Hershal stood at the gate of Presley's cell. She slept on her side, a book laid out beside her. She had released her mane of hair from the ponytail, so it flowed freely over the pillow. Her lashes fluttered when he took a step, and in the blink of an eye she had pulled a small pistol from under her pillow. Hershal frowned when he saw that it was trained on his forehead. Her eyes softened and she lowered the weapon into her lap, staring at the man with a hard gaze.

"Sorry." She said simply, but her voice indicated that it was hardly sincere.

"No problem. Wouldn't be the first time." He said, opening the door with a key. "I heard you snuck out."

She rolled her eyes. "I did not 'sneak out'. Sneaking out would mean I would have actually had to try not to be noticed." She said. "Carl was with me the entire time. I just wanted some damn food."

Ever since she had returned, Hershal insisted that she stay in her cell for a few days to prevent further injury. The entire time she was miserable, pacing back and forth with a frown on her face.

"I don't care that Carl was with you. I know that you can handle yourself quite well." Hershal said, motioning for her to stand. She stood and removed her tank top, standing in her sports bra with a frown. "I can't have you squirming all the time. If you move around too much, due to the split, you could have your lungs punctured."

Presley frowned. She hated whoever it was that had decided to put a boot in her ribs- with a passion. Every movement sent flashes of pain through her entire body. Hershal hovered over her shoulder, touching her rib cage with gentle movements. "Tell me when it hurts."

His hands moved along each of her ribs, applying the slightest bit of pressure. She muttered 'ow' twice. "Looks like two breaks." He said, stepping away and handing her the shirt. She pulled it over her head before any males could walk by her cell.

"Feels like they're all broken." She muttered, not quite loud enough for Hershal to hear.

"How long until I am free to go?" She asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Hershal shut the door.

"Few days, a week at the most. You'll still have to be careful, tho." He said.

"All I'll be doing is driving away." She said, laying down on her back. She didn't see the sadness in the old man's eyes when she said that she was leaving. He had expected her t leave, but it still hurt. He had grown fond of seeing those radiant blue eyes. There was something captivating about her. It's like she made people care about her without even trying. Here she was, with the entire group practically wrapped around her finger. The last thing they wanted was to watch her leave, but unfortunately, she was determined to go.

-

Daryl sat in the cafeteria, discussing his find with the rest of the council. He had stumbled upon an old chicken coop. Only two hens were left, and he had brought them both back in small cages.

"Why wouldn't we save them? Eggs, ya know..." He said, angry that people were trying to fry up what could be saved.

"Eggs are hardly a worthy meal. What, two a day?" Sasha retorted.

"It's better than one meal for one day." He shot back.

"I think Daryl is right, Sasha." Hershal said. "We can build a small coop and keeps them. If they're laying hens, we could get a round of offspring from them and get more eggs."

Sasha snorted, but said nothing.

Maggie appeared in the room, her dark hair wet from a recent shower. She approached Hershal, a tentative smile on her lips. "Can I have the keys to Presley's cell?"

"Now why on earth would you need those, Maggie?" He questioned. All the people who had been involved in the meeting went quiet at the mention of Presley. They all knew they needed to talk about her, but she wasn't their number on issue.

"Keeping her cooped up in a cell isn't making her like us anymore." She said calmly. "I just want to take her on a walk outside. We'll stay inside the fence."

Hershal hesitated, glancing over at Rick. "You've taken her in as your problem, Hershal. Don't look at me." Rick said, shrugging.

"Well all right... But don't let her carry anything but a knife. And don't let her get too close to the fence."

- - -

"Presley!"

The girl jumped at the sound of her name, the loud voice frightening her. "Jesus Christ Maggie-." She sputtered as the doors to her cell swung open.

"Don't use his name in vain." Maggie scolded as she crossed over to Presley and offered a hand. "We are going on a walk."

Relief. That was the first thing that showed up in those big blue eyes. "Oh thank the creator." She murmured, pulling herself to her feet.

Together the two made their way outside. It was a particularly nice day out. The sun was shining and the wind wasn't blowing, so the disgusting smell of roamers couldn't be sensed.

The raven haired girl closed her eyes when the sunlight touched her pale skin, instant warmth rolling through her. While it was fairly warm in the prison, it was nothing compared to the sunlight.

The two walked through the yard, sharing friendly converse. They didn't notice Daryl perched in the watch tower, watching their every move.

"So I guess you're leaving in a few days, huh?" Maggie asked, wringing her hands together.

Presley nodded. "I do like it here... But I don't want people caring about me..." She paused. "And I don't want to care about people."

"It's too late for that, Pres." Maggie said in reply. Presley simply shrugged. "Hershal just didn't want you to hurt yourself again."

"I am quite capable of taking care of myself." She said.

"Both you and Daryl are too pig headed to realize that you need us as much as we need you."

"Don't compare me to him." Presley spat, running a hand through her dark waves. When it was down, her hair fell just a few inches above her butt.

"It's true. I wouldn't want to be the teacher or your kids." She teased. Presley rolled her eyes.

"Presley!" A small voice said. Lizzie and Mika had come up behind her. "Can we play with Zeva?" The black dog's tail whipped back and forth at the sight of the children.

"Sure." She answered. On cue, the girls ran away, calling the black dog to them. Zeva bounded after them, letting out soft yips.

"I found your weak spot." Maggie said, inching dramatically closer to Presley. "Children."

She snorted in reply, giving Maggie a playful shove. "Oh shut up."

They continued talking quietly, watching Zeva bound around beside the two little girls. They had endless energy, it seemed.

- - -

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