Chapter 6: The Killer Within

Author's Notes: I can't even begin to thank everyone for their reviews and favorites. I normally like to respond to reviews (so please forgive me), but the last episode totally threw me. I cried like a baby, and watching Talking Dead was like going to a funeral. So please forgive me, I will respond to you all. I had to compensate, for my overzealousness and mistaken assumptions with the last chapter. Even then I had to rewrite much of it. Then I re-wrote it again.

As usual, please respond. If Daryl is coming off as too 'Mary-Sue' let me know. He is still gruff, but he obviously cares, so I'm trying to get it right. But if you think this is too sappy, then you would have hated what I deleted.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy my variation on "The Killer Within"

Chapter 6: The Killer Within

Lane stood there in the RV, chest heaving up and down...panting and staring directly into Daryl's eyes. The heat emanating made her want to melt.

There were no words that needed saying anymore. Yet still he bit his lip hard, fidgeting with his his cuticle while he stared back at her. A few minutes ago he'd been about to take her on the concrete floor. And that flash of imagery momentarily paralyzed him.

Lane, however, was no longer able to restrain herself, and slammed herself into him, smashing her hungry lips against his and threading her tongue with his.

"Please? Now!" she ground out as she creeped her fingers under his shirt, eager to rip the offending fabric off him.

Lane felt crazed with need, as if she'd been drugged. These past few hours had excited every cell of her being.

"I swear to God, Daryl?" she moaned into his mouth as he walked her to the bed. He reached his hands inside her t-shirt, and with a duck of her neck, the t-shirt was off.

"A bra?" Daryl whined at the additional fabric, in no way impressed by the exquisite lace that lifted and cupped her tits so perfectly the way Victoria's Secret guaranteed. To him, it was nothing more than a frilly obstruction.

"Really? I thought guys were supposed to like pretty bras," Lane complained at the less than desirable reaction, completely exposing her naivete.

With one hand, he ripped the delicate fabric down. Suddenly her breasts bounced free and into his greedy hands. With the look of a man supremely pleased, he bent down to suckle one full tit while his other hand tantalized the other, showing her exactly what this man really liked.

"LANIE! DARYL!" Miriam banged loudly on the RV door. She hated to interrupt but figured better her than Rick, who might just barge in on hopefully something that was going on.

"DARYL? RICK FOUND A BREAK IN THE FENCE! HE NEEDS YOUR HELP!" Miriam yelled through the fiberglass walls of the RV.

"NO!" Lane protested, still panting frantically against Daryl who was breathing equally as hard. They both wanted to rant, rail and scream that this wasn't fair. That it wasn't really happening. But instead they both did exactly what they knew they had to do. Reluctantly they adjusted their clothing and opened the door.

"Which way?" Lane asked. Just then Rick walked around the corner to join them.

"S'ok Lane...Daryl and I've got this!" Rick protested at her assumption that she would join them. "Don't need too many of us out there in the dark! I just need backup and help fixing the fence.

Lane looked at Daryl. "Be careful!"

"Always!" he reminded her, then blushed when he realized Rick and Miriam were still there, Rick with a strange look om his face.

Daryl followed Rick but not without a quick look at the night sky. "J.C., you're a real laugh riot!" he growled sarcastically and watched Lane and Miriam go inside.

"What the fuck? How long's this been like this!" Daryl looked at the cut fencing, crudely repaired like the opening in the fence they had made

"I'm not sure! That's why I wanted you and only you. I'm worried somthing's up, and I don't like it. But I'm not ready to start a panic tonight," Rick admitted. "I trust you, and needed your judgment."

"What about that other prisoner? Oscar?" Daryl suggested as he tried to remember the guy's name, his mind running through any other alternatives.

"It's what I'm thinking! But I don't see how. He's been locked up?" Rick shook his head. "But we never checked to see if he had keys."

"Maybe Axel did it and we just missed this yesterday?" Daryl continued speculating.

"Plausible. But until we know, we have to increase watch duty...," Rick ran his hands through his hair, wondering if they'd ever catch a break.

Daryl and Rick worked together in silence and secured the fence. The entire time they looked around for anything else suspicious.

"Morning!" Lane smiled when Daryl and Rick eventually joined them in the Cafeteria the next morning. Everyone had tried to be real quiet all morning, knowing the two men had been up until dawn and needed their sleep.

Lane had hoped Daryl would come back to her, and she tried to wait up but after an hour she fell asleep, profoundly sexually frustrated...and alone.

Daryl met her eyes, feeling himself begin to blush as memories of last night came rushing back. He had wanted to get back to her too, but he'd been more disturbed and concerned by what he and Rick found and couldn't sleep until they walked the perimeter at least three times.

"Coffee," Ethel brought the large pot over and filled his cup. Miriam then brought over two heaping plates and set them down in front of the two exhausted men.

Daryl actually took a minute to savor the hot beverage while Rick just sucked it down. Damn, that old lady sure could brew a damn good cup of coffee, Daryl thought. He was beginning to share Lane's addiction and appreciation for the good stuff. And it sure beat the hell out of that cold, instant crap they'd been drinking.

"Everyone!" Rick spoke forcefully to get the group's attention after he'd finished. "I need all of you to continue to remain on high alert!"

The group initially paused at the news. They'd all figured they were safe now since Axel was gone. So this new information was alarming.

"We found a break in the fence last night. Now, it might have been Axel and we just didn't catch it. It probably was, but until we're sure, like always, everyone needs to be vigilant." Rick tried to reassure them, but still Carol shrank at the mere mention of Axel's name.

"Are we still going to finish clearing the yard?" Carl asked.

"You bet we are!" Rick insisted, not wanting to dampen anyone's spirits nor seeing any reason too. And he wasn't going to let anyone keep them inside, cowering in fear.

"Hell Yeah! Let's do this thing then," T-Dog joined in, ready to get the work going. And in a flash, everyone was joining in, excited to be back outside... And planning for their future!

"Hey, look! It's your Dad!" Lane looked over at Maggie as they carried another dead walker to the fire pit. She dropped her load and pointed excitedly over to Hershel, who was accompanied by Beth, Lori and Carl. But Hershel had walked the entire way using crutches.

Even T-Dog and Carol dropped the dead walker they were dragging to take in the sight. This was a sign of real hope. A beacon!

"Daddy!" Maggie ran across the field, her face beaming with love and pride.

"Wanna race me Hershel?" Carl teased Hershel, impressed at the old man's strength and determination.

"Tomorrow Buddy! Then I'll be ready to take ya on," Hershel replied good-naturedly, realizing this outing was improving not only his spirits, but the groups.

Lane looked back behind her, and even Rick, Glenn and Daryl paused, dropping the firewood they'd gathered to give Hershel a wave.

'It's gonna be a good day,' Lane thought to herself as she too smiled and waved. Hershel making it through the hope they all needed.

"WALKERS! WALKERS!" Carl's scream ripped across the yard. Carl, immediately drew his gun and started firing at the horde, oblivious to the numbers or the danger.

"Oh God," Lane felt the panic flood through her as she pulled her knife and raced behind Carol and T-Dog, desperate to get to the courtyard and help. Lane pushed her legs to run faster as walkers started getting closer to Beth and Hershel, who struggled to get away with just his crutches.

"No...No..." Lane heard Rick scream as a walker came up behind Lori. Lori was too occupied shooting the walkers coming at her and Carl from the front. But T-Dog reached the hungry walker just before it could grab her, efficiently skewering it's head and shoving it to the side.

Lane finally caught up to the group, her gun already pulled and no longer worried about killing quietly. She stood next to Carl and Lori, all of them picking walkers off like they were at a shooting gallery.

"Lane!" she heard Daryl scream from behind the fence while Glenn still fumbled with the keys, trying to get them out of the dog run.

She would never have seen the walker that was bearing down on her from behind if Daryl hadn't warned her. Without hesitation she turned and blew its brains out and immediately turned back to continue shooting, but a new surge of walkers separated her from Lori, Maggie and Carl.

"How are they still coming at us...from both sides?" Lane screamed at T-Dog who was now beside her.

"Look, that gate over there is also open!" T-Dog pointed with his gun. Unlike yesterday, when just the chain had been smashed, this gate had been pulled wide open and the walkers were flooding in, 5-6 at a time. They'd never hold out at this rate. They had to stop the bleeding!

" Again? How? Oscar's been locked up this whole time!" Lane yelled back, taking down three more, overwhelmed by everything that was happening.

"Don't matter now! We gotta get both them gates closed or we're all done!" T-Dog raced towards the open gate!

"Don't T-Dog! Wait for me!" Lane yelled at the man to stop so she could back him up. Seeing T-Dog's intention, Carol also ran to help him while Lane tried to stem the tide of walkers that followed.

The waiting was killing Daryl as he watched everyone else struggle to fight the neverending stream of walkers, and he could do nothing. He was useless and helpless.

And Lane had almost been bit. He choked back the bile, kicking at the fence in frustration and pentup fury. Finally Glenn opened the gate and they all raced in, weapons at the ready. The pent up fury made all of their initial kills quite spectacular...except the walkers continued coming at them.

He'd almost reached Lori and Carl, when he heard Lane scream again, this time a heartbreaking wail. But as soon as he spun around to find her, these obnoxious sirens began going off, like a beacon calling all the walkers from miles around.

"Fuck this!" he screamed and stomped around helplessly Couldn't they ever get a damn break? They began shooting the speakers in the yard, but all the other speakers around the prison, and inside, were still shrieking. Daryl swirled around until he caught sight of Lane, standing alone and shooting. He raced to her.

"Lane? Are ya bit? Ya ok? What happened?" Daryl fired question after question upon her. With the gates finally closed and the help of three more people, they quickly killed all the intruding walkers, but except for Beth and Hershel, who had managed to lock themselves in the catwalk, all the others were gone.

"T-Dog was bit! On the shoulder! I begged him to wait for me," tears streamed down her face. "But he wouldn't and now he's bit!". This was her first personal loss since the apocalypse, and she wasn't sure she could handle the intense pain. She'd made herself so safe for so long!

"Lori and Carl?" Rick ran over to her, desperate for news on his family.

"They made it back inside, to C-block. Maggie's with them!" Lane's voice choked.

"Let's go!" Rick said with relief and ran towards the entrance to get to his wife and son as soon as possible.

"What about T-Dog and Carol?" Lane was still crying, frozen in position.

"We can't split up any more. They'll find a place to hide, and we'll go back for them," Rick assured her. He could tell Lane wasn't completely on board and Daryl wasn't either, but he had to keep everyone together.

"We also have to check on your aunts. If Oscar is the one responsible..." Rick let his voice trail off, refusing to give voice to the unthinkable.

With renewed determination, she ran behind Rick and Glenn with Daryl pulling up the rear. But as soon as they opened the door to C-block, they all knew something was horribly wrong.

There were walkers shuffling in the outer anteroom that just an hour ago had been completely safe and secure. Now the gated doors were both wide open. This had been their home... Where they had slept in complete safety for the first time in months and it was now violated by these things.

"NO!" Lane screamed as she raced forward, fiercely decapitating the nearest walker. And so they fought, taking down at least six more and looking at five more milling around in the cell block.

"Aunt Ethel, Aunt Miriam?" Lane screamed as they took down the remaining walkers, their zombie bodies littering the concrete floor.

"Thank God!" she heard their voices from their cell at the far end. Glenn and Daryl raced to the rear and resecured the doors from that end to make sure no more attacked them.

"Are you ok?" Lane yelled back while she rushed to get to them.

"We locked ourselves in our cell so they couldn't get to us. I don't know how they got in. It all happened so fast!" Aunt Miriam yelled back.

"Glenn? Keys?" Lane needed to touch and hold her aunts, reassure herself they were really alive.

"What's happening?" Ethel reiterated as Glenn unlocked the cell and Lane ran into their arms. To Daryl's discomfort Miriam pulled him reluctantly into her arms, loudly kissing his filthy, stubbly cheek and patting his back.

"It's Oscar. He musta got out and sabotaged us." Rick snarled, eager to end this guy, but chastising himself for not doing earlier. He should have killed all these prisoners that first day.

"That's just not possible!" Ethel exclaimed. Rick immediately dismissed Ethel as a good-hearted batty old lady, and prepared to move on. His priority was to find a way to shut off the damn sirens and kill Oscar.

"Seriously, we've been with Oscar all day. He never left his cell," Miriam insisted.

"What?" They all raced over to verify that Oscar was still in the cell Rick locked him in. But, just like Ethel and Miriam said, Oscar was sitting alone in his cell.

"What the hell? If not you, then who?" Rick screamed at Oscar in frustration.

"I have no idea!" Oscar yelled back at Rick, gripping the cell bars in anger. "I told you it wasn't me!"

"How are those sirens running then?" Rick countered. "The power's off!"

"Must be the backup generators. Prison's got three of 'em...that I know of, probably more!" Oscar explained.

"Can you get us there!" Rick continued grilling him.

"Yeah! I worked there a coupla times," Oscar admitted, actually feeling pity for this group. Rick snatched the keys from Glenn and let Oscar out.

"Lane, take your aunts to the yard. I need you to keep everyone safe and get them to the RV. Hershel and Beth are still out there. Get them and lock yourselves in. If anyone other than us shows up, shoot first," Rick began pushing them along. "Then get the hell outta here!"

"But, shouldn't I go with you?" Lane felt excluded and didn't take to it.

"I need you to take care of everyone. It's just Hershel and Beth out there...alone. Plus, when the others show up, I need you there to tell them where we are if we aren't back by then," Rick insisted.

Lane nodded her head reluctantly. As she opened the door she turned back to see Daryl's retreating back.

"Be careful!" she yelled down the hall.

Daryl turned back and met her eyes. "Always!" he mouthed back to her. And with a wave of his knife he was gone. She hated how this was becoming their 'thing'.

"What's happening? I just can't get over who would do such a thing?" Ethel kept asking.

They'd driven the RV out a ways so they could leave in a hurry if necessary. They also helped get Hershel and Beth into the RV and locked all the doors, just like Rick told them.

"I'm going to stand on top of the RV. If there's trouble, I'll tap on the roof to signal you. If that happens, you just start driving. Just bust through the fence. I'll lie down and ride on top until it's safe to stop. But do not wait for me to get inside," Lane warned, making sure Aunt Miriam understood and agreed. "Just Go!"

Lane couldn't just let them be sitting ducks like this with no eyes on the outside. She threw the sniper rifle over her shoulder and climbed up the back ladder and surveyed the yard.

Why was God doing this? She kept thinking as she paced back and forth, looking for anything peculiar. As soon as they made it through one calamity, it seemed another one, even worse came along. Lane couldn't bear to think what they'd face at the next disaster. Could they even bear it? Could she bear it?

And so she stood, each minute feeling more like an hour. Like 'treadmill time' where time seemed to slow to the point of being painful. But finally the screaming sirens in the distance cut off. 'They made it to the generator room,' she realized. With a deep exhale she began feeling a little less tense. Please come back safe, she repeated to herself over and over.

But she couldn't stop worrying that nobody else had returned yet. What had happened to Carol and T-Dog? Why weren't they back yet? Please don't have turned, she begged T-Dog. Lane wiped away the tears that were streaming down her cheeks, every time she thought about T-Dog.

With a loud door slam, Rick, Glenn, Daryl and Oscar stormed back into the yard, looking beaten, bloody and weary. Lane heaved a sigh of relief that they all had returned and she tapped three times on the roof of the RV with her shotgun to give her aunts the all clear.

"Thank God!" Lane raced down the ladder, while Beth and her aunts climbed out of the RV, turning back to help Hershel.

"Where's Lori and Carl?" Rick croaked in surprise. They should have made it back by now.

"And Maggie?" Glenn's eyes were clouded with worry.

"Nobody's come back yet!" Lane explained, hating the pain her words were causing. But there was a darkness and sadness in Daryl's eyes.

"Did you find out who was doing all this to us?" Miriam asked.

"That prisoner friend of Tomas'," Glenn answered.

"Andrew!" Oscar spat out in disgust.

"I thought he was dead?" Lane still didn't really understand.

"He is now!" Daryl yelled but didn't expound. But Rick had a much different look in his eyes...a dark haunted look.

"What about T and Carol? Did ya see them?" Hershel asked.

"They didn't make it either!" Daryl muttered, looking down at the ground. They'd all already suffered such gut wrenching losses, and to now have lost two more, and still have three unaccounted for was essentially unbearable. In the same day? Surely God couldn't be that cruel? It was what they were all thinking.

"Oh God, No!" Lane couldn't hold it in and the tears began flowing as the certainty of T-Dog's and Carol's death was verified.

Then she turned her head and saw Maggie enter the yard, fragile and barely walking, carrying a bloody bundle in her arms. A plaintive, infant cry tore through the yard. And beside Maggie stood a shell-shocked Carl. But no Lori!

Lane gasped for air as realization dawned on her. No Lori! If Lori wasn't here...then... Oh God, No!

Rick approached Maggie, but began swerving and started to stumble. Tears streamed down his bloody face and he begged Maggie to tell him Lori was OK... That she was still inside waiting for him to come get her, but she just couldn't walk after giving birth! But the look on Carl's face told Rick that it wasn't true. Carl's face told Rick everything.

Lane couldn't deal with it! She turned her head and buried her face in Aunt Ethel's neck and let the sobs wrack through her while Ethel and Miriam both cried with her.

They all watched Rick struggle to absorb the news. To accept it. Yet Carl stood absolutely still, while Rick still staggered around then finally collapsed on the bloody pavement. Like a wounded animal, Rick rolled over onto his side and wailed loudly from the pain.

"Hershel? What should we do?" Lane and Daryl whispered to Hershel. Rick hadn't moved in over an hour and was in some kind of shock, and he wouldn't let anyone near him.

"We're going to need to sedate him, I'm afraid," Hershel admitted, everyone unprepared and surprised by the mental breakdown of their de facto leader.

"Ok, tell me what you need," Lane insisted and quickly she ran back to the infirmary to get everything Hershel asked for while Daryl stayed with Rick.

Lane caught sight of Maggie, Carl and her aunts cleaning up the baby while Glenn and Oscar finished clearing out the walkers from C-Block, on her way in but didn't have any time to stop.

Lane quickly grabbed the meds Hershel asked for and left to return to them.

"Lady? Ya need any more help?" Oscar came up to her as she was about to leave, his dark eyes brimming with genuine concern. They had treated him so badly but still, he was here and offering his help.

"There's a gurney back in the infirmary. We may need help getting Rick back inside. I don't want to alarm Rick, so can ya go get it but just set it here, outside the door?" Lane explained.

"I won't be a minute!" and she watched Oscar hurry away. With barely a thought, she gripped her bag and went back outside.

"You need to be very careful! If he's breaking from reality, then there's no telling what he'll do if he feels threatened." Hershel warned. He'd seen it happen in animals as well as humans. "He might even think you're walkers," Hershel added.

"Where do I need to give it to him?" Lane asked, taking the full syringe back from Hershel, who had drawn out the medications from the vials.

"The butt, the side of the arm," Hershel pointed to Daryl's deltoid area as an example, "or his thigh..."

"You ready?" she asked Daryl. It was dark already and they really needed to get Rick inside.

"Stay back until I tell ya," Daryl ordered her, his eyes glinting silver in the moonlight.

She nodded and stood behind Daryl as he approached Rick, who was still in the fetal position.

"Hey Rick? We need ya to get up man," Daryl had barely put a hand on Rick, when he startled. In an instant Rick exploded up off the ground and attacked Daryl. But Daryl was prepared and immediately put him in one of those illegal chokeholds he, himself had complained of about a year ago.

Lane hurried to a thrashing Rick and jabbed the needle in the fleshiest part of his upper arm, since that was one of the few parts of Rick that weren't flailing around. She plunged in the entire contents then pulled out the empty syringe.

"Rick? We need you to relax ok? Carl needs you! We all need you!" Lane spoke to Rick in what she hoped was a calm, soothing voice, making sure to not mention the baby.

Rick's eyes remained wild and vacant, as if she wasn't even there in front of him, but she slowly watched Rick begin to relax in Daryl's arms.

"You're going to be ok... " she continued talking, praying on some level she was getting through to him. "We'll take care of you, but you need to rest now! You're going to be ok!" and Rick finally closed his eyes and collapsed in Daryl's arms.

Lane raced around to wheel the gurney that Oscar left for her, navigating it around the dead walkers.

They were able to get Rick back into the infirmary, but looking at this broken man who had been the backbone of this group for so long, was heartbreaking and devastating to the group. Not to mention demoralizing.

"We need someone to stay with him at all times. It would be best for Carl to be there to help Rick get his bearings back when he wakes," Hershel explained.

"We also need to keep the baby away from Rick, at least until he's had a chance to work through things," Hershel worried the baby might be too much for Rick to take in all at once.

"We'll take turns staying with him," Ethel and Miriam both offered.

"Thank you," Lane kissed both her aunts, and walked with Daryl back to C-block.

"Are you going to make a new watch schedule now?" Lane asked. Daryl had been mostly silent since everything went down and Lane had no idea what to say.

"Why ya asking me?" Daryl stormed ahead of her, pushing her hands away and off of him.

What the hell? She stared at his retreating back. For a minute she stood there utterly frozen, but then she broke loose like a bat outta hell. She raced forward and caught up with him, jerking his arm from behind.

"Daryl, I get it. It's been an unfathomably shitty day. But this group needs you!" she poked her finger in his chest, eyes blazing with fury. But he still wouldn't look at her.

"Daryl?" she gently guided his face back to face her. "Rick needs you. He's depending on you!" Lane reminded him. "And all those people in there are looking to you to tell them it will be ok!"

"I ain't Rick, don't you get it? I ain't no leader!" Daryl mumbled, and tried to pull away. He felt such pain. He welcomed the familiar numbness he had lived with for so long. As soon as you let yourself care...this is what happens. And he'd let this group break down his defenses, and this was the thanks. Soul crushing pain!

"You already are! You just don't see it. But I guarantee you, they do!" Lane struggled to remain calm. "Those people all admire and respect you." Daryl snorted loudly at that which just pissed her off.

"If you walk away, they'll give up." that got Daryl's attention. He didn't want to let Rick down and he didn't want to let anyone down. But he couldn't forget that he'd let Carol down today... Just like he had Sophia. Maybe if he hadn't gone straight to Lane, Carol would still be alive?

"Daryl? What do we need to do to keep everyone safe tonight. We still have food and water. So what else?" Lane tried to spur him on, breaking the tasks into manageable bits.

"We'll set up shifts," Daryl began to snap back to life.

"You take first shift. You ok with that?" he asked her, making sure she wasn't too tired. When she nodded yea, he continued. "Then me, then Glenn. Maybe that Oscar fella?" Daryl started trying to think what Rick would do.

"Oscar helped us out a lot today," Lane admitted. She liked the man. It was just a gut feeling, but for some reason she trusted him. And whatever happened with Andrew today it must have changed Daryl's mind too.

"We're going to have to get formula for the baby pretty soon, aren't we?" Lane was worried about that also.

"Yeah. I think the women grabbed some things along the way when we came across it, but not enough to last very long," Daryl wracked his brain trying to remember what all they had for the baby. He'd never considered it his business so he hadn't paid too much attention.

Lane saw more worry shadow his tired face again.

"Hey! We're good for right now! For tonight! We'll face the morning when it gets here" she leaned in and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

Lane followed Daryl back into C-block and watched with pride as he laid out the plan to keep everyone safe tonight. She also saw how everyone visibly relaxed when Daryl took over. Even Maggie had tears of relief when he brought her Lori's bag which had a couple cans of formula in it, along with some bottles and diapers and even some clothes.

"I'll be on watch, but I'll come help you with the baby as soon as I get back!" Lane promised Maggie, who was lying on the bed and cuddling the baby, surrounded by Glenn and a watchful Carl.

"Daryl? Try and get some rest" she insisted. Daryl said yes, but she doubted he had any intention of listening to her.

"I'm serious. We need you too much!" she opened the door to the RV, refusing to leave until he was settled comfortably on the sofa.

Lane sat in the tower looking out over the night yard, watching the eerie shuffle of walkers as they stumbled around aimlessly.

She thought back at that moment today. It had been so perfect. She could still feel the sun on her face as she watched Lori help Hershel walk outside.

And then everything changed in an instant. She never expected to experience such intense loss so fast ever again. Wasn't this too much for any one person in a lifetime? She asked God?

Would Rick come out of this ok? What could they do to help him? Thoughts and questions kept rolling around in her head.

"Hey!" Daryl suddenly stood behind her, interrupting her internal discussions.

"Damn You!" she spun around, pissed at herself for letting him sneak up on her.

"You're early," she accused.

"Didya see anything?" Daryl asked, electing to ignore her accusations.

"Nope...just walkers. But none in the perimeter. The repairs are holding just fine." Lane answered. She watched Daryl wander to the edge, leaning forward and bracing himself with both forearms against the concrete ledge. Lane hated how much all this was weighing solely on him, but felt completely helpless to do anything about it.

"Daryl? Did you get any sleep at all?" she came up and stood closely behind him, pressing her hands on his back. She felt him shake his head 'no'.

"I can't do this," he finally admitted, unable to turn around and look at her. He expected her to yell or worse, give him a pep talk and he just couldn't fuckin' take it right now. But she surprised him, yet again.

Without a word, she simply leaned against him and laid her head on his back, wrapping her hands to link them around his waist. Her way of supporting him no matter what, even if he couldn't do this.

Lane felt him stiffen and tense at her intimate touch, but still she didn't pull away. If anything she held him tighter. And with a reach of her head she leaned up to lightly kissed his neck.

And Daryl let go. She felt the tension in him relax beneath her. She reached her hands up to massage his tense neck and shoulders and she placed kisses he likely never felt against his leather clad back and still, he relaxed against her.

He decided to let himself have this one moment... In his entire life, he'd never let himself have this. So he agreed to let himself enjoy her touch, and push the guilt away...for a moment anyway.

"I thought you were gonna die too," his whisper was barely audible.

"Right back at ya!" he felt her shudder against him as she remembered all the times he left her to go off into the unknown.

"No!" he spun her around, furiously gripping her upper arms so tight, refusing to let her joke about this. "That walker almost got to you...almost ripped his filthy teeth into you like what happened to T-Dog! I saw what happened to T-Dog," Daryl shuddered at the memory of T-'s mutiliated body, refusing to picture Carol. "And I was trapped...like a goddamn dog in a fuckin' cage," he gritted his teeth at the memory, reliving his frustration.

"And so you warned me instead! And you saved my life," she beamed, refusing to let him self-flagellate.

"But not Carol's!" Daryl yelled at her, shaking her and implying Carol's death was her fault.

"You lived! And Carol died!" Daryl's eyes blazed.

His words smacked her worse than anything he could have ever done with his fists.

"I promised Maggie I'd go help her with the baby!" Lane struggled to breathe yet forced herself to turn and slammed the door behind her before he could say anything else.

Daryl watched Lane run off. What the hell had he just done? It wasn't her fault Carol died, but still he had blamed her. Carol's death made him feel so much pain and guilt and loss. He had all but told Carol he chose Lane over her... and now Carol was gone. But Carol had been so good to him. In fact, she had been the only person to believe in him and give him a chance. She never held Merle against him. She'd been the one to kiss him and tell him he was as good as Rick. And he'd let her die, cause he wanted Lane more. So what did that make him?

"Hey," Lane softly padded into Maggie and Glenn's cell, unable to deal with Daryl's painful accusation. Carl had already fallen asleep in the top bunk and Glenn slept in the lower bunk. But Maggie was still awake...barely. She was slumped but still held the baby close to her chest as she sat awkwardly in the chair.

Lane reached her arms out for the baby, which Maggie reluctantly parted with.

"You are beyond exhausted! I'll take her. Get some sleep and that's an order. I'll take her to the RV...try and clean her up. If Carl asks, tell him where we are." Lane whispered to a physically and mentally exhausted Maggie who fell into bed beside Glenn. Lane slung the baby bag over her shoulder and cuddled the infant to her chest and took her back to the RV.

Quietly, she filled the sink with warm water and a bath towel, all while simultaneously holding the baby. Gently she lay the baby in the sink, not surprised when she fussed at the strange feel of the warm water on her skin.

"There! There! We can't let you be nasty, your first day in this world. I promise you, there'll be plenty of time for that later," Lane spoke in low, soothing tunes as she dribbled warm water over the teeny, naked baby, making sure to avoid the site of the umbilical cord. She had been furious at Daryl when she stormed off. She still was. But something about caring for this beautiful baby allowed her to forget and focus on the more important things. The failure of her dismal love life paled in comparison to caring for this new life.

"You know...we really need your daddy and brother to give you a name. I can't keep calling you baby girl," Lane was quickly absorbed in her task. "Maybe something fierce, like Athena or Zena? How about BG until then? For Baby Girl?" the baby smiled so Lane took that as a positive sign.

With another towel, she dried the now clean smelling baby, diapered her and dressed her in one of the snuggly footed outfits shoved deep down in Lori's bag. But Baby Girl continued fussing, so Lane cuddled the infant and fed her more of the precious formula, refusing to think about how much was left.

"We'll all take good care of you, Baby Girl, I promise," Lane couldn't keep from nuzzling the baby, amazed how this tiny thing could smell so good. She tried to deny it, but she remembered the rumored effect on her ovaries after smelling a newborn infant, or so teased her pregnant friendss. She refused to give credence to their old wives tales, but still couldn't help snuggling her close and sniffing her.

Lane watched as BG's tiny face scrunched up. She curled her hands up into little tiny balls and then her eyes squeezed shut and she finally curled her legs up and fell asleep. Lane too screwed her face up and shut her eyes, in a vain attempt to try and deny the supercute effect this baby was having on her.

"Good plan, Baby Girl!" Lane finally gave in and agreed. She closed her eyes, cuddling the infant as they both fell asleep on the bed.

Daryl made a final sweep of the infirmary and cell block before heading to bed. Rick was still resting peacefully in the infirmary while Miriam kept watch and there was no evidence of any further breaches. And now Glenn had watch.

"You're up after Glenn," he told Oscar, once Glenn had left for duty. With a nod, Oscar agreed, actually grateful to be allowed to help. He didn't know these people, but it was Andrew that had caused so much loss today. And the loss of that baby's mama and then that other woman had also died because of Andrew. It made him sick and also made him think about his lady! Had anyone helped her?

Daryl left the cell block and he silently entered the RV. In the kitchen sink he saw a wet bath towel, and a shampoo bottle still open on the counter. He crept back into the bedroom, and saw Lane sleeping soundly, cuddling a tiny mint green clad blob that was also sound asleep.

He had so much to say to her, yet he had nothing to say so to her...so he grabbed his blanket and went to sleep out on the sofa, refusing to admit how much he wanted to crawl into bed next to her. But what right did he have when Carol was dead now?

It was still dark but Lane remembered Maggie told her BG would need to be woken up to eat every few hours. Maggie also told her how important it was for BG to have as much physical contact as possible so she continued to cuddle her. Yeah, like that was a hardship? Lane realized how much she had already bonded with BG.

Reluctantly, Lane wedged BG between some pillows so she could leave her and go heat up the formula in the microwave. But she froze at the sight of Daryl sleeping on the sofa. And that was when BG decided to let out on all out scream of protest and hunger.

"Holee Shit!" Daryl exclaimed, suddenly propping himself up, only one eye open. "That thing is louder than them sirens!"

"Shit. Here. Take her!" Lane panicked and shoved the angry infant into Daryl's unprepared arms.

"Hey! I don't know..." Daryl protested, holding the baby out with both hands.

"Yeah Yeah! I get it! You don't know nuthin' 'bout birthin' no babies!" Lane mocked sarcastically. "But I have to get her bottle ready and you need to hold her while I do that!" she ranted as she quickly mixed and shoved the bottle in the microwave, standing cross-armed waiting for the microwave to ding.

"Thought you ain't supposed to do that?" Daryl critiqued the microwaving of the bottle, vaguely remembering Lori and Maggie discussing it.

That comment earned him a snarl and a thinly veiled threat that she would leave and he coud do it himself. He decided to back off and tried to shush the screaming machine instead.

Lane snatched BG back from Daryl, and after tossing an old dish towel over her shoulder she padded back to the bedroom to feed the hungry girl. Lane lay on the bed, cuddling BG while she hungrily sucked down the bottle.

"She's a hungry little thing ain't she?" Daryl suddenly appeared at the door, seemingly fascinated by the baby.

"Yeah... She's a good little eater!" Lane commended. "But that's probably about enough!". But BG still pursed her lips, angry and hungry for more.

"Why ya stoppin'? She is still hungry?" Daryl stepped forward in protest, as if to take her back, which Lane found strangely adorable. Stop it, she chided herself. He is not adorable. He is a jerk and an ass!

"Yeah! But if she doesn't burp, I'll end up covered on baby vomit!" she told him, and proceeded to pat her back. It didn't take long for a loud burp to erupt.

"Damn girl'. That woulda made even ol' Merle proud!" he beamed at the tiny thing.

And then they saw BG scrunch her face and tighten her little legs up. Lane actually felt the diaper quake under her hand. No way! Now? Lane pleaded for it not to be so.

"S'ppose I know what that was?" Daryl saw the happy look of relief on BG's face.

"Yeah, I suppose I do too!" Lane agreed. "Here," she handed BG to him before he could protest which left him standing there holding her, straight armed in front on him. Lane hurried to dampen some paper towels since she hadn't found any baby wipes in the bag.

"Ok, lay her down," Lane set a towel down to protect the bedding from accidents. But as she opened the poopy diaper, Lane became overwhelmed and couldn't stop herself from crying.

"Hey it stinks to high hell, but you don't need to go an' cry," Daryl couldn't figure out why she was so emotional. He thought gerls were supposed to be good at this shit. Instead he sat down on the bed, figuring he might have to take over this operation, which was equally terrifying.

"No!" she sniffled and wiped her nose with her shoulder. "It's just that Lori and Rick should be here! Not you and me! This is there moment!"

Daryl felt angry and offended at first, but decided to keep silent. His big mouth had done enough damage tonight.

"This is one of those 'THINGS' ya know? Those moments every parent remembers. Their child's first diaper. I feel like I'm stealing this from them...from him" she corrected.

"Well, I'm sure as hell gonna remember it. It's like she shit a green tar crayon," he muttered as he took over and began wiping. Lane tried not to laugh as she handed him another towel, but she just couldn't help it.

"What the hell ya been feedin' her?" he accused, frustrated by the stickiness of it.

"We could use this shit as a weapon against walkers. They'd be stuck in place, wherever they were," he muttered as he finally got the tiny hiney completely clean.

Lane was mesmerized. This gruff redneck that she was more than beyond pissed at, had just helped her change BG's first diaper. Wiping the tears away she smiled at him.

"I think you might be pretty good at this," she told him, watching his cheeks color.

"Shut it, or I'll do this," he threatened her face with a handful of poopy towels.

"No," she squealed. She shoved BG back at him, and grabbed the dirty paper towels and threw them away.

Lane returned and grabbed BG back from Daryl, refusing to meet his eyes, unsure of what she might do. He could so easily melt her weakened resistance if she let him. But Carol's death had placed her far more firmly between them, then when she'd been alive.

Lane forced herself to not think of him and what they had come so close to doing less than 24 hours ago. Now they lay so close to each other, yet separated by a baby and the ghost of a dead woman.

It was going to be a long day tomorrow. But for now she would take these few precious moments and she snuggled the tiny baby and fell asleep.