Lilly looked up at Daryl in absolute terror. "They've got them..."

"Lori," Rick finished hoarsely. "Carl."

"Beth and Daddy," Maggie added.

"Carol," T-Dog finished.

Glenn looked ready to throw up. "We've gotta help them!" He started running for the front door, but Daryl roughly grabbed the front of his jacket and pushed him back.

"We can't just go runnin' out there," the hunter growled. "We've got one crossbow up against three guns. Gotta be smarter than that."

"Daryl's right, so what do we do?" Maggie asked. Everyone turned to Rick expectantly. The ex-cop was frozen under their stairs, his fists clenched and sweat forming on his head as he scrambled for a solution. While Rick thought, the sounds of gunshots and shouting carried over into the cabin mockingly. It was sickening. Lori, Carl, Beth, Hershel, and Carol had all stayed outside where it'd be safer. Now, the plan had backfired and they were the ones potentially being shot to death.

Nobody could focus on coming up with a plan. The sounds of panic and danger outside were far too distracting. There was no telling what was becoming of their loved ones. Somebody could already be dead for all they knew.

"There might be more weapons in the living room," T-Dog suggested after what felt like eternity.

Rick snatched the idea up and was running down the hall in a flash. The others followed him into the room. Lilly stood at the doorway and held her flashlight high, hoping to make it easier to see for everyone. In a mad rush, they scoured the room for anything that they could use to defend themselves. There wasn't much. In fact, there wasn't anything.

Chucking an empty toolbox to the ground, Rick swore loudly. "We've gotta find another way. Fighting them head on isn't gonna work."

"Rick, we can't hide or sneak attack them. They have half our group out there," T-Dog pointed out. "They already know the rest of us are here."

"Not all of us," Maggie spoke up. When everyone paused in confusion, she looked at Lilly and Daryl meaningfully. "As far as they know, Lilly and Daryl have been separated from the group."

Lilly tightened her hold on the flashlight. "You don't mean…"

The sentence was left unfinished as they heard the front door crashing open. Daryl grabbed Lilly's wrist and yanked her out of the living room doorway, pressing her firmly against the wall with an arm.

"Helloooo!" Orren called cheerily. His sing-song voice sent chills up Lilly's spine. "Riiiiiick! We know you're here. We have your friends at gunpoint. Come out and play!"

"There's no time," Rick whispered to Daryl and Lilly. "You've gotta go now."

"Rick -" Lilly started to protest.

Daryl kept a firm grip on her wrist and pulled her across the room to the window. Glenn was already pulling it open. Lilly hesitated, glancing back at her friends in despair. This felt far too close to last time she'd had to sneak out this window, leaving someone behind to get shot. She was terrified that this time, not everyone would make it out alive. There was only so much luck in the world.

"They killed Angus," Paul muttered, spying the dead body in the kitchen with a wrinkled nose. They were coming closer.

Daryl's placed a hand on her lower back and urged her to climb through the window. Lilly pushed back, leaning around Daryl to look at Rick. "We can't just leave you -"

"You'll find a way to help us," Rick assured her as calmly as he could, though he was clearly nervous. "I trust you both."

With that, Lilly allowed Daryl to push her through the window, landing in the snow below. A second later, Daryl landed behind her and the window was slammed shut. Before Lilly could catch her breath, Daryl was wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her towards him and the wall. He pressed them both against the side of the cabin and put a hand over Lilly's mouth. Together, the pair listened to the muffled sound of Orren bursting into the living room. There was shouting, several shots were fired. Lilly squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to stay calm, though the sound of gunshots possibly killing her friends was making it hard.

"Nobody move, or I shoot the boy!" Orren could be heard shouting. Lilly bit the inside of her cheek, hating the images that were floating through her mind. She couldn't bare to imagine the look on Carl's face as he had a gun pointed to him. "That's right, easy does it," Orren continued a little more calmly. Both Lilly and Daryl relaxed a little, knowing that the group was doing what they were asked and Carl wasn't going to get shot… yet.

It wasn't long before the chaos quieted down. Holding a finger to his lips, Daryl removed his hand from Lilly's mouth and slowly stood so that he could peek through the window. It was hard to see much, though one of the men was in the process of starting up a flame in the fireplace. The warm glow slowly stretched into the room.

Through the dusty glass, Daryl could make out the rest of his group on their knees near the fire. Their hands had been tied behind their backs and they'd been gagged with duct tape. Much to Daryl's relief, he did a quick head count and found that everyone was there. Glenn had a nasty gash on his head, Carol looked like she'd been shot in the arm, and Rick was keeping his weight off one leg, but at least they were all alive.

Lowering himself back to the ground, Daryl knelt in front of Lilly. "They're all okay for now."

Lilly let out a shuddering sigh of relief. "What are we gonna do?"

"'M not sure yet."

The reply was anything but reassuring. Lilly fisted the sleeves of her sweater in her palms and pressed them into her eyes while she thought. The first idea that popped into her head was one that made her sick, but it could work. "Daryl…" she whispered, looking at him timidly.

"Yeah?"

"Orren wants me," she started.

Daryl's eyes hardened and he fixed her with a firm glare. "No. Not again. Are you stupid?"

"I don't like it any more than you do, but we don't have a lot of options," Lilly hissed. "I can distract them, you can take them out while they're -"

"While they're busy feelin' you up?" Daryl interrupted harshly. "Not a chance. Think of somethin' else."

"It won't go that far," Lilly pressed.

"You don't know that, Lil. They've got guns. One wrong move, and somebody's head gets blown up. If you go in there, not only are you gonna have a bunch of creeps droolin' on you, but they're gonna be suspicious."

He had a point there. If they saw Lilly, chances were they'd assume Daryl was nearby. A suspicious man was a deadly man.

At least trying to keep her mind open, Lilly searched for another idea. "We could make some noise out here, see if one of them comes out and pick him off."

Daryl shook his head skeptically. "Whoever stays inside will get jumpy - might just start shooting."

"Well we can't just barge in there!"

"Shut it," Daryl snapped, his voice taut with stress. "I'm thinkin'."

As long as those men had guns in their hands, they had the power to kill someone in a split second. Lilly let out a puff of air, running her hand through her hair in frustration. A distraction was the only thing she could think of that wouldn't get someone killed immediately. And the only thing she could think of that wouldn't send guns blazing immediately was...

"Who to kill first…?" Orren questioned loudly. Daryl and Lilly both tensed.

"We don't have a lot of time," Lilly muttered. Squaring her shoulders, she licked her lips. "Daryl, I know you don't like it -"

"No, Lilly."

"Listen to me!" She grabbed Daryl's face and forced him to look at her. "I trust you. I trust you, Daryl. Now I need you to trust me."

Daryl's eyes were flickering with a variety of emotions - stress, anger, even a little bit of fear. "It's too much like last time, Lil…"

"We survived last time. We can survive again."

Daryl drank in the sight of her face, so determined and brave in spite of the anxiety he knew she was feeling. Her cool hands were soft on his face, her breath tickling his skin as she waited for him to relent. If it wasn't Lilly, Daryl would have agreed that the plan was their best bet in a heartbeat. But the idea of letting those men look at her wrong for even a second was enough to make him see red.

"Trust me." Lilly's eyes were aflame, her entire demeanor stronger than Daryl ever imagined she'd be. With those two words, his shoulders sunk and he knew that he had to let her go.

Sighing deeply, Daryl placed a hand on the back of Lilly's head and pressed a kiss on her forehead. "Be careful, princess."

Lilly granted him a shaky smirk. "You too."

The pair drank in in the sight of each other, their eyes flickering over one another's faces as if to memorize everything. There was no telling what was going to happen now. It was very possible that somebody would die tonight. As Lilly savored Daryl's comforting, secure presence, she ached to take her ludicrous idea back. That wasn't an option - they didn't have time to think of anything else. If she didn't move soon, Orren would shoot someone in the head.

"I saw you took out poor old Angus," the enemy's voice slipped past the window to Daryl and Lilly's ears. "I mean - sure, the son of a gun was gonna die soon anyway, but I didn't appreciate you all helping him along."

"I'll see you soon," Lilly whispered. Daryl's jaw clenched tightly and his eyes bore into hers with determination. The look was all she needed to know that he would protect her and the group for as long as he was breathing.

It took all the strength she had to finally tear her gaze away from the hunter and turn away. Forcing her lungs to inhale and exhale at a steady pace, Lilly crouched on her feet and sidled along the side of the cabin. She could feel Daryl watching her as she went, his stare burning a hole in the back of her head. Determined not to look back, Lilly glued her focus ahead and quickly approached the back door.

Thankfully, the door was still wide open from when she, Daryl, and T-Dog had first entered. That moment felt like hours ago - it was strange to think that it had only been ten or twenty minutes. A feeling or surrealness coated Lilly's mind and helped her to stay calm. Numbly, she stepped through the doorway and into the hall.

"Ricky-Boy, you'll be the last to go," Orren could be heard saying. "I want you to watch everyone else suffer." He was completely oblivious to the intruder slipping through the back door.

Lilly tiptoed into the hallway and paused by the living room door. It was wide open. She grit her teeth and peeked around the corner as much as she dared, relieved to see that all three men were currently facing away from her. Less comforting was the fact that they had their guns aimed at the heads of her friends. Daryl had been right - one wrong move and a bullet would be sent into someone's brain faster than anyone would be able to blink.

Pressing her back against the wall, Lilly shut her eyes and sent a quick prayer to whatever deity may be listening. Her heart pounded, her hands were clammy, and every instinct in her body was screaming that this was a terrible plan.

"Let's start with you, shall we?" Orren could be heard chuckling. One of the women in the group shouted in protest, though the noise was quickly cut off by a smacking sound. Lilly winced. The icky sound was all she needed to regain her courage and open her eyes.

Before she had any time to talk herself out of it, Lilly stepped into the living room and faked a startled gasp.

All three men whirled around. Their eyes locked on her with the force of a speeding train, hitting Lilly hard in the gut. Her knees felt like jelly, and for a moment she wasn't sure if she'd be able to stay standing. Swallowing back the massive lump in her throat, Lilly forced herself to be brave.

Her gaze landed on Orren and her heart began to pound loudly in her ears. Orren's bloodshot, crazed orbs widened in mad delight as they recognized the girl. His thin lips curled into a sickening smile. "Well look who just stumbled in. Hello, Lilly."

Lilly's mouth was dry, and it took her a moment to regain the ability to speak. "Orren."

Behind Orren, Rick was looking at Lilly with an expression of absolute disbelief. He tried to shake his head at her, to tell her this wasn't what he'd had in mind and that she should turn around and run. The rest of the group shared similar thoughts, all gaping at her with mixed versions of fear and horror.

Oblivious to the concerned captives behind him, Orren swung his gun around to point in Lilly's direction and stepped forward. "Color me surprised. Didn't think you'd be with your friends here. Where's the hick?"

The question was only to be expected. Lilly raised her chin up a little with a guarded expression. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She just had to distract them long enough for Daryl to take them out.

Orren clicked his tongue in disappointment. "Oh, really, sweetheart, I thought we were closer than this. You can tell me."

Lilly remained silent and glared at him. The knowledge that Daryl was close and preparing to put an arrow in Orren's skull was enough to give her strength.

Eyes hardening at her lack of response, Orren exchanged a look with the other two men and jerked his head ever so slightly. The action triggered cries of terror in the room as they immediately snatched Lori from her kneeling position by Rick and Carl, dragging her forward and aiming their guns at her head.

"Your friends lives depend on your cooperation, dear," Orren grinned sadistically. "This is what happens when you try to act like a hero."

The room was fluttering with exclamations of protest from behind the group's gags.

Lilly jumped forward and tried to put herself between the guns and Lori. "Wait!" Paul shoved her back roughly and she fell on the ground, quickly scrabbling back to her feet. Lori's eyes were wide with fear, her hands clutching at her pregnant belly protectively. Lilly came forward again, grabbing Paul's arm and trying to pull his aim away from the woman. "Don't!"

"Sorry, Lilly, dear," Orren shrugged nonchalantly. He looked over at the two men and nodded. "Go ahead."

"He's dead!" Lilly yelled as Paul shoved her off of his arm. Just as the two men prepared to pull the triggers, Orren held a hand up to halt them.

The room fell silent. Orren's gaze bore into Lilly's and darkened. "Come again?"

Lilly was suddenly grateful for the fear that crippled her ability to speak with confidence. "He's dead," she said again, her voice a convincing facade of grief as it trembled. "When we escaped, everyone was shooting at us. One of you shot him near his heart. He managed to help me get away, but he died a few hours later." All three men remained tense, their muscles itching to carry out Lori's murder. Lilly quickly lowered her gaze to the ground and added, "I'm sorry for not just telling you."

Maybe she imagined it, but Orren seemed to slump slightly with relief. "What a shame," he spat, though the gleeful glint in his eye said otherwise. "For you, I mean." He walked towards Lilly, each step thick with ill intent. His hand reached out and a finger traced Lilly's jaw lightly. "Who's gonna stop me from having you now?"

The sound of something zipping through the air and a pop as it hit its target caught everyone by surprise. Before anyone could blink, one of the men by Lori collapsed to the ground. Everyone gawked at the body. The corner of Lilly's lip twitched as she took in the sight of an arrow sticking out of the man's temple.

"Hick!" Orren shouted in fury. Paul pointed his gun at the window that was now cracked open and allowed a wave of bullets to shatter the glass.

Relief flooded Lilly's body. Daryl's attack had begun.

The moment of triumph vanished in seconds.

In what felt like slow motion, Paul turned from the window and suddenly Lilly was face to face with the barrel of his gun. His finger tensed on the trigger, Lilly barely had time to gasp. Orren recognized what was about to happen a second too late as he tried to jerk the girl out of the way. His spidery hands on her shoulders, tugging her back, the deafening boom as the trigger was pulled and a bullet came flying towards her. Then Lilly was falling into Orren with ringing ears.

A moment of silence as the room processed what had happened, and then Orren's face twisted into a snarl of fury.

"What did you do?" He threw Lilly to the ground and advanced on Paul. "YOU SHOT MY GIRL!"

"I'm not an idiot!" Paul seethed. "I know what I'm doing!"

"You shot her! The one person you weren't supposed to shoot!" Orren was livid, his bald scalp and ears blooming red as veins bulged under his skin. Rick was shouting in alarm from behind the duct tape on his mouth, struggling against his bonds.

Lilly couldn't feel anything. Not at first. From her place on the ground, she looked down at her body and didn't see anything to warrant concern. There was a sudden tug of pain in her hip. Before her eyes, red began to bloom from under her sweater. Lilly clamped her hand over the spot dizzily, watching with wide eyes as blood began making its way in between her fingers.

"I know what I'm doing!" Paul was still hollering. With frightening swiftness, he shoved Orren back and swung his gun back towards the window. There were several more gunshots. Somebody shrieked from behind their duct tape gag. Paul marched towards the gaping space where the window pane had once been and looked through it. Then he turned to Orren and sneered smugly. "See for yourself."

Orren glanced down at Lilly, who was clutching her side tightly, and then back up at Paul. Nostrils flared and breathing heavily, the bald man crept towards the window next to Paul, practically blowing smoke out of his ears. He peered out the window for a long moment.

For a while, Lilly wasn't sure what was going on. She couldn't make sense of it. But as she watched Orren's fists slowly unclench, his entire demeanor calming the more he stared at whatever was outside, fear and disbelief began to wriggle its way into her stomach. There was no way. It couldn't be possible.

Now eerily tranquil, Orren looked back at Paul with curled lips. "That was close."

Paul shrugged with an equally greasy grin. "Told you, I know what I'm doing." He swaggered away from the window and let his aim casually fall back on the captive group, who were all watching with bated breath.

As Orren approached Lilly, she moved to stand but winced at the pain shooting through her side. Ignoring her discomfort, the man knelt in front of her and peered at her face the way one might watch an interesting zoo animal. "You know what my friend Paul just did, Lilly?"

Something inside her knew exactly what Paul had just done, but she refused to acknowledge it.

"Funny how every time I think I've got you, a certain redneck gets in the way." Orren's mouth twitched with uninhibited joy. "Paul just made sure that never happens again."

Dread seeped into Lilly's bones. The plan had backfired. Paul had done the unexpected and shot Lilly. It must have been enough to shock Daryl into looking through the window to see what had happened to her, giving Paul the distraction he'd needed to send several bullets flying right towards his head.

"Hick's gone for sure, sweetheart." Lilly was vaguely aware of Orren's sickly touch on her skin as his fingers slid over her face. "You're mine now."