Danielle ran down the stairs in her pajamas. She didn't have time to think. She rushed in the room. Mrs. Lynch was trying to perform CPR on the lifeless body in the hospital bed. "Leave us!" Danielle screamed, closing the door on Jed and Jace. "What happened?" She asked, already knowing the answer, tears flowing down her face. "Daddy?" She lay down on top of his, holding his hospital gown and crying.

"It's over, sweetheart. Time to say goodbye." Mrs. Lynch reasoned. She turned off the heart monitor.

"I'm so sorry, Daddy. I didn't wanna fail you!" she cried. The lifeless body began to twitch beneath her. "Daddy?" But it wasn't her daddy. Not anymore. He had changed that quickly. The gurgling, moaning noise released from his throat said it all. Danielle jumped off the bed but her father grabbed her wrist and held her back.

Mrs. Lynch realized what was happening. "Get to the door, girl!" she pried his hand from Danielle's wrist and pushed the girl forward. Danielle froze in fear, bracing herself against the door. Her father had pulled himself up out of bed by himself for the first time in months. Mrs. Lynch tried to rush past him screaming "The door girl, the door!" but Mr. Cunningham grabbed the old woman and took a bite from her neck. "Get out, Danielle! I didn't mean for this to happen." Mrs. Lynch gasped as she fell to the floor screaming.

Danielle got the door open and fell backwards against the adjacent wall. The men had left the house, it was all she could do to scream as her father fell hungrily on top of the girl. Danielle held him back by the throat as she screamed for help. She had no weapons hidden in her pajamas.

Daryl heard the screams from outside. He grabbed his crossbow and ran inside past the other men and found Danielle holding off the zombie. He didn't even think, he shot the walker in the head, the lifeless body toppling onto Danielle, the arrow getting stuck mere inches from her face. The girl was sobbing and screaming uncontrollably. Daryl came and pulled the body off of Danielle and saw Mrs. Lynch lying on the bedroom floor in a pool of blood. "Get her upstairs!" Jace yelled at Daryl, the other men finally making it inside. Daryl knelt down and picked Danielle up off the floor and she began kicking and screaming. Jace ran in the room and put a bullet into Mrs. Lynch's head before she had a chance to turn, then pulled a needle out of the bedside table and stabbed it into Danielle's thigh.

"The fuck was that?" Daryl yelled.

"It's a mild sedative. She needs to calm down. Get her upstairs before she hurts herself. Jed and I will take care of this mess." He instructed. Jed was standing by the staircase, silently sobbing. Danielle stopped beating Daryl with kicks and punches and her crying became more controlled and he was able to carry her upstairs and laid her down on her bed.

He turned to leave, not knowing what to say or do but she caught his arm. "Stay with me?" she pleaded in between sobs. He couldn't say no. He sat down next to her on the bed but she grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down, his lips colliding with hers. Daryl was stunned at first, but warmed up to the kiss. The kisses were urgent and pleading. Danielle just wanted to feel affection, feel close to someone again. Her father and the only woman she knew as a mother figure were both dead. She would do anything to forget about it for the time.

She grabbed at his shirt and lifted over his head, breaking the kisses for a moment. She ran her hands down his back and when she felt the scars, she stopped. She backed off and they just stared into each others eyes. "I'm so sorry." She whispered.

He didn't say anything. He only looked at her. He wanted to tell her it was okay and to apologize for what had happened, how he had to kill her father. He knew she was hurting, but he just didn't know what to do. "I'm not good with words." He mumbled.

She just stared back at him sympathetically. "Please don't feel sorry for me. Don't ruin this." She grabbed his face again and pulled it towards hers. Daryl was getting carried away in all the senses. It had been so long for him. Too long. He was over whelmed by the taste of her lips, the softness of her curves, the warmth of her bare skin under his rough, strong hands. She was every bit the perfect woman. He couldn't even imagine why she had chosen him, of all people. She started undoing his pants, grabbing at him with even more force. She leaned up and helped him get undressed, then pulled off her own top and slid out of her shorts. He was amazed as he kissed her neck and her chest. Never had someone this flawless seen anything in him. He almost didn't believe what was happening as he fell into her. "Please don't leave me." She whispered against his neck. He knew that by now he never could.