Chapter 35

Bay slowly placed small, soft kisses on his shaft, starting at the base, where the corner of her mouth had brushed against his balls as well. Daryl's chest was already heaving, his breath coming out in quick pants. His dick was throbbing painfully, as intense heat spread out from his groin throughout his entire body. Her shy glances were not helping him to calm down, quite the opposite, actually. He had a thing for her being nervous, as wrong as that might be, but it couldn't be helped.

"What do I do?" she asked, biting her lip as soon as the words were out, while a light blush crept into her cheeks.

"You know those spots ya work with your hands? Just work 'em with your tongue." Daryl bit out under labored breath, before he came up with something better. "I know it sounds stupid, but treat it like an ice cream cone... or a lollipop, but no teeth. Don't worry about taking in all of it, baby girl. I know I'm too big for that. It's alright."

"Okay." she nodded with a nervous smile just before she lowered her head again. She noticed a drop of pre-cum oozing out of his tip, and just like she would lick some melting ice-cream from an ice-cream cone, she leaned in, let her tongue slide out past her lips, and softly licked at the tip of his cock, catching the clear fluid with the tip of her tongue.

"Mmmmmmmm... yeah... like that." Daryl moaned low in his throat. "Fuck that's so damn good. Yeah... just lick it like that, baby girl." his eyes fell shut and the fingers of one hand burrowed themselves in her hair, while the other hand fisted the sheets. He had never pressured her, but secretly, he'd been dying to finally feel her beautiful lips on his dick. The reality was so much better than all of his fantasies combined. "Aaah..." he cried out when she engulfed his tip with her sweet, hot mouth, letting her tongue swirl around it experimentally. Within mere seconds, she had turned Daryl into a groaning and hissing mess, and he had to think of every gross thing in the book in order to keep himself from blowing his load spontaneously.

Suddenly, a loud noise made Daryl jump and made him wake up from his very pleasant dream with a start. He noticed Bay had shot up straight in bed, right along with him.

"Was that a gunshot?" she asked, her voice sounding sleepy and slightly out of breath from shock. Daryl didn't have to answer, because even more shots rang out in that moment. Both of them jumped out of bed and started for the window.

"Crap." Daryl muttered when he took in the scene. Then he quickly grabbed his clothes and jumped into them, while Bay tried to follow suit. "Nah, you stay in here! I mean it, baby girl. Don't move. Get your gun and stay here." he told her, and grabbed his crossbow before leaving the room in a hurry. Bay sighed and got her gun out of her closet, before she went back to the window. The men of the group were gathering outside around T-Dog and Glenn, who were on watch, and the bodies of five walkers, which were sprawled out on the ground. The sight shocked her. Until now the walkers had never come too close to the farm, and these five walkers had come walking directly on to the farm and had even gotten close to the house. Way too close. Bay didn't like this at all, and from the looks of it, neither did the men that were deep in discussion outside.

"This isn't good, man. Those two kept watch, and those fuckers still got all the way up to the house." Daryl kept rubbing his index finger through the scruff on his chin in agitation, while he talked to Rick.

"We reinforced the fences. If that doesn't stop them, what are we supposed to do?" T-Dog asked while he kept looking around for more of the undead creatures.

"I agree with Daryl. This isn't good. They never had walkers on the farm before and now there's five of them at once? I'm getting a bad feeling here." Glenn mentioned as he clutched his shotgun a little tighter in his hands.

"Daryl, can you track them? See where exactly they came from?" Rick asked their resident hunter and tracker.

"On it." Daryl nodded. He switched on his flashlight and looked around on the ground, leading the way while Rick followed him.

"Keep doing watch. Get Dale, Hershel and Andrea to help you out. Five people see more than two." Rick told T-Dog and Glenn, before he focused back on Daryl.

Daryl soon had an idea where the tracks were leading them, and that also gave him an idea of why the walkers had come. "The swamps." Daryl stated. "They came from the swamps. Ain't no fence there. And the shot and the cries of your boy drew them in... was noisy as hell."

Rick swallowed hard and cleared his throat before he spoke. "That was almost three days ago... I don't think that was it."

"It's winter. They're moving slower. They get stuck in the swamps... They heard the shot... and your boy." Daryl stated decisively while he looked around, squinting his eyes as he tried to figure out if more threats were coming lurking out of the shadows.

"Alright... We'll keep an eye on this area. Put up fences here, too."

"Yeah... the cold might give us some time before even more come wandering over here."

"You think there's gonna be more?" Rick asked slightly alarmed.

"There might be. Best be prepared." Daryl said and turned off his flashlight. "You go back. I'll keep watch out here for the rest of the night."

"Alright. Thanks." Rick slapped his hand down on Daryl's shoulder, then he went back to the house to talk to the others. The threat of more walkers coming to the farm had him concerned, but not overly concerned. With all hands on deck doing watch, they were prepared to take on whatever would be coming.

The next morning Carl finally woke up. His physical wounds were healing remarkably well, but his mental wounds seemed to be another story. He wasn't talking. To nobody. He was conscious and alert, in no way catatonic, but he didn't speak. He just kept staring straight ahead, looking right through everybody who tried to strike up a conversation with him. He wouldn't even talk to Sophia.

Lori was desperate, crying and not able to understand why Carl wouldn't talk to his mother. Bay wasn't able to stand her whining, so she dealt out another dose of tough love. "He knows." she told Lori.

"What? He knows what?" Lori asked her.

"He knows that you weren't there for him. That you didn't come through for him. He might not consciously understand what happened, but subconsciously he knows that you would have been able to prevent what happened to him. So stop crying, Lori. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. For once it's not about you. It's about your son and what he needs now. He is merely reacting to what happened. It's a normal reaction, so deal with it and be there for him. If it takes 10 hours of sitting next to him and listening to him ignoring you, then so be it. It's time to start being a mother, Lori, for God's sakes."

"Why are you taking this so personally? He isn't your son. This didn't happen to you, Bay."

"Andrea was right. You do take everything for granted. Even your son and your baby. Do you know how many people would kill for what you have?"

"And by those people you mean yourself?" Lori shot back. "When you told me about your miscarriage, you said that it was for the better. Are you changing your mind about that too now? Like you changed your mind about your opinion on Andrea?"

"No, I didn't. It was better that way, but I also told you that sometimes I miss that kid, right? I miss what I never had. I still want to be a mother one day. I want to have Daryl's child one day, but in this world? We might never get the chance to have one. We might never have a real family. And that's what's pissing me off about you, Lori. I might never get to be a mother. Daryl might never get to be a father, and you can bet your ass that he would have been one of the best fathers in the damn world. We would have done everything to protect our child, even if that would have meant having it hate us for a while. You and Rick, you get your son and a new baby on top of that, and you are trampling on parenthood with both feet. Both of you. So sorry for taking it a little too personally for your liking." Bay whirled around, ready to leave the kitchen, only to be startled when she noticed Daryl standing in the doorway, clutching the strap of his crossbow in his right hand, studying her closely. Bay brushed past him, when he moved to the side a little. He lingered for a moment and shot Lori a dirty look, then he followed his woman up the stairs and into her room.

Bay stood by the window, hugging herself and shaking her head. "She seriously thinks that Carl's 'accident' happened to her. That we should all feel sympathetic towards her. She's insane. She just doesn't see that she fucked up. The nerve of that woman. Telling me that this didn't happen to me... You and I... and Hershel, we had Carl's blood all over us. We felt him fight us, trying to escape the pain. We heard him scream. We heard his arm being hacked off. She wasn't anywhere near that nightmare..."

"She's a damn air-head. Just stay out of her way." Daryl said. He lifted his crossbow off his back and leaned it against the wall by the door. He went over to Bay and turned her around to face him. "She'll never learn. Ain't no sense in lettin' her rile ya up like that, Bay. Just stay away from her or you ain't never gonna get over this. Ya need to forget." he told her quietly while he gently wiped her tears off her face with his thumbs.

"Can you take me out shooting tomorrow? I need to get away for a bit." Bay looked up at him, begging him with her big, beautiful eyes, and Daryl felt like crap that he had to deny her that simple wish.

"Wish I could, baby girl. Can't do it with the walkers coming closer." he sighed and watched her nod in resignation.

"Yeah... Right." she muttered, and reached up to grab hold of his wrists. She turned her face to the side and softly kissed his left palm before she pressed her cheek against it again. "You've been calling me that more again lately... baby girl... I really missed that."

"Yeah?" he smiled that tiny smile of his, making the butterflies in her belly flutter, just like it used to back in the day. Some things never change.

"Oh yeah. I think it's sexy when you call me that. Always loved it." she smiled at him while she pushed her warm hands underneath the several layers of clothing he was wearing. When she felt the warm skin of his sides meet her fingertips. she slid her hands around to his back and gently scratched her nails along his lower back, loving how he squirmed ever so slightly while goosebumps formed on his skin. "I always loved you."

"Nah, you didn't. I loved ya first, remember?" he teased her. He was insanely happy that he was able to distract her, and make her smile right now.

"You did,... and I still can't believe it. I felt like such a moron at that party. Thought I'd made such a damn fool of myself in front of super cool Daryl Dixon." she giggled at the memory. "Never in my life would I have assumed, that you would start liking me in that moment."

"Didn't know that that's what it was back then... but it was. Prettiest smile I ever saw."

"There were a lot of pretty smiles around that night..."

"There were." Daryl agreed. "But you were different. Honest and real... 'nd so fucking cute." he rasped before he captured her lips in an emotionally laden kiss. It was fueled by the feelings his memories were letting wash over him again. Those confusing feelings he hadn't been able to decipher back then. Those first butterflies in his stomach... that subconscious need to see her constantly... the fear when he'd realized that she had been the one getting attacked by those rapists... getting closer to her, having her open her home to him... finding out she was into him... that first kiss... He was suddenly overcome with tenderness for the woman in his arms, and his kisses turned softer. My girl. I really got her back. I'm the luckiest fucking bastard in the world. He pulled back to look into her eyes. Bay got the impression that he wanted to tell her something, when he opened his mouth and looked like he was about to say something, but instead, he pressed his lips back against hers. And again. And again. He wrapped his arms around her neck and hugged her closer, enjoying the feeling of her lithe body pressed against his. "I gotta get back out there." he finally said when he pulled away again. "Gotta help with the fences."

"Okay." Bay was disappointed that their moment was gone, but she understood. Safety had a higher priority than love. "Be careful out there."

"Always am." he gave her another tiny smile, then he released her and walked back to the door, grabbing his crossbow and slinging it over his shoulder.

Bay sighed deeply, already missing his warmth and his scent surrounding her. She wished she would be able to just lay down, but unfortunately there were things that had to be done. She wasn't able to just hide out in her room like a sullen teenager. She took a quick trip to the bathroom to splash some water in her face, then she went back downstairs to finish up laundry duty.

The rest of the day was quiet, but mostly because there was a negative atmosphere in the house. Nobody was in a good mood, really, so there wasn't a lot of talk during the meals. Daryl and Bay hadn't sat down at the table with most of the others. They had taken their soup up to their room instead, eating by themselves, talking quietly about the progress the men had made during the day. A couple of more walkers had wandered towards the farm earlier, but the men had quickly taken care of them, before those things had even reached the fences. Silent weapons like Daryl's crossbow were good for that, unfortunately he was running out of bolts. He would soon have to branch out further to find a store that carried some. But for now they were cutting down on runs in order to make the farm safer, and for that they needed all hands on deck.

Daryl pushed his tomato soup around inside his bowl, using his spoon. He wasn't too hungry. Not yet anyway. After a couple of minutes he put the bowl down on Bay's nightstand, and leaned back against the headboard, watching his girl eat. "You mean it?" he asked after a while.

"What?" Bay asked, her forehead crinkled in confusion.

"You said I would have been a good daddy. Ya mean that?"

"No, not good... I said one of the best... and yes, I meant that."

"Why?"

"Because you are good with kids. You have a lot of love to give. You are a nurturer. A caretaker. An amazing protector. A great teacher. You would have nailed that job." Bay explained to him, her voice and her words leaving no doubt in Daryl's mind that she truly did mean it.

Daryl nodded in acknowledgment, before he started chewing his bottom lip, getting lost in thought for a moment. "I don't want you to come on watch with me tonight. Feel better when you're inside. Okay?"

"Okay." Bay agreed, and laughed when Daryl looked at her with mild surprise displayed on his face. "What? Thought I'd put up a fight?"

"Kinda..."

"I know that when you are asking me to do something, you have a good reason for it. You are only watching out for me. Why would I argue with that? Well, I might argue with you about something else in the future, but with this? I trust you. I don't have much experience with the walkers. If some more of them come stumbling on the farm tonight, I might only be in the way and put you in harm's way. I'll be a good girl and stay in the house." she looked down and closed her fingers around her brand new cross, reverently rubbing her thumb across its surface. "I'll miss you, but with this I feel like a piece of you is always with me from now on."

"Good." he leaned forward and kissed her before he got up from the bed. "Just try to sleep a little. I'll be back in no time."

"Sleep sounds good." Bay yawned as if on cue. "Don't know if I'll be able to without you."

"Try." Another tiny smile, then he was out the door.

Bay put her empty soup bowl on the nightstand, next to Daryl's still full one. She knew he didn't mind eating it cold, and that he would probably eat it real quick after watch, so she just left it there. She got ready for bed and snuggled under the covers, trying to think of Daryl to help her fall asleep.

Bay had fallen asleep quickly. She hadn't even really noticed. She didn't know how long she had been sleeping, but when she woke back up, it was still dark and Daryl wasn't inside yet. Bay sat up with a frown. She had a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she wasn't able to put her finger on it. She rubbed her tired eyes, then she stilled and just listened for a moment. That's when she heard frantic voices coming from downstairs, and the whole place seemed to buzz with a frantic and nervous energy. Something was going on for sure. She climbed out of bed when she heard footsteps of more than one person on the stairs. She jumped when the door to her room burst open and an out of breath Daryl stood in the doorway, immediately barking orders.

"Get your jacket. Put your fucking boots on. Get your gun. Come on, move it!"

"What's going on?" Bay was utterly confused and just remained standing in front of her bed, asking him what was happening. Not one for using many words, Daryl strode towards her, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards the window.

"We gotta go. Now. Get your shit." He told her while he let go of her and went over to her closet to get his backpack out. Bay didn't immediately see what he meant, but when she focused and squinted her eyes, she was able to make out a dark mass that was coming closer and closer. She frowned, just before her eyes widened in fear. It was walkers. Hundreds and hundreds of walkers, moving towards the house. Bay was paralyzed in shock.

"The basement. We can hide out-"

"No, we can't, Bay. They're gonna tear this place apart. Ain't a bomb shelter down there. We ain't got time, just put your fucking shoes on, girl." Daryl shouted and tossed her boots at her. Her leather jacket followed, landing at the foot of the bed. "BAYANNE! Get a fucking move on. You wanna die tonight?" he shook her when she still wasn't moving, and finally succeeded in spurring her into action. Her mind was blank, overwhelmed by fear, she just followed his orders. She jammed her bare feet into her boots. It was winter and it was very cold outside, but Daryl hadn't told her to put socks on, so she wasn't thinking about putting socks on first. She had barely finished putting on her jacket, when Daryl grabbed her hand and pulled her out of her room, down the stairs and out of the house. He ran towards his bike with her, shooting at approaching walkers with his revolver. Out of the corner of her eyes Bay noticed Hershel with his shotgun, taking on some undead ones himself. The walkers suddenly seemed to come from all directions, surrounding the farmhouse, and closing in on the survivors. "Get on. Hurry." he shouted at her over the noise of all the guns that were being fired off.

"But Maggie... Beth..."

"They're leaving, too." he was lying, or at least he thought he was lying, because he wasn't exactly sure where everybody else was at right now. She could be mad at him for lying later, but right now all that mattered to him was to get Bay to safety and out of that death trap. He kept firing off shots, but as soon as Bay was seated behind him on the bike, he revved the engine and got out of there like a bat out of hell. Bay buried her face in the spot right between his shoulders and held on to him for dear life as he maneuvered them through the walkers. She looked up when a light flared up next to them and she realized with horror, that the barn, that had been housing their cattle again, had gone up in flames. She knew that all their animals were lost now. Her heart hurt for the lives lost, and she realized that this also meant that their milk and meat supply would be gone as well. If the fire spread, they might loose the house, too. The reality of the farm being lost already, hadn't sunken in yet. She thought they might go back in the morning, to pick up the pieces and rebuild what had been damaged. In that moment she didn't know that she would never see her home again. It belonged to the walkers now.

Thank you for reading.

Thank you for all the support and the lovely reviews. We don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Germany, but I hope all of you had a gread Turkey Day. Now we just have to survive the Midseason Finale. I don't know if I'm ready for the heartache that is sure to come. Why isn't there a support group for TWD?