Author Note: OMG thank you all for your Reviews, comments, and Favorites. Who knew this was so much fun? Just want you know how much I appreciate it when you take the time and to give me feedback. Hope you like this one - it was the most fun for me so far.

Chapter 10 - Chupacabra

Daryl had been gone far too long looking for Sophia. Lylah knew he'd be prickly if she acted concerned so she tried and pretended not to be worried. He'd gone out by himself before.

when Andrea screamed out "Walker!", Lylah ran to the porch steps to get a better look, and could see Andrea crouch down for the shot. Shane, Rick, Glenn and T-Dogg ran out towards the single walker that was slowly making it's way towards the farm. Lylah raised her hand to her eyes to see better against the hot Georgia sun.

They weren't taking down the walker. Something was odd. The four of them could easily take down one walker, yet they were standing around, like they were having a conversation with it?

It didn't make sense. . .? Oh shite, unless it's wasn't a walker at all... as terror welled up in her.

A shot rang out from Andrea's rifle, and Lylah could see them off in the distance waving and screaming "No". Oh God, what did Andrea just do? She went ran towards the field where Andrea had shot and been aiming.

Lylah ran so fast through that field only to find Daryl looking beat to hell, with his blood soaked sleeves tied around his waist as some sort of makeshift bandage and blood seeping from his head. "Is he dead?" she screamed, begging them to tell her he was alive.

Rick and Shane had him supported and were carrying him towards the house and he was bleeding from his head. She wrapped her arms around him. "Is he ok?" she yelled, needing some sort of affirmation. Oh my god, what if he died?

"He's just been grazed ... let's get him inside", Rick stated evenly, trying to remain calm. She nudged her way between Shane and Daryl to be the one to support him, getting covered with filth and blood. She nuzzled her head to his neck, to try and feel his pulse.

"He's wearing ears", Glenn shouted in horror at the leather strap with six grey corpse ears dangling on in, but Lylah didn't give a shit what he was wearing – a tutu for all she cared. All she wanted was to get him back to the house, get him to Hershel – get him safe.

"Let's keep that to ourselves", Rick grabbed the ears from Daryl's neck and shoved them down his shirt, so Hershel never need know.

"Hey, isn't this Sophia's doll?", T-Dogg held up a beaten cloth doll.

He had found Sophia's doll. There was hope!

Lylah felt the air being sucked out of her chest. She couldn't breathe. Andrea frickin' shot Daryl. Lylah loved Andrea, probably her best friend out of them all, but the rage she was feeling right now was inexplicable. 'Shite, I'm gonna kill her. But if I do that, he'll know how I feel, he'll despise me even more. Shite, Shite, Shite" Lylah clenched her fists in frustation and raw emotion as they finally got Daryl back to Hershel's.

Lylah sat out on the porch while Hershel worked on Daryl. Rick and Shane were in there with him so he could show them on the map where exactly he'd found Sophia's doll. Narrow their search grid.

Lylah heard Andrea walk up and sit beside her. "Hershel says Daryl's gonna be OK. Hershel's bitchin' about going through so many antibiotics though and his horse being missing." Andrea paused. "Listen…I had to talk to you. I'm SO sorry, I know how you feel about him - it was an accident you know?"

"You're lucky you didn't kill him" she reminded, ignoring Andrea's statement about her feelings for Daryl.

"Now come on, Lylah, you've thought about shooting him too, at times haven't ya" Andrea smiled tentatively.

"Too Soon?" Andrea quipped when Lylah didn't immediately return her grin, but the small joke did eventually draw a smile.

"I am really sorry, you know." Andrea continued, needing Lylah's forgiveness. Lylah's breathing was coming easier now that she knew he was gonna be ok. She glanced up at Andrea.

"Were you going to kick my ass?" Andrea asked her "Now that Shane's taught you some moves." "You're getting really good . . . but I don't think Daryl likes it. He watches you, you know?" she pointed out.

"Huh, what are you talkin' about", Andrea was happy Lylah was calming down, enough to speak to her again.

"I won't say anything about how you feel ok Lylah, but Lord if you wait on him to do something, you may be geriatric?"

"Thanks - Andrea, but it's not gonna happen. He can't stand me, he can barely look at me and I- I'm just tired"...

"Lylah, I think you're wrong. You don't him…. the way he looks at you. Honestly, I never thought I'd find myself liking Daryl so much" Andrea left Lylah to her thoughts.

Dinner that night was quite something. Carol outdid herself. Mashed potatoes, beans, ham. Unfortunately, the tension around the dinner table was painfully thick. You could tell Hershel didn't want these interlopers in his house, apparently they had overstepped. Lylah felt guilty, the Green's had already been more than generous. If they wanted to keep some areas off limits – it was fine by her.

"Daryl needs something to eat," Carol said to Lylah as she helped clear the table. "Do you want to take it in?"

"I think you outta do it Carol - I'll handle the dishes", Lylah wasn't ready to see him. She wasn't sure she had her emotions in check yet. "He seems to respond better around you anyway…. "You're like the 'Daryl whisperer' " she tried to sound light-hearted.

"Lylah?" Carol questioned not understanding why the pretty girl didn't use this opportunity to check on the man she so obviously cared for. But Carol did want to thank Daryl herself, for finding that doll that now gave her so much hope, so grabbed the tray herself, "I'll do it then - I want to see how he's doing and thank him for all he's done." Carol looked at Lylah and said "Don't give up on him Lylah, he's a good man".

'Give up on him', what the hell was Carol talking about? Had the everyone gone nuts?

Carol carried the dinner tray quietly into the front room where Daryl was resting. The light was dim, but Carol could make out the many scars on his back. Until he sensed her, then Daryl pulled the sheet to quickly cover himself and turned to the side. "How do you feel?"

"Bout as good as I look?"

"Brought you some dinner", Carol set down the dinner tray.

Carol hesitated, wanting to thank this brave man, and leaned over gently and kissed Daryl's bandaged head. Daryl's flinch at her gentle touch broke her heart. Who had done this to this man?

"Wachit! I got stitches." he warned Carol as he pulled away to the side.

"You need to know something. You know, you did more for my little girl today, than her own daddy ever did her whole life!", Carol gently stated.

"I aint dun nothin' Rick or Shane wouldna dun?", he countered.

"I know... You're every bit as good as them... Every bit", Carol softly reassured Daryl and then left him to his thoughts.

"Lylah, you're going in to get his tray when he's finished" Carol told her simply... Lylah only had a coupla minutes to pull it together.

Lylah couldn't put this off any longer. There were no more dishes to be done, except the ones in Daryl's room. 'Oh for the love of god girl, he's just an injured man, go get the damn dinner tray - it's not a big deal!', she silently yelled at herself.

Lylah softly knocked on the door so as not to startle him.

Standing there outlined in the doorway, she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. She had her hair down and was wearing a dress. He'd never seen her in a dress before, just jeans. Lately she'd been wearing her hair up in one them ponytails, but he liked it down best. He could still lightly make out the outline of her bra through the floral fabric.

He'd been laying there thinkin' about what Carol said after she left the room. He hadn't touched the food. What Carol said made him feel good. Would they ever look at him the way they looked at Rick? He didn't have a whole lot of respect for Shane, but knew some of the others did. Less and less lately. Rick had been coming to him more often for advice. Not to Dale, not Glenn or even T-Dogg, he realized, but to him, Daryl Dixon.

Maybe...? he went over and over in his mind, re-evaluating those long-held beliefs that he'd held true, wondering if perhaps, just maybe they weren't true after all. Maybe Merle was wrong?

"Hey, sorry to bother you Daryl - you ok? It doesn't look like you were able to eat? You want me to bring you something else? Or I can go heat this up for you?" He could see the deep concern in her eyes. Was that for him? She didn't typically babble this much, she sounded… nervous?

Daryl made a decision. He sat up a bit and tried to grab her arm gently with his left hand.

Unfortunately, he overestimated his abilities and groaned in pain, when he pulled the stitches on his wound.

"Shite Daryl, Are you ok? Are you hurt?" She sat down on the bed to attempt to support him.

"Do you need me to get Hershel" - God it was hard to think straight when she was so close to him like this. His body responded quickly, and he wasn't sure what to do about it, but knew he wanted to stop feeling like a dick all the time around her.

"No - I'm ok. Just sit still for second Ok?", she didn't move a muscle as he used her for support to adjust himself upright. "I like to hear you swear - the way you say shite?", Daryl softly laughed.

"You need to stop giving me reasons to swear, Daryl" She teased him back as she picked up the tray of food, wondering if he too had been given a generous dose of those painkillers. He was acting…. Nice.

"Here eat some of this" Lylah fed Daryl. As she brought the spoon to his lips, her breath hitched as their eyes met, far longer than was making her comfortable. When she could take it no longer, she reached the spoon over to the tray on the table to try and break the awkward moment.

"Are you sure you don't want me to heat it up for you?" she double-checked, desperate for a distraction. He said it was fine, so she continued feeding him the cold dinner.

Reaching over to the side table for the next spoonful, just brought her into closer contact with Daryl's chest, now only covered by a thin sheet. She suddenly felt two strong hands grab her gently on each arm and turn her attention back to him. Confusion filled Lylah's face but she didn't pull away. Lylah leaned in until they were only separated by a few inches.

"Daryl? You scared the shite outta me today" came out as breathy and soft - swearing again, but not nearly conveying the anger and terror she felt earlier. All Daryl noticed were the soft sounds she made with her lips - not acknowledging her fear at all. Her lips looked so soft and full and they were right there... so close.

He pulled her close to him, but then hesitated, not sure if he could go through with this - - - but he knew he had to try, just this once. If what Carol said was true, then maybe...

His own breath caught, as he cupped his right hand gently to her face. He'd never get over how lovely she was - really believe this gorgeous woman wanted him. He softly touched her face, before he laced his fingers into hair and pulled her slowly towards him.

His lips touched hers softly at first. As she felt the increasing pressure of his hand pressuring her closer, the kiss deepened. She opened up her mouth and began to run her tongue along his upper lip. She was quickly met by the warmth of Daryl's more aggressive tongue. Lylah pulled away for less than a second to steady her breath, not quite believing what was happening. Then returned instantly back to the kiss Daryl had initiated. She desperately wanted to put her hands on him and lifted her hands instinctively to do so, but she caught herself. She didn't want another repeat of the CDC, so she merely balled them up into the sheet.

She felt so good - here in his arms, he thought. Even better than his fantasies. Her hair was so soft, tangled in his hands, as he pulled her even closer. He'd propped himself up a bit against the pillow, so he now had some leverage and snaked his left arm around her slim waist to pull her closer, halfway laying on top of him. His hand slipped under the back of her blouse and was on her bare back where he started stroking her warm soft skin.

Their lips and tongues continued to move back and forth in their sensual dance. Daryl had a hell of a hard-on now. Things were getting out of control, but he was having trouble stopping himself. He groaned. Lylah moaned also, until she realized maybe Daryl was in pain. She abruptly pulled away to check on him.

"Hey?" Daryl looked up at her - worried that she pulled away, worry for him written on her face.

"I'm good. Come 'ere," and he reached for her again, his confidence building. "You need to be careful. You almost got yourself killed today" and he heard the crack in her voice. He was astounded that he could be the cause of that.

"I'm fine - it'll take more'n Andrea to do me in", he smirked at her, full of self-confidence now.

"You're not funny... " Lylah wiped tears from her eyes, still disbelieving he'd initiated the kiss.

"If you're done with your food, I'll be back to check on your later" she went to stand up, but he grabbed her arm.

She bent down and kissed him on the lips again, and he welcomed her. Reluctantly she ended the kiss, and smiled at him as she took the dinner tray with her.

He slowly rolled to his side to alleviate the pain from his wound and the pressure from his aching hard-on.

Daryl couldn't bear being cooped up in the big house, so Lylah helped him move to his tent early in the morning. Lylah brought him breakfast, but had to leave him a short while later to help out with camp duties, and still continuing with her training.

Andrea sauntered over to Daryl's tent mid-morning. She desperately wanted to apologize to Daryl, but was having a real hard time. She wished she could just use her credit card and buy him a present, a new cross-bow or something , and that would be the end of it - they could call it even.

She really did feel like shit and needed Daryl to forgive her. She knew Daryl would be losing his mind being laid up like this. The best idea she could come up with was to bring him one of her paperbacks to read – something to help kill the time.

"Hi - This is not that great", Andrea offered the worn book to Daryl anyway.

"What, no pictures?", he said sarcastically - mocking her previous assumption of him as stupid.

"I'm so sorry, I feel like shit", Andrea apologized.

"Yeah you and me both", Daryl rubbed his side.

"I don't expect you to forgive but if there is anything I can do...?" Andrea left it open. She owed the man and would repay the debt.

"You were tryin to protect the group - I'm good", Daryl decided to let her off the hook. He didn't know why he was in such a good mood - who was he kiddin' ?- he knew exactly why he was in such a good mood.

"But Hey, you shoot me again, you best pray I'm dead" - and he smirked at her.

Did Daryl just smile and joke around with me? What the hell? Andrea was astounded. Lylah really is having a difference on him. Andrea glanced back to see Daryl on his cot, flipping through the book she'd dropped off before staring off in the distance, looking 'content'?

He'd spent his day lounging on his cot, flipping through that book Andrea gave him; trying to keep his daydreams under control. Dreamin', wishing for things that were never gonna happen, those were things he'd never allowed himself to do before - and Merle would give him a whole mess of shit if he knew now.

"Brought you some dinner" Lylah peeked her dark head to his tent and smiled at him.

He rustled to get himself up and go outside and join her.

"No don't get up, I'll bring it in to you", and she crawled into the tent with his meal. She set it gently on the foot of his cot.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Im alright - better'n before", Daryl blurted sounding more grumpy than he was actually feeling.

"You did a real fine thing you know - finding that doll?", Lylah reminded him.

Daryl still had a hard time meeting her eyes when she said things like that, complimentary things.

"It ain't Sophia 'er nuthin", he discounted.

"You gave Carol real hope - - the first she's had in awhile, you gave us all hope" she pointed out – not letting him make less of it.

"Yeah - whatever. You gonna hand me that tray or just make me stare at it all night?" Normally, this would be his shitty snarky voice, but he actually said it with a laugh.

"Are you always this cranky after you get shot?" She helped him sit up more, then brought the tray of food over.

"You eat already?" he asked, ignoring her rhetorical question, as he started wolfing down the food.

"Yeah - I ate with the others" she admitted.

"Here, you need to eat more, I told ya", and he shoved half a roll into her hands.

"Shut it", but she nibbled on the roll anyway to have something to do.

When he was almost done, she reminded him "You need to change that dressing you know. I brought the bandages and clean cloth with me".

She knew better than to just assume he was going to allow her to change them.

"I can go get someone else to do it, if you aren't, you know, comfortable with me ..." she bit her lower lip, all of a sudden feeling awkward and nervous.

"Maybe Carol, Patricia, one of the guys? Hershel's not back yet, but...", she rattled off alternatives as she looked up into his eyes to try and gage his feelings.

He knew he'd hurt her before, the last time she'd touched him - hell, probably more times than that, if he was honest. He hadn't expected to feel like such a dick about it for so long though. It had never occurred to him, that he would have the power to hurt someone like this. In the past, it was always him on the receiving end of the hurt stick.

Now she was so damn skittish around him - trying not to touch him, it made him more crazy than when she was touching him all the damn time. He didn't want her seeing his stomach, his back… but realized what he'd been doing – how he'd been treating her, made him feel worse than the possibility of her being disgusted by him.

"Naw - you just go on an' do it, ok?" but he still didn't make eye contact with her.

She helped him slowly remove his shirt and proceeded to gently remove the old bandage, and cleaned the wound with the soft cloths and sterile water she'd brought. His numerous scars and lashes not only on his chest but also on his back, made her ache. Not because he was any less appealing to her, she hurt for the child that suffered such awful abuse.

"Waddya do to that man?", he asked so softly she almost didn't hear him. It felt as if the air had been sucked out of the tent. He heard her sudden gasp, as she struggled to suck in air.

"I thought you'd forgotten", she softly whispered in his ear.

"You don't have to tell me if ya don't want to", he decided to give her an out, sensing her reluctance.

As she slowly stroked his skin, Lylah decided she wanted to tell him, "He was married to my best friend – my roommate Casey. She and I were living together when she found out she was pregnant. James, the father, was from this very wealthy prestigous Georgia family. They treated her like shite at first - like they thought she was trying to trap him, but really he trapped her."

"She was so excited about the baby – never once considered 'an alternative'. We were so happy then, we decided we could raise Lucy on our own. I went to the Lamazze classes with her, I actually cut the cord when she was born, helped give her her first bath…. About a year after Lucy was born, he decided he wanted to be a father after all. I think he and his family were stunned that Casey didn't want anything from them. Never once contacted them – no demands of marriage, no child support requests, no nothing.

"James started coming around, bringing her flowers, acting so attentive. Eventually convinced her to marry him. I never trusted him though. But she and Lucy moved into his big fancy house after the wedding. Now, all of a sudden, his family, especially his mother, thought Lucy was the best thing God had ever created - which of course, she was" Lylah laughed a bit. "I later learned they had insisted James marry Casey, so they could get Lucy… they desperately wanted a grandchild"

"But then he started making it hard for me to visit her, to see the bruises he left on her – he tried to control everything she did, where she went, who she saw, her finances... She was changing, I was worried he was drugging her or something…"

"So we found ways to sneak around without him finding out. He'd beat her pretty bad the last time when she left him; brought Lucy and moved back in with me - I loved Lucy so much... " tears had pooled in her eyes as she continued the story

"She decided to divorce him. He threatened to kill Lucy and her, if she ever tried to leave him. He already had his lawyers make plans to try and take custody of Lucy. He also kept track of every penny she had ... so I used my money. We got an attorney who explained that the best case scenario would be shared custody – unless we could prove how dangerous he was, which the lawyer explained would be almost impossible with the little evidence we had."

"I refused to accept this – that they would have to live like that, always afraid. I couldn't let Lucy grow up like that, have her childhood ruined, so I got in touch with some people that help women in this situation 'disappear' and start new lives elsewhere"

"The day she was going to leave, he found out somehow, I don't know how. While I was out, he came and forcibly took Lucy. He beat Casey when she tried to stop him. He was nuts! He called us back and told her he would kill her, if she didn't come back to him."

"We didn't call the cops - she'd tried that before, and they did nothing - his Daddy was a very powerful man. They'd called it domestic dispute, treated Casey like she was just over-reacting and never even file a report . We didn't know what else to do? Tell the police a child was with her own father?"

"So we went over there to get Lucy back. He wasn't used to people sticking up to him - I thought if I could just Lucy back, I could still get them into hiding, make her safe?" Tears were streaming down her face now and he wished he could stop her... Wished he hadn't made her tell him."

"When we got there, Lucy was already dead" memories of the beautiful baby girl as she lay still and wet by the pool came rushing back. "He'd drowned her in the pool. Casey went nuts and attacked him. He grabbed Casey and was ready to smash her head in. That's when I stabbed him", Daryl smiled, proud of her wishing she'd done more than stab this fucker.

"We called the police but he was such a good liar. He said he jumped in and did CPR trying to save her and that we were the ones that went berserk. He even had the gall to publicly 'forgive' Casey, said he understood that she went crazy with grief. But I knew what he did – he'd told me what he was gonna do over the phone, when he was threatening her. He didn't know I'd started recording all his conversations."

"He wanted to have me arrested. He despised me – knew that without me, Casey would have had no one to help her stand up to him. There was so much conflicting evidence and now he had an army of high-priced lawyers looking out for him so I gave my recorded conversations to the DA. Oh, James was so pissed when he found out I had hard evidence on him."

"His attorneys were able to get the recordings dismissed. Because I hadn't told James I was recording him, that made them inadmissible – kind of defeats the point of a secret recording? But the DA and the cops on the case knew I'd been telling the truth about happened. More importantly his family knew what he'd done. They just didn't have enough evidence to make a case against him. So James continued to publicly act the grieving father and forgiving husband"

"When Casey found out he wasn't going to be prosecuted she became depressed. I came home after another meeting with the lawyers and found her dead, she'd swallowed the entire bottle of sleeping medication they'd given her.. She had been so sad about Lucy, and then it looked like James was going to get away with murder. I guess that was the final straw. I'd been so involved with the lawyers and the police, I didn't see how bad Casey was getting. In spite of everything I did, James still succeeded - he killed them both... Without Casey…." Her voice broke "I wish I had killed him, should have killed him." he squeezed her hand trying to comfort her.

"His family must have paid off some desperate judge to sign an arrest warrant against the Atlanta DA's recommendation – I think it was more to humiliate me than actually win any case. They charged me with assault. Now that Casey was gone, it was just my word against his…"

"That why you were in cuffs"? Daryl was thinking back to when they'd found her.

"Yeah," she nodded "My attorney and the prosecutor knew the charge was bogus, that James was just trying to make my life difficult. My attorney and the DA were good people, they actually helped me escape. When they realized the 'infection' was out of control, they knew a dismissal was the least of my concerns… the least of all of our concerns. They had been able to keep me out of jail, had been able to just keep me in an 'interview' room as they tried to sort it out. When they explained to me they were just gonna sneak me out of there, I couldn't believe it. I realized that this sickness was far worse than I knew. I didn't have any access to the news, so didn't know how bad it got so fast."

"My lawyer didn't have any keys to take the handcuffs off, but was able to get a bolt cutter. He got me out of there, got me home before the bombs started dropping. I got to my cell phone and saw texts from my brothers, letting me know how bad this thing was all over. They gave me some advice - told me to get guns, knives, food, lay low... that sort of thing."

"I'd run outta food and was trying to scavange more supplies - just trying to stay alive, when I ran into you guys...," Lylah hung her head, relieved to finally open up about this to someone.

"That worth an arrow, Dixon?" referring to their bargain a coupla nights ago. With that she gathered the plates and such and left him alone in his tent to think about what she'd said.

The next morning was pleasant. Even after the emotional upheaval, she'd slept well. She was enjoying her breakfast, Daryl sitting on a camp chair just a few feet away - slipping her an extra piece of bacon. She rolled her eyes at him, before laughing; eating the bacon for him..

"There's walkers in the barn!", Glenn suddenly blurted out.

What the holy hell? Why would Hershel keep walkers in the barn. They all ran to the barn to see if Glenn was telling the truth. Shane was furious. Walkers in the barn, so close, endangering them all seemed to push him over the edge. He wanted the group to leave immediately and head to Fort Benning.

"But my daughter is still out there", Carol reminded Shane

Shane grabbed his head in frustration - not wanting to blurt out what was simple math. That Sophia was dead. She was dead and they needed to accept this and move one before they lost anyone else.

Daryl desperately clung to hope - - the fact he'd just almost died finding Sophia's doll. They were so close - why couldn't Shane see that? The way Shane just dismissed his efforts, pissed him off all the more.

"We are guests here - this is his farm, his land," Rick reminded and Dale tried to further explain," Hershel believes those things are people - sick people that can be saved ". Realizing how ludicrous it sounded.

Daryl stomped off towards the horses furious at Shane, Carol not far behind them. Lylah hoped Carol could calm him down – for some reason that hadn't been Lylah's forte.

Lylah was gathering up laundry a short while later when Carol came up to her. "Lylah, please go talk to him!"

"What happened Carol?"

"I spoke my mind - I told him - uhh I'm just not sure anymore we're going to find Sophia. I don't want to lose him too?" Carol had tears in her eyes.

"Which way did he go? I'm not sure what to say, but I'll try", she promised.

She found Daryl hunched over by the fence, obviously in pain.

"You ok? Let me see", she demanded as she approached him. She didn't even wait for his permission as she pulled up his shirt to check his wound. It had started to seep blood. She moaned her displeasure.

"You need to get Hershel to check this out. Why? Why do you do this?" Lylah shook her head - simultaneously pissed and concerned at the same time.

"Leave me be..." and he started to stomp off.

"No! Not this time. Come one, you idiot," and she led him gently back to his tent. She grabbed some bandages and cleaned his bleeding wound with some alcohol.

"Fuck - that stings!" He complained – but slightly grateful for something other than her hands all over him, to distract him.

"You know - Carol's hurtin' a lot right now, too. I don't know what happened between you two, but whatever you did, make right by it", Lylah suggested.

She thought Daryl was going to fight her, be a jerk about it, but as she continued to gently clean his wound, he seemed to settle down. Once he was finally patched up, he pulled her up with him, "I'll go look for Carol ..." and with that he walked off. Lylah smiled as she gathered up the discarded bandages.

Lylah returned to camp and went to find Andrea, who was guarding the barn.

"What's going on, Andrea?" she asked.

"Shane asked me to guard the barn. I guess they're fighting about what to do about the walkers in the barn. Shane wants to kill them all, which I completely understand. But apparently, Hershel thinks they are just sick people in there - not dead ones, and hasn't come to terms with the fact that he needs kill his wife and stepson. So he just keeps shoving walkers in the barn. . . ."

Lylah tried to digest the magnitude of this. Hershel was a smart man - a wise man. What in God's name was he thinking? He's obviously a man of science and prayer. ... But this was just plain reckless?

Andrea and Lylah continued discussing the group dynamic as it related to Hershel. Number One being what if he kicked them off his farm? Could Rick get him to reconsider?

Andrea told her she spoke with Shane, it sounded like he was willing to take Hershel's farm by armed force if necessary - which unnerved her more.

It was an hour or so later when Dale and Carol came walking back out of the woods, Carol carrying a bouquet of those flowers Daryl has spoken about - those Cherokee Roses. Beautiful white flowers. They both looked better for the time they took. Again, Lylah felt that twinge of jealousy - wishing Daryl would express his tender side with her as well before scolding herself for being petty.

Lylah rested in her tent for an hour or so before joining the rest of them. When she joined them, Daryl was fired up, ready to go look for Sophia again, "Damn, we got us a damn trail", he exclaimed.

T-Dogg and Glenn stood close by the side steps of the Green house, as Shane walked up and began tossing weapons at them - with the obvious intent that the walkers would be dealt with - now.

"You with me man?" Shane asked Daryl, "You gonna protect 'yours'?" he nodded towards Lylah as he tossed a shotgun to Daryl, then another to Glenn. Lylah was getting scared, Shane was out of control. Where the fuck was Rick?

"You got yours?" he confirmed with Andrea, happy to have her 9mm back.

Shane had obviously decided that Carol, Lori and Lylah did not need weapons.

"I thought we couldn't carry", T-Dogg reminded Shane of Hershel's rules.

"Yeah - well we can and we have to. It was one thing sittin' around pickin' daisies when we thought this place was supposed to be safe... But now we know it ain't. How 'bout you man?

You gonna protect 'yours'?" Shane asked Glenn. Maggie was pissed, she didn't want to lose Glenn, or the rest of them - ok maybe Shane.

"Shane, if you do this, my Dad will make you leave tonight", she tried to desperately explain to the crazed militant.

"Now Listen, Hershel - he's just gonna have to understand. He's gonna have to? Now we need to find Sophia, am I right?" Shane came up to Carl - who was scared to death by this turn of events. Carl wished his Dad was here - he was so confused.

Shane offered Carl the revolver. "I want you to take this. I want you to take this and keep your mother safe - you do whatever it takes. You know how - go on an take the gun!" he urged the boy as Lori moved in to defray Shanes intense remarks.

"Rick said 'no guns'. This is not your call - this is not your decision to make" Lori undermined Shane, desperate for her husband to return.

Lylah thought perhaps Lori had gotten through to Shane as the man halted his activity, when T-Dogg exclaimed, "Oh Shit!" and all of their attention was averted towards the very barn in question.

The sight in front of them - Rick and Hershel, each leading a walker by some sort of yolk attached to a pole towards the barn – they were stunned. What the hell was Rick doing now? Catching walkers and putting them in the barn - rather than putting them down? Hershel really had lost his mind - God help her, but Lylah was seriously seeing Shane's point of view in this.

They all ran towards the barn - weapons fully loaded. Shane shouting at Hershel and Rick, "What the Hell are you doing?" still not believing his own eyes.

"Why do your people have guns?" Hershel demanded, as if it was just another day when you shoved a dead walking neighbor into your barn.

"Are you fuckin' kidding me" Shane shouted - obviously well past his limit for tolerance. "Do you see what you're holding on to?" he yelled at the old man.

"I see who I'm holding on to", Hershel tried to remember to good kind neighbors that were now trying to attack his family.

"No - I don't think you do. These things ain't sick. There ain't nothin' to talk about. All these things do is kill!"

"These things right here - they're the things that killed Amy," he shouted hoping to get Andrea on his side. "They killed Otis", he continued, trying to make this old fool see reason. "Hey Hershel, let me ask you something, ... could a living breathing person, could they walk away from this?" and he emtied three rounds into the chest of the female they had been trying to guide into the barn.

Hershel blanched at the assault. "Could someone that's alive still take that? Why is it still alive?" Shane fired more rounds into the dead walker. "That was it's heart, that was it's lungs - why is it still coming?"

"Shane - Enough!" Rick yelled at Shane.

"You're right - that is enough, and he put another bullet into the brain of the walker Hershel was leading.

"ENOUGH, risking our lives for a little girl who's gone. ENOUGH, living next to a barn full of things trying to kill us. ENOUGH! Rick - it ain't like it was before." He pleaded to his friend.

"Now if ya'll wanta live – if ya'll wanta survive - you've gotta fight for it. I'm talkin' 'bout fightin' - right here, right now!" and with that Shane raced towards the barn to undo the bolts. Rick tried desperately to stop him, begged him to stop. But Rick still had the live walker on his pole, and couldn't release it without endangering them all. He was helpless.

Shane moved toward the barn doors, while Rick begged Hershel to take the pole from him - so he could try and stop Shane. Hershel was experiencing shell shock or something and couldn't move.

Shane released the barn doors, and the walkers roamed out, greedy for food. Daryl started shooting once he realized - there was no option now. The others joined in – picking them off, like fish in a barrel. Finally Shane released Rick by shooting the other walker, freeing Rick to help.

Hershel just rocked on his knees, Maggie comforting him as best she could. Watching these strangers shoot his family, his neighbors in the head. He was finally realizing - they were never sick, they'd been dead a long time. He'd created some sick fantasy in his mind - just a delusional old fool...

When all the walkers finally were shot. The gun fire died down as they gathered closer - still cautious to approach the dead. Lylah stood ten feet or so behind Daryl, hesitant to go closer without a weapon.

Then they heard the soft moaning and rustling of what had to be another walker in the barn. They readied themselves to shoot this one as the barn door moved slightly more ajar. That was when the wafer thin child with a bloody mutilated neck staggered out of the barn. SOPHIA...!

No one moved as Carol screamed her daughter's name and raced toward the little girl. Daryl grabbed Carol and pulled her down, wrapping her in his arms - ordering her not to watch, knowing one of them would do what needed to be done.

Nobody moved! She'd been a walker in the barn this whole time. Even Shane stood motionless as the frail little girl growled towards him. He hadn't anticipated this - her being in the barn. Why hadn't they told them? All that time searching?

No one could pull the trigger. Daryl clasped Carol to him, not allowing her to see her baby - not like this. Lylah couldn't breathe, as she covered her mouth with both hands – trying to stifle her scream; somehow absorb the horror about to happen.

Rick knew it was up to him. He pulled his revolver and approached the little girl. The little girl who he'd let down, the girl he promised he'd take back to her mother. Rick pulled the trigger and blew her brains out.