++++++ I do not own the Walking Dead or any affiliated characters apart from my OC's ++++++

Thirty

When I came to I was expecting to be in some kind of cell or walker bait or possibly even both instead I was lying in a bed with Ebony sitting across from me. She was staring at me most intently with my bow sitting on her lap and the quiver with all my blades sitting on the table. I sat up slowly whilst at the same time John came into the room, he leant against the back of Ebony's chair with all the possessiveness of an alpha male on any documentary about animals I'd ever seen.

"Careful," Ebony frowned, "Martinez is a little jumpy at the best of times." She shifted in her seat, "the Governor wanted to put you in one of the cells but I thought it would be easier to talk here in s friendly environment."

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, feeling like I'd just been out on a night of drinking without the fun. Rubbing my head I looked at John. "Lucas, Philomena, J, Corporal, 957289."

Ebony frowned. "PJ-what are you doing?"

"Name, rank and serial number," John answered. "It's what soldiers give the enemy when they're captured."

Ebony looked confused. "We're not your enemy, PJ."

I glared at her. "I heard John say they were going to kill the inhabitants of the prison. They're going to kill Herschel, Beth, Daryl, Carl, Rick, Sophia, Axel, Jade, and Lori's baby," I informed her, listing the people in the prison. "As far as I'm concerned, everyone here is the enemy. They've got Maggie and Glenn. Lucas, Philomena, J, Corporal, 957286."

Ebony leant forward. "PJ-you're my best friend-tell me where my daughter is."

I shook my head. "No." I folded my arms. "You best be chucking me in a cell with Glenn and Maggie because I will tell you nothing short of name, rank and serial number so go to hell, Ebony." I studied my face in a reflective surface and winced at the bruise developing on my face.

Ebony slapped me again, right on top of my already forming bruise. "You don't get to play the defiant bitch, PJ. Where is my daughter?!" she roared.

John leant forward and stroked Ebony's hair. "You know, babe, whatever you do with my little sister here is nothing. That why I had the Governor leave her here with us, she's been tortured, beaten, starved…raped…and she doesn't break."

Ebony stared at me. "What…? PJ…when did this happen?" she whispered.

"Go jump in a lake full of walkers," I snapped at her. "I'm not telling you where the prison is so do what you want with me." I got off the bed and went over to the window to stare at the town below. There was people walking around without a worry in the world. They were all clean, happy, nothing seemed to worry them-they were safe. "There is nothing that will make me talk. I'm a soldier. But I'm also looking out for the children in our midst." I turned around and faced both Ebony and John. "You two can play happy deranged families all you like but I lived on the road with these people for almost eight months. I did a run into Atlanta to get medicine for Jade when she was sick. I took care of her, Daryl took care of her. I'm not giving it up!"

I lashed out at John and managed to push him straight into the lounge, he tripped over the lounge and slammed his head on the coffee table that was right behind him. I stopped only to check his pulse then snatched my bow off the bed and slung it over my shoulder before heading to the table that was holding my supplies. It was hard to say if I should speak to Ebony-was she putting on an act or was she really under my brother's thumb? I hoped to god that it was an act. Once I was ready, I turned to face Ebony who had every chance to aim a gun at me but she didn't. "You playing?" I asked her.

Ebony rushed at me and threw her arms around me. "Oh my god you're alive!" she cried. "How's my baby? Is she ok? Is she alive? Is she eating well? PJ tell me!"

I studied her face. "What the hell?" I asked her. "One moment you're all crazy lady and the next moment you're hugging me…I don't get it."

"They told me she was dead," Ebony whispered. "John…John and the Governor…they said that they found her body…described her even down to the little butterfly necklace you gave her last year."

"Babe…" I whispered, "Jade lost that months ago…she's been wearing your grandmother's fire opal necklace." I looked down at John was lay motionless on the floor. "You're a great big bag of dicks, asshole." Turning back to her I realised that I had to ask. "How did you get out of the herd? I am so sorry…the herd was going to tip the jeep."

Ebony shrugged. "I crawled out from underneath the herd, there were too many grabbing at me-at each other." She walked over to the door and stuck her head out, "I walked for days…dazed…running from walkers…than John found me…He and Merle brought me here-I've been here for months PJ…I was so angry for such a long time after they told me the Governor had found Jade's body."

"She's at the prison," I whispered. "Pack some stuff, we're leaving. After we get Glenn and Maggie."

Ebony shut the door again and started getting some clothes together. As she did that, I stripped the weapons off my brother and tied him to the radiator. "How on earth did you hook up with my brother? I mean Matthew or Michael I get but John?"

She shook her head as she stuffed the last of her clothes in a backpack. "He gave me stability, looked after me-"

"He broke my arm when I was five by twisted it around until it snapped," I cut her off. I paused for a moment. "Listen-Ebony…Rick…if you're leading us on to help the Governor he will kill you. These past months have been hard on all of us. Him the most, he's sort of the unquestioned leader."

Ebony shook her head. "I promise-I promise on Jade."

That was good enough for me.

I opened the door and looked around for anyone coming up the hallway. "All clear," I smiled at Ebony before ushering her out. Just as we reached the bottom of the stairs we found the way blocked by Matthew.

He studied the two of us the spoke. "You're friends are being taken to the warehouse, this way," Matthew pointed back up the hallway. He tossed Ebony an assault rifle, "remember how to use that?"

Ebony flicked the safety off and pulled the magazine out to check the clip was full. She slammed it back in and looked through the scope. "Like a bicycle," she answered.

"You're gonna help us?" I questioned.

"You're my baby sister," Matthew replied. "I'm always gonna help you."

The three of us came out the back of the building and down the fire escape. Once we hit the ground Matthew took charge and led us off towards the warehouse. We had almost gotten there when the familiar smell of smoke wafted into us. "Smoke grenade," I whispered to Matthew.

Matthew signalled to me and we crouched the closer we got to the warehouse. When the doors bust open, the three of us took aim but found ourselves aiming at Rick, Glenn, Maggie and Daryl.

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god!"

Rick crossed over to me and cupped my face so that she he could see the bruise. "Are you ok?" he asked me.

"Piss off," I mumbled.

Rick ignored me. He gently lowered his face to mine and kissed me right in front of everyone. "Are you ok?" he asked me again.

"I hate to spoil the moment," Ebony shouted over the sound of gunfire. "But we are exposed out here and I for one want to see my daughter again."

Daryl stared at Ebony with a look of complete loss on his face, it was akin to seeing a ghost.

"She's right," Matthew nodded.

"Who's this?" Rick questioned.

"Rick Grimes, Lieutenant Matthew Lucas," I introduced them. "My brother."

"Leg it!" Ebony shouted, shooting a soldier in the head.

"We split up," Rick ordered us. "PJ, you take them back to the prison, Maggie, Glenn, go with them."

I looked at Glenn's face and frowned, someone had done a number on him. "Come on G," I ushered. I smiled when I kissed Rick again. "Come back to us," I whispered as we split up.

"Daryl's hot," Ebony grinned as we ran. "I am loving the hair."

I shook my head.

I missed that inappropriateness sometimes.