Oh wow its been a long time since i have updated this story and I feel HORRIBLE! so I hope I can update this and make you guys happy. :)

When I rolled back over the tent was dark. I must have slept the day away. I tried sitting up but my head exploded in pain causing me to cry out making the pain in my cheek worsen. Tears sprung from my eyes as everything came flooding back.

"Oh Daryl, where are you babe?" I cried into my hands. Someone stopped outside the tent but didn't say anything.

"Sage?" Lori. I hiccupped and wiped the tears from my face as gently as I could.

"Yeah?" I answered. She shifted and opened the tent flap. She carried a lantern which lit the inside of the tent and also exposed the side of my face that looked quite possibly like hamburger according to Lori's reaction, which was a visible wince and grimace mixed together.

"I'm so sorry." She said. I merely nodded slowly wanting to scream at her but knowing full well i was in no condition to do so.

"Shane will be too when Daryl comes home." I spoke lowly and evenly to not disturb my jaw too much. She nodded but scowled like she was going to say more about it.

"Are you hungry?" I thought for a minute before nodding again. She disappeared for a few minutes and reappeared holding a reused butter bowl half full of some kind of fish...chowder?

"Carol made it. Last few potatoes we had. Saved this for you when you finally woke."

"Thank you." I whispered sipping from the bowl. The soup was warm and settled nicely in my belly. The baby started kicking and I sub consicously rubbed my hand over her. Lori left after that and I was thankful. I finished the soup and lay back down. Staring into the darkness and listening to the sounds of the nighttime lulled me back to sleep.

When I woke again it was daylight...about midday by the sounds of it. I groaned and stood up being careful not to stand too fast so I didn't get face hurt like a bitch and it was very painful to even make facial expressions. I pulled on a pair of jeans from the day before and one of Daryl's shirts. Rolling the cuffs up to my elbows I unzipped the tent and stepped out into the muggy heat of day.

The camp was alive with activity, well as much as we were allowed. Carol was doing school work with the kids, Dale was on watch, Shane and Lori were nowhere to be found. I sat beside Amy who was stirring something in a pot and when she turned to me she startled before saying

"Shanes a dead man." I nodded solemnly but didn't say a word. Just tentatively ran my fingers over the side of my face. I decided I should probably find myself a mirror to check and see just how bad the damage was. I got up and went for the RV. Keeping my head down I stepped inside the bathroom and closed the flimsy sliding door behind me.

I looked up into the slanted mirror and instantly burst into tears. Which of course made my pain flare up and worsen. The whole right side of my face was swollen and various dark shades of bruising. I had a small slit in my cheek bone area that looked awful. "Oh no. I really can't hide this." I cried for a few minutes longer before wetting a paper towel and washing my face gently.

I left the RV and made my way over to Carol and asked her if she needed my help, she didn't and told me to just relax and do whatever I wanted...I decided to clean up Daryl and mine's tent and Merle's also. Then I carried their Laundry down to the Quarry and proceeded to wash our clothes.

The sun was burning high in the sky, drying the clothes I had hung up on a rope I had rigged up in a line of three trees. I was going through my duffel bag of things I had, my prenatal vitamins were running low and I sighed heavily. Suddenly screams sliced through the silence of the campsite and I scrambled from the tent to see what caused it. Everyone was gathered around a dead deer with a walker chewing on it. No one moved for thirty seconds before I grabbed the machete from Dale and sliced the head off in one fell rolled away into some underbrush just as Daryl stumbled from the bushes behind Shane. Shane jumped away from him almost taking out Amy who yelled out in protest. Daryl and everyone eyed him before turning to me. I shrunk back under everyone's gaze. It took all of literally ten seconds for Daryl to put everything together, Shane's jumping away, everyone's focused gaze, the painful excuse of flesh that happened to be my face currently.

It all happened in slow motion. Daryl threw down his strung squirrels and launched himself at Shane which sent them both tumbling downhill to the waters edge. I was scared that he would kill Shane and we'd be thrown out but a bigger part of me worried Shane would shoot my Fiance. I ran down after them hell bent on protecting me and mine, only Dale and Jim followed me. Dale grabbed Daryl along with me and Jim wrestled Shane off of him. I crouched in front of a Struggling red faced and snarling Daryl and cupped his face in my hands trying to reach him before just wrapping myself around him causing Dale to let go. Neither Daryl nor I moved as Jim and Dale led Shane away and everyone left us alone.I sat in Daryl's lap facing him, pressed together as tightly as I could get us and I just whispered soothing words in his ear all while just hugging him and rocking us gently. His arms were tight around me, my slight baby belly pressed between us.

"I love you Sage." I smiled into his hair and pressed a kiss to his sweaty forehead.

"And I you Daryl Dixon." I leaned back so he would look me in the face. His eyes darkened when he saw the extent of my facial damage. I sighed when he raised a hand and pressed it lightly to my cheekbone. I leaned into his touch sighing again in content. My eyes fluttered closed and then he kissed me. It was a bruising kiss, one where he held my face still and poured every emotion into it. It was raw. It was him. He was all I needed to survive this. We could do this. I untangled myself from him and stood up offering my hand to him. He took it but lifted himself using none of my help/ I smiled at him as best I could and went to retrieve the food he'd dropped. Turning to him I winked,

"Hungry big guy?" He chuckled a bit and shook his head.

"Not for food." I laughed out loud and smiling walked back towards our tent to start skinning for dinner. Daryl followed me to start a fire. Yes, We could do this.

So, yes I know Rick shows up before Daryl ever gets back but trust me on this. All in due time. Reviews make me wanna update faster. :)