A cold breeze whipped across my face as Daryl's was buried in my chest. I tried not to shiver, to alert him to my chill. His loss was deeper than I could ever understand and I would give anything to make this pain go away. Since I can't, I focused on this moment and how he wanted to handle it.

Merle's death meant more to me than I thought it would. When I first saw him walk through that gate with Daryl, I thought the problems would never end. Merle proved me wrong by showing up when he needed to. I firmly believed he died proud of what his brother had become. Merle may have been a bastard in the highest regard, but he loved Daryl and would have done anything for him. The loss of Merle Dixon is not lost on this group.

Once Daryl's breathing had begun to slow and his tears faded, we picked ourselves off the ground and made our way inside. My arm never left his waist out of fear that he would collapse on me again. His arm was wrapped around my shoulder, not for support, but for comfort. His head hung low, not wanting to see any faces of fellow group members.

Walking back into the prison, I noticed everyone had gone to bed; I was happy that no one was around to witness Daryl this way. He had a tough exterior and would have hated for anyone to see him weak. I was sure that it was killing him for me to see him so vulnerable.

We walked to our cell together and he dropped on the bed. He was so exhausted that he passed out almost immediately. I removed his boots and tossed them under the bed.

"Is he alright?" Rick whispered in the doorway.

I ushered him outside. "Merle didn't make it. He hasn't said what happened but I can tell that it wasn't good. This is going to be rough for him."

"I'll let him know what the plan is tomorrow. Give him some time."

"What is the plan?"

"We're going to pack up everything and load it into the cars. This will give us a good escape plan in case things go south. Glenn, Maggie, Carol, Michonne, Daryl, and I are going to stay here and fight. We don't want to kill anyone except the Governor."

I leaned against the railing. "Where do you have me and the others?"

Rick shifted and half grinned. "I heard you made a really nice argument about staying and fighting."

"I just said what I believed. I'm willing to fight for the best life we can get."

"You're really coming into your own, Rosalyn. You've grown a lot since this all started. During this, I want you with Hershel, Beth, Carl, and the kids outside the gate. There you'll be the one in charge. If things get too dicey here, it'll be your call to go. Carl trusts you. I hope he'll listen to you, too."

"It's because I suck with a gun, isn't it?" I joked.

Rick chuckled. "Maybe a little. But it's mostly because I trust that you can keep everyone safe. You have what it takes to make the right decision and, if it comes down to it, to defend what's ours."

"You have a lot more faith in me than you should."

"You'd be surprised at what you can do when under the right amount of pressure. Rosalyn, you are stronger and smarter than you think. I have faith in you, even if you don't have faith in yourself."

I stood up straight and placed my hand on Rick's arm. "I appreciate that, Rick."

"We start packing at first light, so you better get some rest. Hunter's still with Beth, so you don't have to worry about him. When Daryl wakes up tomorrow, let him know I want to talk to him, to catch him up on what's going on."

"Will do." I didn't move. Something about leaning against that railing felt nice.

"I mean it. You've been on watch all day. You must be exhausted. Don't worry. Glenn has the next watch."

I pushed myself off, but looked up at the window. "Aye aye, Captain." Even though we couldn't get a good view of the outside, the moon was bright enough to pierce right through into our home. As Rick begun to walk away, I asked, "Are we going to win?"

"Yeah, we are."

My eyes dropped from the window. "Goodnight, Rick."

"Goodnight, Rosalyn."

It had been a long day, but for some reason, I didn't think about any of it. Instead, I kicked off my boots, pulled my hair up into a ponytail, and watched Daryl sleep for a good minute. This was the most rest he had gotten in a long time. I was sure the only way to wake him would be a nuclear bomb, but even that might not be loud enough. He deserved the sleep.

His back was to me as he slept on my side of the bed, closest to the wall. Me sleeping against the wall was originally his idea. He wanted to be able to jump up and instantly defend if he needed to, but tonight, that was my job. I was the one that needed to protect him and I didn't mind. I laid beside him, gently rubbed his arm, and then wrapped mine around him. My head rested on his back as I quickly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, I woke before him. The sun was just barely making its way into the sky as I walked to Beth's cell to grab Hunter, who was already awake. Hunter giggled at the sight of me and I couldn't help but smile at him. I carried him outside with his bottle and breathed in the fall air. The sun started to rise higher, casting beautiful shadows onto the courtyard. Hunter stopped eating to watch the birds fly above us, singing songs of a new day. This was what we would be fighting for and I was ready.

It wasn't long before I felt a familiar hand on my shoulder. "You shouldn't be out here alone, you know."

My hand met Daryl's and I squeezed. "I can manage." I inhaled deeply. "How are you doing?"

In normal Daryl fashion, he dodged the question. "He went down with a fight. It looked like he took out a few of the Governor's top guys. I don't know why, but he died for us."

"I know why. Your brother loved you, Daryl. He wanted you to keep living, even if it meant that he had to die. Merle may have been a huge pain in the ass, but he died a hero."

Daryl's eyes met mine and he leaned down to kiss me on the lips. Nothing too long, but it was special. His forehead leaned against mine as he caressed my cheek. "Rick told me the plan."

"You're worried," I said plainly.

"Mhm. Are you sure you don't want me there with you?"

"They need you. They'll lose without you." This was something I've come to realize. It wasn't just Hunter and me that needed Daryl. This whole group relied on him. This had to weigh heavily on his mind. Maybe that's why he was trying to come with me, to go back to the old days when I was the only thing he would have to worry about. Now wasn't the time. I giggled. "How about you and I take a vacation when this is over? We could go to Hawaii or Florida. I heard they're nice this time of year."

"Too hot," was all he said.

"You've lived in Georgia your whole life and Florida is too hot for you? You are amazing Daryl Dixon." I leaned up to kiss him again. "Fine. How about just a weekend in the guard tower? We could live off fine dining like deer instead of squirrels? We should probably book now before it fills up." I paused and dropped the fun tone. "You deserve a break more than anyone."

Before Daryl had a chance to respond, Rick's voice called to us from the door. "Rosalyn, Daryl. It's time to start getting ready."

My hand grabbed Daryl's and held it tightly. Together, we walked back to the prison door to prepare for what I prayed was the final battle with the Governor of Woodbury.