So...Because I love y'all and your awesome reviews/support SO much I decided to get this one done first thing. I know that was a really crappy way to leave y'all for the last chapter, but sometimes it happens like that. I just wanted you to know that I wouldn't do it if I didn't update so fast either. I wouldn't leave you hanging and then wait three weeks to get another chapter out. That's just not cool and would drive ME crazy if I was reading a story. I can't believe we're almost ONE WEEK away from the start of Season 4! Who's freaking excited?! ME! LOL...anyway, hope you like!

"Shh...It's okay honey. We're okay. The boys will save us. We're going to be fine," Beth crooned to the little girl.

She wasn't entirely sure that that was true, but she was going with it. She didn't even know if they had spotted them out here or what was going on because she couldn't see anything but walkers outside the windows of the vehicle. The sounds of Judith's crying was only making them try to work harder to get inside and Beth worried that if enough of them pressed against the glass that it would break. She had crawled into the backseat with the girl and she was holding her in her lap to try and shield her eyes from the sight of the walkers. If she could only get the little girl to calm down long enough then the walkers might calm down a bit.

She reached into the bag and pulled out a little toy that the girl liked to put in her mouth and play with. She held it up over her and swayed it back and forth as if it was the best thing ever invented. It worked momentarily and Judith was distracted by the vibrant colors long enough to quit crying. Beth breathed a sigh of relief and began talking to the girl and making funny faces. She was using every trick she had ever used on the girl in hopes that it would work.

The sound of a walker slamming against the glass and sliding down to the ground made her jump, but thankfully Judith was distracted enough by the ridiculous tale that Beth was telling her and she didn't cry. Beth saw the arrow sticking out of the walker's skull and let out a breath of relief.

"It's okay Judith, Daryl is going to save us again," She said. It seemed like things were always happening to her and that Daryl was always coming to her rescue in some way. If only she knew more about fighting then maybe she wouldn't feel so useless right now.

Another arrow sunk into the skull of another walker, but she didn't jump this time. She continued talking a bunch of nonsense to Judith as she distracted her with the toy. A few more walkers sank to the ground around the vehicle and now she could see out of the window towards the house. She spotted Daryl and Carl immediately at the corner of the house. Daryl's expression was intense and she could see the tension in his arms and shoulders as he aimed at the walkers. She saw his mouth move and he must have muttered something to Carl because the boy nodded at him, his mouth also moving. Another thump sounded, but slightly different this time and she peered over the seat at the driver's side window. Her expression changed to one of terror.

The force of the arrow had caused the walker to slam its head against the window, forming a golf ball sized web of cracks in the center. She knew what would happen if enough walkers put pressure on those cracks. It would cave in and then the walkers would get inside of the vehicle. She and Judith would be stuck with no where to go. Please hurry Daryl, she thought. She clutched her knife tighter by her side.

Daryl watched as the fifth walker slid down from the vehicle. So far, so good and at least Beth had managed to get Judith to stop crying. The walkers were still gathered around the vehicle though and the five he had taken out hadn't even seemed to put a dent into the amount that were there.

"How many we got Carl?" He asked without taking his eyes off of the vehicle.

"Twelve," Carl answered so quickly that he knew the kid must have been keeping track of the number from the start.

"Fuck!" Daryl hissed.

He lined up his bow and fired another arrow, sending another walker to his final resting place. He had six arrows left and then he was going to have to leave the fence and fight them by hand. He fired off three more shots, but one only managed to hit a walker in the neck because one of the others got in the way at the last minute.

Daryl could feel his blood pressure rising and his pulse was pounding double time in his ears. He was running off of pure adrenaline, but he wouldn't rest until he had them all taken care of.

"Eight left," Carl spoke up from behind him.

Eight walkers and three arrows. That would leave him with six walkers to take down with his knife since he missed the one. He could handle that. He had taken down way more than that before. He had just never tried to do it alone. He sighed and sailed off his last three arrows. It really didn't matter which ones he took down at this point. One was just as bad as the other in his opinion.

He turned to Carl to tell the boy to get ready because he was going to see if they could call them away from the car to the fence when he heard a slight cracking sound. He peered at the SUV and then he saw the window on the driver's side break. The sound of the glass breaking vibrated through him and he watched as a couple of walkers were drawn to the noise and they tried to cram themselves in through the window.

As if that alone wasn't bad enough, Judith began to wail again.

Beth watched as the spiderweb of cracks on the window grew bigger and bigger. She had moved herself and Judith towards the rear of the SUV and she was clutching the little girl protectively against her in one hand and in her other she held her knife. She said a little prayer that the glass would hold, but her prayers went unanswered as the glass caved shattered inwards and two walkers tried to force themselves inside. Beth tensed automatically and Judith began to wail in her arms, further stirring up the walkers that had decided there was food inside of the vehicle.

She placed a kiss to Judith's forehead and set the screaming little girl on the floor in the back. She made her way over the seats and slashed at one of the walkers. She managed to swipe off a finger and she slashed out again, trying to sink her blade into its head. One of the walkers was halfway into the window and she swung her knife through the air again as she tried to take it out. The walker slid the rest of the way into the vehicle and Beth managed to slam her knife into its skull as it tried to get up. She let out a sigh of relief as it collapsed against the seat, finally dead. She cried out as another walker immediately behind it made a grab for her shirt and she felt its grimy fingers graze her skin. She struggled to get her knife back from the walker that she had killed but the location was awkward as she tried to reach over the seat. She could hear the walker's jaws snapping at her, the sound coming way too close to her ear for comfort. Her fingers reached out just enough to close over the knife and she gave it a sharp tug. The walker's hand closed over her wrist and she cried out as its jaws almost sunk into her flesh. Breathing heavily, she fell into the front seat with it and kicked her leg out, connecting with its face. She heard a crunching sound and then the driver's side door was thrown open and Daryl's knife was slammed into its skull, stilling its movements.

She looked up and into his eyes. She wanted to go to him more than anything, but she began to shake and she couldn't get her legs to cooperate.

"Where's Jude?" He asked gruffly.

"B..B..Back," She stuttered.

She saw Carl brush past him and head to the back of the vehicle to see to his sister. Daryl held out a hand to her, but she seemed to be frozen to the spot. He hit the button to unlock the doors and then he disappeared from sight only to open the door behind her that she happened to be leaning against. His strong arms wrapped around her as she toppled backwards and he pulled her up and against him. She nuzzled herself into his chest and tried to calm her racing heart. She knew it was silly to be so shook up, but she couldn't seem to help it. He held her against him for a minute before pushing her away to look at her.

"Ya alright?" His forehead was wrinkled in concern.

She nodded, "I'm okay. I should have been paying more attention," She said.

"Wouldn'ta done ya much good. Ain't much ya coulda done out here by yerself," He said.

"I'm going to take Judith inside," Carl said as he walked by with the little girl who had finally grown quiet.

Daryl nodded, his eyes never leaving hers, "Be there in a minute." As soon as Carl was gone, he hugged her to him again. She leaned into him gratefully, drawing strength from his embrace. "I need ta get ya trained. Anything coulda happened," He said gruffly.

"I'm so sorry Daryl," She whispered.

"For what?"

She pulled back, "For telling you that I loved you. I know it freaked you out and you pulled away from me. I shouldn't have said anything at all, but I just didn't want something to happen and you not to know. I don't expect you to be able to say it back, but please don't push me away I-"

He stopped her rambling with a kiss. She was startled for a second and then she melted into his arms returning his kiss. His tongue eased into her mouth and she welcomed the feel of it tangling with hers. He eased her backward until her back was pressed against the SUV and she moaned softly at the feel of him pressed against her. When he pulled back he blinked a few times and then he looked around as if he suddenly remembered where they were.

"We need ta get inside. Let's get jus' what we need for tha night," He said.

"Okay," She tried to get control of her racing heart and helped him to grab just the bags that they would need. It wasn't much, but she had gotten a kiss and at least she knew that he was trying even if he hadn't said anything about it. He hadn't completely pulled away from her and that was enough to bring a small smile to her face.

You know the drill. I want to hear your thoughts! ;-)