A/N: Thanks to everyone who favorited/followed since the last chapter! Oh boy, it's been a while! New season starts next week and I'm still not caught up with season 5!
-snowflake2410: We will have to see; they may do some bonding! Michonne is awesome, I wish I could be like her, but if it were a zombie apocalypse I could not be that cool…..it's just a fact.
-Guest 1: Sorry, it's been crazy!
-Shantae (Guest): Sorry, I am so late!
-BehbaLovesTea: Thank you so much! It's,but here is the next chapter, hope you like it just as much as all the others.
-Shantae (Guest): Two reviews and I still couldn't manage to get a chapter out?! I am really off my game!
-Guest 2: Thank you, it took a while, but here it is!
-Guest 3: Sorry! It's been forever!
-Guest 4: That literally made me laugh, sorry!
I followed the others inside and watched Rick pull the woman from her shoulder, dragging her slightly instead. I walked past them to stand near the door into the cells.
"Carl, get a blanket. Beth water and a towel. She's not going in the cells." Rick laid her against the blanket Carl had laid out and he set her sword well out of her reach. "Woah, woah, woah steady now. It's alright, it's alright." Rick dumped some water on her face and chest before he held up a hand. "Who are you?"
The woman rolled reaching for her sword and Rick quickly kicked it away, pushing the woman back down on her back.
"We're not going to hurt you." I jumped at the hand on my back and turned to see Daryl behind me, a smile on his face before he glanced to the side and frowned a bit.
"Rick, who the hell is this?" Rick glanced at Daryl before turning back to the woman.
"You wanna tell us your name?" I turned when Daryl tugged at the back of my shirt.
"Come on, somethin' ya gotta see." He reached out and pulled Little Ass-kicker from my arms. "Give her here."
I followed him back into the cell block and he stopped in front of one of the empty cells. He glanced inside and smiled at me bouncing the baby. I walked over and looked in the cell startled by the person who slowly sat up in the bed. I tried to form words, but the only a strangled sound left my throat as I watched my mother get up from the bunk and throw her arms around me. I clung tightly to her as I sobbed into her shoulder until she pulled back a bit and I saw her smiling over my shoulder. I turned to see Daryl holding Little Ass-kicker and watching us with a small smile. Mom stepped forward and gently took the baby from Daryl's arms and I immediately took her place holding him tightly around the neck.
"Where did you find her?" I pulled back and looked at his face.
"Solitary, must have fought her way into a cell and passed out, dehydrated."
"Thank god!" I turned and saw Rick embrace my mom before she also hugged Hershel. She pulled back and looked down at the baby before smiling up at Rick. He looked down and shook his head a bit and I watched her face drop, so I stepped forward and quickly took Little Ass-kicker. She covered her mouth before cupping Rick's cheeks.
"I'm so sorry."
Rick blinked and turned away quickly as my mom turned back to me. I bounced the baby slightly in her arms and she smiled a bit tears falling down her cheeks, as she rubbed the baby's head. She stepped closer again and wrapped her other arm around me and pulled me close to her without crushing Little Ass-kicker. I leaned my head against hers and sobbed quietly, feeling relief flood my body. Footsteps sounded around us and I turned to see Rick, Daryl and Hershel heading back to the common area. I turned back and grabbed my mom's arm.
"You should rest." I led her back into the cell and turned to Beth. "Grab her some water please."
Beth smiled and nodded before heading to the supplies. I turned back and saw Mom on the bed eyes shut. She rolled her head and opened her eyes a bit, smiling at me.
"I feel like I've done nothing, but sleep and I'm still so tired." I smiled at her.
"You need it." Beth came back into the cell and put a water bottle next to my mom. "Drink all of that. When you wake up later, we'll get you something to eat." I turned and left the cell before turning and handing Little Ass-kicker to Beth. "Put her down for a nap please." I didn't wait for her to respond before I walked out to common area. Rick was facing down with the injured woman.
"You came here for a reason." She was silent and looked down before looking back at Rick.
"There's a town. Woodbury. About 75 survivors, I think they were taken there." I walked up and stood next to Daryl. Who was taken, where?
"A whole town?" Rick shifted while he spoke.
"It's run by this guy who calls himself the Governor-pretty boy, charming, Jim Jones type."
"He got muscle?" Daryl took a step forward, moving in front of me slightly.
"Paramilitary wannabes. They have armed sentries on every wall."
"You know a way in?" Rick dropped his hand from his gun and shifted again.
"The place is secure from walkers, but we could slip our way through." Rick glanced back at us before addressing her again.
"How'd you know how to get here?"
"They mentioned a prison, said what direction it was in. Said it was a straight shot."
"This is Hershel, father of the girl who was taken. He'll take care of that." Rick pointed at her leg before turning to leave. Maggie! And if she was taken then Glenn was gone too! Daryl grabbed my arm and pulled me with him as he followed Rick out of the room.
"Carl watch her." Carl walked out into the common area and Rick grabbed Beth's arm. "Get everybody." She nodded before turning and leaving the room quickly. Rick paced in the area outside the stairs and I helped my mom from the cell to sit on the stairs. When Beth returned Rick explained the situation.
"How do we know we can trust her?" Oscar was the first one to speak.
"This is Maggie and Glenn. Why are we even debating?" Beth was mad.
"We ain't, I'll go after them." Daryl shifted the crossbow on his back and I looked up at him, sighing.
"Well, this place sounds pretty secure; you can't go alone."
"I'll go." Beth stared at Rick and Axel stepped forward.
"Me, too."
"I'm in." Oscar nodded at Rick, who smiled sadly.
"Load up the cars."
I grabbed the box of bullets from the perch and turned around startled by Daryl. I let out a deep breath as he leaned against the doorjamb.
"Yer not goin'." I looked him confused before rolling my eyes.
"Daryl, please..." He shook his head as I walked over to him.
"No, yer not goin'. This ain't a run for supplies, we're headin' for a fire fight."
"I'm not just sitting around waiting for you! Every time the group has to do something you want me to stay behind. We've had this fight before Daryl and it always ends the same way." I put a hand on his chest and cupped him through his jeans with the other. He grabbed my wrists and held them tightly and I looked at him shocked.
"Yer not distrsctin' me this time! I'm serious, yer not goin'." He glared at me. "People are gonna die and I'm not worryin' about ya while we're doin' this! Ya can bitch and moan all ya want, I don' care. Yer not goin' and I'll lock ya in one of the cells if I have to!" He dropped my arms and turned around leaving the room.
I stood for a few moments before I left the perch and walked out into the yard. The guys were loading up a car and I leaned against the wall watching as Daryl spoke to Carl by the trunk. Beth went to open the gate and I watched Daryl walk past into the prison. I turned at the sound of crutches and saw Mom and Hershel walking up to me. I grabbed Little Ass-kicker out of my mom's arms and held her close breathing in her scent. She grabbed onto my hair and I smiled, settling her against my chest. Daryl walked up and bumped his shoulder against mine. He put a couple fingers through my belt loop and pulled me close, kissing the side of my head.
"Stay safe." I nodded and looked up at him swallowing hard.
"You too." He nodded before turning and heading to the car. My mom rubbed my back and I heard the baby coo slightly before she pressed her face into my neck. Once Carl locked up the far gate I relaxed a bit knowing we were safe at least. He ran back up the road and Beth shut the gate behind him. Carl jogged up to me and rubbed the baby's foot slightly, but she was already asleep.
"Her name's Judith." I looked at him and smiled before looking at the little girl in my arms.
"I think that's a great name." I rearranged Judith slightly before I laughed a bit. "It's better than Little Ass-kicker anyway." Everyone laughed at that and we walked back into the prison.
Judith rolled in my arms and I realized she hasn't eaten in awhile. I left the perch and bounced down the steps making her look around curiously. I stepped into a cell where Beth and Carl were playing cards. I leaned down and handed Judith to Beth as she set down her hand.
"Sorry guys I have to make her a bottle." I left the cell and smiled at Axel when I passed him.
In the small makeshift kitchen I poured some of the boiled water into a bottle and added the formula. I screwed on the cap and leaned against the table while I shook it. I looked at the bottom of the bottle and stood up, walking back to the cells giving the bottle a few more shakes. I saw Axel talking with my mom and smiled a bit before turning into the cell and gathering Judith back in my arms. She started sucking on the bottle quickly making me smile before I kissed her on the head; turning back to head to the perch. She finished quickly before I laid her in the mail carrier and she fell asleep quickly. I left the perch and found Beth and Carl filling cartridges on the steps with Hershel walking up.
"Well, Judith's asleep."
"How are we on formula?" I looked up at Hershel and pursed my lips.
"Fine for now, I think we have enough to last us another month." He nodded at me.
"I'll take Carol to get some at the end of the week." Beth leaned down next to him.
"Your dad and the others will be back by then." Carl looked at her, eyes sad.
"We don't know that." He went back to the cartridges. "Right now, Judith is the only family I got." I was going to say something, but was interrupted by a woman's scream.
"What was that?" Beth sounded frightened.
"It was from the inside." I said, while pulling the handgun from the back of my pants.
"Was it Carol?" Carl looked at Hershel.
"She's out keeping watch in the guard tower with Axel."
"What if they came back for something? What if they're in trouble?" Carl fumbled with his gun while Beth spoke. "How could anyone get in?"
"The tombs are filled with walkers that wandered in from the outside. Someone else could have done the same thing."
"I'm going." Carl stood up quickly.
"I can't let you go down there." I pushed Hershel's crutch down and pulled Carl with me.
"I'll take him." Hershel, glared at me and I shook my head at him. I walked with Carl out to the door that lead to the tombs. He looked at me and I shook my head. "You're in charge sheriff, I'm just your backup."
He turned on his flashlight and held them both up the way Rick had showed us months before. We both walked slowly down the hall towards where the screams were coming from. It wasn't long until we reached the boiler room and we had only come across one walker that Carl took out quickly. He turned quickly down a side hall after hearing a woman's voice. It was down a short hall that a small group of people we're fighting off some walkers. I followed Carl down the hall where I was surprised to hear him speak.
"Come on." They all turned to him before he pushed me back down the hall. "Well, come on."
We lead the way back towards the cells before the man carrying the one lady stumbled and sunk to the ground.
"Hurry." Carl turned around calling to them.
"Go." The man said from the ground while the other in the group went back to him. "Just go."
"Let me take her." The other man reached down and took the woman from his arms.
"I'll cover you. " The woman with the shovel took out one of the walkers that had followed us. I turned and shot a walker that had gotten ahead of us.
"You have to leave her." The man through her the woman over his shoulder and looked at me as I spoke.
"No way." He turned and punched a walker out of the way before turning and following Carl and I out of the tombs.
"Oh god, Donna!" Carl locked the door to the tombs while the strangers gathered around the woman with a bite on her arm. "Is she dead? Baby?" The man kneeling beside her started weeping and I watched Carl cock his gun.
"I'll take care of it."
"Whoa. Whoa, kid. Wait a minute."
"She doesn't have that long."
"Who the hell are you?" I turned to the woman with the shovel, watching her carefully. "How did you get in here? Who are you with?"
"Me for one." I moved past her and stood beside Carl.
"We can help you but first things first." He moved his arm up again.
"No, we take care of our own." The other man turned quickly and grabbed a hammer from the young man in the back.
"No Tyreese!" THe crying man was clinging to the dead woman's arm.
"I gotta do it. Look, just take Ben and lean against the wall. It'll be quick." I grabbed Carl's arm and pulled him with me out of the room.
"Give them a minute." Carl went with me reluctantly and once we were in the cell block I leaned close to his ear. "Lock the door." With the jingling of the keys and the sound of the latch, the woman came over to the door.
"Did you just lock us in here? Open the door." I looked behind me and saw Beth had come over. I gave Carl a push back towards her.
"This room is secure, you'll be safe. There's food and water." As I spoke, she walked up to the door.
"Open this door." I looked her in the eye and shook my head.
"No."
"We're not animals, don't do this." I stared at her as she looked around the block. "Hey! You can't just leave us in here! Open this door! Now!" She began banging on the door until the man with the hammer stopped her.
"Sasha! Back away from their door and let her go." She backed off and he followed her. "Look around you. This is the best we've had it in weeks. Her house." He glanced back at the woman's body. "We got other things to do." He looked back over to me. "We don't want any trouble." He pulled the woman back over to their group and I heard Beth behind me.
"Shouldn't we help them?"
"We did." I let out a deep breath as Carl spoke.