The sun was high at midday and despite the increased heat Glen and Maggie still took the time to walk along the court yard together. With poles in one hand, palms in the other they kept their eyes on the Walkers that loitered the space around their little oasis. A question was on Glen's lips, Maggie could tell by the way he sucked his lips in and kept his jaw clenched. She knew he wanted to say something and it was only a matter of time until it was said. With all the changes happening, though, she knew better than to ask what was on his mind. It wasn't that she was afraid he would explode; she was terrified he would clam up.

"I just, I just don't get Rick. At the bat I watched him kill those two guys for even suggesting they join our group. And even with the prisoners, he made it a point to keep them apart and now-," he stopped suddenly to shake his head at his own words, "Now he's letting them in without hesiation. I-I just don't get it."

Maggie let a little sigh from between her lips before looking to Glen with whatever answer she had thought of, "Maybe it's because their group is mostly made of girls."

"But girls can be just as bad as guys," Glen quickly responded, "I mean, look at you."

"What about me?" Maggie snapped, her shoulders quickly becoming riggid.

"Oh...," Glen drawled out, realizing that she had taken it offensively, "I-I just mean, you're tough, scary-strong, I mean strong-and brave. Braver than me. I-I'm just trying to say...Just because they're mostly girls doesn't make them safe."

Maggie turned her head away while still keeping her eyes narrowed and on him, "Well, maybe it's because of LeLu. She's just about Carl's age, maybe he thinks they got good morals or something."

"I guess," Glen relented, turning his gaze back to the Walkers on the fence. He release Maggie's hand and shoved the pole into the head of the Walker that had gotten a little out of hand. He turned back to her and used his free hand to complete a semi-shrug as he said, "But what about us? What about our supplies?"

"They said they had more back at the cabin. Lots o' guns and ammunition. Maybe that's what he's," Maggie paused her sentence to follow Glen's example, "after."

"But is it worth it?" We don't know anything about these people," Glen continued.

"I didn't know you," Maggie's comment hung in the air but not without going unnoticed. As Glen looked out to what ever direction he could a soft grin formed on his lips and a little blush rushed into his cheeks as if he were thinking about their first time, which seemed so long ago. Maggie glanced over at him and let a similar kind of smile cross her lips as she reached forward to grab at his elbow in a gentle way, "I'm just trying to say, Rick wouldn't keep them if he thought they were trouble."

Glen nodded his head but still kept the little smile on his lips, "Okay."

"What are you thinking about now?" she asked, her smile growing wider as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Nothing," he smirked, shaking his head as he leaned into her.

She giggled softly as she turned her head away with her free hand, "Stop it."

"No," he smiled, his lips getting closer as she kept her face still. She placed a simple kiss against her lips but she returned it fully, as she always did. He pulled away finally and whispered, "I love you."

She kept her eyes on him with a gentle smile, "Love you too."

Glen took his pole with both hands and shoved it through the head of another Walker-SQUISH.

The Walking Dead

Nice Things

Beth held the baby calmly in her arms as the baby cried in a fit of panic. Beside her sat a series of bottles that laid empty or half empty and while she kept her composure it was visible the toll it was taking on her. Beth tried everything-rocking the baby, cradling the baby, and singing to the baby yielded even worse results. She questioned herself, "What am I doing wrong?"

Nothing she did seemed to work and there was no one she could turn to either. Glen and Maggie were out on their stroll, Rick and Daryl were out scouting the free cell block and the others...she had no idea. She could call Carl, though. Last she had checked he was spying on the new goup. He had confided in her that something must have been wrong with them, since they slept so much and sometimes shouted in their dreams. He was certain they were sick with something they had caught on the open road and it wasn't safe for Judith to be around them.

But if she called him, what could he do? At the very least he could give her company. She held the baby against her as she leaned forward and whispered, "Carl! Carl!'

"He's not here," it was a female voice that answered her, one she was unfamiliar with but the accent was Eastern so she knew it must have been someone from the new group, "He left a little while ago."

Beth was silent, her mouth hanging open slightly as the words of the woman bounced through the prison.

"Have you tried burping her?" the woman asked and it was then that it clicked. Judith had gas.

Beth looked down at the crying darling with wide frightened eyes before returning her gaze to the open corridor. She replied quietly, "I-I don't know how."

"It's easy. Just hold her against your chest, lean back, and with one hand-make sure that hand is holding the back of her head and upper back so she has support-and when you're done cup your free hand and begin to pat her back. It's going to make a loud, scary noise but it doesn't really hurt. It's just the echo from your cupped hand," the woman instructed in a slow measured voice as if she were reciting to a child.

Beth listened intently and followed the directions as they came out of her mouth but a nervousness gripped her. Judith was so small and she moved so much but Beth knew this was the only answer, this was the only way to get her to stop crying. Slowly, carefully she began to pat the baby's back and as if she were waiting for it the entire time a loud, almost adult burp escaped the child's opened mouth and with it the wailing seemed to end. In excitement Beth exclaimed, "I did it!"

"Yeah!" the woman encouraged, "But don't stop, you have to keep doing it. I'm sure there's a lot more gas in there and don't be surprised if she needs a diaper change right after."

"How did you know that's what she needed?" Beth asked after some time, each fart or burp giving her the strength and confidence to continue.

"I basically raised all three of my sisters. After that much time with kids you pick up a few things."

Anna, that's who she was.

Through out the entire conversation Anna had been pressed against the bars, her arms slipping through every now and then with the desire to hold the child and take care of the situation herself. She glanced back briefly to double check that the others were still asleep, they were...well except for LeLa. While the child wailed she and Anna had undergone their rebonding by hugging one another and crying silent tears drowned out by the noise. But Anna made no move to mention LeLa, knowing full well that she wanted to lay in her existence as she always did after tough times. Anna continued, "Are you the only one that takes care of her?"

"No," Beth quickly replied, not wanting Anna to get the wrong impression of the group, "We all take turns. It's just...when everyone else is busy I take care of her. And it's not like it's a big chore. I like taking care of her, she's usually not so..."

"Crazy," Anna supplied. With Beth's laughter taking up the place of the baby's cries Anna allowed herself the chance to give a little smile. She hadn't made anyone but her group laugh in a while and she had begun to suspect she was losing her touch.

"Yeah, crazy," Beth agreed, cringing at the sound of a loud fart that promised more than just noise, "Eghh. But I definitely don't like changing diapers."

"I could help you if you want," Anna's suggestion was quiet and delivered in an absent-minded manner although it contradicted how she felt. Desperately she wanted to free herself from the cage and the tiny confines they were forced into. She wanted fresh air and sunlight, she wanted choice.

"I don't know...," Beth replied hesitantly although her body moved into action by leaving the cell and walking to face her, "I don't think Rick would be to happy with me if I did."

"It's okay, it was just a suggestion," Anna sighed, not bothering to hide the disappointment in her voice while keeping a warm smile. "I don't want you to get into trouble."

Beth looked up at Anna, and it was visible on her features that she felt pity for the poor leader of the new group. She wondered briefly how Rick would feel in her position, would he have taken the arrangement so kindly? Beth didn't bother to answer her question but instead she did answer Anna's, "You know...I don't really think he'd mind too much."

The smile on Anna's face became genuine and real as she stepped back and watched the girl open the large cell, "Thank you, thank you so much!"

A laugh escaped Beth's lips as she stepped back and shook her head, "Don't worry about it. But thank you for helping me with her, I was losing my mind."

Anna nodded, "I could tell. Uh, do you mind if I?"

"Oh, not at all!" Beth grinned as she handed Judy over to Anna's out stretched arms. It was such a natural movement and in seconds everything seemed so calm, it was as if Anna had been born to have children, or at least handle them. Beth commented softly, "I haven't seen her so calm in such a long time."

"Don't feel bad, I just have the magic touch," Anna smiled, "We all do. I'm good with crying children, LeLa's good with crying people, and Marley...Marley's good with crying sisters."

Beth gave a slight eye roll but not at Anna, at the thought that created her response, "I know what you mean, Maggie's the same way. Maggie's good at giving people a reality check but if you need a shoulder to cry on you'd get further with a rock"

Anna laughed, a weird sound that was sharp in the beginning and rolled into something else. She shook her head in a slow way, "It's like they're the same person."

Beth smiled, "What are the chances they'll be friends?"

"I don't know...," Anna shrugged, "Marley's kind of hard-headed."

"I heard that!" Marley shouted from somewhere behind.

Anna's face twisted into the face of someone that had just been caught during an awful crime, making Beth laugh and especially with her reply, "Shh, go back to sleep!"

Marley suddenly appeared behind the two, standing in the doorway that had once been their prison. Her eyes were not on them but on her fingers that she used to unbraid her now dry hair, "Why? So you can keep talkin' smack?"

"It's not considered talking 'smack' when it's the truth," Anna countered, narrowing her eyes at the girl that had just released her hair from it's hold.

"You can't handle the truth!" Marley declared so loud it bounced off the walls and returned the groans of Walkers far away. A serious expression formed on her features as she looked to Beth, "There...there're Walkers here?"

"This cell block is secure and Daryl and Rick went to go make sure the other is secure as well," Beth answered in a strong manner, making sure to stand tall and not shrivel underneath the penetrating gaze of the two older women.

"Wh-"

Before Marley could finish her sentence LeLa suddenly spoke. She had been standing behind Marley since her outburst but decided to make herself known at that second, "Speaking of Daryl and Rick. I've been thinking of the horrible condition we left the car in this morning. I think we should clean it up and maybe clean all the cars while we're at it."

"Clean the cars?" Anna asked with her head slightly bent and her face long to express how idiotic the idea seemed to her.

"Yes, clean the cars," LeLa snapped, "Just because it's the end of the world doesn't mean we can't have nice things. And it'll make a difference, show good faith."

"Do you know how hot it is?" Marley groaned, taking her first step into the cell block so she could look back at her sister.

LeLa nodded, "Yeah, and it might be a good way to cool off too."

"What are we going to clean it with?" Marley asked, folding her arms over her chest to show her disinterest.

"Water?" LeLa asked, rolling her eyes with the same attitude being given to her.

"I don't know," Anna finally sighed, turning back to the baby who had just begun to stink, "But I'm not going to help, I'm on baby-duty."

Marley smirked as she looked over Anna with the child, "Looks like Lance owes me five bucks."

"Why?" Beth asked with nervousness, unsure if she could join in.

Marley looked to Beth with her smirk still on her lips, "We made a bet to see who would hold the baby first, Anna or LeLa. I bet on Anna and I won."

Beth let out a little laugh but stopped when a thought hit her, "You know...LeLa...what you were saying. It might be a good idea. But you don't have to clean all the cars...you can just clean that one and maybe Daryl's motorcycle too. It's been a long time since he's takin' care of it and Axel just gave it a tune up."

LeLa smiled brightly as she looked over the faces of her sister, "You hear that. At least someone isn't selfish around here."

"Selfish?" Anna asked, rolling her eyes as she looked away, "I'm not even gonna get started."

"But...how are we supposed to clean it up still?" Marley asked, already knowing she was roped into the job.

"Well...I'm sure there's stuff we can use in the supply closet. This place had a lot of stuff stored since before the attacks," Beth suggested, looking between the three of them as she did.

"Brilliant!" LeLa exclaimed in a voice a lot quieter than Marley's initial scream.

"Alright, alright, but before anything. We have to get this baby cleaned," Anna huffed.

The girls laughed as they crinkled their noses, the smell hitting them then. Beth began to take a step back to the cell she had sat in before, "Come on, I'll get you some diapers."

While all this occurred, Carl sat in one of the guard towers in hiding. With his gun and it's make-shift silencer he looked out of the windows and watched Walkers come and Walkers go. He glanced backward at the prison briefly, as if to think about Beth who he left on her own. He was almost positive she still didn't know he was gone.

A minuscule smile lifted his lips as pride filled his spirit. Although it was a bad thing to do, something everyone advised against, he loved to sneak around and sneak away. He thought of it as training. If he could get away in plain view from humans he could get away from Walkers too, if he were fast enough-something he was. But there was a small part that-no, he didn't want to think about it. His face grew dim as his thoughts took him on their own journey. Part of his sneaking away came with the hope that someone would go looking for him but the trouble was that he had become better at hiding than they had become at searching. Often times they would just begin to call him when he had already gotten bored and now it wasn't a game. Now it was routine. Carl liked his isolation, especially in the guard tower.

In the tower he felt like his father, like the protector and the leader of the group. In the tower he could imagine his father turning to him as he often did to Daryl, to Shane or his mother, to question a decision he were to make. But he knew he was too young to earn that position among the group. But he could still dream. He dreamed he was the best shot left in the world and no matter how far or how close he could get a Walker and he could save everyone from the danger that surrounded them. He dreamed he could save the people that were already gone.

"Carl!" Carol's voice calling him suddenly got his attention and in a scramble he exited the little booth to find her searching, "Carl!"

"Up here!" He replied in a panic, getting her attention with a little wave of his hand, "What's wrong?!"

"You up there on your own, for starters!" she answered, cupping her hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun, "I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"You have?" he questioned, a little joy making his heart light.

"Of course! Come down!" She called, dropping her hand as her eyes adjusted. Carl walked to the steps and climbed down so he could meet Carol at the door, "What did your father say about running off like that?"

"I had to keep watch," Carl said, making sure not to add an attitude.

In the shade Carol didn't need to squint her eyes so Carl could see the concern leaking from them. Her arms folded over her chest and she sighed, "You know it's Glen and Maggie's turn now."

"Doesn't really look like it," Carl mumbled, turning his eyes away with certain knowledge he would be scolded.

But to his surprise Carol let out a light laugh that caught his attention. He looked up at her to see her eyes crinkling in the corners like they did when she was really happy and not faking it. A small smile came to his mouth again and she reached forward and touched his shoulder as many in the group often did, "Come on. I need your help with something."

"You do?" he questioned, his eyes growing wide as he stood taller as he prepared himself to complete the mission.

"Oh yeah," she nodded, her smile still on her lips. "And it's a secret too so don't tell anyone."

Carl nodded his head, following Carol away from the guard tower, "Okay, I won't."

In Cell Block B, Daryl and Rick swung the last of the dead bodies out of the little courtyard with a thud. Rick wiped his hands together as he sighed, "That's the last of 'em."

"What d'we do about the blood?" Daryl asked, shutting the door to the outside and sealing it once again with the chair they used to prevent its opening from the outside.

Rick was silent as they walked backed into the cell area, his eyes scanning the blood splatters on the ground that have seemed to dry on the floor. He looked back to Daryl as he placed his hands on his hips, "We'll give the some janitorial supplies, tell them they can redecorate the place how ever they want."

Daryl nodded his head, rolling his shoulders as if to loosen them from the strain they had been put under. The two men walked to the weapons they had put down, Rick with his gun and Daryl with his crossbow, before heading back to the infested corridors. In the quiet of their absent conversation they were able to walk through the corridors they had memorized with out fear of bumping into the Walkers that lived in them. The silence wasn't awkward-they had already discussed whether inviting the group to stay was a good idea or not-but instead rather comforting. Since Shane's death, and especially since Lori's, Rick had adopted Daryl's method of speaking only when necessary; small talk was not an option for him anymore. It wasn't until Rick turned down a hallway that didn't lead to Cell Block C. Daryl paused and asked, "Where you goin'?"

"I'm waitin' for a phone call," Rick answered in a short manner, not meeting Daryl's eye until after the sentence was complete.

Daryl's mouth opened to say something but instead he shut it and looked down as he motioned to Rick's gun, "Don't get yourself ina any trouble."

"I won't," Rick smiled briefly before turning away and walking to the direction of the boiler room.

Alone, Daryl walked the rest of the way through the corridor, keeping his eyes and ears open for the signature dragging of Walker feet. Daryl was always tense when he walked through the corridors but when ever he and Rick separated he grew increasingly so. Although he did not want to admit it he knew he was waiting for the single gun shot that would signify the end of a life, or several. Most of him thought, no...Rick wouldn't do that, not to Carl and Little Ass Kicker-but there was a small, nagging part of him that thought...maybe...maybe he would. The light of the clean room inhabited by the new group shined to meet him but he paused a second, still waiting for the shot or the ringing Rick insisted was there, but all that came back to him was silence.

And so, Daryl moved on. He opened the locked gate with his set of keys-he and Rick and Hershel both had a set of their own while there was a spare set for the rest of the group-and walked in as quietly as he could. He had been under the impression the group would still be asleep but to his surprise the room was vacant except for the tall blonde boy, Taylor, sitting on his cot and digging into a small box of cheerios. Taylor let out a little whistle as he looked at the crossbow, "Nice, bow, what kind is it?"

Dumbfounded, Daryl answered, "Horton Scout 125 HD."

Taylor nodded his head with satisfaction, "Cool. My dad had a Horton Bone Collector with all the bells and whistles. He didn't even hunt, he just like...kept it there to threaten me and my sister. But I still appreciate it though."

Daryl nodded briefly, his mouth slightly open as he looked around in his confusion.

"Don't worry. The other's are cool. Anna's with...the little blonde haired gir-"

"Beth."

"-l, yeah, Beth. And they're taking care of the baby. Lance is helping that old gu-"

"Hershel."

"-y, yeah, Hershel, with something. And last I heard LeLa and Marley were out cleaning up vomit. And LeLu's out there with them probably catching butterflies or something," Taylor answered, returning his attention to the little package. "Are there any pens around here? There's this crossword on the back an...never mind."

Daryl had already left the area and began his way to check on the others. Although he thought them harmless he still had to ensure the safety of the group. It was under Rick's strict order that they not be let out, he had to make sure they didn't manipulate their way out in order to take over-something he highly doubted. Daryl's first stop was Beth who sat in her cell with Anna and Judith. He simply glanced in and moved on; there was no danger although after his check there would be question of it.

His next stop was Hershel who he found instructing Lance on where boxes of supplies should be shifted too in order to create space, his way of getting into the mind of the man. Daryl moved on and went to the large courtyard where Glen and Maggie were supposed to be on watch but were most-likely in a tower somewhere having sex. Daryl bursted through the doors and from the top saw the two women he had seen running for their lives in a completely different manner.

He stepped down a bit and lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the sun as he squinted for a clearer view. The one girl, Marley, laid outstretched on the hood of the car while just the legs of the other, LeLa, could be seen from his point of view. Daryl looked around for any of the others but all he could find was LeLu, as Taylor predicted, chasing after butterflies.

While inside the green 2010 Hyundai Tucson LeLa scrubbed the seats as hard as she could to get the stench of vomit and dried zombie guck off of the leather interior. She used both hands to send back and forth the scrubbing brush they had found in the janitor's closet while Marley laid on the roof working on her tan. Marley sighed behind her shut eyes, "You know what we need right about now?"

"Help?" LeLa grumbled.

"Music," Marley answered herself, smiling as she did. "How much more fun would this be if we could listen to Ke$ha. 'This place about to bloo-o-oh-o-oh-oh-oh-ohw! Bloo-o-oh-o-oh-oh-oh-ohw!'"

"It probably wouldn't be that much more fun since I'd still be doing this by myself," LeLa snapped, "I mean, come on. I shouldn't be doing this! You know I'm hurt!"

"Aww, the little baby and her 'sprained ankle,'" Marley mocked.

LeLa stood from her work and glanced at her sister from behind the door, "That's not what I mean."

Marley turned over on the hood and looked to LeLa, "I helped with the motorcycle."

"Come on, Marley, really. You know how bad this bi-"

"Hey!" Marley shouted nervously, causing LeLa to spin around in time to see Daryl coming up right behind her. Marley rolled off the hood and landed on her feet, skidding only slightly before running up to her sister's side, "You weren't supposed to see this yet."

"What're you two doin'?" he asked, eyeing them both curiously as if he were waiting for the second half of LeLa's interrupted sentence to spill from her lips.

"LeLa just had the idea to clean up her puke from the car, didn't you Le," Marley smiled, elbowing her sister lightly while making sure not to hit her bite.

LeLa glanced upward at Daryl and his narrowed eyes briefly before quickly dropping her gaze to the ground again, an obvious discomfort taking over her as she nervously answered, "Ye-Yeah. It's all out now and it should dry quickly like your bike over there. I just wanted to sa- we just wanted to say thank you for...you know. Saving our lives and giving us a place to stay. We wanted to thank you and Rick. Where is he?"

"He's in the boiler room. He'll come out on his own," Daryl answered, his eyes scanning over the motorcycle glistening in the sun.

"What's he doing there?" Marley asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"He talks to his dead wife sometimes," Daryl answered absentmindedly, "It helps 'im get ahold on things."

LeLa's head lowered as a visible sadness crept into her features. Marley rolled her eyes and warned, "Don't cry!"

"I'm not going to cry," LeLa snapped. She looked up to Daryl, her eyes visibly watering, "Where is it?"

Daryl took a half step back as he pivoted his body back to the prison, "I'll go take yo-"

"No," she quickly denied, her eyes not meeting his. "It's okay, I mean, you don't have to. I'll go ask Carol or someone. Thank you."

He opened his mouth to protest but before he could she had already begun her limp past him and back to the prison. Marley watched with frustration as her sister left her with Daryl and his growing suspicion. She turned to LeLu in hopes that she would get her out of the situation but the little girl was far too distracted. Marley began to turn around anyway but Daryl's voice forced her to a stop, "Whas wrong with her?"

Marley froze for half a second, unsure if he meant attitude-wise of pain-wise, but she answered quickly in an attempt to confuse him, "She's scared of big men with big weapons."

He seemed to flinch at the answer but it changed quickly to confusion, "She ain't got nothin' to be afraid of."

Marley shrugged, "Well, good luck trying to convince her of that. She's scared of her own shadow but anyway I'm getting sun bleached. LeLu! It's time to come in!"

"Aww! Really?!" LeLu shouted back, obvious disappointment in her voice.

"Yes, really!" Marley snapped, the awkwardness of having Daryl still there making her irritable. Daryl opened his mouth to say 'thank you' but changed his mind and turned back around to begin his search for Maggie and Glen.

Once inside, LeLa followed the sound of voices to the cell block they had slept in. She walked into a conversation between the older woman, Carol, and Anna and Beth. Beside her was Carl with his cool hat and gun, something she had always wanted to mention. LeLa watched for a few seconds, not wanting to intrude, but a tension filled her as if she had to talk to Rick as soon as she could. She stepped forward and hesitantly asked, "Excuse me?"

The conversation stopped and Carol turned her gaze to the girl before her, "Yes, sweetie?"

"I was just wondering if someone could show me to the boiler room? I need to talk to Rick about something," she answered in the calmest tone she could muster.

"I could show you," Carl offered, his eyes never leaving the woman as he clung to his gun in his hand.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be any trouble," LeLa smiled sincerely.

He nodded his head, "Don't worry. Come on."

He turned around and began to lead the way without another word. LeLa smiled to the rest of the woman in thanks as she followed behind the young boy. LeLa looked at the small kid and felt a sense of pity for him. The poor boy must have been LeLu's age, maybe a little older, and yet the two couldn't be any different. While this boy was serious, responsible, and able-bodied LeLu was childish, frightened easily of little things, and more of a distraction than a help. But she would never admit that out loud. Instead she looked at Carl and whispered in a quiet tone, "Thank you so much for this."

Carl nodded simply before placing his finger to his lips, the universal signal for 'don't talk.' He motioned again with his gun to the area around him, their signal for 'Walkers.' She nodded, her signal for 'got it,' and they continued. In the silence LeLa felt her eyes widen with slight panic as they came across dead Walker and dead Walker. Most were dressed as convicts while some were dressed as civilians-something that became a concern for her. If civilian Walkers could get in...just how many Walkers were there?

The young boy stopped in front of door and motioned with his head to the sign that read 'Boiler Room' before opening it. Slowly, they creeped inside, making sure to close the door tightly behind them. Carl made the motion for her to go on as he took a seat on the steps. She nodded her head and walked through the boiler room and followed the voice of Rick and someone on the phone.

"...Rick, I have to g-"

"Lori, please? I need you. I can't let you go," Rick's voice was filled with desperation and dripped into LeLa's ears, breaking her heart. A moment of silence passed and in that moment LeLa found herself in the little room where Rick sat at a desk with the phone pressed to his ear. He tried again, in a quiet voice filled with even clearer distress, "Lori? Please?"

He slammed the receiver down in a fury, causing LeLa to jump and hit something that had been on the floor. Rick turned around with his gun poised but she quickly pressed her hands in the air, "I come in peace!"

Rick lowered his gun and placed it back on the table where it had been before. As Rick lowered his head LeLa lowered her hands and sat on the stool that was placed by the desk Rick sat at. He questioned, "What are you doin' here?"

"I came to thank you," she answered, "for everything."

"You're welcome," Rick replied in a dismissive manner. He turned back to the phone and picked it up once again and placed it to his ear but when there was no answer he placed it back into the cradle with defeat.

"You're wife's name was Lori, right?" LeLa asked, making sure to keep her voice calm, "How did she pass?"

Rick's hands suddenly balled into tight fists as if a rage came over him with which he had no control; but the rage passed and with it what ever strength he had left. He whispered softly, "There was an attack and I wasn't there to help her...She was giving birth to our baby...I wasn't there to protect her."

LeLa felt tears sting her eyes as she listened to the man's story and watched the salty drops fall from his own. She swallowed hard the ball in her throat and whispered in the same tone, "It's not your fault."

"You weren't there," he replied angrily. The hand that had been supporting his head dropped so he could face her, "You don't know."

She nodded her head slowly, "I do...She sacrificed her life for your baby girl's. She made the choice, the right one at that. She did a very selfless thing. You shouldn't mourn her...you should celebrate her. She sounds like a very brave woman."

"She wasn't just brave," Rick spoke, his tone still as angry as before, "She was the bravest. She did so much...she tried so hard to make a..to make everything feel like a home."

He lowered his head again and turned away from LeLa as he began to wipe his tears. LeLa blinked back some of her own as she observed, "You loved her a lot, didn't you?"

A quiet sob escaped his throat as his elbows rested on the desk so his hands could keep his head up. His fingers ran through his hair and squeezed tight with the threat of pulling, "I didn't tell her...I didn't tell her how much I needed her. How much she meant to me! I thought I thought we had time, I thought we could fix it. And then the attack happened and we were separated and I wasn't there, I wasn't there to save her."

"There was no way you could," LeLa protested.

"You don't know that!" Rick shouted, his fingers loosening in his hair. He calmed slightly and repeated, "You don't know what I could have done."

LeLa took in a shivering breath as she reached her hand forward and hovered it over his shoulder before pulling it back, "Rick...," she whispered, "I know...I know you feel overwhelmed with death right now. I know you feel like you're drowning in it. But reach up...Just reach up."

He gripped his skull tightly as if there was no room inside for her words. He groaned in the pained voice of his, "I'm trying."

She let her hand fall onto his shoulder as she replied, "Try harder."

"I'm trying," he repeated, his body sinking into itself slightly.

LeLa stood from the stool as she dropped her arm to her side and sighed, "Not hard enough."

LeLa walked away from Rick and to Carl who wiped at his eyes roughly to remove the evidence that he had been crying too. He didn't bother to look at LeLa, but instead he turned and left the Boiler Room, not waiting to see if she would follow. LeLa felt the sadness in her heart grow heavier as she watched the angry boy walk ahead of her. She wanted to reach out to him as she reached out to his father but this boy fell into the gap. While Sam could help the children and she could help the others he stood at the middle of the two and couldn't be reached by either in his hatred.

Maybe one day, she promised. Maybe one day someone could help him.