A Few Good Men

"It's gonna get dark soon. Think we should call it" Daryl said as they came to a stop in the middle of the woods after a long while of searching and barely finding anything.

"Let's head back" Lori concurred breathlessly.

"We'll pick it up again tomorrow?" Carol asked hopeful. Armageddon didn't agree with calling it quits or that they would pick up the trace tomorrow as they barely picked up the trace today, but she's too nauseous to object.

"We'll find her tomorrow" Lori promised, making Armageddon roll her eyes. She stuck walking beside Glenn and let him help her out with the rest of the walking as she was getting too tired and too sick to manage well on her own. She knew Daryl wanted to be the one helping her, but she wanted none of his help.

"How much longer?" Lori huffed breathlessly after walking a whole mile.

"Not much. Maybe a hundred yards, as the crow flies" Daryl answered casually and didn't seem as tired as the woman. Even Armageddon managed to stay patient and kept on walking, despite knowing that if she would walk another mile would make her collapse. The only thing that kept her going was the dwindling hope of finding Sophia.

"Too bad we're not crows" Andrea said and sighed. Armageddon had only have to stop once to throw up and she was doing everything she could not to throw up again until after they got back to the highway, though that got harder and harder as she got more and more breathless.

A walker attacked Andrea and instead of reacting the right way and killing it, she started screaming and led everyone to her, where she was on the ground, crying and struggling. Armageddon was surprised she had made it this far in the apocalypse, judging from that reaction. She did not stop screaming. Then, when they were almost there to save her, a rider on a horse came around and saved her, knocking the dead one off her with a baseball bat. It was a young woman in her twenties with a bob-cut of brunette hair and determined grey eyes. She called out for Lori. Rick sent her. It was an emergency. Something had happened to Carl. She didn't need to be told twice to get up on that horse and ride away, despite Daryl's apprehension for the stranger. The rider let them know where to find them and then rode away before anyone could barely process what happened. Armageddon barely managed to watch them go as everything came spewing out of her, making Daryl immediately run up to her and help her hold her hair back as she vomited for the fifth time that day.

"Shot? What do you mean shot?" Dale asked when they returned.

"I don't know, man. All I know is some chick rode out of nowhere like Zorro and took Lori" Glenn told him and was just as confused as the old man, even though he had witness everything happening.

"Zorro?" Armageddon repeated and chuckled, shaking her head. "More like Hidalgo." When she only got confused looks and no agreements, she decided to add to her sentence. "What? You haven't seen it? It's good."

Dale and Daryl wanted her to go with Glenn and T-Dog to the farm to find the rest. They tried their best to convince her that it would be best for everyone if she went with them - especially for herself because she was so sick, but did she listen? No. She stayed right where she was and ignored their begs to leave.

Daryl couldn't sleep that night in the RV because of Carol's constant sobbing and Andrea's tampering with the pistols, taking everything apart and then putting them all together. Nobody slept except for Armageddon who lay beside Carol in the bedroom of the RV and practically snored. She was so relieved to finally lay down and relax that she was knocked out cold the second her head hit the pillow. He asked Andrea to make sure that she wouldn't wake up as he was going to go out and continue looking for Sophia. That got Carol to stop crying. She stared at him with grateful eyes and promised him that she would cover him if Armageddon were to wake up, because they all knew how intent she was on searching. Armageddon would have stayed all day and night in that forest if she didn't know that Daryl would drag her back.

Andrea told him that she was going to come with him and the two were stopped by Dale, who sat on top of the RV and kept watch for the night. He objected them going, but Andrea brushed him off. Then, they were stopped by Mac. "You go, I'll catch up with you" Daryl told her and shooed her away because he knew his brother wanted to say something to him and he wanted to say it just the two of them.

"What, you one of them now?" Mac grunted and raised a brow.

"You ain't?"

"No" Mac answered and shook his head shortly. "They'll sell us out the first thing they get. The only reason they haven't is because of her."

Armageddon. Daryl knew he was right, but only partly. He knew everyone wanted to keep the pregnant woman safe and he also knew that no one wanted to have Mac around - not that he had been much around since the RV broke down. He had pretty much been on his own doing God knows what, not giving a damn while the rest of the group searched for the little girl. But, they couldn't have Armageddon unless they had Daryl and Mac, since they were a package deal. Daryl refused to leave her side and Mac didn't want to completely leave without his brother. "Maybe they won't" Daryl suggested.

"Not if you don't stop kissing their asses" His older brother commented. "The fuck are you doin' anyway?"

"Looking for the girl."

"Why?"

"'Cause someone has to."

"Don't they got the pigs to do that job?" Mac asked and arched his brows. "They should be trained for it." He narrowed his eyes at his little brother and weighed him out. "Or are you just doin' this so that she forgives you?"

"This isn't about Armageddon" Daryl tried to tell him.

"Yeah, it is" His brother nodded. "You've got the hots for her since day one and still do. Why? She's used goods."

Daryl curled his hands to fists and fought the urge to knock his older brother's teeth out. He hated the way he talked about her and he hated the way he showed no signs of remorse for raping her and leaving her stuck pregnant with an unwanted child. Mac couldn't care less. He only cared about himself. As he didn't want to carry on with this conversation or end up in another brutal fist fight, Daryl turned his back on him and left with Andrea to keep on searching for Sophia.

Armageddon woke up barely half an hour later and the first name off her lips was Daryl's. Carol had yet not managed to fall asleep, so she was prepared for this. "He just went out to do his business" She told her and stopped Armageddon was about to crawl out of bed. "He'll be right back."

"Okay" Armageddon mumbled and lay back down. "Could you tell him to wake me up when he comes?"

"Sure thing, sweetie" Carol said and tucked the younger girl in. "Rest until then."

"Okay" She mumbled and was back asleep barely a minute later.

Armageddon could not make being in the RV as they drove away from the highway to look for the farm and reluctantly ended up riding with Daryl on his motorcycle, since it didn't give her car sickness. She still wanted to keep some distance between them since she was still mad at him, but the open air and the wind blowing in her hair really calmed down her sick stomach. She jumped off his bike as soon as they stopped in front of a large farmhouse. It was a large land that started maybe half a mile back where they had to go through a gate and large fields of grass that made her believe that the people living there could have sheep or horses, but she saw no animals on the way.

They were greeted by the rest of the group and the residents of that farm. Rick and Lori met with them. "How is he?" Dale asked them.

"He'll pull through" Rick told him.

Armageddon sighed in relief. "Oh, thank god" She said and put her hand on her heart as she felt half the weight of the world shift off her shoulders. "Do-do you want a hug?" She hesitantly asked Lori, since she knew that having her son shot must have taken a large toll on her.

"No. Thanks, though" Lori said and flashed her a genuine smile. "This is all thanks to Hershel and his people." She pointed with her chin to an older man, somewhere in his sixties and seventies, with a balding top of his head while the rest was clear white. He was clean-shaved and wore cleaner clothes than she believed existed in this apocalypse. She got a little self-conscious when she looked around and saw that she and the rest of her group probably looked like a complete wreck compared to them, with their dirty and torn clothes, smelling like sweat and dried blood and basically looked like they hadn't slept or showered in months.

"And Shane" Rick added. "We'd have lost Carl if not for him."

Shane stood awkwardly in the corner and Armageddon had mistaken him for one of the residents because he was wearing new clothes and was sporting a buzz cut, looking far from his usual self. Dale embraced Rick. "How'd it happen?" He asked the worried father.

"Hunting accident. That's all" Rick said and tried to sound casual about this, but failed miserably. He was too strung up to be worried at the moment.

"Accident?" Armageddon scoffed and raised a brow.

"Just a stupid accident" He sighed and looked away before meeting Armageddon's eyes. "Uh, Armageddon, this is Hershel, he's the owner of this land."

"Hello" Armageddon said and shook the older man's hand.

"Nice to meet you" He said formally. "Rick told me you were pregnant?"

"Ah" She said and looked at Rick before meeting the old man's blue eyes once more, feeling flustered as she realized that she was that girl. The girl with baggage. The helpless girl. "Yes. Yes, I am."

"I have a spare bedroom that I'd like to offer you" He told her and motioned her to follow him as he headed inside. "Pregnancies can be straining and difficult and what Rick has told me, you all don't even have a proper bed."

"With all due respect, sir" Armageddon said and stopped him, putting on her best and most polite facade. "I'm not that far ahead, hell, I'm barely even a month in, so I don't need any 'luxuries' or special treatment. I'm just like the others."

"But, aren't you experiencing morning sickness?" He asked and raised a bushy brow at her. She pursed her lips and reluctantly nodded. She didn't want to admit it to herself, let alone to somebody else, but she knew she couldn't hide it so she told him the truth. "If you want my professional advice, I'd suggest you take the bed because it will help the acid reflux that might follow."

"I've had acid reflux all my life" She told him carelessly and waved her hand dismissively.

He sighed. "Okay, but if you change your mind, the room will be ready."

She flashed him a grateful smile before going back outside. She found Rick immediately, but he was too busy catching up with Glenn and Dale, so she had to wait a minute before he was free to talk. "Hey, I'm sorry about your son and I'm so glad that he's gonna be okay" She told him sincerely before her facade dropped. "But, what the fuck were you thinking telling some stranger about me being pregnant?"

"I thought it might help you" Rick told her. "Hershel's a doctor and he's even offered to give you a room here-"

"That's still none of your business" She told him and shook her head. "Thank you, I mean it, thank you for caring, but I don't want any help. I'm fine just as is and I'm gonna stay fine whether I sleep on the muddy ground or at five star hotel."

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't be sorry" She said and waved her hand, feeling bad for her little outburst. "I'm just," She sighed. "Sick of everyone trying to coddle me. I'm a grown woman and I can think for myself."

"I understand, sorry if I was out of hand" Rick nodded and sounded so sincere.

"Thanks."

After getting settled in, the residents threw a funeral for the man who lost his life on the emergency supply run with Shane, trying to retrieve all the medical supplies. Armageddon listened as Hershel resided the bible and the dead man's wife talked about how good of a man he was. It was a pain to go through because this world had taken so many people, but she hadn't gone to one funeral. She had rather wanted to go to someone she knew of because she felt like an intruder standing there and pretending to share the sorrow, but she didn't want to be disrespectful, so she stayed and wished everyone who knew him her condolences.

After the funeral, Armageddon, Daryl, Shane, Andrea, Rick, Hershel and his daughter Maggie gathered up and organized a search for Sophia, who had now been missing for three days. Hershel advised against both Rick and Shane going because Rick had given Carl so much of his blood and Shane had a dislocated ankle.

"Guess it's just me" Daryl said.

"No, not just you" Armageddon told him and shook her head.

"I don't think you should go either" Hershel said.

"You remember last time you went with us?" Daryl asked her and raised a brow. "You really think you're up for it?"

"Yeah, I'm fuckin' up for it" She told him in an offended tone. She hated how everyone patronized her and she wanted to slap every motherfucker who did so.

"There are a lot of risks going out there in your shape" Hershel told her softly. "And not just for the baby, but for you. Your immune system is weaker now and you're more affected if you injure yourself. Plus, all that stress could harm the baby."

"I'll be even more stressed if I stay here and have to stare aimlessly at the clouds" She told him in a matter of fact tone.

Daryl pursed his lips before dragging her away so they could speak more privately. "I want you to go" He told her and looked her deeply in the eyes. "I do. I know Sophia won't be happy when she sees that me of all people is there to save her. She needs you and you are the first person she would run to, except for her mom. But..." He stopped and scratched his head. "I don't want you to hurt the baby. I know you don't want it and I understand that. Hell, I wouldn't want it either if I was you, but I already told you that I'm ready to do this with you. I'll even take it and raise it on my own if you don't want it, so please-"

"Do you think you could?" She asked somberly and crossed her hands over her chest.

"Yeah" He nodded. "I think so."

"Okay, you say this now, but when the time comes and it's actually out there, will you really be ready for all that responsibility?" She asked and raised her brows. "Will you be ready to care for another living thing twenty four-seven, to make it your first and only priority, to lay down your feelings and put its instead of yours?

"It's a big question and I don't mean to sound like I don't believe you, but this is a serious thing. I know I don't want it and I'm pretty much stuck with it, but you, you don't have to do anything. It's not your blood, it's not your doing-"

"It is my blood" He begged to differ enthusiastically. "I'm not the father, but we have the same blood. We're kin all the same."

"Okay, but-"

"Please, Armageddon" He said and interrupted her. "I'll be everything this baby needs, just take care of it until then."

Armageddon pursed her lips and said nothing. She had no idea what to say to that. He sounded so sincere and had so much love in him to give, so she neither wanted to promise him or break his heart, so she just stared back at him before she eventually nodded. "Okay" She said quietly and disrupted their eye contact. "But, promise me one thing," She said and met his eyes once more.

"What?"

"Bring her back."

When the two returned, people were filing out. "We're running short, gotta make a run into town" She heard Maggie say to her father.

"Take Shane with you" Rick suggested.

"No, it's okay, there's a pharmacy, a couple of miles down the road. I've done it before" She told him.

"I'll come with you" Armageddon said and met her eyes. "I'm a fast runner and that was what I did back when we had a camp; went on supply runs. I know what I'm doing."

Maggie looked her over and then nodded. "Okay."

"Take Glenn instead" Rick said, interrupting the two and completely killing Armageddon's dreams. "You see that guy over there in the baseball cap, he's our go-to-guy when it comes to supply runs."

Armageddon pursed her lips and fought the urge to punch him hard in the teeth so that he would lose his and she would fracture her knuckles. "No offense," Maggie said and directed her words to Armageddon. "But, I'd rather take him."

Armageddon looked from her and glared at Rick, mentally telling him that if he would so much as breathe another word to or about her, she would not hesitate to break his nose, before she stormed away, feeling tears well up in her eyes. You're an encumbrance. You're useless, nothing but trouble to them, she thought to herself as she fought the tears in her eyes and the sobs that tried to escape her throat. She hurried to the RV and was hoping she could disappear there and cry, but was stopped at the entrance by Dale.

"Armageddon? Are you all right?" He asked with concern as he saw tears running down her eyes.

She tried to pretend she was fine and throw on a nonchalant demeanor, but it backfired badly on her and she ended up bursting into tears and pushing past him inside so that no one would see her like that. Dale, much to her displeasure, followed her inside and closed the door behind him. He took her into his arms and she let him hold her as she cried into his chest. She had had enough. It broke her heart that she just wanted to help, but no one thought she was valuable enough to be of any help because of the unwanted child inside her.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Dale asked her softly and stroked her back as she cried her eyes out.

"I'm useless!" She cried and felt herself crumble in his embrace as she said the actual words. They had been swarming around in her brain for a while, but saying them aloud confirmed everything and made it all ten times worse.

"What? No! You're not useless" He reassured her and stroked her back even more. "Far from it."

"Just because I'm pregnant I can't do anything!"

"That's not true."

"Everyone thinks so" She argued and felt weak in her knees as the facts rained on her. I really am useless.

"Why would you think that?"

"'You should do this 'cause you're pregnant', 'you can't do this 'cause you're pregnant', 'I don't want you to come with me on a supply run 'cause you're pregnant'."

"No, that can't be it" He said softly and shook his head. "Everyone just wants you to feel your best during this pregnancy and you've been pretty sick lately so that might be why it would be better if you wouldn't go on a supply run."

"I'm not gonna be sick and of no use for nine fucking months!" She cried out and felt dread wash over her just by the thought of being made to sit on her ass and stare at the ceiling while the baby inside her grew.

"Of course not."

Armageddon cried and felt the urge to scream at the top of her lungs, but she kept it inside just because she didn't want to attract unwanted attention to her. "I didn't even want this baby" She mumbled into his shirt.

"That's completely normal. My kids weren't planned either" He said in a reassuring tone and really thought he was making her feel better.

"No, you don't understand, I didn't want this baby or anything that has to do with it" She told him and met his eyes.

"Do you mean Daryl..." He asked her and narrowed his eyes at her before pausing. "He-"

"No! No! Just forget everything I said" She exclaimed and shook her head.

"Armageddon, this is a serious matter" Dale said soberly.

"It wasn't Daryl."

"Then who?"

Armageddon pursed her lips before looking away. "Mac" She whispered and felt a shiver go down her spine as she said his name.

"Oh, my god" He said and sat down, taking his hat off his head and stared wide-eyed at it, as if there was something to see inside it before he met her eyes. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"This needs to stay between us" She told him and wiped the shed tears off her cheeks.

"Why does Daryl say he's the father? Is he covering up for him?"

"He's covering up for me."

"Why?"

"Because I'm enough of a burden by being the pregnant woman" She told him and threw her hands up in the air. "I don't need to be the woman carrying a rape baby. I don't want to be that woman."

"So, you're just not gonna do anything about this?" He asked her shocked and raised his bushy, white brows at her.

She shook her head. "No, and neither will you."

He was about to speak up but she cut him off. "You will not breathe a word of this to anyone" She said and approached him. "'Cause if you do, I will find one of those guns that you're hiding and I will shoot myself in the head. I'm not joking and if you try to prevent me, I'll find another way. I will not have to live with this fact or let anyone pity me for it."

"But," He said, but she shook her head and shut him up.

"No buts. I don't want this getting out or getting 'justice' for what happened" She told him. "All I wanted was to live a happy life with my two husbands, not be stuck in the apocalypse and carry a child created by rape. There's nothing that can fix that so there will be no trying to."

"Armageddon, we have to do something" He insisted. "He can't just walk around free to do whatever he likes to whoever. We can't have this happening again to someone else."

"I knew you would say this, Dale" She said and sighed. "But, if you banish Mac, you banish Daryl and me too. We're unfortunately a package deal, since Mac won't go anywhere without his brother and Daryl refuses to let me out of his eyesight. If you want to help me, you will keep this a secret. All of it. I never came here to cry, nor did I confess anything to you."

"You don't have to feel bad about-"

"I don't feel bad about anything" She told him. "I know none of this is my fault, but I am stuck with the consequences and not you, so I am the one who gets the say and gets to make the decisions here. Not you nor Rick or anyone else. Is that understood?"

Dale scratched his chin and looked away for a long time before he eventually nodded and met her eyes. "Yeah, it's a deal."