Maddy120296 - Thanks, I was going for the cringe worthy reactions ;)

Sorry-I-Wasn't-Listening - Yeah, I wouldn't have the balls either. I'd just walk down the road until I passed out XD

toyshellme - Just asking, but did you actually watch the episodes these last couple of chapters are based on (Nebraska and Triggerfinger)? Cause, #1 and the most important - I do not own this scene. I borrowed this scene - the very "stoopid" move scene from the creators of the Walking Dead television series currently being played on AMC and simply elaborated on it in a way that I thought was entertaining. #2, according to the TV series, it was not night when Lori first went out - it was clearly daytime and she did not expect to hit a walker on the way there. I agree, it was a stupid move, one I would not have done myself but Hell, I don't write the scene, I simply elaborate on them for my and other people's enjoyment, which is why Tessa went. #3 - I think you misinterpreted the whole "Tessa-Being-A-Daryl-Dixon" thing. Like Tessa mentally says in the chapter - Daryl would never have gotten himself in that situation and she acknowledges that. What I DID mean for that and like I said earlier in my response to Sorry-I-Wasn't-Listening, was - I don't think you or anyone else would have had the balls to pull a shard of glass from your leg or lie there and pull an arrow from your side, even with a walker walking towards you (unless, possibly, you have military training), if you were in their place. Sorry if I insulted you, but chances are, it'd be true, and that's what I meant - I was drawing a comparison through that. And #3, if you're expecting for Daryl to be PO'd at Tessa for something that WAS NOT EVEN HER FAULT because as far as I remember, I never wrote her with the ability to see into the future - I wrote her with compassion instead, which is a pretty human emotion - then don't read this chapter - cause your probably not gonna like it, I'm tellin' ya now.

With that being said! Caution: Angry Daryl zone - very Angry Daryl zone!

And then fluffy Daryl and Tessa zone at the end :D

PS - Sorry for the extremely long chapter - I didn't want to cut anything :(


Favorite Line(s):

"Well paint me red and call me Santa! The squaw does have some Dixon in her after all!"

When Daryl returned back to the camp later that night, he immediately knew something was wrong. Not only was Tessa not flitting around with Lori and Carol helping out with whatever needed to be done or for the typical time everyone started lying down for bed, but she was also missing from their tent and the farmhouse, where everyone seemed to be settling down for dinner. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he placed his crossbow down against the front doorway.

"Ethan, where's ya momma?" He asked, nodding to him, and Ethan shrugged coolly.

"Dunno. Haven't seen her since ya guys moved our stuff up the hill -"

"Look, we didn' move tha stuff up to tha hill, kid – ya momma managed to change ma mind 'bout tha'," Daryl interrupted him in a hushed voice as he took a step toward him. "I left her to go huntin' and when I came back, she was gone. Are ya sure ya haven' seen her at all since this afternoon?" Ethan shook his head again, an alarmed look appearing in his eyes then. Everyone else was starting to sit down at the table and Ethan opened his mouth to say something but Carol calling for Lori and Tessa to come and eat, interrupted them. Maggie speaking further kept them from saying anything.

"They're not in there – I already checked."

"Well then, where in tha Hell are they?" Daryl asked, his voice coming out a little on edge, and everyone turned their eyes onto the two Dixons standing not that far away from the table. Everyone stayed silent at that, gazing at each other and hoping that they would speak up but when they didn't, Shane leaned forward to place his eyes on Carl.

"Carl when was the last time ya saw ya mom?" He asked, and Carl gave a shrug. Daryl's teeth subsequently gritted. Great . . . he had a pretty good idea where she was now.

"This afternoon." He answered him and it was then that Andrea spoke, causing Daryl and Ethan to pause on their way through the living room to the front door.

"Lori was worried about Rick and asked me to look in on Carl."

"She went after them?" Dale asked and Andrea shrugged as Daryl nodded.

"She didn't say that -!"

"But she did," Daryl spoke and everyone turned their eyes up onto him again. "Me and Tess were doin' some shit around our tent – sortin' tha clothes out and talkin' 'bout some stuff – when Lori came up. She asked me to go into town and get Rick and tha others 'cause of Beth. I told her no – tha' I had better shit to do then go be someone's errand boy. Tess was right beside me when I told her. She prolly went to go get 'em and Tessa prolly went with her."

Shane sighed as he nodded towards Daryl who nodded back as he moved over to him. "You are coming with me, then?" He asked, and Daryl's teeth gritted at the idea of being in an enclosed space with the jackass for longer than five seconds, but he nodded none-the-less.

"Fuck yeah I am! I'll take ma bike – ya take whatever car ya want." He told him and Shane nodded, a look of relief entering his eyes over not having to be in an enclosed space with Daryl, too. They moved through the front screen door and when they stepped out onto the porch, was when Ethan ran out behind them and pulled Daryl back with an anxious hand on his forearm.

"Deddy, please, let me come with ya! I want to help find momma!" He begged and Daryl stubbornly shook his head as he gently pried his arm from his son's grasp.

"I don' know where they are or how long we'll be out, so I need ya to stay here in case they come back – to tell her where I am if they do! Can ya do tha' for me?" He asked him and Ethan stood there for a moment, his eyes flitting towards Shane's moving back. Daryl glanced behind him, saw where he looking at and then pursed his lips as he turned back to him. "I'll be fine, I promise! I'll bring ya momma back safe and sound, okay?" He told him and Ethan nodded, his eyes still wide and slightly fearful. Daryl sighed as he wrapped his hand around the back of his neck and brought him forward slightly so that he could press a kiss against his forehead. "We'll be back as soon as we can, okay?"

Ethan nodded and Daryl returned the nod before he turned around on his heels and took off after Shane. Ethan stood there and watched as his father jogged after Shane towards the campsite and his bike. Shane was already getting into his car while Daryl mounted Merle's bike, the familiar purr of the engine cutting on seconds later. He stood there on the porch and watched as the two men drove off, their taillights disappearing into the gloom moments later.

He stood there and watched until Maggie came out and with a gentle arm around his shoulders, led him back inside the house.


When they found the crashed car and pulled over to investigate, Daryl felt his blood run cold as he cut off the bike. And by the look on Shane's face when he came around the car and they met, his blood was starting to run cold as well.

"Pretty bad damn wreck . . ." Shane spoke as they moved towards it, gun and crossbow at the ready. Daryl nodded in agreement as Shane kicked at the walker behind the car and as Daryl moved forward to kick the one with his head still hanging halfway in the car through the broken Plexiglas. They breathed out sighs of relief when they saw they were quite dead and saw the puncture wounds in their heads that eerily matched Daryl's hunting knife. He let out a sigh of relief. Thank God Tessa took that knife – it had probably been the one thing that had saved their lives!

"They must have hit a walker . . ." He replied, his voice quiet before he shook his head. He caught a glimpse of the blood on the passenger side seat and felt his blood turn to ice in his veins, temporarily freezing him as well. He found himself wishing to Hell that Tessa had been the one driving, although something told him that she wasn't – that Lori had been the one driving when they crashed.

"Lori . . . Tessa?" Shane hissed loud enough for anyone nearby to hear. Daryl shook his head as he stepped away from the wreck, his crossbow moving to hang limp by his side. His heart pounded in his chest for a moment before jumping up into his throat. Jesus Christ – where were they? Where was Lori – where the Hell was Tessa?!

"One of 'em's wounded – leg, I'd wager; they ain' far." He called to him and Shane swallowed heavily and glanced back at him as they heard the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance.

"Who do ya think it is?" Daryl shrugged. "Can ya track 'em?"

"No way to tell. As for tha trackin' . . ." He shook his head. "It's pavement – there's no way to track and it's too dark to see any blood, tho' I don' think there's any to begin with . . . whatever happened, they patched themselves up good before takin' off!" Shane pursed his lips and nodded back in the direction of the car and bike. Daryl returned his nod as they turned around on their heels and took back at a run in the direction of the vehicles. They wanted to find them before the rain hit – and quickly! If one of them was wounded, it wouldn't be good for them to get caught in the rain.

"Hold on Tess, I'm comin'!" Daryl muttered as he flipped the key in the ignition, the bike coming to life almost immediately. His heart kept up the same frantic tattoo in his chest – a tattoo he hoped to Hell wouldn't be permanent.


"Come on Tess, we can do this!" Lori huffed as they made their way slowly along the side of the road, Lori always keeping a watchful eye out for any walker that could suddenly move out at them through the surrounding tree line. Thunder rumbled in the distance and both of their hearts twisted but they didn't allow it to show. She could tell Lori was still dazed from the wreck but nothing like she herself was. The pain in her thigh had settled down to a dull but omnipresent throb, however, the loss of blood that had been steadily dripping from the wound and which seemed to be soaked up mainly by the strip of jacket still wrapped around her thigh, was starting to make her lightheaded.

"You wanna know . . . exactly how badly Daryl's gonna get his ass laid . . . when we get back to the camp?" Tessa asked her through gasps of breath and Lori grinned and laughed.

"First honey, we gotta get you back! And judging from your rather frequent romps, I don't think Daryl's into the whole . . . 'necrophilia' thing so we might wanna focus on that first!" She laughed and Tessa grinned and shook her head.

"Is that a crack . . . on how loud I can be?" She joked and Lori shook her head, still grinning.

"Honey, sometimes, you could wake the dead! So yeah, I doubt your man is into the whole his-woman-being-absolutely-still-and-silent fetish." Tessa gave a breathy, exhausted laugh and opened her mouth to speak, however, she was interrupted by three pairs of headlights shining on them – two that obviously belonged to a car of some sort and the other that was moving alone. They stopped walking and stood in one place, Tessa finding it hard to focus as the two vehicles came to an almost screeching stop. They cut off seconds later and they heard someone yell out 'Tessa!' as the car door opened and slammed shut. The sounds of running footfalls could be heard coming towards them and Tessa swallowed hard when those footfalls turned into Daryl's boots slapping against the pavement.

"Oh thank God . . .!" She breathed out in clear relief as her vision immediately started to fade and she started sliding down towards the pavement. Lori's grip on her quickly waned, her knees buckling as she fought to keep her up with waning strength. Now that Daryl had found her, she found her body finally shutting down, her mind quickly welcoming the blissful darkness and exhaustion that had been plaguing her since she first came to consciousness after the wreck.

Daryl was there . . . he had her now – she was safe!

"Daryl, hurry and take her -!"

"Don' worry, I got her!" He quickly interrupted Lori as he caught her before she hit the pavement. He scooped her up in his arms, his eyes immediately turning down to gaze at the blood soaked strip of jacket wrapped tightly around her thigh and their blood encrusted sides. Her jeans were also pretty wet and blood encrusted around the edges of the jacket and he found himself hoping that the wound wasn't as bad as it looked. He felt his breathing catch in his chest as he gently turned up the sides, trying to see how bad it really was. However, it was too dark to see for sure and whenever he would try and lift the edges up to see, Tessa would flinch violently and let out a moan of pain. He swallowed heavily and shook his head, his eyes widening in horror. "H-holy shit, babydoll . . .!"

"Lori, are you alright?" It was Shane who spoke as he finally joined them, and Lori nodded, her breathing coming out heavier now that she didn't have Tessa weighing her down.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine -!"

"What tha fuck happened to her?" Daryl demanded of her, his voice angry when he interrupted her. However, it was Shane's voice that kept her from answering him.

"You guys are not fine – we saw the damn wreck!" He told her, his voice coming out shaky as he began to place his hands on her stomach before moving elsewhere on her body. Lori froze but Daryl's beyond angry voice interrupted them again. After gently laying down Tessa, he got to his feet and marched over to her, his eyes wide with fury. Lori froze as one of his hands wrapped around her throat and started to squeeze.

"Lori, what tha fuck happened to Tess? And God help me, woman – I will fuckin' kill ya now if you don' tell me!" He shook his head, his lips pursing in anger. "And I swear to God tha' I won' even put a bullet in ya head afterwards, jus' so I can kill ya again when ya come back!"

Lori's eyes grew wide with terror at the uncomfortable pressure now being exerted on her throat and which was steadily growing, and her eyes darted down to the now unconscious Tessa lying a few feet away. Without Tessa actually conscious and moving, she doubted Daryl's anger would cool much.

Daryl had just lost his motherfucking shit and the only person capable of giving it back to him was currently lying unconscious at their feet.

Lori didn't think she had ever been more afraid in her life, than at that moment.

"Daryl – hey, Daryl – get ya hands off of her!"

Shane, finding that he had actually forgotten the two of them were there with them, took a moment to register what was happening. His teeth gritted as he grabbed ahold of Daryl and with one powerful yank, pulled him off of her, Daryl roaring at her in anger the entire time and thrashing his damndest to try and get Shane to release him.

"Ya fuckin' bitch – ya cunt - if she's dies, I'm rippin' ya damn head off! AUGGHHH – I swear to fuckin' God bitch that I will!"

Lori's eyes continued to grow even wider in terror at his words, and her hands flew to her neck, where she began massaging away the slight pain that he had left behind, her chest heaving. Daryl had never once put his hands on a woman in anger – it was the one good thing Merle and his fuckhead father had taught him - but at the look of Tessa lying on the pavement with that wound because of what Lori had done . . .

He shook his head as he finally managed to yank himself free of Shane. Shane let out a grunt as he stumbled backwards slightly and as Daryl moved back over to Tessa with an almost predatory walk. His fierily angry eyes remained on hers the entire time as he bent down beside her and took her in his arms again with a shocking amount of gentleness for how angry he was. They knew that Tessa and Lori's friendship was the only thing keeping him from going through with his promise and if she was in his arms, then great – he had one more incentive to keep his anger in check.

Right now, the good wolf was gone and on vacation and the bad wolf was throwing a fucking parade.

Daryl Dixon was vicious and right now, at the mere thought that he could lose Tessa . . .

He shook his head, his teeth gritting almost impossibly in anger as he kept the thoughts in check. Shane's eyes widened upon him setting eyes the wound on her leg and he suddenly realized just why Daryl was so angry. He placed himself between them as Lori shook her head. "I looked down at the map for only a few seconds and when I looked back up, we hit a walker, I swear to God, Daryl, that it was an accident!" She spoke, trying to keep her voice level although not one of them could bear to look at Tessa's quickly paling face for long except for the man currently holding her. He gently but shakily moved a lock of her ebony hair out of her face as he listened to Lori explain what had happened and as he continued to try his damndest to get his anger – which was burning like a damn wildfire inside him - under control. "When we became conscious again, I was fine except for a few cuts and bruises, but Tess . . . she had . . . she had a mean shard of Plexiglas stuck in her leg."

Daryl felt vomit rise up in his throat at the image but managed to force it back down again. "And ya guys took it out?" Lori shook her head.

"No . . . Tess did – all by herself, too. She said that she could bind the wound better that way and that she could move better too – get further down the road without passing out."

Well paint me red and call me Santa! The squaw does have some Dixon in her after all!

For once, Daryl had to agree with the Merle voice inside him and gave a laugh, his anger dissipating somewhat. His voice was soft and loving when he spoke, his eyes softening as he continued to gaze at Tessa's unconscious face and Lori and Shane's eyes widened at the soft tone of his voice. The man really could hop between two different emotions at the drop of a hat, couldn't he?

"Atta girl . . . ya did good . . .!"

"Well next time, how about you guys stay put so's the two of you won't need a map?" Shane asked with a shaky laugh, and Daryl couldn't help but nod in agreement. For once, Shane was right too.

After placing an arm underneath her knees and another that moved around to support her shoulders, Daryl got to his feet, Tessa in his arms. Her head lolled against his chest as he nodded towards the car. His voice was gruff and still angry when he spoke. "Come on - let's put her in tha back and get on home. She needs Hershel and fast!"

"Wait, we can't go yet – we gotta go find Rick! Daryl has his bike – I'm pretty sure he could find a way to take her back on that!" Shane stayed silent for a moment, debating, and Daryl turned around while he did so. He felt his anger start to rise up again the longer they stood there and thought about it, almost to point where he was debating on ripping the keys out of Shane's hand and driving himself home – after, of course, he shoved them through the fucker's head! Fuck, he'd even get someone to bring him back for the bike later – right at that moment he didn't give a shit about anyone but Tessa who so desperately needed medical attention.

But when Shane finally spoke, Daryl once again wanted to shake his head and wonder if Shane was about to thank the Academy again. "They're back," He told her. "They're all back – safe and sound." Lori adopted a look of relief on her face.

"Really . . .?" Shane nodded while Daryl shook his head in halfway disbelief.

"Yeah . . ." Lori let out a sigh of relief as she gestured to Tessa.

"Oh thank God! Now come on, let's lay her in the back and get on home - Hershel needs to take a look at her before she worsens!" Daryl nodded in agreement as Lori moved to open the backseat, Shane moving to open the other side. She stayed carefully out of Daryl's way as Shane quickly rolled up a jacket he found in the floorboard and placed it in the seat to rest her head on as Daryl gently laid her down across it. Their eyes met briefly when he was doing it – him and Shane. He saw the slightly insane gleam in the cop's eyes and once again, Daryl began debating on whether it was smart or not for them to stay down at the campsite with the others and not on top of the hill, alone.

They slammed the doors behind them and Daryl made a move for his bike, anger and tension still riddling his body. Lori placed a hesitant hand on Daryl's arm and he flinched as Lori immediately stilled at the movement. Daryl turned to gaze at her nonetheless, his hands moving to ball into fists at his sides. His eyes were full of nothing but anger and hatred when he gazed down at her and her eyes grew wide again.

"What do ya want?" He snapped and she flinched again.

"Daryl, I'm so sorry!" Was all she could bring herself to say and Daryl shook his head in slight bemusement as he ripped his arm free of her grasp.

"Ya think jus' a simple 'sorry' is gonna make this any better?" He demanded as he moved over to Merle's bike. He shook his head again as he mounted it and cut it on. "Tha only thing keepin' me from killin' ya in tha most excruciatin' way I can think of right now – and believe me, there's many! – is tha fact tha' Tessa could live through this and she'd be royally pissed tha' I killed her friend!" He shook his head again and when he pinned her with a glare so angry in its intensity that for a moment, Lori actually felt an invisible knife slide through her heart. "But I can tell ya one thing, though. If she doesn' live through this . . ." He shook his head. "It ain' gonna be pretty for ya in tha slightest!"


When they got back to the farmhouse and pulled up to the campsite, everyone immediately ran to meet them. "Oh my God - are you guys alright? What happened?" Andrea asked as they approached them, though her eyes immediately grew wide and her hands flew to her mouth as Daryl carefully retrieved Tessa from the backseat, taking her back in his arms as he did so. "Oh my God - what's wrong with Tessa?" Daryl shook his head as he pushed by her.

"Where's Hershel?"

"We were in an accident -!"

"I'm sorry, but daddy ain't back yet! None of them are back!" Maggie interrupted them quickly and when Daryl froze at those words, his grip on the still unconscious Tessa tightening, everyone grew silent. Lori turned an accusing glare onto Shane as Daryl fought to rein his anger back under control. It helped him a little when Ethan ran up, his eyes growing wide at the sight of Tessa lying unconscious in his father's arms, but not by much. Maggie immediately ran up to him and pulled him into a sisterly hug as tears flooded his eyes. He suddenly looked very vulnerable and Daryl was thankful that Maggie was holding onto him, because he couldn't exactly do that at the moment.

"Deddy, what's wrong with momma?"

"What do you mean they're not back – what do you mean Hershel's not back yet? Have you seen Tessa?" Lori demanded as her jaw hardened and she continued to keep her beyond angry attention onto Shane. Carl had run up by that time as well and Lori hardly noticed it when her son wrapped his arms around her waist in a hug. At that moment she was too pissed to notice him. Tessa could die! What gave Shane the right to lie to her when Tessa's life hung in the balance?

And by the look in Daryl's eyes, she could tell he was thinking the exact same thing.

"Where are they?"

"Look, I had to get ya back somehow -!" Shane replied as Patricia stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Daryl's shoulder. The man flinched at the touch but she pressed on him a little firmer.

"Come on, let's lay her down upstairs in the house and I'll clean and stitch her wound, okay? I'm not exactly Hershel, but I'll do what I can." She told him and Daryl nodded, his expression turning grateful as they began making their way up to the house, Ethan shoving himself out of Maggie's arms in order to follow after them at a run. Lori glared at Shane the entire time, her eyes filling with tears as she gently pushed her son off of her.

"You are such an asshole -!" She hissed at him through gritted teeth as she launched herself towards him, hands outstretched, however, Daryl didn't hear the rest of the spat, for they were already halfway back up to the farmhouse. They entered the house moments later, Patricia calling for Maggie to fetch her a bowl of warm water, clean rags, scissors and the pain meds and antibiotics. She then directed Daryl to take Tessa upstairs and place her in the same bed that he had been placed in when he arrived back with his wounds. He did so gently and when Patricia directed everyone to leave the room except for just the three of them and Maggie when she returned with what she had been ordered to fetch, Ethan immediately struck up an argument, his eyes becoming angry.

"No way in Hell I'm leavin'! She's my momma – I deserve to be here -!"

"Ethan, watch ya language, shut tha fuck up and go!" Daryl barked at him as his eyes hardened with anger. Ethan froze at his tone, his eyes widening in fear, and Daryl's expression softened slightly as moved around to the bed towards him, where he pulled him into a tight hug. Daryl could feel Ethan trembling in his arms as his eyes stayed pinned on his white-as-a-sheet mother and when they broke apart, Daryl forced their eyes to meet. "Son, I promise ya tha' I'll come get ya when we're done, okay? But for right now, we need to concentrate and we can' exactly do tha' with a room full of people!" His voice was shaky as well when he spoke and Ethan's face softened at his much kinder tone. He nodded and backed out of the room, where he moved to lean up against the opposite wall out in the hallway, Maggie shutting the door behind him as Daryl returned to Tessa's bedside.

"Let me have the scissors," Patricia spoke when they were settled, and Maggie nodded as she handed the heavy steel scissors to her. Patricia carefully cut the length of jacket off from around her leg and Tessa flinched. She chose that time to wake up, her teeth gritting in pain when Patricia slowly peeled the cloth away from her. Everyone's stomachs immediately soured when they saw the angriness of the wound, even through the hole in her jeans. Daryl's eyes stayed glued to it for a moment before Tessa's small voice saying his name brought his attention onto her.

"I'm here, babydoll - I'm right here!" He breathed out in relief as his eyes flew up to hers, his hands moving to frame her face then as well. "We're back home – we gonna get ya patched up!"

"Where's Hershel . . .?" She asked as she gazed tiredly around the room, and he shook his head as Patricia heaved a sigh and gently lifted one of the torn edges of her jeans around the wound so that she could better peer into it. Tessa flinched but released no sound of pain. The only indicator it had hurt was her flinch and the way her hand fisted in the white coverlet of the bed.

"They ain' back yet -"

"What do ya mean they're not back yet?" She interrupted him, her voice growing slightly panicked, and Daryl shook his head as he shushed her again.

"They ain' back yet, babydoll, but please don' panic! Patricia's here and Maggie is too! Ya remember how good Patricia did stitchin' up T-Dog tha' one time?" Tessa's eyes flitted to Patricia, who smiled warmly and then to Maggie, who gave a weak smile. Tessa hesitantly nodded as Patricia spoke,

"You did good taking the shard out, honey," She told her with a nod. "And Daryl's lucky he got you back in time before you set in an infection. We're gonna have to take off your pants, though, to better clean the wound and stitch it up. Do you think you can do that?" Tessa thought for a moment, her eyes flickering to Daryl and he nodded as he removed the hunting knife strapped to her thigh.

"I'll be right here, babydoll, I promise! We'll help ya too, if ya need it," She finally gave another shaky nod as her hands moved to the button and fly of her jeans, where she quickly undid them. She shimmied them down her hips but when she reached the tops of her thighs, she gritted her teeth again and shook her head, her eyes closing shut with the pain. It was then that Daryl nodded and took a gentle but firm hold of her as he turned his eyes onto Patricia. She nodded and with Maggie's help, they took her boots off before gently and slowly trying to work the jeans down her legs.

Finally Tessa shook her head, letting out a huff of irritation as she did so. "You guys ever pick off a scab before?" She asked through harsh breaths and they nervously paused. "You start out slow but sooner than later, ya just gotta rip the damn thing off!"

Patricia and Maggie caught Daryl's gaze then and the man nodded. He didn't like it any better than they did, however, if Tessa was saying do it because it was causing her too much pain, then they supposed they should heed her. They steeled themselves and so did Tessa before with one swift yank, they tore her jeans down her legs, the sticky, dried and bloody edges of her jeans tearing off of the skin around her wound. Tessa let out a scream of pain and the throb in her leg jumped up into a damn near heartbeat as her body grew rigid with the pain. Daryl quickly shushed her as tears appeared in her eyes. He was leaning above her with one hand pressing down into the mattress beside her shoulder and one of her hands latched onto his strong forearm with surprising strength.

"Here, give her some of these! With hope, they'll dull the pain slightly while I go about doin' this!" Patricia told him quickly as she darted over to the two bottles of pills sitting beside the basin of hot water. Tessa nodded as she held out the hand that had been latched onto Daryl's forearm. Patricia shook them out to her and she swallowed them dry before releasing a shaky breath. Her eyes were still closed and her legs shook and trembled. The pain still hadn't dulled back down to a throb and she let out a sob when it occurred to her was about to happen – the pain she was about to experience. Daryl continued to shush her as he held her close for the moment, his lips pressing against her hair. She gripped him tight – as tight as she could - as if she could siphon off some of his indomitable, constant strength because, dammit, she felt like she was starting to run on empty!

The three of them observed the wound now that it was fully in the light and felt their stomachs sour again. It wound looked angrier now that her pants were off - the redness an angry, glaring beacon against her dark skin, and Daryl felt his breath draw harder from his lungs. It seemed like they were both gonna have some pretty heavy duty scars in a few months when they were both totally healed. Of course, Daryl's scar was joining countless others, but Tessa . . . this might be the first scar to grace her previously flawless body.

"Ya could have given them to her before ya two ripped her damn jeans off and almost made her pass out!" Daryl growled at them and Tessa shook her head as her hand moved to grasp his shoulder.

"It's fine, Daryl – I'm fine . . . for now, anyways . . ." She trailed off as she turned her eyes onto Patricia, the brown depths slightly wary as she sucked up her sobs and her tears. "What do you gotta do?" Patricia sighed as Tessa's hand on his shoulder tightened as did the one gripping his forearm.

"It's really angry – I mean, really angry! I'll give ya some antibiotics when we're done, but for now, it has to be cleaned and then stitched up." Tessa heard her breath hitch at the word 'stitched' and truth be told, so did hers. That would hurt like a mother! Patricia paused, however, and they turned wary gazes up to her.

"What is it?" Daryl asked quickly, and Patricia turned behind her to glance at Maggie, who buried her hands deep into her front pockets in nervousness.

"I understand that you are . . . pregnant," She spoke, her voice coming out wary as well, and Tessa felt Daryl tense above her as she nodded. "Ethan was talking about it when you two were gone . . ."

"Yeah, but I'm only about a few weeks along . . . why?" Patricia swallowed hard.

"You've been in an excruciating amount of stress for one day, Tessa – what with the wreck and all. Stitchin' this up isn't gonna be pretty – for either of us and especially not for you! I'm hesitant about doing it right now because the stress and the pain could trip you over into having a miscarriage. I am aware that . . ." She shifted from foot-to-foot as her eyes moved to hold each of their gazes in turn. "I have been told that the two of you would be . . . very anguished if a miscarriage were to occur . . ." Daryl opened his mouth to speak but Tessa shook her head stubbornly.

"We can't wait, Patricia, and you know it! This wound – it hurts! It hurts and it needs to be cleaned and taken care of!" She glanced at Daryl above her before turning her eyes back onto Patricia. "For God's sake, I can do this! I've ripped that fucker out of me and this kid has hung on through that and that was some fucking pain and stress! If I've done that and it's survived this far, then maybe it'll hang on just a little longer! I want to get this thing sown up so it can get to healing! I don't care if you've got to knock me out before - just do it!"

Everyone went quiet then and moved their attention onto Daryl as he slowly moved to kneel beside her, shaking his head as he went. His eyes were wide with worry. "Tess, are ya sure ya wanna do this – tha' ya can do this? We can always wait for Hershel to get back!" He asked her and she nodded as one of her hands moved to firmly cup his jaw, keeping his eyes pinned to hers and only hers.

"This baby is a fuckin' Dixon, Daryl – its strong - I can feel it!" She told him through gritted teeth before shaking her head. Daryl swallowed hard as he held onto her fierce gaze. "It'll hang on through this – I know it will 'cause I can't wait through this pain any longer and if I get an infection while waiting for Hershel . . .!" She swallowed hard in turn as she shook her head and shakily took his hand then, their fingers entwining. "We've got to do this now, but I need you here when I do this Daryl! I don't have the strength to go through this without you!"

Daryl gazed at her for a moment before nodding and taking her face in his hands, where he kissed her, long and deep. When they broke apart, he pulled her towards him, their foreheads touching seconds later as his hand moved down to clutch at her stomach, as if he could give the baby some of his strength as well.

"Ya'll never be alone Tess! I'll give ya ma strength if ya need it!" He gave a laugh then. "Hell, I'd give ya ma flesh and blood too if I knew it'd help!" She smiled a small, grateful smile.

"I love you Daryl . . ." She murmured, her voice coming out thick as her eyes closed. The words were tearful when she told them to him, and he nodded as he closed his eyes as well and held her close for a moment, the both of them fighting back tears and the both of them trying so desperately to cope with the pain she was about to go through.

"I love ya too, Tess . . . so fuckin' much!"

They found themselves praying that, that wouldn't be the last time they spoke those three little words to each other.