Title - Bodies And Souls Collide
Chapter title - A New Home
Author - OblivionsGarden
Genre - Hurt/Comfort/Romance/Family/Horror
Disclaimer - I do not own The Walking Dead in anyway shape or form. I only own the plot points surrounding my oc's, not recognized from the show or comics.
Chapter Word Count - 3628 words.

The winter was long, hard and exhausting. The group moved from place to place, never staying anywhere too long for fear of the heard catching up with them. They mourned for those that they lost, planned to find somewhere they could call home again, and ensured that everyone understood the importance of staying together.

Teddy continued to teach Beth as much as she could. The young girl was good with her knife now, still wary of a gun but knew enough and knew some survival basics; building a fire, catching a rabbit and how to cook it, etc. Of course, Daryl did most of the hunting but Teddy helped him as much as she could. It still turned her stomach to actually prepare the meal and she often wondered how long it would be until she was used to it.

She had noticed that Lori only seemed to refer to her as Rick's daughter or Carl's sister when she needed something from her. Any other time she was just Teddy, kid they met at the survivor camp. It irritated Teddy but she decided against starting an argument. Things were tense enough for a while after Rick revealed the truth about Shane and the infection. Plus Lori was getting closer and closer to her due date and Teddy wasn't ready to help deliver a baby on the side of the road.

Carl seemed to want to stick to her like glue, something Teddy felt proud of, not that she'd tell anyone that. She loved kids, always had and now that she knew she had a little brother she was damn sure she'd be there whenever he needed her. And so far she was doing a fine job. Carl already liked Teddy at the camp and since finding out they were related, he only looked up to her more.

In his eyes she was tough, brave and funny. She knew how to fight the walkers, how to catch food in the wild, how to secure a shelter for the night and how to keep everything calm. Carl wanted to be just like her and the only way he was going to do that was to watch her and learn from her lead.

Rick was enjoying watching his two children get along so well. When Carl was born he struggled with the fact that he still didn't know where Teddy was. He never gave up, not really. His superiors were less inclined to search for her as they had when she was just a child, knowing that she was safe with her mother. But Rick still looked, still called other police departments to see if there was anyone there going by Theodora Valerie Grimes. He even looked for Molly Flint, her mother but no one knew them. Of course, now aware of how often they moved, it made sense that he never found them.

He and Teddy started to talk more, her catching up on things she had missed with Carl. She would've been around nine or so when he was born and she was sad that she never go to be the protective big sister whilst he was a baby. Rick tried to ask her about her life, school, friends she would've had, even her mother. But as soon as he asked she'd give a vague noncommittal answer and change the subject. She even asked how he met Lori even though he knew she wasn't really interested in the answer.

"So, you said you were a musician?" He asked one evening as the group were eating the little food they had managed to find.

"Yeah." She nodded, swallowing her food. She wasn't sure what the meat was but she'd long given up on asking. It was easier to chew if she didn't know. "No big deal or anything. I just hopped around playing in bars, sofa surfing mostly."

"What's sofa surfing?" Carl asked, innocently.

"I slept on friends sofas instead of at my own house."

"What didn't you go to you own home?"

"I didn't have one."

"Why not?"

"I-" Teddy bit her lip, wondering what answer would satisfy his 11 year old curiosity. I ran away from home and had no where to go? Too much information. I was broke? He'd want to know why. "I just liked to hang out with friends, that's all."

"So like, sleepovers all the time?" He asked and she nodded with a small smile. "Cool." The group chuckled at his reaction despite all of the knowing her answer had been a lie.

"Sing us something." Rick suggested. "I haven't heard you sing since you were six."

"Did he make you sing Elvis too?" Carl wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Oh my god, Elvis, Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Three Dog Night... Kid, you have no idea." Teddy chuckled at the memory of her and her dad crooning along to Elvis over the breakfast table whilst her mum, Molly, grumbled to herself over the kitchen sink. "Not to mention that you're a horrible singer."

"Rude." Rick scoffed. "I was fine."

"No, Teddy's right. You have an awful singing voice." Lori smiled, enjoying the happy moment, something that came few and far between.

"Come on, a little song." Rick said again, waiting for her to begin.

"No, I'm not really in the performing mood anymore." She shook her head, glancing over at her best friend. "But Bethy's got a beautiful voice, right Hershel?"

The older man agreed wholeheartedly but Beth was almost falling asleep on his shoulder. They left the subject, settling in for the night instead, ready to move again in the morning. Teddy looked over at Lori, struggling to get comfortable with her stomach now so large. With a pang of sympathy Teddy shook off the winter coat she had found just a few weeks previous and moved over to her. She bundled it up and slid it underneath the side of Lori's stomach, providing her with more comfort.

"Thank you." The older woman caught Teddy's hand, giving it a soft squeeze before releasing her again. The two weren't friends, not by a long way, but they understood each other and that was enough for now.

She was still awake when everyone else was asleep, moving to sit by a window, looking down at the street below. There was a walker down there, stuck between an abandoned car and a garbage bin. She didn't notice Daryl sit beside her until he spoke.

"You don't sing no more?"

"Doesn't feel appropriate to have a sing song when people are dying every day."

Lori's due date was coming up any day now and the group needed a place to rest, desperately. By some stroke of luck as they stopped to check their maps and fill up on water, Daryl and Rick spotted a prison. They got themselves into a fenced alley that surrounded the prison fairly quickly, making a hasty plan to clear the yard and close the gate. Teddy climbed onto an over turned truck to cover Rick whilst he made the run, a few walkers trying to grab at her feet from the ground below. But with their teamwork they soon had the yard to themselves.

By nightfall they had a campfire going with food to eat. Rick was patrolling the fence, Daryl standing watch on top of the truck. Teddy ate only half her share of food, quickly shoving the rest onto Carl's plate when he wasn't looking. He had lost weight on the road and she didn't like it.

She watched the group, smiling to herself that this rag tag group of mismatched friends had made it this far. She noticed Carol taking Daryl a plate of food and smiled once more. She was glad Daryl was letting someone else in. He was still quiet and guarded but gradually he was accepting that he was family now. She and Carol were making sure of that.

"Bethy, sing 'Paddy Reilly' for me. I haven t heard that I think, since your mother was alive." Teddy turned back when Hershel made the request, heart rising to her throat.

"Daddy, not that one, please." Maggie looked sad for a moment, remembering her mother no doubt.

"How about uh 'Parting Glass'?" Teddy closed her eyes, hoping Beth would say no. Not that she didn't like her voice, Beth's singing was beautiful and they often sung together. But Teddy hadn't done any singing since before her stay in rehab, finding it hard not to let her emotions overwhelm her when she did.

"Of all the money e'er I had, I spent it in good company. And all the harm e'er I've ever done alas it was to none but me. And all I've done for want of wit to memory now I can't recall so fill to me the parting glass good night and joy be with you all."

Teddy forced a smile to her friend as she climbed to her feet, walking silently away from the group. She began to follow the fence around, willing the tears not to fall. Behind her Daryl noticed that something was wrong and made to follow but Carol caught his elbow.

"Let her be." She murmured and Daryl nodded, settling instead on watching her walk the fence as he listened to Maggie join in with her sister.

The following morning, Teddy, Rick, Daryl, Maggie, Glenn and T-Dog entered the court yard and began to clear it out. The others stayed at the fence, taking walkers out with knives and the like, calling them away from the group.

It took alot of effort but they managed to clear the new space and push on inside. The cell block was more or less empty, save for a few bodies and one or two walkers in some of the cells. Once they'd cleared out the bodies, everyone moved their things in. It would take a while to air out the smell of death and rotten flesh but it was safe and it was secure.

"Home sweet home." Glenn joked, looking around at the place.

Teddy headed up the steps with Beth and Carl in tow, watching Daryl lay out his sleeping bag on the floor.

"I ain't sleeping in no cage. I'll take the perch."

"What about this one?" Beth asked Teddy stopping inside a cell as Carl looked around at another. "Are we sharing?"

"Maybe." Teddy felt a knot in her stomach as she looked at the small room.

"What's wrong?"

"It looks like the room I was in in rehab." She muttered and Beth nodded.

"You never talk about it."

"It wasn't a fun place." She shrugged, clearing her throat when Carl appeared beside her. She shoved her bag onto the top bunk and moved out again, heading over to where Daryl was lay on the floor.

"Comfy down there?" She smirked and he mirrored the action, sitting up a little.

"Good enough. You settled?"

"I guess." She shrugged, looking around the place. "Think it'll last?"

"For now." He chewed the inside of his cheek as he watched her. "Should hold until the baby gets here. Hopefully we can fortify it, make it last as long as we can."

"Beth seems optimistic." She sighed.

"You're not?"

"I'm trying to be but we've been on the road all winter. And now we're in a prison. Kinda hard to keep your hopes up, y'know?" Daryl made a noise of agreement. "But, you're right. It'll last for now."

"If we find the armory and the medical supplies, it'll last longer."

"Yeah, I hope so." Teddy noticed Hershel settling into his own cell, leaving Beth alone in theirs. "Goodnight, Daryl."

"Night."

"He hates me. He's too good a man to say it, but I know. I put him and Shane at odds, I put that knifein his hands!"

"You know who doesn't give a shi about that? This baby. Now let's make sure everything's alright."

Teddy had only stopped to tie up her boot laces, she hadn't intended on listening to Lori and Hershel's conversation. But now she couldn't move. She waited until Hershel had finished giving her a once over and then followed her back to her own cell.

"Something wrong?" She asked when she noticed Teddy by the cell door.

"I heard you talking to Hershel." Teddy began to explain. "I didn't mean to listen, I just... Look, Carl doesn't hate you, nor does Rick. Things are tense, and I'd be surprised if they weren't after everything that happened. You just gotta give them time. Especially Carl, I mean he is just a kid."

"Why do you care about me all of a sudden?"

"Like it or not, you're technically my step mom." Teddy shrugged and Lori snorted. "Yeah, I'm still pissed about the whole Shane thing and you and I will probably never be on the same page but you're carrying my half sister in there." She lightly pressed her hand to Lori's stomach, hoping to feel some movement. "All this worrying and stress isn't gonna help her."

"You think it's a girl?"

"I know it's a girl."

"How?" Lori smiled a little.

"Gut feeling." Teddy moved her hand away when she felt nothing. "Had the same one about a friend of mine and I was right. I guarantee, you're getting a little lady."

"I think it's a boy." Beth's voice came from behind the two as she came into the cell and sat on the floor before them. "I don't know why, just a feeling."

"No way, it's definitely a girl." Teddy argued.

"Tell you what, whoever looses can be on diaper duty for the first week." Lori smiled, her first real smile in a while.

Some of the group later headed off to secure another section of the jail, moving slowly together to avoid accident. However the silence had fooled them. There were far more walkers than they had thought and soon enough the group was barricaded into a cafeteria with Rick hacking at Hershel's leg. Every instinct Teddy has was telling her to stop Maggie from seeing this but this was an all hands on deck situation. It wasn't until she noticed Daryl tense and look past her and Rick that she looked away from all the blood.

"Duck."

Rick and Teddy did as Daryl said, watching as he aimed his crossbow behind them. Turning they came face to face with four prisoners, locked in the kitchen. Teddy pulled her gun, aiming straight at them in case they tried anything. She let Daryl and T-Dog deal with them, staying to help Rick and Maggie with Hershel.

Whilst Carol and Lori worked to save Hershel, Teddy pulled Beth to the far corner of the room, whispering words of comfort and reassurance into her ear.

"What was that?" Beth asked when she heard shouting coming from down the hall.

"Prisoners, survivors." Rick explained and Teddy felt Beth tense in her arms.

"Don't worry about them, Daryl and T-Dog have it under control." Teddy murmured, watching yet another blood soaked towel get tossed to the ground. "If you'll be ok, I'm gonna go help. Just to make sure."

"Ok. I'll be fine."

As soon as Teddy was sure that Beth would be alright she followed after Rick to find Daryl and T-Dog arguing with the prisoners.

"How many of you in there?"

"Too many for you to handle."

"You guys rob a bank or something? Why don t you take him to a hospital?"

"How long have you been locked in that cafeteria?"

They didn't know about anything that had happened outside of the prison. Despite her wanting to get rid of them, Teddy felt a pang of sympathy for them. Their whole world was about to get blown to shit. They lead them out to the courtyard so they could see what the world had become whilst they'd been trapped in the kitchen and she hoped they would accept their taking of the cell block. But soon enough the arguments had started again. Rick was quick to strike up a deal, they'd clear a cell block for them in return for half the food they had in the cafeteria. Teddy didn't buy the 'there's only a little left' shit for a second.

When they took the food back to the others Teddy stopped in to check on Hershel and the sisters. Before she could head back however, Carol caught her arm and took her to one side.

"How are you?"

"M'fine. Why?" Teddy frowned, wondering why with everything going on, Carol was asking how she was.

"I saw you and Hershel together at the farm. I saw how he looked when he realized Rick was your dad... You've known him a while, he's like a father to you. It's pretty clear the way you are with him. The way he treats you the same as his girls."

"I mean, I guess." Teddy shrugged, uncomfortable with the topic. "We're close. He's a good man. Stubborn man, that's for sure. He'll be fine."

Carol gave her shoulder a squeeze, tugging on a strand of her curly brown hair that had fallen loose from the hair tie before heading back to Hershel's side.

Walking through the other cell block, Teddy was glancing over her shoulder at the prisoners every two seconds, just waiting for them to try something. She knew it was only a matter of time.

"What's a matter little lady, don't you trust me?" Tomas smirked when he caught her eye for the third time.

"Not even a little."

"Stay focused." Rick instructed from the front of their formation.

Daryl looked to her, inclining his head in a questioning manner. She knew he was asking if she was good, he did it alot when they were on the road. She nodded once and continued on, still watching the men behind her.

The biggest of the men turned out to be the most scared, soon finding himself with a large bite wound on his shoulder. Tomas took him out in the midst of an argument about what to do, only cementing in Teddy's head that letting them stay in the prison was a bad idea.

"You see the look on his face?" Daryl asked Rick.

"He makes one move "

"Just give me a signal."

Glad to know that she wasn't alone in her thoughts, Teddy continued on. During another influx of walkers when Tomas opened both doors instead of one, she watched as he threw a walker at her dad. Anger rising in her chest she pulled her gun, cocked it and pointed it right between his eyes. He soon had his aimed right back at her, both staring each other down, chests heaving.

"Teddy, what happened?" Daryl asked, having missed the action during the commotion.

"Threw a walker straight on top of Rick."

"He was coming at me, bro!" Tomas shrugged at Rick who slowly pushed Teddy's arm down, lowering her weapon.

"Yeah Yeah, I get it. I get it. Shit happens."

Before anyone could blink, Rick's machete was buried into Tomas' head. Andrew tried to react but Daryl was quicker and soon Rick was chasing him through the halls. Teddy left Daryl and T-Dog telling the remaining two prisoners to get to their knees and followed Rick, only to find him closing a gate and turning back when she found him.

"You all good?" She asked, breathlessly,

"Yeah. Let's get this finished." Rick smiled, patting her shoulder. "Thanks for having my back."

"That's what family does, right?"

Once the other prisoners, Oscar and Axel were left in their new cell, the group headed back to their own thoroughly exhausted from the days events. Teddy once again checked on Hershel, thrilled when his eyes opened to see everyone again. Lori pulled her aside to ask her a favor before she called it a night.

"Carl went off on his own to find the infirmary."

"What?"

"He was fine, got alot of supplies but he got pissed when I told him off for it. I know he adores you, you think you could talk to him? I'm trying everything here but like you said, I gotta give him some time."

Teddy nodded, heading off to find the boy in question looking through the new food that they had in the cafeteria.

"Better than dog food, huh?" She smiled and he nodded with a laugh. "I wanna talk to you, come sit down."

"I didn't do anything."

"If I had a dollar for every time I said that at your age." Teddy shook her head with a sigh. "Look, I know you wanna help and we all appreciate that but you can't go off on your own."

"Mom told you."

"Yeah. What you did was great, you got things we needed to help Hershel and I can't thank you enough for that but it is so dangerous out there Carl. We went out on a group of seven and Hershel lost his leg. Your mom isn't trying to be mean or say you can't do it but you can understand why she'd worry about you right?"

"Yeah but I didn't get bit!"

"I know. You were damn lucky..." Teddy reached forward to take the hat from Carl's head, pushing his ever growing hair from his eyes. "I wouldn't like to go out there alone, not now we've seen what can happen."

"Really?"

"I wouldn't want to take the risk. So if you do want to go somewhere or help with something, ask for someone to go with you alright. If only to stop your mom having a heart attack, ok?"

"Ok."

"And remind me to give you a hair cut."

"I hate hair cuts."

"Tough. You need one."