* Please Review! So I read something today where Reedus said Daryl is like a sidewinder snake, in that he doesn't come directly at you but he'll weasel toward you and then strike. Im kind of making him do that to Layla.*

For a week they left Shane in the barn, bring him meals and water, because no one was sure what to do. Daryl was beside himself with anger. Layla had wanted to go and see him. She wanted to show him she was still alive and well. Yeah, she wanted to rub it in his face that his plan didn't work but Daryl actually forbid her. They had fought about it with both yelling. Daryl blocked her every attempt to side step him and go to the barn. She hated being told what to do and let him know as much. Daryl spread his legs, planted each one firmly on the ground and crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at her. She yelled in his face. A few times Daryl had thrown his hands up into the air, yelling back. Layla's biggest problem was her temper and her ability to run her mouth for hours. She was almost as bad as Daryl. The fight ended with her storming away from him but he didn't care. He wasn't going to give. He did not want her and Shane in the same place.

She stayed away from Daryl the rest of the day but when they went to bed, the sex they had more then made up for the fight. They had been having sex every night but only with her on her hands and knees with him behind her because he had read in the book it was the best position for the baby. At night, when they were alone, and he thought she was sleeping, he would touch her stomach. It was amazing to him to feel the baby moving around inside her. During the day, he wanted to touch it too but had a hard time doing it. He had a hard time letting anyone see how the baby made him feel. He didn't even have words to say how he was feeling.

At the end of the first week of Shane being in the barn, the group decided to have a meeting. Daryl stood back by the china cabinet because he wanted Shane dead. He didn't trust letting the man go. Layla sat beside Carol at the table. Carol was rubbing her stomach. She touched Layla' stomach a lot. The baby seem to be perking up her so Layla welcomed her touching.

" We need to talk about what we are going to do with Shane." Rick said.

" Don't need to talk bout it." Daryl spoke up. Layla looked up from the table but he was staring at Rick. "Sum a bitch attacked Layla, tried to kill her and the baby. We need to put him down." He glanced over at Layla who offered up a smile. It was small but it spoke volumes to him. She was showing her support to him and it made him feel better. He cleared his throat and stood up straighter as he looked back at Rick. " You ain't got to do it. I'll handle it. It was my family he was messin with, my baby and mate he went after."

" Are you seriously talking about just killing him?" Lori asked in disbelief. She looked from Daryl to Rick and back again. " You can't just kill him."

" He tried to kill me, Lori." Layla spoke up, drawing Daryl's eyes again. She stood up, making Carol's hand dropped from her stomach. " He wanted to shoot me in the head." She placed both her hands on her stomach through her tight white shirt. " He said I should have lost the baby. If someone came at you when you were pregnant with Carl what would you want done to them? How do I know he won't come after the baby once our bug born?"

" Shane won't do that." Lori said. " He won't hurt a defenseless child." Layla started around the table.

" He won't? He put a fucking gun to my head, Lori. He told me to turn around and when I refused, he put it against my forehead. He hit me and left me to die. If I die, so does the baby."

" Layla." Daryl warned when she started to grow louder.

" Now you tell me how you know he won't come after my baby once it's born?" Layla asked in a snap.

" Shane's not a killer." Lori said.

" Open your eyes, Lori! You are not that dumb! He is a killer! He tried to kill me and do you know he told Uncle Dale that he killed Otis?" Daryl came forward and over to Layla. She was getting upset and he wanted to stop it. She had already been through a lot and he didn't want her to be more upset. " He has to go." Lori stood up and shook her head.

" I am not going to listen to this. If you are going to kill him, I want no part of it. I'll be outside." She said, putting her hands up as she walked away. Daryl took a hold of Layla's arm.

" We don't have a choice!" Layla said. Daryl's hand tighten on her arm as he dropped his head.

" Calm down, Layla, now." He ordered in a low voice.

" Calm down? Are you serious?" She asked as she looked up at him.

" Daryl's right, Babygirl." T-Dog spoke up. " You just had an accident." Layla frowned but didn't look away from Daryl. He was staring hard at her. To his surprise, Layla's shoulders dropped, she brought her hands to his sides and slipped her arms around his waist. She brought her head to his chest and hugged him tightly.

" I want to handle Shane." Rick spoke up. Layla closed her eyes and sighed. Slowly Daryl brought his left arm up and around her shoulders. He held her to him, letting her feel his strength and take the comfort in it.

" I don't trust him." Daryl said, meeting Rick's eyes. Rick nodded.

" Neither do I." He said.

XXXXXX

After dinner, Daryl and Layla were walking back to the house. Layla was holding onto his left arm and resting her head against him. Daryl was staring at the barn Shane was in. The plan was for Rick to walk Shane out into the woods. Rick wanted to talk to him, wanted to see if there as anything inside him that was the old Shane. He just couldn't kill him without talking to him first but both Daryl and Rick knew what was going to happen. Daryl wanted to take him out right away but could understand what Rick was doing. Rick needed some closure with his ex-best friend. Daryl trusted Rick that he would do what needed to be done.

" Do you think it's safe that Rick is going out with Shane by himself?" Layla asked.

" Rick's a smart man." Daryl said. He watched as Rick and Shane walked out of the barn. Shane wasn't handcuffed anymore. That wasn't something that Daryl had agreed too but Rick was handling it and Daryl was letting it go. " Come on, let's get in the house." He took a hold of her arm and started to pull her to the house.

" You know, you have a fucked up way of showing affection." Layla said, looking up at him. Daryl frowned as he stopped walking.

" What?" He asked, making Layla smile. She took a hold of his hand and pulled it off her arm. Her right hand then took a hold of his left one. She interlaced their fingers, drawing his eyes to their combined hands.

" This is how couples hold hands. This is how we are going to hold hands and the next time I hug you, put both your arms around me and squeeze me." She said. Daryl was forcing himself to breath slowly as she rubbed her fingers against his. Another feeling, or emotion, was starting to flow through him. Some unknown, unnamed emotion, again. It was warm and made his stomach start to jump. Layla smiled up at him. " And you don't have to wait until I'm sleeping to touch me." Daryl's face flushed when he realized she had known the entire time what he had been doing.

" I..." He started but stopped. Layla's smile widen.

" It's your baby, I'm yours. Touch me when you want." Then she dropped his hand and came to stand directly in front of him. She took his hands and placed them under her shirt, right against her bare skin. "You want to feel it, then do it." She said, dropping her voice down. Daryl frowned as he stared at her stomach, feeling their baby. " Touch me, please, whenever, however, how often you want. I want you too. The little bug wants you too. Sean/Lillian will want to touch you so you need to get used to it."

" I just...just ain't ever had anyone who wanted to touch me before. I ain't used to it." Daryl admitted softly.

" I know and that's okay. I want to help you get used to it. I can be patient and let you get used to it but I'm not going to not touch you anymore. You have people in this group who care about you. I care about you. Our little bug is going to love you." Layla watched as emotions played across his face. He frowned, his face dark. His mouth tighten, then loosen. His throat worked as he swallowed hard. His eyes softened. Layla let go of his hands and brought her hands to either side of his face. She let her thumbs start to stroke his cheeks. " You deserve this. You deserve it and so let yourself take it. Let me care about you." His fingers spread out on her stomach.

" I want too." Daryl admitted. He wanted that more than anything, he just didn't know how to ask for it and admitting that he wanted it made him feel weak. He was embarrassed for needing it.

" I know you do. Everything on your face tells me you want it but you won't let yourself have it so I'm asking. Please, Daryl, let me take care of you. Let me love..."

" Daryl! Layla!" Lori said quickly as she rushed up to them. " I can't find Carl!" Daryl's hands started to slip from her stomach for a second.

" Where was he last?" Layla asked. Daryl brought his hands back up to her stomach, making her want to smile.

" I told him to go to bed. I didn't want him out when Rick and Shane were out and with us moving tomorrow I told him he had to go to bed early. I just went to check on him but he wasn't in the tent." Layla let go of Daryl's face.

" Kid can't be far." Daryl said. He looked back at Layla. " Go on into the house. I'm gonna go look for him."

" Be careful." Layla said, making him nod.

" Thanks, Daryl." Lori said. " I'm going to see if T-Dog and Glenn will help too." She said as she backed away from them. Layla and Daryl looked at each other again.

" I'll be in bed, waiting for you." She said. Daryl dropped his hands from her stomach and nodded, again.

" Alright."

She smiled and started to turn towards the house. Daryl shook his head at himself. Quickly his arm shot out. He grabbed her arm, spun her around and brought her too him. His other hand went into her hair and he kissed her hard. Layla was stunned for a minute but recovered quickly. She grabbed his chest and hauled him against him hard. She opened herself to him. Sparks threw through her the second his tongue touched hers. They twisted around each other. She sucked gently, he groaned loudly.

" Hurry the fuck up." Layla's voice was breathless when they pulled away. " We are so going to have sex tonight so be ready." She licked against his bottom lip, making him thrust his hips forward so she could feel how bad he wanted her.

" Kid can't be far." Daryl groaned out. " Be back soon. You gonna be undressed." It wasn't a questions, it was an order and for once, she didn't mind being told what to do.

She smiled as excitement coursed through her. She opened her mouth to say something to him but a gun shot ripped through the air, stunning them.

* I know! I know! I always leave you hanging.*