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: Sister Christain by:Night Ranger
Chapter 13 part 1: Homeward Bound
I took three weeks before Kathryn could move around.
Everyone took the time to help with the twins as best they could making Jasmine jealous at first, that everyone paid attention to them. Daryl assured her that they all still loved her and watch over her like they always do.
This seemed to calm the soon to be four year old.
Once Kathryn was allowed to move again, they had to move on due to a herd headed their way.
The one good thing about the twins were they weren't very fussy, Hershel assured Daryl it was because they had some sense of their environment.
They stopped in a neighborhood; Rick, Carl, T-dog, and Daryl go into a house. Maggie and Glen take care of the perimeter of the house.
Kathryn watched from her place in the bushes. She was happy to have some mobility back to help deafened her family.
She watched through the bushes as she hold the makeshift baby sling, she was holding her son while her mother held onto Chrissi.
She heard a whistle from Rick and they all walked up to the house.
They hauled what they could inside; everyone was silent except for the cooing babies.
Summer seam to hit them hard along with no food, even Daryl was having a harder time hunting due to the walkers scaring off the game.
Everyone took their places in what was once the living room. Kathryn and Jass sitting close to Daryl.
Joe whimpered in his sling, she had clothed the babies to keep them from getting heat stroke.
Kathryn pulls the strap of her tank top down so she could feed him. Daryl looks down at her smirking, as he plucks feathers from an owl he found in a bed room.
"Slow down littl' man leave sum fur yer sister?" He whispers as he watches.
Carl comes walking back in; Kathryn looks up from watching her son, her daughter hadn't made a noise since they entered.
Disappointment crosses over Kathryn's face, Carl had come in with cans but they were dog food.
He went to open it with the can opener everyone watched with worn faces.
Rick walks over picking up the can, looks at it and tosses it into the fireplace.
Daryl looks up from plucking the owl when Chissi started crying, Jo was still suckling on his mother.
Carol and Jasmaine try to calm her, Lori doesn't even look up.
Both she and Rick had been having a rough time and she was more worried now at her own growing inside her.
T-dog looks out the window seeing walkers he makes a warning noise.
They all get up and rush out the kitchen door.
Kathryn was getting tired of the cat and mouse game, all she wants is a safe place for her children and husband.
Daryl felt the same way as he helped her into the truck, Carol hands Chrissi to Jass.
They all stop off at a small road; Glen taking out a map of Georgia they found in one building.
Joe had stopped nursing around this time and switched off with his sister.
Kathryn walked close to the SUV, everyone was mapping out where to go.
They all wonder how many walkers were where there and what herd would meet up with next. To her it felt like they were predicting a tornado watch.
Daryl looked up at Rick once and everyone dispersed, wanting to go to the river and clean up.
"While the others go wash their panties wanna go hunt?" Daryl asked Rick.
Kathryn stuck her tongue out at her husband. "You just don't want to get clean."
Daryl smirks. "Damn right, like ya said before look, more sexy with dirt on me."
Kathryn blushes as Rick chuckles at the couples banter. "Yeah let's go, that owl didn't really hit the spot."
Daryl nods as he kisses his wife and kids bye.
Kathryn smiles as she makes her way to the river, she looks down at her daughter the little girl nursing where her brother once was.
Looking up, Carol smiles at her daughter. "Where's Daryl?"
Kathryn smiles back. "Oh, he went hunting with Rick, they're hoping the catch better game than that owl."
Carol nods as Kathryn takes her hiking boots off along with her warn out socks.
She wades in the water wanting to clean her daughter and herself up a bit.
"Lori and Jass washed Joe for you if you need help let me know."
Looking up, Kathryn smiles. "I could use the help."
An hour later Rick and Daryl come back, a smile graced his lips as he jogs over and kisses her deeply.
"We found a potential home darlin." He says excitedly.
Kathryn smiles and raises an eyebrow. "Home? What are you talking about?"
Rick explains about a prison he and Daryl found while out hunting.
That's where they found themselves, outside the fence of a prison.
Rick cutting the fence open, Kathryn held her pistol in hand.
Her eyes scanning like everyone else.
She heard her name being called and saw Daryl hold his hand out on the other side.
She took it as she went through the hole, Jasmine held onto Joe as they all looked around.
They ended up jogging; Kathryn looked down at Chrissi who was asleep in the baby sling.
They ended up at the entrance of the yard. "It's perfect." He says as he fills everyone in on his plan.
Kathryn, Carl, and Jasmine loved the idea; those two had become little warriors.
She looks to her husband as he smiles nodding, as they were deciding on who would close the gate.
Rick assigns Carol and Daryl to the tower on one end, Kathryn looks at them. "Watch each other's backs." They both nod, Daryl kisses her forehead before jogging away, her mother following behind.
Carl, Hershel, and Jasmine took the tower beside them. Jasmine hands Joe off to her mother.
Kathryn nods with a proud smile on her face; she lays her little boy on her shoulder.
Rick looks at both mothers'. "I'll go for the gate." Kathryn stifles a giggles, to her it sounded like sarcasm, which it probably was.
T-dog, Maggie, Glen, and Beth all run out to distract and take down walkers.
Kathryn watches as Lori goes to open the door for Rick. She watches as everyone took a walker down, Kathryn sighs wanting to help.
Lori looks over at the young mother "I know you want to help sweetie."
Kathryn gives Lori a smile. "Yeah, I just feel useless. I mean, yes I have the babies to take care of, but I want to do so much more."
Lori nods in understanding as they look on.
Carol yells. "He did it."
Daryl looks around as he nods. "Light it up!" He yells and the gun shots grow louder, picking the walkers off one by one.
Smiles spread on everyone's faces as twilight set in, the baby's cried due to the loud noise.
"Shh, its ok, we're making it safe for you guys to live in, its ok." Kathryn coos to her newborns.
Once the last walker fell, everyone looked around at each other. They congratulated each other.
Daryl looks at Hershel. "Nice shooting." He turns to his wife who was trying to calm down the babies.
He walks over and smiles, he knew she wanted to help. He saw the longing in her eyes.
"Hey, they ok?" He asks, as he takes Joe from her.
"Yeah, it was just the gun fire, it startled them."
Daryl nods as he wraps an arm around her waist and leads her into the field.
Carol laughed as she jogged in the middle of the gravel walk way. "We haven't had this much space since the farm!"
Kathryn smiles at her mother as she takes the sling off and holds Chrissi.
"Look baby girl, there's daddy." She smiles, pointing at Daryl.
The hunter looks at his daughter and smiles "Hey princess, look ya'll be able to run around soon with ya brother and sister soon."
Chrissi and Joe coo as Jasmine runs up to her parents. "I can't wait for'em to walk. Then they can play with me!" She says excitedly.
Daryl chuckles as he ruffles her hair.
T-dog cheers behind them, Kathryn giggles and looks at her husband.
"We're safe here. We have a home."
Daryl nods "Almost, Rick wants to get in."
Kathryn nods and smiles "We're so close Daryl, we're so close."
He nods and kisses the side of her head.
That night Daryl took watch on top of an over turned prison bus at the front of the gates.
Kathryn was nursing the twins by the fire. Daryl had gone out hunting squirrel after the excitement was over.
Kathryn looks over at her husband, who was wearing the poncho she found him in a store.
"Hmmm, just like mom used to make." Glen jokes as he throws a bone away from the group.
T-dog had pointed out about keeping the walkers away from the river, digging a canal under the fence for fresh water.
Hershel had put in about making a garden for fresh fruit and veggies.
"That's his third time around." Her father pointed out, Rick walking the fence line.
Beth looked at Lori saying it would be a good place to have the baby.
Kathryn looked over at her mother, but she already read her daughter's mind and took food to Daryl.
Daryl helps Carol up. "Kat wanted me to get this to you. Saying if you don't get any you won't eat at all."
Daryl made a comment about Shane or Rick hogging it.
Carol admitted that Rick was doing better than Shane ever would.
"But I want to thank you, taking care of Kat and her children. Being a good husband to her, a good father to the children." She looks down. "Ed or Shane wouldn't have stepped up the way you did."
Daryl nods. "I love her and those kids. Would die for them." He admits.
He gets down off the bus and helps Carol down.
Hershel asked Beth to sing for them, at first she hesitated but then went ahead and did it.
Daryl walks over to Kathryn and Jasmine and sits down. He places Jasmine on his lap.
Jasmine holds Joe who ended up falling asleep along with his sister, after their nursing.
Daryl pulls Kathryn into him, she leans her head on his shoulder.
Rick suggests everyone turn in saying they're going to take the prison tomorrow. He told them that the prison had fallen early and no one had looked to loot it.
"This place could be a gold mine!" He says excitedly.
Hershel looks at him saying that they would run low on ammo.
Rick nods agreeing. "That's why we have to go in hand to hand. We've been through a lot already,"
He looks at his son then everyone else. "These assholes don't stand a chance."
Kathryn sighs, she knew Rick was right. But she couldn't help but think of what might happen.
No, no she wasn't going down that road, Rick was right they made it this far.
Daryl sighs as he helps his girls up and makes a sleeping spot close to the fire, but not to close.
"Ya heard the man girls, let's get some rest, got a big day tomorrow." Kathryn and Jasmine nods smiling at him.
Both adults put the infants next in between them as their ritual.
Daryl looks at his wife and smiles; nothing had seemed to change except the bags under her eyes making her look older.
Kathryn smiles back. "I love you Daryl, so much."
Daryl takes his hand and holds hers. "Love ya to Kat. Get some rest littl' mama."
She nods and closes her eyes feeling safe for once.
WD~WD~WD~WD
That morning everyone was up.
Daryl kissed his girls as they all got ready, Rick wanted Hershel, Carl, and Jasmine to man the gates.
As the old ex-farmer/veterinarian opened the gate, Daryl, Rick, Glen, Maggie, and T-dog went through.
They started going after the walkers.
Kathryn held Joe and Chrissi as she watched her husband. She knew he'd be safe but she couldn't help but still worry.
The others went to distract the other walkers taking them down.
Kathryn watched as the inside group made their way out of site, Lori tries to look. "Do you see them, I can't."
Carol looks at her. "In there?"
Kathryn joins the others, watching the inside group move into the building.
Daryl looks at her and nods before following Rick.
Kathryn watches as the door closes, her heart sinks. She bows her head praying Daryl and the others would be safe.
An hour later, Glen and Maggie come out saying it was clear to come in. Everybody grabbed something and entered inside the building.
Kathryn smiles, happy to be safe indoors. Rick mentions that the cell block they were in was safe.
Kathryn looks up at her husband who was on the second floor. He nods for her and Jasmine to come up the stairs.
She follows. "Ain't sleepin' in no cage, I'll take the perch. Now you and Jass can take the cell next to me."
Kathryn shakes her head. "I'm not sleeping without you, Jasmine and the babies can have the cell next to us."
Daryl nods agreeing with that.
They both set up spots for them, on the lower prison bunks.
They laid the infants in their new spots, Jasmine took the top bunk.
Daryl pulls out two mattresses for him and Kathryn. He grabs her waist pulling her to him, Kathryn smiles looking into his eyes.
"Well Mr. Dixon, we're home." She says as she wraps her arms around his neck.
Daryl nods. "Sure are, though never imagined being in prison."
She giggles. "Well, it is safe, whole lot more safer then out there."
He smiles and leans in kissing her softly, she tries not to moan since they we're out in the open.
The adults lay down, that night they made love for the first time without her being pregnant.
WD~WD~WD~WD
That morning Rick woke up Daryl, he wanted to get to the armory and cafeteria.
Daryl rolls over and smiles at his wife who was cuddled against him.
He runs his hand up and down her scared arms; he leans in and kisses her shoulder.
God, how he didn't want to move, he wanted to stay in bed making love to her for hours, but that wasn't his wish, not now.
"Kat, come on littl' mama time to get up, the guys and I need to get movin."
Kathryn moans and rolls over, her bear shoulder showing the old mark.
Daryl sighs and kisses her once again. "Come on darlin."
She sighs and sits up. "Don't want to." He chuckles. "I know but it I got to get movin."
Kathryn nods as she watches him get dressed.
She decides to follow after putting on a black tank top, skinny jeans, and hiking boots.
Her mother comes up to check on her. "How did you sleep?"
Kathryn blushes and nods. "Great, good, wonderful."
Both women started laughing. "Daryl help with that?"
The younger woman giggles as she nods.
Beth came up the stairs smiling. "Daryl want's you Kathryn, Jess and I can take care of the babies. We'll call when they get hungry."
Kathryn smiles thanking Beth before making her way down the stairs.
"Hey, everything ok handsome?" Daryl turns and nods "Yeah just wanted to tell ya we're about to leave."
Kathryn nods and smiles as she kisses his cheek. "Be safe and come back to us."
Daryl nods. "Always littl' mama."
She nods back as they kiss.
Rick turns to Carl telling him that he was going to stay behind to protect the woman.
Kathryn walks up to him when he begins to protest.
"Don't worry, I'll help." She winks, Daryl shakes his head.
"You be careful as well." He points to her.
Kathryn turns and salutes at him to lighten the mood.
"Sir, yes Sir!" She smirks at him; he shakes his head mumbling about something along the lines of smartass woman.
Carl locks them in.