Beauty in Death - The Walking Dead

-nine-

This Sorrowful Life

(A/N: This is a Liz and Daryl heavy chapter just so you guys know)

Rick didn't want to do this, but he knew he had to be done. It was for the greater good. If handing Michonne off to the Governor would get Woodbury to stand down, then, the way Rick saw it, they didn't have much else of a choice.

He told Merle what he wanted to get done. Rick couldn't do it himself, he couldn't. So he asked Daryl's brother to take her to the Governor for him, but to keep quiet. He knew Daryl and Hershel (who were the only other two he'd confided with about the Governor's offer) didn't approve of the idea at all.

It didn't matter, though. This had to be done. It had to be done.

Rick walked outside to hear the sound of pots and pans banging together, as well as people yelling and drawing the walkers in the field's attention.

Behind the fence, making as much noise as they could, were Carl, Chloe, Kacy, Liz, Maggie, and Beth. Glenn, Daryl, and Michonne were driving through the field in a pickup truck, laying down spike strips.

"HEY! OVER HERE!" Chloe banged her pots together. Several walkers were coming in her direction, but she was unfazed. She was safe behind the fence. As long as they kept the walkers attention away from Glenn, Michonne, and Daryl, it would be fine.

"OVER HERE!" Carl yelled. Kacy banged her pots together as loud as she could.

Once all of the spike strips had been laid down, everyone began to make their way back to the courtyard where Rick was. He ran to open the gate for the pickup truck. "They try to drive up to the gate, maybe some blown tires'll stop them," Glenn said to Rick.

"It's a good idea." He nodded to them.

"It was Michonne's," Daryl replied immediately. Rick looked at him and then to Michonne. He knew Daryl didn't approve of this plan to hand Michonne over to the Governor at all.

"We don't have to beat them," Michonne explained. "We just have to make their getting at us more trouble than it's worth."

With everyone else coming in from making all of the noise, Rick glanced over at Daryl. He sighed and then nodded to the others. "Let's go." He led the group back inside.

➵

Liz was with Daryl, they were out in the courtyard, keeping an eye on things. Liz had her hands tucked into her back pockets while Daryl had his crossbow out and at the ready. "You've been awfully quiet, Crossbow," Liz commented. "Something bothering you?"

Daryl looked up at her and shook his head. "Nah, I'm just thinkin' is all."

"Well, that's dangerous." Liz smiled. Daryl couldn't help but chuckle a little bit. "C'mon, what's the matter?"

"It's nothin'," he replied. Daryl had given Rick his word that he wouldn't say anything to anyone about what he planned on doing with Michonne. It wasn't his place to say anything.

But then, as if on cue, Rick came strolling out into the courtyard. He approached Daryl and Liz, and he didn't seem to care that she was there to listen in on what he had to say. "It's off, we'll take our chances," Rick said.

"I'm not saying it was the wrong call, it was definitely the right one," Daryl replied.

Liz furrowed her eyebrows. "What are you two–?" She began, but Daryl shushed her.

Daryl noticed the look of concern on Rick's face. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"I can't find Merle or Michonne," Rick said. "They've gone."