ACT TWO
(andrea's reunion)

RICK WALKED towards the group just after he had given Maggie the key to the guard tower. After he commanded the woman to take watch, he begin talking to the rest of the group near the stairs. "Field's filled with walkers. Didn't see any snipers out there, but we'll keep Maggie on watch."

"I'll get up in the guard tower." Daryl suggested. "Take out half them walkers, give these guys a chance to fix the fence."

"Or use some of the cars to put the bus in place."

"We can't do any of that without wasting ammo. Ammo we don't have." Aiden replied glancing at the floor just as Glenn joined them.

"So we're trapped in here. There's barely any food or ammo."

"Been here before. We'll be 'lright." Daryl replied. Veroníca smiled softly at this, knowing the man was trying his best to help his friend remain positive. Which was not something the man regularly did.

"That's when it was just us. Before there was a snake in the nest." Glenn answered, subtly gesturing to the other cell area. Knowing Merle was in there.

"Man, we gonna go through this again? Look, Merle's staying here. He's with us now. Get used to it. All y'all." Daryl then stormed up the stairs, ignoring Rick trying and failing to calm him down.

When Daryl was out of earshot, Glenn was quick to plead his case again. "Seriously, Rick, I don't think Merle living here is really gonna fly."

"I can't kick him out."

"You're the leader, Rick. You can kick him out." Veroníca reminded.

"It's not that simple."

At Rick's denial, Glenn spoke again. This time with much more anger in his voice. "I wouldn't ask you to live with Shane after he tried to kill you!"

"Merle has military experience. He may be erratic, but don't underestimate his loyalty to his brother."

Glenn ignored Hershel's words, glancing at Veroníca once before seeming to remember something. "Ronnie was right. Two birds one stone."

"What?" Veroníca questioned, not seeming to remember the suggestion she had made earlier that day.

Glenn didn't reply to this either, keeping his eyes trained on Rick. "We deliver Merle to the governor. Bargaining chip. Give him his traitor, maybe declare a truce."

"He'll calm his tits." Aiden repeated the words his sister had previously said, smiling as he nodded. "It's a good plan."

"We aren't having this discussion. Not now."
Rick replied, seeming pissed as he commanded the group around him to stop.

"Then when? We need a solution now. Daryl will get over it." Aiden scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest as he did so.

"Enough." With this, Rick then began walking towards the cell opening. Not bothering listening to the group's pleas to have him turn around.

Unfortunately for Rick, before he could exit. Maggie running back inside with Carl stopped him in his tracks. "Someone's coming."

Immediately at the words the group jumped into action. Grabbing their personal weapons, along with guns for the few with handheld weapons. Then they were off.

-

     The stranger approaching ended up being Andrea. While she wasn't necessarily a stranger, that didn't make her any more trustworthy.

As Rick patted her down, ripping her bag off of her arm. She held a look of disbelief on her face.

He threw her bag away from her as she glanced around at the group. All of which was slightly glaring at her.

"Welcome back. Get up." Rick spoke, forcing his former friend up before pushing her harshly towards their cellblock.

Aiden followed right behind Andrea, his machete out as he kept a harsh glare on the back of her head.

When they had all reached the cellblock, his glare didn't cease. In fact it only grew as she threw her arms around Carol.

The two shared a few quiet words, only stopping when Andrea pulled away. "I can't believe this...Where's Shane?"

She looked to Rick, frowning a bit when he shook his head once.

"And Lori?" She pried more, this time not receiving a head shake from Rick. Instead, the man glanced down at his feet. Still deeply hurt from his wife's death.

"She had a girl. Lori didn't survive." Hershel explained for Rick.

"T-dog didn't either." Veronica harshly said, still pissed the woman didn't even pretend to care about the man.

While she had wanted to scold the blonde for not mentioning her brother. She decided against it as Andrea spoke up. "I'm so sorry... Carl.."

She took a step closer to the kid, not moving any closer when Carl didn't react to the woman. "You all live here?"

"Here and the cell block." Glenn answered, his eyes still taking quick glances at Veroníca to make sure she was alright.

Veroníca didn't feel the stares, seeing as she was far too preoccupied insisting Rory take more sips of her water bottle.

"Well, can I go in?"

"I won't allow that."

"I'm not an enemy, Rick." Andrea replied, disbelief covering her face when Rick had stepped inbetween her and the cellblock.

"Pretty damn close." Aiden mumbled while Rick glanced at the man.

"We had that field and courtyard until your boyfriend tore down the fence with a truck and shot us up."

"He said you fired first."

"Well, he's lying." Rick replied, not showing any emotion to the woman.

"He killed an inmate who survived in here." Hershel added.

"I didn't know anything about that."

"Bullshit, we told you he was a dick. You didn't believe us." Aiden cut in, his hatred for the blonde showing as he shook his head.

"He's no—Listen... As soon as I found out, I came. I didn't even know you were in Woodbury until after the shoot-out."

"That was days ago." Glenn reminded, calling the woman out for lying to them.

"I told you, I came as soon as I could.." Andrea trailed, glancing between Glenn and Veroníca before turning to face Aiden and Michonne. "What have you two told them?"

"Nothing."

"I don't get it. I left Atlanta with you people and now i'm the odd man out?" Andrea victimized herself, pretending to be hurt as Glenn replied.

"He almost killed Aiden and Michonne. He would have killed us—" Before Glenn could finish his sentence, Andrea quickly cut him off.

"—With his finger on the trigger!" She yelled, pointing at Merle while Veroníca began to giggle in anger. "Isn't he the one who kidnapped you? Who beat you?"

"No—no.." Veroníca mumbled, taking a step closer to Andrea as she shook in anger. "He isn't the one defending him. He's a murderer!—A pig! A piece of shit!—In all honesty, Andrea, you two work well together. A piece of shit and someone who justifies his actions! I mean, you—"

Veroníca didn't notice she was slowly stepping closer to Andrea until Maggie had stopped her. Maggie had placed a soft hand on her arm, while Veroníca dryly laughed at the blonde. "You made your choice."

Andrea stared at the woman in shock. Placing her hands over her eyes as she took a deep breath.

There was a short silence, in which Maggie tried to help Veroníca calm down. "Are you okay?" Maggie questioned softly, rubbing her friend's arm while she nodded.

Andrea watched the interaction for a moment before speaking. "Look, I cannot excuse or explain what Philip has done. I am here trying to bring us together. We have to work this out."

At the woman's words. Veroníca had forced herself to stay silent, knowing yelling at the woman wouldn't help any.

"There's nothing to work out. We're gonna kill him. I don't know how or when, but we will." Rick replied, subtly glancing at Veroníca, as if to check on her.

"We can settle this. There is room at Woodbury for-for all of you." Andrea insisted while Merle laughed.

"You know better than that."

"What makes you think this man wants to negotiate? Did he say that?" Hershel questioned, earning a timid No from the woman.

"Listen.. He's gearing up for war. The people are terrified. They see you as killers. They're training to attack." Andrea told her former group, her head shooting around to make eye contact with all of them.

"I'll tell you what. Next time you see Philip, you tell him i'm. gonna take his other eye."

At Daryl's statement, Andrea's mouth dropped. Her mouth stayed agape while Glenn spoke up as well. His tone harsh. "We've taken too much shit for too long. He wants a war? He's got one."

Andrea didn't bother replying to either men. Instead, she faced Rick again. This time seeming pissed. "Rick. If you don't sit down and try to work this out, I don't know what's gonna happen. He has a whole town. Look at you, you've lost so much already—Shane, Lori, T-dog—"

Veroníca went to take another step towards the blonde, prepared to hit the woman for mentioning her brother. Unfortunately, when Maggie's hand pulled her back another time. She decided not to.

Andrea continued, ignoring Veroníca harsh glare. "—-You can't stand alone anymore."

"You want to make this right? Get us inside." Rick ordered, instantly earning a No from Andrea. "Then we got nothing to talk about."

"There are innocent people!" Andrea yelled as Rick walked away, completely ignoring his former friend as he did so.

Andrea scoffed at the action, scoffing again as Veroníca started making her way out behind Rick.

Before Veroníca fully exited, she made sure to briefly paused by Andrea on her way out. "You don't get to talk about T-dog. Especially not to use him as a shitty example."

Andrea seemed genuinely shocked by this, her eyes staying trained on Veroníca's back until the woman was fully out of the room.

-

Veroníca had stayed in her cell until Andrea left. She didn't have any urge to want to talk to the blonde, so she figured resting would be a better idea.

The sound of a light signing was her cue to finally exit her cell. As she did so, she caught sight of everyone. Beth had been sitting beside Maggie and Carol, singing to the group.

While Daryl, Hershel, and Rory had leaned against a wall. Rick had held Judith, slowly walking over to them.

"They hung a sign up, in our town.
If you live it up you won't live if down."

Aiden was standing beside Michonne, sending a wave to Veroníca when she passed him.

She took a seat on the stairs, soon being joined by Rory who sat right in front of the woman. Eventually Glenn had joined them as well, sitting beside her.

"So she left Monte Rio, son.
Just like a bullet leaves a gun."

Veroníca now began playing with Rory's hair, blushing ever so slightly when Glenn had place a hand on her knee.

Though she was still upset with the man, she couldn't help but feel giddy every-time she saw him.

Even more so when he did little things like place his hand on her knee, or rub her shoulder.

"With charcoal eyes and Monroe hips.
She went and took the California trip."

Veroníca then silently whispered to Glenn, trying her best to not have Beth notice. "Can we talk? Not right now—just soon.."

"Uh—yeah! Yeah, of course." Glenn replied, sending the woman a tight-lipped smile before turning their attention back to Beth.

"Well, he gave her a dime-stone watch.
And a ring made from a spoon. Everyone's
looking for someone to blame, if you share
my bed you share my name."

Veroníca then placed both her hands atop her son's shoulders. She shook him a bit, smiling with his lightly giggled at the sudden action.

She then leaned forward placing a quick kiss onto his cheek. "I love you, Ro." She reminded the boy.

"Love you too, Mama." He replied quietly as he smiled back at her.

As she leaned back to her former spot, Rory leaned back as well. Resting his head on her knees as he listened to Beth's singing.

|