The storage units were by the most uncomfortably claustrophobic places to live – and certainly the most awful by far. In fact, being inside them was so bad that most of the group actually fought to go on runs because it meant getting out of those godforsaken holes. Kit and Daryl had just come back from the run that they had earned, though they were mostly empty-handed except for a few small birds – courtesy of Daryl – and a bunch of books. (Not the books that the minivan still held.)

The group looked grateful for the food, which they were running low on, but didn't appear to understand the purpose of the books. "You were supposed to be out getting food and winter Jackets," Lori griped. "Not bringing back road kill and books."

This caused both Kit and Daryl to look pissed and while he began preparing the birds to eat, Kit sent a glare towards Lori. "We couldn't find any winter coats," she hissed spitefully. "So we're going to have to make due with these, for now."

"How the hell do books replace winter jackets?"

"They don't, but the paper can help. If you rip it out, crumple it up, and stuff it under your coat, it traps heat. I'm not saying that it's ideal, but it's something." Tensions were high and everyone was in a bad mood, so Kit knew it wasn't completely Lori's fault – not to mention the pregnant woman was more uncomfortable than everyone else – but that knowledge did little to improve Kit's tolerance for her. "So, anyone who's been whining about the cold is free to take advantage of the paper. Otherwise, shut the hell up."

Herschel was one of the few who had managed not to be constantly irritated, despite the taxing environment. "Not all of us are as well-equipped for the cold as you," he reminded Kit. "However, I'm going to take advantage of that paper, if you don't mind. I'll take what I can get."

"I'll help you," she replied, softer with him than with Lori. "I'm sorry for snapping," she told him quietly while she helped him stuff his jacket.

"We're all weary of these storage units," he said good-naturedly. "We just have to endure them until we move on."

"A few lessons on how to handle cold wouldn't go amiss before then. Most of you don't know a thing about survival in the cold. My dad taught me tips and tricks when I was younger, some of which were practically drilled into me. You should all know some basics, in case I'm not around to help."

The older man nodded, understanding the necessity. "Tonight, at dinner, I'll clear the floor for you."

While they nibbled on the tough bird meat, which in all fairness T-Dog had done the best he could with, Herschel cleared his throat. "It has come to my attention today that I am quite inept when it comes to the cold and were there some sort of emergency, I may not know what to do. I think we can all agree that Kit has some expertise in this area, so perhaps we could listen for a moment; it could very well save our lives later on."

Once they were listening, Kit began. "It's just a few basic things, like how to deal with hypothermia. We don't always experience below-freezing weather, but should we encounter it and hypothermia becomes a very real possibility, you need to know what to do. If a hypothermic person is warmed up too quickly, it could kill them," she warned. "Warm them up slowly and what I would recommend is skin-to-skin contact, if possible. The human body is a perfect way to warm someone else up gradually. I hope no one here is opposed to cuddling. If someone gets soaked for one reason or another, then they need to remove the wet clothes immediately. You're better off having your bare skin exposed to the cold than standing in wet clothes which suck the heat out of you. There are other basic ways to conserve heat, such as warming up the water you drink a little bit but apart from that I think most of it is common sense."

"Like running around?" Carl asked.

Kit bit her lip a little apprehensively. "Well, I guess, but keep in mind that sweat will do the same thing in the cold that it does in the heat. If it's cold enough out, the sweat could even freeze. (Though I doubt Georgia gets cold enough for that more than once in a blue moon.) Besides, conserving energy is important, too. Save running as a last resort, but movement isn't a bad idea."

It appeared as if what Kit had told them was new information for the majority of the group, so she hoped she had done some good. Rick in particular seemed to appreciate the 'presentation'. "Thanks," he told her. "It might become important because we leave the storage units day after tomorrow. We've more or less cleaned out all sources of food nearby so I see no reason to stay any longer. And I'm sure I ain't the only one who's miserable here. Tomorrow we pack up, make sure we have fuel, stuff like that and then we're gone the next day."

The aura of despair that had been sucking the life out of the group since they had entered those goddamn storage units began to lift at the prospect of finally leaving. Rick waved Kit, Daryl and Herschel over to him to discuss where to go next. "We need to find somewhere that hasn't already been picked over by other groups," he told them gravely. "Havin' some good food for a couple days is a necessity. Besides, you've all seen Lori."

It was no secret that she was becoming pretty pregnant now, her due date no more than a few months away, so the gravity of the situation was clear. "I've gotta plan," Daryl suggested. "Kit an' I had quite a bit of luck when we was takin' back roads, raidin' the smaller towns 'long the way. I say we head north again."

Kit began playing with her ring as she considered the plan. "Can we be sure we'll find something, though?"

"I gotta couple places in mind."

"Unless anyone else has any ideas, I think we better go with Daryl's plan. Now, let's map out a way to avoid the herds while we make our way there." Rick pulled out the map they had been using which was now marked up to track the movements of the various herds.

"If we stay off the highways and stick to the smaller roads then we should be fine," Herschel mused.

When the day finally came to leave, everyone was in high spirits, even Lori. The trip north was not a long one but before they reached any towns, Kit saw something that they needed to investigate. She nudged Daryl, a signal to stop. While all the vehicles pulled over, everyone was either fuming or concerned. "Why'd we pull over?" Rick asked.

"There's a lookout tower," Kit informed them with a triumphant smile. "Assuming no one else has been there, we could be in for a treat: enough food to last us for a few days, weapons and ammo, matches, all sorts of stuff could be there."

Once the group saw the tower she was pointing at, all concern or anger turned to delight, especially at the mention of food. Half of the group stayed in the car while T-Dog, Glenn, Kit, Daryl and Rick walked about a mile through the woods towards the tower until they came across an obstacle.

The river was wide enough and deep enough that if they wanted to get to the lookout tower, someone would have to swim – no bridges in sight. Everyone else in the small party looked as if they were trying to decide whether or not it was worth it when Kit said, "I'll do it."

"You're willing to swim across?" Rick asked, to which she nodded in return.

"Hell no!" Daryl was not happy. "Why the hell should she be the one ta do it?"

"Because none of you have swam in water this cold before," she answered simply. "My guess is that the water is about forty-five degrees – maybe a little less – which is a nasty shock unless you know what to expect. Besides, we all know that I'm the one who can deal with the cold the best, no competition. I'm the obvious choice."

"Yeah, but by yerself? Ain't no reason no one can't go with you."

She coughed uncomfortably. "You realize the trip has to be made naked, right? Clothes will only weigh me down in the water and if I come out on the other side in wet clothes it could be a death sentence. It's like I was saying a few days ago." The men all turned very red at the mention of Kit crossing the river naked; the group had become close, but not that close. "This is why I need Daryl to be my backup from the other side. If you see something, shoot it," she told him.

The others graciously turned their backs while Kit started removing her clothes, Daryl becoming agitated even further. "What happened ta us not doin' all the dirty work no more?"

"No one else is well-equipped to do the job," she told him patiently, understanding why he was upset. "Besides, I'll have you to watch my back the entire time." She kissed him before removing her ring. "Take care of this for me?"

"'Course." She could see that he only accepted the situation grudgingly, but was grateful he wasn't putting up more of a fight.

Then, the belt with her knife still draped across one shoulder and with her backpack on, Kit jumped into the river. The initial shock wasn't something anyone could get used to, even if they were accustomed to cold water. The cold made it hard to concentrate and move but the most problematic part was always the effect it had on the lungs. She had difficulty breathing, even with her head well above water, thanks to the frigid river. Even once she had crossed, out of the water, she couldn't decide whether the water was colder or warmer than being out in the wintry air.

Seeing no walkers, she quickly made her way up the tower, wanting to be finished with the job sooner rather than later. Kit put all useful-looking small items in her pack, then began lowering the heavier items out of the tower, such as the supply boxes. Without the luxury of time to take real inventory, she did notice one thing that would make her life a hell of a lot easier: an inflatable raft. Small miracles.

Once everything was lowered from the tower, she was packing the raft as quickly as was humanly possible when she heard one of Daryl's arrows whiz by and hit its target perfectly between the eyes. Unfortunately, she could waste no time retrieving the arrow because the shivers wracking her body were getting to the point that they hindered her ability to move effectively. The trip back was slower than the first one, pulling the fully-loaded raft behind her, but the discomfort had been well worth it.

The very second she and the raft had made it to the other side, Daryl was immediately fussing. "I'm f-f-fine," she chattered. She grabbed the t-shirt she had been wearing earlier – her bottom layer – and used it as a towel since there were so few options available. As soon as she considered herself dry enough to put her clothes back on, she did and it felt absolutely amazing to be dry and reasonably warm again.

Daryl shoved his poncho onto her when he noticed she was still shivering while she tucked her wet hair into her beanie so she couldn't lose heat that way. He pulled her in, trying his best to warm her up as Rick, T-Dog and Glenn took inventory of what she had brought over.

Rick turned to her when he saw that there was enough food to feed the group for days and said "Thank you." He looked as if he was practically in tears, probably considering the fact that his wife and son had been guaranteed decent meals for the next few days. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

She nodded. Though she was still shivering, she would recover from her little polar plunge given a few moments. As she did this, she slipped her wedding ring on with trembling hands which were one of the many subjects of Daryl's concern. He rubbed them between his own, fretting about Kit. "You d-d-d-don't have t-to worry, Griz," she shuddered.

"Like hell," he growled. "You sure as fuck ain't ridin' the motorcycle fer the rest of the day. Ya'd freeze ta death."

She shook her head at his concern, content that she had been able to help the group.

"Let's carry this stuff back to the cars," Rick said, slipping Kit's pack onto his shoulders in what she supposed was an expression of gratitude.

Everyone's faces lit up when they saw what the party was bringing back, Lori in particular. Rick began listing off what they had found when Carol noticed Kit and Daryl. "She's white as a sheet," she whispered to the pair.

"She had ta swim across a river ta get the supplies," Daryl grumbled. "I still ain't happy 'bout it."

"It was worth it," Kit insisted. "Weapons, first-aid kit, food, matches, kerosene lamps and more. We needed the supplies."

Daryl continued muttering a little bit about how she could have died before he turned to Carol. "Do ya mind ridin' with me so Kit can sit in a warm car? Jus' fer today?"

"I don't mind at all. Just as long as Kit doesn't get jealous," she teased.

She smiled at Carol's joke. "You kids have fun. I hope T-Dog is driving because my experiences with a Grimes behind the wheel haven't been spectacular."

As the group traveled deeper and deeper into the woods, they came across a small building: a ranger station. When they entered, they found more supplies similar to those that they had found in the watchtower and a great place to stay the night, to boot. It had its own generator, showers and even three beds, though they were single-person.

During the best dinner that any of them had had in ages, there was actual laughter, a rarity anymore. While the others were enjoying themselves, Lori scooted herself closer to Kit. "Thank you for what you did today."

"I did what was necessary," Kit replied, not sure how to react to Lori's sudden bout of pleasantness.

"You still volunteered for it. And besides, we don't know if the others would have made it across."

"The water wasn't freezing," Kit scoffed. "It was more than ten degrees above actual freezing temperature. I think you underestimate just how tough we've all become since the farm."

"I still appreciate it. We may not get along but we can't exactly avoid each other anymore and I understand that you and Daryl contribute to the group. For that, I respect both of you."

The hostile tension that had existed between the two women for the past several months began to melt away. "Nobody in this group can afford to dislike each other. We're a family now and though communism doesn't tend to work on a big scale it does work in a group like this. So, we all work for the better of the group." Kit realized she was rambling a little bit, but her response was due to her surprise. "I am sorry about Shane."

Lori nodded. "I'm beginning to understand and Carl is, too. It was just hard for us, so I'm sorry too. Truce?"

"Truce." The irony of their truce didn't escape Kit. The fact that she had made a truce with Shane only days before he had died made a knot in her stomach over her conversation with Lori. Still, she appreciated the effort that the other woman had put into taping up their shattered relationship.

It was decided that Lori, Carl and Herschel would be getting the beds that night, which was perfectly fine with Kit and Daryl, because they still had one very nice sleeping pad left from her minivan and it was big enough for them to share. "I can't remember the last time I felt this clean," she sighed blissfully while she collapsed into the sleeping pad next to Daryl, beginning to her fingers through his hair. "It's looking a little shaggy," she remarked.

He shrugged. "If it gets in ma eyes, then I'll jus' cut it. Yers is gettin' long, too. I like it, though."

"Seduced by my blonde locks, Mr. Dixon? I used to have it grown down to my ass before I cut it all off a few months before the outbreak. It was even longer than Lori's."

"I wouldn't recommend lettin' it get that long again," he mused. "A walker might grab it."

"If it becomes a problem then I'll cut it but I think you gravely underestimate the power of a hair-tie."

This was the first night that anyone in the group had been able to engage in light conversation in quite a while and it felt nice, but Kit knew that their pleasant situation here at the Ranger station would only last for so long before they would have to leave. It wasn't exactly a defensible position. Soon Rick would have them on the road again, looking for his elusive – practically mythical – haven where they would be safe from walkers. She would believe it when she saw it.