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The loud vibrations pulled Daryl from his sleep. He groaned and rolled over, blindly reaching for his phone. He had rolled into Rick’s warmer side of the bed after he left for work early that morning.
“‘Lo?” He answered.
“Daryl, hi. Um, sorry, did I wake you?” Lori’s voice came through the speaker.
Daryl rubbed at his eyes, trying to register her voice and why she would call him, of all people. “What? Um, no.” Daryl lied. “What’s up? Is Rick okay?” He asked, panicking.
“Yeah! Rick’s fine. Sorry… It’s just my car isn’t starting,” Lori said sheepishly. “Rick told me you’re a mechanic, Aarons not home, and I can’t get a tow for a few hours. I just hoped… if you’re not busy this morning. If you need to go to work or something, don’t worry. I’ll just wait.”
Daryl tried to find his words. It was embarrassing to know Rick and Lori talked about him, but also nice to know he wasn’t forgotten about when he wasn’t there.
“Don’t worry,” Lori said again, misunderstanding his silence.
“No, um yeah. I can be there in thirty?” he answered while biting back a sigh. It was his first Saturday off for the first time in a while, and he planned to sleep in. But she was pregnant, and he could help.
“Great! Thank you! I owe you one.”
“Ain’t nothin’. Bye.” He cut off the call and slid out of bed, yawning.
He quickly got dressed and made himself a coffee, noting how he pretty much lived in Rick’s apartment days. He hadn’t been back to the trailer in weeks. He wondered for a moment if it was still worth paying Merle rent. He knew Rick wouldn’t mind, but was he ready for that?
Daryl shook the thought away and focused on getting dressed; he tied his hair into a bun and climbed onto his bike for the short drive to Lori’s house. By the time he arrived, Lori was standing in the doorway. At eight months pregnant, she was massive. He quickly looked away to focus on climbing off his bike.
Carl pushed under Lori’s arm and ran down the driveway to crash into his legs. “Daryl!”
Daryl reached down to hug him back as Lori approached them. “Hey kid. How you doin’?” He ruffled his hair, chuckling when Carl complained.
“Thank you for coming so quickly,” Lori said with a kind smile and reached out to give him a light hug and a kiss on the cheek.
Daryl shrugged. “Can’t leave ya carless right now. Ya got the keys?” he asked Lori.
Lori offered them out to him as Daryl untangled himself from Carl. “Do you want a drink first or anything?”
Daryl shrugged. “‘M good. Thanks.”
He took the keys and went straight to the car to switch it on to listen to the click it made when the engine failed to turn over. Daryl held it on for a moment, switched it off, and looked around, seeing the light at the top switched on.
When he stepped out, Lori and Carl were still on the porch watching him. He felt his cheeks heat from the attention.
“Did you leave a light or somethin’ on overnight?” Daryl asked.
Lori thought about it for a moment and then gasped. “Yeah. Pregnancy brain. Have I killed it?”
Daryl shook his head. “Only temporarily. Can’t jump it with my bike, but we got a booster at the shop. I’ll head out, borrow it for a bit.”
“Are you sure? Aaron won’t mind?”
“Nah, we got a couple, don’t use ‘em often for bikes. Won’t be long.”
Daryl strode into the mechanics through the open garage door; Paul was crouching on the ground by a Honda Fireblade. He looked up at the sound of Daryl’s bike and lifted his eyebrows.
“Hey, you! Isn’t it your day off?”
Daryl shrugged. “Lori’s battery is dead. Can I borrow the booster? Charge it?”
Paul snorted and gestured. “You know where it is. Isn’t it weird?”
“What?” Daryl opened the cupboard that held the larger equipment.
“Fixing your boyfriend’s pregnant ex-wife’s car.”
“Pro’ally. Even without the car part, it’s weird bein’ around her without Rick,” Daryl admitted. “But I guess we gotta get along for Carl and Rick.”
“And the baby.” Paul approached him and leaned against the desk. “So, I’ve wanted to ask what’s gonna happen? This kid gonna have four parents or what?”
Daryl hummed, focused on his search despite seeing the right thing directly in front of him, but he didn’t want to look at Paul. He had tried not to think too hard about it; if the baby was Shane’s, it would be so much easier. He would be as involved as Rick would be. Not much more than the confusing uncle/father of her brother.
But if the baby was Rick’s, then they would co-parent, and Daryl had no idea if he could do that. Carl was different. Carl was older and understood, but the baby was something else.
“This one,” Paul grabbed the booster and handed it to him. “So?”
Daryl shrugged. “Ain’t got a clue.”
“Hey! What are you doing here?” Aaron asked, coming through the door from the reception.
“Avoiding uncomfortable questions,” Paul answered for him. “While mooching off us.”
Aaron lifted his eyebrows. “Huh?”
“Lori’s car’s outta battery,” Daryl explained, holding up the booster. “And Paul’s askin’ shit that ain’t his business.”
“Oooh, I hit a nerve.” Paul grinned and patted his arm. “About the baby,” he explained to Aaron.
Aaron looked between them, eyes narrowed. “You’ve still not talked to Rick about the baby?”
“We’ll find out if she’s his in a month. Don’t matter ‘til then. I gotta go.” He stuffed the booster in a backpack for easy carrying on his bike and ignored Aaron and Paul’s snickering as he rushed out.
He had the car keys in his pocket, so he went straight to the car without knocking on the door. He had just opened the hood when Carl ran to him. “Can I watch?”
“I’m sure Daryl just wants to get it fixed and carry on with his day,” Lori said, trying to usher him inside.
“I don’t mind,” Daryl said. He enjoyed teaching Carl about nature; engines were something he was just as comfortable with, if not more. “Just gotta get this attached and let it charge. I can show you how.”
Lori smiled. “I’ll grab a stool for him to see better.”
Once Carl was balanced and ready, Daryl leaned over the car and pointed a few things out to Carl, showing him how to check the oil and water levels while explaining what everything did. He explained what the booster did and how to attach it safely and then let him in the passenger seat while he switched the car on.
“Now we gotta let it run for a while; battery charges itself. C’mon, I’ll let your Ma know.” Daryl climbed out of the car and helped Carl out before heading into the house. “Lori?” Daryl shouted, not wanting to explore the house without permission.
“In the kitchen!” Lori shouted back. Daryl found her cutting into a pie that made the entire room smell sweet. Carl ran straight to pull up a chair at the table, making grabby hands towards the pie. “Hey, what have I told you about being patient?”
Carl pouted and pulled his hands back.
“Your car’s on,” Daryl explained, “let it charge ‘bout thirty minutes, then should be fine. I’d wanna drive it ‘round the block first through.”
“Thank you, that was really kind of you coming down here to do that.”
Daryl shrugged and leaned against the counter. “Weren’t nothin’.”
“Do I owe you anything?” Lori approached her bag on the table, but Daryl shook his head.
“Nah. Yer good.”
“You sure? What about the booster thing you said?” Lori asked.
“Borrowed from work.”
“Well, thank you.” Lori smiled kindly at him. “I made some pie for lunch. It’s still hot if you want some while we wait? It’s mixed berry.”
Daryl bit the inside of his lip to keep from laughing. A house with a white picket fence and a pie cooling on the table; it was so suburban. He wondered when his life had changed so much.
“Sure,” Daryl decided, his stomach rumbling at the thought. He pulled up the chair next to Carl while Lori cut into the pie. “Thank you,” Daryl said politely and tasted a piece of the pie. It was the perfect balance between tangy and sweet. He hummed around it. “It’s good.”
“It’s the least I can do.” Lori bit into her own slice. “I’ve never seen your hair like that before.”
Daryl touched the bun self-consciously. “Keeps it outta the engine. Paul showed me how ta.”
“It suits you.”
“Thank you?” Daryl touched it again.
“So, how are things going with you and Rick?”
Daryl coughed on the second bite and glanced at Carl, who was focused on his pie. “Uh. Good. We’re… fine.” Daryl stuffed his face with a too-big piece to save him from speaking.
“What about work? How’s that going? Rick told me you only recently started working at the mechanic's a few months ago?”
Daryl swallowed the bite and nodded. “S’good. Met Aaron when I came for Carl’s birthday. Rick got us talking ‘bout bikes, and Aaron offered me a job after I went ta see the place.”
“Do you enjoy it?”
“Yeah. Better than workin’ at my brother’s bar.”
“He owns a bar?” Lori asked curiously. “Which one?”
“ASZ. Dive bar down on fifth. Inherited it.”
“From your parents?”
Daryl snorted. “Nah. Merle started workin’ there when he left the army. The guy that owned it liked Merle and didn’t get along with his kids, so he gave it to Merle when he kicked it.”
“Kicked what?” Carl spoke up.
“The bucket.”
At Carl’s blank look, Lori explained gently, “It means he died, honey.”
“Oh. That’s sad.”
Daryl shrugged, not wanting to get into it with Carl. John hadn’t liked Daryl, saw him as a burden, a stupid kid that always got in the way of his creepy father-like relationship with Merle and ruined Merle’s chances in life. Merle saw right through him but used his relationship to get what he wanted.
“Why did Merle leave the army?” Daryl raised an eyebrow, and Lori winced, her cheeks going red. “Sorry. I’m doing twenty questions again, aren’t I? You’re family now; I want to get to know you better.”
His stomach tightened at the mention of family. He didn’t know what it meant to be part of a family, but he was starting to.
“S’fine. I had some issues with our dad; I hadda move out when I was fourteen. Merle weren’t gonna let me go to foster care.”
“That’s really sweet.”
Daryl snorted. “Call him sweet to his face... He won’t hit ya 'cause yer a woman and pregnant, but he’ll wanna.”
Lori laughed. “Good to know, I think?”
Daryl ate the last piece and scraped the juices off the plate. “Do you work? Rick ain’t said.”
“Part-time at the middle school. I teach art. Although Carl wants me to change jobs before he starts there,” Lori added with a laugh and nudged her son. Carl nodded rapidly.
“You any good?”
Lori laughed. “I hope so. I mostly paint. The art in the living room is mine.” Daryl tried to think back, but he hadn’t paid much attention. “Come take a look if you want.”
Daryl took the invitation and followed her into the living room to look at the different landscape art on the wall. Carl had been distracted scraping the last of the pie from the plate that he jolted up and shouted, “Wait for me!” Daryl smiled, pleased Carl was so eager to stay with him.
The walls were covered in art he hadn’t paid attention to before, a sunset, a beach landscape, a starry night, interjected with pictures of the family, Lori, Carl, Rick, Shane, and a few people Daryl didn’t recognize.
“Yer good,” Daryl said to Lori. “These actual places or made up?”
“This one,” she pointed at the beach landscape, covered in a mix of blues and oranges, “is a beach trip we went on when Carl was four. I sat on the beach for hours watching the sea there,” she pointed directly at people on the right side, they were too small to make out clearly, “is Rick playing with Carl.”
“I don’t remember,” Carl said. “We’ve gone to the beach loads. Can we go again soon?”
“Sure,” Lori said. “Maybe after the baby is born, we can have a family trip.”
Daryl looked down at Carl to see his face dropped. “Oh. Okay.”
“Why not tomorrow?” Daryl asked and then immediately regretted it, he shouldn’t go against a mother, but Lori looked like she was thinking about it. He had never visited the beach as a family trip and found he really wanted to.
“I don’t know if Rick or Shane are working.”
“Rick ain’t. Shops closed on Sundays, so I ain’t. Duno ‘bout Shane.”
“It won’t be warm enough to swim, though,” Lori added.
“That’s okay!” Carl said. His eyes were wide, and Daryl could see him practically vibrating excitedly. “We can build sandcastles and dig a massive hole while wearing a coat.”
“I’ll call Shane,” Lori decided, pulling her phone out. “Hello? Hey, hon… yeah, I’m okay. Just calling to ask if you think you’ll be able to swap your shifts for a beach trip tomorrow. Me and Daryl are planning it… Yes, Daryl Dixon. Do you know another Daryl?... He came to help me with my car. Can you get tomorrow off or not? Okay, let me know! Love you too.” Lori pocketed her phone. “He’ll see if he can swap and let me know. If we go, we’d need to leave early to get there around midday, have a picnic and have the afternoon there. We can all go in my car if it’s working okay.”
Daryl nodded. “A’right. I better take it for a drive around the block, make sure it’s safe for ya.”
Rick looked up as Shane approached his desk, frowning. It was a quiet day in the town, giving Rick time to catch up on his paperwork.
“Hey, man. Everything okay?” Rick asked, concerned. He had seen Shane take a phone call and walk away from his desk a few minutes before.
“Do you know anything about a beach trip tomorrow?”
“Beach trip?” Rick repeated incredulously. “It’s winter.”
“Yeah. Lori and Daryl want to go on one,” Shane continued, looking at Rick as though he had the answers.
“Daryl? My Daryl?”
“That’s what I said! Well, not my Daryl, ‘cause gross.” Rick raised an eyebrow. “You know I don’t give a shit what you do, but that guy ain’t my type.”
Rick snorted, accepting Shane’s explanation. “Why are Lori and Daryl making plans together?”
“I dunno, man. Daryl went to help Lori with her car or something.”
“Okay? A beach trip sounds fun, I guess. Can you get it off?”
“Yeah. I called Leon. He swapped with me.”
Rick pulled out his phone to call Daryl, but the mainline started blaring before he could. Rick put his phone away and answered the desk phone. The day decided to pick up before Rick got a chance to call Daryl, he had a domestic disturbance, followed by a bar fight and a possible robbery, but the perp got away.
When he got home, he opened the door to the smell of tomato and garlic. Daryl stood in the kitchen wearing one of his loose vests with ripped-off sleeves and jeans.
“Hey you,” Rick greeted, hanging up his belt by the door. When Carl wasn’t around, he left his gun in the belt, but he was sure to put it into his safe in the bedroom when Carl was around. Daryl grunted his greeting and focused on putting something in the oven. “Smells good,” Rick added, walking around the kitchen counter to kiss Daryl on the back of the neck.
Daryl checked the oven temperature and then turned around and kissed Rick, a smile playing on his lips. “How was work?”
“Quiet morning. Busy afternoon. Domestic disturbances are always the worst when you know you can help, but… they won’t let you.”
Daryl hummed. “Guess I ain’t ever thought of it from the cop’s side.”
Rick eyed Daryl, wondering how often police would come to his door, someone just wanting to help the children inside that house. “Yeah. I’ve gone to this house a few times.” Daryl squeezed his hand, and Rick sighed. “I heard you had an interesting day?”
Daryl’s smile dropped, and he stepped back, looking sheepish and started chewing on his nail. “Shane told ya, huh?”
“Uh-huh.” Rick leaned against the counter. “He’s got the day off tomorrow for this beach trip or something? He didn’t really know the details; only you and Lori were organizing it?”
Daryl nodded. “Yeah. Sorry. I shoulda asked ya. If you don’t wanna go…”
“No, it sounds good,” Rick reached out to him and pulled him in for a kiss. “It’s a great idea. I’ve not seen Carl as much as I’d like since our trip last month.” Daryl let out a breath, and his shoulders untensed. Rick smiled sadly. He hated how much Daryl worried and second-guessed himself all the time.
“You don’t mind that I was over there?” Daryl asked, dipping his head so that his hair partially covered his face.
Rick cocked his head. He didn’t expect that. “What? To Lori’s? Course not. Surprised me a bit, but why would I mind?”
Daryl shrugged. “Dunno. It’s a bit weird. Just went to help her with her car but stayed for a bit. Carl was there.”
“That’s fine. It’s good of ya to help Lori like that,” Rick added, pulling him in for another kiss and pushing his hair out of his face. “I love you, Darlin’.”
Daryl smiled, those three words speeding up his heart. “I love you too.”
The journey was long, at nearly five hours, but when they arrived, Carl ran straight towards the sea. The four adults stood back to watch him and find somewhere to settle.
It didn’t take long before Carl shouted for Daryl to play with him. Daryl shrugged at Rick and then took off running towards Carl. It didn’t take long before Shane joined in, and Rick sat down with Lori, enjoying the step-fathers take over the playful stage.
Rick laid back on the sand, watching Carl run around with Shane and Daryl; they were playing tag or something of the sort. He could hear Carl’s laughter in the wind.
Lori sat on a chair beside Rick, both wrapped up tightly against the sea wind, when she gasped suddenly and grabbed her pregnant belly.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Rick asked. She had been in some pain on the journey, but she kept dismissing it.
“Yeah. I had Braxton hicks a few days ago. It’s probably just that.”
“Dad! Save me!” Carl shouted, running at him, Daryl darting up behind him. Rick grabbed Carl around the waist, stopping him from running past and throwing him at Daryl. Carl screamed with laughter as Daryl caught him and held him down in the sand in time for Shane to catch up and tickle him. “DAD! MOM! HELP!”
“You’re on your own!” Rick shouted over, laughing with them. Daryl was grinning, laughing along with them. It was so nice to see him relaxed like this.
“Daryl’s so good with Carl,” Lori commented, and Shane decided they were going to throw Carl into the freezing sea and picked him up. “Carl talks about him all the time. It’s sweet.”
“I’m glad you two… get along.”
“He’s a great guy,” Lori said. “He came right over to fix my car, and we just got talking.”
“I’m glad. You both mean a look to me.”
Lori reached out to take his hand and squeezed it. “When I met him, I was a bit worried. A cop and a redneck isn’t a regular mix, but it works.” She pushed herself to sit up. “Can you get them? I’ll set out the picnic.”
“Sure.” Rick pushed himself to stand up and shouted, “Carl! You better run!”
Rick sprinted towards them. He grabbed Carl from Shane and held him upside down while running straight towards the sea whilst Carl screamed and struggled in his arms, laughing all the while.
“No! Put me down!” Carl begged. Rick stopped with his feet just on the edge, the cold water lapping over his bare toes.
“Put you down? Okay!” Rick dropped him, just enough for his hair to dangle in the water, and caught him again.
“Noooo!”
“You said to put you down,” Rick asked, mock confused.
“Not here!”
Rick hummed. “Right! A bit further in!” He ignored the freezing water on his ankles and took a few steps in, dangling Carl by his waist. “Here?”
“Dad!” Carl moaned. “You were supposed to help me!”
“Help? I thought you said throw me in the sea? Daryl! What did Carl say? Help or throw me in the sea?”
Daryl joined him in the water. “I heard throw me in the sea.”
“Well, I guess we have no choice. Help me here?” Daryl took Carl’s arms, and Rick shifted to hold his legs, and they both started swaying him back and forth.
“MOM! HELP ME!”
“Three… two… one…” Rick and Daryl pretended to throw him again and then caught him before hitting the water. “Time for lunch?” Rick asked casually.
“Sure.” Daryl grinned, and they carried the breathless Carl back to land and looked over to see Shane was helping Lori lay out the picnic.
“Go, run to your mom. Help her with the food.” Once he was gone, Rick took Daryl’s hand, threading their fingers together and strolled back towards Lori. “You looked like you were having fun.”
“Carl was loving it.”
“And you clearly hated it,” Rick added, smirking at Daryl.
Daryl shrugged. “It’s fun lettin’ go for a bit. Kids make it easy.”
“It’ll be even more so with the baby when she’s a toddler. Playing with them both.”
Daryl fell quiet beside him. Rick looked at him, he knew he needed to talk to Daryl about what was going to happen when the baby came, but he kept putting it off. He knew Daryl wouldn’t leave because of it; if he was, he would have already. But Rick still didn’t know how to bring it up.
Lori suddenly shouted before he could try, and his attention was pulled away.
“Mom?” Carl shouted, worried.
Lori bent over herself, clutching her belly, Shane at her side.
Rick and Daryl jogged the last few meters. “Lori, you okay?” Rick asked
“I think something’s wrong,” Lori groaned. “It… really hurts.” She gasped and looked down at her legs, and Rick saw the dark wet patch seeping down her leg. Lori reached down to touch it, and her fingers came back red.
“There’s a hospital ten minutes away,” Daryl said, holding his cell.
“Can you walk back to the car?” Rick asked. Both he and Shane helped her stand; she wobbled on her feet.
“I think so.”
“I’ve got ya,” Daryl offered, stepping into her space and putting his arms under her back and knees. Lori gasped and put her arms around his neck. “This okay?”
“Yeah, thank you.”
“Is mom okay?” Carl asked, shaking. Rick put a hand on his son’s back.
“We need to go to the hospital to find out,” Rick told him. Daryl stopped, but Rick waved him to go, Shane following after them. Carl stood still, staring at them all with wide eyes. “Carl, we’ve got to go,” Rick gently pushed him. “Quickly.”
“But mom’s bleeding.”
“I know. That’s why we’ve got to go quickly.”
To his relief, Carl took his hand, and they started walking, following the group. Shane opened the passenger door for them, and Daryl carefully put her in the car. He leaned over her to help her put the seatbelt on.
“Do you have the directions, Daryl?” Shane asked.
“Here.” Daryl handed him his phone to put in the holder.
“Just breathe, Lori,” Rick said.
“No, I’m going to hold my breath!” Lori snapped.
“Why didn’t you say something if you were in pain?” Shane asked.
“It was Braxton hicks last week! I thought it was the same thing. I was okay. Please be okay,” Lori whispered the last line looking down at her stomach.
They reached the hospital in record time. Daryl climbed out of the car first to carry Lori from the car to the hospital doors. He tried not to look at the blood seeping through her jeans.
He ran through the doors, trusting Rick, Shane, and Carl were behind him. Even if they weren’t, getting Lori inside was more important.
“Need some help here!” Daryl shouted, feeling like he was in some TV drama. It only took a moment before he was surrounded by people; one person brought them a wheelchair.
“What’s going on?” the woman asked.
“Eight months pregnant, bleedin’,” Daryl answered, carefully putting her down in it.
“She had Braxton hicks last week,” Shane added.
“Any pain today before this happened?”
“Yeah,” Lori answered.
“Daryl?” Rick pulled his attention away from what Lori was saying and looked down at Carl as Shane and Lori rushed down the busy corridor.
“I got him,” Daryl said, relieved he could be somewhat useful.
“Thank you.” Rick stopped and crouched down to be at eye level with Carl. “Carl, you need to stay here with Daryl, okay?”
“What? No, I want to go with Mom!”
Rick kissed his forehead. “Stay with Daryl.” Rick turned back around and jogged to catch up. Daryl put his hand on Carl’s shoulder to keep him from following.
“Where are they going?” Carl asked, trying to run forwards, but Daryl tightened his grip.
“Get a bunch’a scans,” Daryl explained. The past fifteen minutes of insanity had felt like hours. “It might be a while, c’mon; we should get some food.”
“I’m not hungry! I want to be with Mom!” Carl announced, trying to run after them, but Daryl had to put an arm around his chest when he struggled out of his grip.
“Carl, we can’t go that way. Hey, stop! Kid.” Daryl pulled him to the side and crouched down, trying to look at him, but Carl looked away and continued to struggle; Daryl glanced up at the looks they were getting. Daryl gripped his arms to keep him from running. “Carl, look at me. Look at me,” Daryl repeated, and after a moment, Carl glared at him.
What?”
“I’ll be honest, kid; your mom is in pain and fu-- very scared.” Carl’s glare faded as his eyes went wide. “Bein’ pregnant and bleedin’ in uh… just bleeding ain’t good. She doesn’t want you seein’ her like that or worryin’ ‘bout you. It’s better we stay out here. She knows yer good with me, so her energy can be focused on being strong for your sister. Do you understand?”
Carl nodded. “Is Mom gonna die?”
Daryl froze; his stomach twisted with the thought. “The doctors are going to do everything they can to look after your mom. We got here quickly.”
“What if she does die? Will the baby be okay?”
Daryl immediately regretted his relief at staying with Carl. “Your mom’s gonna be fine. I promise. Let’s go to the cafe. Get a burger or somethin’.”
He stood up straight and held out his hand. It was a testament to Carl’s worry that he took the hand without question. Daryl kept the boy slightly in front of him to keep him from walking into people as Carl kept looking backward.
They walked in silence as Daryl searched for the cafeteria and soon joined the queue.
Daryl ordered them both burgers and fries and some sandwiches to take to Rick, Shane, and Lori later and found a table. When Carl just played with his food, Daryl thought about Rick telling him off but couldn’t bring himself to. He wasn’t hungry either.
He tried to think of something to distract Carl, but he was at a loss for words.
“Is it my fault?” Carl blurted.
Daryl’s head shot up from his food, and he peered at Carl. “Why would ya think that?”
Carl shrugged. “I wanted to come to the beach.”
“No, ki-- No, Carl. It ain’t your fault. These things happen. It woulda happened anyway, but we were together, so your dad and Shane can look after your mom, and I can look after you.”
“Okay…” Carl ate a single fry and thought about his words. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” Daryl said. “You ain’t ta blame.”
“I was there last time! I know what to do!”
“Stand there and support Lori?! I know we hurt you, but I am with Lori now, and I am going in there while our baby is born!”
“You don’t kn--”
“Hey!” The doctor shouted, glaring between them both. “If you keep arguing, nobody is going in there! We need to go; whoever is coming, come.”
“Rick,” Shane said, his eyes wide and meaningful.
Rick sighed and nodded, stepping back and letting Shane rush to follow Lori.
Rick stood quietly in the corridor, lost. He wanted nothing more than to be in there holding Lori’s hand. It didn’t matter if the baby was his or not, they were going to be a family, and he’d always care for Lori. But Carl was probably worrying, so Rick forced himself to find Daryl.
He found them in the cafeteria, on a table in the corner. They were both focused on piling their fries; Daryl had a half-eaten burger while Carl’s was barely touched.
“Hey, didn’t I teach you not to play with your food?” Rick asked.
“Dad!” Carl blurted, abandoning his tower and spinning in his chair to hug Rick. “Is Mom okay?”
“Yeah. The baby is coming, but there are some… issues. She’s getting a C-section. But it’s okay because that’s what happened when you were born. Shane’s in with her now.”
Rick stole a chip from Carl’s plate, more for something to do than actual hunger.
“Grabbed some sandwiches for ya, but I can get something hot if you want?” Daryl offered, gesturing at a bag by his feet.
Rick shook his head and adjusted Carl in his arms to sit on his lap, back against his chest, hugging him close. “Thanks, though. You two okay?”
“Daryl bet I couldn’t make a taller fry tower than him.”
“It looked like you were winning before you knocked them over.” Rick winked at Daryl, who smiled thinly.
“Nah, I think you gotta start again,” Daryl said, peering at Carl. “I need it proved.”
Carl narrowed his eyes in an attempt to copy Daryl’s expression, but he couldn’t hold it and grinned. “Okay! After I pee.” Carl struggled off Rick’s lap.
“Want me to come with?” Rick asked, seeing the door for the toilets across from them.
“I’m seven, Dad,” Carl said as though it meant a lot.
“Okay. I’m right out here.” He adjusted his chair so he could see the toilet door as Carl ran towards it, a bit relieved he didn’t have to go with him.
“Hey, you okay?” Daryl asked as soon as Carl was out of earshot.
Rick shrugged. “Worried. Carl was born by c-section, but that was because he breached.” Rick bit his lip. “But the baby, she decided to come, but Lori’s bleeding. They think the cord has prolapsed.”
Daryl narrowed his eyes. “What does that mean?”
“The cord is coming out ahead of the baby. Cuts off oxygen and nutrients. Lori will probably be okay, but the baby…” Rick took in a shaking breath. “Thank you for taking Carl. Means a lot knowing you’ve got him.”
“Course.”
“I’ll probably have Carl for a few days at least.”
“I figured. Give them a chance to settle.”
Rick looked at Daryl seriously, but he hesitated. Daryl was a flight risk with commitment, but he hadn’t given Rick any reason to believe he would leave. He couldn’t put it off any longer. “We haven’t talked about if the baby’s mine.”
He watched Daryl carefully as the other man tensed and looked away and then seemed to steel himself and nodded. “I love Carl.”
Daryl said the words like there was a lot more in those three words, and Rick understood. Daryl loved Carl like his own. He would love any of Rick’s kids like his own.
Before Rick could delve deeper into the conversation, Carl ran back towards them and climbed onto Rick’s lap.
“Did you wash your hands?” Rick asked.
“Yes, Dad,” Carl sighed.
The minutes felt like hours as Rick and Daryl tried to distract Carl.
Until finally, his phone started ringing with Shane’s name on the screen.
“Shane?”
“They’re okay,” Shane breathed. “They’re both okay. It’s a girl.”
Rick let out a heavy breath. “Thank God. They’re okay,” Rick repeated to Daryl and Carl. Both of them grinned, and Carl hugged Daryl.
“I tried to find you in the waiting room?” Shane asked.
“We’re in the cafeteria. Making statues out of food.”
“I’ll be right there. I’ll take you to them. They’re just finishing Lori’s stitches and cleaning the baby up, and checking them both out.”
The phone clicked off. Rick pocketed his own phone and picked up Daryl’s cold, uneaten burger to take a large bite out of it. Daryl chuckled and ate some of his chips.
Carl frowned at both of them. “It’s cold. Yuck!”
“Don’t care. I’m starving.” He finished the burger in time for Shane to arrive.
Rick put Carl on the ground to stand up and hug Shane tightly. “Thank God.”
Rick held the baby in his arms, staring down at her. She was beautiful. Smaller than Carl had been but surprisingly healthy for her age. She started crying softly, surprised at the sudden movement of being picked up by a new person, but Rick didn’t care as he rocked her carefully in an attempt to soothe her.
Rick held her tightly but gently, surprised at the intense love flowing through him. He remembered the first time he held Carl. The tiny baby was crying in his arms. His heart had felt so full then, but the responsibility had terrified him.
He thought it would be easier with the second one, but knowing he wouldn’t get this every day, no matter what the DNA told him, just made it harder.
Looking down at her, he hoped against everything that she was his, but a small part of him already knew the answer. She looked small, squishy, and pink, but he could see Shane in her face.
He didn't know what it was that made him believe she was Shane’s. If it was the way her tiny nose scrunched as she cried. If it were the eyes, even though they weren't developed enough yet for something like that. If it was the cadence of her voice, as she screamed her little head off and sounded nothing like his long-time friend and partner. He didn't know what it was that made him look at her and see Shane. But it was there.
Rick bit back a sigh, disappointment flooding him. Father or not, he vowed to anything out there that he would do everything in his power to keep the girl in his arms safe.
“She’s amazing,” he said to Lori, looking around the room. Shane stood on the other side of Lori, his arm resting on her shoulder, Daryl by the door, arms crossed, and the corner of his lips turned up in a gentle smile, and Carl stood close to Rick on his tiptoes.
“Four weeks early,” Lori said, “but she’s healthy. They want to keep us in for a few days, but then we can go home. Can you take Carl home and bring a car back in a day or two?”
“Yeah, we got him,” Rick said, smiling.
“But I wanna see,” Carl moaned, tugging at Rick’s pants and trying to jump up. Rick adjusted her in his arms and crouched down to be at Carl’s level. “She’s all wrinkly. But cool, hi J-- baby sis.” Rick narrowed his eyes at the slip-up. “Mom! Can we tell them now?” Carl asked.
Rick lifted his eyebrows and looked between them. Shane and Daryl looked just as confused as Rick felt. “Tell us what?”
“Her name,” Lori said with a tired smile. Since it would take up to a week to get the paternity results, they had previously all agreed Lori would name her. “Me and Carl decided together.” She explained and gestured to Carl. He rushed to climb onto the bed beside him. “Go on, you say it.”
Carl looked around the room, tucked against Lori, carefully, after being warned and ducked his head. “We were thinking… Judith.”
Rick looked down at the baby, at Judith, and grinned. “Judith, hi there, Judith. It’s perfect.”
“Yeah?” Carl asked, excited.
“I love it,” Shane added.
Carl and Lori both looked to Daryl for the final verdict. He took a moment to realize they were waiting for his thought as well. His eyes went wide, and he uncrossed his arms. “Yeah. It’s… real good. I like it.”
Carl relaxed, his smile wide.
“Wanna hold her?” Rick asked Daryl.
Daryl looked to Lori before nodding, and Rick carefully passed her to him. “Hey, Judith. Ain’t you gorgeous, huh?” Daryl asked. She yawned in his arms and flexed her legs, kicking his other arm. “Although, I think Lil Asskicker fits her better.”
Daryl looked up, gauging their reactions. Smiling when Carl giggled.
Rick leaned back and watched the baby comfortable in Daryl’s arms. She looked even smaller in his muscular arms, but she fit perfectly. He wondered if Daryl would ever want to adopt their own but quickly pushed that thought away. That was at least a few years away.
For now, Rick would do everything in his power to keep Judith safe and happy, Shane's baby or not.