Jayce struggled to keep Sophia in her arms and a walker on her leg didn't make it an easier. Her hands were sweaty and she was losing grip on the terrified girl but she refused to let go. Jayce was not one to back out or break a promise and she wasn't about to start now.

"Jesus" She huffed under her breath. Sophia's screams continued to fill her air and more walkers grabbing at her; their nails starting to dig into her. A bloodcurdling scream pierced the air and Jayce, who had squeezed shut her eyes as she attempted to haul the other body into the tree, stared straight down at the ground. A walker at bitten into Sophia's leg, around the ankle. A surge of adrenaline shot through her and Jayce leaned back further in the tree, pulling with a strength she wasn't sure she possessed. Finally, after what seemed like forever and a half, Sophia was moving up the tree into Jayce's arms.

"Oh my god" Jayce whimpered as the injured girl sat in her lap. She kept Sophia from looking at her ankle but Jayce couldn't seem to tear her gaze from it for long. Anger and sadness hit her all at once and she pulled the gun, awkwardly, from her jeans and unloaded the rest of her clip into the hungry walkers below. Sophia was crying hard into her shirt; both tears of pain and a welcomed relief that she was away from hungry mouthes.

The men came bolting through the grass shooting at the dead people, dropping them like flies. When the last one fell everyone was around the tree, looking up to find the girls. Jayce had wrapped Sophia's ankle with her shirt and had taken them a little further up. Her face was tear stained and Sophia was still whimpering in pain as the fever slowly took over her body.

"Jayce!" Rick called from below.

"Rick?"

"It's safe to come down now"

Jayce shook her head, "Is Daryl down there?"

"I'm here Jayce" The redneck called up.

Slowly she moved through the branches so as not to hurt Sophia anymore than necessary. Jayce got to the bottom branch and Rick held his arms out for Sophia. The men were a little surprised to see Jayce in her bra but she couldn't have cared less at that moment. Once she was safely down Jayce turned back to Rick and held her arms out.

"Give her to me"

"I can..."

"Rick, it's something I gotta do" He reluctantly handed the bleeding girl over and Jayce walked back to the house.

"J...Jayce" Sophia muttered through the burning.

"Yeah sweetie" She spoke softly.

"Are we safe?"

Tears flooded Jayce's vision, "Yeah Hunny, we're safe. I'm going to take you home"

Sophia nodded, "Thank you for not letting go" She mumbled.

"Never baby, I'd never let go" She drifted off in Jayce's arms, "Hey you gotta stay awake for me ok? Til we see your mom"

"My head's hot and it hurts so much"

"I know but your mom's gonna wanna see you. Don't you wanna see her?" Jayce made it through the paddocks in record speed and Carol was waiting for them on the porch.

"Sophia, we're here. Your mom wants to see you. Can you open your eyes for me?" The fever was killing her quickly but she managed to open them. Jayce went to hand Sophia over to Carol but she grabbed onto her arm.

"Don't let me go Jayce"

"I won't I'll be right here. I'm just going to pass you over to your mom"

They placed Sophia in her bed and Jayce and Carol never left her side.

"Mom?"

"Yes Sophia?" Carol asked shakily.

"Jayce?"

"I'm here Hunny" Jayce reached over and grabbed her hand.

"It's hurts. My head hurts" Sophia whined, her eyes remaining closed but the pain evident on her face.

"It's ok, baby just sleep" Carol soothed. Soon after Sophia had fallen under. For about ten minutes after she fell asleep, Jayce continued to check her heartbeat; it was barely there and slowing. Sophia had put up such a fight but now slowly succumbed to the pain and overwhelming fever.

"Carol?" Her mother looked up, wet eyelashes clumped together and tears still streaming down her face. Jayce couldn't bring herself to say the words so she got up and knelt beside the grieving woman shaking her head sadly. Carol flung herself onto Jayce and sobbed harder; they both did.

Jayce soon left Carol to be alone with her young daughter and went to find Daryl. She found him leaning against the side of the house.

"Got a smoke?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out the pack, "Thanks"

"Ya doin' ok?" He asked, releasing a cloud of white smoke around them.

"I promised to save her" Jayce whispered, "I failed"

"Ya didn't fail. Ya kept that little girl as safe as ya could have"

"She told me not to let go" Jayce set her own smoke cloud into the air.

"An did ya?"

"Not til she was gone. Carol is still in there with her" Jayce leaned into Daryl and he just nodded.

Daryl took her to the barn, up to the loft and laid her in the hay. Jayce understood what he was doing and knew she wanted it as well. There was no rush as they removed clothing and as he slid inside her. Thrusting hard but going slowly, until he felt her feet wrap over the lower part of his back and he started to go harder. Just as both their orgasms peaked and they released; a single shot rang through the house. Daryl continued to bury himself into her over and over again; riding out their high.

"This loft seems to be a regular place for me" She whispered to him. Daryl's arm draped over her naked waist, "I want to be with you again" His mouth attached to her, like he was desperate to hear those words come from her. Jayce rolled them over and sat on his lap, kissing him before lifting her body just high enough before she could sink back to him. Slowly grinding her hips against him, one hand on his chest and the other on his thigh. Daryl's hands rested on her hips, watching her movements and her expressions. Before she rolled to her back, she kissed his dry lips and pulled him with her; letting him take over and finish what she started. There was no careless fucking; it was a slow reconnecting romance.

Once they had both peaked again, they decided they should probably go out and check on Carol. Daryl expected her to get weird but to his relief she was completely calm and collected. T-dog and Glenn had been busy digging a grave for the young girl and Rick carried her outside, wrapped in a sheet with her doll, tucked under her arm.

Everyone stood closer together except the Dixon brothers, who stood together away from the group. The group soon dissipated, except for Carl. Jayce was about to turn away but saw the young boy still standing there. She signalled to Daryl that she would be along and went and crouched next to Carl,

"How you doing bud?"

"I miss her a lot" He said.

"I know mate, I do too" Jayce said sympathetically.

"It's not going to be the same around here" Jayce just nodded and Carl turned to her and gave her a hug.

"We all loved Sophia mate" Jayce buried her chin in his neck and closed her eyes; squeezing him a little.

When she pulled away, she looked at him questioningly and he nodded. Jayce felt sorry for Carl; he had been forced to grow up faster in this crappy world and Sophia was in the same boat but with her there it encouraged him to be a little kid again. Now he was alone and put back into the situation of growing up too fast.

Jayce walked into the house and sat in the kitchen table before getting up and taking a shot of whiskey. Carol walked in just as she threw it back,

"Got another glass?" That surprised Jayce completely.

"Uhh yeah" She poured another shot and found another glass, filling it as well. They clinked them together and let the alcohol burn down their throats. Carol cringed a little while Jayce managed a straight face. Carol gave her a weak smile and set the glass down before walking out. Jayce sighed and filled the glass once more.

There really seemed like nothing to do for the rest of day and Jayce didn't know what to do with herself. She walked out to the barn and saddled Badger and Admiral, leading them both out and to the porch.

"Daryl!" Jayce called out.

He came running outside, "What?" He asked, looking around for danger.

"Come for a ride with me?"

"I can't right now. I'm dealin' with Merle; he's pickin' shit right now. Later?"

Jayce wanted to drop her shoulders but held her position and put on a smile, "Yeah sure" She rode off and took Admiral back to the stalls, dumping his tack on the ground and putting his halter back on his face. She took both horses out the back of the farm and doubled back to the road; out of sight of everyone else. Jayce let the horses run along at their own pace.

She spent most of the remaining daylight hours watching the horses move around the clearing while she smoked cigarette after cigarette. When she was down to her remaining few she collected them and rode back home.

Once they were safely locked away with the others she walked into the house and started making dinner. It was still a little early but Jayce needed something to distract her and so she gathered her ingredients and set them on the bench; staring at them. An idea popped into her head and she went and bought the CD player into the kitchen, closing all the doors she put on an old favourite, one she knew would uplift her spirits; Def Leppard. Jayce knew that know probably wasn't the time everyone needed to be happy and joyful but she was sick and tired of being sad all the time, Ever since the outbreak, death and sadness constantly joined forces with bad luck and she was done with it. She turned it up loud but not so loud as to disturb the other residents too much. Jayce poured herself a glass of whiskey and hit play on the machine. Singing and swaying her hips a little as she cut up vegetables took her mind from everything and set her back in the high spirited mood she was accustomed to. Facing the pots she dropped the potato quarters into the water individually, along with the beat. Apparently she had been in her own world facing the stove considering she didn't notice the audience she had conjured. Rick, Lori, T-dog, Glenn, Andrea and even the Dixon men were standing inside the kitchen with identical amused looks. Jayce turned from the stove back to the bench and still didn't notice the crowd. It was only after she moved to the sink and back again that she saw them and immediately hit stop.

"Holy crap" She whispered; her hand over her heart, "How long have ya'll been standing there?"

"Long enough to see the solo show that was going on" Rick chuckled. Lori smacked his shoulder lightly, smiling and shaking her head as she walked back to the living room. Rick followed as did the others; all except two.

"Don't stop on our account darlin' I was enjoyin' it" Merle smirked.

"And that is probably why I shouldn't continue" Jayce looked from Merle to Daryl.

"Pussy" Merle mumbled under his breath and headed upstairs to his bedroom. Daryl continued to stare at her.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothin', just lookin'" His arms dropped from his chest.

"At what?" She asked, cutting up more vegetables.

"Just you"

"I'm ain't exactly doin' anything special" Jayce commented, looking up at him briefly.

"I know" He mumbled, "But I ain't never seen ya in the kitchen, cookin' by ya self before"

"You're surprised I know how to cook?" She asked, throwing the rest of the vegetables into another pot.

"Nah. Just ya seeming happy when everyone else isn't"

"You aren't goin' soft on me now are you Dixon?"

"Fuck off Braden. Ya know what I mean" Jayce just smiled.

"Yeah I guess. I'm just sick of all the bad luck and sadness around here. I need to do this for me, considering out of all of us, I'm probably the one who has been the most depressed around here"

"Ya won't ever need ta feel that again. Ya know that" He stated, putting his arms around her waist.

"And you have no idea how much I want to believe that" Daryl lifted his head from her neck.

"What the hell's that supposed ta mean?"

"Daryl I'm not saying that I don't love the happiness that happens around here but you know as well as I do, that it can all change in an instant. Take today for example; no one and I mean no one could have seen that coming. Then there was Shane"

"Yeah well we all know he was trouble"

"Not the point babe. I mean, who would have ever thought that he could take someone from a crowded house; where anyone at any time could of seen him doing it and Merle coming back and stirring shit up between us"

"We back ta that?" He sighed.

"No, I'm just saying. Bad luck seems to always be right around the corner, just waiting for an opportunity. I'm just trying to make it all count. Yes it's a sad time right now but we can't be sad all the time for the rest of our lives. It's gonna be hard for a while, everyone is grieving for that little girl and Carol is going to be grieving the rest of her life but we have to balance it out or at least counter this crazy shit with a random spontaneous moment of pure joy" Jayce faced him, "Make the little unexpected moments more memorable than the big ones. It's always the smallest thing that you remember, even if you can't remember why they happened"

Daryl was quiet for a minute, "Ya goin' soft on me now Braden"

"Fuck you too. I'm making this big awesome speech and you say something completely smartass and ruin my moment"

"It's the little things right?"

"See what I mean. Showing me up now with your 'little moments thing'" She smiled.