Daryl rested his head against the wall of the cabin and peered out through the opening in the roof. Beth had climbed into bed with Ella a few hours ago, after he had unsuccessfully attempted sleeping. But his mind still couldn't slow down. As the sun rose, his thoughts bombarded him with even more force. This whole situation seemed surreal. Walker herds, at this point, were commonplace. He had even started to get used to having a daughter. But to have Ella and Beth in this world, one he had been alone in for so long, seemed like two pieces of a puzzle that did not fit together.
"Mornin…" Ella's voice croaked as she sat up in the cot, curls veiling her face before she shook them away.
"Mornin," Daryl could feel an unintentional smile spread across his lips, "yer mom still sleepin?"
"I'm up." Beth mumbled before sitting up behind Ella, her hair falling into her eyes and mirroring her daughter's before she ran a hand through it. "No trouble?"
"Nah. Quiet night." Daryl adjusted against the wall, motioning to his crossbow, which remained untouched.
They sat in the silence of the morning. Daryl and Beth locked eyes, both clearly considering the important goal of the day: making it back to the safe zone. The quiet was only interrupted when Ella's stomach let out a loud growl.
"Do we have more candy?" Ella asked, feigning innocence as she rubbed her eyes.
"More candy? Yer hungry again?" Daryl teased. His father had never made these jokes but Rick did. And if anyone seemed like a strong role model for fatherhood, it was Rick Grimes.
Beth laughed appreciatively at his attempt. "Kids are always hungry. You have to feed them a few times a day, Daryl."
Daryl smirked, "Well, we should check those rabbit traps we set last night. Long as a walker didn't get to it first, I bet we have enough for a good breakfast."
"Want to help me make the fire, El?" Beth asked as she crawled over Ella and out of the bed. As she stretched, Daryl watched her tee shirt rise slightly, exposing her midriff. He had always assumed it was impossible for women to wake up so perfect, but Beth managed to prove him wrong time and time again.
"Can I go with daddy instead?" Ella asked, looking to her mother with a hesitant smile and breaking Daryl out of his momentary daze.
Both Daryl and Beth paused at Ella's question. Ever since Ella had first called him by that title, she had not stopped. She had never mentioned the new moniker, but rather just acted like the switch was normal, and neither parent wanted to question the change.
"Okay." Beth agreed, though her eyes looked uncertain. "As long as you listen really well. I'll have the fire ready before you two get back."
"I think I'm sinkin." Ella let out a dramatic groan that quickly transitioned into a giggle as she squished the mud under her boots.
"Then stay outta the puddles." Daryl suggested, looking pointedly to all the dry spots around her while he dressed the second rabbit his traps had captured.
"But it's so fun. It's like quick sand!"
"You ain't never seen quick sand, have you?" Daryl raised an eyebrow.
"No... But Judi and I made it in the park's sandbox once. Carl was soooo mad! He was supposta be wathcin us but there was some pretty girl he was talking to."
Daryl caught himself smiling again. He was sure he hadn't done that so much since before he and Beth had been separated, if even then.
"You and Judith cause a lot of trouble for Carl?" Daryl realized he had been so distracted with Ella and Beth since getting to the safe zone that he hadn't spent much time with the rest of the family. He needed to catch up with the kid, even if Carl wasn't much of a kid anymore.
"Yeahhhh. Judi's gooder than me though. Uncle Rick always calls me lil' devil. He said I got it from you."
"Yeah. He's right 'bout that one. But you got yer mom in you too. And she's the definition of good."
"Mama always said you're the good one." Ella replied matter-of-factly, avoiding looking at the gutted rabbit still in Daryl's hands.
Daryl didn't know how to respond. He didn't want to tell his daughter that was wrong but he'd always had trouble admitting he could be one of the good ones. Instead, he held up the two dressed rabbits and turned back to Ella. "They may not look pretty, but they'll taste pretty damn good."
Ella giggled at Daryl's cuss before asking, "Time to head back to mama?"
"Yup. Look at the moss on the tree. The cabin's north. Which way we goin?"
Ella furrowed her brow as she considered the options before tentatively pointing roughly to the north. Daryl swung the rabbits over his shoulder victoriously, "You got it kid. Let's go!"
"I'm stuck though!"
"Do I need to carry you and the rabbits?"
"I'll ride on your back! Like a piggyback!"
Daryl felt his breath catch for a moment, remembering the effect the first piggyback he had given to Beth had on him. Slowly, he knelt down like a knight before his queen. "K, Kid. Climb on up."
"Fire out?" Daryl asked, slinging his bag over his shoulder and handing Ella her pink backpack.
"Yeah." Beth confirmed as she holstered her gun. "You ready to go, El? We're gonna to try to make it back to the car."
Ella pursed her lips. "What if the walkers are still there?"
Daryl hesitated momentarily before putting his hand on Ella's back. "Then we go around them and have to walk home. We'd make it just fine. But it's best if we can get to the jeep. Faster. And I don't gotta piggyback anyone."
"But…" Ella paused, grabbing Daryl's pant leg. "Can we just stay here?
"We'll be safe, I promise." Beth assured her daughter as she dumped a final handful of loose dirt over the fire pit.
"I like us bein together... I like having daddy here…" Ella whined.
"But sweetie, he'll be with us at the safe zone. And it's more secure there."
Ella looked to Daryl "You're stayin, right? Forever?"
"Of course. Can't get ridda me now."
"Then is he gonna live with us too?" Ella looked back to her mother.
Daryl swallowed as he looked to Beth. After a moment, she answered, "He can. We just didn't know if you were ready."
Ella laughed, her voice suddenly full of enthusiasm. "He can live with us and Uncle Glenn and Aunt Maggie! And tell me stories like last night! About walkers and Rick! And his crazy brother Merle!"
"Yup. Just the sounds I miss fallin asleep to. Glenn and Maggie." Daryl said sarcastically, though he knew his face showed his enthusiasm at the idea.
Beth broke out laughing and cast a look to Ella, who just looked confused by the adult remarks.
"We all have separate bedrooms." She whispered as she leaned closer with a smile, "And ours is on a separate floor."
They moved quietly through the woods. Even Ella stepped carefully, avoiding fallen braches on her tiptoes. Daryl had chosen not to stick to the road this time. The roads rarely meant good things these days. Walkers… strangers… he would rather have the tree cover. But they travelled just in sight of the road, giving them an easy direction if they had to make a run for it.
Daryl saw the scene before the girls did. He gently touched Ella's shoulder to keep her back and Beth stopped once Ella stood still. Beth only had to peer into the trees for a moment before she nodded her head to signal she saw it: a group of walkers milling around the now devoured corpse of yesterday's deer.
"Car's that way." He whispered, looking back toward the road. "Let's move back a bit and approach from the bend so the walkers don't spot us right away. Bet there are some still hangin' 'round."
When they came into view of the truck, Daryl's heart sank. The jeep was surrounded by at least 10 walkers, and who knew how many were hidden in the woods. Plus, it was still in the mud. Daryl had hoped the dirt had firmed up over night but he wasn't willing to base a plan on that guess. Not now, not anymore. They needed to turn back, find a safer option.
To his surprise, Beth spoke up quickly, "We got this." She whispered, gripping the rifle at her shoulder.
Her assurance immediately sent a wave of confidence through Daryl. He turned to Ella and leaned in close. "You're gonna stay close to us and stay quiet." He instructed, making sure she maintained eye contact as he spoke, "When I tell you to, you're gonna turn around and watch behind us. Let me or your mom know if any walkers are comin from down the road. We're gonna take care of the ones at the car."
Ella's hands shook but she nodded her head firmly. Daryl took a deep breath before turning back to Beth. "I'll take out what I can with the arrows. No need to use a gun if we can help drawin back the ones in the woods. Once those guys are down, we get to the car. You drive. I'll push."
They approached slowly and once Daryl had a favorable position he looked to Ella, who turned her back to her parents without a word, her face determined and suddenly appearing older.
As Beth readied her rifle beside him, Daryl tried to pick out which one to shoot first. Could he get any without drawing the attention of the others? Was this plan a death trap? Should they just go back to the cabin?
Daryl heard himself growl in frustration as the questions raced through his mind. This wasn't the time to begin doubting himself. The crossbow was something he knew. He had this.
Lifting his crossbow, Daryl aimed for the furthest walker. As it dropped the others turned toward the noise and he continued to take them out, one by one, using all of his arrows before the group even crossed half the distance between his family and the jeep.
Before he could breath a sigh of relief, Beth was a blur at his side. She pushed him back with one hand and unsheathed her knife with the other, driving it firmly into a stumbling walker's skull.
"Musta heard us…" Daryl said, trying to slow his beating heart. He had been so focused on the group ahead of him that he hadn't kept an eye on the tree line. Luckily Beth had.
"Let's go." Beth didn't waste time in grabbing Ella's hand and sprinting forward. Daryl threw his bag and crossbow into the back of the jeep and immediately placed himself behind it, ready to push as he heard more moans humming in the woods around him.
Beth started the jeep and revved the engine. On the first attempt the wheels just spun in place, causing the walkers to grow louder. But she immediately tried again and as Daryl put his weight against the back of the jeep, the wheels caught traction on the ground below them.
Daryl hurdled into the front seat, pulling Ella into his lap and wrapping an arm protectively around her. "Let's get home."
Beth hit the gas and turned to him momentarily as the vehicle jerked forward, smiling, "Yes. Let's go home."
A/N- This was the final full chapter! An epilogue will be posted next weekend! Please let me know what you thought!
