Hate That I Love You

Chapter 23

The last thing I heard and saw was Rick yelling no and then falling to the ground then everything went black. When I woke up I was in my cell on my bunk. I tried sitting up but groaned as pain shot through me.

"Wow. Wow. Lay down," I heard a gruff voice.

"Daryl?" I said confused.

"Mmhmm," he hummed.

"Rick? Lori? The baby?" I said.

"Lori didn't make it. Maggie had to do a c-section. Carl put Lori down," he said.

I felt hot tears running down my face. "The baby?" I asked.

"She's fine and healthy," he said.

"She? I have a niece. How's Rick?" I asked.

"Not good. He's where ever Lori, Carl, and Maggie were hiding. He kinda lost it," he said.

"I and Maggie went and got some stuff the bay needs should last a few days. We're going to do a run tomorrow. Hershel patched you up said you'll be all right but ya gotta rest," Daryl said.

"Where's Carl?" I asked.

"With Beth and the baby.  He seems fine but he just had to kill his mother. I don't know if he knows how to act right now," he said.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"For what?" He asked.

"Following me and saving me. If you aren't there I'd be dead," I said.

"Promised Rick I wouldn't let that asshole hurt ya. And look at what happened. I wasn't fast enough," he said.

"No. Daryl this isn't your fault. I panicked and just ran without thinking that I had no idea where I was going. He would have eventually gotten to me," I told him.

It was silent for a awhile and then I spoke breaking it "do you think you can ask beth to bring the baby up here?" I asked.

"Yeah, hold on," he said.

He walked out of the cell and I heard him walking down the metal steps. A few minutes later He walked back in my cell with Carl behind him along with Beth who had a tiny bundle in her arms.

"Hey buddy," I said.

Carl looked at me and dropped beside the bed throwing his arms around my shoulders. I could feel the hot tears hit my shirt and I wrapped my arms around him tightly. "Shhh. I'm here. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere," I whispered.

Eventually, he pulled away and wiped his face. "So does she have a name?" I asked.

"No. I haven't figured one out yet," he said.

"Daryl? Could you help me sit up please?" I asked.

He nodded and gently helped me sit up. It hurt like hell but I gritted my teeth. "Can I hold her?" I asked.

Beth smiled and walked over. She gently laid the little bundle in my arms and I looked at her. She looks so much like Lori. "Hi, sweetheart. I'm your Auntie," I said.

"Daryl was the first to feed her. You should have seen it. Mr. Tough crossbowman holding a tiny baby. She stopped crying and right away," Carl said.

I looked up at Daryl surprised. "You a baby whisperer Dixon?" I asked.

"He nicknamed her Lil ass-kicker," Carl said.

I laughed at that "of course he did," I said.

"Think it fights her," Daryl said lowering his head.

I could see his face got red before he ducked his head down. I felt something in my chest something I haven't felt In a very long time. And of course, those feelings were towards someone who didn't like me and w oild never like me. He was only being nice to me because he promised my brother he would look out for me when he couldn't.

"She's so beautiful. So perfect," I said.

I hand Beth the baby and she took her back downstairs to change her and feed her. Carl gave me a hug and said he'd be back to see me later. Daryl stayed though he had found a chair somewhere and sat it near the bed. "You know you don't need to watch me. I'm fine," I said.

"Can't have ya doing something stupid and hurt yer self," he grumbled.

"Daryl, look I know you don't want to be here okay. I know Rick had you promise you'd look out for me when he wasn't around but I'm fine. I know you'd rather be doing something else. Keep watch or clearing walkers not here babysitting me," I told him.

He didn't say anything just sat there. I could see his jaw was tight and shoulders tense. He was pissed. "Ain't nothing to do. Just shut up and fucking rest," he growled.

I looked down and started playing with my fingers. It seemed I was always pissing someone off. Here I was being a burden again. My head told me he hated me. It told me he would have let me die if I wasn't Ricks's sister. I closed my eyes and ended up falling asleep.

Daryl's POV

Daryl sat there in the chair watching her. He was having a battle with himself. He wanted to hate her he tried to hate her. But he felt this pull towards her. He felt this feeling in his chest that he's never felt before and it pissed him off. He never promised Rick he'd look out for her. When he saw the way she froze seeing her ex and the way she trembled. This feeling of protection just took over him and he found himself shielding her from him.

When he saw her running through that door he knew he had to go after her and save her. When she would sleep he would keep an eye out to make sure nothing or no one would hurt her. Out on the road when she was on the back of the bike with him made him nervous. He enjoyed it he wanted her to hold onto him tighter. But he had to push her away. He couldn't get close. He couldn't let himself having those kinds of feelings. One in this world having those feelings ended badly and two he didn't deserve someone like her.

She was beautiful, smart, a good person. He was a no one just someone who followed his brother around and did whatever he was told. But when he heard her story about her abusive ex-boyfriend he felt more connected to her. At first, he did think she was stuck up. He thought she thought she was better than everyone because she separated herself from everyone. He thought she was the type that in school she was the popular girl with lots of friends. The prom queen, head cheerleader type.

But he was wrong he didn't want to believe he was wrong. Someone as smart as you, someone as beautiful as you. He would have guessed you would have had lots of boyfriends but Trevor was the only one. Rick told him about Trevor how he was in the beginning then how after a year or so how he slowly started hitting you and how it progressed. It made him mad it pissed him off. He wanted to kill the guy. And that's what he did but he didn't get to you soon enough and now you're hurt. He felt you were his responsibility until you healed.