A/N: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! It made me feel a million times better! and to everyone who reviewed: Yes, Lori takes quite a bit of effort to love. But I promise this story won't portray her as only the "bad guy". Happy Walking Dead Day! Love. ~Helen

Rick, Daryl, Glenn, and Carl left early in the morning to search for a new place to call home. They'd left before Carol had awoken, and Daryl didn't wake her. So, when Carol woke that morning, and she was alone in the bed she instantly worried. If Daryl was going on watch he would've woken her. And if he was going hunting he definitely would've woken her, but he hadn't. She sat up immediately, looking around the room. His crossbow was gone, along with his backpack. His good shoes were missing also. She frowned and reluctantly climbed from the warm bed, walking to the kitchen. She was surprised to discover she was the only one even in the house. Looking out the window, she saw Maggie standing watch with Beth out front. She walked outside, seeing T-Dog and Hershel in the back yard. She made her way to the other house, finding Lori in the kitchen preparing a breakfast for herself.

"Where is Daryl?" Carol asked. "And Carl? Ya know. Everyone." She added quickly.

"They left." Lori replied coldly, not looking at her. Carol frowned again.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Lori snapped. She said at the table and began eating whatever she'd created.

"Lori-"

"It wasn't enough that my husband doesn't love me?" She finally looked up at Carol now. Her eyes were red, obviously she'd been crying. "You had to take my son away?"

"What?" Carol asked, completely confused.

"Don't pretend like you don't know that Carl wishes you were his mother." Lori said, shoving a spoonful of food into her mouth.

"Lori, I'm not taking Carl from you."

"Damn right you ain't." Lori snapped. "Cause I'm keeping him close to me."

"Where the hell is this coming from?" Carol asked, angry now at the false accusations.

"You got Daryl hanging on you like a fucking monkey in a tree!" Lori yelled, standing from the table. "You ain't got your own kid so you gotta go for mine? Tryin to make the perfect little fucking family for yourself?" She turned and stormed from the room. Carol followed after her angrily. She caught the door as Lori tried to slam it.

"Don't you talk to me like that, Lori Grimes!" Carol said angrily. Lori turned and looked at her. Carol hated that she sounded like a mother when she'd said this, but Lori was making her angry. "I'm not trying to steal Carl or what the hell ever is going through your messed up hormonal brain right now! If you maybe remember, I lost my husband. The bastard he was, he was still my husband that I loved once upon a time! And I lost my daughter! I lost my daughter to walkers, never the less! Watched her as one of those monsters! You still have your husband and your son." Angry tears threatened to spill from her eyes if only she'd will them. But she wouldn't. She wouldn't cry in front of Lori now, knowing the woman would take it as a sign of weakness.

"Carol, I-"

"I don't need the sympathy." Carol interrupted, seeing that Lori began to regret her words. "Daryl was there for me when I needed him, he has his own mind, and he can walk away any damn time. I have no claim over the man. I lost my daughter, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna pretend your son is mine. I kept him alive because he's part of my family now, same as you. Same as Rick, and Maggie and Glenn and everyone else in this damn camp. Don't pull this shit on me, Lori, cause I'm the only one who puts up with your bullshit day in and day out." With that she turned and stormed from the house, leaving Lori standing in the living room.

~X~

Daryl drove on his motorcycle, following the van. He couldn't help but laugh every time the van hit a bump in the road and Daryl saw Glenn fly around in the back seat. Rick was surprised to discover that Daryl had taught Carl to drive. He was impressed, but Daryl knew he was also hating himself inside for not teaching his son himself. So, in an act to make up for the lack of father-son bonding, Rick let Carl drive. Daryl felt guilty for not warning Rick and Glenn about Carl's lead foot, but he figured he'd have a good laugh at the sight. He was right.

They slowed and the blinker of the van flashed, letting Daryl know they were pulling over. He followed suit, stopping behind the van. He climbed off the bike, pulling out the keys and tucking them in his pocket. He grabbed his crossbow and walked forward, smirking when Carl climbed from the van.

"Nice drivin, kid. Ya kill little boy china yet?"

"I'm Korean!" Glenn snapped, getting out of the van, his face pale from nausea.

"We should walk from here. I don't know how the terrain is in the woods." Rick said, coming to their side of the vehicle. They all grabbed their bags and began walking into the woods. They walked for quite a while, only separating when they came across a few walkers. They took them out quickly and silently, Daryl was quite impressed by Carl. The kid had picked up the movements quickly, learning from what he'd seen and what Daryl had taught him.

Finally the small group stumbled upon a large cabin. It was nothing like the one they'd previously occupied. It was two stories, with many glass windows looking out into the clearing surrounding it. All in all the house looked immensely unsafe, but for a night or two, Rick figured it would be safe. Solid walls, if nothing else, it was better than a tent. If the drew the curtains closed they'd be okay. So the group moved to clear the house. While Rick and Carl cleared downstairs, Daryl and Glenn headed up stairs. The separated at the top, heading in the opposite direction. Daryl found himself in the master bedroom, walking to the closet. He pulled open the door. It was a walk in closet, so he stepped inside.

A loud groan made him pause. A walker who was once a young woman crawled out from under some clothes. Daryl, preparing to fire, tripped, falling onto his back, dropping the crossbow to his side. The walker, obviously quite hungry, jumped at him. Daryl's arms shot out in front of him and he caught the walker by the shoulders before it could bite him. Daryl heard a loud cry erupt from his throat, unsure where it even came from. The hungry walker inched it's way closer, and Daryl began to panic.

He looked desperately at his crossbow, only a foot from him. He knew he couldn't reach it without risk getting bitten. He then looked to the door, hoping he'd see Glenn appear to save him, but the Korean man didn't appear. The walker above him nearly bit his forearm and he struggled to keep it away. He came to the realization that this may be the end of him. No matter what he or Merle believed, walkers could kill Dixons too. He thought about his group, and how they needed him. He thought about Rick, how he needed the support. He thought about Carl, who had millions of things to learn from him still. And he thought about Carol.

How would Carol react to losing him? Would she cry? Would she isolate herself? Who would comfort her? Not Lori. Not Beth or Carl in the way she needed. What she needed was him. The only two people she'd ever known to make her feel better were himself and Sophia. Could she go on without either of them? She once told him that she couldn't lose him too. He swallowed hard at the thought of dying without seeing her again. He hadn't even woken her up before he left. Why hadn't he just woken her up and said good bye?

He thought about what she was doing at that minute. She was probably doing laundry, or maybe making dinner. The dinner that he wasn't going to eat. The dinner she probably wouldn't eat either, because she would rather starve herself, wallowing in sorrow rather than cope. She wouldn't let him go easily.

He closed his eyes and brought his knee up, right under the walker's stomach. With a loud grunt he shoved, making the walker fly back into the closet. Still laying on the ground, he kicked the door closed and quickly sat in front of it, holding it closed. He breathed heavily, coming to the realization that Carol wouldn't have to let him go. At least not today.

Glenn appeared in the doorway, looking surprised. He looked from Daryl, to the crossbow, to the closet door that now shook from the weight of the walker behind it. Daryl gave him a dark look, watching Glenn flitch slightly.

"Bout damn time you showed up." Daryl growled.