He sat on the bed looking at the floor waiting like a dog that had done something bad. I just stared at him feeling nothing but anger despite my want to be happy he returned. I felt hurt, betrayed by his actions. "I got on well without you, you know." I pressed my back into the desk crossing my arms. I haven't smiled in awhile and I did not plan on it now. "I actually took charge."

"You were turning cold on me Rose. You were changing." He looked up at me through sad eyes. "After that day, when she passed away you were so dark and gloomy. I didn't understand why you would shut me out of all people." He shook his head. "And you never were close with Lori, I never got why it made you feel so bad."

"Guilt," My smile fell. How guilt refined the methods of self torture, threading the beads of detail into an eternal loop, a rosary to be fingered for a lifetime. "I thought it was my fault. I thought I could have helped. I could have grabbed her before Maggie ran off so Hershel could have delivered the baby, or got there so I could help clear the walkers. Her dying made me realize how much I am not immune to the dangers of his world. I am not immortal. I will die." I sighed letting my arms fall to my side. "You are going to die and I don't know how I'm going to handle that. Rick is seeing her everywhere and it's driving him mad…I don't want that." I squeezed my eyes shut before looking back at him. "I get why you never wanted to care about me because it will just get you killed."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "What are you saying you don't care about me anymore?"

I walked towards him sitting down on the bed next to him. "Of course not; I love you Daryl. You know how bad it hurt when you left? It was hard falling asleep and waking up without you near me. I tried to cope for everyone's sake. My heart shattered and I did not dare try to mend it." I gathered his hands into mine. "My life is so incomplete without you."

He leaned forward pressing his lips to mine. My hand left his making its way to rest on his cheek. Anger was flooding out of my body his proximity something I missed awfully. "I'm sorry I left especially without notice. I just thought it was best. I would hope you would understand that I had to go with him. Merle's blood."

"Why did you come back?" The question slipped off the tongue. I was trying to forgive his choice of abandoning me here, but trying was different from accepting. The fight I had prepared was not ready for me and I chose otherwise to start a war. I needed him with me now and putting aside my hatred for his leaving was a way of keeping him close to me.

Daryl looked away. "I realized I was more at home here than out there with him. That people needed me back here." His hands fell out of mine and his face collapsed into them. "Merle told me while were out there…" he trailed off. Oh god how could Merle know? "He told me you're with child." His head tilted sideways to look at me. He was starting to get tears in his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You left before I had the chance…" My voice cracked.

"How far are you?" he asked his voice cold and dead.

I looked down in my lap. I was going off the one time of Daryl and I's actions in this cell block not able to remember far back into my past to count days. "If my time is correct I should be three weeks and six days." I reached over cupping his chin with my fingers. "I could end it if you want. It will be easy."

He flinched away from my touch. "No…I want it to survive. I'm just scared the same thing will happen to you as…as Lori. I don't want you to die or this baby if something goes wrong."

"Come on." I smiled tugging at his arm curling up on the bed. "Let's get some rest." I instructed. He tore off his shoes and pulled his legs up onto the prison mattress entangling our limbs together.

His fingers trailed along the length of my stomach resting just above my bellybutton. His hands were warm and soothing unlike The Governor's. "It's a boy." He told me chuckling.

I snorted. "You wish Dixon."

Daryl kissed the top of my head leaving his temple to lie atop of mine. We sat there in silence our eyes both closed in exhaustion. "Our baby is going to be a badass." He whispered telling me stories of what this baby 'badass' is going to do letting me drift into a slumber.

I awoke to an empty bed.

My breath hitched in my throat at my realization. It had all been a dream. Daryl had never come back. I rolled over onto my side curling my body into a ball trying to ignore the hollowing feeling in my stomach. I squeezed my eyes shut trying to push down all the emotions coursing through my body, but when I opened my eyes they locked on his crossbow. I threw my legs over the bed rushing to get out of the cell block. "Wh-!"

"Showers," Hershel said before I finished my question.

I smiled to myself heading down the stairs a light skip in my step. I had missed him too much to be miserable. The showers were located just beyond the cafeteria. Although water was rare in this world they had somehow managed to hook up some route for cold water to seep through the heads of the shower so we could get clean. It was ice cold but totally worth it. The tombs on this side of the prison were cleared and locked off but that wasn't why I was so thrilled to be walking this way. I knew it was wrong of me to quickly feel forgiving but holding a grudge and throwing a tantrum was not going to keep him close to me. I had no other choice to forgive him or my feelings and needs were to be crushed. I understood why he was so quick to choose Merle over me. I was distant and cold towards him; Merle was alive and willing to reunite with his baby brother. I would have made the same choice and even though I knew I was being completely honest that scared me. I heard the sound of the shower echoing off the stone walls before the room came into view. I had seen him naked before but the sight in front of me put me in a state of shock. Scars ran all across is back like someone had played a game of tic-tac-toe with a knife on his skin. I didn't know what to say. I just stood there…staring confused at how to even begin to ask him. Impulse took over. I pulled my shirt over my head, I slipped out of my shoes then yanked my jeans off, my socks went next, and then my undergarments. My clothes sat right atop of his as I left them all lying there taking my move towards him. I tried to be quiet so he wouldn't scare but I could sense he felt me near him as I became inches away. I slowly slipped my hands around his waist shivering as the cold water dripped over my skin. His body tensed at my touch. My fingers connected themselves resting on his ribcage as I pressed my bare chest into his back.

"Rose…" he whimpered under my grasp. He was so hurt.

I laid my head against his back letting the cold water fall over both of us. "It's alright. I'm here." I stared at the ladder of white cuts on his back feeling such a anger towards whoever had done this to him."Who did this?"

"My father," Daryl spoke to the wall ahead of him.

"I'm sorry," I whispered hesitantly bringing my fingers up to the pained tattoo's left by the hand of his father trailing my fingers over them. He let out a breath he was holding in as I let my touch roam his back hearing no objection from him. "There horrifyingly beautiful."

Daryl hung his head in shame. "I know."

I tugged on his shoulder turning him around to face me. I placed my hand on his cheek locking his discouraged eyes on mine. "It's horrifying because how could someone ever do that to you or put you through…and it's beautiful because it's on you, it makes you, you." I ran my hand down to rest on the nape of his neck. "I love every part of you, even the ones you don't."

"How can you forgive me so easily?" he asked. "I left you. I left you alone without a goodbye or explanation."

"If you love something let it go," I frowned. "If it comes back it was meant to be. I forgave because you came back." This bottle of unattended anger would build up and when it did I knew I would explore with a wrath of treachery for him. It will wait for he was far too important to me for me to put him through more hurt.

He cupped my face in his hands. "You deserve better than me. I'm nothing but a train wreck." He leaned down his nose touching mine as he anticipated the kiss, as he waited for me to stop him.

"I wouldn't love you if you changed,"

Then well I guess you can figure out what happened next.