Signs of Three

"Where is she?" he demanded, holding a nearly unconscious Garth by his bloody shirt, his fist pulled back, ready to hit him again.

"I don't know who you're talking about!" Gareth glared at him.

"Don't fuck with me, that's her sweater," he growled, nodding to the blue fabric Maggie was holding. "We can do this the easy way, or I can tie you down and fillet you like a fucking fish." Daryl hit him again. "Where. Is. She."

Gareth swallowed hard, looking up at him. "They took her."

"They who?" Daryl demanded.

"His name's Jack, he took her to one of the towns…he said she was off limits." Daryl pulled the knife from his hips and fisted it. "I told you!"

"What's your point?" Daryl asked.

"You have to let me live."

"We never made that agreement." Daryl buried the knife into his skull, his body going limp. Daryl pulled the knife out and let his body fall to the ground. He picked up his crossbow and headed out. "I'm going to find her."

Rick put a hand on his shoulder. "Daryl, you need to rest first, wait for us to help you."

Daryl pushed him off and glared at him. "She's pregnant." Rick let go, dropping his hand and staring at Daryl as he walked out of the building. He grabbed one of the cars that was sitting in the lot and hotwired it, not bothering to look for keys. He was going to find her before anything happened to her.

…

Beth sat in the corner, wrapping a blanket closer around her. How long had it been since they'd taken her from Daryl? How many weeks? She was showing already, her belly was round, the clothes she'd been wearing long past fitting. If she had to guess she would have to say she was eight or nine months now. They kept moving her around from town to town. They never stayed in one place too long. She'd given up trying to get away. Right now it was best for the both of them for her to stay put. If she tried to run they could hurt the baby. If she did manage to get away there would be no one there to help her deliver.

The pain started and she screamed. Her captors looked up at her, running over. They ordered her to lie down, someone knelt beside her and took her hand. The contractions ripped through her body and she cried. Everything seemed to slow down. Sweat covered her body as the pain rocked through her. They told her to push but she shook her head crying. She couldn't. She wanted Daryl, he should be there. Tears flowed from her eyes as she had no choice but to push.

The small cries echoed in the nearly empty building as they took her baby from her and wrapped it in a blanket. She was crying, weak, bleeding as she demanded they give the baby to her. "Let me see," she pleaded as they stood up.

"This one belongs to us," one of them told her.

They all looked up, hearing a gun lock into place. "I suggest you give the baby to its mother." Beth's emotions swamped her, consumed her as she saw Daryl standing there. Slowly the baby was lowered into her arms and she held it close as he ordered everyone away from her. She shut her eyes tight, cradling her baby close as the gunshots rang out. She heard the guns fall to the floor, his footsteps as he ran to her and looked down at her. "Beth?"

She looked up at him, tears leaking from her face. "I knew you'd come," she whispered between sobs. She didn't even know why she was crying anymore.

"I'll always come for you." He kissed her head and gently picked her up, cradling her body against his as he carried her out of the building and gently put her in the car he'd came in. As he drove off he slipped his arm around Beth's shoulders as she rocked their baby. "What is it?" he asked quietly.

She pulled back the blanket it was wrapped in. "A girl," she whispered, staring down at her.

Daryl smiled and leaned over, kissing her head. "I'm sorry it took me so long."

She shook her head and looked up at him. "Did you…anyone else?"

He nodded his head. "They're all fine, and they're all waiting for you. We took over Terminus." He looked at her as he drove. He wasn't going to let anything happen to them again, ever.