Daryl wasn't the jealous type. He'd been known as Daryl "no game" Dixon for a reason. He wasn't willing to open up enough to anyone, let alone a potential lover, and no one had tried to break through his barriers. He'd never really been in a serious relationship, at least nothing he was invested enough in to get jealous of, but his relationship with Rick was different. He really cared about the man. He was emotionally, physically, and mentally involved with him in a way that he hadn't been with anyone else. So seeing him with another person hit him in ways he couldn't explain. He was jealous, there was no other way to put it. The new girl, Daryl still hadn't learned her name, was standing close to Rick, laughing and running her hands over his back like he was her new fling.

The girl was new, had been there for almost a week, and either hadn't picked up on Daryl and Rick's relationship or just didn't care, which really pissed Daryl off. He and Rick weren't the type to profess their love for one another in the presence of other people. They were both private people who liked keeping their intimacy behind closed doors. But that didn't mean it wasn't clear to see they were a couple. They'd occasionally hold hands and whisper quietly to one another, any fool could pick up on their relationship. Everyone knew, they didn't hide it from anyone, and it was hard to believe that the girl had been there for almost a week and hadn't picked up on it. Rick was trying to show her how they organized things, but she was more interested in Rick's body than learning their ways of doing things. And of course, the farmer was completely oblivious to her actions.

Daryl had been scowling at Rick and the new girl for over five minutes now. She clearly didn't know the definition of personal boundaries. She kept stepping so close to Rick that their hips were almost touching. Rick would step away, only for her to step closer to him again a few minutes later. Daryl could see what she was doing but Rick was apparently oblivious to her intentions. Daryl was trying to forge new arrows, but he was so focused on what Rick was doing he wasn't making any progress whatsoever. He kept messing up and having to restart completely.

"If looks could kill, they'd be dead," Carol said from her position beside him, snapping Daryl out of his walker like gaze.

"I don' know what ya mean," Daryl said, purposefully focusing intently on his arrow work. His entire body itched to look up but he could feel Carol's eyes on him and he didn't want to prove her right.

"Right," Carol said. "You don't fool me, Dixon. You're jealous."

"No 'm not," Daryl snapped back, accidentally snapping the shaft of his arrow in his hands. Rick glanced over worried, but Daryl just shook his head, indicating he didn't want to talk right now.

"Rick loves you, Daryl," Carol said seriously, making sure Daryl was looking at her when she first spoke. "You're jealous because Madison has been hanging all over Rick and you're afraid because you believe he might leave you for her. You two have been together for years, hot women have thrown himself at him, and you might I add, multiple times since you've gotten together, and he turns them down every time. He's not going to jump the first hottie he sees, Daryl, Rick's not that type of person. You know how he is, he just wants to show her around and make sure she gets settled. He's the one who found her, and he feels that means he's got to show her how we do things."

Daryl shrugged and refused to look up from the arrow he was currently making. Carol was good at reading Daryl, and she had hit the nail on the head. Everything she had said about the way he's been feeling is true, and that just made him angrier. He knew that Rick loved him, but he couldn't keep the voice in his head from telling him differently. The last thing he wanted to do right now was talk about his insecurities. Rick had been with a woman once, had even had two kids with her. Even though it was ridiculous, he had this feeling in the back of his mind that once an available woman showed up, Rick would choose her over him. And though other woman had shown up and nothing had happened, this one just felt different. Daryl couldn't shake his feelings, no matter what he did.

Carol sighed and gripped Daryl's shoulder, understanding that she wasn't going to get anything out of the tracker right now. "Don't get bent out of shape over it Daryl, Rick's not that type of person." With that, she left, leaving Daryl alone to wallow in his insecure jealousness. The new girl was beautiful, blonde hair and slim bodied with big boobs and a nice smile. It wasn't someone Daryl would have hooked up with before the apocalypse, but if Rick wasn't married then, he was sure he would have tried it out. Rick would be a fool not to get with her.

Later that night, Daryl was on his way to the showers when he bumped into the new girl. Her hair was wet, she must have just gotten back from the showers, but she still looked gorgeous. Daryl stepped aside, letting her pass by but she paused, tilting her head as she looked him up and down.

"I don't know what you think you have with Rick, but he clearly likes women. He has two kids, in order for that to happen you clearly have to have sex with someone of the opposite sex. I've heard rumblings about the two of you's relationship, but I'm not really sure what they're talking about, unless Rick is just settling with you until he found someone better. You don't seem to fit in here. I saw you watching us today, you're not nearly as inconspicuous as you think you are," the new girl said, venom in her voice. "He's the one who holds this group together, he's the important one, you're nothing compared to him. To him, you're replaceable."

Daryl's automatic reaction was anger. He may not be the best of company, but he did carve himself a place in this group. He'd given his blood, sweat, and tears to protect the people here. These were his people, his family, and they had been that for years. He wasn't going to let some random chick try and break apart the one thing he had tried so hard to build up: the relationship he had with his people. "Ya don' know nothin' about our relationship," Daryl retorted, stepping closer to her with a menacing scowl on his face. "You've been here days, I've been here years. Don' act like you've got this group figured out, 'cause you don'. This group has had each other's backs for years, we've seen shit ya wouldn't believe, and our bond is stronger than anything. Don' ya dare try and act like ya know this group."

The new girl scoffed. "You think you're tough shit, Daryl, but you ain't. Anyone can tell how insecure you are, especially when it comes to whatever relationship you believe you have with Rick. You're delusional." And with that she flicked her hair over her shoulder before pushing past Daryl. Daryl scowled at her as she walked away, like she was hot shit or something. Goes to show you, even in the apocalypse you get your bitchy popular girls who think their shit don't stink.

Despite what Daryl had said to the new girl, what she had said hit him hard, almost like she could see his deepest insecurities. He knew how important he was to the group, he knew they generally cared about him, and he especially knew that Rick really did care for him, that what they had was genuine. It had taken him a while but he had eventually accepted the love his people had for him, not to mention the love he had for them. Despite this, however, Daryl couldn't help but let the girl's words hit him. She had a point, he was insecure, and she seemed to be able to see right through the confidence he projected. What if he wasn't as important as he thought he was?

Daryl shook his head, not wanting to dwell on that right now, and turned around, suddenly not in the mood for a shower. He made his way to Rick's cell, hesitantly pushing away the fabric that served as a door. Rick was sitting down on his bunk, Judith sitting in his lap as he read a story to her. His voice changed as he took on different characters, and Daryl couldn't help but smile. Glenn had picked up the children's book on their latest run, figuring that she might like it. Judith was just over five now and really enjoyed stories, especially the ones involving princesses.

Judith looked up when Daryl walked in and her face lit up. "Come read with us," she said excitedly, patting the empty space beside her and Rick. Daryl sat beside them, pressing a kiss atop Judith's head as he settled in beside them. "Hey, Judy," he said with a smile. "Whatcha reading?"

"Rapunzel," she replied, taking the book from Rick's hands. "We're almost done, will you finish?"

Daryl agreed and took the short book in his hands. He felt Rick wrap an arm around his back, hand curling around his left hip in a comforting touch. He unconsciously leaned into Rick's side as he continued were Rick left off, making sure to do different voices. Judith giggled at the funny parts and aw'd at the sad parts. It wasn't long before he finished, closing the book as Judith clapped at the happy ending.

"Alright Judy, let's get ya to sleep," Rick said, picking up his daughter in one hand and the book in the other.

"No, I want Daryl to take me," Judith replied, wiggling out of Rick's arms and running over to Daryl. She jumped up giggling and Daryl caught her, swinging her around a few times before settling her on his hip. She was probably too big to be carried but Daryl didn't really care.

"Alright, come on," he gave Rick a look that said, "I'll be back," before retreating to Judith's nearby cell. Whenever Daryl found a picture he thought Judith might like, he brought it back for her and helped her tape it to her walls. The walls of her room were covered in pictures of princes, princesses, dragons and castles, amongst other things of course. The group tried to make her cell, and really all the cells of the children who lived at the prison, as colorful as possible. She deserved to sleep in a room that was full of color and life, considering she lived in a relatively dreary prison.

Daryl put the book on her make shift bookshelf before carrying her over to her bed. He laid her down and pressed a kiss against her forehead, biding her goodnight before turning around to exit the room.

"Daryl?" Judith called, just as Daryl was about to exit the cell.

"Yeah?" He asked, coming back to kneel next to her bunk.

"Are you my Daddy's Prince?" she asked quietly, looking down at her hands, not willing to meet Daryl's eyes.

Daryl was so taken aback by her question it took a while for him to answer. "What do ya mean by that?"

"I know I had a Mommy," she said sadly, "even though I never met her afore. Carl talks about her, and Daddy tells me stories about her too. They say she was really pretty and she loved me a lot. After she went to Heaven, Carl said Daddy was really sad and he missed our Mommy a lot. But then you helped him not be sad anymore, like Princes do with their Princesses. Princes always save their Princesses, they make them feel better and give them happy endings. You make my Daddy smile and laugh, you saved him and gave him a happy ending like Princes do in fairy-tales. Does that make you his Prince?"

Daryl wasn't sure if he should laugh or cry. He'd never thought about their situation that way before, but he guessed he was in a way. It still amazed him how much Judith was able to pick up on. She came to conclusions in a way he'd never seen anyone before, but I guess the fact that she was so little contributed to that. "I guess I am yer Daddy's Prince, ya okay with that?"

Judith reached up and rested her hand on the side of Daryl's face. "Yes. I miss Mommy but I'm glad he has you to take care of him and love him. He loves you and you love him, you make him happy and I just want my Daddy to be happy." Suddenly she giggled. "If you're my Daddy's Prince that means he's your princess." Daryl couldn't help but laugh at that as well. "I love you Daryl and Carl loves you and Daddy loves you. You're a part of our family. You're like a Mommy but you're a boy. You're like a Daddy but I already have a Daddy. What are you?"

Daryl smiled at that and fought back tears. He'd been a constant in Carl and Judith's lives for years, he'd tried so hard to give them what they needed, what they deserved, but then again so did everyone else. He never would have thought of himself as their parent, but he guessed he kind of was. At least in Judith's eyes he was. "'M jus' yer Daryl, Judy, jus' yer Daryl. Ya don' have ta put a name to it. I love ya, Judith, and I love yer Daddy and yer bother a lot. I didn' grow up with a good family, and 'm gonna make sure ya always have one."

Judith smiled and lifted up so she could press a kiss against Daryl's cheek. "I love you, my Daryl, goodnight."

Daryl nodded and waited 'til Judith closed her eyes before he quietly retreated from her cell. He'd known for a long time know that he was a part of Rick's family, an unofficial Grimes, but he had never seen himself officially as one of Carl and Judith's parents. Judith seemed too think of him as such.

"Hey," Rick called as Daryl walked into their cell. He reached out an arm for Daryl, let him kick off his boots, before he pulled him down beside him. "You took longer than usual."

Daryl laid next to Rick, wrapping an arm around his waist. "Judith jus' needed ta talk," he said simply, not going into the details of it all. "Apparently 'm yer Prince," he said with a smirk.

Rick laughed and ran a hand through Daryl's hair. "Does that make me your Princess?"

"Ya certainly don't have the parts of a Princess," Daryl said, running a hand down Rick's thigh. The touch was light, borderline sexual but not quite. The two of them were both too tired to do anything that night.

Rick laughed again and hid his face in Daryl's shoulder. "That's true." He was quiet for a few seconds, hands lightly trailing up and down Daryl's side before Rick spoke again. "You've been distant today, everything okay?"

Daryl shrugged but wouldn't meet Rick's eyes. "Jus' been busy. Plus you've been showing what's her face around," Daryl said, his voice taking on a jealous tone.

"Ya mean Madison?" Rick said, confused. "Daryl please don't tell me you're jealous of her, she means nothing to me. I was just doing the nice thing, showing her how things are done. You're my boyfriend, and I'm happy with that." The two of them didn't use labels to define their relationship, they were just simply Rick&Daryl, but hearing Rick refer to him as his boyfriend helped solidify what Rick was saying.

"I know," Daryl said, masking his barely suppressed insecurities with a smile. "I was jus' a lil' jealous."

Rick leaned forward and kissed Daryl, officially staking his claim on what was his. "I don't want her, Daryl, I want you."

Daryl pulled back from the kiss a little breathless. He smiled and rested his face against Rick's neck. "'M yer knight an' shining armor."

"More like my hillbilly with a crossbow, but I'll take it." Daryl laughed and pulled Rick against him tightly, god he loved this man.

"Now go ta bed, we're both exhausted," Rick said. Daryl gave Rick one last kiss before pulling away. It wasn't long before the both of them were asleep.

The next day, Daryl and Glenn left on a run. The two of them were just going on a short excursion, mainly to rifle through whatever was left in the nearby towns. There was one that was about a 40 minute drive away that they hadn't hit very hard so they were going to see what was left. They split up once they reached the town. It was a small town with only a few buildings and houses that had mostly been picked over. Nevertheless, they rifled through the buildings, trying to find anything they might be able to use.

Daryl went through three houses before he came across something that had torn at his heart. He found a bedroom in the back of one of the houses he was in, small and painted pink, obviously a little girl's room. He had seen many children's rooms before on his runs, but this one hit him hard. It looked like something Judith might like, and all he could think about was the little girl who had previously resided here.

The room seemed untouched, apparently no one was heartless enough to mess with a little kid's bedroom because everything was still in its place. It was dusty and smelled like old people from the lack of air circulation, obviously no one had been there in a while. In the corner, there was a small table, pencils and paper strewn across the top, almost as if the child who had been coloring was forced to leave in the middle of their picture. He picked up one page, shook off the dust that had settled there over time, and looked it over. It was a child's drawing, obviously half finished, of a happy family. The picture was done in crayon, pretty decent for a kid who couldn't have been more than seven. He set it aside carefully and glanced around. There were a lot of coloring utensils, along with paper and many coloring books. The prison had a growing number of children, and it was hard to keep them entertained in a prison, so they were constantly looking for things they might like. Daryl decided to grab all of the coloring materials he had seen, sure they would go to good use.

On the bed there was a line of stuffed animals. A large stuffed dragon, purple with blue wings and a happy smile stitched across its snout, sat in the middle of the pile. One of the books he had read Judith lately had featured a kind dragon who protected their kingdom from bad guys, and she had decided then and there that that was her new favorite animal. He ran his fingers over the soft plush toy before stuffing it in his bag. He felt terrible, but clearly no one was going to be using it anytime soon and if another little girl could get something out of it he didn't see the harm in taking it. He saw a few other toys that the kids at the prison might like to play with and stuffed them in his bag.

Daryl moved from house to house, checking for hiding spaces looters might not have thought to look in. He didn't find much, some canned food and bottles of water that were probably still good and a couple of packs of batteries, but other than that, everything was pretty much picked over. It was almost dark by the time him and Glenn met back up at the car. Glenn was more successful in his findings. He was able to find some non-perishable provisions, batteries, tools, and a few other supplies they didn't have back at the prison. Together they had a decent sized haul.

By the time two of them made it back to the prison it was dark. Maggie was there to meet them at the gate and greeted Glenn warmly. He had no doubt the two of them would have gone off to have some "alone time" if it wasn't for the fact that him and Daryl were starving. By the time they made it into the prison most everyone had already eating, but there were seven or eight people who were still sitting in the mess hall.

Rick was eating with new girl, (even though Daryl now knew her name he still refused to call her by it) Carl, and Judith. The second Daryl walked into the room new girl made a show of wrapping an arm around Rick's back, laughing obnoxiously as she threw back her head and thrust her boobs forward. She looked ridiculous and everyone in close proximity held back snickers. Rick didn't seem to notice how inappropriate her actions were, too busy trying to make sure Judith actually ingested her food. The girl was so damn talkative, half the time she forgot she was supposed to be eating. New girl then made a show of wiping Judith's mouth for her, projecting herself as her mother which only pissed off Daryl even more. Apparently Carl wasn't too please because she shot hooded glares at the woman, which she promptly ignored. If anyone was going to act as Judith's mother, it'd be him.

Daryl grit his teeth and clenched his hands, Glenn holding back a snicker at his reaction. Rick saw Daryl walk in and instantly looked relieved. Despite the fact that he knew Daryl could handle himself outside the prison walls, he always worried whenever the archer left his sight. New girl seemed to be pissed off at the fact that Rick's attention was now projected at Daryl and not her. She tried to get his attention but Rick blew her off and stood up. Daryl was so fucking tired of new girl's attempt at throwing herself at his man, he couldn't really help what happened next.

In a second, Daryl was standing in front of Rick. He gripped his hips and pressed himself possessively against Rick's body, claiming him with a rough kiss. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was enough to leave new girl speechless. Daryl pulled away, Rick groaning at the loss of contact, and threw a pointed glare at new girl.

Judith covered her mouth and giggled. "That's my Daddy's Prince," she whispered to new girl, loud enough for basically everyone to hear. Carl, who was sitting next to his sister, snorted and hid behind his hands. "Also known as my Daryl. They're the bestest parents ever."

New girl was so mortified she stood up and walked out of the room, leaving her empty bowl in her place. Daryl was sure she had gotten the message now. He was Rick's Prince, and he wasn't going to let some bitch swoop in and try to ruin their happiness. "Well, that was something," Rick said, leading Daryl over to the table that Carl and Judith were sitting at.

Daryl shrugged and pulled a bowl towards him, shoveling food into his mouth. He hadn't eaten hardly at all today and he was starving. "I gotcha something today Judith," he said, once his mouth was clear of food. "If ya eat all yer food I'll show it to ya soon enough."

Judith squealed with excitement and began shoveling food into her mouth. "Hey slow down," Carl chided her, pounding on her back as she began to cough. "You have to actually chew before you swallow."

"You always get Judith presents and not me," Rick pouted teasingly, resting a hand on Daryl's knee.

"Don' worry Princess, ya get yers tonight," Daryl whispered, wrapping an arm around Rick's waist.

"Gross," Carl teased, standing up with his empty bowl. "I totally did not need to hear that. Besides, last time I heard, you're the bottom Daryl." And on that note, the teenager walked off laughing, officially satisfied with mortifying the two men.

Rick choked on his latest bite of food and Daryl's ears turned pink as he bowed his head. Carl was referring to the time he had walked in on Rick and Daryl having sex, which was honestly probably the most embarrassing moment he had ever experienced. Besides, he wasn't alwaysthe bottom.

"What's a bottom?" Judith asked and Daryl's face turned bright red.

"Nothing, eat your vegetables or you don't get your present," Rick said.

Judith shoveled the rest of the food into her mouth and swallowed, chasing it down with a glass of water. "Okay I'm done, can I have my present now?"

Daryl chuckled and grabbed the bag he had brought back from his run. "Found this for ya," he said, pulling out the stuffed dragon and handing it over to Judith.

She squealed loud enough to turn heads, hugging the dragon close to her chest. "Thank you Daryl," she said, voice squeaky with excitement as she hopped up on the table, jumping onto Daryl's lap.

"Whoa, kid," Daryl said, catching Judith before she went tumbling onto the concrete floor. "Be more careful next time."

"I promise." Judith kissed Daryl's cheek before she hopped down. She then proceeded to show off her new toy to everyone. "Look what my Daryl got for me," Judith said as she ran over to Carol, who was sitting with Maggie, Glenn, and Hershel. Carol looked over at Daryl, giving him a knowing smile and a wink, before turning her attention back to Judith.

She hadn't said a word, but that look said it all. She was right. New girl wasn't going to come between him and his family. Rick took Daryl's hand, grabbing his attention once more. "Hey," he said, resting his forehead against Daryl's. "Do you see now that I'm not going to let Madison, or anyone, get between us?"

Daryl just nodded and pressed a chaste kiss against Rick's lips. He wasn't one for public displays of affection, excluding what he had just done to show new girl who she was messing with, but he figured he could make another exception. "Love ya, Princess," he said.

Rick groaned and pulled away from Daryl. "I s'pose you're never gonna let me live that down, are ya?"

"Never."