AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for reading, the follows and comments on the last chapter :)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Walking Dead or its characters

Apologies in advance for any spelling and grammatical errors. Thoughts in Italics


Touched by an Angel

Chapter 5


With her ear pressed up against the door, Lori tries desperately to listen in on the conversation taking place between Rick and Daryl.

Her mum called to confirm they had returned from their cruise and will be on Friday's flight from Kentucky to Atlanta. Rick would pick them up from the airport, he had booked the day off because she had a million things to do to prepare for their week long stay and not forgetting, organising her and Rick's annual New Year's Party. It was their fifth year hosting New Year's where select friends, work colleagues and neighbours were invited. It was also the first year her parents would join in the festivities with them so she wants to make the day even more special, memorable and she needed the guest room vacated as soon as possible.

"Tell him Rick!" She repeats between gritted teeth.

She desperately needed Daryl out the room in order for her to get in and decontaminate. He'd been living in there for six months and she's only really thrown a vacuum around the carpet every so often because Daryl didn't like anyone poking around his stuff. Plus, once when she thought he wasn't home, she went in to clean and grab dirty laundry only to find him passed out and half naked on the floor with a picture of Rosita by his side. She'd never forget when he cracked open an eye to find her lingering over him and invading his personal space, the look of annoyance - especially at a time he wanted to be alone. He was broken-hearted, angry at the world and feeling sorry for himself.

Frustrated not able to hear anything with Rick's mumblings and Daryl's grunts, wondering what was taking so long, Lori does something she swore she wouldn't do anymore. She grabs hold of the door knob, gets down onto her knees and looks through the keyhole only to see Rick's jeaned ass blocking the view.

"Urghhh Rick, move!" she huffs watching him, telepathically ordering his ass to move but he stands there in his Rick way with his ass telling her – look at me.

"Mom-myyyy!" Judith calls trying not to trip as she struggles tugging Carl's old Harry Potter Cape across the landing.

Lori jumps out of her skin and before she knows what's happening, the door swings open and she finds herself being dragged along into the room with it.

Internally she curses, closing her eyes and biting down on her lower lip. Ridiculous as it sounds, she wished she could throw Carl's cape over to become invisible because she can feel two sets of eyes burning into her head. She lifts her head up to find both Rick and Daryl looming over her sprawled out across the carpet. Her eyes flick from Daryl who wasn't giving anything away to Rick who looked at her in disbelief shaking his head not believing she was eavesdropping and worse, caught at it by Daryl who valued his privacy and hated it when people pried.

"I, um.." Lori fumbles for words, fidgety and looking guilty, she casts her eyes down on the ground not knowing how to explain this awkward situation.

Just as she sits up, Judith steps in front of her, right in her face. This was never good, she didn't need this right now.

"Mommy pying?" Little Judith innocently asks Lori at eye level with those big round eyes you couldn't get angry at.

Judith Meredith Grimes got her and Rick into a lot of trouble since she started speaking in sentences – she was at that age where her mouth didn't have a filter and why would she, she's a baby. Rick's commented more than a few occasions, all under his breath "Like mother like daughter!"

"No!" Lori answers abruptly "Mommy's not spying!" She laughs as if it was an absurd thing to do, taking a glance up at Rick who was pinching the bridge of his nose to Daryl who was just standing there, now with folded arms watching.

"The oven!" She says louder than it was meant to have come out, looking towards the stairs wanting any reason to escape.

"Oben? ookies and cakes?" Judith asks hopefully clasping her little hands together and if her eyes could get any bigger, they'd take off into the air.

She didn't like feeding Carl and Judith sugary treats which she called junk, opting for healthier snacks like fruit, raw veg sticks with hummus, nuts and berries and yoghurts etc and on the days when she thought they deserved them, she spoiled them with her famous homemade pancakes not cookies and cakes.

"I'm up for some cookies and cakes!" Daryl's gravelly voice speaks for the first time, lips twitched up at the corners and winking down to Judith when she swings her head back and up to look at him. She flashes Daryl her gaped teeth smile, he was now set for the day.

Lori takes a deep and heavy breath in and breathes out nodding with a frown.

Judith claps her hands in excitement "ookies and cake! ookies and cake" she squeaks "Yay, I lub ookies and cake!" she begins to bounce over to Rick and hug his legs - he ruffles her soft hair.

"Wanna take your Uncle Daryl down and watch cartoons?" Rick suggests needing to talk with Lori.

"K!" Says Judith bopping her head up and down taking Daryl's hand and pulling him to carry her and Carl's cape down the stairs.

He swipes Judith up and throws her over his shoulder before stomping down the stairs making Judith giggle when he smacks her diaper and makes squishy noises with his mouth.

Both Lori and Rick smile. Daryl was great with Judith and Carl and they always wondered if he'd have kids of his own. He'd always scrunch up his nose that kids were nasty little things when anyone broached the subject. But deep down they both knew and had observed - Daryl wanted to be a dad more than anything but was trying to kid himself into believing he didn't. They knew he didn't think he was good enough – all those negative thoughts were rooted from his messed up childhood.

As if both knew what the other was thinking, they look at one another and share a look.

It was important for Daryl to meet someone special who could change his life and make the impossible possible. There was a certain girl that they've both taken a keen interest in because something had seemed to have shifted in Daryl in that movie theatre when she unexpectedly dropped into his life. They'd spied him sneaking looks at some sort of wrapper in his pocket and caught him smiling to himself when he thought nobody was watching. She was watching, Rick was watching and even Carl was watching when he beat Daryl every night on the PS4 which rarely happened.

Lori was drumming her nails into carpeted ground trying to figure out who the girl was. Rick had told her; he'd seen her in town for a brief moment but couldn't find out who she was, where she's from and if she was sticking around because Daryl had gotten himself caught up in a rolling tyre which she would have paid to have seen.

Rick watches Lori's brain working overtime "You baked cookies and cakes?" He asks smiling, knowing the answer.

"You know I didn't!" Lori glowers in response, getting to her feet and dusting off her knees when she hears the teasing tone in Rick's voice.

"So?" She asks stepping forward and looking Rick dead in the eyes. She really didn't want to be the bitch and throw Daryl out so she hoped her husband manned up and told Daryl. It's not as if he'd be on the street, just living at Shane's and with all the space he wanted. Daryl just had to agree.

Rick holds out his hand to calm down, "Before I could bring it up, he said it was time to move on and that he's already made permanent living arrangement. He's moving out tomorrow!" Rick confirms and was a little dejected. Having Daryl around became a norm, it was great having a guy around who he got on well with. And it was comforting knowing Daryl was there during the nights watching over and protecting his family when he wasn't there and working those dreaded night shifts.

"Oh my god!" Lori says covering her smiling mouth and upon seeing the sullen look on Rick's face, she stops and hugs him saying she was sorry.

"He had to move on sooner or later I know, jus' gonna miss him not bein' around here." He sighs taking comfort in Lori's arms, resting his head against hers.

"You might not believe it, but I will miss him too!" Lori reveals.

Rick pulls back his head and gives Lori a doubtful look.

"Honest to god!" She swears. "Daryl's always been good with Carl and Judy, they love him. And even though he won't be living here, he's family and he's welcome to come over." She says sincerely "And play with you," she adds grabbing Rick's shirt collar and pulling him up close, "but not when we're playing okay?!" She says giving Rick a pointed look, they needed to get them back on track.

A smile graces Rick's face, Lori smiles back making him grin. They share a quick kiss before Daryl and Judith yell up the stairs, they're hungry. Rick groans pulling away, they both look over the bannister to see Daryl and Judith standing at the bottom of the stairs staring up at them, both holding their hips clearly not happy to be waiting.

"Wherever you've hidden your cookie stash, get them out so I can put them into the oven." Lori says smiling down to Judith who was now twirling around in Carl's cape which Daryl helped put on.

"Why put them in the oven?" Rick asks watching Judith chasing the tail of the cape and giggling when it runs away from her grasp.

"So I can make the illusion that I've baked them for Judith's benefit and Daryl's!" She says facing Rick and rolling her eyes when he pulls his eyes off of Judith to find Lori holding out her hand waiting for him.

"I'll bring them down." Rick grins broadly not wanting Lori to find out where he stashes all the junk that he, Carl and Judith snack on when she goes out on the town with her girlfriends once a month. Those nights, they'd kick back playing video games, watching movies, ordering take out and snacking on forbidden treats.

"One of these days, I'll find them!" Lori vows spanking Rick's bottom before walking down the stairs.

"Challenge accepted!" He shouts back, scratching his jaw and looking back into Daryl's room. He was going to have to find a new hiding place now that Daryl was moving out and Lori would have access to the guestroom 24/7.


Running out of her en-suite in her underwear and bouncy ponytail, Beth grabs her outfit and starts pulling on her blouse. She jumps up and down into a pair of black skinny stretch trousers and has to flop back on her bed to wiggle down into them and pull them up over her bottom to around her hips. She hasn't worn these particular trousers in a while and realises she's put on a few pounds sitting around the house eating her mamma's luscious rich cooked meals and sinful snacks. She didn't have time to worry about the few pounds at that moment, she was running later than she would like. She breathes in, tucks her shirt in, zips up the zip and buttons up the button.

"Haha!" She squeals, cycling her legs in the air and doing the scissor splits to make sure she can move, and she can and they don't tear "Wohooo!"

Rolling off the bed, she crawls around the floor looking for her Patent-leather Slingback Pumps. She looks under her bed and over at the shoe rack in her walk-in closet. "Where are you Jimmy Choo?"

She frowns scanning the floor, tossing her discarded clothes up in the air to see if they hadn't gotten buried in the mess she made last night trying to find the perfect first day at work outfit. There wasn't a particular uniform - just smart, chick and fashionable and you couldn't go wrong with a gorgeous white blouse, black trousers and sassy pair of heels. The sales assistants looked glamorous and chick when she walked into Millies and Tillies and she wanted to look just as nice. She sighs not knowing where her shoes had disappeared off to and then she sees Pugsy their Pug hiding under her dressing table.

That always meant one thing when he hid under there.

When she crawls over and practically screams when she sees Pugsy chewing at the heel of her Jimmy Choo's. He had a fetish to chew every pair of her nicest footwear and that's why she usually runs around in boots and sneakers all the time, and had to hide her best up on the shelves. These were a rare and expensive birthday present from Shawn and Maggie that gave her confidence when she walked and she needed that confidence today.

"Nooo Pugsy! Let go!" She pleads playing tug of war and when she finally snatches her shoe back, she goes flying back into her walk-in closet with a thud "Ouuwwch!"

Pugsy stares at the mess and when Beth emerges like Frankenstein out from beneath the mountain of clothes and purses that had once been neatly stacked up on the shelves, he scrambles out of the room with his tongue hanging out nearly tripping over the curl of the rug but tripping Glenn up instead as he goes.

"Ouch!"

Beth limps over and helps Glenn up.

"My Jimmy Choo's!" She pouts rubbing her backside and showing Glenn "Maggie and Shawn got me these from London a few years ago and I've only worn them a handful of times!" She almost wants to cry. She had been having a tough time at college, missed the family holiday to London as she needed to catch up with coursework so when Shawn and Maggie went to visit her one weekend when they returned, they surprised her with those fabulous Jimmy Choo's she admired in a magazine.

"Don't worry Beth," Glenn wraps an arm around her shoulder and gives her a hug, "I'll get ya a new pair!"

Beth shakes her head.

"They would cost you the price of what your monthly rent was in that share house before you moved in here." She reveals.

He almost chokes, "What? That's crazy!"

"I know, the price of fashion!" She sighs "They're really pretty but now I remember why I never get expensive designer stuff unless it's gifted, free or gifted!" She slips the shoes on and inspects them from all angles in the mirror, hoping the teeth marks weren't visible and they were!

Glenn tells her, he can hardly see the bite marks and before she could decide whether or not to wear something else, her wall clock chimes it was 8am. She rushes over to her dresser, spritzes the air and twirls around into the perfume mist as she grabs her purse and runs out her room.

"Good Luck!" Glenn calls back catching the perfume bottle, watching Beth sliding down the second set of banisters not wanting her heels to snap in her haste of running down the stairs and tripping up like she knew she would.

"Be careful!" He shouts and as if on cue, he hears a thud and Beth shouting out another "ouch" and "I'm okay!" as she limps away.

"Breakfast?" Herschel yells looking up from his newspaper when he feels a hurried gust rush past his back.

"No time daddy, see you at supper, Love y'all!" Beth calls back before the screen door slams shut with a thud, the roar of her little mini starting up with a cough and finally zooming off.

"She's super excited and wants to make an impression!" Annette replies reading Herschel's unhappy face, he still disapproved of Beth choice of work. He had hoped to have seen her sitting in his chair at the clinic.

"Personally, I think Beth's attitude's great! Now if only everyone had that same attitude!" Shawn says tearing a bite off his toast, looking at his wrist watch - they had to leave in 5 minutes. He looks at Maggie pushing her cereal around her bowl as she scoffs reading her messages on her phone, still in her PJ's and yesterday's makeup smeared around her eyes.

Herschel leans forward massaging his temple. One daughter wanting to work but not finding the right work and the other, has the perfect job but is lazy and always needed a push. He felt a massive migraine coming on.


Beth swerves into a parking space and switches off the engine. It was a fifteen-minute drive with scenic views. There was no waiting in long queues of traffic or over crowded buses or trams, she loved it. The only issues she had was the way her mini was having trouble starting up in the mornings and the stiffness in the clutch. She'd ask Shawn to take a look this evening when he got home she decides.

When she hears a tap on the window, she smiles and rolls down the window seeing it was none other than Jesus in his cycling gear and helmet.

"First day, excited?" He asks leaning into her open window.

"Definitely!"

"Sure you don't want to start in the New Year like Carrie suggested?" He asks but Beth shakes her head that it was fine, she wanted to work.

"Alright then, you're gonna be shadowing me today, hope that's okay?" He asks and Beth nods happily and gets out her car when Jesus opens the door for her.

"There's only a couple of more days left with the last of the sales stock, it will be busy and then the new stock hits the shop floor in two days where our Premier Customers get the first exclusive unveiling. It's a private launch in the evening between 7pm to 10pm. There will be champagne and appetisers and a small fashion show to kick things off. Everyone's then free to browse and shop for whatever captures their eyes." Jesus explains "You up to working that evening, you'll get a handsome bonus?"

"Yea, I'm up for it!" Beth agrees "I didn't know anythin' like this happened here in King County!" She says surprised trying to keep up with Jesus's long strides as he wheels his mountain bike towards the bike shed area.

"Neither did I until I was asked to come here from Head Quarters to help get the place back on track and hopefully help in the expansion of getting Millies and Tillies Boutiques dotted around Georgia." He shrugs.

Beth looks up at her manager. He seemed to be a really nice guy, really enjoyed his work and got on well with Mrs Wilson and the staff. He was like her right hand man from what she observed after her interview. And then her mind goes back to the part where he said get the place back on track.

So it went off track? She wondered curiously.

There's been no mention of The Twins apart from them being away. Her mind goes into all sorts of assumptions of them being the reason the business went off track if it had and the reason why Mrs Wilson was here and not retiring or just taking a step back. She stops her mind thinking wild and bizarre thoughts and knew better than to pry. She was just glad Millie and Tillie weren't here and hoped they stay holidaying in St Tropez all through winter and up to summer which hopefully by then, she'd be employed in a Social Worker's position.

"It's ambitious and quite the business venture and I wish you all the luck, I'm sure you'll make it happen, Mrs Wilson seems to think so by putting you on the case – it's a no brainer!" Beth smiles.

Jesus gives Beth a side glance and takes in her positive smiling face. He can't help by mirror her and let out a laugh. She was a confidence booster, a little ray of sunshine and would do wonders for the company and staff morale. He was looking forward to working with Beth the few months she was there, she was a positive influence and refreshing change from the twins. His smile falters - she was kind and sweet and he knew the sweet ones could easily get walked all over if they didn't have a heads up on the environment they were stepping into. It could get hostile at times.

"This time up until New Year's Eve, things are gonna get mega crazy, people queue up at dawn to purchase the perfect outfit for the New Year's festivities and it does get pretty nasty with handbags at dawn, so if a fight erupts between shoppers, don't intervene – call Tiny or Jim, they're our security guys." He informs.

"Gottit, handbags at dawn – call Tiny or Jim!" Beth repeats nodding seriously.

"…And when Millie and Tillie return after New Year's," He pauses not wanting to say more than he should but he didn't want Beth to get sucked in, used and abused the way he knows The Twins to be. "I wouldn't get too friendly and personal with them, the less time you spend with them, the better your life will be. Trust me Beth when I say - watch your back, they're not afraid to push the knife into it." He knew he said too much but he didn't want Beth to get caught up in their games.

"Gottit loud and clear - stay away from The Biatch's of KC!" She says and looks up to see Jesus's raised brow. "I went to High School with them so I know!" She reaches out and pats his shoulder not to worry as they enter the building.


Daryl grabs his backpack and slips his arms through the straps, slides on his leather gloves and bundles the woolly scarf Judith and Carl had gifted to him on his birthday around his neck. It had been a long and tiring day but a good day.

It was 5pm and he was knocking off early because Lori had organised a family dinner for his last night at her and Rick's place. Lori was making a pot of chillie and wild rice, Judith and Rick were going to be baking the cookies and cakes that never made it to the table this morning. Rick couldn't find his secret stash thinking he must have eaten them at the weekend.

Daryl smirks – he ate all of Rick's secret stash the night previous but Rick didn't need to know it was him.

He throws his leg over his bike and settles down on the seat. He had already packed his bags, didn't have much but he wanted to get back and give his bedroom a once over. He wasn't ashamed to admit - he didn't mind living under the same roof as Lori Grimes. There were times when he thought she was the dumbest, hypocritical bitch that walked the earth but then he couldn't forget the help and support she'd given him when he was at his lowest. She tolerated his bullshit and mood swings for the six months he squatted in her guestroom, the first month he didn't wash, bath or shave. It wasn't okay but she put up with him until she couldn't handle the stench that followed him anymore, so Carol came over and blasted him with the garden hose because she could apparently smell him from across the street which Shane says was bullshit because he reckoned Carol had a thing for him because she was always calling him Pookie.

Before he kick-starts the engine, the fairy lights from Millies and Tillies window display catches his eyes. He watches people going in and out with big happy smiles on their faces. He's never been in a place like that, never felt comfortable enough or had reason to but there was a sale sign up and maybe he could afford something new and fancy for Lori to say thanks for everything.

Daryl switches his bike off and makes his way across the street.

Just as he reaches the walkway, he slows his pace looking in through the window as he walks. It looked bright, colourful and classy - nothing like the shops he usually ventures into. He stops and stares at the display for the longest time debating as to whether or not to go in or just go to the garage and buy a bunch of their cheap flowers. The florists were shut, Carol shut up shop precisely at 5pm. He was about to turn around the way he came until he felt something soft and tingly land on his nose and then another and another.

When he crosses his eyes, he sees fluffy white stuff like tiny shards of cotton candyfloss. His lips switch up at the sight and at the feeling.

"Better late than never!" He says quietly watching the snowflakes dancing around his head as they begin to come down.

When he uncrosses his eyes, the twinkle of her eyes and the smile dancing on her lips catches him off guard.

On their own accord, Daryl's booted feet take him up to the window. His nose is pressed up against the glass watching her. Right there, right in front of him with just a sheet of thick glass between them. She was smiling and talking to a bunch of rich classy looking women and it appeared she had them eating out the palm of her hands as they admire the dress she was presenting to them and clapping like seals when she magics out of thin air, a pair of sparkly shoes that went with the sequences on the flirty little party dress. All he can think right now was how good she would make that little dress and sparkly shoes look than any one of those women who were pulling out their credit cards. He thought she looked more than gorgeous in the outfit she was wearing.

Watching her smiling, brings a smile to his lips.

He doesn't know how long he's been standing there like that, gawking but Tiny is standing right beside him and he knows it's Tiny because he can smell strawberry laces.

"Jesus, ya kinda light for not so light a person!" Daryl snaps looking up at his side at the 6ft8 300lb security guard for sneaking up on him.

"Why, thanks Daryl!" Tiny beams "lost 2lb this week - strawberry lace?" He offers.

Daryl takes a lace and begins to twist it around his finger needing something to do as a distraction. He can't help but take a quick glance back into the boutique and his glance lingers longer than it should watching the blonde ponytail bouncing through the racks of clothes.

"What's got your fancy?" Tiny asks staring in the direction Daryl was staring.

There was nothing there apart from dresses. It was the women's department and there were two women in their direct line of sight now. One was Jessie Anderson and the other was the new sweet girl Beth trying to talk Jessie out of buying something far too revealing for a mother with a teenage son, "Aha!"

Daryl's eyes slide over to the side when he heard the noise, sees Tiny's eyes widen like a light bulb just switched on.

"Aint nothin' got my fancy!" Daryl answers gruffly.

Tiny studies Daryl all worked up and getting defensive. He was tickled to see Daryl's cheeks pinking by the second. He never knew Daryl could blush and when he asks, Daryl grumbles cussing, turning away whilst shoving the balled up strawberry lace into his mouth and tries to chew and just as he does, he watches Beth's head turn and now she was staring directly ahead of her, directly at him.

They hold one another's gazes and she smiles shyly like she had at the movie theatre. She waves his way.

Daryl looks behind him. There was nobody there. And then he realises it's him who she's waving at and not anybody else. Imagining she had caught him watching her, Daryl nearly swallows the balled up lace and starts to cough, wheeze and then he was full on choking because it felt like a golf ball was lodged in his throat and gotten stuck there. His face grows red.

Before Daryl knows what's happening, he feels somebody checking his airway. It was clearly blocked and then he feels a few sharp blows between his blades, then abdominal thrusts and then arms wrapping around his waist bending him forward. With the hands right above his belly button he realises then, the Heimlich Manoeuvre was being performed on him and that's when the strawberry lace the size of a golf ball comes shooting out and landing on the fresh patch of snow on the ground.

"You okay?"

Daryl can hear the concern and relief from the voice of what he thinks is of an Angel. When he looks up from his crouched position, he sees her eyes staring back at him. And in slow motion, a warm smile tugs at her mouth as her face lights up to see he was okay and all he can do is smile back as he stands up.

"I am now!" He says with a blush, rubbing his throat and neck.

There was a moments silence and they stand there shyly. Beth sneaks a look up at him and thinks he was even more handsome than the first time she saw him.

"I'm Beth Greene!" She introduces holding out her hand, breaking the silence. "We didn't catch each other's names the other night." She says sweetly, not sure where this sudden confidence had come from but she was rolling with it.

"Daryl, Daryl Dixon." He replies back trying to keep himself in check, this was better than he thought it was going to be if he forgot about the choking part.

He doesn't hesitate to take her hand and shake it. Upon their hands touching, it was like electricity shooting back and forth between their bodies. Neither knew how their bodies had become so huddled up close together.

"Thanks for comin' to save me!" Daryl says ever so softly, he doesn't think he's ever sounded like that before.

When he looks down into those big round blue eyes as they look up into his shining, he knew then he was lost to them.