Hello sweet readers! Happy Memorial Day weekend! I looooved reading your comments on the last chapter! Are your suspicions correct? I guess we'll find out... ;)

Also- I know I have been slacking in the song department lately! I've just been SUPER busy and it's hard to pick the perfect song to go with each chapter. Forgive me? :)

Chapter 25

Ella watched as Daryl chopped firewood for the group. She had woken up feeling weak and nauseous and he had convinced her to take it easy for the morning. So now, she sat wrapped in a blanket and watching her hunter split wood. The arms that had held her last night as she fell asleep were now rippling under his flannel shirt as he lifted the axe and swung it in a quick downward motion.

Maggie and Glenn walked across the yard, hand in hand, and Ella waved. "Good morning!"

"Morning guys!" Glenn smiled. Ella knew that goofy grin anywhere. Glenn had gotten some last night.

Maggie joined Ella on the back deck, pulling up a chair and settling in. "You look cozy."

"I wasn't feeling well this morning. Daryl wrapped me up and set me out here."

Maggie suppressed a giggle. "So attentive that Daryl."

Ella just shrugged and hoped Maggie would change the subject before asking what was wrong and if she was feeling better.

Her wish was granted. "So, do you want to hear the latest gossip?" Maggie wiggled her eyebrows.

"Of course! I've been dying for some entertainment! Watching Daryl do sexy manly things gets old quick."

Maggie rolled her eyes at Ella's statement and proceeded with her news, "It looks like love is blossoming."

Ella groaned, she knew exactly what Maggie was talking about. "No. Katelyn and T-Dog?"

Maggie nodded, "Bingo."

"I saw that one coming," Ella shook her head. "I had a feeling T wouldn't be able to resist her charms."

"Apparently the two of them were just holed up together for the day a few days ago."

Ella smirked, "Well, that's one way to pass time these days."

"Yeah, hopefully she's occupied now and will leave Glenn alone." She looked out to where Glenn had taken up the job of stacking what Daryl was splitting.

"Please, she wasn't threat."

"Doesn't mean I have to like her!"

"Good point. She is pretty annoying."

"She's on watch with him right now."

Ella laughed. "Are you kidding me? Awesome. Now, she's going to distract him and we're going to get overrun again."

"The hell?" Daryl walked up, wiping sweat from his brow with a red rag.

"Katelyn and T-Dog," Maggie answered.

"They fucking now?"

"Daryl!" Ella exclaimed while Glenn erupted into a fit of laughter.

"Wha? Are they?"

Maggie nodded.

Daryl just shrugged and threw his rag on the ledge of the deck. "Whatever."

"Whatever? The other night you were so disgusted to see them flirting!"

He shrugged again, "Maybe she'll help T loosen up. He's been kinda uptight and shit."

All of the sudden, Ella was overcome with a wave of nausea and stood abruptly, the quilt puddling to her feet. "Sorry guys," she managed to squeak out before rushing inside to the downstairs bathroom.

She lifted the toilet seat and gripped the porcelain sides. The very little that she had eaten that morning came up, followed by a few dry heaves. By the time the heaving stopped, Ella was sitting on the floor fighting the hot tears that threatened to spill over.

It wasn't as if Ella had been denying the fact before, but now this just helped to concrete her growing suspicions.

Daryl appeared in the doorway, holding a bottle of water and a concerned look on his face.

"Ya sick?" He handed her the water.

She took it from his grasp and swished a mouthful before answering him. "Something like that."

"Want me ta go see what meds we got?"

Ella shook her head, "No. No… they won't help."

He gave her a quizzical look, "Suit yerself, I guess."

Ella closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall. She was exhausted. She was scared. No, she was terrified. A small tear squeezed itself out from the corner of her left eye. She felt Daryl moving close to her and a rough finger brushed the tear away. "Ya in pain?"

She shook her head, no. Then nodded.

"Which one is it?" He sounded like he was holding back exasperation.

Ella let out a breath, "I don't know."

She wasn't sure how he managed to be so patient when it came to her, but Daryl pushed any frustration aside, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her body into his chest. He gently kissed the topped of her head before murmuring, "'s okay."

He didn't say another word while she cried on the bathroom floor, just held tight and brushed a few tears away now and then. She took a few ragged breaths and buried her face into his neck. She wasn't going to be able to hide it much longer. She had to tell him. Announcing this type of news while crying on the cold bathroom floor had never been Ella's dream.

She gathered up every last ounce of encourage she could find and very quietly whispered, "I think I'm pregnant."

He stilled and she couldn't look at him, just buried her face deeper into his neck.

"Wh- whut?"

Now she looked at him, brown eyes meeting blue ones that stared back at her in fear. "I think I'm pregnant."

"Yeah, I heard ya the first time." He released her from his arms in painstakingly slow movements and stood, moving to the hallway outside the bathroom. He stood for a moment with her back to her, hands rubbing his face. Finally he turned. "Ya sure?"

She stood and joined him outside the bathroom. "Not entirely, but the throwing up and I've missed two periods now…"

She reached for him, but he was pacing now and chewing on his thumbnail. A sure sign that he was deep in thought. "How the hell…. what the… "

Ella could see his jaw and fists flexing as he processed the news. She took another sip of the water he had brought her and waited, unsure of how he was going to react in the next few seconds.

"How can we know fer sure?" Thankfully, his words were still calm and measured.

"I need a test."

He nodded with determination. "Imma go find Glenn. We'll go get one."

"No!" Ella reached for him. "Don't leave me, babe." She was scared all the sudden. Afraid for him to leave. Worried that he would never come back and she'd have to face this crisis alone.

A flurry of emotions passed over Daryl's face as he felt her small fingers intertwine themselves into his. Without a word, he untangled his hand and she watched as he grabbed his crossbow and slipped out the back door leaving her to an empty house. Ella let the tears come again and sobs shook her body. The prospect of being pregnant combined with Daryl walking out was too much to handle all at once.

She moved upstairs and laid down the unmade bed. The tears didn't stop until she had fallen into a fitful sleep.

\\

He threw the purple box down on the bed next to her, "Take it."

Ella looked up at him with red- rimmed eyes, unbelieving that he could just disappear for hours, knowing she wanted him to stay and come home expecting things to be okay. With a force she wasn't expecting, she picked up the pregnancy test and threw it back at him. "You bastard."

He easily caught the flying box. "The hell is wrong with you?"

"Me! Me? What the hell is wrong with me? You walked out, Daryl! I needed you and you walked out the damn door into walker-infested streets! I didn't need this test! I needed you! You, Daryl! I needed you!"

He looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Ella knew he had thought he was doing the right thing by trekking out to fix things, but she couldn't get over the fact that he had just left without even considering her feelings. Daryl shifted, crossed his arms and then uncrossed them and placed his hands on his hips.

"Damn," he finally mumbled. "I'm sorry."

Ella sniffed away tears, "Well, while you were gone I was thinking. I want to talk to Hershel."

"Why?"

"I don't want this."

The realization of what Ella was saying suddenly dawned on Daryl. His face turned red with anger, "Are you fucking kidding me right now, woman?"

"I've never been more serious in my life."

"I ain't letting you kill our kid, El."

Why did he have to put it so harshly?

"You and I both know that this world is no place for a kid. What if I'm 9 months pregnant and we have to run again? What if there is no food? What if we both die? A baby has no chance of survival in this world. It's not fair."

He sat next to her on the bed, chewing over the words she had just spoken. "Hershel ain't going to do it. He ain't that kind of man."

"He's changed. Daryl, listen." Ella scooted closer and touched his arm. "A year ago, I would have wanted nothing more than to have a child. It's something I have dreamed about since I was a little girl. I couldn't wait to be a mom. Things are different now. I mean, look at Lori… this is not going to be easy. I can't bring a baby into this. I can't do it."

Daryl shook his head, "No."

"I'm not going to change my mind."

"That's my baby too, El." Daryl's voice was quiet and it broke her heart.

She clung to his shirt, "I know, babe. I know."

Daryl rested his face in his hands and fought back tears. Ella's heart broke again. She had never seen this strong man cry before. "The whole time I was out there with Glenn, I just couldn't stop thinking about how happy I was. Then I was scared. Then I was angry. Then I was happy again. It's fucked up."

Ella laughed despite the seriousness of the situation, "Maybe you have sympathy hormones."

He looked at her with stormy eyes. "This ain't funny."

"I know. I know. Sorry."

"We don't even know fer sure yet."

"Want me to take the test?"

Daryl nodded. "Might as well git it over with. No use sittin' 'round just waitin'."

He reached around her for the box and made quick work of opening it. He handed Ella the directions and stared down at the little white stick while she read.

"I've never had to take one of these before."

Daryl didn't speak, he just watched her like a hawk. He moved into the bathroom and didn't take her eyes off hers while she peed on the little stick that held their fate in its hands. It wasn't as unnerving as it usually was when Daryl watched her. This time she was glad for his watchful eye and his protection.

They were silent while they waited for the results to show in the little window. The lines were taking their sweet little time to show. Finally, Ella took a deep breath.

"Positive," she held the stick out for him to see.