Heading out with Glenn, Maggie and Rick, Daryl just wanted to go hunting, when they all heard a child's heart breaking voice screaming for her mother. "Did you all hear that?" Maggie asked the other.
"Yeah. It's coming from this direction." Daryl answered her. Glenn, Maggie, Rick and Daryl started running. It wasn't too hard to find her. There were little footsteps everywhere. They found her standing next to a big tree. She had a little doll in her left hand and she was looking at the ground, crying.
Carefully Maggie said "Hey little girl." Seeing them, she ran into the little cabin a few feet away. As the group entered the cabin the little girl was sitting in the corner. She looked very scared. Her knees pulled up to her body and she was holding her doll close to her chest. Maggie tried a few times to calm her down and talk to her.
But every time Maggie got closer to her, the small girl started crying even more and hide herself behind the doll. When the little girl looked up again, her look fell on Daryl. Her eyes became bigger and she didn't look away any more. Instead, she was looking at him like she knew him. Daryl didn't look away, either.
Everyone in the group noticed. Finally, Rick gave Daryl a shove in her direction and said he should try to calm her down and talk to her. Daryl sank to his knees in front of her. He waited a few moments. The small girl was still looking at him with her big, blue eyes. Then he inched closer to her. She didn't flinch. Stretching out his hand to her, Daryl said "Don't be scared little girl." She didn't hesitate a moment before she took his hand. But she didn't stand up.
"We will find your mother. I promise. But until we have, you need to come back with us to our camp. You will be safe there. There's another little girl to play with there. I'm sure you will like it." The little girl nodded, her hand still in his. But she didn't stand up. Picking her up in his arms, Daryl carried her out of the cabin and back to their camp.
All the way back she didn't say a word. She was just looking up at his face, like she couldn't believe, that he was carrying her. Reaching their camp, Daryl sat the child down near a tree.
When he took a few steps away, she started to look scared again, when Carol gave her something to eat and drink. She took the plate with the beans, but didn't start eating. Instead, she was looking at Daryl again. Daryl nodded down to her, like he wanted to say, that she could eat. So she began eating.
Daryl watched her, while she was sitting there. She was very tiny and a little too skinny, not like Little Ass Kicker. The little girl also seemed younger than Judith, probably closer to four years old. He was wondering how long she was already alone there. Where her mother had gone and what happened to her. He hoped, that her mother was still alive somewhere and that they will find her. He was certain, that the little girl was alone for a few days, because she was dirty all over her body and seemed very hungry. While he was watching her, she ate and drank everything she was given.
The group had already asked her a few times, what her name was and what had happened, but so far she hadn't answered them. She just held her doll close to her chest and looked scared.
"We should check and see if she has any injuries. We should treat and wash her and get her into new clothes." Maggie said after some time. "I will help you." Carol offered.
The two women went to the little girl, but not too close, so she won't get scared again. "Little girl we want to check and see if you have any hurts. Then help you get clean and give you new clothes. We won't hurt you. Will you come with us?" The girl's eyes went from Maggie to Carol, but she didn't move. Obviously she didn't want to go with them.
Then her eyes found Daryl's again. And she stretched her right hand out in his direction. Maggie turned around and said "Looks like she wants you to go with us." Daryl nodded, even though he didn't know why the little girl wanted that, but still he picked her carefully up in his arms.
While they were going to the river, Daryl thought that she enjoyed it being in his arms, because she had laid her head against his chest and exhales. Sitting her on a big stone next to the river, Daryl whispered to her "These are good people. You can trust them." The little girl nodded and let Maggie and Carol came closer. Carol was looking at her doll and asked. "Shall we clean your doll too?"
Nodding, the small girl held her doll in Daryl's direction. He came closer and took it. "Daryl before you clean it, can you go back and get some clothes for her, from Judith?" Maggie asked. "Yeah." Seeing the scared look from the girl, Daryl quickly said "I will be back soon." The girl was looking like she was okay with that, so he left with fast steps. Still holding the doll in his left hand.
Daryl took some new clothes from Judith and also got some new clothes for himself. Thinking, when he will wash the doll, he could clean himself too.
Back at the river he gave the two women the new clothes and nodded to the little girl, so she knew, that everything was still okay. Going into the river, the water was cool against his skin. First he cleaned the doll, placed it on a stone at the shore, when he was finished. Maggie and Carol had their backs to him and he knew that they won't be finished soon, so he took off his clothes and washed in the cool water. Back on the shore he put on his new clothes. He couldn't remember the last time he was wearing clean clothes.
As he got back to the little girl, Maggie said to him "Thank God she hasn't any bad injuries. Just a few scratches." Daryl gave her back the doll and it was only then that he noticed that she had long, light blond hair. Her hair was so dirty before, he hadn't realized she had such bright hair. She also had two birthmarks above the left side of her upper lip, just like his, but hers were lighter. Judith's clothes were way too big for the small girl, but they will work.
"Come here little girl. I will take you back." With that he picked her up and carried her back to camp. This time she put her hand under his shirt by his chest. Like she wanted to make sure that he was real. But maybe it was, because she was freezing, when he was setting her down, she began to shiver badly. Carol brought a blanket, but she didn't give it to the little girl, instead she gave it to Daryl. Opening the warm fabric, he put it around her small body. Making sure that the blanket was close to her body, so she won't be cold any more.
Judith came over and lowered herself next to the little girl. Daryl gave the girl a nod, so she knew that everything was still okay. Going back to join the other, they were all watching the two girls. Judith was talking the whole time, like she was always doing, while the younger girl was just sitting there. Her doll close to her chest, while she was looking at Little Ass Kicker with big eyes.
"I think you remind her of someone she knows." Rick said to Daryl. "Yeah. I think so too. But what do we do now?" Maggie asked. "We should ask her what happened to her and her mother. Then we can make plans about what to do next. But first, she should get some rest. Today is almost over and it wouldn't make sense to start looking today." Rick answered.
It was almost evening and Daryl made a fire in the middle of their camp, like he was doing every day. The little girl still hadn't said one single word, but at least she was playing with Judith. When it got colder the two girls came closer to the fire. Like every evening, everyone had their own routine. Michonne and Carl were playing chess. Maggie, Glenn and Rick were talking about a run they wanted to make in a few days. Tara and Eugene were talking about comic books. Rosita and Abraham were taking the first watch. Sasha, Bob, Tyresse and Carol were making dinner next to the fire and Daryl was sharpening his arrows.
Judith was playing with her wood figures, while the little girl next to her was just looking into the fire. Her knees pressing to her chest and her doll in her left hand. Quietly she began to sing with her beautiful, shy voice "And we'll buy beer to shotgun. And we'll lay in the lawn. And we'll be good."
Everyone was still talking, but Daryl could hear this anywhere. Obviously all the other hadn't heard her singing, but Daryl was at her side in seconds, with tears already burning in his eyes. The girl was looking at him with big eyes, when he asked her with a trembling voice "What's your name little girl?"
Finally, everyone around them was watching and listening. The little girl opened her mouth and said "Rose. Rose Dixon. And you are Daryl right? You are my daddy."