Jupiter would be lying if she said that she wasn't glad to hear that Tomas had been killed during the clearing of Cell Block D, and she could rest easier knowing that her people weren't under the same roof as him. The other two inmates, Rick had spared lived in cell block D, and that didn't bother Jupiter so much. She thought Axel was funny, if she was being completely honest.

She hadn't gone with Daryl and the others to help clear the other cell block, instead staying with Hershel and everyone, taking Glenn's place in case Hershel turned. Everyone in that cell had heard hers and Daryl's argument, but no one said anything when she joined them, and when they stood around Hershel that night, it was obvious that the two of them were fine. She received a few complements for her shortened hair, the ends of which barely even brushed her shoulders now. She admitted that she liked her hair shorter, especially three days later, when half of the group was in the fields, loading walkers onto the back of trucks to be moved and burned.

It was hard work and she was sweating in no time, though the breeze on the back of her neck was pleasant everytime she stopped to catch her breath, keeping half an eye on the two convicts at the front gate. They didn't want to stay in their cell block, and the majority of people didn't want them in the same cell block as them, so they were given the option of leaving, or staying in their own cell block. Apparently they'd rather hit the road.

Rick had given them some supplies and then he, Daryl and Glenn had informed her that they were heading out of the prison for firewood, so she nodded, kissing Daryl quickly before jumping in the car with Carol and heading back up to the prison, locking the gate behind them. Carol went to park the car while Jupiter swung the keys around in her hand, catching movement in the corner of her vision.

She beamed when she saw Lori, Beth, Carl, and Hershel coming out of the prison, Hershel on crutches and looking strong. She cheered for him, walking over to greet him. "It's good to see you back on your feet!" She grinned, and then mentally face palmed as she realised what she said. "I mean... Er... Foot."

Luckily Hershel saw the funny side and laughed at her, so she breathed a sigh of relief, sharing a grin with Beth and then ruffling Carl's hair lightly, about to say something to him when he suddenly turned, hearing something. Before Jupiter could even look, Carl was yelling, drawing his gun.

"WALKERS!"

Jupiter whirled around, her stomach dropping when she saw how many of them there were, all heading straight for them. At the sight of them, everyone with a gun took aim and started shooting them down. Jupiter didn't have a hand gun, so took out her knife, taking down any that got close enough.

Soon enough it became obvious that they'd run out of rounds before they killed all the walkers, so they ran. Jupiter grabbed Carl's hand and ran towards their cell block, yelling at Lori to follow, slamming the gate after them. Maggie ran with Beth and her dad, and T-Dog and Carol moved out of sight.

As more walkers came, Jupiter knew they had to move, so followed Lori into the cell block, deciding it would probably be safer to lock themselves in. They hadn't even made it past the door when the walkers came though, so they quickly turned and headed into the tombs, making sure to close the door behind them again.

"Keep moving!" Jupiter ordered, not wanting to get caught by any walkers in there. She only had two knives and she was pretty sure that Lori was out of ammo, meaning Carl probably only had a few shots left. They had to find somewhere to wait out, and soon. As long as they kept moving, they'd be ok. Jupiter was just beginning to think they might make it back outside when she turned around to check the back and saw Lori leaning against a wall, her face screwed up in pain, so she rushed back to her and put her hand on her shoulder.

"Lori, we've got to keep moving..." She was cut off as Lori gasped in pain, and suddenly Carl was at their side.

"What's wrong, are you bit?" He asked, and Lori shook her head, turning to brace her hands on her knees, shaking her head, saying the words no one wanted to hear at that moment,

"I think the baby's coming."

Jupiter's eyes widened and she took a step back, feeling her insides go cold. "Shit. Shit..." The sound of walkers reached their ears and Jupiter swore again, this time more colourfully, not noticing the look Lori gave her, and she almost cringed at the thought of Carl hearing her, but they had more important things to be doing. "Come on, we need to get the hell out of here. Don't worry, Lori. You and your baby are gonna be just fine," she promised, putting an arm around Lori and gesturing at Carl to move ahead.

They wove through the tombs, seemingly intercepted at every junction by walkers, until Carl spotted a boiler room and the three of them hurried inside, having to remain quiet when the door wouldn't shut properly. Lori was struggling, gasping and breathing deeply in an effort to stay quiet, Carl by her side and Jupiter standing in front of the pair of them, ready to defend them should any walkers come through the door.

But they didn't. The groans passed, and the only noise was the sound of Lori's laboured breathing and the odd gasp from her. When Jupiter was sure that the walkers had passed, she turned to the next problem-taking the form of Lori holding onto a chain, her face screwed up in pain as her baby decided the most inopportune moment to bring itself into the world. She shared a worried look with Carl and then remembered that he was a kid, and it was him mum that Jupiter had just become responsible for, not to mention his soon to be born brother or sister. She had to stay calm for everyones sake.

Lori was jittery, and Jupiter was unsurprised, though she figured she should do something to help her. She thought back to her time in the hospital and the books she'd read to try and learn what she could. She'd skimmed over the pregnancy pages, not thinking she'd ever need them, and for that she cursed herself, though she remembered a few of the basics and decided to try.

"Lori, maybe you should lie down..." She suggested, but Lori just groaned and shook her head as she leaned against a desk.

"No. Can't... Baby's coming now," she gasped.

Jupiter flinched, but then remembered that Lori must know what she was talking about as she'd been through it before with Carl. Jupiter could just do what she was told, and hope there wasn't any complications. Carl was clearly scared of the same thing and thinking Jupiter didn't know what to do as he started arguing that they should head back to the cell block and find Hershel to deliver the baby. Jupiter wasn't going to risk it. If they got caught by walkers, it was game over for everyone. So Jupiter shook her head at the young boy.

Coming up behind Lori, Jupiter carefully put a hand on her friend's back, sensing how scared she was, and gave her what she hoped was a bright smile. "Lori, you and your baby are gonna be just fine. I promise... I'm here and I'm gonna help you through it. Ok?" She asked, and when Lori nodded, she relaxed a little. "Good. Now lets get your jeans off."

Lori nodded and moved to the floor with the help of Jupiter, allowing her to partially undress her. Carl stood to the side, watching on, his concerned eyes on his mother's face, so Jupiter snapped her fingers to get his attention and when he looked, she spoke to him like she would have to an adult, knowing now was not the time to be a child. "You're gonna need to help deliver baby Grimes. You up for that?" She asked, proud of her young friend when he nodded and stepped closer, awaiting the first order.

Once Lori's pants were off, Jupiter turned back to her, remembering some of the things she had to check. "Lori, I'm gonna check to see how dilated you are." Lori nodded, but Carl questioned her.

"Do you even know how?"

Jupiter didn't answer, only remembering a diagram of a coin, oreo, soda can and some other things that she assumed were for sizes. Though when she checked Lori, she could hardly tell, unsure of if Lori was anywhere near where she needed to be. Before she could say as much, Lori sat up some, reaching for Jupiter's hand.

"I gotta push," she informed her, so Jupiter helped her to her feet, trusting Lori's body to know what it needed to do. She helped her to her feet and then stood behind her while Lori took hold of an old pipe and then started to push.

Jupiter had never seen a woman in labour before, and it was terrifying. Lori was clearly in a lot of pain, and Jupiter couldn't do anything to help her. Though at the same time, she was so impressed with the strength in Lori's body, able to stay standing through the pain and not pass out. Jupiter wasn't even the one in labour and she was finding it hard to breathe.

The sight of blood on the floor was eventually what sobered Jupiter's mind, and she just knew that the day was about to get so much worse.

"Lori, stop pushing! Something's wrong!" She yelled, but Lori continued screaming for a few seconds, worse than before. Something was very, very wrong.

Carl's face had gone white, but Jupiter didn't have time to think about it as she called him over, and the two of them quickly helped his mum to the floor.

She was white as a sheet and covered in sweat, her eyes barely open as she looked up at the ceiling. If Jupiter had felt helpless before, it was nothing on what she felt then, Carl staring at her like she should know what to do. All she could do was hold Lori's hand and encourage her friend to hold on.

"Lori, those alarms have stopped. Help's coming. You've just got to hold on... I'm gonna get you through this. You and your baby... I'm not gonna let anything happen to any of you. Just please try to keep your eyes open," she begged. Lori nodded, even as her eyes slowly closed again. Jupiter squeezed her hand and turned to look at the door. Maybe if she was fast she could kill any walkers in the way and get help back to Lori. She wasn't fit to travel, even a couple of hundred meters...

Almost as if she'd heard Jupiters thoughts, Lori started to whisper. "I'm not gonna make it."

Jupiter heard but ignored her, refusing to believe that it was possible. Returning to Lori's legs, she shook her head. "Lori, with all this blood, I don't even think you're fully dilated yet. No amount of pushing is gonna help."

Lori just nodded, looking unsurprised. At least, as much as she could when she was fighting to stay awake. "I know what it means, and I'm not losing my baby. You've gotta cut me open..."

No! God no! Jupiter couldn't do something like that. They all knew what would happen, and Jupiter couldn't... Not there, not to Lori, and especially not in front of Carl. "No... Lori, I can't."

Lori fixed Jupiter with a look that only a mother could master. "You don't have a choice..."

Yes she did, and she shook her head again, making to get to her feet. "I'll go for help. You and Carl will be fine. I'll get Hershel and..."

"NO! Don't you dare leave us here like this!" Lori's grip was like a vice, and Jupiter froze, knowing why Lori was acting like that. She thought she was going to die, and Carl would be the one who had to end it and kill his own mum, assuming she didn't get him first. Leaving them like that was almost as good as killing them both herself, so Jupiter nodded and sat back down. Lori managed a small smile, her eyes begging as she uttered one word. "Please."

Jupiter's heart stuttered and came to a stop for a second before starting up again, her voice coming out quieter than she had thought as she tried to convince Lori that this wasn't their only option. "I have no anesthetic, no equipment..."

"Carl has a knife."

Jupiter's head dropped and she fought back tears. "You won't survive."

Lori didn't care, shaking her head as she met Jupiter's gaze. "My baby has to survive. Please... My baby for all of us. Please, Juniper! Please! Please."

It was the sound of her real name that made the first tear trickle free, and Lori must have seen the defeat in Jupiter's eyes as she lifted her shirt.

"You see my old C-section scar?" Jupiter nodded, feeling sick with what she knew she was about to do, and what it was going to cost them all. Lori just smiled a little and turned to her son, calm settling over her as she spoke to her son for likely the last time.

"Carl? Baby, I don't want you to be scared, okay? This is what I want. This is right," though she seemed to be trying to convince herself of that too, only making Jupiter's heart hurt all the more. She'd do it, because Lori wanted it. She wanted her baby to have a shot at life, even if it cost her own in return. "Now you-- you take care of your daddy for me, all right? And your little brother or sister, you take care..."

Carl shook his head, starting to cry himself now. "You don't have to do this."

Lori just smiled and wiped at his tears. "You're gonna be fine. You are gonna beat this world. I know you will. You are smart, and you are strong, and you are so brave, and I love you."

"I love you too," Carl whispered, and Jupiter saw the relief cross Lori's face. She'd been scared that Carl hated her, but now in her final moments had heard the words she'd longed to for so long.

"You gotta do what's right, baby. You promise me, you'll always do what's right.
It's so easy to do the wrong thing in this world. So don't... So if it feels wrong, don't do it, all right? If it feels easy don't do it. Don't let the world spoil you. You're so good. You're my sweet boy. The best thing I ever did. I love you...I love you. You're my sweet, sweet boy. I love you!"

Jupiter was sobbing silently now, her heart aching for the scene in front of her. She'd promised them that she'd get them all out of it alive, and now she was going to be the one to tear a family apart. That was something that was going to stick with her for a while, and she wondered if Carl would ever look at her the same again.

Lori though, she looked to Jupiter for a second before releasing Carl from the hug she'd pulled him into moments before, the two of them sobbing into each other's arms. "Okay... okay, now. Okay." She took a deep breath to calm herself, and once again Jupiter had to admire the strength of her friend, staying calm even though she knew she was going to die any moment. Though she supposed dying was the easy part, and it was the living that had to keep fighting and fearing. Maybe that was why Lori looked so at peace when she gave Jupiter her final instruction.

"Jupe, when this is over, you're gonna have to..." Jupiter sobbed out loud as she knew what her friend was asking, but nodded her head, earning a final smile from Lori. "Thank you, Jupiter. Look after my family, and promise me that you'll fight to keep yours... You and Daryl... You were meant to find each other, so don't let your love slip away or fade. You've got to fight for it everyday. Especially in this world..." Through her tears, Jupiter promised, and Lori smiled her last smile before settling into a calm, talking quietly to herself as she prepared herself for what was to come. "All right all right. It's all right. It's all right... Goodnight, love."

Jupiter accepted Carl's knife with shaking hands, and blinked back tears. "I'm so sorry," she sobbed as she drew the knife across Lori's belly, cutting deep and flinching as Lori screamed.

"You're killing her! Stop!" Carl screamed, but then Lori stopped screaming, her eyes closing and a final breath leaving her before she moved no more. Seeing the life leave her friend set Jupiter into a new cold calm. Lori was dead, but her children were not, and Jupiter was going to stick to her promise as far as that and make sure they survived that day.

Cutting away more of Lori's insides, she paused and turned to Carl, hating herself for what she was asking. "Carl, give me your hands..." He just stared at her in horror, but Jupiter needed him. "Carl, please!" She insisted and Carl snapped to it, placing his hands into the still warm corpse of his mother.

"You should keep the site clean, okay? I cut too deep, I'm gonna cut the baby..." Jupiter said, mainly to cover up the deafening absence of Lori's breath.

She saw something and breathed in relief. "I can see it... I can feel it's head and... Take the knife, I'm gonna try to pull it out," she ordered, her hands around the baby's body, pulling it out once Carl had taken the knife.

For a moment the two of them sat in silence, Jupiter's heart clenching when the baby didn't move or cry. It had to be ok... It had to be.

Carefully turning the lifeless baby onto it's front, Jupiter gently patted it's back to try and clear it's airways, almost collapsing in relief when the baby opened it's mouth and screamed. It was ok.

"It's ok. She's ok.. Carl you've got a sister," she cried, accepting Carl's jacket to wrap the baby in, managing a small smile at the baby in her arms, alive and kicking. Not for long though if they didn't get out of there and to safety. "Carl, we've got to go. I need to get the two of you to safety..."

They got to their feet, and Jupiter cast one final look at the body of her dead friend before attempting to lead her children from the room. They were almost to the door when Carl stopped her, saying they couldn't just leave his mum there to turn. Jupiter had already thought of that, and her promise to Lori. She'd been planning on coming back once the two kids were safe, but Carl wasn't budging.

Jupiter nodded, understanding his pain and went to pass him his new sister, but Carl shook his head and pulled his gun out. "No. She's my mum, and I'm gonna do it."

At first Jupiter was against it, but only for a second. Carl needed to do it, it was written clearly on his face, so she slowly nodded and watched him walk back into the room, her heart breaking a little more with each step he took.

She couldn't stand the thought of it, so she closed her eyes, hugging the baby to her chest and trying not to cry as she waited for the shot. When it came, she opened her eyes, about to walk back into the room to see if Carl needed her, but he was back, walking straight passed her with a face like stone.

Her eyes watered again and Jupiter followed him out of the room, drawing a knife to throw at any walkers if they encountered any, but the tombs were clear, and they made it back to their empty cell block in one piece. No one was inside, so they headed for the doors, hearing voices outside, mainy Ricks as he shouted orders.

"...That doesn't mean the others didn't. We're going back... Daryl and Glenn, you come with-"

The baby in Jupiter's arms started to cry, and Jupiter couldn't help but join in as she saw most of her friends in the yard, all turning to them at the sound of the baby's cries. When Rick's gaze met hers, she knew she didn't have to say anything... He knew.

She couldn't look away from him as she slowly walked to him, his child in her arms, and his son beside her. But no wife.

"Where... Where is she? Where is she?" He asked, though he knew the answer. One look at Jupiter or Carl was answer enough, but still he tried to walk passed her, heading back into the cell block, already crying.

Jupiter couldn't let him see his wife like that and grabbed his wrist as he passed. "No Rick, no!"

He pulled out of her grip but only made it as far as Carl before his legs gave out and he hit the ground beside his son, sobbing as the reality hit him.

Lori was gone.

A/N: I know these chapters are kinda short lately, I'm just working on the story line and it all seems to be happening later. If anyone has anything they'd like to see included, feel free to let me know in the comments. Like just small things and I'll see what I can do!

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to vote!