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Jo

After that the meeting wrapped up pretty quickly. The tension between Carter and the rest of our group was palpable. Carter looked ready to storm out but Deanna asked him to stick around after. Rick, Deanna, Maggie, Carter and Eugene all went out onto the front porch where they had set up a map so they could plan out where we needed to construct the necessary walls in order to funnel the horde where we wanted them.

Daryl and I walked together back towards the house. People were giving us a wide berth which gave us some privacy. I chewed on my lip as I debated what I wanted to say.

"What is it Jo?" Daryl asked after a minute.

I stopped on the sidewalk and turned to face him.

He was staring down at me, his eyebrows raised in expectation of what I was going to say. "It's-" I exhaled and shook my head. "I want to go with you," I finally said, looking down at the sidewalk. "I don't like the idea of you being out there alone...But-" I peeked up through my hair as I looked up at him. He didn't look judgmental as I had expected, instead he was listening thoughtfully.

"But," I continued. "I also feel like I need to be here. Sending four capable fighters as bait seems like...an ineffective use of resources.

Daryl snorted. "One way to look at it," he mused but then he waited for me to continue.

I sighed and shook my head looking off towards the fence. "I don't like the idea of you being out there with no one to watch your back."

He nodded chewing on his lip. "If ya don't come with me Rick will have ya in the woods..." he said dragging off at the end meaningfully.

I knew what he wasn't asking. I shifted my weight. "I won't be alone," I said. "And it won't be night." I touched the handle of my kukri and felt better. "Those...those are the things that would make it hard."

"They could use ya," he said looking around at the people around us. "Maggie ain't going out, Glenn will be on his own with them..."

I arched a brow. Glenn and I weren't super close. Not that I had an issue with him but we had never spent much time together. "Are you trying to pawn me off on Glenn? If you don't want me with you just-" I was teasing but Daryl stopped me.

Daryl reached out and caught my arm pulling me to a stop. "I always want ya with me," his eyes were burning with sincerity and I couldn't bring myself to look away. His voice was low and raspy and I instinctively took a step closer to him. "It's the only time I don't worry about ya. But if this is our home we gotta do what's best for it the group. They will need ya here more than I will. I got Sasha and Abraham, and if I run into trouble the bike ain't as maneuverable with two."

I sighed and looked down, kicking at the sidewalk with the toe of my boot. He reached out and lifted my chin lifting his eyebrows in a silent question.

I met his eye from only inches away and groaned. "I hate it when you're right."

He laughed out loud and the sound of it made me smile. He so rarely let himself smile and laugh like that. Other people had noticed and looked at us, startled. It made me giggle and I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his.

"I gotta go look over the bike if I'm doing this run," he said stepping back.

I nodded and jerked my chin towards the townhouses. "I'll see you later, I need to get a few things from the pantry."

"No pick'in any fights with the civilians."

I laughed out loud as I walked backwards away from him. "No promises!"

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Jo

We spent most of that afternoon starting work on the fence. Maggie drove up in a truck, bringing water and lunch for the people working. While the others took a break I continued to work. It was hot and I had pulled off my jacket, making everyone uncomfortable at the sight of my shoulder harness and knives. I ignored the stares and kept to myself so I wouldn't make anyone more uncomfortable. 

Once the group had their fill and returned to work I headed over. Maggie and Tara were still standing together near the truck. I walked up to them and took the water Maggie offered me. Smiling gratefully. Tara's eyes were locked on Nicholas, glaring. 

"What?" I asked.

Tara clenched her jaw. "He got Noah killed."

I swung back around to face Nicholas, who was working beside Glenn. "What?" I asked again, only this time in disbelief. How was he still standing here if we knew he had gotten Noah killed? 

"He did," Maggie agreed nodding cautiously. Then she took a deep breath to steady herself. "He did more than that," Maggie said and she crossed her arms and her voice broke with emotion. "He lured Glenn into the woods and tried to kill him."

Her words went over me like cold water. I sucked in a breath and my pulse started pounding in my ears. My eyes flew back to Nicholas where he was working side by side with Glenn. His posture wasn't aggressive but that didn't mean anything. 

"What the hell?" Tara asked in shock, though she was standing beside me she sounded very far away.

"Yeah," Maggie said nodding grimly. "Glenn told me I could tell everyone if that was what I wanted to do," her voice was incredibly calm. I didn't think I would be able to remain that calm if it had been Daryl Nicholas had attacked. "We could get Nicholas exiled, but he'd die out there. Could have done that. Could still do that now."

"He got Noah killed and he tried to kill Glenn?" Tara clarified as though she still couldn't quite believe what she was hearing.

"Glenn saves people. Even people like that. I couldn't accept it either. But then I thought about you. How we were on different sides of that fence on the worst day of my life. And now you're one of the most important people in the world to me. Things can get better. We can make them better," I glanced up at Maggie, pinching my lips. 

In this Deanna's instincts had been absolutely right. Maggie was a leader. Maggie was someone who was going to help rebuild civilization. She and Glenn would help rebuild humanity. I looked down at my hands. I didn't save people, not like they did. I was a survivor and I was good at surviving. I could keep people alive, but I wasn't the kind of selfless that Glenn was. I was built for this world, but maybe not the next one.

I glanced over at Daryl. He was a lot closer to Glenn and Maggie than I was, and certainly more so than he gave himself credit for. I think I used to be like that. I tried to think back to the beginning with my family. I had fought side by side with Daryl the first day I met him even though I was dangerously ill equipped to deal with the Walkers. I had fought beside a stranger without thought for myself. If put in the same situation now I wasn't sure if I would make the same decision. 

I frowned.

Maggie looked back and forth between Tara and I. "You tell me what you guys want to do."

Tara sniffled as Maggie's words got to her. She swiped at her eyes. "I ah, I'm just going to follow your lead okay?" she asked.

"Okay," Maggie said pulling Tara into a hug.

Then they both looked at me expectantly. 

I shook my head. "I appreciate the heads up," I said calmly. "I'll be sure to watch my back around him." I cleared my throat. "Probably I wouldn't tell Daryl," I said quirking an eyebrow.

Maggie chuckled and pulled me into a hug as well. I didn't stiffen as she and Tara enveloped me, but I pulled gently away after a few seconds and they both laughed. "I'm going to head back to work now," I said motioning to my spot along the fence. They both nodded.

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Daryl

We were outside the wall again the next afternoon continuing work on the fence Carter and Eugene came up with. One group was filling sandbags to reinforce the bottom of the fence another group was building. I was pushing a wheelbarrow around delivering sand to the people filling sandbags. Jo was back near the woods with a post hole digger. It was a hot day and she had tossed her jacket over my bike when we got out here, leaving her in a small black tank top. People kept staring at her again today but I didn't think it was for the reasons she seemed to think. Whenever she would pause she would tug at her shoulder harness self consciously. I didn't think she even knew she was doing it.

I pushed my wheelbarrow of sand over to where Rick was filling sandbags. My crossbow slapped rhythmically against my back as I walked. I stopped next to Rick and he looked up at me nodding in thanks.

I chewed on my lip as I considered the words I wanted to say. I normally didn't disagree with Rick about things, and I wanted him to listen to what I had to say. "Hey, what you said before about us needing to take care of ourselves?" I started. "Going out, finding more people, that is taking care of ourselves." I said dumping the sand.

He looked up at me thoughtfully. Wasn't really the best time to bring it up, or maybe it was the perfect time to bring it up. "Your call though," I said shifting my weight uncomfortably.

Rick nodded and turned to look at the woman Jessie who's husband had been killed. I looked over at Jo, checking to make sure she was okay. I didn't like that she was so close to the treeline surrounded by people from Alexandria. They kept glancing at her as though she were the danger out here, it made me want to go start punching people. They were all idiots who were going to get themselves killed. And if we weren't lucky some of us were going to get hurt as well.

Rick cleared his throat and I looked back at him. He was watching me watch Jo. "What's she gonna do?" he finally asked.

I looked back at him and he had turned his attention back to filling sandbags. "She's here to help, whatever ya need," I replied.

"So she's not going with you?" he asked, surprised.

"Naw, ya guys need her more here."

"Well that's true," Rick allowed. "I'm just-," he dragged off frowning towards the woods. He tensed. "Jo!" he called. I looked into the trees and spotted the small herd of walkers. I counted seven. 

Jo was the only one of our people close. She was shoveling dirt along the bottom of fence. She looked up at the sound her name, glancing at Rick and me and then looking where we were into the trees. She raised the shovel. 

"Here they come," Rick muttered under his breath like he had been waiting for them. "Jo step back," he ordered.  "Carter," Rick called, "heads up."

Jo looked back at Rick like she couldn't believe he was telling her to leave the people from Alexandria to fend for themselves. Rick ignored her and continued to speak in a calm authoritative voice. "Use your shovels, the guns will draw more. You can do this, you need to. All of you." Rick told them. 

But they weren't handling it. They were quickly being swarmed. People cried out and tried to run away.

Jo made a sound of disgust and jumped forward, swinging the shovel at the one closest to her. "Jo don't!" Rick yelled angrily. 

Ignoring him, Jo moved forward and kicked back the one the had Carter pinned. It slammed against the metal fence, the loud noise drawing the attention of the rest of the walkers. Jo slammed to end of the shovel through the Walkers head. Carter looked like he was about to puke as the skull split open and fell to the ground near him. Jo tossed aside the shovel and drew her knives. I ran for Jo. 

By the time I swung my crossbow around into my hands two more were on the ground. I fired a bolt into the walker closest to her as I moved. I stopped to reload and Morgan ran past me with his staff. He killed the first one he came to but there were still two more. One was coming at Jo growling excitedly while the last was shuffling towards a small group of people who were cowering in fear. 

I watched Jo look back and forth between the two and swore when she made the decision which one to kill first. She was going to risk sacrificing herself to save the group. She threw her knife, lodging it in the base of the skull of the walker attacking the cowering people. That let the walker near her get too close, it barreled into her knocking her to the ground in its excitement. I swore again as I slid the next bolt home and fired as I brought it up. The bolt struck home just as the walkers teeth was only inches away from Jo's exposed skin. 

When the walker on top of her collapsed I sagged in relief. I jogged towards her. Morgan had already pulled the walker off of her and offered her a hand to pull her to her feet. I stepped around Morgan, nodding a thanks. He nodded back but I was already looking at Jo. She was covered in dirt and mud and her hands and forearms were covered in gore but I pulled her against my chest. 

"Are ya hurt?" I asked into her hair. 

She pulled back and looked up at me quirking a brow. She seemed confused but my heart was still thudding in my chest. I looked down at the bodies of the walkers and the people from Alexandria. They were still cowering, looking at Jo with wide fearful eyes. I glared at them, Jo had just risked her life to save them. They scrambled away back towards the road. 

Jo stepped out of my arms still looking confused by my reaction. I exhaled again and shook my head. She was gonna be the death of me if she kept throwing herself at herds of walkers like she had nothing to lose. She handed me back my bolts. I put one away and reloaded the other. Jo gathered her knives, squatted down and cleaned them before putting them away. 

Morgan was staring at Jo his mouth pressed into an angry line. He whirled to face Rick. "You said you don't take chances anymore," Morgan challenged Rick motioning towards Jo and the dead walkers.

I looked from Morgan to Rick and back again. And then I noticed Deanna standing at the edge of the road, but she wasn't watching Rick and Morgan, her eyes were locked on Jo. Jo was busy cleaning her knives and hadn't noticed. I stepped between Jo and Deanna and glared at her. Deanna's eyes widened in surprise and then a small smile crossed her face and she dipped her chin before turning back to the rest of the group. 

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Jo

After what happened in the woods Rick sent me back to the compound early to get cleaned up. Daryl had been acting over protective and Rick and Morgan were engaged in some kind of power struggle. It was exhausting. When I got back to the house and looked in the mirror I suddenly understood the men's reactions. I was covered in dirt and mud and splattered with blood. I grinned at myself in the mirror. Wearing only the small tank top I had been working in I looked like a reject from an old horror movie. 

Once I was cleaned up I headed over to the pantry. I really wasn't looking forward to facing Olivia again so soon, but I could deal with it. I needed to see if there was a wet stone in the inventory so I could take care of my knives. 

I came in through the back door and found Eugene frozen beside the wire shelves in the hallway. I frowned at him. His eyes were wide and fearful and he jerked them towards the room beyond.

I frowned but quickly realized what he was trying to tell me. I held perfectly still and listened.

"I'm sorry Spencer but Deanna is asleep at the wheel. So it's on us. We have got to stop him." It was Carter's voice.

I took a step around Eugene so I was closer to the open door. What kind of idiots were they? Having some kind of secret meeting that Eugene was able to stumble upon?

Carter continued. "What the priest said about him, about these people, he was right. How many more of us have to die before we do something? Because pretty soon it's going to be too late."

I took another silent step closer. 

"Carter," it was Olivia's voice. "You need to be really careful here. You're talking about us going to Deanna and telling her-"

"NO!" Carter snapped angrily. "I'm not talking about talking some more. About meetings. I'm not talking about that. Plain and simple, we kill him before he kills us."

Behind me Eugene sucked in a breath and there was a loud crash as a glass jar shattered on the floor. I glanced over my shoulder at him in annoyance and turned back to the room just in time for Carter to step out with a gun in hand.

Eugene fumbled backwards away from the man in front of us, tripped and collapsed into the shelves sending glassware flying. I didn't look at Eugene, I didn't turn away. I stood with my hands hanging loosely at my sides as Carter pointed a gun at my chest. I had just saved him from Walkers, the ungrateful asshole. 

"Carter," Tobin called from inside the room. So Tobin was a part of the mutiny as well. I don't know why, but I was surprised. He didn't seem like the type. 

"They heard," Carter growled, the hammer clicked and that thing in my brain slowed everything down. I wasn't faster than a gun, but I might be faster than Carter. Scratch that, I knew I was faster than Carter. He had a gun, but he wasn't a fighter and there was a small chance, like most civilized men, he would hesitate when fighting a woman.

"Carter don't!" Olivia's voice was high with tension. "You can't!" She exclaimed. Her voice got louder and it sounded as though she were standing in the doorway. Which was good. She would block the others who might be fighters. At least Spencer and Tobin were in that room. Spencer wasn't much of a fighter and Tobin would for sure hesitate. Eugene was behind me and on the floor making himself as small of a target as possible. He wouldn't be any help, but I would have to protect him. 

I stared Carter down, letting him see in my eyes everything that lived inside my head. Intimidation had kept me safe in the past and Carter wasn't The Governor. Either it would save me here, or it would get me killed even faster. Either way we were going to solve this right now. 

Carter's eyes widened and he took a half a step back. 

My fastest knife was the one under my left arm. The spine sheath took too long to clear. Probably my best bet would be hand to hand. I could swipe his hand sideways, step in and pant a knife up under his chin before anyone else could move. I could grab his gun before he fell. I wondered if any of the others had guns in their hands. It was risky...

Just then the front door clicked open. Carter kept the gun aimed at me and turned in time to see Rick, Daryl and Morgan step in. I had a single second to see the rage fly across Daryl's face as he took a menacing step forward.  Rick shoved Daryl a little behind him and to the side. The door slammed against the wall so it was all the way open.

"What the hell's going on?" Daryl snarled from behind Rick.

"What are you doing?" Rick asked in a much calmer voice.

Now Carter's focus was more on them and I took half a step towards him. Behind Rick I saw Daryl tense and his eyes were shooting daggers at me. Did he just expect me to stand here and wait to get rescued?

"I'm taking this place back from you," Carter said nervously.

Rick took another step into the house and looked into the front room. "That's what you were talking about in here?" he asked. I could see his disappointment when he saw Tobin, Spencer and Olivia.

"That's what he was talking about," Tobin said defensively.

Rick nodded and turned his attention back to Carter. "See...I would have set up some lookouts... That would have been the smart thing," Rick kept moving but it was slow and casual, lulling Carter into a false sense of security. "You know if I happened to-" Rick leapt forward, grabbing Carter's gun hand. He jerked it free and kicked Carter in the back of the knee, sending him tumbling to the ground at Daryl's feet.

Daryl's gun was already in his hand and he pressed it into Carter's temple.

"You really think you're going to take this community from us?" Rick asked rhetorically. "From Daryl? From Jo? From Michonne? From me?" Rick growled menacingly. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"

"It was just me," Carter whispered.

"What?" Rick snapped.

"It was just me," he said with more conviction. "Just kill me."

Rick snorted and shook his head. I couldn't read his face, but his shoulders didn't make me think he was going to give Daryl the okay. He looked up from Carter than, who was silently weeping on the ground to look at Daryl. Really looked at him. Even I frowned.

"Daryl," Rick said in an overly calm voice.

But Daryl didn't look up. His eyes were narrowed menacingly as he stared down at Carter. There was a fine tremble to the hand not holding the gun that told me he did not entirely have a handle on his temper.

"Dare," I called.

Daryl looked up then. His eyes went from me to Rick and settled on Carter on the ground at his feet. He lowered his gun. "I'm good," he said nodding to each of us.

I nodded back and offered him a small smile so he would know I understood. Rick handed me Carter's gun. I checked it, it was loaded with a full clip. I tucked it away into my empty holster. It had been a long time since I carried a gun.

Once Daryl lowered the gun Rick turned his attention back to Carter. "You try to work with us. You try to survive. Can you do that?"

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Okay so I hope you liked the update. It was a tough one to write but necessary.