Beauty and Her Beast (Daryl Dixon Fanfic)

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Rick sat up on his knees once he stopped crying, in a state of shock. The baby wouldn't stop crying, probably hungry for her first meal. Where would we find formula? I couldn't get Lori's screams out of my head as I had so brutally cut her open. I was still covered in her blood. I wiped the back of my hand across my forehead, probably smearing the blood on my face. Daryl crouched in front of Rick, trying to get his attention, but Rick only stared at him with a dazed look.

Carl tapped my elbow. I looked down at him and he offered to take the baby. I handed her to him carefully. "Let me see the baby." Hershel said.

"What are we gonna feed it?" We got anything a baby can eat?" Daryl asked as we all walked over to Hershel, leaving Rick alone. Which probably wasn't the best idea.

Hershel looked at the baby, pulling Carl's jacket out of the way. "The good news is she looks healthy. But she needs formula. And soon or she won't survive." Hershel directed his words to Daryl.

Daryl shook his head. "Nope. No way. Not her. We ain't losing nobody else. I'm going for a run."

"I'll come with you." I said quickly, my voice cracking.

"I'll come, too." Maggie said. Which of course made Glenn want to go.

"Okay, think where we're going. Beth." He pulled Beth aside, having a quiet conversation with her.

"You two get the fence. Too many pile up, we got ourselves a problem." Daryl started shouting orders. "Glenn, Charlie, Maggie, vámonos!"

We turned when we heard Rick picking up the axe, storming into the cell block. No one stopped him. "Get the gate. Come on we're gonna lose the light!" Daryl rushed us.

We all ran for the cars. "There's a Piggly Wiggly on 85."

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

"Is there any place that hasn't been completely looted?" Daryl asked as we stopped at his bike.

"We saw signs for a shopping center just north of here."

Maggie shook her head. "Yeah, but there's too much debris on the road. The car will never get through there."

"I can take one of you." Daryl said, loading his things on his bike.

"I'll go." I said quickly. Maggie looked at me with concern. "I owe her that much after I..."

Maggie smiled sadly, walking over to give me a hug. "Be safe out there." She said as she pulled away.

"Always am." I got on the back of Daryl's bike and we drove off, Oscar closing the gate behind us.

~*~

We pulled up to what looked like a small daycare. Daryl turned off the bike and I got off first. "Company's close." He warned. "Stay tight."

I yanked open the gate and we walked through the playground, breaking a window to get in. The room we went into looked like a playroom. There were cribs and toys and paper cutouts of the children's hands with their names written on them taped to the wall.

I opened cupboards, finding bottles, onesies and blankets, stuffing them in my bag. We walked carefully through the daycare, going in different directions. I checked a few rooms, finding nothing. We both looked back at each other when we heard faint rattling coming from another room.

We exchanged looks and then Daryl reached over the Dutch door, twisting the doorknob and opening it slowly. He aimed his crossbow at the cupboard where the rattling was coming from and nodded at it, signaling me to open it. Please don't be a baby, please don't be a baby.

I walked over slowly, yanking the door open. It was just a possum. It hissed, then Daryl shot it. "Hello, dinner."

I grimaced, turning around. "That's not going in my bag."

I opened the cupboards breathing a sigh of relief at the sight of cans of infant formula and unused baby bottles. "Jackpot." I quickly stuffed them in my bag.

"Let's go, baby." I said after searching the rest of the kitchen. I pecked Daryl on the lips and we left.

~*~

Daryl hit the gas as we came up on the prison. Oscar and Axel were distracting some walkers while Glenn shot two that were too close for comfort. They opened and closed the gate quickly, keeping the walkers from getting in.

When we rushed in, the baby was crying as Carl tried to comfort her. "Beth." I said, taking off my bag and pulling out the formula and bottles. We filled a bottle quickly, mixing the formula and bringing the bottle to Daryl, who had taken the baby.

He hushed her, easing the nipple into her mouth. She quieted down quickly, sucking the milk down. I smiled at Daryl, who none of us thought could be as gentle as he was right now. "She got a name yet?" He asked Carl.

Carl shrugged. "Not yet, but I was thinking maybe Sophia. Then there's Carol, too. And...Andrea, Amy. Jacqui. Patricia. Or...Lori. I don't know."

Daryl looked down at the baby, swaying side to side. "Yeah...you like that? Huh? Little Ass Kicker." We all started chuckling. Daryl looked at us. "Right? That's a good name, right? Little Ass Kicker. You like that, huh? You like that, sweetheart?" Daryl seemed to be enjoying her, his voice softer than usual when he talked to her. We all enjoyed the peaceful moment in the hell that was our lives.