Save me, Save you
Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead or the characters except my own! The rest is all AMC!
summary: twenty-nine year old Kathryn Smith and her daughter three year old Jasmine have been on their own until they meet the Atlanta group on the highway. both mother and daughter carry with them a scared and frightening past but Kathryn is also carrying with her something more. Enter Daryl Dixon Hunter, tracker, and all around bad ass as well carries a dark past can they both save each other or will someone or something tear them apart?
Theme song: When I Look to the Sky by: Train/ Easy To Love You by: Theory Of A Deadman
Chapter 9: No Longer Broken, A Family Coming Together
Waking up that day, Kathryn seemed to not want to get out of bed. Today was Dale's funeral; Daryl had gotten up and started making breakfast.
Kathryn had broken down more the once and last night neither of them had gotten much sleep. They knew they were going to have to tell Jasmine, but for now they let her rest. Daryl looked up and saw Kathryn in a long sleeve orange shirt and black jacket.
Kathryn sat on the log beside him as Daryl handed her a plate of eggs and bacon. "Need your strength for the day." Kathryn nods, taking the plate. "See the baby growing yer gonna need bigger clothes soon."
She nods once more and looks up at Daryl. "Yeah your right." Sighing she goes on as she takes a bite. "It's gonna be rough, Jass saw Dale as a grandfather...I don't know how I'm going to tell her."
She stops eating and begins her cry, Daryl puts his plate down and hugs her tightly. "We'll tell her together, ya aint gotta be alone in this anymore. We're a team now; the team has to stick together."
Nodding, Kathryn smiles as Jasmine comes crawling out of the tent. "Mommy, Daddy? Why we up so early?"
Both adults look at each other, now was the time to tell her, couldn't really tell her during the funeral.
Daryl picks Jass up and sets her on his lap. "Jass baby girl, somthin happened last night..."
Jass looked up at him. "You mean the screaming?"
Daryl nods as Kathryn takes Jass's hand. "Sweetie, last night a walker got into the field and...well Dale was out walking."
Kathryn takes a shallow breath as Daryl finishes for her. "Jass…Dale died last night."
Jasmine blinked a bit and then full fledge tears came from the girl, Jasmine wailed as she clung to Daryl.
"It's not fair daddy! It's not fair! Make him come back, make him come back!" The small girl cried.
That's when Kathryn broke down, Daryl hugs Jasmine tighter rocking her back and forth. "I wish I could Half pint, I truly wish I could."
It took an hour for Jasmine to calm down; the new family got up and walked to the grave site. Kathryn seemed to be in a daze, hardly hearing what Rick was saying. Daryl took Kathryn's hand in his waking her from whatever daydream she was in.
"From now on we are going to do it his way, that's how we honor Dale." Rick had finished.
After the funeral Daryl, T-dog, Andrea, and Shane went out to fix the fences and find any stray walkers.
It took them over two hours, by then Carl apologized to Jasmine saying he didn't want to lose another friend.
Kathryn waited for Daryl to come back, her hand resting on her stomach. She knew Lori was also pregnant but couldn't think of what that would mean for the group. Carol walked up to her wrapping a gentle arm around the young woman.
"It looks like you two are going to be a family." Kathryn giggles and smiles. "It's because we are. We decided we didn't want to wait, after Dale...we told each other we loved each other. That we would protect one another; I know that doesn't sound like a marriage proposal, but its close."
Carol giggles as well as Otis's truck pulled up and Daryl got out the truck, he walked over hugging Kathryn.
Hershel offered for everyone to move into the farm house, everyone began moving around. Rick tells T-dog and Daryl they have double shifts on guard duty, along with guards on the loft and windmill.
Rick also mentioned him and Daryl cutting Randell lose again.
Kathryn looked at Daryl. l "You will be careful, right?" She asked him and he nodded.
Gathering everything up, Daryl took down the tent. Hershel had already offered the guest room for them.
Daryl rode his bike up to the farm house, Jasmine sitting in front of him. The small girl started squealing. "Carl, look at me!"
Kathryn smiled happily as she carried both her messenger bag and Jass's backpack. Daryl walked up to her and kisses Kathryn on the cheek. "No heavy liftin…doc's orders darlin."
Kathryn laughed and saluted. "Sir yes Sir, anything else my man would like me to do?"
Daryl chuckles and smirks. "Yeah stop being such a smartass." He kisses her lightly, no longer embarrassed about others seeing.
Daryl left saying he was going to fix the barn up where the kid was being held, she was also under strict orders to not do any lifting since she was getting bigger.
Kathryn smiled, nodding back at him. She watches him leave, it felt nice to know he loved and cared for her.
A few hours later and the others wouldn't let her lift anything either, their excuse was they're afraid of Daryl and this made her laugh.
Instead she made some lemonade, with Beth's help. Taking the pitcher out, she went to see if Daryl was thirsty.
"Hey cowboy, come down from there! Hope you're thirsty, Beth helped me make lemonade." Daryl looked down and smirked.
"Yeah I see that, also see a sexy pregnant woman holdin it." He says as he climbs down.
Kathryn giggles. "Oh yea? Well this sexy pregnant woman could do with a kiss." Daryl smirks, wrapping his arms around her waist after putting the pitcher and cup down.
"A kiss, uh? What do I get in return?" He watched as she bites her lower lip. "A kiss as well, maybe something special tonight." Daryl chuckles, saying how he liked the sound of that.
They were about to kiss when Rick yelled Daryl's name, both adults groaned.
"Guess you better go see what our fearless leader wants." Daryl nods. "Yeah probably ready to take the kid out." He mumbles.
Grabbing the pitcher, both couples walk back to the farm house. Kathryn walking inside the house, while Daryl and Rick reviewed a map on the porch.
Lori smiled as Jasmine ran through the kitchen. "Whoa, whoa, whoa Half Pint. Slow down, no runnin in the kitchen." Daryl says as he walks through, Kathryn and Carol look up when he walks in.
"Hey cowboy, everything settled?" Daryl nods "Yeah Rick and I got a plan know where we're gonna take him." Kathryn smiles wrapping her arms around his neck. "You be safe ya hear? Don't want my man coming back hurt."
Daryl chuckles, leaning in and kissing her softly. "Ya, got it Littl' mama."
He grabs the provisions and walks out to the blue truck, Jass following behind. "Daddy, you are going to be careful, right?"
Daryl set everything in the truck, bent down and picked the three year old up. "Ya know I will baby girl. Ya mama and I, we love ya, we're going to protect ya as long as we can got it?" Jass smiles and nods eagerly hugging his neck as T-dog walks up to them.
Daryl tells Jass to go find her mother and not to run in the house as T hands him a revolver.
Five minutes after Jasmine comes back in the house Glen comes in after saying Rick needed to see everyone.
The group runs out, Lori asking what's going on while Daryl looked at the ground.
"Randell's loose." Glen answered.
Everyone starts freaking out asking how, where could he have gone? Kathryn pulls Jass to her looking around frantic as Daryl walks over to them.
"I'll find the som'bitch that's a promise, ya'll are going to be ok. I made a promise and I intend to keep it." Kathryn nods as they kiss.
That's when Shane comes running out, saying Randell got the jump on him, that he was loose. To Kathryn none of this added up to her, but she wasn't going to voice it out loud.
Rick ordered everyone to go inside and lock the doors; him, Glen, Daryl, and Shane went with him to look for the kid.
Jasmine stood looking out the window, her eyes and cheeks tear stained.
"Sweetie, daddy will be back, he promised to take care of us and that's what he's doing… come on now." Kathryn whispers holding her hand out for her three year old to take.
Day turned to night and Daryl and Glen still hadn't come back yet, Jass was asleep on their bed.
Biting her lip, she runs her hand up and down her stomach. She finally has enough and walks out to the living room. She stands in front of the window, Hershel looks up and smiles.
"Don't know whose worse, you or your daughter. Daryl will be back just like you said. Come on and help us make up the couch." Kathryn sighs and nods "Guess you're right."
She walks over helping Maggie and Hershel making the couch into a bed.
Every hour they're away made everyone tense, Jasmine had woken up an hour or so after she went to bed. Everyone was in the living room, Kathryn holding Jass, Andrea getting antsy.
"Okay that's it, I'm going after them." The blonde declared, but Lori shut her down saying they needed her here.
That's when the back door opened; Jass looks up as her eyes widen "Daddy!"
Jasmine got up and ran to him, Daryl threw his crossbow over his shoulder and picked her up.
He asks if Rick and Shane are back and Kathryn shakes her head.
T-dog asks where Randell is. "He's dead." Glen confirmed it, Hershel stood. "Did you find the walker that bit him?"
Daryl shakes his head. "No, there were no bites on him, his neck was snapped."
He went on to explain how Shane and Randell's tracks were right on top of each other.
Lori walked up to Daryl asking if he would go back and find Rick, Jass shook her head. "Daddy, no I's don't want you to leave!"
Kathryn walked over taking Jasmine. "You're daddy has to find Carl's daddy, you don't want him going with one do you?"
Jasmine shook her head. "No, buts I's don't wants to either." The little girl sniffles as Daryl promises that he'd be back.
Kathryn nods as they kiss. "I love ya littl' mama, I'll be back."
Kathryn smiles. "Love you to cowboy ,stay safe."
Lori looks at Kathryn and hugs her. "Thank you, I'm sorry to send him back out. I just want to know what's going on." Kathryn nods.
"I understand." Everyone walked out on the porch figuring it was safe.
That's when they saw them, a herd and not just any herd it was big! Daryl turned to Kathryn as Hershel told Patricia to turn off the lights.
"Go get yer bag now! Be ready, and don't forget yer gun." Kathryn nods as they kiss hard, telling each other I love you.
Kathryn rushed into the bedroom, piling clothes back into her messenger bag along with Jass's things.
Fear griped her as she hoisted Jass on to her hip; Daryl looked at T-dog. "Keep my girls safe." T nods as Lori comes running back saying Carl is missing.
Both her and Carol run in looking for him again as the rest watched the herd as if it was a tornado.
Everyone planned to defend the farm Kathryn, Jass, Lori, Carol, Hershel, and Patricia stayed by the house while everyone else took a vehicle.
Gunshots ring out, and the horse barn caught on fire as walkers began piling up.
Carol announced that it was time to go, Kathryn agreed as she grabbed both bags and while holding Jasmine to her hip.
All of them started running, Carol split off from them. T-dog pulls up and Andrea pops out pushing the seat back, Beth and Jass got in back. Lori and Kathryn climbed up front, telling Andrea where Carol ran off to.
Daryl saw Carol, he yelled for her to get on the bike. "Where's Kathryn and Jass?" He yells.
"Last time I saw them they were with Lori!" Daryl nods punching the gas, Carol yelling for him to go.
Jasmine cries in the back seat, Beth trying to calm her down, Lori holds Kathryn's hand.
"Daryl got out, there's no question he is fine. We'll find him, Rick and Carl I promise." Kathryn nods trying not to cry, but her heart breaks for her little girl.
T-dog shakes his head. "No way are we going to the coast like we should have planned." He argues which causes Jass to cry harder.
Lori argues saying they need to go to the highway, Kathryn agreeing along with her.
T-dog was about to say no when Lori told him to pull over, she opens the door making T break hard.
"You let us out or you turn around and go back." In that moment Lori had earned Kathryn's respect. "I want my daddy!" Jasmine yells from the back seat.
T-dog sighs. "Ya'll are crazy but fine we'll go back." Lori nods closing the door T makes a u-turn and goes back to the highway.
Everyone seemed to meet up all at once, Lori first out of the truck. Kathryn lets Jasmine out as well as Beth.
"Daddy!" They both yell simultaneously, Daryl looks up a weight felts like had been lifted off his shoulders.
He gets off the bike kneeling down, the three year old jumps in his arms, he hugs her trying not to cry.
Looking up, he thanks which ever God if it was Kathryn's or not, that he watched out for his girls. Kathryn smiles walking up to him. "hey cowboy long time no see." Daryl smirks.
"Come here Littl' mama." They both kids passionately as Rick looks over at them.
"Where did you find everybody?" He asks,
Daryl looks up. "Saw some tail lights zig zagin all over the road figured he had to be Asian drivin like that."
Glen laughs. "Good one."
Daryl keeps Jasmine on his right hip as he holds Kathryn to his left; he asks where everyone else is at.
Rick confirmed they were the only ones who made it, Shane, Andrea, Patricia, and Jimmy died on the farm.
Everyone agreed with T to head east as Daryl told everyone to stay off the main roads. T-dog, Kathryn, and Jasmine went and joined the Grimes in the red truck, which was more sturdier then T's.
Lori looked at Kathryn "You ok with Carol riding with Daryl?"
"It's ok, we have a truce me and Carol...it's not safe for the baby and I to ride the bike and there's no more room for Carol." Lori nods agreeing with the statement.
That's when the truck started running out of gas.
Rick honked the horn signaling the others to stop; piling out Rick tells everyone about the problem.
"We'll siphon gas tomorrow, for now we'll sleep here." Rick told everyone.
Carol looked concerned as about the prospect of sleeping on road.
Both children complained its cold, but when Jass said it Carl took off his hoodie and wrapped it around the girl.
"We'll get a campfire going." Lori smiles at her son for what he did Jasmine quietly thanks him.
Daryl says he was going to look for firewood as well as asking Rick about ammo, to which they were running low. Daryl was also running low on bolts.
Maggie and Glen started talking about getting fuel now, Rick didn't want anyone else going out.
Both Kathryn and Hershel told them they should listen to what Rick has to say.
Carol looked at Daryl and Kathryn "Does this seem alright to you?" She asks as Rick points out a small stone bridge and stream.
Kathryn nods, agreeing with Rick as Daryl tells Rick about finding Randell.
Rick looked around at everyone saying. "We're all infected," Putting her hands to her mouth, Kathryn back up into Daryl who wraps his arms around her waist.
Daryl looks at him. "What?"
Rick looks at Daryl to Kathryn and back, then the rest of the group. "At the CDC Jenner told me whatever it is, we all carry it."
Kathryn lays her hand on her stomach, fear, not for herself but her unborn child, ebbed its way through her.
Carol looked at her then at Rick. "And you never said anything?"
"It didn't make a difference." He says to her, Glen started in. "I was ,I to know for sure? You saw him he was crazy!" Rick told them.
Rick thought it best no one knew, Kathryn wanted to hit him, hit him so bad. "We trust you! And you pull this bombshell!?" She yells as Daryl pulls her back. "Kat, Kat think of the baby no stress hun." He whispers in her ear.
Lori told Kathryn to stay back as she went after Rick, Daryl asks Carol to look after Kathryn and Jass.
Carol nods saying she would as he leaves to go find some game for them to eat.
That night they all crowded around the camp, T-dog and Rick on watch as Daryl found sticks to light a fire.
It was cold due to fall coming and the nights getting colder.
Daryl sat down between Carol and Kathryn, Jasmine asleep in her mother's lap.
Carol looks at Daryl. "We're not safe with him, keeping something like that from us." Kathryn looked over as Daryl fed the fire.
"Why do you need him if he's just going to pull you down?" She asked him.
Daryl looks at Carol "Nah, Ricks done alright by me and my girls." Kathryn smiled liking the answer.
"He's just looking out for us; he thought it was the right call." Kathryn whispered to Carol who told Daryl he was Rick's henchman, her and Kathryn were burdens.
Kathryn shook her head. "I know how to defend myself, taught myself, remember?" Carol sighed and looked back at Daryl, saying we deserve better.
"What do you want?" He asks glaring at her.
"A man of honor." Daryl shook his head throwing a stick in the fire. "Rick has honor."
That's when Maggie started in saying she, Hershel, Beth, and Glen should go.
Hershel shoots her down saying they had no fuel or food when a noise sounded from the trees.
Everyone started a panic but, Daryl and Kathryn knowing panic would get you killed.
Rick told them no one was going anywhere, Carol urged him to do something which, pissed off Rick.
"I am doing something, keeping this group alive! I've been doing that all along, I didn't ask for this! I killed my best friend for you people!" He yelled in a whisper, saying what Shane pushed Rick to.
Rick then went into a fit saying he thought we would do better without him.
Kathryn didn't agree with it, Daryl stood holding his crossbow knowing he and his family were with him.
"If your stay'n this isn't a democracy anymore!" He looks at them all, Kathryn nods looking down at her daughter who had not woken through the whole speech.
Daryl looked down at Kathryn telling her to get some sleep to which she agrees and lays down beside Jass.