Hey guys and here we are, a week later. Man I got a run! It was great reading your reviews. I wanted a little shocking turn and I got it. I wanted your imagination be part of the story. Thanks for the reviews! You guys are amazing, hope you like the next part. There will be some clearing, a blast from the past and some things that would happen sooner or later ;o)
Have fun, enjoy and R&R!

Ba bum …. Ba bum … Ba … … … … Ba bum … … … … …

My heartbeat seemed to stop slowly. The world around me diminished in glaring light. This was impossible … no, they couldn't … they hadn't … had they? My head swam. I couldn't remember the last time I had my period. But after all the events it could have skipped. I had that before, when I had too much trouble at the university or at work … Tears formed in my eyes. I was afraid and repelled at the same time.

I stood up, I needed to breath. I didn't know how, but I made my way to the only place no one would or could be: To our small training area. I sat down, feeling empty. I was appalled and wanted to be on my own. If it was true I wanted this to stop. It just couldn't be … no … no no no no …no!

I didn't hear when Merle returned with company and didn't look up when they talked to me, their voices were merely a silent whisper. I noticed their presence, but I was too much into my thoughts to say something. A hand touched my shoulder and I looked up to Hershel. He kneeled down on one knee and looked at me with a worried glance.

"What's wrong with her doc?" Merle's voice sounded troubled.

Hershel didn't respond right away, but examined me. He looked at every part of my body. "Have you been feeling better?" His glance lasted on my ribcage.

I nodded. But Merle who was standing next to me spoke up. "She spewed up in the morning … in the woods and now again." I looked at him with mad eyes.

"My head hurts …" I said to Hershel. "And the sun … it is way too bright."

When he checked my eyes he finally stood up. "Dilated pupils. I think it is a concussion." That's it, a concussion!? It took a load off my mind. "You should take it more slowly Ella. I mean it. I told you, you may have broken ribs. This is no kiddie game." He said sternly and looked around. He seemed surprised at our little training space "You seem to force your body to do more than you are capable of." He stood up turning to Merle. "She really needs to slow down and rest."

I was mad he ordered Merle to stop our trainings. Before I could protest, Hershel turned to me again. "I know you want to help and need to be needed, but if you do not follow my propositions, you will not witness the next winter." I looked to the ground ashamed.

"So it's rest or die?" Merle snapped.

"Just keep an eye on her …" He told him and stood up. "Just a few more days … "

"I understand." I managed to say. "I'll play nice." If it really was just a concussion than I was relieved. I exhaled loudly.

Hershel gave me his grandfather smile. "I bet on you to enjoy some time doing things you couldn't in the last months."

"Bet." I thought about playing Playstation, but that was impossible. Maybe I should take a closer look at the books in the library. Hershel nodded and started to walk away.

"If ya tell anyone about this place …" Merle threw after him. "I will …"

"Shut up Merle." I interrupted him. Hershel was the only one talking to Merle as if he was an actual person, he shouldn't gamble away Hershel's faith in him.

Merle just grunted. "So we just sit here n' do nothin'?"

I laughed. "We?" Merle raised an eyebrow. His lip twitched, but he didn't speak up. Instead he showed me his back and walked away. "Oh c'mon!" I threw after him, but he didn't stop. "Don't be such a baby." I felt better, but still there was concern in my heart.

Merle suddenly turned. "Ya aint tellin' me I'm the baby here." His voice was full of rage. There was this face again … I had seen this rage before at the lake at the quarry.

I was startled. "I'm …. Sorry Merle …" Did I hurt his feelings? Words failed to come out of my mouth.

He starred me down but I resisted his glance. Eventually his face softened, but his voice didn't. "Let's get back to training."

"I'm sorry what?"

"Just watch me being in a better shape." He grunted. "What have ya been doin' to distract yaself before all this shit?" He took a knife and flipped it in his hand.

"I played playstation."

He threw the knife at one of the dummies. "Ya what?" He laughed at me.

"I played Tomb Raider." I smiled, enjoying his laughter and trying to forget the dark thoughts from before. I took one of the pills out of my pocket. Maybe it was time for the next one. Merle handled me a bottle of water and I flushed the pill down.

"Ya … that suits ya bad ass."

A honking drew my attention. Maybe Daryl would be back. I wanted to see him … wanted to talk to him. I stood up and walked to the yard. A pickup with kids on the back had arrived. Had they found some more people? I walked slowly, my head started pounding and the world around me was moving too fast. When I was almost at the car, Tyrese was talking to Rick. "… in Woodbury. We wanted to check the infirmary again and there was this guy with all the kids."

Bob was at the back of the car helping the kids to get off. I put one hand on the car to steady myself. Where was Daryl? He had been gone with Tyrese, he must be around. He must have seen my searching glance. Tyrese turned to me. "Hey Ella, Daryl went looking for you."

Before I could asked where he had went, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a guy jumping from the pickup. Did I really see him? When he looked my direction, he began to walk towards me and called my name. "Ella?"

When he realized it was really me, he ran for me and screamed my name again. "Ella!" I was startled to see him. He hugged me tight and spun me around. It made my stomach turn. "Oh my … Ella. I thought I'd never see you again." He hugged me again. Than held my face in both hands and looked me deep in the eyes. "How are you?" He looked me up and down. "What happened to you? You're injured!?"

Rick walked over to us. My ex-boyfriend held me tight as if we had never broken up. "Jess …" I was still baffled. To see someone I knew from the past alive felt good, but at the same time he was my ex-boyfriend.

I could feel all eyes on me. All of my friends seemed to stare at me. Even Rick had stopped walking and just looked. "Oh my god, Jess!" I said again in disbelief. "What are you doing here?" That sounded mean. "How are you?"

"What a warm welcome." He kissed my cheek and I pushed him away carefully. "Nice to see you too."

"What the …" I held myself back. My heart was beating too fast to be normal. It felt like the world was spinning and held both of my hands on my mouth. I didn't want to puke again, not with everyone looking at me. Merle grabbed my arm.

"What's wrong?" He forced me to look at him.

"Just the meds." I hoped. Maybe I shouldn't have taken the pill on an empty stomach.

"What meds? What happened to you Ella? You look pretty bad." Jess sounded concerned.

"I'm fine." Somehow the world was spinning.

"You still keep telling that? It means you must be in pain." I shot him a look to shut him up but he just laughed. "And you still do that look!"

I closed my eyes to concentrate. Neither could I concentrate nor open my eyes again. Merle held me and picked me up, carried me somewhere. "Hershel!" Merle screamed.

"What's wrong with her?" Jess asked. His voice was very close.

"Back off, she needs rest." Merle hissed. He sat me down somewhere. Suddenly I felt cold water in my face and I could finally open my eyes.

Merle seemed relieved. Before he could ask the annoying question of me being okay, I puked to the floor. It was like water, I hadn't eaten since yesterday, there wasn't much left in my stomach. Except the pill which was now swimming in my water-puke. Merle stood up. "I'll grab you some water."

I nodded. "But no splashing again. That was pretty cold." Merle looked up and I followed his gaze to see Rick with an empty bucket.

"Thanks!" I said madly to him but he smiled.

Jess suddenly stood next to me. "What happened to you?"

"Long story."

"Well I got a lot of time …" He answered with a smile. He had always been a happy nature.

"What have you been doing in Woodbury?" Rick asked him, standing now very close to me, almost protective. Jess had been with Phillip? Had he been close to him? Had he changed since the last time I had seen him? He looked just like back then, pretty much handsome.

"You have been in Woodburry?" I asked baffled.

"I arrived there weeks ago. Since the outbreak I had been with my brother and his friends. But about a month ago we have been separated." He looked from Rick to me. "Me and James muddled through the woods for days. I tried to find my brother, but on the way James got bitten and shot himself." Was he talking of James Reus? As if he knew my thoughts Jess nodded. I had known James, he was a brilliant teacher … had been. I had never known someone that intelligent. Grieve took hold of my heart. The good ones always die first … like my brother. "I met some guys on the street. They told me about a secure town. They offered me a place to live if I would live on their terms and help around town." His eyes wondered to Rick again. He must have realized Rick was our leader. "When we arrived in Woodbury, it was almost as if there would never be a safe zone. There was shooting, fire and walkers. I tried to help. Saved some kids of zombies and found shelter in a kindergarten." He looked over to Tyrese. "Then Tyrese and others arrived…" He seemed to be thinking of names, but went on." Tyreese told us about this prison. Eventually a safe zone." I still couldn't believe I was looking into the eyes of my ex-boyfriend I had broken up with about a year ago.

"I'm glad you survived!" And I really was. He had always been a good guy. Even after we had broken up, we had been something like friends. Children stood around him, one little boy held his hand, a girl was leaning at his left leg.

"How did you survive?" Ha asked me, his eyes never letting go of me. "I went to your apartment after the outbreak, but you hadn't been there."

He came for me? "You … you …" What should I say to him? My eyes wandered to the kids again, they all stood close to him.

"The picture of you and your brother was gone. So I knew you were alive and gone." Jess smiled at me. "You seemed to have taken your jeep. So I hoped you were at some safe place. Hoped you made it to the CDC or your cousin." He knew me quite well. We had been together for six years, sure he knew me.

Merle returned with Carol and a bottle of water. "The council is meeting." She told us and looked to Jess. "Please come with us and the kids."

Merle stepped between me and Jess and handed me the water. Jess stepped aside and looked to me. "I see you later!?" He looked a bit scared and yet confident. Sure he was scared, again new people, but he must know Tyrese who stepped closer.

I nodded. "'I'll stick around." He still didn't move. "No worries Jess, these are good people." And he smiled.

Tyrese put a hand on his shoulder. "Come one. I'll take you to the meeting." Jess nodded and reluctantly went with him. "We are safe here Jess!"

They walked away and Jess gave me one last long glance. Again Merle stepped between us and I looked up to him. "Ya know that guy?"

"Yap." I didn't need to explain anything to him.

Rick looked at me. "Is he a good one?"

I nodded. "He is one of the real good ones." I wondered what my brother would have said to that. He had never liked him.

"And what's up with you?" Rick asked. "What about the throwing up?"

I saw Hershel behind Rick approaching us. "A concussion."

Rick slowly nodded. "Little surprise. You had a rough time."

Hershel joined our small group. "What shall I do with you?" He asked concerned.

"Lock her up!" Merle said next to me. "There are still some cells left." He chuckled. I wondered Rick tolerated Merle around. From what I had herd they never had been friends. Not even close.

Hershel looked at me. "I am fine. It was just …" I looked to Merle, the brother of the man I had fallen for. "A blast from the past."

Rick snorted with a smile. His face told me he knew exactly what I was talking about. "I don't think you are needed here Hershel." He patted my shoulder. "We should take care of these kids. They must be in shock." He was talking of the children who had come here with Jess.

Hershel looked from Rick to me. "Yeah, really, I don't need a doctor." I need some Daryl. I blushed at my own thought.

Hershel turned away and walked with Rick to the prison. I watched them walking to the prison. "A blast from the past?" Merle stated behind me.

"Yeah …." I saw Daryl meeting Rick and Hershel at the prison. What would Daryl say to my ex-boyfriend living here with us? Would he shut me out like he had done before? He had opened up, finally we had shown some feelings … I was afraid it would all fall apart.

"Damn it woman!" I turned to Merle.

"What?"

"Have ya been listening at all?"

I shook my head.

Daryl walked around the Pickup. "Hey there." He smiled, a smile was a good sign. "Hershel said you can't keep your legs still."

"That girl of yours has ants in her pants!" Merle spat.

"Hershel told me to take it easy, to be careful." I said before Merle could ruin anything.

"You better be." Merle laughed behind me. Ignoring Merle's ambiguous words I stepped closer to Daryl. I took his hand and looked up to him. I wanted to be alone with him. We hadn't have some alone time in the last days and I needed some quality time. I was sentenced to do nothing and I wanted to do nothing with him.

"I found more pain killers." He grabbed in his pants and gave me a small package. "This Jess guy had gathered some medicine in case a child good ill." So they had already met. "I took these for ya. Seemed ya haven't recovered yet." He gave me a small grin.

I took the package. "Thanks Dar'." I gave him a kiss which caught him off guard.

"Guess that's my cue to leave." Merle grunted and left.

"You were gone in the morning." I told Daryl remembering dimly he had slept next to me.

He chewed on the inside if his cheek. "Ya needed rest and I had to work."

"Are you free now?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I heard ya should take it slowly. No moving too fast."

"I didn't intent to run a marathon." I sighed.

"C'mon, I show ya something interesting." He pulled me along.

"Like what?"

"With broken ribs and a concussion ya better should do something useful." So Hershel had updated him. "Carol told me ya where outside the fence." So mother had blown the whistle on me. She always took his side.

"I wanted to hunt …" He still kinda pulled me, so I was behind and not next to him.

"Please stop being unreasonable." He said softly and I wish I could see his eyes.

"I wasn't alone." Well maybe being alone with his brother wasn't a good point to argue with. "Where are we going?"

He didn't answer when we went between cell block C and D. Carol was standing at the outside-kitchen giving us an amused glance. He let go off my hand, opened a door and we stepped inside. Daryl walked on, I followed his lead. Looking around I hadn't been in this corridors. At the end of the corridor was a small barricade. Daryl waited for me. "Daryl, what is this place?" But he just gave me a smile and helped me to get on the barricade. When I jumped off it, it felt as if my brain bumped onto my forehead. No, I didn't want to show weakness in front of Daryl. I steadied myself on the wall, breathing in deeply. I looked down on myself, I had just my knife but no gun. "I have nothing to defend myself with."

"Ya won't need anything."

He walked on, opening a door and smiled. "Welcome." He told me and I entered curiously. There were books over books. Daryl closed the door carefully as if he avoided to be heard. I couldn't believe my eyes.

"When did you find this place?" I was overwhelmed. It was a really small library, not like the one where Carol read stories to the kids. High shelves stood at the walls filled with books. The room looked untouched.

"A few days ago." He said behind me. I walked into the small room. "I added a few things." I looked around to see what he meant. There was a mattress on the floor with a blanket and cushions, an oil lamp on a small table.

My eyes widened at the sight of a little fairy dream in a horror movie. "You did this?"

He didn't answer but went to the mattress. He reached under the table and showed me some comics. "Found these today." So he went inside to put this thing first.

"When did you … I mean how …" I walked over to him while looking over the books.

"On runs … sometimes there are a lot, sometimes there is nothin'." He handed me the comics. It was The Amazing Spiderman and Hulk.

"This is … wonderful." I looked around again.

"It's the warden's library." He said behind me and I felt his breath in my neck. I went to one shelve to take a closer look at the books, while my finger caressed every book spine. Suddenly I felt Daryl close behind me. "I knew ya would like it."

Everything was forgotten, the shock of maybe being pregnant, of having a concussion, of being a helpless little girl, of my ex-boyfriend next door. I was living in the moment like I had used to. This was my old life and I got it back. I kissed Daryl and he kissed me back. He put a hand on my back and pressed me carefully to his chest. I relaxed in his arms and our kiss deepened.

How is this going to work out? We'll see next week :)