Once A Dixon, Always A Dixon (Daryl Dixon)

Lil Asskicker

Setting: The Prison, Season Three

*Nico's POV*

My hands are red. Lori's blood covers them. I was still holding onto Daryl while Rick had a mental breakdown. I notice two of our own were missing.

"Where's T-Dog? And Carol?" I ask, fearing the answer. Daryl looks broken.

"We found T-Dog. He's dead. And so is Carol," He mutters. Sophia breaks down and cries. I stroked Daryl's head. I knew that he thought of Carol like a sister.

"We'll dig the graves later. Now, we have a more important matter to take care of," Hershel says, hobbling on his crutches. He gestures to the baby in Maggie's arms.

"We need to feed her," Daryl says. "Got anything a baby can eat?"

Hershel walks to the baby girl and looks her over. "Good news is, she looks healthy. But she needs formula, and soon, or she won't survive."

"Oh hell no. No way. Not her," Daryl hisses. "We ain't losin' nobody else. I'm goin' for a run."

"I'll back you up," Maggie offers.

"I'm coming, too," I says. Daryl nods. I pull Beth over.

"Hey. Kid just lost his mom. His dad ain't doin' so hot," I says.

"I'll look after him. Be careful out there," Beth says.

"Nico! Maggie! Vamanos!" Daryl exclaims. Suddenly, Rick stands up, grabs his axe, and runs back into the prison.

"Rick!" Maggie calls, but he ignores her.

"C'mon, let's go! We're losin' light!" Daryl exclaims. "Any place that hasn't been completely looted yet?"

"Glenn and I saw a shopping center, but the cars won't fit through the mess," Maggie says.

"We'll take the bikes. Maggie- you ride with me," I say. I walk to my bike and Maggie sits behind me. I felt a weird twinge in my abdomen.

"You okay?" She asks. I nod.

"Probably just ate somethin' bad," I mumble. I turned the ignition and we sped through the gates.

---

We arrive at the center moments later. "Stay tight," Daryl says. Maggie walks to a gate and pushes it open. Maggie peers through the window and smashes it with the butt of her gun. Maggie and I crawl through the smashed window and enter the abandoned building.

At least, I hope it's abandoned.

Maggie scopes around while I hold up my crossbow, finger on the trigger. She suddenly bends down and opens a cabinet. She grabs two baby bottles and puts them in her bag. Along with that, she snags some blankets.

Daryl crawls through the smashed window. He lands on his feet with a grunt. I notice him looking at some paper hands on the wall with children's names on them.

We leave the room and enter a long hallway. Maggie goes one way and Daryl and I go another. Suddenly, there's a bump. Maggie turns around with a suspicious look on her face. Daryl peers into the room where the bump came from.

It's a small kitchen. Daryl opens the door and we creep in. Daryl gestures to a cabinet. He holds up his crossbow as Maggie opens the cabinet.

The noise is a possum. It hisses and Daryl shoots it.

"Hello dinner," he says with the flashlight in his mouth.

"I'm not putting that in my bag," Maggie says. She opens another cabinet reveal multiple cans of baby formula.

"Jackpot!" I exclaim.

---

We return to the prison at nightfall.

"Guys, they're back!" I hear Glenn exclaim. Axel and Oscar lead the walkers away. The gate opens and we drive in with our new finds. Oscar chains the gate shut.

I park my bike and Maggie hops off. We run into cell block C, where the baby girl is crying. Maggie dumps the contents out of her bag and starts preparing the formula. 

"Shh," Daryl coos the baby and takes her in his arms. I smile at the sight. Carl walks over to me and gives me a hug.

"I'm glad you're safe," He whispers. I hug the him back.

"You too, Grimes," I joke.

Beth hands Daryl a bottle of formula and he starts feeding the child. He smiles. A genuine smile.

"She got a name yet?" he asks Carl.

Carl shrugs. "Not yet. I was thinking, maybe Sophia? Then there's Carol too. Andrea, Amy. Jacqui, Patricia. Or... Lori, I don't know," Carl says, frustration in his voice.

Daryl looks at the baby and grins. "Yeah... You like that? Huh?" he says. "Little ass kicker? Right?" We all laugh.

"That's a good name, right? L'il Ass-Kicker. You like that, huh? You like that, sweetheart?" he coos. I'm grinning so hard now, I'm surprised my mouth hadn't fallen off yet. Everyone else looks happy to.

This is a side of Daryl no one but me has ever seen before.

"Can I hold her?" I ask. Daryl smiles again and gives me L'il Ass-Kicker. I take the bottle from her mouth and look at her eyes. They're not blue, like Rick's.

They're chocolate brown. Just like Shane's.

"She's so beautiful," I say. L'il Ass-Kicker coos and grabs at my hair.

I really like this kid.

---

*Next Morning*

I wake up without the warm presence of Daryl. I get up from the mattress and walk down the stairs. Everyone else seems to be asleep. As I walk down, a wave of nausea overtakes me.  I manage to get it back down.

What the hell? Ever since we found the prisoners, I've had these weird nausea waves. I dismiss it as nothing and walk outside. The sun is just now rising. 

The nausea wave hits again. This time, I'm not able to get it down. I puke up whatever I ate yesterday on the concrete walkway.

I keep walking and see Daryl in the field. He's crouched over Carol's grave. I walk behind him and sit down.

"I'm sorry," I whisper. "I know how much she meant to you."

He nods. "She was like the sister I never had," he mutters.

I try to make some light. "Y'know," I start. "There's a possibility that she's still alive. We never found a body."  I feel his shoulder relax.

"Tell you what. Later today, I'll take you down to the tombs and help you look for her myself," I offer. The corners of his mouth turn up. Barely, but the smile's there.

I kiss that smile and lay my head on his shoulder.

 

 

 

A/N: So Daryl is pretty broken by Carol's death. Honestly, it's so sad that he loses so many people.

Questions:

1) Will Daryl and Nico find Carol?

2) How will Rick and Carl cope with the loss of Lori and their new addition?

3) The biggest question of them all: IS NICO PREGNANT?