Fire and Ice

I will

Lexi walked quickly trying to catch up with Daryl who was heading for his truck.

"Daryl, wait up!" Lexi called, starting to run.

Watching Daryl stop and look at her agitated,  Lexi was a little taken aback by it.

"What Lexi?" Daryl asked irritated.

"Nothing, I just...I want to go with you, to help" Lexi said softly.

"Haven't you helped enough?" Daryl griped but regretted the words as soon as he said them.

"Are you blaming me for this?" Lexi asked, stunned.

"No...I'm sorry...I blame myself.  It's just when I'm near you I only have one thing on my mind and it's not my son.  If I would have been the dad I'm supposed to be, she would have never been able to take him" Daryl said, clearly in pain.

"Daryl, this took some careful planning and she knows you can't be with him twenty-four seven, she had to be just biding her time....I know it's easy for me to say but you can't blame yourself for this....or Merle.  I honestly don't believe he had anything to do with this." Lexi pleaded.

"Yeah well, we'll see about that." Daryl said gruffly.

"So now what?  Are you supposed to meet her somewhere?" Lexi asked

"I don't know, all she said was that we needed to talk" Daryl sighed, leaning against his truck.

"So you're not even sure she has him?" Lexi asked surprised.

"No, I'm sure and I'm sure it's about her wanting more money.  I'll give her everything I have, I just want my boy back" Daryl whispered in tears.

Lexi wrapped her arms around him as he softly cried into her shoulder.

"I'm so lost without him" Daryl said softly

"We'll get him back Daryl, we will but we need to go to the police" Lexi said firmly

"No, I can't...what if she sees the cops and runs and takes Luke with her?" Daryl said worriedly.

"And what if she knows anytime she needs money all she has to do is steal Luke and you'll give her whatever she wants.  We can't live like that and Luke can't go through life worrying if his biological mother is waiting around the corner to snag him again." Lexi argued.

Daryl stared at her and then finally nodded.  Getting into the truck, Lexi watched the scenery fly by as Daryl drove to the police station.  Pulling into the parking lot, Lexi and Daryl ran inside as several faces turned and smiled at Daryl.

"Hey Daryl!  What can we do for you?  How's your little boy?" asked one of the sheriffs

"That's why we're here" Daryl said hoarsely "Luke has been kidnapped and I know who took him"

"Hang on" the sheriff said sternly "Let me get the chief"

Sitting down with the officers, Daryl told them everything about with Sarah and her signing away her parental rights and him giving her money to leave.  

"So you're sure she took him? Because I mean 'we need to talk' could mean anything Daryl" questioned the chief.

"No...I know it's her." Daryl said softly, looking down at his phone as it buzzed.  Reading the message, he looked at the officers and showed them his phone. "Any more questions?"

Lexi looked over and read the message and felt her stomach turn.

"If u want Luke back, u need to give me $50,000. i know u have it Daryl, if u can hand me $10,000 like it was nothing, i know there has to be a lot more"