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By the time we returned, Rick already had a plan in action. All it needed was someone who knew the area a bit.

This is the back of the prison, the garage and buses would be stationed on the side and the large door where we could drive our cars through once we handle the first layer of walkers.

Rick fired question after question as I tried to answer them to the best of my knowledge. But it was a challenge to remind him that I haven't set foot near this place since...Since I was pregnant more or less. 

I liked driving by, knowing he was locked up and miserable.

However, I never put myself in the position to work there again, unable to, due to the fact he was an inmate, that just looks unprofessional.

The real unprofessional thing to do, would be to look for his file...And that's exactly what I'm going to do.

"Fences aren't electric, even if they were. I doubt the generator would supply this place anymore." I whispered as I walked alongside Rick, and as he took bolt cutters to the fence we all piled through, myself included as we used wires to close it once more.

Taking the light jog did we get the small headcount of civilians and inmates before making it to the entryway where the tipped over bus was located.

It wasn't blocking the door enough so we couldn't get it, but it provided cover if need be.

"It's perfect..." Rick stated, and as I wiped the sweat from my forehead did I see the given smile he had sent my way. But my sore body from the amount of shit I already pulled rendered me weak, tired already.

"...If we shut that gate, prevent more from filling the yard, we can pick off these walkers. We'll take the field by tonight." Grimes issued the plan right after Hershel questioned it, I wasn't paying attention. But as Daryl tapped my shoulder and handed me a rifle, I assumed my position well enough and followed through to one of the tall watchtowers.

"Hey...Hey, take it easy. Don't need ya passin' out on me." He said, catching me as I almost lost my balance going up the stairs. Blinking the given times did I nod, feeling the owl meat threatening to come back up. Instead, I took the deep breaths Hershel instructed me to do and I continued through with the plan Rick told us.

As him and I emerged to the top, throwing over the trap door did he help me up, picking me up like a child as I managed to my feet.

Before I know it, was the rifle back in my arm and it in the crook of my shoulder.

Rick had waited for everyone to get into place before taking the run through, while most of everyone else was at the fence taking care of them by popping their knives into the head son these inmates.

Seeing Rick take down two, did I begin to aim and fire at the given few. I was doing quiet well. "Look at ya, lookin' like a damn professional." I laughed before taking three more in the given gaze.

This was my job, and the second Rick closed the gates I smiled.

"He did it..." I mumbled behind my gun, and while Dixon let the order to 'light it up,' I saw Rick enjoying himself at the tower across from ours. Saluting to him did he follow as well, his smile so visible that it appeared as my own reaction.

The utter feeling of accomplishment and a bit of fun in just picking these bastards off was music to my ears. Until the last one fell to Rick's accurate fire. Almost masking the pain in my shoulder.

Like my entire being of fire did I have to rest down, or slump down as Daryl had to come to my side. Completely scraping his bow to the ground as he tried to catch me. "Forgot about that..." I breathed, and a it was sudden when his canteen took close guard in providing an ice pack type of relief.

"I'm gonna stay up here for a bit. Go down." I said, pulling myself towards the railing and placing my feet off the edge, judge dangling as the cooling water did wonders to my sore shoulder. 

"Nah, ain't leavin' ya 'lone." Rolling my eyes did my free hand grip his as he too was looking beyond the given ways.

We have walls, soon shelter. Not remembering the winter and the given months we endured is better than suffering through them like the rest. Especially Lori, carrying a child is one thing. 
And doing so now...I wouldn't dream.

"Glad ya back with us..." He mumbled the repeated line to himself. And when I looked up, was there the little-crooked smile he likes to present. 

"You should do that more." I said, leaning against the cold metal as well. 
The smile was still there, but his gaze was questionable. "Do what?" 

"Smile. It's cute." His nose hitched up as he found the word out of his vocabulary. 

"Dixon and cute don't work all that well together hun." Batting my eye lashes did my subconscious just scream.


Addie Dixon is cute.

I never gave her his last name, and it saddens me that the distrust in him valued so deep in my bones that it angers me until now. 
The what if of having our child together would've saved us from so much turmoil. And yet, here we are. 

Childless and brotherless.

"Go look around...And welcome to the west Georgia correctional facility." I said, putting up his canteen and water falling it so he won't get sick either. Seeing his eye brows scrunch together was he confused, but as I removed my hand away did I realize he wasn't leaving without me. 
So up I rose, with the fitting hand on my back as he helped me on up. Shooting a glare only made him baby me more. 

"Stop babying me." I ordered, and he just shook his head. 

"I ain't babyin' ya. I'm making sure ya don't pass out on me. Aight? Doc said ya could and I ain't lettin' it happen." And with that, he just walked me down the little flight of stairs before we were greeted with the oncoming sight of a clear field.

It's almost like fresh air, a sign of relief. And now I know why he wanted me to come down, to enjoy it with the group. The uplifting smiles turned well onto my face as the given few took the jog in the obsessor of safety.

"Are you okay?" I asked, seeing Lori at the door just smiling to the complete moon. And as her hand met my good shoulder, she nodded. 

"Haven't felt this good in weeks." Moving beside the bus did I venture out as well, following in pursuit of Carol.

"Oh...Oh, we haven't had this much space since we left the farm!" She beamed, and Carl to laugh as well, but the second the walker ventured up. I came about, stabbing it in the center of the head before it could be seen as any sort of danger.

*

Night soon settled in, the men went to gather firewood for the small campfire. Cooking up the given squirrels Daryl had found on an hour hunting trip just in the woods here. He said it was crawling with them, and from him. That was a good thing.

We needed this fortune. Especially when the baby is just a few days away. A week at the most.

Nibbling on my portion was I not entirely what I had in mind tonight, Dixon was giving me space over by the bus. And perhaps I was a bit nerve wrecking to deal with, especially me just waking up for the first time in a given while.

He just had to wait out a little while longer for me to completely heal, and that meant he has to keep his promise for a little while longer.

It's not that I don't love him, I love him and everyone else around me. The time we spent on the road gave us a bond. And with Maggie sitting beside me right now, handing me another bowl for Daryl did I thank her before removing myself from the quiet group circle.

He saw me the moment I stood up straight, but the given was that he was already looking at me. Watching, waiting for me to come to him. Dixon knew I would, and he knew that day when I promised I'd be back.

Somehow, he always knows.

As I came around the wheels, did I set the small bowl onto the side, and the given smirk I complimented earlier was already on his face as he threw his bow over his shoulders. Helping me up, and as much as I suppressed the urge in groaning due to my bruising. I didn't want to make it apparent that it got worse.

Not as bad as lost time, but still sore.

"Couldn't take it no more?" He questioned, and I nodded while taking his jacket around my body a bit more. They were talking about farming, but my eyes were more drawn to Rick walking around the fence, so I shrugged at his question before nodding along.

"It's not much..." I said, changing the topic and pulling the small bowl from my hands to his. 

"...but if I don't bring you something you won't eat at all." He took the given handful of stripped meat. Trying not to watch him eat was like leaving a three-year-old with a plate of pasta.

You just don't do it.

"...I guess lil Shane over there got quite the appetite." Rubbing my lip as I tried to hide my smile, all I did was just playfully elbow his stomach as he found it in himself to laugh entirely. 

"Don't be mean..." I scolded, but my smile couldn't have gotten down. We were all burdened with Lori's mistake, along with her relationship with Rick. 


It's spiraling out of control.

"...He's gotten us a lot farther than I ever thought he would, I'll give him that. Considering I thought I was going to die a couple months ago." Daryl instantly shook his head, chowing down on the last few strips of meat before setting the bowl to the ground. 
"Ain't gonna let that happen." 

"Some things you can't stop Dixon." He grunted, and in that response, I just crossed my arms, but the seriousness of the conversation drifted as the not in my shoulder became much louder than expected.

"It's that rifle. Kickback." Seeing him place down his bowl did he suck each of his fingers before coming closer. 

"Calm down, just gotta get the knot out." Now I was offering my bruised infested skin as he so softly took both his hands to rub down. Actually getting through the tense muscles my body had.

Looking back to see his still chewing, did I hide my smile. His actions and the little light in his eyes make me love him so very much. 

"We better get on back." He said, knowing full well that the knot is out.

However he did that.
"It's pretty romantic..." I teased, but to Dixon giving me a massage is practical. Not in the least bit sensual, unless he's hiding his thoughts all too well. 

"Yeah, wanna screw 'round?" My eyes widened at his offer, but we both broke into a controlled laughter.

He wasn't kidding, but passed it off as if he was. 

"Maybe another time," I mumbled, my thoughts betraying me as they left my mouth and into the air. Making his head shoot on back to look at me. 

"I'm gonna hold that against ya." Now it was my turn for my face to flare up in complete and utter embarrassment.

He shouldn't hold anything against me, I leaned in for a quick second and kissed his cheek. An action we haven't done in months, or at least I can recall.

"Hey..." He said, making me turn back around as I was on my way back down to go to the group. But his beckon call had me look, and with his free hands did he caresses my face. Letting his lips so tenderly dance with my own.

I don't doubt people were looking, staring even.

Nobody dares gossip about Rick and Lori's relationship. What better to target my own?

"I'll go down first." I decreed, but his hands onto my waist as he so sneakily pressed his own against my back. 

"Even better." My batting eyes just doted at him as he finally let go in order for me to carefully make my way down.

He knew when to stop, most of the time. And the second he took his hands off my waist was I thankful for the freedom. 

"Ya want my poncho? It's gonna get real cold tonight." He offered, and part of me wanted to take it. The other just completely stared widely at him.

First he offers sex, then his poncho.

Was he like this the entire time I was 'gone'?

"I'll be alright." I cheered, keeping the pace steady as we began to hear the first few lines of Beth singing. Didn't know the song, but by Daryl's groan of annoyance. I guess he doesn't approve.

Singing or otherwise.

"Where's Rick at?" Pointing into the direction, but he soon was coming along as well. Guess the music does well for the mind, and plopping myself back down back to my spot had him follow right beside me. 
Maggie was clear in giving me a smirk, while Daryl was preoccupied in trying to tune out the sounds around him. Wonder if he thinks the same on me singing?

The second the sisters finished singing, Rick ordered us to turn in for the night.To be fair I am tired, just in looking at the fire am I getting the scenes it's time to sleep. But looking to him now did I want a plan to theorize for tomorrow.

All I could do now anyway.
"I'll take watch over there...Got a big day tomorrow." But Glenn was quick to question what 'big day,' meant in his standards. This place is a gold mine, in complete in utter honesty.

"Look, I know we're all exhausted. This was a great win. But we've got to push just a little bit more...Most of the walkers are dressed as guards and prisoners. Looks like this place fell pretty early." He began once more, even I didn't notice that before. Instead was it the recall of seeing some people dressed normally behind the given wall that lead further into the prison.

"...It could mean the supplies may be intact. They'd have an infirmary, a commissary." He listed the few on his hand, and once Daryl pipped up for the first time did he question, "An armory?" But it wasn't towards Rick, it was to me. So I nodded in due time.

It was bigger than the one in the police station.

Just not as heavy weapons.

"Warden's offices would have info on the location. Weapons, food, medicine. This place could be a gold mine...That's why we have to go in there, hand to hand. After all we've been through, we can handle it, I know it." He ordered us to go to sleep, and as I smiled off to Carl for a solid goodnight. Did I see Lori get up to follow Rick.

Which couldn't get any better.

With my back connecting the dewy grass, my head just resting against my backpack as I find comfort in this secure location at hand. Along with the heated rock that I picked from the fire, seeing how it's burning my skin, I hope it stays the entire night.

Daryl says 'goodnight,' but my eyes are already closed, so my hand makes a grab for him. Realizing he is far closer than I imagined, but his whisper of a scoff melts my heart.

My mind was more focused on the conversation Lori and Rick were having about five feet away. And the physicist in me wants to come out and make everything right, but what's the point if I can't even touch base with the problems I have Daryl.

"You want to talk? Talk to Blake...I'm doin' stuff Lori, thangs. Isn't that enough?" I chuckled at the given notion that Lori come to me to talk about their marriage. And to be fair, both sides did that pre-walker world. 
Guess everything continues through.

Problems minutes passed when Dixon shifted his position to look towards me, but I just stayed perfectly still. "Hell ya know this place anyhow?" He questioned, and although I tried to stay perfectly still to resemble my sleeping position. He didn't believe it for a second, for his scoff and sigh pipped through. 

"Know ya awake..." Was all he issued, so I opened my eyes so tiredly. Stretching the given bit so he feels guilty in waking me up from my peaceful position.

"Narcotics," I mumbled, but positioning myself opposite to what he has did I chuckle. Placing with his unoccupied hand, scratching the dirt off. 

"I interned here for little less than a month." His growl admitted, and I realize that doesn't sound that bad, narcotics was just to piss him off.

"Why ya quit?" He questioned further, and I yawned in response. The rock was working wonders in making me so very tired. Instead I shrugged, trying to think of a valued opinion. 

"Because there was a better job in king's county." Was all I could work out, closing my eyes once more.

My eyes as heavy as they are, they couldn't help but slowly rock me to sleep. And in Daryl's full plan attempt did he place over his poncho to my body as it just heated it up fully.

I smiled the intake of whiskey and rain that build his character's scent so magically in my mind. Especially when I brought it close to my chest, and the small rabbit close to my heart.

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Date Posted: 10-22-18

Time: 7:59

Word-Count: 3117

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