ELLIE LEAPED UP in the small tent she shared with Daryl and Coda, beads of sweat sitting upon her soft forehead. Nightmares lingered in her mind as an omen — a reminder. Death was always around the corner, the mere stench of it was abundant. Avoiding death was impossible; avoiding loss was entirely a fabrication. Safety appeared but to have simply ceased to exist. Where could anyone have found true safety; the chance to sleep at night without the wandering shadows lingering; the whispers filling every room until it was only fear they could breathe. Ellie had never felt more unsafe in the entirety of her lifetime.

The nightmares only served as a reminder that a world with no order was hardly a world. Ellie's hope had depleted, deeming itself close to extinction, without the minor reward she had gained in Coda. Her daughter would forever betoken her to all that was right in the world - a chance for the youth that would one day rule the world they had been so desperately attempting to build for them.

Each painful milisecond that Ellie remained alive over the nine months of barely living that had rolled by, with each day became expectantly more difficult than the last, and Ellie's hope had begun to falter rapidly. Daryl noticed her unusual hopelessness, and had vowed internally to protect her through her wobble. Not everyone had been designed with the mental capacity to handle the apocalypse. She was the embodiment of strength, but it wasn't strength that created survivors. It was endurance.

With no words spoken, Daryl slowly reached out with his long arms, and snaked them around her thinning waist. He held her in the warmth of his arms, close and softly, until she sunk into his embrace, with not a single word needing to be uttered. They remained enclosed in their embrace through several peaceful moments, until Daryl's gentle tone disrupted the silence.

"Nightmare again?" Daryl asked, breaking the silence between them. He pulled her close enough for the scent of strawberries in her blonde locks to waft through the air.

Ellie sniffled, and sighed, "Yeah. I'm okay."

Nine months had proven countlessly to be daunting to anyone, but for survivors it had been the epitome of brutality. Not one moment during the nine months had proven to be remotely considered good. The weather had mercilessly changed so often that they were left brutally fatigued once spring had rolled by. The winter had proven to be their biggest enemy, with most of their camp gear destroyed by the inevitability of loss. The rain on their skin was simply the embodiment of the tears they had wasted so long ago. The world belonged to the dead. There was no turning back.

They were running out of time.

Upon enduring the harshest winter known to Georgia, the group had successfully scavenged any remaining food supplies they could discover to last them through the spring that had already proven safer than winter. Rick had enforced harsher restrictions for scaveneging, without vehicles it often left the group in a disorderly mess, when their supplies proved to be too heavy. Rick's enforcements had caused uproar to erupt in the group, with many of the members offended at Lori's extra supplies due to her condition, but Rick remained certain in his leadership.

Lori required more supplies than the rest of the group — more food; more water; more blankets to protect her and the small life growing inside her stomach that was growing. She needed the supplies surely more than the group, but even pregnant women had to suffer the consequences of low supplies. With Lori's deepest fears being the safety of her baby, Ellie had already been burdened with the issue of her own daughter's safety. If she couldn't take care of her, who possibly could? The deep stab wound that once afflicted Ellie healed in the form of a small scar, which she truly despised. To Daryl, her scar was an indicator of her essence — a warrior. It betokened him to all she survived, and all she'll continue to survive. For Coda. It was always for Coda.

Hopefulness had slowly begun to disintegrate, leaving only droplets of hope throughout the group. Hope was fleeting, and nobody knew how to keep ahold of it. Several months prior, Rick revealed the indiscretion that everyone had been infected with the illness that turned humans into walkers, something Edwin Jenner had revealed while at the CDC. Ellie had been shunned for her knowledge of the disease, leaving many members to turn their backs directly on both Rick and Ellie.

Despite the harsh treatment, it brought the two much closer than before. Ellie had gained someone incredibly important in Rick, and she truly did not know how to survive without him at her side as loyally as he had been. She needed Rick, and he most certainly needed her.

"Ellie," Daryl whispered, tearing the woman from her overwhelming thoughts, "Rick wants you."

Ellie shook her whirling head, and quickly stood to her feet. She rapidly dressed her lower half, and grabbed her coat from beside her, wrapping the large jacket around her. She planted a gentle kiss on both Coda and Daryl's cheeks, and continued to crawl out from the tent with confusion etched on her face. She stood to her feet, and was met with Rick's dazzling eyes as he stared down at her.

"You needed me?" she questioned, rubbing at her tired eyes as she spoke.

Rick smiled at the woman for several silent moments, taking in the rare nature of the woman, before he finally uttered, "I found a place, it's worth looking at."

"You want to go look now?" Ellie scoffed, tilting her head in confusion slightly as Rick's face remained unchanged.

He simply nodded as a response, "It's not like you were sleeping."

Ellie froze. Her heart felt as though it clenched deep behind her rib cage, but couldn't help the slight curls of her lips, "Very funny. I was sleeping, but I had a nightmare."

"Again?" he sighed, his eyes softening as he curled his arms around the woman, bringing her into a tight embrace.

His arms snaked around her waist, and her head gently laid against his shoulder, where she nuzzled her cold face into the softness of the fabric of his shirt. He smiled against the embrace, and squeezed her, before releasing the woman, and flashing a smile of gratitude.

"I'll get through it," she announced, nodding assertively. She then glanced across the leader's shoulder, and sighed, "Let's get on with it."

>>>

The morning rolled by, bringing rivers of yellow and orange in the sky as the sun rose above. Rick and Ellie sat patiently outside the new house as the rest of the group huddled inside the freezing house. Floorboards and doors squeaked menacingly as each member stepped inside; the only noises to be heard through the messy silence surrounding the group. They truly had been torn into pieces; devoured and spat out again by the universe in all of their endeavours. It was becoming petulant to even live.

Daryl entered the hallway, his dirty fingers plucking feathers from a recently deceased owl. His eyes longingly gazed upon the meat underneath, which he knew would taste exquisitely with some beer. Ellie observed his handling of the bird, and scoffed. Immature behaviour, she thought. Although most of his behaviour lacked maturity to begin with.

Silence had become the friend that the group didn't know they had. It sat among them often, lingering enough to become familiarised with the sound of nothing. Words had lost bearing; voices lacked soul and sound; it was becoming a chore to be a friend to one another. They truly had lost everything.

From the living room window of the new house, Ellie's glistening eyes distantly locked onto Rick's ocean eyes, and that was enough to remind her that she would be safe. Until Rick slowly uncurled his fist, his slender fingers signalling for the group to pour out of the house, as they always obeyed his orders.

They left, because that's simply what they always did.

>>>

Ellie kicked the dirt underneath her shoes acrimoniously as she separated herself from the group. She had Coda walking in silence next to her, a pacifier in her mouth to endure absolute silence. She was way too old to use a pacifier, but desperate problems required desperate solutions.

Winter had robbed the trees of their once dazzling green leaves, leaving nothing but slender twigs and broken branches to accompany the stillness of the woods. The atmosphere outside had longingly remained eerie, with no wisp of relief from the sunshine that dared to escape the enclaves of clouds. It didn't feel like home anymore, because the world belonged to the dead. A world where the dead remain superior was a world Ellie didn't want to live in.

From behind them, Ellie's ears landed upon commotion nearby, where she managed to scavenge key words, selectively. Lori's swollen stomach was a reminder of the tiny life growing inside her, but it was also a reminder of her weakness. She needed more time; energy; supplies — solutions. She required far too many solutions than Rick had to offer.

The group shortly circled around the heavily pregnant woman, and begun discussing their whereabouts and goal for the day. However, lacking contribution the conversation, Ellie carried herself and Coda away from the group, and sat against a rusting vehicle nearby. She leaned her head back against the car, and shut her eyes.

"You're a leader now," Rick spoke, his frame towering above the petite woman as she slowly peeled her eyes open.

Ellie shrugged, and glanced down at Coda as she played with a dusty teddy, "I'm a mom first."

"Am I not a father first?" Rick questioned, sinking down next to the woman as her eyes remained shut.

Ellie sighed, and shrugged her despondent shoulders, "I'm tired of failing so much."

Rick ran his finger gently across the skin of Ellie's hand, and smiled at the woman as her eyes slowly peeled open, "We're going to win. And I'll do it with you at my side."

Ellie's rose-tinted lips curled into a tight grin as her eyes searched Rick's for sincerity. It was the first thing for her notice — his sincerity.

"Have you thought about any names for the... baby?" Ellie inquired, carefully dancing around the term for the unborn foetus in Lori's stomach.

Rick tensed, but immediately relaxed when he felt Ellie curl her fingers around his, "Lori likes Willow for a girl, and Eli for a boy."

Ellie smiled, and glanced over at Rick, before giving his hand a gentle squeeze, "I hope the baby has your eyes."

Rick didn't need to respond. Words could not have responded to such a beautiful statement that fell from Ellie's lips. He knew that the acknowledgement of the baby being his was all he needed to know to be safe. Ellie made him feel safe, the same very way had did with Daryl, and almost everyone she had ever met in her life.

>>>

Daryl felt the metallic taste form on his tongue as he planted for air through his running. His feet carried him entirely as they moved faster than his entire body could keep up with. The excitement of his discovery was enough to pump adrenaline through his veins. Rick mirrored his excitement, and through his already sparkling irises, flashed an effervescent glisten, as though speckles of gold swam beautifully within.

In unison, the pair announced their discovery of a prison as their new home. The prison stood tall with fortifying fences of steel surrounding it. Barbed wire decorated the fences above, encircling the large courtyard. It was a fortress; a haven. It was the answer to all of their questions and anxieties, it was the best thing to happen to them since the discovery of the farm.

With only a pair of pliers to aid him, Rick rapidly cut a big enough hole in the side of one of the fences for the group to climb through, allowing each one in through single file. In one large herd, walkers bulked up into one corner of the fence as the group ran towards the main entrance to the prison. Glenn rapidly tied the hole in the fence shut with a thick enough wire, and proceeded towards the main entrance with ease.

"It's perfect. If we can shut that gate, prevent more walkers from getting in, we'll take the field by night," Rick panted, a grin forming across his cherry lips.

"How do we shut the gate?"

"I'll do it," Ellie volunteered, nodding at the group, only to receive glares and eye rolls as a response.

"Absolutely fuckin' not, lassie," Bradley boomed, his red eyes darkened with the fear of losing his niece.

"You really want to scare Coda like that?" Daryl growled, furrowing his brows as he squared up to Ellie, non-threateningly.

"I'm not a child," she hissed at the group, shaking her head in defiance.

Rick grabbed ahold of Ellie's shoulder's, and shook her gently with his grip, "Ellie, we don't doubt your abilities. We need you up in the watch tower — safe."

"Bullshit," she scoffed, throwing her blade to the ground as she stormed away from the group. "Don't come after me. I need some space."

In the distance, Rick could be heard shouting, "Glenn, you, Maggie, Beth, Brett and T, draw as many of them as you can over there. Pop them through the fence. Daryl, go up in the watch tower with Carol. Hershel, you, Coda and Carl go in this watch tower with Brad and Shane. Leave Ellie alone. She needs space."

Ellie scoffed as she impatiently tore the wire from the hole on the inside, and climbed out to the outside. She huffed as she picked the wire back up, and spun on her heels to tie it back up, until she was faced with Daryl approaching her.

"Ya goin' to get lost again?" he scoffed. It hadn't been unfamiliar for Ellie to go off on her own, "This ain't good, El."

"It's the only thing that helps," Ellie whispered, bowing her head down as she rubbed at her aching temples.

Daryl sighed, and climbed through the hole, grabbing onto Ellie's hand as he did so. He curled his fingers around hers, and flashed a slight smile, "Come on, then."

Ellie's head jerked upwards, and tilted slightly as she stared longingly into his beautiful eyes, "Sorry?"

"If you're going to get stoned then I'm comin' with ya."

"Don't be stupid," Ellie spat, rolling her eyes as she folded her arms across her chest. Their encounters had become increasingly hostile, though Daryl knew it had been down to lack of hope.

Daryl didn't respond to the woman, he merely continued into the woods, and stopped as he leaned against a nearby tree, casually leaning against it. He waited for Ellie as she sulkily approached the man, and sighed. He remained silent, his eyes remaining locked on Ellie's, burning into her soul.

"What do you want from me?" Ellie huffed, furrowing her brows tightly, "I just want some peace, okay? I–I can't breathe!"

Daryl scoffed, shaking his head. His greasy hair fell graciously over his eyes, and moved it with his dirty fingers, "To admit ya ain't doin' so good."

Ellie froze, her blood running cold deep within her veins. She hadn't ever wanted to admit that she wasn't doing well, the group needed her to remain stoic and focused whenever they needed her. Her emotions had been put on hold for so long that she had forgotten how to feel.

She contemplated her next move tactfully, pondering her dialogue deeply. She released a puff of air, and nodded, "I might not be doing as well as I once was."

"Ellie."

"Fine!" she groaned, clenching her eyes shut as she gripped at her temples gently, "I'm not doing so good. Happy?"

Daryl remained silent once again. He didn't need words to delineate how he felt. All he needed was to pull Ellie into his arms, and to hold her as close as he could. He cupped the softness of her head in his palm, and held her close enough for him to feel her heartbeat. It reminded him she was alive, and while she was alive, there was always hope.

Ellie felt her fingers curling tightly around the fabric of Daryl's shirt, and held him dear. She buried her head in the warmth of his neck, and allowed herself to release a sigh of relief. Being in Daryl's arms made her feel safe, as she did for him. It was the state of true love, and they both knew it, but couldn't admit it.

"Let's go help take this prison."

The duo pounced back through the hole, retying it tactfully with caution. They stormed back in the direction of the group, where they had been waiting, their faces painted with grins. The sight of Ellie coming to help had given them the hope they had been hoping for.

"Ready to run through with me, El?" Rick asked as he tore the gate open, an approving grin plastered on his face.

Ellie galloped in the direction of safety, heading towards the watch tower to accompany her daughter, only to be stopped when an arrow shot directly past her shoulder, drawing her attention to the freshly deceased walker behind her. As she glanced up, she connected her eyes with Daryl's as he scowled at her, implying she hadn't noticed the walker behind her. Ellie flashed the man a gentle wink, and proceeded with her run.

Time suddenly whirled into a pause, when Ellie felt a bullet miss her foot by mere centimetres beneath her. The world slowed entirely, and her eyes landed upon Carol, whose darkened eyes lingered over Ellie's face.

Once the world snapped back to reality, Ellie scowled upward at Carol, earning a distant, "Sorry!" from Carol herself.

Ellie pounced toward the gate, and yanked with all her might, slamming it shut in the process. She kicked down a nearby walker with a loud grunt, kicking it down by its knee, and eventually plunging her knife deep into its skull. With her heartbeat rapidly pounding against the back of her throat, Ellie leaped inside the watch tower, and fell up against the cold wall as her legs gave out. Distant congratulatory yells could be heard, but all that mattered to Ellie was that Coda was sitting on her lap and smiling. Her daughter was the world. 

"Light it up!" Daryl hollered cheerily at the group, alerting Coda from Ellie's lap.

"Light it up!" Coda screamed, mirroring her father from the watch tower.

An eruption of laughter blossomed through the group, which left everyone clutching their stomachs. There was not one single sight of sadness, for the group were at their happiest in a long time. It was a pure moment of love between true family.

As the group members flooded out of their designated areas, many squealed with joy; some whirled and spun with pure zest. The air tasted like zeal, and all that could be seen was the embodiment of bonding. The group had taken back their lives, and were determined to make it together as a family, mo matter the cost. It didn't matter what came their away, they would survive. Together.

>>>

The embers of the fire crackled beautifully as the wood chips they'd gathered burned against the flames of the fire. The clinking of forks against plates could be heard around the group as they peacefully ate their dinner in silence, shooting their nearest and dearest gentle smiles of reassurance between succulent bites. The moonlight trickled down into the group, until it looked like each member was their very own star, a beaming glow of happiness radiating off them.

The only member to feel as dull as the dirt beneath them was Ellie. Daryl stood above on a watchtower, taking a deep drag from a cigarette as he stared off into the distance. His mind had wandered far from his current position, imagining a future void of any walkers; a small woodland cabin with an influx of plants for Ellie; a dog rushing from the front door, its curly tail wagging with delight. He wanted nothing more than the picturesque, entirely perfect future for his small family, but at what cost?

Ellie found herself imagining a much bleaker future. A future where Daryl nor Coda survive their adversities and turmoil; a future where Ellie is alone and everyone around her is dead. It was inevitable in her eyes. Whether she'd be the last remaining member or not, someone was going to be one day, and she wished so ferociously that it not be her.

A dark figure pacing back and forth with rage caught Ellie's attention from her peripheral vision, and alerted her. She analysed the figure, and observed how it had been Rick as he patrolled the perimeter with rage coursing through his veins. He had given up on his wife, who watched him with such longing and guilt infested eyes. Ellie didn't blame Rick for his cold attitude and isolation from Lori. He needed the break to heal, just like Ellie needed a break to heal from losing Luke and her sister.

The blonde glanced down at her daughter, whose body had been curled up in the foetal position as she slept under a mound of fluffy blankets to keep her warm. Ellie smiled down at the sight for several moments, before she stood to her feet, and approached a tired Rick. Once her presence alerted him, he paused in his pacing, and connected their eyes. Ellie observer how bloodshot and truly tired his eyes appeared to be, and released a sigh.

"You really need to talk to Lori," Ellie commanded, folding her arms over her chest as she leaned against the fence Rick was closest to. "For your marriage, your baby."

Rick's mouth slowly opened as though he had something spectacular to announce, but bowed his head down in shame instead. He cleared his throat, "I can't. I can't face what she did. What they did. He's still here, too."

"I know you love her," Ellie stated, her voice soft and angelic as she attempted to calm the frantic man, "I can see the desire in your eyes. You mask it with bitterness. Don't do that, she needs you. She's the mother of your children, and one of which is about to be born. Think of baby Willow or Eli." Rick softened his eyes, and immediately felt the tension in his chest begin to fade. He held his eyes shut for a moment, and then whispered, "But remember, you also don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"I don't know what I want, El."

"That's understandable," Ellie announced, pulling the man into a soft embrace, "She's hurt you an indescribable amount, and you call all of the shots here. How you move forward is entirely your decision."

Ellie immediately felt the man sink into her arms, his tension and anxiety slowly melting out of him as he curled his arms tightly around her. He never wanted to let go, because when Ellie was near, he didn't have the weight of the world on his shoulders anymore. Not in the same way Lori and the rest of the group made him feel.

"Baby steps," Ellie whispered, and ran her fingers gently over his back in reassurance, drawling small circles of reassurance.

Once his back relaxed at the touch of her fingers, he then ushered her silently back to the group once sweet melodic tunes could be heard from Beth. Her and Maggie had been singing together in harmony, but Ellie wanted to stay with Rick. She wanted him to be alright.

She turned to face the campfire, listening to the sweet tune play out as the song took her deep into her mind to when she was a young girl. Memories of Luke flooded her mind, all good memories of his adoring laughter and infectious smile. Her eyes glistened as they begun to pool with tears, but instead of sadness swimming in her heart, it was love, and hope for the future.

>>>

The floor of the tent was hard and cold as Ellie tossed and turned in her giant hoodie, attempting to get comfy in her spot. After a while, she decided to stare upward at the ceiling, counting each crack and each hole in the fabric. The cogs continued to turn in her mind as old memories of her past resurfaced, particularly those of her old best friend Charlotte, and her brother.

"Go to sleep," Daryl muttered irritably, his eyes clenched shut as he felt the uneasy vibe from Ellie. He finally peeled his eyes open slowly, squinting as the light from the moon stung his eyes. "Come here."

He pulled the woman into his chest, trailing his thumb gently across her soft cheek as he held her close. She loved hearing his heartbeat, allowing the soft beats to send her to sleep. Only then it kept her awake.

Daryl leaned down and planted a kiss upon her nose, "I know it ain't worth shit when you're scared, but I ain't lettin' nothin' happen to you while I'm around."

The breath hitched in Ellie's throat as Daryl's piercing eyes landed on hers. She so desperately wanted to announce how much she truly loved the redneck, but her chest tightened in unison with her progressing thoughts. She couldn't muster the words she wanted to, so instead, pushed the man down onto his back, and showed him how much she loved him.

>>>

The next morning, Rick had ordered a small group to enter the gates in formation in an attempt to clear out the stray walkers inside. Huddled in a circle, they stood back to back as they held out their sharpened weapons, readying for combat. Daryl, Rick, Bradley, T-Dog, Maggie, Glenn and Brett all accompanied Ellie in the group, each with a more determined face plastered than the last. Heavily guarded walkers suddenly poured out of the gates, their armour immediately becoming more of an issue than the walkers themselves.

The group attempted to hit at each of the walkers with their weapons, only to no avail. Ellie yanked the head of a nearby walker backwards, and plunged her knife upward through the chin, into the skull, ending its life. Rick nodded in approval, and the group followed suit as they copied her manoeuvre with the walker.

Through quiet pants, all that could be heard was the sound of Rick finally yanking the gate shut, and tying it with some wire to keep it closed off from the rest of the prison. The walkers surrounding them had been previous inmates, indicating the survival rate of the inmates had been minimal, particularly because they were closed off behind such a fortress.

With a blank expression on his face, Rick guided the small group into cellblock C, and sighed, "Well, here we are."

"What do you think?" Glenn asked the group
cheerily, glancing around at the grey area.

Daryl announced to the group he'd be taking the perch, holding Coda in his arms protectively as the rest of the group flowed inwards from the courtyard. He carried his daughter up to the perch, and collapsed onto a small makeshift bed, holding her on his chest as she babbled innocently.

Ellie followed after the man and leaned against the doorway, releasing a slight groan, "Why are we up here?"

"I ain't sleepin' in no damn cage," Daryl stated, his voice a mere mumble as he kept his eyes glued on the doll Coda brought with her.

Ellie merely nodded, and sighed once again. She then hurriedly entered the spare cells and dragged two mattresses from the bunk, grunting as she yanked them up toward the perch. Daryl was aware of her struggles, and smirked as he allowed her to suffer. She then dragged one more mattress from the final cell, and placed it further away, indicating the small one had been for Coda, and the previous two were to create a makeshift double bed for Daryl and Ellie to share at night.

She released a final puff of air, and placed her hands on her hips with pride, "There. Homely."

"Not the word I'd use," Daryl muttered, shrugging his shoulders as he stood to his feet. He wanted nothing more than to give Ellie a proper home, but the prison would have to suffice.

Ellie laughed and glanced down at a small table nearby, with an old newspaper dated back to 2009 and an old coffee mug sitting on the table. She yanked the mug from the table, which left a large ring on the wood beneath it. Ellie scowled, and quickly tore off a square of the newspaper, and settled it down on the table. She then proceeded to place the mug back on top of the square, and smiled.

It warmed Daryl's heart to see Ellie arranging their new home so neatly. He wanted to watch her nesting when it came to a proper home, with a baby on the way. It pained him that the world he had to be a part of meant he couldn't give Ellie the life he so desired to.

"I'll get some plants for up here and it'll look like home in no time," Ellie smiled, and gently snaked her arms around Daryl's torso, despite his hands being in his pockets.

He relaxed into the embrace, and rapidly scooped the woman into his arms, and threw her over his shoulder playfully. He smacked at her behind playfully, earning a gasp as the sting caught Ellie off guard. She erupted into a fit of laughter as he placed her down onto the mattress, and she couldn't help but grin as she brought him into a kiss.

"Stop using me for my body," Daryl groaned into the kiss playfully, but continued to hold the woman in his arms adoringly.

Ellie giggled and clenched her eyes shut, "Daryl Dixon, you are a bonfire."

"A bonfire?"

Ellie smiled, and sat up by propping herself up on her elbows. "You're special, and you take things slow at first. But when it comes to the crescendo, you erupt into a beautiful spark of embers. It's like that every time I'm with you."

Daryl froze in his stance. Her lyrical poetry had stunned him entirely. How could someone have cared so intensely about a worthless Dixon as him? He felt his entire body and each singular muscle tense up at her words. No words had ever encapsulated his heart so powerfully before. He truly loved Ellie, and nothing else mattered to him anymore.

"El, I—"

"Mommy!" an angelic yell caught both Ellie and Daryl off guard as they both turned immediately to face the stairs, where Coda was standing with Carl at her side, "I'm staying with Carl in his cell," Coda announced, placing her hands on her hips as she had witnessed her mother doing countless times before.

"Are you? I don't know how I feel about that," Ellie told her, just as Carl placed his hand in Coda's, "Carl, I'd really prefer it if she stayed with me."

"I'll look after her," Carl announced, his sweet eyes pleading with the woman as he stared at her, "I'll always protect her, no matter what."

Ellie's eyes softened as she glanced between the two children, noticing their undeniable and almost indescribable bond. Carl had been the older, protective brother Coda didn't know she needed. Their bond was indestructible, and it truly warmed Ellie's heart to see.

"Take your stuff with you," Ellie told her daughter as she handed Carl her bag, "If anything is wrong, she coughs, she sneezes, she cries, you bring her to me."

"Yes, along with if she breathes, walks and moves," Carl responded sarcastically, scooping Coda up in his arms and walking away towards his chosen cell.

>>>

Ellie's frozen body shot up from the sleep she had entered, the sweat dripped from her forehead as she wiped it away with ease. Her recurring nightmares truly had become an issue, leaving her chest aching and her breath laboured. The room began to spin as dehydration from the sweating kicked in, and all she could do was silently sob to herself.

"This has gotta stop," Daryl muttered, wiping at his tired eyes with his fingers. Ellie knew she kept him awake, but that was the last thing that mattered to her.

In defeat, Ellie stood to her feet, and placed her hoodie over her sweating body. She glanced downward at Daryl as he curled back up under the blanket, and sighed as she felt the pressure from the nightmares slowly begin to increase. She was afraid of what the outcome would be if they continued to get worse.

As she strolled down toward the kitchen area, she paused as she heard distant sobs from Lori's cell, where she sat with widened eyes and alarmed whimpers as Hershel observed her stomach. Her eyes landed upon Ellie, and all she could do was teach outward to draw her into the cell.

"It's the baby, I think I lost it," she announced, sniffling as she explained to Ellie the circumstances.

As Ellie sat down next to the woman, she sighed in shock, "You haven't felt it move?"

"Nothing." Lori sniffled, shaking her head. "At first I thought it was exhaustion, malnutrition—"

"For as long as we're here, you can always have half of my meals," Ellie announced, nodding her head at the woman as she attempted to battle against Ellie's offer, "I can survive off half a meal until the baby's born, Lori."

"If we're all infected then so's the baby. What if it's stillborn? What if it's dead inside of me and will rip me to pieces?!" Lori asked, her eyes pooling with tears of fear for her unborn child's life.

"Stop, don't let your fears take control of you," Hershel stated calmly. She nodded, sniffling again.

"Let's say it lives? And I die durning childbirth, El, I want you to be the one, it has to be you. It can't be Rick," Lori whispered, shaking her head as she connected her eyes with the blonde's.

Ellie shook her head fearfully, and whispered, "I can't do that. To either of you."

"We're going to do everything we can to prevent that from happening. It won't happen," Hershel stated sternly, and placed a reassuring hand on Lori's leg.

"Why not? How many women died during childbirth, huh?" Lori asked Hershel rhetorically. "If I come back, El, sweetheart, you have to do it. It can't be Rick."

Ellie's mouth hung open for a while, before she finally mustered up the courage to whisper, "I can't do this to you, Lori."

"What if I attack it? Or you? Or Rick? or Carl? How could you live with that? You don't hesitate to put me down!" Lori gritted forcefully, her eyes pooling with hot tears as she spoke.

Ellie shook her head, her own eyes beginning to pool with tears as she fumbled with her fingers on her lap, "That's such a big ask. I love you both, so much."

"If you love us that much, then you wouldn't hesitate. Hershel, if we're walkers, me or the baby, you don't try to save us. Neither of you hesitate to put me down," Lori cried, and pulled Ellie into a tight embrace. She held the woman so close that her skin virtually tore off.

"Stop talking nonsense," Ellie sniffed, shaking her head as she blinked away the tears. She cupped Lori's face in her hands, and smiled through the tears, "You're going to make it, and so is this beautiful little baby."

Ellie pondered how Shane would feel after the birth of the baby, if he would attempt to gain parental control over it. Rick would never stand for Shane's behaviour like that, but Ellie feared for the worst as her due date neared.

Interrupting her from her thoughts, Rick alerted the group as they began to flow out of their cells for the morning, and gestured towards Daryl and Ellie, "We're going down to check out the tombs."

"Carl, you stay here with Coda, she's going to need a strong man to take care of her," Ellie teased Carl, watching his face flush a deep crimson shade, earning a slight chuckle from Rick. Ellie leaned down and flicked the front of Carl's hat with her index finger.

"You have to stop doing that to people," Glenn groaned playfully, and flashed Ellie a playful wink as he did so.

Ellie froze in her spot. She observed Glenn's facial features as deeply as she would analyse her own daughter's. She observed how different his jaw looked, how sharp it had become. He hadn't worn his cap since Maggie smashed her eggs into it, which left his face looking older and more mature than it had done previously. He had certainly grown up since the quarry, and it entirely fascinated Ellie, how Maggie's influence could end up transforming him into a stronger man.

>>>

Down in the tombs, the darkness left the group feeling suffocated in a roadway of dust; blood and papers were strewn around the narrow tombs of the prison. It frightened Ellie just to be down in such a bleak place, and immediately intertwined Daryl's fingers with her own. She had expected him
to push her away as he felt he was on duty, only to her surprise, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. As they strolled along, Glenn sprayed paint along the rusted prison walls as a reminder of their way back toward cellblock C.

As they approached a dark and mystified corner, the group halted, and turned to face Rick for reassurance. He stood with his hands resting on his hips, a look of bewilderment on his face.

"It's okay, I'll go around the corner first," Ellie announced, nodding in Rick's direction, "I'm smaller and faster than most of you."

Despite their previous objections, the group nodded fearfully, each radiating a respect for Ellie as she stood up to the job they lacked courage to do. Ellie tactfully positioned herself around the gloomy corner, and cautiously whipped out her blade, holding it up high for support. She stalked around the corner fully, and was immediately tackled by a large inmate, only for Ellie's reflexes to handle the job for her. She leaped forward as her body took her, and immediately plunged her machete into the skull of the inmate; his body immediately slumped to the ground in a heap, leaving a light clattering as he dropped his weapon. Ellie gagged as the adrenaline flowed out of her body, revealing her actions to her rational self. She bent over, clutching her sore stomach as her food dared to come up.

It had been the first person she ever had to kill. Many of the members had already killed another human, or at least were an accessory to the decision to kill another. The world had no rules, no repercussions for evil. It truly belonged to the dead, and it sickened Ellie to her stomach.

The group followed after Ellie whistled, to signify safety around the other end. As they approached, they observed the corpse on the ground, and Daryl immediately clocked Ellie's anxiety. He stride forward, and curled his arm's around the blonde, hugging her close to his warm body.

"I–I killed that man," she whispered, her void eyes longing over the corpse below her. Her machete stuck out of the man's skull as thick crimson rivers seeped out of the wound. "I killed him."

Daryl ran his hands through her knotted her, softening it out on her shoulders. He then pressed a warm kiss to her forehead, and mumbled onto her skin, "It was the right thing to do."

Ellie hesitated, her anxiety immediately flashing every negative it could muster in her mind. She clenched her eyes shut, and released a deep breath of release, "You're–you're right. Let's go."

She curled her slender fingers around Daryl's dirty fingers, and dragged him towards the rest of the group, where they had huddled into the larger hallway. Laid strewn on the ground, scattered with no second thought were the bodies of many walkers and inmates from the prison, leaving each of the member's to gag at the scent and sight. It was a massacre, and nobody could fathom any reason why.

Turning another corner, the group prepared for the worst case scenario, only to be met with the deafening sound of silence. A second corner turned, only as Ellie stealthily crept first, she was met by a large group of stumbling walkers, each snarling and groaning for their next meal. Ellie lost her footing and stumbled backwards, only to feel Rick's hand snaking around her waist to steady her.

She gulped and thanked the man, and screamed, "Go back! Now!" which eventually erupted into a chorus as the group shouted the same to one another.

They hurriedly stormed back in the direction of the arrows that Glenn had left, only to momentarily be cut off by a second group of walkers they had attracted. Daryl ran ahead, unknowingly leaving a Ellie behind with Glenn and Maggie as he ran off with the remaining group members. As the trio ran off in a separate direction to lose the walkers, they suddenly found themselves adhered to a hallway of darkness. As each tried to decipher the directions of the arrows through the darkness, it became apparent that they were truly lost.

Ellie clutched at her chest as the air slowly began to leave her body, leaving her to panic as she struggled to breathe. Through heavy pants, Glenn dragged the blonde by her arm in through a nearby door, and stopped her in her tracks, despite her continuous pants. Glenn shook gently on her shoulders, and whispered soothing words to the woman, until Maggie darted forward. With one swift movement, she raised her right arm, and slapped downwards on Ellie's cheek. The slap had startled Ellie, leaving her to stumble backwards slightly in shock.

She felt her lip begin to quiver as she cupped her aching cheek, her glazed eyes lingering over both Maggie and Glenn. She finally whispered, "We're fucked."