"Why didn't you tell us?" Glenn asked quietly from the corner of the room I was sitting in. I shrugged my shoulders, looking at the very interesting wall across from me.

"I dunno, didn't see the reason to," I sniffled, hating the fact that I had to sniffle to breathe.

"Lynnie," he crouched in front of me and raised a hand, something that made me flinch away again out of reflex. I really hated how the world seemed to be going against me right now. He paused, lowering his hand away from me and instead slowly took my hand in his in a gentle and firm grip. I realized belatedly that I had been peeling at the skin of my hands again.

"I'm gonna kill that sunuva-"

"Daryl," Rick stopped the man who was still agitated. The sheriff was standing near the door, just watching me as I sat on the bed. Andrea was sitting on a chair on the other side, and Dale, T-dog, Maggie, and Shane watching over Ben in another room.

"Is that the reason why Ben had shiners like that?" Andrea asked a slow and amused tone in her voice. I simply nodded and Glenn's grip tightened a little.

"I should've let him die," Daryl growled, making me feel comforted for some reason. Maybe it was because people were actually caring for me, not just using me for my skills. I wasn't used to it.

"Then Carl and Rennie might not have been as healthy," I responded dully. The door burst open, hitting Rick in the back. He winced as he stumbled a bit, staring at the small boy staring at me heatedly.

"Seriously?" Rennie scowled, staring at me. "Tell me you're lying.

Silence rang through the room as Daryl slowly shuffled their way out with Andrea in tow. Glenn kept rubbing the back of my hands, a steady anchor through it all.

"Rennie," Glenn reprimanded in a gentle tone. "Not right now."

"No, I need to hear this right now. Is it true? Is what Lori told Carol true?" Rennie sniffled, tears leaking out of his eyes as my heart broke. "Did Ben really hurt you like that?"

"I'm sorry," was all I managed to choke out in the end. My little brother, my baby brother, reeled back, shaking his head as his shoulders shook. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen, I just-"

Rennie cut me off when he ran to me and tackled me in a hug, narrowly avoiding poking Glenn's eye out. He sobbed while wrapping his small arms around my neck, patting my shoulder in a comforting way. I couldn't stop crying.

"No, I'm sorry for not protecting you," little Rennie sniffled, burying his face in my neck. I held him tightly without a word, weeping for us all. We took a minute to ourselves, recovering enough to have a conversation with the awkwardly standing Rick and sitting Glenn. Rennie pulled away from me a little but stayed on my lap with an arm around me.

"What are we going to do?"

"Nothing," I stressed, looking around the room. Rennie made a sound of disbelief.

"But-"

"He's a surgeon, and he was drunk this time," I made a reasonable argument. "I refuse to let emotions cloud our judgment. We need his help now and in the future, maybe wean him off of alcohol.."

"We have Hershel to look for help," Glenn glowered, his jaw defined more sharply than before.

"Glenn," I tried to reason, but Rick stepped in gingerly.

"She's right," Rick nodded. "We'll have a punishment on him so he doesn't forget about it, but we can't kick him out."

"What about my sister then?" Rennie argued, clinging to me again. "You want her to deal with him every day?"

"Rennie, it's okay," I soothed. "He just needs time to realize that we could never happen."

"A silence broke through our conversation now and I soothingly ran my hand down my brother's hair and patted his back rhythmically. Rick cleared his throat after a while, addressing Rennie.

"Why don't we leave your sister to rest for a moment? Carl could work on his studies with you and Lori," Rick held out a hand. My little brother nodded and gave me a small kiss on the cheek that made me widen my eyes.

"You're always my number one, Lynnie. I'm sorry I haven't shown it enough," Rennie gave me one last firm hug before he left. Rick shifted his weight on his feet anxiously, glancing at Glenn with a look in his eyes. My comfort nodded and slowly shut the door behind him as well, leaving me and Rick to talk for a moment. He strode across the room and knelt in front of me with the soft and concerned look of a father in his eyes, making the breath in my lungs catch.

"Did he go any further or hurt you like that?" It took me a moment to understand what he was asking.

"No, he didn't rape me," I shook my head, self-consciously wrapping my arms around me and my legs.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm pretty sure I'd know if I was raped, Rick. It wouldn't be the first time anyways," I mentally slapped myself, wondering once again why the hell I was so open and sharing with this sheriff. He blanched, a look in his eyes that made me shiver.

"If anyone ever touches you or even looks at you the wrong way, I want you to come and tell me. I don't care if it's someone I consider family or if it's just some random survivor. Always, always come to tell me." Rick stared at me with a kind intensity and I nodded. The intensity softened as he gave me a small smile, the warmth, and softness reminding me of my own father. "You're like my own kid or sister, Arlynn. I don't want you hurt or uncomfortable at all."

I swallowed thickly and nodded in gratitude. He gave me one last smile before standing up and slipping out the door. A minute passed before Glenn walked back in, quietly taking his spot next to me and taking my hand.

"I don't want that bastard anywhere near you," Glenn had a hard look in his eyes that I had never seen before. His eyes softened again as I reached and cupped his cheek. He leaned into it and cupped my hand with his in return, sandwiching my hand between his cheek and hand.

"Glenn," I murmured as a kicked puppy look appeared in his eyes and he dropped my hand.

"Why'd you keep it a secret?"

"It would've hurt and caused division in our group, Glenn," I reasoned or tried to. He shook his head, getting up and then pacing relentlessly.

"No, it would have helped us more," Glenn ran a hand through his still eggy hair. "Look, you were right. I forgot or I stopped thinking about it or maybe I didn't want to think about it. I let them lower me into that well like it was fun like I was playing 'portal.'"

I frowned a little in confusion. "The video game?"

His eyes widened as he realized I knew what it was. "You played por-" He shook his head, trying to focus on what he was trying to tell me. "Anyways, the pharmacy happened yesterday and I realized something. I forgot that they're dangerous. I don't care if they're sick people or dead people, they're dangerous. And then I realized something else. That I don't want you in danger ever. So I'm sick of secrets. Secrets get you killed. And I'd rather have you alive and well, not in pieces and distracted or dead. I'd rather have everyone and myself pissed off at you or you pissed off at us than have you dead."

"I let go of the handle for a moment and found myself yanking him down for a kiss, seeking his lips that gave me comfort and warmth, and electricity instead of disgust and fear. He responded back, cupping the back of my neck, and I lightly dragged my fingers down his back, feeling him shiver against me. We ran out of air quickly, but it didn't stop this time. He kissed my neck gently but firmly, making me gasp in pleasure and run my hand through his hair, clutching him to me tightly as he made sure I felt loved. I repaid the favor, nibbling his ear as well while lightly tracing my nail down his back, making him arch into me and let out a soft groan as he shivered. I stopped, however, before things could go any further. The look in his eyes as he pulled away told me he understood and I smiled before he captured my lips one more time.

"They're dead. Ain't gonna feel nothing for them 'cause all they do, they kill!" Shane shouted at us as Jimmy and Rick and several others tried to calm the former leader and deputy down. "These things right here, they're the things that killed Amy. They killed Otis. They're gonna kill all of us."

"Shane, shut up!" someone shouted in the midst of the chaos. I pushed Rennie behind me as Glenn stood next to me, also keeping an eye out for my brother.

"Hey, Hershel man, let me ask you something. Could a living breathing person, could they walk away from this?" Shane brought up his arm and shot three times at the walker Rick and Hershel had brought over to put in the barn.

"No! Stop it!" Rick shouted, trying to get Shane to stop but to no avail.

"That's three rounds in the chest. Could someone who's alive, could they just take that?! Why is it still coming?" Shane was half-insane at this point, I'm sure, and I shifted the gun he'd thrust into my hands in case he became violent toward us as well. He shot again and again between his sentences.

"That's its heart, its lungs. Why is it still coming?"

"Shane, enough," Rick's voice shook as he tried to stop his best friend from killing us all.

"Yeah, you're right, man," Shane nodded calmly for a moment before flipping out again. "That is enough. Enough risking our lives for a little girl who's gone! Enough living next to a barn full of things that are trying to kill us. Enough. Rick, it ain't like it was before! Now if y'all want to live, if you want to survive, you got to fight for it! I'm talking about fighting right here, right now."

"You're fucking insane!" Ben cried out, making me agree with him, however.

"Shane, you gotta stop," I raised my voice a little, staying firmly in front of my little brother who was right behind me.

"Take the snare pole. Hershel, take the snare pole. Hershel, listen to me, man, please. Take it now. Hershel! Take it!" Rick shouted at the dumbfounded man. Shane made his way to the door of the barn, and ice-cold horror filled my veins. Walkers started pouring out of the barn, and shots broke out to protect us as they did so.

"Maggie," Glenn turned to the girl in question who nodded at us before covering Rennie's eyes.

"It's okay," she gave the green light, but even as I shot the walkers, I wondered why I was waiting for the girl's permission.

"Stay back!" I shouted in the chaos as I pulled the trigger of the rifle I was holding.

"Stop!" someone cried out, and I saw the last thing I wanted to ever see. A little girl with blonde shoulder-length hair walked out of the bar, shuffling as she growled. The rifle in my hands fell to the floor as Carol sobbed, only being held back by Daryl.

"Sophia? Sophia!"

"I could only watch as Shane lowered his gun as well, shock on his face. We couldn't do anything, anything at all as the poor mother and daughter had the worst reunion possible."

"Oh no, Sophia," someone murmured as the young walker inched closer and closer to us. I found myself being drawn as well, going towards her when Rick suddenly stood in front of me, his gun aimed at the young girl's head.

"Don't watch," the sheriff said, and I couldn't help but watch, my eyes drawn to the young girl who'd smiled toothily when I'd taken out the plushie she called Berry the Bear. I couldn't help but hear Carol's heart-wrenching sobs and Sophia's growls over her distant laughter. The shot shattered every image I'd had of her and my memory, and I knew this would be another episode in my head that I would never forget.

"Sophia, no!"