was consumed with an all-encompassing rage.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" his daughter shrieked at him.

"Ladybug…" his raspy voice sounded harsh to his own ears. "Listen to me…"

"NO!" She yelled at him.

"Baby Girl, there's something ya need to know." He looked at Caesar who had risen to his feet and moved away from the railing to lean against the cell door.

"Shut up, Daddy!" she said, moving to Caesar's side, gingerly touching his smashed face.

Merle yanked his arms free from the two men that still held him and faced Martinez. "I had a little chat with your buddy."

"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about," he grumbled, wiping the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.

"The Governor," Merle said. "He told me about your little deal."

Realization stuck Martinez that his secret was no longer a secret. He couldn't believe Merle was going to tell Amanda here, in front of almost the entire group. "You really wanna talk about it here, Dixon?"

"Good a place as any," the older man answered.

"Man's got a point, Merle," Daryl interjected uncomfortably, glancing at Amanda then quickly averting his eyes.

"What the fuck ya talkin' about Daryl?" Merle growled at his brother.

Daryl huffed and whispered harshly, "'Cause, ya stupid jackass, maybe some things don't need to be public knowledge." He gestured to at the rest of the group that had managed to make their way up to the scene of the fight.

Merle opened his mouth to speak but the stricken look on his daughter's face stopped him from saying anything else. For the first time, Merle noticed the cut on her forehead. He reached out to her and she slapped his hand away. "What happened…"

"Don't touch me," she hissed.

"She fainted," Rick answered, receiving a dirty look from Amanda.

"Did ya?" Merle asked, now worried about her.

"I'm fine," she retorted. "Why don't you tell me what the hell is going on?" Amanda leaned against Caesar who wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Get your fuckin' hands off her," Merle said viciously and made a move toward Martinez.

"Stop it!" Amanda yelled at him. "Please, just stop it, Daddy. I'll decide who can put their hands on me…not you."

Martinez kissed her temple sadly. "I think this needs to be just between me and Amanda."

"Oh, hell no," Merle said. "Ya just gonna spout off a line bullshit and she'll believe whatever ya say."

Frustrated with her father's stubborn streak that was as wide as her own, Amanda stepped forward and shoved him away with both hands. "Damn it, Daddy! Just back off and quit trying to fix my shit. You're only making it worse."

"Ladybug..." said Merle, as patiently as he could.

Deliberately ignoring her father, Amanda turned toward Caesar. "Do we need to talk?"

"Yeah, I guess we do, Amanda, but I didn't want to until after the baby was born," he answered, stroking her cheek, ignoring the warning growl from her father. "You have enough to worry about and this ain't gonna help. I didn't think you were strong enough to handle it right now," he told her but made a point of letting Merle know the words were just as much for him as his daughter.

Daryl rubbed his aching temple. "C'mon, Merle." As much as he hated to admit it, Martinez was probably right. His niece wasn't looking good at all and this revelation wasn't going to help. However, last time he tried to protect her by withholding the truth, it backfired on him. Shit. He was stuck in the middle again.

"What the fuck, Daryl?" Merle looked at his brother like he was crazy. Amanda had to know the truth about Martinez.

"Let's at least go somewhere private," Daryl suggested. More than anything, he hated other people knowing his personal shit and he doubted Possum wanted to make this public.

Hershel met the battered men at the bottom of the stairs. "I don't know exactly what just happened but I think you both need medical attention."

"I'm fuckin' fine," Merle said, walking around the old man. "This pussy didn't hurt me."

"Hershel's right," Rowan added, "I think you…"

"I said I'm fine, woman," he yelled at Rowan and she took a step backwards. Goddamn he had to get control of his temper. The way she was looking at him made his stomach knot up…like she was seeing the man he used to be for the first time and it scared the fuckin' shit out of her. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard and said in a softer voice, "You're right, darlin'. I didn't mean to yell at ya. Lead the way." He held his hand out for her and he felt a sharp pain in his heart when he thought she wasn't going to take it. But she did and a wave of relief flooded his body. He followed her to the infirmary with Hershel behind. His daughter and Martinez and Daryl and Beth brought up the rear. Hershel unlocked the door and they all went in.

Daryl paused in the doorway and bent down to kiss Beth. "Angel, I think Possum might need some privacy." She nodded wide blue eyes filled with worry. He hated to part from her but someone needed to keep an eye on Merle. "I'll walk ya to the kitchen then I really need to get back and watch my brother."

She nodded again and he pulled her to him for a long deep kiss. He missed her so damn much. His fuckin' brother had to ruin everything. Daryl turned toward Merle. "I'll be right back so don't say a fuckin' thing 'til I return. Understand?"

Shocked at his brother's commanding attitude, Merle dipped his head once in assent and lay down on the examining table. Rowan rolled the stool to the head of the stretcher for Hershel to have a seat.

"Rowan, would you please get me some alcohol and swabs. I'll need to clean up the blood so I can see what's going on better."

Merle grunted. "It's jus' a bit of glass, Doc."

"You're lucky it didn't get in your eyes. Looks like a few pieces came close," Greene said, dabbing at the cuts.

Merle knew that was true. He'd hate to fucking be blind; he couldn't take care of anyone. He wouldn't be able to see his baby. Speaking of blindness, the Governor was sporting a brand fuckin' new eye patch. He'd like to shake the hand of the bastard who did that.

"See if you can find some tweezers, Rowan. There's still quite a few pieces in here," Hershel said peering closer at the mess that was Dixon's face.

Amanda tried to get Caesar to sit beside her in the chairs along the wall but he said he preferred to stand. He paced the floor like a caged animal. He went to the sink and splashed cold water on his face, rinsing away the blood. Amanda came to stand beside him and finding a towel in the cabinet, she patted his face dry. One eye was swollen shut, his lip split, and his nose was obviously broken. She didn't know whether to cry or be angry.

He squeezed her shoulder. "Thanks, baby," he said softly so no one else could hear.

She hugged his waist. "I'll understand if you don't want me anymore." Only a saint or a masochist wouldn't flee from all her problems or her crazy daddy. She wanted to.

"Baby, even your dad can't run me off but I'm not sure you'll want to be with me." Encircling her with his arms, for what he was afraid would be the last time, Caesar knew in no uncertain terms that he did love her. He tilted her chin, kissed her lips tenderly and tucked her curls behind her ears.

"What's going on over there?" Merle tried to sit up but Rowan pushed him back down.

"Let Hershel finish," she insisted, taking her hand away from his chest. She wrapped her arms around her middle and Merle's gaze went immediately to her stomach.

"Is the baby okay?"

She nodded. "She's fine."

"He," Dixon corrected her.

The door to the infirmary, opened slowly and Daryl entered, looking around to make sure everything and everyone was intact. He frowned when he saw Amanda in Martinez's arms. The man met his glare and didn't back down. Mother fucking bastard, Daryl thought but didn't say anything. The situation was tense enough and he could just imagine his brother flying off the table, attacking Martinez again at the slightest provocation.

The door opened again and this time Rick stepped in. "Everything okay?" he asked, looking at the younger Dixon and then Hershel. Daryl nodded.

Greene started to say something but Merle spoke first without rising from the table. "Ya ain't needed here Officer Rick. I got it all under control."

"Mandy? Caesar?" he asked, noting the man's smashed face; Martinez was on his feet so that had to be a good sign, he hoped.

"No problems here," Caesar answered, holding Amanda closer.

"Okay then," he said, and with one last look at Amanda's worried face, he left.

"Alright, Merle, I think we're through here." Hershel said, sliding the stool back, giving the man room to sit up.

"Thanks, Doc," he replied, hopping of the table. Rowan intercepted him in case he was going to start in on Caesar again.

"Welcome home," she said her voice a little shaky.

He tore his eyes from Martinez with his goddamn arms around Amanda and looked into the soft brown ones of the woman he loved and did not like what he saw. Fear, apprehension, worry…Shit. He was going to fuck up the best thing he ever had in his life and he didn't know how to stop himself from doing it. Merle put his hands on her shoulders and leaned down for a kiss, realizing he hadn't even greeted her since his return. She met his lips coolly. "Merle…" She said quietly, "Why don't we step out and let Hershel take care of Caesar."

"I can't, baby doll. Ain't leaving him alone with my daughter."

"Caesar is not going to hurt her," Rowan maintained.

"You don't understand…"

"And I think you don't understand what I'm saying…" she met his cold blue eyes with her own unwavering brown ones though she trembled under his under his touch.

"I'm fine," Martinez said, stepping away from Amanda. "Let's get this over with, Dixon."

Hershel interrupted, "At least let me set your nose."

"Don't know if there's enough left to set," Caesar said, gingerly touching it.

Merle snarled. "Better wait 'til I'm done with 'im, Doc."

"Merle Dixon!" Rowan's voice rose to a level he had never heard from the normally even-tempered young woman and it scared him into shutting his mouth.

"Will some just please tell me what the hell is going on?" Amanda's voice rose above them all.

Daryl pushed himself away from the wall and went to stand by his brother in case he needed to intervene.

"I tell ya, Ladybug," Merle said, not being able to keep his mouth closed for very long.

"No, I will," Caesar interrupted, "if you'll just shut the fuck up long enough to let me talk."

Daryl stepped in front of his brother. "Let's hear what the man has to say," he said even though he doubted it would worth listening to. Merle grumbled something but stood down at a sharp look from Rowan.

Martinez looked at the other people in the room and then shrugged resignedly; seemed like he was going to have an audience after all. He didn't care what they thought. His only concern was for Amanda. He took her hand in both of his. "I didn't tell you everything about that night we left Woodbury."

"Okay," she said softly, with a slight tremble in her voice.

"Maybe you should sit down, baby," he advised, leading her to a chair. He sat beside her holding both of her hands in his.

"After I confronted the Governor about what happened, he told me that he wanted me to stick with your dad, pretend to be on his "side" and…" he closed his eyes and let out slow breath before opening them again. "And keep an eye on you to see if you were pregnant…"

"Why would he do that?" She began shaking, knowing that it could only be something she didn't want to know. Why else would Caesar have kept it from her?

"Because he was the one that raped you, not Crowley." Caesar had hoped he'd never have to tell her that; now that he had, the burden of keeping that terrible secret was lifted from his shoulders but the knowledge was hers and he didn't know if she was strong enough to bear it.

His words, though delivered softly echoed deafeningly in her brain. All the air whooshed from her lungs…How could that be? She saw Crowley. It was his cruel voice saying those awful things…It was Crowley that haunted her nightmares. The utter silence of the sterile room threatened to overwhelm her and she gasped for air.

"Baby?" Caesar's worried voice came from far away as Amanda fought to keep the blackness from smothering her. Dixons don't faint. Dixons don't faint. Dixons don't faint.

Amanda opened her eyes to see five concerned faces hovering over her.

"Give her some space," Hershel barked and one-by-one all the faces disappeared from her sight except his. He held her wrist in his hand with a finger gently resting on her pulse point.

"I didn't faint," she mumbled.

"I know." The older man smiled.

"Where's Caesar?" she asked, trying to see around the veterinarian.

"I'm here," he answered, appearing at her side.

Amanda asked wearily. "Can ya'll leave us alone?"

"Hell no," her daddy's voice cut through the murkiness in her brain.

"Damn it Merle!" Rowan's tone was sharp and Amanda thought she heard him reply but the door closed and she was alone with Caesar. Hershel stayed but rolled the stool to the far side of the room, giving them as much privacy as he could.

Caesar stood by the bed and she reached for his hand. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I was hoping that you wouldn't be pregnant and then you would never have to know," he told her, holding her hand, surprised she hadn't pulled it away.

"And when I told you I was pregnant?" she asked. "Why not then?"

He sat on the edge of the bed. "You were so weak and devastated, Amanda…I was afraid…afraid you'd give up."

She had wanted to. She really did. "What did the Gov-he you tell you to do …if I was pregnant?"

"Take you back to him," he told her straight out.

"Why haven't you, Caesar?" she asked, voice flat.

"I never once considered taking you to Woodbury, Amanda. How can you ask that?" He tried to keep the hurt out of his voice; he thought he'd made it very clear how he felt about her. Every word he said was true but the ones he didn't say were going to be the words that came between them.

She shrugged and turned her head away. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

"I don't know," he admitted, truthfully. "I didn't want to cause you any more pain. I would have waited until after the baby was born…when you were stronger, but I just don't know. I wanted to spare you the pain of knowing what a monster your baby's father really is."

She sighed, wearily. "I need to be alone."

"Okay, baby," he said, leaning over to kiss her forehead. He looked back sadly at her pale form before leaving the infirmary.

Hershel intercepted the Dixons with a warning tone as soon as they stepped in. "Amanda needs time alone. I'll watch her. I'm sure there are things you both can be doing elsewhere."

She heard grumbles from her daddy but the door shut and there was silence once more. Hershel move his stool beside the stretcher and checked her pulse and blood pressure again. "Caesar was only trying to protect you."

"I'm twenty-six years old, or maybe twenty seven; I'm not a child." She stared at the ceiling. "I'm tired of everyone deciding what's best for me."

"I know, Amanda," Hershel said, "but they're only doing it because they care about you. I suppose they don't know any other way to show you."

Amanda opened her eyes and turned her head to look at the older man. "Hershel, do you think he'll come for my baby?"

"I can't answer that," Hershel replied as he removed the blood pressure cuff and folded it neatly, placing it near the head of the bed. "Perhaps you should ask your daddy or Caesar. They know the man better than anyone here."

"It'd be unlikely that I'd get the truth," she snorted. "What do I do now, Hershel?"

"Take care of yourself and the baby and let them handle the rest."

Thanks to Siarh for editing suggestions.

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