He stormed out of the cell block back into the tombs. I couldn't help my feet from carrying me. "Rick!" I shouted after him.

"Go back Rose." He told me stopping but not daring turn around to face me.

I reached out grabbing his shoulder. "Listen to me Rick. I understand you feel lost right now or crazed by the whole situation, but you need to be strong. Be strong for the group."

"I am Rose." He said looking at me sideways then his face fell completely. "Her body was gone. A walker had eaten her completely. I only found…only found the bullet."

"I-I…" I started but the words couldn't leave my mouth. I was not about to say something to try and pity because that's the last thing he probably wants. He doesn't want my sympathy. He wanted space and I could see it in her eyes. Their dazed complexion searching for something to grab ahold of to stay gripped onto sanity. Rick was losing it and he was trying desperately not to go insane by mourning for his wife. But he was already slipping off that boat.

He shook his head. "I heard a phone ringing. And a girl was talking to me, and she said she'd call back in two hours. I think I found us a safe place to go."

I eyed him suspiciously before grabbing his hands in mine. "Do whatever feels right Rick and don't forget I'll always have your back." He tried to smile down at me but it proved impossible. I let go of his hands before giving him a pleasant smile. "She looks like you. She's beautiful." Then I turned and walked off.

"It's nice to finally get out of the prison." I said to Maggie feeling the fresh air hitting my face as the sliding doors of the supermarket slid open greeting my nose with a wiff of stale concrete and rotting corpses.

She nodded remaining silent as we took the shelf salvaging any baby food and food for us. I never understood why Maggie and Glenn were always the one to run errands for the group. I know Maggie hated it when Lori almost got them killed trying to find her abortion pills. I guess I would have hated risking my life for someone else who doesn't care about taking a life. But it's different now. I have a new found respect for Lori; I don't know what it is and I'd like to keep it that way. Not knowing saves the hurting part. My hand grasped around the formula placing it in the red basket but my eyes stayed put on something else. My fingers trailed along the magenta box not knowing to take it or not. It's stupid for me to take it. I'm not even…it was never even possible. Finding excuses to not grab it didn't stop me from ripping the box open and stuffing the white stick in my back pocket. Was it stupid for me to even grab it knowing there wasn't any way I could carry a baby? Or was it okay to just 'make sure'?

I wasn't allowed much time to think because as soon as I walked out of the store an arm wrapped around my neck and a gun was pressed to my head. "Get in the car or I shoot." My ears had drowned themselves out as I listened to my heavy breathing closing my eyes to remember everything I was living for if this was my last moment. I could hear distant voices yelling but all I could get think of was the cold metal object pressed to my temple as I waited for death. It never came of course and I was harshly shoved into the truck we arrived in. "Drive." This man ordered Glenn pointing at the steering wheel with his nub of a hand containing a knife blade at the end. Maggie's hand had slipped into mine as I could feel her slight tremble against the skin of my fingers. I gave her hand a squeeze. "How's my baby brother?" he asked Glenn.

The Korean boy looked at me with desperation. My reaction was a gasp realizing who this man with one hand was. "Daryl." I spoke my voice quivering. Daryl always told me stories of how Merle had been a trooper cutting off his hand to escape the death awaited to him if he stayed. I didn't actually believe he had lived. I had formed a sick fantasy that Daryl and my brother had died so we could have something in common, so we had a reason to stick together. "You're Merle."

Merle smirked at me. "Never met you before. What's your name beautiful?" I felt myself curling on the inside at his cheeky attitude.

"Rose." I told him looking away. My heart clenched in on itself. I wanted to go back to the prison. I didn't want Glenn to drive anymore. I wanted to go back to Daryl."Daryl..he's-he's…" I could not form the words fearing the creation of the tears.

Maggie gave my hand a squeeze this time. "Their together."

Merle didn't speak to me the rest of the car ride.

I could hear Glenn give a sort of battle cry from rooms over. Maybe it was a shout of angst. I could never tell. The rooms were close and the walls were thin. I heard everything, maybe not everything, but if it was loud enough I could make out the conversation. My foot never stopped from tapping the ground as I waited for whatever was to come of me. I haven't slept in the three days I've sat in here anxiously waiting for the interrogation. I knew Glenn was first, and then perhaps Maggie, I guess I was last. That didn't make since because from what I've heard Merle was looking for his brother and I'd be more than welcome to tell him everything. Except the location.

"What's up buttercup?" his flirtatious voice filled the quiet room something I was capable of handling. These walls were getting boring and I had already counted all the cracks.

I looked up at him as he walked around the metal table in front of me taking a seat in the chair on the opposite side. "When can I leave?" I asked him.

Merle just chuckled. "You just got here darlin' why you wantin' to leave so soon?" he asked leaning backwards stretching his hands behind his head. I never responded to his stupid question. He sighed leaning back forward. "How did you meet my brother?"

"Oh…" I trailed off confused at his slight curiosity on my relationship. I know Merle missed his brother and maybe living through me at the moment was the closest he got to Daryl. "He-He…um he rescued me. He always rescues me." I had found myself in a daze remembering the first time I met him or saw him really. Keegan had pushed me into the car when a herd of walkers began to pass through and he took off. I remember how I sat in that car for close to a week waiting for him to return. I remember how much hope had built up in me as I saw Daryl's face through the car window. "He told me it was right after they had left a place called the CDC. They had stopped for gas on the freeway when we first met. I was so scared back then."

Merle gulped. "He's still alive then?"

I nodded. "He was the last person I talked to before I left with Maggie and Glenn." A tear welled up in my eyes and ran down my cheek. "He even told me just to stay in and rest. I didn't listen."

"He treats you right? He's good to you?" he asked. My heart swelled as Merle just wanted to make sure his brother was still alive and a good man.

I laughed as more tears spilled over onto my face. "He's perfect." I tried to stop myself from blubbering. I was happy my state of shock had left my body after Lori's death. Emotions were swimming inside me as I found how easy it was to move on. Of course I missed her dearly I had to come to terms that weeping over her and blaming myself wouldn't help me survive. I had to be selfish for this situation.

Merle stood up walking towards me. He placed his hand on my shoulder. "I hope you're good to him too." He tried to smile but it never formed and he left the room.

Another three days had passed and Merle never came back in. Glenn was quiet, but if I listened hard enough sometimes I could hear Maggie crying. The fact no one had been interrogating as much didn't bother me but I was awfully panicky today. Not because today was any different or something happened, but because I had decided to test my theory, not to find out but for genuine curiosity. I didn't dare look at it while one of the soldiers from this place was guiding me back to my room. I knew I had to wait some time before it would even be ready. But I had forgotten my hands were tied behind my back and now all I could focus on was it sticking into my back side. I wanted to see it. I needed to see it. It had become my new obsession. I was infatuated with it and how I could even remotely think I could possibly carry a child when I knew I can't. I knew me and Daryl had had sexual interactions while we were on the road for a while. Nothing ever seemed suspicious, or maybe I knew thought about it, maybe because I knew t was impossible. It was nagging at my brain constantly as I tried to talk myself out of the possibilities.

The door then creaked open a tall man stepping into the dingy room. A slight comfort was written on his face. Now with my emotions returning to my once stone heart fear came back as well. I knew this time to ignore my fears so I didn't cower. His face, his body language, his presence slightly frighten me. But I would never show. "Hello Rose." I took a sharp intake of breath as he spoke my name walking behind me pulling out a knife. My breathing was uneasy as he trailed it slowly towards my hands, but he just cut me free from the duct tape. "Water?" he questioned placing a clear glass of it in front of me.

"Where Maggie and Glenn?" I asked him rubbing my wrist softly not daring to take his water offer.

He smiled. "Safe. You can stay here Rose if you want. You just tell me where your group is and I'll have Merle bring Daryl back here."

My voice caught in my throat at his name. I knew better than to believe his ploy on reeling me in by using Daryl, but I couldn't help my heart aching at his name. "No."

I could feel his body behind as he refused to move after he cut my hands free. He laughed trailing his fingers down the length of my arm. "That's some bruise you got there." My eyes widened as he touched over the mark the baby had given me making me remember how much I really did want to leave. His hands were by my neck as he gathered my long hair in his hands pulling it back. "You have such beautiful hair. We could always cut it for you; it must be unsafe to keep it this long." He softly ran his fingers though my knotted hair trying to brush it through. "You remind me of my wife." He spoke quietly and the shiver ran up my spine. That was never something good to be said to you by someone who was touching you.

I decided to try and make conversation so he knew he couldn't scare me even though I was close to trembling. "Was she pretty?" I asked trying to ignore how good it felt with his tender touches against my scalp.

"Yes," he mumbled.

"Is she alive?" It was a stupid question but maybe it would get him upset and he would leave.

His fingers stopped. "No." he said a cold tone in his voice. "Stand up." I obey because he would just make me get up anyways. He turned me around so I could face him. His hands were coming around from my hair to cup my face in his hands. I felt the test drop further into my back pocket and I longed to reach behind me and grab it. "Stay here," he told me his eyes searching mine for some answer to a question he had asked himself. I didn't understand what he could possibly be going on about. He knew I would never stay here. "I'll take care of you. We got shelter and food and everything you need." I furrowed my eyebrows. Was he psychotic? I understood I reminded him of his dead wife but I wasn't her and I wasn't about to let him replace her with me.

"I want to leave." I pleaded with him not daring to touch him afraid of what he might do at my decline. "I have someone who needs me back where I'm from."

"Tell me where that is and I'll bring them back here." He said a slight business attitude in his voice.

I glared at him trying to step back. The situation was strange. He was strange. I preferred sitting in the quiet alone than him touching me so carefully. "No." I said. He bit his cheek groaning angrily grabbing my face in his one hand and pushing me backwards slamming my body into the table. I cried out in pain and shock as I felt the test slip from my pocket and clatter onto the floor. "No!" I screamed frantically trying to push him out of the way so I could get it first, but he just grabbed my body and threw me to the side. I slid until I came to the stop close the wall. He bent down picking it up carefully reading with such concentration. He didn't speak again. He just set it on the table and walked out the door locking me in once he reached the outside. Tears had already begun coming down my face as I picked myself off the ground staggering to the table. My focus was hard to grasp with fright coursing through my blood stream, but I read it through confused eyes.

A pink plus sign stared back up at me.

Oh shit.

Tell me what you all are thinking. I want to know what your opinion is on the whole thing.

lot's of love xoxo-kate