Bite Me .:Daryl Dixon Love Story:.

Chapter Twenty-One

.:Kat's POV:.

"Momma!" Hailey smiled widely, greeting me at the door.

Her blue eyes sparkling with joy and a few of her teeth shown as she smiled. I smiled back as I picked the two year old up into my arms, holding her so close to me as I buried my face into her hair.

"Hi, baby girl. Did you miss Momma?" I asked her.

Hailey simply nodded as she toyed with my brown hair, letting it slip through her little fingers. I giggled softly as I kissed her on the nose, just as my Pop came jogging in.

"Oh, you're home." He noticed, out of breath.

"Um, I am standin' here, righ'?" I giggled, raising an eyebrow. "Hailey tire you out?"

Pop nodded. "Oh yeah. Little girl runs like a deer through the grass, I tell you."

I smiled, hugging Hailey tighter. "Tha's my girl."

Hailey giggled, wiggling about in my arms. "Squish! Squish!"

Putting my little wiggle worm down, she dashed quickly out of the room and out the back door in the blink of an eye. Pop chuckled with a shake of his head.

"She's got your energy." He commented.

"That's a bad thing?" I asked him, heading out the back door.

Watching as Hailey danced around the tall grass, the sounds her of her playful laugh filled the calmness.

"Not a bad thing at all." Pop shook his head. "If it weren't for the blue eyes, I'd say she would be your twin."

I nodded. Trying not to think of him. I would not think of him.

The man who got me pregnant and then completely disappear into thin air, his tracks covered. The man I fell in love with and I think loved me, but we never told each other. It was something he did not like doing, admitting any type of emotion besides anger.

Lightly shaking my head to rid the thoughts of him.

"Pop -" I began but cut off by the sound of my daughter crying loudly.

I glanced over to see her cradling her arm as she sobbed, my heart broke completely as I launched myself off the back porch, running through the grass towards her. Pulling Hailey into my arms as I helplessly wiped away her tears.

"Baby, what's wrong? Tell Momma." I asked softly.

Hailey sniffed, tears still falling down her rosy cheeks. "Bee."

She took her hand off her arm to show where a bee had stung her.

Frowning, I picked her up into my arms. "Momma is gonna make you feel all better, okay?"

Hailey nodded as I carried her back into the house, sitting her on the counter as I took the tweezers from Pop and pulled the stinger out of her little arm. She yelped in pain and hugged my neck tight, a few sniffles escaping.

I held her closely as I swayed us side to side, rubbing little circles on her back as I hummed her lullaby.

Hailey pulled back from me to show me her runny nose and bloodshot eyes.

"I love you, Momma." She sniffled.

"I love you too, baby girl." I kissed her forehead. "Always and forever."

Snapping back into reality, I glanced up at the sky seeing that the sun had set and I have been out here lost in my thoughts the entire day. Surprised a freak hadn't limped by and saw me. I would have been the easiest meal for him.

Part that scared me about that thought was, I did not care. I did not feel a thing. Feeling as if I was a freak like them. I walked all the way back to Hershel's farm but not really paying mind to anything or anyone around me. Almost like I was on auto pilot.

"There you are." I heard someone very nearly shout at me as I closed the door behind me and leaned against it.

My eyes finally focused on Lori standing in front of me, her warm hands on my shoulders as her brown eyes searched mine worriedly.

"Honey, you're freezing. Come," She led me towards to the sofa and wrapped a blanket around me. "Come and warm up."

Staring at my knees, I simply nodded.

Lori sighed, giving my knee a light squeeze. "Any trace of your little girl?"

Hailey.

A few tears fell at the mention of her.

"She ain't lookin' for her." A gruff voice growled.

"Hey, that's enough!" Rick ordered.

Daryl adjusted his bow on his back, pointing a bolt in Rick's direction. "You stay out of this. This is her fault that my little girl is out there on her own!"

"Daryl, leave her alone." Carol's soft voice entered the room.

Daryl looked at her then in my direction, glaring he left the house with the door slamming shut behind him.

"Don't listen to him, sweetie." Carol soothed. "He's just upset he can't track down our girls."

"I'm... I'm going to lay down in my tent..." Getting to my feet, I handed Lori the blanket and smiled weakly in her direction before leaving the house.

Walking back to my empty tent, I heard a chuckle come from behind me. I looked behind me to see Shane leaned up against the tree as he sharpened his knife.

"Find your girl, Hunter?" He asked, smiling.

I glared. "Screw off, Dipshit."

Shane laughed, walking towards me. "Is that any way to talk to an officer who just asked a simple question?"

Straightening myself up, holding my chin high. "Yeah if it comin' from a cocky officer who slept with his best friend's wife."

Shane's eyes darkened. "I thought he was dead."

I tilted my head. "So why try and do it again at the C.D.C.? You knew he was alive then."

Shane tackled me to the ground, holding his knife roughly against my throat. I could feel the blade gently slicing my skin with every breath.

"Watch what you say, Hunter. I could easily make you look like an accident." He threatened.

"Just like you did to Otis?" I asked him.

Shane's eyes widened and I took the opportunity to rip the knife out of his hand and stab it deep into his leg. Shane let out a scream as he grabbed onto his thigh, rolling off of me. Getting to my feet, I stood over him with a glare as I rested my boot on his chest and put my knife to his throat.

"If you're going to threaten to kill me, just kill me. Don't talk about it." I dragged my knife along his jaw. "And never let me hear you mention my daughter again." I kicked his bad leg and crawled into my tent.

I was going to regret that. I could feel it in my heart.

Something bad was going to happen.