Megan Grimes, thirty two years old and pregnant with her first child. It should be a happy time for her but instead she's fighting to survive with her sister in law and nephew. What happens when Daryl becomes overly protective of the mother to be?
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An hour into the search for Carl and Sophia and Daryl had come to a dead end.
"Makes no sense." He muttered to himself as he inspected the tracks in the dirt.
"What doesn't?" Megan asked.
"Their footprints just stopped." He said looking around.
Megan looked around but could see nothing different. "So what's that mean?" She asked.
He shrugged. "Don't know."
"Well I can't see blood so they ain't hurt are they?" She asked.
He shook his head. "No, there ain't any recent walkers tracks either."
"Should we keep looking?" She asked.
"Let's go back to the others. Tell them what we've found. Doesn't make any sense though." He said.
When they got half way back Megan brought up the subject of Merle again. She was finding it harder and harder to keep it a secret.
"You know if Merle had turned up and spoken to one of the group but told them not to tell you. Would you be mad?" She asked trying to sound casual. She wasn't the best at acting or lying.
He stopped walking and looked at her confused. "And why would you ask that?"
"I...um..well..." She stammered.
He walked towards her looking pretty angry. His face just inches from hers.
"You keeping something from me?" He asked.
She jumped slightly at his tone. She could feel his breath against her face.
"B-back on the highway. He was hiding in a van. Told me not to tell you." She confessed shakily.
He backed away and turned his back to her. He ran his hand through his hair muttering in frustration.
"My brother is back there?" He asked harshly.
"Well he probably isn't anymore-"
"You dumb bitch! That's my brother and you didn't bother telling me." He snapped.
"He held a damn knife to my throat!" She snapped back.
He growled in annoyance and began walking away faster than she could keep up.
"Daryl wait!" She called but he ignored her and continued walking without even looking back.
He only stopped when he heard her scream. He turned around to see her on the floor.
"What are you doing on the floor?" He asked as he approached her.
"Oh you know, just relaxing!" She snapped sarcastically. "I tripped trying to chase you!" She added as she got up and wiped her dirt covered hands on her jeans.
"Whatever, come on." He muttered as he began walking away much slower.
She followed behind, able to keep up with his slower speed.
"I'm really sorry for not telling you about Merle." She said just before they reached the highway.
"It's fine." He mumbled. He was unable to stay mad at her for long which just made him frustrated with himself.
"It is?" She asked shocked.
"I saw the cut on your throat. More pissed at him for doing that to you than I am you not telling me. Still going to look for him when we get back." He replied.
She said nothing as they got to the highway.
Everyone was waiting for them, they all had hope in their eyes as they saw them approach but it all died away when they saw that Megan and Daryl hadn't brought the kids back.
"No sign. Tracks just disappeared." Daryl told them.
Lori and Carol cried. Rick held Lori close and T did the same for Carol.
Daryl turned back to Megan. "Now where's my brother hiding?" He asked quietly so no one would hear them.
She pointed towards the van she had seen Merle in.
He nodded and made his way over. "Be careful." She called after him.
He didn't say anything or even turn around.
She decided to leave him too it and went to talk to Rick.
"He'll be alright you know?" She said referring to Carl.
"Usually it's me telling parents that when their child's gone missing."
She sighed. "What do you think we should do now?" She asked.
He shrugged. "We can't stay here. Another herd could walk through at any moment."
She nodded. "I agree but what if the kids head back here?" She asked.
"Leave them a note and some supplies. We can come back and check every day or something."
She nodded. "Talk to Daryl first. He might have plans for checking out their tracks again."
"Yeah, what did he mean by they just disappeared?" He asked.
"Well from my eyes it all looked the same but Daryl saw something different. He said the tracks just stopped. There was no blood on the tracks at any point so that's a good sign I guess." She said giving him a reassuring smile. He nodded and returned the smile although he went back to looking sad seconds later.
"I'm going to check on Daryl." She mentioned.
"Alright. You should really keep your distance from him though." Rick said.
"Really?" She asked. "Or maybe you should give him a chance...he ain't like his brother. Get to know him and you'll find that out." She said before walking away but Shane stopped her just as she rounded the RV.
"Where you going?" He asked.
"Mind you own." She said trying to step past him but he blocked her path.
She flinched when he brought his hand to her face which made him chuckle.
"I ain't going to hurt you." He said as he stroked her cheek.
She batted his hand away. "Keep away from me Walsh." She wanted before barging past him.
She saw Daryl leaning against the van she had found Merle in.
"Daryl?" She called trying to push Shane out of her thoughts.
He looked at her with cold eyes. "He's gone. Must have snuck away."
"I'm sorry-"
"It's fine!" He snapped before heading back to the group.
"I'm going back to take another look. Anyone coming?" Daryl asked.
"I will." Rick said.
"Me too." Shane said.
"Chinaman?" Daryl asked looking over at Glenn.
Glenn rolled his eyes but nodded anyway.
"Let's go then."
The rest stayed behind on the highway.
Megan was talking to Andrea, Dale and T were on watch and Carol and Lori were whispering to each other the odd sob coming from the women every couple of minutes.
"So what did you do before all this?" Andrea asked Megan. "I don't think I ever asked."
"I owned a coffee shop." She chuckled.
"Really? I never would have guess...I thought you'd be a cop like Rick or a nurse." Andrea replied.
"Nah, I can make a decent cup of coffee but fixing up the injured is not my thing. That was Matthews thing." She chuckled.
"He was a nurse? Doctor?" She asked.
"No a surgeon."
Andrea nodded. "Do you miss him?" She asked.
"Of course. So much." She replied sadly.
"I miss Amy too...it shouldn't he like this."
"No it shouldn't."
Two hours past and it had begun to get dark. Everyone began worrying when the men hadn't returned especially when Dale told them a car was heading down the highway towards them.
Everyone panicked and was unsure as to what to do. Everyone picked up a weapon and got into the RV. They knew it probably wasn't the wisest thing to do but they only had moments to come up with a plan.
They heard the car stop right beside the RV. Everyone kept quite as they heard the doors open and shut close. Their footsteps were heavy as they approached the door of the RV.
Megan and Andrea had their guns pointing towards the door while Dale pointed his towards the front of the RV.
The door swung open and they were about to shoot any attackers until they saw it was Rick and Daryl.
"What you pointing that at me for?" He exclaimed.
"We didn't know who you were!" Andrea snapped.
"Where are the others? Did you find Carl?" Lori asked.
"Or Sophia?" Carol added.
"No, but we found a farm." Rick said looking over at Daryl who bowed his head and fiddled with his fingers. "There nice people. There's a doctor..well vet. He says we can stay on his land. He has maps of the woods. We are going to leave a sign and some supplies here for Carl and Sophia incase they do head back here. We will keep coming back everyday until we find them." Rick explained.
"We can't leave!" Lori and Carol shouted together.
"All the walkers from the city are moving on. There's no food for them there. If we stay here we will become their food." Rick reasoned.
"I can stay here. Just in case they come back tonight." Megan suggested.
"No!" Daryl and Rick snapped together.
"Too later, I already decided I am." She replied stubbornly.
"I think it's a good idea." Lori said.
"Only cos you want me dead." Megan muttered.
"Better than my son!" She snapped back.
"Hey! The pair of you stop! Your acting like children!" Dale snapped stunning them both silent. "I agree someone needs to stay here just in case. Maybe if someone stays with Megan seen as she's so determined." Dale suggested.
"I'll stay." Rick and Daryl said together again.
They both looked at each other annoyed.
"You need to be with you wife Rick. Plus I'm fine on my own." Megan told him crossing her arms stubbornly.
"Daryl is staying with you." Dale said sternly.
"Fine." She groaned before walking out of the RV.
She sat in the front of Ricks truck. Dale, Andrea and T left in the RV while Lori and Carol went back in the new car Rick had brought with him leaving Daryl and Megan.
Daryl entered the passenger side of the truck and they sat in silence.
"How'd you find the farm?" She asked breaking the silence.
"Found a deer while we were out there. Thought it's be good to feed everyone up well, you know because were going to be out looking for thing one and thing two.."
She chuckled and nodded. "I went to shoot it with an arrow but someone else was already hunting it. As my arrow went to hit it his gun went off. My arrow hit the other guy. Otis I think his name was. Luckily I missed his bullet." He smirked.
"You shot a guy?" She gasped.
"It was an accident." He defended.
"What about the deer?" She asked.
"Did a runner."
She chuckled. "Lucky thing. What about this Otis guy? Is he okay?" She asked.
Daryl shrugged. "Hershel the vet we told you about. He was fixing him up. He seemed okay."
She nodded.
"Rick asked him if they had seen Carl or Sophia."
"Had they?" She asked.
"No, he's got maps that show all the terrain, be better to search for them." He explained.
"Didn't have any luck then?"
He shook his head. "Not really although there were a lot if horse tracks near by..maybe they found a horse and took of on that."
"It's a possibility." She muttered.
He sighed and sat back and closed his eyes.
"What so you miss?" She asked randomly.
He shrugged.
"Friends? Family? Work?" She asked.
"Had no friends, just Merle, got fired from my job few years back." He answered.
She chuckled. "Sucks."
He nodded. "Would just tag along with Merle when he was selling or buying drugs, going to clubs, getting drunk, that kind of stuff."
She nodded. "Did you not have a girlfriend or anything?" She asked.
He scoffed. "No."
"Oh? A boyfriend then?" She smirked.
He scowled at her. "I'll leave you here with the walkers." He threatened.
"I was only asking." She smirked.
He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "What do you miss?" He asked.
"Matt of course." She said sadly as she looked down at her wedding ring. "My friends, I've got my only family with me. Sort of...I miss working...the sound of people laughing and talking...coffee...my house..." He chuckled.
"Bet your one of those people with a huge dream home ain't you? With marble kitchen surfaces, brand new furniture, nothing second hand, en suite bathroom, a fancy coffee machine.." He smirked.
"Well..that's...yeah that's true."
He chuckled. "Means nothing now though. It doesn't matter if you had all the money in the world or still slept on your big brothers couch...we are all the same. We just want to survive."
She nodded. "Your right. Really wish I could take a nice shower and drink a decent cup of coffee or tea."
"Can't have caffeine when your pregnant can you?" He asked.
She shrugged. "I don't know. It was Matthew that had read every pregnancy and baby book within a week of me finding out I was pregnant." She chuckled.
Daryl said nothing in reply. She turned to look at him. He was staring blankly out of the front window. "Did you have kids? Or ever want them?" She asked.
"Don't have any kids. Can't say I've ever wanted any either. I don't think i'dbe a very good dad."
"Why?" She asked.
He looked at her with sad eyes although he tried to hide them behind a scowl. "Didn't have the best role model." He admitted before looking back out of the window.
She didn't ask what he meant by that. She didn't believe it was any of her business although she had a good idea what he meant.
"Get some sleep. I'll keep watch." He ordered.
She nodded and climbed into the back seat to get comfy. "I miss my bed." She chuckled.
Daryl smirked although she couldn't see. "You'll sleep in the nicest comfiest bed again one day."
"Is that a promise Mr Dixon?" She asked.
"Yeah, it is."
She chuckled softly as her eyes began flickering closed.
"Your a good friend Daryl Dixon."
"Yeah whatever." He muttered in his usual Daryl way.
"And just like that his mood changes...typical..." She thought.
"Night."
"Goodnight Megan." He replied.
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So Carl and Sophia have vanished into thin air. Where do you think they went?
Also I'm still wondering what you want me to do to them...dead, alive, keep it a mystery?
Anyway, they found the farm in a different way..so Maggie, Beth and Hershel will be around soon.
If you have any suggestions then let me know and I will try to add it to the story.
I was actually planning on skipping the prison. Maybe have the governor find them and bring them back to Woodbury where they can destroy it from the inside? What do you think?
Also thank you for the reviews. I haven't had a single bad one which is amazing to say I'm a hated fan-fiction writer within many fan bases for my writing ways...
I also try to update daily but don't be surprised if I go a week without writing. I'm back at work so it's a little harder to write chapters on the daily.
Anyway...
Thank you for reading and please let me know what you think.
Thank you to those who have already reviewed, I love reading them!
Frankie.