Disclaimer:I do not own The Walking Dead: Not it's characters, certainly not Daryl Dixon -sadly-, not the plot (except the stuff that's not part of the original story), the story line, etc.

I also don't own whatever Canadian slangs that I end up using.

However: I do own Jo and Ben Teague, they are my own characters that I have created, as well as any scenes that are not directly part of the show.

Note: To some, this chapter might seem off, and I do admit, that some parts were a bit harder to write, than others, but I did try to keep it as realistic as possible. I also want to apologize if Daryl seems a bit OOC in this chapter with how he acts with Jo and Ben. I said this in the beginning of last chapter, but I find that Daryl can be a softy, when he wants to be. I wanted this chapter to be on a reflection on Jo, and how she has dealt with a few things within her life. This is also a chapter that gives details about Jo and Ben, to confirm some of the hidden (if you have caught them that is) remarks that I had made through the previous chapters. I will admit that there are still some questions that are left unasnwered, but they will be addressed within the next few chapters. There are a lot of flashbacks in his chapter, that deals with some very heavy issues, and will be in between the break lines, in italic. At the end of this chapter, in italic, is a dream.

Note II: I'm sorry for the absence, I've had trouble writing this chapter and had to rewrite it a couple of times before I found a copy I liked.

Also, like before, if I end up using terms that some people don't understand/don't know because they are Canadian terms, I will be posting their meanings at the bottom of the page.

I hobbled out of my tent a couple hours later, and stretched my arms out. After the lesson with Ben, I let him go around the farm to keep himself amused, until later. I already cleaned the wound on my leg and applied some ointment to it, before I wrapped it up again. The most grief I had though, was with my ankle as I stared down at the wrapped appendage with disdain. Before I left Hershel's home, I rewrapped it, just as tightly as Hershel had, and I was thankful that my hiking boots gave me the support I needed, so long as I kept the boot laced tight. I walked over to my small camp and sat down on one of the wooden logs there. I thought about what I had and needed to do that day, and found that I honestly, didn't have anything on my list. I suppose it was because I was resting, and healing, that no one expected anything from me currently, which left me with an infinite amount of relaxation. I intended to use that to my advantage, until I was more mobile.

I picked up some spare wood, that laid around my camp and took out one of the knives I kept on my body. The knife that I took out was for carving wood, which would keep me busy for a while, though that also depended on what I would carve. The piece of wood that I picked up was about six inches long and three inches thick. I studied the piece as I twirled the knife around in my fingers, trying to piece together what I could make from it. The bark had already been stripped from this piece, and the edges were well defined. I found myself humming in thought as an idea came to me. With a smile, I secured the carving knife in my hand and brought it to the piece of wood. I knew exactly what I was going to make. I wasn't concerned about what would happen in the camp, if anyone needed me, they knew where to find me, and it wasn't possible for me to go anywhere, anyway.

Up at the camp, I could hear the others moving, going about their day, while I sat at my little camp, entirely focused on the block of wood in my hands and the way I slid my knife through it delicately. Grass crunched nearby and I looked up from my concentration when someone cleared their throat. Forcefully, much to my disappointment, I pulled myself away from my activity and looked over at the intruder. I wasn't too surprised to see Maggie out around this time, but from the on her face, I could tell she was irritated about something.

"Something on your mind, Maggie?" I greeted the younger woman curiously as she walked closer to me.

"My father wants to know if you and the redneck will be coming to house for your wounds." The woman sighed as she plopped down on one of the logs next to me and held her head in her hands. "And…" Maggie trailed off before she looked at me with confliction in her eyes.

"Concerning Hershel, no, we won't be heading back for checkups, unless he would like us to. I'm pretty certain Daryl would rather I keep an eye on his health than others." I chuckled at the end of that, but after this morning, I didn't know what to make of Daryl. His reaction was cold, colder than it usually was, I found, and that, caused me to worry. I placed a hand on Maggie's arm, I gave her a small smile. "I'm guessing it has to do with Glenn?" I questioned her, and watched as she nodded her head slowly. "Let me tell you this, at least, Maggie. Glenn, is one of the few people, who is genuine in his actions. Give him some time, he's an idiot, but that's only because he's a guy."

"Isn't that the same with every guy though?" It seemed my little quip about Glenn helped her, as she began to laugh, after she asked her question, and I couldn't help but join her. Her words rang true, as I thought about every guy I knew in my life.

"Oh yes, completely true!" I agreed with a laugh and I found myself grinning at the young woman.

"Thanks, Jo," she told me gratefully as she gave my hand a squeeze. "I'm really thankful that you're around. I never… really had anyone to talk to, like this before. I mean… I did, but… it feels different, easier… you know?" She looked at me and I could tell she was honest in her words.

"Yeah, I know, Maggie, and you're welcome. I'm always here if you need to talk," I offered her softly. "Well, so long as we're on your father's land, anyway."

I saw Maggie's face fall at the reminder that our group wouldn't be staying on the farm long, but she seemed to push that away as she stood up. She ran a hand through her short hair and was about to leave, when she paused mid-step and turned back to me.

"I almost forgot," she told me and reached into the pouch that rested around her shoulder. "My father wanted me to give this to you, said you would be able to use it more than he could." She handed me a small, wrapped package and I took it curiously. When I opened it up, I was saw a small hand grater, it was old, but in good shape, and it was perfect for what I would need it for. The one I had was on its last legs, since it was cheap, and overly worn out.

"Really? Maggie, are you sure your father told you to give this to me?" I questioned her in surprise, but I only saw her smile in response. "I'll make sure to thank him when I see him next." She gave me a wave as she walked away from my camp, only to pause again.

"My dad says to check on your companion too, if he moves too much, he might open those stitches." I raised a hand to her, to tell her that I heard her and I watched as she walked away.

With a shake of my head, I couldn't help but wonder, what was truly going on with Hershel. That man seemed to be hellbent on our group to leave, but even then, he was more than willing to help us out. I suppose time would tell, if we could stay here at the farm or not, but for now, I would just go with the flow. I was grateful for the grater though, there were a few herbs, roots especially, that needed to be grated so their healing properties to be fully utilized. I shook my head once more and stood up. I slipped my carving knife back into its sheath and walked into my temp so I could put the grater away. While in my tent, I grabbed the ointment I used earlier on my leg and made sure I had extra bandages in case I needed them. I stuffed all of that into a satchel and walked out of the tent again.

"Guess I should check on him, whether he likes it or not," I muttered to myself and made my way up to Daryl's tent. He placed himself just outside the group's campsite, but he was still far enough away that he wasn't directly 'integrated' with them. I waved lightly to Ben and Sophia, who were playing with one another as they ran past me while they laughed. It lifted my heart to see them here, safe and sound like this, but I also knew that it meant Hershel would expect our group to move out soon.

As I walked up to the camp, I saw the others move around, some greeted me, while others looked at me as if I was crazy to be on the move already. But if I had to compare my current wounds to earlier, I was in better shape now. Besides, I would rest after I took care of the hunter, the man was stubborn after all. It was easy to spot the hunter's tent, since Andrea had just exited it with an amused smirk on her face. The moment she saw me, her face fell into guilt, much like it had the day before, when she and Dale ran to the group, after Daryl fell unconscious.

"Jo…" Andrea spoke up, but fell short of words once I reached her.

"Hey, Andrea." I gave the woman a smile and stopped in front of her.

"Look, about yesterday-"

I raised a hand and cut her off with a shake of my head.

"Don't worry about it, you were protecting the camp, I get that," I told her and gave her a slight smirk. "But next time, as much as you're doing your job, wait until you know what's going on, would you?"

The blonde woman chuckled as she gave me a relieved smile. "Sure, Jo, that I can do." She patted my arm before she left and I turned back to Daryl's tent.

I caught sight of the man as he peaked through the sheer netting of his tent before his face disappeared. I rolled my eyes and walked to the tent's entrance, and much like he normally did to me, I just walked in. Not to my surprise, Daryl was on his back with a book held in front of his face, and gave the appearance of disinterest. I sighed under my breath at this and let the tent flap fall close behind me as I walked further into his territory.

"What do you want, Canuck?" The hunter's voice sounded strained to my ears as I walked closer to him and sat next to the bed.

"To check your wounds, you left before Hershel could clean them," I replied dryly as I began to unpack my satchel.

"And what?" Daryl snorted as he tossed the book off to the side. "You're here to make sure I'm not straining myself?" His voice was laced with sarcasm, but I paid it no mind as I looked at him.

"To put bluntly, yes." I moved slowly until I was near him. "If you're not going to let Hershel look after you, then I you're going to have to let me do it." I gave the man no other option as I motioned for him to sit up.

"I can take care of myself, Canuck," he spat in irritation and refused to budge from his spot. I narrowed my eyes at his stubbornness, but I already I would have to deal with it.

"Fine, then." I breathed deeply through my nose once and moved forward until I was close to the man.

It never failed. Any time I was close to the hunter, my heard began to pound in my chest. This time was no exception to that fact as I sat nose-to-nose with the stubborn hunter. Daryl became frigid when I moved forward. His blue-green eyes stared at me, conflicted, curious and irritated as I paused before him.

"I'll just have to play dirty," I whispered and I watched as his eyes widen in surprise.

He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off before a word could come out as I pressed my chapped lips against his. The hunter froze in his place and I managed to pull him into a sitting position before I finally pulled back. For a moment, Daryl had followed me, his blue-green eyes hooded and clouded with a swirl of emotion as I sat back. My face burned in embarrassment as I busied myself with the ointment and Daryl's wounds. My lips tingled from the kiss, and I was tempted to run my tongue over them, to remind myself of it, but I didn't. I focused on the hunter's wound. It was in good shape still, so I merely rubbed some ointment over it and bandaged it up once more.

"There, you're wound is looking good, but try not to pull your stitches, alright? I rather no try and wrangle you down so I can stich you back up again," I tried to make light of the tension in the tent, and went to push some hair behind my ear. I stopped though the moment I felt Daryl's calloused hand tuck the stray strand away from my face. I tried to busy myself with my ointment and bandages, so I could pack them and leave, but Daryl's clouded eyes and firm hand stopped me.

"You… you just kissed me," he stated, his voice low and rough. I mutely nodded my head and swallowed the last of the moisture from my throat as Daryl's hand traveled to my neck. I shivered as his calloused hands stroked the exposed skin there, my fingers flexed against the jar of ointment and I found myself returning it to my satchel as Daryl continued to look at me with an unreadable expression. "Why?"

The question caught me by surprise, not because I didn't expect it, but because I didn't have the answer.

"You could have used any means to make me comply, but instead…" Daryl's eyes flashed a bit as the hand around my neck flexed, not dangerously, mind you, but in a type of awareness.

"It was an impulsive act," I supplied for him quietly, my voice came out as a whisper as I pulled out of his grasp. My heart twisted at my simple response, it was a partial lie, and I could tell, as Daryl's eyes narrowed, that he didn't buy most of it either.

"Pixie…" he growled deep within his chest and his hand shot out to grab my own before I could make my escape. With a slight tug, he pulled me towards him, much to my surprise as a squeal escaped my mouth. It seemed Daryl didn't think about the forcefulness of his tug as I ended up almost crashing into his chest. However, Daryl caught me before I could damage him or myself, and instead, he held me securely on his lap. One arm wrapped around my waist. and my hands gripped his shoulders in surprise as I stared at him.

"Daryl…" I spoke quietly, the unspoken question clear in my voice as he took a deep breath. His eyes closed momentarily and when he opened them, I could see resolution within them. They were no longer clouded by a mix of emotion, instead, they seemed to glisten with whatever was on his mind. "Can… can you let me go?" I asked him hesitantly, unsure of what was going through his mind. To say that I was nervous was an understatement, but it was also paired with the emotions I had been fighting with for weeks.

"No." His reply was simple, low, but firm as his arm tugged me closer to the warmth of his body. With a roll of my eyes, I didn't fight him as our chests brushed against each other. My hands twisted themselves within Daryl's vest as I stared at him, and realized my position. My legs were spread on either side of the hunter's, to accommodate the position he pulled me into. I was trapped, something both he and I knew.

But I didn't want to escape.

Not right now.

And it seemed he knew this too.

"Why?" I questioned him quietly and felt his other hand cup my chin, tilting it slightly so our eyes felt fully. Butterflies erupted in the put of my stomach as his smoldering gaze entrapped me further. My mouth went dry as his thumb brushed against my lower lip, and his nose brushed against mine in a caress.

"Impulse," he murmured just before his lips firmly captured mine.

Unlike the first time our lips met, Daryl's actions were firm and certain. Everything he had held back came out in this kiss as he clutched me closer to him. It left me breathless, and I yearned for more as I returned the fevered kiss with my own. Our lips molded together as the floodgate opened between us. Everything that had built up over the time we had known each other came out in this kiss. My hands gripped his short hair to pull him closer to me, and the hand he had around my neck threaded itself into my hair to keep me in place. His tongue flicked over my lips and I opened, both of us groaned as he deepened the kiss further and pillaged my welcoming mouth. I returned the favour and memorized the hunter's mouth, his natural taste washed over me as we pulled each other closer.

For the first time, since Ben was born, I felt a spark, a heated flame burn deep within my body. The urge and need to feel Daryl's lips against my own, to feel his rough hands on my body had been pent up for weeks. The casual flirting between us, the respect we had for one another, and the slight competitiveness between us had grown to this point. This kiss spoke everything we would or could never speak out loud.

"Jo? Are you in there?" Sophia's voice broke through the heated fog that had surrounded Daryl and me.

For a moment, I was tempted to ignore the girl, as it seemed Daryl had the same thought as his teeth nipped at my lips. His tongue retreated, caressing my own before he did something that made heat pool to my core, and I moaned into his mouth. His lips wrapped around my tongue before I could retrieve it and began to suck on it sensually. My eyes fluttered opened, and met darkened, hungry blue-green pools, I already knew my own grey eyes mirrored his as he released my tongue to kiss me once more.

"Daryl? Have you seen-"

The flap of the tent fluttered open and at once, we stopped. I was vaguely aware of the staring, but I was extremely aware, that the hand on my waist had slipped up the back of my shirt with a couple fingers dipped into the hem of my pants. I was no better since one of my hands was spread across Daryl's firm stomach.

"Oh… never mind then," Ben's voice portrayed his embarrassment at walking in on us, but it was also enhanced by the cheekiness, and proudness he also felt. "Want us to come by later?" he questioned.

Daryl and I looked at one another, quiet, and conflicted. Our breaths laboured from the excursion and I found myself extremely reluctant to move away from him. His cheeks were pink, his lips bruised, hair tussled, and clothes shifted, but his eyes told me that he did not regret this. I felt my face burn again and I licked my lips, reminding myself of his taste. Daryl's eyes followed the movement of my tongue, darkening in desire, but he refrained from acting on it.

"Nah, its fine, kid," Daryl's drawl sounded thicker as he slowly removed the hand from my back, his fingers caressed my skin, and left a trail of gooseflesh in its wake. I slowly moved my hand from his chest and hair as Daryl's hands returned to my waist.

Behind me, Sophia and Ben came into the tent, and sat down across from us, both were flushed from what they witnessed, but Ben had a huge grin. I managed to get off Daryl's lap, but before I could move to sit beside me, the hunter pulled me onto his lap once more, but this time, so my back was flush against his chest and his legs on either side of mine. He had one arm wrapped lazily around my waist as I leaned back comfortably.

"So, what's up?" I asked them, curious to know why they wanted to find me. It was then, that I noticed how quiet the camp was. Daryl and I must have been caught up with one another for a while then. I blushed at that thought, but I wasn't too surprised by it. The hunter was an easy person to get lost in.

"Well, everyone's gone to the shooting range, except for Dale, Glenn, and we think Hershel. We were wondering if you could start on that lesson, for Sophia," Ben explained as he looked at me with hope in his eyes.

"What lessons?" Daryl asked curiously and I tilted my head back to look at him with shrug.

"Ben asked me earlier if I could teach Sophia how to use knives," I began to explain as I motioned towards the girl.

"I don't want to be a hindrance anymore," Sophia spoke softly, but loud enough for the three of us to hear. "I don't want to be afraid of the Flesh-Dolls anymore. I-I want to fight, and protect the camp, just like everyone else."

"And you think learning how to use knives will help?" Daryl snorted a bit as he looked at the girl.

Sophia's face fell for a moment, before it hardened with determination. "It's a start. I might not be good enough now, but I know with practice, I can become helpful and then move onto other weapons."

Daryl rested his chin on my shoulder while Sophia spoke, and I had to say that I had my doubts earlier when Ben brought it up, but now that I heard her, I could tell she was full of conviction, and that she was sure of herself. When I looked at him from the corner of my eye, I could see the smirk that played on his lips.

"What about your mother, Sophia?" I asked her curiously.

"I don't want to be that girl again, I'm not going to run away. Mama might want me to stay innocent and clean, but I can't." She shook her head at us. "Not after those days with Ben in the woods. I learned there, that I can't sit back and cry anymore."

I smiled at this and nodded my head. This was what I wanted to hear. To see her conviction to do what was right for herself. "Okay, Sophia. I'll teach you about knives," I told her and watched as her entire face lit up happily. "But, I also want to teach you about herbalism. That's the trade off. It also gives you an excuse to your mother for why you will be coming to my tent for a couple of hours every day."

The smile on her face fell slightly when I brought up herbalism, but I knew Carol was already weary of me spending any more time with her daughter. Ben looked at me when he seemed to realize why I had to make it way. Ben was observant, more than the others realized. He looked after at Sophia and gave her hand a squeeze.

"Don't take it the wrong way, Sophia, Jo's doing this because your mom wouldn't want you to learn anything about weapons. While she will teach you about herbalism, she'll also teach you about knives and how to use them properly," Ben explained with a gentle smile as he looked at Sophia.

"Just take the offer, girlie." Daryl lifted his head from my shoulder and looked at the kids. "Your ma won't know about your knife lessons since you gotta use them for the Pixie's trade. It's a good cover, and handy to have someone else versed in her trade." He nudged me a bit.

Sophia looked at the three of us as she chewed on her bottom lip. She was stuck, and everyone knew it. She had no choice but to accept the extra lessons. If she didn't, then she could never prove to everyone that she had grown up in the past few days.

"Okay, I understand," she told us quietly and gave Ben's hand a squeeze.

"Good, we'll start later today, alright?" I suggested softly and saw her about to interject, when I held a hand up. "Don't get me wrong, Sophia, I would start now, but I think it would best if your mum knew about the lessons about herbs, okay?" I smiled at her and I saw her finally smile back when she realized what I meant.

"So, now that, that's done," Ben began as he grinned at Daryl and I cheekily. "Are you guys finally together now?" he questioned us and I found my cheeks start to burn once more, as Daryl tensed behind me.

"Ben…" the two of us began, but Ben's laughter merely took away from our warnings.

"You must be after we walked into you two making out like that!" He pointed at us, while Sophia giggled beside him. When we didn't answer, he grinned more. "I mean it's about damn time, you guys." He rolled his eyes at us and I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Ben..." I sighed softly as I sat up straighter, much to Daryl's annoyance, since the man's grip around my waist tightened for a moment.

"Is that what you want for her, kid?" Daryl beat me in questioning my brother, though it was hard for me to question him since I didn't know what Ben expected.

Ben's posture straightened as he looked at Daryl, squarely in the eye. "Of course, it is," he stated bluntly, much to our surprise. "You two make each other happy, and it's obvious that you both relax more when you're around one another."

As I listened to Ben, I couldn't help but see how serious he was about my happiness. I never considered it before, since I had always thought about him and his happiness. But it seems that Ben had been on the watch for my happiness since we joined the group. I looked over at Daryl, who looked back at me and I watched as his lips twitched upwards in a smirk. With a smile, I lightly nudged him in the ribs, when he looked down at me with a raised eyebrow, I shook my head at him. Of course, the man was amused.

"The question is though," Ben spoke up, this time more softly as he looked at us. "Do you two want this?" He nodded to how we were, but stood up and looked at Sophia. "Come on, Sophia, let's leave them to think," he suggested and helped the girl up. "See you guys later!"

"Where'd the kid get his smarts from?" Daryl questioned me after a few moments of us being alone with one another. "I've never heard a kid say stuff like he does."

I chuckled at the hunter and moved a bit so I could look at him properly. The smile on my lips slipped a bit as I thought about that answer. "Not from his father, I guarantee it," I murmured softly and closed my eyes.

"Want to tell me about it?" he asked me quietly as I rested my head on his shoulder, causing him to tense. I froze at his request, and chewed on my lip, my mind going on a mile a minute in thought, as I contemplated on telling him that story.

I sat up, and ran a hand over my face. It had been years since I had thought about it, years since I wanted to think about it. I had put it so far behind me, that it was only a hazy memory, one that never held any importance to me. It was a time when I was at my worst, a time when life had little meaning to me, a time when I had been so far gone, that life never mattered. It was a time that I never wanted to return to.

"Darling?" Daryl questioned me quietly, his hand rested on my shoulder, and I looked over at him. I went to open my mouth, but nothing came out as I closed it again. He tipped my head up to look at him, and I knew he could see my trepidation. "You think what happened in the past will change anything?"

"It was a dark time in my life, Daryl," I admitted to him and closed my eyes again. "It's hard to talk about it, even now, after everything. It's a place I don't enjoy visiting."

"I aint gonna leave, Pixie," he told me quietly and tipped my head up again. "Whatever you went through, aint gonna change this." He motioned between us. "Unless you want it to." His voice dropped a bit as he stared at me, his eyes unreadable as I searched for any doubt from him. When I saw none, I couldn't help but relax.

"I rather it not," I admitted softly and took a deep breath, to calm the sudden adrenalin that coursed through my veins. It had been years since I had disclosed my past to someone else, to someone who wasn't family or a psychiatrist. "But, I'll tell you, if you really want to know…"

"Okay then." He nodded his head, the tension in his shoulders left and he tugged me closer to him again. It was lucky, that we were alone now, since it meant there wasn't anyone to hear us, or interrupt us. "Just a quick question," he brought up as I made myself comfortable next to him. "Why doesn't Ben know yet?"

I swallowed at the question and looked down at my hands. "Because…" I took a deep breath as I looked at him. "Because I wasn't even supposed to know about it."

The surprise on Daryl's face was noticeable and his mouth opened to speak, but nothing came out. He closed it again and slipped his fingers into my hair. He wasn't smothering me, like some would, but he wasn't shying away like many would assumed him to. Daryl was there, the fingers in my hair were a comfort as I sat next to him.

"I was seventeen, in my last year of high school, when I found out I was pregnant…" I began to explain as I thought about that time.

I just got out of the hospital, my mind racing, and my heart thundering in my chest. The papers in my hand shook in the spring air, my entire body trembled as tears leaked down my face. I was alone, something I preferred since I had my suspicions already. Weeks back, my boyfriend had dumped me after I found out that he had been cheating on me with another girl in class. I wasn't devastated by it, not like I should have, but I had too much on my mind at the time. School had always been important to me, as well as family, so I was never the 'dating' type of person.

I suffered from depression often however, and in turn, did many things to get push everything away. I got in with the wrong crowd, but never fell to their level. Though I did party and often let myself go, I made sure to keep my morals and what little self-respect I had, in tact. The depression came from my home life, as much as I loved my family, my parents, especially my father, had a horrible habit of pressuring me. All the weight fell onto me, the oldest child. If something went wrong, it was my fault. If someone got hurt, I was blamed for not being responsible. If the twins left me without a word, I was blamed for not keeping an eye on them. Not only was I responsible for my siblings, but my parents always kept pestering me to keep my grades up.

It got to the point where I was on my last nerve. As much as I loved my life on the farm, and my family, I was suffocating, drowning in their needs and demands. I already applied to university for the winter semester, since I promised to help on the farm during the fall, for the last time, before I went off to school. The only reason I was in the hospital was because I had tried to commit suicide, but not in the traditional way. I had tried to starve and dehydrate myself to the point of death, but I was found by teacher when I collapsed onto the floor. I had gone only three days without food and water when I collapsed and rushed to the hospital. I was unconscious for a day while the doctors fed my body and rehydrated me. It was when they took a blood sample, that they found out that I was pregnant.

I sat on the bench, outside the hospital with a hand pressed against my mouth. This was not what I needed, and though I wanted to keep it a secret, I wouldn't be able to. The doctor I saw was a family friend, and he would end up telling my parents within the hour. I was alone in all of this, I already knew how my parents would react, they would be disappointment, I would ruin all their expectations because of this. I pressed a hand against my abdomen and I looked at my flat stomach in worry. Seven months, that was how much longer I had until my past actions came about.

"Seven months…" I murmured quietly and the tears started once again.

I heard the familiar sound of my mother's truck drive up to the hospital entrance. When I saw her face, I knew she was already aware of my situation. My mother slammed the driver's door shut and I flinched at the mixed emotions that spread over her face. My mother was pregnant with my next sibling, and with flush of her cheeks, I knew she was not pleased.

"Joanna Marie Teague!" she bellowed, her fury clear as day as she stomped towards me. "What the hell did I just hear from Doctor Cunningham?" The demand fell short the moment she saw my tear streaked face and the tremor of my body. "Joey…" Her tone became soft as she sat down beside me. "What happened?"

It was the first time, in years, that my mother acknowledged me as her daughter, and not some guest that was related to her. I broke down in that moment, and told her everything. I told her about the partying, what crowds I got involved it, the guy I had seen, the depression, the suicide attempt and finally, the pregnancy. I told her everything, in that moment before I broke down and cried.

For the first time in my life, I showed my mother weakness.

I took a deep breath and opened my eyes when I finished the first part of my story. Daryl's hand was still intertwined in my hair, but his body was closer to me than earlier. I leaned against him and took the hand from my hair, lacing my fingers with his. I focused on his calloused hand, taking in each detail of it as I let Daryl absorb that part.

"What happened your break down?" Daryl whispered softly, curiosity laced in his voice, though he didn't tilt my head back to look at him. I was surprised that he didn't comment on the attempt on my own life.

"My mother and I talked it out, discussed what we would do. Due to my upbringing, abortion was out of the question, so I settled for adoption. I would carry the child full term before giving them up to a family, who would hopefully, love them and raise them properly. My mother was a lot of help with that decision making, and even offered to help me chose a family, when the time came," I explained.

"So, you and your ma kept it a secret for the next seven months? What about working at your family's farm?"

I nodded my head in response and sighed as I began to play with his fingers. "We did. I wore baggy clothing more and more, and my siblings never asked why I began to eat more. My father had his suspicions, but didn't outright ask. I assume my mother told him eventually before I went into labour, to explain why I would leave randomly." I closed my eyes as I thought about the next instance that happened.

"When I finally did give birth, things became worse…"

I laid in the hospital bed and stared at the ceiling, I was still recovering from giving birth and waited to see the son that I bore. My mind was conflicted and I couldn't concentrate on the books my mother brought with her. I already slept for seven hours after I heard the gender of the child and was given the all clear that there were no complications. The adoptive parents, my mother and I picked out hadn't fallen through, so now the kid was left parentless. As much as I could have taken him in and raised him, I knew I wasn't ready for parenthood. I wouldn't have made a good parent anyway, I wasn't strong and I wasn't good enough to help a child.

"Miss Teague?" the nurse broke through my thoughts and I looked up as the young woman walked into the room, a small bundle was wrapped up in her arms. "I thought you might like to hold your son before you give him up." She gave a gentle smile and held out the small bundle to me.

"O-oh…" I stared at the bundle, unsure what to do. Shakily, I held my arms out to accept the child. I knew what I should do, after all, I had helped raise my other siblings from their birth, but for the life of me, I was drawing a blank. The nurse smiled at me as she placed the child in my arms, adjusting them to properly cradle the kid.

"There, perfect." The nurse smiled as she looked at me proudly. "You look good with a kid in your arms, you know. Completely natural," she said, though I couldn't smile back.

I stared at the baby, he was sleeping peacefully in my arms, curled towards my body, as if he knew who I was without seeing me. My heart thudded against my chest and I began to shake. I couldn't do this. I couldn't hold onto him. With a shake of my head, I tried to tell the nurse to take the child before I accidently dropped him. Every wall I had built up began to crumble, the longer my son was in my arms.

"P-please…" I stuttered, my voice cracked as the nurse stared at me in shock. It seemed she had never seen this type of reaction before and quickly, she took the child from my arms and slowly back out of the room as I clutched onto the sheets. One by one, tears began to fall and landed on my lap. No one came into the room to comfort me, no one came into visit. I did hear though, from one of the nurses, that my mother had gone into labour.

I was happy for her, but I wished I could just go home, but I had to wait for the all clear. All I wanted was to go to my room, put my pyjamas on and curl into bed. It was only after two more hours of waiting, until I was given permission to leave. My mother had checked me out earlier, just before she went into labour and gave my mother's keys to me. Apparently, my father and siblings were already on their way, and as much I knew I should be there, I just wanted to be alone.

I dressed in my sweats and baggy t-shirt and left the hospital without looking back. The trip home was quick, but then, I was at a loss of what was going on. I barely remembered arriving at home and going down to my room. I kept the lights off. and changed into my fuzzy pyjamas. I crawled into bed and pulled the cover over me. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep.

By the time my family arrived home, I hadn't slept a wink, instead, I stared at the wall without a sound, even though my siblings had tried to bring me out to talk about our mum, but I told them I was tired. I didn't even answer the door when my father tried to talk to me. I locked myself in my room, only leaving it to go to the washroom. I refused to eat because I didn't feel hunger, and I sipped water every so often to keep me hydrated. Sleep came fitfully and I always woke up drenched in sweat, and tears.

When I finally did leave my room, I was ambushed by the twins. Apparently, our father had gone to the hospital to pick mum up. They told me mum had a boy, and that he had been delivered by caesarean. So, she had to stay in the hospital for a few days, and she was supposed to come out, that day. I didn't realize it had almost been a week since I locked myself in my room. I nodded my head, half-listening to the four kids as they dragged me to the kitchen. They were hungry, it seemed, so, like the good sibling I was, I cooked for them. The movement was natural, so ingrained that I didn't have to pay attention to what I was doing.

Once I made them food, and set it out on plates for them to grab, I leaned against the kitchen counter and stared outside. It was sunny out, too sunny, too nice. I wished it was raining, cloudy, dark. It fit with more with the emptiness I felt than the sunshine. It seemed my siblings realized that I wasn't in the mood to talk to them, so they just began to babble, talking about everything and anything that came to mind. They talked about their plans for the school year, what they were excited to watch on T.V., what gran and pop were up to, and even silly things like how much they were terrorizing the animals on the farm.

It was nice, idle chatter, but I didn't contribute. I just waited for them to finish their meal, then collected the dishes to wash. With a deep breath, I tried to find the energy to do something, but I couldn't. Just being around the kids for a few moments was enough to drain the last of the energy from me.

"Jo, will you play outside with us?" Serenity asked me cautiously as she tugged my baggy shirt. I looked down at her with a raised eyebrow and noticed that the boys were waiting for my answer. Serenity was the only other girl in the family, and looked up to me as a hero.

"Sure, Ren, I'll come out." I forced a smile and allowed her to take my hand. She led me towards her brothers and I followed them outside. I bit back a hiss of displeasure as the sunlight blinded me and I wanted nothing more than to go back inside, and hide in my room again.

"Can you take us to the haybales?" Caine asked as he popped to my other side. The haybales had been our favourite place to play, but I didn't have the energy.

"Sorry, Caine, not today," I told him with a sigh. "What did you guys want to play anyway?" I asked them as Serenity continued to tug me along.

"Well, we wanted to play tag on the bales," Liam spoke up as he looked at me with a frown. "Are you… okay, Anna?" he asked me cautiously, but from what I saw, he was worried, they all were.

"Yeah, just tired, Liam. I just need some sleep is all," I told them, though I knew it was a loss cause for me. I hadn't been able to sleep properly in days.

"Then why did you say you'd play with us if you're tired, Sissy?" Marcus questioned me with a frown. Each of the twins had a different nickname for me, and they changed them periodically between them and 'Jo'.

"Because you four always need someone around." I sighed as I reminded them of our parent's rule. The four of them groaned in unison and stopped in front of me. Before I could ask what was on their mind, the sound of our father's truck pulled up to the house.

"Dad's home!" the kids shouted happily and ran back to the house to greet them. I groaned in irritation and slowly made my way back. If dad was home, that meant mum was too, with my newest sibling. I was not excited about this, even though I knew I should be. Maybe I could just slip away and hide downstairs again.

The trip back to the house was quicker than I would have liked, and as I entered through the backdoor, near the kitchen, I could hear everyone talking. It seemed gran and pops hitched a ride with mum and dad. I didn't go into the living room, to say hi, instead I grabbed a packet of trail mix and a bottle of water before I walked downstairs before anyone could spot me. I locked my bedroom door and dumbed the trail mix onto my night stand. I crawled into bed again and pulled the covers over my head. I could hear the happy chatter and laughter above me, and turned on some music, the only thing I could listen to currently, if I listened to music at all, was piano. I fell asleep as I listened to songs off YouTube, though even then, my sleep was fitful and uneven.

Weeks passed since mother returned home, and I refused to see my newest sibling, even though the twins kept telling me that I should. I honestly couldn't, the mere thought of holding another newborn depressed me to the point where my room became the only sanctuary that I had. Sometimes I would walk out to the haybales in the middle of the night and spend hours just staring at the night sky. I often slept the day away, only getting up when I had to.

More than once, in those weeks, I had been tempted in leaving, to just get into my jeep and leave the house, and everyone behind. I felt no purpose in my life, everything that I loved became pointless and a bore. My family were strangers to me, and I felt cut off from the world. Sleep was gamble and having energy was a dream.

I woke up one morning to the sound of crying and desperate hushing noises. With blurry eyes, I saw that it was two in the morning. It was early, but I was no longer tired. I lazily got up and left my room, in what felt like an eternity. I made my way noiselessly upstairs, to the living room and saw my mother sitting in her old rocking chair.

"Ma?" I questioned her tiredly as she began to sniff. It seemed she hadn't heard me as I walked closer to her and the crying infant in her arms.

"Shh, shh. It's okay, it's okay. You're alright, sweetie," she cooed to her new son, who had a strong pair of lungs on him.

"Ma?" I questioned her, slightly louder, and watched as she jumped. Her usually warm green eyes were rimmed red from her lack of sleep.

"Jo? W-what are you doing up?" she questioned me, startled. She flinched when her son let out another scream and I saw her open her mouth to snap at her son.

"Let me," I sighed and held my arms out for him. "You need sleep, ma, just let me take care of him." I honestly didn't want to, but my mum looked as if she was at her wits end.

"Are you sure, Jo? I-I mean…" she trailed off and flinched as the infant began to struggle. Almost immediately, she put the kid in my arms and stood wearily. "Alright… maybe… maybe you'll get through to him." She sighed heavily and rubbed her eyes as I adjusted my arms around the infant.

"What's his name?" I asked her as she stood and began to walk out of the room as the infant screamed in my arms.

"Benjamin." My mother walked out of the living room, but paused at the stairs. "And, Jo, thank you for this… I don't know what I would have done if you didn't step in…" The guilty look on her face told me enough to know that she was on her last straw.

"It's fine, ma. Just get some sleep. I'll take care of Ben," I told her and adjusted my newest sibling in my arms. My mum walked back over to me and kissed my temple lovingly, though the smile she gave me was mixed.

"Night, sweetheart," she whispered and gently caressed her son's head.

"Night ma," I responded and watched as she walked up the stairs. When she was gone from sight, I looked down at Ben, and felt my heart squeeze painfully in my chest. It reminded me too much of when I was in the hospital, but I knew I had to push past that, for just this one night. "Well, little man, looks like it's just you and me now," I murmured to him as he cried. I checked his bottom and found he didn't need to be changed, I tried to feed him, only to find that he wasn't hungry, and I tried to burp him, only to see that he didn't have any gas in his system.

Instead of sitting in the rocking chair, like mum did, I walked outside. It was a clear night out; the moon was full and the stars were bright. I pulled a black and purple shawl around my shoulders, and made sure that Ben was wrapped up securely before I left the house. There was no wind that night and I walked out into the fields. By then, Ben had started to quieten down and snuggled close to my body.

"Oh? Now you're going to behave?" I questioned him with a roll of my eyes. I made it to the haybales when Ben finally opened his eyes, and just finished sitting on a partial one when I looked down. Blue eyes stared back at me, but I could tell they were already changing to green/hazel. Those eyes held so much trust in me that I forgot about the exhaustion I had, and the lack of energy I usually had.

Ben gurgled and reached out to snag some of my loose hair in his hand. When he managed to get at it, his face turned upwards in a toothless smile. He tugged my hair gently a couple of times, until I managed to take it back, only to hear him giggle. I adjusted him in my arms again, and wrapped the shawl around the two of us, to shield him from the cold.

"Is this what you wanted? To finally meet your big sister, and take a walk outside under the stars?" I asked him with a raised eyebrow. Another gurgle came as a reply and I found myself smirking at him. "Alright, fine. I'll play your game, Ben."

I watched as Benjamin let out a yawn and lean forward towards my body. His little fingers wrapped around my shirt and his small head pressed against my chest. I shifted the shawl so it covered Ben more and made my way back home. I found myself starting hum as the infant began to fall asleep. I found myself calm now as I held Ben just as I did with the twins. By the time, I made it home, Ben had fallen asleep curled into my body. He was blissfully unaware of what had transpired between us, and I was unaware of how helpful he as to my own recovery.

It wasn't until I was in medical school, that I learned I had PPD- Postpartum depression.

"Never heard of that before," Daryl stated as he looked down at me with furrowed brows.

"It's not really spoken of, but it happens to some women just before they've given birth. I've always suffered from depression, so I didn't realize what it was, until I learned about it. It made sense though, after I thought about the symptoms I had," I explained to him softly as he drew a breath.

"So, how'd you snap out of it?" he questioned me curiously and I gave him a smile.

"I took care of Ben. It's strange to say, but the moment I started to take care of him, to give my mother a break, I began to feel better. I started to recover thanks to him and slowly, I returned to the way I was before. It was only through that process; did I grow to who I am now."

I felt him chuckle next to me, and I smiled softly. When I thought about the way I was twelve years go, I knew I had grown a lot. There were a few times when I still felt the pain of depression, but lately, I had too much to worry about to fall into depression, and too much to focus on. I hadn't an episode since I almost broke down at the farm, but even then, it had been minor because of the situation we were in. Daryl bumped my shoulder a bit and I looked over at him curiously.

"Were you tempted to kill yourself again?" he asked in a whisper and I froze. I turned away from him in guilt.

"At first, it had been tempting, to try it again, to just leave… but I didn't feel that urge like before. I wasn't overwhelmed at that time, I was just… empty. All I wanted was to be alone and away from others," I admitted softly. I felt him tug me closer and I ended up in his lap once more. My head rested against his chest and I closed my eyes, my hands still playing with his.

"Good." His words took me by surprise and I looked up at him. "What?" he questioned me with a raised eyebrow. "If you had succeeded, you and the kid wouldn't be here now." He shrugged his shoulders as if his words were common sense, and I smiled.

"You're a real softy, aren't you?" I questioned him in a teasing tone. His cheeks grew pink as he looked off to the side and I found myself laughing. "It's not an insult, Firecracker."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, Darling," he muttered and I laughed again. "How'd you figure out the truth? You said your parents didn't tell you and that you weren't meant to know…" he trailed off a bit and I took a deep breath.

"There was an accident…"

It was summer, and I was left alone at the farm with Ben, while our parents and the twins went on a trip to see gran and pops. Ben was six years old and he was excited that he could spend an entire week with me, alone. Over the years, since I first held him, he had grown extremely attached to me. He hated the fact that he had to share me with his siblings, but he never spoke about to anyone. I only found out when he let it slipped the second I told him that it would be just the two of us. It had surprised me, how relieved he had been.

I was in the kitchen, with the radio on, cooking lunch for the two of us. Ben had gone off to amuse himself while I cooked, until I called for him. He was in the house, somewhere, so I wasn't too worried. Ben had a habit of never straying far from me whenever I was home from school. He had a habit of sleeping with me every night, from the moment I arrived, to the moment I left. He was clingy, but I loved him to bits. The twins always teased me about Ben having a 'Big Sister Complex' but I hushed them, whenever I reminded them, that they had it too, when they were younger.

"Ben, lunch is almost ready," I called into the house. "Come up here and wash your hands." I turned back to the pot and stirred the soup for a moment before I turned the stove off. I covered it and frowned when I didn't hear Ben come. "Ben?" I called to him again.

The only response I received was silence until a gun went off. "Ben!" I screamed and ran downstairs. Our father kept the guns in a locker, that was usually locked up tight. I took my cellphone from my pocket and called for an ambulance, gave them the address, and told them what I believed happened before I found Ben. My mind went on overdrive as I saw his small body laying motionless on the ground, and my body went on autopilot as my training kicked in.

I pulled my old plaid shirt off and pressed it against Ben's wound, pressing against it firmly, to stop the bleeding. "Ben, Ben! Come on, honey, open those eyes," I lightly patted his cheek, trying to get a response from him. He didn't respond and I began to panic. "Ben! Please, come on, wake up. Wake up, Ben!" I pleaded as I shakily checked for a pulse. There was one, it was weak, but I felt it as I pressed the cloth against the wound. My arms shook as I kept track of his pulse and kept pressure on the wound. I hoped, by doing this, would help prolong his life until the ambulance arrived. It was hard to expect them to arrive within minutes, it was one of the downsides of living in the country.

I don't know how long I knelt at Ben's side, firmly pressing onto his wound and keeping track of his pulse. Blood covered my hands and I trembled in fear, tears stung my eyes, but I forced myself to keep them at bay. I had to be strong. Knocks on the door alerted me of the EMT's, I called to them to come in, and where to find us. The door was unlocked, as it normally was when I was at home, and soon two paramedics came down.

"Miss." One of the paramedics placed a hand on my shoulder, and I jumped. "You need to let us look at him," he told me calmly and shakily, I nodded. Slowly, I pulled my hands away from the cloth, and stood so they could look at him. The two soon knelt beside my brother, and looked him over.

Ben looked so pale, so frail as the paramedics set him onto a stretcher. An oxygen mask was placed over his face as they picked him up to take him to the ambulance. I stared at the ground, where I saw one of my father's guns laying on the ground. I hesitated to take a step, especially when I saw that the gun safe had been left open. My stomach dropped in despair when I realized my father forgotten to lock it back up after he went hunting the day before they left. I snapped out of my despair when a hand rested on my shoulder again.

"Miss, are you family?" the paramedic questioned me and I mutely nodded my head.

"Y-yes, I'm his sister, h-his eldest sister," I stuttered, and gulped nervously. "I-is he…?" I couldn't finish the question, but it seemed that my facial expression was enough to complete my sentence.

"He's just unconscious, but he needs to see a doctor. You did a good job, putting pressure on his wound, it helped slow the bleeding," he told me and motioned for me to follow him. "Come on, you'll need to ride with him and give his information to the doctors."

I mutely followed him and got into the back of the ambulance. I sat next to Ben and gripped his hand within my own. The paramedic sat across from me as his partner drove us from home. I did remember to lock the house before I left. The trip to the hospital in the city was quiet and the paramedic across from me kept a close eye on Ben's vitals as we sped through the country. I tried to keep my mind occupied by looking at the interior of the ambulance, but I couldn't focus on anything as my eyes trailed back to Ben. He was breathing shallowly; his chest rose and fell quickly with each intake.

"What are you studying?" the paramedic asked me curiously and I looked up at him.

"Medicine… I want to become a doctor," I admitted softly as I rested my forehead against Ben's hand. "I-I didn't realize… I didn't realize our father left his gun safe open…" I whispered quietly. "I-I should have kept him upstairs with me…"

"Hey now, don't think that," the paramedic up front spoke. "If it weren't for you, your brother wouldn't be here right now. You acted quickly and didn't doubt yourself when you put pressure on his wound. He's alive because of you."

I knew they were trying to make me feel better, but I couldn't hold onto that. The guilt of not checking the safe after our family left, and not keeping Ben within in my line of sight ate away at me as I held onto his hand for dear life.

The rest of the trip was a blur as the ambulance arrived at the hospital. We were greeted by nurses, who took my brother in, and I followed behind, in a daze. A nurse quickly came up to me as the paramedics admitted my brother, and I somewhat remember giving her all the information I knew about Ben. I was taken to another room, to get a blood type done, in case my brother needed a blood transplant. I already knew what my blood type was, but I didn't know Ben's. The nurse who helped me, spoke in a comforting tone, but I couldn't understand what she was saying.

When they were done, they took out to the waiting room, after informing me, that Ben had gone into surgery. I sat in one of the chairs, my head rested in my hands as I waited for the doctor to get me. I was shaking and my knee was bobbing due to my nerves. Tears began to trickle down my face and, but I covered my mouth to keep my sobs at bay. I lost track of time, again as I waited impatiently to be given news about my brother. At some point, I managed to force myself to go to the bathroom, where I washed Ben's blood from my hands, and forced myself to get a bottle of water to keep myself hydrated.

When the doctor finally came it, he motioned for me to follow him out to the hallway. I quickly did and I looked at the man curiously and nervously. "What is it, doctor?" I asked him cautiously, and wrung my hands together, expecting the worse.

"We managed to stabilize Ben, and I able to extract the shrapnel from his body," the doctor replied and I found myself relax at the good news. "However, he lost a lot of blood, even with your quick actions, and we found something." The man paused as he pushed his glasses up his nose.

"What did you find?" I asked him cautiously, the nerves within my stomach tightened in fear.

"We cannot use your blood for the transfusion," he told me, and my brows furrowed. I didn't understand. "But we have found a viable source instead, that's why we didn't come to you earlier."

"What do you mean you can't use my blood? We're siblings." I told him and the doctor shook his head.

"We ran some tests, since we didn't know Ben's blood type," the man explained with a slight sigh. "We found that you're not siblings at all." He paused as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Miss Teague, Ben is your son."

The shock of the news floored me as I staggered back into the wall. Ben was my son?

"W-What? That… that's impossible…" I choked out. "I-I mean… I-I gave him away… put him up for adoption…" I was confused, in shock. How could Ben be my child? I only saw him once, after he was born, but I couldn't even hold him for a minute.

"I don't know what happened, Miss Teague, but the tests don't lie," the doctor explained. "Ben is your son, and from your reaction, you weren't aware of it. I'm sorry if this was sudden, but I wanted to alert you, that, because of your different blood types, you cannot donate to him. Once we move him to a room, a nurse will come to bring you to his room." The doctor left soon after that, and I was left with another chunk of information to process.

"Wait, so the doc just up and left after unloading all of that on ya?" Daryl questioned, his voice portrayed his disbelief.

"Yeah, apparently, it was also a busy night to boot, but that's what happened." I nodded my head and sighed. My head began to throb slightly from reliving my past, the mere thought about what happened always gave me a headache. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples, only to pause when I felt Daryl's warm, calloused hands kneed the base of my head.

We were quiet as Daryl managed to help the headache I gained. My eyes fluttered close, and my body leaned back into his hands, as his fingers moved to my neck. Tension started to slip from my shoulders, and a small groan slipped from my lips before I realized it was there. I felt the hunter chuckle behind me, and exhaustion finally hit.

"You're going to make me fall asleep," I murmured to the hunter, who paused in his ministrations.

"It's not like anyone's gonna come and look for ya," Daryl replied. "Besides, it ain't like we're gonna knock boots or anything." He snorted as if it was obvious, and I couldn't help but smile.

I leaned back into the hunter and relaxed against him. "You're right, but you know Ben and Sophia have a habit of appearing on us, remember?" I teased him. I heard him snort as he tugged me down, so I laid next to him on his bed.

"Yeah, it's real annoying," he muttered. "But, the kid is just concerned about you. It's obvious he wants you to be happy."

"And he wants your happiness to, he feels safe with you around, you know," I murmured to him and felt my body grow heavy from exhaustion. "Now hush, time for rest."

Daryl chuckled as I began to fall asleep, but it seemed he didn't even mind, since he was the one to suggest I stay and nap. "Whatever you say, Darlin'." I didn't reply, instead, I smiled as I fell asleep.

When I woke up, it was to a set of murmurs, from three different voices. I shifted on the bed I was on, and slowly opened my eyes to see that Ben and Sophia had returned to Daryl's tent. I was on my side, but my head was no longer on top of the pillow, instead, it was on top of a firm chest. I groaned a bit and buried my head into the body that became my pillow. Giggles and laughter echoed in my ears as I fully cracked my eyes open to see what was so funny.

"See, I told you she was an affectionate sleeper," Ben teased the man under me as I looked him.

"You're one to talk Ben," I murmured, alerting everyone to the fact that I was awake. "You enjoy cuddling while you sleep." I pointed out with a yawn. I rubbed my eyes and went to sit up, when an arm prevented me from moving. "Daryl…" I groaned and tried to move his arm, but it held onto my hip tightly, without bruising the skin.

"Stop fighting, Pixie and relax," the hunter told me, but I didn't listen. Instead, I began to poke him, until he finally released me.

"I'd rather sit though," I pouted as I poked him. Daryl made a face with each poke, and the more I continued, the more giggles that escaped the kids.

"Stop it," Daryl stated, but I didn't listen. "Pixie…"

"Sugar…" I poked him some more and watched as his face pinched together in a glare.

"I'm warning you…" he growled, his irritation slipped through, but I remained unchanged.

"And I'm telling you, to let me up." I rolled my eyes at him, and poked him more.

Almost at once, my hand was grasped by his as he turned us around, so he was laying on top of me. I tried to get his hand off mine, only for him to capture it as well, and my hands above my head. With a growl, he looked down at me with a pointed look, which I challenged with a raised eyebrow.

"You're really-"

"You know, if you wanted to do this, you should have waited until the kids were gone," I interrupted him, and watched he released my hands, and moved back in shock.

"The hell?" he questioned me, as if I was insane, but my motive worked as I sat up.

"That wasn't so hard, now was it?" I grinned at him cheekily as I crossed my legs under me. Ben and Sophia flew into a fit of laughter as Daryl's face grew pink from embarrassment when he realized what I had done. To add to his embarrassment, I lightly patted his cheek, then kissed it before I stood. "Thanks for letting me nap, and for listening to everything Daryl," I spoke softly. I gave the hunter a smile before I collected my satchel, and left his tent. As tempted as I was to look back at the tent, I knew it would be best if I didn't.

I shivered at the rush of wind that wrapped around my body when I stepped outside the tent. I made my way back to my own tent, fully aware that Daryl had his eye on me. I had a feeling that he would extract his revenge on me later, but when that was, I didn't know. For now, though, I would be content with everything that happened. As I made my way back to the tent, I couldn't help but pause and pressed a hand to my lips. My mind had gone back to the kisses we shared. Never in a million years, did I ever expect to find someone like Daryl Dixon in an apocalypse setting like this. It was still a surprise that everything that did happen between us, led us to the moments earlier.

I felt my cheeks heat up when I thought about his amount of passion that passed between us, and the way he and I fed off each other. If Ben and Sophia didn't arrive when they did, I didn't know what would have happen, or how far we could have gotten. That caused my cheeks to burn more.

"Hey, Jo?" Glenn's voice caused me to jump as I turned to him with wide eyes.

"Y-yes?" I asked him, and internally cursed my nerves. When I looked at Glenn, I could see that something was bothering him.

"Uhm… c-can I ask you for some advice?" he asked me cautiously as he walked towards me. He looked around the camp, nervously even though no one was around.

"Oh, sure, I need to drop this off at my camp, but we can walk and talk, if you like," I offered, and watched as he nodded his head.

"Sure, thanks." He gave me a slight smile as we began to walk towards my camp.

"Any time, what's up?" I asked him curiously.

"Well… you're a girl, so you know… about girl… things?" he started out and I couldn't help but smirk at his awkward wording.

"What kind of things, specifically?" I looked over at him and saw how he rubbed his neck. "Unless you mean about Maggie, then, you'll have to be more specific." I clarified. I watched in amusement as he blushed, and ducked his head down in embarrassment. I chuckled at his display and shook my head slightly. "Don't think too much about it Glenn, to be honest, there's not much I can tell you, except that you should just trust yourself.

"That doesn't really help with that issue… b-but…" he trailed off again and chewed on his lip.

"What else is going on?" I asked him with a raised eyebrow. We arrived at my camp and placed my bag inside before I returned to Glenn, who sat down on one of the logs by the fire pit. "Glenn, you know you can't lie worth shit."

The man gulped, but he didn't bother to deny it, even he knew he couldn't lie. "Look… I-I already spilt this to Dale… and I don't think…." He groaned as he cut himself off and I saw that whatever secret he was keeping was eating at him. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Lori's pregnant and there's Walker's in the barn." The words spilt from his mouth like water and his eyes widen when he realized just how quickly and easily he folded.

"Wait… just wait a moment." I held my hand up the second Glenn opened his mouth to talk. "Those are huge, Glenn..." I ran a hand over my face as I thought about the situation. "Please tell me that at least Rick knows about…" I saw the look on Glenn's face and I closed my eyes. "Shit-"

"Please! You can't tell him, Lori made me promise not to tell him!" he begged me and despite my better judgement, I nodded my head in silent agreement. Once the others came, back, I would have to talk to Lori about what she wanted to do.

"Damn it," I hissed under my breath and took a deep breath. "Fine, I'll leave that issue alone. But, how did you find out about the barn?" I questioned me. It seemed that question wasn't any better as his cheek grew dark in embarrassment and he shook his head. "Fine, don't tell me how, but we can't do much about it. This is Hershel's land, after all." I sighed softly. "Sorry I can't be much help."

Glenn shook his head, and gave me a small smile. "Thanks anyway, Jo," he said softly and stood up. He left my camp soon after, which left me with too many thoughts on my mind. The headache I had earlier blossomed again and I walked inside my tent. I picked up a single bottle, and unscrewed the cap. The scent of peppermint oil slithered into my nose as I turned it over. A couple dollops landed on my finger and I spread the oil over my temples.

"What I wouldn't do for a nice massage right about now…" I murmured to myself as I unpacked the satchel and sat on my bed. I took off my shoes and laid down again. Despite the short nap, I had earlier, I was still tired, and the peppermint oil I put on, helped soothe me, and put me to sleep. A moment after I closed my eyes, I began to doze.

A hand shook my shoulder, and roused me for my slumber. I groggily opened my eyes to see that it was dark, but I wasn't weary of the person in front of me. Calloused hands tugged me forwards, and brushed against my face as reached out towards them. I was met with a warm body, and a mixed scent of nature, sweat and natural musk enveloped my senses.

"Pixie," a gruff, southern drawl caused a shiver to run down my spine as a warm breath fanned over my face before warm, chapped lips covered my own.

The kiss started out as innocent, until it grew with passion. I was pushed to my back with a body covering my own, calloused hands gripped my hair threaded into my locks as my hands gripped their shirt. One hand pressed against their neck, and pushed him closer to me. A tongue parted my lips and his lower body pressed between the junction of my legs. I moaned deeply into his mouth as our tongues began their erotic dance, both of us playing for dominance. Hands began to roam, caressing each other's body with need and want.

"Daryl-"

His name came out in a breath when he ground himself against me, and I moaned into his mouth, my hips buckling upwards as he moaned deeply in return.

"Pixie-"

"Pixie!"