Thank you all so much…Uhm…Oh yeah, brace yourselves!

Here we go!

_0_

Remember what I said?...

Michonne knew that she could not allow anything to distract her. As much as she wanted to keep her eyes on her baby and run to her, she knew she had to figure a way to distract and perhaps even reason with her captors. Michonne moved her eyes around slowly to see what the possible exits were. Despite where her eyes guided her, she had full view of the gun pointed at her face and the person holding the weapon.

"Allen… Get the kid." Commanded Lori.

Michonne's body slightly moved with fretfulness when she heard Lori. She began to panic even more as she saw Allen walk over to her crying defenseless child.

"Lori…Please…She hasn't done anything to you." Begged Michonne as she watched Allen pick up the baby and walk over to Lori.

"This little bastard has everything to do with making my life a living Hell!...But if she doesn't exist… then…Neither does my Hell." Lori motioned with her free hand for Allen to walk towards the ignited incinerator. He did as directed. "Now… Let's make her go away… toss her in!"

"No!" Michonne yelled.

"BANG!" Lori shot one round near Michonne's head.

"Now do it Allen!" This time Lori shouted her order.

"Lori…She's just a baby." Allen argued as he held on to the child. "I understand wanting to take out the competition… But I just can't kill a baby."

"Allen! Don't be a pussy and do it! I helped you get back at your stupid wife Donna, now you have to do your part for me!" Yelled a very visibly frustrated Lori. She didn't move her stance, as she kept her gun pointed on Michonne who just wanted an opportunity to pounce on Allen and take her child from his grasp.

"Allen… That's your name?… Right?" Asked Michonne with tears in her eyes. Allen looked at Michonne then over at Lori and back at Michonne and then nodded. "Look at her…" Michonne requested as she referred to her child. "She's just an innocent baby; she has nothing to do with this…Please!" Supplicated Michonne as her voice broke.

"I…Lori…I can't." Allen stammered as sweat came down his forehead. The baby squirmed and cried in his arms.

"Do it! You worthless piece of shit!...You had no problem raping a defenseless girl and beating on your stupid wife!" Yelled a very visibly frustrated Lori.

"Lori, why don't you shut the fuck up!...If you want this done then do it yourself!" Allen placed the baby on the ground and was about to walk out when…

"BANG!" He heard another shot. When he looked back, Lori had the gun raised up and then pointed at him.

"Pick her up!" She ordered through clenched teeth.

"Bitch! Don't you threaten me!" Exclaimed Allen as he walked towards her.

Michonne saw an opportunity arising as the other two were becoming hostile with each other. She reached for her knife, slowly removed it from the handle behind her back, moved closer, within striking distance knowing that the only chance she had was unarming Lori. Lori was completely fixated on Allen due to his defiance, she had not noticed that Michonne was just a few feet away. Michonne continued to move in, inch by inch as Allen and Lori argued, Jade cried and the blaze in the incinerator grew. Michonne was three feet away.

"I think they might be towards the back." Said a voice that was not possessed by any of the people in the room. Lori stopped and looked at Allen. She shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. They simultaneously looked at Michonne. Their eyes widened perceiving how close she had gotten without their detection.

"I think we're close, I can feel the heat." Said the voice again. Lori knew it was Rick, but it sounded like his voice was muffled.

"Are you wired or something?...What is that?" Asked Lori as she pointed the gun at Michonne, once again. "Did you even bother to check her?" Lori asked Allen as she moved around frantically in a panic, with her gun still pointed at Michonne.

"I…I… took her phone." Hesitated a confused and freighted Allen. He pulled at his hair and rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand.

"No… I'm not wired you stupid bitch!" Said Michonne as she reached for her pocket and took out the concealed cell phone. "I had this all the time. A simple phone and they guess what? They heard everything… And he's here!"

Allen looked down at the crying baby and without any words or warning picked her up in one swift moment. He ensued to run out the room with her.

"Get back here!" Lori roared, pointed her gun at the fleeing man.

"No!" Screamed Michonne, fearing that Lori could accidentally shoot the baby while trying to stop Allen. Michonne drove the knife into Lori's left shoulder.

" BANG!" A shot was released and hit Allen on the back of his left leg.

"Ahhhhh!" Allen shrieked and limped out of the room, holding on to Jade.

Michonne and Lori were wrestling for the gun.

"BANG!...BANG!

Michonne put both hands on Lori's hands which were tightly gripping the gun. Michonne looked at Lori, but also looked at the door, wanting desperately to dispatch her current adversary and run after the man that took her child. Lori knew she was no match for Michonne, due to Michonne's fighting abilities, but that did not deter Lori from holding on to the weapon with all her might and kicking and biting at Michonne. Lori looked over at the open incinerator door and pushed with all her strength to lure Michonne towards it. As the two women fought, Lori turned her body 180 degrees and was pushing Michonne towards the incinerator with such force that Michonne was about to lose her footing. Michonne felt the heat getting close to her back. Before she could fall head first into the incinerator, she was able to spin her body around and it was Lori going towards the incinerator. Lori kicked Michonne sending her to the floor, Lori's right side of her face connected with the entrance of the incinerator and the blaze had reached that far.

"Ahhhhhh!" Lori screamed. When the two women fell, the gun was knocked out of their feuding hold and landed three feet away. From the ground, Michonne could see the gun and started to get up from the floor to retrieve the revolver. Once she started lifting herself, she felt something grab her right leg. When Michonne looked back, she saw a badly burned and angry Lori staring at her and holding on tightly. Lori's whole right side was burned almost beyond recognition. The flesh was either black or bloody. Most of the hair in that part of her scalp was gone or painfully peeling off.

Michonne opened her eyes wide and gasped. She looked at the gun and then back to Lori. She needed to get her off her leg, so she started to kick her in the face a couple of times trying to free herself. Lori was in agonizing pain, but she knew that she could not let Michonne get to the gun. Lori reached around the ground in the dark hot room and found a large metal can. She grabbed it and flung it towards Michonne's head. She hit Michonne on the forehead. As Michonne reached for her head in pain, Lori stood up with all the little might she still governed and ran towards the gun. She picked it up turned and there was Michonne with the same can, now in her possession.

"Put it down!" Yelled Lori pointing the gun at Michonne and cocking the hammer. Michonne reluctantly let the can fall on the floor. Lori walked up closer and pressed the gun on Michonne's forehead. Michonne closed her eyes, tightly. "Die you fucking bitch…"

"Stop!" The stern voice interrupted Lori. It was Rick, two deputies and Daryl.

Lori was in total shock. She shook her head frantically. She immediately ran behind Michonne and placed the barrel of the gun behind Michonne's head.

"Lori… Put it down now!" Demanded Rick as he kept his eyes and gun locked on Lori.

"Rick… He ran off with Jade." Said Michonne.

"Shut up!" Exclaimed a frustrated Lori as she pressed the gun even harder.

"Rick… I see the trail of blood. I'll get him." Said Daryl.

Rick nodded without taking his narrowed eyes off Lori. "Go and get my child." Rick declared. "You two go with him. I'll handle this." Rick ordered the deputies to follow Daryl and they did.

"Rick… She ruined everything… And she's not good for you… I think she's even been with Shane…"

"Stop the fucking lies!" Rick roared. His voice was so loud and filled with anger that Lori jumped. "I know everything… Shane tapped everything you two did and said. Now I can fully see you for what you really are."

"Rick… It's not what you think… I mean…I." Lori tried to plead, but she could not form words and Rick's intimidating stare did not help matters.

"I know about Kelly." Lori began to gasp for air with Rick's revelations. "I know that you were unfaithful… Basically all the time we were together… I know you killed Shane… My friend!… he was your friend too!"

Tears began to flow down Lori's cheeks. She knew and had to accept that her mask of lies was finally ripped off by the sole person she hid it from the most.

"And I know." Rick took a deep breath and then exhaled hard. "You tried to kill my child… My flesh and blood." Rick's words came out almost as a growl. It was a Rick that Lori, nor Michonne had ever laid eyes on.

XXXXXXXX

"He couldn't have gotten to far." Said Daryl as he followed the trail of blood into the vacant home that the Kelch family inhabited on the property. Daryl told the deputies to spread out in the house. Daryl continued walking in and went upstairs. He checked the two first rooms. When he was entering what may have been the mater bedroom he heard a faint cry that resembled that of a baby. He walked towards it and looked down where there was some blood leading towards the bathroom at the far end. Daryl turned the knob and entered slowly.

"Don't come in any further… Or…Or… I'll hurt her… I swear!" It was Allen holding Jade as he coward in the claw foot tub. He had one hand around her neck and threatening to squeeze.

"Man, you're gonna let her go." Said Daryl as he walked closer.

"Why… would I?" Allen nervously questioned.

"Because if you hurt her, I'm gonna kill ya badly." Daryl reached for his hunting knife, freed it from it's holding case and pulled it out. "Ever seen something get gutted?… It can get pretty messy…. I promise you, it get's pretty messy"

Just then, arrived the two deputies at the door with their guns drawn.

"You guys can't hurt me… It's illegal." Allen claimed as he looked over at the two uniformed officers.

"Yeah, maybe they can't… but not me… I ain't no damn cop, so hand over the baby bitch!" Daryl took a few more steps.

"OK…OK…here!" Allen extended his arms and Daryl took Jade from him. Daryl looked at her and smiled. The baby looked up at him and babbled. She was not crying anymore. Daryl gently handed her over to deputy Mills. The other deputy walked up to Allen to place cuffs on him.

"Nah…not yet." Stated Daryl.

"Why?" Asked the deputy.

"If he took your kid and threatened to kill her, would you want it to be easy?" Asked Daryl.

The deputy looked over at Allen, smiled and then turned towards the door. "I'll cuff him when you're done." And then he walked out.

"No…No… You cannot leave me here with this maniac… I have rights… I gave myself up!" Allen's pleads went to deaf ears and a closed door. Allen looked at Daryl. "I… have rights… I …"

"Like I said… I ain't no damn cop." Said Daryl, as he shrugged his shoulders, walked towards the scared man and swung his fist.

XXXXXXX

"Rick…Rick….Over." It was Rick's walkie talkie.

Rick looked down and answered it. "Yes."

"We got your baby… She's fine."

Michonne sighed with relief despite her predicament.

"Copy that." Answered Rick.

"Rick, did I ever mean anything to you?… Before she ruined everything?" Lori asked as more tears rolled down her burnt and bleeding face. "Do you really love her?…Say something!" Lori screamed when she didn't get an immediate response from Rick. She was so over stricken with emotions that she inadvertently removed the gun from Michonne's head as she motioned her anger and confusion with her hands.

"I love Michonne and my child… More than anything." Rick declared without hesitation. His eyes looked away from Lori as he looked at the woman that he truly loved. Michonne looked at Rick and answered with a soft smile and a nod as tears filled her eyes.

Suddenly, Michonne could hear Lori's growls of anger over Rick's statement. Michonne felt Lori get closer and knew that in seconds the gun will be pressed harder on her head. Michonne remembered counting five shots of a gun that held six bullets. Michonne gave Rick another smile, perhaps her final one. A smile that told him that she loved him with all her heart as well. She knew that he was a good man that would love her daughter… their daughter and protect her over anything else in this world. Michonne accepted her impending fate, regardless of all she fought, she believed that she was not going to survive this last one. She closed her eyes.

"Die you fucking bitch!" Lori's words were indicators to Michonne that she was right. Lori began to raise her arm to place the homicidal weapon back on Michonne's head.

"BANG!" Michonne opened her eyes. She didn't feel pain, she was still alive. She breathed in an out quickly in a matter of seconds. She turned around to see Lori staring at her with a gunshot to her right shoulder. Lori dropped the gun. Lori and Michonne simultaneously looked over at Rick.

"Rick… do you remember who we were?" Lori asked.

Rick walked over to Lori pointed the gun inches away from Lori's head. "Do you remember what I said?" Rick asked as he held his gun tightly, tilted his head. "Don't fuck with my family."

"BANG!" One shot to the middle of her forehead. The back of her head opened a huge hole spilling all kinds of brain matter and skull fragments all over the floor. Lori's body fell back to the floor. Her eyes were open and her arms were spread apart on either side of her. Rick ran up to Michonne and held her in a tight embrace.

"You OK?" Rick asked without letting go.

"I'm OK…I'm OK, now." Michonne confirmed and wept in his loving arms.

_0_

OK, to be honest, I was considering having Lori go to jail and getting a life sentence for killing Shane and all the crazy things she did, but many of you wanted my crazy Lori dead…So, there you go, LOL. One more chapter left.

What do you think so far?

Thanks for reading