>>>A day later<<<

We were headed to the meet up spot Andrea told us about to talk to the governor. We'd scoped it out yesterday and it was just a beat down shed and a couple other fallen buildings. Relatively quiet I suppose. I twirled my knife in my hand, staring down at the silvery blade as memories came to mind.  I wasn't the only one to be paying attention to it.

"What's the deal with that anyways?" Daryl mumbled across from me in the bed of the moving truck. I paused and stared up at him, we hadn't really spoke since our last encounter together.

"It was uh... a gift from somebody important to me," I looked back down at the blade.

"What happened to him?" He asked, pulling a knee towards him to get more comfortable. I bit the inside of my cheek and put the knife away safely on the side of my jeans.

"Same thing that'll happen to everyone," I answered, making hard eye contact with him. His face was neutral, not seeming bothered or phased by my response.

The truck came to a slow stop just outside the compound, it didn't look like anybody was here?

"Stay low, I wanna scan the entire area first," Rick ordered.

We all spread out, and I headed along side one of the buildings to see if I could get a better view of courtyard. I wanted to see how many men the governor brought with him if he really is here. As I rounded the corner of the building, I spotted Andrea and some guy with glasses, nose in a book, waiting outside the shed.

I watched as Rick and Hershel entered the area, talking for a short minute before Rick headed inside.  I didn't know where Daryl was, probably same as me, just watching over the place with a safe eye. I went to round the corner and find a new spot before I heard the click of a gun behind me. I slowly turned and made eye contact with the barrel of a pistol. My hand was tightly on the grip of my crossbow.

"I wouldn't do that princess," he looked down at my bow. My blood boiled at the sight of Martinez, I was doing everything I could not to throw myself at him and cut his tung right out of his throat.

"Now what? You gonna shoot me?" I challenged him, dropping my bow and pressing my head against his gun.

"What's stopping me?" He threatened, eyes dark.

A dark shadow came out of nowhere and suddenly Daryl had Martinez pressed against the building and the gun out of his hand. My breath nearly jolted in my lungs as Daryl stepped back, defusing the situation and looking me over.

"Friend of yours?" Daryl asked me sarcastically.

"Hardly..." I muttered. A fourth member joined the group, probably hearing all the commotion.

"What the hells going over here?" Andrea propped a hand on her hip.

"Just saying hello," Martinez brushed past me slowly. My skin felt like it was on fire from where he touched me, like no matter how many showers I took I could never get rid of the feeling.

We joined the others in the courtyard and waited nervously around each other as the leaders spoke inside. Daryl stuck by my side, his eyes glued to Martinez as he smirked in my direction. I was trying to look anywhere but at him. My foot was tapping against the ground fiercely as I leaned against a post. They seemed to have been talking for quiet some time in there.

"Maybe I should go inside?" Andrea spoke, looking towards the door. I wasn't the only one getting impatient. The guy with glasses answered her with a no, and Daryl opened his mouth next.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked, arms crossed over his chest.

"Milton Mamet, his advisor," he answered. The way he spoke was very gentlemen like, almost innocently.

"Great. He brought his butler," Daryl huffed with amusement.

"I don't feel like I need to explain myself to the henchmen," Milton defended himself. This got Daryl fired up.

"You better watch your mouth, sunshine!" He stepped forward. I put myself in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.

"If this goes south well all be at each other's throats eventually," I looked mainly up to Daryl. He spit off to the side before leaning back in his spot.

We all waited for what felt like ages, but sooner or later the doors of the shed slid open and out came Rick. His face was rock hard as he motioned us to leave. I couldn't help but wait a second, I didn't get a chance to actually see the governor last time we met, but his voice still haunts me. A part of me didn't want that voice to have a face, but another part needed to know so if I ever came across him, I could kill him...

Everything fell silent around me, as his footsteps slowly emerged from the dark shed. My eyes worked their way up from his feet as I studied him. That's when it hit me... why his voice was so familiar to me, why it scared me shitless in a way like nothing else. He'd noticed me just as I'd noticed him, a smug look spreading across his face as he stepped closer. I tried to take a step back but my back was met with the post I'd been leaning on earlier.

"Well I'll be damned..." he looked me over, hand stroking his chin.

I shook my head as tears filled my eyes, my hands were shaking, breath hitching up and down. I didn't know what to do, I just shook my head, eyes bolting between his and the ground.

"No! You're dead!" I stuttered, my brain overloading with thoughts. His eyebrows scrunched together, a hand reaching towards me. I flinched back harder then I have in years...

"My sweet, sweet Jules, it's been so long," he nearly whispered. Before his hand could come any closer, Daryl came to my rescue, standing protectively in front of me. He chuckled as he tried to see around Daryl, as I nearly shriveled away behind him.

"Is that anyway to treat your father? How many years has it been? 4...5...? I can't remember," he said out loud.

All eyes were suddenly on me, even Daryl had turned around to face me, eyes wide with confusion. I slowly looked back up at the governor- my dad who all these years I'd thought to be dead. But here he was, still alive and well, and yet he still terrified me... I ducked away from Daryl and nearly ran back towards the truck, feeling everybodies stare and questions follow after me.

"Julie honey, where are you going?" My dad called after me, his voice haunting as he tormented me. This couldn't be happening...