* Please Review! They got ice because if you remember, Hershel's house had a gennie so he had eletricity. *

Layla was settled into the middle of the bed and a second later another contraction moved through her. She grabbed Daryl's shirt and buried her face into his chest. She was squeezing her eyes shut and panting hard through the blinding pain. Her back felt like it was on fire and it seemed like her legs were pinned to the bed. Daryl put his hand on the back of her neck and held her head to him. Carol, Hershel, and Maggie would stay in the room with them through the delivery. Everyone else was pacing outside the closed bedroom door. When the contraction left her, Layla's body relaxed and she laid back but still kept her eyes shut.

" Okay, you two, I need to check her," Hershel looked up and met Daryl's eyes as he slipped on his gloves. " Internally." Daryl frowned but nodded. They had had this talk. " We need to get her pants and panties off. We will keep her covered when I'm not checking her."

Carefully, and in between contractions, Carol and Maggie helped her out of her clothes. She was gripping Daryl's hand and refusing to let go. Her eyes were locked on his face with beads of sweat on her own face. He was watching what everyone was doing. He wasn't entirely comfortable with Hershel seeing her naked and touching her but he understood why he was doing it.

" Layla," Hershel said, gently touching her knees to pull her attention to him. " this isn't going to be comfortable and I'm sorry but we need to know how dilated you are, okay?" She closed her eyes and nodded.

" Can I have something for my throat? Like ice or water?" She whispered.

" I'll get it." Carol said quickly. Maggie adjusted the blankets over Layla so she was covered when Carol left the room. As soon as the door closed, they pulled the blankets off again.

For the next few hours Hershel checked her off and on. She was turned from one side to the next depending on her mood and the pain. Daryl fed her ice cubes or would rub them against her mouth. Carol ran her hands through her hair or against her back while Maggie rubbed her legs. Daryl hadn't been saying much. He held her hand through the contractions, hating that she was whimpering and in pain and there was nothing he could do for her. But he was damn proud of her for only crying out loud a few times. He had been worried she would be a screamer. She would close her eyes and grit her teeth together through the contractions. She clutched Daryl's hand and his arm. Her nails were digging into him but he refused to knowledge the pain it caused. A few times Daryl bend down and whispered to her. They were quiet words meant only for her. She would look at him and nod as she held her breath or whined.

When Hershel announced it was time for her to push, Carol and Maggie became excited. A few blankets were placed on Layla's chest for them to lay the baby on, towels, the clean scissors and an umbilical cord clamp were placed beside Hershel. The sheets were pulled away and Layla was propped up. Carol came to her left side, Maggie stayed at her legs with Hershel and Daryl was at her right.

" Okay, at the next contraction, pull your legs up, tuck your chin to your chest and push. Maggie is going to count to 15, I need you to push the full 15 seconds. Then you rest. We are going to do this with every contraction, you understand? We don't stop until the baby is here." Hershel explained. " This is important, Layla." She nodded. Her face and lips were pale. Her hair, neck, and face were covered in sweat.

" I'm getting one." She said. Carol took her hand as she sat up slightly.

And the pushing began. She tucked down and pushed hard. Daryl looked from her stomach to her face as Maggie counted and Carol and Hershel cheered her on. When she would rest, her head would fall back and against Daryl's shoulder. She cried out a few times, begged Maggie to speed up her counting once, and whimpered a few other time. She cried softly as she pushed. After an hour, when Daryl started to feel the panic take him over, a smile spread over Hershel's face.

" The head is coming and there's hair! This is it, Layla. Keep going!" He said. Maggie and Carol were grinning.

Daryl's eyes moved from her face to between her legs. Layla seemed perked up and started pushing harder, grunting a few times. After a few pushes, to Daryl's utter shock, the baby's head started to appear. Maggie and Hershel were getting excited. Layla squeezed his hand hard. He felt like he should say something, like he should know what to say to her, but his throat was closed him and his voice failed him.

" Head's out!" Hershel announced. " Don't push, let me guide the shoulders out."

" It burns!" Layla whimpered.

" Shoulders out, Layla, one more push and we have a baby." Hershel said. " You're doing good."

" One more!" Carol said excitedly.

Layla held her breath and pushed hard. The baby came out in a rush of fluid. Maggie clapped her hand as Hershel placed the baby on Layla's chest. He started to clean out it's mouth while Carol wrapped the blanket around it and started to rub it. Layla started to cry and Daryl started to swallow, hard. His eyes were burning and it took him a second to realize tears were making their way down his cheeks.

" What is it?" Layla cried as the baby let out a wail.

" It's a girl." Daryl whispered. " We got a girl." Hershel opened the blanket and quickly clamped off the cord. He grabbed the scissors and smiled at Daryl as the baby screamed.

" You want to cut it, Daddy?" He asked. With a shaking hand, Daryl reached out and took the scissors.

" Won't hurt her?" He asked softly.

" No. Cut it here." Hershel pointed to the spot.

Lillian's tiny hands were opening and closing and her legs were straight out as she cried. Her skin was pink. Daryl continued his swallowing while the scissors cut through the cord. Once the baby was free, Carol quickly wrapped her back up. Layla brought her hands to the baby as they both cried. Carol cried silently while Maggie openly wept.

" We need to clean her up and deliver the after birth." Hershel said gently. " Daryl, you want to pick her up and carry her to the table for Maggie to clean up."

" Don't know how to hold a baby." Daryl said. Hershel smiled and came to her side.

" Let me show you." He slipped one hand under the baby's head and the other under her butt. Gently and carefully, he lifted her up. " Put your arms against your chest." It took a moment but Daryl made a small cradle with his arms. Hershel set the baby down. " Stand up and go to the table." Daryl stared down hard at the small face.

As if he moved on auto-poilet, Daryl stood up and crossed the room. With Maggie's help, they laid the baby down and Maggie opened the blankets. Lillian pulled her legs up tight while she cried. Daryl felt dumbfounded. Maggie took a wash cloth and began to carefully wash the blood from the baby's skin. Daryl could only stare at her as he reached out to her. He placed one of his fingers against her right palm. Her hand clamped down hard on him, stunning him and making him jump. He looked at Maggie who was smiling down at the baby as she cleaned her up. Daryl looked back at the small face.

Lillian's crying had slowed down so she was just whimpering. Daryl was in amazement with a million things flying through him at once. He knew he would protect her above anything else. His brought his other fingers to the back of her tiny hand. He rubbed it, surprised at how soft her skin felt against his. Lillian blinked her eyes then looked up at Daryl.

" That's your daddy, Lillie." Maggie said softly. " Talk to her, Daryl. Let her hear your voice." Daryl leaned down.

" Lillian." Daryl whispered. He was surprised when the baby turned her head towards him and whimpered. Maggie covered her legs with a fresh blanket then started cleaning her arms. " You best quiet down now, you hear your Daddy? You gotta quiet down." He continued to rub her hand. Lillian blinked her eyes and grunted. " You're beautiful." He breathed out.

It was around midnight when they were finally laid down. Daryl and Hershel had buried the afterbirth and trash bags that had protected the mattress from the blood and fluid. Everyone had had a chance to see and hold the baby. Now it was just the three of them. Lillian was laying in between two pillows on the left side of the bed. Layla was laying on her side, facing the baby and was sound asleep. Daryl was laying on the other side of her, staring at the ceiling.

When he decided he couldn't sleep anymore, Daryl quietly left their bed. He stared at the small bundle as he made his way around to her. She was whimpering again and moving under the blanket she was tucked into. He crouched down and reached out. He let his knuckles brush against her cheek and, again, to his surprise, she turned her face towards his hand. She opened her eyes and squinted up at him. Daryl's mouth was in a tight line as he touched her. He sighed then pulled away and stood up straight.

Daryl slipped his right hand under her head and his left one under her butt. Gently and carefully, Daryl picked up her up and brought her into his chest. His right arm slipped down her body as his left hand took a hold of her head to readjust her. She sighed and turned herself towards him. She drew her legs up and blinked through her squint. Daryl turned and walked towards the rocking chair Hershel had brought into the room. Daryl sat down and started rocking slowly while he stared down at her. She grunted, then sighed, then closed her eyes.

" You best stop that." He whispered. " Girls ain't supposed to grunt. You get that from me, not your mama. Your mama don't ever grunt." She opened her eyes again and stared right up at his face. She was still squinting. Daryl held his breath for a few seconds. " You got blue eyes, like me."

Layla smiled with her eyes shut as she listen to Daryl talk. She had never heard him speak so much at one time. Her eyes stung with tears while she listen to him tell Lillian how much he loved her and how he would protect her. He told her everything he wanted to teach her and show her. He picked out features on her face that were Layla's and which ones were his.

Daryl was shocked at the feelings and emotions that were riding through him as he brought Lillian up to his face. She whimpered as he kissed her cheek. She blinked slowly then looked at him. There was nothing in the world Daryl won't do for her. There was nothing he wouldn't kill to keep her safe. He started to rub his lips against her cheek. He didn't want to hurt her with his rough goatee. She whimpered again but it was a little louder. Her legs and arms started to move a little more.

" Is she alright?" Layla's tired voice came from the bed.

" Thinkin she's hungry." Daryl said as he stood up and started over to her. Layla pushed herself up and smiled at him. Daryl sat down on the bed and carefully handed the baby over to her.

" Hi, Lillie." Layla said, bring the baby to her chest. She pulled her shirt up and unhooked the nursing bra she was wearing.

XXXXXX

" All we have to do is get that baby and that woman. That will make Daryl come runnin." Merle whispered as they watched Layla rock on the porch with a small bundle in her arms. Daryl was leaning down and stroking the baby Merle knew was in the blankets. Daryl and Layla were smiling. Merle frowned and brought his binoculares down.

" How do you think we can do that? Your brother is never going to let them out of his sight." John said. They were crouched behind some bushes, completely hidden from the group.

" We are going to wait until that kid is a little older. When Daryl relaxes around them and Layla is movin better, we will snatch them up. I aim to teach my brother a lesson on leavin me...again." Merle snapped.

to be continued...

* Yeah, Im planning on a second one to this! You know Merle won't just let Daryl go, right?*