After Maggie and Glenn's wedding life at the prison settled down. People started arriving at the prison, although only a few were invited to stay. The prison became a hub of bartering for survivors in the area, or for people passing through. Hershel, Rick, Daryl, Tyreese and I formed a leadership committee. It handled everything including requests from people that wanted to stay, allocation of resources, planting and harvesting schedules, and security. Daryl hated it. I asked him once why he agreed, and he said that he'd hate it even more if he had no say.

The entire prison was eventually cleared of walkers, and the holes in the fences repaired. Glenn had even found a building supply yard. We were able to add additional fenced areas that quickly turned into fields for crops and another for various livestock we found or traded for.

There were a few skirmishes with other groups attacking the prison, but nothing like the fight with Woodbury. We were well armed and there was strength in our numbers.

The group completely emptied out the hospital and all the surrounding vet clinics of supplies. Hershel and I ended up using another section of the prison to set up a kind of clinic for the people that came through. We kept our section of the prison free of any travellers, there were almost no exceptions to that rule. Even new arrivals that had been invited to stay were housed in a different section. For the most part we took in groups with young children, and never groups of only men.

Carl's idea about the library was also a huge bonus for the group. We had managed to collect all sorts of different books. Everything from canning foods to survival methods. I had insisted on grabbing every medical book I could from the hospital as well. We even had a small school for the children which Lori and a new arrival Alice ran.

The seasons passed and Maggie gave birth to a little boy they named Caleb. Carol got the shock of her life when she found out she was expecting as well. She would be due sometime in early summer.

One morning in early April I rose early. Daryl and I were going to be go out hunting, but I had to examine Carol before I went. Because of her age I was keeping a very close eye on her. After the exam I headed out to grab some breakfast. It was still very early and only a few people were up besides the people on guard duty at the gate.

I went over to where Lori was cooking some breakfast. I called out to her as I walked over. "Morning, smells good. I have to say, I don't know how those chickens ever survived but I am so glad that we get eggs." The chickens were still relatively new and the novelty of having a fried egg in the morning still hadn't worn off.

Lori laughed. "Want me to add a few for you two? I would have already but didn't think you'd be up yet."

"That'd be great. I had to take a look at Carol today, but Daryl wanted to go hunting so I squeezed it in first thing." I started making some more tea. Anticipating Lori's question I continued. "She's going so great."

"How are you doing?" Lori asked quietly. She was the only one besides Hershel that knew that Daryl and I had been trying since last summer for a baby.

I looked over at her. I opened up my mouth to say fine, but instead I said, "I'm really happy for her, but I'm unbelievably jealous as well. I can't help it."

She looked at me sympathetically. "I know it's hard, and that you hate not knowing why, but be patient. It'll happen."

"I know. If it never does happen, then it's the way it's supposed to be. I just have to concentrate on the good things. Like the fact that I'm so happy winter is at it's end."

Her eyes moved over to look at someone behind me. "Here comes Daryl now."

I was just about to turn to wave to him when a guard came running up to the gate next to us, he was carrying a little girl. "Stella! A group just came in, this little girl is really sick."

Daryl, Lori and I ran over to unlock the gate. I took one look at her and said to the guard. "Charlie, bring her in and take her down to the infirmary. I'll be right behind you."

I turned to the other two. I knew Daryl would protest about having someone in our section of the prison, even a little girl, so I tried to explain quickly. "I need to do some bloodwork on her right away, I don't want to have to run back and forth from the other side of the prison. Keep them out here. Lori? Will you talk to the mom and see what's been going on then come tell me?" I would have liked to talk to the mom myself but the group was still too far away. They looked like they'd had a rough time of it.

I turned and ran down after the guard. I could hear Daryl telling the other group to wait where they were. That I'd be back.

When I got to the infirmary I sent Charlie to go wake up Hershel and to turn the generator on so I'd have power. The little girl was in pretty shape. She was burning up with a fever and was unconscious. I quickly got a set of vitals on her. Hershel came in just as I was pulling some stuff out for an IV. "Hershel, can you get a IV going? I'm going to draw some blood." He moved to take over for me. I drew some blood and made a blood smear. As I waited for it to dry I removed most of the little girl's clothes. She was dirty and malnourished, but the most alarming thing was the sheer number of bruises on her.

"Maybe she's just anemic," Hershel said.

"Maybe," I responded softly. I palpated her abdomen and was dismayed to find her spleen enlarged.

As soon as the blood smear was dry I stained it. Just as I was finished the generator kicked on and the microscope lit up. I slid the slide onto the scope and looked at it. "Hershel.. come see this."

He moved over to take my place. "I've never seen anything so bad. It's almost all blast cells."

Just then Beth walked in. "Do you need any help?"

Hershel and I looked at each other before we shook our heads. "No" I said. "But why don't you two go over this while I go talk to the family." Hershel and I had been trying to teach Beth everything that we could. "Will you have the generator shut down when Charlie comes back? I don't think we need any of those other tests."

I stepped out in the hall and was almost run over by Lori. "I talked to the mom. She said that Jolie has been really tired lately and keeps running fevers off and on. She also keeps saying her joints hurt."

"It's okay Lori, I know what's wrong. Let's go up." I ignored Lori's questioning expression and walked outside. I hated this part. To have to tell someone that there's nothing you can do for their child is heart wrenching.

The group was outside the gate. Two people were sitting in chairs someone had brought them, a man was kneeling before them. The other three people were standing a little ways away talking to Daryl and Rick. I let myself through the gate and walked towards the people sitting. The woman was crying. At my glance Lori nodded. It was the mother.

As I approached the man rose and turned around. I stopped dead in my tracks. I would have known that face anywhere. "Jack," I breathed.

He stood there for a moment then crossed the distance between us in two steps. He grabbed the back of my head as his lips crushed down on mine.

So I've been debating about what to do here. I could leave the story how it is and everyone could decide for themselves what she would do. Or I could continue. If I continue there is no way I'm going to be able to write like I have been. I go back to school on Tuesday. So it would be much longer between posts. Let me know what you guys would like. I'll take it into consideration.

In case this is it, I just want to thank everyone for taking the time to read this and review. Especially FanFicGirl10 and NoirChick as they reviewed every chapter. It was so much fun reading everyone's reactions.