Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Walking Dead, but I do own my OCs and their stories.

After our meal, I go over to sit with Rose and Carl, who's holding Judith.

"She's adorable," I gush at Carl. He smiles and rocks her back, showing even more of her gorgeous face. Rose scoots closer next to Carl, looking down at the baby.

"Do you think I could hold her? I'll be super-duper careful," she asks.

Carl smiles. "Sure, Rose. Here, use your elbow and hold up her head like this. Okay? Here, you got her," he directs her. Once Judith is settled in Rose's arms, Rose's face lights up.

"Look, Mama!"

I get up to sit on the other side of my daughter, Carl close at her right. "I see, baby. You're great with her," I comment. She really is. Judith smiles and coos at Rose, grabbing at her wavy red hair. It's such a sight to see- my baby with another baby. Reminds me of the day Rose was born.

X

January 26, 2008

"Dammit," I sigh. With just moving into the new place, half of our things are still packed and I can't find a spoon to eat my cereal. I maneuver around the couple boxes still in the kitchen, careful not to get stuck with my massive belly. Jesus, there's the silverware... On top of three other boxes. I try to reach up, but it's not gonna happen. Then I feel Daryl behind me, reaching the small box with ease. He sets the box on the counter, and I smile, turning around to face him. "Thanks babe."

"You shouldn't be strainin' yourself like that," Daryl replies. He runs his hands down my sides, and I slide u to sit on the counter. He leans in to start kissing my neck. "Did I tell you how lucky I am?"

I smile, wrapping my arm around his neck and into his hair. "Not today," I reply. He moves up to my mouth, giving me a hungry kiss.

"Well now I did."

I smirk at him, pulling him closer by the belt loops in his jeans so my legs can wrap around his hips. "Tell me another way, Daryl," I tease him. He tugs at the sweats I'm wearing, helping me up so he could pull then down to my knees. I unbutton his jeans as we kiss each other feverishly. But before you know it, as we're gettin' heated up, my water breaks.

"Oh, shit," I say. Daryl opens his blue eyes and looks at me questioningly.

"What? What's wrong?"

I nod toward the fluid running down the side of the cabinet I'm sitting on. "The baby's comin', we gotta go!"

Daryl's eyes open wide and he helps my off the counter, frantically helping me pull up my sweatpants, muttering, "Shit, shit, shit, I'm not ready for this, holy fuckin' shit! Shit shit shit!"

I waddle my way out the house, Daryl still in the bedroom throwing clothes into a duffel bag. Once I reach the car, I feel the most intense pain and let out a scream.

"DARYL! Get your ass out here, we need to go!"

"I'M COMIN', I'M COMIN'!" he yells, finally joining me at the truck. He helps me into the seat before he slides into the driver's side, speeding to the hospital.

.

"AHHHH, FUCKING FUCK!" I yell. It's four hours into this labour and I'm done. Daryl called Merle and my good friend Jewel and despite their differences, the two are here in the room with me. (Jewel's black. Merle's a racist asshole. You get the picture.)

"God, I can't watch this," Daryl growls. He's been pacing around the room, barely able to look at me in this state. "How much longer?"

Dr. Montgomery looks up at Daryl. "She's almost ten centimeters dilated, and her contractions are only two minutes apart-"

"I don't know what that means! Give me an answer!"

Jewel loosens from my grip on her hand to talk to him. "She's almost there, Daryl, your kid'll be here soon." She smiles her 100 watt smile.

Merle slapped Daryl on the back. "I'mma be an uncle to a little Daryl or Darylina!"

Daryl finally stopped pacing, coming to take Jewel's spot next to me. I work up the best smile I can when he takes my hand, but I'm soon screaming bloody murder.

"DAMMIT, GET THIS THING OUTTA ME! WHERE'S MARINA? WHY ISN'T SHE HERE!"

Daryl runs a hand through his shaggy hairy. "She's on her way, baby. Just hold on tight-" he says to me, then looks to Dr. Montgomery. She smiles, then looks back up to me.

"You're crowning! Alright, Scarlet, gimme a big push. One, two, thr-"

"AHHHHHHH!" I feel sweat droplets form on my forehead, and Daryl's strong hand still seems to be crushed within mine.

Dr. Montgomery smiles. "Great job, Scarlet. You're almost there. Can you do one-"

"AARRRRRRGGGHHHHH!" I push before she's even finished her sentence, and soon I hear the cry of our baby and in the corner of my eye I see a whip of long blonde hair.

"Holy shit," Daryl breathes.

Merle and Jewel both sigh. "Holy shit is right," says Merle. Marina comes over to my side, huggin' on me in the awkward positioning of the hospital bed.

"Oh my god, Scarlet. You're a mom and I almost missed it!" She sighs.

I smirk looking up at my best friend. "You're here now, Rina," I sigh. Daryl finally makes his way over, and I finally relax into the bed, closing my eyes and feeling Daryl's rough hand wipe at my forehead. "Is.. Is it a girl? Or a boy?" I open my eyes up at Daryl. "Is it Rose or Cobain?" Daryl laughs, but before he can ask and answer, Merle makes a comment.

"I don't see no penis, but that could just be how small it is. Daryl's kid, after all."

"Not the time, Merle." Daryl growls. Dr. Montgomery finally brings the baby over, cleaned off and wrapped in a pink blanket. A pink blanket!

"Congrats, Scarlet. Looks like you've got a little Rose," she tells me. She sets Rose into my arms, and I cradle her carefully.

"She's my Rose," I choke out. God, I thought if the pregnancy was over I'd stop all the damn crying.

"Could still be Cobain," says Daryl. I wipe the tears away with my free hand before whacking his side.

Marina comes over to my other side, looking down at my beautiful girl's face. "She's got your hair, red," she says to me, gesturing to the red tufts on Rose's head.

Jewel comes over too. "And Daryl's eyes." They're both right- when Rose opened her eyes they stunned me with the pale blue that looked just like her father's.

"Jesus, man. You're a dad," says Merle, coming over to take a peek at his niece. "She's a beaut."

Daryl nods, but his eyes are glued to the little girl in my arms. I lift her up a bit to him, "You wanna hold her?" Daryl shakes his head but I lift Rose up a bit more, forcing him to take her. He then sits down in the chair beside my bed, being super cautious. I feel tears well in my eyes again when I see how his face lights up looking at her. His eyes return to mine, giving the smallest and most meaningful smile I've ever received.

X

I'm knocked out of my Daze when Sasha, Tyreese and Rick come in from outside. Sasha is approaching at Gabriel the second she steps foot inside.

"Stop," she tells him. "What are you doing?"

Gabriel looks up at her with his 'innocent' face questioningly, but Sasha keeps going. "This is all connected; you show up and people are watching us. And now three of us are gone."

"I don't- I don't have anything to do with this," Gabriel pleads. Sasha takes out a knife.

"Put it away!" Yells Tyreese.

Sasha raises her voice "Who's out there? Where are our people?! Where are our people!"

Through the yelling and screaming, Gabriel keeps repeating, "I don't have anything to do with this." Finally, Rick stops Sasha and approaches Gabriel more calmly.

"Why did you bring us here?"

"I- I do-"

"Are you working alone?"

I step in for Gabriel. "Yes, Rick. We're alone. It's always been the three of us, since I got here."

Rick relaxes a little. "How long've you been here?"

"'Bout two months."

Rick's eyes dart from me to Gabriel suspiciously. "Do you know what's out there?" he asks me, then turn back to Gabriel. "What about the woman at the food bank, what did you do to her? "YOU'LL BURN FOR THIS," that was for you. What did you do that you'll burn for?"

I sigh and rub at my temples while Gabriel starts hyperventilating, muttering shit about locking the doors at night. Obviously I've got to take over from here.

"It ain't his fault," I start. Now I've got Rick's attention. "He didn't do much wrong. He locks the doors of the church at night, he told me. He said he always has and... and when this all started he'd been in the church. Real' early in the mornin'. So when all the churchgoers came, lookin' for safety from the walkers, the doors were still locked. But Gabriel was so panicked he didn't let them in. The dead eventually came for them, with all the noise they were makin'." I nod toward Gabriel, who Rose as come over to comfort, rubbing his back like I'd do to her. "That's all I know."

Rick clears his throat. "Well, I-"

"This is my punishment," Gabriel calls out. "God has sent you all to me to be killed. You.. Your group is my punishment," he cries. I sigh and turn to Rick, who seems okay with the answers I gave him.

"I can't tell you where Daryl is," I start. "But I can tell you that it was Carol who ran off. He just went out lookin' for her. He'll bring he back within the day, I hope."

Rick looks less than shocked. "Why would Carol run off?"

"That ain't my business. But I trust my husband and I wouldn't've let him go if I didn't think he could get her back."

"You're right. Daryl's-"

We both stop talking when there's a faint whistling outside. Glenn goes to the window to see what it's about.

"Something's going on... There's someone lying in the grass!" he exclaims. Tyreese, Sasha, Glenn, Rick and I all run out, weapons ready. There's Bob, lying in the grass- with the lower half of his leg cut off. I hear rustling in the trees then suddenly we're being fired at. Rick and I both shoot blindly into them, hoping we'd caught whoever'd done this to Bob. Sasha, Glenn and Tyreese all use their efforts to pick Bob up and bring him inside. Covering their backs as we head in the church, I see an 'A' written in blood on the side on the church. Rick does too, and I direct them to the office where Gabriel had offered Rose and I to sleep. They lay him down on the couch and I go to get him some water.

"What's happening?" Carl asks me, helping me gather any cloth to stop hold the bleeding.

"It's Bob. He was left outside, amputated," I tell him and he nods, following me back into the office. I trust Rick and Carl, some of the others too. Carl seems like a very smart, level-headed person. Rick nods me out and I decide to sit out this interrogation with Bob, stay in the church and watch the kids. I grab a big bag of oyster soup crackers Rick n' them had found at the food bank, sitting between the bleachers with Rose, Carl and Judith,

"So," I start. "Bob's not in good shape. But I thought we could play a game of Never Have I Ever with the crackers."

"What's that?" Rose asks me, but Carl answers.

"It's where one person says something they've never done, and if you've done it you..." I give Carl a look so he doesn't mention that it's really a drinking game. "-eat a cracker."

Rose smiles. "Okay! Can I start?" Carl and I both nod. "Hmm... ever have- wait no, that's not right. Never have I ever... met a leprechaun."

I stifle my laughter when Carl reaches for a cracker. Rose shouts in exclamation.

"No way! You got to meet a leprechaun?"

"Yep," replies Carl calmly. "Came to my school and gave a lecture about stealing. 'If ya ever put yer hand on me gold, I'd geet ma beatin' stick and slap you silly!'"

Rose and I laugh at his impression as the Irish leprechaun, and Carl nods to me, signaling my turn.

"Okay, I'll go next. Never have I ever... failed a text in school." Neither of the kids reach for the crackers and I give them both high fives. "Alright Carl, you're up."

"Never have I ever met a famous person," he says. Rose proudly grabs two crackers, eating them with her father's smirk on her face. "Who've you met, Rose?!" Carl asks her, trying to match her excitement.

"My Uncle Keenan skateboards on TV," she says. "And my Aunt Marina is does art."

Carl's eye widen. "Wait, you're not talking about Keenan LeJohnson?"

I nod. "We went to school together, all of us and my friends Jewel and Sam. Known them all since kindergarten," I tell him proudly.

"You're best friend is my idol," Carl says, smiling. "Seriously- I used to watch every video of him and if I hadn't, I wouldn't know how to kick-flip so flawlessly."

I laugh at Carl's confidence. "You're a lot like Keen, actually." He beams at my comments, laughing quietly.

Rose's smile turns into a little frown. "I miss drawing with Auntie Rina, and playing Dare Or Dare with Sam and Papa." She sniffles, and I hear the knot in her throat as she speaks. "And getting a makeover from Auntie Jewel, and... and riding down the sidewalk with Uncle Keenan on his board..."

I open my arms as Rose crawls into my lap, crying quietly into my shoulder. I pet at her head, stroking her red braids. "I know, honey. I miss them too."

Carl scoots closer and touches Rose's shoulder, making her look up at him. She immediately crawls out on my arms and into Carl's. He smiles at me and I smile back, holding back my own tears. I've got to be strong for Rose, even though the loss of my best friends. Carl nods me off and i turn around to see the group come out of the office.

"You okay here with Carl, baby?" I ask Rose. She wipes at her pale blue eyes and nods. "Thanks," I tell Carl before approaching the group.

"So what's going on?" I ask Rick.

"Bob tells us there's a group from Terminus, the last place we were. They're held up at a school near here, capturing people and... Well, Bob just confirmed they're taking people for food."

"Food? You mean..."

"Yeah. That's why he's missing his leg," Glenn says.

I turn to make sure the kids are out of hearing. "That's fucked up. So now what do we do? Go after these assholes?"

Rick cleared his throat. "I say that's the best option. Get to the elementary school and take out Gareth and his people."

"Why engage in them?" Abraham says loudly, gaining our attention. "We need to leave. This environment is too dangerous, we can't keep Eugene is such a hostile zone. I Say we pack up, take the bus and get to Washington ASAP."

Oh, Jesus. Here we go.

I tune out the arguing, only putting my thoughts in when Rick mentions staying for Daryl and Carol to come back. Of course that's what we're gonna do, it's Abraham with the crazy impatience.

"Another day," Glenn interjects. "Stay another day, and if Daryl and Carol don't come back by then... then me and Maggie will come with you to Washington."

Rick and I are stunned at Glenn's offer, but before we can say anything about it, Abraham answers.

"Half of a day, and Tara comes too," he states. Glenn looks back at Tara who nods. "Alright then." Abraham and Glenn shake hands and now suddenly Rick's input is out of the question, apparently.

.

It was decided that under the cover of night, Rick, Michonne, Sasha, Glenn, Maggie, Tara, and Abraham would leave the church to go to the elementary school. I insisted on staying back here in case Daryl came back. The rest of us were cleaning up our things, putting them in order. But soon after the group disappears into the woods, we hear noise come from the woods.

"Everyone in the office. Now," I whisper harshly. I signal them to be silent, then point to the doors. These people are smart, they knon I know people are out there. Shit, and Rick took basically all of our good weapons to the school.

I get everyone in the office just before the Hunters break into the church. As their feet patter around the sanctuary, Gareth (the leader) asks the us to come out, telling us that he knows that Rick and the others took the majority of our weapons to the elementary school. I shake my head at everyone. We're not coming out in surrender to be killed.

But when we don't comply, Gareth calls for Gabriel saying that if he reveals himself and the group, they won't kill him or Judith. How do they know about us? And if he's willing to spare one child, why not the others? Carl may be a teen but he's still a kid.

We still keep quiet. As the Hunters search, Judith begins crying and now... Well now we're fucked. Gareth and the Hunters give us one last chance to come out before they break down the door.

I hush everyone still. Now Gareth gives the orders for the others to break down our door. I have my pistol raised, but the two guys in front of me are immediately shot down from behind. The Hunters turn around as Rick appears from the shadows and orders them to drop their weapons. Yes! Rick to the rescue!

I stifle a laugh when Gareth starts to panic and sweat drips down his forehead when he tries to get Rick to back down by threatening the rest of his group. Rick unceremoniously shoots off his middle and index fingers as he points at the door. Man, I like this guy.

Gareth fall to his knees and tells the rest of the Hunters to do as Rick says. Ha! What a pussy. All of them except one, who I hear is called Martin, kneel. He insists they didn't just get their asses kicked.

Now Abraham steps out of the shadows and puts his rifle to Martin's head, and orders him to get down, which Martin does. He's smart. Rick then walks to Gareth, who tries to tell Rick that they used be good people who really did accept newcomers into Terminus until "they" arrived and changed everything, and tries to convince Rick to let them go.

I don't really understand this, but what I do get is when Rick explains why he it's too dangerous for him to do that, then reminds Gareth of a promise he made to him back in Terminus. Again, I don't get what they're talking about, but then Rick pulls out my machete I let him take with the red handle from his belt and slashes Gareth with it, who screams in agony as Rick, Michonne, Sasha, and Abraham hack and bludgeon the remaining Hunters to death. It's quite a horrific scene and I'm glad I've got Rose in the far corner of the office, because though she may have to hear the screams at least she doesn't have to see the bloody horror.

When it is all over, Gabriel comes out from behind the door and surveys the carnage, as Rick, Michonne and Abraham walk past him to check on the rest of the group. Rick comes up to me, checking to see if Daryl's come back. I sadly shake my head.

I walk out into the sanctuary to see how shocked Gabriel is. He looks at Maggie, Glenn and I in astonishment.

"This is the Lord's house," he exclaims meekly.

Maggie looks at him, and coldly replies, "No, it's just four walls and a roof." Gabriel turns away and I smirk at Maggie.

"I like you."

"You too. Too bad I'm goin' to D.C. without you," he says solemnly.

I soften my smile. "Daryl'll be back tomorrow, I know it. He wouldn't leave us behind. Then we'll all get on that bus and serve in fixin' this royally-fucked world we're livin' in."

X

These past few days have been hell. Of course yesterday was wonderful, seein' Daryl again and having that wonderful full belly. Still thought, he had to leave just before we needed him most- the Hunters attacked, which was scary as hell. And all today was is the group saying goodbye to Bob, consumed to the fate of a walker bite. The worst part is I didn't even know him, and bein' around everyone grieving just brings the thoughts of missing Daryl back to me.

But I've finally got Rose down to sleep, only with the help of one of her father's jackets left to use as her blanket. I lie down next to her, but I can't sleep through the night, wondering where Daryl is.

.

The next morning I'm up before the sun. I grab my machete and head outside the church to find Michonne cleaning and inspecting her katana. Our weapons are kind of similar, I notice. I sit down next to her.

"Can't sleep?" she asks. I nod. "I don't blame you, probably wondering where Daryl is."

"Exactly," I reply. I give her a sarcastic, open-mouthed smile. "You know me so well!"

She laughs. "I'd like to. You see-" I silence her, hearing something rustling in the woods right in front of us. I wipe my machete clean and stand carefully from the step, approaching the edge of trees silently. I feel Michonne beside me, ready to fight off any of the Hunters who could be left, or maybe just walkers.

What I didn't expect was it to be Daryl! My posture softens and I lower my machete, closing the space between us so I can just feel his body again mine. "Jesus, Dare. You could-" I stop, pulling away from his grip on me. I look behind him, and then to Michonne next to me.

"Where's Carol?" she asks him. Daryl lowers his hands from my waist and looks behind him to the forest.

"C'mon out, now."

A/N: That was just covering "Four Walls and a Roof" before I watch the latest episodes of Walking Dead and by AU story can come a bit more alive :) Thanks for the follows and favorites, but I'd reeeeaaaalllyyyy love some reviews. I wanna know what you think! .xx