AN: Hello my lovelies, many thanks to galwidanatitud, BNWOKC, and Vaniwa for reviewing. Also, thank you to littlebirdy123, sweetkitty, and vaniwa for favouriting and following.

Song: Raign - Knocking On Heavens Door.

~ Chapter 19 ~

Four Weeks Later:

Violet sat opposite Lori. She was eating some extra food, and Violet couldn't help, but lick her lips. It was making her forget about Daryl. Lori's eyes found hers and Violet tried to smile, but she was pretty much drooling over the smell of food.

"Would you like some?" Lori offered her the spoon, and she nodded her head, then tried the food. Her eyes rolled backwards, and she felt her cravings for food were just skyrocketing all of sudden. "It's hard isn't it? Trying to resist the cravings."

"I don't know what you're on about…who am I kidding I'm bad at lying. Can we share?" Lori went and grabbed another spoon and they both picked at the bowl.

"I overhead Rick and Daryl talking," She explained.

"I'm pretty sure everyone heard, because Daryl was hollering so loud, " She grumbled. "But can we not talk about him, because I'm very anti Daryl right now."

"Did he freak out?" She asked, and Violet shook her head.

"Nope," She said. "I told him I loved him and he bolted out the door."

"Ouch," Lori laughed, then she closed her mouth. "I'm sorry that's not funny."

"It kinda' is," Violet smirked. "It's like when I told Timmy from the fourth grade that I loved him and he ran off crying."

Lori smiled at her, then put some food into her mouth. "Are you ready for a baby?"

"No," She admitted. "We were stupid, we didn't use protection and it's our fault."

"I think you and Daryl should sit down and talk to one another. You don't want to end up like Rick and I," Violet felt guilt rush through her body and she stared down at the bowl. "Honey, I know he's falling out of love with me, and I know that he has his suspicions about the baby."

"Maybe you and Rick should sit down and talk," Violet suggested.

"We've tried, but we can't seem to communicate with each other," She sighed, then she rubbed her stomach. "But, he's promised that he'll keep the baby safe no matter what."

"Are you scared that something might go wrong?" Violet questioned and Lori nodded her head.

"I doubt I'll make it through the birth. I had a cesarean with Carl, it's almost guaranteed that I'll have multiple problems with this birth."

Violet didn't know how to respond. She swallowed the food in her mouth and she gave her an apologetic look.

"It's okay sweetie. I'll be fine knowing that the baby has people to protect it," She stared down at her stomach, then smiled at her. "It can be best friends with yours."

"Of course," Violet smiled and they both finished off the bowl of food.

"Walkers!" A voice screamed, and Violet recognized it was T-Dog. The sound of the front door crumbling echoed around, then the sickening groaning filled their ears.

Violet acted quickly and she grabbed a knife from the counter. She walked over to the closed door, and she opened it up a fraction. There was a loud commotion from the back of the motel, and Violet guessed that there was a big problem there where T-Dog was.

The walkers stumbled about the lobby and she saw the lounge door open and Oscar walked out with his teddy bundled against his chest. He screamed loudly when he saw the walkers.

"Oscar shut the door and lock it!" She shouted and the walkers turned towards the kitchen door giving Oscar a chance to get back inside the lounge. Violet shut the door and wedged the broom in between the handles. She turned back to Lori who was looking out of the window.

"It's a herd…a big one," She looked back at her and Violet raced over to the small door on the other side of the room.

"I gotta' get to my brother, then we need to go," She explained.

"Violet it's not safe," Lori reminded her.

"Lori, they're inside the motel. Rick and the others are on the supply run. If T-Dog has any sense then he's gone off to find them, but we gotta' go okay. This is no, 'let's stay around and wait for help situation' this is 'let's get the fuck out and find somewhere safe situation' okay?" She nodded her head, and she grabbed a knife. Violet glanced out of the window and saw the fence had been trampled all over and there was a massive herd stumbling around the streets.

"VIOLET!" She heard Oscar's terrified screams and she glanced at Lori, her eyes wide in terror.

"Lori, I need you to listen carefully," She said, trying to calm herself down. "I'm going around the front of the motel to get around to the left side to the window in the lounge, and I'm going to get Oscar. You take these," She took the keys for Daryl's motorcycle off the counter, and handed them to her. "You are going to run to Daryl's bike and I swear I'll be no longer than two minutes, and I'll be back and we're going to drive off."

"Violet, I can't!" She exclaimed. "None of us know how to work it!"

"I've seen Daryl use it, I'm hoping it shouldn't be hard. You're heavily pregnant. We can't run away from a herd this big. There's not a lot of walkers by the bike, so don't worry, just use the knife, please Lori, I gotta' get to my brother," She explained with tears in her eyes, and Lori nodded her head quickly.

Violet took in a staggering breath and she opened the door. She ran down the steps and she stabbed the walker in the head. She let its body fall to the ground and she looked back at Lori nodding her head at her.

Violet took off running and she came to the front of the motel. There was way more than she'd expected, and she inwardly cringed before racing off around the other side of the motel. She dodged every walker that came towards her, and she took down the one by the window. She jumped up onto the concrete block underneath the window and she banged on it.

Oscar was curled up in a ball underneath the table. He glanced over and wailed out a cry. He ran over and climbed up into the window seat.

"Open the window," She ordered and his fragile hands fumbled for the latch. The lounge doors flung open and walkers fell into the room. The latch came undone, but the window wouldn't budge. "Oscar get back," His eyes widened and he stared back at the walkers. He quickly got down and Violet closed her eyes, then swung her fist at the window. The glass shattered and she reached out for him, pulling him through the broken window.

She bundled him against her chest, and jumped down from the block. She heard him crying, and she kicked away a nearby walker. Violet ran back around the motel and she saw Lori sticking the key into the ignition. She ran over and straddled the bike, Lori got on the back and Oscar was wedged in between them.

It's now or never. Violet exhaled, then she started up the engine and took off. She was very unsteady, but with the walkers attempting to follow them, she became aware that she couldn't fail them right now. They drove out of the small town and she carried on down a dirt road.

She could hear her heart beating in her chest, and she felt Oscar's small hands gripping her shirt. Blood was pouring from her hand and the pain had become numb. They needed to find somewhere safe to hold up for a while. Violet was praying that T-Dog had gone to tell everyone what had happened. It was rare for a lot of them to go on a supply run, but no one else knew the specific medical equipment Hershel needed so he had gone along and Beth had wanted to go to find some things to make the motel feel more like home.

It wasn't home anymore.

…

Daryl dumped the bag into the back of the truck. They were collecting the things they needed from some shops just outside the town where the motel was. Maggie came along and stepped up into the truck, rummaging through the boxes. Everyone else was passing things along a line and Maggie packed them into the back.

He heard the sound of heavy footsteps and he glanced over to see T-Dog sprinting around the corner. "Walkers!" He shouted whilst trying to get oxygen into his lungs. "The motel," He panted.

They all took off running and Daryl slipped his crossbow off his back. Violet? They hadn't talked for over four weeks and he knew it was his fault, but he wasn't good at things like that. He didn't know how to make her feel any better after he was the one that made her feel down. She said she loved me, she can't love me.

His heart began to beat faster in his chest. What if she's dead? He knew that Violet was known to do stupid things when she was put in a situation with a lot of pressure. She had the baby to think about, she'd only do something stupid if it involved saving others around her.

The baby, what if she's hurt? He was panicking and he couldn't help his mind wondering about the bad things. She was a magnet for trouble. Please, don't do anything stupid girl.

They arrived at the motel and they all began to take out the walkers. The motel doors were open and more piled out. Within five minutes most of the walkers were dead and Rick ran inside.

"Lori!" He called out.

"Violet!" Frank glanced over at the broken door that led to the lounge. He stepped in and fired a shot at a walker. He glanced at the smashed window and saw the blood on some of the shards.

"Someone broke in from the outside," Daryl spoke up and Frank crouched down and picked the teddy bear off the floor.

"This is Oscars," He whispered.

"I reckon someone broke the glass to get 'im out," Daryl explained. "It ain't walker blood on the glass. I'm guessin' Violet must've got him out."

"You don't know that-"

"She woulda' got him out," He growled.

"They aren't here," Rick stepped back out into the lobby, and they all gathered together. "The other door in the kitchen is open, so they must have escaped."

"Daryl, your bikes gone," Glenn said, looking away from the entrance. "Maybe they took it?"

"Are the keys gone?" Maggie asked, and Daryl walked over to the kitchen where he'd left them, then he nodded his head.

"They were smart," He said. "They'll be searchin' for a safe place to hold up for a while."

"Okay," Rick rubbed the scruff of his beard. "Everyone collect what you can, looks like we're back on the road."

Everyone gathered back outside after ten minutes and they packed themselves into the truck and car. Daryl's mind was slightly at ease knowing that Violet wasn't amongst the walkers. If they were hiding up somewhere they'd have to leave the bike, which would mean they were nearby because they'd need something to travel around on.

He glanced out of the window and he kept his eyes glued to his surroundings. He didn't want to miss any sign of them. Two pregnant women and a child didn't exactly have good odds of surviving, but if Violet's there, he knew she'd protect them both, even if she did end up getting herself into trouble. He just needed to see her and tell her everything was going to be okay, and that he was going to be in the baby's life. He wanted her, and yes, her telling him that she loved him had freaked him out, but she deserved better than that. She deserved to be loved, and it was going to be hard for him, because he can't think straight when he's around her, let alone have time to think about how he feels about her.

"Daryl your bike!" Glenn called out, pointing over his shoulder. Rick slammed the brakes and he saw the walkers banging their hands against the door of a house. He got out with Rick and Glenn. They took out the walkers and made their way up to the door. They knocked once and a whimper followed.

"Oscar?" Groaning came from inside, and Daryl turned the door knob, but it was locked. He glanced at Rick and he nodded his head at him. Daryl lifted up his foot and kicked the door down. The walkers inside came at them, but they were disposed of.

Another cry followed and Daryl glanced at one of the closed doors. He opened up the door and stepped into the bedroom. The whimpering was louder and he glanced at the closet. He slowly walked over and placed his hands on the handle, then opened the door a fraction. Oscar flew out and jumped into his arms, latching his arms around his neck. Daryl stumbled back a little, but quickly regained his balance. He walked over and placed him on the bed.

"Where's ya sister?" He asked, and his bottom lip quivered.

"Gone into the woods…the w-walkers came and she told me to hide whilst she took care of them, Lori was in the backyard takin c-care of the walkers, but there was too many," He whimpered and Rick and Glenn walked into the room.

"They're in the woods," Daryl said. "Glenn, take him to the truck."

Oscar left with Glenn and Rick and Daryl made their way out the back. The back gate was open and Daryl readied his crossbow. They walked into the woods, and there were a few more walkers. The shrill sound of screaming filled the air, and they took off in a sprint towards the sound. It seemed to bounce off the trees and it was hard to tell the direction it had come from. Daryl paused and tried to calm himself down so he could focus properly. He looked through the trees and tried to spot any movement, but all he could see was damn walkers.

It fell silent. Painfully silent.

Daryl glanced at Rick and he could hear the sound of him breathing. The crunching sound of leaves came from behind them and Daryl watched Violet fly through the bushes. She skidded to a halt when she saw them and Rick's gun fell from his hands when he saw what she was carrying in her arms.

Violet was covered head to toe in blood. Human blood. She had tears streaming down her face, and her whole body was shaking.

"No!" Rick slid down one of the trees and Violet watched him cry out again. Her eyes landed on Daryl, her bottom lip quivering.

"I…I'm sorry, R-Rick, I tried to save her…" The naked baby cried in her arms and Daryl took off his jacket, and handed it to Violet. She wrapped the baby up so it was warm, then Glenn and Maggie appeared.

"We heard screaming-" Maggie paused when she saw the baby in Violet's arms.

"Oh," Glenn gasped, and Rick sobbed.

"Here," Maggie walked over and carefully took the baby from Violet's arms. She walked away with Glenn. Violet watched them go. She walked over to Rick and crouched down in front of him.

"I saved this," She pulled Lori's wedding ring from her pocket and she placed it in Ricks palm. "I'm so sorry."

Rick looked at her with dead eyes and she got to her feet. She turned around to face Daryl, her bottom lip was shaking, she wanted to hug him, but instead she walked away heading back towards the house.

…

The house was boarded up. Glenn had gone back into town to collect baby supplies. Hershel was checking the baby over in the bedroom with the help of Beth. Rick still hadn't returned, and T-Dog was watching the tree line for any sign of him. There was a deadly silence in the house, no one wanted to talk and all that could be heard was the occasional cries from the baby.

Violet was sat in the window seat of the boarded up window. She glanced out of the small slit, and saw the sun setting along the horizon. She was still covered in blood, but it had now all dried. Her hand look mangled from the glass, and she had refused treatment from Hershel until he knew that the baby was okay.

Maggie and Carol were preparing some food for everyone in the kitchen and the smell was making her want to vomit. She rested her head back against the wood and she scratched at the dried blood on her arm.

Carl was locked up in one of the bedrooms crying and Frank was in there trying to comfort him. Oscar was fast asleep on the couch and Daryl was sat in the armchair and she could feel his eyes wander over to her now and again.

She heard Carl whimper from the bedroom and she felt her eyes burn with tears. She sighed, and glanced through the slit in the wood. The porch had been lined with string and some pans and tins they had found in the kitchen hung from it.

"Sweetie have some," Maggie walked over with a bowl of soup. The smell filled her nostrils, and she raced over to the trashcan and threw up. The vomit burnt her throat, and her fingers curled painfully. Her hair was pulled back over her shoulders, and she felt Daryl's rough hand on her back. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and he handed her a bottle of water. She chugged it down, then glanced at him.

His face was unreadable, but she could see the sadness in his eyes. He helped her up to her feet, and he guided her to the armchair he had been sat on. He took a seat, then pulled her down onto his lap. She felt a weak feeling flow through her and she gave into him. She sunk back and rested her head against his shoulder, and he grabbed her legs so they rested over the arm of the chair.

He was warm, and he felt like home. She wanted to be mad at him for ignoring her for over a month, but she didn't have the strength to have an attitude right now.

He brought his hand up and stroked her matted hair. Everyone was still silent, but Carol walked over and woke Oscar up and offered him some food, which he took. It was strange how things could go wrong so quickly. She hated that she had been talking to Lori this morning and now she was gone. She couldn't get the horrific images out of her mind.

They had been running through the woods and a walker caught them off guard and it scratched Lori's arm. Violet had killed it straightaway, and Lori had begged her to cut the baby out. She had a month left of her pregnancy, and she knew that the baby was fully developed and could make it. The rest was a blur. There was just so much blood. Lori was dead by the time the baby was out and she couldn't let her turn into a walker, so she ended her.

"Are ya okay?" Daryl stared at her with panic in his eyes, and she realized she had a death grip on his arm. She let go and nodded her head. "Girl?"

"There's someone outside," Maggie said and she glanced through the slit in the window.

Violet got off of Daryl and made her way over to the window. "Son of a bitch!" She ran over to the door, and pulled at the nailed planks of wood. They called out to her, but she opened the door, which was hanging from its hinges and climbed through the gap she had created.

"Violet!" Daryl ran over and tried to grab her arm, but she jumped over the alarm system and ran to the end of the front yard.

"What the fuck are you doing here!?" She shrieked and Drew held his hands up in defense.

"I'm just checking if you're okay," He said. "I saw the motel-"

"Stop following us!" She yelled. "I've had enough of it!" She felt Daryl's presence behind her and Drew looked him up and down.

"Who's the trailer trash?" Violet ran forward, but Daryl grabbed her and placed her behind him. He raised his crossbow at Drew and he smiled. "Oh, you got yourself a guard dog darlin', are you fuckin' him?"

"I think you should leave," Glenn said from the porch.

"I don't think I should, I wanna' talk with Violet."

"Ain't happenin'," Daryl growled.

"So he talks," Drew grinned at him, then he glanced at Violet. "Is he any good in bed, because I can assure that I'd be much better," Violet tried to move around Daryl, but he stuck out his arm to stop her.

"I'm gonna' tell ya one more time to leave," Daryl grunted, and Drew continued to smile.

Suddenly, a sword appeared at his neck from behind. "I believe they told you to leave." A female voice growled, and Drew turned around to face her.

Violet looked over Daryl's shoulder and she saw a dark skinned woman with dreadlocks standing there with a long samurai sword.

"Run along," She grunted and Drew retreated down the street.

"Thank you," Violet chirped, and she stepped around Daryl. She walked over, and held out her hand. "I'm Violet."

"Michonne…do you guys know Andrea?" She asked. "She's mentioned your name before."

"We do. She's still alive?" Maggie walked over and Michonne nodded her head.

"Guys!" T-Dog ran out. "Andrea, she's alive. She's found Rick."

They all walked inside and Rick walked into the room Carl was in and slammed the door behind him. Andrea looked over and she smiled. Carol greeted her with open arms and she went around the group hugging them, but she paused in front of Violet.

"Hi," Andrea said, and Violet mumbled back a 'hello', still not wanting to bury the hatchet, because of the things she did to Beth.

Glenn began to board back up the door, and Andrea told everyone the story of how she'd survived. Michonne didn't seem comfortable around all of them, but she understood that it was okay for her to be cautious of new people.

The bedroom door opened and Hershel walked out with the baby in his arms. They all looked over and Violet got to her feet. She stood in front of Hershel and stared down at the sleeping baby.

"She's going to be okay. You did a good job," He whispered and she looked up at him with innocent eyes. "I think this little girl needs a name."

"Can we call her Judith," Violet looked over and saw Carl hugging the doorway with wet eyes.

"Of course we can son," Hershel walked over, and crouched down so Carl could see his little sister.

Violet looked back at Daryl and he nodded his head at her. She glanced down at her stomach and sighed. What if I don't make it?