"Mommy, when's daddy gonna be back?" Gavin asked.

Marie paused for a beat. Initally, she thought that he meant Shane. But then, she realized that Gavin didn't remember his biological father. Daryl, as far as the younger boy was concerned, was his father. "Sweetheart, I'm not sure."

"Soon?" he asked. "I really want him to be back."

"Me too," she agreed. "But he's doing what's best for us." Marie cuddled Parker just a little closer.

"Is it soon yet?" Gavin asked, swinging his feet as he sat on the bed. The brunette laughed softly.

"No sweetheart-"

"Aunt Marie…" Carl said from the door.

"Hm?"

"Um, I'm really sorry for earlier."

Earlier…

"Daryl…I don't want you to go…" Marie looked at him imploringly. "It's not safe out there." She wanted him at her side, not our risking his life for a group they'd be leaving. She'd already given him a million and one reasons of why not to go.

"Babe," he began. "I ain't got a choice. I gotta go…" She was finally able to walk, mostly on her own about a week after everything occurred. They'd hopefully leaving in another week.

"Why, Daryl, why?" She hated that she sounded like the bossy wife, but she didn't want to lose him. She wasn't the kind of person to want to restrict her significant other, but this was a whole nother barrel of monkeys.

"C'mere," he pulled her to the side, away from the rest of the group of people that were leaving. "I gotta get the stuff so that we can leave," he whispered. "An'-"

"You're leaving?" Carl asked from behind him. "I knew you'd leave too!" he turned and stormed off.

"Carl, wait!" Marie tried to hurry after him, but her side quickly affected her, and she had to stop after only a few steps.

"Ya okay?" Daryl asked her.

"Go after him…" she said, her breath coming out in huffs. "Please…" Daryl did and caught Carl's arm.

"Get off me!" He said nastily.

"Ya think we're gonna leave ya?" The younger boy nodded. "Well we ain't. But yer dad ain't gonna go…"

"Why-"

"Carl…I don't wanna leave you. You're more than welcome to come…I was going to talk to you later…" Marie said, still breathing heavily. "Do you really think that we'd leave you for no reason…?"

"I…I'm sorry…" Carl said.

Now…

"Carl, you apologized earlier," Marie said.

"I know…This is something different. I can't go with you," he stated, looking at his feet. "My dad needs me. Aunt Marie, I love you, but I just can't leave my dad and my sister. I have to stay. They need me."

"Carl! I'll miss ya!" Gavin exclaimed as he ran over and hugged his cousin. "I don't want ya to stay…"

"Carl, I completely respect your decision. But oh my God, I'm gonna miss you!" As soon as Gavin let go of Carl, he made his way to his Aunt and hugged her.

"I'll miss you too!" he exclaimed.

"Where're you goin' that you'll miss her?" Rick asked Carl.

"Me an' mommy an' daddy an' Airy an' Parker are leavin'! Gavin exclaimed. "An' Sophia…" he added.

"Leaving? Where?" Rick asked Marie.

"C'mon Gavin…Let's go find Sophia," Carl suggested, knowing the adults would want to talk.

"Rick, come sit," Marie patted the space by her legs on the bed.

"Why? You're just gonna leave anyway!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the hair. "I cannot believe you!"

"Rick-"

"No! You'd leave me, your brother, for some guy! What about family?"

"Shut the hell up!" She exclaimed right back. Then, she dropped her voice down to a loud whisper. "The babies are trying to sleep! And Daryl is my family! And if you didn't put us in danger constantly, we wouldn't need to leave!"

"I put you in danger? I'm not the one making the decisions!"

"Whatever, Rick. Just get out of here. I'll let you know when we're leaving." She was done, and beyond pissed. To her knowledge, Rick liked Daryl, and he had the nerve to say what he said? That was a little ridiculous.

Rick hadn't seen that much anger from his sister for a while. He knew it was his fault, and he regretted it right away. It was just that she was his sister and he needed to protect her. The whole thing with her getting shot was just terrible and he blamed himself. If he would've kicked that guy out, like Daryl suggested, she would've been fine. Even if he turned around right then, and started apologizing, Marie would've likely yelled at him more, not that he didn't deserve it. So, he decided to allow her to cool off for a few hours. He could always talk to her later.

"This is Kim, broadcasting on the emergency channel. Anybody that's out there, anybody at all, please…We have space, and plenty of it. Food, shelter, safety. Everything that you need. We just need more man power…we cannot fight off these things alone."

"Kim, what are you doing?" Henry asked his daughter, walking into the office area.

"Trying to get people…" She ran her hand through her dark auburn hair and frowned. "Daddy, we can't let it be just the five of us. We have twenty open bedrooms! We should fill them with capable, trustworthy people."

"And what if they're crazy, hm? What if they try to kill you, or worse. Myself, Andrew, Jacob, and Travis can't protect you forever."

"We can use the rifles," Kim suggested. Andrew, Jacob, and Travis were her brothers, all older. Andrew was the oldest, thirty, Jacob was twenty-seven, and Travis was twenty-three.

"Give me that thing," Henry said. She held out the end to her father and he took it. "If anybody's listening, we're located five miles north-east of Savannah in a large brick house. It's safe here." He returned the device to his daughter. "Only leave it on for another hour. Electricity's limited."

"Did ya hear that?" Daryl asked in disbelief to his counterparts. Bob and Michonne looked like they were in shock. Tyreese, however was another story. He still held that blank stare that he'd worn since they lost Sasha.

"Are we gonna go?" Michonne asked.

"I am," he said determinedly. "In fact, me an' Marie've been plain' on leavin'. Was gonna invite y'all along…"

"You can count me in," Michonne stated.

"Me too," Bob agreed. Still nothing from Tyreese. There was a loud thump on the hood, being as they'd stopped to keep the radio signal, Daryl looked up to find a lone walker. He was read to just hit the gas and go, but he heard another thump off to Michonne's side. Still manageable, he thought. But, walkers, like rabbits, multiplied quickly. One minute there were two, now there was nearly twenty.

"Do you think they're on their way back?" Marie asked Elizabeth later that afternoon.

"Honey, they just left this morning. You can't stress about this," the black haired woman said with an easy smile.

"It's just…I miss him," Marie folded a shirt, careful not to move too quickly. Granted that she couldn't do much, she was put on laundry duty. Which, wasn't too hard, they had machines now, just time consuming. Parker and Airy were with Sophia, Carl, and Gavin across the room.

"I understand."

"Have you seen Rick?" Marie waited a few moments before asking this.

"Yeah. Why's he mad at you."

"He started it. Not me. So he has no right to be mad! That bastard!" She set another shirt down onto a fresh pile.

"What happened?" Marie went into what happened earlier-the quick version. "Sounds like this was a big one…" Everybody had seen Rick and Marie fight, this just seemed more extreme than usual to Elizabeth.

"I don't know…He just needs to hold his tongue sometimes. I'm fine until he starts yappin' on about something! He's just so infuriating."

"You realize he probably feels the same about you, right?"

"Whatever. I just wish that Daryl and the others would hurry back."

AN: It's short, but I'm so tired right now, it's not even funny. And, I had to get it done tonight, so that I could update tomorrow. I will try hard to get the next chapter out soon, and hopefully it's out longer. Y'all's reviews make my day! Please continue with them!