Sorry this took so long to get up. Two things happened: A) New comp, new graphics, and I got lost trying to finish out Diablo 4's story (WHICH PISSED ME OFF! If you know, you know) for about 4 days. B) When I went to save the document on Monday to post it, the program glitched and erased the better part of the chapter, meaning I had to rewrite everything after Daryl's bit. Which pissed me right the fuck off and I couldn't focus on writing at all on Tuesday. So, apologies for not posting it sooner. I got distracted and then distraught...

Luvs2Read: Thank you!

Light Switch: Right?! Mini Daryl! So frackin' cute!

KEZZ 1: Thank you, again.

"Hey, everything okay?" Daryl asked Ani after waking up to her sitting up in bed staring down into the bassinet.

"Yeah. Jus' watchin' 'im sleep," she responded.

"Need to sleep yourself."

"I will. But let me watch 'im a little longa."

"Ania," he sighed, sitting up and wrapping an arm around her, pulling her back down to the pillows with him, "ain't nothin' gonna happen by just watchin' Lou. He's fine. You don't gotta be so paranoid."

"Ain' paranoid. Jus'...Jus'...What if 'e spits up in 'is sleep and asphixiates? What happens if-"

"Ania, Carson says he's healthy as any baby can be. You're worryin' 'bout nothin'."

"Daryl," she ground out, "I can' jus' stop worryin'. And it ain' nothin' in my head."

"Baby girl, you're doin' everything you can for him. He's healthy as hell, gainin' weight on track, accordin' to Carson."

"He's so quiet, though. Only cryin' when 'e's dirty or hungry."

"Didn't you say that's how your mother described you as a baby?"

"That's exactly my worry," she sighed. "What if 'e's like me? What if 'e's got the same problems? The same downfalls? What happens if-"

"He's got you, baby girl. You don't gotta worry 'bout if he's like you or whatnot. You're not your mother, and you're not gonna make him be somethin' he's not," Daryl reassured her. "We've had this talk a hundred times now. You gotta stop and settle down. You can't take care of him if you're always dead on your feet. 'Sides, he's a baby. All he's doin' right now is eatin', sleepin', and shittin'. No tellin' what he'll be like later."

"Yeah, ya right," Ani said, turning towards Daryl and snuggling into his arms as he wrapped them around her tighter. "I jus'...I don' know. I jus' can' stop thinkin' somethin' bad's goin' ta happen."

"Doc said it's normal. Just gotta get used to bein' a parent. Only been three weeks."

"But what if-"

"Ania," Daryl said quietly but harshly, "you're already gettin' barely any sleep between the feedings and gettin' him back to sleep. Even Carson said you need to rest. Can't make baby food if you ain't got no energy and can't keep him safe if you're sleepin' on your feet. If you want, I'll stay up and keep an eye on him, but you gotta sleep."

"But ain' ya goin' 'round with Jerry lata and makin' sure shites goin' right while Merle and Genie go get some supplies from Hilltop?" she asked

"Ain't all that much that needs done. Just gotta talk to some of the guys about where they need to go to get the parts Eugene needs and make sure the bikes are ready in the garage. Gotta tune 'em all up."

"What's the point? 'Less ya can turn 'em inta solar powa'd bikes, they ain' got a long shelf life outside a ya's. Whateva ethanol Genie makes from the sorghum is s'pposed ta go ta the Hilltop for their tractas."

"Gotta keep up maintenance. Ain't like they're gonna be happy about not havin' bikes anymore if they can't use 'em for anything other than lack of gas."

"Most a 'em can shit on a shingle and eat it," Ani said petulantly, making Daryl chuckle.

"It's gettin' better. Haven't been any of those Negan signs up since we all got stuck in here. Gotta count for something."

"Yeaah, I guess."

"You don't gotta worry about it right now. Just get some sleep," he told her, only for Lou to start fussing and making her turn her head as he sighed and turned on his back.

"Afta I feed 'im, I'll try ta sleep," she told him, giving him a kiss on his cheek. "I promise."

"You better."

~x~

"How's daddy-hood treatin' ya?" Jerry asked as Daryl exited his room quietly, having left a note on his pillow for when Ani woke up.

He'd finally gotten her to fall asleep after she'd fed Lou again and he'd promised to keep an eye on him. He had for a while, until he'd fallen back asleep himself when he was positive that there was no risk of her waking up and freaking out. Daryl had gone to Carson after the first week of Ani's overly anxious behavior and talked to him about it to find out how to help her. Carson had told him it was somewhat normal for new mothers to become overly anxious due to the changes in hormones and the decrease in sleep due to feedings. The doctor had asked him how he was holding up and he'd admitted he was stressed about Ani and how she was handling being a mother. When she wasn't holding Lou, she was watching him constantly, and when she wasn't watching him, she was holding him. Everything had become about Lou and, while Carson said that was normal, it worried him that she was neglecting herself. She was sleeping even less than when she had been pregnant and had barely been eating, claiming she wasn't hungry when she was clearly worried about about Lou. It was ridiculous how bad it had become and Carson had told him to give her time and support and at least try to help her remember to take care of herself.

"Ain't that bad. Worried 'bout Ania, though," he replied .

Jerry kept talking as they walked down the corridor, although Daryl didn't pay too much attention to what he was saying. He paid just enough to be able to answer the important comments while being able to mostly ignore the man's joking nature. Daryl just wasn't interested in dealing with the 'funny Aloha man,' as Ani still called him, and was tired from everything already. He was used to not getting a lot of sleep after having dealt with insomnia his entire life, but the added stress of parenthood was wearing him down faster than he'd expected. Lou really did only eat, sleep, and poop, and he really was a quiet baby, quieter than he'd ever known a baby to be, but he was still a baby. When he did cry, he was loud and it could take a while to get him to quiet down if it wasn't hunger or a dirty diaper that got him going. It didn't help that Merle had been a constant thorn in their side, trying to come in to see the baby every chance he got and any time he was within the vicinity of their room. The man had been given multiple bumps in the last two weeks alone from Ani's impeccable aim with anything within arm's reach. Sophia and Carl had both come in a few times each, both together and separately, to see the baby, though Ani had yet to let either of them hold Lou. In fact, if it wasn't Daryl, no one other than Carson had held the babe, and that had only been at birth and not since.

"So, when are we gonna see the little guy?" Jerry asked, referring to the fact that Ani and Lou hadn't left the room yet.

"Soon," was all Daryl could say before he called out for one of the men working around the area Eugene was planning on setting up his conversion equipment. "Brad, you got what you need?"

"Just about. We need to get a couple more turbines and a few more barrels, but we should be set by the time the corn's ready for shuckin'."

"You know where to find it?"

"Yeah, there's another couple factories a town or two over we can raid. They'll have everything else we need to get the fuel station up and runnin' without a hitch," Brad told him with a grin. "It's good to know we're gonna be helpin' the others instead of takin' from them. Rick really changed things for the better."

"Yeah, I guess," Daryl responded half heartedly. "You got a group you thinkin' of takin' with you?"

"Mike and Nate both know what we're looking for, so do Alex, Charlie, and Janice," he told him. "Oh, that reminds me. Janice was lookin' for you a couple days ago."

"It's not important," Jerry intervened while sounding harsh, which was entirely uncharacteristic for him.

"Why?" Daryl asked.

"It's just not important. She doesn't need anything and is just wanting to talk to talk, you know?" he answered.

Jerry wasn't about to tell him that he'd over heard Janice talking about how good looking Daryl was and how she was interested in him. It wasn't a good idea to add more stress to the new father, especially about something as trivial as a woman who was lusting after a married man. He also wasn't about to start problems without reason when there wasn't even a chance of the woman even making Daryl look at her twice. Ani was the only woman their leader ever even gave a moment's notice to if it didn't have to do with his job and that wasn't going to change. Even Merle had said that the man had only had eyes for his wife since before they had even properly known each other and had only had one drunken conversation. He'd shared the story of how they'd met at a bar on Ani's birthday and how Daryl had changed after that night. No way would a woman who had nothing in the form of looks, curves, brains, or brawn come between that amount of history and Jerry didn't think it was anything necessary to bring up because of it.

"Where is she?" Daryl said, ignoring Jerry.

"Last I knew, she was in the rec room with Arat."

"Got it."

The rec room used to be the place Negan kept his wives when he wasn't at the Sanctuary or otherwise using them. It had been Ani's idea to turn it into a room that anyone could use to play games and have fun in an attempt to help the women who had been forced into his bed feel more comfortable. Most of the women had left the Sanctuary after Daryl and Ani had taken over, especially those who had left their families to ensure that they could be safe and have what they needed. It seemed to be the number one tactic that Negan had employed; go after women who had just had tragic losses of their own or who's families required medical help. A few of the women had no family and had simply been chosen for their looks and the fact that they were alone while a couple others had been snatched up after tragedy, but the majority were strong armed into marriage. They hadn't even been able to properly grieve or get used to the idea that they were no longer with their proper husbands before they had been taken advantage of by Negan. While he had profusely claimed that every woman had gone to him willingly, the women themselves told different stories similar to the one Sherry and Dwight had. A woman desperately agreeing to marry the bastard simply to keep her family safe after which she was expected to maintain minimal contact with said family. Ani had wanted to change the atmosphere of the room and, hopefully, make it less of a reminder of the suffering of the women. Making it a game room for everyone had been one of the first things she'd done and it had become a popular hangout of the old soldiers and those less affected by Negan's reign.

It took them longer to get to the room thanks to being stopped several times along the way to be congratulated, asked how Lou was doing, and other menial little conversations about the Sanctuary's functions. Finding Janice, however, was a simple task as she was sitting on the edge of the pool table chatting with Arat and Marcus. She was flirting with the man, as usual, considering she flirted with practically every single person she found attractive. Janice had a reputation for being a flirt while getting mad and taking rejection as a challenge when she didn't get her way. The sad thing was, even though she was easy on the eye, her tactic of going after whomever she could had made even Merle stay away from her. While he hadn't been a prime target of hers, the woman had tried to get with him when he'd first gotten to the Sanctuary considering he was one of the new generals. Merle had entertained the idea for all of two days before he decided she wasn't worth it with how flirtatious she was. He had decided that he was too old to try to go for young women who only wanted a fun time and not something more stable. Daryl and Ani had both been surprised when he'd said that and Ani had teased him that he was going to become the angry old man her Papa had been. He'd simply said he was already a Pops and about to be an uncle, he didn't need adding another woman into the mix when he had a crazy little sister and a kid who could kick his ass already on his hands. Everyone present had laughed at his words and Sophia had agreed with him that she really could kick his ass and would if he dared to call her mom crazy again.

"Long time no see, boss," Marcus said as he noticed Daryl and Jerry walking into the room. "Care for a game."

"Naw," Daryl answered. "Brad said there was somethin' that needed discussin'. What is it?"

"Oh! He finally told you! Did he give you the message I told him to?" Janice asked with a sickly sweet smile.

"Said you'd been lookin' for me for a couple days. Been busy."

"Oh, I know. New baby and all. How's the little bundle of noise? And his mom?"

Daryl's look turned hard at that comment, but he ignored it in exchange for saying, "They're doin' good. Real good."

"Cool. Bet it's hard to sleep at night. All that crying. I couldn't imagine having to sleep in the same room as all that."

"What's your point?" Daryl practically seethed.

He wasn't liking where the conversation was going, let alone how she'd called Ani Lou's mom and not his wife. He hadn't gotten any better at noticing the looks he was given by other women throughout the years and he had barely gotten to realize when a woman was trying to flirt with him. But outright disrespect had never been something that had missed his sight or hearing and the fact that his wife had been reduced to the mother of his son had not been lost on him. Daryl wasn't sure what was so important that Janice had been seeking him out but had thought it had something to do with her upcoming job at the raised beds. She had always been a bit of a clean freak and he'd assumed she wanted to get out of having to work in the dirt and had even been thinking of someone who could replace her. Jake, Derrick, and Vicky had been possible candidates who had yet to be given jobs come spring, but now he wasn't so sure that was her intention. He and Ani had been talking about the jobs that they still had open that needed to fill and had been discussing who would be best suited for it. Janice had been one of the more troubling cases and they had been trying to find something she would be good at. She sucked at needlework, therefore wasn't a fit for clothes making, and she burned or otherwise destroyed anything she tried to cook, meaning the meal station was out of the question as well. Ani had been the one to suggest putting her on the planting force in order to fill up the slots, but Janice had been less than enthusiastic about it. Daryl was wondering if that was the driving force between the disrespect the woman had just shown his wife.

"Oh, nothing," she said nonchalantly. "Just that there are other rooms you could use if the noise gets to be too much."

"Dude, what're you doing?" Arat asked.

"I'm not doing anything," Janice said with an innocent expression that no one was falling for.

"Come on, man, we all know what you're up to," Marcus quipped, walking up to her and throwing an arm around her shoulder. "Trust me, you don't want to keep talking."

"I'm not saying anything wrong!" she tried to justify. "Plenty of fathers stay elsewhere when their baby's are young. It's not like they can do anything for them. What's the point in getting less sleep for no good reason?"

"Ain't nothin'," Daryl told her. "Wouldn't want to be in a different room. Might not be able to do much, but Ani needs me."

"So, you give her what she needs? Who gives you what you need?" Janice asked playfully, everyone in the room standing still aside from those who face palmed and others who looked completely shocked by what they were hearing.

"Don't need nothin'."

"Oh, come on. Everyone needs something. I could help you get what you need," she told him suggestively, putting a hand on his arm.

"What?"

~x~

"He's looking really healthy, but you're looking a bit pale. Have you been eating enough? Sleeping enough?" Carson asked Ani after he finished his two week check of the baby.

"I'm havin' problems sleeping, and ya know it 'cause D talked ta ya," she replied.

"He did, and I think it's safe to say that you have the baby blues, which is completely normal."

"Baby blues? Ya sayin' I've got PPD or somethin'?"

"No," Carson chuckled. "The baby blues are a normal period of adjustment most new mothers go through. Even fathers can get the baby blues. It could turn into postpartum depression or anxiety if you're not careful, but you could just as easily start feeling better once you settle into a routine."

"How do I do that?"

"Well, while you should feed the baby when he's hungry, it's also a good idea to pay attention to how long it's been between feedings and plan around that. Now that you're not pregnant nor dealing with the symptoms of it, you should be able to get back into light exercising. I don't suggest trying to go right back into the training that you were used to befoore getting pregnant, but it would be a good idea to start doing some stretches, maybe even yoga."

"Tai chi?"

"You can definitely start doing that again. It's low impact and won't work your muscles too much, giving them time to heal and your abs to come back together from where they parted during pregnancy. It's also a really good way to reduce anxiety and might help you sleep better. Daryl says you sleep less than he does."

"I'm constantly havin' bad dreams when I do manage it. Wakin' up ta Lou dead. Tryin' ta fall back ta sleep only ta freak out and start watchin' 'im sleep ta make sure 'e's breathin'. What if 'e stops breathin'? Or aspirates? Or somethin' else happens and 'e's jus'...not there."

"Well, he's not about to just disappear."

"What about SIDS?"

"That's not an unreasonable concern, but it will lead you down a path closer to PPD if you obsess over it," the doctor warned. "Does he sleep on his back?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, between that, breastfeeding, the fact that you're a non-smoker, and you obviously don't put anything in the bassinet with him, so you're doing everything you can do to mitigate the risks. Has anyone ever died of SIDS in your family? Or Daryl's?"

"Not that I know a," Ani answered.

"There you go. The risk is low, but you not taking care of yourself could potentially add to that. You need your rest and you need to eat."

"I'll try," was all she could answer after a moment's silence. "Bet Mags won' have any a these problems."

"That is another area I think you need to work at," Carson told her. "I've noticed it since the Hilltop. You're always comparing yourself to Maggie. What she can do, what she's doing, how she's doing it, how she's handling it. You need to stop worrying about what she can handle and do and start focusing on what you do, what you handle."

"It's hard not ta compare. She makes everythin' look so easy. Leadin' used ta be, when it was jus' us, the original group. But afta comin' 'ere, tryin' ta set up this place as a real community, one that's functionin' and workin', everythin' went ta hell. I couldn' help much 'cause a the pregnancy. Then bein' bed bound for so long. Daryl havin' ta step up so much. She don' even have Glenn nah more and yet she's makin' everythin' seem so fuckin' easy and I'm stuck 'ere jus' bein' a useless bump on the log."

"You helped get this place set up and helped heal a lot of wounds," he countered. "On top of that, you took over and had to undo a lot of bad ideas and install the ideals we're all working towards as a network of communities. Maggie," Carson sighed, "she's a great leader, no denying that. But she didn't have to do anything to make things right after taking over the Hilltop. She wasn't fought against or made to feel like an outcast. She was accepted from the beginning and only needed to help us learn to fight. Gave us quite a few tips about farming, too. But you also helped her by teaching us about the medicinal aspects and how to make medicine the old way. It wasn't just her doing it. She also had Jesus on her side to make the transition from Gregory to her smoother. Say what you will about Eugene, but many of the people here viewed him as a traitor after the incident on the hill. His presence didn't do an awful lot to help gain their trust, and, from what I've been told, they were afraid of you and thought Daryl wasn't much of anything. You had to make your way from the bottom to the top without any kind of help. You may both be leaders, but the way you became a leader to your community was very different. She had a road to follow while you had a mountain to climb. You shouldn't base your abilities or faults on what hers are."

"I thought I was the psychologist," Ani quipped.

Carson laughed at that, "Well, I must have picked up some of your expertise during all our talks and talking to the others. You're an amazing woman, Ani. Don't sell yourself short. Now, I suggest you get some fresh air. It might help you relax. And don't forget to exercise. Start slow, with the Tai Chi. We'll revisit how much you can do in a couple months as far as that goes."

"Yeah. Thanks, doc."

"Not a problem," he told her with a kind smile before leaving the room.

"Come on, kiddo," she told Lou after she'd spread his blanket out on the bed and gone over to pick him up. "Let's go find ya daddy and see what 'e's been up ta, eh? Take ya outside and get ya some fresh air for the first time. Would ya like that?"

Even though he couldn't answer and was mostly asleep, she still couldn't help but smile as she carefully wrapped him up like a little burrito. She'd fed him just before Carson showed up and had seen the note Daryl had left her saying he was going to find Jerry and get some stuff done, so she assumed he'd be down at the factory floor. Ani was stopped a lot by people wanting to see Lou since it was the first time they'd seen the baby since he was born as Ani hadn't left the room yet. Everyone commented about how cute he was and how much he looked like Daryl before she moved on to her destination. Daryl wasn't in the Big Room, as they'd started calling it, though, and no one seemed to know exactly where he'd gone, so she decided to head outside. The fresh, crisp air was beyond uplifting and she couldn't believe how much she had missed the outdoors. Feeling the sun on her skin for the first time in what felt like months was like feeling happiness on her skin. Lou was plenty warm enough in his blanket, so she decided to take a walk around the courtyard to check on how the raised beds were coming along. Most of them had been built before the winter had hit, but she hadn't been able to get outside due to her high blood pressure and bed rest. They looked good, and Ani couldn't help but notice there was still quite a bit of empty space in the courtyard that they could build more in. Either they hadn't been able to find enough cinderblocks, or they had given up on building more because they didn't think anything other than the corn would grow.

"It's good to see you outside," Laura's voice rang out from behind her, making Ani turn and give her a small smile.

"Why didn' they build more?"

"Don't know. I've mostly been helping Carson and training with him. Can't go wrong with having a few extra hands that know medicine, you know? 'Specially now that the little bundle is here and Maggie's gonna need him at the Hilltop."

"True. She's due in a little ova a month, so he's goin' ta have ta go back soona ratha than lata. Prolly'll send Phia with 'im 'til the baby's born."

"You do know that Beth was studying with Sophia at the Hilltop, right? I think Maggie's got plenty of help," Laura reasoned. "Besides, we'll need her here without a proper doctor. She knows almost as much as you, but can actually handle blood."

"I can handle blood! It's the seein' a the insides and the sewin' I'm nah good at. Ya jus' can' look at a human's innards the same afta slicin' and dicin' at animals. 'Least I can'. Don' help none that we ended up in this cannibal den 'fore we got ta Virginia."

"Cannibal den?"

"Yup, cannibal den. Ya eva heard anythin' 'bout a place called Terminus?"

"Wasn't that that place on the radio? 'Arrive, survive,' somethin' like that?"

"That's the one. They brought people in ta eat 'em."

"That's disgusting!"

"Yeah, seein' bodies carved up like a hog jus' does somethin' ta ya. Neva really liked seein' the insides a anythin', anyway. Not 'less it's dead. The body is a fascinatin' thing, but that don' mean I want ta see how it works."

"Is that why you went into psychology instead of sticking to medicine?" Laura asked.

"Nah. Learnin' apothecary was more a distraction from what was goin' on at home, and since my sista neva cared 'bout plants or flowas, she'd leave me alone 'bout it. I went inta psychology 'cause I wanted ta find a cure for autism and ADHD. Can' change biology or genetics or DNA, though, and I was young and dumb at the time thinkin' I needed fixin'. Ain' nothin' wrong with bein' a versie and ain' nothin' needs ta be fixed. I jus' had ta learn ta accept myself and learn ta live with it, and, yeah, it took a couple years, but I'm happy I went inta psychology and learned whaat I did. Might not a stuck ta bein' a clinical psychologist or a shrink, but it's come in handy. Ya'd think there'd be more'n one shrink 'round here. How is there not?"

"That's as good a question as any. Why are you out here, anyway? Figured you'd be looking for Daryl."

"I am, actually, but 'e wasn' in the Big Room, so I came out 'ere for some fresh air, docta's ordas," Ani said with a shrug. "Prolly head back ta the room and wait for 'im. Gettin' a bit chilled out 'ere."

"I could help you look for him. He was talking to Brad earlier, so we could start there. I saw him on the balcony smoking a minute before I came over here."

"Oh? Alright, let's go."

It didn't take too long to find the guy and call out to him, asking if he knew where Daryl was for Brad to answer, "Yeah, I sent him to the Rec Room. Janice has been wanting to talk to him for a while."

"Ugh," Ani moaned, she and Laura looking at each other and groaning out, "Janice," at the same time.

"Oh, come on. She's not that bad," Brad commented as the trio headed back into the building.

"She started hittin' on John right afta 'e asked Matthew out," Ani said.

"She's a good soldier and worker, though."

"Yeah, when she's not sleeping around," Laura said. "Let's face it, you're defending her more because you want to get on her good side than anything else," she chuckled.

"Maybe. She's got a nice body, big rack, too, though not as big as-"

"Finish that sentence, Brad, and ya won' have the equipment ta use even if she looks at ya," Ani warned, giving him a hard look. "Why'd ya send D ta 'er anyway? If ya tryin' ta get with 'er, sendin' the guy she's tryin' ta pull moves on is kind a self-harmin', ain' it?"

"She's not interested in Daryl," Brad shot out. "She just wants to talk to him about her job. She doesn't think it's fair you want her to work in the dirt."

"Uh, we're all working in the dirt?" Laura told him. "It's just some of us aren't assigned to it. Besides, the woman is only good at three things; sex, shouting, and shooting."

"She's a good fighter, too!"

"She's an amateur boxa, Brad, that ain' a good fighta. That's jus' havin' some trainin'. Ya eva watch 'er use 'er skills? Nah, 'cause she'd ratha be a little bitch and do the cat claws and hair pullin' than actually fightin'. Only time she's actually used 'er boxin' abilities is when she's-"

"Mom!" Sophia's voice rang out as she ran towards them. "You need to get to the Rec Room before I go in and beat Janice to a pulp!"

"Huh?" the three adults said.

They were only a handful of rooms before they made it to the Rec Room, but as they got closer and the voices grew louder, Ani's face started darkening. She knew the woman had a thing for her man, but to hear her talking as if she was trying to do Daryl a favor when she was trying to solicit him had her blood boiling. She remembered how Carol had told her that Ed never stayed home when Sophia was a baby and left all the childrearing to her mother, which had added to her resentment of having a child altogether. Ed hadn't been a help at all when Sophia was a baby, not even holding her long enough for Carol to take a shower and it had lead to her developing PPD. Ani had just had the conversation with Carson about how she needed to relax and not worry so much to keep from getting PPD, and here was a woman trying to act like it was fine for a father to just not be there for his wife and child? She could have kept her mouth shut and ignored all the little comments and looks, but an outright attack on her family was out of bounds. The look on her face only grew darker still as the voices became clearer and the thinly veiled suggestions became straightforward and outright.

"So, you give her what she needs? Who gives you what you need?" Janice said, not noticing Ani in the doorway.

"Don't need nothin'."

"Oh, come on. Everyone needs something. I could help you get what you need."

"Sophia, take Lou," Ani told the teen, cautiously handing her son over to someone other than Daryl for the first time.

"What?" Daryl asked.

Janice didn't get a chance to respond before her head had snapped back and she'd been forced to take two steps backwards. Her hands went flying up to her nose while blood poured down her chin and between her fingers. Everyone in the room that had been close to Daryl and Janice took wide steps back as they realized what had happened and what was about to. There wasn't a single person in the Sanctuary who had not witnessed or heard about Ani's temper and how quick she was to react to certain situations, especially when angered. Between the fight with Tom, Merle's numerous black eyes and knots on his head, and the verbal beatdowns she had regularly bestowed upon those who tried to start conflict, everyone knew of her temper and her ability. Whether by word of mouth or first-hand experience, Ani's name and reputation for not being one to trifle with. Janice, though, also had a reputation for more than promiscuity; she was an amateur boxer who knew how to throw her weight around when she needed to. If she was fighting a woman, she would fight like every other woman and pull at hair, scratch, and slap with the strength of the amateur lying beneath it all, giving her the upper hand in most cases. There were a few cases, with women like Arat and Regina, where she would show off her skills in a friendly spar, but they were nothing in comparison to Ani's.

"What the hell, you bitch?!" Janice screeched at Ani, who was standing steadfast in front of Daryl while the others in the room backed away.

"I don' know what ya mean," Ani said coolly. "I was simply swattin' at a pesky little fly."

"And hit me in the face?!"

"It got in the way."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?! What? Being a freak isn't enough, you have to be a bitch, too?"

"The fuck ya jus' call me?" Ani asked, her voice low and eyes hard.

"You're a fucking freak! All you do is cause problems! What do you do around here that's so important other than taking care of Daryl's kid?!"

"Daryl's kid?!"

"You're just a fucking freaky little bitch who can't even think right! You shouldn't be around Daryl or his baby! You should just leave so you don't fuck his kid up like your parents fucked you up!"

Ani saw red at that and whipped her body around, raising her fist and connecting a perfect right hook right to the side of Janice's head. She had either gotten better at controlling her strength or weaker in general from lack of practice as Janice remained standing. It was either that or the fact that Janice was sturdier than she looked as the woman retaliated with a straight punch that connected with Ani's chin. Ani could taste blood on the inside of her mouth, but didn't pay it any attention as she mirrored the same fighting stance Janice had taken up. The other woman tried to get a few jabs in, but her words had well and truly pissed Ani off to the point of no return. There was no remorse in her for the beating she began to bestow upon Janice in a flurry of combinations as she bobbed and weaved through Janice's own attempts. Ani was out of practice and she could tell that by the way her breathing was heavier than it should have been, but she was still faster than Janice by a long shot. The woman had no ability to dodge her punches effectively and the ones she was able to deflect left her wide open. Janice had the weight, she had the knowledge of how to box, but the fact of the matter was that that was nothing in exchange for experience. Ani had been fighting her whole life, fighting just to stay alive, fighting against those who wanted to hurt her, while Janice had only practice in fighting. Her punches stung, but they were nothing like Tom's fist, like Chrystal's and Ellie's, and her timing was staggered. It was easy for Ani to read her next move and counterstrike as soon as Janice started her own attack. The fight couldn't have lasted for more than five minutes, tops, and Janice was nothing but a bloodied heap slumped on the floor when it was over.

"I suggest ya go see Carson, 'cause ya ass is bloodied up good," Ani told her while breathing hard. "And I also suggest ya learn ta keep ya fuckin' trap shut 'bout mattas that ain' got shite all ta do with ya."

"Fuck you," Janice shot out, blood pouring down her face from her busted lips, broken nose, and several cuts that had been given to her by Ani's fists. "If you were a real woman, you'd be able to take a little competition."

Ani laughed at Janice and crouched down to her level, lifting her chin so that the woman was forced to look her in the eye before saying, "If I weren' a real woman, ya'd be dead, 'cause I don' let insults go unanswa'd. D's a married man; ain' nah competition when it comes ta marriage, and if there is, it ain' a real marriage. Ya've been tryin' for months, but ya done fucked up. First, by tryin' ta get a new daddy ta stop bein' a good daddy ta 'is kid and a great husband ta 'is wife. Second, by tryin' ta make yaself seem the betta choice. Newsflash; ya ain'. But ya know what ya biggest fuck up was?" she asked, a smile on her face that made Janice lose all the color in her face. "Ya compared me ta a bitch that made my life hell and wanted me dead. Ya tried sayin' I'd do that ta my kid. For ya own good, don' eva let me see ya face again."

She stood up and walked away, only for Janice to pop off and antagonize her again, "You don't deserve to be a mom. You're just a crazy bitch who trapped Daryl! You-"

Whatever she was going to say was cut off as her body slumped to the floor after the resounding crack of Ani's roundhouse kick connecting to her cheek echoed through the room. She walked back up to the woman to check for a pulse and found one, although she wasn't sure she was happy about it. Ani's body was shaking with rage at what Janice had just said, but seeing the woman unconscious and bleeding helped her take a few calming breaths. Daryl walked up to her and grabbed her shoulders, turning her around to check her hands for any cuts before pulling her into his chest. She didn't break down, but she did sigh being surrounded by his scent and his warmth and reminded herself that Daryl had been the one who believed she would be a great mom. It was Daryl that had helped console her when she was worried about whether or not she could even handle being a mother. He kissed her hair and kept her under his arm as he told Laura and Arat to take Janice to Carson and told Brad to help Marcus clean up the blood. The rest were told to just get back to what they'd been doing as he lead her over to the doorway, where she took Lou back from Sophia, who was smiling from ear to ear. When questioned, she simply admitted that she liked seeing Ani fighting again and that it was funny to see Janice 'gettin' her ass handed to her,' as Sophia said. The three of them shared a chuckle at that, though Daryl asked how long they knew Janice had a thing for him, causing both girls to laugh outright at him.

"Neva change, D," Ani told him, standing on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "I love ya."

"Love you, too. But how long?"

"Does it matta? Carson was right, though."

"About what?"

"Exercisin' really does make ya feel calma."