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The Day Unexpectedly Becomes The Most Important Day Of Carl And Belle's Lives (season 8 time-jump, not canon)

Father-Son Bonding

Daryl and Carl didn't have what you would call an easy relationship. When they first met, Carl was afraid of the older man, his personality too rough and aggressive for anyone to get on with. As the years went on and he grew up a little, he realised Daryl cared a lot about the group and a mutual respect formed between the two, although neither one was comfortable enough to admit it. Then the secret of Carl and Belle's relationship came out and things went back to square one, her father assuming the typical overprotective role almost to a fault. It took a lot of time and convincing from the exasperated woman, but eventually they started to get along, something she was desperate for now she was bringing a baby into the world. It was important to her, they both realised, so they set aside their differences and focused on the one thing they agreed on- protecting her.

Still, it shocked Carl when Daryl proposed they go hunting together as a way to bond before the baby was born, something he suspected was Belle's idea.

"Got a name yet?" Daryl gruffly broke the ice, his gentle footfalls strange in comparison to the sound of his voice. He avoided Carl's eyes when he asked the question, his shoulders tensed awkwardly.

"Uh...no. I mean, we haven't decided on one yet, but we have a few ideas." He shrugged, brushing aside the tangles of leaves and branches as he followed the swaying crossbow deeper into the woods.

The corners of Daryl's lips tilted into a frown before he shook it off, keeping his gaze trained on the setting. "Any day now. Better make your mind up quick." He remarked, an air of amusement in his tone.

Everything was ready for the due date, from a specially padded hospital bed to the neatly arranged wires attached to a number of confusing monitors and machines. Siddiq had done it all the moment he arrived, insisting on helping out any way he could to repay his debt to Carl. The boy himself was just relieved the doctor knew what he was talking about, all the medical terms and advice going straight over his head.

"We like Heather." Carl blurted out uncertainly, but the name felt right the moment he said it. "It's one of the only things we can agree on."

Just picturing the little girl who the name would belong to brought a smile to his face, one that Daryl appeared to match.

A granddaughter. His very own. Now a name had been attached to the idea it all seemed so real, a family he never predicted he would have expanding further than he could imagine. This kid really would be the bridge between them, the thing tying his friends and family together.

Daryl thought back to his life before, when he and Merle would drift between one problem and the next without a care in the world. Except he did care, just a little, even if he never admitted it to his older brother. 'I can't keep living like this' he wanted to scream, but he knew all he would get was a laugh and most likely a fist swinging in his direction. Merle always said they would only ever have each other, but he was wrong. Because now Daryl had so much more.

He could almost hear that irritating cackle right now as he forced down joyful tears, turning away from Carl to hide the unexpected grin tugging at his cheeks. Heather would be perfect, as perfect as the parents raising her.

"It's a good name." Daryl agreed, finally meeting Carl's eyes. It was like they were both seeing the same thing, not each other, but the future they would both be involved in. Christmases and birthdays and family holidays, times where they never had to fight again. A baby wasn't the only thing being born, but to them it was the most important.

The possibility of safety shattered momentarily when a series of thunderous footsteps came barrelling towards them, the bushes practically shaking as they prepared their weapons. The trees stopped quivering when Rick's panicked expression came into view, followed by Michonne and Rosita with equally fast paced breathing.

"It's...happening." Rick finally got out between gasps, waving them back home with an urgent hand. That's all it took for Daryl and Carl to race past them, their fear mixing with excitement and a little bit of nerves.

'It's happening. It's happening. It's happening!'

Hilltop wasn't far, much to their relief, but as soon as they set foot inside the gates they could feel the atmosphere buzzing. The entire community had been waiting for this day for the past nine months and finally, it was here.

"Shit!" Carl skidded to a halt several metres away from the infirmary, the door handle suddenly beginning to sway. "I'm not ready." He tried to shake off the dizziness clouding his mind but it was fighting back, bringing black spots to his vision.

A firm hand gripped his shoulder, the darkness fading away as his father's kind face took its place. "This isn't something you'll ever be ready for. All that matters is that it's happening." He advised, guiding his son to the nearest bench. "She's in good hands, Carl. All we can do is wait."

Carl nodded even though he wasn't convinced, his breaths scratching at his throat in pure terror. What if it all went wrong? What if this kid hated him? What if-

The fizz of a bottle opening caused him to blink out of his worried state, the cold glass pressed into his palm. "When you were born, your mother refused to have me in the delivery room. She knew I'd be the one freaking out, so I sat outside with my buddies and had a drink." He smiled comfortingly, clinking his own bottle with Carl's and taking a sip.

Hours passed and still, Carl's drink remained untouched, mostly from fear but partially because this was the first beer he and Rick had ever shared. That was an important moment in itself, not to mention what was going on just a few feet away. He didn't want this feeling to end, but as soon as the infirmary door clicked open he realised so many more amazing things were about to follow.

Maggie descended the steps carefully, a soft smile on her face as she sat opposite them. "Belle and the baby are fine. She passed out a little but she's awake now, if you want to see her." She didn't even try to hide the shakiness in her words, tears of joy glistening along the bottom of her eyes.

Carl nodded, sipped the drink in his hand, winced, then got up from his seat. His legs were trembling at first but with each step he gained more confidence, the once blurry sight of the trailer now as clear as day because he was ready.

He could hear Siddiq's voice first, something about charts and records, but it cut off with the squeak of door hinges. "Congrats," he mumbled with a bashful smile, retreating out the room quickly to give the couple a moment of privacy. Rosita rose from her seat beside Belle, running a hand softly over her hair before following, a quick nod in Carl's direction showing her pride.

And then it was just the two of them. Or rather, three of them.

Belle looked exhausted but beautiful, her gleaming face taking away from the dark circles beneath her eyes and the frizziness of her short hair. Blankets were bundled in her arms, a tiny nose peaking from the material that made Carl's heart stop beating altogether.

The baby's eyes were closed as she slept, a gentle but tight fist curled around her mother's finger. Her hair was so blonde it was basically white, but there was a lot of it framing her face.

"She's got your eyes." Belle whispered, taking her loving gaze off the child briefly. The warm blue was the first thing she noticed, the second being the certainty in her mind that despite all the indecision, her name would be Heather. She looked just like a Heather

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I haven't written in this book for a little while so I just thought this chapter would be nice

Sorry for the slow updates it's been a busy few weeks but I'm working on it I promise

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