Beauty and Her Beast (Daryl Dixon Fanfic)

88-Season 9

I sat on the porch swing, watching some of the other kids playing with Faith. She was so big now. She started walking last month, she calls Daryl da and she calls me ma. She's getting into everything now so we have to make sure weapons and other things she can hurt herself with are out of her reach. It was peaceful here. We had gardens full of food, people were happy. People have pets, they're having babies, myself and Maggie included. Liz is pregnant. She met someone from the Hilltop and he moved here for her. I really wanted to go on the run they were making into Washington, but there were already so many people going and someone had to stay behind and keep an eye on things here in Alexandria.

I wanted to go to Hilltop. I hated being so close to him. Daryl and I had talked about it before, but he's so busy with things at Sanctuary we just haven't. Faith asks about him every day. I hope Rowan doesn't forget about him. He's only 4 months old and he loved Daryl from the moment he was born, but there's still the nagging feeling he might forget. I looked down at the small boy in my arms, smiling. "You eat just like your daddy." I was relieved I was able to breastfeed again, as finding formula is such a pain. "Hey," I looked up to see Rick walking up the porch steps, his face illuminated by the porch light. "Oh, sorry, I'll come back later."

"Rick, stop." I said as he turned around. "We've lived together for years and you've seen more when I got shot. What's up?"

He nodded. I pat the spot beside me on the swing. He sat down. "Daryl wants to go to Hilltop."

"I know. We've talked about it."

He nodded. "Michonne and I are taking him tomorrow, he said you should come with us." He smiled. "He misses you, and his kids."

I smiled and we both turned our heads to see Faith crawling up the steps, smiling when she reached the top. "Hi, baby." I smiled. She came over, grabbing my leg. She smiled at Rick, grabbing his hand.

"Ri!" She smiled.

We both chuckled. "Well, at least she's got half of it down." Rick said. He turned to me again. "You should pack a bag tonight. Will you be okay on a horse with him?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I've got the carrier that straps to my chest, we're good, and Faith can ride with Michonne, like before."

Rick nodded. "Okay, we'll see you tomorrow." He pat the back of my hand and kissed Faith's forehead before heading off.

I stood up and took Faith's hand, waking inside. "We're gonna see daddy tomorrow!" I told Faith excitedly.

She gasped. "Da?!" I nodded. She started jumping around, singing his name.

"Hey, hey, calm down. The faster you go to sleep, the faster we get to see him, ok?"

She smiled. "Yay!"

Once I laid Rowan down in his bassinet in mine and Daryl's room...my room, I put Faith to bed, which wasn't hard, as the other kids had tired her out. I packed a bag and went to bed, excited to see Daryl.

~*~

The next day, we rode to Hilltop, Daryl leading the way. They opened the gates and we rode in. Daryl kissed me and took Rowan, kissing his head. Faith clung to his leg. Our faces fell when we saw Maggie, her eye and cheekbone badly bruised and swollen.

Before she went to talk to Rick, Maggie explained that last night Gregory got the blacksmith, Earl, drunk and convinced him to kill her. He failed, but he hurt Maggie. He knocked Enid out when she tried to pull him off of Maggie. I couldn't believe it. Apparently it was because Earl and Tammy's son had died on the run they went on. It was just all around a horrible situation. Hershel was fine, thank god.

~*~

It was dark, we put the kids to bed and gathered around the barn still under construction, just a frame. Enid was in a wheelchair, as she had a horrible concussion. Daryl stood beside Earl, whose hands were tied, and his wife. Maggie walked through the crowd and turned to face us. "I don't want to do this, but people need to understand that at Hilltop, the punishment fits the crime. Do you have any final words?"

We all looked at Gregory sitting on a horse, hands bound behind him, noose around his neck. He looked scared. "What you're doing isn't right. Somebody stop this, please. Killing me in the dead of night because you're ashamed."

"You're wrong." She spoke simply. "I'm not ashamed.

She nodded to Daryl and he nodded back. He walked to the rear of the horse. Gregory started begging. "Stop this! Please! Oh, for the love of God! Stop it!"

"Maggie, stop!" Michonne yelled suddenly.

"Wait!"

Daryl whipped the horse and it ran. Gregory started choking and flailing. I realized why Michonne yelled. Two kids had come outside. "Get the children back in bed!" Maggie said. "I made this decision. But this is not the beginning of something. I don't wanna go through it again." We watched Gregory's now limp body swinging from the barn. "Cut him down."

Daryl cut the rope, Gregory fell to the ground with a loud thud.