A Survivor's Diary of the Apocalypse (TWD/Daryl Dixon)

S8Pt3 - A New Addition to the Family

Daryl took lead and left the room first, double checking the hallway before we made a run to the right. Daryl had his pistol aimed in front of him and I followed behind him with Rick watching our back. We made it to the middle of the hall and ducked into an opening in the hall that led to a room.
We then heard gunshots and they flew through the hallway. "It's them!" A voice yelled out.
"Shit." I shouted.
I peeked out the corner and started firing. I ran out of cover and to a room across the hall to get a better angle. We were blocked in by two guys on either side of the hall, and we were all firing at each other. I peeked out the corner again and fired at one of the Saviors, and he fell to the ground.
"Got one!" I called out over the gunfire.
I looked over and saw Rick ran out of ammo. "Hey!" I called out, and pulled out a mag of rifle ammo. "Here."
I tossed him the ammo and he kept firing.
"Hey! Hey!" I heard Daryl yell and we both looked at him. "I'm out."
I quickly looked around and noticed a fire extinguisher across the hall in front of me.
"Guys, guys!" I yelled and pointed at it with my blade.
They nodded and I raised my pistol. I shot at the fire extinguisher and it hissed as it sprayed everywhere. It created a cloud that was almost impossible to see through.
"Come on!" I yelled.
Daryl ran across the hall and next to me and caught his breath. We then heard the Saviors coming closer, and got ready to fight. I heard one getting close, so I stepped out of cover and swung my blade, stabbing a man right in the chest. He groaned in pain and I shot him in the head. Daryl killed one, and Rick killed the last. Now, the hallway was still clouded but we heard more footsteps and hid against the wall for cover.
"Check the rooms! Sweep the building." We heard a familiar voice say.
"Hey." I thought out loud. "Aaron!" I called out.
"Kelley!" He called back.
"We're by the elevator." I said.
A few seconds later, Aaron and his group arrived and found us. He patted Rick's back and they nodded.
"Come on. Let's get out of here." Rick said.
We all agreed and left Aaron's group to sweep the building. Rick led us back outside where some Alexandrians were still around. We were going around and killing all the people that died and turned to walkers. Some of them were our own, but most of them were Saviors. I was walking by a walker feeding on a Savior when an arrow hit the walker. It slumped over and I pulled the arrow out while stabbing the guy's head on the ground so he wouldn't come back either.
Daryl walked next to me and I held out his arrow silently and he took it. I then looked at him and put my hand on his shoulder.
"One hell of a day." I said to us.
"Yeah. Worse one tomorrow." He said.
I nodded in agreement and we kept walking. "Yup. I know.."
Rick was walking around the bodies, taking pictures on a Polaroid of every single dead Savior. He was saving them to give to Negan, just like Negan did to us. I then noticed he was wiping away tears and walked back inside the building. Thinking it was about Morales, I let him be.
Daryl was getting ready to leave and I stood waiting with him. We were at his bike and next to a car when Rick walked out, and now I know why he was crying.
He held a baby in his arms, no more than 6 months old, and he was walking towards me.
"Was she in there?" I asked.
Rick nodded and the baby started cooing. I held my hand up to my mouth in surprise and stared at the baby.
"She was." Rick said. "I-I killed her father.. the mother is.. I don't know, she's just alone."
I just shook my head and looked at Daryl. I knew he felt bad, and I could see it in his eyes he was thinking of Lee.
"Maybe the Hilltop can take her." Rick sighed and looked at Tobin, who bit his lip anxiously.
"Rick." I then said.
He looked at me and then I looked at Daryl.
"Kell... I don't know." He said.
"She's just a baby." I said.
Daryl sighed and looked at the baby, and she slowly fluttered her eyes open at him. Daryl closed his eyes and shook his head, fighting his feelings right now.
"What if this was Lee? Wouldn't you want someone to take him in?" I asked.
Daryl opened his eyes and looked at me, and I knew he was caving in. "Come on. Didn't you say you wanted another kid some day?" I said.
"I... did. Yeah." Daryl muttered and sighed with defeat.
He then slowly nodded his head and looked at the baby. I held my arm out and Rick gave her to me. I rocked her back and forth and smiled at her, and she smiled back at me.
"Does she have a name?" I asked.
"No." Rick said.
I sighed and looked down at her, and kissed her forehead. I then turned around and Daryl looked at us together.
"Better get to thinking." Daryl told me.
I nodded and rocked the baby again. "Okay. Shh. Shh. Shh. That's right baby."
I then looked at Rick and he watched me. "Are you sure?" He asked me.
"Yeah." I nodded and looked at Daryl. "Yeah, we'll take her."
Daryl nodded and caressed the baby's cheek, and I watched them together. I sighed and looked up at Daryl.
"I'll see you at home." I said. "Be safe out here."
Daryl nodded and held my face with both hands. "I love you. I'll be back soon." He said.
"Thank you Kelley." Rick then said and touched the baby's head. "Thanks..."
I nodded and stared at this little baby in my arm, and smiled to myself. I couldn't help it, but out of all the chaos, in this moment, I felt like this is what I was made for. I will protect this little girl. I will raise her like my own. That's how I will fight. I fight by keeping my family alive.

~~~~~~~~~~

I arrived back at Alexandria, and I was exhausted. It was a long day and I just wanted to close my eyes, and then I looked at the little baby next to me. I got out of the car and walked over to the passengers side, took the baby out of the car, and she stretched in my arms.
"I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" I talked softly in my baby voice. "I did, huh."
She just puckered her lips and yawned, and I smiled at how cute she was. You know, I did always want a daughter too.
I walked us home and once I stood in my living room I saw Carl playing with the kids. He turned around and looked at me, then the baby.
"Who's that?" Carl asked, got up, and came over to touch the baby.
"She was left at one of the outposts. I told Rick I'd take her in." I said.
"That's nice." Carl said quietly and looked at the baby. "She's a Savior's baby?" He then asked.
I just sighed and nodded. "It doesn't mean anything. She's one of us now."
Carl nodded. "I know." He said and then smiled. "She's lucky. She has you for a mom now too."
I smiled back and opened my other arm and hugged Carl gently. I then sighed and walked into the living room and let the baby lay on the floor. She wiggled around and rolled herself onto her stomach and laid their. Lee was laying right next to her and they were watching each other. I pet Lee's head and then looked over at Judith.
"Hey Judy. How was your day?" I asked.
"Good. Good. Good." She said and waved her hands at me.
I smiled and picked her up and kissed her head. "I'm glad it was good baby." I then sat her down and pointed at the new baby. "She's coming to stay with us. She's part of our family now." I said.
"Sis-derr?" Judith asked.
"Yeah Judy. That's your sister." I said.
She clapped her hands and then crawled over to lay with the little babies. I just sighed and walked into the kitchen. I took off my prosthetic arm and set it on the table and began making bottles for Lee and the baby. Once I made them, Carl said he would feed Lee, so I fed the new baby. I could tell the poor thing was hungry because she tried to grab the bottle from me, even though she possibly couldn't.
So there I was, coming home from a full day of war, to my kids who need me. I looked at Judith, then Carl and Lee, and now this new baby. And then it hit me.
"Georgia." I whispered.
It was all coming around full circle. In the very beginning I met this group and they took me in, becoming my new family, in Georgia. After all these years and after what we've been through, I now still fight for them everyday, to keep us alive and safe. I came to the realization that it doesn't matter what has happened in the past, or what happens in the future, just as long at the kids are safe. I knew that my job was to solely protect them, and I will do that however I can for the rest of my life. And now, I know why that is... It all started with Georgia.