We played the waiting game

Sitting in silence for minutes with his eyes flickering to mine and then to my exposed skin. We looked for the sign of what was going on inside me, or if I had imagined it. I was beginning to question what it really was as time passed by ruthlessly. Just when I thought we would both decide it was nothing but a passing cramp Daryl recoiled his hand quickly holding it in his other hand. I blinked at him until he said something of thought as he stared wide-eyed at my abdominal. "We need to get Alice." He flung himself off the bed searching for his trousers.

I caught his shirt that he had thrown at me and tugged it over head. "Why?" My hair flew into my face as I reached down to pick up my underwear sliding them up my leg refusing to stand.

"We don't know what is going on in your stomach, she's our best hope to a doctor." He folded my pants over my legs. "I'll be right back." He left rapidly. I put my pants to the side choosing comfort over pride. I laid back down pulling the slim sheets over my body for some sort of warmth despite being hot. Lying there in the quiet I could hear everything. The mice's tails hitting the metal bars of the cell doors, the soft snoring of Hershel just a couple of cells down, and most of all the rustle of a baby down in my organs. I kept the best in mind, yet my subconscious was screaming at me to believe in science and not a petty-girl dream. I could feel my stomach rise with unknown hope that burned. Burned nicely, not like the acid feeling I have endured in the past few weeks. I closed my eyes and smiled to myself. One, Two, Three then I let the smile drip from my face. I was not about to get my hopes up just to be told it was nothing. Hershel's snoring had stop and he grumbled some words, no doubt Daryl and Alice had woken him up as well. They all clambered into my room closing the cell door once they all were in. "I gave you your pants." Daryl whispered sitting down at the edge of the bed.

I began to sit up, but Alice grabbed my shoulder pushing me back down. "It's best she did not put them on Daryl." She had a frown on her face as she put the ear plugs of the stethoscope in her ears. "Now Rose, just so you know there is a chance it is not what you are expecting. I don't want you getting excited." I gulped as she pressed the cool metal to my stomach. My eyes caught Daryl's and I had to bit my thumb to hide a smile, then I looked to Hershel who, after being just woken up, looked confused and concerned. Alice furrowed her eyebrows moving around the stethoscope.

"What is it?" Daryl moved around restlessly.

"Hershel." She spoke quietly looking at the old man. He moved to her taking up the spot she abandoned for him listening intently on my stomach. He held the same expression Alice had. I shivered when the coldness of the stethoscope hit me on the wrong part of my skin causing Daryl to latch onto my ankle. "Did you hear it too?" Alice bit the end of her pinky.

Daryl let go of my foot. "Hear what?"

I looked to Hershel as he removed the ear pieces wrapping the medical tool around his neck. "A heart beat." Daryl and I looked at each other confused. Was that a bad thing?

"If there is a heartbeat it means that it hasn't turned. If there is a heartbeat it means…well it means…" Alice glanced at Hershel.

"It means your baby is alive." Hershel's hand softly ran over the length of my stomach. "I thought it was not possible for that baby to survive you being shot, but-!"

I smiled. "Anything's possible. You told me that."

"That I did." He chuckled. "You got a strong child I will give you that much."

"We aren't doctors but it's easy to infer you've reached your third trimester of your pregnancy." Alice crossed her arms and Hershel stood up. "It's unsure when labor will occur but expect it at any time. You might be premature or unknowingly in you ninth month. You are a tiny person with a big belly, it will be hard to move around that's why you have back pains, why it may be hard to breath at some times, why you feint easily…take it slow alright?"

Hershel grabbed Alice's shoulder lightly leading her to the door. My doctors. "Don't go wondering around alone Rose." Then they both left.

"I-I-I…" Daryl's mouth hung loosely open as he paced the room. "I don't know what to say…"

"I think that everything is going to be okay."

He smiled at me before grabbing my hand. "Sit up." I listened to him and with his aide I slowly had my legs brought over the side of the bed and my back straight. Hesitantly, beautifully, romantically he got down onto his knee. "Bare with me." His face turned red. "I know this is going to sound really cheesy, but this is a good enough time to ask. We've been together for how long? A year, more than that yeah? I think it's safe to say I have loved you ever single day I have known you, even the ones it seemed impossible too. You pushed me away lot recently, but I have pushed you away in the past when you wanted to help me through hard times. I don't know how we did it but we made it through all of those really shitty days together. Without each other we'd be dead and don't you dare tell me otherwise. We've changed a lot since those first couple days; you finally learned how to shoot a gun." I laughed where he paused. "And I finally can love someone without fear. I free fell with you something that was so terrifying for me before I met you. You've opened my eyes to so many emotions. You've really made my world such a better place. I wasn't surviving anymore, I was living for you. Now I know you can be a bitch, and stubborn, and just plain cold to me especially when you get upset but I still love you. Those days you ignored me because you had to grieve were the worst days of my life. I thought you were long gone, I thought you would never come back to me but you did. You came back stronger than ever." He took a shaky breath. "I want to forget all the bad stuff that happened to us in the past. I want to forget that day I left you, or that day you told me you could not love me. I want to forget that day you got shot, or the day I got shot. I want to forget it all. Because we need to just look forward. We have a baby on the way. We are going to be a family. We have new friends now. We need to make a life here. We need to move on, from all of it. I love you Rose, and…and I want you to spend the rest of your life with me."

"You're such a sap." I giggled grabbing ahold of his cheeks in my hands. "Of course I will you plum."

He got off his knee to press his lips to mine. "Will you remember something for me please?"

"Anything."

"All of your demons become my demons." His eyes were hard, yet soft, cold, yet so warm. They were so loving and so concerning.

My head moved up and down. "I know that."

"Then don't you dare every shut me out again."

"Books, Comics…Stale M&Ms?"

"You're the one that likes stale m&ms."

Michonne laughed. "Then I'll defiantly be looking for some." The horses hooves crunched the rooks beneath its feet. "Why don't you wear your hat anymore?"

"It's not a farming hat," Carl replied back. "See you soon?"

"Pretty soon."

I looked at Rick who had the slight smile on his face. "You should get one of those straw hats then Carl." The young boy appeared at my side the ghost of a good mood fading. I know he much rather be fighting than out here helping his dad farm. Ever since Carl shot that boy from Woodbury out of cold blood he's been on vegetable duty. "Then you can have a hat for every occasion."

"Where is Daryl?" The Grimes boy asked me watching Rick silently slip on his gloves.

"Thought better to let him sleep, I have never seen him that peaceful." My eyes lingered over ever garden stems.

Rick was on his knees peeling away at the dirt like a routine. "Ever since you kicked him out he's been sleeping on that floor just on top of the stairs. I wake up just before him. He told me to wake him up, so you would not see him there." He looked up at me. "I'm glad I won't have to do that anymore. The poor thing looked so uncomfortable."

"Yeah…" I trailed off ashamed. "He's moving his things back in there today." I huffed out a semi-laugh. "Sound so normal eh? Moving his things back into my place…If you count a crossbow and that dumb poncho of his."

Carl held out a bucket to his father. "That poncho is really nice actually."

"Surprisingly comfy too?" I shook my head chuckling.

"You seem happy Rose." His voice was loud against the quiet field.

I nodded. "I am happy." Rick, Carl, and Michonne knew of the rebirth of my once presumed dead child; I could not contain it on the way down here. I knew it was wrong to be so excited to give birth during the apocalypse, but I needed this baby. It kept my hopeful. It kept me reminded that a brighter future is possible.

"They took out another clump yesterday, but there was a build up overnight. They might need to clear it again." My eyes followed Carl's over to the fence pushing slightly by the weight of walkers. "Maybe we could help?"

Rick sighed pulling out a weed. "I got other plans. Involving dirt and cucumbers, keeping people fed."

My stomach growled, "I could go for some cucumbers."

"Well if you don't want to maybe I could…" They both ignored my attempt to avoid an argument between father and son. "Could I?"

He stood up after throwing a handful of dirt to the side. "We have other plans. That's what I should have said."

Carl grumbled kicking his feet at the upturned dirt. "He means well Carl, don't be spiteful."

"He's being stupid." He told me matter-of-factly. "He thinks that cucumbers are going to help solve that buildup of walkers? Food won't matter if we're all dead."

I reached out to him setting my hand on his shoulder. Before the prison he would have jumped away from my touch and whisper how I was nothing but a burden, but things have changed. We had both mature in our times inside those grey walls. "He is no stupid, he is your father. I know it is annoying being told what to do or being prevent from what you want to do, but you need to listen to him. This will all make sense sooner or later." He knew I was right. The fog was lightening up around the prison as the sun rose higher and higher with every passing minute. Daryl would be awake soon no doubt searching for me. "Tell you dad I went back inside." He nodded and trudged over to the pig pen as my feet hit the gravel walkway. I sighed staring at the approaching incline. It was going to be rough, I could already feel the pain in my back, the shallow breaths were starting, and baby Dixon moved relentlessly inside my stomach. I smile though on my battle upward. I would take pregnancy pain if it meant my baby was healthy and alive.

Two gunshots echoed around the prison sending everyone into a panic. I was trying to move up the hill faster than what I called a quick pace, but it seemed like the fence was moving away from me every time I thought I was closer. My legs were weak, and the wound in my side still tingled with pain ever jerk the wrong way. My actions were a train wreck heading to nowhere but disaster. My belly was yanking me downwards and the hill was pushing me backwards, maybe because I was so weak, so tiny this baby was making my movements harder? Lori did not have these problems.

Hands were on my back in seconds as Rick helped me move up the steep hill. "Walkers in D!" Glenn shouted over all the chaos. Rick yanked open the fence door walking ahead me. I could just hear Maggie shouting something to Michonne as Carl helped her back into the prison grounds. I pulled my gun out from the back of my jeans loading the things poising it ready to shot when needed. My footsteps followed Rick's as he ran ahead, my slow pace would just hold him back.

Her hands wrapped around my arm tightly pulling me away from battle. "Where do you think you are going!?" Beth kept walking me back towards C block. "You can't go in there! Are you an idiot!"

"I-I...I don't know." I let her drag me away. "I just followed my instinct. Let my feet carry me."

"You can't even walk up a hill on your own your so malnourished...What makes you think you can fight off walkers?" Her ability to ask the right questions concerned me. "You need to think things through. Be smart."

"I'm sorry." She closed the cell block door behind us giving me those Beth eyes. Those eyes that let you know she is right. "Did Daryl go in there?"

She nodded. "He knew you were down with Rick and Carl. Told me to go out and find you so I could bring you back in here."

"Good thing you listened to him." I knew I would have died if I had gone into D block. I was not strong enough to fight. Not yet.