Daryl was restlessly pacing the top of the over turned bus. He was keeping an eye on the passage of the sun just waiting for time to pass. He just wanted to get to Woodbury already but the timing had to be perfect. They couldn't afford to be too early and risk getting caught. They also couldn't be too late or they'd have to pluck Rick and Michonne out from the middle of a rabid crowd.

And he still didn't even know if Mara was alive.

Yussuf pulled himself up on to the bus and stood quietly on the edge, eyes turned to the forest watching the walkers. They were antsy too, as if they could sense Daryl's impatience.

"We'll find them," Yussuf said confidently. Daryl wanted to believe the man, he really did but Yussuf barely believed his own words. He had been sombre since they'd gotten back to the prison, acting like Mara was already dead.

Daryl grunted in response shifting his crossbow from one hand to the other. He wasn't sure why he was on guard. The Governor had such a spectacle planned for tonight it was unlikely that he was going to come bearing down on them.

Glenn walked down to lean against the bus, joining the vigil. He had a number of guns strapped to his body and a protective vest on. Nathan wanted to take in a group to be reckoned with, leaving only Maggie, Carol and Carl to protect Hershel, Judith and Beth.

Daryl knew that if they didn't make it back then the ones they'd left behind were at the mercy of the Governor. The options made Daryl feel sick in his stomach, this having to choose between the lesser of two evils. But he knew Rick would have gone to rescue any one of them and so there was no choice, not really.

There had been a lot of tearful moments last night. Maggie and Glenn had snuck off to the guard tower. Daryl had no one to steal off with and so he went to stand guard. If he was going to die then his last act would be protecting his group.

When he'd seen Maggie and Glenn go off together he couldn't help thinking of his own lost opportunity. Mara. Mara with her soft skin and her confidence. Mara who was probably dead now. He wished he'd been bold enough to take advantage of her offer when he could have. If she was really gone then he would have liked more memories of her to file away in his brain. Daryl could almost picture her underneath him, arching into him, her fingers digging in to his shoulder blades.

Daryl shook his head. It was stupid to be fixing on things that he couldn't have now nor ever.

He'd seen Carol crying but she didn't seek him out. Carol knew that it would just make Daryl feel more guilty. Daryl was sure she'd say something to him before he walked off with the other members of the rescue party.

And now, here in the daylight, Daryl could feel every minute tick by like it was an eternity.

As it closer and closer to when they had to leave, the group of people grew until every member of the prison was standing there.

Carol came closer and slipped her hand into Daryl's free one. He didn't pull free knowing that he needed this moment as much as she did. He wanted to promise her that he'd fight tooth and nail to come back to her. That he would never abandon her as long as there was breath in his body. He wanted to tell her that she was his family now, pure and simple. But Daryl didn't have the words. He hoped he was conveying everything he felt with the press of his hands against hers. Carol's sad but knowing smile indicated that she understood.

"It's time," Hershel said simply.

Carol brushed his hair off his forehead with a weak smile.

Daryl tried to smile back at her but it was just as pathetic as Carol's attempt. Nathan led the way out of the prison. Christine stabbed two walkers that were close by. While most of them were sad and despondent Christine was mad.

Daryl knew he had to channel some of his own anger if he wanted to survive the night. He fell in to step next to Christine and caught her eyes.

"Let's go kill some assholes," he said. Christine's smile was the first genuine one he'd seen all day and it was terrifying.

...

Andrea appeared out of the dark like a ghost. She was just silently there; her face was paler than usual.

"C'mon," she gestured. She led the way down the side of the town. Andrea stayed in the shadows until she found what she was looking for. A bit of sheet metal that could be bent back just barely enough for a person to squeeze through.

Andrea hesitated before she said, "in here."

Once they were inside Nathan hissed, "We're here to save Michonne, Rick and Mara." Daryl tried not to notice that he paused a little before adding Mara to the list.

The sergeant continued, "We're not here to slaughter indiscriminately. You all bear that in mind."

The last bit was aimed pointedly at Christine and Glenn. Of all the people there it was obvious Nathan thought them the most likely to let their emotions control them.

"There are innocent people here," Andrea added emphatically.

Daryl thought he could hear music further in the complex. He guessed the fights had begun. He could still hear the baying of the vicious mob ringing in his ears.

Andrea swallowed, "This way." This betrayal sat uneasily with Andrea. The confident woman Daryl knew was gone. But Daryl didn't suspect that she'd deceive them. Sure she was guilty of putting her trust in the wrong people but Daryl had done the same in his lifetime. Andrea was a good person and she wouldn't stand by while innocent people were killed.

The group followed her lead. Daryl hung back in the rear scanning the rooftops for enemies.

Andre led them to a building and pointed across the street. She didn't talk and raised her eyebrows in a significant way. Elias poked his head around the building and raised two fingers for the benefit of the rest of them.

Nathan moved up to stand next to Elias. The sergeant strung his bow and Elias followed suit. They rounded the corner and before the guards could open their mouths they were struck down. The soldiers moved fast and efficiently.

Andrea winced as the men fell. Daryl wondered whether these two were her friends. But he couldn't spare sympathetic thoughts for people standing between him and what he was after.

Andrea darted across the empty space and threw open the doors to the building. "We don't have a lot of time. They'll come for them soon."

Yussuf and Christine took point, pulling their guns out. The rest of them pulled out their knives. They weren't expecting to run into any walkers but they didn't know.

Glenn visibly tensed as he crossed the threshold but he was flanked by people he trusted and so he clenched his teeth and walked down the stairs.

Andrea and Daryl were the last ones left at the top of the stairs. Daryl went to push past her to follow them but Andrea put her hand on his chest to stop him.

"Wait," Andrea said.

Daryl stepped away from her touch. "I don't have time for this," he snapped.

"Do you want Mara or not?"

Daryl was relieved to hear Mara's name but the way Andrea was acting making him nervous. "What's goin' on, Andrea?"

"Rick and Michonne are down there but he's keeping Mara somewhere else. You don't have to time to go to both places together."

"Why wouldn't y'just say this at the beginnin'?"

Andrea paused, she couldn't meet his eyes.

Something about someone as assertive as Andrea avoiding direct contact had Daryl very worried.

"Andrea?" he prompted keeping his voice low and urgent. He was conscious of time restrictions.

"I didn't want the others to see her," she blurted out.

"Meanin' what?" he demanded.

"I didn't want them to see what he's done to her."

Daryl grabbed Andrea by both her shoulders. "What has he done to her?"

Andrea spoke in a rush. "I knew you'd focus on getting her out and not on revenge."

Daryl swore, not liking how this sounded at all but Andrea was right. The priority had to be getting them all to safety and not retribution.

"Take me to her," he said curtly. Andrea nodded and rushed off in the other direction. He shot a reluctant look down after his vanished team wishing he had time to tell them where he was going. Nathan was going to be pissed when he saw Daryl had broken ranks.

He cursed again and dashed off after Andrea. She led him up a side street and into another building. She opened a door that revealed a new set of stairs. Daryl followed Andrea down into the basement. The fluorescent lights were muted and the corridor was eerily abandoned.

Once they were inside Andrea slowed right down, stepping carefully and softly. Daryl replicated her so there were no footsteps echoing off the walls. Daryl knew what Andrea's actions indicated. There was a guard down here somewhere and Andrea was trying not to alert him. He didn't know why she was bothering; he could hear music down here too.

They rounded the corner and the guard bolted upright from where he was leaning against a wall. Daryl was thankful he hadn't been vigilant because it gave him time to slam his crossbow into the guards face, knocking him unconscious before he could turn his gun on Daryl.

The guard slumped to the ground and Andrea was feeling in his pockets. Daryl was confused until she held up a key. Daryl snatched it out of her hand and jammed it in the lock.

His impatience caused him to fumble and he ended up putting his shoulder to the door to bust it open. It flung open and he stumbled into a room. The music he'd been hearing was a million times louder in the room.

He couldn't hear himself think and when Daryl spotted the CD player to his left, he ripped it off the wall, sending it tumbling to the ground.

The room felt over bright compared to the corridor and it took a second for Daryl's eyes to adjust. When they did he could see a hunched figure with their head hanging forward. Mara.

At the destruction of the CD player, Mara lifted her head slowly. The sight of her face stopped him dead. The whole right side of her face was swollen and bruised. The right cheekbone was gashed.

When she saw Daryl a sob escaped her throat and Mara's entire body slumped forward. Daryl rushed to her side, slinging his crossbow across his body as he went. He gently cupped her jaw in his hands, lifting her face to the light. He felt an icy cold rage ignite inside him after his up close inspection.

Her lips were cracked and bloody. Daryl looked up at Andrea who was awkwardly hovering in the door way.

"This is what your Governor does t'people," he spat at her. Andrea was looking at Mara with a horrified expression on her face.

Daryl pulled his knife out and cut through the tape. Mara flexed her fingers and Daryl could see the colour rush back into them. Daryl didn't want to think about how long she'd been strapped to the chair.

"Thanks," Mara breathed out and some part of Daryl relaxed when he heard her speak. He wished he had some water with him but he had loaded up with weapons, not supplies.

"We need to get y'outta here," Daryl said to Mara, trying to keep his tone in check. He wasn't mad at Mara and wanted to be gentle with her. "C'mon now."

Mara lifted her shaking arms to put them around his neck. Daryl wrapped his arms around her waist to help her stand. Daryl knew it was in his mind because of how battered and vulnerable she looked but Mara felt tiny against him.

He had never seen her so defenceless.

Daryl kept her arm slung across his shoulder and his own was still securely around her waist. He knew he couldn't use his crossbow with only one hand so he switched to a gun. It meant that he couldn't be as stealthy.

"My sword," Mara said softly. Daryl scanned the room and saw her sword up on one of the highest shelves. He shook his head. Maybe they left it there so the sight would torture her but it seemed stupid when he snatched it up himself.

He fit it over her body and already she looked better. Mara was more determined with her weapon even if she clearly wouldn't have the strength to use it.

"Now give me a gun."

Daryl opened his mouth to argue with her but Mara cut him off. "Now!"

She had an angry feral look in her eyes. Daryl had never seen Mara so unhinged, not even when she had attacked him.

Andrea wordlessly took the gun off the fallen guard's body and passed it to Mara. Mara grabbed it out of her hand.

"Let's go," she said. Her words were confident but Daryl could tell from the way she clung to him that her legs were barely holding her weight. Sitting for days straight would have cramped her muscles.

Andrea took the lead again and Daryl noticed that she had her gun out in her hand now. It looked like Andrea was making a decision about which side she was on. Maybe seeing the pitiful state that Mara was in invoked the urge for women solidarity.

They struggled up the stairs and Daryl was starting to worry. He was taking more and more of Mara's weight. If they saw any action they were going to be screwed, especially with Andrea's split loyalty.

The street was empty and Daryl breathed a sigh of relief. Mara still had the gun in her hand but despite her insistence, it was hanging loosely and uselessly near the ground.

Daryl saw figures rounding the corner and he instantly tensed, raising his own gun to defend them.

"Put that down," Christine hissed as she got closer. She ran straight up to Mara to check on her friend.

Daryl nodded at Rick and Michonne who looked fine. Daryl did notice Rick was favouring his left leg but it wasn't stopping him from moving fast.

"Michonne, Rick, do you think you could support Mara?" Nathan asked.

Daryl opened his mouth to protest. Now he had Mara he didn't want to let her out of his sight. Christine had a similar look on her face.

Nathan spoke quickly, cutting down any objections. "Daryl, we'll need arrows. Christine, you're not tall enough."

Rick stepped forward, clapping Daryl on the shoulder as he and Michonne took Mara's weight. Mara was looking more and more out of it. The adrenalin of the initial rescue wasn't enough to over ride her damage.

Daryl switched from his gun to his crossbow. He needed to get his head in the game. Yussuf and Elias had looked Mara over but, satisfied that she was in no immediate danger of dying and knowing there was nothing they could do here right now, they kept their bows loaded, pointed outwards.

"You need to go now!" Andrea prompted.

"Andrea's right," Rick said. "They're gonna notice that the guards they sent to get us aren't coming back real soon."

"Let's move," Nathan instructed. Yussuf, Elias, Nathan and Daryl took the lead with their bows. Glenn and Christine brought up the rear, effectively flanking Michonne, Mara and Rick.

Andre hovered uneasily on the outskirts of the group, unsure whether to join them but unable to walk away just yet.

Just when Daryl was beginning to think that they had done it, armed men appeared in their path.

"Shit," Yussuf breathed, only seconds before he let an arrow fly that took down one of the men.

His companions managed to shout before Elias and Daryl nailed the other two with their own shots. There was no way that their shouts hadn't attracted attention and Daryl hurried to reload.

The street seemed to flood with people: Woodbury's army.

The Governor may have had the numbers but Daryl and his companions had been tried and tested. While the citizens of Woodbury had been sitting safely behind walls, Daryl had fought tooth and nail alongside the people in this group.

There were gun shots but the dark and the chaos meant that they all went wide. The guards of Woodbury were losing their focus now that they were being attacked.

Daryl fired another arrow and switched to a blade when he got close enough. He could see the fear in the eyes of the man he confronted. No, not really a man. A teenager perhaps.

Daryl's gut twisted but he didn't hesitate. The boy could kill him just as easily. Daryl lunged and the boy's courage broke. He scampered off and Daryl was relieved. He was glad this world hadn't gotten to the stage where he had to kill children.

All the seasoned warriors were taking their time getting to the fight and the Governor was nowhere to be seen yet but Daryl had no doubt he wouldn't be far away.

He heard someone shout his name and then a bullet tore past his ear, so close he could feel the shift of air. He ducked instinctively. Andrea was the one who had fired. He glanced behind him and saw she had shot a man who had fallen with his knife in his hand. He was inches away from Daryl and his intent had obviously been to stab him.

"Thanks," he said gruffly. Andrea was still posed awkwardly, her gun pointing past Daryl. She was breathing heavily and had a distressed expression. Daryl stepped closer, warily. He was aware of the battle raging on either side but he used his hand to lower Andrea's gun. She was so tense that a twitch might make her pull the trigger again and her target may not be as well chosen.

This close he could see that Andrea was shaking and he cursed internally. They didn't have time to deal with her ethical dilemmas.

Christine appeared by their side. "We've gotta push on." She was talking too loud; an over correction due to the fire fight. Andrea didn't move so Christine wrapped her arm around her bicep and yanked her forward. Daryl followed in their wake, watching their backs.

Rick and Michonne were up ahead. Rick was supporting Mara and shooting with his right hand. Michonne had stepped away from the pair so that she would have enough room to draw her sword.

Mara had drawn her knife and though she was leaning heavily on Rick, she seemed more alert and her feet were solidly underneath her. She glanced over her shoulder and her eyes met Daryl's.

Daryl moved faster to close the distance between them. The group had gotten too spread out and that was dangerous. Nathan was calling them in to gather tighter.

Out of nowhere, a man tackled Daryl. Caught unaware, the pair went sprawling to the ground. Because he had been using his crossbow he hadn't thought to draw his knife. He'd have to fight this one with his bare hands. Luckily his attacker was more ballsy than skilled. He didn't seem to know what to do now that Daryl was on the ground. Daryl slugged him twice in the jaw, despite the fact he was on his back.

Glenn came running up and used his arm to create a choke hold on the man. The man reared back, clawing at Glenn's arm to get air, freeing Daryl. Daryl got to his knees and slammed his elbow into his attacker's nose. The man slumped forward unconscious. Glenn grabbed a fistful of Daryl's shirt to haul him to his feet. Daryl snatched up his crossbow.

He could hear new shouting. Through the commotion, Daryl could see the Governor on the outskirts of the fight. There was a small smile tugging at his lips which made no sense. The prison group had almost fought their way free. There was hardly any obstacles standing between them and escape, and the people blocking them were obviously skittish.

Elias was pushing forward the sheet of metal, creating a bigger space then they had originally slipped through before. Daryl could hear the screech of bending metal over the gunfire. Yussuf and Elias went through first, followed by Rick, Mara and Michonne, who had slid back into her position supporting Mara.

Nathan and Christine kept up a solid stream of gunfire while Glenn followed his team out. Andrea was hesitating. Daryl could see her staring at the Governor, confusion written all over her face.

"You better decide quickly. You comin' or goin'?" Daryl asked. Without waiting for her response, he ducked through the opening after Glenn. A few seconds passed then Andrea was on the same side of the fence as Daryl.

Glenn clasped her hand briefly and Michonne had a larger smile than Daryl had ever seen on her before.

Nathan and Christine squeezed through the gap and Elias shoved it closed with Yussuf's assistance.

"Let's get moving," Nathan commanded. Daryl knew they had hit the Governor harder than either side had expected to. Those weren't soldiers they had killed in there, they were citizens out of their depth. Woodbury would have to take a moment to mourn, see to their injured and bury their dead before counter attacking.

A single walker lumbered into sight. Not being able to understand the concept of being outnumbered it snarled its way over. Yussuf drew his knife and stabbed it in the top of its head.

Elias moved to Mara and scooped her up completely. The strong man lifted her like she was nothing more than a feather. Daryl admired Elias's strength. Probably he could carry Daryl with little effort also.

Now their opponents were dead and didn't have guns, didn't necessarily mean they could slow down. There were still walkers in these woods and they needed to get back to the prison. All the noise would attract them and there wasn't a single person amongst them that wasn't bleeding from some cut or wound.

They moved through the woods like the devil himself was at their heels. They encountered the odd walker but it was dispatched quickly and viciously.

When the prison loomed into sight Daryl felt his exhaustion hit him like a wave. Seeing Carol and Carl standing by the gate really drove the sensation home. They had survived.

Carl was shouting for his father and Carol was half laughing and half crying.

The gate opened and closed with a clatter, sealing them safely inside for now.

Elias had carried Mara the whole time without faltering or complaint but now they had the leisure of time Daryl could see the big man was just as worn down as himself. Nathan noticed his faltering Corporal and took Mara out of his arms.

Mara's face made Daryl's stomach clench with worry. She was pale under the blood and battery. Her eyes were tightly shut and Daryl didn't know if it was exhaustion or if she was unconscious.

The rest of the group was worse for wear too. Rick's limp had become more pronounced to the point where Glenn often had to reach out a hand to steady his friend. Yussuf had a nasty cut in his chest that would need to be seen to.

Andrea had trailed along behind them; distancing herself from the welcome party.

Maggie had been watching from the cage and she came running down to embrace Glenn. He hugged her fiercely, whispering something in her ear that Daryl couldn't, and didn't want to, hear.

When she separated from Glenn, Maggie took the time to observe the group. "I'll warn my father," she said quickly and dashed off.

AN: This is a long chapter. I thought I might try and redeem Andrea a little bit. I never thought she was a bad person in the show, just unceasingly stupid. She couldn't stand to see a woman beaten down and that's what causes her to take a stand here. Anyway, please let me know what you think.

MD666