A/N: This was simultaneously a tough one, and possibly also my favorite chapter since I started re-writing this. There's a lot of hard things in this chapter, but the ending scene is a scene I have imagined in multiple ways since I first started considering writing a sequel to She's Breathing. Which means I've been waiting for it for years really, haha. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

Beth stood facing Daryl. Her eyes were shut, so she couldn't see him, but she could feel him standing in front of her in more ways than one. She could feel his hands on her arms and the proximal warmth of his body near hers. But she could feel his support, too, his confidence and belief in her ability to handle any situation. It grounded her; helped her to feel, at least somewhat, that everything wasn't spinning out of control.

Closing her eyes helped too, but only so much. It saved her from the visual stimulation, but it didn't make the room go away, let alone her problems. After all, she couldn't see what was happening behind her, but she could still hear it. Brigid's tired groans and pants floated to her ears, accented by Laila's frantic murmurs as she tried to help her friend through her labor. She could even hear the murmurs and whispers of the others at the opposite end of the room as they wondered what she was going to do. How she was going to save Brigid.

Or maybe she was the only one wondering that. Maybe the rest of them just assumed she'd do it, somehow. She wasn't sure if that thought made her feel better, because they had such confidence in her, or worse, because in truth, she didn't feel that capable.

I don't know what to do, Beth thought to herself for the second time in twenty four hours. Daddy, I don't know what to do, I don't know if I can save her.

This time, instead of hearing his voice in her mind, Beth felt his presence. It was if he were standing just behind her, hands on her shoulders just like Daryl. She could ever-so-faintly smell the scent of hay and animals and the beard oil her mama used to buy him before everything changed, as if the scent were there but just out of reach.

Daddy.

Beth drew in a deep breath, and felt herself filled not with confidence necessarily, but with resolve. Determination. Her eyes opened and she saw Daryl, but the ghostly presence of her father remained just behind her, out of sight. "We need to clear this room out," she said firmly, raising her voice so everyone could hear. "I need as clean a space as possible for Brigid. A mattress or some kind of bed, see if you can find one from the living area, and some clean sheets to go on top of it. There's gotta be clean blankets and sheets somewhere in here." It was a department store, after all, and the Butchers couldn't have been living completely in squalor. "I also really need boiled water, and clean towels."

"There's electricity in the staff lounge," Thomas ventured quietly from where he stood between Rick and Michonne. His gaze darted to Brigid and he frowned. "There's no oven but they have a… what do you call it? Like a portable thing with two burners. They use it to cook soup n' stuff, so you could use it t' boil water, right?"

"Yes," Beth breathed out gratefully. "That's perfect."

"Can I help?" Enid had remained next to Avery since they had freed her. Her attention had been fixed on the girl ever since, but it seemed the discussion had pulled her attention somewhat. Perhaps Beth had been right to follow her instincts and use the girl as an assistant, prior. She seemed to have a knack for it, or at least an inclination towards it.

"Why don't you get the boiling water and some towels while the others look for the mattress and sheets and get this place cleaned up, Enid. Then you and Laila can both help me."

Within just ten minutes, the situation had improved. Thomas, not wanting to be left out, had helped Carol and Daryl clean up the room. (Avery had helped as best she could with only one functioning arm.) Rick and Michonne had found a mattress in the living area that they'd stripped and covered with clean-smelling sheets they'd found in the storeroom. With Rick and Daryl's help, they'd moved Brigid onto the mattress and propped her back up with some lounge pillows that they'd also found in the storeroom.

Brigid huffed and puffed as she settled onto the mattress. She still looked rather distressed, but at least she was no longer trying to give birth on a dirty floor. They had gotten her some bottled water to sip, but Beth was worried she needed far more nutrients than that. Most of her books recommended not eating during labor, for risk of aspiration, but in this case Brigid's clear nutritional needs won out. "Thomas, do you know if they have anything like… gatorade, any kind of sports drinks, or maybe protein or energy bars anywhere? Can you go look for me?"

As the boy hurried off (with Rick in his wake, presumably to keep an eye on him), Beth turned to Brigid and took both of the young woman's hands in her own. "Alright, sweetheart. Now I know you're very tired, hungry, and weak. But this baby is ready to come out. I think you know that, I think you can feel it, am I right?"

Brigid nodded slowly. "I… I feel like I need to push. Like I have to push. But I'm just… I'm so tired."

"I know." Beth squeezed her hands gently and gave her what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Of course you're tired. Anyone would be in your situation. But that baby needs to come out, you understand? And the best way for that to happen is for you to push it out. Really the only way, unfortunately, besides…"

Brigid finished where Beth had been hesitant to. "Cutting me open." She spoke bluntly, her voice hoarse and low with exhaustion, but her mind at least somewhat clear, or so it seemed. "I know. I understand. I don't… I don't want that."

"Me either." She reached one hand up to brush sweaty tendrils of hair away from Brigid's heart-shaped face. "So pushing is our best option. Do you think you can do that, with my help? Do you think you can find the energy?"

"I… I don't know but I…." The girl pressed her eyes shut briefly, a single tear forming in the corner of one eye before slipping down her cheek. She opened her eyes again and fixed them on Beth as she whispered, "I want to try. Please."

"Then let's try." Beth squeezed her hands one last time and sat up straight. "Together."

The room had been cleared out of everyone but Beth, Brigid, Daryl, Enid, and Laila, which still felt a bit like a lot, except Daryl was over by the doorway (back to the room for privacy) and Enid was sitting in a chair near him, out of the way unless or until Beth needed her. Brigid had seemed loath to let go of Laila, so the girl remained sitting on the ground next to the mattress, holding one of Brigid's hands and helping to encourage her through her labor.

After Thomas had found some off-brand sports drink and a slightly squashed protein bar that was still nonetheless edible, Brigid at least had a little color back in her, and seemed to have worked up enough energy to start pushing. It had been a slow process at first. Now, Beth was kneeling at the foot of the mattress, helping to keep Brigid's legs in position and encouraging her to keep pushing. She had a pair of gloves on her hands and had covered her clothes in a clean smock she'd brought in her bag, intended for this exact purpose.

"That's it, Brigid, you're doing so well, sweetheart. I see the head now, the baby is crowning!" She looked up past the blanket that was draped over Brigid's knees, meeting the other girl's feverish eyes with a soft smile. "One more big push for me, okay? The biggest one yet. Once you get those shoulders out, it's all gonna get a lot easier, I promise."

Brigid looked more exhausted than Beth could even imagine feeling—and she was going on more than twenty-four hours without sleep—but she nodded at Beth's words, and Beth felt a surge of pride in the young woman, despite barely knowing her. She was so determined, even in such awful circumstances. How could she not feel proud of her for that?

Then Brigid's jaw dropped and her low groan turned into a much louder moan, one that made Beth thankful this back room had relatively thick walls, so that they didn't have to worry about walkers being summoned by Brigid's cries. Still, it was reassuring to know that the others were guarding them. She couldn't think much about that, nor even about Daryl, who had stayed nearby to support her more than anything else. Her focus was entirely on Brigid, and the little baby currently making its way into the world.

"Yes, there you go, push… you did it, Brigid! The baby's shoulders are out!" She checked on the infant as best she could, resisting the urge now that she was in the moment to go and page through one of her birthing books in the bag beside her. There wasn't much point now, not the least of which because her hands were a bit too messy for that. "Take a few deep breaths, alright? Take a moment to gather yourself." She looked Brigid in the eyes again, and added warmly, "You are doing so well, Brigid, seriously. You're doing amazing!"

As Laila leaned in to murmur her own praise, Beth turned to look over her shoulder at Enid. "Enid, can you bring me those tools now, the ones I had you clean in the hot water? Thank you."

Enid hurried over and placed a folded up white towel beside Beth on the corner of the bed, unfolding it to reveal a collection of tools she might need; namely to clamp and cut the umbilical cord. "Thank you, honey. And be ready with that clean blanket for the baby, alright?"

She turned back to Brigid and added, "I think he or she is about to make their way into the world on the next push. Are you ready?"

Brigid said nothing, but gave a small nod through what Beth imagined was a lot of exhaustion. The hormones seemed to be helping her out, at least; a lot of the books she'd read said that women were hit with waves of hormones during the different stages of birth that helped give them the energy to keep going even when they felt like they couldn't. That and Brigid's determination were probably the only reason they had gotten this far.

It seemed like it was all happening so fast. Brigid's moans, Laila's gasps, and Beth's firm encouragement and instructions filled the small room and then, for a second, everything seemed to freeze. And then the baby slipped from Brigid into Beth's ready hands, which supported the little infant carefully as she lowered it to the blanket. In a voice bright with awe, she exclaimed, "Brigid, that's it, you did it!" She carefully grabbed the tools she needed, first clamping the umbilical cord and then carefully snipping it. Leaving the clamp on, she reached for Enid, who immediately handed her a damp hand-towel so that she could clean the baby's face of fluids.

For a second all was silent, and then the baby gave a sharp wail; the cry of an infant who suddenly found itself in a big, cold, loud new world. Beth simply laughed, filled with adrenaline and joy and relief as she cleaned the baby as best she could and then wrapped it in a warm soft towel. Only then did she hold it up towards Brigid and ask, "Do you want to see your little girl, Brigid?"

"It's… it's a girl?" The question fell from her lips in a barely-audible whisper, followed immediately by an eager nod. She tried to lift her hands up to reach for the baby, but didn't seem to have the strength. So Beth slipped off and around the other side of the mattress to gently rest the baby on Brigid's chest. The exhausted young girl stared down at the baby's upturned face, her tired eyes studying every inch of the baby's soft, reddened skin, big eyes, and the light fuzz atop her head. "She's… perfect."

But just as Beth opened her mouth to agree, Brigid's eyes rolled up into the back of her head, and she passed out.

At least, Beth could only assume she'd passed out. Her whole body had gone limp, but thankfully, Beth had a hold on the baby and easily lifted her out of the way.

"Brigid?" Laila was up on her knees, leaning over her friend and lightly shaking her shoulder. "Brigid, wake up. Brigid?" She turned to Beth, desperate with panic. "What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know, Laila, but I'm going to find out, alright? Enid, come here and take the baby. I just need you to keep her warm, okay? Keep her warm and clean her up a bit more, if you can." The other young girl came and took the baby, hesitant at first, but with a little more confidence once she'd settled back into the chair. For her part, Beth's attention was so fully focused on Brigid that she only vaguely registered that Daryl had turned away from the door and come back into the room a little bit.

"Brigid, can you hear me?" The girl didn't respond as Beth examined her, muttering to herself as she ran through a list of symptoms. "Pale skin, loss of consciousness…" She pulled over her bag of equipment and used it to check the girl's blood pressure and heart rate. "Her heart rate is very fast, but her blood pressure is low…"

"What does that mean?" Daryl asked from behind her as Beth set the equipment aside. "I don't know for sure, it could be a few things. It could be something to do with her heart, but she didn't mention anything before she passed out, so I'm not sure…" She moved around to the foot of the bed and knelt between Brigid's legs again. As she lifted the blanket, her voice cut out in a sharp gasp. "Oh god. Oh no."

Blood covered the sheet beneath Brigid, spreading out in a wide circle under her lower extremities. Beth's hands trembled at the sight. Everything seemed to be too bright, the world too loud, the light above her buzzing so loudly all of the sudden that it made her ears hurt. "She's bleeding heavily, that's not good. I…" She swallowed hard. "I think she might be hemorrhaging." Beth reached up, placing one hand on Brigid's abdomen while the other performed an internal exam. Two words rose to the surface of her mind, plucked from one of the books she'd read. She didn't want to say them, but unfortunately, the exam was only confirming what she already expected.

She pulled her hands free and turned to Daryl, eyes wide with worry. "Uterine atony," she whispered. Knowing that neither he nor the others would have any idea what she meant, she went on a bit more loudly, "Her uterus is too weak. It's supposed to be contracting to push out the placenta, but it's not doing it enough. It should be compressing the blood vessels that connect the placenta to the uterus but it isn't, and so she's bleeding." Seeing the confusion in Daryl's eyes still, she said bluntly, "If I can't get her uterus to contract enough… she'll bleed out, Daryl. She'll die."

Daryl stared at her for only a second, long enough to blink once. And then, without hesitation, he asked, "What do you need from me, Beth. What do you need to help her?"

But in the end, it turned out there was nothing she could do. She managed to bring Brigid back to consciousness once or twice, but that was it. No amount of palpating the girl's uterus got it to contract enough to stop the bleeding and push the placenta out. She was just too worn down, too starved and abused, too lacking in everything she needed to keep surviving. She'd used every drop of energy she had to push that baby out, and Beth suspected that on some level, Brigid knew that. That the girl had accepted it far before she had.

And Beth had none of the medical advancements that might have helped in this situation. She didn't have the medications that might stop the bleeding or help her uterus contract. She couldn't perform surgery—well, she could attempt it, but it would likely only kill the girl faster. So she couldn't pack her uterus with gauze to slow the bleeding, or tie off the artery to slow the blood flow… even if she knew how to do those things, she couldn't. She felt so absolutely useless that it was a wonder she hadn't simply broken down.

(In fact, the only thing that kept her from just breaking down was Daryl standing just behind her. He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. His silent presence was reassuring on its own, even without the look in his eyes every time she glanced at him, like a flash of warmth anchoring her in reality, stopping her from giving in to the roaring buzz of panic in her head.)

Some part of her still thought she could find some way to save her, somehow. That a miracle might occur. But then, in her last moment of consciousness, Brigid reached out. She stopped Beth's pathetic attempts at palpating her uterus by curling her fingers around Beth's wrist and drawing it close to her chest instead. She looked into Beth's eyes, green meeting and holding blue, and croaked out hoarsely, "Take care of her. My baby. Keep her safe."

When Beth only blinked helplessly at her, Brigid gripped her hand tighter, with a surprising amount of strength that Beth later imagined she'd dredged up from the very depths of her soul. Forcefully, she whispered, "Promise."

And what could she say to that, but, "Yes. I promise. I'll take care of your baby, Brigid. I swear."

Ten minutes later, she sat alone in the chair in the far corner of the room. Well, not entirely alone. The baby was in her arms, wrapped in a clean blanket and suckling on a bottle that Enid had made with the formula she'd thankfully brought along just in case. Daryl had gone to tell the others the bad news, taking Laila with him to see if Enid or Carol could help calm her down. And Brigid… well, she was lying silently on the mattress across the room, a sheet covering both the blood stains from her death, and the wound from where they'd used a knife to make sure she didn't turn.

She hadn't cried yet. She couldn't, for some reason. Her eyes ached, but they felt bone dry. Every inch of her was exhausted. Her body hurt, her heart hurt, her soul hurt. But she couldn't cry. All she could do was blink down at the little infant in her lap.

The newborn thankfully suckled the bottle without much issue, though watching her once more, Beth felt a stirring of guilt in her heart. "This is the best I've got for you, baby girl," she whispered to the infant, her free hand shifting to stroke a finger across the girl's cheek. "I'm sorry it's not your mama's milk. I'm s-sorry I couldn't s-save her. I'm so sorry."

A single tiny tear streaked down her cheek at last and fell to land on the baby's forehead. Beth winced, and as she wiped it carefully away with her thumb, she sensed someone looming over her. She didn't have to look to know who it was. She could sense his comforting presence even before he crouched down in front of her and rested one hand on her knee. "Rick found the other radio, on the guy in the backroom," he said softly. "He called back t' Haven. They're gonna send some more people and vehicles, to get as many of these supplies as we can."

"Okay." Her response was nearly a whisper.

"Hey." He waited a moment and then reached up towards her, fingers nudging under her chin to tip her face up until she looked into his eyes. "Come with me, let me show you somethin'."

"The baby…" She looked down at the infant in her lap, seeing that it had just finished the small bottle, and then glanced back up at him.

"Bring the baby with you. C'mon, up you get." He helped to guide her up to her feet and she shifted to put the baby over her shoulder, sliding the rag there over so she could try and burp the baby on it as they walked. And they were walking, she was dimly aware of that much. Daryl had her by the arm and was guiding her out of the back room, through the storeroom, and into the main area of the Walmart, though she didn't notice much of what (or who) they passed by in the process.

At some point she registered that the baby had burped, and adjusted her in her arms to cradle her close again. Only once the baby was settled did she look around and realize they were approaching an area of the store she hadn't seen before. Her eyes scanned ahead, landing on shadowy shapes in dim lighting that, as they got closer, eventually resolved into something more recognizable. Just in front of them was a row of display cribs, strollers, and rocking chairs in front of them with several aisles of more items behind.

"Daryl, is this…"

Beth's words trailed off but Daryl picked up the train of thought for her, coming to stand in front of her and give her a small smile as he said, "Turns out a bunch of violent men don't have much need for baby supplies. This whole section is almost entirely untouched."

It took her a moment to comprehend the bounty that lay before her. Still cradling the baby close, Beth walked around the nearest display crib to look down each of the aisles behind it. Even in the half-lit store, she could see just how much stuff sat forgotten on the shelves; covered in dust, for sure, but otherwise untouched. There were toys, clothes, diapers, bottles, car seats, little bathing tubs, breast pumps, and more. She came to a stop in front of the last aisle, her heart kicking in her chest. "Is that… formula?"

It wasn't a full stock; the beginning of the spread of the virus had been slow enough to allow for panicked shoppers to buy a lot of items from the stores. But formula must not have been a top priority, and since the Butchers had had no need for it, a ton of cans still remained on the shelves. She couldn't count from here, but there were several brands and varieties, and she had to guess there were at least thirty to forty cans here. Maybe more.

"We think there's probably more in the back, too," Daryl said softly from where he'd come up behind her. "Or there might be, anyway."

"Daryl..." She breathed out his name in shock and awe, and he slipped his hands around her waist at the sound of it. His chest pressed to her back, holding her close as he kissed the side of her head.

"I know." His hands rested on her hips, rubbing gently up and down them as he spoke into her ear, "We can get everything this lil' girl needs. Maggie, too. Hell, we can probably even get some stuff for lil' asskicker."

She was speechless, but unlike earlier, it was in a much better sort of way. The combination of relief and delight mixed with the sorrow and guilt of earlier, and ended with her just feeling mostly overwhelmed. All she could do was breathe in and out and hold the little baby in her arms as she stared at the cans of formula in shock.

Sensing her continued struggle to process, Daryl said again, "Here, look at this…" He took her and led her over to another aisle, bringing her directly to a specific spot. When they reached it, he raised his hand up and pointed to something sitting atop one of the shelves. After blinking for surprise in a moment, she managed to focus enough to squint and read the label.

"A baby wrap carrier?" She glanced at Daryl in question.

"Yeah, for the lil 'un." He nodded at the baby in her arms. "Says you can use it t' wrap the baby to your chest or back. Figured it would be handy, cause then you can keep her close but also have your hands free, y' know, to do whatever." He turned back to the package, his brow furrowed. "Though, I dunno if you can use 'em with newborns. Can you?"

She took a moment, not because she didn't know, but because that feeling of overwhelm seemed to have solidified into a lump in her throat, one that made her feel as if she wanted to laugh and cry and smile all at once. Damn Daryl Dixon and the way he always seemed to know exactly what she needed or how to take care of her. He professed to be bad at these things and sure, he was fumbling with it sometimes, especially when their relationship had first begun… but he was far better at it than he or most others seemed to realize..

After a moment she swallowed hard, and then replied in a breathy voice, "You can. I've seen it in my books. A lot of cultures baby-carry like that. It… it would be perfect."

(Except for the fact that it wouldn't be 'perfect' because perfect was a world where this baby was being cradled and fed and swaddled by her mother, and that was impossible in the world they now lived in.)

"Then let's try it out," Daryl suggested, not quite ignoring her but, she suspected, encouraging her to focus on the things she could actually handle right now. His instincts held true here, too, because it was far easier to focus on unwrapping the packaging, examining the blanket and instructions, and trying a few times to get it all settled. In time, they had the baby wrapped snugly against Beth's chest, its head turned to rest against her skin above the collar of her shirt, perfectly supported by the wrap so that Beth was able to have both hands free.

"Perfect," she murmured, eyes meeting Daryl's and giving him a hint of a grateful smile.

"Good." He turned to the rest of the aisles and, perhaps sensing she could use the continued distraction, suggested, "How about a shopping spree?"

The question actually coaxed a soft laugh out of her and she gave in to the suggestion, knowing it would both help them in the long run, and help distract her in the short term. Over the next twenty minutes or so, they set aside a myriad of items to transport back to Haven, including a bassinet, two cribs, a couple car seats, and what could only be described (by Daryl) as a "shit ton" of toys, clothes, diapers, formula, and more. Including toys and clothes for Judith, though they would let Rick know to come pick some out as well in case he wanted to. After all, he'd never gotten the chance to 'buy' things for Judith like he probably had for Carl. It just wasn't a thing anymore in this world, except in rare circumstances like this.

Fun as it was, Beth had to take a break eventually to check on the baby. She ended up sitting on one of the rocking chairs in the display area, cradling the baby to her chest in the wrap and rocking the both of them back and forth together. Keeping busy had allowed her to push the thoughts away but now, looking down at the helpless and mother-less little baby in her lap, she felt those guilty thoughts stirring up again.

Of course, the always-aware Daryl found her there after only a few moments and, seeing the look in her eyes, dropped to a crouch in front of her. His hands came up, one resting on her knees and the other lightly stroking down her arm as he murmured, "I know it's easier for me t' say than for you t' feel but I hope you're not blamin' yourself, Beth…"

He knew her well. Probably better than anyone, that was sure. So she simply sighed at the question but after a moment, gaze still fixed on the baby's face, she replied, "I can't help it. I tried to save her, but I couldn't. I was her only hope, and I failed."

"No." Daryl's voice was far firmer and louder than hers, though not so loud that it carried. Just enough to emphasize how much he meant it when he said, "You were her only hope, you're right about that. And you did so much for her, Beth. You didn't fail her. You saved her baby. If you hadn't shown up, no one would have helped at all. I ain't no doctor, but I reckon both she and this here baby would be dead if you hadn't helped."

"Probably," she admitted in a whisper. But for the first time she tore her eyes from the baby and looked up at Daryl, meeting his gaze hesitantly as she admitted, "I'm scared, Daryl. I couldn't save Brigid… what if Maggie…" She shook her head, unable to get the rest of the words out. But she didn't have to, of course. He'd know exactly what she meant. Though she did feel the need to add, "There's only so much I can learn, so much I can find. What if she needs something I haven't studied, something I… I don't have access to— to machines, or medicine."

"You can't think like that. I know it's hard, but…" The hand he had resting on her arm came up to cup her face instead, thumb grazing over her cheek. "You can't plan for everythin'. You can't un-end the world, or… summon up a whole workin' hospital delivery room." He paused for a minute, his voice softening. "You weren't able to be there for Brigid until the very end. She was starving, dehydrated, she had no one to care for her. No… no books or medicines or herbs, nothing. Fucked as it sounds, Beth… it's no wonder she didn't survive."

She opened her mouth to argue, but halted. He had a point. There were a ton of things that could have been done to help Brigid throughout her pregnancy, but they hadn't been there to help with that. That was on the Butchers, not that they would have cared even if they weren't dead now. And the things that could have been done to save her at the end weren't things that were available to them here and now.

There was nothing they could have done. Logically, rationally, she knew that. But emotions were rarely rational or logical, and she knew that her guilt would take awhile to ease.

Still, Daryl had a point, and she was grateful for his support, especially right now. "Thank you," she whispered. She leaned towards him and he did too, pushing up on the balls of his feet a little so that they were face to face. For a moment she just nuzzled him, nose grazing his, breathing in the familiar smell of him. Between them, the baby on her chest gurgled softly and Beth pulled back an inch to look down at her with a laugh. "That's new."

"Yeah." Daryl looked down at the baby for a second, and when he looked back up at Beth, there was a new look in his eyes; soft and warm and… yearning? "New, but not bad." There was something in his voice, too, something unspoken but meaningful in a way that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Maybe if she said the right thing or asked the right question… but just as she began to search her mind for the correct response, the sound of footsteps coming down the aisle echoed towards them.

Daryl drew back, and they both looked up in time to see Enid, holding Avery's hand as they both walked towards them. "Carol sent me to tell you that the others just pulled up. They're helping move the cars from the Home Depot so we can start loading stuff but I wanted to ask… I know you're busy with the baby, but do you think you could look Avery over? And the others?"

She would have to stick a pin in that previous moment and save it for a later time. As she tucked it away in her mind, she rose to her feet and gave Enid and Avery both a smile. "Of course, girls. Why don't we go to the staff break room and I'll get a look at everyone."

The others were deep into the process of loading items into the vehicles by the time Beth had finished examining all the kids that had been held hostage by the Butchers. Unsurprisingly they were all undernourished and underweight. On top of Avery's broken arm, they all had scars, though Thomas' were fewer and less recent than those of Avery and Laila. Thankfully, most of their issues would be solved by regular meals and better treatment, all of which they would get at Haven, especially now that they were going to triple their supplies, it seemed.

The thing she was worried most about was Avery's arm. The right was actively broken and still healing, and she didn't like the way it had been wrapped. Hopefully it would be alright once she got a better splint on it, since she didn't think she had the supplies to make a cast. A splint would work better than nothing, and she had managed to find a better sling in the stash of medical supplies the Butcher's had kept in the break room. (It figured they'd kept it for themselves and forced the girl to wear a makeshift scarf instead.) Her other arm had apparently been broken once before but thankfully seemed to have healed mostly-okay. According to Avery it bothered her sometimes, but she at least still had use of her hand.

Once she'd given the kids a lookover, she joined the others at the front of the store. Daryl had separated from her briefly, mostly to bring over all the stuff they'd gotten from the infant section and load it into their truck, but also to let Rick know to go take a look himself. Avery and Enid ran to Carol as she and the kids approached the group, while Thomas stood hesitantly off to the side, watching them load the cars, and Laila sat by herself near the door, looking forlorn. Beth was watching her with worry when Daryl approached from outside, raising his hand to wipe some sweat from his brow.

"Cold or not, that's hard work," he remarked gruffly as he got close. He looked satisfied, though, so she figured he'd gotten everything they wanted. There had been a good amount of medicine and medical supplies too, most of it in the staff room, and she'd asked the others to load all that up as well.

"Anything else we need to help with?" With one hand she rubbed the baby's back through the soft fabric of the wrap, while the other reached up to gently brush down Daryl's arm.

His smile deepened slightly at her touch, and his voice was low and private as he murmured, "You've done enough heavy lifting today." She figured he meant literally and not figuratively, so she just smiled as he went on, "But I did want to check out th' outside of the garden center. Wanna take a little walk with me?"

The indoor section of the garden area was somewhat cleared of anything useful, partially due to the Butchers, she assumed, but apparently Tyrese and Sasha had also gone through here. They hadn't gone outside yet, because the door had been locked with a chain and they hadn't been able to find a key. Thankfully, Daryl brandished a bolt cutter that took care of that immediately. The moment they opened the door, it became clear that the outside area was where the horses had been kept. The cool air and the tarps on the fences had kept the smell down outside, but in here the distinct smell of animals filled Beth's nostrils. It reminded her strongly of the barn back home, though that immediately conjured up other memories she didn't want to think about.

She forced herself to look around instead, to avoid those less pleasant memories. There were no horses left inside; they must have ridden all of them to Haven and left those here with only motor vehicles. But the area had feeding troughs, hay, horse feed, and grooming and saddling equipment, among other things. Including, to Beth's delight, a makeshift rabbit hutch. "Look, Daryl! There's rabbits here! Maybe four or five? It's hard to count. They must have been trapping them or something. We can add them to our two and have an actual breeding stock!"

"I reckon they had to 've been hunters," Daryl drawled as he looked around the rest of the area. "Cause this is a real shit garden they have over here, so they weren't growin' their food."

Beth turned to follow his gaze and gave a snort of surprise when she saw the 'shit garden'; a small raised bed with a bunch of wilted or half-dead plants. He wasn't wrong on that point. It was a minimal attempt at growing food, stymied by their lack of knowledge about spacing and companion plants, not to mention the lack of sun and possibly water, judging by how dry the remaining plants looked. The lake made that a lot easier for Haven than it would be here.

"I'd say it was a wonder they survived this long, if I hadn't seen the ridiculous stash of food." The amusement faded from her face as she sighed. "All of which they must have pilfered from other people. It's horrible enough on its own, knowing they choose to murder people for supplies. It's worse knowing they chose to do it instead of simply, I don't know… taking the time to learn how to be more self-sustaining."

"Yeah, well, there are two types of people in th' world when it comes t' survivin'. Selfish an' unselfish." Daryl's dismissive tone and look made it clear what type he thought the Butchers had been.

Still, she would happily take their horses and rabbits and what gardening supplies they had, as rewards in their case not for raiding an innocent group of people, but instead for staving off a vicious attack. She didn't much like thinking about karma these days, having seen such horrible things happen to so many good people… but this, at least, felt a little close to it.

They found some animal carriers in the pet section to put the rabbits in temporarily—Beth also took the opportunity to grab some things for Bear, because it seemed the Butchers also hadn't seen much need for dog food, toys, or supplies—and over the next couple hours they and the rest of the group finished getting everything loaded into the vehicles. Beth helped a little, despite Daryl's protests, though she had to stop once to feed the fussy baby again and calm her down after.

When none of the cars could fit anymore without leaving room for them to drive back, they gathered at the front of the Walmart, just inside the entrance. "A second trip was always an option," Rick remarked to Beth and Daryl as a few of the others trickled in from outside. "But I think we've done a good job of prioritizing the most important stuff for this first trip. We'll bring it all back, get it unloaded and the kids settled, and come back a second time. Armed, of course, just in case."

No one should happen to wander by and see the now-empty Walmart and go inside to raid it in the time they were gone, but that couldn't be guaranteed, of course. Nothing could, these days. Noah, who had come along with his mother to help pick up supplies, had volunteered to stay behind with the radio up on the roof just to keep an eye on things. They could live if they didn't get the rest of the supplies, but it would be an easier living if they did.

"Speaking of the kids," Tyrese remarked quietly from where he stood next to Sasha. His arms were lightly crossed over his chest, but his expression looked more curious than anything else. "What is the plan for where they'll be staying in Haven?"

Beth glanced at the kids; they had all gathered off to the side in a corner, Laila sitting quietly and watching as Enid spoke with Avery, all three of them occasionally giving nervous glances at Thomas, who still stood slightly apart. The boy had done nothing worrisome since handing over his gun earlier, but it was obvious the girls didn't trust him, and Beth didn't blame them. Even if he was young and had been manipulated, he had still somewhat turned on them, and they wouldn't forget that right away.

She turned back to the adults in time to hear Carol say, "I'll keep Enid, and take in Avery, too." When Daryl raised an eyebrow, she clarified, "Enid already asked me. She said they can share the big bed for now, and I'll take the smaller one. I don't mind. In time maybe we can build something, so the girls can have their own beds. But they want to stay together."

"That's fine with me," Rick replied, giving Carol a little easy nod. His gaze flicked to Thomas, and he added, "I've thought about having Thomas come stay with us, since Carl is only a year or two older than him… but I can't deny worrying about it a little. Not that I don't think the kid has a good heart under it all, but…"

"But you don't wanna put Carl or Judy at risk unnecessarily," Beth ventured, guessing where his thought was going. He acknowledged her with a nod, and Michonne gave her a tiny smile, too.

To her surprise, Tyrese cut in, "Why don't you have him stay with me and Sash?" He glanced over his shoulder at Sasha, who nodded agreement. "We've had an extra room since Carol moved out. We can keep an eye on him, help him out."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Rick remarked with a little smile. "Honestly, I was hoping to find somewhere where he wouldn't put anyone vulnerable at risk, but where he could also get some support with someone who is, well… the opposite of the men he's been staying with. You came to mind immediately, Tyrese. Well, you and' Daryl, but they don't have a spare room at their place. Plus, I think they might be a bit occupied now."

He glanced at the baby as he said it, and Beth felt both her hands come up defensively to cup the baby's back. It suddenly occurred to her that she had taken over care for the baby without asking anyone, not even Daryl. It had just seemed… natural. She was the one-person medical team at the moment, and the baby needed someone to take care of. Of course it would be her.

But was this something she should discuss with Daryl? What if someone else had wanted to take in the baby, as it were? There had been no shortage of people willing to help with Judith, but that had been different because her father was still alive.

The conversation was still going, however, and she forced herself to pay attention to it just in time to see Alberta step into the little circle. The older woman had come, in her own words, because she wanted to help out after spending the whole battle across the river with Judith. (Not that anyone had considered that not equally worthy, but she knew that Alberta always felt better when she was actually doing something.)

Now she stood in front of them, hands on her hips as she declared. "I'll take Laila, if she'll have us anyway." Without a hint of blush or embarrassment, she added, "With Hank and I sharing a room now, and Ivy and Noah the other, we have a room free. She can stay there, if she wants." They all looked over at the girl, who sat alone with her arms wrapped around her knees, her face half-hidden by the shadows of the hijab she wore. Alberta's voice softened as she added, "I imagine she could use some motherin', poor duck. Plus, she's close in age to Noah and Ivy, so maybe they can help her out."

"Then we're decided," Rick stated, pushing away from the wall he was leaning on and standing up straight. "We'd better get going, then. The sooner we get back to Haven, the sooner we can make a second trip."

The baby began to fuss a bit along the way, and Beth was a bit preoccupied with trying to keep her calm, leaning over the newborn car-seat to coo at the baby and check that she looked fine. She kept her murmured reassurances sweet and soft, though she had to bite her tongue several times to stop from asking the baby if she was missing her Mama. Of course she was. She had grown inside her mother's womb, had developed hearing the sound of her voice, albeit from within her belly. And now her mother was gone, and there was nothing Beth could do about that. She had given it her best, but it hadn't been enough.

Every time the guilt crept in, Daryl's voice was on its heels to chase it away. But it lingered in the crevices of her brain, like a little dark shadow just waiting for the right chance to douse her mood. Only time would heal that, she imagined.

It was just hard right now because, well… she understood what it was like to lose a mother. She could easily fathom how more worse it must be for the baby, to be so young that she didn't even understand what she had lost, she could just feel that need inside her, that empty hole… And all she could do was squall in protest and reach for something that she couldn't name or find.

Beth pressed a kiss to the baby's forehead and whispered, "It's okay, little one. I'll take care of you. I promise."

It hadn't been loud enough for Daryl to hear the exact words, but still he turned his gaze from the road to her briefly, and asked, "Everythin' alright with you two?"

Beth fidgeted with the straps of the car seat and gave him a weak, distracted smile. "Yeah. Or it will be. She's just… missin' her Mama, I think."

"Beth…" His voice was tinged with concern, prompting her to give a quick shake of her head.

"It's alright. I'm not… alright, well I do still feel a little guilty but I promise… deep down inside I know it wasn't my fault. I just…" She looked down at the baby again, studying the thick thatch of light hair atop her little head. "I feel for her, you know? I know what it's like to miss your Mama." She gave a deep sigh as Daryl reached out to slip his arm around her shoulder, tugging her closer to him and away from the baby a bit. She scooted slightly across the seat of the and leaned into him, tucking her body into the curve of his where it fit perfectly.

They drove in silence for a few minutes, the baby settled, the road ahead of them empty and the others trailing behind. After a moment, the guilty feeling faded again and a few of the other thoughts Beth had been considering earlier bubbled to the forefront of her mind. She opened her mouth and hesitated, unsure of how to broach the topic.

Beside her, Daryl joked, "Penny for your thoughts?"

She chuckled. "I was just… thinking about…" She hesitated, and then chose what felt like the easiest option, "Where we're going to set up all this baby stuff. Whose house, I mean."

She risked a glance at Daryl and saw him looking at her, brow furrowed, eyes amused as if he knew just what she was really asking. "Our place, of course."

It was exactly the answer she'd wanted, even if she'd gone about the question a bit awkwardly, too nervous for some reason to broach it directly. She rarely had trouble talking to Daryl openly about things. In this case, she thought perhaps the decision to keep the baby close was too tied up in her guilt about losing Brigid for her to see it clearly, making it hard for her to ask him what he thought. But given how he'd reacted this entire time, the way he'd brought her to the baby section and helped her pick out so many things… she couldn't be surprised. He'd shown his decision all along.

Still, she found herself asking shyly, "Yeah? You sure?"

"Of course, Greene." He looked to the road once more, but his hand gently squeezed her shoulder as he added, "Where else would the lil' one stay?"

Where else indeed.

Later, after they'd gotten back to Haven and had brought most of the baby stuff to their home, they set up the lovely wicker bassinet next to their bed in the loft. The baby was asleep inside it now, wearing a yellow onesie and curled up in a soft yellow blanket with a pretty floral pattern.

"Feels odd, just calling her 'the baby' or 'little one'," Beth remarked, resisting the urge to touch the sleeping baby for worry of waking her up. It was tempting, though, especially every time she looked at all her tiny little fingers and toes.

"Can't call her lil' asskicker either, that's Judy's nickname," Daryl teased softly. He sat right beside her on the bed, both of them leaning over the crib together, so close their shoulders touched. Bear lay on a bed they'd brought home for him in the corner, having does his excited dance when they'd first gotten home. "Did Brigid say what she wanted to name it?"

"No." Beth shook her head, and then clarified, "Not to me. But Laila said Brigid been thinking of some names, that they'd discussed it once or twice. She'd narrowed it down to Connor, if it was a boy. And for a girl… Annie."

"Annie, huh?"

"It's funny, actually." Beth's fingers twitched to touch the baby, but instead she toyed with the edge of the blanket she lay on instead. "My mother's name was Annette. My Dad… he used to call her Annie, when they were younger."

From the corner of her eye, Beth saw that Daryl had turned to look at her. His voice was softer as he remarked, "Annie… that's a sweet name."

She hesitated, fingers hovering over the blanket for a second, and then she asked carefully, "What was your mother's name, Daryl? I don't think you've ever mentioned it."

He didn't talk about his mother much, so it wasn't surprising. She was the only family member he had mostly-pleasant memories of, in the sense that she had at least treated him better than his father or brother had. She had been far from perfect, but Beth knew Daryl had loved her, and had never fully healed from the loss of her, especially not the way she had gone.

She half-expected him to not answer, and so she didn't break the silence that fell after the question. But after a few moments, he replied quietly, "May Dixon. May Turner, before she married my father."

"May." Beth savored the name for a moment and then finally tore her gaze from the sleeping baby to look up at Daryl. Her eyes softened at the sight of him, the hint of pain and longing in his eyes for the mother he'd lose. She knew it was mirrored in her own, for they'd both lost their mothers young, in different ways. Their fathers, too, but still…

"What do you think about Annie-May, for a name?"

He looked surprised, despite the way the conversation had gone. Perhaps he didn't realize why she'd asked for his mother's name, or perhaps he'd never thought she'd suggest it. That anyone would. Or perhaps he'd just realized how important this moment was, the same as she suddenly had. That they weren't just naming a random baby. They were giving this baby a name that was very important to both of them, intrinsic to who they were as people.

They were welcoming this baby not only into their homes, but their hearts.

After a moment the surprise vanished, and a tender smile crossed Daryl's lips. He reached up, fingers tracing over her cheek to tuck a bit of hair behind her ear. "I think Annie-May is a perfect name."

"Then it's decided." She tilted her head into his hand for a lingering moment and then turned, looking down into the bassinet once more. One hand reached to lace into his and the other gently brushed the blanket close to the baby's head as she murmured, "Hello, Annie-May. Welcome home."

A/N: Oop. Haha. I hope you guys liked that chapter. I know it was rough, and it sucked that Brigid died... I felt that as optimistic as I generally am as a writer, pregnancy and labor in the apocalypse is probably one of the riskiest situations a woman can be in. Brigid never had a good chance, because of her mistreatment. But hopefully, Beth and Daryl will honor her legacy with Annie-May. Hopefully the end scene makes up for it.

Thanks again for all your comments, they really have helped encourage me to keep writing and finish this story up.