The Little Sister

Chapter Forty Six

Val's POV:

We were gearing up, preparing ourselves for what was lying ahead for us all. None of us wanted this, but not many knew the complete truth. Michonne may not have been a part of the group for long, but she has definitely earned her keep, and I'd be damned if I was gonna let anything happened to her. She was truly becoming a newfound friend, someone who proved herself while everyone doubted where her loyalties lied. I knew Rick had let it slip to Daryl about what was really going on. "Do you really think he's going to do it?" I asked, taking Daryl by surprise, None of them realised I was there when Rick and Hershel were letting Daryl in on everything.

"It seems like it."

"Then stop him. This isn't how it's supposed to be. That man is just gonna torture her, rather than kill her, and I really don't think Rick will ever be able to live with something like that. This isn't my brother." I pleaded.

"He's gone to talk to Merle. He may even change his mind."

"No he won't. I know him. This isn't Rick. He's not in his right mind to be making all these decisions." I stated frustratedly.

**

Daryl's POV:

"Hey. You seen Merle around?" I asked Glenn, when I noticed him trying do something with the metal gates outside of the prison walls. He just looked at me and didn't say a thing. I put down my crossbow and immediately went over to help him. "He say he was sorry yet? 'Cause he is." I said, still not getting a reply.

"He's gonna make it right. I'm gonna make him. There's got to be a way. Just needs to be a little forgiveness is all." I stated, hoping it would do something, mean something. "He tied me to a chair, beat me, and threw a walker in the room."

"Maybe I could call it even. But he-- he took Maggie to a man who terrorized her, humiliated her. I care more about her than I care about me."

"We wouldn't be having this conversation if you knew what he did to Val."

"What's that 'pose to mean?"

"Merle beat her and then took her to the same man. The same sick and twisted man only he did something much worse to Val than Maggie. Maybe you should ask her yourself." Glenn expressed frustratedly while there was anger in his voice. My heart sank. Why am I just now finding out about this? Hell I haven't been told exactly what happened when she was alone with the governor.

**

"Merle?" I called out, as I made my way to the generator room. Hearing banging and clanging the closer I got. I kept my crossbow aimed and ready just in case there may had been a walker that managed to sneak it's way in. "Merle. You down here?" I questioned staying on high alert. Getting no answer, I called out once more, "Merle"

"Hey, little brother." Merle replied finally, shocked to see me.

"What the hell?"

"I was just about to holler back at ya."

"What you doing down here?" I asked.

"Just looking for a little crystal meth. Yeah, yeah, I know. Shouldn't mess my life up when everything is going so sweet, right?" Merle chuckled.

"You talk to Rick yet?" I asked, completely ignoring his comment.

"Yeah. Oh, yeah. I'm in. But, uh, he ain't got the stomach for it. He's gonna buckle. You know that, right?

"Yeah. If he does, he does." I stated.

"You want him to?"

"Whatever he says goes."

"Man. Do you even possess a pair of balls, little brother? Are they even attached? Or has that little princess ya fancy so much cut them off already?" Merle scoffed, rolling his eyes at me.

"You used to call people like that sheep. What happened to you?"

"What happened with you and Glenn and Maggie?"

"I've done worse."

"What about Val huh?"

"Like I said I've done worse."

"You need to grow up. Things are different now.

"Your people look at me like I'm the devil... grabbing up those lovebirds like that, huh? The little sister? Now y'all want to do the same damn thing I did— snatch someone up and deliver them to the Governor, just like me."

"Yeah. People do what they got to do, or they die."

"Can't do things without people anymore, man."

"Maybe these people need somebody like me around, huh? Do their dirty work. The bad guy. Yeah, maybe that's how it is now, huh? How does that hit you?"

"I just want my brother back."

"Get out of here, man."

**

Val's POV:

"Hey uh. Can I ask ye something?" I heard Daryl ask, as I sat there at one the tables holding Judith in my arms feeding her. "Of course you can. Why are you being so weird?" I questioned, confused by the sudden awkwardness that he suddenly had. "What happened to you when you were in Woodbury?" his question took me by surprise. I went silent for a moment contemplating if I even wanted to say anything about it. I hadn't told anyone. I didn't even tell Rick, he worked it out for himself. "Why do you ask?"

"Just answer my question please Val. What did the Governor do to you?" He begged, he knew I was trying to avoid it.

"He uh uh... He r-raped me." I stuttered, struggling to even say the word. His face dropped, going stone cold that I couldn't tell what he was thinking or feeling. "It wasn't like what Shane did but um it was still rape."

"You're the first person I've actually told."

"God Val, why didn't ya tell me?"

"Cause I wanted to forget about it. It wasn't first time something like that had happened to me. You know that."

"Ye said ya didn't tell anyone then how would Glenn know?"

"I don't know, I guess Rick must've said something. Rick worked it out on his own so maybe Glenn did too, or Maggie made the connection I don't know okay?"

Tears began rolling down my cheeks. This was the first time I had spoken about it this it happened and being reminded about it didn't help. Daryl didn't say another word. He took Judith from arms, lying her down in her crib. Taking the bottle from hand and placing on the table. He stood so close, close enough he could've kissed me. He lifted my chin up with his finger and looked me in my eyes, wiping a lone tear off my cheek. "I'm so sorry Val. I promised to be there, and I wasn't." He apologised, soon pulling me into a hug as I continued to cry into his chest.

**