Chapter 28

Gwen couldn't help but chew on her fingers the whole trip. Every mile they drove felt like they were further away instead of closer to where they were going. Thoughts ran wild in Gwen's mind wondering if Daryl would be there with Ethan, there without him or not there at all. She could feel Merle periodically looking at her but she just continued to stare out the window. What if she never saw her son again...

Merle cleared his throat a few times trying to get Gwen's attention, not that he knew what to say if he did. Daryl had to be at the cabin or at least on the way. Merle fought the thought of being wrong from creeping in...he couldn't be...he just couldn't.

"We should be there in 'bout an hour..." Merle remarked.

Carol looked at Merle then Gwen from the back seat. She knew what Gwen was feeling...wondering if her child was dead or alive. It seemed ironic to her that they, like she, were depending on Daryl to pull through.

"Daryl will risk everything for your baby..." Carol couldn't help but blurt out. She knew he would...whatever the cost...she knew from her own experience. She couldn't help but feel anxious to see him. She felt like there was so much she wanted to say. She couldn't help but feel like she had taken their time for granted...always expecting there to be more time but after the attack on the prison and the thought of never seeing him again, she knew once they were reunited things had to be different. She had to honest and tell him how she really felt about him.

.

Anna sat up and stared and Daryl. "That's just awful...I...I don't know what else to say..."

"You don't have to say anything...it is what it is..." Daryl replied as he tucked his good arm behind his head.

Anna sighed and looked away from him.

"Somethin' else you wanna say?" Daryl asked.

"I don't know...everything's so screwed up now...sometimes it seems like the people you thought you could count on turn out to be the ones you can't and the people you thought you can't...you can... I just feel like I'm in a nightmare I can't wake up from...and I'd give anything to wake up..." Anna remarked.

"Life's changed for everyone...ya just gotta keep goin'...there's still good out there..." Daryl told her.

Anna stared at him quietly. There was so much she didn't know about Daryl but in that moment, none of that mattered. She leaned into him, pressing her lips against his. Daryl pulled away slightly and stared are her looking bewildered. He began to breathe heavily and before she could say anything, he covered her mouth with his, running his hand through her hair, gripping it tightly around his fingers. She could feel her cheeks flush as he slipped his tongue in her mouth and she eagerly pressed against him harder.

Both jumped and jerked away from each other as the heard a noise above them.

"Someone's here..." Daryl whispered as he rose to his feet. He looked down at Ethan, who was sleeping soundly.

Anna's heart began to race as she grabbed her handgun, raising her arm towards the door above. She looked over at Daryl as he backed against the cot as if he was trying to shield Ethan. She could hardly catch her breath as she heard someone jerk on the door but their lock held.

"Somethin's here..." They heard a voice say. "Must be locked from the inside..."

Anna looked at Daryl as he grabbed his crossbow. He scooped up Ethan with one arm and Anna couldn't help but noticed how he fought through his own pain from his shoulder. He would keep Ethan safe at any cost, no matter how difficult for himself...someone would have to kill him and pry the child out from his dead hands before he gave him up.

"What do we do?" Anna whispered but Daryl kept his eyes locked on the door and remained silent.

.

Rick stared out the window of the upstairs apartment where he and Carl were staying with Andrea and the others. He couldn't help but wonder where everyone was...if they were even still alive. He had tried so hard to protect everyone and failed miserably...he wasn't even able to protect his own family.

"Rick?...Did you even hear a word I said?" Andrea asked.

Rick turned from the window to see Andrea a short distance away. She smiled softly at him but he could see the look of pity in her eyes.

"No...I..." Rick had nothing to say to her. She stared at him as if she wished he'd say something more but he had nothing left to say.

"You should be resting... everything's alright now..." She tried to reassure him.

Rick laughed a little to himself but his jaw ached as he did, still swollen and bruised from the ordeal at the prison. "It's not ok..."

"Rick...please..." Andrea gently reached for him but he jerked away from her.

Rick fought back his tears as he felt overwhelmed with anger. "STOP...IT'S NOT OK...IT WILL NEVER BE OK AGAIN...YOU STAND HERE AND STARE AT ME LIKE YOU PITY ME BUT IT'S NOT ME THAT SHOULD BE PITIED...IT'S YOU! YOU'RE DELUSIONAL IF YOU THINK ANYTHING WILL BE OK AGAIN..."

Andrea looked at Rick somewhat confused but she did her best not to take what he was saying personally. "Rick...I understand you're upset but..."

"UPSET?!...ARE YOU KIDDING ME?...EVERYTHING IS GONE...EVERYONE...THERE IS NO PLACE SAFE IN THIS WORLD...NO PLACE...JUST...GET OUT! I CAN'T STAND TO EVEN LOOK AT YOU!" Rick snapped.

"Ok...just calm down..." Andrea attempted to reach for him again but he charged towards her and shoved her hard towards the door.

"GET...OUT!..." He ordered.

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"It can't be much further..." Maggie remarked as she and Glenn made their way through the woods.

"Maggie...slow down...you can't keep going at this pace..." Glenn remarked as he struggled to keep up.

"I can and I will..." Maggie insisted. "I just want to be home."

Glenn admired her determination but he couldn't help but fear the worst. He hated to think how hard Maggie would take it if they couldn't make it back to her home or the fact that there might be no one there. Maggie had convinced herself that Beth had gone there to wait for her but Glenn thought there was about as good a chance of that as there was it being clear of walkers.

"Just a little further...we can make it before dark...we can...things will be better..." Maggie continued.

"No matter what we find Maggie...you know how much I love you...right?" Glenn asked.

Maggie stopped and turned towards him. Her eyes filled with tears. "I know...I love you too but please, please don't take this away from me...it's all that's keeping me going right now..." A tear ran down Maggie's cheek.

Just the sight of it pained Glenn. "I'm sorry...that's not what I'm trying to do...I wish to God you are right...there's nothing I wouldn't do to give that to you but I just don't want us to be unprepared...do you understand that?" Glenn asked.

Maggie only nodded and turned away from him to continue forward...