Disclaimer- I do not own the Walking Dead or any of it's characters.

fandomsbrokeme- Thank you.

OldLonBird- It most definitely will and after this chapter I think it will start to show that. Thank you for your review, and thank you for getting so involved. I love reading you guy's takes on the chapter.

Shadowoftheblackdeat- Haha, the governor will definitely get what's coming to him, I can promise you that. Thank you, and thank you for getting so involved.

Alwaysand- Exactly but he's been so caught up in his own ideas and grief that he's refused to see it and has let Carl form hatred towards the woman that's just trying to help him.

This is kind of a little weird filler chapter so I hope you enjoy.

Danny's POV

"Ya have to understand that we can't just take off like last time", Daryl looks me straight in the eyes, holding eye contact. "We need to 'ave a plan this time. We 'ave two babies with us now which will make it so much harder than before. We're also a much bigger group with a lot more people to keep safe, your people. I don't know when it happened but every single person here treats you as their leader which means if we leave now we have to help them survive and that means makin' sure everythin' is thought through thoroughly".

This is, I think, the second time someone has called me the leader of this rag tag group, I have no idea how it happened or why it happened. I don't know a lot of things that would keep me alive, everything I do know was learnt from Daryl and Merle. They're the ones I listen to. They should be in charge.

"I know, everything was so much easier when it was just the five of us, and no matter how much easier it would be for us to leave like before it wouldn't be right." I groan rather dramatically, "Why did we have to take people in?"

The corner of his mouth lifts slightly with a smirk. "Because you can't help but take people in who need help. It's a small flaw you have".

I raise my eyebrows, "I have flaws?" He shakes his head like he's just realised he shouldn't have said that but I'm not letting him get away with it. "No, go on. Enlighten me".

He lets out a defeated scoff. "I was happy it bein' just you, me and Merle but now the Dixons are a family of six with another ten people added because they are followin' you".

"Well if I remember correctly, you're the one that took in the first person in need of help". I then point at myself with both of my thumbs, "So really you're to blame for all of these people".

He pulls me in with his arm that he hooks around the back of my neck so I'm stood against his side. "Biggest regret of my life".

I attempt to pull away at his comment but he keeps his arm firm and I'm not able to get out of it, but then I feel his body vibrating and when I glare up at him he's trying to hold in his laughter.

We stare out across the field at the Walkers in silence for a few minutes before I break it with a question I know he won't be able to answer but I need to ask it anyway.

"How long do you think we have before the Governor comes for us again?"

"I honestly don't know, I can't even take a guess. He attacked a group he hasn't even had any contact with and killed one of his own men just to make us the bad guys. It depends on how long it will take him to get his army ready. If they're already prepared then they could be here later today. If he has to train them we could have a week".

"Michonne says Andrea was gonna try and talk to him, see if we could work something out. You think that will happen?"

"If he agreed and it was genuine it could help and save lives but if he's willin' to kill his own people then I don't think it's somethin' he'll actually do. I don't think I could believe anythin' he had to say." Daryl sighs heavily, "But ya 'ave to know that if it comes down to it. You and Riley are my priority. I will not let anythin' happen to either of you".

I grip the back of his shirt and stay silent, I want to tell him that I would do anything for him to but if I say it I know he'll say that I need to look out for myself and Riley first. He has double standards when it comes to what he will do for me and for what I should do for him.

"We're clearin' out theses Walkers today so the blockades Merle and Oscar made can go up." Daryl says, "Not much we can do about the missing gate but we can fix the other one enough for now that Walkers won't come wanderin' back in."

"I'll help".

Daryl steps away from me and puts me at arms reach to look down at me with a look that clearly says he disapproves. "Danny, no, ya've just had a baby. Don't think I don't notice the winces every time you sit down or move to quickly".

I screw my nose up, of course he doesn't miss things like that. "We live in a world that doesn't really allow for relaxing. I can help, I'll be fine, it's not like we're going out on a run. If I need a break I'll just come back inside. I won't overdo it".

"I used to be able to say no".

I shrug one shoulder, "Well Merle did say you live here now". I tap my thumb with another finger.

He mumbles 'fuck sake' under his breath and pulls me back into side. He doesn't say anything else which means I'll be helping.

Those that are going to help clear the field are all gathered in the yard waiting for Merle, Daryl and Oscar to load the main gate blockades into the back of our truck. One of them is just spirals of barbwire, the other has wooden spikes on it. The wire one should wrap up in their wheels the other is going outside the fence line, and is gonna block our gate. That should cause some damage to their vehicle if they decide to try and ram through the gate again. The other blockades will need doing further up the road. Merle wants to go out and find some cars, he says he's seen some not far up the road that should be good enough.

I have my bat ready and my gun in a holster that Maggie has leant me, its open and ready for easy grab. The Sheriff is joining us, along with Maggie, Glenn and Michonne. Daryl is using the Sheriffs idea for when we entered this part of the prison because he fully believes it's a good tactic and if Daryl thinks it's a good idea then so do I. We move as a group, in a circle in front of the truck Merle's going to drive towards the front gates. Good plan however, other than with Daryl, I haven't fought along side these people before, I don't know how to work with them, and that makes me nervous.

Daryl lays a hand against one of mine that's twisting around the handle of my bat. "Ya ready?"

I let out a breathy laugh. "Of course".

He nods at Carol as a sign to open the gate. As soon as the gate is open enough for Daryl and I to move through it we start moving. He isn't using his crossbow for this, he has a machete, although the crossbow is on his back just in case. He swings and lets the blade slice through the closest Walker and as he's yanking it out I swing my bat at another one. Once those two are down we move forwards more allowing the others to come through the gate behind us.

As we move across the path leading to the front gate I hear a bang followed by Merle's laughter, I manage to spare a very quick glance back in his direction to see he's opened his door on a walker. When he made the spikes for the barricade he clearly made himself one because it's somehow attached to the car door and sticking out of the window, so where he's opened the door on the Walker the spike has impaled the Walker right through the face and it's now just sagging against his door; And Merle finds it hilarious.

Michonne is the one stood next to me and I'm so happy she lives with us, she's amazing with a sword. She's slicing through the Walkers with expert precision and speed. I ram the tip of my bat into a Walker that's getting to close to her, jerking it's head back with a crack. I've snapped it's neck but other than a stumble back it doesn't fall down so I take a step closer towards it and use my bat like I'm holding a golf club and swing it up and around so hard the skin around it's neck finally splits and the bones come out. It's knocked off it's feet and as it hits the floor it stops moving.

"Fuck! Yes Squirt!" Merle shouts from the truck. "That's how ya kill a fuckin' Walker Bitches".

We finally make it to the gate, a trail of dead Walkers behind us. There are a few stragglers left alive but they aren't close us and they're far apart from each other so Michonne takes off at a light jog to go and take care of those.

When Merle hopes out of the truck I raise an eyebrow at him. "Bitches?"

He scoffs, "I got a little excited".

"I can tell. Probably should have saved that excitement for after so you didn't accidently distract any one".

He looks around him with fake confusion written on his face. "Ain't no-one here gettin' distracted from a little bit of shoutin' none of 'em even looked my way".

Daryl sighs behind me. "You distracted her. Honestly I'm surprised she didn't shout back at ya with her own excitement over what she did. Completely forgettin' 'bout where ya actually are".

"I wouldn't..." I start to say but quickly close my mouth when Daryl tilts his head to the side a little.

"Ya would, and ya 'ave."

I turn my head away from Daryl and look at Merle with a sheepish grin who winks at me before smacking Oscar on the shoulder and gesturing for him to help him.

Maggie and Glenn keep any Walkers from walking in from outside as the Sheriff and Daryl help Oscar and Merle manoeuvre the barricade outside the gate. Watching Merle struggle to hold the thing with one hand makes me really want to tell him not to bother helping but I think if I said anything it would really hurt his pride, make him want to do more things that are now out of his capabilities. Also I'm fully aware I can't actually say anything because if I do I'll be a hypocrite. I've helped and I don't regret it but I don't think I can do anything else for the rest of the day. I'm wiped out, body is aching all over and I'm tired.

I could nap... for about a day. I hope it's just because I've given birth and not because I'm extremely unfit from not having to do too much over the last few months. I take a seat in the cab and just watch them while feeling a little guilty I'm not helping... That is until a groan of pain rolls from Daryl's lips. He drops his end of the barricade and steps away. Hand clamped over his arm.

I was out of the truck before the barricade hit the floor, I run to his side, dropping my bat at my feet as I grab his upper arm to stop him moving around. He keeps his hand clamped over the wound but there's blood flowing through his fingers.

"Don't be a fuckin' pussy Daryl, we're nearly..."

I cut Merle off. "Shut up". It comes out so harsh but not even for a second do I regret it, not even when Merle's face drops in shock and he looks a little hurt.

"Alrigh', Jeez".

"No, it's not alright. Okay, think before you fucking speak. He's your brother have some fucking compassion".

"Danny", Daryl softly says my name to make me look up at him. "Don't, I'm okay".

My body sags, "You're not. Please let me look at it?"

I take out the rag that sits folded nicely in his back pocket at all times and wait for him to remove his hand, which he does after a heavy, painful sigh.

One of the wooden spikes has sliced his arm, it doesn't look that deep even though there seems to be way too much blood; However there are quite a few splinters sticking into his arm. Herschel needs to look at this.

Behind Daryl I see Carol, Sophia, Axel, Herschel and Carl actually start jogging towards us. Their curiosity was obviously too much to bare. Daryl goes to place his hand back over it but I grab his good arm and shake my head at him.

"There are splinters, don't make it worse. Let him look at it."

Daryl doesn't really have a choice because before he can answer Herschel appears beside him and gently takes Daryl's bad arm. "We need to get this cleaned, Carol, do you have any tweezers?"

Carol doesn't even have to think about it, she knows exactly what we have as she keeps constant track of it all. "I have, Axel why don't you stay down here and help them. Danny bring Daryl".

Herschel wanted to put a couple of stitches in it just to make sure, but after Daryl allowed Herschel to pull out all of the splinters he declined having the stitches. Said he didn't need them as it just looked a lot worse than it actually is. I don't know if he was just saying that just so he didn't have to have the stitches, not that I blame him. The stitches on my leg were no walk in the park.

Once Herschel wrapped it up and told Daryl to keep to light work for the rest of the day he left, leaving the two of us and Carol. Sophia walked out when Herschel was trying to remove the splinters. Her facial expressions where apparently annoying Daryl but I think they were stressing him out so instead she went to go get Riley back from Beth, who had taken him the second they had heard the shout.

"Are you okay?" I ask him.

He sighs and lays his arm on the table. "What 'bout you?"

"I've not sliced my arm open."

"And with the way you acted people woulda thought I'd done a lot worse."

"I'm sorry".

He smiles softly, "Ya ain't gotta apologise to me". He stands up and places a kiss against my forehead. "Stay here, rest. I'm just gonna go make sure they're puttin' them out properly and I'll be back. Okay?"

I nod and watch as he walks out the door.

When the door closes behind him I turn to Carol who's grinning at me.

"What?"

She shakes her head. "We heard you shouting that's how we knew something had happened. You got very protective and very loud."

I let out a defeated sigh. "I know. I feel a little bad now that he's okay but he got hurt and it made me so angry that it was a joke."

"You know Merle didn't mean to brush it off. He probably hadn't had time to process the extent of it". She chuckles. "I love watching you get defensive and protective of us all. You've never looked like you could say boo to a goose and then something happens and you instantly become a protective lioness. And honestly you are scary when you get like that. I couldn't ask for a better person to defend me or Sophia."

"Is that why people seem to be following me, because I'm scary?" I don't want to be scary, I just don't seem to be able to control it when I get angry.

"You take in peoples opinions, you think things through and have always made the correct decision for all of us. I think the main reason you are in charge is because you stood up for us all against Rick, you stopped things getting out of control and it's because you have control over Daryl and Merle. They listen to you, they'll do anything you want without even second guessing it. Nobody else can do that and nobody will probably be able to ever do it."