Daryl came to find me in our cell later that afternoon with an assault rifle and a wary look. Andrea had been spotted entering the prison with a leashed walker and everybody was on edge. Rick had gathered everyone together, leading a small team of us into the yard.

I was crouch patiently behind the truck, my adrenaline pumping, not entirely sure what to expect. I was hoping for the best, that maybe she had escaped and was coming back to us, but I feared the worst, that this was a trap set up by the Governor and his gang.

I clutched my rifle tightly to my chest, peaking around the trucks tail end. The tree line seemed clear, but if the had snipers we were sitting ducks.

"Go." Rick said quietly." Merle took point, running up to the next truck.

"Clear!" He shouted. I stood immediately as Rick and the others moved forward to the gate. I set up next to Michonne on the overturned bleachers, checking the surrounding tree line. I knew Glenn and Carol had our backs on the catwalk, but all the same. "Are you alone?" Rick yelled to Andrea.

"Open the gates!" She requested him.

"Are you alone!?" Rick repeated, this time louder.

"RICK!" Andrea said in almost disbelief. Rick looked at Daryl warily, and Daryl shrugged. The sheriff tossed him the keys and quickly, Daryl opened the gates, letting Andrea inside.

"Hands behind your back! Turn around!" Rick commanded her. Andrea was stunned and she looked at each of us in turn before Rick forced her against the fence, patting her down. He took her side arm, pushing her to her knees. "I asked if you were alone." He said again, taking her pack.

"I am!" he looked at her in disbelief, tossing her pack over to me. I glanced at it, then to the tree line, before picking it up. Andrea watched me grab her bag and I didn't look away from her as I stood. She was confused, not accustomed to the new group of old friends.

"Welcome back." Rick said dryly to her, grabbing her under her arm. He pulled her to her feet, dragging her roughly back to the prison. The others began to follow, but I hesitated, frowning down at the rucksack I held in my hand.

Daryl walked up to me, looking at me quizzically. I dropped my hand to my side, letting the bag hang by its strap.

"This isn't right." I said quietly, watching as the posse led Andrea inside. "She's one of us."

"She held ya at gun point." He reasoned with me. I bit my lip, still not entirely swayed by his words. I didn't like holding one of our own like a prisoner. "She shot ya, darlin."

"That's was an accident and you know it." I looked up at him, narrowing my eyes. He opened his mouth to speak again, but Carl interrupted him.

"Daryl, Beau! My dad want's everybody inside!" I nodded at Carl, squinting back up at Daryl. He gestured to the door, taking Andrea's pack from me and slinging it over his shoulder, grabbing my hand.

The prison was quiet, not entirely sure how to feel about Andrea's return. I walked in, not surprised to find Andrea and Carol hugging each other tightly. I knew Carol missed her dearly, especially with Lori gone.

"After you saved me we thought you were dead." Carol told her, holding back tears. Andrea shushed her, stroking her head. I crossed the room quietly, taking a seat on the table next to Rick, Daryl joining me.

Andrea pulled away, looking at each of us quietly. It had been nearly nine months since she last saw any of us. She took us in one by one, her eyes finally finding me. I looked away quickly, not over what happened the other night.

"I can't believe this." She said amazedly. She looked at the group again. "Where's Shane?" Rick and I shared and awkward look, shaking our heads at her. "And Lori?" Rick swallowed hard and I found his hand, squeezing tightly.

"She had a girl. Lori didn't survive the c-section." I spoke quietly. My words echoed through the room, giving me shivers. Daryl removed his trigger finger from his crossbow, wrapping his arm around my waist.

"Neither did T-Dog." Daryl chimed in. Andrea's eyes fell to his hand around my waist and she sighed, looking at the ground.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered. She began to cry silent tears, looking up at Carl. He stood stonily watching her and she took a step forward, rethinking it. She turned to Rick, walking towards him, but she stepped away from her. She paused, changing the subject. "You all live here?"

"Here and the cell block." Glenn said. She turned to him, looking at him. Andrea pointed at the barred gates the stood behind us and Glenn nodded.

"Can I go look?" She started to walk forward, but Rick stopped her. Daryl's hand left my waist, again settling on the trigger of his bow.

"I wont allow that." Rick's words were harsh and Andrea looked at him stunned.

"I'm not an enemy, Rick."

"We had that field, courtyard. Until your boyfriend tore down the fence with a truck and shot us up." The sheriff spat.

"He said you fired first." Andrea was confused, apparently the Governor was a liar among other things. I raised my brow at her, looking up at Daryl.

"Well he's lyin." Rick said coldly.

"He killed an inmate who survived in here." Hershel piped up.

"We liked him. He was one of us." Daryl said sadly. I frowned thinking about Axel. I was sad I couldn't find any time to spend with him now.

"I didn't know anything about that." Andrea shook her head. "As soon as I found out I came. I didn't even know you were in Woodbury until after the shoot out!"

"That was days ago." Glenn's voice was hard and his face stone. Andrea frowned at him and Maggie.

"I told you I came as soon as I could." Andrea shook her head, round on Michonne. "What have you told them?"

"Nothing." The samurai replied quietly. Andrea looked at me and I shrugged, again looking at the floor.

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

"The Governor almost killed Michonne and Beau, and he would have killed me and Maggie-"

"His name is Phillip!" Andrea said angrily, interrupting him. She glanced up at Merle who had been quiet until now. "Isn't he the one that kidnapped you?!" She asked, pointing at him. Nobody said a word. "Who beat you?!" again we were quiet. Andrea sighed, running her hand down her face. "Look, I can not 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 interjected. "We're gonna kill him. I don't know how, dunno when, but we will." Rick looked at Daryl and I and I nodded, frowning at Andrea.

"We can settle this." She pleaded. "There is room at Woodbury for all of you!" I grimaced, the mere sound of it leaving a bad taste in my mouth.

"You know better than that." Merle chuckled.

"What makes you think this man wants to negotiate? Did he say that?" Hershel asked her.

"No…" Andrea said quietly.

"Then why did you come here?" Rick asked her again. Andrea shook her head.

"Because he's gearing up for war." Andrea's words took the breath right out of me and I gasped, my hand covering my mouth. "The people are terrified, they see you as killers! They're training to attack!"

"Tell you what." Daryl spoke up, clearly pissed about what she said. Daryl looked at, placing a firm hand on my knee. Andrea watched him quietly. "The next time you see Phillip, tell him I'm gonna take his other eye."

"We have taken too much shit for too long. If he wants a war, he's got one." Glenn said firmly. The rest of our group began to nod, even I found myself agreeing with them.

"Rick." Andrea turned to our leader. "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 us again, making one last plea. "Look at you! You've lost so much already! You can't stand alone anymore!"

"You wanna make this right? Get us inside." Rick said, talking about invading Woodbury.

"No."

"Then we got nothing to talk about." He walked away, back to the gate to the cellblock.

"There are innocent people in there!" Rick was done listening to her and kept walking, ignoring her completely. I watched her angrily and I stood.

"What about the innocent people in here?" I spat, walking off back to the cellblock. I was angry and done with her excuses. Rick had stopped at the ammo cell, counting our rounds. I threw him one, silent look, before continuing up the stairs and into my cell.

I had calmed down significantly and after a few minutes I heard Carol and Andrea come up the stairs to Carol's cell. Lil Ass-Kicker, or Judith as Carl and Rick had finally named her, stayed with Carol often.

"You can't leave without meeting Little Ass Kicker." Carol said softly. I watched their shadows move across my curtains, eyeing their silhouettes carefully.

"Can I hold her?" Andrea asked. Carol told her it was fine and I stood, quietly walking over to my curtain. I brushed it aside, watching Andrea coo over the baby girl she held in her arms. "let me guess, Daryl named her Ass Kicker?"

"Her names not really Ass Kicker." Carol smiled at her.

"It's Judith." I interjected. Both women looked up at me, not realizing I was there. I gave a weak smile, opening my cell door and walking out. Silently, Andrea turned back to the baby. "But she'll always be Ass Kicker to me." Despite herself Andrea chuckled, looking up again.

"What happened to Lori?" She asked after a short pause. Carol sighed, looking at the ground and then looking at me. I swallowed, thinking back to that day.

"There was an outbreak at the prison. I had to perform an emergency c-section in a maintenance closet." My words were quiet and I blinked back tears. "Carl had to-"

"Oh my god…" Andrea cut me off, knowing what came next. She looked up at me and for the first time in a while there was warmth in her eyes. "I'm so sorry." She said quietly. I shrugged, walking up to her and Judith, stroking the baby's cheek lightly, smiling at her.

"It's okay, we have her now."

"Beau!" Daryl called my name and my head snapped up. He watched Andrea and I warily, his eyes trailing to Carol. "Rick's sending us to the garage, we're getting a car for Andrea."

"Coming." I looked at Andrea, smiling weakly at her before walking past and down the steps to Daryl. He raised his eyebrow at me and I shrugged, glancing back at our one time friend.

Glenn was the one they sent down to the garage after Daryl and I cleared it. He grabbed one of the prisons squad cars, it was pretty inconspicuous and in decent shape with gas and all. I watched silently as Andrea walked over to it, opening the door quietly.

"Can you spare it?" She turned, asking Rick. He gave her a curt nod and again she looked at all of us. "Well, take care." Her words were quiet, she seemed so sad, but this had to be done. She was sleeping with the enemy, literally, and the enemy was a raving psychopath bent on killing all of us. There was no sympathy for the devil.

Slowly, almost begrudgingly, Andrea got in the car. I frowned, despite myself, shifting awkwardly, bow in hand. I heard her sigh from where I stood, and Rick stepped forward.

"Andrea." He handed her a small picket knife and a side arm. She took them, studying them quietly, flipping them in her hands. "be careful."

"You too." She turned the car over, putting in drive. I stepped out of the path, helping Daryl open the fencing. I heard the gate screeching, finalizing what was happening. It was sad watching her drive off, like I was closing the chapter on a major friendship in my life. We had been through things, never did we have a smooth friendship, but we always had each other's back. Now that was driving off into the distance, along with the squad car.

I didn't move, even after she drove off into the woods, I stayed, sitting quietly on the concrete ground. It felt good to be outside, the night air was cool on my hot skin and it breezed through my hair easily.

"Beau!" Rick called to me. I turned and he gestured to the prison with his head.

"Go on inside. I'll be there." I called back to him, gently placing my bow on the ground. There was something I found peaceful about watching the walkers hobble across the yard. They only had one worry and that was what they were going to eat next. I missed they days that I could say the same for myself.

Daryl plopped down beside me, placing he bow next to him. I looked at him silently, surprisingly peaceful, and I looked out onto the field again.

"It's like the quiet before the storm." I whispered quietly. He cocked his eyebrow at me and I grinned. "Even though I know The Governor will be back, with an army no less, I feel surprisingly at peace."

"Thought you was sad bout Andrea." He murmured. I tilted my head, biting my lip.

"I am, but she couldn't stay. She's on his side now." I paused thoughtfully. "I never got close to Andrea, and I regret that now. Even though we fought all the time we had our moments." I paused again, thinking back to the first time at the ravine, talking about our vibrators. My cheeks went red and I grinned up at Daryl. "She likes Judith."

"Ya mean Ass kicker." He replied quickly. Daryl wasn't completely sold on the name Judith either.

"Rick's not gonna let you call her that anymore, now that she's got a name." I chuckled. Daryl smirked, looking at me.

"I'll call her whatever I want. You don't tell the fun uncle what he can an can not do." He grinned from ear to ear, picking up a rock and tossing it through the fence at a walker. It connected and he stumbled, nearly falling to the ground. "She's gonna be an Ass Kicker when she gets older, specially with you around."

"If by Ass Kicker you mean constantly getting tragically injured, then you're right." I pulled at my busted ear. It bothered me less and less lately, I'd gotten used to my muffled hearing now. Daryl frowned at me.

"It'll come back, darlin." He was talking about my hearing. I shook my head, bringing my knees to my chest.

"Nah, but that's okay, still got my health." I joked. It was getting dark now. I marveled at how early you could see stars without a ton of man made lights hanging around. The prison door opened behind us again.

"Hey guys! Rick want's a head count, so everyone inside!" Maggie called to us. I groaned as I stood, picking up my bow and dusting myself off. Daryl took my hand in his, kissing it and quietly leading me inside.

After dinner, Beth and I had settled in at the bottom of the cellblock. A few days ago she found a pack of cards in one of the forgotten cells and we were playing cribbage, abridged rules, since neither of use really knew how to play. The girl in front of me played her card, heaving a heavy sigh.

"They hung a sign up in our town, 'if you live it up you wont live it down'." Beth began to sing quietly. She looked up at me, hoping that I knew the song and I smiled at her. I knew it, it was one of my grandma's favorites, Tom Waits, a classic. "So she left Monte Rio, son, just like a bullet leaves a gun." I looked up at her, smiling, realizing everyone was listening to her now. "With Charcoal eyes and Monroe hips, she went and took that California trip.

"Well the moon was gold, her hair like wind. She said don't look back just come on Jim. " I chimed in. Beth smiled at me and I looked up at her. "You get the melody?" I murmured, her voice was prettier than mine. She nodded her head, grinning ear to ear. I took a deep breath. "Oh you gotta Hold on, Hold on. You gotta Hold on, Hold on. Take my hand, I'm standing right here. You gotta hold on." I smiled at her, impressed and she smiled at me. I looked around, all eyes on us.

"You take the next verse? I'll come in." She told me reassuringly. I nodded sheepishly.

"Well he gave her a dime store watch and a ring made from a spoon." I sang quietly, suddenly feeling very self conscious. I glanced up to where Rick, Hershel and Daryl stood. They smiled down at us, watching quietly. "Everyone is looking for someone to blame, but you share my bed, you share my name." my face flushed and I looked away from Daryl, thinking about how much those lyrics didn't pertain to us.

"Go ahead and call the cops, you don't meet nice girls in coffee shops." Beth chimed in. I nodded at her, same thing as last time.

We continued singing that way until we were finished with that song, and then we started a new one. Most people listened until we were finished, but some of them went to sleep.

It made me feel better to sit there and belt out tunes that reminded of better days, mostly memories of my grandmother, sometimes memories of college. I was thankful for the fact that I lost my grandma before the craziness. She got to live and die in a good world.

I felt like it said something about all of us, the fact that we were still here. It said that we were strong, it said that we were better then what was happening now. We were survivors in more ways than one, something that made me exceedingly confident about anything we came across. No Matter the odds.

Any DragonBall Z fans here? bc if so, go to youtube, look up the user Team Four Star and watch DragonBall Z Abridged. You WIL NOT be disappointed. i was in tears. Also does anybody have any good Vegeta/OC fics? bc obsessed.

Reviews are so awesome! I've been getting some good, constructive ones. They really keep me going!

Stay Beautiful!