Rick, Michonne, and Carl had been gone for what seemed like hours. My stomach was in knots, and even though I knew the three were perfectly capable of handling their own, I still worried. But, I knew I was needed here at the prison, considering all that had taken place recently. That worried me as well, never knowing when we'd be under attack again, when the Governor would be back.

I hoped that Andrea would talk to him, somehow convince him to leave us alone. Deep down inside I knew that was complete wishful thinking, that man was insane, and he wouldn't stop. I believed that, with utmost certainty. He wouldn't stop until he got his revenge, despite the fact that all of this started because of him in the first place.

Maybe more of Merle, he was the one who scooped Maggie and Glenn up from their supply run. Merle had just been doing what was in his best interest at the time, even though it wasn't good for anyone. Merle would never truly be one of us. I tolerated him for Daryl, as did the others, and I even tried to talk to him a bit. But still... He was Merle.

The day was cool, not as hot as it had been. Fall was coming in quick, the cool crisp air swirling around me made me feel relaxed. The summer had been harsh, and I was enjoying the bursts of cool breeze we got a little at a time. The sky was blue, white fluffy clouds scooting across the sky. Taking a deep breath, a smile crept across my face, but faltered when I heard the hum of an engine. Then, the car appeared coming up the prison drive, and my smile grew wide.

"They're back!" I yelled, and Daryl came running down from the exercise yard. Giving me a smirk, we jogged over to the fence, opening it quickly. Michonne was driving, Rick in the passenger side with a half grin on his face. Curiosity over took me, and I guessed the supply run had went well.

"Spencer." Daryl said my name, causing me to look up. Another vehicle was making its way up our drive. It looked like the car we had given Andrea, and my hopes suddenly rose. She's back!

"It's Andrea." I glanced at him, and he nodded. Grabbing my big hunting knife, I moved away from the fence.

"What are you doin?" Daryl barked, but I ignored him. Walkers were getting too close for comfort, so I ran out into the yard and lunged at the first one I saw. My knife went through it's forehead with ease, making a sick thunk when it hit the skull. Pushing the walker away, I went after another. Andrea's car went through the gates as I pushed the walker away, and jogged back inside the safe zone behind her vehicle.

Rick and Michonne were already out of their car, greeting Andrea when I walked up, Daryl beside me glaring. She stepped out of her car, her face tired, but she greeted us with a light smile. I glanced at Rick, as Carl came around the side of Michonne. A worried look came across the boy's face, and I knew the feeling, despite Andrea's smile.

"Phillip agreed to talk. Work things out." Andrea put a hand on her hip, her face happy.

"Talk?" Rick asked, watching her face carefully.

"Yeah, there's this little place not too far from us, not too far from here. It's the perfect in between, not too many walkers in the area. Phillip agreed to meet there, and talk about everything that's happened... Hopefully come up with a solution." She explained, nodding her head.

"And you're sure it ain't no trick?" Daryl asked, tilting his head in question.

"No tricks. This is the real deal." Andrea replied surely.

"All right, I'll bite." Rick nodded. "But I ain't coming out there alone."

"That's fine, I wouldn't expect you to." Andrea agreed. "I didn't mean to come out of the blue.."

"Ain't like you can call us up." I teased, and she laughed.

"I'm just really hoping this works out for everyone. If you're willing to come?" Andrea looked back to Rick.

"We'll be there. Just give me directions and a time." Rick said gruffly, glancing at Daryl.

"Not a problem," Andrea turned around and reached into the car, pulling out a piece of paper, "here's a little map drawn up of how to get there from here. Meet us there around mid morning?"

"Will do." Rick agreed.

"Okay then, I guess I'll see you tomorrow.." Andrea waved up to the others who had come outside and climbed back into her car.

"Hey!" I stepped forward, looking in her window. "Be careful, you hear?"

"You, too." Andrea said quietly. She turned her car around, as Daryl and Rick walked down to the fence, opening it back up. She drove through, her hand shooting out the window, sending us a little wave. I waved back, feeling hopeful. Maybe this's gonna work out after all...

"It's been decided. Hershel, Daryl, Sam, and myself are goin' tomorrow." Rick announced that night, as we all sat inside the prison. I didn't like that idea at all. Daryl and my brother? Don't like this...

"What? Why just you four?" Glenn asked.

"Just in case he sends others here, another attack like last time is possible. I need you here. Maggie, Spencer, Carol... Michonne, I need you all focused and ready to defend this prison along with the guys." Rick instructed, and I nodded.

"We'll be ready if somethin' happens." I said, but I didn't want to separated from Daryl.

"I ain't stayin' here!" Merle protested. "My brother's goin', I'm goin'."

"No, you ain't." Daryl shook his head. "Need you here, Merle. Know how this prick works, he sends people here...we need you here."

"He's right." Rick agreed. "The whole thing could be a set up. We might be walkin' into an empty place, with him on the way here. You all just need to stay inside and keep yourselves safe until we get back."

"This's bullshit." Merle stalked off, Daryl right behind him. Rick glanced over at the two, annoyance in his expression.

"You sure y'all gonna be all right goin' in there just the four of ya?" I asked, glancing over at Hershel.

"We'll be fine." Hershel replied. "We're more worried about you all here."

"And I'm more worried about y'all." I admitted, feeling my gut wrench at the thought of them meeting up with that man.

"Don't be." Daryl's voice was gruff as he walked by, heading toward the stairs. He took them quickly, disappearing overhead onto the perch.

"Don't be, my ass!" I muttered, following behind him. He was standing in the doorway of the cell we had previously shared, and I hesitated for a moment, suddenly unsure of what to say.

"Watch your ass, you got me?" Daryl whirled around, his face close to mine. "Don't like this one bit, but Rick knows what he's talkin' about. Stay put tomorrow, Spence. Be better off here with the others, safer."

"You hope." I said quietly. "We'll be fine, just worried about you. About Sam."

"Don't be." Daryl mumbled, and I snorted.

"That's impossible!"

"Got his back." Dixon assured, and I looked up at him.

"I know you do." I leaned up and pecked him quickly, before turning away. I stopped, glancing back over my shoulder. "I gotta go talk to Sam." I said quietly, before walking away. Daryl said nothing, but I could feel his eyes on me as I walked down the steps without a sound. Once to the bottom, I walked along the cell block, until I reached Sam's cell. But he wasn't inside.

"Looking for your brother?" Shay asked, walking up to me with a worried expression lined along her face.

"Yea, figured he'd be in here." I replied, scratching the back of my head.

"He's in the weapon room, as I call it." Shay managed a laugh. "They're discussing tomorrow."

"Great." I muttered, and glanced at stairs as Daryl came down them. He walked by us without a word, walking into the big room where the others were. "Think the Governor's really gonna talk to them tomorrow?"

"I don't like calling him the 'Governor'..." Shay shook her head, and I raised an eyebrow in question. "Everyone in Woodbury calls him the 'Governor'. For what? He isn't a governor, he's just a plain John Doe, a man who managed to make himself in a high position only because the world went to shit. He's just Phillip to me."

"Huh, never thought about it like that. Think I might start callin' him Phillip. Or shithead. Both could work for me." I shook my head. "Don't like him one bit, Shay. Think Andrea needs to get her ass back here before she winds up dead. Or worse."

"I wanted to leave when Michonne did. But I was worried about leaving Andrea there alone. I knew from the start something was very wrong with that town. The people are all under his spell, they believe every word he says. The man's got too much charm for his own good, he can be a great motivational speaker when he needs to be. Woodbury's people think he is just trying to keep them safe, but I disagree... I overheard some rough shit one night." She said, looking over at the big room.

"What kinda shit?" I asked, pressing for information.

"I heard Merle and one of the other guys talking. The guy was talking about a group of military guys that they had run up on that day, and how much fun it had been "taking them out". Merle told him to shut up, not to be discussing that kind of stuff while they were out in the open, so I knew it was true. They weren't just shooting shit, Spence. Phillip is fucking crazy. I don't think Rick realizes what he's dealing with." Shay said surely, her face worried. "I'm serious, he is bad. Bad, bad news."

"So you think it's a set up?" I asked her, feeling dread thick in my gut.

"I don't know, really. But I wouldn't doubt it. Honestly, I would expect it. Either he's setting them up or he's going to ask for something. Probably Merle. I don't know... Maybe he will talk it out, but Spencer... He's full of tricks and no treats, you following me? He might tell Rick that all is forgiven, and the next thing you know, they'll be at our doors with the intent of a massacre." She explained, putting a hand to her forehead. "They just need to be very, very careful."

"They'll be... They know what they're gettin' into tomorrow. Don't trust that psycho path any farther than I can throw him. He's fuckin' crazy, and I just wish Andrea would see that."

"She's stuck between what she knows is real and what she wants to be real. I think she really wants everything to work out and just be fine. But it won't. Phillip is a charmer, but I saw through his bullshit from the minute we entered Woodbury. Michonne did, too, and I honestly don't know what I would've done if Sam hadn't scooped me up." Shay said quietly, looking at me with a sad look. "I thought I was never going to see you again."

"So did I." I said, trying to keep from tearing up. "Kept hopin' that we'd run across you and Andrea somewhere, and when we never did, thought you were dead."

"Andrea and I would have died if Michonne wouldn't have found us. Walkers were everywhere and we were down to nothing. No ammo, just our knives. Andrea was pinned down, and I was trying to fight off a walker... I just knew that thing was going to bite her before I could reach her. Then, here comes this stranger in a hood, with two walkers chained by her side. She swooped in like a super hero or something, saved us both." She laughed lightly. "At first I was in shock, wondering if she was some sort of angel of death or something. Hell, I have decided that if people can come back from the dead and eat each other, anything is possible. Right?"

"Guess so." I mumbled. "Everything was so hard after the farm. It was circles and circles of nothin'. House after house, just tryin' to keep warm and fed. Food was scarce, it was freezin' cold... Then Chy.. Still don't feel real. Like Imma wake up back at the apartment, and everything's gonna be back to normal. Know it ain't, but it just feels like bad dreams sometimes."

"I wish it was just a bad dream.. You're right, though. The winter was harsh and I couldn't imagine losing Cheyenne that way. I miss her, and I seriously wish I could have been there for you. I really do. I missed you so much, I just thought that maybe Daryl could keep you alive if you two had escaped the farm together. That's what kept me going, all I could think about was Daryl being with you and Chy, and that you three were okay." Shay's voice cracked a little, and I couldn't look at her.

"He kept me alive. Especially after Chy... God, it's so hard to acknowledge her bein' gone, Shay. It's so hard not havin' here with me. I was supposed to protect her. Keep her safe. But I couldn't... I couldn't save her. Daryl... He tried, thought he'd gotten to her in time, but.. It was too late, she'd already been bitten. I was tryin' not to panic, didn't wanna scare her.." I felt a tear roll down my cheek, and I wiped it away quickly.

"You did what you had to do.. Don't let this loom over your head. The world was already tough before, now this world's even tougher. More cruel and dangerous. We walk outside and we don't know if we're going to make it three steps. It's just how things are." Shay walked over to me, hugging me. "But we found each other, you know?"

"Can't lose anybody else.. Sick of losin' people." I said quietly, hugging her tight. "Can't lose you again. Can't lose Daryl... No more. This group's home to me."

"Me, too." Shay nodded, letting me go. "Everything will work itself out one way or another."

"Hope so... Somethin's gotta give." I agreed, as I started to walk toward the cell block's big room. Turning back toward Shay, I offered a half smile. "Thanks for the talk."

"Hell, I needed it, too. We'll always be friends, through thick and thin." Shay called, and I felt my eyes tear up again as I turned away. Been sayin' that since we became friends...The thought of Shay actually being alive and being here made everything so much better for me. It was like a weight lifted off of my shoulders knowing that she was okay. That she was here, safe, with our little group. She was home.

I left the prison, making my way out to the exercise yard. Sitting out on the picnic table, I watched the sun setting in the sky. The swirls of pink and purple clouds intertwined with the orange sky, making a peaceful evening. It was hard to find peace in times like these, but just watching the sun set in the sky made me feel a little bit at ease. Outlets were always needed, but this world didn't offer many.

So, I settled for the sunset, watching the colors darken as the sun slowly settled down behind the horizon. The clouds looked so low, I felt that maybe I could reach out and grab one... Beautiful in such an ugly world. What are we gonna do now? Everything's shit, and I don't know if we're gonna be okay. Are we gonna be okay? What happens if Phillip don't wanna talk things out or he fakes a smile, then attacks us? How'd we even get here, with a freakin' crazy man at our throats?

Maybe Glenn was right that day, maybe we should've took the bastard out when we had the chance.. He ain't gonna just waltz in there and have a cup of tea with Rick. It's either gonna be a quick discussion of buttin' heads or it's gonna end in all out war. If he wants a war, he's fuckin' got one. We ain't lettin' him fuck us up here. This prison's everything we'd been searchin' for. It's our safe haven, we ain't givin' it up for some maniac that thinks he owns shit.

He's just a man who took advantage of the world goin' to shit. Made himself a leader by leadin' people with a fake smile and promises of better things. He just knows how to keep his people in the dark for those better things. They don't know nothin' about what he's done. If they did, he'd be hung in the streets like the goddamn criminal that he is. The guys gotta be careful tomorrow, they gotta watch out for his bullshit... He's gonna try and pull some shit over the-

"Spencer?" Daryl's voice floated through my ears, and I turned slightly, looking back at him walking up towards me. "The hell you doin' out here by yourself?"

"Needed some thinkin' time." I said quietly, looking back at the sky. The clouds were a dark purple, the sky darkening had darkened their shade.

"Know you wanna go tomorrow, but we need you here. I don't like it either." He growled, standing beside the picnic table.

"Just worried, that's all." I said quietly.

"Me, too.. If he's smart, he ain't comin' here. Or sendin' anyone." Daryl said surely, looking over at me.

"Whatever he decides, better be ready for one hell of a fight." I growled, looking over at him. "He comes here tomorrow, he'll regret it."

"Don't... Don't try nothin' stupid, Spencer." Daryl said coldly.

"I ain't dealin' with this shit!" I jumped up from the table, and Daryl glared at me. "Just 'cause he caused some damage, don't mean he can't die!"

"He's fuckin' sneaky. Knows what the hell he's doin'." He said gruffly.

"So what?" I huffed, walking away. I was nearly to the door when Daryl grabbed my arm, turning me around.

"I'm serious, Spencer!" He was nearly yelling. "Don't you dare do nothin' stupid. Tomorrow, you stay put, an-"

"LEAVE ME ALONE, DARYL!" I yelled, snatching away from him. He stepped in front of me, grabbing my arms, shoving me against the wall. I flinched lightly, expecting a hit for some odd reason. Instead, I got his lips on mine. Kissing me roughly, his body leaned into mine, and I kissed him back. Everything, every little worry, just seemed to fade away. Then he stopped, his lips making mine tingle as he lingered for a moment, before pulling his head back.

"Can't lose you." His voice was hoarse, gruff.

"You ain't gonna." I whispered. "Sorry.."

"All on edge." Daryl glanced down, before his eyes met mine again. "Let's get on inside."

"Yea." I nodded, as he pushed away from me, standing still. He waited for me to walk by, before walking behind me, back into the prison.

We laid down in our cell after dinner, Daryl sprawled out on his back, me cuddled up to him with my head on his chest. I knew that sleep wouldn't be easy for either of us, but I didn't care. I was just ready for tomorrow to be over with. Closing my eyes, I tried not to think about it, but it was all that flashed through my mind. Worried and tired, but knowing that sleep wasn't coming anytime soon, I just laid there. Listening to his heart beating against my ear.

The night seemed to pass so slowly. I dozed off, woke up. Dozed off, woke up. All night long. The last time I dozed off, when I awoke, the sky was lighting up. I knew it was morning, which meant that soon the guys would be going off to meet Phillip. Also, I knew I wasn't dozing off again. There was no way I could, knowing that it was finally morning. Feeling nervous and anxious, I sat up.

"Didn't know you were awake." Daryl mumbled groggily, and I yawned.

"Didn't sleep much." I admitted, looking over at him.

"I know. Me either." He said, looking over at the cell door. "Guess I'd better get up." I climbed off of the bed, and he was right behind me. Throwing on his shirt, he walked out of the cell behind me, out onto the balcony of the second floor. Passing the perch, I walked down the stairs and saw Rick coming our way.

"Good, you're up. I was coming to get everyone ready." Rick said upon seeing us.

"Think we're all ready as we'll ever be." I muttered, and he glanced at me.

"You look tired." The sheriff observed, and I snorted.

"Tellin' me you gotta good night's sleep?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I wish." Rick mumbled, looking over at Daryl. "Let's get Sam and Hershel, go over everything one more time."

The guys went over their plan for the meeting with Phillip. Then, Rick came to us, talking to us about what to do if we were attacked. Glenn and Carl had everything drawn up in chalk, where to go if certain areas were under attack. Ways out of the prison. Where the walkers were most cluttered. That was always changing, but some of them were stuck in different areas, not able to find their way around.

Hershel was in the drivers seat, waiting on Rick, Sam, and Daryl. They were loading up the car with a few things, not too much. After all, they were going to talk, not to start a war. Sam walked over to me, his face worried. Throwing his arms around me, he hugged me tight. I hugged him back, afraid to let go of him.

"Be careful, Sis." He mumbled, and I squeezed him tight.

"You be careful." I said, letting him go.

"She gives you any trouble, let me know." Sam glanced at Katherine, and I scoffed.

"Can handle her." I laughed lightly.

"See you in a bit." Sam walked over to the car, climbing into the back seat. I waved, and he waved back, dread building up in my chest. Daryl's motorcycle engine came to life, and I saw him pulling up behind Rick. Running over to him, I hugged him where he sat.

"You come back home, Dixon." I said loudly, and he nodded.

"Be back before ya miss me!" He called, as the gates opened, and he drove around Rick, leading the way.

Funny, I miss you already...

Oh lawd. They are going to meet with Phillip. He is such a dick, I really hated the Governor. I dread the next few chapters, I am not ready to watch Andrea die again. It was hard enough the first time, geez. Poor Spencer, along with the rest of the group, she's lost so much already. They all have, and it only gets worse from here. You all know this, though.

If you're enjoying this story, check out 'Torn'. It's another Daryl/OC of mine that I've been working on.

Also shoot me a follow on twitter for fan art of my story's characters. I do edits for my different stories and post them, along with updates and info about my stories. Just trying to show my readers the appreciation I feel they deserve. Without you guys, my stories wouldn't be going so great. I feel inspired to keep writing because of the readers giving me such great feed back ! Thank you !

And of course, my always thanking for every Review/Favorite/Follow/Read ! Thanks to anyone who even clicks on my story. Thank you for taking the time our of your lives to take interest in what I write. That's TRULY inspiring !

~Kaila