NEW CHAPTER! SORRY FOR THE WAIT! It's been hard to write with the new episodes, so I've been lagging intentionally so that it all lines up. :) BUT HERE IT IS! The new one! ENJOY!

67: Civilians

"Andrea!" Maggie whispered loudly over to Carl and I, "Get your dad and the others." Carl was off back into the cellblock without any explanation.

Andrea? They were on a first name basis with whoever the blonde woman was that approached the gate. I couldn't hide the puzzlement on my face as I spoke plainly back over to Maggie, "You know her?" I gazed through the binoculars at the newcomer.

"She was with us at the farm," I listened to her as I watched the woman rip through a walker's face with a hatchet. "Thought she was died there."

"Guess not," I went inside to get my gun, and when I got to the cells everyone was frantically grabbing weapons and running towards their designated places. I joined them, at a slower pace due to my leg, but I still managed to keep up with everyone else as we exited out into the only piece of the yard we'd been able to keep.

As the sun hit me I had a brief moment of bliss. I'd taken off the bandage over my ear to let it air out a bit. It felt so nice to get to hear at least something from my left side. I did a quick scan. We were all down here, except Glenn and Carol who were on the upper breezeway.

"Go!" Rick ordered Merle ahead of us.

"Clear!" He yelled back to us after he'd given the yard a once over. We all proceeded forward to the only gate we had now. I stuck close to Carl as we neared the woman.

Rick called out to her, "Are you alone?"

"Open the gate," the blonde breathed, beginning to struggle with the walker she'd been keeping on a leash-like device. Michonne had mentioned using walkers like that before, removing their teeth and cutting off their arms, making them virtually harmless, turning them into pack-mules and protection. It was a good idea, if you weren't like me, if the geeks noticed you to begin with.

"Are you alone?" Rick's voice was sterner now.

"Rick!" She pleaded. I saw Rick give Daryl a nod, and then the keys were out.

"Open it," Rick's words rang over the noise of the gate running along its tracks. "Hands up. Turn around. Turn around now," he pointed his gun at her and we all did the same. It was the wrong time for a visit. "Get down, on the floor," he shoved her to her knees, "I asked if you were alone."

"I am," the woman seemed so frightened. I couldn't understand why Rick was so angry with her. Had I missed something in these last few days? Everyone else had that same level of aggression, and I just couldn't figure it out. Did they all know something that I didn't? Was there a reason why I was being kept out of the loop?

Rick grabbed the bag from her shoulders and tossed it our way, "Welcome back." Carl grabbed the bag before I could limp over to it. Rick pulled her up by the top of her collar, "Get up."

It was strange how we escorted her through the maze back to the large room adjacent to the cellblock where we'd been spending most of our time since the assault. I couldn't tell if they were pissed at her, or if they were happy to see her. None of it made any sense to me. I couldn't even read Carl, and I could always read Carl. I hated this feeling. This feeling of being on the outside looking in again. Had I done something to be kicked from the kingdom? Were they mad at me because I didn't comprehend the scent before the attack?

The second we got to the room I saw Carol set down her gun and run towards the girl they kept calling Andrea. I slowly made my way down the stairs and over to one of the tables to sit down. From the looks on everyone else's faces they recognized her. They all knew her. Even Michonne. Was I out of the group again? Was that what this all meant?

Carol pulled away from her and there was no mistaking the joy in her face, "After you saved me we thought you were dead."

Andrea began to scan the room, her eyes stopping on the place where Hershel's leg once was, "Hershel, my God." He didn't say anything in response, and she kept running over the faces, stopping on mine for a second, but quickly moving on. "I can't believe this," she turned to Rick, "Where's Shane?" There was silence. "And Lori?"

Hershel spoke up then, obviously trying to preserve Rick's feelings as best he could, "She had a girl. She didn't survive."

Maggie's voice followed, "Neither did T-Dog."

"I'm so sorry," I could see actual sorrow on her face. She'd been with them before I knew any of them. She was a part of their group. I saw her eyes fall onto Carl, "Carl…" His face was easy to read now. Pure hatred. Pure nothingness. He looked so old then, not like the kid I met at the old house. "Rick I…" she paused, looking around the room, "You all live here?"

Glenn stepped forward slightly, "Here and the cell block."

"There?" she points to the barred door, taking a few hopeful steps towards it, "Well, can I go in?"

Rick's arm shot out to stop her from going any further, "I won't allow that." Won't allow that? Did that mean she was a threat? I raised my gun, and from the seat just beside her I pointed it directly to her head.

"Get that gun out of my face," my hand didn't move. She turned to Rick, "I'm not an enemy, Rick."

Rick's rage returned, "We had that field, courtyard, until your boyfriend took down that fence with a truck and shot us up." Then it all clicked. The hostility. The not allowing her into the cellblock. She was one of them. She was from Woodbury. As the fury began to course its way through my veins I could see my pistol start to shake in my hand, and I quickly brought my arm down.

"He said you fired first," by the time she'd finished her sentence my whole body was shaking.

"Bullshit!" I laughed as a heated veil started to invade my vision. He. She meant the Governor. She meant that prick who broke me.

Rick stepped in, "Well, he's lying."

"He killed an inmate who survived in here," Hershel's voice reverberated in me. Axel, another person I'd failed to protect.

Daryl spoke up next, "We liked him, he was one of us."

"I didn't know anything about that," the more Andrea spoke, the angrier I could feel myself becoming. "As soon as I found out I came," she looked around again, "I didn't even know you were in Woodbury until after the shootout."

"That was days ago." Glenn's voice was exasperated and had a shade of my own resentment in it. Good old Glenn. He knew where I was coming from. He understood at least a fraction of how I felt.

"I told you I came as soon as I could." Andrea turned to Michonne, "What have you told them?"

Her voice had its usual cool collectedness, "Nothing."

"I don't get it, I left Atlanta with you people and now I'm the odd man out?"

"He almost killed Michonne and he would have killed us," Glenn attempted to explain it to her.

Then she pointed to Merle, "With his finger on the trigger." She looked to Glenn once more, "Isn't he the one who kidnapped you? Who beat you?" There was a silence then. She thought that the beating was the worst of it. "I cannot excuse or explain what Phillip has done. But I am here trying to bring us together. We have to work this out."

"There's nothing to work out," Rick said exactly what I was thinking. There was nothing to work out.

"Some things… What he did just can't be forgiven," my words were soft, but my annoyance was clear.

Rick picked back up, "We're gonna kill him. I don't know how, or when. But we will."

"We can settle this," she continued to plead, "There is room at Woodbury for all of you." I couldn't help but let out a laugh. Room for all of us? Really?

Merle laughed too, "You know better than that."

"What makes you think this man wants to negotiate? Did he say that?" I looked to Hershel. He was trying his best to be the voice of reason, keep the conversation on track.

"No," she admitted. Of course it was a no. Why would he want to negotiate?

"Then why did you come here?" Rick was getting irritated, or he wasn't trying as hard to hide the aggravation in his voice; either way I couldn't blame him.

"Because he's gearing up for war. The people are terrified, they see you as killers. They're training to attack."

Daryl shifted in his seat across the room, "I'll tell you what, next time you see Phillip you tell him I'm gonna take his other eye."

"Then I'm going to take his life," my voice was more airy than I'd intended. I chalked it up to the idea of seeing the Governor's dead corpse lying in front of me.

Glenn was riled up now, "We've taken too much shit for too long. He wants a war, he's got one."

"Rick? If you don't sit down and try to work this out, I don't know what's gonna happen. He has a whole town." She turned to look at everyone else, "Look at you, you've lost so much already, you can't stand alone anymore."

"You want to make this right? Get us inside."

"No," she shook her head, "There are innocent-"

Rick was already walking away, "Then we've got nothing to talk about."

Next she turned to me, "What's your problem? I don't even know you."

"My problem?" I glared at her and she nodded. I stood up, pistol still grasped firmly in my shaking hand, "My problem is that monster," my voice grew louder as the heat returned just behind my eyes, "He ruined my God damn life!" I couldn't control myself, and my body began to sway back and forth as the tears began to build up, "He ruined me."

"Don't you think you're over-reacting a bit?" she looked me over, "It's just an ear, and the leg will heal."

I opened my mouth, but Daryl snapped at her before I could get a word out, "She ain't over-reacting."

I could see the confusion on her face. She didn't understand. She didn't understand that her precious Governor isn't the man she thought he was. "Phillip, or whatever the fuck he told you his name was," my eyes quickly darted over to Maggie, then back to the ignorant woman in front of me, "You're in here defending him to us. To Maggie. To ME!" I laughed as the first few tears fell, "You don't even know who he is. You don't even know what he did."

"I'm not following…" she looked around at the others who all wore uncomfortable expressions on their faces, even Michonne. "It's just an ear," she turned back to me, "You'll still be able to hear, won't you?"

"This isn't my fucking problem," I tapped the open wound with the barrel, before staring at Merle, "He did this, and at least he had a good enough reason. Merle is a good man." My eyes flashed back to Andrea, "That Governor, he's a monster."

She still didn't get it, "For what? Your leg? That will heal."

I couldn't keep it in any longer. The threshold was broken and the sobs came accompanied by unbridled laughter for the stupidity of the woman in front of me. I hunched over, hands on my knees, to lessen the laughing pains in my side.

"If she's the reason why you don't want to make a truce..." I could see her shift her weight as I looked down at the floor where my teardrops were falling.

Michonne questioned her, "What are you saying?" Yes, what did she mean by that? I straightened myself out so I could see her answer this question.

"I'm just saying look at her," she motioned towards me as she looked at the others, "She's unhinged. How can you trust her?"

"She earned her place here," Hershel's voice again washed over me. My chuckles stopped. "She took us into her home, and she's provided for us."

"She's one of us," Glenn added. Then it occurred to me. Maybe they hadn't told me about Andrea, not to keep me in the dark, but because I didn't need to know. Maybe they were just trying to make things easier for me. My grip on the gun loosened.

"But look at her," as her eyes examined me I saw the disgust in them, "She's lost it over an ear and a bum leg." I reached up and combed my hair over my ear to hide it. Did I really look that crazy? Was I really that disgusting now?

There were a few beats of quiet before Carl's voice emerged, cold and clinical, "She was raped."

Her mouth hung open as she swiveled to look at my non-biological brother, "What did you say?"

When he spoke again it was matter-of-fact, "I said she was raped."

"By Phillip," Michonne's eyes narrowed for a split-second.

There was a look of complete shock on her face. It was priceless, "He wouldn't." She glanced back to me, and then began to plead with the rest once more, "You believe her? She could be lying."

Michonne leaned against the chain link cage in the room, "Found her hanging by the ceiling of a room by a hook. Naked."

"He… he wouldn't," she shook her head, "She lied."

"She ain't lying," Merle defended me, "I was outside, heard the whole thing."

My gazed turned to the floor, and my voice lost its muster, "I don't care if you believe me. You're just one of them to me."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

I looked back up to her, directly into her eyes, "If you support a monster, that makes you a monster." I didn't wait for her to say any sort of response. I just walked off into the cellblock; I wasn't even hoping to change her mind. I didn't care what she thought. I didn't care about her at all. Lions don't lose sleep over the opinions of sheep, why then should I care what someone from Woodbury thinks of me. I climbed the stairs and plopped down into my bed, kicking my feet up.

I had a few minutes to listen to the faint murmurs of the conversations going on in the other room before footsteps came up the walkway. Then Carl's head popped into my cell, "Annie?"

"Yeah?" I sat up.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I nodded before scratching my neck, "I'm just kind of angry right now."

He nodded a few times, "If you need anything, to talk or something, I'll be out keeping watch."

I smiled and pulled myself back up to standing, "I'll go with you. The fresh air might be nice."

-o0o-

At the tail end of the afternoon we all gathered back up to see Andrea off, and even I joined. It wasn't because I liked her. In fact, if I didn't think the others would get mad I would've shot her. But no. I saw her off because I was a part of the group. It was clear. They all thought it. I was one of them, and right now we were saying goodbye to Andrea. Rick had even gotten one of the cars from the prison lot for her to take back to Woodbury. As much as I wanted to object, I knew he wouldn't stand for it, so I kept my mouth shut.

"Can you spare it?" Andrea asked Rick as she stood with her hand on the car door.

"Yeah," he nodded a few times.

She looked around at everyone, "Well, take care," then she disappeared into the front seat.

"Andrea," Rick handed her a knife and a gun for her trip, another thing I would have objected to, "Be careful"

"You too." And with that the gate opened, she drove out, and the gate slammed shut once more.

As the others stared at the car slowly making its way out of the prison grounds I turned to Rick, "What are you hoping to get out of this?"

He shrugged, looking out through the gate with the others, "Maybe she can reason with him. We can come to some sort of agreement." He looked back at me, furrowing his brow slightly, "I know that's not what you want, but…"

I raised my hand, "Don't." I glanced out of the gate too, "I'm a team player. If this is what you think is best, you don't need to explain it to me." I saw him nod, and we turned to head back inside.

"We're still going to get ready," his sternness returned.

"For war?"

"If you can call it that."

I sighed, "I should've burned the whole place down when I had the chance."

Carol piped up, "Didn't she say there were civilians?"

My head tilted as I looked at her, "What am I? What are you?" I stepped past her, speaking loudly enough for everyone to hear, "We're civilians too. Think that's going to stop him from killing every last one of us?"

-o0o-

When night fell we all congregated in the C-block. Some of us were leaning against the cell walls, or sitting on steps or chairs, but I was sprawled out on the floor with Judith lying contently on my stomach. As Beth began to sing I hummed softly to the child on top of me.

A few feet away Hershel, Rick, and Daryl were propped against the wall. Daryl spoke softly, but I could still hear him, "Some reunion, huh?"

"She's in a jam," Rick was trying to explain Andrea's actions, her new allegiances.

"We all are," Hershel's strong voice stood out to me, "Andrea's persuasive. This fella's armed to the teeth, hell bent on destruction." Did they really think she could talk him out of war?

"So what do you want to do?" I perked up at Daryl's question.

"We match it." There was a pause before Rick spoke again, "I'm going on a run."

"We'll head out tomorrow."

"No, you stay here, keep an eye on your brother." I closed my eyes again, rubbing Judith's back lightly as Rick continued, "I'm glad you're back, really, but if he causes a problem it's on you."

"I got him."

"I'll take Michonne." I couldn't help the small upturn my lips made. Rick was going to try to patch things up with Michonne.

"You sure that's a good idea?"

"I'll find out," Rick almost laughed, "And Carl, he's ready. You hold it down here."

"You go it."

I turned my head over to them before speaking up, "Should I come too?"

Hershel shook his head, "Not with that leg of yours." I opened my mouth to object, but he cut me off, "Even with that contraption you made, it still needs time to heal."

I looked to Rick, hoping he'd say he needs me, "Hershel's right. We'll be fine with the three of us."

Then it hit me. I might be part of the group. I might be one of them. But whatever position I had in the group was gone. Before I was obviously number two to Michonne. After what happened in that room, after how I reacted today, it was safe to say I wasn't second in command anymore. Probably not even third or fourth. I sat up, walking over to Carol to hand off Judith to her. I wasn't the deputy. I wasn't the lieutenant. I was the broken girl who could smell people. I trudged up to my cell, sitting down to face the grey wall.

"Something wrong?" I looked up to see Daryl in my doorway.

I turned my head back to the wall, "Yeah."

"Those three'll be fine tomorrow."

"I know," my voice was blank.

"Then what's the problem?" he sat down next to me.

I looked over at him, "Just because that happened to me doesn't mean that I'm weak or unfit, or whatever you people seem to think now."

"Who said that?" his eyebrows scrunched.

"Rick," I shrugged, "Before and just now." He seemed confused, so I explained it to him, "Doesn't think I can watch after everyone. Doesn't think I'm right in wanting that town razed. Doesn't think I can even help him on a supply run."

He patted my thigh, "It's just 'cause your leg."

"Is it?" I could feel the heat of threatening tears, but I willed it away, "He didn't even ask me to keep Judith safe while he was gone."

"Knows you will," his arm wrapped around my shoulders, and for a second my mind cleared.

"What about you?" I leaned my head against his shoulder, "Do you think I'm weak now?"

"Hell no," his voice was honest and sure, "Just gotta get your rest."

I felt my smile return as I looked back into his eyes, "Then let's sleep." He gave me a look that said he wouldn't be joining me again tonight, but I just couldn't. I needed him with me this time. I shook my head before nodding to the pillow, "You aren't going to weasel your way out of this another night, now. Come on."

He didn't argue with me. We were just together, and it made things a little easier.

So, last time I got only a few reviews (GIANT FROWN!), and I figured it was because I didn't really have good questions for you, plus I've been having to hold off on writing updates due to the show. So, firstly, I'd like to let you know that I've started a new WD story (in the same vein as this, but with the added bonus of Clementine from the game), so if you're looking for something to read while I'm waiting for the show to continue on feel free to check that out. :)

QUESTION TIME!
What do we think of Andrea? Total idiot or total idiot? LOL Second, we're seeing Annie's place in the group change once more. How do you think this will affect how she acts towards everyone? Who do you think will kill the Governor in this story? How do you think potential treaty talk will affect Annie's desire to remain with this group? How awesome is it that Annie and Daryl are back together? :) Inquiring minds (mainly me) want to know.