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Three days passed and Layla still felt like shit. She spend most of her time in her bedroom. She let the others take Lillian around the house but she won't let her outside. The kidnapping was still fresh in her mind. It was in the middle of the afternoon when Carol and Maggie walked into her room. Layla had the baby on the bed with her. Lillian was smiling and cooing lightly up at her.

" Come on." Maggie said as she crawled across the end of the bed.

" Come on what?" Layla asked without looking up.

" It's time to get out of this bed." Carol said as she sat down at Layla's back. She started to running her hand through Layla's hair. " You can't stay in here forever." Layla opened her mouth to respond but a roar from a bike started down the road. Layla and the other women sat straight up.

" It can't be." Layla whispered. She gathered Lillian up then they all headed to the windows. Daryl was barrelling down the road towards the farmhouse.

" What is he doing here?" Maggie asked as Rick and T-Dog went out onto the porch.

Daryl was staring hard at the farmhouse, looking for any sign of Layla or Lillian. Rick was smiling with his hands on his hips as he watched Daryl. Daryl slowed his bike down until he was walking it to the front porch. One by one other members were coming outside until they were all up, expect Layla, the baby, Maggie, and Carol. That told Daryl she knew he was there. His heart was heavy as he came to a stop and turned off the bike. Rick started down the stairs towards him.

" Nice to have you back." He said with his arm out. The two men grasps forearms.

" She been alright?" Daryl asked quietly.

" She's been crying." Rick said.

" She know anything?" He asked as they let go of their arms.

" No." Rick said.

As if that was a cue, Daryl heard loud cooing from the door frame. He looked up at Layla and the baby as they walked out of the house and suddenly he couldn't breath. Slowly he dismounted from the bike. Lillian started to kick her legs hard the second she noticed him. The group members parted as Daryl walked to the bottom of the stairs. Layla's face was a mixture of sadness and anger.

" Come on, let's leave them alone." Rick said, starting back up the stairs.

" You want to be alone with him?" Maggie whispered to Layla.

" I don't know." Layla admitted as she stared at Daryl. Maggie patted her friend's shoulder then kissed the back of Lillian's head before everyone disappeared into the house. Layla narrowed her eyes in a very Daryl expression. She didn't move or start to speak. He didn't either. His eyes darted from the baby, who was staring at him, to Layla. Layla pulled Lillian close to her. " What do you want?" He hated how bitter her tone was.

" I came back for you and her." He said.

" Why in the hell would you come back to Rick's kid?" She spit out. Daryl's mouth tighten as his stomach dropped.

" I didn't mean that." Daryl said. His voice was low and quiet.

" You can not come here..."

" Layla, maybe you and I should take a walk." Rick interrupted. Layla frowned and didn't take her eyes off Daryl.

" I don't want him to touch my baby." Layla said to Rick. " Oh, I'm sorry, our baby, Rick." The screen door opened than closed again behind her.

" I'll take her, Layla." Carol said gently. When Layla didn't move or respond, Rick touched her gently.

" We need to talk." He said.

With slow breathing Layla turned the baby over to Carol. Lillian was still looking towards Daryl and cooing. Daryl was looking from her to Layla to the baby again. He couldn't decide who he wanted to see most. His hands were in tight fists. He needed to touch them both. Layla's face told him how she was feeling. She was struggling between being sad and being angry. Carol was speaking quietly to the baby as she started back into the house.

" Layla and I will take a walk around the farm if you want to wait here." Rick said to the hunter.

He wrapped his hand around her arm and gently guided her down the stairs. Daryl watched as Rick led Layla away and down towards the road. Layla looked back and met his eyes. She frowned and turned back around. He watched as she shook her head. Rick's hand moved from her arm. He let his left arm slip around her shoulders. His right hand went to the butt of his gun.

Daryl turned back around and started up the stairs at the same time Carol came back outside. Daryl stopped walking as he reached the middle of the stair case. Lillian started kicking her legs and cooing again as her bright blues locked on Daryl. Her hands were opening and closing against Carol's shirt. His heart stopped and his throat started to close up.

" I know why you said what you said. Rick told me. I know Layla said she didn't want you to touch Lillie but I think, after Rick talks to her, she won't mind." Carol said.

" You gonna let me hold her?" Daryl asked softly. Carol smiled and carefully turned the baby around so her back was against her chest. Carol had one hand under the baby's butt and her arm was around her chest.

" If you want her." Carol said.

Daryl quickly closed the distance between them. With his hands shaking, he reached out. Carol smiled at the same time his hands came under Lillian's arms. Lillian was cooing louder and louder. She smiled up at him. Carol let Daryl lifted her up and pull her to his chest. Lillian brought her hands to his goatee. She scratched against it.

" 'Member me? I'm your Daddy." He said as he stared into her eyes.

" Of course she remembers you, Daryl." Carol said.

" I wasn't nice to her. I ignored her. I yelled at her mama but I went to her. I went to them both when they were sleeping. I watched them. I watched them all the time." Daryl said. Carol placed her hand on his arm.

" Spend some time with your daughter. She won't stay this little for long." She said.

She rubbed the back of Lillian's back before she went back into the house. Daryl and Lillian were completely wrapped up in each other. She was gently touching his chin and his bottom lip as she happily cooed to him. Daryl brought his right hand to her head. He stroked the side of her face before he moved his hand to the back of her head.

" I'm sorry...that I had to push you away." He whispered to her.

XXXXXX

" I came to the prison when you three were there about a week. Daryl met me at the gate and we formed a plan. Everything he said to you were things we came up with together." He said. Layla stopped walking and turned so she could stare at Rick.

" What?" She asked.

" He had to get you out of there. He had to get the baby out. Daryl knew you would never leave without him unless you thought he didn't care about you or the baby." Rick explained quickly. " The plan was always to convince you and Merle that he didn't care about you two so you would want to leave then he was going to handle Merle."

" Handle him how?" Layla asked.

" I don't know. Daryl didn't know but he always planned on coming back here for you and her. He always planned on moving back but he had to make sure Merle wouldn't try and come to kidnap you again." Rick said. Layla looked back to the house then out towards the road. She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head as her eyes became to sting with tears.

" I don't understand." She said softly. Rick took a hold of her forearms and started to rub them.

" I tried to tell you he didn't mean it. It was fake." He said. She swiped across her left cheek as she looked back at him.

" All of it?" She asked.

" All of it. There was nothing real in his words or his actions. He stayed away from you to build up to the fight he knew you two would have. Daryl had to make it look real for Merle to believe it."

" If that's true than why didn't you tell me that after Merle dropped us off here?" Layla asked.

" You and I both know you would have took off after Daryl. You would have wanted to storm up there and bring him home with you." Rick said. " I couldn't tell you, Layla. I had to give Daryl time to figure things out with Merle. I agreed to help him. He asked me not to tell you it was fake and I agreed. He said he wouldn't come here until it was safe, until he was sure Merle would never bother you and the baby again. He never thought Lillie was mine, he never believed that. He loves her and he loves you." Layla shook her head.

" I just don't know what to think." She admitted.

" I'm not sure if this will help or not but I'm going to say it anyway. Lillian will never remember all this. She will never remember what he said or that he scared her. She won't remember that he had to ignore her. It is like the prison never happen to her." Rick said.

XXXXXX

Daryl was sitting on the top step with Lillian resting on his lap, facing him. Her back was resting against his legs which were bend. She was reaching out for him. He would move in close to her to allow her to touch his chin then pull back the second she did. She was giggling, making him smile. He pursed his lips together and made a kiss noise to her. He moved back to her again. She grabbed at his chin and pulled on his goatee.

" You gettin stronger, Baby." He said. " You gonna hurt me." A noise behind her pulled at Daryl's attention. He pulled away, wrapped his arms around her and looked out. Rick and Layla were making their way back to him. He sighed and frowned as he stood up, shifting the baby to his left hip. " Your mama is so mad at me. I don't know if she will ever forgive me." He said. Layla looked up from the ground and met his eyes. Daryl swallowed hard. She didn't look anymore happy then she did when her and Rick first started to talk. His right hand came to rest against Lillian's back as he held her closer to him. She was patting his chin while she looked at him. " She don't forgive me, I ain't ever gonna leave you again. I'm your Daddy and I aim to take care of you, even if she don't want me anymore." He promised the baby. He brought his lips to her cheek as she cooed. Neither Layla or Daryl looked away from each other.