A/N: I usually write things that end up a little angsty, so I thought I'd try my hand at fluff.
I ain't claimin' nothin'.
"Catch me, Uncle Daryl!" Judith screamed as she launched herself from the swing, never doubting that he would ever let her fall. Because he never did. He plucked her from the air and spun her around before setting her down.
Beth smiled as they made their way towards her, taking constant detours along the way. She didn't blame them. The playground was such a new concept to the little girl. The idea of being safe and not under the constant threat of Walkers was new to them all. But they'd made it. They'd found shelter in the Alexandria Safe Zone.
And not a moment too soon.
Awkwardly, she tried to get to her feet, cursing her decision to sit on the floor. But there was more shade beneath the tree, and the grass had looked more inviting than the hot metal benches surrounding the playground. She figured it would be worth the difficulty of trying to stand up. Besides, it had only been in the last month or so that her body had become so unbalanced and heavy that her arms couldn't support her.
Daryl was by her side in a moment, Judith giggling in his arms. He set the girl on the ground and then leaned down to help Beth up. His rough, sure hands counteracted her clumsiness, and she was back on her feet.
"Aunt Beth, when's my new brother gonna get here?" asked Judith, walking between them as they headed home, her little hands each clasping one of theirs.
Beth rolled her eyes. "Judy, honey, we've been over this a thousand times. The baby is gonna be your cousin, whether it's a boy or a girl."
It wasn't the girl's fault that she had such a hard time understanding. There were only a few other kids around, but they weren't like family to her, not even Maggie and Glenn's little ones. But her father called Daryl his brother, and he and Beth spent time in the Grimes' house almost everyday. The only other kid in the house was her brother, Carl. And at sixteen, he could barely be called a kid anymore.
"Is the baby gonna be a Lil' Asskicker like me?"
Beth stifled her laugh and looked over at Daryl, expecting to see one of his rare smiles. He'd given her the nickname after all. Instead, he looked at her and her protruding belly with such an intensity that her breath caught in her throat.
"We're safe now," he said, quietly. "She won't have to be."
They shared a quick kiss as Judith raced ahead, carefree and reckless like any other three-year-old before the turn. Beth slid her fingers in his, and they walked, hand in hand, the rest of the way home.