Hello everyone! This is my first fanfiction, so please don't be too rough on me. This is starting at the beginning of season 4. I'm not really sure how long they were at the prison but I will be coming up with my own timeline. Sorry ahead of time, this chapter will be short. The ones following should be longer. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter one: Welcome to the New World
"Mama. Hey!"
I jerk awake as I hear my three year old daughter, Samantha, yelling at me to come and get her out of her play yard that she uses as a bed. I couldn't help but chuckle at her when I got out of bed. I looked out the barred windows and was blinded by the early morning light. The sun must have just come up.
"Hi baby girl. Is mama's baby awake already?" She looks up at me and gives me her biggest smile.
We've been here for about eight months already. Eight months of no running, no worrying about where our next meal will come from, and no fighting to make sure that no one—dead or alive—got their hands on my daughter. It was just us before we were brought to the prison. They didn't have many people then, but now there's more than I ever thought would survive. After my husband died protecting us when all of this started, I never thought that I would survive. But I did. He didn't. I survived for my daughter and for my husband and now, I have more people to keep fighting for. I have grown close to quite a few people here. Closer to Carol then anyone. She told me about losing her daughter. Something she's never told anyone that doesn't already know.
I quickly pull on my shoes and a shirt to go on over my tank top, and walk over to my daughter and pick her up and lift her in the air, lightly shaking her while she giggles.
"Ahhhh, flying baby!" I yell light enough for just her to hear. We don't want to disturb anyone from their sleep before we have breakfast made. That was my job, to help Carol cook and distribute the food and make sure we have enough water in the barrels for everyone. When we first arrived, things were tense around here. It took a while to get used to having people around. I wouldn't even let Beth hold Sam, even though I saw how good she was with Judith. Judith was Rick's daughter, Carl's sister. She was barely two weeks old when we got here. Anyways, things were tense and I everyone knew and understood why I was uncomfortable, so they gave me my space until I was ready. After being here for about a month, I had already had my job helping Carol, but I still had Sam attached at the hip. After Carol and I had finished cleaning up, we went to our cells which were in the same cell block. As we got to my cell, we heard voices coming from inside.
"This was very thoughtful of you, Daryl" Was that Rick? Daryl? What are they doing in my room? I nervously look at Carol because I did not know either men very well at the time and she gives me a reassuring grin, as I am sure that she knew that she could trust them.
"Woman's been alone since it started. Takin' care of that baby on 'er own." I slowly peeled the curtain separating my cell from the rest of the block and what I saw blew me away. I slowly let out the breath that I didn't realize I was holding. On the wall opposite my own bed, Daryl and Rick were setting up the play yard that Sam now sleeps in.
"Hello, Stacey. Daryl here thought that you and the baby would like to have your own beds. I hope that's okay?" Rick says in a gentle voice. I look at Daryl and he looks a little jittery as he looks from me and Sam to the play yard.
"Of course, thank you." I say.
"We'll leave you to get some rest then." He says as he lightly touches my shoulder before walking out of the room closely followed by Daryl who nods his good-bye. At that moment, I don't know if it was Rick's sincerity in his voice when he spoke or if it was Daryl bringing back the bed, but at that moment I decided that I needed to let go of my fear and trust a little more. I had tears pulling at my eyes, fighting to come out. I had forgotten all about Carol being in the room until she wrapped an arm around my shoulder to comfort me. Now, is the time. I turned to Carol and looked at her, tears still threatening to spill.
"Would you like to hold her while I get her stuff ready for bed?" Then, she smiled at me. "You sure you're ready?" I nodded. When Sam was out of my arms, I couldn't hold back anymore, the tears fell. I am the only one that has held her in a year, yet here she was being held by someone she barely knows and she doesn't even care. She just looked at Carol and started talking gibberish. It was then that my friendship with most of the occupants began.
Now, as I make my way to court that was set up outside for everyone to eat more comfortably, I am greeted by almost everyone.
When I reach the yard Carol is already getting stuff ready, so I set Sam in the high chair Daryl had also gotten her and not even an hour later we have breakfast ready for everyone. Now all that needed to be done was to keep it warm until we have made sure everyone eats.
As I give Samantha the food that I had cooled down for her, I hear Dr. S greet Daryl. I turn around and grin as Daryl greets him back and is then meet with greeting from everyone. He just looks back at them with a 'what the hell' look on his face.
"Smells good," he tells us as he grabs a bowl. "Just so you know, I liked you first," Carol clarifies while also grinning. "And I liked you second," I added. This made Carol chuckle.
"Stop. You know, Rick bought in a lot of 'em, too." He said.
"Not recently. Give the stranger sanctuary, keep them feed. You're gonna have to learn to live with the love."
"Right." He responded.
"I need to show you something. Stacey, you okay for a second?" She asks me.
"I got it."
"Patrick you wanna help?" Patrick was a boy about Carl's age.
Patrick jumps at the opportunity, "Yes, ma'am. Umm, Mr. Dixon. I just wanted to thank for bringing that deer back yesterday. It was a real treat, sir." Daryl glances at me and I just shake my head and cover my mouth to stifle the laugh. Then he looks to Carol who is smiling.
"I would be honored to shake your hand?" Patrick holds out his hand. I did not expect what happened next. Daryl stepped closer to him and proceeded to lick each and every finger, then making sure to use a firm grip, shook Patrick's hand. I turned my head the other way, silently laughing. As Daryl and Carol take off to look at the fences, I look at Patrick. "What?" he asks. "Nothing. Nothing at all." I continue laughing and go back to cutting up the deer.
While serving the food to everyone, I glanced over to where Daryl and Carol were, and I saw Daryl looking over here before he turned away. Carol looked at me and grinned before she started talking to Daryl again, who kept glancing this way. Then, Daryl lightly bumped her elbow and they both headed back this way. Daryl dropped off his bowl and said hey to Sam while roughing up her hair a little. She moved his hand away and attempted to say his name as he walked away. Daryl and Sam have become close after he bought the play yard back also. Although he says that he never had kids before, he is very good with Sam. Not what you would expect from a man that wears a leather jacket. She goes back to eating when she realizes that he isn't coming back to play with her. When Carol gets back around, she looks at me still grinning.
"So, are you gonna tell me what you two were talking about, or are you just gonna keep grinning like that?" She just shook her head and continued her work. "Okay, then do you have this while I Sam to Beth?"
"Mmhmm." Still not saying anything. As I round the corner and I see Beth with a pail of water talking with Zack, her boyfriend, and Daryl loading up the truck. Just as I get up close enough I hear Daryl say, "It's like a damn romance novel." As Beth passes, I hand Sam to her. "Awe come on, Daryl. Don't you feel the love," I giggled. "Yeah, little too much love."
"Daryl," I say waiting for him to look at me, "be careful, okay." He looked down then back at me and nods then continues getting the truck ready. I sigh and make my way back to help Carol clean up. When we are done with that, I decide to go help the fence clingers since Tyreese was going on the run with the others. Sam could use some time away from me anyway.
A few hours later, after I went back inside to take care of Sam, the group from the run came back one person short. Zack didn't make it. I could see how upset Daryl was at losing yet another person to this world. A world where we are never really safe. A world where the dead kill the living. Welcome to the new world.
