AN: Okay so this fic got way off course but I'm bringing it back in. Anyone still reading this?

-o-

"I see Beth and Maggie." Emma said and instantly Hershel breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm going to go down and meet them." He nodded as he continued to look over the passed out young woman on the bed before him. Emma walked out of the room grabbing her Bo staff as she did. She headed down the stairs before walking to the front door.

"Emma!" Beth said jumping out of the back of the truck.

"Is everyone okay?" She asked as the girl ran to her.

"Yeah all the girls are here." Beth said with a bright smile. Emma would be lying if she said she hadn't missed the doe eyed young woman.

"Good… Good I'm glad you're okay." Maggie watched as Emma wrapped an arm around Beths shoulders before she caught sight of her. "Maggie." She moved forward. "Maggie I really need your help."

"What's going on?" Maggie asked thrown by the urgency in her friends voice.

"I need to go back to the school…" Help the others pack up, but I need someone here I trust to protect everyone. You're the only other person I know then Daryl who is capable of taking care of everyone and protecting them…" Beth looked at her older sister with a near confused expression. She couldn't believe Emma saw this highly of her. After all Beth thought her sister was just as normal as she was. "Can you do this for me, I know it's a lot to ask."

"Yeah, yeah of course." She said.

"Alright thanks, I'll be right back." Emma said.

"We're heading back?" Daryl asked as she jumped into the truck.

"That guy is still there, I want to flush him out before he comes back to home sweet home." He nodded as they drove off.

"Wow… Emma must really think you're tough." Beth said and Maggie smiled instantly.

"Believe it or not Beth… I'm tougher then she is." She said. "Come on let's get inside."

-o-

"Emma Daryl…" Rick said as he saw the two come down the hallway. "What are you doing here we're almost packed up."

"We can't leave yet not until we get this guy." Emma said.

"Why do we need to get this guy from what Rick told me this guy is a bad guy." Glenn said quickly as he nervously tucked his hat into his back pocket.

"He is, that's why we have to make sure he doesn't go back home." Emma said.

"We'll handle him there then." Glenn said.

"I'd rather handle him here." Emma retorted.

"How do you propose to do that?" Rick asked.

"Follow me into the woods where he's hiding out, and I'll walk around you guys stay hidden but with me in your sight and we smoke this guy out."

"You want to use yourself as bait?" T-dog asked.

"Yes." She said.

"No." Daryl said shaking his head.

"Yes." She said. "This has to happen you know it does."

"We'll have her back Daryl." Rick said and Daryl slowly nodded.

"Fine." He said and Emma could tell he was less than happy about it.

"His brothers and father went down easy how bad can the last rapist be?" She asked.

"Wait what happened?" Rick asked.

"She killed the others." Daryl said like it was obvious.

"What is it with you and killing?" Glenn asked her.

"Those assholes had it coming you haven't seen what they did and besides they attacked first!"

"Alright alright let's just calm down… I'm sure you had your reasons." Rick said.

"Had your reasons?" Glenn mouthed to T-dog who looked just as horrified.

"Do you have something to say?" Emma asked and Glenn looked to her quickly. "I'm trying to protect everyone here… Glenn trust me when I say you want this man put down… For the sake of Maggie and Beth let me put this guy down." He looked at her for a long moment before slowly nodding. "Thank you…" Emma said. "Now can we go find this sick fuck?" She asked Rick.

"You're really heated Emma."

"You didn't see what him and his family were up to." Daryl said. "It's… pretty twisted..."

"Well then let's go get this guy."

"So we're just going to kill him? We're not going to give him the chance to just leave?" Glenn asked.

"These guys strung up girls raped them, tortured them, and then buried them alive inside walls and you want to ask him to just leave us alone?" Emma asked. Glenn had recently become more and more difficult. A thorn in her side.

"No…" he said looking off.

"Glenn… Maybe you should stay here… Protect the stuff." Emma said and he looked to her.

"I can handle this."

"Oh… You can handle this huh?" She asked with an intense look.

"That's right." He said and she merely smirked at him.

"Sure." She said before looking to Daryl telling him she didn't think Glenn could handle it all. "Let's go then." They were quiet as they headed into the forest. Emma moving a good fifty feet ahead of them. Everything was quiet too quiet. Every time she did hear a noise it was a walker which she easily took out. After a while she was starting to lose hope that this guy was going to come out and play.

"You said these guys have been scoping the place?" T-dog asked Daryl.

"That's right." Daryl said.

"Then maybe they've seen Emma in action and this guy wants no part…"

"No guys like this they start with the weaklings but after a while they'll go after more of a challenge. It's more a rush, more of a catch." Rick said and they nodded.

"Emma is one hell of a challenge though." T-dog said. "Too much of a challenge."

"Maybe…" Rick said.

"Movement." Daryl said and everyone went quiet. They watched as a grouping of trees about ten feet behind Emma shifted. Slowly a tall broad shouldered man appeared with a foot long buck knife in hand. He was slowly moving up behind Emma.

"Does she hear him?" Glenn asked.

"Hi there darling…" the man said and Emma slowly turned. "Now you are a sight for sore eyes…" he said licking the blade of his buck knife. Emma slammed the un extended Bo staff up under his knife. The man cried out in pain as the blade of his knife slid across his tongue cutting it right off. Emma smiled as she watched him fall back blood flooding from his mouth as he did.

"And that's why you never lick a knife there bub." Emma said before extending her Bo staff and slamming it across his face knocking teeth and blood from his mouth as she did. "Before I kill you…" She said. "I want you to know, that I've killed your father…" his eyes grew wide. "And one of your brothers… The other I have stringed up readying to reign down some much needed Karma on his sadistic ass. Be happy I'm killing you here, if I had it my way I'd be stringing up right up next to him… But I don't have it my way… So you'll die right here. I'll take comfort that what I won't get to do to you… I'll get to do to your brother." He tried to talk but all that escaped his mouth was more blood. "What was that I can't hear you? Maybe it's because you don't have a tongue." She picked it up. "Here want it back." He made a noise that sounded like the word bitch. Emma laughed before spinning the bo in her hand and cracking it across his skull splitting it wide open. He dropped still, and dead to the ground.

"Who's the bitch now?" She asked.

"That is seriously gross…" Glenn said seeing the mans severed tongue still in her hand. Emma took a bandana out from her back pocket and wrapped the tongue up in the cloth. "What are you doing?" Glenn asked.

"I'm taking it with me."

"Why?" Rick asked.

"To show his brother." Emma said moving passed him.

"Emma?" she turned and looked to Rick. "Why didn't you kill the other brother?" Rick asked.

"Because Rainy is going to want answers as to why they did to her what they did, and that fucker is going to give them to her, right after I put him through as much agony as he did Rainy."

"We're not torturing anyone Emma."

"No we're not Rick…" He smiled. "I am." Emma said. "Besides… I'm not talking physical torture, just the mental kind… It will break him a lot quicker than anything I can do to him physically." With that she walked off. Rick went to follow but Daryl stopped him instantly.

"I'll talk to her…" he said quietly.

"I know you will…" Rick said with a nod.

-o-

The ride back to the manor was quiet. Emma knew it was the overly quiet kind of quiet, she knew there was some questioning on the man she was keeping alive just to torture in the attic of the manor. She didn't care though. She knew what she was doing was right and needed.

"Did you have to cut his tongue off?" She looked to Glenn.

"Did he have to rape, torture, and kill all those girls with his family?"

"Good point." He said.

"Besides he was the one licking the knife when I hit him… If you really think about it, he cut his own tongue off." Daryl couldn't help but smile. Still that smile only lasted a mere second. There had been a change in Emma. A shifting. She had become more ruthless. She had become the type of person who shot first and asked questions later. In truth she was starting to remind him of Merle. When they got back to the manor Lori and the kids were waiting. Emma went to move forward but Daryl took her hand in his.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked and Emma looked from him to Rick who was on the porch staring at them. She looked back to Daryl who had a serious expression.

"You talk to me?" she asked. "Or Rick!?" she inquired loudly and instantly Rick looked down at the ground.

"What's going on?" Lori asked.

"The man in the attic." Rick said as he watched Daryl and Emma walk off.

"You want to talk to me that's fine." Emma said. "But don't talk to me just because Rick wants you too."

"Hey." Daryl said catching her arm. "You know that's not what this is… Look I understand it. Why you're keeping him alive up there. Well I don't understand it as much as you but as far as I can as a man."

"That was surprisingly self-aware of you." She said looking him over.

"I got sense sometimes." He said with a simple shrug though she could tell she had offended him an

"All the time don't sell yourself short." She said with a soft expression.

"I'm just saying, though I understand it a lot of the others won't. Remember the group freaked out when you killed those Army jackasses. I'm just saying… Quiet your rage a bit."

"The fact I have to is ridiculous."

"Agreed." He said with a nod.

"It's just… I know what it's like to be hurt by someone and not get the chance to confront that person for the hurt caused. I don't want Rainy or anyone else to know that burden."

"Understood…" He said. "You should talk to Rick though. Explain it to him."

"Like he'd be able to understand." She said going to walk away. Daryl caught her arm in his grasp.

"Emma…" She looked to him. "I'm on your side." He reminded and she slowly nodded. Her stomach sank and she took a deep breath as she shook her head at herself.

"Daryl… I'm sorry." She said. "I'll talk to him I will." He nodded as he looked her over. "I know you're not against me I'm sorry I've been so temperamental." She kissed his cheek and he rested his forehead against hers.

"See you after your talk with Rick… I'll probably be running watch." He kissed her temple as she walked away. Emma squared her shoulders as she held her head high and approached the ever pregnant Lori and her husband.

"Rick?" Emma asked. "Can I have a few words."

"Please." He said and she nodded.

"Inside… The attic." He nodded and let her pass him into the house before following him in. Emma and Rick headed through the house quietly. Emma said nothing, something that surprised Rick. They headed up their third flight of stars before coming to a stop outside a dingy metal door. Rick watched as Emma stared at the metal door.

"It's your everyday door…" Emma said. "Then again it isn't an everyday room." knocking on the metal. Rick heard a horrified noise come from inside and looked to Emma quickly. "Looks like he's awake…"

"You're toying with him Emma…" He said before shaking his hand and resting his hand on his hip. "Emma… I get it." She rolled her eyes. "I get that you hate this guy for what him and his kin did. But you can't stoop to their level."

"Rick-."

"Damn it Emma I won't let you torture this man."

"Man?" She asked. "Rick the walkers outside are more of men then that monster I have strung up inside is."

"You're not torturing him."

"I'm not going to physically touch him… I'm just going to break him down mentally so he's easier to face Rainy."

"Yes this girl…" he said.

"Funny you call the rapist a man and the survivor of his crimes a mere girl…" He looked at her for a long moment.

"You have a lot of hostility towards this man, and me…"

"Rainy is going to have to face this man… She won't be able to do so at the state he's in. He still thinks he's in charge… Let me break him down make him easier to deal with for her. Maybe easier for her to kill…" He stared at her for a long moment.

"To kill?" He asked.

"She has the right Rick… We can't keep him alive, we can't let him go."

"Then just kill him. End it now."

"He's not my kill."

"Oh but it's Rainy's kill?"

"You haven't seen her Rick you don't know what she's gone through."

"Then let me go meet her."

"Before you meet the Victim… Why don't you meet the monster?" She pushed open the door and Rick stared wide eyed at a bruised and battered man hung up by his wrists from the ceiling. "Welcome to his lair." He slowly looked around and covered his nose from the smell. Blood was spurted across the walls, blood and god knew what else. From the stench Rick knew all the smears on the wall couldn't just be plasma.

"I was nicer to him I the way I strung him up compared to how he and his family strung up the women they captured." She walked over to a low hanging chain from the ceiling. Rick saw on the end there was a crud covered hook. "They used these meat hoots and put them through the ankles and hung them upside down… I can't imagine the pain those girls felt." She looked to Rick as she took the hook off the chain and held it in hand. "I can't imagine how they screamed at having this forced through their ankles, or the added agony being hung up by their injured ankles offered."

"I get it."

"No I don't think you do so… Listen to this." She slammed the hook into the tied ankles of the man hung up by his hands. Rick backed up as blood spurted and the man screamed in agony. "Imagine a woman screaming like that Rick." He looked to her wide eyed. "Should I string him up by this hook and let his screams act as inspiration for that Imagination of yours…"

"Don't." Rick said.

"When they were strung up…" Emma said looking over the man. "He helped his family torture them…" She walked over to a blood stained table filled with hundreds of dirty medical instruments." "When they were done…" She looked to the wall she had broken Rainy from. "They buried them alive…" She looked around at all the walls. "God knows how many girls are still in here…" She said softly and Rick looked at the man who hung wide eyed and bleeding.

"They died trapped, cold, and in agony… They died having their muffled screams mix with the screams coming from the next woman. Rainy would have died doing the exact same thing…" She walked to Rick. "Only she didn't… Because I stepped in… I killed two of the men that walled her up and strung up the third. She didn't die hearing the screams of another woman because they hadn't nabbed her yet…" He looked to her slowly catching onto her point. "They were working on it though… They were looking for another woman… They were looking for one of our women." She could see in his eyes he was starting to get her point. "Who do you think they would have come after Rick? I think it's pretty safe to say I was a last choice… I bet Beth was at the top…" He looked off his jaw clenching. "Then Maggie… Then Lori.'

"Alright-."

"Maybe not though… I found a few pairs of boys sneakers…" He looked at her quickly. "Maybe Beth would have been at the top… Maybe Carl."

"I said Alright." He said with an intense look. "I get it Emma."

"No you merely grasp it… To get it you'd have to be put through what these women were put through."

"You seem to have a grasp."

"I have the petting of my fingertips of what they went through… Not a grasp… Only they could have a full grasp… After what Rainy been through and we don't know all of it just what I could put together… She's gonna be messed up from this… No one walks out of a dungeon the same way no one… And I know you Rick you wouldn't just throw her to the walkers… Make her go out there on her own." He nodded. "You're a good man you would never do that. But if she's going to stay with the group she needs to be balanced emotionally and mentally."

"Agreed."

"To do that she'll need to start with comforting him… I want to make that as easy as possible on her. So let me break him down… Let me make him nothing but a shell… A shell that will be easy for her to do with what she wishes." Rick looked to the man who was staring so wide eyed at him, blood had flooded into the whites of his eyes from a wound on the crown of his head. Rick slowly walked to him and removed a dirty rag from his mouth.

"P-p-p-lease…" He begged. "She's crazy." Emma merely smiled.

"She isn't crazy…" Rick said looking the man over. "She's driven." He looked to Emma. "Do what you need to do." She let out a sigh of relief.

"No! No!" She shoved the rag into the mans mouth.

"Which one of my people were you going to take?" Rick asked his jaw clenching and the man glared into him. "Even strung up you still have the gull to narrow your eyes at me…" He looked to Emma and nodded before walking out. Rick closed the door and took a deep breath as he heard a muffled scream. He had second thoughts but the truth was he didn't want to see what Emma was doing to the young man.

"Rick?" he looked down the stairs to see Hershel. "I need to fill you in."

"How's the girl?"

"In a state of mild shock…" Hershel said as Rick came to meet him at the bottom of the stairs. A scream sounded and they both looked to the metal door of the attic. "I see Emma made it back safe." Rick smiled before looking to Hershel.

"What is the state of this girl?"

"At first I thought if I could get her through the shock I could nurse her back to health but…" Hershel's jaw gave a rare clench. "She's got wounds, burns, gashes, one so deep I can see the muscle beneath the flesh. I don't know if I have the resources to treat her or if we should even waste the ones we have to begin treatment…" Rick nodded. "See how she does for the night, use just enough of our supplies to make her comfortable… If she can start to pull through on her own we help her."

"A fair idea." Hershel said before another scream sounded.

"No physical torture she said…" Rick muttered before heading off with Hershel.

Emma smiled as she slowly circled the man who screamed and writhed at the end of a chain. So far she hadn't touched him, she hadn't even said to words to him. Yet he screamed and screamed.

"Looks like I chose the weak one to keep alive." She poked the man in the back and he screamed as if she had blown his kneecaps right off. "This will be easy…" She gave a laugh and came to rest before him. "I'm going to take your gag out. You spit on me and I swear I will spend the next ten hours personally removing the teeth from your skull… Do you understand?" He nodded and she smiled sweetly as she took the gag from his mouth. She backed away from him and tilted her head as she looked him up and down.

"The old man I killed, your father I'm assuming… What was his name?"

"Jessup…"

"And your brother."

"Cousin." He said and she could see his anger and grief fighting away with the fear he held for her.

"His name?" She asked with a smile.

"Todd."

"Todd… Oh and your brother our cousin back at the school… The one who cut his own tongue off."

"What did my brother do?" he asked wide eyed.

"Don't worry I put him out of his misery after he did so." She said and his glare instantly deepened. "His name though… What was it?"

"James."

"James…" she repeated as she looked him over. "And…" She made a move forward and the man lurched away screaming at first at the sudden movement. Emma couldn't help but laugh which seemed to enrage him as he stare horrified into her. "Your name…" She said. "Tell me. Quickly if you could… I don't have all day… Actually I do have all day it's you that might not." She said and his jaw clenched.

"My name…" The man said shaking as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. "My name is fuck off bitch." He seemed to shake at his own insult and Emma smiled.

"Fuck off bitch huh?" she asked walking to him. "Interesting name." He spit on her and Emma laughed as she wiped it from her cheek.

"Now, now fuck off bitch… What did I tell you about spitting on me?" She quickly walked over to a table and took a air of pliers in hand. The man began to scream at the top of his lungs. Emma closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She tried to put on a smile but the truth was she was horrifying herself. She wanted to hurt this man. Wanted it more than anything. The rage she felt directed at this man chased away the rage she felt towards the world and her situation. This hadn't been the life she had envisioned for herself. Her hands gripped around the pliers.

"Not the life I envisioned at all…" she took a calming breath before wheeling around and slamming the pliers against the mans face. Emma tiled her head as she saw a tooth drop from his mouth. "Oh look… I didn't even have to pull that one out."

"Lewis!" he screamed. "My name is Louis!" He let out a sob.

"I guess I should have known fuck off bitch wasn't really your name…"

"I deserve to go to hell… I do I deserve it… So just kill me…" Emma leaned against the wall and looked around.

"How many girls are still in the walls?" She asked.

"So many…" He said softly.

"God… This world was made for monsters wasn't it?" She asked with a horrified expression.

"You seem to fit in just fine honey…" She slammed the pliers across his face knocking him out cold. She tossed the pliers aside before walking out of the room and closing the metal door behind her.

"You alright?" T-dog asked looking up at her.

"Take watch for me?" She asked.

"Sure thing." He said with a nod as she walked down the stairs. As she moved through the house she rubbed her hands together. She was very aware of how cold it had become. It was so cold her skin seemed to retract from the temperature, drawing tight across her bones. Winter was upon them which meant survival tactics would have to be kicked into high gear.

"Emma." Maggie said and she came to a stop outside Rainy's door.

"Hey." She greeted. "How's Rainy."

"It's touch and go…" Maggie said and Emma nodded.

"Daryl has watch?" Emma asked.

"He's outside now." Maggie confirmed.

"Thanks." Emma moved down to the first level before heading out the back door. She looked all round before spotting him at the very back of the property where they were burning a pile of corpses they had cleared. She headed up behind him and came to a slow stop at his side.

"We won't be able to stay here long." Daryl said and Emma nodded.

"I wonder if we'll ever find a place to stay for long."

"Not for a group…" She took a deep breath and looked to Daryl who was staring deep into the fire before them. "For just us…"

"We always flirt with this…"

"But we can't leave." He said nodding. "I don't want to leave."

"I like it here with the group too…" She said taking his hand.

"It aint easy with Lori."

"No…" She said her jaw clenching. "It's really not."

"I feel like she throws it in my face."

"She does." Daryl said feeling his gut tighten with anger. "Rick is gonna talk to her…"

"He doesn't have to."

"He does though." Daryl said and Emma smiled softly as she looked to him. He was quiet tonight. Everything about him was so very quiet and somehow still in feeling.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"You shouldn't enjoy it." She looked him over. "The violence." He said before slowing bringing his eyes to rest on hers.

"Daryl…"

"I've seen you." He said. "Don't think I haven't seen you…" Emma took a deep breath as she watched Daryls jaw clench with a tilt of his head. "You go out hunting… Hunting for walkers… You shouldn't seek em' out. But you do… You seek him out like you seek out food. Like I drives you. Like you can't survive without the kill."

"You've followed me?" She asked softly.

"Yeah I've followed you." He was upset that she sounded even remotely betrayed by his actions. 'What am I supposed to do Em'?" he asked. "Let you just roam about at night? It's dangerous you could get killed… Sometimes though-." He cut himself off and shook his head. "Never mind."

"No go ahead." She said her eyes narrowing.

"Sometimes I think that's what you want." He brought his eyes to hers slowly, afraid he might see the truth in hers. "Is it?"

"I've enjoyed it lately… The violence. You're right in that… I enjoy it because when I'm in there, going toe to toe with a walker or a hostile survivor I feel the fight Daryl. The fight for survival, life… Something other then the pain of having to live in a world like this… If you think me going out there and hunting for walkers is a death wish I assure it's not. I don't go out looking for a fight because I want to die… I go out looking for a fight because it makes me feel alive." He looked her over. "Does that make sense?" he slowly nodded. "I'm sorry that I've been hostile… And I'll work in other ways to feel something I don't know…" She was confused with herself and didn't know what more she could say. Daryl wrapped an arm around her waist and brought her in. He rested his chin on top of her head as he watched a walker off in the distance.

"I understand." He said