3/10

First and foremost – thanks everyone, for such a warm welcome, and for such positive feedback with this fic. I appreciate it. Second – Ash! *Glomps* And third, I couldn't answer your review Autumn, because it wouldn't let me, so I'll answer it here. You said something that is very true – it isn't often addressed that women do get periods and how it can affect their bodies living the way they do – I agree. That's why I wrote that particular chapter. And it was so well received by all of you – yes, it was a brutal thing he said to her, but so very him to not realise how humiliating it would have been. So cheers, guys; enjoy. Kerri. x

The moment that led to the lid on Little Girl box being blown sky high started out with an icy wind as fall bore down on them with the speed of a freight train. The cold air had put the Walkers into a trance of silence; Daryl shifted his weight as he stared out over the gloom that morning had bought forth. He was tired, but the change in shift wasn't due for another two hours; his breath remained trapped by the bandana he wore over his lower face, and he squinted as movement near the prison caught his eye. Confusion pinched his features when he saw that it was Beth who had slipped outside the prison walls, and she rubbed her arms briskly as she made her way down to the yard. He tilted his head as Beth stretched her arms up over her head as if she was reaching for the sky; but when she flowed downwards so that she could grab her ankles and rest her head against her own knees, he cleared his throat and looked away. Soft footsteps thudded away a few minutes later, and when he looked back down to where Beth had been standing, his eyebrows drew together when he didn't see her. Shifting in the tower, he spotted a flash of blonde hair and Daryl shook his head when he realized that Beth was running laps of the prison. For forty odd minutes he watched her run silently. Her first lap had started out as an easy jog, but by the time Beth stopped and leaned over to brace her hands against her knees fifteen odd laps later, her face was pink and her hair was a tousled, sweaty mess. Daryl smiled slightly; he hadn't known she could run like that – all leg and speed.

"Beth! God damn it, Beth!"

Rick's voice split the morning air at the same time Judith's screams did, and Beth's shoulders hunched slightly before she headed back toward the prison. Daryl tracked her progress, and when Rick spotted her, he handed the screaming infant to Beth and gestured wildly with his hands as Beth started to bounce Judith against her hip. Beth tilted her head as Rick spoke, but the snatching wind had her heading back toward the prison as she shielded Judith as best she could with her own body. Yet when Rick reached out and gripped her elbow, Beth twisted away from him. Daryl could see that her face was pinched, and whatever she said had Rick stepping back from her in defense or shock – Daryl couldn't be sure. But whatever she had said had Rick staring at her, and she hurried away from him without another word as Judith's cries echoed off the concrete walls. Daryl tracked her figure until she disappeared inside, before he cut his eyes to Rick; Rick had shoved his hands into his pockets, and he wandered toward the pen he had once kept his pigs in, before kicking at a clod of dirt and wandering towards the graveyard.

The hour in which he had to wait for Glenn came out to relieve him seemed to drag on forever, but eventually Glenn's murmured greeting echoed as Daryl slipped outside the tower and he went inside to eat. He spotted Beth almost immediately; she was sitting by herself, and trying to eat as Judith cried in her arms. And as he watched, Beth set her spoon down and rose to her feet. She swayed from side to side as Judith slowly began to settle down; even as her eyes shifted from the baby in her arms to the bowl of oats she had been eating, Judith's cries pierced the air again. As Beth sighed, Daryl picked his bowl up and made his way towards the table she had been sitting at. Beth barely blinked as he scooped Judith out of her arms, but she did when he nodded to the bowl.

"Eat."

Her lips parted, but at the look on his face, Beth sank into her seat and began to eat her breakfast. Turning his attention to the child in his arms, Daryl bounced her lightly, but when that didn't help, he simply stood up and curled her close to his chest. Judith sniffled and buried her face in his shoulder; Daryl winced when her flailing fists caught a handful of his hair and she tugged sharply.

"She's teething."

His eyes cut to Beth who was watching him; her bowl was empty, and when Daryl looked at her, Beth rubbed her fingers over her eyes.

"She's tired; she didn't get much sleep last night. She'll settle down once she naps later today," Beth said quietly, and Daryl shifted Judith as she grew heavy against him as exhaustion finally took the little girl under.

"I got her," he muttered when Beth stood up. "How much sleep did you get last night?" he asked bluntly, and Beth shrugged.

"Some. Not her fault," Beth said, and then she reached out to gently slip the now sleeping baby out of his arms and into her own. "I'll put her down so you can eat."

Daryl nodded and watched Beth quietly head towards the cells as he methodically began to choke down his now cold breakfast. The taste didn't bother him – he needed the fuel. That was his mantra; fuel first, council check in and then sleep later. His day was filled with planning and meetings, yet he managed to slip away for a few hours during which he dropped into a dead sleep. By the time the evening rolled around, Daryl was mapping out a few possible runs with Michonne and Hershel. The meeting took them into the middle of the night, and had fatigue causing his head to thump. He had to walk passed Beth's cell to get to his own, and Daryl paused when he heard her trying to sooth Judith again. The baby's sniffles were dying down behind the curtain that gave Beth her privacy, and Daryl continued on his way. He had to be up in a few hours; as he had earlier, he dropped into sleep like a stone. Yet unlike earlier, he was woken not an hour later as soft falls hurried passed his cell, and Judith's sobs split the silence of the night.

"Beth?"

He didn't raise his voice, but her voice floated quietly back to him.

"Go back to sleep, Daryl. Sorry we woke you."

Fatigue dragged him back under for several more hours, and when he finally did wake back up the prison was bustling with activity. Making his way outside, Daryl spotted Beth walking through the yard with Judith wrapped warmly in her arms. He knew when she spotted him; she tilted her head in greeting, before making her way back toward the prison. He spent his afternoon killing Walkers along the fence line, before heading back to the prison for his evening meal. It was during that time that he caught sight of Beth, and he locked eyes with Michonne who was sitting beside her. Since their 'talk' after the last run, there had been a silent agreement between them; Michonne had taken to sitting with Beth during meal times to make sure she ate. If she was in the tower, then Daryl would make his way past the table and nudge Beth's bowl a little closer to her. Between them, Beth had been eating on a more regular basis. She was still very thin, but colour had started to bloom in her cheeks again, and she'd lost the fatigue that had caused her eyes to look like smoke. But looking at her now, Daryl could see the shadows under Beth's eyes from across the room. And no matter how many times Michonne nudged Beth's bowl back towards her, Beth had yet to take a single bite. She continued to pat Judith's back gently, yet her expression remained vacant. By tactile agreement, Michonne tilted her head and Daryl nodded once.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

"She looks exhausted."

It was bitten out, and Michonne kicked the concrete pillar in the middle of the room in frustration as her concern for the younger girl pinched her face. She finally sighed and turned to lean against the pillar as Daryl cupped his hands around the flame of his lighter and lit his cigarette. He allowed himself only a few cigarettes a day and he knew he'd have to find more on his next supply run. Inhaling the smoke, he closed his eyes momentarily, before he exhaled and simply shrugged when Michonne crossed her arms as she looked at him. It had taken them several hours to find a spare minute alone; nearly everyone was tucked in for the night now, with the exception of those who had meetings to plan, or those on watch tower duty.

"She was up late like us last night," he finally offered, and Michonne snorted.

"And they call you the observant one," she said dryly. "That baby's keeping her awake all night, yet she continues looking after her during the day because Rick's too busy playing farmer."

Daryl bit back the snort of amusement that threatened to escape at Michonne's assessment of Rick, and shrugged again.

"So she'll sleep tonight," he said, only to look up when Michonne swore.

"Fuck, Daryl… She's had barely any sleep in the last four days. I made Carol take the baby yesterday morning so that Beth could clear her head, and Rick took Judith back off her… I know Beth likes to look after Judith, but it's more than that! She's taken on raising that baby because it's the only thing she can do that makes her feel like she's contributing. I know Rick's had it hard, but he's taking advantage of it! He's asleep right now, while Beth nurses the baby… I figured she'd sleep during the day while Judith does, but no. She then helps with cooking and washing and running herd on the other kids. It ain't right… it ain't fair to put that much responsibility on her shoulders. Hershel's too busy dealing with the sick and elderly to realise what's going on, and Maggie's got Glenn and marriage on the brain. Only people looking out for Beth are you and me, and that pisses me off most of all. That girl puts everyone first… yet no one puts her first. It ain't right… how much longer do you think she can go on before she gets sick like Patrick did? Or worse…"

Daryl winced as that day floated behind his eyes. It had been bad enough putting Patrick down; but when he'd first come across a young blonde girl dead in the cells, he'd had to look twice to make sure it hadn't been Beth he was seeing. The same pale hair and doll like features, and for a half a minute, he hadn't been able to breathe. When he had inhaled, it had caused a pain in his chest, and for the first time in a long time, he'd had to close his eyes as he pulled the trigger. Shaking the memory away, Daryl straightened up slowly.

"I'll fix it," Daryl said softly as he took a final drag on his cigarette and then crushed it out with his boot.

"How are you gonna fix it, Daryl?" Michonne asked. "Because they treat that kid like a God damn china doll. Too young to go on runs or have any input into this place, but hey! She can raise a kid, even though she ain't had sex yet!"

Daryl winced at her words, but then glanced up.

"You said you asked Carol to mind Judith while Beth cleared her head… was it you who told her to go for a run?"

Michonne smiled then; it looked strangely brittle as Michonne smoothed away all trace of emotion from her face. She and Daryl stared at each other for a long minute, before Michonne shrugged.

"She moves like the wind, doesn't she?" she said softly as she turned away. "All leg and speed… beautiful."

Daryl cocked an eyebrow as she unintentionally echoed his own thoughts, and Michonne smiled again.

"Makes you wonder what else she can do… don't it?" Michonne said softly as she left the room, and left Daryl to wonder what the woman had meant by that, and what else she and Beth had spoken about.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

It wasn't as easy as he'd thought to track Beth down; she hadn't been in her cell, nor had she been in the library. In the end it was the almost silent sound of her tears that let Daryl track them to the old laundry room. Beth was singing softly as she rocked Judith, but it was tears of utter exhaustion slipping unnoticed down her face that had Daryl's hackles rising. Beth didn't look up when he entered the room, but when he crouched down in front of her, Beth's voice stuttered and then stopped.

"Beth…"

"Don't wake her."

It as a plea, plain and simple, and when Beth's voice cracked, Daryl's temper began to bubble under his skin. He scooped Judith out of Beth's arms, and froze her in place with a single glance.

"You stay there… don't you fuckin' move. I'll be back soon."

But as he rose to his feet, Judith started fussing. And in the baby waking up, Beth's eyes slid shut. Faced with the exact moment of seeing when Beth gave up, Daryl spun on his heel and strode from the room as he bounced Judith lightly in his arms. By the time he reached Rick's cell, Judith was crying fitfully, and Daryl's temper had reached boiling point. The door to the cell bounced off the wall when he kicked it open, and Rick's startled eyes jerked up from the book he was reading when Daryl strode into his cell. The book fell to the floor as Daryl carefully turned Judith around in his arms, but the man remained motionless as Daryl glared at him.

"Just 'cause Lori died, don't mean you get to check out too," he said coldly. "This little girl is your daughter… yours. Not Beth's. Stop dumpin' her on Beth, and start actin' like her father."

Rick's mouth opened and closed several times, before he gestured weakly.

"Beth doesn't mind," he managed and then fell silent when Daryl's mouth thinned in temper.

"She don't… I do. That kid has done nothin' but raise Judith since she was born. She don't sleep, she don't eat… all she does is look after lil' asskicker. That's your job… you go on a run; sure, maybe Beth could look after her. But when you just expect it, Rick, so you can go and play farmer? That's where I draw the line. You don't go near Beth in the next twenty four hours. You understand? That poor kid has been awake for four days, with your daughter… I know she loves Judith, that she don't mind helping you out none, but don't you take advantage of it, or of the fact that she don't ever say no."

Rick looked at Judith silently, before he finally reached out to take the crying infant. He bounced her lightly, and when Judith buried her face in Rick's shoulder, Rick moistened his dry lips and looked back up at Daryl.

"I didn't… Beth said it was fine…"

His voice trailed off as he swallowed hard, and then looked back down at Judith.

"I'm telling you it ain't fine," Daryl said quietly.

He and Rick stared at each other for a long moment, before Daryl turned around and let the cell without another word; the walk back to the laundry room was a quick one, and when he entered the room he found Beth curled up on her side asleep. Sighing heavily, he crouched down and gently shook her shoulder. Tears still slipped down her face, even as sheer exhaustion kept her under; with a silent oath, Daryl pulled her into a sitting position, before scooping her into his arms. Rising to his feet, Daryl shifted Beth within his embrace before turning to leave the room. But when he saw Hershel standing there, Daryl faltered.

"I heard what you said to Rick," the older man said quietly as he crossed the room and peered down into the face of his youngest child. "I sure appreciate that."

Daryl's face twisted into a scowl, and he shifted Beth within his arms again before he started to leave the room as her head lolled against his shoulder.

"Daryl?"

He could hear the bewilderment in Hershel's voice and ignored it as he strode toward the cells. He ran into a problem when he got to Beth's cell though; he couldn't raise the top bunk to make the job of putting her down on the lower bunk while he held her easier, and he hesitated. Hershel solved that problem with one glance, and he lifted the empty bunk in silence before tugging the thin covers back on the bunk Beth slept in. The silence between them thickened as Daryl rested his knee against Beth's bed, and carefully lowered her into it. A careless swipe of his fingertips swept pale hair away from her features, and Daryl swallowed hard as he shifted so that he was sitting beside her before he spoke haltingly.

"She's stronger than so many of them give her credit for, Hershel. Wiser too. But… it only takes a small crack for a building to start to crumble."

He deliberately brushed his fingertip over the raised purple scar on the inside of her wrist, and when Hershel sucked in a pained breath, Daryl licked his lips.

"I know she ain't my kid, that she's your daughter. I've got no say in how you raise your family. But if she was mine, Hershel, I'd be gearin' up to make some noise right about now. Demandin' that she gets treated like the adult she is… givin' her a way to contribute, to make sure that she felt like she was an equal rather than a burden, so that I didn't find her dead from her own hand one day in the shower stalls."

Daryl looked up then, and managed a humorless smile as he shrugged.

"But she ain't mine, Hershel. So all I can offer is this; if she takes that path and rises again, I'll make it quick. I'll make it as humane as possible." Daryl's eyes iced over, and his voice hardened. "And if it comes to that, if she takes her own life, I'm gone. I won't sit back and watch as your child suffocates under the pressure of being locked inside with the responsibility of raising a kid that ain't hers, while you sit back and remain oblivious to just how much she's been suffering."

Hershel staggered slightly in the silence that followed, and he leaned against the wall as his chest heaved and he shook his head, a quick movement of denial.

"Suffering?" he wheezed, and Daryl huffed out an impatient breath before he reached over and jerked Beth's top up from the waistband of her pants. Hooking his fingertips into the top of her pants, he tugged them down far enough so that when he brushed his thumb against the sharp angle of Beth's hip, Hershel could see what Daryl meant; Hershel did a double take and he sagged against the wall in shock.

"How long has… how long has this been going on for?" he managed, and Daryl shrugged at the strange tone that coloured Hershel's voice.

"Dunno. A while. You're better off askin' Michonne."

Hershel nodded, and in the weak light of the cell, Daryl could see just how pale the old man had gone. Glancing back down at Beth, Daryl shrugged.

"I'll watch over her for a bit," he said after a while, and then glanced back at Hershel. "I meant what I said to Rick; he has to start raisin' Judith himself. And you have to start lookin' out for your daughter."

Hershel nodded and when he hesitated, Daryl shifted slightly so that he could watch Hershel patiently.

"She's lucky to have you."

Daryl's brows drew together at Hershel's choked tone and he when he ran back over the conversation in his head, he blanched and shook his head in flat out denial.

"Ain't like that! What'd you take me for?" he demanded, and as Hershel spluttered out an apology, Daryl's eyes turned glacial.

"I might be a redneck and a hillbilly that never finished school and all the other things I've been accused of," he began in a voice that shook with barely concealed rage. "I might be a thief and killer… but I don't fuck little girls, Hershel. I care about Beth; I won't lie and say I don't. But it ain't like that."

Hershel could only nod, and Daryl dismissed him entirely when he turned his back on him and looked back down at Beth. After a few minutes of strained silence, Hershel shuffled over to the opening of the cell and stepped into the dark. But his voice floated back to Daryl; an almost silent thread of words as the old man walked away.

"While it might not be like that, Daryl, I am glad that she has you looking out for her. You might be a thief and a killer, one who didn't finished school…. but she could certainly do worse in finding a friend."

Daryl's jaw tightened and he shifted from the edge of Beth's bed and he made his way to the doorway so that he could release the curtain Beth had up for privacy. Turning the hurricane lamp off, Daryl plunged the cell into darkness. Just as he went to step outside the cell, however, he heard Beth shift restlessly; making his way back to her side, Daryl sat beside her again. She didn't gasp when she brushed her hand against his; instead her fingers tightened within his, and her voice was laden with fatigue when it whispered through the dark between them.

"Daryl…where's Judith?"

Daryl didn't question how she'd known it was him; he simply squeezed her finger slightly before answering.

"Where she should be; get some sleep."

The bed squeaked as Beth shifted, and the brush of hair against his jaw was all the warning her got, before she curled against him and buried her face in his shoulder. It was the light trembling of her shoulders that spoke of tears in the dark, and Daryl sighed heavily as he wrapped his arms around her in a light embrace.

"I'm so tired."

It was whispered; a warm brush of confession breathed against his chest, and Daryl nodded as he tilted his head slightly and rested his chin against the soft crown of her head.

"I know. Sleep, Beth."

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

He was warmer than he had been in a long time. That was the first thing that swam into his mind. Pieces began to slowly click into place; he wasn't alone. The slim body he was curled around was a testament to that. The skin against the callused palm of his hand was smooth and warm, and as he shifted his hand slightly, he felt it pebble; the slight curve of a woman's breast was what he could feel. Desire thickened in his blood, and he tightened his arms around the slim body he held as he unconsciously rocked his hips forward against the narrow hips that were cradled in the curve of his lap. More than one part of him was waking up, and he shifted his hand slowly. The trail of his fingertips over the gentle swell of a breast had him shifting closer as he lightly closed his fingers around the nipple that had tightened at his touch, and as he did, he breathed in the scent of soap and formula; he knew that scent anywhere, and even as his brain cried out in denial, his body was betraying him. Daryl's eyes snapped open, and he wrenched away from Beth with a startled oath so violently that he fell off the side of the bed and hit the floor with a thud.

She remained asleep as Daryl stared at her in shock. For a half a dozen heart beats, he hoped that he was dreaming, but after scrubbing his hands over his face, Daryl knew he wasn't. It had been Beth he'd been curled around. It had been Beth's breast that had been cradled in the palm of his hand; the same warm flesh he had scrapped with his thumb. It had been the tightening of that soft skin that had caused his own reaction; as Daryl swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth, he willed the reaction his body had had to hers away. He didn't even know how he had ended up curled around her. She'd fallen asleep in his arms. That he knew. But how the hell had he ended up stretched out behind her? How the hell had he fallen asleep holding a young girl, and woken up with a burgeoning erection? As he scrapped his hand down over his mouth, Beth moaned in her sleep as she shifted onto her back; the sound caused his flagging erection to twitch again, and Daryl scrambled to his feet as he panted. No… she lived in the Little Girl box. But as he backed out of her cell, the twitch in his pants told him that Beth no longer lived there, and that the only thing to do was shift her to the Untouchable box. Because he didn't… couldn't see her that way… no way in hell. A thief and a killer, yes… Daryl shook his head and headed for the showers, hoping like hell that the icy water would shock him back to a reality where eighteen year old girls didn't tempt him while he slept. Because this reality? It sucked.