╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮
You are like violence
So bittersweet
I′m dying to try you
I can set you free
Cigarettes and red wine
You're so divine
You're so divine

•Cigarettes and Red Wine; Ella Fence•
╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸

The next morning Jolene was woken up by shouting. By the time she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, she saw a dark blur sprint past her. "What the fuck?" She groaned quickly realizing Daryl had still been in her room and that he had slept in the chair. She sat there on the edge of her bed, still trying to wake up even after hearing Daryl's loud footsteps stomping down the stairs.

She quickly changed into jeans and a T-shirt before rushing down the staircase putting on one shoe at a time. "What the hell is happening?" She called after Denise, taking her fingers through her messy hair to pull the strands from her face.

"The basement is empty. Door was wide open." Tara told her, gun in hand as she rushed after Daryl who took off like a bat out of hell. Jolene ignored the questioning stares from Denise and hurried after Daryl and Tara. They made it to Ricks house and Jolene almost ran right into Daryl as he skidded to a halt on the staircase, gun raised and aimed right at Jesus.

"Put the guns away." Rick directed, one hand clutching his shirt to his bare chest while the other was raised to show them that they needed to lower their weapons. Jolene raised a brow as she spotted Michonne coming from the same direction as Rick. Biting her tongue, Jolene took a chance at stepping in front of Daryl.

The recognition was almost instant and Jesus offered her a large grin. "Well, fancy seeing you here, Jolene." Jesus gave her a wave, "Glad to see you're not with Negan and not to mention that you seem to still be in one piece."

"Very funny, Jesus." Jolene sighed with her hands on her hips as she finally looked further up and met Rick's gaze. "Let's move this downstairs?" Rick nodded in agreement. Jolene turned around and was met with Daryl's annoyed gaze. They both remained silent as they walked down the stairs and headed to the dining room. "What's wrong with you?" She asked Daryl, her head tilted to the side as she stepped up beside him.

"If it weren't for you I'd a been there. I could've caught him escapin'." Daryl snapped, obviously annoyed and angry at her. Jolene let out a scoff, deciding to not let Daryl place any type of blame on her. "Me?" She narrowed her eyes and stared up at him as her arms crossed over her chest.

"Yeah, you." Daryl hissed back, keeping his voice low so the others wouldn't be able to eavesdrop on their argument. "Should'na had the drink. Should'na fallen asleep."

"Daryl, I'm sorry that you're angry at me but it's a piss poor excuse and not to mention fucking stupid." Jolene continued to glare up at him, "And it's not like he's a real threat. I told you and Rick as much last night when you brought him in!"

Daryl was quiet. A part of him knew she was right. But still, it bothered him. He was annoyed and was quickly reminded why he never let anyone distract him before. He didn't even want to get started on the look Denise gave him when she saw him barreling out of Jolene's room.

"What? Nothing else to say, Dixon?" Jolene hissed, ignoring the looks she was getting from Denise and Tara. "Tell Rick I'll come back in a little bit." Jolene told them, turning to stomp her way out of the house. If he could be childish, so could she. She was livid. Every nerve in her body was screaming at her, her skin was hot and tingling like she had walked through fire. And maybe there was a lingering effect of the alcohol inside of her that made her act this way. She heard Michonne ask where she was going but didn't say anything as she closed the door behind her.

She let out a loud exasperated groan as she made her way through the street. Almost turning back when she spotted Spencer waiting by the door of the infirmary. "What the hell was all the screaming about?" He asked her, stepping back to let her open the door and walked in after her.

"Rick and Daryl brought a guy back with them yesterday. He's a good guy, I've met him in passing once or twice. But he got out from the basement. Daryl lost his shit on me. I needed to cool off before I slugged him infront of everyone." Jolene spoke fast, words stumbling over eachother as she paced the main room before eventually slowing down. She wouldn't think of it now but she felt offended that Daryl put blame on her for him not being prepared. It was stupid that she got this angry, she knew that now - especially after seeing the way Spencer was looking at her. "He just makes me so mad."

"Why are you trying so hard to be friends with him?" Spencer questioned out of pure curiosity. "He seems like he enjoys being a loner. Don't force yourself."

"I'm not forcing myself on him." Jolene scoffed, arms crossed over her chest as she stared back at Spencer.

Spencer couldn't help but laugh. "I didn't say it like that. Let's change the subject. I got a raging headache. You got anything to spare?"

Jolene groaned. She gave him a wave before turning back around and going into the cabinet closest to her. She shifted a few bottles around before she found some ibuprofen. She took out two, closed the bottle back up and closed the cabinet. "Drank too much last night?" She asked him as she set the pills in the palm of his hand.

"Yep." He laughed, thanking her with a nod before dry-swallowing the pills.

Jolene was about to ask him another question before she heard the door open. Denise poked her head in and offered a smile, "Rick wants you to join them."

"Join them..." Jolene's voice trailed off as she waited for Denise to explain more.

"Oh!" Denise laughed, "Forgot you stormed off after that uh-"

"What?" Jolene was almost daring her.

"Lover's quarrel with Daryl." Jolene heard Tara call out from behind Denise.

"Yes, that!" Denise turned red before she cleared her throat. "They're taking Jesus back to his group. Going to try and barter."

Jolene ignored the pointed stare from Spencer. She tied her hair back behind her head and nodded, "Let me brush my teeth and I'll be right out." She started towards the steps, turning quickly when she heard Spencer start to laugh, "Shut it, Spencer!"

After she brushed her teeth with literally just water, they were struggling with this whole toothpaste situation, she took a moment to check herself out in the mirror to make sure she didn't look too hungover. She grabbed her knife, attached her thigh holster before heading back downstairs and eventually outside. She spotted everyone entering the Winnebago, a grumble in her chest as she made eye contact with Daryl. Jerk.

She climbed on and took the spot furthest away from Daryl, in the very back. She watched the road roll along as Rick drove out of the gates of Alexandria. She was quiet, still reeling from the spat she had with Daryl. She knew he was too, because he had barely looked at her or even acknowledged she was inside the RV.

"Oh, no. Those are my people." She could hear Jesus' voice coming from the front. She got up, walking down the short hallway and glancing over  Glenn's shoulder to take a peek out the window. She stayed silent, watching the others exit the RV. She stayed put for a few moments, not wanting to crowd the others as they figured out what to do. When she heard them planning to go in and get Jesus' friends, Jolene finally stepped out to volunteer but was immediately denied by Daryl.

"You ain't goin' in there, girl. Stay out here with your lil' friend." He gestured lazily to Jesus, giving her another glare.

She stayed silent and watched them all enter the building before turning to look at Jesus. "I hate when he calls me girl. It's like, I'm not a child." She muttered, forcing herself to laugh for a moment before looking back at the building. "They're good people, Jesus. They will get your friends out of there."

"I know. I usually have a good read on people. Knew from the second I laid eyes on you that you didn't belong with Negan." Jesus admitted, shifting his arms around to get comfortable. Rick had handcuffed him, nobody blamed him - he was taking responsibility for the safety of his group, his family.

"Could have taken you with me, if we went about it the smart way." He added, glancing over at Jolene to gauge her reaction. She could only smile at him. It would have been too dangerous, they both knew that. "But what's meant to be, will be. Qué será, será."

Jolene laughed softly. "Qué será, será. That's for damn sure."

𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸

Once the Alexandria crew managed to get out with all of Jesus' friends, they all clambered into the RV once more and were back on their way to the hilltop camp. Jolene stood in the hallway, arms crossed over her chest with her backside against the countertop as she listened in on all of the conversations around her.

She could feel Daryl's eyes on her and when she turned to look at him, he quickly let out a scoff and turned to face front. She found herself staring at the back of his head before that trance was broken by Glenn's voice, "Can you believe that guy was an obstetrician?"

Jolene's scowl quickly turned into a wide grin. "Oh! That's wonderful. Think he has any prenatal vitamins?"

"Yeah, I think so." Glenn was giddy at the thought of becoming a father. Jolene thought it was sweet, and she knew while they, meaning Maggie and Glenn, were still cautious they were also ecstatic. Although Jolene only knew the couple for going on a little over one month, she was excited for them. It was nice to see happiness in a world so dead and cold.

The RV had gotten stuck in mud, Jesus told the group they would need to walk up ahead as it wasn't that far. The perimeter of the Hilltop was just ahead of them, they would only need to walk further up the paved driveway to get to the gates. Jolene placed her hands on her hips and let out a deep sigh.

"What'sa matter, princess? Can't walk up a hill?" Daryl chided as he stepped past her to continue up the road.

Jolene didn't bother replying. She stomped after him though, glaring at the back of his stupid head as she did so. Regardless of the fact that he was so frustrating, Jolene still felt like she constantly gravitated towards him. Maybe Spencer had a point when he said she was forcing herself. Maybe if she started ignoring him, she'd be able to go on about her day without the stress of pissing Daryl off or wondering what he was thinking.

The group continued following Jesus as he headed the formation, the injured folks lingering in the back.

"Stop right there."

A voice boomed out from above the steel wall. Jolene placed herself behind Daryl - hey, nobody said she couldn't use him as a shield and be mad at him at the same time. Daryl lifted his gun up, searching for the person who had called out to them, Rick and the rest of their group doing the same.

"You gon' make us?" Daryl scoffed.

"Whoa!" Jesus spun around and raised his hands, suggesting that they immediately lower their weapons and that his people were no threat to them.

"Jesus, what the hell is this?" Another man called out, his spear lodged firmly in his grasp as he stared down at the group. "Open the gates, Cal. Freddie's hurt." Jesus pleaded in quick response, his hands still raised now in both directions.

Jolene held her breath as they argued about handing over weapons, the other members of the group vouching for the Alexandria crew since they saved their lives. Jesus told Rick he would let them keep their guns, yet Daryl remained ahead of the group with his gun raised high. She stepped ahead and let her hand slowly reach for his bicep. "Lower the gun, Daryl. Don't make these guys feel threatened." She pleaded to him in a soft whisper.

The moment her soft hand connected with his skin, warm and slick with sweat from the hot sun, she felt tingles in her fingertips. She would deny the overall warmth the closeness of his body to hers brought her. While he had pissed her off beyond belief earlier in the day, he also provided a calming sensation in her. She felt safe near him. And it wasn't just him. She felt safe with Rick, Glenn, Michonne - everyone. She had never met people like them before. She would do just about anything to keep them around.

Daryl glanced back at her, his eyes already squinting from the sun. It made him look angry, but she could feel his muscles shift beneath her touch, the gun slowly lowering as she heard Jesus call for the gates to open again. The group walked through, taking in their surroundings in silence. Jolene first noticed the chicken coop, smiling softly at a distant memory she had of the farm she grew up on.

"Daddy!" Jolene called with a squeal. She had just turned seven and her daddy thought she was old enough to start helping with the chores. She agreed to feed the chickens and collect the eggs. And for the first five minutes everything was fine, until Henrietta, who was the oldest hen in their possession, started charging at her ankles.

"She's tryin' to kill me, Daddy!" Jolene screeched again, tossing the bucket of chicken feed behind her shoulder as she felt a nip at her ankle. Jolene let out another scream and ran out of the coop as fast as she could manage, running right into her daddy's arms. The man was in hysterics, laughing with tears in his eyes at the sight before him.

The group followed Jesus as he explained how they came about. Most of these people had been able to escape the FEMA camps once they got overrun and were no longer of any assistance to the public. Jolene frowned. They had once thought themselves a mighty and strong country. They couldn't even protect their people. She wondered what things looked like on the other side of the world.

"That's called Barrington House." He pointed to the large, well maintained home infront of them.

"It's a beautiful building. I came here once when I was a child on a class trip." Jolene piped up in between Jesus' explanation of the building. She ignored the look Daryl gave her, probably ready to make fun of her for enjoying a class trip as a child. The man seemed to hold a lot of resentment in his heart. Jolene assumed it was because he had an awful childhood growing up. She never dared question him about it.

"Doesn't surprise me. They turned it into a museum." Jesus smiled at Jolene. "Must be a local girl, then."

Jolene let out a soft laugh. "Yep, that's me." She had her arms crossed over her chest as she continued to listen to Jesus speak about why he thought this was a good spot for people to connect at. "Come on," Jesus gestured with his hand, "I'll show you inside."

The group glanced between eachother before following him in through the main doors. Jolene stepped up to the table in the middle of the entryway. She leaned her fingertips down against the wood, swiping against the surface and lifting her hand to check out her fingertips. Not an ounce of dust.

"Good gracious, Ignatius." Abraham hummed as he took a look around.

"People live here and the trailers?" Rick questioned.

"We plan to build. There's babies being born."

Jolene couldn't help but smile, her eyes traveling over to Maggie who leaned into her husbands side. One set of doors opened up and broke her from the trance and she turned her head so fast to see who it was that she had missed the way Daryl was watching her. Probably thinking of ways to make fun of her for being a romantic.

"Jesus! You're back... and with guests." The older man tugged at his suit jacket as he spoke, looking around the atrium at everyone present.

"This is Gregory." Jesus introduced the man to them with a smile.

There was something about the way he called him 'the boss' that rubbed Jolene the wrong way. She glanced at Daryl, who was closest to the man, and noticed he had made a grimace just as she did.

Gregory cut Rick off, persuading them to get cleaned up before they did any talking. Jolene waited for everyone to walk by so she could take her time climbing the stairs. She took in the paintings on the wall, and even though it had been so long since she had last been there, everything looked the same from what she could remember.

She used the bathroom, knowing she had to go and would much rather use a working toilet then going out in the wilderness. She had no idea how long this day would last. She quickly splashed her face with cold water, hoping for a bit of shock to her system, before heading back out and finding herself back in the atrium with Daryl and Abraham. She noticed neither of the men washed up, or atleast in the way Gregory had probably hoped they would.

"How long do you think Rick and Michonne been ugging bumplies?" Abraham asked, a smirk forming on his lips as he played with the hair growing around his mouth.

"Abraham!" Jolene gasped, covering her mouth to hold back a laugh. "I don't think that's any of your concern...." She paused for a moment as Daryl made a face, telling Abraham that he didn't know. "It probably just happened." She added with a shrug, knowing she had been attentive to those around her and most likely would have picked up on any vibes from the two if it had been going on for any longer.

She walked by Daryl, glancing out the window before turning to look back at the men again.

"You ever think about it?"

Jolene raised a brow, curious about where Abraham was going with this. Knowing him, she was thinking he was asking them about thinking about Rick and Michonne having sex, but once he asked about settling down, Jolene almost sighed out in relief. She didn't really want to think about Rick and Michonne together.

"You think shits settled?" Darryl maintained his composure, speaking firm and calm as he walked off.

"Don't listen to him." Jolene chimed in quickly. "I think about it. There's nothing wrong with it. You know, with wanting love and a family." Jolene glared over at Daryl, biting on the inside of her cheek. She hated that knowing Daryl thought nothing of settling down gave her this empty feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Abraham played with the necklace that hung around his neck. He glanced at himself in the mirror and Jolene leaned up beside him, resting her head against his arm. "Rosita is a great woman. She's lucky to have a man in her life that cares for her as deeply as you do, Abraham." She whispered, giving him a side hug before she turned and stalked off after Daryl.

"Why do you have to be so negative?" She asked him once she found him in another room.

"Not negative, just thinkin' straight." Daryl snapped, his forefinger pressed into his temple as he spoke. "It's the truth. The facts of fucking life, Nurse Jo."

Jolene couldn't help but groan. She shook her head and followed him along as he walked the room, looking at things. She could see he was barely paying attention, just walking around to help pass the time. "It's not. Not if you've met the right person. Glenn and Maggie... you think they're stupid for bringing life into this world?"

"Yeah." He mumbled beneath his breath. He took a seat in one of the plush chairs in the corner of the room, leaning back and glancing out the window he was next to.

"Judith?" Jolene asked, her voice was soft. She wanted to yell at him. She wanted to tell him that this world could be better - and maybe she was a hopeless romantic, but she felt so strongly about it that just couldn't help herself.

Daryl stayed silent. He didn't bother looking back at Jolene as she stomped out of the room, huffing along the way.

𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸

Jolene found herself reading a book in the atrium to pass the time. She heard the commotion from the gates opening and closing and quickly jumped to her feet to follow everyone outside. From what she could tell, a few more of the hilltop members arrived back home from going on a run.

"Ethan, what happened to everybody else?" Gregory asked.

Jolene stayed beside Daryl, the two shading their eyes from the sun with their hands as they watched the interaction unfold.

"Tim? Marsha?"

"They're dead."

Gregory sighed. "Negan?"

Jolene stifled at the mention of the man, praying that nobody saw how she had immediately tensed up. Daryl had, of course, but said nothing. Gregory mentioned that they had a deal, and Jolene knew what he was speaking on. After all, she had been involved in a deal or two between the two groups during her time with the saviors.

"They still have Craig." The woman spoke up now.

Ethan stepped closer to Gregory. "Said they'd keep him alive, return him to us, if I deliver a message to you."

Jolene didn't like the sound of that. The baby hairs on the back of her neck and on her arms stood at attention as she looked over at Daryl. Based off of the tightened grip of his weapon, he felt it too.

"I'm sorry." Ethan breathed out before driving a knife deep into Gregory's gut.

Everyone jumped into action, Jolene moving towards Gregory so she could be of help since he was injured. Ethan was swinging his arms wildly, his hoarse voice yelling out that he had to do it and had no choice. Rick engaged him with his own fists, pulling the man to the ground and straddling his chest as he landed blow after blow to his jaw.

The second man who had journeyed with Ethan ran into Rick, pulling him up and off from Ethan . Abraham joined in, Jolene could hear nothing but the scuffling of feet and pounding of fists. Jolene looked to Jesus, her eyes wide as she was unsure of what to do that could break up the two separate physical fights now.

Daryl rushed to Abraham's defense, Jolene hot on his heels as she kneeled down beside the redhead. "Abraham, can you hear me?" She touched his face, hoping that the man had not done any damage during the short time he had a grip on Abraham's throat. Abraham could only blink in response. Jolene felt his pulse, ensured he was getting enough oxygen as the red tint across his face started fading.

She quickly turned and unsheathed her knife as she realized Ethan had gotten the upper hand over Rick. She stepped close on one side as Glenn tried to step up on the other.

"Stay back!" Ethan shouted, the knife pressed against Rick's throat. "Anybody who steps any closer is killing my brother!"

Jolene kept a grasp on her knife, staring down at Ethan with wide eyes. "Please don't hurt him." She pleaded, "We're stepping back. Look?" She held the knife up and to the side, no longer pointing it at the man.

"I know you. That face...You're one of Negan's little whores." Ethan roared with anger, his eyes narrowing in on Jolene as Michonne stepped up behind him telling him to drop the knife. Jolene blanched, stepping back more at the exact moment Rick had managed to get his own pocketknife out and stab Ethan in the jugular.

Jolene stood frozen as she watched Rick stagger up, drenched in the blood of another man as he looked around wondering why everyone was staring at him. Michonne had gotten the woman who had punched Rick down on the ground, and Jesus had gotten up to help settle the altercations.

"Everyone!" He cried out, arms raised high again. "This is over."

Jolene had stepped back and almost tripped on the root of the tree before Daryl grabbed onto her shirt with his free hand. He stared down at her for a moment, before nudging her towards Abraham, who was still lying on his back.

Jolene silently thanked Daryl with a nod for helping her not make a fool of herself in such an intense situation. She kneeled back down beside Abraham again, wiping the sweat from his brow with the handkerchief she had taken from her back pocket.

"Abraham, please answer me." Jolene whispered again, glancing back over her shoulder as Daryl stepped up to them. She met his dark gaze for a moment before she turned back to Abraham and cupped the side of his face with her hand. It was funny how tiny her hand seemed in comparison to his face, and she laughed softly as she gave him a playful pat. "Come on, I'll get you some water."

Daryl helped him up off the ground. Jolene stepped back to get out of the way, finding her knife on the ground by her feet. She must have dropped it at some point, most likely when Nathan had called her one of Negan's whores. She leaned down, picked it up and placed it back in the holster on her thigh.

After Dr. Carson was able to patch up Gregory, the group found themselves in a room with Jesus. Negan and his group, the saviors, was now a hot topic for obvious reasons. The mention of the man's name sent chills down her spine as Jolene leaned against the window frame, staring out at nothing in particular. She had gotten away from him, fought tooth and nail to do it, and here she was being led right back in.

Jesus gave them his own thoughts of Negan, Rick quickly telling him about the run in his group had with some of his men, before turning to look at Jolene who was hugging herself now, hoping she would be left out of the conversation. But judging by the fact that everyone was staring at her, she knew it had been too much to hope for.

Jesus diverted the attention from the woman, who was clearly shaken about even having this discussion in the first place. Jesus explained how Negan made more threats than anything else, and ended up killing a sixteen year old boy, Rory, who had been a member of their group. Jolene's stomach lurched at the thought. They had beaten the poor boy to death infront of them. The thought of having to experience something as traumatic as that made her stomach cramp.

"He made the deal." Maggie spoke up, referring to Gregory.

"Half of everything." Jolene cleared her throat. She remembered the terms of the deal. Jesus nodded. "Half of everything." He repeated her.

"Why not just kill them?" Daryl asked gruffly.

Before Jesus could even reply, Jolene spoke up. "I told you what he is. What he is capable of. These people don't have that capacity, Daryl. They cannot compare to Negan and what his men can do." She didn't realize she was trembling with fear until Abraham reached over and grabbed her wrist, "You're shakin' like a leaf."

Jolene pulled herself away from Abraham's touch. His hands on her skin felt like she was being burned alive with fire. Like she was being doused in fuel and Abraham's hand was the match that had been struck to light her up. She rubbed at the skin for a moment before looking down at her feet. "Negan doesn't care about anyone but himself. What he wants, he gets. What his men want, they get."

Without any warning she began to feel lightheaded. She had gotten herself so worked up that she was clearly entering the early stages of a panic attack. Her legs felt heavy, like her boots were filled in with cement and she struggled to move. She just couldn't lift them off the ground, she was stuck. Completely. She could hear voices around her but nothing was making sense to her. Everything sounded like her head was being held under water as everyone above her leaned down and screamed at her. Her eyes blinked, once, then twice, very slowly as she finally was able to focus on Daryl standing beside her.

A look of concern crossed his face as he snapped his fingers at her, almost pressing against her nose with the side of his hand as he did so. She still didn't react. She could only blink and swallow the saliva that built up in her mouth. "I don't feel so good." She finally managed to whisper out, though she wasn't even sure if anyone heard her. She heard her voice, in the back of her mind, but wasn't even sure if her mouth had even moved at all before everything around her went dark.

She had gracefully collapsed against Daryl, his hands outstretched on instinct to catch her though he let out a grunt as he shifted to pick her up, one arm beneath her knees and another around her back. "Damn thing hasn't eaten all day, I bet. Drank a bunch o' whiskey last night and all."

"Ya'll drank together last night?" Abraham smirked, immediately raising his hands in surrender as Daryl glared at him for the insinuation he just knew Abraham was trying to get at. Daryl sat Jolene down on the closest chair, moving to keep her upper body from tipping over as he rested her head against the back of the chair.

"The bogeyman ain't shit." Daryl looked up to Abraham and then back to Jesus as Abraham took the reins and explained how they handled the one group of Negan's men - the day he had found Jolene. Daryl felt his hands clench at his sides before he moved to hold the back of the chair he had set Jolene down in.

"You know, we'll do it." Daryl chimed in once more. "If we go get your man back, kill Negan, take out his boys, will you hook us up?"

Rick watched Daryl with a hint of curiosity mixed with feeling full of pride. Daryl had really stepped up, he was like a brother to Rick now, and he trusted him with his life. He knew Daryl only wanted the best for their community now, because once he got the taste for a normal - as can be in the apocalypse - he would do just about anything to fight for it. It also helped that Daryl wanted to make the men pay for whatever they had done to Jolene, Rick would have to be blind to not see that. Daryl Dixon was a good man.

"We want food, medicine, and one of them cows." Daryl continued with the terms of his negotiations. Again, Rick could only continue to smile. Once Jesus glanced his way, almost got confirmation Rick offered him a nod.

"Confrontation's never been something we've had trouble with."

After Maggie had successfully agreed upon a deal with Gregory, the group maneuvered their way around the yard, filling the RV with all of the upfront goods Gregory was willing to part with.

"You know all about Negan's compound. We need your help." Rick told the hilltop group member who had been involved with their latest run that had left Craig captured by Negan, and his brother Ethan dead by Rick's own hands.

"That woman was apart of his group. You don't need me. She can help you." He gestured to the RV where Daryl had just carried Jolene inside to sit her down on the bench. She was still passed out, but her breathing was even and she was fine.

"Outta the fucking question." Daryl snapped with a shake of his head. "Ain't no way we're lettin' Jo anywhere near this."

Rick sighed but it was obvious he felt the same way. "You're coming with us." He told the man, deciding that he would simply not take no for an answer. "Yeah. Okay." The man gave in, shifting to walk away from the men who were not going to give him another option.

When Jolene finally came to, she found herself back on the RV, seated inbetween Daryl and Abraham. Her head had been resting against the back of the cushioned bench, her body turned slightly to keep her from falling over. She blinked slowly and let out a groan as the first face she saw was Abraham staring down at her. She could tell that they were already on the move, the slight wave of the RV's movements signaled to her that the wheels turned quickly against the asphalt, ultimately shaking her around a bit.

"Welcome back, sweet cheeks." Abraham teased, nudging her with his elbow a bit as she stretched her back and shifted to sit forward.

"Here." Daryl handed her a bottle of water. "You should know better." He added, scolding her in his gruff, southern accent. Jolene sheepishly accepted the water bottle and took a few sips before wiping at her lips with the back of her hand and giving Daryl the bottle back. Her cheeks were flushed, which was most likely a result of passing out ontop of the anxiety of discussing Negan.

She looked over at Glenn and Maggie, her smile widening at recognizing that the picture they had passed to Michonne was a sonogram. She felt little butterflies in her stomach, eager to take a look at the picture they had been able to get of their growing bundle of joy. Michonne's smile mirrored Jolene's as she stared down at the miracle of life. The dark-skinned woman handed Daryl the photo and Jolene immediately crammed in to his side.

Everyone was silent. The fear of what was to come was hovering over them like a thick stormcloud, but the image of a little baby growing in its mothers womb certainly made the group understand that everything they do would be worth it. Jolene could feel Daryl tense against her, but relaxed quickly after as she looked over his arm at the sonogram.

She bit at her bottom lip, trying to contain herself as she glanced up at Daryl and smiled. She could see his lips moving around, almost like he wanted to smile but forced himself not to. She silently pointed at the baby with her one hand, while the other slipped along Daryl's forearm in a way to sort of anchor herself to him.

"The miracle of life is a beautiful thing." She finally whispered, to nobody in particular. She took the sonogram from Daryl and turned to hand it over to Abraham now. She hadn't realized she kept one hand on Daryl's forearm until she felt him shift beneath her touch. Jolene quickly pulled away and began sitting on her hands as if that was the only way she'd be able to keep them to herself.

Tension was at an all time high with the impending battle they had agreed to take on. It was no surprise that the rest of the journey back home to Alexandria was quiet.