The cause of you.

1

Daryl:
"Judy!" I called out for the little girl I was supposed to care for. No answer. That's bad. It's always bad when she's quiet. "Asskicker!" I called out again using her nickname. "I'm here!" Her tiny voice rung out. I felt myself calming down a little as she appeared from out of the trees. "You need to learn to answer people. Understood?" I asked quickly being cut off by the tiny blonde. "Okay, okay, I got it. You can lecture me later about safety but now is not the time.." she never interrupts me. "What's wrong Judith. Walkers? People?" I prayed it was just walkers. After they're easier to deal with than people.
"It's not that..it's a man. He's seriously hurt and he looks half dead. He was pleading for my help, we can't just leave him." For fucks sake. "Judy, he's a threat. Think about your dad, Michonne, Carl,-"
"Please. For me?" God not this again. She knows her way through me I'll give her that. I sigh. "Fine. Lead the way little Asskicker." I felt her hand grab mine as she began to make her way through the trees to the man she was speaking of. It was quiet. But sadly, it wouldn't stay that way for long. It never does. And when it is, it's never a good thing. Judith abruptly stopped walking and she pointed down to the ground. I followed her tiny finger to see a skinny man with long hair. "He's unconscious." She stated the obvious. "No shit huh little Asskicker?" I took a knee and examined the man checking for what injured him. "Shot." Judy's voice was so soft that it was barely above a whisper. I sighed pulling out some bandages and began to work his wound. "Alright Judy. I stopped his bleeding." I looked over at her as she stared at the mysterious man with sad eyes. I knew what she wanted. And it wasn't happening. "Big Asskicker please. He's hurt. It won't even be for long." I hesitated. He seems alone. If it was a setup I'm sure it would've been over by now. "Ugh. Fine. But watch my back got it? Whoever shot him could still be out here." I picked up the long haired man and threw him over my shoulder beginning to walk back to Alexandria. He was..surprisingly really light. I guess Judy wasn't kidding when she said he was almost half dead, he weighed less than the average adult. And you could tell it.

Back at Alexandria:
Seeing Judy and I arrive back home Rick opened the gates. I stepped in first awaiting my ear full from Rick about bringing a stranger home. And frankly it might be deserved. "Judy." Rick cleared his voice. "Why don't you go play with Carl while I have a word uncle Daryl." I felt my hands get sweaty and not from carrying the light weight of a man on my back. Judith nodded her head and skipped along to find Carl. Rick turned to me with uncertainty in his eyes. "Daryl. Who is that? And why did you bring him here?" Rick pinched bridge of his nose sighing. I looked down at the ground. "Judith found him..she begged me to let him come back with us. Rick I couldn't let her down, the kid would never forgive me." I kept my gaze at the ground to avoid  Ricks eyes. "Daryl. That kid will never hate you. She loves you more than anything else in the universe. And that man. He can stay here but I don't like it. You keep eyes and tabs on him 24/7 and don't let him out of your sight. Take him to the doctor for right now and when and if he wakes up he stays with you at your house. Am I understood?" I nodded. "Your the boss." I began to walk to my house. Once there I threw the man on the couch and began to take of his shirt to inspect the gunshot on his side. "Shit..not deep, but not good.." I gently moved my hand to touch his stomach gently. The other man shot up from the couch pulled a knife on me. "Who the fuck are you!? Where am I!?" He shouted. "Daryl. Daryl Dixon. And the guy who saved your ass. Your in Alexandria. And your safe. Your welcome. Now I suggest you lay your ass back down and let me see that wound before it's infected and you become a biter, and a goner." The man hesitantly lays back down on the couch and I rub alcohol over the marks and cuts causing him to hiss and grit his teeth in pain. "I know, I know, just hush. The more you move the worse it is. What's your name anyway?" He nodded closing his eyes. "Paul Rovia. But my friends used to call me Jesus. Your pick." That's quite a name. I grunted in response as I finished my work. "Well, guess your going to be here with me for a while until Rick can find you your own damn house..your room, upstairs on the left." The man nodded in reply. "What? You want a kiss on the cheek sunshine. Get your ass upstairs." Paul or Jesus whatever rolled his eyes at my comment and made his way upstairs.