I walked out onto the walkway slowly. "It's early Rick…what are you doing out here?"

He didn't look at me until the man-made wooden wall was set up. "I should ask you the same thing." He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "Aren't you supposed to be resting? How far along you now?"

"About three weeks and five days." I smiled squinting at him the dawn sun coming into my vision. "I could not sleep. It's hard going to bed without Daryl..."

"I'm just setting up safety precautions." Rick told me grabbing another block of wood and setting it up. "In case we need to fend off a raging psychopath." I laughed lightly making him give one of those Rick half smiles. He was trying to get my mind off of Daryl's leaving. It had almost been a week, not yet, and nothing seemed to be going well in my mental sake. How could he abandoned me? After promising so much love and care he had left me for his juvenile brother. It was hard falling asleep knowing Daryl was out in that world all alone, it was hard falling asleep knowing he would never return to me, to hold me, to love me. No one would ever love me like he did.

I nodded leaning against the fence. "We can take him." He went to say something but let his mouth hang as something caught his eye in the yard. I stood up straight following his eyes. "What is it Rick?" I asked but he just turned his back to me and walked off the walkway heading down into the grassy area, all the way down to the graves. My eyes were glued to him as he stood over there looking around curiously and a bit frightened. I didn't dare move when he started running at the exit gate flinging it open; Michonne was over there, she could help him with whatever was the matter. I couldn't help furrowing my eyebrows as I headed back into the prison, was Rick seeing things?

"Means there's another breach," I heard Glenn say in the quiet as I moved in more to the cell block.

"We should go take a look don't you think?" I asked him and Carl who sat on the floor mapping out the area. Beth rushed forward a small smirk in her face saying 'your turn.' I smiled at the child. "Hey there little ass kicker," I cooed taking her into my arms a slight tinge in my chest as Daryl's nickname for the child flowed out of my mouth. I guess if I was blunt in a situation it was with saying Judith was practice for me on how to take care of a child in this world. I loved Judith like my own, I think everyone did, but she wasn't my own. My own didn't even have hands yet. I tucked her away onto my shoulder bobbing her up and down hearing that baby laugh I desperately needed then I looked at everyone. Hershel shook his head at me knowing I was putting myself in danger. He and Rick and I were the only ones who really knew about what would happen in nine months and I'd like to keep it that way. I knew they'd both object to me doing actual, helpful things but I wasn't going to sit on my ass through the whole thing wasting space.

"We should hit the Governor now." Determination gleamed in Glenn's eyes, "Before he has the chance to get us. He won't be expecting it. We'll sneak back in and put a bullet in his head."

Carol furrowed her eyebrows. "We're not assassins."

"You know where his apartment is." Glenn said walking towards Michonne. "You and I could end this tonight. I'll do it myself." Michonee glared before slowly nodding. "Okay," he stepped back.

Hershel looked down. "He didn't know you were coming last time, and look what happened. You were almost killed, Daryl was captured, and you and Maggie were almost executed."

"You can't stop me." Glenn hissed heading to Hershel now.

"Rick would never allow this." the old man tried to reason with the boy.

"You really think he is in any position to make that choice." Glenn spat.

That's when I drew my line. "Enough," I said trying not to wince as my tone sounded close to Philips before he elbowed my face. "Glenn, Hershel is right. The Governor knows we are here, he knows that we can attack him. Even though he wouldn't expect it he will be prepared." I shifted Judith around in my arms. "Of course we'll hit him hard, but he'll come back twice as hard." As much as I really did want The Governor dead we needed everyone here for precautions.

"We can't just wait to be slaughtered!" He exclaimed.

Hershel shuffled. "We've lost too many people here and if he is telling the truth, we can't stay here."

"We can't run." Glenn said coldly his eyes catching Maggie as she fled the room. He swallowed back his pride. "Fine…we'll stay put. We'll defend this place. We're making a stand."

I took a sharp intake of breath at his words. I was all for killing the sick man, but fighting the whole town if they came on a rampage here? We wouldn't make it. As much as I'd like to think we were better we had less man power than we did fewer weapons. We had a baby and a one legged old man. We were outnumbered and over weakened. We could make a stand but we would never stand a chance. "Are you sure about this?" I heard a quiet voice from beside me.

Beth was staring at me fright in her eyes. "Do you want the truth?" I asked earning a nod from her. "No, I'm not sure but what else choice do I have."

"They'll listen to you. Rick will listen to you." She pleaded.

"Oh Bethy," I pouted grabbing her shoulder. "It's going to be fine. You won't be killed I swear. I'll look out for you." I gave her a small smile before it began to falter. My position felt reverse. I was usually the one scared and cowering with Daryl reassuring me. This time I was the brave one protecting the innocence. My stomach tightened as I realized I didn't need Daryl to protect me anymore; that didn't mean I didn't need him to love me. I wanted him to come back and explain why he was so quick to leave me. Why he chose fleeing instead of a compromise.

"Rose," Carl came running from outside. "Can you come help open the gates for Glenn?" I nodded slowly giving him a small smile.

"I can take her," Beth told me holding out her hands.

I shook my head. "She could use some fresh air." I made my way outside baby Judith wrapped tight in my arms. Her eyes rarely saw the sun the poor thing. I unlatched the lock on the gate and slid it open watching Glenn speed through it angrily. I do hope he wouldn't act out of rage and do something stupid… My gaze followed Glenn leaving around the building as I pulled the gate shut difficultly with only one hand. Something caught my eye; Rick. He was still wandering around down in the plant life like he was searching for something. "Hershel." I called out keeping my eyes on Rick.

"I got it," he said hobbling over to the gate. "Don't worry you go rest some I can close the gate once I'm out." I watched him make his slow path down the incline over to where Rick was losing his mind. I couldn't help but watch his eyes dart in every direction looking, searching, trying to understand. I did hope I would not become like him; seeing my lost loved ones around. As much as I wanted to believe I was okay without Daryl my system seemed to shut down on me proving other wise. I wanted to not need him as much as I did, but the pain inside me made losing him so much more real. I forced my eyes to turn away watching Axel and Carol walk out into the courtyard. They were talking and laughing and so were Beth and Carl everything seemed alright. I knew better than to trust the smiles; last time it was this good we lost Lori and T-Dog.

"Beth," I called out softly wanting her to take Judith inside. But she ducked, we all ducked as the shot penetrated Axel's forehead. "Beth!" I cried out crouching my way over to her covering most of Judith with my own body. "Take the baby inside! Take Judith!" I shouted to her giving her the baby. She was trembling as she took Judith into her arms and running off. I covered her making sure she got into the cell bloke safe before I found a place to hide. Gun fire rained out on us as we scattered wondering who the hell was doing this. I knew, I always knew, knowing made me fill with anger and bite my lip in frustration. A bullet blasted through the concrete next to me causing me the flinch. I pulled out my gun from the back of my jeans checking if it was in ready condition. I sprinted behind the cover of one of the tower walls trying to find where everyone was firing from. Someone was in front, another was up in the other tower, and other guys were behind the trees. It didn't seem like too much. I looked beyond my coverage but I recoiled a bullet ricocheting off the wall. "Shit." I muttered to myself thinking of how this was even possible; they had us cornered. Then it went quiet all shooting coming to an end.

"Rose!" Maggie shouted running out with Beth holding machine guns. I ran over to her grabbing the violent weapon and running back to my spot gunfire stirring up again. I aimed up for the guard tower trying to help Carol escape from under Axel, but it seemed damned impossible. "Carol move!" she shouted taking up the same aim. Carol pushed Axel off her and sprinted towards Maggie. They were all shooting at him until finally he dropped and we all dipped back into silence.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit!" I gritted my teeth hearing the loud rambling of a truck. It was white and orange tumbling through the dirt road to the prison. I could just see that evil smirk on Philips face before it tore through the gates and out into the yard. It was inert until suddenly the back dropped and what seemed to be more than a dozen walkers piled out. New gunfire blew up the once assumed dead man on the tower rose up and began shooting again. We were done and out of our luck. Maggie finally put the asshole down leaving me more room to take aim at The Governor. "Go to hell," I hissed empting my rounds at him and his stupid truck shattering the front window. He didn't care as he got into his car and drove off leaving us a field full of walkers. Carl yanked open the gate letting us all out there to help get the yard clean again. I was running down lower into the field trying to find Rick. "Rick!" I shouted but the guns going off and Glenn driving around I couldn't hear anything let alone any one hear me. I heard Rick yelling though in the distance and on the other side of the fence he was fighting for his life against two very hungry walkers. "Rick!" I shouted again telling him to just hold on I was going to help but it was getting harder and harder for him to restrain them. I slammed into the fence holding up my smaller gun to get a better shot and just when the walker was about to take a chunk out of Rick's face and arrow slid through his head.

Daryl.

I dropped my gun.

I just…stared.

My voice caught in my throat at the sight of him. I was looking at him and he was looking at me and even though chaos was going on I couldn't help but stare. "Rose!" he shouted but his voice wasn't heard. I was too busy losing myself in his eyes, the way he had sweat glistening on his face, or his hair that stuck to his neck. A gunshot went off near my head and I whizzed around watching the walker fall at my feet. I followed the path up to the prison where Beth stood aiming at me. She had looked after me, just as I swore to look out for her. "You idiot!" Daryl shouted his smirking face clutching the other side of the fence. "My beautiful idiot."

I didn't realize I was crying until I sniffed as I lowered myself down to pick up my gun. I did not understand why I was crying, nor this whole situation. "You came back?"

"Yeah I did now get the hell out that yard." He instructed. I took off back up the hill of the field taking out walkers as I went. I could not help but feel angry.