The sky was grey; gloomy and depressing as it brought in the rolling thunderstorm. But Daryl was still out with Rick on a run down to a barn they had seen a few days ago. Finally getting around to venturing out to see if it held any valuable supplies today.

It sat alone in the large browning grass field, but from the other side of the peeling red painted barn Daryl could hear light crying.

Rick opened the doors slowly, both of them with their weapons ready and aimed towards the dark inside of the unknown barn.

Once they ventured in, a damp musty smell surrounded them. And the stench of death became strong as they kept walking, seeming to also walk in the direction of the crying. As the wails began to grow louder.

"I'll check over here, you have the left?" Rick asks, turning to Daryl. Watches him nod and grunt in response.

Taking the left, Daryl has to push a few old boxes out of the way. The floor had for some reason been made into a cement floor, probably making this more of a storage place instead of barn. As he keeps walking, soon he can make out words along with the growing whimpers.

"Momma? Momma?"

A kid. Daryl had wondered by the way the cries sounded, but couldn't think how someone would leave their child alone in an abandoned barn.

Pushing a rusty metal shelf out of the way, Daryl reaches an open area showing the cement flooring that was put in, stained with rich crimson blood.

There in a puddle of oozing blood lays a man, not much younger than Daryl, a woman hunched over him. And by the moans, he knows she's turned.

But what startles him more is the sight of a boy in the corner, tears streaming down his face and sobs escaping his mouth.

"Momma!" He keeps screaming over and over, as the woman Daryl assumes is his mother continues to feed on the man.

Daryl wants to go and slide his knife right through her skull; but this child who can't be older than six is scared enough. So instead he walks to the boy.

"Come 'ere." Daryl mutters to the small child, trying to tell him to grab onto his hand.

But the boy looks up at him scared and unsure.

"I ain't gonna hurt 'cha," Daryl assures the boy, beginning now to wonder what he's doing. "jus gonna help ya out."

Something about Daryl makes the boy takes his large hand reached out. Maybe because of the sudden feeling of safety the boy feels or the words he tells him.

Walking the boy out the way Daryl came, he points to Rick to go over and take care of the two parents.

Reaching the entrance of the barn, and walking out, his hand still grasped slightly by the boy they stop to wait for Rick.

The boy is short, so he can only hold onto two of Daryl's thick and dusty fingers. The feeling is unusual and slightly uncomfortable for Daryl; but he doesn't let go.

"Didn't see anything usable," Rick informs Daryl as he reaches up to the man with the small boy beside him. "were those his--"

"My momma?" The boy asks, looking up at the redneck towering beside him. His voice small and slightly squeaky.

Rick runs a hand over his jaw; thinking.

"Can't leave 'im here."

Rick looks at Daryl as he says that, and back at he little boy that chews on the sleeve of his navy jacket.

"How do we know there aren't people still lookin for him?" Rick asks, trying to keep his voice somewhat low.

"Wasn't no other signs of people, just his ma and pa in there."

"Momma? Daddy?" The kid asks again, tugging at Daryl's plaid shirt under his jacket.

"Alright," Rick nods, and looks up at the sky as he hears the cracks of thunder. "we can bring him back with us."

Walking to the car parked only a half mile away, Daryl can feel the boy's energy running down as they are only a few minutes away. So he stood for a moment, and bends down.

Scooping the small boy with tired drooping blue eyes up in his arms. Deciding to carry him the rest of the way.

Daryl isn't sure what pushed him to so this, he just suddenly did. An action that surprised even himself.

Rick gets in the drivers seat again, but Daryl decides to sit in the back seat with the boy. Who by now was beginning to fall asleep.

Setting him down gently, Daryl straps him in. And gets in beside him next.

The ride is quiet, except for the sounds of the storm brewing outside.

The small child's hand still holds onto Daryl, clinging to him as he sleeps. His head leaning slightly against his bicep, being this close he can hear his steady breaths.

"What are you gonna tell her when we get back?" Rick asks Daryl, looking in the rear view mirror at him.

Daryl curses in his head; for a moment you had left his mind when he saw this boy. He believed you wouldn't have a problem with the child; the way you always talked about wanting one some day. But this situation was different.

"Dunno." Daryl simply says, not giving Rick any further detail.

Soon enough, the car pulls past the gates of Alexandria just as the rain starts to pour down heavily.

Picking the boy up again, Daryl steps out instantly becoming soaked by the rain.

"Gonna take 'im to the house." Daryl calls to Rick, referring to the house he shares with you.

He can see the way Rosita and Maggie who stand guard look at him; as if to wonder who took over his body to make Daryl Dixon carry a child.

But he walks fast, trying to keep the boy from getting soaked too much. But fails as he teachs the porch and sees the boy's light chestnut brown hair sticking to his face because of the rain. And his jacket completely drenched.

Opening the door, Daryl tries to wipe his boots on the mat as if that was going to help.

"Babe? Need some towels down 'ere!" Daryl calls out, waking the boy up slightly. His eyes fluttering open but shutting shortly after.

Patters of footsteps coming down the stairs can be heard, and soon you appear with a bundle of towels in your arms and a shocked look on your face as you notice the boy in your boyfriend's arms.

"Here," You whisper handing him some towels which he uses to wrap around the child. "lets set him down on the couch."

Daryl moves him in the living room, resting him down on the couch still wrapped in warm towels.

Standing up and turning to walk back towards you, you hand him towels to dry himself.

"Why don't you change? I'll find him something warm to wear." You suggest and Daryl nods.

He's surprised as he walks up the stairs to the bedroom, that you didn't question or ask about the small child he brought home with him. But he knows you will soon enough.

Once he's in dry more comfortable clothing, and the boy had changed as well and has fallen asleep once again after a heavy day, Daryl sits on the windowsill beside you.

The fire going in the fireplace, still able to hear the lightning and rain against the roof.

"So," You speak up, keeping you voice soft as the boy sleeps soundly. "you gonna tell me the story?"

Daryl shrugs, as your hand touches his. "Ain't no story. Found him in a barn, his ma turned and his dad... Only matter of time."

You let out a sad sigh, watching Daryl's face as he tells you.

Daryl looks away from the window and to the boy, the way he sleeps so peacefully as if the horrors of today are forgotten.

"I see the way you look at him," You speak up, grasping Daryl's attention but not enough for him to look away from the kid. "tell me what you see?"

"Whatcha mean?" He asks, a confused look growing on his face.

"You see something in that little boy Daryl, and I want to know what it is." You whisper, resting your head against his shoulder.

Daryl lets out a long sigh, either to stall or to show he's thinking.

"Reminds me of..." Daryl trails off, not really finishing the short thought.

"You?"

Daryl's eyes snap over to you, softening instantly when he meets yours.

Nodding slowly, "He's all alone, jus like I was. Got no one lookin for 'im, missin 'im."

"You had your brother." You remind him.

He shrugs, "Yeah I had Merle, but you damn well know he wasn't no care giver. Saved his own ass more than mine."

"Is that what made you want to save him?" You ask glancing at the boy as he twitches slightly as he dreams.

Daryl chews on his thumbnail, "Maybe."

"What made you?" You ask as he leans back and relaxes into your touch.

"Figured he deserved a chance."

Smiling at his answer, you kiss your redneck cheek softly. "I think you saved him, but I think in a way he's saving you too. Giving you something new to experience in life."

"And wha would that be?" Daryl asks, with a slight snort.

"The chance to become something to someone."

Daryl kisses your temple, "I'm somethin ta you."

You smile, "You are. But to a kid, it's different. You get the chance to give his life new meaning and giving him a new way of seeing that life."

"You saved him Daryl," You whisper to him. "and I think I love you a little bit more now because you did."

A/N: Longer one! I really like this one!❤😍