Author's Note: Okay, so I don't typically like having these at the beginning of a chapter but I foresee something that may or may not irritate some of you. So, as all of you know, this is a pretty crazy time during season three when it's one shitstorm after another for the group. There's not a whole lot of time for very important, personal conversations. Catch my drift? (No idea why I'm using that phrase but I'll go with it.) Anyway, that said, please enjoy the latest chapter and don't be surprised if there's a little lag for a certain important, impending conversation. It's all part of the plan. The other issue I think some people might have is the fact that Kit keeps switching back and forth and can't seem to make up her mind. Again, it's all intentional.

Kit didn't exactly feel up to eating but the last thing she wanted to do was give Daryl something else to worry about so she forced down the unappetizing food as best she could, hoping it wouldn't come back up, but not feeling optimistic.

When Rick suddenly appeared after apparently clearing out an entire block by himself, his visit was only brief and before too long he was gone again to go clear out more cell blocks. "He isn't stable," she whispered to Daryl.

He nodded his head in agreement but added "We gotta give him some time ta process what's been goin' on. Anyway, I gotta feed the Little Asskicker an' yer comin' with me."

"I don't think that's a great idea…"

"It'll be good for ya," he chuckled with a devious grin. Daryl clearly enjoyed the idea of making Kit feel uncomfortable.

He took her hand and pulled her towards the box the baby was being kept in until they could find a more suitable place. Before Kit could protest more, Daryl had placed the baby in her hands and she froze in fear, trying not to drop her.

"Ya look like a deer in headlights," he said with a laugh. "You ain't even started feedin' her yet." He handed Kit the bottle which she slowly gave to the Little Asskicker to begin feeding her.

"I'm not doing this right, am I?" she asked nervously.

"Yer doin' jus' fine," he told her with a snort. "Ain't nothin' to it. Christ, ain't you supposed ta be some type of genius, or somethin'? Or is yer nickname a bad one?"

"I wouldn't call myself a genius, but intelligence has nothing to do with the ability to feed a baby without dropping her or hurting her or screwing her up."

"Jesus, ya gotta calm down." By now Kit sounded as if she was hyperventilating. He took the bottle from her once it was empty and watched as her muscles relaxed a little bit, her breathing returning to normal. "See," he said triumphantly. "Ain't nothin' fer you ta be afraid of."

Kit was still deathly afraid of messing up, but she figured that the way things were looking, she might have to learn how to do this sooner rather than later.

Before too long, a small group was getting ready to go clear out the prison. With no Glenn, no Maggie and Herschel out of commission, there were very few left who had the ability or the stomach for the job. Originally, Kit, Daryl, Carl and Oscar were supposed to do it – their activity for the day – but Kit's stomach had other plans. Her food came back up, though she thankfully reached a toilet in time; so much for not worrying Daryl.

"I guess you ain't goin' nowhere," he said nonchalantly, though she could see through his body language that he felt anything but nonchalant about her most recent bout of illness.

"I'll be fine," she assured him. "Just go without me and be safe."

"I don't gotta go…"

"Yeah you do. I don't like the idea of Carl and Oscar going by themselves so you have to go with them. I'll probably even be fine by the time you come back."

He still appeared unsure but did as she said. This left Kit with only Beth, Herschel, Axel and the Little Asskicker for company. As she sat in an empty cell, Kit began to wonder how long it would be before people started to catch on. She felt as if she may as well have been walking around with a giant sign on her forehead that read 'pregnant' and she knew that before too long people would begin to figure things out. (Maybe the reason no one suspected the pregnancy so far was because it was a well-known fact that she and Daryl had been careful from day one.)

At least this gave her some more time to think, which would not have been much of an option if she were wandering through the halls of the prison looking for walkers. Her situation was not exactly an ideal one but when she saw Daryl yesterday with the baby, it convinced her that going through with the pregnancy may not be a complete disaster if the other option fell through completely. (Which, of course, did not make the decision any easier for her.) No matter what, she at least intended that night to be the night she told him so he could help her make the final decision.

Out of nowhere, she noticed Herschel in the doorway. "How long have you been there?"

"It's been about five minutes now but it looked to me like your mind was a million miles away." She looked up at him from the floor and, unsurprisingly, he noticed how worn out she was. "I suppose you've been giving everything a great deal of thought?" She didn't respond, but he knew the answer already. "Have you told him, yet?"

"No, not yet. I had been planning on doing it last night but after what happened, it didn't feel like a good time." She felt bad that Herschel had been informed before Daryl; it seemed unfair to her, though she still believed it had been necessary. Unlike Lori, she actually wanted to talk to Daryl about it, even if she was afraid to.

"Yes, what happened yesterday," he mused. What had happened to Lori certainly hadn't helped the case he was trying to pitch to Kit.

"I intend to tell him today, though. I hate to see him worried; he knows something is wrong."

"Are your plans still the same as before? Try to find the supplies?"

"Insofar. Obviously I still don't know Daryl's thoughts and feelings on the matter. I have no idea what he will want."

Before Herschel could voice any objections, Rick appeared – once again out of nowhere – but this time he actually seemed lucid, finally ready to accept responsibility for the baby. They all decided to go outside, an idea which Kit certainly didn't object to after being sick, but the pleasant stroll quickly turned sour when Rick noticed a living woman walking around the perimeter of the prison.

"I'll back you up," Kit said quickly, pulling her rifle from around her shoulders.

Oddly enough, when they investigated her, she didn't seem menacing, or appear to be looking solely for help. The desperate look in her eyes told Rick and Kit one thing: this woman was on a mission. Rick turned to Kit, seeking advice since she was apparently still on the panel and she returned her gaze to the woman. "I think we should let her in."

Once the walkers began to close in on the poor woman, Kit didn't hesitate: she ran straight for the gate to let her in, knife pulled out. She got there just in time as the swordswoman fell so she dispatched a few walkers and tried to pick up her body – no easy feat for someone as small as her. Thankfully, by now, Rick was taking out walkers with his pistol since he at least didn't want Kit dead. While they were running her inside, Rick couldn't help but tell Kit "You know, one day your willingness to trust people is going to get us killed."

"I doubt it," she gasped as she struggled with the body. "I don't trust everyone, after all. Just remember Tomas."

Rick sighed before taking the woman from Kit so they could get inside more quickly. The woman was at least semi-conscious when Daryl entered the room. "Rick, who the hell's this?"

"We found her half dead outside and I couldn't just leave her there," Kit responded. "It was my idea."

"'Course it was," Daryl snorted. "I dunno why I bothered ta ask. Anyway, ya'll betta come in here. Yer gonna wanna see this."

Kit followed Daryl, her interest piqued, to find Carol lying in a bed – more or less alright. "You found her," she gasped before kissing him happily. "I'm so glad you're alright Carol. When we got separated…"

"We wanted to find you," Carol told her. "But there were just too many to go back."

"You don't have to explain yourself," Kit said with a smile. "I understand completely." She pulled the older woman into a hug, thankful for one less person to count among the dead. It was very unusual for your worst fears to be proven wrong anymore.

While Rick was introducing Carol to the baby, Kit looked on thinking that tonight was the perfect time to tell Daryl everything. As she thought this, Herschel came up beside her. "God, I need him right now," she told him, unashamed to admit it.

Rick sauntered into the area where they were keeping the woman and Kit thought it best if she followed, given Rick's tendency to go flying off the handle. "We'll tend to your wound, give you supplies and send you on your way but you have to tell us how you found this place and why you were carrying formula." So far, at least, he wasn't being unreasonable.

"The supplies were dropped by a young Asian man and a pretty girl." Kit's blood turned to ice. Not Glenn and Maggie.

"Were they attacked?" Herschel asked.

"They were taken…by the same son of a bitch who shot me." Rick's desperation got the better of him and he began threatening the woman, putting pressure on her leg wound. "Find them yourself," she snarled.

"Ya best talk quickly or yer gonna have much bigger problems than a gunshot wound," Daryl said as he raised his crossbow.

"Stop it!" Kit was not going to let them ruin their one chance to find Glenn and Maggie so she shoved Daryl's crossbow down, glaring at both him and Rick. She turned her attention to the woman, now, pleading. "Please," she begged.

The woman seemed to soften a little at Kit's approach. "There's a town near here called Woodbury. It's run by a man who calls himself the Governor: a pretty boy, Jim Jones type. Your friends are probably there."

"Does he have muscle?" Daryl asked guardedly.

"Paramilitary wannabees. They have armed sentries on each wall, but even if the place is secure from walkers, we could slip our way through."

No sooner had she said this when Rick gathered the rest of the group together. "We ain't debatin' this," Daryl insisted.

"And you sure as hell aren't going to be short on volunteers," Kit reminded him. "I'm one of them."

Minutes later, they were packing the cars in preparation for the rescue operation and Kit was preparing the guns, loading them. "You sure yer up fer this?" Daryl asked her. After all, she hadn't been doing too well a few hours ago.

"Glenn is my best friend, Daryl, and has been since the quarry. I'm going. Besides, I happen to be the second best shot here, only second to a certain handsome redneck." He kissed her forehead, clearly nervous before she added "I'm not going to die – you can count on it. All I ask is that you do the same for me." She gave him a quick peck and they loaded into the car with the others. Kit, being the smallest by far, was forced to squeeze herself into the middle in the back of the Hyundai.

The calm before the storm hit them as they were walking through the woods – at least for Kit and Daryl, who were holding hands as they went, craving physical contact with each other before the uncertainty of the mission. Rick turned to Daryl. "I know what you did for me and my baby while I was….working things out. Thank you and I know it couldn't have been easy for you," he said, clearly referencing the fact that Kit had been MIA at the time.

"It's what we do," Daryl replied.

The group only barely managed to dodge a horde of walkers and by then it was just a waiting game to infiltrate the place. Eventually, the invasion commenced and they began tiptoeing through empty buildings. As usual, Kit and Daryl were much quieter than the others – with the exception of the other woman who was just as quiet as the husband and wife.

"This is where I was questioned," she explained.

"Where the hell are they?" Daryl demanded.

"They could be in his apartment."

"An' what if they ain't?"

"Then we look somewhere else."

"Interrogating her won't do any good," Kit whispered. "Right now we need to – " She was cut off by a man entering the building, though he was quickly taken care of. As soon as the disaster was averted, the miracle of the sounds of gunshots echoed through the streets. "I'm willing to bet that's where they are."

She was surprised that Rick's heavy breathing didn't give them away while they followed the sound of the gunfire. Thankfully, the men's voices were louder and from what Kit could gather, they had found the right place. The smoke bombs were thrown and the rescue finally went underway, with her and Daryl taking the rear.

When they found a building they could hide out in, Glenn told Kit and Daryl something they thought they would never hear. "Daryl," Glenn gasped, indicating to his face. "This was Merle." Kit's eyes grew wide with horror but also with a tinge of relief. She had always hoped that maybe someday Merle and Daryl would see each other again, even though these circumstances were pretty shitty. "He threw a walker at me."

"My brother's this Governor guy?"

"No, he's someone else," Maggie said. "His lieutenant or something."

"Does he know I'm still with you guys?"

"He does now."

Kit turned to Daryl and placed a hand on his shoulder, wanting him to keep his cool. "If this is my brother, I gotta find him."

"We're in hostile territory," Rick hissed. "Now is not the time."

"Daryl, I'll come back with you but we have to get Glenn and Maggie out of here, now," Kit whispered. And she meant it. Merle meant the world to Daryl so she would go to hell and back to bring Merle to the prison for him. "Please. As soon as Glenn and the others are safe, I'll come right back if I have to."

He seemed soothed by the support Kit was showing, while still remaining practical. He could see that she at least wasn't as coldly indifferent as Rick. "Alright, Dex."

"Thank you," she said, kissing him.

Even with the smoke cover, they weren't completely protected and they most certainly were spotted by one of the sentries who began firing. Kit got him with a successful headshot but by now the entire town was alerted to where they were. The fire was too thick to try and run through so Daryl told them he would lay down some cover fire.

"Then I'm staying with you," Kit told him firmly. No way was he going to pull that heroic shit while she left him behind. Daryl didn't look happy but there was no time to argue so he nodded curtly. Kit saw Oscar get shot, but she kept her eyes on Daryl and on the men firing on them. The men began to circle, slowly closing in, and in the ensuing tussle, Kit was separated from Daryl.

A few men followed her, firing as they went when she ducked into an alleyway and threw herself into a window well, barely squeezing in. As dark as it was, the men didn't see her. (They also probably weren't going to assume that anyone was small enough to fit into that particular window well.) While they searched the back part of the alley, she slipped quietly away.

She ran to the side of a building, well out of sight, trying to catch her breath, when she was wrenched around by an unknown assailant: the other Dixon. "Petite?"

"Merle?" Kit could scarcely believe her eyes, especially when she saw his prosthetic. What was more surprising was that, apart from the missing hand, Merle actually looked better than he had back at the quarry. She supposed that sobering up may have a lot to do with the improvement in his appearance; he didn't look nearly as haggard. "I'm so glad you're okay," was all she managed to choke out.

"You an' Daryl would be the only ones," he grumbled. "Never thought you liked me much, though."

"I liked you more than I liked most the people at the camp," she informed him. "I talked to you, didn't I?"

He laughed. "I didn't give ya much of a choice, though, did I?"

"If I had hated you, I wouldn't have talked to you. Besides, there's no denying that you treated me better than some of the other assholes."

He eyed her up and down, appearing almost a little sad. "So ma brother went an' got himself a little wife?" he drawled, noticing the ring. "I really don't wanna kill ya, Petite. You been takin' care of ma little brother, after all, from what I've heard."

"I love Daryl," she said honestly.

Merle gave her one of his unfathomable looks; he was even harder to read than Daryl, which was quite the accomplishment. "He'd be real pissed at me if I killed his woman," he mused.

It was then Kit realized that he was actually contemplating whether or not to kill her right there and as much as she wanted to have confidence in Merle, she wasn't about to take chances when it came to her life. Now was the time to bring out her final line of defense against him, hating herself for using this particular card. "His pregnant 'woman'," she informed Merle, using his same terminology.

His eyes widened. "Bullshit."

"I wish it were," she sighed heavily. "As shitty as the situation is, it's the truth."

Merle still wasn't sure whether or not he believed her but if he were being completely honest, he was looking for every excuse he could get not to shoot her. If he shot her, it would be even worse than all the others – he actually liked her. And he couldn't do that to his brother. "So yer tellin' me tha' ma brother let you come here like that?"

"He doesn't know," she admitted. "I haven't worked up the balls to tell him yet."

"Fuck, Petite, why do ya have ta go an' make this so fucking hard? Yer all happy ta see me, yer ma brother's wife now, yer pregnant and on top of all that yer so goddamn tiny!" He had a very brief but very painful moment of internal conflict before groaning loudly and angrily. "Fuck it all. Come with me, I'm gettin' ya outta here."

"Daryl's still here. I don't want to leave without him."

"Look, jus' as soon as yer safe then I'll go get Daryl."

Merle took her to a weak point in the wall – a different one than the one that they had entered through. "You sure tha' sheriff is gonna wait fer ya?" he asked dubiously.

"None of them will leave until they know what happened to me and Daryl. Just please bring him back." She couldn't do this without Daryl.

"Petite, I promise ya I'm gonna keep him safe, now get outta here 'fore someone sees ya."

She slipped out the small breach in the wall, hoping that both the Dixons made it out alive.