Thank you for reading!


After the Governor's attack on the prison, Daryl was back. Just like that. Like nothing had happened; like he had never left them. Carol wanted to be understanding when he stopped in front of her, searching her face like he really cared what she thought, but she had just sheltered herself behind Axel's body, after his brains were blown out while they were in the middle of a conversation. Now, no one could say that wouldn't have happened if Daryl had been here … but it might have been different for all that. She settled for punching him in the arm and turning away, to see to the others.

Daryl watched her go, his shoulders slumped. He'd known she'd be pissed. He had hoped she would understand, but Merle had never exactly made friends with the others. None of them had missed him much. And after whatever he'd done to Glenn and Maggie, Daryl leaving with Merle must have felt like a betrayal. He got that; he just hated to have Carol mad at him.

Inside, they all clustered in the cell block, in the relative safety, looking to Rick for guidance. Rick wasn't on top of his game—hadn't been since his wife died. But he was coming around again, slowly.

Most of Daryl agreed with Merle and Hershel. The prison wasn't safe anymore. Maybe it never had been, given what they'd been through to keep it. The sensible thing to do was keep on the move, make a smaller target.

But Rick wasn't wrong. Hershel was in no condition to run the way they had all winter; the baby would either die from malnutrition or get them all killed. Beth wasn't very strong, neither, and that woman Michonne was injured. Carol might make it. Maggie and Glenn probably. Rick would try to take care of Carl until it killed them both. Daryl and Merle would be fine.

Which left the truth—that the prison was their only hope.

Even Merle agreed with that, in the end. He said they should have run immediately, and since they hadn't, now they couldn't, because the Governor would be ready for them.

"We ain't scared of that prick," Daryl told him.

"Y'all should be. That truck through the fence thing, that's just him ringing the doorbell. We might have some thick walls to hide behind, but he's got the guns and the numbers. And if he takes the high ground around this place, shoot, he could just starve us out if he wanted to."

Silence followed Merle's statement. All of them understood that he wasn't wrong. Maggie started to attack Merle, but Beth, of all people, cut her off. "What's the difference whose fault it is? What do we do?"

"I said we should leave; now Axel's dead. We can't just sit here," Hershel said. Rick looked at him, silent, and turned to walk away. Hershel got his crutches under him and stood up, shouting, "Get back here!" Rick stopped, but didn't turn as Hershel hitched himself across the floor. "You're slipping, Rick. We've all seen it. We understand why. But now is not the time. You once said this isn't a democracy—now you have to own up to that. I put my family's life in your hands. So get your head clear and do something."

Rick stared at him for a long time, gave a short, sharp nod, and left the cell block. Carol hoped he was going off to make a plan, but the way he'd been recently, it was hard to say. She felt badly that they had left it to Hershel to show Rick the hard truths, but she wasn't sure he would have listened to anyone else.

When he came back, it was with the news that they were still being watched. So, here they were, trapped, barely any food or ammo, as Glenn pointed out.

"We've been here before. We'll be all right," Daryl said, wishing he believed it.

"That's when it was just us. Before there was a snake in the nest."

Merle. He was still pissed that Daryl had brought his brother back. Daryl got it, but … Merle was blood. "Man, we gonna go through this again?" Glenn stared at him silently, and Daryl went on, "Look, Merle's staying here. He's with us now. Get used to it. All y'all." He walked off before they could see that he wasn't any too sure about Merle's loyalties either. Oh, Merle would fight if they were attacked, because Merle liked to fight, and because Dixons stood by Dixons. But if things went south here? Merle might well just up and head back to the Governor.

Once Daryl had gone off by himself, Carol decided this had gone on long enough. If they lost Daryl, they might as well give up. And letting Merle become a wedge between them was going to cost them Daryl; it nearly had already.

She went up to the cell where Daryl had retreated and poked her head in. "Haven't had a chance to say I'm glad you came back."

He was playing with an arrow, fidgeting, and he didn't respond to her small smile. "To what? All this?"

"This is our home."

"This is a tomb."

"That's what T-Dog called it," Carol admitted. "Thought he was right … till you found me."

That got her a little smile, remembering the way he had come for her, but nothing more than that.

The silence that hung between them was all wrong. It hadn't been like this with them for a long time. Carol had to get things out in the open, or they'd fester, and poison everything, and then this really would be a tomb. "He's your brother, but he's not good for you. Don't let him bring you down. After all, look how far you've come."

Daryl didn't answer, but eventually he laughed a little. Carol did, too, glad to have him back. More than she could say.

"I was standing with Axel. When they shot him. He died right in front of me, still talking to me. And all I could do was hide there, using his body as a shield." She looked up at Daryl. "I haven't felt that helpless in a long time. Cowering there, like … like I used to." Carol didn't say how long she had spent cowering, not fighting back, even before, but she didn't need to. "I hate that. I don't want to do it anymore."

"You lived. That's what matters. Sometimes you gotta hide, in order to stay alive. You ain't helpless. Not like that. Not anymore."

"Maybe not."

"In the woods, with Merle …" He hesitated, feeling disloyal. But Carol was his family, too. Maybe not blood, but family, for sure. "He didn't listen to a word I said. Always had to be right."

"Was he?"

"No. Didn't know the woods, or where he was, and he damn near …" He didn't want to tell her about the family they'd found, or the way Merle had been willing to let them die, baby and all. "I guess I'm not the way I used to be. Thanks to you people." He tried to say it like he thought they'd made him soft, but Carol being Carol, she heard what he really meant.

"Thank God for that." She smiled, and this time he smiled back fully, glad to be home. Even if it was going to be the death of all of them.