Chapter 2

The ride back to the farm didn't take long and when they drove up in front of the house where the whole group was gathering because of the unknown car accompanying Glenn and Maggie, Jarah was nervous enough that she felt like throwing up. 'What are we doing here, these people won't accept us, we will be a burden to them' Jarah thought as she stopped in front of the house.

Glenn walked up to a tall man in a sheriff's uniform, probably to explain who the newbies were, Jarah assumed. Maggie was talking to an older gentleman, who Jarah presumed to be her father. After a moment Maggie turned around and motioned for Jarah to get out of the car. She took a deep breath and got out and quickly moved around the car to get Jamie out of his car seat. She settled him on her hip and walked up to the porch, hoping nobody would notice her shaking hands.

She smiled tentatively as Glenn made introductions and explained to the others what had happened. The older gentleman stepped forward and shook her hand. "I am Hershel Greene, Maggie's father. Trouble at the pharmacy then?"

"Yes, sir. Your daughter and Glenn saved us both. I... I don't know what happened, I always make sure... but this time... guess the lack of sleep made me careless, almost cost us our lives" Hershel smiled at Jamie who had started giggling and smiling at Hershel while Jarah explained. Yes, Jamie was very different from his mother in the social department, he LOVED meeting new people.

Hershel carefully reached his hand out toward Jarah's son "Maggie said he was teething and running a fever. May I?" Jarah nodded and let Hershel feel her son's forehead. He gently stroked Jamie's cheek with his index finger when he was done. "Get him inside, I am sure you two are in need of a drink and some sleep"

"Thank you, sir. Thank you so much. I have a portable bed for him, if you could just show me where I can set it up..." Jarah was already walking to the back of her SUV to get it out as well as some other things they would need. Maggie was soon joining her. "I'll show you Jarah, show me what else you need to take inside."

The sheriff called Rick and Glenn also helped and as soon as Jarah had given Jamie his meds, she sat down at the kitchen table with him on her lap. Patricia had filled his sippy cup with water and put it on the table, which he greedily grabbed and quickly gulped some down. Jarah smiled and kissed the top of his head before she took a sip from her own glass. Rick sat down next to her and eyed her for a moment.

"So you and your son have been alone all this time? You weren't with a group?" he asked. "No, we were on our own, no group. Glenn and Maggie were the first people we met pretty much since this all started. Haven't talked to an adult in weeks." Jarah explained.

"And Jamie's father...?" he asked carefully. "We're divorced. I don't know where he is or if he is still alive. The last time we talked was on Jamie's birthday, like a week or so before the world went crazy. Look, I know you are not too happy about us being here. A baby in the house is like ringing a dinner bell, I get it. But he is usually a pretty quiet one, he is just teething right now. It should be over in a couple days and then he hardly ever cries unless something is wrong with him, but I understand if you want us gone as quickly as possible. Just say the world and we'll be out of your hair, we just need some sleep, some rest." Jarah quickly said, before Rick could say or ask anything else.

Rick laughed quietly and looked at Jamie who was happily drinking his water. "You're in luck. Our son just loved to cry. Sometimes we thought he did it just to annoy the hell out of us. Look,... it's not my call who gets to stay here, this is Hershel's land and I doubt he would kick you and your son out and let you fend for yourselves. You're not a threat and we are pretty secluded here... you're safe. It's a good place to be for you. If I were you I wouldn't leave. Don't worry, everybody will warm up to you. Just give it a couple days, lets all get to know each other, it will help if you tell the group something about yourself once you're rested, establish some trust. You two fit in fine, I'm sure."

"Thank you, I hope we will." Jarah smiled slightly. Oh how she hoped they would, because this farm seemed too good to be true.

Shortly afterward Rick left, so they could get some rest. Carol and Lori had set up Jamie's bed in a guest room next to the bed Jarah would sleep in. After putting him in his sleeping bag she kissed his cheek and put him in his bed, before laying down on her own. They were both asleep within a matter of seconds, but only a couple of hours later Jarah jolted awake, her heart racing in fear. 'Was that a gunshot?'

Daryl had to be hallucinating again. He knew what he saw in front of him wasn't real. After his fall in the woods he had seen Merle and now after having been shot by Andrea, he was doing it again, but this time he wasn't seeing Merle. 'Probably dying...' he thought as he looked at the woman he was sure WASN'T standing in front of him. Hell he hadn't thought about her in over a year, but now she had come back to him, haunting his dreams once again, forcing her way into his thoughts, like she used to so many months ago. She was talking, but he couldn't make out what she said. Was she even talking to him? Had she ever talked to him? Yes, she had. Once at least when he had walked into her, almost knocking her down by accident.

Now Rick stood next to her and asked her something. 'What the hell? Why am I hallucinating about Rick?' Daryl wondered in his dazed state. He blinked hard, but Rick was still there after he opened his eyes again. His brow furrowed as he looked at the woman again. She wasn't pregnant,... he only knew her pregnant, had never dreamed about her without her round belly before... Daryl groaned and closed his eyes again. His head hurt enough as it was, no need to make it hurt even more by trying to figure out what was going on. He felt something being pressed gently against his head wound and cursed when the sharp sting of rubbing alcohol hit him. His eyes shot open, his hallucination was still there, but this time she was sitting next to him on the bed, cleaning his wound. Daryl was utterly confused, but decided to just enjoy seeing her one last time.

Jarah carefully dabbed the poor man's head where Andrea's bullet grazed him. She felt him jerking and noticed him opening his eyes again. She hadn't taken the time to really look at him during all the commotion, but now when she looked into his eyes, she stopped what she was doing. She remembered those beautiful blue eyes. She leaned back and looked at him, really looked at him and suddenly it came back to her.

"We know each other, don't we? I've seen you before... before all this!" Jarah smiled, but the smile slowly left her face and she blushed when Darly did nothing but stare at her like she had grown a second head. 'Great, if he remembers me he probably also remembers how the fat pregnant lady stared at him whenever she limped by. Should have kept my mouth shut.' Jarah thought embarrassed.

Daryl lost the ability to do anything but breathe and stare. It couldn't be... no this could NOT be real. She wasn't here, was she? This is real? His mind could not process what was happening, he couldn't say anything, he just laid there and stared at her.

Rick looked back and forth between Daryl and Jarah. "You know each other?"

Jarah, who had looked down at her hands in her lap, fidgeting with a piece of gauze, glanced up at Rick for a moment and shrugged. "I might be mistaken, it doesn't seem like he knows me... I guess I confused him with somebody else."

But then both their heads whipped around, when they heard Daryl's raspy voice:

"Ms. Mason..."