Daryl had finally begun to calm down a little from the day before, but he still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Kit was gone. Why the hell hadn't she come with them? She could survive well enough and she had never said no to a raid before. Hell, they had considered leaving the group a couple times before – survived two weeks on their own. What was so fucking different about this time?

"Still haven't thanked ya fer getting' Kit outta tha' shithole," he said to Merle. "I appreciate it."

"Blood is blood," Merle drawled. "I was told all 'bout you two by Andrea an' when I saw the ring I put two an' two together. Wadn't hard. 'Sides, I always liked Petite."

"'Jus' wish she was here."

Under normal circumstances, Merle would have told his brother to stop being a pussy and grow a pair but this clearly wasn't the time. He also had a conscience about not telling Daryl his wife was pregnant, so he figured this made it more or less even. "Don't be too hard on her, little brother. Women like ta have their comforts."

"That ain't it," Daryl insisted, frustrated he didn't understand. "She's been sick lately – never told me what was goin' on. Maybe it has somethin' ta do with that." If that was the case, it made Daryl feel really shitty for yelling at her and even shittier for leaving her there. It wouldn't have killed him to take a minute so she could explain but he never thought things through in the heat of the moment.

"I bet thas it," Merle said, which was actually the truth.

"We could try our luck fishin' 'fore dark?" Daryl suggested, wanting to forget the previous day.

"Yer jus' tryin' ta get me back ta tha' prison."

"Wouldn't be such a bad idea. A pot ta piss in, food, shelter…Kit."

"Maybe fer you. They ain't gonna welcome me and 'sides, they're all dead already."

Daryl flinched, but otherwise tried to keep his cool in front of Merle, at the expense of being called a sissy or worse: Darylina. "How can you be so sure?"

"The Governor's probably hostin' them a house-warmin' party as we speak. Ya said tha' little wife of yers was tough?"

"Toughest of the bunch."

"Well, then maybe she'll slip out the back 'fore the Governor can get her. Hell, she's so tiny he probably wouldn't see her anyway. Then, all she's gotta do is track us an' I'm sure ya've taught her a thing or two there. Let's hook some fish." Merle spit out some of the chew he had found as he said this.

Daryl had declined when Merle offered him some, saying that he wasn't in the mood while in reality, he didn't want the chew because he remembered that Kit hated it. Some habits would be hard to break.

Back at the prison, things were as rough as ever. Rick had woken up sober enough but that didn't mean he was any more inclined to follow her suggestions.

As he woke up, he gave Herschel a hard glare. "I'm assumin' Kit's responsible for this?"

"Yes she is."

"Does she intend to come and own up to her actions?" Rick's voice had the barest hint of a threat in it.

"Yes," Herschel replied again. "There were other things to be done, though, so Kit thought it best if she helped out."

"How kind," Rick muttered.

"Can you really blame her?" Herschel asked. "You were shooting all over the place, Rick."

"I'm sure she knocked me out for a few reasons besides that." He knew Kit was still pissed at him for giving Daryl the ultimatum and Kit had never been particularly happy with Rick's leadership, but Rick had to admit that Herschel had a point. "Could you have her come here?" Moments later, Kit arrived at the cell Rick had been put in, rifle in hand, and a cautious look on her face. She never knew what to expect from Rick anymore. "So, what exactly were you tryin' ta pull earlier?"

"I wasn't trying to pull anything," she replied harshly. "You were out of control and I did what was best for all involved. What if you accidentally shot someone? My intent was not some sort of coup or whatever sinister plot you may think I had. I'll stick by your decision so long as you make it while you're not going crazy."

"Are you calling me crazy?"

"Yes. I know crazy when I see it. So what's it going to be, Rick? Am I going to be sent packing? Are the newbies going to be sent packing? Both, I'm assuming, but it never hurts to ask."

Rick was peeved she called him crazy but if he was to be completely honest, he felt crazy – like he was spinning out of control and slowly fading from existence as he did so. As always, Kit was being honest with him which he, in truth, needed right now. Besides, now that he had a chance to collect himself, he was certainly regretting his actions from earlier. "No, I ain't gonna make you leave."

"And the others?" Kit's face softened when she realized Rick was trying to be reasonable.

"Herschel has vouched for them. What do you think? You two are my counsel."

"I think we need all the manpower we can get and I'll abide by Herschel's assessment."

"Then I suppose we have four new members." He was never one for apologies, so this was the best Kit was going to get which, it seemed, was enough when she nodded and went to give the others the good news.

The four people all stood quickly when they saw Kit return. (By now they had gauged she held some type of authority in the group even if it was clear that Rick had the final word. They were also mildly impressed with the small woman for knocking the leader out and living to tell the tale.) "Rick has had time to think things over and has come to the decision that you are all welcome to stay if you want. But keep in mind that we have a lot of shit going on right now. It might be safer to leave." They all gave her a funny look. "I just thought you should make an informed decision."

Tyreese smiled gratefully. "We're grateful that you're letting us stay. And we'll pull our weight, right guys?" He turned to the rest of his group.

Sasha nodded but the other two didn't. "Sorry, Tyreese, but we're going to leave. We don't want to live with that maniac."

Kit hated to admit it, but she couldn't blame the father for wanting to protect his son. "That's fine. Carl and Carol will show you out." She nodded and the two group members ushered them away. "Welcome to prison," Kit said dryly.

Rick went off on another one of his AWOL stints, so Kit and Glenn were more or less in charge together, which wasn't a good combination at the time. Kit mostly tried to stay out of Glenn's way but when he mentioned going after the Governor she had to put a stop to it. "We all want him dead, Glenn, but fortifying the prison has to be our main priority."

"Look what happened last time," Herschel added.

"You can't stop me," Glenn insisted. Sasha and Tyreese stared at Kit and Glenn, picking up on the anger that now existed between them.

"I will if I have to," Kit told him. "I'm not losing you, too." They may have been fighting at the moment, but she was still his best friend. "I agree that we can't run but you are not going after him yourself. He doesn't know the layout of the prison, which gives us an advantage."

Glenn stared at her and they made a silent agreement to forget about the previous day, at least for now. "Alright. We stay and defend this place."

She nodded thankfully at him. "I'll take watch."

She walked into the fresh air and finally got the chance to be alone that she needed. The tears flowed freely now and she allowed herself to really cry for the first time since Dale had died. There had been a few brief bouts of tears but nothing like this since Dale. However, even while she allowed herself to cry, she began fortifying the catwalk and the guard towers. Time was simply a luxury they couldn't afford.

Daryl heard the sound of a baby and found the source. Merle was telling him to leave them to die while his own conscience was telling him to help the poor people. What ultimately swayed him was the fact that he knew exactly what Kit would do, so he ran towards the car. He had little trouble with the walkers, but what made matters difficult was the fact that the people he was rescuing didn't speak English. Still, he was no worse for wear after the incident but Merle had to go and sour it by trying to steal from the poor people. "Let 'em go, Merle."

"The least they can do is give us an enchilada or somethin'."

"Get outta the car."

"I know ya ain't talkin' ta me, brother."

He looked over to the men he had helped. "Get in yer car an' get the hell outta here!"

He began storming back into the woods, already sick of Merle's shit. "Wha' the hell was that ya pulled back there? Those people owed us a token of gratitude."

"They didn't owe us nothin'."

"Helpin' people outta the goodness of yer heart? Tha' somethin' yer buddy Rick taught ya? Or tha' little thing taggin' 'long yer heels."

"There was a baby," Daryl said, not knowing what else to say.

"Oh, so if they hadn't had a baby ya woulda left them to the biters, huh? I bet ya never told Sheriff Rick tha' we was gonna rob the camp blind. Petite, neither, I'd reckon. Would she have been so keen on ya if she knew that?"

"It didn't happen," he muttered. "An' Kit an' I know 'nough 'bout each other ta know we're good fer each other."

"Well, if yer keepin' somethin' like this from her, I gotta wonder wha' she's keepin' from you." Merle already knew what she had kept from Daryl, but he wasn't about to tell his brother that because he actually wanted his brother to stay with him, annoying as he was.

"God, yer a simple-minded piece of shit!"

"Did yer little college-educated wife tell ya that, too?" He pushed Daryl down, tearing his shirt in the process, when he saw the last thing he wanted to see: scars that matched his. Two things became clear to Merle at that point. One was that his father had beaten Daryl just like he had beaten him. The second was that Petite knew something about Daryl that he hadn't known until now. At least, he assumed Daryl didn't only bang her with his shirt on. "I didn't know he…"

"Yeah, well he did." Daryl threw his pack on so Merle wouldn't gawk at the scars or want to talk about them. "He did the same ta you. That's why ya left first."

"I had to, man. I woulda killed him, otherwise. Where're ya goin'?"

"Back where I belong." Daryl was still pissed at Kit for not coming with him, but he was willing to hear her out if she was willing to do the same for him.

"I can't go with you. I tried ta kill tha' black bitch. Damn near killed the Chinese kid."

"He's Korean."

"Whatever! It doesn't matter, man. I jus' can't go with you."

"I may be the one walkin' away but yer the one that's leavin. Again."

"Shit!" Merle groaned, running after his brother. After a few minutes of silence, he had to ask. "What'd Petite think 'bout our dear old dad?"

"Dunno. We don't talk much 'bout things 'fore the outbreak."

"What? She hasn't said a word 'bout them?"

"Kit don't force me to talk 'bout it an' I'm happy she don't. I do the same thing fer her."

"Did her daddy beat her, too?" Merle asked, only half serious.

"Nah, it seems like he was a cool guy from what she's told me. But jus' 'cause someone's daddy don't beat 'em, don't mean they don't got stuff they never wanna talk 'bout. If she wanted to, I'd listen, but she don't."

Merle had never even considered the idea that Petite and Daryl would have had anything in common from before the outbreak so he decided to change the subject before he began to like her too much. "So she's gotten good with a gun? She's gotta be decent if ya took her with ya to Woodbury."

"She's more'n decent. Hell, I've never met a woman who can shoot like her an' she was good back at the quarry, too. Volunteered ta come an' rescue you but I shot her down, thinkin' she didn't know how ta use tha' rifle of hers."

"Damn. Where did Little Miss College learn how ta shoot?"

"Her explanation was 'I'm from Montana'. Her dad taught her when she was real young an' now she's damn good with it. Throws knives pretty well, too, but she ain't as good with them as with her gun."

Merle could read Daryl just as well now as he could at the quarry: Daryl loved his woman. Merle supposed he couldn't complain about her much. After all, she had fought for him to stay at the prison and said he was a decent man which was a compliment he had never heard before. If Daryl had to go and knock someone up, it may as well be her.

As it turned out, they couldn't have arrived at a better time. Daryl made it in time to only barely save Rick's ass from another walker. He couldn't see Kit in the chaos but he was sure she was there. Then, he saw the walkers beginning to drop like flies in the yard from an unknown assailant: it had to be her. When he had a spare second, he saw someone holed up in a catwalk, taking down the walkers in the field like a pro. Unfortunately, the dead bastards just kept coming and he knew she couldn't have much ammo left.

Eventually, he, Merle and Rick made it back inside to Cell Block C and Daryl looked all over for Kit but couldn't find her anywhere. "Where the hell is she?" he demanded.

"She was up in the catwalk," Glenn told him, trying to keep Daryl calm.

"Then why ain't she here? She coulda made it in time from there."

"I'm here." Daryl turned to see her limping into the cell block and sprinted over. "I'm fine," she told him. "I just ran into something on my way back down here."

"Let's just rest here for the night and figure out what to do in the morning," Rick sighed.

While Herschel was examining her leg to be sure nothing had been damaged she grumbled "Now he decides to show up. He can't keep leaving then coming back and still be the leader. It isn't right."

"Maybe, but we've got bigger issues to worry about right now. Like what to do about the Governor. I'm interested in what you have to say."

"I say we stick to the original plan: defend this place. I think our chances are better this way but I won't lie and say I don't have my own personal reasons, as well."

"You want to live in one place for a while, at least until your baby's born," he added hopefully.

"That's assuming I don't find the right supplies for you. I'm still inclined for the alternative but I would hope to have a stable place to perform the procedure."

He nodded gravely. "I suppose that's a possibility, too. I'll respect whatever decision you make, regardless of whether I agree with it." Herschel looked up and saw Daryl fidgeting from a few yards away. "But I think you should talk with him, now. He has to know and you two have to talk it over. Besides, I think he's eager to clear the air between you two, judging by the fact that he can't stand still for two seconds."

"I know." She looked over at the anxious Daryl, not far away. "He just worries so much as it is."

She walked over to her husband. "Hey," she said awkwardly.

"Hey," he replied, just as awkwardly. He may as well spit it out now. "I know ya wanted ta talk yesterday an' I'm willin' ta listen, now."

"Alright." She swallowed hard as she took his hand and led him to one of the guard towers.

"It ain't safe here."

"He's not going to attack twice in the same day. Today was just about sending a message so now he wants us to sweat while we wait. You said this was the best place for privacy, so let's talk privately here."

"I'm sorry I didn't give ya the chance ta talk yesterday. I coulda given ya a minute ta try and explain ta me." Now he was pacing in agitation that Kit wanted nothing more than to alleviate. Their impending conversation would only increase it, though.

"I wanted to go with you." She had wanted to go with him more than anything.

"Then why didn't ya? Ya coulda gone with me an' Merle an' done jus' fine."

"A pregnant woman running through the woods with the Dixon brothers is such a great idea," she replied sarcastically.

Daryl froze in his pacing and turned slowly to where she was standing. "Did ya jus' say 'pregnant'?" It wasn't possible.

"You heard me." Now she was staring at him seriously, preparing for the freak-out that was bound to happen.

"Christ, Kit! Ya went ta Woodbury like this?"

"I'm not an invalid, Daryl."

"That ain't what I meant," he muttered. "Ya shoulda told me! So if ya knew yesterday, how long have ya known?" Kit had been sick for weeks so he suspected that was how long she had been aware she was pregnant. At least now he knew why she had been forced to stay at the prison.

"I took the test the morning after the first night we spent in the cell block," she told him numbly, remembering how awful that day had been.

"An' when did ya get tha' test, then? We hadn't gone on a raid fer days when we got to the prison." He was raising his voice now, but Kit kept hers level. She knew he had every right to be angry.

"I got the test the last day we spent in the hotel on the run I went on with Glenn."

"Tha' was almost a month ago, Kit!" he yelled. "Why didn't ya fuckin' tell me? For a whole fuckin' month?"

"I didn't want to say anything unless I was sure because I didn't see any point in scaring you over nothing and because I wanted to be aware of our options. It was a while before I got enough privacy to take the test and when I did I was a total wreck so I figured I would tell you once I had pulled myself together and talked to Herschel about what options were available. The first day I planned on telling you was the day Lori and T-Dog died." Daryl struggled to remember that night, then realized some of the things he had said may not have been the most encouraging. It also occurred to him that Lori's death probably scared the shit out of her. "Then I planned on telling you the night that we went to Woodbury and that went to hell. This wasn't part of some devious plot to keep you in the dark, I promise. I just needed some time."

"So ya didn't tell me jus' so ya could deal with this all on yer own? I woulda been there an' you know it!"

"I know," she groaned, sliding to the floor. "It never occurred to me that you would be anything but supportive but I'm terrified, Daryl. I didn't know what I wanted to do about this, I didn't know how you would feel about it, or even what real options we have. I'm sorry. For all of it: this entire shitty situation."

Goddamnit, why did their arguments have to be so one-sided all the time? Whenever he yelled at her he just felt like an asshole since she never yelled back. Hell, she was even agreeing with him! And the look on her face… "Fuck, Kit." He slid to the ground across from her, rubbing his face as he tried to process everything. "Fer the record, I'm still pissed. But we'll deal with tha' later. What do ya wanna do?" He still couldn't believe she had been dealing with this alone all this time.

"How about we each say what our preference would be and then discuss what our actual options are?" He nodded in agreement. "Honestly, Daryl, I want an abortion. With the Governor, the uncertainty he's caused and all the medical risks I don't see this ending well if I stay pregnant. Besides, I think it's very clear that I'm not a particularly good candidate for motherhood."

"That ain't true. You ain't gonna screw a kid up, if that's why ya don't want this."

"It's not just that. I would be out of commission for months and it would kill me to watch everyone else going on runs without being able to go with them. I don't want to feel like I'm trapped in a cage," she told him, repeating the sentiment he had expressed when they had first entered cell block C.

Daryl could imagine the look on her face if she was stuck inside the prison while the rest of them were in the middle of the action and he knew: that wasn't Kit.

"Now tell me what you want." Daryl looked incredibly uncomfortable before she added "Please be sincere. Ignore everything that I just said for a minute and tell me honestly."

"Honestly? I like kids an' even though I wadn't eager ta be makin' any, I figure now tha' we got one I'd like ta have a kid with you." He felt as though he had to make sure he wasn't going to oppose her. "I get where yer comin' from, though an' I don't want ya feelin' like yer trapped or anythin'."

She sighed. "You may very well get your wish anyway. Herschel informed me the procedure couldn't be performed safely with the resources currently available to us. We would have to get a lot of supplies in order to go that route and you and I both know that running around looking for medical supplies isn't an option right now with our shit storm with the governor."

"I guess tha' leaves only one option, then."

"Unfortunately. All I wanted was a choice."

He didn't know if there was really anything else to say. Were they opening Pandora's Box? Daryl was all too aware that pregnancy could be a death sentence in too many ways to count, even after the baby was born.

"At least, as our options stand now," she added firmly, indicating she would fight to get what she wanted. "The second I get a chance, though, I want to find the supplies Herschel needs." He could see how scared she was and he slid across the guard tower to hold her, wishing he could take her fear away, as warranted as it was. He was almost as afraid as she was. "I don't want to die, Daryl. I don't want to die, I don't want to go through all this only to watch our baby die or grow up in a world of constant fear and loss. We haven't really been living for a long time," she told him, her voice sounding dead. "We've had a few good moments where we could cram them in, but it's mostly been about survival and that isn't a way for anyone – nevertheless a little kid – to live."

"You ain't gonna die," he told her firmly. "I ain't gonna let it happen."

"Daryl, women died in childbirth all the time before modern medicine. You're amazing, but even you don't have any control over that. Anything could go wrong with the pregnancy even if I don't die and then there's actually trying to care for a baby." She said baby the same way someone might say 'nuclear waste' – the way someone would talk about something dangerous.

"Ya know I'm here ta help ya, Dex. Everyone else, too." He paused. "I know I've said stuff that maybe hasn't made ya feel any better 'bout this: sayin' how I wouldn't wanna be Rick. That don't mean I ain't gonna be here either way."

"More often than not, you actually made me feel better about it. When I saw you with Judith – how fucking perfect you were with her – it made everything seem less impossible. Though it did make me feel sub-par. This isn't a matter of whether or not we would love it, though. It's a matter or whether or not we're equipped to deal with this."

She was finally beginning to calm down now and Daryl had more questions. "Does anyone else know? Or am I the last one?"

"I wanted to tell you first," she informed him, looking guilty as she said it. "But I had questions for Herschel and I told Merle in final attempt to prevent him from killing me. He probably wouldn't have done it, anyway, but I wasn't about to take chances."

"Merle knew and he didn't tell me?" he growled.

"He wanted you to stay with him and you need him, so I'm not pissed at him. Besides, I'm the one who should have told you a long time ago."

They sat in silence for a long time while Daryl thought the situation over for himself. He wished more than anything that Kit wouldn't have had to suffer through this alone for almost a month; that she would have told him of the possibility that he could be a father the second the thought had even occurred to her. But he knew now and he had to take care of her – more emotionally than physically, he suspected. "I love ya, Kit. Ya know that."

"I know and I love you, too. I'm sorry about all of this. We've been careful I never thought this could happen to us."

"This ain't yer fault an' we'll get through it – whatever happens." He had to do what was best for Kit. "An' if we get a chance ta look fer the things Herschel needs, then we'll go an' get them. That's if we don't gotta worry 'bout the Governor then."

She gave him a look of disbelief. "But you want kids."

"You come first," he said simply. "An' I know you ain't gonna be happy if ya gotta slow down an' be all domestic even if it's only fer a few months."

"Thank you," she whispered. Even if she was forced to go through with this, it helped to know that Daryl would have supported her own wishes.

"I think we gotta talk 'bout kids, though. I mean, now ain't a great time an' I get that, but things have got ta get better eventually. What if we end up stayin' here in the prison fer a long time? An' things start ta calm down?"

"I don't think I'd make a good mother."

"I think ya would."

"The walkers aren't going away anytime soon."

"We're pretty safe here in the prison from the walkers. How's about this: if things are safe an' calm fer a whole year would you at least think 'bout it?"

Kit could see how badly he wanted kids and she wished that she wanted the same thing so she supposed it wouldn't hurt to tell Daryl she would consider it. After all, maybe she would feel differently about it if the Governor and walkers weren't an issue anymore, if their ability to supply medical care became better and if the prison actually started to feel like a home. At the moment it just felt like a graveyard.

"If things are safe for a year, I promise that I will seriously consider it." If it would make him happy. "But right now will you be okay if I don't go through with this?"

"Okay."