AN: OK here we go. Ever since Negan came into the show I've really wanted to continue writing for this story and get this to that point in the show as I have some major ideas for the characters. So, with that said, we have a long way to go and so please relax, read and review so I know people are still interested.

I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think by leaving reviews!

XXXXX

We rode all through the night until morning, when we got on the main road back towards the highway, where Daryl and I figured everyone else would be, at the same spot we had left food and supplies for Sophia. I held onto Daryl tightly and prayed silently that Rick and Hershel were keeping Annabelle safe and that they had the same idea as us, to go back on the highway. Daylight broke and we soon heard the light sound of a car up ahead of us. Daryl drove faster and soon we were behind Shane's old SUV. My heart sunk as I knew that wasn't the car Anna was in. We caught up to it, though, and soon we followed the driver to Sophia's spot on the highway. We pulled up and in the distance, I could see Rick, Hershel, Carl and Anna standing by some random cars. I sighed in relief, seeing that Anna was OK.

It was a lovely reunion, as Hershel and his girls were reunited as well as Rick and his family. I hugged Anna close to me and never wanted to let go. She was shaking, cold, as it was fall and the leaves had started to change. She said no words and just trembled.

"Daisy…" I heard Rick murmur. I looked up and everyone was looking at Anna and I.

"What?" I asked. They were all looking at me as if they were attending a funeral. I was so confused. Then I looked back down at Anna and I pulled away from her. The shoulder of her jacket was covered in blood and Anna took a few steps back.

That's when I noticed it. The bloody crescent-shaped wound near her collarbone. Anna looked at me, still shaking like a leaf, she was crying and her bottom lip trembled. "You didn't notice, Daisy," she cried out in the most heartbreaking angel voice I've heard. "It was too dark. No one noticed."

Rick took a few steps forward to us. "Anna…she didn't say a thing and it was this morning when Hershel and Carl noticed."

My mouth was open, but no words were coming out. I have failed. I have failed her. I broke my promise to the baby girl I held in my hands on the way home from the hospital. I failed that little girl that was my only reason for living anymore. I felt like the air was pulled from me and I began gasping. I lost her. My little angelic girl that always seemed to get the short end of the stick, even in this life. She was gone. By night she would be gone.

I fell to my knees in loss and that's when it happened. I broke down. "I'm so sorry, Anna," I sobbed out. "I'm so sorry I failed you." My fingers pawed at the gravel but I felt nothing. I began to imagine her beautiful blue eyes becoming pale, piercing my heart with her death. Her blonde hair becoming stringy and dampened with blood. Her clothes becoming ratty. Her face no longer being hers.

Daryl came up from behind me and Anna soon had her arms wrapped around my neck, while everyone just watched the pitiful sight. I could no longer hold a brave face for her, and Anna was smart enough to understand that. I was completely at a loss and there was never a sharper pain in my heart. I knew I had to man up and get off the ground. I had to be strong for her, and let her go in peace instead of despair. I couldn't look up at her, though, and my eyes stayed steady on the ground.

Anna took my face in her small hands and lifted my head up so I had to look at her. There were no tears in her eyes, she barely looked scared, as she said the words to me, "I'll be with the angels soon, Daisy. The rest of our family will be there to protect me." I gave out a sob and she just shook her head, as if telling me to stop it that instant.

So, I did. I stopped crying and I quickly wiped my dampened face dry. I stood up from where I was and placed my hands on her shoulders. I looked at her nodded, "OK."

She looked up at me and nodded, only to stop midway. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she collapsed, but I caught her in my arms. She was clammy and hot from fever. I picked her up and looked at Rick. "It's OK," I said, my voice cracking. He was holding Lori and Carl close to him. Lori's lips were trembling and Carl had his face pressed up against his father's side, hiding his tears.

Rick nodded and we looked at each other with mutual understanding and sadness. "Let's try to find a place to stay tonight," Rick said calmly. "We shouldn't stay here on the highway like sitting ducks." He looked around at everyone else and they just took his order and nodded in agreement. Rick's eyes landed back on me. "How about you come back in the truck with Anna."

I didn't hesitate and I started walking with Anna hanging in my arms. Everyone dispersed to their cars. Hershel, Maggie, Beth and Glenn went into the SUV. Rick, his family and Anna and I went into the truck. T-Dog went alone in the other SUV and Daryl was a lone rider on his bike. It was then that I noticed the ones lost. I saw Jimmy and Patricia get eaten, but I didn't see the whereabouts of Carol and Andrea. Perhaps they were dead. Perhaps they were still alive.

Anna and I were in the back of the silent truck. No one talked as we drove on for about an hour, following the others. As we drove Anna coughed and then her eyes fluttered open. She looked up at me with her head on my lap. Anna turned her head to Rick, who was driving. He looked at us through the rearview mirror and all Anna said was, "Pull over please."

He nodded, not asking any questions, or refusing Anna's wish. Rick honked the horn to signal the others and we all pulled over. Anna lifted herself away from me rather quickly and went out the truck door. She ran to the other side of the road and I was kept up behind her. She vomited at the side of the rode, her hands on her knees as she puked out blood and whatever she had eaten before. When she was done, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and lifted herself up. She was still shaking like a leaf. Everyone else had gotten out of their respective vehicles and she just looked at them all. She didn't have fear or sadness in her eyes when she asked, "Do any of you have gum?"

T-Dog went back to the SUV and quickly got her some. With a trembling hand, she took it from him and began chewing the piece. She looked over at all of us, and I felt a shiver go down my spine. Fallen leaves blew and scattered around the road.

Finally, Rick spoke up and took our minds off what we just saw. "I've been riding on fumes," he said.

Maggie with her arms crossed over her chest, obviously cold said, "We can't stay here."

"Well we can't all stay in one car," Glenn told her.

Rick nodded, "We can make a run for gas tomorrow morning."

"I'm freezing," Carl complained. Rick quickly took off his jacket for his son and gave it to him.

Anna walked up beside me, her skin pale and sickly looking, clammy still. Her presence made everybody uneasy. No one wanted to witness this little girl die, just like no one wanted to see Sophia die.

"We'll build a fire, yeah?" Lori suggested.

Daryl nodded, "We'll go out and get some firewood. Stay close, though, I only have so many arrows," he said. He looked at me carefully, as if he wanted my approval. I didn't care what we did that night, I just wanted Anna to be comfortable. Daryl looked back at Rick and asked him how much ammo he had.

"Not enough," Rick answered.

Lori held Carl close. "Well we can't just sit here with our asses hangin' out."

"Watch your mouth," Hershel retorted, looking tired and grim. The man lost half of his family on the barn and lost his home. "Everyone stop panickin' and listen to Rick." Hershel looked at Anna and I with an unsettled look. Anna squirmed in my arms, feeling his on us. I could tell she knew how she was making the others feel. Everyone was on edge, just waiting for her to die.

Anna pushed herself away from me, and like all of the Jackson girls, she hated to be treated like a baby, even on the brink of death. She went to one of the guardrails and sat beside it, laying her head and her upper body against it. She was tired and her body was slowly draining of energy. Daryl gave her his canteen of water and she drank from it carefully. He didn't know what to say to her, no one did. There was no need to comfort her, it seemed, as she knew her fate was just around the corner.

"We'll make a perimeter," Rick told us. "And in the morning, we'll find gas and some supplies. We'll keep pushing on."

Maggie turned the shotgun she held around in her hands uneasily. "Glenn and I can go make a run now and try to get some gas."

"No, we've gotta stick together. God forbid something happens and people get stranded without a car," Rick said, obviously getting stressed out as he realized everyone was looking up to him now for guidance.

Glenn walked up, also holding a shotgun. "We're stranded now," he said.

"I know it looks bad. We've been through hell and worse but at least we found each other. I wasn't sure, I really wasn't, but at least we did. We're together, we keep it that way. We'll find shelter somewhere, there's gotta be a place," Rick said turning around and looking out into the distance.

After a little more bickering between Rick and the others, Rick determined that we'd stay near the stream that we parked near. Anna and I and a few of the others stayed by the cars while the rest, including Daryl, went out to go get firewood. Anna was quivering like a leaf from the fever chills, remaining in her position on the side of the guardrail. I sat beside her and I repeated, "I'm sorry."

She looked at me, her blonde hair hanging along the frame of her face. Anna was such a pretty girl that I expected to watch grow into a beautiful young woman, but I came to terms with the fact that I would now never experience such a thing. "Don't say you're sorry. It's not your fault."

I shook my head, and I fought the tears that we're pushing to fall from my eyes. "Yes, it is. If I had stayed next to you. Watched you more carefully." She looked up at me and I felt her little hand go to my shoulder.

Looking up at her I saw that her face was sullen, but her eyes showed no weakness. "You did the best you could, Daisy. You've always fought to protect me, even before the world turned to hell. I think it's time I give you a break."

XXXXX

That night we camped around the fire. Daryl and I both sat next to Anna, who was laying on the ground, sleeping, through her fever. Lori and Carl came over to us and Carl asked out sweetly, "Can I do anything for Anna?"

I grimaced, "I don't think so sweetie, nothing you can do except pray."

Carl sniffled and nodded.

We all laid down, most of the group slept, while Rick, Daryl and I stayed up. Rick kept on glancing at little Anna, who was still breathing. I've never seen someone hold out this long and I began to get anxious, waiting for her to turn. I watched her carefully. Her heart rate was slow and she breathed heavily, still sweating up a storm. We waited and waited for her to die. I didn't want her to go, and everyone was prepared for her leaving us. The other men in the group stirred in their sleep, as they were all expecting the sound of a gurgling walked and a knife to stop it's hunger once and for all. But nothing came.

Rick rolled back his shoulders and looked over at Anna, "How's she doing?"

I looked back at him and shrugged. "What do you think?"

As the night proceeded, I could feel Anna's heartrate begin to quicken and her skin began to feel normal again, not as clammy. She stirred in her sleep a bit and soon she was breathing normally. I thought this was the hour. The hour where she would pass on and turn, but instead, the night proceeded and she slept normally.

Soon, the sky began to turn pink and orange with the coming of the sun. My heart raced as another hour passed and soon the sun was shining on all of us. As people began to wake up, they turned around to face Anna and I. They all looked confused, as they were expecting to see blood and brains around her head, but she was still here. Anna was still with us all.

Rick finally asked me, "What's going on?"

I shook my head. "I-I don't know. Her heart rate is normal and she's breathing easily…she doesn't feel feverish anymore." I looked up at the others, who were now standing and looking down at us, like we were specimen underneath a magnifying glass.

We all jumped when Anna suddenly yawned. She turned away from me and rubbed her eyes and breathed deeply and gave a sigh. Suddenly, her eyes flickered open, she was looking at Daryl, who was looking down at her the way everyone else was: confused. Anna quickly shot up and looked around at everyone. She looked up at the sky and the daylight. Anna then looked at herself and touched her body, as if she thought she was in a dream or already a walker.

"Anna…" I said carefully, gently, "How do you feel?"

She blinked rapidly, confused and terrified. "I…feel fine. I feel normal. I-I don't feel sick at all."

"It's a miracle," Hershel said. "The Lord decided to saved her."

Anna was breathing heavily, she held her hands to her head. "I was ready to die!" she nearly screamed.

I took her jacket off, even though it was freezing and I saw the bite wound was now healing. "I don't understand…" I murmured. I raked my brain for the specifics of the sickness and how it worked. I was trying to find some way Anna could've grown immune to it. I rehashed all that I learned in med school and my bio classes.

"I don't think any of us do," said Lori.

Anna stood up and she held the face of someone who was brave and unafraid of anything. "Will ya'll stop lookin' at me like that," she said. Her voice gave her away and I could tell how truly freaked out and terrified she was.

"Honey," I said to her, "We're just confused, that's all. Don't take offense to it. We're just trying to make sense of how you haven't…" I couldn't say it.

"Turned," Daryl finished for me.

Anna rubbed her hands against her arms, cold, like the rest of us. "Well I don't know either, but...you can't just sit here lookin' at me like that. We need…we need to move on."

Hershel nodded, "Anna's right. What has happened to her was a miracle and we should all be thanking God for keeping this smart young girl alive and keeping her with us, but we need to look for gas and supplies. We need to move on before another herd passes through."

That day all of us went out in search for supplies, we all stuck together. The group sometimes talked about going to the CDC headquarters in D.C. or North Carolina. Anna struck a controversy within the group, or hope, I didn't know which. Whatever happened to Anna that kept her alive, we all knew that it was important. We couldn't just brush it off and leave it behind like Anna wanted. She hated having attention drawn to her. Anna was special, Rick had said to me. He said that whatever happened, had to help somehow in finding a cure. Rick and I both discussed the possibilities of going to the closest CDC's, but Rick was skeptical. He reminded me of what Jenner told us, and how the rest of the CDC's probably expired just like its headquarters in Atlanta did. I agreed with Rick, we needed to just focus on surviving, and not possibly run a suicide mission in getting Anna to a CDC.

I thanked God every night for allowing Anna to stay with me. Her being by my side was enough for me, and I knew I could worry about getting Anna to the CDC at a later time. This group took us in with open arms and I felt like we needed to abide by Rick's ideas and rules for survival. We had to live together or die alone.

Weeks had passed and I concluded that somehow, Anna held the antibodies to cure the sickness and we all soon stopped questioning what happened to Anna. Instead of questioning it all and trying to make sense of it, we all just looked at Anna as a miracle and someone who could be the key to the cure. Everyone, not just Daryl and I, seemed a bit more defensive and protective of Anna now. I appreciated it and although Anna wasn't too much of a social butterfly, she became good friends with Carl, of course, and Beth, who often braided her hair every night and sang to her. Anna finally seemed to have a family that was collectively trying to protect her, not just going in and out randomly as they saw fit.

For around eight months, we have been moving from house to house through rural Georgia since the night of Anna's survival against the sickness. Both Carl and Hershel's girls have become more proficient with firearms. Anna often helped Carl and Beth with the guns. She was thirteen now and puberty struck her fast over the winter. She got her first period, which I had to explain to her, Beth helped me out and was the older girl friend that Anna often looked up to besides me.

Anna now had a distinguished look about her and she reminded me more of my mom and older sister than she did myself. I was the gawky one out of the Jackson girls. Lori got her dark hair from dad, Anna got her blonde from mom and I was said to have gotten my red hair from my grandma on dad's side. He always said it skipped a generation. Anna always wore her fairytale-like blonde hair in a bun and wore her jean jacket that seemed to be collecting different pins and patches throughout our travels. She wore it when temperatures were high, as well, and rarely ever took it off. I understood that she wore it to cover the bite mark on her neck. She didn't want to remind people that she was the key to the cure. Her features became sharper and more defined with puberty as she began to grow breasts. She picked up a bra when we reached some stores at a plaza in a small town. Sometimes she's quiet and reserved, and other times she jokes and laughs with the group as if she never heard of the word 'shy'.

Daryl has seemed to officially take the place of Shane as Rick's right-hand man. I never thought too much about Shane and Carol that were left behind. Shane was dead to me as soon as he threatened Anna and Daryl, and Carol was the itch that I couldn't ever scratch, and now she was gone. I often thought of Andrea, though. I didn't know her too well, and I felt guilty for leaving her behind. She seemed like she was a woman of untapped potential. People brushed her off as the blonde that couldn't survive on her own, but I have a feeling that she's still out there, surviving; maybe she's with Carol.

Daryl and I were closer than we ever have been before. Daryl looked at Anna like a daughter almost now, not just my kid sister. He has been watchful and protective of us both now. Not much has happened between Daryl and I as there hasn't really been time for it. Every night we sleep in each other's arms and we share kisses, but our focus has been surviving. I understand that I love Daryl Dixon, but I haven't told him any such thing yet. I'm not sure why, perhaps because he hasn't told me the words yet, either. I make myself believe that it's not right to fall in love during an apocalypse, because it's a weakness.

Lori's pregnancy is near term and Hershel and I have both been keeping an eye on her.

We scavenged together most of the day, and it ended as it usually does, with a herd coming through, making us run to our cars.

After driving for a bit, we stop on the highway and get out, trying to determine our next moves. Beth, Carl and Anna keep watch while the rest of us figure out where we're heading next.

"We've got no place left to go," said T-Dog in defeat, looking at the map that we've all seen so many times by now. It was our compass now.

Maggie shook her head. "We're gonna be cut off by the two herds that seem to be following us. We'll never make it south."

I pointed to the map near Newnan, where we were planning on going through. "How about we go through here and push west. We've picked through everythin' else this winter. West seems like the only viable option."

Rick nodded in agreement. "You're right. We haven't been through that area, yet. We can't keep going house to house." Rick looks up towards the truck, where Lori is resting. I could tell that everything Rick was doing was to keep the group safe and find a place we could settle down in so Lori could rest and have her baby. We all wanted to settle down at this point. "We need to find some place we can hold up for a few weeks."

T-Dog, Maggie, Beth, Glenn and Hershel went out to go fetch some water for the rest of the group, which they intended on boiling later to cleanse it. Daryl and Rick went out to hunt for dinner that night. I stuck close to Lori, though. We became close over the past few months and we related on a lot of things. Lori and I were just two women who wanted to keep our loved ones safe. Often on our runs, I helped Lori try to find baby supplies like diapers, clothing, bottles and formula.

About half an hour later, we saw Daryl and Rick emerge from the forest, empty handed. We hopped out of the truck to see what was going on. It was rare that Daryl and Rick ever came back with nothing, but they weren't even gone for an hour. Something must've been wrong.

"What's going on?" Lori asked, her hands on her back that was becoming sore easily.

The others came back from the stream with water and we were standing around Daryl and Rick, waiting for them to tell us.

"We found a place," Rick finally told us.

We didn't hesitate and we didn't question. We hopped into our respective vehicles and followed Rick to what looked to be a prison. Walkers surrounded the yard and I was prepared for what was going to ensue. Anna took her favored hunting knife out of her boot and turned it around in her hand. Parking our cars outside of the prison, we followed Rick to the gate that leads to an alley surrounding the prison. Rick cut the wire outside of the prison and we all slid through. Glenn and Maggie killed two walkers together.

Once we were all in, Glenn and Daryl worked to close the fence back up so no walkers could come in after us. We begin to run towards the front of the prison and stop at the front gates. I look at the field surrounding the prison and how huge it is, amazed. It's perfect, but I know that we can never be sure about anything these days.

"It's perfect," Rick said. "If we can shut the gate, prevent more from filling the yard, we can pick off these walkers and take the field by tonight."

Glenn offers to go in and take on the walkers in the yard, as he's the fastest.

Rick shook his head. "No. You, Maggie and Beth go and draw as many as you can over there." He pointed towards the left side of the fence-line surrounding the yard. "Pop them through the fence. Daryl, Daisy and Anna, you go over to the other tower and shoot them down from there. I trust you to all have good shots. Hershel and Carl, you take the other tower."

Daryl and Anna and I are quick to head to the tower. We clear it of one lone walker and then get to the top. It is then that I realize how huge this place really is, as I have a bird's eye view of it. We shoot from the guard tower with ease, Anna has been carrying a sniper with her for the past few months after picking it up in a cabin. She's become pretty handy with it. Daryl and I use our standard arrows to shoot down the walkers. Rick kills a few walkers on the way and then secures the gates. He heads toward our tower after getting the job done and Anna runs down to the bottom to let him in. Rick and Anna then join Daryl and I and along with the rest of the group, we shoot the remaining walkers in the yard to secure it. Rick had the honor of killing the last one and we smiled as Rick laughed in victory.

We run down the tower to meet everyone else in the yard. I go over to Lori and put a hand on her back. "You OK? I saw you killing some walkers."

Lori nodded to me and smiled, short of breath. "I haven't felt this good in weeks."

Anna looks around the yard and throws her fist up in the air. "Yes!" she shouts with a smile. She walked over to Carl and patted him on the back. "You have a good shot!" Anna loomed over him a bit, as she had grown a few inches this past winter, but I knew soon enough, Carl would be looming over her and be as tall as his father. Wisps of her blonde hair were loose from her bun and blew to the side from the wind gently.

Carl smiled at her and I could see a hint of redness coming to his cheeks. "Thanks, Anna," he replied.

I grinned at the two of them and thought that they had a schoolboy and girl crush thing going on. They looked cute.

I was soon pulled from my reverie as I felt a hand on my waist and a kiss on my cheek. Smiling, I turned to Daryl who was looking around the yard triumphantly. "This is ours," he said.

"Yes, it is," I say before turning to him, placing my hands on his face and kissing him. It didn't last long enough but it was enough for me to feel satisfied. I knew Daryl loved me, but he was never able to say it, or at least finished it, as I usually cut him off with a kiss. I was afraid of those words. I felt as if Daryl and I both said them, we would both be jinxed. It would be like putting too many eggs into one basket, and soon we wouldn't be able to think of survival anymore. Our love would blind and distract us, and we both couldn't have that happen.

After taking the yard, collecting some firewood, and deciding how to ration the food that we've collected earlier that day, the sky began to grow dark. The men set up the fire and me and the other women and girls set up our sleeping area and our dinner. Daryl and I stood a distance from the group, patrolling the surrounding area and making sure there is nothing off. Rick goes along the perimeter of the yard once again, this being his third time around.

I looked at Daryl and asked him if he was hungry.

He shook his head, "Naw. I'm fine. Go get somethin' to eat over there though, if you're hungry."

I grimaced. "I'm good."

Daryl looked over at me warily. "I'm sure that owl this mornin' wasn't enough to hold you over. Now go on, go get somethin'."

I looked back at him. "I said I'm good. I've gone a few days without anythin' to eat before. You and I both know that."

We were silent for a while after that. I carefully watched the front gate, the group around the fire and Rick circling the perimeter. Ever since what happened to Anna, I've been more cautious than ever.

"Could you stop turning your head around like that owl I shot this morning?" Daryl scoffs. "You're makin' me anxious."

I turned to him and held my bow to the side. "Can you stop worryin' about what I'm doin'?"

There was another long pause and when I was about to turn away from him and look back at the group again, Daryl blurted out, "I love you, Daisy Jackson."

My shoulders went slack and I held my bow more loosely. I couldn't stop him this time from saying it. He already said it. Shaking my head and then going back to gripping my bow tightly, I clenched my jaw and then looked away from him. "Don't say something that can get you killed, Daryl."

"Christ woman can ya just accept it. It ain't goin' to kill me. Get over it. I know ya feel the same way. I remember what I told ya when I was a dumb kid, and back then I didn't know the meanin' of my words and I took them lightly. But I can tell ya now, that I mean it. I want ya to be with me forever, Daisy…" Daryl's voice quieted some as he just looked at me.

When I tasted salt on my lips I realized I was crying. I quickly wiped my tears away. "The truth is, Daryl, you're right. I do love you. I hate to admit that in a world like this, but I love you to death." More tears streamed down my face and as soon as they fell I wiped them away. "Jesus Daryl why'dya have to do this to me?" Deep down, I knew that loving Daryl wasn't the worst thing that could happen. But then I remembered mom, dad, grandma, and Lori. All of them I loved dearly, and all of them went away. Dying, they've all left me. And I hated them for it. I loved them and they just left me. I'm selfish for it. Selfish for thinking that they left me intentionally, but one after another they tore my heart into shreds.

Daryl walked to me and was soon in front of me. I couldn't look him in the eyes. I didn't want to look into the eyes of the man I loved, the man that had the potential of breaking me all over again, leaving me to pick up the pieces. He took the bow out of my hands and set it down on the ground next to me. I looked at the bow on the ground blankly, still unable to look at him. Daryl then took my left hand and I felt him push that pretty ring onto my finger. I couldn't even look at that ring, but I didn't resist him. He took my head in his hands and turned me so I was looking at him. Daryl then bent down and kissed me on the forehead. "Everythin' is gonna be alright, Daisy. Maybe it won't be tomorrow, or a week from now, or years from now. But I can tell you right now, tonight, it's gonna be OK."

We embraced and I nodded. "OK," was the only thing I could say in that moment. We held onto each other for a few more moments before pulling apart and heading back towards the rest of the group who were all huddled around the campfire comfortably. From a distance, I could hear Maggie and Beth sing "The Parting Glass" which was an Irish drinking tune I often had heard my father sing merrily after a night at one of the bars in town. They were finishing the song when Daryl and I took a seat behind Anna, who was sitting in between Carl and Beth.

"Beautiful," Hershel said, smiling at his two girls.

The somewhat picturesque scene was ruined when Rick said suddenly, "Better all turn in. I'll take watch by the front gate tonight. We've got a big day tomorrow."

Glenn's smile after hearing Maggie sing disappeared and he asked, "What do you mean?"

I looked behind me towards the prison and I knew exactly what Rick meant. He wanted to take this whole entire place, not wasting any time to prepare a home for the child he was expecting.

"Look," Rick started, "I know we're all exhausted. This was a great win, but we gotta push just a little more. Most of the walkers are dressed as guards or prisoners, looks like this place fell pretty early. Could mean the supplies is still intact. They have an infirmary, a commissary."

Daryl looked up and asked, "An armory?"

Rick nodded and explained that the armory would be outside of the prison, but the warden's office would have information as to where it is. High security prisons like this one wouldn't have an armory on the property. The feds and the state were usually careful of that, as they didn't want to create a second Alcatraz, having inmates overrun the prison, steal from the armory and escape. There will be food, weapons, medicine and more supplies.

Hershel mentions how we're already low on ammo and if we go in and try to take more of it over, we would run out. Rick dismisses this and claims that we'll go in tomorrow and take the prison over by hand. "These assholes don't stand a chance!" he exclaimed, seemingly excited and anxious.

I slept uneasily that night after what happened between Daryl and I. Barely getting a wink of sleep, I was slightly drowsy the next morning. I pinch myself and blink hard before eating some breakfast that Lori prepared for me. The plan was for me, Rick, Daryl, Maggie, Glenn and T-Dog to go in and take the interior of the prison while the rest serve as a distraction. We're all armed with the sharp and long-handled African hunting knives that I supplied the group with months ago, some guns, although we don't intend on using them, and Maggie is armed with a hatchet that she picked up earlier yesterday.

We all line up behind Rick, all armed and ready. "Ready?" Hershel asked, and Rick nodded before he threw open the gate. We ran in, T-Dog was the first one to take down a walker and the rest of us soon followed suit. None of them got close enough to even touch me as I stabbed them with my arrows. We were too close together for me to be shooting them from my bow. All of us were next to one another, always having our neighbors back. The rest of the group that weren't inside the interior was distracting the other walkers, banging on the fence line, and screaming. Every walker that even got near the fence was soon annihilated. We were quick and it seemed like only a quarter of a minute had passed before we were going around the corner, finished with the walkers in the front.

Rick quickly motioned us to go up against the wall, as he saw something up ahead. Standing next to him, I looked over his shoulder and saw some walkers wearing riot gear coming towards us. Out of no where it seemed, two walkers came up from around the corner. "Shit…" I murmured. I ran up toward the walker, head down and body slammed it to the ground quickly.

"Daisy!" I heard Daryl shout, but I ignored him as I lifted myself from the walker I took to the ground and jammed my knife into the walker's neck from underneath the helmet. Soon the others followed suit by taking the walkers out through their necks.

Rick called for Daryl and the two of them locked off the other fence line that led to the courtyard, which had even more walkers behind it. I wondered how many there was and how long this was going to take. Rick killed the final walker by taking off the walker's helmet, taking its facial skin off with it. I cringed my nose at the sight before Rick slammed his knife into its head. The courtyard we are in is now filled with bodies.

Glenn and I were about to go back to the others who were waiting for us outside the fence that led to the yard. "Stop!" Rick shouted before we could make it any closer to them.

Lori and the others held confusion on their faces as they looked at us and then looked between each other. "It looks secure," said Glenn, confused like myself and the others.

"Not from the look of that courtyard over there," said Daryl, pointing the section of the prison him and Rick just chained off. He then gestured to one of the walkers he had killed during our frenzy. "And that's a civilian."

T-Dog nodded in understanding. "So, the interior could be overrun by walkers from outside the prison."

Glenn looked exasperated and shook his head. "Well, if there's walls, then, what are we gonna do? We can't rebuild this whole place."

"We can't risk a blind spot," said Rick, "We have to push in."

In agreement, we walk towards a door that leads further inside the prison, entering Cell Block C after Daryl opens the door upon Rick's request. The cell block seems empty, but we are kept on our toes, looking out for walkers as we creep around every corner. Rick goes up the stairs to the perch that overlooks the block. There's a dead guard sitting in his chair with his brains blown out and Rick takes his keys. I look around the place and appreciate the space that we have now. There's so much that we could do here. Cleaning out the bodies, cracking into the treasures the prison holds, I could see this place becoming our home…temporarily, of course. Rick takes the keys and opens the door that leads to all the cells. In a few of the cells there are dead prisoners but I feel no sense of disgust or sadness. Those emotions for the dead we come across seems to be ridden from my heart and mind.

Daryl and I begin to go upstairs and Rick follows us. There's a banging noise and we quickly turn and head in the direction of the noise, only to see that there are walkers in some of the cells, reaching out for us, trying to get a taste. We're quick to put them down, as it's no difficult task. When we're done, Rick finds the key to the cells and unlocks them. Rick takes the bodies and rolls them from the side so they fall down to the first level, where T-Dog is waiting to place them elsewhere so they're out of our way. After taking out those few walkers, we find Cell Block C to be secure.

Glenn and Maggie come in with the rest of the group, who are carrying our supplies along with them.

"Home sweet home," Carl says, looking around the cell block, which is ridden with clothes and some blood here and there.

Beth and Anna decide to bunk in a cell together, and the rest of the group finds their own cell. Daryl looks at me and tilts his head over to the perch with the dead guard in it. "Wanna take that for ourselves?" he asks me. Unsure, I look over at Anna who is already getting her stuff ready alongside Beth. Next door to them is Carl to the left and Maggie and Glenn to the right. Seeing the hesitance etched on my face, Daryl reassures me, "Anna will be fine for tonight. She knows how to take care of herself now, and you we saw to it that the cell block is secure."

I sigh, "Fine."

Daryl and I move the dead guard out of the block for now and then set up a scrappy blanket and two pillows down on the ground. We lie down and I give out another sigh, "And we'll do all of this over again tomorrow."

He nodded, "I don't mind it, though."

I shrug, "Yeah, I'm getting used to it now." I paused and we sat in silence again before I said, "I'm glad you decided not to sleep in a cell. I've already done that before."

"Same here," said Daryl, and then he looked up at me, "What happened to you after that night anyways?"

I never told Daryl what Anna and I did before we joined the group at their camp. I didn't like to talk about it much and Daryl never asked, until now, so I explained it to him. "Anna and I camped out in the truck in Atlanta before an officer recognized us and took us in. They seemed like they understood the situation and were going to let me go, takin' into account that it was self-defense."

"Then what?" Daryl asked, obviously curious.

Sighing, I looked down at my hands. "Then the fever broke out. They left my door unlocked one night, I got Anna out of the children's ward and got two other guys, brothers, Diego and Jack out of their cells. They were there after Diego was dealing some drugs and Jack interrupted the deal, causing a fight between gang members and making a scene in public. We travelled together as a group, camping out at different places only for a few nights at a time. We picked up four other people. Three men, one of them Randall, and a girl. You know what happened to Randall, and the other three died. Soon it was just me, Anna, Diego and Jack again." I paused and took a side glance at Daryl, who was looking at me with interest, wanting to know more, I could tell. "Then we found a place. I really nice place. It was called Woodbury, and it was run by this psycho guerilla leader everyone called the Governor. I knew him from my time on the Tracks. His name was Philip." I didn't tell Daryl how I knew him, as I felt like it was too much information and he didn't really need to know that. I shook my head, "Anyways, I didn't like him. He was an asshole who was sick in the head. He wouldn't let anyone leave Woodbury. The place was like a prison," I gave a short chuckle at my own joke. "The Governor ended up killing Jack for trying to escape and that's when I decided I was going to give it a go alongside Anna. There was no way we were going to be staying there any longer. So, with the help of Diego and this doctor I saved, his name was Dan, Anna and I escaped. We lived on our own for a while and well…I'm guessing you know the rest."

Daryl nodded, "Sounds like quite the adventure," he said with a hint of sarcasm.

I smirked, "Oh, it was." Thinking about what the next few days will hold in store for the group, I get up from my spot next to Daryl and begin walking down the stairs. "Goin' ta check on Lori," I tell Daryl.

Lori is sitting on one of the mattresses in her and Rick's cell. Seeing my shadow loom in the doorway, she seems to be pulled from a trance as she blinks and looks up at me. Lori smiles and she pats the mattress, gesturing for me to come sit down. I do so and then ask her, "Are you feelin' alright, Lori?"

She grimaces and whispers, "I think I lost the baby."

My eyes widen slightly, but I allow there to be no panic in my voice. I had learned to never sound worried in front of a patient. "You haven't felt it move?" I ask, placing my hand gently on her baby bump, feeling around and taking note of the baby's position, which seems to be correct.

Lori shook her head, "Nothing. And no Braxton-Hicks. At first, I thought it was exhaustion and malnutrition."

"You're anemic," I said, putting two and two together.

Lori nods. "If we're all infected, then so is the baby. So what if it's stillborn? What if it's dead inside me right now, what if it rips me apart?" Her voice gets higher and I can tell that she's scaring herself.

I place my hand on her back comfortingly and I shake my head. "I doubt that's going to happen, Lori. You need to relax and not worry so much."

"Ok," she says, "Let's say it lives and I die during childbirth."

I shake my head, "Don't say such things. You know Hershel and I are doing our best to make sure the birth goes smoothly. I know that you have no hospital and modern medicine to rely on, but you're going to have to trust us."

Lori nods, but then she breaks down her tears. She shakes with sobs as she places her hands over her face. Finally, she looks up at me and tells me, "If the baby or I turn, you have to kill us, to protect the others. Don't try to save us. You'll have to put us down. Don't hesitate." I try to comfort her as she sobs more and then she says, "It would've been better if…"

"If what?" I ask.

Lori pauses and then finishes. "If I'd never made it off the farm."

"You're tired, Lori," I tell her, "You need to rest. It's normal to feel scared before giving birth. It's normal to be nervous."

Lori looks up at me and wipes away her tears, "Why aren't you? Tired and scared. After what happened to Anna."

I shrugged and looked down at the ground. "The truth is I am tired and a bit scared, but I don't let it control me. I just do all that I can to protect her, I make sure she feels loved and that she's getting along well with the group, Carl and Beth have really helped her get out of her shell and I'm thankful for that…" I pause and then tell Lori, "Anna and I really had a rough home life before all of this happened. My father was a drunk who spent any money he got his hands on for beer and cigarettes. My mother died giving birth to Anna, and my older sister, Lori and I, were in charge of the household. We had to take care of Anna by ourselves. We worked odd jobs to pay the bills and to make sure Anna had everythin' she needed to be a healthy little girl. We fought for our damn lives…I'm still fightin' Lori." I look up at her. "I'm fightin' every day for that little girl I took home from the hospital. Whatever sense of fight you have left in ya, use it. Fightin' day in and day out and you'll soon forget about being tired and scared. Ya need to be strong."

Lori looks at me solemnly and nods, "You're right, Daisy," she pauses and takes in my words and everything I told her before saying, "I was being serious, though about putting me and the baby down if need be."

"And you can trust me with that task, Lori, and to be honest, I think you can trust everyone here, even your boy and Rick. They're strong ya know?" I get up from my seat next to her.

Lori nods, "Yeah, I know."

"Now if you need anythin' just give me a holler, ya hear?" I say, beginning to walk out of the cell.

"Of course," Lori replies.

When I walk out of the cell I see that Daryl and the other men aren't in the main part of the cell block and I see that they're in the other room, arming themselves with what they took off of the guards. "What's goin' on?"

"We're gonna move deeper into the prison and see what else we can find. Clear it of walkers, if we can," Rick replied.

I step up and take one of the armed vests they have laid out on the table. "I'll go with you."

Hershel steps up beside me and places a hand on the vest that I'm holding up. "You've fought enough today, and you look like you barely got any sleep last night. Let me go with them."

I shake my head, "No offense, Hershel, but I'll probably do better out there than you will if worse comes to worse. You stay here with Carl and the girls."

Rick shook his head. "Hershel's right, Daisy. You look tired and drained. Just stay here and protect the others, get some rest if you can, we should be back soon."

I'm slightly frustrated. I've always gone on these sorts of runs with Maggie and the other men, but now I look too tired? I glance at Daryl and he agrees with Rick. "Why don't ya do yourself a favor, Daisy. Get some rest."

I set the vest down and then take one of the pistols off the table. "Fine," I say, and head back to the others. I watch Maggie and the men leave. I shake my head in distaste and frustration. I was perfectly fine. One night with no sleep wasn't going to hurt me.

As I sat down next to Lori and watched Carl, Beth and Anna converse, my mind reeled with thoughts of what they were going to find further into the prison. And for some reason, I felt like Hershel was going to be a shortcoming.