KATHRYN'S POV
I stood at the gate, watching for the two remaining members of the group to return. A few hours ago, Dad announced to the group what he had been about to do, and to say I was mad he even considered doing it was an understatement. And now, Daryl was out there looking for his brother when Michonne had returned an hour ago without either of them. I stood there, holding myself as I just watched the tree line, watching and waiting for Daryl to return with his brother.
I may not have liked the man, but Merle was a part of Daryl's family and family was more important now than it had been before the turn. The sound of approaching footsteps from behind caused me to turn my head slightly to look back and see who was walking up to me. I spotted Glenn as he made his way slowly towards me before I turned back to face the woods and held myself tighter. "You know your dad feels bad about what he'd decided to do right," he asked when he came to a stop beside me.
"He still considered it," I said as I watched the walkers meander around. "But he didn't go through with it," Glenn said placing a hand on my shoulder, "give him more credit than you currently are. He was thinking of what was best for the group." "But she earned her place here," I said looking back to him, "with us. I mean, what's the point of saving twelve people if you have to sacrafice one to do it?" I watched as he sighed and shook his head, he knew I was right about it not being fair to sacrafice one person just to save the rest. This world is fucked up but the people who try to run it now make that much worse.
"Don't be so hard on your dad," Glenn said one final time before turning and walking off, back into the prison and leaving me alone once more. I turned back to the woods in time to see movement by the trees and the familiar silhouette making it's way slowly up towards the fence. "Daryl," I said running to the gate, key in hand as I waited for him to get closer. When he was close enough, I unlocked the padlock and pulled the gate open far enough for him to walk through. Once he was in, I closed and locked it back before turning to face him.
DARYL'S POV
"Daryl," Kat's voice whispered out softly, causing me to turn and look at her. Her blue eyes looking up at me before looking behind her towards the gate and futher back to the woods beyond the fence, and finally she looked back to me. I could see the question in here eyes but she wasn't voicing it. I couldn't hold it back anymore, I just walked up to her and placed my head on her shoulder as the tears I thought I couldn't cry anymore began falling once again. "He's gone," I said, my voice cracking as she instantly wrapped her arms around me.
I felt myself begin to sway as I broke down in front of her. I think if it hadn't been for this small girl, I would've ended up on my ass again like I had when I had to kill my own brother. She didn't say anything, just let me get it out as we stood out there in front of the gate I'd walked through moments before. She didn't give me any of that bullshit it's okay or everything will be alright, because I think she knew it didn't matter what she said. I still lost my brother, and even as much of an asshole he was, he was still my brother and she respected that. I felt her hand rub up and down my back before I finally pulled myself away from her.
KATHRYN'S POV
I had never seen Daryl this broken. Even when we lost Sophia last year. It was me who had been so broken from that and he'd seen it, along with when I was so close to being raped. Daryl had comforted me then, and now it was my turn to try and comfort him. Peering up into his watery eyes, I lifted my hand and gently brushed away the tear streaks on both of his cheeks, knowing he didn't want the others to see him looking this weak even though he was one of the strongest men I'd ever met. "Everyone's decided what we're going to do," I said after a couple of minutes of silence, "Dad's stepped down from being the group leader. It'll be a group decision from now on."
He pulled away from me and took a few deep and calming breaths before he looked to me and nodded. "What's the decision," he asked, his voice still cracking slightly from crying but other than that and the faint tear marks you'd never know he'd been crying moments before. "We're gonna fight," I said, "this prison is ours. We've lost too many people to give it up without trying to. The plan's been set, we're going to make it look like we fled and lure them further in to ambush them." "You're staying out of this fight right," he asked as he eyed me.
"I'm fighting too," I said determind, "Hershel, Beth, and Carl are taking Judith and hiding in the woods away from the prison. I'm sticking around to help defend our home." "Kat," he groaned out. "No," I said shaking my head, "I want to fight too. You and Dad both know when I set my mind to it I don't back down. Besides Hershel said I should be fine even with my injured side. So I'm fighting too." He groaned again and looked down at the ground before finally looked up to me, his blue eyes meeting my own. "Fine," he said after seeing the determination in my eyes before nodding for us to make our way back inside to get ready to protect our home.