______

Blake didn't need to ask how much farther, instead, she looked up every given while to see how close it was. The women made the commute almost every day for a month, all the way from her parent's farm. Yet she was at an awe that they've managed to take it to the back. Someplace she's only been once or twice, and never in the field.

The car coming up to the gate to a stop, did Blake smile to see Carl. It was sheer honesty as she smiled to Rick. Her eyes tearing up at the fact that it was no longer a small picture in her pocket.

But him.

"He looks cute in the hat Grimes." She mumbled, getting out of the car as she allowed the door to close set behind her. "Whoa whoa whoa!" Rick offered out, the guns now on Blake didn't issue any sort of worry to her. But to Rick, it was still a rude threat.

Even if she wasn't scared to die.

"Just hold up...Carl you—"
"Ms.Holden?" He breathed, and the boy skited a bit as the gravel became uneven. The quick moments weren't enough as he moved into the women's hold and she couldn't even think of anything more than lifting him into the air.

"You've gotten so big..." She whispered into her shoulder, how could the women not cry?
She didn't mean to be cold or distant, it just turned easier that way. She didn't care for the departure from Merle. Instead it's himself that's feeling the loss of her.

They've been together for more than a year now...

"Where were you...?" He questioned, and Blake could only bring him back to his feet as she kneed down to him. "Does being at work count?" He giggled as he took her hand, leading her up the given ways. Only for Rick to hold onto her shoulder. "Need to take that from you." Grimes issued, taking a look at the assault rifle on her back.

"Do I get it back?" The question rang through for a moment, but he honestly didn't feel comfortable having her armed to the teeth.

"I ain't gonna do anythin'." She stomped her foot down to cease any and all theories he might have against her. And instead he huffed. "You said you have two pistols?" She shook her head, taking her hand back from Carl for a moment as she offered the one behind her flannel. The obvious one on her leg. And then another one at her jeans.
"Went through a lotta shi—Stuff..." She choked back for a moment, but as he eyes went to see Michonne in the car. In pain and everything did she nod in a silent agreement.
"I'm gonna check on her when we get up...Guessing you guys raided the infirmary?" Rick nodded, and with that they began to the hike on up. On the side note, Blake handed Rick the map.

"This is the only one I made, before I knew y'all were here. He hasn't seen it or anything...There's some more infirmary supplies in that building up there. Administration, offices and stuff. But there's a storage unit." He nodded, smiling to the map as he leaned his arm up and over as Car, returned his hand to hers.

They walked on up, and for a moment. Addie hadn't crossed her mind until she saw a girl almost as tall as herself. Her long brown hair strictly off to her side and a bow in her hand. Her other one was off gripping the chain fence she was stationed at.

"Go, we'll catch up." Blake's smile couldn't even grow any wider as she passed off the rifle and began to run up towards the fence. "What do you mean? Where's Daryl?" The young daughter had questioned, only to look to either one of Maggie or Glenn to see their attention laid elsewhere.

The mother stopped just before her daughter...

Her hand overlapped her mouth as she sobbed directly into it. But the daughter didn't know who or why the women before her was crying. "Addie...Oh sweetheart..." She cooed, and it was a thud of a drop.

The bow in her arms were no longer firmly secured in her hands as she darted to her mother. Tackling her as Blake wasn't prepared for the strength she has gained. But the second her hand pressed against the back of her head to secure her in place.

"Mama..." Addie whispered, crying so deeply as she couldn't do anything more than squeeze her arms around her mother. Digging deeply as she wanted that kiss on her temple to always stay.

"W-where were you..." She cried, tears staining her mother's tank top.

"All over baby...I'm here. I'm sorry." The mother needed to apologize. She always blamed herself for not being there for most of the year because of her job but now it's true.

"I-I thought you were—"
"I know honey." She comforted her daughter the only way she could. And instead did she honestly feel the eyes of everyone in the group. More so the conversation behind them about Daryl going off with his brother.

"Merle was with you?" She beamed up, her tearful eyes gleaming up to her mother. And she couldn't but tell the truth. "Daryl's with his brother...They're alright." She spoke, but then the women who aimed up her own rifle seemingly looked to Blake as though she was a walker.

Glaring and all.

Blake knew in the instant that it was Carol, but instead she squeezed her daughter tightened as she perked her lips. "11 right?" Rick shook, knowing that that's the information she had gotten from interrogation.

"Ten." He grumbled, outpacing her to enter the prison itself. Only for Addie to pull her daughter into Cell Block C.

And already was Blake brainstorming ideas on their living situation. They'd be much more comfortable in the office building. Breaks off the sinister feeling that crept into her system and yet...She looked to the given group that formed around her.

Seeing an old man with half a leg.

A blonde girl. A convict and a few faces that even Rick couldn't recognize. "We need to talk..." He ordered, and the rest of the people continued to follow through into the cell block as the group that held Sasha and her brother remained at the table to eat.

"What happened to Daryl?" Beth asked, looking to Addie in sheer question considering she was giving so much affection towards the mysterious women.
"He's safe...He's with his brother. This—This is Blake. I worked with her before." And that allowed more of a statue for those who didn't witness her before.

"She's my mama..." Addie continued, and that had Blake fix the loose strain blocking her daughter's face.

"I have some medical experience, I can help look at Michonne." The old man, Hershel, nodded and continued with his crutches to the women who already had taken her old room down.

Blake sat on the bed and looked over what tools they had available. "I need you to stare at the light best you can okay?" She whispered, allowing the light to gesture in a straight line back and forth. But Michonne couldn't do it.

"Concision's stronger than I thought...Are you feeling nauseous?" The women shook her head to that question, and responded the same way throughout the procedure. It struck Hershel odd that the women that came out of nowhere suddenly deemed herself able to take a look at his patient.

He wasn't pose to it, she obviously knew what she was doing. "Get some sleep, I'll check on you in a little bit." She offered, rising to her feet but waiting for Hershel incase he'd fall due to his imbalance. "You've got quiet the experience...Hershel, that there's my daughter Bethy and my eldest daughter Maggie." Blake offered a gentle grin on the side of her face.
"Blake Holden. Dr or Agent, works either way."
"Well, from your daughter I learned about Jarod and your father Michael...Gave them a few horses awhile back." He proudly smiled, and it hit Blake all too sudden at the mention of any type of family.

"H-he didn't make it...Don't have the heart to tell her." She whispered, looking back to see Beth talking to her daughter.

"Did Daryl really leave?" Hershel asked, and Blake thought the question was for her. But Rick seemingly joined the little circle they had formed. "Again, I probably didn't help much by being there." Rick wanted to ask when the hell either of them dated each other, but little did Rick or even daryl know.

That Daryl...Is actually Toby.

*

Rick cracking was inevitable, as was the Woodbury attack on the prison. And yet, it aided everyone that Blake knew how to handle the attack very well, how to flank them. To use an under the car method of firing.

But what she didn't predict, was how fast the Dixon's would be returning.

They walked along the side, just like she instructed Merle to do before. When she gave them the pack, and for a moment. The trick her mind played through, she let out the low whistle that Merle and her used for hunting.

Making Addie look to her mother in question.

Only for the response to be from both looming Dixon's who were trudgeing back through the fence.

Although she wanted to smile, her emotions didn't allow her to as she continued to walk towards them. Checking on Rick as she tried to distract herself from seeing Addie being picked up by her father.

"It's like I said...they'd come back even if we didn't want them to." She muttered, coming closer to see both of the men look to her in complete disarray. Like she already knew that they argued.

Like she read their minds in general.

"They give ya any trouble hun?" Her eyes lazily looked to Merle as he asked the question. But she shook her head, not in favor of the youngest Dixon sharing the same air.

"Mama, this is Daryl...Merle's brother." The hands he had planted on Addie's shoulders was a stock photo if Blake had ever seen one. But it wasn't that that worried Daryl.

He didn't notice the connection between Addie and Blake. Or why Merle favored the girl so much back at the Atlanta camp. Granted the girl wouldn't downright say her mother's or last name.

Instead Daryl chuckled. "Yeah hun, I knew ya ma."
"What?" The little girl breathed, and Blake had her arms crossed. Eyebrows raised as she wanted to see how far the man was willing to take this conversation.

But he didn't.

"We went to school...When he decided to show up that is." She began moving back into the prison, only for her daughter to catch up with her in the instant.
"Hmm hmmm, whole reason ya went to school in the first place. Ain't that right lil brother?" Merle teased, and it was then that Daryl looked almost embarrassed.

It's been awhile for him, sexual that is. But his eyes widened in complete horror as he reason one important detail.

The pictures he has...Are of Addie's mom.

"I'm a dead man..."
"Brother, ya dead man walkin' right now. Those walkers outside got nothin' on ya. Girl ain't psycho, she's been through a lotta shit." Merle began to follow after his two girls that he was desperate in getting back, but it was the resting hand on his shoulder that prevented him from getting any further. "Ya mean what ya said in the woods?"

"She ain't lookin' for a father for that kid lil brother, best listen to her if she says anythin' 'bout Addie." Daryl began to pout off, outpacing his brother.

"She told me to stay 'way." And that, initially made Merle groan as the relationship between Addie and Daryl...Regrettably seemed repeatable considering the way he was holding her moments ago.

The meeting was held, on what the plan was with the governor and their two luteinets and although most of the group was weary in allowing them to walk free around the prison. No one dared to say anything against Blake, and Merle? Had his brother to back him up.

Blake was just resting her body in a random room she parked herself, materialistic goods weren't her strongest suit and instead she just fumbled with this small little book stopped she had found in the office.

A bear.
The footsteps should've been the first indication for her, but she chose to ignore it. Until the light sound of struggled breathing rang and she sighed. Loudly, letting the object that was floating in front of her just rest onto her stomach. "What the fuck do ya want?" She questioned, knowing full well it was Daryl. "Wanna see how ya doin'." She huffed, swinging her legs down to the floor as she refused to look at him.

"How I'm doin'? Really? You have a lotta nerve." He bit his cheek, gnawing on it as he honestly didn't know what to say.

"I get you and Addie are close, but don't mean we gotta be anythin' more than we are." She muttered, pulling herself up and taking the assault riffle from the top bunk. And just as she was about to walk out of the cell, did he bother to ask: "What are we?" She was bitter, a bitter old women.

And with that she just stared himself in the face as she walked on out. Ignoring him ten fold as she didn't want to waste her breath on her. "She talk at all?"
"Hmm, yeah...She's lettin' me near Addie."
"Fuck, and ya got all ya fingers?...Surprised she didn't leave ya dickless baby brother."

Blake was in the watch tower now, she could out there and no-one would know which particular one she's been to. Well, almost everyone.

Carol took note right away on who the women is, or is to Daryl specifically. It was seen as an improtance to him that Addie's mother acceptance him. And that's exactly what she was going to have a talking to her with.

There was no preparation or questioning to the others to inform her of who she is.

"Knock knock." She cheered, and Blake's eyes instantly pinned shit as she wanted so desperately to be alone. But that is the problem with this group, so tight nit and close. They were all up in each others business, hell everyone knew about Shane being in love with Lori.

And now this...? Blake wasn't set for this full in face drama. But turned back to see the short haired women come closer. "Quiet up here..." She drawled, and Blake just licked her lips and poped them.
"Yep." She seeming sounded out, trying to get the point across that she's annoyed. But Carol slipped beside her anyway, her legs hanging down as well.

"Didn't get a chance to say welcome...With everything going on." Carol dulled out, and Blake hummed the same she'd do with Merle. Hoping to start a chain reaction.

"Is everything alright with you and Daryl?" And that...Earned a surprising reaction from the women to Carol's left.

A snort. The women snorted.

"Everythin' aight? Hell will freeze over twice, and even then it ain't 'nough." She ballpark the estimate. "Just that...He seemed upset when he left your room." Blake had looked towards Carol, and the soft motherly expression confided itself into the other mother in the instant.

"Ain't ya problem."
"It is if it involves Daryl." Blake huffed again, her legs pulled in as she was trying to close herself off. "Ya two fuck buddies are somethin'?" And that...Allowed Carol to laugh as she shoo her head. But the light in her eyes were there, meaning she had thought about it once or twice.

"But you dating Merle is—"
"I ain't with Merle. I ain't with anyone." She strictly pointed out. Defending herself within the instant. Making Carol confused. "Look lady, I don't know who the fuck you are. I just want some peace and quiet. Y'all don't know 'em as well as ya think."
"Hmm, I believe I do. A year on the road will do that to us." Blake rolled her eyes, and instead of seemingly playful. Carol took it in a completely opposite direction.

"Yeah, and I barely survived a year with him." That sentence could be turned to in both ways, she dated Daryl. And then she lived with Merle for the given time frame.

"Your daughter loves Daryl, why don't you give him a chance."
"I did. And he broke my heart. That what ya wanna hear? That what ya come up here and try to get outta me? He broke my heart and left. So go. Git. Tell him if ya gotta." Carol was completely blind sighted by this curve ball that suddenly sprung on her.
"W-what?"
"Were ya just waitin' for the reveal?...He's upset cause I'm back. I haven't seen him in a decade cause we left to get on with our lives. He don't want me here." "Is there a reason for that?" Blake looked the other way, the attention they were letting off was sparking reason for Daryl to come out and look.
"I loved him...the old him. Bu there ain't never gettin' that man back. If ya think he's all that, he ain't. Biggest piece of shit I've ever met." She spoke, rising from her piston to get to the trap door and attempt to find another hiding spot. But Carol gripped her arm.
"If you hurt him, in anyway...I will kill you." She warned, and Blake buckled in laughter.

"Alright lady, that just tickled. But hey, you wanna kill me? Fine. Be my guest." She was completely unfazed by the words. "Ya killin' me...Gonna hurt a lotta people, think it can wait till this governor shit is over? Don't wanna haunt you cause ya killed me too soon." Carol was completely outbeat, she thought giving the women a general warning was enough. But it's not.

"You always this hostel?" Blake questioned, smirking to the side a bit because she saw Daryl staring up at the two of them. "Give him a chance."
"Look lady, I'm not sitting here and telling you how to run your life. I ain't lettin' him back in...Never. Not again." She promised, storming down to the bottom of the ways. Taking out a walker as she did so knowingly, yet Daryl was ready to swoop in for the kill.

"Ease it down Pookie. Jesus, watch where you point that thin'." She growled, and Daryl stumbled back. He didn't like her slurring speech, her vulgarity. But then agian, it's been a decade and he can't say much.

"What'd Carol want?"
"Really sick your girlfriend on me...Had enough problems from your others." She spit, continuing to move back towards the prison. But Daryl's voice brought her back.

"She ain't my girlfriend..."
"Right...Just like you weren't fuckin' Jules. Come on Dixon, I'm not 18 anymore. Good for you, she seems normal..." She muttered, continuing on her trud back. But Daryl wasn't done talking.
"Can ya hold up for just one minute?!" He shouted, not caring that they were being watched. "You're lucky I'm giving you the time of day to even look at me...What could you possibly say to—" He leaned in, quick, without thought or hesitation. He leaned in and kissed her.

He was hoping by some mirical that'd it bring her back. Bring the old women back that he knew Merle and Addie are deary missing. But red flags jolted in the back of Blake's mind.

A quick knee to the balls and he went down to the ground. "Don't touch me...Don't like bein' touched."
"Ya let Addie touch ya." His husk breath was at a loss of words all things considering.

"Men...I don't like men touchin' me." She honestly admited, and that made Daryl eyes widen. Her inical response was to rub the scar on her arm. And that caught his attention, so much so that he took the opportunity to pull it back.

"What happened?"
"Don't pretend to give a damn." She yelled, yanking it back and stomping off. This time not stopping.

"Ya won't tell me? Fine. Ask Merle."
"You think I'd tell him, some kinda stupid ya grew up to be Dixon. I don't talk about it." She scoffed out into the air and continued off. He didn't necessarily have an idea of where she's going. But she knew this place better than anyone.

And if she wanted to be hidden, nobody could tell her otherwise.

He hurried along, seeing Addie sitting beside Carl against the cold wall trying to combat the heat from outside. That's probably the only plus in living in their dreary place, it battles the heat very well.

"Ya see Merle?" Addie pointed up to the perch and smiled. But caught up with him in the instant as she left Carl behind. "Mama don't like you much...Does she?" The man blinked several times before he could even think to respond.

"She got a reason for that sweetheart." Merle yelled down, his cast of a arm resting against the metal. "She's different."
"We're all different hun, but she's still ya ma." He pointed out, and Addie nodded.

She wasn't sure if that's true, her mother was battling more than outside demons. All things considering she managed to stray from her deadly father. They killed him before she even got here which is a plus.
That might've been her breaking point.

"Where's she off to?"
"Dunno, she took off after Carol talked to her." Merle snorted. Coming down the steps as he allowed his hands to frame his waist. "Y'all gotta watch her, think somethin' clicked in her—"

"Yeah she's fuckin' crazy." Daryl grumpled, but Addie stepped away.

"She's not crazy." She sounded out, and Daryl shook his head. His hand reaching to her shoulder to apologies and yet Addie didn't take it. "Don't call her that."

"Nah, she got that agent thin' goin' on. She's always fuckin' calculatin'. She never sleeps either, always alert...Only time she gets any sleep is in the living room." Daryl huffed as he didn't like the fact that Merle was living with her in the same apartment.

"She said she's a doctor?"
"Don't mean she can figure out what's wrong in her head brother...She ain't gonna hurt nobody, trust her with my life. And that's me bein' honest." Addie liked what he said, and it was enough for her to return back towards Carl.

But that wasn't enough for Daryl.

"What really happened?"
Merle sat himself down on the steps, an action that his brother mimic several times from living here before. "I was there for a good two months when we found her...She was walkin', barely had any clothes on. Skinny. Ain't lookin' to good." He sighed, closing his eyes.

It was the hardest thing he's had to do.

"She...She has a few scars that I know ain't from before. She kept mumblin' her brothers name and it took awhile. But the man died...They were together."
"Why wasn't she in king's county?" Merle leaned back.

"She was in D.C, somethin' with helpin' the president or some shit. But she had a lotta connections to get to Fort Benning. There ain't nothin' she ain't gonna do for her lil girl." He issued, pointing his finger towards him. "Ya best 'member that, and don't be tellin' her I told ya shit."
"So why is she hatin' on me so much."
The man buckled in laughter once again.

"It ain't that hard to look up what ya've done baby brother. 'Sides, she was just a town over...Just leave her 'lone." Daryl wasn't convinced, instead he kneed down.
"Please...Anythin'...Ya gotta tell me somethin'." Merle shrugged.

"Man I don't know much, she's quiet. Ain't like she was when ya were with her to when she was with officer friendly. If I knew...Don't ya think I would've tried to help her?" "She said she didn't like men touchin' her." Merle nodded once again.

"Yeah...But she ain't had her fair share of good men in her life. Addie's father?" Daryl turned back towards Addie, she was smiling with Carl and holding Judith. "Rick won't talk 'bout it neither."
"Yeah cause he don't know nothin'...Blake's a private person 'bout that shit." Daryl stared to his brother for a moment, he could tell that he was lying up to high heaven.

"What 'bout her and Shane?" "He had a thin' for her, don't think it went farther than—" The growl and quick pace that picked up from Daryl began to speed up.

"She ain't like that, she always took her work and family seriously."
"So ya ain't been fuckin' her?" He growled, loosing her temper. But that in turn, just angered the oldest brother.

"How could ya say that...She's like my sister man—I'd—I'd never do that. Never did it before and never did it now. Despite what ya might be thinkin'." He finally had enough, rising to his feet to walk on off to another part of the prison.

And in walked Blake.

The tired demanor rang through as her eyes scanned the room, cautious and careful. But stopped as she found Daryl. "What'd ya say to Merle?" She questioned, and that out of everything wasn't what he expected.

"Nothin'."
"Yeah...Thats why he's cursing up a storm on the roof..." She spoke, going off to her designated room. Letting her head rest on the cold metal. "Told me that ya ain't sleepin'." The women chuckled. Looking towards Daryl with those dead eyes that craved sleep. "That's an understatement." She spoke, and that's when he let his bow rest against the wall.

"Take a nap...I'll stand guard." He was so careful in how to word it. Whispering as he prepared himself to take the gentle seat down. She stayed silent, the offer was one of a kind. "I can't—"

"I ain't gonna do nothin aight? Promise." As she ripped off her boots, and sighed off her flannel did Daryl's eyes run clean to the scar Merle had mentioned. But more importantly the tattoos.

"How many ya got?"
"More than you." Her monotoned voice spoke, resting Kindly against her bunched up flannel as she looked to the bottom of the bunk above her. "Why ya doin' this?" She asked, not daring to turn to him.

"Cause ya need sleep."
"You know that's not what I mean." She grieved, and she is right. Daryl couldn't understand why there was a protective factor against her.

"Ya need protectin'..." He saw her eyes close shut as her fist held against her forehead. He didn't realize it in that moment, until she bit down on her lip.

"Damn women, are ya cryin'?"
"You think the Governor's bad...Just wait and see. There's a lot of worse people out there Daryl...And I don't want Addie to see that." She offered.

"Why don't ya talk 'bout it?"
"Gotta lot of fucked up shit, don't want you to be scared." He chuckled, his hand rubbing against his chin and scruff as he offered his hand. "Try me." He offered, and with that Blake closed her eyes.
"Killed somebody."
"Who hasn't?" She turned her head, looking to the wall of the cell. Not specifically him but close enough. "Before all this. Undercover in California."

"What the fuck?" He grumbled, taking hold of the knife he had been fiddling with. Worried he might slip with that sort of response.
"FBI most wanted, clean shot...Don't feel anythin' now. It's just...Numb." Daryl was stunned, shocked. And in complete understanding of what happened.

"Heard Glenn threaten ya and ya just walked closer."
"Kid got balls against Merle, if he wanted to kill me he would've done it already." She admitted, cracking her knuckles as she felt the tension worsen.

"Sound like ya ain't afraid."
"Against who?"
"The governor." She snorted, settling into the bed easier.

"Then you don't wanna see the rest of the world, shambles. Last thing I heard was there was a guy on coms in the Arctic. Lucky bastard stationed there has ten years worth of food and nothin' but time." Her mind searched for a name, but nothing came up.

Instead Daryl just sighed.

"Ya really kill someone." She nodded once again. "I killed a lot of people."
"How many?" She turned again for a moment. She knew the number but acted out to act like she's counting.

"28."
"Ya killed 28 people?!" She shrugged. Struggling to find a comfortable position. "Yeah, but five deserved it."
"And the other 23." The laugh was pained as she covered her mouth.

Merle was right, there was some damage, not much. To her vocal cords. "Look who can do math!" She rolled her eyes and rolled to her side. Looking directly to him.

And although Daryl tried desperately to not star at her bunched up breasts. He made it a point to look to her eyes or the wall behind her. "They attacked me..."
"Bet ya roughed 'em up." She nodded but seemingly her eyes began to grow slowly down as she felt the overtaking power of sleep invest herself.

"Wake ya up in a few hours yeah?" She hummed, and soon. She was completely asleep, out of the clear blue sky was she dead to the world. Granted the alert portion of her body would still activate.

If anything, she'd wake up.

Daryl couldn't breath without worrying he'd wake her up, instead he leaned his head against the stone wall behind him. Taking in her features.

That was his Rory, for sure. He didn't need to see the tattoo on her back. But then the fear sunk in if she had it removed or not. Or how many she's had...

It continued to make him nervous, he's never been this way around women before. But it was always with different with her, and it was a painful reminder that not only did she move on.
He loves Addie like his own daughter, making her the plaster build board of what could've happened if they stayed with one another.

As he came to her neck, did he see the chains of her dog-tags just stuffed to the center of her tank top. Almost begging him to look, but he refused. He'd seen them before, but why did the urge of looking now bother him so much.

Shaking the thought did he continue, smiling to see that her blank face seems to be relaxed. Even if it was for a moment. "Yo Daryl ya-"
"Shhh." He hissed, and that had Merle almost freeze in frame as he watched what was happening.

"Ya creepin' baby brother?" Merle whispered, but shook his head. "Nah, offered to look out...She was talkin' for a lil then dozed off." The older brother's eyes widened as he made his way deeper into the cell, sitting down beside him.

"She never let me do that."
"Yeah well...Way I see it. She was gonna pass out no matter what, Rick was tellin' me she didn't sleep." The brother hummed in agreement. "That's just the way she's built brother."
Daryl sighed, again. Seeing how completely normal and downright beat Blake looked before them both was an awful sign. "World's gone to shit...And took one of the good ones." Merle spoke, nodding at his own words. But Daryl growled. "She ain't gone...Not yet."

"Ya seen her for a day brother. Just ya wait, gonna shock the hell outta ya." 

◇──◇────◇────◇──◇

Date Posted: 08-30-2020

Time: 12:33

Word-Count: 5206

It's going to skip around a bit, some chapters might be connect and others won't be. It was really just a jumble of the time in Woodbury