The ride back to the camp was quiet. But not in the way it had been the last two times. Neither was angry or emotionally scarred. They were just silent. Completely content with the others presence. Neither had mentioned the kiss, though both wanted to for different reasons. Emma wanted to know what happened now. Daryl wanted to know when they were going to kiss again. They pulled up alongside the camp seeing the fire lit and raging. They stared at it for a long moment both having the same thought at the same time.

We could go now and never look back… It would just us…

They watched as Rick headed towards them from the camp and once more they had the same thought cross through their minds.

Too late…

"There you two are." Rick said walking up with Carol as Emma and Daryl came out of the car.

"Are you guys okay?" She asked.

"Fine." Emma said.

"New car?" Rick asked looking over the massive SUV.

"We ran into some trouble." Daryl said. "The other car broke down… Poor Emma here lost her shirt in the process of trying to fix it."

"Slid under the car and it came right off wouldn't you know it?" Emma asked with a smile. "Daryl was nice enough to lend me his jacket for some cover."

"Let's get you another shirt then." Carol said leading her back to camp. Emma looked over her shoulder at Daryl and smiled softly.

"Thank you." She mouthed and he just nodded.

"This car is a good one I thought Glenn said none of the other cars would start." Rick said walking to the SUV.

"The little bug doesn't know much about mechanics, I got this one working alright." He said patting the hood. "Emma picked out some prenatal stuff for Lori." He walked to the back and opened the truck grabbing a bag. "She should probably start taking it now."

"Thanks." He said taking some vitamins.

"No problem." Daryl locked up the car.

"Did you see a place we might be able to settle?" Rick asked.

"The town isn't safe…" Daryl said. "There was evidence of settlers…"

"Did you run into them?"

"No but we found chains and stuff. Could be Randal's people." The last sentence wasn't a lie, he wouldn't be surprised if the men who attacked Emma were a part of Randal's group.

"We got a get a move on we'll leave at first light… You and Emma ride far ahead on your bike when we do. See if you can't find some place."

"Alright." Daryl said with a nod as they walked back to camp. Emma smiled as she slowly stood from the creek. She had washed herself off and gotten clean. She had then pulled on a new shirt discarding the old one alone with the ones from earlier that had been blood stained. She slowly stood Daryl's jacket back around her shoulders as she looked around the dark forest. She heard a noise behind her and pulled her Bo extending it and twirling it through the air as she spun. Before it could hit Daryl across the face she stopped and smiled as she tilted her head.

"You didn't flinch." She said and he shrugged.

"I'm not afraid of your stick." It wasn't true he had just been frozen with fear that she might kill him in that moment on accident.

"You're lucky I have control over this thing…" She collapsed it. "You shouldn't go sneaking up on people in dark forests."

"I didn't like the thought of you out here alone." He said his hands deep into his pockets.

"Worried about me are you?" she asked nudging him.

"No I just want my coat back."

"Oh." She looked down. "Here." She went to hand it to him and he shook his head.

"Come to think of it… You keep it on… I'm warm… Looks better on you any ways."

"I won't disagree with that." She said with a cheeky smile. "So any idea what the plan is?"

"We move at first light… Rick wants us to ride ahead to see if there's any place we can't settle for a while."

"What we need to do is move as long as we can and find a place later on in Lori's pregnancy to settle…"

"Yeah Rick isn't thinking too clearly."

"He's been through a lot… We all have." She looked out across the creek to see a few walkers off in the distance. She went to look at him to find he was staring back at her. She smiled softly as she looked down at the ground. "Soo… About before…"

"I don't regret it." She looked to him.

"That surprises me." She said with a soft expression.

"Why?"

"I don't know you seemed the type of man to get all regressive after kissing a girl."

"No I did what I did and I stand by it." She smiled as she looked him over.

"You're kind of a gentleman, you know that?"

"No I'm not." She laughed and he looked to her with a ghost of a smile.

"So what does this all mean?" She asked.

"Guess we'll find out." He said and she nodded. "I do know one thing though."

"What's that?" She asked looking to him.

"You stay close to me… We don't get split up anymore."

"I can handle myself Daryl." She said and he looked to her.

"I know that…" He said. "I know that, you're just too important…" She slowly brought her eyes to his.

"Important?" he smiled as he looked down at the ground kicking some dirt.

"To the group." She smiled.

"I see."

"We can't risk losing you to a horde or something…"

"Right."

"Emma Daryl…" They turned to see Beth.

"What's up girly?" Emma asked.

"Rick wants you guys to come in and get some rest."

"Tell him I'll take watch it's him who needs the rest." She said. "Daryl you too…"

"I'll stick with you."

"Well here at least have some of these…" Beth handed them two protein bars. "They're not even expired." She said with a smile before walking off. Emma smiled softly before turning back towards the creek. "You know she's only fifteen."

"I thought she was near your age…"

"Hershel told her to lie so she wouldn't get left behind…"

"I thought she looked a bit young." He said.

"We'll need to keep our eye on her she's a prime target for people like Jeremy."

"Jeremy?"

"The guy back in town." She said as she began to walk her Bo staff held in hand.

"Prick." Daryl said spitting.

"Emma Daryl." They turned to see Rick.

"Hey what's up is there trouble?" Emma asked as they walked to him.

"Yeah you two not resting." He said. "I need you both in tip top shape to lead the way."

"Who's going to patrol?" Emma asked.

"I will along with T-dog we rested all day today…"

"I don't like it…" Emma said after a moment of thinking it over.

"Believe it or not before you came here T-Dog and myself actually killed walkers and protected our people." Rick said with a kind expression.

"Are you sure?" Emma asked.

"I'm sure." Rick said.

"Fine if you insist." She said.

"I insist." He said and she nodded.

"Night Rick."

"Night Emma. Night Daryl." He said as they walked past him. As they walked into camp Daryl watched as Emma walked to Carl who was curled into a ball. She pulled a blanket from her bag and rested it over his body.

"Thanks Emma." Lori said softly.

"Sure thing." She said before heading off to a corner and pulling her Bo staff setting it on her lap. She sat back against the wall and stared at the fire with a soft expression. To anyone else she would have looked at peace but Daryl could tell there was a storm raging beneath her calm exterior.

-o-

Daryl slowly woke up and looked down at himself to see his coat resting over his body. He picked it up in hand before slowly standing and looking around. He spotted her, Emma, walking into camp with the other ladies. He tilted his head seeing she had thrown her hair into a wild bun made of tons of braids.

Since when do I notice things like hair?

"Thanks for doing my hair for me it's hard to do it right without a mirror." Emma said to Beth.

"Oh thanks… I like doing hair… Maggie is no fun to work with cuz it's so short." Beth said.

"The shorter the better." Carol and Maggie said.

"True, harder for walkers to get a handful of." Emma said.

"Emma." Rick said walking in with T-dog.

"Mhm?" She asked.

"We've got a group of six walkers." He said making everyone look. "Do I need to waste Ammunition?"

"No, where are they?" she asked pulling her Bo.

"By the car their moving in." He pointed them out.

"I got it." She said with a smile as she moved forward. "Hey geeks." Emma said and the group turned and moved on her fast.

"She going to take them out alone?" Carl asked wide eyed. Emma made a figure eight motion with her Bo staff, any walker that came near her was instantly taken out. She twirled the Bo above her head as she made a quick spin hitting all of them across the head. They fell to the ground around her like dominoes and she turned to smile at the group.

"All good." She said with a thumbs up.

"I want to do that." Carl said.

"I like it a right side better then you carrying." Lori said.

"Hey Emma!" Carl said rushing to her as she stepped over the dead bodies. "When are you going to teach me that?"

"When I think you can handle the responsibility." She said with a smile. "Also when I find a stick straight enough that it will twirl right." She ruffled his hair and he laughed. "I'm keeping my eyes peeled for you… You should too you need one about a foot higher then yourself."

"Why can't I practice with yours?"

"It's too tall you'll just continuously smack the back of your head with it. We don't want you all concussed like, young man." Lori smiled as she watched the two walk off together back to camp to get their bags.

"Dad I want to learn that." Beth said to Hershel.

"I'll think about it."

"Which means no." Maggie and Beth said making their father smile. Emma walked beside Carl towards the car. She wrapped an arm around his waist and picked him up as he laughed.

"I got our bags." She said walking past Lori who laughed.

"I'm not a bag!" Carl said.

"Really?" Emma asked looking down at him. "Feel like a piece of luggage." He laughed more a sound Lori thought she'd never hear again. She set him down beside the car before taking his hat off and putting it on her head.

"How do I look?" she asked.

"Silly." He said.

"Yeah I think your right." She said looking at her reflection in the window. "Looks better on you." She set it down on his head and he beamed up at her.

"Ready to ride?" Daryl asked walking past her.

"Mhm…" Emma said. "Carl watch over my bag for me okay?" She said as she strapped her leather backpack onto his shoulders and followed Daryl to his bike.

"You see a place you stop and flag us down." Rick said.

"Right O." Emma said as she climbed onto the back of the motorcycle. Emma smiled as she wrapped her arms around Daryl's waist. "Ready?" she asked. Daryl glanced down and touched her hands which were clasped in front of him.

"Yeah…" he started the bike. "I'm ready." He said before speeding off. Carol tilted her head as she watched them race off.

"Did you see that?" Lori asked her.

"I don't know what I saw." She said with a tilted head.

"Daryl and Emma?" Lori asked trying to think out loud.

"Nah…" they both said before laughing.

"I don't even think Daryl is capable of that emotion or type of relationship." Lori said and Carol laughed quietly as she walked away.

"No… No I think he is…" she said to herself quietly.

-o-

They had travelled all day and so far they hadn't seen one place not filled completely with walkers. It was nearing sunset and they had no place to stay. Emma looked all around before she smiled softly spotting something that may be their saving grace.

"Daryl pullover." She said into his ear and he nodded. "Wave the guys down I'm going to check this place over." He looked to see a church with a house connected to it.

"A church?" he asked.

"I don't see any walkers around." She said.

"Guess you're right." He said glancing around the property.

"I'll clear the house you wave down the others."

"No we don't get split up." He said. "Not again… Besides the cars are coming." He waved them down and Emma tilted her head. "Hey!" The cars came to a stop and he turned to look to Emma but froze to see she was already heading into the church. "Are you fucking kidding me?" He asked. "Emma's checking out the house I'm going to join her!" He yelled to Rick who was getting out of the SUV. He quickly walked to the church and stopped seeing Emma standing in the doorway. "I told you we don't split up." He looked to see her face was pale. "What?"

"Fucking hell…" she said and he looked into the sanctuary to see twenty people hanging from the rafters still kicking.

"Jesus." He said his eyes going slightly wide from sight and stench.

"Is it good?" Emma quickly turned catching Carl as he went to run in. She hit his shoulder lightly making him spin on his feet before covering his eyes with her hand.

"Daryl the door." She said.

"Right." He stated closing it.

"No one goes in there." She said as she led Carl down the stairs of the church.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"A whole lot in there." She said. "Don't let him go in there." She said to Lori who nodded taking her son from her. Emma ran her fingers through her hair as she walked to Rick. "There's at least twenty walkers hanging from their neck in there."

"Alright thanks for not letting him see that." He said and she nodded. "Let's clear the house."

"You lead the way." She said following him.

"Can I come with?" Carl asked.

"Stay here you've got to protect your momma." Emma said and he nodded taking out his gun. "Hershel Glenn Maggie guns at the ready as well." They nodded as they watched T-Dog Rick Daryl and Emma head towards the house.

"Is it just me or has Emma become Ricks right hand gal?" Lori asked Carol who nodded.

"She's taken her position in the group that's for sure." Glenn said.

"Emma top floor." Rick said.

"Got it." She said.

"Daryl Basement."

"Got it."

"I've got this level with T-dog…" As Emma headed up the stairs she watched Daryl head to the basement. Just as he reached the door he turned to her.

"Be careful." He said.

"You too." She said with a nod before disappearing up the stairs. She went through every bedroom and to her surprise not one walker was in sight. She was so surprised she began to check every closet and shower stall. When she was done she smiled and headed down the stairs.

"Anything?" Daryl asked beside Rick.

"Not a thing." She said with a smile. "What about you guys?"

"Nothing." They said. Rick walked to the door and waved everyone in.

"Maybe we'll be able to stay here for a while." He said.

"I don't know with how many walkers were around the area I don't think that would be smart." Emma said. "We should keep on the move as long as we can… At least until Lori can't anymore…"

"True." Rick said. "We'll at least settle here for a few days it'll give people a chance to mellow out." Rick said. "What you think Daryl think that's good?"

"Oh… Yeah that's good Rick." He said surprised he had even asked his opinion.

"You think that's right Emma?"

"Yeah I do."

"This is nice." Carol said looking around.

"Tons of bedrooms upstairs." Emma said.

"And down here as well." Rick said.

"How'd the basement look?" Emma asked walking to Daryl.

"Full of supplies."

"Well let's start scrounging." She said with a smile before heading down the stairs into the basement area. As Daryl went to go down he caught Carol watching him.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing." She said with a smile.

"Alright then." He headed down the stairs to find Emma looking through some boxes.

"You know what I've realized in my time scavenging during this lovely bloody apocalypse?"

"What's that?" He asked.

"That every basement looks the same…" She said with a smile. "They all have canoes up on the rafters, boxes towards the ceiling and there is always a fake owl."

"I don't see a fake owl." He said.

"It's got to be her somewhere…" she said as she opened a box. "Oh look." She pulled it out and threw it to him. He caught it with a laugh. "Fake owl." He tossed the faux animal aside.

"How many basements you been in?"

"Way too many." She said. "This here is all kid clothes… We might find something for Carl in these… It's going to suck when he gets his growth spurt."

"Hey find anything useful down here?" Emma looked to see Lori coming down the stairs.

"Are you crazy!?" Emma rushed up to her.

"What?" Lori asked blinking.

"Your pregnant you shouldn't be on stairs where you can tumble down and hurt the young Rick or Lori that's currently growing in there." She said poking her stomach and Lori laughed. "No you should be sitting on a couch relaxing and lounging back." She said helping her up the stairs. "If Rick knew you came down here he'd kill me. Honestly you're making me look bad going on steep rickety staircases and such. Now scooch momma bear!" She laughed as she was moved out of the basement. Emma turned and headed back down into the basement. "Can you believe that crazy woman?" she asked. "She could have tripped and fallen." She shook her head and walked to a box Daryl was handling. "What did you find?" she asked.

"Only a treasure trove." He opened it up to show her tons of arrows.

"Oh wow…" She looked around. "If those are arrows then there has to be another crossbow in here… Maybe supplies for a new wire or something." She said.

"Spread out see what you can find."

"Hey Emma!" she looked up the stairs to see Rick.

"Yeah Rick?"

"I need you to go out with T-Dog and search the premises."

"Sure thing Boss man." He nodded at her and walked away.

"I'll be back soon." She said to Daryl. As she went to head up the stairs Daryl took a hold of her arm making her turn.

"You want me to go with?" he asked.

"No T-dog is a fair enough fighter… I'll be okay with him."

"You sure?" He asked.

"Daryl, I was at one time traveling this walker ridden state alone and I did just fine…" She looked him over. "I thought you didn't think less of me because of what happened in that town."

"I don't think less of you…" He said. "As I said before you're too important to risk."

"To the group?" She asked. "Or to you?" He stared at her for a moment and she smiled. "I'll see you later Daryl…" With that she turned and headed up the stairs. Daryl's jaw clenched as his hand rested over the banister. When she was away from earshot he looked around the vast basement and sighed.

"To me…" He said quietly.