No Tomorrow

.

Jay was under the hood of a jeep on the other side of the compound and Daryl was finishing refueling it up with a small red keg of gasoline. I suddenly couldn't look at Daryl while I made my way over to the jeep so I just went to stand behind Jay and tried to speak but the lump forming in my throat was threatening to choke me.

"Erm....can I have a few mintues before we leave?"

Jay stepped back with grease smeared over his knuckles and on his chin and his dark eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Sure, but what's wrong? Surely the check up didn't go wrong?"

I heard Daryl putting down the gas can and I had to swallow back the wave of bile that was trying to creep up my throat and I had to swallow before I tried to speak again.

"N-no, I just need a moment."

Jay looked like he was about to say something but I just put a finger to my lips.

"Do me a favor.....don't listen in ok?"

He nodded and I rounded the jeep and just pushed on Daryl's back until we were near the first bit of fencing that led outside down to the gravel path to the main set of fences below.

"You good? Do you not want to go anymore?"

"I'm still going...but I'd rather you hear this from me then anyone else. But we screwed up majorly."

I twisted the ring around and around on my finger until Daryl groaned and grabbed my chin in his hands until I was forced to look into his eyes.

"What are you talking about? We're fine, we haven't had any problems-"

"I'm pregnant. A few weeks, according to Hershel."

"........"

Daryl stopped talking and his hands fell away from my face while all the emotions played across his face; first shock, then pain, but when anger flashed across his face I was shocked that it honestly scared me. His hands were flexing into fists at his hips and I could all but sense his blood pressure spiking up.

"Please tell me that you're joking. P l e a s e tell me that this is a god damned joke."

I recoiledwhen the tone of his voice leaked his anger and my left arm raised itself up automatically so I could protect my face, I knew that he would never hit me but these were habits I carried all my life.

"I'm not- you don't have to yell at me you know."

He grabbed my wrist and yanked at my arm but I ripped my arm away and growled at him.

"Don't touch me like that."

"You can't keep that fucking baby Belle, look at what happened to Lori! Get rid of the damn thing. We don't need a fucking baby Belle."

"I get a choice in this too you know!"

He threw his hands up into the air and his voice turned into a low yell.

"So do I, and I don't want to raise a god damned baby for fuck's sake!"

One of his hands came down too fast for my eyes to catch and the next thing I knew, he'd slapped me and sent me tumbling back into a blue bin that had been moved outside to collect rain water.

"Don't you fucking touch her!"

I held my stinging face and Jay came running up to me with a look of pure fury on his face, he held me by the shoulders and turned me around so I was half way hidden from Daryl's view; his face looked shocked at what he did but he made no move to say sorry.

"I've tolerated a lot of damn shit from you but I will not let you lay a hand on her like that. Get out of my sight now before I throttle your fucking ass."

Daryl stomped away and Jay turned his attention to me almost instantly, letting go of my shoulders so he could pull my hand away from my face and check my cheek.

"Are you ok? Why did he hit you?"

"....I'm fine, and it was over something I told him is all.."

I did my best to politely push his hands away from my face and just walked over to the jeep to open the passenger door, the interior of the jeep smelled strongly of dust and by the time Jay opened the drivers' door it squeaked like a mouse, grease joining the stale dust smell.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"I'll have to."

I didn't bother to buckle down when he flipped the key into the ignition and drove across the lot to wait until someone came along and rolled the gates open for us, Axl opened this one and Oscar was waiting further down the gravel at the main one; of all the prisoners whowere left these two were the only ones Rick trusted not to kill for now. Oscar waved as we rolled out and I setttled back into the seat to try and get comfortable before I told him, I looked at the ring on my hand for the quickest second before turning my head around to look out the open window; I wasn't even sure I had a reason to wear it anymore.

"Hershel thinks that my body works faster then a normal womans' should, the uh....check up went really well. He even said that I could have children one day."

I saw him look at me from the corner of my eye and I knew that he had to be confused, his hands were tight on the steering wheel and for a second I thought he was going to break it.

"That's...good to know I guess...but that can't be why he hit you."

I tapped a few fingers against my thighs and shrugged, my right leg had started bouncing up and down on its own accord and wasn't stopping.

"It is...because I adapted so well. I'm a few weeks pregnant Jay."