High Hopes ~Daryl Dixon~

Chapter Seven

"Oi." Something nudged at my foot.
Loud footsteps seemed to shake me and the hushed whispers of conversations floated around. "She ain't wakin'."
"Be patient and gentle. Kicking her isn't going to cause anything but problems."
"She's already a problem."
I let my eyelids flutter open and just as I sensed someone walking past I shot my leg out, praying that it was Daryl. The heel of my foot connected with something soft and then a loud groan sounded.
"What the hell!" Daryl groaned.
I pulled myself up to a more comfortable position, leaning back against the wall. A tired grin on my lips. "Oops. Sorry I was just continuing my job of being a problem."
Realisation dawned on him. "Ya heard."
"I'm not deaf, Daryl."
"Thought ya was sleepin'."
"I was. Then you woke me."
"Good morning, Nora." Dale said, interrupting whatever it was Daryl was goin' to say to me.
I stretched and yawned. "Mornin', Dale."
Dale gave a smile and continued on his way out of the RV door, a roll of tape in one hand. He paused in at the door. "We're planning on leaving in about 10. I was wondering -considering I wasn't there when you gave the directions, if you wouldn't mind leading us the way?"
I smiled tiredly. "No problem. Nelly still 'lright out there?"
Dale snorted and shot an amused glance in Daryl's Direction. "She's fine."
My eyes flickered between the two. "What? What happened?" I asked slowly
Dale bit his lip and shook his head, as Daryl shot up and stormed out of the RV, pushing Dale to the side.
I sat myself up, much more awake than I was just a moment ago. "Dale, what happened?"
His lips twisted into a smile and his wrinkles stretched out. "It would seem that Daryl and your horse aren't the best of friends."
Just the thought of Daryl getting into it with Nelly amused me. "What did he do?"
"You assume it was Daryl?"
I cocked an eyebrow. "You've met Daryl right? I don't know him very well but i know that if there's trouble and he's involved, it was his fault."
Dale seemed to contemplate what I had said before sighing. "I'm not sure what happened or who started it. But when I went out there, Nelly was rearing up and Daryl had his crossbow aimed at her."
"Excuse me?" I asked lowly. All joking faded.
Dale's hand instantly went up. "He wasn't going to hurt her. I can assure you that, Nora."
"Don't sound very convincing when ya said he had a crossbow to her head moments before." I grumbled but relaxed back into the seat that was beginning to grow uncomfortable.
"You can go check if you want. Andrea's out there now, giving Nelly some attention." His whole demeanour fell when he mentioned Andrea and I could see his sadness as clear as I could see the sun in the sky through the windows.
I gave his a small smile. "Thank's Dale. It's okay. I'll leave her too it for now. Just let me know when you guys are ready to take off."
He walked down the steps, calling back to me. "Will do!"
When Dale was out of sight I was left alone in the RV. Janelle popped into my mind and my heart swelled almost painfully as I pictured her broken face, realising that I wasn't there. I knew it was immature of me to leave the way that I had, but everything in me was yelling for the one thing I had left of Chase. Obviously he left gave me Elle and I am beyond grateful. It was the best give i could have ever received but the sentiment behind the ring is what keeps me going. His constant promise to always be beside me and love me...
I lifted up my hand slowly and gazed lovingly down at my newly found ring. And my chest contracted as I thought of all our times together.

"Chase! Stop it!" I squealed, batting away his hands that were poking at my side. The bed-sheet tangled around our legs kept us close together as we laid together in bed. 
"Make me!" He laughed and continued his assault, easily brushing my hands away. His hands clamped down and he wriggled his fingers into my sides. A scream escaped me and I flayed around, when suddenly he stopped. His hand stilling on my hips and i was left panting with my eyes sealed shut.
"You're beautiful." He whispered.  And my eyes fluttered open to find Chase's gorgeous blue eyes staring down intently at me. A soft smile on his lips. One of his hands left my waist and moved up to gently brush over my slowly reddening cheek. "Perfect."
I blushed heavily and looked away. "Stop."
"No." He said quietly. "You deserve to know. And I don't feel like I tell you enough."
That made me laugh. "You tell me at least once a day."
"As I said, 'Not enough.'"
I relaxed back into the bed and Chase moved to hover over me. "You never used to be such a romantic." I commented.
"Well, people can change -You did."
"I didn't change. You just got to know me."
Chase grinned. His eyes shining in the early morning sun as he leant down and placed a loving kiss to my lips. "I'm glad I did. You are lil' Elle are the best things to ever happen to me. And I will eternally be thankful." He tilted his head to the ceiling and muttered under his breath. 
"I can't believe my daddy's got you praying. Never thought I'd see the day."
Chase fell limply to the bed beside me and shifted my body over so that I was balanced on top of his. "I'm not a complete believer, Nora. But your father's right. Things happen for a reason and if a god does exist, I want him to know that sending you to me will always be a blessing that I will forever cherish."
"I love you." I whispered lovingly.
Chase grinned, his dimples becoming prominant. "Good." And then he pulled me down, connecting his lips to mine.
Chase was a soft and gentle lover dispite his dark ruggish looks and he treated me as if I was the most precious being alive and i always felt special and wanted around him.
"We should really get up soon." He mumbled against my lips, barely pulling away.
"Five more minutes."
And I got lost in the kiss. Melting away against him and relaxin-
"Momma! Daddy!!" And the bedroom door slammed open, swinging back and smacking against the wall.
I pulled away form Chase in surprise and looked over the side of the bed to find Janelle's small toddler frame standing by the side of the bed watching us with child-like wide eyes and a grin.
I let out a breath I didn't realise I was holding and fell flat against Chase's bare chest. I rested my cheek against his should and one of his arms hooked around my waist, resting the soothingly.
"Mornin', baby." I cooed quietly.
Janelle stood up in her tip-toes and grabbed fistfulls of the bed-sheet trying to pull herself up, to join us. Small grunts and whines escaped her as she struggled. She managed to get one leg up but the rest of her body was being held up by her grip on the bedding.
Chase chuckled as he watched his daughter struggle, it vibrating deep within his chest and he gently sat up. I rolled off of him and back onto my side of the bed. My gaze focused on his back as he leant forward and grabbed Janelle from under her armpits easily lifting her up and into his arms, where he cradled her to his chest.
She giggled loudly and wrapped her small pudgy arms around his neck, leaning into him as he shuffled backwards to lean up against the headboard.
When he was comfortable he released Elle and she sat criss-cross on his lap. He han one arm around rback so she didn't fall of backwards and Elle had the other held in both of her, playing with his fingers.
I laid there silently just watching them. It was a beautiful sight and his adoration for his daughter was as clear as day in his eyes and with the way he was with her. It was nothing but pure love.
I smiled. "I'm still sad that she looks so much like you."
Chase lifted his eyes from Elle and over to me with a playful glare. "It's a gift to look like me. Isn't that right, Princess? You wanna look like Daddy?" He cooed to Elle.
Elle paused what she was doing and looked up at Chase with wide eyes before giggling. "Yeah!" and smacked her small hands against his cheeks, before decididng to play with the light stubble growing.
I laughed and sat up, throwing the sheet off of me standing up and stretching. "She's only agreeing because she's a complete daddy's girl."
My back popped in a couple of placed and when I finished I turned back to them both. They were already watching me.
I leant over across the bed and placed a kiss to Elle's forehead. "Love you, baby." I mumbled. and then I moved to connect my lips to Chase's quickly.
I straightened back up and grabbed some clothes from the chair in the corner of the room. "What? No love for me?" Chase whined.
"I give you plenty of love."
He hummed in response and turned his attention back to Elle, playing with her.
"I'm going to get breakfast started." I said, heading to the door.
"Wait!"
I turned around to face Chase and his cheeky smile. "Don't bother. We're going out. I've planned something for the entire day for us, as a family."
My face lit up. "Really?"
"I wouldn't lie." He gave me his whole attention and winked. "There's also two dresses in the bathroom for you, take your pick."
There have never been times when i had doubted my love for Chase or his for me, but things like this that he did for me out of nowhere made my heart swell and my stomach to flutter.

"Ya not asleep again, is ya?"
I jumped at the sudden voice and accidentially smacked my head back against the window.
"Ow." i muttered, rubbing at the sore spot. "That hurt."
"Sorry." Daryl said as unsympathetic as he could sound.
I threw him a sour look and quickly shook my head to rid my memories of Chase.
"We're leavin'." He informed, hitching the crossbow over his head and walking back out of the RV, with a sigh I followed -eager to get back to Elle.

The trip back was easy  for the most part. I rode Nelly ahead of the RV so that Dale could follow behind but it was Daryl I was having a slight problem with and his stupid motorcycle.
Everytime he revved that machine Nelly jumped  and freaked out. When it first happened I thought nothing of it -just an accident but when he continued doing it over and over and over again my temper started to boil.
We couldn't have gotten to the farm soon enough. As soon I had lead them clearly through the gate I left them to themselves and put Nelly away with the rest of the horses, giving her much needed rest.

I had only made it to the porch of the steps when the yelling started and Maggie stormed out of the house. Sights set on me. But it wasn't her that my attention was set on... It was a teary eyed Janelle standing behind her staring at me. He bottom lip quivered as tears threatened to spill.
"You left me! You promised you'd never leave me, but you did! I hate you!" Each word Janelle said was more hurtful than the last and as the sentence 'i hate you' left her lips, my breath caught in my throat and it felt like someone had taken my heart into their hand and was squeezing it.
Her tears finally slid down her cheeks, one after the other -endless cycle.
Everyone had gathered outside and were watching curiously but i couldn't take my eyes off of my baby girl as she turned on her heels and stormed into the house, slamming the screen door behind her.
"Janelle.." I managed to get out in a faint whispered. But she had already disappeared.
"Nora-" Maggie started.
I shook my head, tears filling my vision. "Don't."
Maggie didn't listen. "You were stupid -going out there at night for a piece of jewellery, leaving us all to wonder whether you were going to ever come home."
I bit my lip to hold in my pain.
"Otis is dead, Nora." Maggie added painfully, her voice cracking over his name.
My head shot up to face her. "W-what?"
"He never made it back from the run with Shane. They got over run. Elle found out and she didn't have her mother to comfort her. She doesn't understand what is going on, just that Otis has left her as well... That everyone is leaving her."
"I will never leave her!" I spat fiercely.
"You did last night."
I faltered and my ring hand instinctively twitched. "That -that was different."
"To her, leaving is leaving."
I knew she was right. It was selfish of me to do what I did without any consideration of anyone else. And now my daughter hates me. I'll never forgive myself for this.
"I'm sorry." I whispered, before deciding Elle needed me and following after where she left. Whether she hated me or not, She needed me and I was going to be there from now on, constantly.