𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐋𝐈𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ➳ 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬

Chapter 1 ~ Just a Typical Morning

Note: So sorry that this is a bit late! I was binging Shadowhunters and yeah, I have no shame :P Haha but anyway, here's the first chapter! I hope you like it! :)

I held my breath as I stood with my back against a wall, heart pounding in my chest like a jackhammer. I could practically feel it pumping the blood around in my veins as I tried to stay quiet. Suddenly, I heard the sound of footsteps coming closer and closer. This was it. It was now or never. Carefully, I twisted myself around to where I was facing the doorway.

My fingers wrapped around the white door frame and just as a figure ran across the other room, my hand shot out to grab them. But I was seconds too late and I bit it, landing hard on the wooden floorboards with a loud groan. Incessant giggling erupted from the other end of the hallway and I let out a frustrated sigh.

"Winnie! Come back to mommy this instant!" I moaned, eyes squeezed shut as I let my head drop to the floor in exhaustion.

Winnie, of course, just ignored me and began to toddle off. But not before the front door swung open and a tall figure stepped inside, blocking the rays of sunlight that filtered in behind him. Loud chuckles erupted from above me and I blinked my eyes open tiredly to gaze up into the bright blue eye of my fiancee.

"Angel Dixon, what in the world are you doing on the floor? Don't tell me you've been bested by a toddler?" he teased, his deep voice like velvet to my ears.

I rolled my eyes at him as he helped me stand up, brushing off my jeans legs. But before I had a chance to respond, Winnie came racing past us - her little legs going as fast as possible. Not fast enough for Carl, though, I'm afraid. Wordlessly, he grabbed her and swept her up into his arms, placing her on his hip. She squealed loudly before glancing up into his face. But when she saw who it was, her cocoa-brown eyes immediately lit up and she threw her chubby little arms clumsily around his neck.

"Daddy!" she hollered, grinning from ear-to-ear with her toothless smile.

Carl smiled, rubbing her back with his hand as he held her.

"I'm her favorite clearly," he winked, smirking over at me.

I rolled my eyes playfully, my arms crossed over my chest as I smiled, "Don't get too excited - she did the same thing when Aaron brought over applesauce,"

He arched an eyebrow and I shrugged, "You know how he doesn't eat the stuff,"

Just then, the timer on the oven dinged and I made my way to the kitchen. Sliding my oven mitts on, I took out the steaming cake pan and placed it on the stove top.

"Whatever you're cooking smells good in there!" Carl called to me from the hallway.

I chuckled, shaking my head before shouting back, "Great! But you're not getting any yet! It's for the party tonight!"

I heard the front door open again then just as the back door swung open as well. I glanced over at it, strands of my dark hair falling free from the bun I had it in as my eyes met those of my father's. I grinned as I turned back around to stir the soup I had boiling on the stove.

"Avoiding Carol again?" I teased, knowing the evident crush dad had on her.

"Shut up," he mumbled, placing his crossbow by the back door as he trudged inside, leaving muddy tracks on my clean kitchen floor.

Rick walked into the room then, followed by Carl who was still balancing Winnie on his hip.

"Hey, Rick," I greeted him with a smile as I placed the spoon I'd been stirring with down onto a spoon rest.

He returned the gesture, nodding to me once before smiling over at my daughter and making a motion to pick her up. But before he got to her, Daryl had snatched her from Carl's arms and into his own, the little baby giggling happily as she nuzzled her head into his neck.

"Daryl, we've talked about this-" Rick started to say, placing his hands on his hips.

"She's my grandbaby," he interrupted, his voice gruff as he held the little infant.

"Well, she's mine, too. You can't just-" Rick shot back, blue eyes hard.

I laughed softly, filtering the rest of the argument out as I hoisted myself up to sit on the counter top as I watched them. Carl moved in front of me then and I felt his hands rest on my hips, fingertips grazing across the sliver of skin showing from where the hem of my shirt had come up. I rolled my eyes, grinning as he traced circles on my skin.

"Can't we just lock them out next time?" I whispered, tilting my head slightly to gesture to the two grown-men arguing in my kitchen.

"Sure. I'll help," he whispered back with a mischievous grin plastered to his face as he leaned in for a kiss.

His lips met mine, hands squeezing my hips ever so slightly as he began to deepen the kiss. Suddenly, he bit my lip and I giggled, pulling away from him.

"I love you," he said softly and I smiled up at him, his sheriff's hat brushing against my forehead.

"I love you, too, Grimes."