*** Daryl POV***
"You doing ok?" Carol asked
"I'm fine" I said cleaning my crossbow. Eva's old one.
"I heard what happened with Eva. I'm sorry" she said leaning on the doorway to my cell.
"Its fine. Shit happens" I said feeling my heart ache at the mention of the break up.
"I know you're not fine Daryl." She said
"I gotta be." I said
"She's going to come back to you you know." She said.
"How the hell you know that? You didn't see her. She fuckin hates me." I said with anger lacing my voice.
"Do you not know anything about her?" Carol asked rolling her eyes.
"What do you mean? I know a lot enough to know she ain't gonna come back." I said back looking at her now.
She sighed and straightened up coming to sit on the half of my bed that didn't have stuff on it.
"How long has she been with us?" Carol asked looking at me head on.
"A year? I don't know. Haven't kept track." I said
"And how many times has she held a grudge against anyone?" She asked
"Never" I answered.
"Than why wouldn't she forgive you?" Carol asked.
"Its different" I said pain starting to seep into my voice. It was nice to hope she would come back but I knew how much it hurt her.
"No its not" Carol said.
"She's changed." Carol said. "We all have yes. But Eva still has a lot of the girl we first met down at the quarry. She'll forgive you Daryl. You need to give it time."
"And if she doesn't?" I asked.
"I dont see how that's possible. She'll come back. Don't worry." She said as she got up and walked out of my cell.
"Oh and I'm glad your back." She said before leaving.
. . .
***Evas POV***
"Andrea?" I said getting ready to step forward and embrace the girl we all thought was dead but Rick put his hand out and I stopped walking.
"Where's Shane?" She asked looking around and stopping on Rick who quickly turned away and looked down.
"Lori?" She asked.
"She had a girl. Lori didn't survive." Hershel said with a sad voice.
"Neither did T-Dog" Maggie said from her spot near the stairs.
"I'm so sorry." Andrea whispered.
"You all live here?" She asked looking around.
"Here in the cell block." Glenn said.
"There?" She said pointing to the cell block.
Glenn nodded.
"Can I go in?" She asked already stepping forward.
"I won't allow that" Rick said walking in front of her.
I slowly inched closer going near the table where Daryl sat. I saw him look up and give me a nod which I returned.
"I'm not the enemy Rick." She said her voice laced with hurt.
"We had that field court yard till your boyfriend came in and tore it down with a truck and shot us up" Rick said explaining what happened.
"He said you shot first." Andrea said.
"Well he's lying." I said from behind Rick.
"He killed an inmate who survived in here." Hershel said.
"And we liked him. He was one of us." Daryl said moving closer to me.
"I didn't know anything about that." She said with her hand moving to her mouth.
"As soon as I found out I came" she said moving her hand.
"I didn't even know you were in Woodbury till after the shoot out." She said looking at all of us.
"That was days ago." Glenn said
"I came as soon as I could" she said looking around.
Glenn and Maggie looked pissed. Andrea turned and look at Michonne who had gotten up and was standing near closer.
"What have you told them?" She said walking towards her.
"Nothing" Michonne answered.
"I don't get it. I left Atlanta with you people and suddenly I'm the odd man out?" Andrea asked looking hurt and mad.
After a short fight with Glenn Rick quickly butted in. Andrea claimed the governor wanted to try and work it out but Rick quickly shot down any thought about that. I mostly stayed out of it choosing to listen till she walked up to me after Rick had stormed out.
"Eva you understand. You understand that you guys shouldn't go to war." She said
"What I don't understand is how you can defend him." I said getting up from the table. "He attacked us. He hurt Maggie in a way you don't understand. He was going to kill Michonne. How can you stand there and try and convince us that going to war is a bad thing? If you hadn't noticed but were a lot stronger then that town. We may be small but unlike them we've been out there. Living on the road where danger was around every corner."
"Merle helped! How can you forgive him and not me?" Andrea said looking exasperated.
"Because he's here helping." I said. "I don't forgive him for what happened because it's still fresh. But he's here. He's willing to die for us. That shows true loyalty."
"Damn right little doc." Merle said from his spot on the stairs.
"So what do I have to prove my loyalty to this group?" Andrea said.
"Do you plan on going back there?" I asked crossing my arms.
"Yes of course." She said.
"Then that's where your loyalties lie." I said before walking into the cell block.
"Hey" I heard Daryl whisper from behind me.
"What?" I asked turning around.
"What was that?" He asked.
"What do you mean what was that? It was the truth" I said crossing my arms.
"I thought you would have a problem. Us going to war." He said shifting his crossbow.
"Normally I would but hes willing to kill us all. I don't want that. Were a family and family has to make sacrifices." I said
"Alright." He said
"I got watch. I'll see you at dinner." I said beginning to turn away.
"Wait" he said stopping me again.
"Here" he said handing me my crossbow that I had given to him.
"It's yours" I said shaking my head at the offering.
"Nah it ain't." He said
I turned and fully faced him giving him a small smile.
"It looks better on you." I said before walking away. He didn't stop me this time.
. . .
"Do you think you'll ever get back together?" Maggie asked from next to me.
"Maybe" I said pushing my hair off my face.
"I hope you do." She said with a smile.
"I still love him. I hate it but I'll always love him." I said picking at a whole in my jeans.
"I know. Everyone can see it. Whenever you two are in a room together it's like you just drift toward each other." She said
I just smiled and looked in the binoculars.
. . .
"Ricks gone cold." Andrea said while holding the baby.
"He has his reasons." I said coming up the stairs.
"So have you Eva." She said
"And I have mine." I said
"You were so sweet so ready to forgive someone. What happened to you?" She asked.
"Im still that girl." I said
"No your not." Andrea said with sadness in her eyes.
"Why do you say that?" I asked putting my hands on my hips.
"I can see it" she said.
"Then how come you can't see how truly evil the governor is?" I said before walking down the stairs.
Have I gone cold? I thought. I wandered around the prison for a bit before finding the person I was looking for.
"Hey" I said
Merle lifted his head up from the book he was looking at with a surprised look on his face.
"What's goin on little doc?" He asked closing the book.
"You're the only one who can give me a straight answer and right now I need one." I said going to sit in front of him.
"Well alright what's up?" He said leaning back in his chair.
"Do you think I've gone cold?" I asked.
"Why would you think that?" He asked
"Andrea said I have" I said.
"Like she's a good judge of character." He said with a snort.
"Please answer." I said
"I think you're finally coming into your strengths" he said.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"When we first met you. You were cautious as hell." He said. "You were so scared of everything. It was like you thought your own shadow would hurt ya. Now you're not. Its like you came to the realization that you can defend yourself. I don't know what brought that on. But it's a good thing."
I turned my head and thought about what Merle said. He was right. I was scared of everything when I first met him and I think the only reason I became strong was because Daryl had left. Before I had always had him to defend me. He was always there if I was hungry he would find food. If I was cold he'd find us somewhere warm to sleep. Rick too. I relied them a lot. But once Daryl left and Rick went off the grid and Glenn asked me to step up I grew into my strengths like Merle said.
"Thanks Merle." I said with a smile.
"No problem girly." He said with a smile.
"I'll catch you later." I said getting up.
"One more thing" he said his voice stopping me. "Remember just because you're strong now don't mean you can make it alone. And don't lose yourself."
"Thanks" I said as I walked out.
. . .
"You gotta hold on..." Beth was singing to us while I counted our amo. For once it felt like everything was normal again.
Andrea had left earlier. I had said goodbye because what Merle said was true. I didn't want to lose myself and myself was the girl who liked cooking and got attached to people. I couldn't lose her.
Rick came down with Judith in his arms I gave him a smile which me returned.
AN: I know i said I wasn't going to update for about two weeks but I was laying in bed and got the urge to write so tada! Tell me what you guys think of this new Eva. Not gonna lie I like writing her like this I just don't wanna completely abandon her old self.