Mine By Choice A Daryl Dixon Fatherhood story. TWD

S.2.E.6 Secret Keeping, Tharapy and New Additions.

Warning mentions of abortions.

Carl's *POV*

It's early morning and Mom and I are feeding the chickens for Hershel. I can see her from the corner of my eye she looks worried. I don't know if it's because of me, Rory, Dylan and Sofia or something else. "Don't look so worried" I say to help make her feel better. "It's my job," she replies. "No, it's not, Your a housewife," I say trying to make her laugh. She looks shocked for a moment before smiling "Yeah punk? You see my house around here?" She says throwing food at me. I laugh lightly. "Housewife," she mutters in humerus disbelief. I look at the chickens I was about to make a comment about how they might have been eaten. But before I did I thought of Dylan and Rory, they don't have a mother anymore and they are fine. Well, they are missing but they will be fine. The thought of what she would feel if I said that ran through my head so I just kept my thoughts to myself. 

Glenns*POV*

I just finished talking to Meggie about the walker barn and walked over to T-Dog and Dale. We exchanged good mornings. "What's up," T-Dog says. "Nothing, nothing up why?" I ask slightly panicked. I leave and quickly walk over to Lori. "What did Rick say?" I ask hoping to relieve myself of at least one secret. "You didn't tell him," I say when she didn't respond. "Okay, but you have to. You're pregnant. You need vitamins, medicine a nice pillow." I grab my food and hand it to her. "You can have my share." "Hunny, I don't want your food, okay? Eat," she responds. "You need to eat. You're too skinny, and if you're not going to let Rick take care of you, then someone has to. I'm gonna make a run into town. Just tell me what you need." "Please I need you to be quiet about this, Please," she says.

Hours later Meggie and Glenn went for a run and they made it to the store.

"What she want now?" Meggie asks me still angry at the spat we had on the way here. "I can't say," I replied wanting to tell her. She scoffed at me "So when one of them asks you to keep your mouth shut..." I cut her off by handing her the list. I was told I can't say not that she can't 'happen to read the list on accident.' "Cral out of my butt, help me look please," I say. She reads over the list briefly before walking away saying "You have got to be kidding me." I start grabbing things like she does and move on. A little later I hear screaming and no's coming from Meggie and I rush over. She screams for me to help her over and over. I grab a piece of a shelf and smash it in the head "Did it get you did it bite you?" I shout checking her arms before she grabs me in a hug. "Glenn," she shouts as the walker stands and tries to attack again. I smash its head in with a hatchet. Panting when Meggie hugs me again crying. 

The ride back was quiet, but the moment the car stopped Meggie got out with loris's stuff. "Hey! We got your stuff," she shouts. "Meggie, hang on please," I say chasing her. "Come on in here," Lori said panicking. "Why? Nothing to hide. We got your special delivery right here," Meggie shouts stopping her. She lists off the things loudly as she pulls them from the beg. "Next time you want something get it your damn self. We're not you errand boys," She says angrily. "Honey, I," Lori begins saying softly before seeing the morning-after pills in the grass. "And here's your abortion pills," Meggie says throwing them at her and storming off. I want to say something but I don't know what so I just walk away. Leaving a hurt Lori to her own devices. 

I follow Meggie trying to catch up with her. "That was not cool," I say calmly. "Which part? The part where that bitch almost got us killed?" She says. "I should have gone alone if you want to blame anybody blame me," I say feeling guilty and bad for the both of them. "Right take the blame. You know for a smart guy, you're really stupid," she says. "Alright, I'm confused because I think you just paid me a compliment but you made it s--"  I was cut off by her kissing me. "I already lost three of the people I care about most in this world." "Meggie" "Shut up. Your smart, your brave your a leader. But you don't know it, and your friends don't want you to know it. They'd rather have you fetching peaches. There's a dead guy in the well? Send Glenn down you're walker bate and I can't take you becoming one of them," She says before walking off.

I go to find Lori now to help her since secret-keeping and therapy seem to be my job today. "I'm so sorry, the blood on Meggie's shirt?" She says as a walk up to her tent. "She was attacked," I say seeing concern flash in her eyes. "You guys alright? How bad was it?" "It was pretty close." "I'm so sorry, I should have never asked you to go," she says. "I offered," I say as she begins spiralling. "We came back I always do," I say giving a smile. She began to cry. "The morning after pills will they even work?" I ask. "I don't know, and I don't know if I want them to." "Then I got these too just in case," I say handing her prenatal vitamins. "Prenatal vitamins that's a hell of a choice," she said sadly. "Glad it's not mine. Lori, we're friends aren't we?" I ask. "With everything we've been through Yeah," she smiled.  "I can't tell you what to do. I could never tell you something like that, but your choice maybe you shouldn't make it alone." I say before walking away.

Lori's *POV

 I had been thinking for a while when Rick showed up. I grab his arm lightly as he walks to the tent. "Can we talk?" I ask. "Yeah okay, what up," he asks. "Over there," I say leading him over to a field by the horses away from other people. I pull out the morning-after pills and prenatal vitamins "I'm pregnant and we need to figure out what we should do." He looks at the pills and then at me. "How long have you known?" "Since Glenn's last run, I was trying to get my head around it. I'm sorry," he nodded. "Is there anything else I should know about?" he asks calmly. "Shane and I," "I know of course I know," He paused for a moment. "You thought I was dead, The world went to shit and you thought I was dead. Right?" he said quietly. I cry nodding the guilt running through me like blood. "Yeah,"

Rick's *POV*

We talk for a while after some silence and agree we can't raise a baby on the road. If we leave the farm we need to find a safe place. We also decided to keep the baby. 

 We decided to keep living.