Walkers were coming at them from all directions, so they turned around and headed back the way they had come, the only option left unless they wanted to be killed. The alarm kept blaring, and each shrill sound sent another pang of fear through Parker's chest.

Parker and Maggie were helping Lori, half carrying her, half dragging her through the hallways as she struggled to keep her feet under her. Carl ran just ahead of them, gun raised protectively until he found an empty room, ushering them inside.

Parker let go of Lori and did a quick sweep of the room, finding that it hadn't been touched by walkers or anything else. It was like an old generator room mixed into a boiler room, but Parker didn't have much time to worry about it, because Lori was going to give birth any minute. She was leaning against the wall, breathing heavily. Parker put a hand on her shoulder. "Lori, are you okay?"

"Yes," Lori responded before gasping in pain. "The baby is definitely coming. What are those alarms?"

"Don't worry about it," Maggie answered, helping her walk further back into the room.

"What if it attracts them?" Carl asked the one thing that Parker hadn't thought about.

"We'll be fine. Your father is probably trying to get them turned off right now. We just need to worry about keeping the four of us safe for the time being."

"Lori, let's lay you down," Maggie suggested.

"No," Lori panted, gripping onto a metal bar. "The baby's coming now."

"We have to go back to our cellblock and have Hershel help," Carl told them all. 

"It's too dangerous," Parker whispered, her eyes flashing back to the door that walkers were trying to get through.

"We can't risk gettin' caught out there" Maggie explained to him, looking at Lori. "You're gonna have to give birth to the baby here."

"Great," Lori breathed out before another contraction hit causing her to struggle to catch her breath.

"What is she doing? Can't she breathe?" Carl panicked, looking between his mom, Maggie, and Parker.

"She's okay," Parker assured him, praying she was right when she said that. "Let's get your pants off."

"Okay," Lori whispered, lying down on the floor. There was no way to describe the feeling in Parker's chest at that very moment, but she would compare it to a hand twisting her insides mercilessly, making her chest tighten as she realized that Lori probably wouldn't make it out of this alive. 

She gave birth to Carl via C-section, so there was a strong possibility that she would have to give birth to this baby the same way. Without the proper medication, equipment, and experience, there was no way to guarantee Lori would survive this. Maggie looked over at Carl, "You're gonna need to help deliver your brother or sister. You up for it?"

"Yeah," Carl stuttered.

"Parker, you ready?" Maggie asked. Parker nodded and knelt next to Lori. 

"You're going to be okay." Even as Parker spoke those words, Lori's eyes met hers, filled with fear that she couldn't hide. She knew what was coming and that there was only one way for this to end. Lori wouldn't make it out alive.

"I'll do an exam. Let me see if you're dilated." Maggie said, taking off Lori's pants

"Do you know how?" Carl asked.

"Dad taught me, but trust me, it's my first time," Maggie responded, examining Lori for a moment. "I can't tell."

"I gotta push," Lori said, sitting up. "I gotta push."

"Okay," Parker nodded, helping Lori to her feet. She grabbed the railing and tried to push before reaching for Parker's hand, squeezing it as tightly as possible while Maggie talked her through it. 

"You're doing great. Lori. Keep doing it. Your body knows what to do. Let it do all the work."

"I'm okay, I'm okay," Lori whispered, before screaming and pushing again.

"Lori, stop!" Maggie exclaimed suddenly. "Don't push! Somethings wrong!" Maggie removed her hands and her fingers were covered in blood and Lori screamed in pain. Carls' eyes widened at the sight. 

"What's happening?" When they laid Lori back down, she appeared to be unconscious. Her skin was ghostly pale, and with all the blood, Parker knew it was the end. She knew Lori wouldn't survive, and as she felt tears well up in her eyes, she remembered all the times Lori had helped her over the years. She had been there for her more than anyone, sometimes more than Rick, but now, Parker could only sit next to her and hold her hand while Lori made her decision. Carl knelt next to her, "Mom? Mom, look at me. Look at me. Keep your eyes open."

"We have to get you back to Dad," Maggie grabbed her hand.

"I'm not gonna make it," Lori whispered, accepting her fate as she lay there.

"Lori, with all this blood I don't even think you're fully dilated, yet," Maggie said. "No amount of pushing is gonna help."

"I know what it means," Lori replied. "And I'm not losing my baby. You've got to cut me open."

"No," Maggie refused, tears in her eyes. "I can't."

"You don't have a choice," Lori countered.

"I'll go for help," Carl said, standing up. "I can make it-"

"No!" Lori yelled, looking at him. Parker took Carl's hand. 

"Your mom needs you, Carl. You have to stay."

"Look, Carol's the one who practiced that," Maggie tried to explain. "Dad only taught me the steps, Lori. if I..."

"Maggie, please."

"I have no anesthetic, no equipment..."

"Carl has a knife.." Lori whispered, nodding weakly towards her son. Parker felt tears running down her face. 

"Lori, you won't make it."

"My baby has to survive," Lori breathed. "Please. My baby. For... for all of us. Please, Parker! Please!" Maggie shook her head and Parker reached out to grab her shoulder, hating herself for the next words she spoke. 

"Maggie. We have to do this."

"Please," Lori begged, pulling up her shirt. "You see my old C-section scar?" Maggie swallowed thickly. shaking her head. 

"I can't."

"You can," Lori responded. "You have to. Carl? Baby, I don't want you to be scared, okay? This is what I want. This is right. Now.... take care of your daddy and Aunt Parker for me, alright? And your little brother or sister, you have to take care of-"

"You don't have to do this," Carl whispered, tears falling down his cheeks.

"You're gonna be fine," Lori said, her voice thick with pain and anguish. "You are gonna beat this world. I know you will. You are smart, and you are strong, and you are so brave." Parker sobbed holding Lori's hand. 

"Lori..."

"And I love you," Lori finished. "I love both of you."

"We love you too," Carl cried.

"You gotta do what's right, baby," Lori told him. "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, alright? If it feels easy, don't do it. Don't let the world spoil you." Lori wiped away Carl's tears. "You're so good. You're my sweet boy. The best thing I ever did. And I love you." Carl hugged his mother and Parker sobbed again, rubbing Carl's back as he clung to his mom, who continued to tell him she loved him. Parker almost couldn't bear to see such an intimate moment, as the best memories she had with Lori flashed through her head. When Carl walked away, he went to his aunt, who put an arm around him to offer what little comfort she could offer at a time like this. "Maggie, when this is over, you're going to have to...," Lori tried to say, but Maggie silenced her. "You have to do it. It can't be Rick!" Maggie took a deep breath trying to prepare herself as Parker talked to Lori. 

"I love you, Lori. Thank you for being the sister I never had."

"Take care of my boys," Lori requested, her voice coming out as a squeak. "And my baby, okay? Please take care of them."

"They'll be safe with me," Parker assured her. "I promise."

"Okay," Lori whispered, reaching out to gently touch Parker's cheek. "Everything will be okay." Carl handed Maggie his knife and Lori took a deep breath, looking at the ceiling above them. "Goodnight, love."

"I'm sorry, Lori" Maggie whispered an apology. When she cut into Lori's stomach, Lori screamed for a moment before passing out, and Carl collapsed against Parker while sobbing. She tightened her arms around her nephew, trying not to break down as she watched Lori's head fall to the side. She felt like a cold knife had pierced her heart when Lori screamed, and as blood poured onto the floor below them, Parker said a prayer. She prayed for the first time in her life, praying to whatever god was out there that Lori would find peace and her baby would survive.

She didn't believe in god, not after all this, because if he was there, then she didn't understand what they had done to deserve this. But if praying to him meant Lori would find peace and the baby would be okay, nothing else mattered. "Carl, give me your hands," Maggie said. "Carl, please. I need to keep the site clean, okay? If I cut too deep, I'm gonna cut the baby." Maggie continued to dig around inside Lori's stomach. "I see it. I see the ears. I'm gonna pull it out... I can't tell if this is the arm or the leg. Okay, I'm gonna pull the baby out." When Maggie took the baby out, she froze when she realized it wasn't breathing. Parker gasped, complete panic taking over. 

"No, no, no, we can't lose the baby too. We can't." Maggie hit the baby's chest before turning it over in her arms, bracing its back before continuing to hit the baby lightly. When the baby suddenly let out a cry, Carl wasted no time in taking off his jacket and handing it to Parker. Parker took the baby from Maggie, who seemed to be in shock. They all were. When Parker looked at the baby, she smiled sadly. It was a girl.

Laying Lori's baby on Carl's jacket, Parker carefully swaddled the baby while Maggie cut the umbilical cord, listening to the baby's soft cries as she fought back tears. Parker scooped the baby into her arms, sobbing as she held her close to her chest.

"Hello, little one," Parker whispered, wiping off her face with a part of the shirt. "Shh, shh, you're okay."

"We have to go," Maggie announced, standing up. "Parker, do you have the baby?"

"Yeah, I got her."

"We can't- we can't just leave her here," Carl stuttered, looking at his mother. "She'll turn." Maggie reached for her gun but Carl stopped her. 

"Carl.."

"No," Carl cut her off, pulling out his own gun. "She's my mom."

"Carl, honey, you don't have to do it," Parker said in a low voice. "She's my sister. Take the baby, I.."

"No, I'll do it," Carl shook his head. "Wait for me." While Maggie checked the door for walkers, Parker cradled the baby in her arms and continued to gently wipe her little body with the sleeve of Carl's jacket. When she heard the gunshot, she let out a small cry and Maggie looked at her sadly. Carl walked past them with a blank expression, and Parker cried quietly. Lori was dead, but the baby survived. Now they just had to tell Rick.

They headed through the prison, with Carl and Maggie protecting Parker and the baby until they finally made it back outside. The baby cried in Parker's arms as they walked out to the yard, alerting the rest of the group of their presence. The walkers were gone. But they were now facing something far more painful than the walkers.

Daryl, who had been frantic when he lost Parker, saw her walking towards him with a blank expression on her face, Maggie rushed over, carefully grabbing the baby. He dropped his crossbow at his feet, running towards her as she moved slowly towards him. She didn't look good, and Daryl could see that even from this distance. Her face was deathly pale except for the redness around her eyes from crying. That's when Daryl noticed Lori was missing.

He reached for Parker and pulled her into his arms, aware of the blood that stained her shirt, his arms tight around her as if afraid to let her go. The blood on Parker's hands told Daryl that something had gone wrong, but he didn't press for more details. He got the general idea.

When Rick saw that Maggie was holding the baby and that Lori was nowhere to be seen, he realized what it meant and his axe slipped through his fingers, crashing to the ground while no one said a word. Parker turned to her brother, fresh tears falling down her face. 

"I'm sorry."

"Where...? Where is..? Where is she?" Rick asked, although, from the look on their faces, everyone had already put the pieces together in their heads.

"I'm so sorry," Parker muttered as Daryl stood next to her with a hand on her back. Rick was about to go into the prison to look for her, but Maggie grabbed his arm. 

"No! Rick..no." Rick walked past her, shaking her hand off his arm, and Parker turned to look at Daryl. When he saw the look in her eyes, he felt his heart clench painfully. She seemed so broken, so completely shattered beyond repair. She looked the same as when Dale had died, and that terrified Daryl more than anything. He wasn't scared of anything, but if something happened to Parker, he didn't know what he would do.

He raised his hands, cupping her face, his thumbs wiping away the tears that clung to her eyelashes even though more continued to fall. He gently kissed her forehead as she fell into his embrace, allowing him to hold her. She needed closeness, she needed his comfort because Rick was heartbroken and Carl was in a silent state of shock.

"She's gone," Parker whispered as she pressed her face into his shirt. "Lori's gone." The sound of Rick crying was enough to break Parker's heart even more than it already was. It was all becoming too much for her, who couldn't handle the tension in the courtyard. Rick's sobs mixed with the baby's cries, her head began to spin and the world became blurry. Things came back into focus when Rick went silent, kneeling on the floor with his eyes blank and staring emotionlessly at the ground. Daryl let his hand slide down Parker's arm before taking a step towards Rick, crouching down to look at him.

"Rick, you with me?" Daryl asked, waving his hand in front of Rick's face. "Rick?"

"Let me see the baby," Hershel said, walking over to Carl who had just taken her from Maggie.

"What are we gonna feed it?" Daryl asked. "We got anything a baby can eat?"

"The good news is she looks healthy," Hershel let everyone know after quickly examining the baby while Carl held her, not wanting to let her go. "But she needs formula... and soon, or she won't survive."

"Nope." Daryl snapped, a look of panic shining in his eyes. "No way. Not her. We ain't losin' anybody else. I'm goin' for a run."

"I'll back you up," Maggie muttered.

"I'll go too," Glenn added, mostly because he didn't want Maggie to be alone.

"And me," Parker offered.

"Okay," Daryl nodded. "Think where we're going. Beth," He pulled Beth aside. "The kid just lost his mom. His dad ain't doin' so hot."

"I'll look out for him," Beth promised. Daryl gestured to Axel and Oscar. 

"You two get the fence. Too many of them pile up we got ourselves a problem."

"Wait, where are T-Dog and Carol?" Parker asked, looking around. No one answered and Parker knew why, her face crumbling with sadness. "No.."

"Glenn, Maggie, vamonos." Daryl said. "Come on, the power will go out." Parker had never seen Daryl so scared, and it was something that made her realize how desperate they were. She knew she would do anything for the baby currently crying in Carl's arms, but she wasn't her mother, she didn't have the means to feed her. She watched him slightly rock her in his arms.

"Support her head," Parker whispered. "I'll be right back Carl, I love you." She placed a small kiss on his forehead before chasing after Maggie and Glenn who were behind Daryl. "Wait!"

"There's a Piggly Wiggly down on 85," Glenn said.

"No, the baby section's been cleared" Maggie replied. "Lori asked me to keep an eye out. I haven't had much luck."

"Is there any place that hasn't been completely looted?" Daryl asked, taking off his crossbow.

"We saw signs for a shopping center just north of here," Glenn offered up probably their only other option.

"Yes, but there's too much debris on the road," Maggie pointed out. "A car will never get through that." Daryl looked at his motorcycle. 

"I can only take one of you."

"I'll go," Parker immediately volunteered, taking a step forward.

"No," Maggie stopped her, shaking her head. "No, you have to be here for Carl and the baby. You have to be here for Rick. I'll go. They need you."

"Parker," Daryl spoke softly. "She's right." Parker bit her lip to try and stop herself from crying. 

"I have to go. I can't just do nothing."

"You have to take care of the baby," Daryl whispered to her, placing his hands on her cheeks. "You need to do that. For Lori, alright?" Parker nodded, angrily wiping away a stray tear. 

"Okay. For Lori. Just be careful."

"I'll get the stuff," Daryl promised. "Hey, come here." He pulled her into his arms and she clung to him as she let out a quiet sob that made Daryl's heart ache. "Everything will be okay. I'll be back soon." Parker nodded, stepped back, and watched as Maggie climbed onto the motorcycle. She watched them leave. Glenn turned to her, opening his arms and holding her while she cried into his shirt. She knew that this had broken Rick beyond repair, and her heart ached for her brother. While in Glenn's embrace, she thought about Rick, who had just lost his wife. And Carl, who watched his mother die, and made sure she stayed that way. They would need her to get through this, she had to be strong for them.

"It's okay to cry," Glenn assured her. "No one blames you." Parker shook her head. 

"I couldn't do anything to help her. She died in front of me. The scream. Her scream, Glenn. It's still in my head. I can't get it out." Glenn kissed Parker's forehead as he pulled her towards him again, not knowing how to help her. 

"I'm so sorry."

"I have to go.. I have to go see if the baby is okay," Parker stumbled over her words. "I promised Lori I would take care of her. I promised. I can't let her down." Glenn nodded, wiping the tears from Parker's cheeks with his thumbs. 

"I'm going to dig the graves."

"Okay." Parker returned to the cellblock and found the rest of the group surrounding the baby. She felt empty inside like she would never feel happiness again. Rick was gone, presumably to retrieve his wife's body and process his grief in his own way, and Carl held his little sister in his arms. "Hey," Parker tried to offer a smile, sitting next to him. "Can I hold her?" Carl nodded, passing her over. 

"Daryl went to get the formula?"

"Yeah, with Maggie," Parker answered, taking the baby into her arms. "Glenn has gone to dig the... the graves. We- we should clean her up."

"I'll get you some water," Beth ran off into the other room.

"What is she going to wear?" Carl asked.

"Well, hopefully, Maggie will bring some baby things if they find any," Parker replied. "Until then, she'll wear her big brother's clothes." Carl smiled but it quickly faded. 

"Fine." Parker sighed, putting an arm around her nephew.

 "Come here." She took off his hat and kissed the top of his head. "Your mom loved you, okay? She did. And she was very proud of you."

"She loved you too," Carl said. "You were her best friend." Parker smiled, looking at the baby in her arms. 

"She was my best friend too. We have to take care of her baby, okay?" Carl nodded. 

"What do we call her?"

"We'll wait for your dad, okay?" Parker looked over her shoulder, hoping to see Rick there but he was god knows where in the prison. "Then we'll figure out a name." Parker didn't move from the bench she was sitting on until nightfall, and she never let go of the baby. She fell asleep in Parker's arms, letting her admire such an innocent and beautiful being. This baby would be a blessing to all of them because even Daryl already seemed fiercely protective of her. She was so innocent compared to the brutality of the world that they now lived in, and she would grow up only knowing this life. Run, hide, survive. Repeat. Parker swore she would preserve this baby's innocence as long as she lived. When Maggie and Daryl returned, the baby was awake and crying, and Parker's heart ached at the sound. "She's hungry. Please tell me you got food."

"Beth," Maggie called out silently asking her sister for help. Daryl ran to Parker and the baby. 

 "How's she doing?" He could see how tired Parker was, both physically and emotionally, so he carefully took the baby from her arms. As he did so, Parker tensed, as if anticipating a fight, but when she realized it was Daryl, she relaxed and let him take her. Without the familiar weight of the baby in her arms, Parker realized how tired she actually was. Daryl cradled her in his arms as Beth handed him a bottle. "Shh, shh, come on."

Seeing Daryl with the baby gave Parker the first spark of happiness she had felt all day because he was literally being a teddy bear. It was strange to see Daryl handle something as fragile as a baby, and when he looked a Parker and smiled, she gave a small laugh, covering her mouth with her hand. Under other circumstances, seeing Daryl with the baby would have made her feel a rush of different emotions, but in that moment she settled for happiness.

"She got a name yet?" Daryl asked, looking up at the group who was watching him with smiles on their faces.

"Not yet," Carl responded. "But I was thinking... maybe Sophia? Then there's Carol, too. And Andrea. Amy. Jacqui. Patricia. Or.. Lori. I don't know." Parker placed a hand on Carl's shoulder. 

"We don't have to decide yet. You can wait." Daryl looked at the baby. 

"Yeah? You like that, huh? Little ass-kicker" He looked at the group with an expression that clearly said he thought that was the best name ever. "Right? That's a good name, right?" Everyone chuckled quietly. "Little ass-kicker. You like that? Do you like that, sweetheart?" After feeding the baby, they had to decide where she would sleep. Carl was the one who proposed a box as a crib, putting a blanket in the bottom. Daryl carefully placed her on the blankets and she was fast asleep in seconds.

"I'll get her if she wakes up," Parker got a few nods in response. She carefully carried the box to where Daryl was sleeping and placed it next to his mattress. She watched her niece sleep for a second, the way her little nose wrinkled slightly, her mouth cracked open. With the baby taken care of, everyone retired to their cells, too exhausted from the day they all had. Everyone needed time to process everything that had happened, losing three people in one day, the baby... Rick's breakdown. Parker, not wanting to be alone, sat on Daryl's mattress with her eyes on the baby until he came up and sat next to her.

"So what do you think?" Daryl questioned as he sat down. "Should we have one?" Parker let out a quiet laugh. 

"Let's see how we do with this one first."

"She'll be fine," Daryl assured her. "She's got the best aunt already." Parker nodded and rested her head on Daryl's shoulder. 

"Seeing you with her before was the cutest thing I think I've ever seen in my life. Seriously, my stomach was doing flips." Daryl laughed. 

"Has anyone told you that you're weird?"

"Yes," Parker answered, looking at Daryl. "But I know cuteness when I see it, and you holding that baby... that was the ultimate cuteness. Should have got a picture." The two laid down together, and Parker turned over to face Daryl. Daryl brushed her hair out of her face and Parker relaxed under his touch. "I can't believe she's gone," Parker whispered after a stagnant pause, "She's been... she's been a part of my life for so long. I was the one who introduced her and Rick... and now she's dead."

"She's still with you," Daryl responded, placing a hand on her chest, right over her heart. "There. And she's still here will all of us, in the baby."

"She has Lori's eyes," Parker smiled.

"There you go," Daryl said. "She left her mark on the world."

"We have to protect this baby, Daryl."

"We will," Daryl promised. "Nothing is going to happen to her."

"It makes me want one more," Parker mumbled quietly. "Although she's still a baby, she's not mine."

"Someday."

"I thought you didn't want children," Parker looked back at him.

"Well, if they're gonna look like you, I can't say no, can I?" Daryl responded. Parker laughed. 

"We should get some sleep before she wakes everyone up." He put his arm around her waist and she held his hand in hers, playing with his fingers as she drifted to sleep, dreaming of babies running around with mini crossbows, wearing leather vests with angel wings on the back.