In Another World (Kathryl One-Shots)

A World In Which Papa Bear Goes On Offense

Daryl hummed slightly as he jumped up the steps of his home. He was home early, which was very unusual for a Friday night, but he wasn't complaining. His keys jingled merrily as he retrieved them from his pocket, and flipped through the ring to find the correct key.

The second Daryl stepped inside, he knew something was wrong. He could feel the tension in the air. Quickly kicking off his boots, he made his way into the living room. Daryl stopped cold in his tracks at the sight before him.

Emma and Kathryn were curled up on the couch. Emma looked as if she were twelve again, not the seventeen year old she was, as she lay curled against Kathryn's side, head buried in her mother's shoulder. Daryl saw how Emma's shoulders shook with every breath she took, and how Kathryn had a pained expression across her features. Daryl's heart continued to race in his chest. What had happened?

Kathryn, feeling Daryl's gaze, looked over at him. His blue eyes shone with so much raw concern it made her heart swell slightly. She motioned to her right with a tilt of her head, and Daryl got the message. He cautiously approached the couch as if Emma were a deer about to take off. As he sat down, the cushions barely moved.

The relationship Emma had with her parents wasn't one you would expect a seventeen year old to have. She loved her parents dearly, and there was seldom ever a fight between them. She was both a mama's and daddy's girl, though some could argue she leaned more towards the daddy's girl side.

Emma ventured a glance over at Daryl, and Daryl frowned as he saw her blue eyes were swimming in tears. She hastily wiped the tears from her cheeks as she didn't much like crying in the first place, let alone in front of someone as strong as her dad.

"Darling, what happened?" Daryl asked quietly.

Emma straighten and tried to collect herself. "Today I, uh, found out that Ryan was, um, cheating on me." Emma voice cut off short as she tried to hold back her tears. She should've known that he had been cheating. Now, looking back, all the signs were so clear.

Anger flared through Daryl. He hadn't liked that boy to begin with, and now he had hurt his little girl.

A fresh wave of anger flared through Kathryn. How dare he hurt her little girl.

Emma looked over at her parents, and couldn't help but start crying again as she saw how much they cared for her. "I love you guys," she said through her tears.

Daryl quickly wrapped his arms around Emma, hugging her tightly. Emma wrapped her arms around Daryl's neck and buried her head in his shoulder like she had done with Kathryn. Emma took comfort in the familiar scent of oil and leather that came with her dad.

"We love you, too, Darling," Daryl said, his heartbreaking as he felt tears through his shirt.

Pulling away, Emma stood up from the couch. "I think I'm just gonna lay down for a while," she said with a weak smile.

"Okay, sweetheart," Kathryn said in a soothing voice.

Once Emma had disappeared up the stairs and behind her bedroom door. Daryl was on his feet, pacing the length of the living room.

"I'll kill that boy," he growled.

"I second that," Kathryn said with an equal amount of venom in her voice. She then sighed and dropped her head into her hands. Kathryn looked up once she felt Daryl's arm wrap around her waist. "I can't even tell her I know how she feels," Kathryn said in a softer voice.

Daryl kissed his wife's temple. "She knows we care," he said, trying to reassure himself of this fact as well.

"Mother's are supposed to be able to say, 'hey, I was a teenager, too. I know how that feels.'"