A/N: Thanks to everyone who favorited/followed since the last chapter!
-snowflake2410: YES! I always want Daryl to just hang out with Judith in a baby carrier on his chest! It is so sad, but Judith is adorable so there's that!
-Guest: Glad you're enjoying it! Here's another!
-MatriarchMage: I'm really really really really glad you do! Hopefully I'll be able to post on time.
I sat rocking the baby, trying to keep her quiet, but she was obviously hungry and nothing would make her stop fussing until she had something to eat. Carl sat next to me at the table looking over my arm and down at his little sister. I heard quick footsteps and I looked up and saw Daryl and Maggie rush in. I stood up and Daryl walked up to me and putting a hand on the baby's head.
"How she doin'?" I laughed a bit.
"Hungry, here."
I leaned forward and placed the baby into his arms. I was surprised as Daryl curled his arms and accepted the baby easily. I moved over to the table to help Maggie who was ripping plastic off of a set of bottles. I grabbed the formula and took a spoonful, dumping it into the bottle Maggie held out. I took the bottle from her so she could pour in the water and glanced over my shoulder when I heard that the baby had quieted down. Daryl was bouncing slightly and looking down at her. When Maggie was done, I screwed on the top before shaking it quickly. I walked over to Daryl and put the bottle at the the baby's bottom lip. She quickly latched on and started sucking greedily. I laughed and sighed deeply, watching her eat. Daryl took the bottle from me, holding onto it himself before he chuckled and glanced up at me, as he started to sway. I moved around him to stand at his side while the baby ate.
"She got a name yet?" Daryl looked up at Carl, whose face fell and he shook his head.
"Not yet. I was thinkin' maybe Sophia." You could feel the mood in the room drop "Then there's Carol, too. And Andrea, Amy, Jacqui, Patricia, or….Lori. I don't know." Daryl looked back down at the baby, who had increased the volume of her sucking.
"Yeah...ya like that? Huh? Little Ass-kicker." Everyone broke out in a smile as Daryl looked around. "Right? That's a good name, right?" We all started laughing. "Little Ass-kicker. Ya like that, huh? Ya like that, sweetheart?" I felt my heart melt and I leaned my head against Daryl's arm, watching the baby slowly shut her eyes.
I woke up the next morning tired and rolled over looking into the postal box we had turned into a cradle. Little Ass-kicker was still asleep and I sighed sitting up fully. I rubbed my eyes and stretched my back. Daryl and I had spent most of the night up with her and it was exhausting. I got dressed and was just pulling on my shirt when she started fussing again. I picked her up and walked downstairs to make another bottle. Maggie was stirring a large pot and she turned and smiled at me.
"How is she?"
"Fine, but hungry again." I scooped some formula into the already filled water before screwing on the lid and shaking it up. "Once she went down for the night she slept until this morning."
"When was that?" I laughed a bit, placing the bottle at the baby's mouth.
"Not sure, a few hours ago maybe?" Maggie laughed before scooping oatmeal into bowls. Soon enough everyone had gathered in the kitchen area and we were eating together. The baby had finished about half the bottle and I set it down and tried to eat as much I could before she was hungry again. We all turned to the door at Rick's voice.
"Everybody ok?" Carl perked up at the sight of his father and was first to answer.
"Yeah, we are."
"What about you?" Hershel carefully looked Rick over and I angled the baby towards Rick, leaning her against my chest.
"I cleared out the boiler block." I glanced back at Daryl and he stared at Rick.
"How many were there?"
"I don't know. A dozen, two dozen." Rick eyes looked glazed. "I have to get back. Just wanted to check on Carl."
"Rick we can handle taking out the bodies, you don't have to." Glenn stood up quickly.
"No, I do." Rick walked quickly around the table and up to Daryl. "Everyone have a knife and a gun?"
"Yeah. We're runnin' low on ammo, though."
"Maggie and me were planning on making a run this afternoon." Glenn watched Rick carefully from beside the table. "Found a phonebook, with some places we can hit for bullets and formula."
"We cleared out the generator room." I turned back to Daryl. I didn't know they had done that already. "Axel's there tryin' to fix it, in case of emergency. We're gonna sweep the lower levels as well."
"Good. Good." Rick walked quickly out of the room.
"Rick!" Hershel spoke after him, but Rick just pulled the door shut behind him. I sighed and rolled the baby back down into my arms. We all sat around in awkward silence for a while before the baby started fussing. I started feeding her again before Hershel stood slowly.
"I think, I'll try talking to Rick."
He crutched himself out of the room and we watched him before I stood up. I walked out of the prison and strolled through the yard. I kept the baby tight against my chest and looked down at her as she fed happily. Her eyes were wide open as she looked up at me, making me smile. I looked back out across the yard and saw the crosses in the distance. I sighed and walked out through the yard. I stopped in front of the three wooden crosses and shut my eyes, laying my head against the baby's. I opened my eyes, looking at the one at the end and smiled a bit when I saw the Cherokee Rose near its base. I felt a hand on my back and turned quickly to see Daryl behind me. I turned and leaned against his chest being careful of the baby between us.
"We're goin' to look at the lower levels." I nodded against his chest.
"Be careful." I felt his neck move as he nodded. "I think I'm going to try and catch up on some sleep."
"Ya gonna take Little Ass-kicker?" I looked down at her and saw she was drifting back to sleep.
"Yeah, it looks like she needs a nap, too." Daryl reached out and took the baby from me, laying her against his chest.
"Come on, sweetheart, ya gotta stay awake. Ya need to sleep through Anna's nap, huh?"
We slowly walked back to the prison, with Daryl bouncing and talking to the baby to keep her awake. I grabbed another bottle and a canister of formula, leaving the empty one, before following Daryl to the perch. He gently laid her in the postal box and she drifted off almost immediately. I set the bottle and and formula down before flopping onto the mattress. I felt Daryl run a hand along my cheek and I opened one eye.
"I'll have Beth look in on ya." I shook my head slightly.
"She doesn't need to." I rolled my head to look at the box. "If she needs me, she'll wake me."
"She'll look in on ya, ya need yer rest." He leaned down and kissed me before grabbing his crossbow and leaving the room shutting the door behind him. I lay back on the bed and sighed quickly relaxing into the mattress, falling asleep.
I woke up and heard Little Ass-kicker crying from the box and I rolled up onto my knees to quickly fixed the spare bottle. I lifted her out of the bo and held her tightly against me as she ate quickly. I stood up and left the perch, heading back to the kitchen. Beth was stirring a pot and I walked over to her bouncing the baby slightly.
"Is the other bottle clean?" She turned to me and nodded, smiling.
"Yep, I was them up when you bring them to me."
"Good, thank you." She nodded and turned back to the pot. I turned and walked over to the table sitting next to Hershel who smiled at me.
"You should let someone else take a turn with her." I smiled and shook my head.
"Daryl spent a lot of time with her last night, if parents could do it before, we can take over until Rick gets himself together."
I looked down as the bottle was pushed away and I smiled, setting the bottle down behind me. I rocked her gently, but she remained awake. I looked up at the creaking of the door and saw Rick walk in. He looked surprisingly good, clean and he seemed more lucid. He said nothing, but slowly walked over and I stared at him even as the baby began to fuss. Rick reached down and gently cradled her lifting her out of my arms. He held her out away from his boy and stared at her a bit.
"Hey." He bounced her a bit as she fussed. "Hey." He smiled and let out a slight laugh, shaking his head before he brought the baby in close to his chest. I sighed and watched happily as Rick pressed the little girl up against him and kissed her head softly. I looked around the room and frowned when there was no sign of Daryl. I stood and walked over to Carl leaning down.
"Where's Daryl?" His face dropped and he looked down.
"In the lower levels." He glanced up at me quickly. "He stayed there after we found your mom's knife." My heart dropped and I nodded briefly. The real reason I didn't want anyone to take a turn with the baby was because she kept my mind off of the loss of my mother. I was the last member of my family.
"Let's go outside, huh?" Rick bounced the little girl before he looked up at us. I straightened, crossing my arms and following the small group out into the yard. I sighed and leaned my head back when the sun hit my face and smiled when I heard Rick.
"She looks like you." Carl laughed and I opened my eyes and I turned to look at Rick. His face fell and I turned toward him fully. He took a step towards me and placed the baby in my arms.
"Hey just...you got her?"
"Yeah?" He didn't look at me, but walked down the road instead.
"Alright."
He drew his gun and walked up to the fence stopping in front of one of the walkers who was strangely enough carrying a shopping basket and staring at her. I walked a bit down the path, holding the baby tightly against me and Carl followed. My mouth dropped when the walker moved back and pulled out a sword, stabbing one of the other walkers in the head. The body dropped and I watched Carl race to the fence. The woman stumbled around taking down walkers with her sword until she collapsed backwards.
Carl and Rick picked off walkers around her after Rick pulled open the gate. He walked over to the woman and checked her over before picking her up and carrying her inside. Carl carried the basket in behind, shutting and locking the gate as Rick walked quickly into the prison. When he passed me He glanced at me briefly.
"Gunshot." I stared after him as Hershel followed him inside.
"Look." I turned back and saw Carl holding up a can of formula. "It's full of it." The basket was full to the brim of formula and I frowned.
How did she know we had a baby? Who was the hell was this woman?
I turned back to the prison and walked inside slowly. Resting my head against Little Ass-kicker's.