The Irishman sustains himself during brief periods of joy by the knowledge that tragedy is just around the corner." - William Butler Yeats

"Daryl, we're just used to it, things being ugly. Growing up in an ugly place."

"Huh?" He turned from the fence he was reinforcing, surprised to hear Danni behind him. She must have gotten back with Herschel already. He noticed she had on her old Motorhead t-shirt, the one he thought had been ruined and she'd cut up for rags. The sun shining in his eyes from behind her gave her an ethereal glow.

"But you got away from it." She continued

"Sometimes I think I didn't."

"You did." She smiled softly, proudly at him. He blinked noticing the scar on her cheek was gone.

"Maybe you gotta keep on reminding me sometimes." He answered reaching out to touch her face to see if he could feel the scar but having his work gloves on stopped him.

"No, baby. You can't depend on anybody for anything, right? Not me either, okay? You have to remind yourself Daryl. Believe in yourself. I'll be gone someday."

"Stop."

"I will. You're gonna be the last man standing. You are."

"Danni, what are you going on about? Don't talk like that-"

"You're gonna miss me so bad when I'm gone, Daryl Dixon." She announced with a sad half-smile.

"Gone? What the?" he said to the rusted chain link fence that had replaced the image if his wife. He shook his head realizing she was a vision. The sun was damn hot today, making him delirious he guessed.

"What did you say man?" Tyreese asked approaching.

"Nothin'." Daryl took off his work glove and ran a hand through his hair pushing it off his sweaty forehead.

.. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .

"Don't touch me." Danni warned as the Governor reached behind her back to loosen her restraints.

"Stay still."

"Get off me." She leaned as far away from him as she could. "Where is my knife?" She asked remembering Martinez removing the holster from her belt.

"This again? I am untying you, but do you think I'd intentionally arm you? We've been here before Danni haven't we?"

Philip sighed and put a plate on her lap. A peanut butter sandwich. What the fuck was this? The governor had comandeered and RV much like the one Dale had when they first met. It was his headquarters. She looked around the RV's interior and caught Hershel's eye. He sat across the aisle from her at the galley table.

"You should eat. It's gonna be a long day." Philip suggested.

"Eat Danni, he's right especially now in your condition. You need your strength for the baby." Herschel added.

Danni glared at Herschel willing him to be quiet.

"Condition? Are you expecting again?" Philip's lips curled into an amused smile.

"Yes, she is." Herschel answered hoping to garner sympathy and mercy from this man. Danni shook her head, unable to help being angry at Herschel. He didn't know the Governor like she did. Herschel hadn't gained sympathy he'd only provided ammunition.

"Nobody's gonna hurt you."

"I don't believe that." Danni shot back.

He shrugged. "Well, I don't care."

"Just tell us what this is. Please." Herschel pleaded.

"What this is? Look It isn't personal."

"Then what is it? You've taken us hostage."

The Governor ignored Herschel and walked slowly toward Danni. His towering form radiated a physical darkness. He dressed in black and it matched his aura. He knelt in front of her.

"Danni, I want you to know…I have forgiven you for this." He pointed to the patch over his missing eye. "I've had time to reflect since Woodbury was destroyed. I have an appreciation for life I didn't have before. I hope you have forgiven me for that." He slowly traced the scar he'd made on her cheek with a morbid smile. She reached up to push his hand away but he grasped her arm before she could hit him.

"Now, I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to hurt anyone. I need the prison, that's it. I have a family now. There are people I need to keep alive now. You two are gonna help me take it. No one needs to die."

"I'm gonna kill you." Danni couldn't hold back as he moved his face in too close to her own.

"No, you won't Danni." He chuckled.

"Merle will kill you if I don't. You step one foot on the grounds and Merle will-"

"Merle. Merle had his chance, he had a couple of chances but here I am. Merle can't kill me. Believe me I am not worried about him." He smiled bitterly.

"You want the prison?" Herschel asked.

"Yeah. And I'll take it as peacefully as I can."

"Your people, our people, we can find a way to live together. These people you need to keep alive, do you love them?"

Philip stood and turned to Herschel. His face was thoughtful. "You're a good man, Hershel. A better man than Rick."

"Everything you've said, the way you've said it I can see you've changed. So has Rick."

"The two of us will never be able to live together. Danni and I, we'll never be able to live together. As much as I have forgiven, I can never trust you people especially Merle and that coward brother of his-"

"Hey!" Danni couldn't help herself. "You piece of shit!"

"We'll find a way." Herschel said quieting Danni with his eyes.

"I found a way! There's all kinds of ways I could do this. This way, you get to live and I get to protect my people. I don't want this to be violent, but it's up to Rick. "

"You say you want to take this prison as peacefully as possible. But if you can't well, that means you'd be willing to hurt people to get it. My babies are there." Danni interrupted the men. "Infants!" She felt her gut clench and tears well at the thought of Ryder and Scout alone, without her.

"My daughters too." Herschel added. "I saw a little girl with you outside just now. Yours?"

"Yes."

"That's who you'd be hurting. If you understand what its like to have kids how can you threaten to kill someone else's?"

"Because they aren't mine." Philip's final words were as cold as they were vengeful. He exited the trailer.

After a period of shocked silence Danni finally spoke. "How did you know?" She asked. "That I'm pregnant?"

"I know the signs."

"And you watch us all like a hawk huh?"

"Yes, yes I do. Especially you, our mockingbird."

Danni fought the waves of helplessness. "Herschel, what are we going to do?"

"Trust Rick. Rick will take care of this."

Danni nodded, feeling the ache of longing for Daryl and their children.

... ... ... .. .. .. .. ...

"Okay. I understand." Sophia's voice caught Beth's attention. They were babysitting upstairs in the perch.

"What did you say?" Beth asked turning from Ryder and Scout sleeping in their mail bin cribs.

Sophia was looking up at something behind Beth, attentively nodding. "I know where they are." She said.

"Sophia? What are you talking about?"

The younger girl rushed past Beth and began to rummage among Danni's possessions next to her bed. She put Danni's tarot cards, journals and Nan's book of Shadows into Danni's green canvas bag.

"That's it." She nodded to an unseen figure as Beth watched her sling Danni's bag over her small shoulder. Finally, she turned to Beth. "We have to get the babies out of here now. Come on." Sophia took Beth by the hand entreating her to pick up a twin.

"What are you talking about Sophia? Are you okay? Where are we going? You are acting really strangely."

"Please!" Sophia raised her voice urgently. "Please, Beth just listen. The lady says we have to get the babies to the car. It's what Danni wants us to do."

Beth hesitated. "Lady? What lady, I don't see anyone."

"She's right there." Sophia pointed at Lorelei, who stood nodding at the girl. Only Sophia could see the ghost who rather than wearing her black mourning dress had on in her gray Civil War nurses uniform. She smiled encouragingly at Sophia. "You have an important job to do Sophia. Little one be strong." She cupped her chin. "Follow me. No matter what happens follow me."

Beth started to back away from Sophia's unsettling behavior.

"She needs us to do this!" Sophia informed Beth dismissing the teenager's disbelief. "Come on! "

"Okay, okay." Beth looked worried but picked up Ryder and handed him to Sophia. She held Scout tightly to her chest and hurried after the little girl, down the stairs feeling like Sophia was also following someone. An explosion rocked the prison and the top of a guard tower crumbled as the girls hurried through the courtyard.

How did Sophia know? Beth wondered.

... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .

Daryl looked at the sun and figured it must be about one in the afternoon. Good a time as any to knock off for lunch. He figured Danni would be back by now. He wanted to tell her about the strange vision or dream or whatever it was.

"Hey," He called to Tyreese. " Break time."

"I'm with you man could go for some food."

The two men headed around to the front of the prison. Out of nowhere they heard a loud rumbling and then an explosion.

"Come on." Daryl picked up his pace and headed through the courtyard to the secondary gate joining Rick. What he saw was worse than any nightmare he could have conjured. The Governor standing outside the outer fence flanked by a makeshift army and a tank. The guy had a fucking tank? He was calling Rick out. Daryl tensed and shot a glance to the laundry cart full of rifles and automatic weapons he'd stashed just in case of an attack scenario. He didn't see Danni among the members of the group that began to emerge out of the cell block and converge. He figured she was with the kids and by now was hustling them to the car. Or at least she would be after hearing that explosion.

"Rick! Come down here. We need to talk." The Governor called.

"It's not up to me. There's a council now. They run this place." He answered, glancing at Daryl. "I don't make the decisions anymore. It's not up to me."

"You're making the decisions today Rick. Come on down here, let's have a talk."

Daryl and Rick opened the inner gate and Rick slowly descended the field to the primary fence. Daryl felt like each of Rick's steps were taking an eternity.

"We can't take 'em all on." Merle was suddenly behind Daryl. "We ain't got the numbers no more. When's the last time you checked the stash in the car?"

"Day before yesterday. " He looked at Merle. "I figure Danni's there now with the kids, waiting on me. On us."

"Yeah, we'll manage little brother. Things go south, we head for that car."

"How long do we wait?"

"As long as we can."

The men stood behind the fence, rifles raised.

Carl ran up beside Daryl. "We got to do something."

"Your dad's got it. They're talking."

"We could kill the Governor right now."

"From this many yards?" Daryl challenged the boy.

"I'm a good shot. Daryl, I could end this now."

"Yeah, or you could start something else. You gotta trust him."

"You trust him?" Merle asked. "Hell, even his own kid's willing to take action."

Daryl glanced away from his raised aimed rifle to Merle. "Rick will handle it."

Rick made his way closer to the outer fence. "Here I am. So talk."

"Rick, about that council, " Philip began. "Is Hershel on the council? What about Danni? She on the council, too?"

When Daryl saw the Governor pull Herschel out beside him from behind the tank he clenched his jaw angrily, but when he saw Martinez push Danni out and force her to kneel beside the older man he lost his breath and any sense of self-preservation he had. When he heard Danni's name, every muscle in Daryl's body tensed. Every one of his five senses heightened. The blood rushed to his head and he couldn't hear anything over the roar in his ears. He charged through the inner gate and ran through the yard, his heart beating out of his chest his gut clenching. He was moving as fast as he could, but everything had slowed down around him. He had to reach her.

"Oh sheeeeeyiiittttt!" Merle growled and sprinted after Daryl knowing his brother was running straight into the line of fire and knowing that eyeing Danni up there caused him to lose his mind. There was no way that boy was thinking straight and he was about to get himself killed. Danni too, most likely.

Danni glanced up and saw Daryl racing toward her and wanted to scream for him to stop. He could be shot. She bit the inside of her cheek painfully to silence herself. She took a breath of relief when she observed Merle tackle Daryl to the ground. It would have been funny under different circumstances and she cringed with that reality check.

"Let 'em go right now." Rick ordered. "I'll stay down here. Talk as long as you want. But you let 'em go. You got a tank. You don't need hostages."

"This is to show you I'm serious. Not to blast a hole in our new home. You and your people, you have till sundown to get out of here or they die."

"Doesn't have to go down this way." Rick tried to maintain a neutral tone, but his voice was beginning to get hoarse and emotion was breaking through with every word.

"I got more people, more firepower. We need this prison."

"It's not about the past." Rick explained. "It's about now. There are children here. They won't survive."

Philip gestured wildly. "I have a tank. And I'm letting you walk away from here. What else is there to talk about? I could shoot you all and you'd all shoot back. I know that. But we'll win and you'll be dead. All of you."

The words of Rick and the Governor were lost on Daryl as he wrestled with Merle, who was keeping him pinned to the ground.

"Daryl, now Daryl get your shit together."

"He's got her Merle he …get the fuck off me I have to get to her." Daryl was writhing and bucking like a wild bull. He was frantically pleading with Merle to let him go. "Its Danni! Goddamnit, I have to-""

"What? Get yourself killed? Don't be stupid Daryl!" Merle grunted pinning Daryl's arms behind his back. "You're getting too emotional, gotta focus boy! Do what needs doin'."

"But-"

"Now listen here, you go get your kids. You get them to that car before that motherfucker blows this place to hell. I'll get Danni, I'll take care of this. Your kids need you now Daryl."

"You?" Daryl looked at Merle with an expression Merle hadn't seen since they were kids. Fear. Real fear. Daryl always hid it, masked it but now he couldn't.

"Queenie would want you to take care of the kids. You know that Daryl. She would. Now go, you know I'm right. You know it! Your kids need you goddamnit!"

Daryl nodded. "Merle promise me she 'll be okay. You promise me."

"I promise Daryl." Merle's tone was deadly serious.

Daryl nodded and stealthily made his way back to the courtyard and headed for the cellblock.

Merle continued his army crawl closer to Rick. He would come through for Daryl. He'd save Danni and finally be absolved.

"Doesn't have to be like that." Rick continued to negotiate.

"Like I said, it's your choice."

A few snarling Walkers made their way toward the Governor's front line of companions. Martinez made quick work of them with a baseball bat. Philip, however, turned and shot one in the head saying "Noise is going to draw more of them to us. The longer you wait, the harder it will be for you to get out of here."

... ... ... ... .. .. .. .. .

Daryl ran smack into Sophia and Beth exiting the cell block holding the babies.

"C'mon" he motioned for them to follow him.

"I know." Sophia said. He grabbed Ryder from her arms and she shifted Danni's bag higher up onto her shoulder. Daryl narrowed his eyes wondering what Sophia meant and why she had Danni's backpack until she added. "Lorelei is taking us to the car, Daryl it's okay."

Daryl's relief at seeing them was met with a chill at the mention of the Civil War ghost's name and the sudden smell of gardenia wafting around him.

"Beth, you take them to this place okay," Daryl shouldered his crossbow as he pulled the map out of the glove box when they reached the car. "Please Beth."

'"What? Me? I can't Daryl! I have to find Maggie and my dad. I can't leave."

"The Governor has Danni and I need to get her back. You have to do this!"

Beth began to sob. "I want to help you Daryl I do, but my daddy… Maggie... they are out there. My family."

Daryl shifted uncomfortably; there was no time for emotion or words now. They had to act and he didn't know what to say to Beth to get her to focus. He was about to shout with frustration.

"Daryl!" Kieran called. Daryl whipped his head around. "Where is Danni?" His father in law had his gun out as he approached from cell block D.

"The Governor has her! We're under attack!"

Kieran saw the babies and felt relief until Daryl continued "The bastard has her. I have to go." He was about to continue pleading with Beth when he heard Kieran say "I'll come with you."

Daryl stopped and narrowed his eyes at his father in law. He then made one of the most difficult decisions of his life. "No." He took Scout from Beth and handed her to her grandfather. "And there is a map to a safe house Danni and I have ready for a shitstorm like this one."

"I can't leave now. I need to help you get Danni back I-"

"You wanna do something for your daughter?" Daryl stepped toward him, chest out. "You really wanna be a father? Then do this."

Kieran shook his head.

Daryl began to shout as anther explosion rocked the prison and the tank began to roll in over the fences. "You are taking them to the safe house! It's about time you stepped up and did something for Danni!"

Both men shot fiery glances at each other and their eyes locked.

"Right. Right then." Kieran turned and buckled Scout into the car seat. "Hand me that map, son." He rubbed his bearded chin and studied his route.

"Go! I'll find Danni. I will. We'll meet you there."

"You can trust me with them lad. Now you find my little girl, my Danni." Kieran held back a tear. "Can't lose her again."

Daryl nodded "We ain't gonna lose her." Then he leaned into the back seat for a moment. He nuzzled each of his children like a wolf and his cubs. "See you soon troublemakers. Gonna go get your momma." He whispered willing his heart not to break as he left them.

Sophia turned to hug Daryl. "My mom." She started to cry then. "Please find my mom too?"

"I will."

Sophia trusted Daryl and knew she had her own job to do. She swiped at her tearing eyes. "I'm a good babysitter. Tell Danni not to worry."

Daryl nodded then shook his head when he saw Fionn kitty rubbing himself around Kieran's ankles, then leap into the back seat settling between the two babies.

"Damn cat." Daryl muttered, but seeing the feline made him feel Danni's presence would be with the kids.

"Are you ready then little lass?" Kieran bent down and asked Sophia.

"Yes, Sirius I am. This is our job." Sophia swallowed any final tears she had left to cry and pushed down the feeling of missing her mom so desperately. Carol had taught her to be strong.

Kieran couldn't help but smile at the child, despite the gravity of the situation. "Well, Hermione, I couldn't ask for a better partner for this adventure."

"Go." Daryl pleaded. "We'll meet you there. Just keep them kids safe." Daryl said then turned to Beth. "C'mon, follow me."

... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .

"Rick, you got maybe about an hour of sunlight left. I suggest you start packing. The longer you wait, the harder it's gonna be for you to get out of here."

"We can all live together. There's enough room for all of us. More than enough."

"I don't think my family would sleep well knowing that you were under the same roof."

"We'd live in different cell blocks. We'd never have to see each other till we're all ready. It could work. You know it could."

Danni knew Rick's words were falling on deaf ears. The Governor wanted the prison for himself; he wasn't there to negotiate.

"It would've. But it can't. Not after Woodbury. Not after Merle and Danni."

"Look, I'm not saying it's gonna be easy. The fact is, it's gonna be a hell of a lot harder than standing here shooting at each other. But I don't think we have a choice."

"We don't. You do."

"We're not leaving. You try and force us, we'll fight back. Like you said, the gunshots will just bring more of them out. They'll take down the fences and without the fences, this place is worthless. Now, we can all live in the prison or none of us can."

"We'll fix the damn fences." Philip was getting agitated.

"You, you people," Rick gestured, addressing the Governors new followers. "Is this what you want? Is this what any of you want?"

"What we want is what you got. Period. Time for you to leave, asshole." The man driving the tank shouted.

"Look, I fought him before and after, we took in some of his old friends. They've become leaders in what we have here. Now, you put down your weapons, walk through those gates... you're one of us. We let go of all of it, and nobody dies. Everyone who's alive right now, everyone who's made it this far. We've all done the worst kinds of things just to stay alive. But we can still come back. We're not too far gone. We get to come back. I know... we all can change."

"Liar!" Danni heard Philip shout followed by screams and gunfire. Danni felt the Governor's forceful kick to her abdomen as she saw the sword slice through Herschel's' neck. She released a silent scream as the wind was knocked out of her and Herschel's head landed on the grass in front of her. She wanted to cry but it all happened so fast she couldn't sort out one feeling or emotion from the other. Pain, all she felt was pain. As she lay struggling to right herself, Philip kicked her again. He was distracted by the close gunfire and she managed roll behind a Jeep, all the while ignoring the excruciating cramping in her uterus. She backed herself against the truck's wheel to catch her breath. She had to get to the cell block; to her babies. Daryl, she'd seen him running toward her. She had to reach him now.

"Hey." Martinez was behind her untying her hands. "This wasn't supposed to go down like this." He clipped her knife in its holster back to her belt. "Never should have trusted the bastard again."

She opened her mouth to speak, but he shook his head. "Go to your kids, find your husband if you can and get the hell out. I lost my family. You don't have to lose yours. Least I hope not."

"Thanks, I-" she started to say, but he was gone. She moved forward crouching, focusing on finding Daryl. Then she felt another sharp pain as her uterus contracted and wetness flooded her crotch. She slipped her hand down the front of her jeans; she pulled it out and saw the blood on her fingers. She no longer heard the cracking gunfire, screaming of people or snarling of Walkers. She heard only ocean waves crashing as if she were holding a seashell to her ear. It's all wrong. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. We had a plan...

Danni's life had taken a complete turn, and it had only taken thirteen minutes and thirty-six seconds to leave her shattered. All that she had ever cared for in her life wiped out like it had never existed. It slipped away between her fingers. As they say, It takes a lifetime to build a life, but only a second to be destroyed.

... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .

Beth took cover behind a pile of wooden pallets as Daryl cleared their path by using a destroyed Walker as a body shield, getting close enough to two of the Governor's men to shoot them both. His adrenaline pushed him into overdrive. He held the corpse up in front of him not feeling its dead weight that made his biceps and muscled forearms strain and bulge. He didn't smell the rotting egg perfume of the Walker. He just pushed on, sweating and moving as fast as he could to drop the enemy. That's what they were, enemies. When he turned toward a rumbling, creaking, breaking noise behind him, he saw the tank roll to a stop in the courtyard. This was his home. He clenched his jaw and stealthily pulled a grenade from his pocket. He'd taken it from his stash of weapons on his way to get the kids. He figured it wouldn't hurt to have it and he'd been right. With a grunt of exertion, he pulled the pin with his teeth and tossed it down the gun shaft of the armored vehicle. The terrified driver hopped down from the tank just as it exploded from inside. His relieved expression changed when found himself staring at Daryl's dirt-streaked, sweaty face expressing a merciless stone cold hatred, his eyes narrowed, glaring as he aimed his crossbow at the intruder.

"Hey man," The other guy pushed up his army regulation brimmed cap with a weak smile and held out his hands. "We can work something out. We -" His words were cut off by the bolt pricing his heart. "For Danni." Daryl muttered, wishing to God this shmuck was the Governor himself.

"C'mon Beth!" Daryl shouted. The girl was paralyzed after screaming until her voice gave out at seeing her father murdered. Daryl sensed the girl's panic and knew he had to draw her out. Approaching the fence before he had to take out the men Daryl and Beth saw the Governor decapitating Herschel. That's when all hell broke loose. Daryl also saw Merle, guns firing heading toward the Governor and Danni. He was affected by Herschel's brutal killing, but he could only focus on getting to Danni. She was still alive; she had to be so he remained in action mode. He couldn't let emotions stall him now. The last he'd seen, the Governor had run into the yard firing back at Rick. Danni looked like she got away from the psycho. What else she could have run into he wouldn't let himself think about. The entire front of the prison was overrun with Walkers. It was impossible for him to get to the first gate now. He knew she was smart enough to head into the woods if she was able. Hell, he hoped Merle had reached her and they were both in the woods waiting for him. He scanned the grounds and knew his best bet was to head out behind the prison by the administration building and double back to the woods in front. It was a bit of a trek, but it was the only way. "Beth, you with me?"

"Maggie? I have to find-" She gazed out at the battlefield not seeing anything but Walkers and the fallen people from the prison. She could only hope Maggie was still alive. She was all she had left now.

"We'll find her and we'll find Danni."

"Are you sure?" She looked at him with innocent, pleading eyes and he hoped he was sure. All he could say was "We gotta go Beth, we gotta go."

... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

"Get up. Danni, get up."

Danni heard the childish lilt. She squinted up at he harsh light. Her sister's emerald-green eyes bore into her own. Her dark hair brushed her cheeks as she leaned over Danni.

"Tara?"

"You need to get up."

"Are you okay?"

Her sister nodded. She was thirteen, the age when she passed.

"What are you doing here?" Danni asked still unable to lift her head. "Where am I?" She asked looking around the white room.

"It's not your fault, you know. I knew you were coming back for me, I just didn't want to keep going anymore. I was too tired. It wasn't about you Danni. It was about what I wanted, not what you wanted for me."

"But I miss you, I miss you so much."

"You don't have to carry around the guilt anymore."

"But-"

"I could never be you Danni. I was never as strong as you. I couldn't keep going. But you? You never give up…never."

"Where am I?" Danni asked again.

"You're not supposed to be here."

"Be where?"

Tara looked around and said, "You have to get up now." She kissed Danni's cheek. "Want to know a secret? Promise not to tell? We are standing by a wishing well. Make a wish into the well that's all you have to do, and if you hear it echoing, your wish will soon come true."

"Snow White." Danni murmured.

"You read it to me so many times. Remember you told me our huntsman would come?"

Danni nodded.

"He did, for you."

"How did you know-"

"Now get up, you have a lot to do. So much to do. Get up!"

Danni's eyes snapped open and she drew in a loud, sharp breath that propelled her to a sitting position. The white, shrouded atmosphere was gone and she saw the blue sky through the tree cover. She gasped trying to fill her lungs with air. She had no idea how long she lay on the ground at the base of a tree unconscious. Suddenly every image flooded her. Herschel, the Governor, the prison falling, chaos, screams, gunshots and the tank. She felt something warm and sticky between her legs. She had miscarried so blood and discharge stained her pants. It was not a dream. The cramping in her uterus was a physical sign of that. Daryl, I really want this baby. She curled into a fetal position, wrapped her arms around her belly and let her hot tears flow.

When we are at our worst, the grime and blood coating our outer selves, we have to shed what we were and change into what we have to be. When we are crushed by the weight of the world, we become the creatures we were destined to become. Until the moment that our hearts stop beating and the air refuses to flow through our lungs we will overcome. That's who we are, who we have to be. Stand up damn it. Danni managed to pull herself to her feet. She leaned against the tree and took in her surroundings. The woods were green with mottled sunlight filtering through the leaves. Crickets and cicada sang. It was actually beautiful and calm. The woods didn't care that a few yards away lay total destruction. She reached automatically for her knife and felt relief; she knew she was far from safe. Despite her light-headedness and cramping belly, she forced herself to turn back toward the prison. Maybe, just maybe the group had held their own. The last time she saw Daryl he was in the yard. Slowly she picked her way through the brush. The late afternoon sun showed her which way to go. As she cleared the tree line, she lost her breath. The prison was overrun with Walkers. Thick gray smoke billowed out of the guard towers resembling her vision. She couldn't go home and for all she knew Daryl and the babies were inside which meant now they could be dead. No...no... She'd lost her home in the prison and her home in Daryl. She stumbled back into the trees blinded with tears. She tried to run but tumbled to the ground, tripping on roots. She hit the dirt hard and her hair flowed free from its loosening braid and fell over her sweaty, dirt streaked face. When she looked up, she saw it carved in the solid tree trunk. DD + DDD with a fucking heart and everything. She heard a loud cawing and turned her eyes up where a murder of crows flew like one black cloud across the sky. They dispersed with the deafening flapping of multiple wings. Danni blinked hard trying to remain conscious. Then all was black.