Hope watched the green blur flying past her window. The air felt thick like a storm was brewing, the sky darkening to a muddy gray. Out of the corner of her eye, Hope could see Rick glancing worriedly in her direction every so often. Hope ignored him; she wasn't in the mood for a heart to heart. Behind her, Glenn would huff angrily at random intervals while Maggie stared resolutely out of the window. Michonne in her usual fashion was silent, seemingly unbothered by the tense atmosphere.

Hope barely registered the car rolling to a stop. Rick pulled the car over to the right side of the road. A red pickup truck blocked the way. Glenn, Rick, and Maggie left the vehicle to move the blockage, Hope and Michonne stayed in the car.

Glenn opened the driver's side door of the red pickup and jumped back when a walker lunged at him. Letting out a shout, Glenn struggled with the walker for a moment before he threw the walker to the ground. With a fierce cry, he stomped on its head until there was nothing but mush. Rick and Maggie stared at him, unnerved by the unusual display of anger.

Breathing heavily Glenn looked at Rick, "You didn't kill him," he accused pointing a bloody hand at him.

Rick cocked his head to the side and put his hands on his hips. "That wasn't what we went back for."

"I know, we went back for Daryl, but he's gone, and the Governor is still out there! I should have gone with you!" Glenn gestured wildly.

Rick squinted. "You were in no condition to go."

"But my girlfriend was?!"

Maggie stepped toward him. "This isn't about us."

"I should have been there!" Glenn insisted.

Rick ran his hands through his hair. "You didn't come back with us because you could barely walk."

Glenn pointed at Maggie. "What about her!"

"What about me?" Maggie asked, throwing her hands up.

"Do you know what he did to her?"

"Leave it alone!" Maggie screamed at him. They stared at each other for a beat before Glenn looked down. He took a breath."How could Daryl leave us? You went back for him! We have the Governor on our asses; we need him!"

Rick sighed. "I know, but we'll make do like we always have."

"Yeah, you keep saying that Rick but people keep dying! Now Daryl waltzes off and leaves us with a pile of shit!"

Hope got out of the car and stood behind the open door. "Guys, can we not do this here? We don't have time for this."

Glenn turned stomping in her direction. "What's wrong with you! You of all people should be upset! He left you! He chose his deadbeat brother over you, after everything! And you!" Glenn was screaming in her face now, crowding her against the side of the car. "You just stood there!"

Crack! Hope's hand moved of its own accord. Glenn clutched the side of his face where she punched him.

Hope stepped forward, fists clenched. "I did try to stop him, and it didn't work. He did choose to go with his brother, and I chose to stay because you are my family. And I am angry, but instead of having a fucking tantrum in the middle of nowhere, I recognize that we should get the fuck home before the Governor comes and tries to kill us!" Hope put her hands on the back of the red pickup. "Now can we please move this goddamn car before every walker within a mile comes and tries to eat us."

Glenn blinked at her before he climbed into the driver's seat and started the car. Rick put a hand on her shoulder before bracing against the vehicle. Hope gave him a tight smile. Between the four of them, they cleared the road in minutes. They returned to their car and made the rest of the trip in silence.

Carl and Carol greeted them at the main gate leading into the prison. Hope patted Carl on the head tiredly but didn't stop to talk. Rick would fill them in. Her feet dragged as she walked to the prison.

Hershel greeted her as she approached the entrance that leads to the mess hall. "You look like hell."

"I feel like it too."

He held both crutches in one hand and balanced on his right leg. He placed a hand on Hope's shoulder and squeezed. "Thank you for bringing my little girl back home."

Hope smiled. "It's what we do."

Hershel looked behind her. "Where's Daryl?"

Hope's face dropped. "He…left with his brother."

Hershel's brows leaped in surprise. "His brother? The one that disappeared? I thought-"

"I know, we all thought. We were wrong. He's been with the Governor for a while."

Hershel shook his head. "Strange times are only getting stranger." He sighed. "I'm sorry."

"He made his choice; I made mine." Hope straightened. "I belong here."

Hershel nodded. "Yes, you do. Go on, get some rest I'll be up to check on you in a bit."

As Hope walked through the cafeteria, she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a group of strangers huddled together.

A tall, dark-skinned man with a skullcap on approached her cautiously. "You look exhausted, need a hand with that?" He asked pointing to her bag of supplies.

Hope shook her head. "I got it, thanks."

The man smiled and offered his hand. "I'm Tyreese."

Hope stared at the offered hand for a moment before taking it. "Hope."

"You must be the doctor," said a younger woman. "I'm Sasha by the way. Ty is my brother. Hershel told us there was another doctor. The group is lucky to have you two."

"Yeah, I guess we come in handy." Hope shifted the bag onto her other shoulder. She yawned widely for a moment before blinking back tears of exhaustion.

Tyreese stepped back. "I can see that you're tired, it was nice to meet you, Hope."

Hope smiled tightly. "Nice to meet you too." She opened the gate to the cell block and walked through.

"See you around!" He called to her.

"Sure!" She called back.

Walking into her cell was like walking into someone else's life again. She dropped her bag onto the floor and plopped down on her bunk. A lump lodged in her throat as she looked around the tiny cell. Though they'd only been in the prison for a small time, Daryl had collected a small assortment of odds and ends that he scattered throughout the cell. Extra arrows here, a small ship in a bottle he had found, the moth-eaten teddy bear he brought back for Judith. All small relics of the man that meant so much to her. In the corner thrown haphazardly over some boxes was perhaps his most treasured item. The leather jacket with his brother's vest thrown over it. Hope took the garment and traced the frayed angel wings on the back. She remembered the first time she'd seen it. Lost and broken stumbling through those woods she thought she was dreaming when she saw him. He'd saved her life for the first of many times that day. Then he'd covered her with it. Hope pressed the material to her face and breathed in deep. Cigarettes, leather, gun- oil and that faint trace of something uniquely him. Hope put the jacket on, wrapping it around herself like a blanket. She closed her eyes and could almost feel Daryl's arms coming around her, warming her, soothing her to sleep. A few tears leaked from under eyelids as she drifted off.

The sound of crutches clicking against the floor woke her. Hope rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up.

"Good you're awake," Hershel said as he appeared in the doorway. "I wanted to check those stitches."

"I can check them myself, you know."

Hershel plopped down next to her with a sigh. "Humor an old man, will you?"

Hope lifted her shirt high enough so he could examine the wound. "Knock yourself out."

Hershel prodded the wound silently for a few moments. When he finished he wiped his hands on a towel, he brought with him. "Not bad for an amateur. If you want I can redo them."

Hope shook her head. "No, it's fine. I don't care how it looks anymore as long as it heals." She smiled wryly. "It's just one more for the collection anyway."

"We all have scars; there's no way we'd get through this life without receiving a few." Hershel glanced down.

"What is it?"

"I have a question, and I'm not sure I should ask it."

Hope smirked. "Ask it; you can always apologize later."

A smile flitted across his face. "Why didn't you go?"

Hope looked down. "I belong here. I promised Lori I-" her voice broke. "I promised I would take care of them. I can't do that if I'm not here."

Hershel nodded. "He loves you."

"He loves his brother too." Hope sniffled. "You know I always wondered what would happen if we ever found Merle. I guess I found out."

Hershel wrapped an arm around her. He kissed her temple. "Thank you, for staying. We need you." He whispered into her hair.

Hope nodded. "I know." She was home. She was safe. She was with her family. She was where she belonged. And her heart, traitorous thing it was, kept right on beating despite the other half of it missing.

It was sometime later that Glenn came and found her. He knocked on the outside wall of her cell. "Hey."

Hope had migrated to the top bunk and was doing her best to stare a hole in the ceiling as she failed to fall asleep. Without moving she greeted him. "Hey."

Glenn plopped on the bottom bunk. "About earlier I-"

"Don't bother," she interrupted. "You were upset…we all are."

"Still I shouldn't have yelled at you. It's not your fault Daryl left. It's just," he huffed. "So much has happened and for him to just go, just up and leave like that." Glenn shook his head. "For Merle." He spat the name like a curse.

Hope shrugged. "Merle is his brother. It wasn't fair to ask him to choose like that. That's his blood."

"But we're his family."

Hope peeked down at him. "What would you do if you're parents came here and asked you to go with them?"

"My parents never tortured anybody."

"No, but the question remains. Would you choose them or Maggie?"

Glenn swallowed. "I would choose Maggie. I love her. More than anything."

Hope flopped down on her back. "Maybe I should've fallen in love with you instead."

Glenn smiled and shook his head. "You snooze, you lose." He laid down on the bunk, arms crossed behind his head. "Besides I never really got along with my parents anyway. They wanted me to be a doctor."

Hope chuckled. "Glenn?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're okay."

"Me too," he shifted on the bed. He cleared his throat. "What about you?"

Hope turned on her side, facing the wall. "I'll get there."