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11
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The farm was awfully silent without Charlotte running amuck and Beth found that she had nothing better to do than sit around and waste time until she had to pick up Charlotte from Daryl's. Of course she had finished all of her chores and errands early because there wasn't a certain little girl around to slow her down. Now there was just time to kill.
Maggie had gone out with some friends and wouldn't be back till later that evening. Beth tried to hang around Shawn but he only cracked a few jokes here and there and then went to give Finley a call.
So Beth told her parents that she was going out to town for some coffee. She drove to town in Hershel's old pick up and parked just across the street from the her favorite old coffee shop. It had taken Beth a lot to return there and face the people she used to know. Many of them had stopped speaking to her after she got pregnant and from then on Beth just found it too awkward to return. But on that day she didn't seem to care and entered the coffee shop without fear of whom she would run into.
She ordered herself a latte and sat down at a little table by the window to people watch. She listened to the acoustic music as she did so and glanced at the chair across from her. Charlotte's absence was always noted and Beth found it so strange that she wasn't with her but instead with her father.
Beth remembered the day Daryl met Charlotte.
The tiny little baby cooed in her mother's arms. Beth had been so reluctant to take her out of the house but Maggie had finally convinced her. He stood at the bottom of the porch with his hands in his pockets. He looked awfully nervous, like he didn't know what he was doing there. Beth thought it was a mistake. She had been raising the girl just fine but when she met Daryl at the bottom of the porch, the little baby girl looked up at him and flashed a smile so big it rendered him stiff.
Charlotte put her hands to her mouth and gave out a gurgly giggle. She always became bashful around strangers but didn't shy from them. She was definitely a social child.
"So," Daryl spoke up, "This is here."
"Yeah." Beth confirmed it; she could feel Maggie watching from the porch. "Would you like to hold her?"
"Will she cry?" Daryl was a bit cautious.
Beth stepped forward and handed him the six-month-old, "Just be careful, she wiggles."
Charlotte fussed a little at being handed over to a stranger she had never seen before. She reached out for Beth and gave a little whine but Daryl calmly shushed her, "Ey, yer alright." He positioned her in his arms so she was sitting up right.
Charlotte turned to look at him. Her little brows pulled together into a little frown as she was trying to figure Daryl out. She was still a little wobbly so he supported her back with his hand. She gurgled out pure babbles most of them that sounded like "Muh-muh" but not quite.
Daryl got a good look at her. She had big blue eyes and a little button nose that was much like his own. Her head was full of soft yet thin dirty blonde hair that swirled one way and another. Her cheeks were chubby and rosy red and Daryl noticed a little pearly white tooth emerging from her bottom gums.
"Ey there, baby girl." He spoke to her.
Charlotte raised her hand and placed it on Daryl's face, attempting to get a good grip of his eyebrow. Beth bit back a smile and glanced up at Maggie who was obviously pleased they were finally meeting each other.
Beth sighed at the memory. There was no going back after that. Charlotte absolutely adored him from that point on. Beth wondered how she was doing with him.
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By the time Daryl and Charlotte were done tracking, Charlotte was awfully dirty. She had tripped and fallen into some mud and had been real mad about it. Daryl told her that getting dirty was a good thing and that she would live. Though he guessed that she was upset over tripping rather than she was about getting muddy. She didn't seem to mind that part at all. It was the tripping that had embarrassed her. Especially because her trip had caused the fox they were tracking to scamper off into the wood.
"S'fine," Daryl told her, "Best not get worked up over it."
"Mama's gon get mad." She said, brushing the mud from her knees.
"Yeah? Well she best be grateful ya didn't fall in poison ivy." He told her, "When I was a bit older than you, I wiped my ass with some. Itched like a sum—" he cleared his throat, thinking it be best if he didn't curse in front of her. "Itched somethin' fierce for days."
Charlotte giggled at this, "Daddy, y'all had an itchy butt?"
"I wouldn't be laughin' if I were you." He nudged her playfully but Charlotte continued to giggle.
At one point, she yawned and grabbed a hold of his hand. They were heading back to the trailer and by the time they arrived, Daryl noticed a little scowl on her sleepy face and figured it was time for her to crash. So he hauled her up in his arms and took her inside where he laid her down on his bed and took off her dirty shoes.
Daryl's bed was nothing but a mattress on the floor. He didn't have much in his room but he had cleaned up the mess for Charlotte's visit. He laid her down and studied her dirty little face for a moment. He figured it would have been best to get her cleaned up before so but she had already given in to sleep so he let her be.
Charlotte slept for the better part of the evening. Meanwhile Daryl worked on his chopper out in front of the trailer and kept an eye out for Merle. He was surprised his brother had kept at bay and hadn't given him a hard time regarding the girl but knowing Merle, he wouldn't eventually stir the pot. Daryl hoped he didn't return until after Beth came for Charlotte.
Daryl had gotten his hands down and dirty with grease when he heard her high pitched cry, "Daddy!" coming from inside the trailer.
Daryl jumped to his feet and ran inside. He burst through the door and found her standing in the middle of the kitchen entrance. Her little button nose was red and she had been crying.
"What's the matter?" he asked her.
Charlotte raised her arms up to be picked up. Daryl knew she was terribly coddled. Of course she was. She was the baby in a family of adults. Who knew how many arms were willing to pick her up a day. Instead of picking her up, Daryl grabbed a clean hand towel, wet it and knelt down to clean her face with it.
"What're ya cryin' for?"
"Ya were gon', Daddy."
"I was only outside. Ain't gotta cry a river for nothin'."
Charlotte sniffled and let Daryl clean her face with the towel. "Where's my mama?"
"Back at the farm."
"Is she gon come for me?"
Daryl saddened a little at this. "Later tonight."
Charlotte nodded, "Are ya gon' come back wit' us?"
"Nah, girl. I ain't."
"Why?"
"Cause this is my home."
"The farm's yer home too, kay?" She placed her hands on his shoulders, "Papa will let ya and ya can sleep with Mama and me and aunt Maggie in our room. Y'alls share the bed."
Daryl chuckled at the thought of him crammed in a room full of women. That would be the day. "Ain't that somethin'." He humored her, no less.
"S'somethin'."
Daryl stood back up and took her hand, "C'mon, I wanna show ya somethin'."
Daryl led Charlotte back outside where he showed her the motorcycle he had been building. Charlotte tilted her head and walked around it a few times. She frowned and glanced up at Daryl, "How come it looks broken?"
"Cause I ain't done fixin' it yet."
"Yer makin' it, Daddy?"
"Yeah." Daryl knelt down on one knee, "This here's gon be my new chopper when it's all done. Gone go visit you in it."
"Wow, Daddy. That's real neat. Can I help?"
The corner of Daryl's lip tugged into a little smile, "Yeah, kid. Course."
So Daryl pointed out all the tools they were using and what they were called. He then taught Charlotte the parts of the chopper that she could see and the ones that needed fixing. Daryl would ask her if she could fetch him a certain tool and she would do so. She recognized the majority of them from working with her grandfather and uncle out on the farm so she had no trouble picking the correct one.
They took a break in the middle and Daryl made some sandwiches which they ate out in the front yard. Daryl commented how his father never made him sandwiches when he was growing up. He didn't know why he had told Charlotte that but he figured it wouldn't do her any wrong to know of her own father's childhood.
While they ate, there was a commotion two trailers down. The front door burst open and shouting and cursing erupted. A man came bursting out followed by a cursing woman. Charlotte scooted closer to Daryl and watched the two trailer folk go on about it. They reminded Charlie of two geese squawking with one another. Daryl paid no mind to them, that couple was constantly going at it.
"Ya dirty ol' sum'bitch! How 'bout ya pay a bill or two before ya go on an spend that sorry ass paycheck on more booze!"
"Aw, shut up!" The man said and climbed into his truck.
Charlotte only continued to munch on her sandwich and took her attention elsewhere. She spotted a group of kids rough housing just down the road, past the trailer with the fighting couple. She could heard a dog barking in the distance followed by the wailing of a baby just another few trailers over. Her father's home was such an interesting world, one she wasn't very sure of and didn't quite understand.
"Charlie, ya done?" Daryl asked her.
"Done." She handed him the piece of sandwich she no longer wanted. Daryl finished it for her and the two returned to their work on the chopper.
Daryl watched Charlotte hustle around, helping in any way she could and it hit him how he couldn't really imagine his life before he met her. The thought filled him with a strange feeling that he forced away when he saw the old Greene truck pulling up to the property.
It was Beth and Maggie coming to pick up the girl. They both climbed out of the truck and Charlotte ran to them. Daryl stood to his feet and cleaned his hands on a dirty rag.
"Mama!"
"Hey, little bunny rabbit." Beth hugged her, "How are you?"
"Good! I help Daddy make uh moyer-cycle."
"Is that so?"
"Hey." Daryl greeted them.
Beth met his eyes, "Hey."
"Hey, Daryl." Maggie said after, "Girl give you any trouble?"
"Nah, she was fine."
Maggie looked over her niece and noticed her dirty attire. She laughed, "Looks like you two had a good time."
"We had sammiches." Charlotte said.
Daryl waited for Beth to say something disapproving about the girl's dirty appearance but she said nothing of it. Instead she looked him in the eyes and thanked him, "Thanks for taking her for the day. I hope she wasn't much trouble."
"Nah, not at all. Like I said, she was fine." He nodded. "I, uh, grab her stuff." He headed back inside and then came out a moment after with Charlotte's backpack.
"I'll get that, thanks." Maggie took the backpack and swung it over her shoulder.
"Alright, Lottie, say goodbye to Daddy." Beth told the girl.
Charlotte turned around and practically jumped into Daryl's arms. "Bye Daddy!" She hugged him around the neck and then planted a kiss on his cheek.
"Best behave yourself at home, ya hear?" He brushed her nose with his finger.
"Ay, ay, Cap'n." She saluted him.
Daryl scoffed but smiled and handed her back to her mother.
"Love you, Daddy."
"Love ya too, kid." He muttered.
"I'll meet you in the car." Maggie told Beth and took the girl into her arms, "C'mon you."
Maggie retreated to the car with Charlotte while Beth said goodbye to Daryl. Meanwhile the two awkward souls stood in front of another unsure of what to say. Beth wanted to thank him again for Charlotte looked in one piece and by her mood Beth could tell that she had a good day.
"Did she really behave?"
"Yeah."
Beth nodded, "Good." She bit her bottom lip and then spoke out again. "So will you be able to see her this Tuesday?"
Daryl thought about his job and how he was going into over time that week but nodded anyway, "Yeah. I'll be there."
"Good." Beth smiled, pleased to hear it, "Alright, I'll see you then."
Daryl nodded and said no more. He just stood there and watched them pull out of his tiny property and out of sight, leaving him behind on his lonesome to wait for his brother and whatever complaints he had.
And of course when Merle came home, he came home drunk and stoned, raving on about nonsense that Daryl couldn't quite place. Merle plunked down on the sofa and cracked open another can of beer; he looked around and grunted, "Where's the rugrat?"
"She went home." Daryl said from the kitchen.
Merle scoffed, "That visit better have been a one time thing, baby brother. We ain't openin' up a daycare 'round here, ya best believe it."
Daryl glared at this but said nothing. Instead he grabbed his crossbow from the counter where he had left it and retired to his room. He wasn't in the mood to deal with Merle and his nonsense.
"Ya hear me?" Merle hollered down the hall.
Daryl stopped mid hallway and turned around, "That's my kid, I can see her whenever I want. Ain't gon hear ya bitch an' moan 'bout it."
"What did you say to me?" Merle stood from the sofa. "Go on and say that again."
Merle was inches from his face. He stared straight in his brother's eyes and scoffed, turning away, "Yer drunk."
Merle's expression turned dead serious and then he burst out laughing, "What else is new, bro?" He chugged the last of his beer and crushed the empty can, throwing it aside. "That little girl ain't know what's good for her and you ain't baby bro. You ain't."
Daryl stopped at the entrance of his room, haunted by his brother's words. His hands turned into tight fists and he fought the urge to bring them down upon Merle's face with all the rage he could muster. His eyes then caught the messed up blankets upon the mattress where Charlotte had slept earlier that day. He knew he was capable of offering her so much more despite what Merle said. So instead of starting a problem, Daryl shut the door behind him shut.
Despite the closed door he could still hear Merle's bellowing and the fighting of the neighbors just a few trailers down. He could hear the babies crying and the dogs barking. If Daryl wanted to step up, he had to get out.
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