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: Goodbye My Almost Lover by: A Fine Frenzy/ I Never Told You by: Colbie Caillat
Chapter 15: Home Sweet Home
Kathryn looks out the window as everyone climbs in, Maggie tries to console her but Kathryn shuts her out.
It was because of them her husband had to leave, because of them her home and family are gone.
How could they!? Yes, Merle was a jackass but at least he would be able to help.
Now she was alone without him, she would have to take care of their children without him.
Glenn looks at her. "Kat please just..."
"Don't talk to me. Don't fucking talk to me ever again." She whispers threw gritted teeth, as she roughly wipes a stray tear away.
She needed to be strong for her family her babies.
Glenn nods as they drive away, quiet through the rest of the ride.
They stop when they reach a road block, Kathryn sighs as they get out.
She could hear Glenn yelling after he killed a walker, she yanks the door open.
"It's because of you that Daryl is gone! Because you forced him to leave!" She yells, her anger and bitterness coming through in waves.
"Now get this damn block out of the way so we can get home, you basterd!"
She climbs back in and slams the door shut, she pulls her knees up hugging them against her.
WD~WD~WD~WD
The car was once again an uncomfortable silence.
Everyone could tell Kathryn was hostel against them, Rick couldn't blame her if the tables were turned, yeah he would be pissed.
As they pull up to the gate, her eyes widen at the site of her mother pulling it open.
She and Rick yank their doors open and slam it closed.
Kathryn hugs her mother sobbing into her tank top. "Shh sweetie, your home, your home shh."
She looks around then back down at her daughter. "Sweetie, where's Daryl?" Kathryn's agonizing cries come out louder as Rick stands with Carl.
Rick. "He's alright, he's alive." Kathryn stands and wraps the blanket closer to her body.
She wipes her face mumbling/ "Yea, no thanks to them," She turns to Carl. "Is Jasmine and the twins ok?"
Carl nods. "Yeah, they just missed you."
Kathryn nods and walks up to the prison.
"Mommy!" Kathryn looks up to see her four year old run out side.
She kneels as the little girl jumps into her arms; Kathryn holds back her tears as she carries her little girl back up the drive.
Maggie tries talking to her, but all she gets is a cold shoulder.
Carol looks at Rick. "He ran into his brother, they went off."
Carol asks if Daryl was coming back, Rick tries consoling her.
Carol goes to run after her daughter but Rick stops her, "She...didn't take it well."
She walks past Hershel, Beth, and Axel taking her daughter up the steps.
"Go in your cell, I'll be in to talk to you." Jass nods worried about her mother.
Kathryn gets dressed in a black tank top and black jeans.
She turned to leave when she looks at Daryl's poncho lying where he used to sleep.
She picks it up and puts it on; she knew she would have to let Hershel look at her arms.
Walking into her daughter's cell she sits beside the babies, who were cooing and kicking their hands and feet.
"Mommy, where's daddy?" Jasmine asks, Kathryn closes her eyes.
"Your daddy is alive hunny." She takes a deep breath. "He found your uncle Merle."
Jasmine crawls onto her mother's lap. "Your uncle's Rick and Glenn wouldn't let Merle come back with us...so your daddy went with him."
Jasmine bursts into tears and runs out of the cell, Kathryn closes her eyes hugging the poncho to her body.
She picks her babies up and leans against the wall she softly begins to sing.
" I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house
That don't bother me
I can take a few tears now and then and just let them out
I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while
Even though going on with you gone still upsets me
There are days every now and again I pretend I'm OK
But that's not what gets me
What hurts the most
Was being so close
And having so much to say
And watching you walk away
And never knowing
What could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was tryin' to do
It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go
But I'm doin' It
It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone
Still Harder
Getting up, getting dressed, livin' with this regret
But I know if I could do it over
I would trade give away all the words that I saved in my heart
That I left unspoken
What hurts the most
Is being so close
And having so much to say (much to say)
And watching you walk away
And never knowing
What could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was trying to do, oh.
What hurts the most
Was being so close
And having so much to say (to say)
And watching you walk away
And never knowing
What could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was trying to do
Not seeing that loving you
That's what I was trying to do
."
Carol leans against the cell door watching her daughter.
"You know Daryl loves you sweetie. He always will and if lord willing, he'll find his way back." Kathryn nods, wiping her tears away.
"I know, I just...why did they do it? Why did they push him away?" Kathryn softly cries as she holds the twins.
Carol walks in and sits beside her, she looks up.."I know you probably have watched the babies already. But I need to have dad look at my arms."
Her mother looks at her. "Your arms?" Kathryn nods pulling up the poncho.
When she pulls the bloody rags off Carol gasps.
Her arms carved, looking like tribal tattoos with flowers at the ends, Kathryn looks away in shame.
"Sweetheart, go on we don't want them to get infected. I'll stay with the twins."
Kathryn nods getting up she hears the cell block doors open.
Hershel looks up, his smile faltering he watches Kathryn walk down the stairs silently.
As she reaches him she keeps looking down afraid to look anyone in the eyes.
"Can you look at my arms please?" She quietly asks.
Hershel nods, becoming her to follow him.
As they sit, he looks at his adopted daughter. "I know it's going to be hard without Daryl, I promise you this though, we will get through it. We'll help if you let us back in."
He begins examining her arms. "No, I'll let you and mom in...the rest will."
"Have to earn your trust again?" Kathryn nods looking at the floor as he begins wrapping her arms with gauze and bandages.
Her father nods as he watches his daughter go through the motions.
"There's nothing I can do for the wounds except let them heal naturally, we'll change the bandages once a day." Kathryn nods getting off the bed.
"I better go relieve mom of baby duty." Hershel nods as he watches her walk out.
She quietly walks out of the cell and up the stairs.
Carol looks up watching her daughter put Daryl's poncho back on. "I'm going to take the twins outside. I want to spend time with them."
Her mother nods as Kathryn picks each twin up and walks back down.
Sighing, she sits on the risers steal steps; she sat both of them on her knees.
She looks down at the cooing babies. "You know your father loves you no matter what? He wants you safe and happy with your big sister."
She looks to the field. "He would have taught you both to shoot when you got older, kill walkers. Don't be mad at him, he had to leave with your uncle Merle."
She sighs and hugs the tiny lives to her, closing her eyes. She almost feels like Daryl was there with them.
Night came and Jasmine was staying with Carl and the twins in their own bed.
Kathryn walks to the perch where she and Daryl slept.
This would be the first night she would have to be without him.
Kneeling, she prays that he and Merle stay safe no matter where they were.
She then climbs onto their bed. Curling up, she hugs the poncho to her taking in the scent of him.
Kathryn, that night falls into a restless sleep listening to the others talking.