𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍
𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐆𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒
︶꒦꒷★꒷꒦︶

Claire had been trying to distract herself for 45 minutes.

Roman, Daryl, Hershel and Rick were out there right now making peace negotiations with the Governor, and Claire couldn't take her mind off it. The hundreds of things that could go wrong, things that could get them killed, or bitten.

And Meryl wasn't making anything better. He had just finished his speech about how many things could go wrong and about how they should be out there killing the Governor. Glenn had talked him down, but Claire was still anxious.

She had done everything to keep her distracted. She cleaned her and Eli's cell, she folded their laundry, she swept the living area—hell, she even tried reading a book. None of it helped. All she could think about was how they were all in danger. All of them. The members of the group talking to the Governor, and the members here, at the prison. This could be set up for an ambush. Take away some of the strongest members of the group, leaving the prison open for the taking.

"If Michonne can do it, why can't you?"

Clair furrowed her brows at Maggie's raised voice, stepping out of her cell and rounding the corner into the common area, where Merle was shoving weapons into a bag, Glenn guarding the door.

"'Cause it's my brother out there, that's why. What's the matter with y'all?" Merle shook his head, and Claire crossed her arms across her chest, "We've all got someone out there, Merle. You think Carl wouldn't jump at the opportunity to go after Rick? Or that Maggie wouldn't go to save Hershel? We need to stay here."

Merle scoffed, "Ranger Rick has you all tied around his finger." He turned back around, walking up the steps to the gate, Glenn blocking him in. "I'm not gonna let you put them in danger."

"Nut up already, boy! This guy cops a feel of your woman, and you pussy out like this? Get out of my way."

Claire's eyebrows furrowed in anger, clutching her fist tightly at her side as the urge to grab a gun from the table and shoot him dead begins to kick in.

"No." Glenn speaks through gritted teeth. A moment of silence fell over the group, before Merle shoved himself into Glenn, the two men attempting to fight each other off. Claire gasped as the grabbed each other and went tumbling down the concrete stairs, taking a quick step back to avoid them. Maggie flew forward to get Merle off of Glenn, Michonne and Claire following suit to grab at the strong mans shoulders, "Get off him!" Maggie shouted, Michonne grabbing his metal forearm and Claire grasping the mans other bicep to try and peel his hand from Glenns neck.

"Get off him!" She heard Kira shout as she ran into the room, but before the girl got to them, a loud gunshot rang through the room, echoing around the metal cages. Claire winced in surprise, looking back at Beth, who was pointing a pistol to the ceiling

Maggie and Michonne managed to pull Merle back, the man screaming for them to let him go. Claire reached out and helped Glenn off the floor. He grunted as the pain settled into his bones, gripping Claires arm before giving it a pat and releasing her to stand on his own.

Claire panted as the adrenaline began to wear down, rolling her shoulders back and glaring at Merle. Who the hell did this guy think he was? Coming into their prison after beating Glenn and Kira, and then making demands?

The nerve of this guy.

★

Claire frowned as she watched the walkers in the field claw at the fence, all of their hardwork washed away by a guy with an eyepatch. They have been trying for so long to make their place in this world, hiding in houses, sleeping in cars. They made this prison their home, and the Governor decide to take it from them. It was so unfair.

And they were out there right now, negotiating with him.

She couldn't stop her mind from wandering to Roman. Was he okay? Was he safe? Would he be coming home today? Or would the Governor be returning his dead body to them?

"You okay?"

Claire turns back, smiling meekly at Marcus before turning her attention back to the field. "Just worried. I don't trust the Governor, or Andrea. I don't trust them to not kill everyone the moment Rick turns his back."

"They'll be okay." He stood beside her now, gripping the edge of the watch tower railing. "I don't want to see him carrying our friends bodies back here."

"Claire. It'll be okay." Claire nodded, closing her eyes together tightly as her chest began knotting.

Fuck, it's happening again. The tightening in her chest, the inability to take in deep breaths, the tunnel vision. Fuck.

Swallowing thickly, her mouth felt dry as she closed her eyes, trying to focus in on the sounds of the trees and birds around them, trying to drown out the moans of the walkers below.

"Are you okay? Whats happening?"

Marcus' voice was muffled in her head, the blonde girl opening her eyes as tears began to form to look over at him, "I'm having-"

She couldn't speak, the tears began flowing from her eyes. She sucked in a choked breath, watching as Marcus' eyes went wide and he grasped her shoulders in a panic, "Claire, I think you're having a panic attack."

"No shit." She managed to wheeze out, grasping the bottom of his shirt as she closed her eyes and leaned into him, pressing her forehead against his chest. She tried to think happy thoughts; her brother, her parents, the group, happy and laughing as they sat around a fire eating dinner.

"They're back!"

Claire's eyes shot open, pulling away from Marcus to peer over the edge of the watch tower as the gates opened and the roar of Daryl's motorcycle began to roar clearly in her ears. Her chest loosened, allowing a deep breath to enter her lungs as a car followed in behind Daryl.

She broke from Marcus' grasp, sprinting down the steps of the watch tower and out the door as they exited the car. They were home, safe and alive.

A few of the others emerged from the prison as Claire approached, Maggie reaching out to her father as Rick looked around the tree line outside the prison.

"Let's get inside." Rick commanded, Claire smiling as she approached Roman, the man slinging his rifle over his shoulder and looking out at the prison through squinted eyes.

"I'm so happy you guys are okay. I was worried sick. Literally." She spoke, coming to a slow in front of him. "That guys a weirdo. I can't imagine why they made him their leader." Roman joked, nodding his head in the direction of the prison where everyone was entering, "We should get inside, the meeting didn't go very smoothly." She nodded, following after him inside.

The gathered inside, all watching as Rick paced slowly in silence. Claire bit her lip, bringing her right hand up to her mouth to anxiously nibble on her thumbnail. Eli stood next to her, sandwiched between her and Roman as Rick stopped to speak.

"So, I met this Governor. Sat with him for quite a while."

"Just the two of you?" Merle inquired, Rick nodding meekly. "Should have gone when we had the chance, bro." Merle mumbled to Glenn before walking to the back of the room. Claire couldn't freaking stand him.

"He wants the prison. He wants us gone. Dead. He wants us dead, for what we did to Woodbury." The group silently listened to their appointed leader, shuffling slightly from the rising tension.

"We're going to war." Rick paused before walking quickly out of the room. Claire swallowed, reaching over to squeeze Eli's shoulder nervously.

They were outnumbered. Too outnumbered. There weren't enough of them to fight back. One of them only had one leg, three of them were children. The Governor has a whole damn town.

They weren't going to make it out of this.

︶꒦꒷★꒷꒦︶