A/N Hi everyone and thank you so much. I know we're all excited to get to the prison, so let's do it!

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Rick can't believe his eyes, "Morgan? Duane? I…what are you doing here?"

Rick may be smiling and reaching out his hand to shake with this guy, but Daryl and Merle still have their weapons trained on the stranger. Rick realizes this and quickly explains, "No, No this guy's okay, he's the one who saved me."

Sounds fine, but the brothers still aren't sure. They've had their troubles with the living. The weapons lower some, but not completely.

Rick introduces him, "This is Morgan Jones and his son Duane. They helped me out, it's a long story. I'll tell it over dinner tonight, for now, we'd better get back on the road, this is no place to stay."

Merle balks, "Whoa now, wait a minute, ya gonna just invite em ta come along? I'ma need ta know a little more about this fella an his boy before I welcome em with open arms."

Rick asks, "Are you kidding Merle, he's just a boy."

Merle's tone deepens, "I was just a boy once myself. I know the things boys are capable of."

Even Dale and Herschel nod in agreement with Merle. Dale suggests, "How about we hear that story now, and then we take a vote." There's a mumbling of agreement in the group.

Rick grudgingly agrees, and it's Amy who reminds him, "If it was somebody you didn't know, a friend of Daryl's or Glenn's, or anyone else's, you'd want to know more before accepting them into our little family."

He's still not happy, but Amy's right. Rick nods, "Okay, let's sit back down, I'll tell it quickly."

"I'd been wounded, shot on the job. I was in the hospital and out of it, in a coma when this all started. I woke up clueless to how everything in the world had changed so completely. All I knew for sure was, there was some kind of big trouble. I still wasn't fully recovered. I was weak, dehydrated and hadn't eaten in God only knows how long. I didn't even have clothes, I was wearing a hospital gown."

"The hospital was full of the dead, it was all I could do to get out and when I did. the streets were eerily empty. I wandered trying to find someone to help me, to explain what the hell was happening. I got to my house and some personal things, like photo albums had been taken. My family was gone."

"I sat on the front steps of an abandoned house and I spotted a man stumbling down the middle of the street, I didn't know he was dead, a walker. I tried waving, then I heard a noise behind me, turned and got hit in the face with a shovel. That's how I met Duane."

The little boy smiles and shrugs, "Sorry, I thought you were one of them."

Rick nods and continues, "Anyway, long story short Duane and Morgan took me in. Morgan doctored my wound, they fed me, nursed me back to health and when I was well enough, I left to come looking for Lori and Carl. Morgan, he had something still left to do there, so he stayed."

That's when the man speaks up, but directs his words only to Rick, "Jenny's gone now. I finally got the courage to set her free. What about Lori and your boy, Carl?"

Rick points, "That's Carl standing right over there, I can't believe I found him. Lori's gone, like your Jenny."

Morgan nods, "I'm sorry to hear that." Then he looks at the group and explains, "We stayed in our home for a while, but it got bad. More n more a them things and it was no life for a boy living in a dark house, hiding that way. We decided to set out, thinking maybe we could find a better place, a settlement of survivors or something. We haven't found a thing but trouble. We got hijacked on the road, our car and all our supplies taken." He wraps an arm around the boy's shoulders, "Thank God I still had what was important, Duane. I also had a pistol hidden in the shaft of my boot, and Duane had a tire iron."

He takes a deep breath and humbles himself to ask, "We'd appreciate your help. We haven't eaten in a couple of days, we have no idea where we're going next, no shelter and no transportation."

Rick can see the apprehension on the faces of his new family, and Merle voices it, "Ya really wanna take a chance when we got these kids n all, Rick?"

That's when the questions come to Rick and he asks Morgan, "How many walkers have you killed?"

Morgan replies, "It's hard to put a number on it. Between shooting em, and getting em with the bat, the shovel, and with the traps I set, I'm guessing upward of 40." Several in the group raise a brow, including Merle and Daryl.

Rick nods and asks his next question, "How many people have you killed?

Morgan's expression turns thoughtful and he answers, "Well, I guess they were all people at one time, but if you mean the living, I ain't killed any living people. Closest me and Duane ever came to that was with you Rick."

Rick smiles and nods again, "Yeah, I was going to ask you why you felt you had to kill a living person, but I guess I don't have to go there."

"No, no you don't. I won't kill another human being."

Rick sighs heavily and addresses a question to the group, "Alright, I say we take these two with us. Any objections?"

Beth can't stand to look at that hungry little boy stare at those carrots for another minute, "Let's get you fed, Duane. Then we can decide what to do next."

Daryl quickly steps over next to her, "Beth…" Shit, he expects this from her, it's who she is, but this man and his boy are still strangers to him, he doesn't want them getting too close to her. He's still not 100% convinced they can be trusted.

Beth knows who Daryl is, she knows how protective he is. She doesn't dislike that about him at all, quite the contrary. This child is hungry though, she can't just stand back and watch him go without. She gives Daryl a sweet little smile and whispers her promise, "Daryl, please, I'll be careful."

He's not going to stop her, the kid does look half-starved, but he's also not getting more than a few inches away from her. His muscles are tensed and he's ready if he has to step in.

While Beth and Maggie fix plates for the newcomers, Herschel and Dale have a few questions of their own. Dale asks the boy, "So what did you say your name is young man?"

The boy looks to his Dad who gives him a silent "okay" before responding, "Duane Jones sir."

Dale smiles, "Well I see your Dad has taught you some manners. My name's Dale Horvath, pleased to meet you. How old are you Duane Jones?"

"I'm 12 sir."

Herschel says, "I'm Herschel Greene son. So, you've been on the road a while, huh?"

Duane's trying to be polite and not talk with his mouth full, but he's starving. It's Merle who steps in then, "We can vet these fellas a little more after they eat. Let's get this done n get this show back on the road."

The members of the group try not to stare as the man and his boy wolf down the food. They're all aware that, although they have food now, they could all be in a similar situation soon.

Carol wraps an arm through Merle's and whispers, "We have room to let them ride with us."

Merle looks at her like she's crazy and he's not whispering at all, "Carol, I'ma be on the bike, you'd be in the cab alone with this guy."

Rick speaks up then, "I think Duane should ride with me and Carl, the boys can get to know each other."

Herschel nods, "Good idea, and Morgan, why don't you ride with us. We've got room."

Sophia chimes in, "Well I want to ride with Carl and Duane too."

Carol can feel the tension in him as Merle's whole body seems to stiffen in response to the child's words, "It'll be okay Merle, these kids are just as hungry for the company of other kids as they are for food." She tries to lighten his dark mood, "Besides, this could be my chance, with you riding the bike and Sophia riding with Rick, I can listen to the audio book Beth loaned me."

Daryl mumbles under his breath, "Damn romance novels."

They're all anxious to get started again, and the group quickly pack up their things and get back on the road.

Morgan knew when he got in the pickup with the older men he was going to be in for questioning. He doesn't really mind, he's too busy counting his blessings. He and Duane have been fed and they're safe for now. His boy is safe. That's what matters.

In the meantime, Rick's experiencing the very candid nature of children. He listens quietly as Sophia, Duane and Carl all talk about life in this apocalypse. Each child has lost a parent since the onset and they freely share stories with one another about their loss, even some pretty gruesome details about what happened. Rick tells himself to listen and learn, these kids don't pretend they're done feeling sad and hurt, quite the contrary, unlike plenty of adults they talk about how much they miss the people they've lost, they admit to crying often and how much it hurts.

It has Rick thinking maybe he needs to talk to someone about those same things. Someone older who has also experienced great loss, maybe Herschel or Dale. He'll think about that.

As much fun as he had riding the bike, Daryl's damn glad to be back in the van with Beth. Something is bothering him though and he can't hold it in, he just has to say, "I know you're sweet, n I know ya just wanted ta help a little boy. I love that shit about ya, I really do, but dammit girl, we got this end of the world crap all around us n ya gotta be careful. Kids can be even more dangerous than grownups. I know, I seen it plenty."

She lays her hand on his thigh and surprises him when she agrees, "I know, you're right. I'll be more careful, I'll try to be more sure people are on the up n up, but Daryl, I don't think I can completely change who I am."

His hand moves to her leg and he agrees, "I know, I don't want ya to. Just…yeah, just be careful cuz I need ya."

"You need me? What in the world for?"

"I need ya cuz you're about the only thing that makes life worth livin' these days."

She laughs softly and says, "Oh is that right? I suppose in the olden days things would have been different, you wouldn't really need me."

He doesn't take her words as a joke, and the anger is clear in his voice, "Don't talk that shit Beth, I mean it, ya know that ain't true."

She squeezes his thigh and her voice is soft and loving when she tells him, "I'm sorry Daryl, I know you're serious. I'm serious too when I tell you, you're the one who makes my life worth living."

Merle has a pattern, oh it's not intentional, it's just the way it's been happening, and details like this are not the kind of thing that gets by Daryl. He's noticed when his brother rides ahead of the group he's always gone for about 10 to 12 minutes. When he returns he flashes a thumbs up indicating it's all clear ahead, then makes a loop around their caravan and rides off again.

Daryl hasn't seen him in 20 minutes.

He doesn't want to alarm the group but he's got to make sure his brother's alright. As he slows the van he reaches his arm out the window and makes a fist, indicating they should stop. He gets out of the van and conveys his concern.

Beth can see by the deepening lines on his face, Daryl's worried, "I'ma drive ahead, find my brother. Y'all wait here. I'll be back."

Rick isn't going to stay behind, "I'll come with you."

Glenn also chimes in, ""I'm coming too."

Before Beth can say a word Daryl, asks, "Please, sit this one out. Wait with Carol. I'll be back. K?"

She searches for common ground, "I'll drive and you three take care of the problem when we get to it. I promise I'll stay in the van Daryl."

He's biting his lip as he nods and says, "A'ight, let's do this."

Rick's got his Colt Python .357 Magnum revolver on his hip, the son of a bitch will blow a hole through just about anything. There's a knife on his other hip. Glenn has a Colt MK IV Series 70 holstered, while Daryl has his crossbow, a holstered Beretta 92FS on one hip, and a sheathed Busse Team Gemini knife on the other. Beth's got a pistol riding in the cupholder next to her and the knife he gave her on her hip.

She's driving faster than they usually do, they're not being as cautious about walkers and obstacles as they typically are. They're far more concerned about what might have happened to Merle. Beth asks, "How far do you think he would have gone, two miles, three?"

Daryl answers, "It depends on when he got hung up. I'ma guess he was about four miles ahead of us."

She nods and suggests, "Then I'm going to say we stop at about three and a half. This van isn't exactly quiet, and if someone has him we should try to sneak up on them. You know, the element of surprise?"

Rick smiles, "You would have made a good cop Beth."

Even Daryl's smiling, "Yeah, good plan girl."

According to the gauge in the van, they should be about a half mile from Merle. She pulls as far off to the side of the road as possible without worrying about getting stuck. They all pile out of the van, including Beth with her gun in her hand.

They stay hidden in the trees and scrub along the highway as they hurry along, and they haven't gone far when Daryl hears that unmistakably rough voice holler, "Yeah muther fucker? How bout ya drop that gun an we go toe ta toe? You afraid I'ma kick your ass in fronta your little girlfriends?"

They're not little and they're not girls. Anyone with half a brain would know these guys were nasty hard asses long before the end of the world. There's three of them and it appears they have one motorcycle between them and an old school Jeep Wagoneer. Daryl and the group are sure this is all about them wanting Merle's bike.

The one who appears to be the leader scoffs, "You ain't in any position ta be giving the orders shithead, just get off the bike and tell us where your camp is."

"I ain't got a camp, I ain't one ta hang with a buncha suburban pussies on the run. I make my own way."

One of the sidekicks challenges, "No one travels alone these days, and you ain't got nuthin' on that bike ta see ya through. Ya ain't got a bed roll, no water, no food. Now get your ass offa my new bike and tell us where your camp is."

Daryl and the group are crouched down in the scrub watching and listening as the scene unfolds. These guys are not the type you negotiate with. They're stone cold killers, Daryl can read it all over them. As soon as his brother dismounts that bike and puts the kickstand down, all three of those jerks are going to fire their pistol. There's no question in is mind.

Daryl is giving Rick hand signals. He points to Rick and points to the guy standing to the right of the leader, indicating that's Rick's guy to eliminate. He's also able to relay his plan that on his signal they shoot.

Merle still has his gun on his hip and Daryl knows from experience his brother can act fast. He motions an open hand down to let Beth and Glenn know to hold back for now. Then he lets Rick know he's going to take the one on the left. He'll let Merle have the trophy asshole, the leader in the middle.

Daryl begins making a whistling sound, Beth recognizes it right away. It's a loud string of clear two-parted whistles, speeding up and ending in a slow trill. The song of the northern Cardinal. She gets what Daryl's doing, it's a message to Merle letting him know his brother is nearby.

Daryl's holding up three fingers, when the first song ends one finger goes down, after the second song another is down, and at the end of the third song he and Rick shoot. Daryl's arrow hits the guy on the left right in his heart, he'll half to kill his brain once the dust settles. Merle has shot the one in the center right between the eyes. Rick's bullet, like Daryl's arrow, pierces the third one in the heart.

All three bad guys are down and dead.

The group hurries out of the bushes and Merle's already putting a knife through the skull of the one on the right, he growls, "Shit brother, it took ya long enough ta get here."

"Fuck you Merle."

"C'mon now, ya know I'm messin' with ya. I never been more glad ta see ya, he rest of y'all too."

They move the bodies off the road and Merle mentions to Glenn, "That there is a pretty nice old Wagoneer. Whoever owned it treated it right. Might work just fine for that Morgan fella n his kid, plenty a room ta bed down in the back. Why don't ya drive it back for him."

Glenn agrees, "Yeah, yeah, sure good idea." He's happy to do it, he just can't believe how calm Merle is after everything that just happened.

Daryl asks, "How'd these assholes get the drop on ya brother?"

Merle shrugs, "The three of em was standin' in the road wavin' their arms n yellin' 'stop! stop!' like there was some kinda trouble up ahead. A course the minute I brought her to a stop they're all pointin' guns at me. I can't believe I fell for that shit. I been hangin' around nice people too much."

Beth can't help it, she starts giggling, "That's just sad Merle, maybe you could find some gangsters to hang out with."

He smiles and says, "I would, but I don't think Carol will go along. I might ask her though."

It's then Daryl puts a finger to his lips and quietly pulls an arrow from the quiver. He cocks the bow and the small group try to follow his eyes, looking to see what he sees. Just as they notice the small buck in the scrub across the road the arrow flies and the buck goes down. Daryl nods, "Dinner."

While the others are taking care of the animal, Rick and Glenn go through the Jeep. There's a sleeping bag, a couple of flashlights, some batteries, matches, a few cans of food and two bottles of water.

In the meantime, Merle's impressed as he watches Beth help his brother field dress the animal, "Where'd ya learn that Sweetie?"

"Your brother of course," she smiles, proud to show off her recently learned skills. When they're done, Daryl grabs the bandit's sleeping bag and spreads it on the floor in the back of the van, laying the animal atop it and mumbling, "Gonna be nice ta have some meat for a change, a man can't live on vegetables."

Carol's been pacing while Maggie tries to comfort her, "He probably just had some trouble with the bike Carol, I'm sure he'll be fine. Any minute now Glenn, Daryl and Rick will be rolling up here with him." But secretly Maggie is just as scared for Glenn as Carol is for Merle.

Herschel is reading his bible and quietly praying for the best, and Dale and Morgan are trying to keep the kids entertained. When they hear the sound of that motorcycle approaching everyone's suddenly smiling.

Rick tells the group the basics of what happened, and smiles when he says, "Thanks to Daryl there's venison for dinner, and we even got a nice rig for Morgan and Duane." Then notes, "We've been slowed down by a couple of things today. I say we go until four, find a place to make camp and cook our meat, then we can try to get some sleep. We'll leave at first light."

The group agrees and once again they're on the road.

As they drive along Beth teases Daryl, "I had no idea you were a song bird."

"Hey now, that ain't funny. It worked out pretty damn good, didn't it? Communicatin' without talkin' comes in handy when ya got a situation like today. Me an Merle have been in more than one situation where it's come in handy. That's how he knew it was me."

"I was really very impressed. What other animals do you impersonate?'

He side eyes her, "You makin' fun a me?"

"No, I'm really not, and you were perfect. I thought you were a northern cardinal for sure."

It's his turn to tease, "Really? I was tryin' ta sound like a chicken."

They push it a little harder, they're all in agreement to stop a little early tonight, but they also all want to be at the prison tomorrow. They're anxious to see the place, anxious to see if it's really viable as a place to live. Hopes are high.

Just before four in the afternoon Merle circles back and holds up an arm to stop the group. The drivers all lean heads out their windows and he says, "Found a spot five miles up, we can drive a ways off the highway and there's lotsa trees for cover."

They follow him in and begin setting up camp. Carol and Maggie gather up enough bedding to help Morgan make a bed in the back of the Wagoneer for himself and Duane. The man smiles, "This is gonna be much cozier than sleepin' out on the ground."

Merle and Daryl have a fire going and a make-do spit with the deer on it. Beth's got a couple of Dutch ovens, one filled with potatoes and the other with cabbage and carrots, set close in the coals. The men keep an eye on the kids as they let them take turns slowly spinning the deer around and it's not long before the smell of meat cooking fills the air, stomachs are growling.

As soon as the dinner mess is cleaned up and the fire is doused everyone heads for bed. They plan an early day, plus they want to keep camp dark. Who knows what kind of assholes might come around, it's best to keep as hidden as possible.

As decided, they're all up bright and early the next morning eating the remains of last night's meal for breakfast. Only Daryl and Merle are willing to take a chance with the leftover meat that was left un-refrigerated all night. Beth looks at him like he's crazy and Daryl shrugs, "I done it plenty a times, I ain't dead yet."

They're on the road just after six, everyone hoping they don't have to stop for anything but lunch. They wouldn't stop for that if they didn't have kids who need to be fed.

They're grateful for this nearly uneventful day, sure, they pass some walkers here and there, but nothing they can't drive passed.

Daryl has it figured and by one thirty they're within five miles of the West Georgia facility. They're playing it safe. They plan to camp a few miles from the prison, then send a scouting party to check the place out. That group will make the decision as to whether the family should attempt to turn the prison into a home, or move on and try to find something else.

They find a spot to make camp, and then the scouting party, Daryl, Rick and Merle take off. They plan to drive within a mile and a half of the place, then walk the rest of the way.

They're on a small rise when they spot it, all of them looking through binoculars at the place. The exercise yard is populated by walkers, but they seem to be moving slowly, almost lethargically. Rick comments, "Maybe its because they haven't had access to food." Ah, yes, they all agree, that must be it.

They feel confident that their group could eliminate the walkers and gain access to the inside, but what will they find once they're within the prison walls?

Merle shrugs, "I guess our only hope is that most of em got eaten by the ones who turned first."

Rick looks at him and says, "Well that's a gruesome thought."

Merle shrugs, "Yeah it is, but if you was as honest as me you'd admit that'd be best case for us."

Daryl addresses the big question, "So, do we risk it? Do we bust into prison, kill a damn yard fulla walkers, and then break in to find…to find what? Fuck man, do ya know how many things could go wrong?"

Rick responds, "I don't disagree with you Daryl, but think about the reward. Like Merle said, prisons have generators, they have their own wells, there would be beds for everyone, I'm sure there's a pantry full of canned goods and staples, there are showers and medical supplies, a library. And best of all, once we get it cleared, we'd have a safe place to live."

Merle's forehead is creased as he considers the options, "I say we take a chance, but we leave the kids at camp with the old boys. If we all die, they at least got some kinda chance. If we make it, we go back for em."

Daryl says, "That leaves the three of us, Glenn, the new guy Morgan, Beth, Amy, Carol and Maggie to clear the whole damn prison. I guess them ain't bad odds," and he snorts, because shit, those are the worst odds.

Rick speaks up again, "We can isolate cell blocks Daryl. There are lockdown procedures in place in case there are riots, that means we can close off whole sections of the prison, we don't have to clear it all at once. We clear a section for ourselves, then over the next few weeks we slowly open blocks and clear them until all the dead are gone."

That night, alone in their crowded but cozy van, Beth and Daryl make what feels to her like a desperate kind of love. Daryl's passion is more than just love and lust. It's anxious and his energy is all consuming as he takes her with him on his feverish quest for satisfaction. They come together and the release is more than physical, it's filled with powerful emotion.

Their bodies are warm and damp, but the cool air quickly has her reaching for the covers. He wraps her in his arms, holding her so close and so tight. Even after their release she can still feel the tension in his body. She knows he's troubled. "Daryl, what's wrong?"

"This prison thing. Shit, I think it's a good plan, I really do, but I…if anything happened ta you I…shit there are probably hundreds a them things in there. I just don't want ya…I wanna keep ya safe."

That's it then. His protectiveness. If not for her he probably wouldn't be worried at all. It would just be another adventure for him. She turns in his arms, facing him now and running her fingers through his soft, messy hair, "Daryl, I love the way you always want to protect me, it makes me feel so loved and kind of...kind of like you treasure me or something. I know what we're going to do won't be easy, it's going to be dangerous. I'm willing to risk it."

She leans to kiss his forehead and says, "I think it's worth taking a chance to have a place that's safe. A place we can all start to build a new life. Gosh, think about all that land and Mama's seeds, we could grow food there. Somehow we could make that prison into a home."

She softly sighs, "Of course, it's never going to be like the homes we've had, but I guess that's just part of life in this new world. We have to find a different way of living." She smiles at him, reminding him, "And Daryl, I've told you a million times, as long as I'm with you I can be happy anywhere."

He looks at her, the barest of smiles on his lips when he says, "Mosta my life I tried ta keep my ass outta prison, now I gotta fight ta get in."

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Extra little note: This story, and a few of my others, have been nominated for a Moonshine Award on the ultimatebethylficlist site. If you're feeling it, I would very much appreciate your vote. Thank you so much.

A/N We're about to bust the place wide open! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that you'll leave a comment. There's a chapter photo on my tumblr blogs gneebee and bethylmethbrick, please check it out. I'll be back next Thursday for our prison break in, I hope you'll be here too! Until then remember, I love ya large! xo gneebee