"So I basically missed Rick screaming at people like a mad man? Great, we're at war and our leader has gone completely insane." I grumbled.

Hershel looked at me with soft eyes as we stood outside the prison. After my little outburst with Dakota, I had to go calm myself elsewhere. Just looking at her makes me so angry.

I thought I had moved on from being an angry mess and that I've grown in some way. Yet it seems that, when things go bad, I go back to square one.

"He's grieving. I don't know what happened, but I think it'd be good for the both of you to talk. Get all that negative energy out."

"What, you got a psychology degree now?"

"No, but I know both of you lost something and you are both not in a good place. If we're going to survive the upcoming days, we need you at your best."

Killing walkers was what I did best. Glenn and I did that this very morning because of a breach. But while everyone played happy house, I found myself staying away. There was too much on my mind.

"He lost his wife, Hershel. What do you want me to do?" I asked.

It's not like I'm known for my great social skills and compassion. Rick and I have our own issues. I haven't forgotten him making me leave Daryl at Woodbury and he probably still hasn't forgotten that I punched him for it.

"Remind him of what he still has."

A huff left my lips as I decided to go outside the prison's fences because that's where Rick was hiding out. Hershel watched from afar as I spotted Rick by the water bridge. I'm regretting listening to Hershel already.

Rick looked up at the sound of footsteps as I walked up to him. He seemed wary of my presence, probably because he knew my mental state wasn't the best either. I stood next to him inhaling deeply.

"You shouldn't be out here, Ranger Rick."

"You're here."

"Since when do we think my decisions are the rational ones?"

A faint smile appeared in the corner of his lips. It faded rather quickly. He lost Lori and I lost Daryl. It wasn't the same kind of loss but it was enough to sympathize. I think both of us expect to see them everywhere we turn, like they never left.

"I'm not sorry for punching you."

"I'm not sorry for dragging you away from there."

I clenched my jaw although I found myself nodding at him. In an odd way, Rick and I cared for each other. Maybe it's because we kissed once or maybe we simply found comfort in each other's company.

"Are you going to be alright?" I asked.

"Yeah, I just need some time." He replied.

My teeth chewed on my lower lip as I pondered on the truth of his words. He's strong, but every person has a breaking point. I placed my hand on his shoulder as a way of comforting him.

Almost like a reflex, he put his hand on top of mine. He didn't look like he planned on letting go any time soon. I didn't mind though. His presence was soothing in a way that I didn't expect. That feeling went away at the sound of a gunshot.

Rick and I got our guns out but I couldn't see where the shot was fired. Until they started shooting at us. Rick grabbed my hand as we ran across the small bridge and jumped, falling on the ground. I leaned over Rick to protect him from the shots.

We quickly crawled to the edge of the bridge where we had remote cover. The bottom half of my body was submerged in the water as I started shooting at the man in the woods. Rick and I weren't able to get a clear shot at him.

He started retaliating as bullets flew our way. Rick was quick to bend down while I was a second late. A bullet grazed my arm and I groaned in pain. I lowered my gun and put pressure on the wound. I hissed at the sharp pain as the shooting stopped for a while.

Rick looked at me with uncertainty in his eyes. I gritted my teeth and nodded at him. I was fine, the bullet barely grazed me but it still hurt like a bitch. He quickly crawled to the fence and I followed his example.

By the time I reached the fence, the sharp pain had spread even more. I took shallow breaths as the sound of a vehicle reached my ears. It broke in through the door and it stopped in the middle of the courtyard. And then it released walkers inside.

Rick lifted his rifle to shoot at them only to find out he had run out of bullets. Our shooter went at us again and we laid down on the ground. I handed my gun to Rick who shot back at him.

"Hershel, get the hell out of there!" Rick shouted.

It was then that I turned my attention to the prison. Hershel and Michonne were stuck in the field while the others protected the prison from afar. I could see Dakota shooting at the walkers in the distance.

The sound of growls made me nudge Rick. He pointed the gun at the oncoming walkers from the outside. The gun ran out of bullets but at least the shooter gave up on us. Rick helped me get up and we ran in the opposite direction of the walkers.

We went around the corner only to see even more walkers headed our way. I cursed under my breath as Rick touched my elbow redirecting me back to the bridge. He used the back of his gun to kill walkers as I picked up a heavier branch from the ground.

I slammed it into the eye of a walker only for it to break immediately. Shit, now I know why no one uses it to kill walkers. I held on to my shoulder as I stood behind Rick allowing him to protect me as much as he could. A walker lunged at him pinning him to the fence.

I went to pull away the walker when another one grabbed a hold of me. A cry left my lips as it pressed onto my shoulder. Rick tried to push away the walker and help me but another one lunged at him.

It wasn't long until we both couldn't move an inch because of them. A walker was inches away from my face but all I could see was the one about to bite Rick. Panic rose inside me as I tried to get closer to Rick and help him. Thankfully, I didn't have to.

An arrow lodged itself into the walker before it could harm Rick. A yell spread through the air as Merle suddenly tackled one of the walkers. Yet another arrow went through the air landing into the skull of the walker latched on to me.

The arrow nearly missed me but I couldn't care less this time. When the walker fell down, I saw Daryl standing in front of me. Rick and Merle were finishing off the remaining walkers as I ran to him. His arms immediately wrapped around me.

A breathy laugh left my lips as I used my good arm to hold on to Daryl. I blinked away the tears that wanted to fall down as I buried my head in the crook of his neck. I never thought I'd be able to be in his arms again. But he came back.

His hand held the back of my head as he pulled me even closer to him. Rick and Merle looked at us, both with very different expressions. Merle was amused beyond words and Rick... He just seemed lost again.

------

"We're not leaving."

"We can't stay here."

Abby sighed as I put an arm around her shoulder. We've been at this for a while now. Hershel is all for leaving this place and Rick refuses to even think about the idea of it.

"What if there's another sniper? A wood pallet won't stop one of those rounds." Maggie pointed out.

Beth complained about how we can't even go outside. Thankfully, Carol pointed out that we can't go outside during the day. But the night is a different story.

"Rick says we're not running, we're not running." Glenn said.

"No, better live like rats." Merle replied.

"Better than dying on the run." I said.

I turned my head towards Dakota who stood next to Hershel on the stairs. Her eyes were fixed on Merle though her expression gave nothing away. I had a feeling she was going to stay out of this one.

"You got a better idea?" Rick asked Merle.

"Yeah, we should have slid out of here last night and lived to fight another day. But we lost that window, didn't we? I'm sure he's got scouts on every road out of this place by now." Merle explained.

"We ain't scared of that prick." Daryl spoke up.

His eyes met mine and I felt slightly self conscious about the bruises still decorating my face. The Governor did a number on me. But Daryl was right. I wasn't scared of him. I've seen worse than him in my own home.

"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."

Maggie shifted uncomfortably at his presence and suggested that we move him to another cell block. Daryl protested and he had a point.

Merle was locked out, without a gun and no friends. It's the best Daryl could get without causing a protest.

"This is all you, you started this!" Maggie accused Merle.

"What's the difference whose fault it is? What do we do?" Beth asked.

"I said we should leave. Now Axel's dead. We can't just sit here." Hershel stated.

Abby listened to their arguments with a concerned look etched on her face. I squeezed her shoulder in comfort and she glanced at me. She was observing all of us, learning the way we did things.

"Get back here!"

I flinched at Hershel's angry shout. My attention was drawn to his figure making its way to Rick. His crutches did nothing to slow him down. He wasn't going to let Rick leave us like he did before.

"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 had stopped moving to listen to Hershel's little speech, but wasted no time in leaving once he was done.

I bit my lip ushering Abby to Carol as I went up to Daryl. He had the same concerned face that Hershel did a few moments ago.

"He'll pull through. He always does." I said.

"Let's hope so." He replied.

I wrapped my arm around his waist before leaning my head on his shoulder. He kissed the top of my head as he wrapped his arm around me.

Ever since Woodbury, it was like we stopped caring about displays of affection. Before, we didn't dare even hold hands in the presence of others. But the thought of it didn't seem as bad as before.

I just wanted to be near him in any way possible. The thought of fucking this up... It's something that'll haunt me.

"I'm really glad you're back, Daryl."