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Her Angel, His Strength

23 Say the Word

Daryl gave Lily a tight squeeze before letting go of her and walking towards Rick.

"Let me see the baby." Hershel asked.

"We're gonna feed it." Daryl said, coming closer, having given up on Rick. "We got anything a baby can eat?"

"The good news is she looks healthy. But she needs formula. And soon, or she won't survive." Hershel said, looking at them.

"No. No way. Not her. We ain't losin' nobody else. I'm goin' for a run."

"I'll back you up." Maggie said, looking desperate to get away from them.

"I'll go too." Glenn volunteered too.

"Okay, think where we're going. Beth." Daryl asked, jerking his head to the side. Lily couldn't hear what he was saying but it didn't take long as he got back soon. "Ya two get the fence. Too many pile up, we got ourselves a problem." He said to the prisoners. Walking towards Lily, he said quietly, "ya ok?" She nodded but couldn't form words. Daryl puller her head towards his and kissed her deeply. Much more deeply than he ever did in the presence of the others. Letting go of her, he said, "Glenn, Maggie, vámonos."

Rick got up then, and getting his axe, he headed inside the prison. Daryl made Glenn and Maggie go with him, and after a while, Hershel said they better get inside and clean the baby up.

Inside the cells, Lily decided she should fist take care of the bodies, so with Carl's help, they moved them away towards where the others were. It took a lot of time, considering the others bodies were away from the prison. Carl didn't say a word the whole time, and when Lily asked if he wanted to stay inside with his sister, he just shrugged.

When it was finally over, Lily and Carl made their way towards their cellblock where Beth and Hershel were. They had cleaned the baby up and, when Lily asked to hold her, she couldn't help but smile. It was so tragic that they had lost so many that day and still gained her… Lily sniffed; thinking how this sweet baby would not get the chance to meet her mother, would never meet T-Dog or Carol. It was so unfair to her and to Carl, Lily thought, eyeing the boy who was standing next to her.

Giving him the baby, Lily asked Hershel quietly:

"What happened? I mean, who did that? Why?"

"The other prisoner. The one who ran away." Lily's eyes widened. She thought he was dead. Nodding, she left to wash herself up. Blood and grime were all over her body and she did not want to be around the baby like that.

When the baby started to cry, they all looked at each other.

"They should be coming any time now." Beth tried to appease Carl's worry. Lily bit her lip; the baby had not eaten all day long, the poor thing. Just as the thought crossed her mind, Daryl entered the cellblock, and behind him, Maggie, Glenn, Axel and Oscar. It would seem the prisoners were part of their group now.

Lily and Beth walked over Maggie as Daryl picked the baby from Carl.

"Found some formula for her." Maggie said, putting the cans aside. Helping them prepare it, Lily smiled as she looked at Daryl, who was holding the baby.

"Oh, thank God!" Lily exclaimed, and watched as Beth handed the bottle to Daryl.

"She got a name yet?" He asked.

"Not yet." Carl answered. "But I was thinking maybe Sofia. Then there's Carol, too. And..." He sighed and Lily could feel herself tearing up. "Andrea. Amy. Jacqui. Patricia. Or... Lori. I don't know."

"Ya like that? Huh?" Daryl asked softly the little bundle on his arms. "Lil' ass-kicker. Right? That's a good name, right?" He looked around him, and everyone chuckled, even the prisoners. "Lil' ass-kicker. Ya like that, huh? Ya like that, sweetheart? Lil' ass-kicker." He continued to soothe the baby as he fed her. Lily felt, in that moment, that she had found the love of her life.

That night, Daryl slept by her side on her bed. She was happy he decided to do that, wanting to feel him close to her.

"When we discovered… When we- I was glad." She confessed, feeling terrible because of her feelings. "That it wasn't you."

"So was I." Daryl whispered, holding her more tightly. Lily felt a pang inside her. She always thought that the day she would finally find herself in love with someone, she would feel euphoric. Calm and tranquil, bursting and burning. That night, though, when she realised the depths of her feelings for Daryl, all she could feel was sorrow, grief and an agonizing fear that she or he would one day be on Rick's shoes.


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English is not my mother tongue, if you find a mistake, please let me know.

Thank you,

Mel.