Sorry it took so long for this- the basic chapter of battle. Jamie sees Carl do something that changes her perception of him forever. Next chapter is angst-heavy, please review!

They came down from the guard tower next day and were quiet. They'd washed the tear marks from their face, but the others had put the pieces together. Daryl came back alone, yelling hoarsely for Jamie, and both had disappeared for the night. It was obvious something had happened to Merle, and only Daryl and Jamie knew.

The two were quieter that day than normal that next morning, stayed closer to one anither. They were preparing for war, now, getting ready for the impending attack. There were the walkes in the yard, the walkers they'd allowed to build up in the tombs, everything.

They regrouped at noon, and Rick nodded to them. "Carl, Jamie, you're going to be with Beth and Hershel in the woods, hidden."

"You know the place, Jamie. That little clearing..." Daryl said. She looked at him. "I stay with you."

"No. You know what the Governor would do if he found you?"

"I'd kill him before he got the chance." Jamie said firmly. "I'm not leaving you here alone. Not after what happened with M..." she choked on the words in mid-sentence, turning and walking away, not wanting anyone to see her moment of weakness.

Daryl caught up with her, then. "I need you to go."

"I want to stay and fight."

"I know you do- but if things go south, I can't loose you."

"If things go South, then I'll loose you." Jamie said, staring off in the distance. "You promised you'd take care of me- promised you'd never leave."

Daryl swallowed. "I know. Look, I ain't leaving you. Rick needs me- the group needs me..."

"I know. But why can't I be WITH you?"

"Because." Daryl sighed, There was no way he could explain this. "Look. I need you to go. You know where the clearing is- you have to keep Hershel and Beth safe. And lil asskicker. You're brave, you're smart. You're all I got. You need to go. I'll come back- I promise."

"You better, dumbass." Jamie said firmly.

Daryl smiled, reaching out to stroke her hair. "You keep them safe, y'here?"

She nodded. "If we win- will you take me squirrel hunting?"

Daryl grinned. "Yeah. WHEN we win, we'll go squirrel hunting, I promise."

"There's no way I'm leaving." Carl said firmly. "You need me here- I can fight."

"Beth and Hershel need protection." Rick said quietly.

"Jamie can handle it." Carl said simply.

"Do you have any idea what'll happen to them if we do loose? They find Beth and Jamie..."

"Jamie wouldn't let them do that to her." Carl said firmly. But he was shaken- what if some how the did loose, they got to her...

Rick could see his son wasn't certain and took advantage of it. "Carl- Jamie will need you there. If things go south and she sees Daryl need her, she'll try and save hm. Even if it means running into the line of fire. You need to be there to hold her back, to protect her. And Judy."

Carl nodded slowly, expression softening at the mention of Judith. "Fine. But you WILL come back." Carl said, as though reassuring hmself more than ordering anyone. Rick ruffled his hair, planting a kiss on the top of the boy's head.

Beth was loading Judith's car seat into the back of the truck, and Jamie strode over.

"Ready?" she asked.

Carl nodded. He pressed something into her hand, out of sight from the others. She looked down, surprised, seeing it was a gun, and looked at him questionably.

"It's my spare. Take it." Carl said quietly.

"I have my bow. You might need it."

"I might die. You might need it to pop off the bastard that kills me." he said.

She looked into his eyes, seeing he was dead serious and tucking it into her belt, just to appease him. She' jump in front of a bullet if she had to- Carl wasn't going to die.

Hershel was driving, Jamie took shotgn, since she knew where they were headed.

Beth was in the back with Carl, Judy's car seat in the middle.

"Everyone buckled in?" Hershel asked, looking at them all in the mirror. Beth smiled faintly. "Yes, Dad. Don't see how it matters..."

"It matters, Beth. Especially with a baby..." Hershel said, looking at the gravel drive ahead.

Almost soon as they were situated in the clearing, a walter came. Jamie, hunter as she was, noticed it first and gave it an arrow through it's brain.

Beth was working on getting Judith's carseat unfastened frim the car, but Carl shook his head. "Leave her in there with the doors close. That way if anything happens to us..."

Jamie acted like she hadn't heard as she retrieved her arrow, but she scowled. If anyone even TRIED to hurt them...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the rapid sucession of gunfire. It was starting.

Daryl let the bullets rain down, not hesitating to shoot from where he was perched in the tombs. Instantly all hell broke loose, the walkers were nailing th Governor's men, as well as bullets, and they started to just turn and run. Daryl waited until there were no more to shoot at before taking his gun, rising. He felt heavier than before. He'd never liked killing but they'd brought this upon themselves.

For awhile, they knew nothing. They just heard the shots and screams. But then, they heard the feet pounding through the brush. A teenager with a hat ran into the clearing, and both Jamie and Carl whirled, Jamie with an arow pulled back, Carl with his gun.

"D-don't shoot." he stuttered. A nervous tongue darted over his lips.

Hershel nodded. "Put down the gun, son."

The teen nodded, one hand gently going to lower the gun while the other remained in the air. Carl's hands were shaking as he held the gun, but Jamie had relaxed her bowstring slitly. Se wasn't ready to fire.

No one expected it when Carl fired.

The teen fell, and Beth gasped. Hershel turned away, and Carl moved forward to get the gun he'd dropped. Jamie gave him a look of disgust, which Carl returned with one of bewilderment, when Daryl came through the brush, nodding to them.

"They're gone."
Jamie nodded, turning and starting towards the fence line, not bothering to looked behind her.

Putting things together was slow after that, removing the bodies, clearing the walkers. They had no idea what'd happened with the Oernir- all they inew was that they'd won.

The car pulled up in the yard the same time Jamie was there, she was stalking away from Carl as fast as she could.

Carl,ooked after her, eyes longing, before heading owards the cage to sit down and clean his gun.