Family Ties ✔

Chapter 67

~Lizzie~
“You can’t be serious Uncle Rick,” I said as I stood out in the courtyard with Daryl, him, and Hershel as we talked about what was to happen today. “I didn’t say I’d be handing you both over to him Elizabeth,” he said looking at me, “not you anyway. You’re my family and I’m not losing you again to him.” “What about Michonne,” I asked, “I heard she earned her place here amongst our own. You’re just going to betray her trust in you like that and hand her over to that bastard?!” “This ain’t us man,” Daryl said from beside me as he placed his hand on my shoulder. “We do this,” Uncle Rick said looking between me and Daryl, “we don’t have to deal with a fight. No one else has to die.” “That’s where you’re wrong,” I said shaking my head, “you said he wants both me and Michonne. Well if he only gets her he’ll still come after this group to get me.”
~Rick~
I knew she was right, but I couldn’t risk losing her to him. This Governor didn’t know Elizabeth was my niece, and that I’d do everything in my power to keep her safe. I wasn’t handing her over to him, not without a fight. Daryl and I both watched as she walked off after making her point about him not leaving the group alone if she wasn’t handed over with Michonne today. “We need someone else,” I said to Daryl as he glanced to me while I continued to watch my niece’s retreated form. He stared at me for a moment without me having to say a name, he knew who I was referring to. “I’ll talk to him,” he said nodding as he looked back to the girl he seemed to get so attached to since that day on the farm. “I’ll do it,” I said, “he knows how the Governor thinks. Plus I know you and Elizabeth both told him about how she had been pregnant before what happened at Woodbury. I know he won’t let any harm come to her, he’ll want his revenge against him too.”
~Daryl~
Rick was right about one thing. After Merle found out about Lizzie originally being pregnant with my child before that bastard in Woodbury made her lose it, he’s been talking to me non-stop when he got me away from the group. Going on about how he plans to take out revenge against him for Lizzie and the child we lost. It’s funny seeing my older brother, who used to use women for his personal needs, jump at the chance to protect this woman and her little girl who has gotten quite attached to Merle these last few days. Walking off from Rick as he went to look for Merle, I went to search for Lizzie to see if she’d calmed down any. “Daryl,” I heard Maddie’s little voice call out as I entered the commons area in our cell block. “Hey there sweetheart,” I said picking her up as she beamed at me, “where’s your momma?” “She went up to y’alls cell,” she said and pointed to where the cells were.
“Well c’mon let’s go see your mommy,” I said as I sat her on her feet before taking her hand and walking into the area with the cells. Walking up the stairs with Maddie beside me, I looked over to see Lizzie was sitting on our bunk with Little Ass-Kicker in her arms and smiling down at her. “Mommy,” Mads called out beside me before she dropped my hand and ran to her mother who had looked up the second she heard Maddie’s voice. I watched as Maddie ran to her mother but I couldn’t help but stop and look at her as she held her little cousin in her arms. It brought back the painful memory that she was no longer carrying my child, but I still couldn’t wait for the day when I’d see her holding our baby.
“Daryl,” I heard Lizzie’s voice say, snapping me out of my thoughts. “You okay,” I asked her as I sat down on the bed beside her with Mads standing in front, “after what your uncle said?” “I guess,” she mumbled as she looked back down at the baby in her arms, “I just don’t think he gets it. Phillip wants Michonne because she took his eye. But he wants me to keep around and torture until he grows bored with me and then he’ll kill me.” “Rick’s talking with Merle,” I said as she looked up at me with worried filled eyes, “he knows that Merle knows about us. About how you had been pregnant. Merle wouldn’t let a thing happen to you now, not after you lost that baby. He’ll actively seek revenge for that.”
~Lizzie~
“I know he will,” I whispered to Daryl as I smiled over at him, “I just wish my uncle could realize that whatever happens today at noon, it won’t be the end of things.” “Let’s not discuss this in front of your daughter,” Daryl said looking at me before we both looked over to my little girl who was watching us both. “Okay,” I said nodding before looking down to little Judy in my arms, “you wanna hold her Daryl?” I watched as he looked to me then smiled before holding his arms out for her. Carefully, I passed her over to Daryl’s waiting arms before opening my arms for my daughter who instantly ran into them. Smiling down at Maddie in my arms, I turned my attention to Daryl who was holding a now sleeping Judith in his arms. “Maybe one day we can have one like her,” I whispered to Daryl as he smiled over at me, his blue eyes sparkling at what I had just said to him.
~Merle~
I stood on the stairs, out of sight of my brother, his girl, and her daughter as they talked about something amongst themselves. Rick didn’t have the stomach to offer up Michonne and his niece to the Governor, and even if he wasn’t going to actually hand her over, I would let him hurt my baby brother like that. I stood there watching, my brother looking down at the baby in his arms before he smiled over at Lizzie after something she said. This girl was good for him, whether I’d openly admit it to him or anyone else was a different story. The way he looked at her and her little girl, even the baby in his arms from time to time as the talked, showed me how much my brother needed them in his life. Watching as he leaned over and placed a kiss on her lips, I had made up my mind, I was going to end this all with the Governor so my brother wasn’t hurt again.