Candice was the first to wake up the next morning. Her leg had gone numb from sleeping on it funny so she decided to go outside and take a walk to get it back again. The sun had just risen in the sky and the tips of her boots were quickly soaked with morning dew. Her forehead was still sore and under the cut a dark bruise had formed but at least it wasn't bleeding anymore or infected. She walked along an overgrown dirt path heading uphill. She wouldn't go too far, she'd stay in sight of the building. She had her knife still strapped to her belt in case anything went wrong.

The trail got steeper and she could see an opening through the trees. She climbed up and found herself on a high ledge overlooking the forest below. It was peaceful. She could hear the birds chirping and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The sun was warm and she made note that they'd have tom start looking for summer clothes. Sweaters and jeans were going to be too hot to wear. Something to the far right of her vision caught her eye. Far away out on the horizon a cloud of dark gray smoke was billowing up into the sky. Too big to be a campfire but too small to be a forest fire. It meant that there were other people nearby. Excited, she ran back to the building. Lifting up the garage door she ran inside. Odilia and her sister were still asleep.

"Hey wake up! Both of you!" She shook Georgette's arm. She groaned in protest and said

"What do you want?"'

"There's a fire out there! I can see it far over in the trees!" Cracking her eyes open Georgette said

"What are you talking about?" She grabbed her hand and said

"Let's go! I'll show you!" She heard Odilia moving on the couch beside her.

"What's goin' on?" Georgette sat up and said

"Something about a fire?" It took them both about five minutes to get their asses up off the couch and out the door. Still half asleep, Georgette and Odilia shuffled after Candice as she went up the hill. When they reached the top Candice was happy to still see that the smoke was there. She pointed it out and said

"See! Look! It could mean there are other people around." Georgette let out a sound of doubt and said

"Don't be ridiculous that doesn't mean nothing." Angry, Candice grabbed her sister's wrist as she turned to go back down the hill.

"Hey how else could it happen? There were no lightning storms last night, fires just don't magically start on their own." Georgette pulled her wrist away and said

"Sure but if there are other people out there how do you know they aren't gonna try to hurt us."

"I don't know," said Candice, "But it could be anybody, it could be our parents!"

"Unlikely." Odilia spoke up and said

"I think it's a good idea, we're headed in that direction anyway." Before Georgette could reply a loud rumble sounded off in the distance. They all turned to look at the smoke. It had increased now and had turned black. Georgette looked at Candice like she had proved her point.

"Like I said not a good idea." Frustrated she turned back to Odilia for help. She shrugged and said

"We're goin' that way anyway I don't see how we can avoid it. If we do run into trouble it's ain't like we can't outrun it." She smirked and said "What are the chances of someone else havin' a movin' and workin' vehicle." Candice felt satisfaction when she saw her sister's frustrated face. She'd never overruled her before. It was always her way or the highway but now she had Odilia on her side. Georgette crossed her arms and said

"Fine whatever." She turned and went back down the hill. Odilia looked at her and said

"She's moody today." Candice shrugged and said

"She'll get over it; she's just used to being the boss is all."

They quickly packed their things up and headed out. Candice went to get on the back with Odilia again but Georgette came up and took her place.

"Uh-uh, no way, you get the trailer this time; my ass is completely bruised from yesterday." Scowling, she didn't argue and got into the back. She did her best to cushion herself with bags. She held tightly onto the bars and tried to lay flat. It didn't seem to help much. Whenever they went over a bump she'd jump up in the air and land hard on the floor. She felt relieved when they pulled back onto the main road. It still had potholes here and there but it was much smoother. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of the wind blowing through her hair. She wished they could fly. They could get away from the walkers, the endless roads and danger.

They continued to drive south for about an hour, before heading east they stopped in the parking lot of a mall to siphon more fuel. Candice stood up, stretching and trying the cramps and pain out of her limbs. While Odilia worked on getting fuel Candice and Georgette stood by the trailer.

"While we're here we might as well look around, see what we can find." Georgette started walking towards the building. "I'll meet you guys back here in an hour or so."

"I'll come with you," said Candice, stepping up. She followed her silently towards the mall doors. They were open and before going inside they looked for walkers. The main area was empty so they quietly went inside. It was completely silent inside except for the sound of dripping water and when Georgette spoke her voice echoed.

"You take the stores on the right, I'll go left." Candice nodded and looked over to her right to see most of the stores were clothing stores. She passed them by hoping to find a store with things they could use. She walked into the main lobby area where four different hallways branched off. Light filtered in through a glass window on the high ceiling. A fountain stood in the middle. The water inside was dark, stagnant, and smelled. In disgust she backed away and turned to the hallway on the right. She could see about halfway down before it went pitch black. She took a few steps closer and narrowed her eyes, trying to make out the names of the stores on each side before it became too dark to see. She silently crept forward. The first store was a jewelry shop. She walked on to the next. It took her a minute to realize what it was. A small room behind a glass wall held old paper shavings and chew toys. Among the shavings lay the skeletons of three dogs. It had been a pet store. Disturbed, she backed away and continued on. The further she went the damper it became. When she could no longer see much she turned around. She checked the store to her left and saw that the chain barrier had been lowered down and it was too dark to see inside. She looked away but the moment she did she felt a hand on her left arm, gripping her wrist. Through the chain a man was looking at her, his outstretched arm holding onto her tightly. He was scary looking. His hair was gray, long and scraggly. He had a long beard to match and his skin looked ghostly white, most of his teeth were rotted out. His voice came out raspy

"Please, please help me get out of here." He had a pleading look on his face. "I've been stuck in here for weeks. Please." She didn't want to leave him there but she didn't trust him either. She wished Georgette was there, she'd know what to do. She felt the man's overgrown fingernails dig into her flesh in desperation. She started to pull away.

"No please!" The man was frantic. "Help me out of here!" She felt herself give in. It was locked on the outside. She pulled at it and the man said "The key." He pointed out at a group of benches behind her. She got up and looked underneath. There was a small silver key there. She picked it up and went back over. Once she got the padlock off she pulled up the chain. The man stepped out and she could see him a bit better. He was wearing old ripped jeans and had no shirt. His pale skin stretched out over his ribs. Before she could run, he was on her but in an embrace. He started crying or so she thought. What sounded like sobs quickly turned to laughter, strange, terrifying laughter. She tried to pull away but his bony fingers had her in a vice grip. He looked up at her with a demonic smile, his expression absolutely evil. "I haven't eaten in a long time. You don't have much meat on your bones but you'll do." He started pulling her back into the darkness of the room.

Georgette was walking through a store full of outdoor supplies when she heard a scream. It was Candice. She ran back down the aisle as fast as she could and back out into the hallway. She heard the scream again and to her horror the hisses and snarls of walkers nearby. She ran out into the main lobby and looked up and down each hallway. To her left she could see a pack of walkers towards the end coming out of the darkness. They were all piling around one storefront. She felt her heart sink when she realized that Candice was who they were going for. In an effort to save her sister she yelled out.

"Hey! Over here!" A few of the walkers looked up at her. "Ya that's right! This way!" Only a few started to lumber towards her. She ran forward and quickly took out the few that had noticed her. She then lifted up the sleeve of her shirt and cleaned off the knife blade. She gasped in pain as she quickly cut a gash into the top of her arm. The blood rushed out fast and she began to throw her arm around, droplets of blood falling onto the floor. She finally had their attention. They came for her, snapping and hissing hungrily. She moved according to their pace, making sure she took all of them with her rather than only half the group. Only when they'd cleared from the store did she break out into a run. She had no idea where to go. She couldn't lead them out the door. She'd have to somehow loop back around. She looked up at the signs that had directed people to different stores. If she found a big department store or restaurant there would probably be another door out. She saw a sign for a Macys and knew that was one of the stores that often had another entrance. When she turned the corner the end of the hallway was as dark as the other had been. She stopped and reached into her back pocket. There was a small pack of matches there from when they had built a fire earlier. She continued to run, putting a good distance between herself and the walkers. As she went into the darkness, she stopped only for a moment to light a match. A bucket of fake plants sat near an upcoming bench and she threw the match onto it. It lit up into a blaze and revealed the rest of the dark hallway. She grabbed the pot and quickly rolled it further down. At the end of the hall was a Macys as the sign had indicated. The chain barrier had been pulled halfway down. She quickly slid underneath and pulled it shut. The walkers pushed against it, reaching through at her. It rattled on its hinges and the more that piled up the worse it would get. She took off into the store. As she was about halfway in she heard the chain barrier give away and the hisses of the walkers as they burst through.

She ran faster, looking for an exit. She spotted an old escalator and didn't hesitate to run down. The old machinery creaked and groaned under her feet but she didn't stop until she saw the ray of sunlight from below. She could now see the door at the end of an aisle. She could hear the walkers falling down the escalator and coming for her. She ran full speed at the door and hoped to good it was open; otherwise she was going straight through the glass. When she hit the door it flew open hitting the outside wall hard, shattering the glass completely. She tried to figure out where she was in relation to the parking lot they had been in. She walked out onto another parking lot. She didn't have much time to decide what would be the shortest route back to the four wheeler as the walkers started to pour out of the door. She ran off to the right and hoped it would take her back.

She had been running for about five minutes when she spotted Odilia and Candice standing together by the ATV. She took a breath of relief seeing that her sister was alive. But as she approached she saw that Candice had her arm held out. She stopped in her tracks. She felt like she had been stabbed in the stomach. Her sister's wrist was bleeding from a bite.

Beth was working in the garden when Donna ran up to her, her face a mask of concern.

"What's wrong?" she, said, standing up and wiping the sweat from her brow.

"Shannon had her baby but she's in bad condition, she's bleeding out." Without another word, Beth followed Donna towards the hospital. Shannon was another woman who she often talked too. She was much younger and lived in town with her husband. She reminded Beth of herself when she was younger. When they got to the hospital Beth saw her husband sitting out on the bench, his face in his hands. She went and sat down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her, his eyes red with tears. She gave him a supportive smile and said

"She's gonna be fine, my second was a preemie. I had a lot of trouble but I made it out ok."

Beth was alone when her water broke. The baby wasn't due for another couple of weeks and Daryl was out hunting. He didn't like to leave her alone but she knew he hated doing nothing all day and had a serious case of cabin fever so she sent him out. Georgette was napping and she was at a loss at what to do. She knew something was off right away. The pain was unbelievable. Georgette's birth had been painful but nothing like this. She yelled out and collapsed onto her knees, holding her stomach. She tried to get up on her own and couldn't do it. As if on cue, Daryl walked in. He saw her on the floor and dropped his crossbow.

"What's wrong?!"

"I don't know," she said, "But it hurts like hell." He gently helped her back to her feet and had her sit on the couch. "My water broke but it's not like when I had Georgette, this feels so much worse." Another pang of excruciating pain hit her and she couldn't help but let out a scream as it ripped through her. She could see the panic on his face.

"But the baby ain't due for another couple of weeks."

"I know," she said, unable to stop herself from snapping at him. "Just help me!" He jumped into action and said

"I'll go get Georgette 'n we'll get to the hospital." She watched him hurry into the bedroom and reappear with a still sleeping Georgette. That girl could sleep through a train going through the house. He helped her up with his other arm and they left the house.

The hospital was just down the street. It was the biggest building that had been on the campground so that was where they had it set up. Obviously it didn't look much like a hospital. It was log cabin style like the rest of the village. But she'd have an individual room and bed. She almost collapsed again as the pain washed over her body. "Almost there," he said, encouraging her further. When they walked in the doors the doctors working recognized her. She watched as a nurse offered to take Georgette from Daryl so he could follow her. He handed her over and followed her as she was ushered down a hallway by a doctor. She was relieved when she finally reached a bed. It was all becoming a blur. She felt Daryl next to her and take her hand. In a low voice he said "It's gonna be ok sweetheart." The pain intensified and she screamed out, squeezing his hand as hard as she could. She knew she was probably hurting him but he continued to hold onto her. Another doctor came in the room as they examined her. Next thing she knew they were telling her to push. She didn't know how much longer she could last. Her head was swimming. She gave another push, giving it the last of her strength. She heard a cry break the air but it was far away and seemed to be getting more distant. The feeling of Daryl's hand on hers disappeared as did everything else around her.

Daryl lay in bed trying to sleep. But as usual he had far too many things on his mind. It repeatedly played scenes back to him. Candice's birth, which had been a nightmare, wouldn't leave his head. He remembered her soft little tuft of blonde hair and blue eyes. They'd called her 'little Beth' for a few days until they could come up with a name. She had been born early and they hadn't thought they needed to settle on a name so quickly.

Daryl sat on the floor outside the door of Beth's room. His face was in his hands and he couldn't get the image of all the blood out of his head. Beth had quickly lost consciousness after giving birth to their new baby girl. They had pulled him away from her, telling him they needed more space to work on her, saying she had lost a lot of blood. The bed had been dyed a crimson red from her fast bleeding. The baby had been a preemie and she was tiny. Way tinier than Georgette had been. She had been crying when she was born so that was good, but she was weak and they needed to examine her further. He was horrified. His wife and child could be dying and there was nothing he could do about it. He wanted to go back in and tell those doctors to fuck off, tell them that she needed him there but he knew they were trying to save her and that'd just make it worse. There were silent tears on his face as he tried not to think about a life without Beth or the second child they'd been waiting so long for.

He felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Georgette standing there, her beady blue eyes still heavy with sleep. She looked confused and worried.

"Daddy why you crying?" She raised her little hand and tried to wipe the tears off his cheeks but only managed to poke him in the eye, making it water even more. "Where's my new baby sister or brother?" He didn't answer her and pulled her down onto his lap, hugging her tightly. She was quiet for a minute as he held her until she turned around and said "It's gonna be ok."

Georgette had been right. Ten minutes later a nurse came to him and told him that the baby was in good condition and they could go see her. Georgette jumped up, grabbed his hand and led the way. There was a room with a few empty cribs in it but the one towards the back was occupied. Inside was his newborn daughter, swaddled in a pink blanket. She looked tinier then when he'd briefly seen her back in the delivery room. He was dying to get a look at how small her hands and feet were but knew she needed to stay warm in her blanket. To him she looked like Beth. She was pretty much bald except for a few soft blonde hairs on the top. Her eyes were blue as all babies eyes are when they're born but he didn't think they'd change. Both he and Beth had blue eyes. He felt Georgette tugging at his pant leg.

"Let me up! I wanna see her!" Daryl picked her up so she could peek inside. Her face instantly lit up and she gasped. "She's so pretty daddy!"

"Ya she is."

"What are we gonna name her?"

"I don't know," he said, "Gotta wait 'n see what mommy says."

"Did I look like that once?" He laughed and said

"Ya you did." He heard a knock on the door and looked up to see the same nurse standing there. She smiled and said

"Beth's awake, if you wanna go see her. You can bring the baby too." He gently reached in and picked the baby up. She was as light as a feather and he carefully supported her head as he moved down the hallway.

"Can I hold her?!"

"In a bit." He walked into Beth's room and found her sitting up, smiling at him. She looked exhausted and had an IV in her arm. "How you doin' sweetheart." But of course she didn't even hear him speak because once she saw the baby in his arms she gasped and said

"Let me see her!" Smiling he handed her over. She looked down at the baby with complete love in her eyes. "She's so perfect." The baby wriggled one of her little hands out of the blanket and reached up to play with the heart necklace Beth wore. "She's so small."

"She's a preemie. But the doctor said she's healthy." The baby started to whine and then let out a cry. Beth knew she was hungry and quickly slid her shirt up to let her nurse. Once the baby was settled and had latched on Daryl sat on the edge of the bed. "Thought I almost lost you." He ran his hand lovingly down his cheek and looked up at him. He leaned in and kissed her, feeling her run her free hand through his hair. She broke away and said

"I love you."

"I love you too darlin'." Georgette's voice broke their focus and said

"What are we gonna name her?"

"I don't know," said Beth, looking over at Georgette, "Didn't think we'd have to come up with a name so soon." Daryl smiled and said

"We have time to think 'bout it." He watched his daughter nurse, her little face satisfied. "She looks like you." Beth smiled and ran her hand over her soft head.

"I guess she does."

"She's little Beth," he said with a laugh.

"We are not naming her after me," she said with a smile, "I want her to have her own name."

"Alright," he said, kissing her forehead, "But 'til she gets one she's little Beth."

Thanks DarylDixon'sLover, K. Lynn Perks, fggt16, zalzagor, FiveFiveGenie, stateofgrace-xo, Caitiann, and all the guests for commenting :) You guys are the best! I can't wait to watch the new episode tomorrow and see where Daryl and Beth's relationship goes :)

Thanks for reading,

Wanderlustt