Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. They really keep me going. We're going to be doing a bit of a time skip here. Be prepared for some fluff and some suspicion.

***Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl

****Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl

A Better Man

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

Chapter 28: Suspicious Minds

You should know that the lies won't hide your flaws
No sense in hiding all of yours
You gave up on your dreams along the way, yeah

Good god, you're coming up with reasons
Good god, you're dragging it out
And good god, it's the changing of the seasons

Fake it, if you're out of direction
Fake it, if you don't belong, yeah
Fake it, if you feel like an infection
Whoa, you're such a fucking hypocrite

I can fake with the best of anyone
I can fake with the best of them all
I can fake with the best of anyone
I can fake it all

…Seether – Fake It


They ended up stretching three nights at the gas station without much issue. They decided it was time to move on after five walkers wandered into their midst. Daryl led the caravan day in, day out. Though Miguel and Amy offered to watch the girls in the RV, Daryl and Carol discussed it and they agreed that it wasn't fair for others to look after their kids so Carol rode in the RV with them. Sometimes they found shelter for the night and sometimes they didn't. On those nights, the women and children would take the RV and the men would sleep in the cars. Daryl bunked with Rick and Miguel inside the suburban, but it wasn't a restful sleep. Daryl's senses had been reawakened at the prospect of being on the road again and he now awoke at any significant noise. He worried relentlessly about his girls in the RV, but he was safe in the knowledge that Shane would not try anything with Hershel, Dale, and the other women in the RV.

Shane had been surprising to say the least. A combination of losing his gun and realizing that he was moving forward solo seemed to have switched a switch in Shane. He was helping more with chores now that he had been barred from watch. He was attempting to make connections, something which gave Rick hope, but made Daryl suspicious. The morning after their first night at the gas station, Shane had walked up to Rick and Daryl, pale as a ghost, and apologized to Rick for all of the fights. Rick couldn't help but grin like a fool as Shane declared that he'd rather have his friend back than go on like they were. Daryl, on the other hand, realized that Shane had more than likely had a nightmare of his death in the other timeline. Shane now knew what would have happened had he been able to lure Rick out. He knew that Rick would kill him if he had to and maybe it put a little deference into Shane, but Daryl was still suspicious. You don't just live next to a man who could kill you and not think about trying to get the jump on him.

Daryl eased his bike into a campground, a place that the group had spent a few days in the other timeline. After a week and a half of spending a night here and a night there, the group was in desperate need of a place to regroup and recuperate. It had been long since abandoned, campers clearing out to find their loved ones when news of the outbreak hit. It probably wasn't a very popular place beforehand as it was small, maybe room for a couple holiday trailers and a handful of tents. Camping had been done on the honor system with campers dropping their payment into a drop box so there was no manager's cabin. There was an outdoor group camp kitchen, which would be where they would establish their camp. Daryl chose this spot due to its isolation and its proximity to the woods and a small creek.

"We'll pull the RV up to the south side of the kitchen. It'll block the opening there. We'll park the vehicle along the east, west, and south sides of it to block those ones. It'll give us an easy escape if need be," Rick directed.

"Feels like the quarry all over again," Shane voiced.

"We haven't seen any walkers in this area," Rick stated, "We'll stay the night and then play it by ear. It'd be good to have a couple of nights here if we could. This camp stove will be good. We won't need a fire to call walkers to us."

Shane nodded and walked away. He seemed to be doing that more often than not, walking away and leaving Rick to make the decisions. It seemed that he really was swallowing it. The rest of the group followed Rick's directions and they made themselves a sheltered encampment. Any walkers would have a hard time squeezing between the walls of the cookhouse and the vehicles, though several of the vehicles now had scrapes and scratches on them.

"We should put up tarps over the open areas," Hershel suggested, "That way we can't be seen from a distance and it will protect us from the cold."

Jacqui, Jimmy, Glenn, and Maggie started on that task. Dale was up on top of the RV while Amy and Miguel brought out supplies. Lori was throwing a table cloth over a picnic table. Hershel took a look at the camp stove and determined that they would need some wood for it.

"I could grab some," T-Dog volunteered.

"I'll go with ya. See if I can rustle up some meat," Daryl added. Meat, at this point, sounded like heaven to the group and no one objected as T-Dog and Daryl headed into the woods.

"You think we're safe here?" T-Dog wondered. Daryl shrugged.

"For a couple nights at least," he estimated, "This group needs a break."

"What we need is something permanent," T-Dog sighed, "Eighteen people runnin' around with a baby is just asking for trouble. Rick asked Jacqui to inventory supplies back at that last farm house. We'll be lucky if we have enough for the month. Only one of us who will be eating good is going to be the baby. You and Andrea got her enough formula for about two more months," he listed.

"That pharmacy had a couple big bags of it," Daryl said, "but you're right. We need a permanent spot. Once we find that, we could go out on runs for supplies."

"It'd make people less cagey," T-Dog stated, "This situation with Shane has everyone on edge. You buy this whole nice guy act?"

"Hell no," Daryl replied, shaking his head, "Probably bein' as sweet as he can so he can get back his gun."

"I was surprised you didn't say nothing. Jacqui was too," T-Dog said, causing Daryl to pause, "He shot you."

"Honestly?" Daryl sighed, "I want nothin' more than to put an arrow in his head. Thing is if I say somethin', make Rick reconsider keepin' him around, we're gonna have another Randall situation 'cause the only way that SOB is leavin' us alone is if he's dead."

"You don't think he'd go if we told him?" T-Dog wondered as he stacked wood.

"Ya kiddin'?" Daryl asked incredulously, "Ya really think he's gonna leave Lori behind?"

T-Dog shook his head, "Man, I don't even wanna know how that situation is playing itself out. Sooner or later, somethin's gotta give. You see the way he eyes her?"

"Hard not to," Daryl replied, "Woman must have some magic lady parts or somethin' 'cause I can't see the appeal."

This earned him a chuckle, "I'm with you there, Man. Happy as hell to be where I'm at."

"Ya wanna take that load and head back?" Daryl asked, "I see some fresh tracks that look like deer. Gonna track it for a while. Tell Carol I'll be back before dark."

"You got it, Man," T-Dog said, a hint of admiration in the man's voice, "Bring us back some meat. That canned shit ain't good for anybody."

Daryl barked out a laugh and then headed deeper into the woods, tracking his prey like it was second nature. As always, being in the wild calmed Daryl and cleared his mind of all problems, even ones like Shane. He tracked the deer to a small stream. It was a yearling buck and it was dinner. He raised his bow and aimed. He brought the animal down with some satisfaction. They would be eating good for a while. With a grunt, he began to drag the animal back to their camp. He stopped at the edge of the treeline to begin the process of butchering it, using his trusty knife. He had been at it for a while when he heard footsteps approach and looked up to see Dale standing there.

"I see your hunt was successful," the old man commented, watching Daryl work.

"Gonna eat good for a while," Daryl commented without glancing up, "What ya doin' out here? Safer back at the camp kitchen."

"I wanted to talk to you about a few things," Dale admitted, "I thought it would be kinder to talk alone."

"'Bout what?" Daryl asked, still focused on his task.

"About the farm," Dale said. Now Daryl frowned and looked up, waiting for the old man to continue, which he did, "When you woke up after Shane shot you, you immediately got up and walked outside. Why?"

Daryl's frown deepened, "Needed air," he lied. Dale shook his head.

"I think it was more than that," he stated, "I think you knew that herd was coming."

Daryl looked uneasy. For the first time, someone was question him and his apparent knowledge of the future. Of course, it had to be Dale of all people. The hunter growled, on edge, "How the hell would I know something like that?"

"You tell me, Son," Dale shrugged, "How did you know how to save Amy? T-Dog? Sophia? How did you know that one day, we would sorely need those defense lessons? How did you know to go to Barksdale in time to find your niece?" he asked. Daryl hid any shock in his eyes by cutting angrily at his kill.

"Got lucky with Amy," he grunted shortly, "Saw T go down on the highway. Went after Sophia 'cause everyone else was leavin' it to Rick to save her and kill two walkers," he snapped, "And the defence was just a damn good idea in this shit-storm we're livin'. Got lucky with Lily."

"Then you are the luckiest man I know, Son," Dale commented. Daryl chose not to respond, now separating the edible meat from the waste. Dale sighed and continued, "There's more going on here than meets the eye, Daryl. You know it and I know it. Why else would I be dreaming what I'm dreaming?" the old man wondered. Daryl's eyes once again flickered up to look at him. Dale's thick eyebrows were partially hidden underneath his stupid bucket hat, but Daryl knew that they were knitted together in that Dale way.

"What do I care 'bout your dreams?" Daryl grunted.

"It's always the same one lately," Dale said, "It was after the decision was made about Randall. I was walking alone afterwards…without you. I came across a disembowelled cow and the walker that killed it. It took me down and tore me open," he recounted and Daryl once again had to avert his eyes as he remembered the moment he found Dale in the other timeline. Still, Dale continued, "You came up and killed the walker. You were screaming for the others. They came and Hershel said that I wouldn't make the trip to the house…I was suffering. Rick had his gun to my head, but he couldn't pull the trigger. You took it. I looked in your eyes when you pulled the trigger. I heard you say 'Sorry Brother', and that was it."

Daryl should have seen this coming. He should have realized that Dale would be having dreams, but unlike the others, his dreams would have been of Daryl performing a mercy killing. Daryl shrugged his shoulders, "That is one fucked up dream. Even more fucked up is that it's makin' ya loopy over nothin'."

"Don't do that," Dale reprimanded, "Don't play this off. You and I both know that this is not nothing."

Daryl said nothing again, glaring down at his bloody hands. Dale chose to continue once again.

"I think you somehow know what's going to happen before it does. I think you're trying to change things."

At this correct guess, Daryl stood, gathering the meat, and glared at the old man, "And I think ya crazy. Don't know nothin' 'bout anythin'."

He made to walk away, but Dale called out to him, "I can help! If you're trying to save the group, I can help you!"

Daryl stopped and considered it, but he quickly refused the idea. This time-travelling thing had happened to him and him alone. It was his burden to bear, his duty to save the people he loved. Having Dale know the truth would prove to be a disaster for him as the older man would surely reveal Daryl's secret to the others. That would only complicate things and would serve to fuel distrust within the group. What would happen when someone else died? The others would look to him, blame him for being unable to use his future knowledge to prevent it. It would shatter his fragile little family. No, he had to be smart about this. Careful. After all, if you wanted to do a job right, you had to do it yourself.

"Only thing I need help with is carryin' this shit back to camp," Daryl grumbled, "I don't know what you're ravin' 'bout, but ya sound as crazy as a fuckin' loon."

"Daryl, Son-"

"Just stop!" Daryl snapped, "If ya keep talkin' shit like this, the rest of the group is liable to think ya lost ya damn mind! No tellin' what they'll do with ya then!"

With that, Daryl stalked back to camp with Dale trailing behind him, silent, but Daryl could feel the disappointed, suspicious stare on his back. He hated being looked at in that way. It reminded him of the way he had always been regarded by others for being a redneck or a Dixon. Now Dale was looking at him like that for keeping the biggest secret of his life. He looked ahead to distract himself, noticing Lori and Shane gathering more kindling for the cook stove. They seemed on better terms than they had been before, but then they returned to inside of the cookhouse so they were no longer in Daryl's sight. When Daryl slipped past the barrier to the cookhouse, he was greeted with sounds of appreciation as he hauled the meat inside. He deposited the meat beside the stove where Hershel proceeded to cook it up and headed over to a basin of water to wash up. Other than a couple grunts, he barely acknowledged their praise.

"That was pretty impressive," Jacqui said to him, "You're timing is pretty good. We were just about to open a can of mystery meat."

Daryl grunted and nodded his head as he washed, glancing to Carol, Jacqui, Amy, and Sophia.

"There's clean clothes in the RV for you," Carol supplied, "They're mostly dry."

"We did some laundry," Amy replied, "We were all getting pretty rank. It was getting disgusting."

"Thanks," he muttered, drying off his hands and slipping inside the RV to change, thankful that save for a two-week-old baby, the RV was empty. Good. He wanted some time alone after his chat with Dale and he couldn't exactly go running off in the woods again without reason. He smiled at the makeshift crib Carol had put together out of a laundry basket and blankets. It was a bit better that the mail carrier that housed Little Asskicker until she outgrew it. As he threw his dirty shirt into a pile of filthy clothes, he looked down at his niece. She was awake and staring up at him, apparently caught in between that moment between waking and crying for attention.

"Hey there, Lil' Whoops," Daryl greeted, picking up the baby and cradling to his chest. She didn't need a change and from the slight movements of her mouth, he figured it was time for a bottle. He set to work preparing it while keeping the baby snuggled against him. They had been trying to satisfy her needs before she felt a need to start crying about them. She also liked to be held and was usually only put down when she was sleeping.

Daryl rocked the baby gently while he waited for the water to heat on the RV stove, "Ya know, ya aunty says ya gettin' spoiled with us holdin' ya all the time."

She cooed up at him, her big blue eyes holding his. Even though she kept him and Carol up all night, he was still enthralled by the baby girl. Every time he held her, he was so thankful that he had been given this chance to save her life.

"Wanna know a secret?" he whispered, raising his eyes to check the water, "Uncle has a big job to do. He's gotta keep ya safe. Aunty Carol and Sophia too. See, he came from the future to save ya'll. Ya can't tell no one, though, Lil. Gonna be our little secret, Kid."

Lily cooed again, making him smile. He readied her bottle and watched as she sucked hungrily at the bottle. Yeah, he was totally enamoured with his niece. After she finished, he burped her and then sat back on the bed, letting her rest on his chest. He intended to hold her until she fell asleep, but he ended up falling asleep first. It had been a long day.

0

He woke briefly when he felt someone take the baby from his chest, his eyes shooting opened.

"Shhh," Carol whispered, "I'm just going to change her. Are you hungry? I'll switch you the baby for food."

"'Kay," he yawned, sitting up slightly now that the baby was off of his chest. Carol then passed him his plate. He still felt bone tired and there was a bit of a headache upon waking. He ate, listening to the sounds of Carol changing the baby.

"Do I have to go to bed?" Sophia could be heard whining, "Carl doesn't have to."

"I thought you and Carl were still fighting," Carol observed, a smile in her voice.

"We are…sort of," Sophia replied unsurely, "He said 'sorry' to me about what he said when Daryl got hurt, but I don't know…"

"What don't you know?" Carol asked.

"Well you and Daryl said I wasn't supposed to go off with Carl," Sophia replied.

"That doesn't mean that you can't be friends with him," Carol said gently, "We just want to know where you are and we want you to stay away from Shane."

"Oh," Sophia said, surprised, "Well, I dunno if I wanna be friends with him though, after what he said."

Carol chuckled, "Holding grudges are we?"

"It's not nice to call people names," Sophia replied quietly, "Dad called you names."

There was silence for a moment as Carol considered her daughter's statement. Then she sighed, "Sophia…that was different. Carl only said those things because he was scared at the time. I don't think he meant it to hurt you. Your father…he said the things he did because he wanted to hurt me."

"He always hurt you," Sophia mumbled. There was another pause in the conversation as Carol considered what to say. Daryl finished eating and lay back down, closing his eyes as he listened.

"He can't anymore," she finally said, "He's gone and we've moved on. No one is going to hurt me or you."

"'Cause of Daryl?" Sophia asked.

"Yeah, because of Daryl, but also because of me. I'm never going to put us in that position again," Carol assured her, "Now go brush your teeth, Honey."

Carol returned to the back of the RV to where Daryl had set his plate aside. He was leaning back, his eyes closed as he drifted somewhere between wakefulness and sleep. He felt her lips kiss his forehead, but then he drifted off once more.

0

Daryl woke up to Lily's frustrated chirps as she waited impatiently in her basket for Carol to bring her breakfast. He sat up and glanced around. Sophia had curled up next to the wall opposite of him and Carol was standing just outside their section of the RV, screwing a nipple onto a bottle. She smiled at him, the rising sun casting her in a gold hue as it filled the RV.

"Morning," she whispered, finally succeeding in securing the nipple to the bottle.

"Mornin'," Daryl greeted, frowning, "Did I sleep all night?"

Carol chuckled as she retrieved the baby from the basket, "Like a rock. You must have needed it. I felt a little bad for Lori and Carl having to put up with your snoring, though."

"Jesus," he grumbled, "I had watch-"

"Relax," she chided him, "I took your watch last night so don't worry about it."

His eyebrows shot up as he got to his feet, "Ya took my watch?"

She quirked an eyebrow at him, "I am capable of more than cooking, cleaning, and minding the baby," she retorted.

"Ain't fuckin' doubtin' that," Daryl assured her truthfully, "Just it was my job and all. Least I coulda done was get up with Lil."

"She wasn't that bad last night," Carol shrugged, swaying slightly as the baby sucked at the bottle, "Daryl, don't worry so much about it. I don't mind helping you out. We're partners in this."

He quirked a smile and got to his feet, coming up behind her to wrap his bare arms around her waist and rest his chin on her shoulder. Carol let out a content noise as he stood there embracing her and staring down at the baby in her arms. He tilted his head a little so he could place a light kiss to her neck.

"Love ya, Woman."

"Love you too, Daryl," she said back. They stood in silence, which was broken when Lori quickly clamoured out of the table-bed and made a break for the RV door, holding a hand to her mouth. Carol cringed, "Morning sickness. Poor thing. She had a rough go of it last night with the smells from the cooking meat."

Daryl snorted, "Glad to see Lil' Shane's givin' her hell."

"Daryl, don't be mean," Carol scolded quietly. He said nothing, just absently moving one hand from her waist to pry Lily's little hand from her bottle so it could grasp his finger. It amused him that as she was getting fed, she always seemed to bring one hand up to try to grasp the bottle, almost like she was trying to hold it there.

"Lil' Whoops don't think I'm mean," he said as Lily continued to hold his finger. Carol laughed softly.

"She will, Uncle Daryl, once she's older and knows what Lil' Whoops means," she teased him.

"That's okay," he shrugged, "Then she can just run to Aunty Carol and get spoiled."

"Yeah, I'm the one who spoils her," Carol scoffed, rolling her eyes. Then that soft smile that he loved returned to her face, "I'm glad we have her. It's nice having a baby again, even if we have to be careful. I always wanted a big family, but after Sophia was born…well, you know."

He did know, in part from what she had told him in the present and in part from what he knew of the future. He knew that after Sophia was born, Ed had been disappointed that she was a girl. Carol said that was when he went from a controlling bastard to a mean one, verbally harassing her. She had said she had thought it was stress from the new baby, even when he hit her that first time. She had gave him the benefit of the doubt, but it got worse, to the point where Ed's beatings had caused her three miscarriages and made any further pregnancies doubtful, though at that point the idea of bringing more children into that marriage filled her with fear and dread.

"Ya got a bigger family now," he observed, "Could still get bigger someday if ya wanted."

She said nothing, but when he tilted his head to look up at her, he saw a little sadness in her eyes. She had every reason to doubt the fact that there could be another child in their life after all she had been through. To be honest, Daryl had his doubts about it too, especially when he allowed himself to think of the baby they lost in the future. He pressed a kiss to her neck again, a comforting gesture. He would be fine with it if Sophia and Lily were all they had. They didn't need another one, but if it happened, he certainly wouldn't object to it, knowing what he knew. He was fine either way.

A loud snore from the front of the RV broke the moment and made them jump.

"Dale," she chuckled. Then she looked back at him in curiosity, "He came up to me last night. He wanted to know if he said anything to upset you when you guys talked. What was that about?"

Daryl froze, wondering what else Dale had said, but if she was questioning him about it, then it sounded like Dale hadn't told her of his suspicions. He hoped that the old man stayed quiet. Daryl shrugged, deciding to put on an act, "Nothin' really. Was just in a mood yesterday."

"Okay. Last thing we need is more drama around here," she said. He chuckled in agreement.

"Damn straight," he agreed, "Gonna head outside for a minute. Gotta take a piss."

She made a face and nodded, rocking Lily a little more. He grabbed a shirt and then quietly let himself out of the RV. Everyone else had decided to bed down in front of the warm wood stove. Jimmy was up on top of the RV, taking his turn at watch. He moved quietly outside of the camp kitchen to find a tree to relieve himself on. It was a chilly morning, the ground wet with condensation. That was good. It would be harder for walkers to pick up on their scent. Upon a cursory glance of the area, he was pleased to find that there were no walkers in the vicinity. He found a tree by the creek and went about his business. He zipped himself up and started over to the creek to wash up. He paused when he heard voices.

"Feel better?" Shane asked, concern in his voice.

"I am. It's normal. Morning sickness," Lori said, "You really didn't have to come out here with me, Shane."

"'Course I did," Shane replied, "Gotta keep an eye on you. Could be walkers out here."

"I have my gun," Lori told him, "and Rick and Daryl both said that this place was clear."

"Forgive me for saying this, but Rick and Daryl aren't always right," Shane groused. Daryl heard Lori sigh.

"Shane, I thought you said that you understood why they took your gun away."

"I do understand it. I was rash. It won't happen again, though. From here on out, I'm going to use my head, think things through," Shane assured her, "That's why I'm out here. They may think it's safe, but you never know for sure. I'm using my head."

"I'm glad to hear that," Lori said sincerely, "and I'm really glad that you are making an effort. For a while there, I thought that we'd lost you somewhere."

"Nah, I was just a bit overwhelmed," Shane supplied, "Scared to think something could happen to you or the baby."

"Shane, I told you-"

"I know," he cut across her, "I know what you said, but then you also said that you wanted to work it out when we were talking at the windmill. I wanna do that, Lori. I wanna fix things between us: you, me, and Rick. Hell, after we left the farm…it was so damn obvious that I was alone…on the outs. No one was in my corner and it woke me up. The more I try to get between you and Rick, the more I push you both away. I don't want that," he explained. Lori was silent for a moment.

"I'm really glad to hear you say that, Shane," she told him, sounding a bit hesitant, "but I need to know…can you really accept that I am with my husband? That this baby is going to be his?"

Now Shane was silent for a moment. When he did speak, he spoke with such sincerity that even Daryl was almost fooled. He said, "Lori, at the windmill, you thanked me then for always being there for you and I want you to know that I always will be there for you. So long as you and the baby are happy and safe, I can accept you being with Rick. I can step aside, but all I ask is that you don't shut me out and that you come to me if you even need help. Don't hesitate to."

"Thank you, Shane," Lori's voice quivered slightly, and the sound of two people hugging filled Daryl's ears, "Walk a girl back to camp?"

"My pleasure," Shane replied. Daryl silently stalked through the trees so that they would not run across him. He didn't need Shane to know that Daryl had overheard yet another of Shane's conversations with Lori. He heard them walk away and proceeded to wash up, running over the conversation again in his head.

True, it sounded like Shane was really turning over a new leaf, but just how much of it was genuine? Daryl just couldn't accept the fact that Shane was willing to let go of Lori. If someone had asked him to give up on Carol, there was no way that Daryl could ever do that, not that the situations were even remotely the same. In addition, Shane was stepping back and allowing another man to raise his unborn child. Daryl was no idiot and unfortunately, it was glaringly obvious in the future that Judith Grimes did not share one of Rick's features. Rick chose to ignore it, choosing to love the child because she was a part of Lori. Now things would be different. Suppose Lori still dies giving birth, what would happen when Rick and Shane started fighting over rights to father Lil' Asskicker? That was a war waiting to happen and there was no way Shane would give up the fight for Lori's baby. Hell, in that situation, Shane was likely to go off a deep end and end up killing Rick just for letting Lori die, not that it was ever Rick's fault. That was when Daryl remembered Shane's words in regards to Lori and Rick:

'So long as you and the baby are happy and safe, I can accept you being with Rick.'

Daryl frowned as he stared into the running water of the creek. What would happen when Shane decided that Lori and the baby were no longer safe with Rick? What would happen when Rick and Lori fought, which they would eventually, and Shane decided that she was no longer happy? Daryl had found the loophole to Shane's promise to leave Rick and Lori be.

Daryl didn't care if he was paranoid. Shane Walsh was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.

TBC

Well Daryl has his hands full with his family, Dale, and Shane. This chapter was a lot of character development. I thought that Dale was the most logical choice for someone to suspect something was not quite right with Daryl, but of course, Daryl would try to go it alone. Shane is at least trying to go back to who he was, but is it really that easy? Doubtful.

Next chapter: Daryl gives the group a reprieve from the stresses in their lives by leading them to a possible safe haven.

Read and review! Let me know how you feel about this chapter and what you see in the future! Your reviews keep me going!