Double Crossbow (Daryl Dixon) [The Walking Dead]

Chapter 18 ↣ She's ours?

"Do you think the universe fights for souls to be together? Some things are too strange and strong to be coincidences."

— Emery Allen

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Daryl

"THE ONE AND only," Kathryn said with a laugh. 

"What are you doing here?" I asked. 

"By the looks of it baby brother, she's saving your ass," Merle taunted. 

Kathryn glared up Merle. "Despite what you might believe, Daryl is perfectly capable of getting himself out of this situation." Kathryn's gaze flickered back to me. She gently ran a hand through my hair, and that's when I noticed something glinted off her hand. I hesitantly took her hand in mine. My heart almost stopped as I saw a ring was on finger. 

"Who gave this to you?" I asked quietly. 

Kathryn removed her hand from my hand and flicked my forehead. Merle chuckled. "Wow, it's pretty bad when you can't even remember your own wife."

I froze. Kathryn was my wife? A wife. I had a wife, and it was Kathryn? 

"You must've hit your head pretty hard." Kathryn laughed once again. I had never heard her laugh so much. It was nice. 

She looked over her shoulder as a high pitched voice called out, "Mama!" A little girl flew into her arms, and Kathryn cradled her close. The little girl soon looked over at me. She was strangely familiar with her blonde hair, blue eyes, and freckles splattered across her nose. 

"Hi, baby girl," Kathryn said, placing a kiss to the girl's cheek. 

"Daddy, why are you hurt?"

Daddy? "Uh, it's just a scratch. I'll be fine." 

The little girl smiled broadly at me. I felt myself smiling as well. None of this made any sense whatsoever, but I didn't care. It all felt strangely right. 

The little girl got up and walked over to Merle. I stiffened, Merle wasn't the easiest person to get along with. The little girl wrapped herself around Merle's leg and sang, "I got your leg! I got your leg!" 

"Hey, you rascal!" Merle said with a laugh. I tried to remember the last time I had heard him laugh like that.

I looked up at Kathryn with wide eyes. She looked down at me and said, "He absolutely spoils her rotten. He might've been more excited about us having a baby than we were."

"She's ours?" I asked in astonishment. Her familiarity now making sense.

"Of course. Her name's Emma."

"Emma Dixon. That's got a nice ring to it." So did Kathryn Dixon, but I kept that to myself. 

"I'm glad you think so, considering you picked the name."

"Kathryn," I said with a sigh, "none of this makes any sense." 

She narrowed her eyes at me. Her guarded expression returning. "Well, that's sad, not being able to understand what's going on in your own head."

Before I could process what Kathryn had just said, Merle ran up with Emma in his arms. "We have to go!" 

Kathryn jumped to her feet and took Emma from Merle's arms. Suddenly, walkers were everywhere. Emma's terrified screams filled my ears. I fought to move my limbs, but they felt like concrete. I had to protect them. I had to. 

Everything vanished, revealing only one lone walker at my feet. Instinct took over, and I kicked the walker off to the side. I lunged to the right, trying to grab my crossbow, but I didn't have time before the walker was back on top of me. I started to throw punches until I wrestled the walker to the ground. Taking a stick that lie off to my side, I quickly beat the walker's head in. As I looked up, I saw another walker was approaching.