Rebuilding Alexandria took time. The priority was rebuilding the structures that went down and took on damage from the Wolves and walkers, which ended up doubling as an expansion. This allowed some of the damaged parts of the walls to be taken down entirely. Cars with spears sat outside the entrance to keep small groups of walkers away from the front gate and walls since it served as the main area where they gathered. Home repair was the second priority on the to do lists, since a handful of them took on major damage from bullets and walkers getting their blood and entrails all over them. Kayla focused her attention on repairing the original clinic in town as well as the one she now lived above which included both manual and several runs to pharmacy to scrounge up every medical supply she could find for several miles.
Almost two months after everything went down, the town seemed back to normal. Ada adjusted to her new home, finding a mentor in Rosita the way Johnathan did with Abraham. The kids frequented helping out with tasks around the town and took up weapons training every other day to stay familiar with their guns and knives. Kayla could not help but feel pride when she watched Ada slowly master hand to hand combat. She thanked Rosita for taking time, though the latter assured her no thanks were necessary.
"Anything for the kids." Rosita told her.
Things we uneventful in Alexandria for a while, but all that came to a close one night after Daryl and Rick returned from a run. Kayla remained awake, letting a book entertain her long after she put the kids to bed to see Daryl return home. When he finally walked through the door, Kayla looked up from her spot. She took one look at him and smirked.
"You look like shit," she commented as she closed her book. "Any luck with the painkillers and gauze I requested?"
Daryl laughed as he entered his living room. She was the only woman in the world who could tell him he looked like shit and mean it as a compliment. He did not take a seat next to her, instead extending a hand to her that she gladly took. He pulled her off the couch and into his frame, Kayla smiling as Daryl pressed his forehead against hers. As much as he reeked of a day on the road, Kayla's nose learned to ignore it overtime and wasted no time returning his kiss as quickly as he pressed his lips to hers.
"You look good, too." He responded after a moment of indulging in her kiss and immediately going in for another.
As much as Daryl enjoyed a day on the road with Rick, he enjoyed coming home to his wife even more. He lifted her into his arms, making quick work of walking towards the bathroom. He knew his wife would not let him anywhere near their sheets until after he showered, but it ended up being to his benefit. Often times, Kayla joined him in the shower to partake in the hot water and steam. It did not always lead to the type of activities that allowed them momentarily release from the rest of the world, but Daryl would never object to his wife joining him for a hot shower.
"No gauze," he told her as he pulled her towards the bathroom and continued kissing her. "or painkillers. But I promise I have a way to make that up to you."
Despite the less-than-ideal news of no gauze or painkillers, Kayla smiled as Daryl pulled her all the way too him and into his arms in one swift motion. He half carried her into the bathroom, kicking the door closed with his foot.
A couple of hours later, Kayla and Daryl were still laying awake in their bedroom as Daryl filled her in on the day's events. Finding the truck of supplies and subsequently losing it to a lake thanks to the help of the arrival of the man who referred to himself as Jesus. He told her they took him to the infirmary before locking him in the basement of one of the in-progress houses down the street.
"Wasn't about to bring him here for you to deal with tonight," Daryl explained before Kayla could ask why he didn't bring the stranger to the infirmary that served as their home's first floor.
The finally finished construction on it and were in the process of stocking it with supplies before officially opening it to the community. However, there was enough down there to do a preliminary look over of someone who took a few hits on the road.
"Besides, didn't want him knowing the house where my wife and kids are sleeping." Daryl added as he pulled Kayla closer to him and nestled his head to his pillow.
Kayla's face filled with a smile at the statement, still never getting over the
Daryl and Kayla made in a point to alternate their runs to make it their relationship feel more balanced. While neither liked the other going out without them, they wanted to ensure they did everything they could from their kids losing a set of guardians at once. This set up was something Ada and Jonathan noticed and while it went appreciated, they could see how much it hurt Daryl and Kayla to watch the other one go beyond the gates without the other. The recognized that their relationship also made them a team, and they shared that dynamic before either Jonathan or Ada appeared in their lives.
Upon Daryl and Rick's return to Alexandra with a stranger, and the subsequent discovery of another nearby settlement, Jonathan took it upon himself to voice what he and Ada how felt about it. Kayla and Daryl were trying to decide who would go to the settlement, Hilltop, Jonathan piped up.
"You both should go." He told them, earning confused glances from both of his guardians. "When one of you stays behind, all you do is worry. I am sure when one of you are out there, you're only thought is getting back here to the other person. You two do better together out there, so you should both go."
Kayla offered Jonathan a warm smile. "I appreciate that, Jonathan, we both do, but-"
"But nothing!" Ada jumped in, her confidence in their family dynamic growing every day. "Rick takes the lead and leaves Judith and Carl here all the time. We can stay here with Carl just the same and help keep this place safe while you go and make sure everyone is safe out there. Like Johnathan said, you guys are better when you're together."
Kayla and Daryl exchanged a glance with one another, silently admitting to each other that they agreed with the kids even if it met putting the two of them both at risk at once. An ache filled their hearts at the same time, though, as they wondered what if something happened at home they were not there for.
"What if something happens here?" Daryl questioned. "And we ain't here to protect ya."
"We have loads of protection right here." Jonathan reassured them. "Plus, we both are getting really good with our aims."
Kayla smiled, feeling much better about both her and Daryl going out on the trip to Hilltop.
"When did y'all grow up?" she said through a laugh before hugging her kids, Daryl joining in immediately.
OOOOO
When the group got on the road, Kayla opted to get some extra shut eye for the long drive. At first she tried to get sleep leaned against the wall, but after a few minutes felt a gentle tug pull her into a familiar hard, comfortably surface. Daryl wasted no time securing his arms around her to ensure she would not roll off the couch, telling her she would hurt her neck trying to fall asleep sitting up. She did not object and instead readjusted to get as comfortable as possible before dozing off into a sleep for a little while.
Through sleepy ears, Kayla could make out the hushed conversation between Abraham and Glenn when Abraham asked about Maggy and Glenn's baby on the way. He asked if it was intentional and Glenn confirmed it was, making Kayla surprised. The world before them did not serve anyone, let alone children. The ones in the world before the fall could not escape it and learn to fight for their lives but surely some preventative measures could be taken to help avoid life meet their end too soon. It remained Kayla's biggest fear when it came to Judith who would need someone to watch and defend her for the several years still to come.
Kayla and Daryl never talked about kids of their very own, mainly because it was never an option for either party. The kids they ended up giving a home to came to them by unfortunate and unforeseen circumstances, but once again, they entered the world years before it fell. If anything were to happen to them, Kayla and Daryl were unsure of what they would do. Johnathan and Adaline were there children, there was no doubt about that, but Kayla could not wrap her head around Maggy and Glenn bringing a child into this world willingly; despite Glenn's explanation of the a hopeful, optimistic future where groups will continue to build and grow.
The RV slowing into a stop and Daryl's sudden tenseness woke Kayla up quickly as they approached what came to be a car crash site. The group wasted no time pouring out of the RV to investigate, guns raised and ready to fire at any walkers or unfamiliar faces. Jesus quickly noticed that the bar belonged to his group, warning bells going off in everyone's heads at the coincidence. They approached a building following the tracks Daryl found, Jesus deducing that his people must have ran inside for cover. After a few moments of debate, they agreed to go in.
"I'll stay out here with Maggy and him," Kayla volunteered, her gun trailed on the new stranger. "In case anyone shows up or walkers roll in. The rest of you go in and get anyone alive out of there."
Rick and Daryl agreed to the plan and led Michonne, Abraham, and Glenn into the building once Jesus's hands were clipped cuffed behind his back. Kayla and Maggie kept their guns on him, Kayla not missing his fidgeting and nervousness. Part of her knew it could still be a rouse with him playing the scared friend anxiously awaiting to see if the members of his group would come out alive or as walkers. The other part fought to show empathy for the man, as this situation was genuine as were his feelings.
"If they are alive, they'll get 'em out." Kayla assured him, letting empathy play victor today just a little bit.
Within just a few minutes, Kayla's assuring worlds proved true as she watched her group return outside with others in tow. She just as quickly rushed to Abraham's side when she saw the injured man struggling to walk.
"It's my leg," he said. "I hurt it in the crash."
"Don't worry, we'll fix you up." Kayla told him, helping him to the RV.
Once inside, Abraham and Kayla set the man whose name they learned was Freddy on the couch. She made quick work of kneeling on the ground to examine the wound. It was a large gash and bloody, but thankfully not a life-threatening injury; a few stitches at most.
"Freddie, all I gotta do here is clean the wound and wrap it for now. You will probably need a few stitches, but I would rather wait until we get to where we're going first. That good with you?" Kayla explained
Freddie just nodded and Kayla proceeded to ask Abraham for alcohol, cloths, and whatever gauze or bandages they packed. Together, the two worked together to patch up the man's leg in just a few minutes. She made sure to pack it well for the remaining miles to avoid him bleeding out more than he already did. Once she was satisfied with the wound dressing, she wiped down her hands thoroughly before taking a seat beside Daryl again. As they sat, they heard Freddie lament about his wife who died before the rest of the world did and all Daryl could do was hug his wife tight.
OOOOO
Upon arriving to Hilltop, Kayla knew right from the first encounter that she nor anyone in her group for that matter liked the leader Gregory. She did not like his immediate dismissal of their group, insinuating that they were not good enough to stand on his perfectly polished hardwood floors surrounded by irreplaceable pieces of history. Everyone chose to bite their tongue at his elitist attitude and follow Jesus to another part of the house to clean up after the day's events of walker blood, mud, and a crowder RV in summer. As Kayla took advantage of cold water on a wash cloth to clean her face up, she thought back when she met Deanna the first time. She showed no glint of judgement in anyone in their group when it came to how they looked, spoke, or what they did to survive. She embodied everything Gregory did not: class.
Despite the older man's unlikeable personality and display of extra disrespect to Maggie he showed her in their one on one discussion, Kayla still found herself rushing to his side when one of his own community members delivered a knife to his abdomen. She scrambled to his side as Jesus and Maggie lowered him to the ground, her hands immediately applying pressure to the wound. Out of instinct, her eyes looked up for Abraham who often assisted her with on the road injuries and saw him pinned to the ground by one of the other men.
"Daryl!" she shouted to her husband, drawing his attention. "Abraham!"
Her attention returned to Gregory who let out grunts of pain from his stab wound. Kayla continued to apply pressure to the wound as the blood seeped through her fingertips. She examined the wound and to her it seemed that it may no more than a deeper flesh wound that thankfully avoided any major organs or arteries in his lower abdomen. The minimal blood loss from the knife going in and out pointed towards as much. Despite Kayla never hesitating to step up to the plate when injury and illness called, she admitted to herself she did not expect so much blood to spill today. Once the confrontation outside concluded, Kayla tended to Gregory in his bedroom. She cleaned his wound before dressing it, letting him know he would live.
"I would suggest taking it easy for a week or so," she advised as she secured the gauze. "For the first couple of days when you change the bandages be sure to apply antibiotics to avoid infection. Once it shows significant signs of healing you can leave it uncovered but be sure to avoid any baths or swimming."
"You aren't going to stitch it?" he questioned, his tone bordering on condescending.
"These wounds can get infected easily," Kayla explained through an annoyed breath. "It's important to keep it open so it can be cleaned and redressed properly to avoid that."
"Whatever you say."
Kayla hit her limit with the man on his attitude and behavior and decided to make a point. She unsuspiciously readjusted her position at his bed side, turning her face to him with one hand still on his wound and the other ready for her next move. In one swift motion she pushed down on his wound and brought her other to his throat, squeezing the sides to cut off his blood supply. She did not want to kill him, just scare him. He immediately tried to fight back but she applied pressure on his wound again.
"No, you are gonna listen to me really quick," Kayla told him, lowering his face close to him. "You ever disrespect my group, specifically myself, Maggy, or any other woman for that matter with your elitist, misogynistic ways like you did today, I won't hesitate to stab you myself but somewhere no amount of quick first aid will help you. I'll let you bleed out in the fucking dirt."
Gregory met her eyes, his face going red with anger and stress from the situation as his teeth began to grit.
"You wanna look down on us, fine. Stick to your old ways of thinking, that's your choice, but you'll learn real quick that we are not the kinds of people you want to make enemies with. Are we clear?"
Gregory forced a nod and Kayla smiled.
"Good."
She released both her hands and stood up, gathering up the discarded medical supplies as Gregory regained his composure.
"You have a lot of nerve, Caitlin."
Kayla turned on her heels quick, grabbing her knife from her waistband and pointing the blade at Gregory's neck that froze him in place.
"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt on account of getting stabbed and the antibiotics but remember this right now: my name is Kayla."
She holstered her knife seamlessly back in place in one more quick motion before heading for the door without another word. She made her way down the hallway feeling proud of herself for her actions just now and relished in it for a moment. Before she could make it to the stairs, an arm pulled her into one of the rooms of the hallway. The familiar feel of hands and scent of oil and dirt signaled who it was immediately, allowing Kayla to drop her guard as her back pressed against a wall.
"Can I just say," Daryl said as he placed his hands on his wife's face. "That what you just did in there was the hottest thing I ever saw."
Kayla laughed just before her husband planted a kiss on her lips, making her heart swoon like it did every time he showed a moment of spontaneity. She melted into this kiss, never in a million years that any man would tell her that her threats against another life would be such a turn on.
OOOOO
Later on, Kayla assisted Maggy with packing the RV with supplied following her ultrasound. Kayla got to see it first, smiling at the small fetus on the photo.
"He looks like a little bean there." She commented.
"He?" Maggy questioned. "We won't know that for a while."
"I have a sixth sense of these things," Kayla explained as she looked over the medications Hilltop provided. "I won most of the baby gender bets in my day when friends and coworkers announced their pregnancies."
"I'll take your words for it."
As they continued to pack, Kayla looked at Maggy and dared to ask for the questions she pondered since their ride to the community.
"You guys really tried to make a baby?" she questioned. "With the world what it is?"
Maggy stopped loading produce into baskets and looked at her friend who wore an upset and confused face. She knew Kayla would react like this and frankly, rightfully so. Kayla needed to patch up those this world brought injury, illness, and death to, something she would never escape. She always admitted that treating children hurt more than anything else. Additionally, Kayla would now serve as one of the main people to see to Maggy's delivery and if anything were to happen to Maggy or the baby, she would never forgive herself.
"I know it seems stupid-" Maggy began.
"Frankly, it is stupid." Kayla cut her off. "Are you forgetting what happened to Lori? Or to women in childbirth even before the world went to shit?"
"I am fully aware, Kayla!" Maggie assured angrily. "But, I thought, I believe, that we can have a life in Alexandria. A life of living instead of just surviving!"
"Alexandria already nearly came down once!" Kayla snapped, approaching her friend. "Where both you and Glenn almost died!"
"But we didn't!"
The two women stood at odds, tears forming in their eyes. Anger and upset fueled the tears, as well as the love the women shared for each other. They both knew where the other one came from in the conversation but stood her in their personal views.
"You're my best friend," Kayla told her, finally breaking the silence that fell. "And this world ain't meant for kids."
"You're mine, too and I know you're right on some level. But seeing you with John and Ada…I want that, too. We want that. We want a family of our own, too. Our own little life."
It clicked a little more for Kayla there. She and Daryl never needed to assume full parental responsibility for John and Ada but they did. They chose to do that the same way Maggie and Glenn chose to bring a life into this world on their terms. Understanding that, Kayla let out an exasperated breath.
"Okay, I get it." She informed Maggie. "But I ain't doing more than my share of dirty diapers."
Maggy laughed and so did Kayla, the friend enveloping the other in a hug now that their disagreement came to a halt.
OOOOO
Once the group packed the RV, they hit the road home. Kayla showed her excitement to get home to her kids from not being able to verbally wonder what they did today while Daryl stewed in silent anticipation. After a while, a comfortable silence filled the air as everyone settled. Kayla nearly fell asleep when Maggie and Glenn decided to pass the sonogram photo around to the group. She admired the photo once more before she passed it to Daryl to see. He spared a glance, seemingly unsure of how to react. Kayla looked at him and pondered his reaction for a moment, unsure on whether it stemmed from the truth behind the conception or because he thought about himself as a father, biological or not. She leaned close to him, pressing her lips to his cheek before letting them hover by his ears.
"We are parents just as much and you are an incredible father to our kids."
Daryl turned his head to look at her, realizing she descrived him directly as the kids' father. She realized his surprise and gave him and assuring look.
"We may not be blood, and they may not call us it, but we are their parents. You their father and I, their mother."
Daryl smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead, feeling both happy and fearful at the declaration. Until now he viewed himself as a guardian and a parent in some way but he nor Kayla addressed themselves as the children's mother and father. It flipped a switch in him in some way, internally checking himself that would never be like the fathers before him.