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Carol and Layla were walking outside together later that day. They were exchanging pregnancy stories. Layla had been surprised by Carol's willingness to talk about her pregnancy but it seemed like the woman needed to get it out so Layla listened. They laughed together at the crazy thoughts or dreams that pregnancy brought on. Layla looked up to find Daryl headed their way. He was wearing one of his long sleeve flannel shirts and his vest. It was chilly outside but his face was flushed so she knew he was mad about something.

" Hey you." She said as she smiled at him.

" Why the fuck don't you ask me about my scars?" He snapped at her. Layla and Carol looked quickly at each other.

" I better go." Carol said before she walked away.

" What are you talking about?" Layla asked him as soon as they were alone.

" Don't play stupid, Layla!" He yelled. " I know you know they are there! Why the fuck don't you ask about them?"

" I...I don't know." She asked.

" So you just don't give a shit!" He yelled down to her face.

" No, I do but I just thought if you wanted me to know you'd do tell me." Layla said.

" Whenever did I ever just tell you shit!" Daryl yelled.

" Daryl, man, chill out. You're screaming in her face." T-Dog said as he came up to them.

" What the fuck is it to you!" Daryl yelled to him. " I'll yell at her however I want! She's mine! Why the fuck don't you just go and put on the shit rap music you like!" T-Dog's eyebrows went up and so did his hands.

" Man, calm the fuck down." He said. Daryl stepped up close to him.

" Don't tell me to calm down." He said, dropping his voice down. " Get out of my face and leave my business to me and mine."

" What is going, Daryl?" Layla asked gently. She reached out and took a hold of his arm. Daryl yanked away from her.

" What's going on is you're a lyin bitch!" He yelled to her.

" What have I been lying about?" She asked, noticing quickly that a crowd was gathering around them.

" Everything!" He yelled.

" Look, I don't know what is going on here but maybe we should take this to our room." Layla suggested.

" Fuck no! There ain't gonna be an our room anymore! I do everythin for you and you ain't even ask me about my shit! I'm done!"

" What are you talking about?" Layla asked as she moved towards him.

" Get the fuck away from me!" He snapped before he turned and stalked away.

" What happen?" Rick asked as he came forward.

" Man just flipped out." T-Dog said. " He got in Layla's face and just started yelling." They all watched as Daryl disappeared into the prison. Layla placed her hands on her stomach.

" He's been flying off the handle since we got here. It's like he's going back to the way he was when we all first got to together as a group." She said softly.

" Do you think it's the stress of the baby coming?" T-Dog asked. Rick's gaze shifted to the roof of the prison where he saw Merle laughing and slapping at his knee.

" I don't think it's that." He said.

XXXXXX

Layla was shocked to find all of Daryl's things were gone from their room when she went there later that day. She had stayed away from him and their room, thinking he needed some time to cool off. When she had decided to go to the room, drawers were pulled out and left open. Their bed was a mess like he had just thrown the blankets and pillows around in anger. She sank down onto the bed in shock.

It was Rick who found him. Daryl was cursing as he moved through the halls with two bags over his shoulders. The clothes he had been wearing were ones found in town during one of the raids. Rick quicken his steps to reach the younger Dixon. He called out to Daryl but was quickly ignored. Daryl didn't even grunt or growl at him. That was...until Rick reached out and grabbed his arm.

" Leave me be!" Daryl snapped as he yanked away from his former friend.

" What the hell is going on here, man?" Rick asked.

" That bitch is a liar!" Daryl yelled.

" Okay, what did she lie about?" Rick asked.

" What the fuck does it matter? Shit's between me and mine!" Daryl snapped. Rick grabbed Daryl again and this time, he stopped the redneck.

" What is happening to you?" Rick asked.

" Ain't nothin happenin to me." Daryl said. Rick squeezed his arm.

" Something is. Something is changing in you and we are worried. Layla is worried." He said.

" Why don't you just stay the hell our of my business." Daryl said before he ripped his arm away. Rick put his hands on his hips as he watched Daryl walked away.

For a week they heard nothing from him. Daryl stayed away from everyone, Merle include. He had moved into one of the other rooms and wasn't talking. Layla had seen him during his patrols but he still seemed pissed off. At first she was upset and cried a lot but by the end of the week, she was pissed that he hadn't even been asking how she was doing.

At the start of the second week she found out that some of the guys, Daryl included, were going to make a raid on the town but for booze. It was a dangerous trip to take, a dangerous thing to do and she couldn't believe he had agreed to do it. He didn't do dangerous and reckless things so she knew it was Merle's doing.

" You can't go." Layla said. She had found him on the roof top and went up to him.

" What?" Daryl asked with his hands on his hips.

" To town. You can't go." She said.

" Since when do I have to listen to you?" Daryl snapped.

" Daryl, please, don't go. I'm not telling you, I'm asking you. It's too dangerous to go into town for beer." She said. Daryl frowned.

" I ain't talkin to you bout this." He said as he turned to walk away. " I'm goin."

" Oh I see, you'll go to town for beer but you won't get shit for our baby!" She yelled. Daryl threw his hands into the air as he continued to walk. Layla started after him. She moved as fast as she could until she came to stand in front of him, forcing him to stop. " I'm not staying here." Daryl's frown deepen.

" What the hell you talkin bout?" He asked.

" The group has been talking. We aren't comfortable here, it's not safe. We are going to head back to the farm, see if we can make it safe. I want you to come." She said, quickly.

" I ain't goin anywhere and neither are you." Daryl bit out, making her stand straight up.

" If you go to town and come back with beer, I will be gone by morning. I refuse to stay here with you when you are acting like this." Layla said. Daryl was squinting his eyes.

" So it's like that, huh?" He asked.

" If you go on this run, it's like that." She said as she tighten her resolve. " I don't want it to be like this, Daryl, I love you. But I can't be around you when you are like this, when you let him control you like this. You are better then that. You don't have to be his whipping boy anymore, like you used to be. It doesn't have to be like this." When he didn't respond, Layla took a step towards him. She slowly brought her hands up to his chest. She took a hold of his shirt as she pleaded to him with her eyes. " I love you. I need you. Please."

He was breathing so slowly, she thought he might have been holding his breath off and on. She had never actually told him she loved him before and, why she meant it completely and totally with all that she was, she hoped it would pull him back to her. But, instead, his eyebrows drew together and he stormed away from her without a word. Layla stared into the open the space he had left and felt her heart crush down.

She was going to wait and see. If he climbed into the pick up truck and went to town, then after the men returned, her group was going to sneak out. They thought Merle, who seemed to be in control of a lot of the men there, would not let them leave and they didn't want a scene so they were just going to leave quietly. They would head to the farmhouse they had gotten ready for the group. Then Rick, Glenn, T-Dog, and Hershel would head to his farm and check on it. If was cleared of walkers then they would move back there.

By the afternoon, it was clear to Layla what Daryl's choice was. She watched as he filed into the bed of the pick up truck with Merle's men. Before the truck pulled away, Daryl looked up and they met eyes. Layla wiped at her cheeks at the same time she felt Carol and Maggie put their hands on her lower back. Carol started to rub her back.