A metallic noise collided against the walls, echoing in the confines of the room. The bathroom door had closed, driven by muscular arms. Rick went furious with a stern look in your direction. He grabbed you by the collar of your shirt and approached you. Carol started blocking him, but failed. The sheriff must have overheard the conversation. He had followed you, had reached you, perhaps to tell you something, but when he saw you with the woman, he had preferred to hear your conversation first. Carol had stopped motionless, but you were sure to die. Rick would have made you talk and then he would have killed you. These cold and piercing eyes...

"How do you know his name?", he asked, taking a deep breath.

"I know him, I know this man..."

The grip was strengthened and urged you to continue: "Rick, I worked for him... When I showed up here, it was just to gather information... Woodbury needed to know before he organized the attack... But instead of going back and to tell all, I admonished Philip to leave you alone... He lied to me, I was not there when you attacked the city to get back your companions, because I was on a mission for months... What I knew about you, was totally wrong, please believe me, it's the truth!", you explained desperately. He released his grip and threw you to the ground with full force. He screamed, repeating the word 'shit' several times, and in the meantime he held his head and pressed against his temples. Carol looked at you with a mixture of hate and gratitude. She had understood that you told the truth, you had no reason to lie. Of course, she was not one hundred percent sure, but she despised you anyway for you fraudulent figure... The group had welcomed you, all in all, they had treated you very well. Rick leaned against a wall, his hands closing behind his neck. He made these repetitive movements and bobbed back and forth unconsciously. Carol did not seem to be surprised... Rick had probably reacted that way many times, but you couldn't blame him.

"I trusted you, damnit! I trusted you...", the sheriff murmured, while Carol crouched beside you with a certain contempt.

"He abused you for that?", she asked and you nodded.

"Fuck off! Get the hell away from us!", Rick shouted and came back to you furiously. Carol stopped the sheriff and prevented him from reaching you again.

"Rick! Rick, listen to me, there's no point in throwing her out now! Y/N didn't share amy information with the Governor, he'll attack anyway. We need to get ready.", she said, and he turned away from her.

"To end this war, it means the certain death for us! How can you believe her?"

You got up cautiously and Rick immediately pulled his gun out of the holster, but Carol started talking again: "Y/N really tried to change that man's opinion, I'm sure. But I do not know anything about the rest..."

"I don't demand protection from you, and I'm aware of the seriousness of the context, Rick. But I came back to warn you, they have a tank, and they'll be here tomorrow afternoon."

The woman held in disbelief and frightened her hands over her mouth. The sheriff stepped forward, so much so that he pressed the barrel of the now loaded weapon on your forehead.

"I do not believe that even one true word comes out of your damn mouth!", he replied with a mocking smile.

He felt stupid because he let you enter. He felt unable to protect his family. He had promised himself that nothing bad would happen to them, and instead he was here, stunned and poisoned by resentment. Ready to shoot you... But he knew the wounds you were wearing were a tangible sign of the Governor's unstable madness. If you were still working for him, why should he abuse you? His eyebrows lifted a little as if he wanted to read your mind.

"Rick, if you don't trust me, do it, kill me now, right here."

Carol looked at you desperately. You stared at each other. Another voice rose in the room, forcing your eyes to look away.

"The hell 's happenin' here!", Daryl shouted questioningly, but when he saw your injuries that showed the scene in front of him, he stopped. Rick and the archer exchanged long speeches through their crystalline eyes, then he went to you and pointed his crossbow at you. It was getting worse... You couldn't say for sure what he was thinking, but surely it wasn't hard to guess that you had become a possible enemy for him as well.

"What 're yer intentions?", Daryl asked the sheriff but he did not answer. It was replaced by the woman, who had recovered from the shock and returned determined and combative.

"It would be a mistake to kill her now Rick, we need her... She will provide us with useful information!"

"Don't you understand Carol? Woodbury has more people than us, they're better armed and even in possession of a tank!", he replied, and Daryl was almost pale.

"What?", he asked, looking at you: "Did ya' know 'bout that?"

"No!", you replied quickly, hoping they recognized honesty in your eyes.

Rick lowered his weapon and the archer did the same. He wasn't calm at all and had made a decision in his mind.

"Listen to me, Y/N. I will not kill you, at least not yet. I will not say thank you for coming back or for trying to talk to the Governor. Now you work for me, do you understand that?"

There was no need for you to reply, it was obvious that you were glad not to die.

"When the Governor attacks... What will you do?", he asked.

"I'll kill him.", you replied dryly.

"If something should happen... If we were separated or drowned in chaos... Where are you safe?"

"With you.", you answered again.

"You know the rules, we'll start from the beginning, again..."

They approached the door and whispered together. Rick and Carol went to the others to inform them while Daryl continued to guard you. He sat with momentum on a sink and put the crossbow on his legs. It wasn't the time to talk to him about Merle, but you knew it would never happen in the end anyway. And since you had already confessed everything, only this painful detail remained. If you stayed longer and kept it secret for a long time, it would only have been counterproductive. You watched each other as if you both wanted to say something. He was tense, but not too much... The news of the Governor's attack hadn't surprised him, because everyone knew more or less that this day would come. And he wasn't even mad at you or at least he didn't show it. He seemed more worried about your physical condition and continued to stare at your face and all the wounds and injuries.

"The Governor did this to ya'?", he suddenly asked, pointing his index finger at you, ignoring some of the details of the current situation.

"Yes."

He tried to reassemble the parts, the various fragments of the dialogue between Rick and you. He then understood that the wounds had been caused by your intervention in their favor. And maybe he was even sorry... It was hard to interpret Daryl. His thoughts were revealed only when he was angry.

"Didn't ya' kick him in the ass?"

You shook your head with a smile to hide the tears in your eyes. You didn't want to talk about it and fortunately he understood it. Daryl waited for Rick to return, with some information on the possible management of the future problem. You didn't know when it would be possible to regain the opportunity to be a part of his family... Without moving, you stood with your feet in the middle of the lines of a tile and said: "Daryl I -..."

"Daryl!", the voice of the sheriff suddenly came in. He left the room and reached his friend at the entrance, you had missed an opportunity. They both left and left you alone, these minutes seemed endless, you felt like shit. Now you were trapped in a mess, but you were glad that you met Rick and his people and you liked them, both as a human being and as a companion.

United. Faithful. Strong.

The sheriff had managed to build a good structure. They were like clockwork, each one of them unique and special, an indispensable mechanism for the proper functioning of the entire organism. It bothered you not to know their intentions, not to be able to hear their reflections. You had built a subtle bond with each member, but now everything was broken, you had cheated on them, that was the point... If there is no trust, the group is not connected.

While Rick puzzled himself to find a good plan, any other thing would be inefficient. You would all have been killed or at least a good part of you. You did not know what to hope for. Dying or surviving in the open field in the war, then forced to suffer their contempt? If you were left unscathed by any miracle, you would have chosen a lonely adventure. You would have taken different paths. One day you would have found a place... A new home.

Rick appeared at the door and made a sign to follow him. You walked down the corridors. The same corridors where the sheriff had carried you in your arms and feared for your life... As you entered the cell tract, you found yourself in front of a table surrounded by Glenn, Daryl, Hershel and two free chairs. You sat down. Everything was quiet... To be honest, you had counted on terrible words, contradictions and anger. But Hershel and Glenn looked at you without saying anything. Glenn was discouraged and convinced of a defeat. Hershel beamed with hope instead. But they still stared at you as if they were trying to decipher you. Like a puzzle...

"We have a few hours to decide how we will act.", Rick confirmed.

"There's nothin' to decide, we or 'em, 'nd I won't lose.", Daryl snorted.

"We have to find tactical arrangements to position ourselves. They will enter by breaking the gates and using the tank to destroy the prison. Therefore, we can take advantage of increased passages. We have already provided shields for the bullets. We have to have control over the whole area. Some snipers are positioned on the two towers. We have little ammo, so we have to shoot precisely. We must not waste anything.", Glenn said, gesturing, and Rick nodded, forcing his hand into a fist, his leg moving quickly, affected by nervousness.

"Maggie and Carol will be on the towers, they can aim well, but on the raised structures, Carl and Hershel. On the ground, I want to see the most skilled and capable of us. Beth has to be safe with Judith.", the Sheriff replied.

But Hershel was worried. He was afraid for his daughters. Finding a safe place was rather difficult, almost impossible.

"Don't forget the Walkers. With that noise we'll turn 'em in our direction anyway.", Daryl pointed out.

"It will be a problem for both groups. Maybe the Walkers will help us.", Hershel said, and Rick seemed to agree.

"Considering that the Governor will destroy the fences, the Walkers and his men will enter the forecourt and we will already be positioned in the designated areas, certainly only for a short time, but we could benefit from it. We have to be able to reduce the number of opponents, then when the others have destroyed the second fence... There we stand face to face."

Only the strongest would have won. It would have been pointless to have a strategy. Man against man, weapon against weapon. Who pulls the trigger first, prolongs his life by a few minutes... You would have arranged a number of different weapons and ammunition, so you could easily deliver them while maintaining the original disposition. Shooting around wildly with a light machinegun would have been a common but completely wrong idea, since you had very little ammunition, so you had to calibrate every single shot. Killing with intelligence... Don't panic... You understood why they hadn't considered the escape proposal, as this would have been only a temporary solution.

Shortly thereafter, everyone turned in your direction and stared at you.

"Tell us even the most insignificant detail: How many will it be. How they will move. What weapons they have. How the Governor thinks. I demand everything from you to know!", Rick ordered: "And then we go over to the facts."

The explanation didn't last long. You tried to be consistent and precise. Not that there was much to talk about Philip's thoughts... Although it was still dark, you moved quickly through the prison area and prepared everything as planned. Nobody complained about the sheriff's decisions, although Maggie would have preferred to take part in the direct confrontation. You worked with your head down, trying to avoid the looks of others. In short, even their situation was not optimal. They had to hate you for lying, but they were grateful that you had warned them. It was very contradictory thoughts... The fact is that you did not talk to each other as if you had decided to reluctantly collaborate. There was no room to discuss. It did not matter if you were a friend, cheater, or anything else. Importantly, they had more hands that could kill. You had decided to prepare the various positions immediately because you feared that the Governor, who was aware of your escape, could have come in advance because he thought he would surprise you then. You climbed on a tower and filled it up with the necessary materials. On the floor lay a mattress and a few backpacks. Glenn and Maggie have often spent time here together. You noticed a picture on a blanket, on which Maggie is sleeping, and smiled spontaneously. She was beautiful. Shortly thereafter you went downstairs and helped Michonne to place wooden boards in various places so that they could serve as protection. If you hadn't been a pessimist and looked around, you would have sworn you could win it. Rick kept an eye on you, more than needed. He had also freed you from the weapons again. And even if you had been in possession, you certainly didn't mean to do shit with them... You not only tried to stay alive, but you had done everything you could to help them. Everyone seemed very confused, running from one side to the other. You moved between them and stayed calm. You had to carry one of the ammo boxes near the entrance to Block C, so you put a flashlight in your mouth and lifted that damn thing up. You made big steps so that you would arrive first, but halfway Daryl stopped you.

"I'll take care of it...", he said and pulled the box out of your hands. You wanted to answer, but only an incomprehensible groan came out of your mouth because of the flashlight. He looked at you impassively, went back and you took the box back into your hands. You would have liked to apologize to each of them, but you had to prove it with actions, not words. It would take a while...

"You don't have to worry...", whispered Hershel suddenly.

"They all seem busy...", you just answered. In fact, you did not have the slightest idea of ​​what the others were doing, as you only paid attention to the work. You needed to do to avoid any dialogue. Hershel patted your shoulder and wanted to go.

"Hershel..."

"Yes?", the man asked and turned around.

"Aren't you angry?"

He bowed his head. "Why should I be angry?", he asked, laughing.

"For what I did."

"Then tell me, what did you do?"

"I lied to you...", you replied with your head down.

Hershel looked at you and didn't take the smile off his face.

"But you were honest."

You didn't understand what exactly he was aiming for, it seemed to you like a rather strange conversation. Then he left and let you alone. You shook your head in disbelief. He could not have said that, no one would have seen you the way he did. Every other person would have killed you. The man was too friendly and far surpassed the goodness that could be expected in these days. You focused again on the beam generated by the light you had at your disposal and reached the rest of the group in the prison. Everyone was in his cell, but nobody would go to sleep. Fear and anger didn't spare you... It took about several hours at dawn, peace would have made little sense. Rick hugged his daughter, who grabbed his father's forefinger. He looked at her with sad eyes and regretted that he had put her in such a world, but at the same time stared at her with love, glad that she had survived, as Lori had wished. To embrace her was to feel the beloved woman still at his side. Everyone had lost someone and even if you had partially overcome their death, you were afraid of suffering another loss. It may seem strange, but you would not have liked it if one of them would die. You can't say that you've built strong relationships, but you still liked those people, though you didn't know why. You had never felt comfortable with other groups after only a few days... When you didn't know them, you hated them. Then you learned to relate to them and to understand the true dynamics of what triggered the war. But Michonne was the only topic that you hadn't completely deciphered...

And Daryl? He sat in a cell and was busy checking his arrows. No one spoke, all sat in their own silence, while your thoughts traveled through countless questions and phobias...