++++++ I do not own the Walking Dead or any affiliated characters. All rights belong to Kirkman and AMC ++++++

Forty-Six

It was the wait that was the killer.

The atmosphere before a battle is always thick with uncertainty. I never had any illusions of grandeur or survival the hours before a big battle, as a soldier I was trained to always treat each battle as if it were my last. I could die at any moment these days and I knew that. I wasn't sad about it, or angry, it is what it is.

Looking through the scope that I had rescued from a damaged weapon in the prison, I watched the walker filled yard, waiting for a sign of the Governor and John. Rick had left me in charge of Daryl, Ebony and Matthew, it was our job to attack from behind once the enemy were inside. For me and Matthew, this was so familiar it was hard to imagine doing anything else but to Ebony, this was so unfamiliar. She'd never seen battles such as this before, only heard about them. Not to mention that she was pregnant. The four of us watched silently from our positions in the bushes for almost two hours before they came rolling down the road. There were several truck and car loads full of soldiers, I could see at the head, John and the Governor, at the back of the convoy was Michael.

They took out the front guard towers first as they sped up the road.

The gate into the courtyard was open and full of walkers.

I could sense that each of us from our positions were watching them intently when they took out the walkers in the courtyard. Hopefully everything would go according to plan, Matthew, Rick and Herschel had put a lot of thought into this plan apparently-it was good to see Rick trusting my brother.

Everything was so intense.

You could cut the air with a butter knife.

Matthew chuckled behind me when most of the Woodbury group disappeared inside the cell block. "Show time," he smirked.

"Matthew, you and Ebony take care of the walkers," I ordered. "The noise is going to bring them in by the bucket load. Start looking at how and when to take them out when they come."

"Yes ma'am," Matthew saluted.

Be careful, I mouthed at Ebony when the two of them snuck off in the bushes.

"This better work," Daryl growled.

"It will," I assured him. "When Matt plans something, it all comes together. He's Hannibal from the A-Team, I swear."

"You talking shit again?" Daryl scowled.

"Relax," I suggested, watching the prison through the scope. "We ain't gonna loose this place, and I sure as hell ain't gonna let you and mumma bear down. I ain't game enough to mess around with pregnant women. You and the little Daryl's need somewhere to grow and become a tribe of Red Necks. David Attenborough can narrate it. That's if he's not a walker."

"PJ what are you talking about?" Daryl demanded to know. "What do you mean me and little Daryl's? And quit it with the David Attenborough crap."

Men, I thought to myself, so freaking dense.

The alarms in the prison suddenly started going off.

It didn't take long for them to come out of the cell block, retreating at full speed from the walkers that were inside. The sound of gunfire had me looking for Glenn and Maggie who were hiding in one of the towers. Matthew was right, show time.

I put the scope away and signalled to Daryl for him to head to the remains of the burnt out tower. Any advantage point is a good advantage point I always say. I didn't have my sniper rifle but in my head I kept on chanting it over and over again.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

It's always brought me luck.

Daryl separated from me and took the second tower whilst I made my way into the damaged first tower.

If the gods were with us, they'd be leaving soon…make this place too much trouble to keep and the enemy won't want to keep it anymore. This was our home, not theirs. We could fix this place up real nice…Ebony could have her kid here and make this place a home. A real home. No running and hiding, no scavenging for survival. We could make this place something special. I climbed over the burnt rubble and found myself a clean spot just wide enough for me to crouch. Pulling on the strap, I grabbed my assault rifle and watched as they started running. Some on foot, some in vehicles.

That's where we came in.

The invaders poured through the gate, not only being chased by walkers but also fired on by us. I gotta give it to John, he would be the one pulling the strings. The tactical retreat would be his idea.

At the back of the convoy, Michael was still in his position, nursing a bloody shoulder wound-it looked like a walker bite. Our eyes met for a moment and he gave me that secret salute across his chest like we used to do when we were kids. He jumped out of the speeding vehicle, stumbling a little on his landing but ultimately keeping his balance. Michael kept his eyes on me the whole time when he pulled out his gun.

"No," I whispered. "MICHAEL!" The words burst out of my mouth before I could stop them. I swung the rifle over my shoulder and clambered over the tower debris to get to the bottom.

"Mike, what are you doing?" I gasped when I got to him. I pulled Michael into the safety of the fences before the walkers got to us.

"I got bit," he whispered. Michael moved his hand and showed me the nasty bite that was already red and inflamed. His skin was pale and he burnt to touch. I'd never seen it move so quickly through someone before.

"MICHAEL!" we heard Matthew shout through the field.

Michael pushed me away from his and held the gun up against his head. "It was stupid…" he whispered. "Trying to take this place from you guys…I just wanted to be like John."

Matthew ripped open the gate and tackled his twin before he could pull the trigger. "Are you fucking nuts?" he shouted.

"He got bit," I sniffed. This was my big brother… "He got bit…"

Matthew shook his head. "Mike…"

"Please just let me shoot myself!" Michael yelled. He looked at us with such ferocity in his face… "Please let me shoot myself."

Matthew shook his head. "You're my twin-"

"I am not gonna be a biter!" he argued back. Michael gripped the gun tightly. "I'm not gonna be a biter…please Matt." Matthew drew his pistol silently and placed the weapon against our brother's temple. "If you find Alicia…tell her…tell her I love her…her and the girls…"

Who? I wondered.

Matthew nodded.

I looked away as the sound of a single gunshot rung out across the yard followed by silence…the moaning of the walkers and deafening silence…