TEN

There was finally a rhythm at Hilltop. It had taken a while, and it was harder even still for some of them - like Daryl - to get used to, but each individual had now settled into a pattern of living that was as close to the world before as it could possibly get. Ava enjoyed the predictability, the routine mundaneness of it all, but if she were honest with herself she also missed the adrenaline rush of not knowing what each day held. She had taken up permanent residence in Daryl's trailer, which although it had been his idea sometimes felt too cramped for him, causing him to get restless and go out on a day-long hunt. That was fine with Ava, too, as usually it meant he brought home a large deer or a wild boar that would feed the community for a few weeks. Or longer, if they made some of the meat into stew.

Chloe slept in the playpen beside her in Daryl's spare room, just now beginning to eat some soft solids as she had two teeth and more on their way in. Enid often came by to take her for a while, entertaining both her and Judith so Ava could take her turn at guard duty, or even just rest and enjoy a quiet afternoon. Maggie was as big as a house, as she herself put it, and was due to deliver any day, a fact that made Glenn more nervous with every passing hour.

There were still supply runs, and trade missions with the other nearby communities, but those were far and few between, and only when they were in dire need of something specific. Ava had finally got to meet Carol as she came to Hilltop to invite the community to the Kingdom for a wedding celebration, and she instantly loved the grey-haired woman and her sparkling blue eyes. They had spent hours laughing and trading stories about Daryl until he got so embarrassed that he ran off and left them alone, which of course made them laugh even more. Too soon her short visit was over, and Ava made Carol promise to come back soon. Carol readily agreed, promising Ava that next time she would tell her about all his daring rescues.

She couldn't wait.

After checking on Chloe, who was napping in her playpen with a small smile on her rosy lips, Ava stepped into Daryl's room to check on him next. He was awake and sitting on his bed, his legs folded under him as his hands turned a small piece of plastic over and over. When he saw her come in, he set the object down on his bedside table and said, "Hey."

She gave him a flash of a smile. "Hey, yourself. Whatcha doin'?."

"Takin' a minute," he replied. "Damn ankle's hurtin' again."

Ava shrugged. "I once heard that sprains are even worse than breaks, in terms of healing time. Could take months to over a year for a sprain."

He rolled his eyes. "Great."

She neared the bed and asked with a pointed finger if she could sit down. Daryl moved his feet over a bit to make room for her, and she sank down on the mattress with a small sigh. Tucking one leg underneath her, she gazed silently at him until he became uncomfortable and asked, "What?"

"Nothing," she replied. "I just like looking at you."

"Pfft."

She cocked her head to the side and frowned. "You think I'm lying?"

He defaulted to letting his bangs fall over his eyes. "Just don't think there's much ta look at."

"Daryl, I don't know if you've noticed, but there are quite a few females who think you're hot."

His cheeks flushed a deep red. "Stop."

"I'm serious. Girls talk about this kind of stuff with each other, y'know."

He decided not to follow that line of thought and instead asked, "Like who?"

Ava held up her hand and ticked off her fingers as she spoke. "Well, of course, there's me. And I happen to know Maggie thinks you're pretty, in a grungy, grease-monkey kinda way."

"She does not..."

"And," she went on, ignoring him, "Carol just adores you."

"Ava, she's..."

"And last but certainly not least, there's Rosita."

He was silent as he pondered this revelation, but then shook his head. "Maybe they 're joking."

"They weren't, trust me. But anyway, I was wondering if we could go out and practice later, with my new bow."

He shrugged, glad for the change of subject. "Sure."

"Then, when I get good, maybe I could go hunting with you."

"Why?"

"Cause...I wanna help, and anyway you're good at hunting but soon it'll be winter and we'll need more food than one person can bring in."

"Gonna take more than a few lessons to get good enough ta bring down a deer."

She nodded. "I know. But I'm a fast learner."

"I dunno..." He said, nervously chewing his thumbnail. "It's dangerous out there, 'n when we're huntin' we'll be far apart. If somethin' happens I can't get to ya fast."

"I won't need you to protect me if I get good, and anyway I have my knife."

She closed her eyes as she saw the shift in his face, and too late she wished she could take back what she had just said.

"Ya won't, huh? Like when ya were stranded when the car broke down? Like how you didn't need my help to get outta Sanctuary?"

"Daryl, that's not what I meant."

"What if I wanna protect ya? Huh? What if I don't wanna take ya out there cuz I don't want it to be on me if somethin' happens to ya?" He sat up, his limbs rigid as he fought the urge to get up and start pacing anxiously. "Like Sophia? Or Denise, shot through the eye with a bolt from my bow?! Like Beth!"

"You only care because you don't want more guilt," she angrily spat.

"No, I care 'cause I don't want Chloe to lose another Ma. And 'cause if I gotta dig one more grave I'll lose my fuckin' mind!" He took a moment to calm down, taking deep breaths until he no longer wanted to punch a hole in a wall. Then, he said, "It ain't fair to 'er, havin' ta grow up without her Ma. Like Judith did."

"Like you."

Daryl nodded. "She needs ya, Ava."

"Okay," she relented. "But when she's older..."

He dipped his head. His voice soft, he said, "I'll take ya whenever ya want."

Wondering if he realized the innuendo in his words, Ava looked up and felt her breath catch in her throat. That look was back in Daryl's eyes, the one he had just before he'd kissed her the first time. His eyes were so blue, his pupils large and black in contrast, and his nostrils flared slightly as he inhaled each carefully measured breath. His hand slowly lifted to trail down the side of her face, his fingers sliding against her silky skin, and she closed her eyes in pleasure. She kept them closed as his palm cupped her cheek, then moved to her lower jaw, and she felt his breath on her lips just before his mouth covered hers. His kiss was slow and gentle, almost shy, and she cautiously reached up and took his face in her hands to reassure him, her fingers curling slightly into his stubbled cheeks. His pressure on her mouth increased then, the slightest growl/groan sounding in his throat as his hands wandered to her shoulders, then further down to her biceps. His grip was tight, but not painfully so; still as soon as she inhaled sharply Daryl released her as if her skin had burned him.

Ava broke the kiss and leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "You're okay," she said, planting small kisses on the spot just below his earlobe. "You won't hurt me."

He ducked his head to stare into her eyes, making sure she was telling the truth, and she gave him a small smile and brushed her lips across his. His palm slipped up to the back of her head and trapped her there, his tongue darting out to swipe across her lower lips, and she sighed against him and opened her mouth to allow it full access. She could still feel his hesitation, so she boldly swung her leg over him to straddle his lap, her knees pressed into his hips, and she was rewarded by his hands moving down to span her waist, his fingers digging into her back on either side. She felt them toying with the hem of her shirt, bunching it up as they slid higher, and then they let go to slip around to her front, lightly brushing the lower edge of her bra. Ava tangled her hands in his dark hair, tugging gently as she released his lips to trail warm, wet kisses down his chin to his Adam's apple. She felt his chest heave as he gasped in a breath, and then he tilted his head back to allow her to continue, his lower lip caught between his teeth. She made a sound that was not unlike a cat's purr and followed his silent request, but within mere moments of her tongue tracing patterns across the velvet skin of his throat he grabbed her arms and stilled her atop him.

"Gotta...slow down," he panted. "I need..."

Ava nodded, smiling impishly. "Feels too good?" She asked, and he moved his head in what amounted to a nod.

"Been a minute. Wanna go slow. Slower," he corrected at the end.

She let him cool down, her face tucked into his shoulder as they simply enjoyed each other's presence. She listened to his heart beat and her mind drifted back to when they had first met, when she had been injured and he helped her through her panic attack. Even before she had truly known him and learned his character, she had felt safer with him - a stranger - than she ever had in her life. She had felt even then that he would protect her, and she had been right. He was everything she had ever longed for - strong but compassionate, with a hidden sense of humor and a set of morals to rival a saint. And he was gorgeous, with muscles that were defined but not beefy.

And those eyes. So bright blue and yet full of mystery and mischief, and when they stared at her she could feel him peering straight into her soul, peeling off layer after layer...

She suddenly needed a glass of water. Hell, she needed a whole lake.

There was knock on the front door then. Not just a knock, but more like banging. Almost pounding. With a groan Ava pushed herself up to look at him.

"Think they'll go away?" She asked quietly.

Before he could answer, a voice shouted, "Daryl? It's Rick!"

Daryl looked back at her. "Sorry," he muttered.

She groaned a second time, then climbed off him so he could get up and answer the door. "This better be important," she said.

"Daryl?" Rick yelled again, his voice desperate, and Daryl and Ava traded worried glances.

"Comin'," he called back, pulling on a sleeveless t-shirt as he walked out of his room and down the hall. Ava straightened her clothes as she followed him, trying in vain to smooth the wrinkles out.

Daryl opened the kitchen door to see Rick standing there, the fingers of both hands digging into his hips as if he were physically trying to keep himself in one place.

"What's up?" Daryl asked.

As soon as Rick's blue eyes gazed at Daryl they filled with tears, and Ava's heart sped up in her chest. Something very bad must've happened for him to be that upset. "I can't find Judith. She was in the house with Michonne, and then..." His voice cracked at the end and he trailed off, his hand covering his mouth.

Daryl stepped forward and laid a hand on Rick's shoulder. "Gimme a sec, get m' boots on."

"I've looked everywhere she could go," the sheriff babbled on as Daryl ducked back into the house to retrieve his shoes and any other items he thought he'd need for the search. "Michonne feels guilty, but she...Judith knows better than to run off."

Ava came outside and gave him a comforting hug. "We'll find 'er, Rick. Daryl will track her down."

His head leaned into her shoulder, he could only nod as his tears clogged his throat. Daryl came back out then wearing his trademark vest and a pair of black motorcycle boots. Securing his knife in the sheath at his hip, he asked, "Ya said she's at the house?"

Rick nodded. "Michonne turned her back to talk to someone else, and when she looked back a few seconds later she was gone."

Daryl immediately started down the porch stairs and headed for the manor house, with Rick only slightly behind and to the left of him.

"I'll meet you," Ava told them. "Gotta get Chloe."

Ava ran inside and went into the spare room. Chloe was awake, just looking around the room with wide eyes, and Ava smiled down at her. "Hey, Princess," she murmured as she gently lifted the baby from the playpen. "You had a good nap, huh?" With Chloe tucked in her arms, she stopped at the kitchen table to grab her hunting knife, then went back outside. She saw the two men on the dirt track between the trailers and the manor house, and quickened her steps to catch up the rear.

"She search the whole buildin'?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah," Rick replied, wiping his hand over his face. "She's already gone through the storehouse and infirmary, too."

"A'ight. You go with Michonne then, start lookin' in the stable, sheds, all that. Me an' Ava'll take the trailers, work from th' outside in; if she's bein' cute we'll box 'er in."

Rick swallowed thickly even as he nodded. "You don't think..."

Daryl stopped and met Rick's gaze straight on, his eyes serious. "Don't think nothin'. Gotta be here somewhere. We'll meet back out front o' the house."

The wooden doors to the 150-year-old building opened then, and Michonne and Maggie came outside, their faces full of grief and worry. Rick went up on the porch to meet his girlfriend, embracing her in a hug, and Maggie reached over and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Where's the last place ya saw 'er?" Daryl asked Michonne when she and Rick had drawn apart.

"In the kitchen," she replied, wiping tears from her face. "She was eating a cookie at the table, so I turned around to ask Rosita about the guard duty assignments, and..." She trailed off with a helpless shrug and then regarded Rick with sad eyes. "She was just gone. I didn't mean to take my eyes off her..."

"It's not your fault," Ava told her. "Kids are fast when they wanna be."

"Give Chloe to me," a voice at Ava's shoulder said, and she turned to see Enid standing there, a worried look on her face.

Ava's glance found Daryl, and he gave her the barest of nods. "Okay," she said after another moment, then placed the baby in Enid's waiting arms. "She might get hungry soon. There's a few bottles in the house, and there are diapers in..."

"I'll be okay," Enid assured her with a shy smile. "I've been helping Maggie sometimes, remember?" Then her face grew serious again, and she looked between Ava and Daryl before saying, "Just find her, okay?"

Ava nodded. She knew that after Carl died the teenaged girl had grown close to his little sister, often playing with her and watching after her when the adults were busy. "We will."

As Enid took Chloe into the house, Daryl headed off toward the far end of the row of trailers, closest to the front gate, and Ava followed after him as Rick and Michonne went to start looking in the other direction. They searched in silence for a while, knowing that if Judith was hiding it would be easier to sneak up on her if they didn't make too much noise. They crept around each trailer's exterior first, Ava taking the left and Daryl the right, and if there was someone home they quietly asked the occupants if they had seen her. They skipped the inside of Daryl's trailer as they knew she was not there, though Ava did peek under the front porch just in case she had crawled beneath it.

Coming up empty at the trailers, Daryl gestured to her that they should walk the rear perimeter of the stockade, and she nodded her agreement and let him take point. As they walked, Ava tried to ignore the gnawing fear in her stomach that something bad had happened to the toddler. It had been over an hour since anyone had seen her, and even here where it seemed safe there was always the distinct possibility that something - or someone - could have found a way in.

Or out, she noted as Daryl stopped and pointed at the stockade directly behind the house. One of the beams had shifted sideways over time, canting at an angle that left a small gap between it and the next one that looked just big enough for someone Judith's size to slip through.

"Shit," Ava muttered, her eyes wide. "Daryl, you think..?"

"Gotta check," he said. He moved closer to the gap and turned sideways, trying to push his body through, but his shoulders were too wide to fit. He contorted himself a few different ways and tried again, but each time he could only get half of his upper body through. He stood up and sighed.

"Let me try," she offered, already moving toward the fence. "I think I can get through if I crawl."

Out of options, he nodded. "Careful."

"You know me," she said with a shrug, and he nodded again.

"'S why I said it."

Ava crouched down and then got on her hands and knees in front of the seam. Looking over her shoulder at him, she smiled and said, "Stop starin' at my ass."

Daryl scoffed, but failed to deny it. "Hurry up, will ya? Ain't no time fer flirtin'."

She managed to get her arms and torso through, but when she tried to pull her hips through she felt herself get caught on something. She tried twisting sideways, but that didn't help. It was only when she heard Daryl's voice say, "Yer knife's caught," that she realized what had happened. Feeling like an idiot, she pulled back through and took her knife sheath off her shorts. She pushed it through the hole ahead of her and started again, and this time it only took a little maneuvering to slide her hips through. Once she was clear of the fence, she picked up her knife again and then stood up. Scanning the wooded area just beyond Hilltop, she watched carefully for any signs of movement, for flashes of clothing or blond hair. She heard rustling in some bushes ahead and slowly crept toward them, her knife held ready in case it wasn't Judith. She stared hard at the bushes, trying to make out what was behind them, but they were too dense to see through and all she could see were the branches shaking. When she was less than ten feet away, a squirrel suddenly hopped out and then scampered up the trunk of a pine tree, chattering loudly. Staring up at the animal, Ava scowled as she was simultaneously glad it was only an animal, and irritated that it wasn't the toddler she was searching for. Ava continued to walk along the outside of the fence, stopping every few feet to listen for any noises, but besides the squirrel the air was silent.

She had gone halfway around the back portion, close to where the trailers stood on the other side, when she stumbled upon what looked like a manhole sunk into the ground, the cover long since either rotted or removed. Ava's heart leaped into her throat, then sank to her stomach. The concrete lip was level with the forest floor and barely visible due to the long grass; it would be so easy for a kid to fall in, especially if they were chasing, say, a squirrel or a chipmunk. Creeping closer, Ava said a quick prayer and then cautiously leaned over the hole. It wasn't very deep, maybe fifteen feet or so, and she could tell by the slimy moss growing on the walls that it had once been filled almost to the top with water. Thankfully it was now dry, the bottom littered with dry leaves, sticks and acorns. But tucked in the corner, half-hidden in the shadows and dressed in a blue shirt and jeans, crouched a familiar form.

"Oh my God!" Ava breathed. Dropping down onto her stomach, she leaned her top half over the hole and softly called down, "Judith? Judith, honey, can you hear me?"

The form moved, and then two small hands appeared to push the mop of blond curls away from the face. Gray eyes turned up to look at her and the girl began to whimper, and Ava huffed out a sigh of relief and said, "Okay, you're okay. Stay quiet, okay?"

Judith nodded, and Ava scrambled to her feet and ran back to the gap. She dropped to her hands and knees and peered through the hole, glad to see Daryl's motorcycle boots on the other side. "Daryl," she gasped, out of breath, "I found her."

He instantly dropped onto his belly to see her face, his eyes desperate. "She hurt?"

"I don't think so."

"Where?"

"She fell into a dry well, a few dozen yards to my left. It's right on the other side of where the trailers are."

"I'm comin' 'round."

"Gonna need rope, or a ladder," she said, and he nodded his understanding.

"Go back to 'er, keep 'er quiet."

"Got it."

She got up and rushed back to the well, the knot in her stomach finally loosening. She lay down once more, and now Judith stood up and whimpered, lifting her arms as if asking to be picked up.

"It's gonna be okay," Ava told her. "Daddy and Uncle Daryl are coming to help."

"Daddy!" Judith cried, and Ava winced as her small voice echoed loudly in the well.

Putting her fingers to her lips, Ava said, "We gotta play the quiet game for a bit, okay? Remember that?"

The toddler nodded and let her arms fall down to her sides. She pretended to zip her mouth shut and throw away a key, and Ava chuckled softly. "Good job. Now, on three we both stay quiet until Uncle Daryl says it's okay. Right?"

Judith nodded again, so Ava counted to three and then locked her lips as well. As she waited, she continued to watch the woods around her for any stray walkers, hoping that nothing came. Unfortunately she spotted one shambling toward her a few moments later, half of the skin over its face missing so that the white of its cheek bone gleamed in the sunlight filtering through the trees. She silently got to her feet and pulled out her knife, then crouched in the shadow of the roots of an upturned tree, her breath stuck in her throat. After what seemed like hours it finally passed by her, headed straight for the well. She let it get another few feet or so, then crept up behind it and stabbed her knife through the back of the skull. It sank to the ground at once, far enough from the well that none of its leaking blood could reach it, and she wiped off her blade and slid it into the sheath.

Daryl appeared a few short minutes later, a length of thick rope like that used on larger sailing ships draped over his shoulder as he moved toward her at a pace just short of a full-out run. Following behind him were Rick and Michonne, relief written all over the sheriff's worn face as they hopped over rocks and fallen logs. Ava wasn't sure if they had seen Daryl leaving the main gate or if he had alerted them himself, but either way they were here. When they reached where Ava stood, Rick carefully looked over the edge just enough so that he could see Judith without her seeing him, as he knew that if she did she would either cry or shout up to him, and they really could not afford to fight off any more walkers while they rescued her.

"She okay?" He asked Ava quietly.

She answered him as she watched Daryl anchor the rope around a nearby tree, his fingers tying a very secure and complicated knot. "I think so. Probably just bumps and bruises."

"I'll go down," Rick told Daryl as he brought the other end of the rope closer to the well.

The hunter peered down at Judith, then shook his head. "Nah. Bottom narrows too much. Not enough room fer you 'r me ta move."

"That's my little girl, Daryl," Rick argued, his voice little more than a harsh whisper. "I need..."

"I can get her," Ava interjected. "I'm small enough."

"Ya can't hold 'er and climb up," Daryl stated.

She thought for a moment. He was right; her arms were strong, but that would be pushing their limit, and they couldn't afford to waste too much time out here. There were bound to be more walkers, and except for Michonne they were all only armed with knives. Finally she met his eyes and said, "Then I'll go down and tie the rope to her. You can lift her out, then send it back down for me."

Rick and Daryl exchanged glances.

"Could work," Daryl said with a shrug, and Rick nodded.

"Go 'head."

Daryl handed her the free end, and she wrapped it between her legs and then up over her shoulder, making an improvised harness. Acting as her anchor point, he took the middle section of rope and wound the slack around his arm, then planted his feet wide on the forest floor and watched as Ava carefully backed herself up to the lip of the hole and leaned back, trusting him to hold her weight as she rappelled down the mossy corrugated metal inside. She shot him a quick glance, and he could almost hear what her eyes were saying: Don't drop me.

""I got ya," he said aloud, and just before her head disappeared beneath the lip she smiled at him.

There was one worrying moment halfway down the well, when her foot slipped and she feared that she would lose her grip and fall on top of Judith, but she held tight to the rope and paused to take a breath, letting her heart slow down from its runaway pace. Her palms slick with sweat, she let go of the rope with her left hand for a moment and wiped it on her shorts, then did the same with her right. She looked up and saw Daryl at the edge of the well, his arms trembling with the effort of keeping the rope taut, his face a grim mask though his eyes were alive with worry. She turned her gaze to the bottom. Judith was flattened against the curved wall, her face streaked with dirt except for two trails down her cheeks where tears had washed them clean. The poor girl looked terrified, but so far Ava could see no obvious injuries. She shot a comforting smile down at the toddler, then slightly loosened her grip and let gravity slowly pull her down toward the bottom. She felt her feet brush the littered floor a moment later, and then she let go of the rope. Up above her, Daryl sighed in relief and shook out his aching arms.

He had been right about the lack of space. There was barely enough room for her to crouch down and look into Judith's eyes, which lasted but a moment before the girl threw her arms around Ava's neck and butted her head into her chest.

"You're okay," she quietly told the child, rubbing small circles on her back. "I'm gonna help you get outta here, okay?"

"Kay," Judith softly replied as Ava set her back down.

"I'm gonna tie this around you," She said as she picked up the rope. Then, she pointed up to the mouth of the hole. "See Uncle Daryl up there?"

Judith only nodded.

"He's gonna pull you up. But you gotta stay still, so you don't get hurt."

"Daddy?" Judith asked then, and Ava smiled.

"He's up there, too. Be still and quiet, okay?"

She nodded again and Ava got to work, wrapping the rope around the girl's slight waist and then tying a strong knot. She glanced up to make sure Daryl was ready, and he nodded down at her. After giving Judith another quick hug she said, "Hold on tight."

Daryl began pulling up the slack, trying not to scare the girl by jerking the rope too much. He was glad now for the calluses on his hands, as the rough fibers moving over his skin were only now beginning to hurt. Slowly, he watched the top of Judith's head come closer to where he stood, her body swinging slightly but not enough to scrape against the metal walls. She looked up at him once, when she was still too far down for him to reach, and the simultaneous expressions of fear and trust in her eyes nearly took his breath away. He loved this little girl, this bundle of mischief, and he would do anything for her. Move mountains, carry the moon on his back...hell, he'd give up his life.

He began to move faster without realizing it, but by now she was close enough that he could have reached down and wrapped his arms around her. He left that honor to her father, who immediately dropped to his knees beside the well and stuck his arms under her shoulders, then lifted her the rest of the way out. He undid the knot around Judith's waist and let the rope fall from her, then stood up and held her against his chest like he had when she was a baby. She clung to him just as tightly, her small voice crying, "Daddy," over and over again. Tears flowed freely down Rick's face to fall into his beard, and Michonne soon moved closer to wrap her arms around both of them, crying softly into Rick's shoulder.

Daryl looked down into the well. Ava was looking back at him, grinning widely as tears sparkled in her own eyes. He nodded, his way of thanking her, and she wiped at her face and nodded back. He picked up the free end of the rope and flicked it down into the hole, once again wrapping it around his forearm as she climbed up once more. Ava soon appeared at the top and he helped her onto her feet, and by then the trio's tears had settled down to mere sniffles.

"Should git goin'," Daryl gently told Rick. "Been out here long 'nough."

Clapping his best friend on the shoulder, Rick nodded. "Thank you," he said gratefully as he nuzzled Judith's golden hair.

Daryl's reply was the same as years ago, when Judith had first been born. "It's what we do."

Ava had busied herself with coiling up the rope, looping it over her arm as she moved closer to the tree Daryl had tied it around, but suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Rick staring down at her, his blue eyes bright in the afternoon sun.

"You, too, Ava," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank you for finding my little girl."

Ava smiled as she hugged him. "I'm glad she's okay."

She and Daryl took up the rear as they made their way around to the front gates, each of them happily watching the reunited family ahead. They were almost there when Daryl's elbow lightly nudged her, and she turned to look at him.

"Did a good job back there," he said, and her heart nearly exploded as she realized this was the first time he had given her a compliment. A real, honest-to-goodness compliment.

"So did you."

"He's m' brother," he said with a nod toward Rick's back. "I'd want 'im ta do th' same fer me."

She smiled. "He would."

"I know," he replied honestly, a slight grin finding his lips.

They walked through the gate, and everyone who had been worriedly waiting inside suddenly broke out into cheers. They surrounded the search party on all sides, trapping Daryl and Ava close together in the crush of people. His arms wrapped protectively around her and she allowed her body to relax against him, her forehead pressed into his shoulder. She was pretty sure she stepped on his foot when the crowd shifted to the side, but if it hurt he made no indication. She heard his voice rumble in his chest as he spoke to someone, and she looked up to see Enid there on the outside of the group, smiling as she held Chloe close. Daryl pushed himself and Ava through the mass of people until they finally broke through into empty space, then gently plucked the infant from Enid's arms and cuddled her to his chest. Ava peeked at her over his arm, chuckling when Chloe reached up to touch Daryl's goatee. She made a soft sound and smiled one of those adorable baby smiles, and Daryl's heart swelled so much it almost hurt. Ava caught Enid's gaze, and they shared a grin as they both saw the expression of pure love on the stoic hunter's face. He got that same look every time a kid was nearby, but for some reason it never ceased to amaze Ava. His demeanor was normally so gruff, it should have made children afraid of him, but it seemed to do just the opposite. Kids did not just gravitate toward him, they actually sought him out.

"Hi, baby," he murmured, dipping his nose to nuzzle against hers in an eskimo kiss. Her tiny hands suddenly grabbed his hair on either side of his face, and she tried to pull his nose into her mouth so she could suck on it, whimpering when her stomach remained empty.

Wincing in pain, he tried to untangle her fingers from his hair, but she had her fists closed tight. He'd had no idea that a baby could have such a strong grip. Those fingers looked delicate, but they had the strength of a vise. Secretly, he was proud of her; if that strength kept up by the time she was ten she'd be able to use a crossbow with no problem.

Ava watched him flail around helplessly for only a moment before stepping in. Biting down hard against a laugh, she gently pried Chloe's fingers open and took her from him. Chloe began to cry in earnest now, the hunger in her belly growing with each moment that passed.

"Enid..." Ava began, but before she could say another word the teenager pulled a bottle from her back pocket and handed it to her. She slipped the nipple into the baby's mouth and sighed out, "Thanks."

Enid looked over her shoulder at the throng of people still surrounding Rick, then back at Ava and Daryl. Smiling softly at the hunter, she said, "I knew you'd find her."

"Was Ava, found 'er," Daryl told her. "I jus' helped get 'er out."

"Well, you must be rubbing off on her, then."

He huffed a laugh and then ducked his head to hide the blush creeping up his neck and face.

"He definitely is," Ava replied with a grin.

"Stop," he grouched, then quickly retreated to Rick's side, and the two women shared a quiet chuckle.

"He's so cute when he's embarrassed," Ava said as she put Chloe against her shoulder to burp her.

Enid nodded. "It's just 'cause he doesn't know what to say. 'Cause we're the only ones who ever treated him good."

"Because he's good."

"I know. But sometimes he gets this look in his eyes..." She sighed softly. "Like he's guilty even though he's never done anything."

Ava nodded, knowing exactly which look she was describing. "Daryl's seen a lot more than I think we'll ever know, Enid. He keeps it all locked up. Up here." She tapped her forehead with her free hand and frowned. "But I wish he wouldn't."

"Why not?"

"Because it eats away at him, and I..." She stopped, unsure of how to finish that thought.

The teenager gave her a wry grin then. "You like him."

"As a friend," Ava tried with a nonchalant shrug, but Enid was too perceptive for that.

"Uh-uh. More than that. You love him."

"What makes you think...?"

"I can tell." Leaning forward, she added, "It's okay. I can tell he loves you, too."

Maggie called Enid's name then, and the girl pressed a quick kiss to Chloe's soft head before going to find out what Maggie needed.

Ava watched her walk away, her last statement echoing inside her head. She knew Daryl was physically attracted to her - her face was still tender in some spots where his goatee had given her brush burn - and she knew that he had at least cared about her enough to rescue her from Negan. But love? Was that possible?

Not that she didn't believe he was capable of love, after all she could see that emotion written all over his face every time he held Chloe in his arms. It was just that romantic love was different, filled with all kinds of dangerous connotations that she knew he usually tried to avoid, especially since the Turn when life was too precarious to entertain such close relationships. When everyone was literally one moment away from dying in any of a hundred terrible ways.

Suddenly feeling like she was being watched, she lifted her head and looked around. Straight ahead, Daryl stood facing her, and though he was still listening to Rick talking his blue eyes were locked onto her. Ava could not hide the smile that crept onto her face as she saw him watching her.

Maybe what Enid said was true.

Just maybe.

TBC...