Adapting (A Daryl Dixon/ The Walking Dead Fanfiction)

Chapter 46

Gemma's P.O.V
The church is filled with laughter and talking as everyone sits around eating their meals. I sit with Daryl beside me as he speaks with Sasha and Bob in front of us. When we got back from the the supply run and he heard what happened, he was extremely angry with me. I hid the prenatal vitamins in my bag so no one would find them, the pregnancy test still in the waistline of my jeans.

I sit staring at the floor, my mind running at a million miles an hour. I'm afraid to take the test and this whole thing will become real. The reality of the situation becoming real scaring me to death. I know that if I am pregnant, this group will be put at risk. My family, my hunter. I'd let nothing in this world harm or put Daryl in danger and this baby would be one of those things.

As I think, I feel a hand be placed on my own and I look down to see a hand with a wedding ring that I placed there. I look up and see Daryl looking down at me, his expression soft and loving. I turn my hand over and intertwine my fingers with his, squeezing them tightly. He leans his forehead down and presses it against my own and whispers, "I love you."

"I love you too." I say, my fingers skimming over the copper ring.

"You don't have to be afraid."

I nod my head feebly, "I know."

He lifts my chin with his finger, looking me in the eye, "Then why are you?"

My eyes search his face, taking in everything I fell in love with. He looks back at me with confused eyes, waiting for my answer I go to speak when Tara stands beside me, a bottle of wine in her hand, "I see you haven't had any yet."

I still at the close proximity, the smell wafting into my lungs. My hand clamps around Daryl's as I look in fear at the bottle. My eyes are focused, seeing the reddish liquid slosh around inside. My breathing becomes rapid, my heart rate increasing. I feel the eyes of the others on me, gaging my reaction.

"I can't." I whisper somewhat shakily.

"It's just a drink, let your hair down." She says, pushing the bottle in my face.

I turn away, closing my eyes, "Get it away from me."

"Gemma-" she prods.

"Just get it away!" I yell, my eyes blazing.

The whole group silences and stares in my direction as I look at the drink.

"Tara, I think it's best if you get that bottle as far away as you can." Sasha says.

Tara looks around puzzled between our little group before recognition lights up her face. She steps back and mumbles an apology. I stare after her, my mouth salivating.

"Gemma." The southern drawl whispers.

After a moment I turn my eyes and look into my Georgian blues, my safety net, "Are you okay?"

I let out a shaky breath and nod my head, "I'm fine."

He looks at me for a moment, his eyebrows creased and his lips pursed. He gives me a nod and I return it, looking away. I notice Bob looking at me with a distant, blank look though his eyes hold emotion. I remember that Bob has the same affliction as me. I give him a tight smile and he turns away.

Abraham calls out to the group, "I'd like to propose a toast!"

Everyone takes their seats and grabs their drinks, mine a bottle of water.

"I look around this room and I see survivors. Each and everyone of you has earned that title. To the survivors!" He declares, holding up his class.

"To the survivors!" People cheer.

"Is that all you wanna be? Wake up in the morning, fight the undead pricks, forage for food, go to sleep at night with two eyes open, rinse and repeat? Cause you can do that. I mean you've got the strength, you got the skill. The thing is for you people, what you can do well that's just surrender." Abraham explains before continuing, "Now we get Eugene to Washington and he will make he dead die and the living can have this world again and that is not a bad takeaway for this little road trip. Eugene what's in DC?"

"Infrastructure constructed to withstand a pandemic even at this full blown magnitude. That means food, fuel, refuge. Restart." He states.

"However this plays out, however long it takes for the reset button to kick in you can be safe there. Safer than you've been since this whole thing started." Abraham says and my thoughts drift to my father and the CDC, how safe we were till the power ran out.

He turns to Rick, "Come with us, save the world for that little one."

I fell Daryl's hand tighten around mine and I turn to see him looking at me, looking at my stomach.

"Save it for yourselves. Save it for the people out there, who've got nothing left to do but survive."

The room is silent as we all look around, my eyes finding Rick's. He looks at me and I give him a nod and he chuckles, looking down at Judith who makes noises.

"What was that? I think she knows what I'm about to say. She's in, if she's in I'm in. We're in." Rick smiles and the room erupts into cheers.

I smile and look down at my stomach and bite my lip in apprehension. Gingerly, I place my hand over my stomach. A larger hand covers mine and I look up into the eyes of my hunter, who smiles lovingly down at me. I lean forward and press a soft, gentle kiss on his lips, my hand brushing along his stubble. His other hand grasps mine and he leans his forehead against mine. He gives me a kiss before pulling away and standing up.

"Where are you going?" I ask.

"I'm gonna go check on Carol." He says.

I nod, "Okay, love you."

He leans down and kisses the top of my head, "You too."

He grabs his crossbow and walks down the aisle and out of the church, the doors closing behind him. I see Bob and Sasha kiss before she stands up and walks over to Judith. Bob turns his head and looks at me, his eyes filled with sorrow. He stands up and walks outside, wanting to be alone. I lean against the side of the pew, felling the box digging into the small of my back. Taking a deep breath, I decide to finally put the the question at rest.

I stand up and walk out of the church, quietly closing it behind me. I grab my knife from my belt and walk some way into the woods. I stop by a tree and pull the box out of my back pocket, reading the instructions in the moonlight. I open it and pull out the white stick, tearing the packaging off.

I undo my belt and pull down my jeans, kneeling and follow the instructions. I hear a sound in the woods and I stand up, pulling my jeans back into place. I look around and see nothing, just the ever widening expanse of the woods. I look down at the stick and bite my lip, staring at the small screen.

The sound of the night is deafening, hundreds of different noises combining in one. I hear a twig snap and I look around, a feeling of dread overcoming me. I place the stick in my pocket and grab my knife, walking further into the woods. I hear a scuffle in the distance and tiptoe forward, not drawing attention to myself.

The leaves rustle beside the church and I hold my knife tightly in my hand as I go to investigate the source. I see a dark figure hunched over something on the ground and I peer through the branches to get a closer look. I squint my eyes and gasp silently in shock, seeing Bob's unconscious figure on the ground.

The sound of a twig snapping behind me draws my attention and I turn to see a dark figure lunge at me. It's arms wrap around me and I grunt at the force. I struggle to get out of the person's grip and I thrust my foot down onto the attacker's foot and they yell in pain, loosening their grip. I push the person backwards and kick against their chest, knocking them to the floor.

I continue to kick at the person when suddenly I feel a sharp blow to the back of my head. I fall to the ground and reach my hand up to my head, feeling blood matting my hair. I groan and I turn to see another dark figure standing over me. They raise their foot into the air and it slams into my face, causing me to go unconscious.