Author's Note: Hey guys! Just wanted to say I started a Vampire Diaries fanfic called The Forgotten. Check it out and leave feedback. Cast and prologue's are up!

Theme Song: "Broken" - Lifehouse

The moment my knees hit the earth I felt my body wrack with sobs I didn't even know I had. My heart broke in a million pieces and his words echoed in my mind like a CD stuck on repeat.

Daryl blamed me. More than that..it felt like he hated me for it. A part of me was trying to reason with my mind and tell me he was just channeling all his anger out on me because I was the easiest target, but the other part of me drowned in sorrow and grief.

The part that drowned couldn't be reasoned with. A pair of hands gripped my shoulders and I recognized the voice instantly.

"Vicki, look at me. Look at me!" The pair of hands shook me lightly for emphasis and slowly I picked my head up out of my hands. My tears impaired my vision and I blinked furiously before wiping them away to see the familiar black hair and innocent face before me. Glenn.

"This isn't your fault. Daryl is an ass, don't listen to him. "

I couldn't really comprehend his words. I heard them, sure, but they didn't completely register. Except for the fact that Daryl indeed was acting like a complete ass.

I felt like I couldn't breathe and my green eyes looked wildly up at Glenn before he pulled me into a hug and soothed me with his murmurs of everything was going to be okay.

Maggie stood there with fresh tears springing in her eyes and she quickly closed the distance and came next to Glenn and myself. She wrapped me in a second embrace. The three of us held vigil like that for a few moments before we all pulled back at the same time.

I blinked away stray tears and Maggie placed her hand on the side of my face. She looked at me affectionately, much like a sister would. I put my hand over Maggie's hand and nodded silently at her, thanking her for being there for me without having to say it aloud.

The three of us got up and Rick stood by the graves, giving the three of us our quiet moment.

When I looked up to him he had already crossed the distance to me. Rick stood there for a brief moment before I hung my head and closed the small space sperating us. I reached towards him and he was already wrapping me into a hug. "I'm so sorry, Rick.." my voice was muffled as I spoke into his dirty shirt.

Rick pulled back and shook his head, "This is not on you, Vicki. None of this is..." His voice trailed off and I nodded numbly at Rick, but my thoughts were a jumbled mess. I could tell that Rick was also worried about the others in the prison. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see that.

My heart broke for everyone. It was like the farm house for them all over again. More tragedy. I couldn't deal with the fact that this might be directly related to Daniel and his men. It was a possibility, but it wasn't concrete. And some people at the prison already blamed me.

The thought of Daryl hating me or even blaming me sent a pang to my gut, but I righted myself and cleared my throat. I looked back towards the quad with the dead walkers. Rick seemed to be looking at the walkers as well before returning his attention to the three of us.

"C'mon, let's go back." We all nodded mutely at Rick's request and walked back to the prison, but as we came upon the gates to the quad I lingered for a moment. I looked back out to the fresh graves one last time, sending silent prayers to the souls of T-Dog and Lizzie, and then quickly walked inside and watched as Rick closed the gates.

This time, a week ago, we were all hanging out on the quad. Carl and Lizzie were playing chase, T-Dog was joking around with Tyrese, the others hung around talking amongst themselves. Daryl and I had been fawning over Judith.

"Daryl, you're a natural with her." I watched as Daryl held Judith, his unkempt hair making him even more handsome in the late morning sun. Daryl was wearing a cut off shirt and dirty old jeans with a pair of brown shoes. Those brown shoes had been a favorite of mine. He smirked at me silently before looking back at Judith.

"Ain't that hard." He muttered while staring at Judith. I watched with rapt attention to his gentle nature with her and I felt a sense of longing I hadn't in a long time. Longing for motherhood. For a family. It was something I couldn't give even if I wanted too.

"Ya' alright, Red?" His voice took me out of my thoughts, startling me as I shook my head, "Yeah, just thinkin'." Daryl quirked a brow at me as Judith yawned.

He probably already knew what I was thinking. However, I relented anyways because he seemed to want to hear it from me, "Never got a chance to have...you know. Then again the doctors said it was impossible anyways. But, I'm happy to see Rick did."

Daryl stared at me for a long moment, his beady blue eyes taking in my  features that had formed a small frown, despite being happy for Rick. He could see right through me sometimes with those those calculating stares.

And at times, I hated that Daryl knew so much from observing. Other times, like now, I loved that he understood me.

"Ya' ain't gotta have a kid to be a good woman." I perked up at this, a little taken back by his words. I was fully aware Daryl was paying me a compliment in his own Daryl-like way.

"Are you saying I'm a good woman, Daryl Dixon?" I smirked at him, my green eyes staring him down playfully.

He was quiet for a moment, looking at Judith and then back up at me. His voice was low and his demeanor more shy than normal as he nodded, "Yer' alright by me." He paused, then added for good measure, "When yer' not bein' a pain in my ass and causin' trouble."

I smiled widely at him, laughing at the truth to his statement. He was giving me that sly Daryl smirk that I had become quite fond of. We held each other's gazes for a moment that lasted longer than usual. That is, until Carl interrupted to ask if he could go feed her.

I snapped back to the present. The moments we all had as a family in the prison seemed to flitter through my mind and then just like that..one tragedy strikes and everything shatters. Everything.

This must have been what it was like for Rick and his group after the first tragedy..and then the next..and the next. My heart constricted, but I was pulled away from these thoughts as Rick's hand touched my shoulder lightly.

I looked to Rick curiously, "What do you do with all of them?" I looked to the dead walkers and back to Rick. Before Rick could answer Glenn chimed in somberly, "We burn the dead and bury the living." Rick looked between Glenn, Maggie and I before adding, "Vicki, you can go inside. Get cleaned up, if ya' want. Just rest. We'll take care of this."

He looked back on the quad to the walkers and then to me. No, I couldn't rest. If I rested, all I would see was blood and death. "No, I wanna' help. I have to do something, Rick. I can't-I just can't rest right now. Please."

My last words were pleading and I held Rick's gaze until I saw his resolve crumble. He wouldn't argue with me anymore. He knew my mind was made up once I settled on something.

He nodded and Glenn looked towards some of the dead, "I'll show you how we do it." Maggie nodded encouragingly, but there were no smiles upon any of us as we set out to clear the quad.

That afternoon I helped the others move the bodies into two big piles around the side of the prison. With a little help from Hershel and Michonne, we had the bodies burning in no time. The entire time I moved I was on auto pilot. I was there, but I wasn't either. No more tears fell, but I felt a deep pain in my stomach that never ceased to go away.

Michonne had come up to me after we were done and stood silently by as we watched from afar the burning of the bodies. I looked up to Michonne, murmuring quietly, "I don't know how we're going to move past this. How they've moved past everything else.." I stopped short and swallowed thickly. This was the first real loss I'd experienced since the outbreak.

I had already come to the conclusion long ago my father and brother were dead, so in a sense, I hadn't really lost them. They were already gone and there was nothing that I could control about it. However, this was different.

It was my first tragedy. Something I might have had control over. Might have been able to prevent, groaned out my self-doubt. Michonne looked to me before putting a comforting hand on my shoulder, "Perseverance. We take it one day at a time. We live for them. Don't you want one more day with a chance?"

Her words settled into me and I looked at Michonne, asking breathlessly, "A chance for what though?" My voice caught at the end as I looked aroumd at the devastation and then towards the graves.

Michonne looked to me with a fierceness in her eyes, "A chance to survive. To go on another day. A chance that they won't have again."

Her tone wasn't rude by any means, but she was driving the point home and I nodded. Michonne patted my shoulder and walked inside the prison.

I followed the others and let them know I was going to take a shower and clean up. I needed time to myself and they all dispersed and gave me the space I needed. I was relieved to see the cellblock was void of people. It was a somber feeling and I realized I was glad that Daryl was nowhere to be found. He was the last person I wanted to see right now, to be honest.

My head was still a jumbled a mess, but Michonne's words were now lingering in my mind. A chance to survive. Something they won't have again. How many others might not get a chance if Daniel and his men were the cause of this? If it was true, I would always feel responsible in a way. And even worse, who would be next? Rick? Glenn? Daryl?

The mere thought of anyone else getting hurt sent waves of nausea through me and I had to steady my breathing as I gathered my things for the shower. Once inside the shower, I stole the moment to just simply be. My hands were still shaking off and on and my bottom lip would tremble now and again.

I washed all the blood and grime off and and I felt a small sob break through again. I sniffed, but pushed back the tears. I didn't cry. It wasn't in my nature to cry, but what had happened here today, well, it was a lot for me to handle.

After showering and changing into fresher clothes, I wandered back to my cell and lucky for me, I didn't see anyone on my way there. I plopped down on the cot and stared absentmindedly to the cell bars. I knew if I closed my eyes I'd see images of Lizzie and the ones that my mind would conjure up of T-Dog and how he might have died saving Carol the kids.

For a little while I lay there and no one came by. In those hours that passed I realized that if Daniel and his men had done this, then they would come back. And what it all boiled down to was that they wanted me. A few ideas flitted across my mind.

That is, until a friendly face wandered up to my cell. I sat up to see Carol hovering in the doorway with a small can of food. She wasn't smiling, but she wasn't unfriendly with her demeanor either.

"Ya' need to eat something, honey." Her words were soft and I sighed heavily before getting up and getting the can from her and sitting back on the cot. Carol hovered for a moment and I looked to her sadly and shook my head, "This must bring back a lot of painful memories." I didn't need to explain that I meant Sophia.

Carol looked down and then back up at me in silent thought, "It does. I'd be lying if it said it didn't." I looked to the can of food, not feeling up to eating, but not wanting to seem rude in front of Carol either. I had a feeling I wasn't going to eat it, even after Carol left. We shared a look and I knew Carol did not blame me for anything.

If anything, Carol was being cautious since no one really knew what happened. She looked to me sadly and when our eyes met again I could tell she wanted to say something about Daryl, but she thought better of it.

Instead she offered kindly, "We always find a way, Vicki. That's something I learned about our group. It's what got us here."

I merely nodded and when Carol left I set the can down and leaned back against the wall on my cot. All these people offering me words of encouragement, but it really didn't matter now. If Daniel was out there, he'd continue to hurt the people I loved in order to get to me.

I let these thoughts stew and an hour or so later I had more unexpected guests drop by. I looked up, seeing Glenn and Maggie offering me the smallest of smiles.

What were these two up to?

Author's Note: These next few chapters are going to be a tad bit longer than usual. There is so much to tell so I'm trying to make sure I have good cut off points. No Daryl this time around..but I mean..who could blame her for not wanting to run to Daryl, forgive him and try and make up? She is a head strong girl..she won't do that. ;)