Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead or any other recognizable characters.

Chapter Warnings: Dixon Mouth, Mentions of abuse.

Chapter 11

Daryl rubbed his eyes as he drove away from the Rhee's house where he had deposited Herschel and his Styrofoam container full of his untouched dinner.

While it was still beyond him why anyone in their right mind would want to birth a baby at home, he was just glad they hadn't asked him to stay until the kid made its grand appearance.

The sky flashed again, lighting up the road despite the dark, and he inhaled the scent of rain and Georgia dirt that wafted through his open window.

There had always been something about storms that Daryl had loved. Perhaps it was the calmness that fell over everything or maybe it was because when the storms used to hit it used to give him hope. Hope that there were still things out there more powerful than his damned daddy. Of course looking back now he could see there were always stronger things than his old man, and ten years looking out for himself in the joint had made sure he was one of them. Or perhaps the reason his shoulders relaxed and his breath came easier when the wind kicked up and the clouds built overhead was due to something else entirely.

He turned down the street that would lead him back to the hotel just as another bolt of lightning flitted across the sky and a clap of thunder shook his windows as he saw the pair illuminated in his headlights.

Sophia was tucked in to her mom's side as they walked and Carol shouldered a load of groceries, their feet moving quickly as the sky filled with light. He shook his head and passed them before pulling off to the side of the road and slipping out as they approached.

Sophia smiled and waved from her momma's side as Carol shook her head. "We're okay."

"Good thing I wasn't askin' then huh." He grumbled as another flash lit up the night around them.

Carol jumped a little then, shifting the groceries in her hands before she nodded and Sophia skipped around the truck, already heaving herself inside the cab as Carol shifted on her feet.

"Are you sure…"

Daryl huffed and headed back towards the truck, shutting the door as she disappeared from his side view mirror and reappeared on the passenger side.

Sophia was near vibrating on the seat beside him, her smile lighting up her face as her mom settled in beside her, buckling her seat belt as Daryl put it in to gear.

The radio was on; playing softly as they drove and before too long, Daryl realized Sophia was humming along to the old song that was playing.

"You know Merle Haggard?" He asked, looking down at the little girl in disbelief.

She nodded her head as she looked up at him and then quickly over to her momma who nodded her head slightly before looking back towards the road, avoiding the man in the driver's seat.

"I know lots of songs." Sophia finally stated and started to hum along softly again, Daryl shaking his head, as the rain started coming down in torrents.

He sighed as he slowed down to a crawl, trying to see through the torrential downpour in front of him as his wipers worked in overtime and the radio played on and Sophia's soft voice filled the silence.

They reached Carol's place at a snail's pace as the rain continued to pour and Carol sighed as Daryl put it in to park.

"It's a bad one." She said, trying to look up through the windshield in to the darkened sky.

"Seen worse." Daryl commented, his eyes training on her face.

She looked at him then, the corner of her lips quirking up. "I'm sure you have."

They sat there like that for what seemed like forever before Sophia finally broke the silence. "I have to use the bathroom."

Daryl snorted as Carol gave her a sharp look and finally nodded. She hefted her groceries up and readied herself to run before Daryl reached over, ignoring Sophia's raised eyebrow, as he took the bag from her grasp.

"Go on, run her in, I'll follow with these."

Carol smiled then, nodding as she grabbed the handle with one hand and Sophia's hand with the other and the two made a run for it. The younger of the two shrieked as the thunder clapped a warning above them and Carol fumbled with the keys before she finally flung the door open and Sophia darted inside. Daryl chuckled as he slid out of the car and up the walk, right in to the open door as Carol was taking her shoes off in the entry way.

Daryl handed over the bag just as the hail started outside, near golf ball sized pebbles pegging the sidewalk and driveway and bouncing several feet in the air. He balked when he felt her hand touch his arm and she pulled it away quickly as he looked down at her.

"Stay." She said quietly, looking anywhere but his eyes. "Until it calms down."

He looked out the door again, watching the fissures of lightning dance across the sky, the hail trying it's hardest to break the concrete and finally, he nodded.

Merle had always told him he was pussy.

The first time was when he had cried watchin' Old Yeller. He couldn'ta been more'n five and his momma had told him to pay his brother no mind before shootin' Merle a dirty look.

Back then he hadn't minded, wrapped up in his momma's arms as she told him what a sweet boy he was. But after she died the words started gettin' to him.

Perhaps it was because he felt like he was when his daddy was whoopin' him. Or perhaps it was because his brother was always talking about girls like they wasn't worth a damn and yet here he was, floundering over a girl who was too good for his ass anyway.

"Daryl?" Carol asked as they walked down the street.

"Yah?" He asked, clearing his throat as he tried to fight the caterpillars that were squirmin around inside of him.

"You said Rick wasn't my type."

"He ain't." he said quickly, looking out on the storm clouds rolling in, the whole reason they had moved from their place out in the Horvath fields.

"You still haven't told me who is." She said too sweetly, moving to stand in front of him, a mischevious glint in her eyes.

He knew that look all too well. It was the same look she got when she had 'accidentally' spilled their lab work on the homework he hadn't done. The same look she wore when she was up to no good. And dammit if he didn't love it.

"Mmmhmm" He muttered, moving to sidestep her and keep walking down the street as the thunder rumbled in the distance.

"Reckon you oughta tell me." She said, dancing up beside him.

He ignored her as he kept walking, his neck heating up for no damn good reason and he could feel it start to seep up in to his cheeks.

"Why?" he finally asked quietly as he stopped in the middle of the road, looking down at the auburn haired girl in front of him. Her eyes danced under his gaze, reflecting the dark clouds that had suddenly descended upon them.

"Because I wanna know." She mock pouted. "Besides, I tell you everything."

"Okay." He scoffed sarcastically and laughed when she actually looked hurt.

"I do too!" She argued. "I even told you Andrea lost her virginity to Phillip Blake in the back of his mom's minivan."

He snorted at that one and nodded his head. "Ya ain't told me why you want to go with Rick Grimes anyways."

She narrowed her eyes at that one and turned away from him, taking off down the street.

"Hey." He called, hastening his steps to catch up to her, reaching out to grab her arm.

"You like 'im?" He asked as she looked down at her sneakers and shook her head, her curls bouncing with the movement. "Ain't gotta tell me."

He let go of her then as the thunder interrupted them, dropping rain down in sheets as the drops assaulted them. She laughed as he ducked his head, trying futilely to keep the water away as it showered them.

"Stop." He said, smirking as she continued to laugh and the sky lit up above her. "Let's go."

She nodded her head then and started to walk before she stopped, turning to him and grabbing his arms. He flinched mechanically and she wavered slightly before she powered through, reaching up on her tiptoes and placing a kiss on his cheek as his insides somersaulted and the blush spread through him like wildfire.

She took off then, running for her house, and Daryl was left standing in awe, his hand hovering over the place her lips had touched.