𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐄
𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐑𝐒
︶꒦꒷★꒷꒦︶

Daryl approached Claire, placing a soft hand on her shoulder and staring down at the crying baby, before waking over and bending down in front of Rick, "Rick? Rick, you with me. Rick?"

Roman nodded his head at Carl, the young boy walking over to him and Claire quickly. Claire passed the baby over to her brother, softly, cradling the baby's head, "Watch her neck, Carl." She whispered, a teary hiccup rippling through her chest as she watched Carl carefully hold his sister.

"Let me see the baby." Hershel spoke, Carl and Daryl walking over to the older man. Claire sucked in a deep breath, staring down at her bloody hands. Loris blood. "Are you okay?" Roman whispered, grasping her forearms to grab her attention. Claire nodded, swallowing thickly and walking over to Hershel.

"What are we going to feed it?" Daryl questioned, "We got anything a baby can eat?" Claire stared down at the baby as Hershel peeled back the jacket to look at her, "The good news is she looks healthy. But she needs formula." Hershel looked up at Daryl, "And soon—or she won't survive."

Daryl shook his head, "Nope. No way. Not her." He slung his crossbow over his shoulder, "We ain't losing nobody else. I'm going for a run."

Claire stepped forward, "I'll go with." Roman approached, standing beside Claire, "I'll come too." Daryl nodded at the two, as Maggie and Glenn stepped forward, "Us too."

"Okay, think where we're going. Beth-" Claire nodded as Daryl pulled Beth away, Claire turning to Roman, "Did we see any places that could still have formula?"

Roman nodded, Daryl speaking out to the criminals, "You two get the fence. Too many pile up, we got ourselves a problem. Guys, vámonos."

Claire nodded, following after Daryl with Roman on her tail. "Rick!" Claire looked back at the man as he grabbed his axe and ran inside the prison. "Get the gate! Come on, we're gonna lose the light!"

Claire sighed, running after Daryl towards the cars, Glenn, Maggie and Roman following after her. "There's that Piggly Wiggly on 85!" Glenn suggested, Maggie shaking her head, "No, the baby sections been cleared. Lori asked me to keep an eye out. I haven't had much luck."

Claire huffed as they approached the cars, Roman yanking open the driver door of the truck while Maggie pulled open the back door. "Is there any place that hasn't been completely looted?" Daryl asked, Roman nodding his head, "Claire and I saw signs for a shopping center north of here."

Claire shook her head, "Yeah, but there's way too much debris on the road. Ours cars would never fit through there."

Daryl huffed, "I can take one of you." Claire nodded, grabbing the backpack from the backseat, "I'll go."

Roman shook his head, "Let me go. You've been through too much already." Claire sucked in a breath, looking back at Maggie, "I owe it to Lori, I told her I'd look after this baby. I have to." Roman licked his dry lips anxiously, "Be safe."

Claire nodded softly, "I will." She grabbed her gun from her waist line, placing it against his stomach, "I'm out of bullets, I need your gun." Roman nodded quickly, yanking his own pistol from his waistline and placing it in her hand. She turned towards Maggie as she stuck the pistol in her pocket, "Check on Carl." The brunette nodded, her and Glenn taking off back up to the prison. Claire sucked in a breath and walked over to Daryl, who had started up his motorcycle. She hopped on the seat behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and looking back at Roman as Daryl took off towards the gate, Roman watching nervously with his hands on his waist, biting the inside of his cheek.

Oscar stood by the gate, Claire clutching Daryl's waist tighter as they exited the prison grounds.

★

Daryl slowed the bike next to a house with a play set in the backyard. Claire jumped from the bike as he killed the engine, clutching the gun in her hand, "This could be good."

"Company's close. Stay tight." Daryl muttered, grabbing his crossbow as Claire yanked open the flimsy metal gate. Claire followed behind Daryl, closing the gate behind her and staring at the play sets as they passed them.

Daryl stopped, keeping watch as Claire walked over to the window, peering inside for any movement. When the coast was declared clear, she slammed the butt of the gun against the window, sending glass flying inside as she broke the rest of it. She climbed in, using the desk as leverage and avoiding the broken glass.

Her breath caught in her throat as she looked around the room, which was obviously once a daycare, with children's drawings and a tv on the wall, along with toys, cribs, and rocking chairs. She snapped from her daze as Daryl crawled in behind her, the blonde rushing over to the bottom cabinets to check them. Inside were a plethora of diapers and wipes, as well as a two pack of bottles. Claire smiled, pulling her backpack off and unzipping it, shoving the bottles and as many wipes and diapers as she could. She grabbed the teething toy and the stuffed sheep as well, shoving it in her bag.

When she stood, Daryl had his crossbow ready, nudging his head in the direction of the hallway. She nodded, wrapping the backpack back around her shoulders and aiming her gun towards the floor, finger hovering over the trigger. They slowly walked in separate directions, the silence of the house eery as she looked around the empty bedroom at the end of the hall. She raised an eyebrow at the pink baby blanket resting on a chair, grabbing it and shoving it in her bag. Her eyes scanned the room again, the girl crossing the room and grabbing a couple baby outfits from the drawers of the dresser.

Her head snapped back at a sound coming from the kitchen, eyes locking with Daryl's as he quietly rushed over to her with his flashlight in his mouth, crossbow at the ready. They stood outside the half open dutch door, Daryl nodding as he reached over and quietly opened the bottom door.

Claire held her breath, following Daryl inside the room, looking over at the cabinet that was rattling, scratching noises coming from inside. Daryl stepped into the corner, aiming his crossbow at the cabinet. Claire released the breath softly, stepping to the side and grabbing the handle. Quietly and swiftly, she pulled the cabinet open, gasping at the sight of the large possum, the rodent hissing and squealing as Daryl shot it. "Hello, dinner." He spoke through the flashlight between his lips, Claire shivering and shaking her head, "That shits not going in my bag."

She turned around, yanking open the kitchen cabinets. Three containers of baby formula as well as pacifiers sat inside, and Claire smiled, unzipping her backpack and shoving them all inside.

She opened another cabinet, smile faltering at the breast pump. She felt her chest beginning to tighten, Lori dying in her arms mere hours ago and then imaginary sights of Lori pumping milk for her daughter flashing across her mind. She paused, breathing becoming difficult as her eyes locked on her hands holding the cabinets, Lori's blood still staining and covering her skin.

She gasped for a breath, knees buckling under her as she fell to the floor, leaning back against the bottom cabinets. "Claire?" Daryl's voice was muffled, the man dropping to his knees in front of her, worried eyes scanning over her body. "Claire?" He panicked, dropping his flashlight and crossbow to the floor beside him and grasping her cheeks.

She shook her head, tears forming in her eyes as her shaky fingers clasped over her chest, struggling for a breath. "—Can't breathe." The room was closing in around her, Daryl's closeness and grasp of her cheeks doing little to help the feeling. "Claire you're having a panic attack. You gotta breathe, girl."

Her head bobbled a little, muscles turning to jelly and throat closing as Lori continued to flash through her mind. What Carl is going to do, the baby, how Rick is handling this. Her mother, her father, her brother, Shane, T-Dog, Carol, now Aunt Lori. Her world was crumbling around her. "Claire!"

She peeled her eyes away from her bloody hand to look up at Daryl, vision hazy as he moved her face to look at him. "Girl, breathe. In and out." She sucked in a strangled breath, blowing it out shakily and repeating.

The ability to breathe slowly returned to her, sweet air filling her lungs as she came back to. When she looked around the room, then back at a worried Daryl hovering beside her; she sobbed. A chest tightening, cheek burning, head pounding sob.

Daryl pulled the girl into his chest, allowing her to cry into his poncho. "I got 'ya." He mumbled, placing a hand on the side of her head soothingly. "I'm sorry." She sobbed, shaking her head, "I tried not to, I wanted to take her to Hershel. I didn't have a choice-"

"It's okay, Claire. It's not your fault."

She cried for a few more minutes, before her eyes began to slowly dry—unable to continue crying. She pulled away, cheeks red and eyes swollen, grabbing Daryl by the arms, "I'm sorry."

"Let's just get you home. You need to sleep." Daryl's usual gruff voice was softer, grasping the girl by the arms and helping her up, "Has this happened before?"

Claire sucked in a breath, wiping her cheeks with her arm and shaking her head, "I got them a few times in high school, but not since."

"Maybe you should talk to someone? Talk to Hershel about them?" Claire laughed dryly, "Yeah, still needing therapy even in the apocalypse." Daryl smiled, not a big smile, but one that tugged at the corners of his lips, "Let's get the hell out of here."

★

They approached the prison quickly, moon high in the night sky illuminating Roman, who stood at the top of the watch tower. "Guys they're back!"

Axel distracted the walkers by the gate, Oscar quickly opening it enough for the motorcycle to fit through. Roman shot the stray walkers near the motorcycle, Claire gripping Daryl's waist tight as he drove up to the upper courtyard.

She jumped off the bike before he turned it off, running inside the prison. The cell block was dark, the babies cries echoing around the walls loudly, but Claire ignored it and rushed over to the table, "Maggie."

The brunette walked over to Claire as she emptied the contents of the backpack, "Can you get me some clean water?" Claire mumbled, opening the pack of bottles and unscrewing it, before peeling open one of the baby formulas.

She knew the portions that were needed, watching as Maggie poured freshly boiled water into one of the baby bottles. Claire dumped two scoops of formula into the bottle, capping it and shaking it vigorously. She looked over as Daryl took the baby from Carl, softly shushing her and rocking her gently in his arms. Claire chuckled at the sight, walking over to the man and handing him the bottle as Marcus and Kira walked down the stairs from the second level.

Claire breathed in relief, smiling over at Roman as he entered the cell block. The man smiled back at her, Glenn and Maggie stepping off to the side and whispering to each other. "Found some good stuff, but we'll need to do another run here soon for more, it goes quick."

Roman nodded at the blonde, Claire leaning against the table and watching as Daryl fed the baby, her cries no longer flooding the cell as she fed. Daryl smiled as he fed the baby, rocking her back and forth. Claire met his eyes, a smile engulfing her face at the man's obvious enthusiasm.

"She got a name yet?" Daryl questioned, looking down at Carl. "Not yet—but I was thinking maybe Sofia. Then there's Carol too. And...Andrea, Amy, Jacqui, Patricia." Claire frowned as he named off the women the group had lost, some Claire knew, some she didn't. "Or—Lori. I don't know."

"Yeah, you like that?" Daryl whispered as she fed, Claire nodding her head once at Kira as Daryl admired the baby. "Little ass-kicker." Claire chuckled as Daryl looked around the room, "Right? That's a good name, right?" The room erupted in soft laughter, "Little ass-kicker. You like that, huh? You like that sweetheart?"

Claire bit her bottom lip, sitting down at the table and leaning her hand elbow against the metal, resting her cheek in her dirty palm.

She flinched at the feeling of the stickiness, removing her hand from her cheek as Roman sat beside her. "Here." He whispered, pouring a little bit of water on a rag from his pocket and grabbing her hands. She watched with sad eyes as Roman wiped the blood from her hands, her skin slowly appearing as the wet rag soaked up the substance.

︶꒦꒷★꒷꒦︶

Claire played with the ruffle on the baby's onesie, smiling down at the sleeping child in her arms. She had ignored the bowl of food in front of her, purely focused on the newborn that Beth had passed her when she had emerged from her cell an hour ago.

Hershel, Maggie, Glenn, her, Carl and Roman sat at the table eating breakfast, while Daryl, Oscar, Marcus, Beth and Kira sat scattered around the room.

Her head perked up at the sound of the gate clanging, eyes shooting from Roman, who sat across from her at the table, to Rick, who had appeared behind the gate. "Everybody okay?"

"Yeah, we are." Maggie muttered, the group shocked to see the man after two days of him being gone in the prison somewhere. Rick pushed open the gate, stepping into the common area of the cell block, staring at his son. "What about you?" Hershel asked wearily, Rick nodding behind him, "I cleared out the boiler block."

"How many were there?" Daryl asked, and Rick shrugged, "I don't know, a dozen. Two dozen." Roman, impressed, looked back at the older man. Rick placed his hand on Carls shoulder, "I have to get back. Just wanted to check on Carl."

Claire raised a confused eyebrow as Rick avoided looking at the child in her arms. Glenn quickly stood up from the table, "Rick, we can handle taking out the bodies.You don't have to-"

"No, I do." Rick interrupted, shaking his head at the Korean man, waking past him towards Daryl, "Everyone have a gun and a knife?" Daryl nodded, "Yeah, we're running low on ammo, though."

"Maggie, me and Kira were planning on making a run this afternoon. Found a phone book with some places we can hit, look for bullets and formula."

Claire looked away from Rick, turning back towards Roman, who raised his eyebrows in annoyance and looked back down at his food. "We cleared out the generator room. Axels there trying to fix it in case of emergency." Daryl placed his bowl down beside him on the steps, "We're gonna sweep the lower levels as well."

Rick nodded and began walking back to the gate, "Good, good."

"Rick." Hershel called after him, the man avoiding everyone's eye as he slammed the gate behind him. Claire's jaw fell slack, rolling her eyes at the man's actions.

★

Claire smiled at Hershel as she walked into the common area, Hershel holding the baby while Carl and Beth prepared food, Marcus on the ground playing cards, and Roman in the corner on the steps sharpening his knife. Kira, Glenn and Maggie had gone out a few hours ago on a run, Rick still roaming the prison, and Daryl and Oscar checking the lower levels. Claire made grabby hands at Hershel, "Can I hold her?"

Hershel smiled and nodded, Claire softly grabbing the newborn and cradling her to her chest. She smiled down at the baby, allowing her tiny hand to wrap around her pointer finger. Claire sat beside Hershel, not removing her eyes from the baby. "I remember when Eli was born." She whispered, Hershel rubbing his thigh as he listened with a smile, "He was so small—I mean, he was really tiny, he was 6 and a half pounds." Claire smiled at the memory, "The doctors were worried he was born with a deficiency—but he was just a small kid, always was."

The baby babbled with a laugh, Claire dramatically gasping at the baby with a smile, "He cried and cried, and the moment my dad handed him to me, he just...stopped crying. And it would happen every time he cried, I'd pick him up and he'd just shut right up. My mom called me 'the miracle worker' because of how easily he calmed down with me." Hershel chuckled, "I hope I can be a safe space for her, as well."

"You're gonna be-"

Everyone's heads snapped over to the gate, where Rick was emerging slowly. Rick walked past Carl, eyes locked on the newborn in Claire's arms for the first time. The blonde stood from her seat, facing Rick as he stopped in front of her. She smiled up at him, the man staring intently at his daughter. This child was his, nothing else mattered.

The baby coughed, staring up at Rick as Claire softly passed her over to him. Claire's heart warmed as Ricks breathing staggered, holding the newborn up to his face so he could look at her, before cradling her to his chest.

Rick smiled up at the ceiling, before slowly walking towards the door, the rest of them following him outside. Claire smiled over at Roman as they watched Rick admire his child, Roman smiling in admiration as well.

The sight of a heartbroken man holding his child for the first time was a sight to behold.

"She looks like you." Rick looked down at Carl, the young boy laughing as a warm smile took place on his face. Claire's eyes scattered around the prison for a moment, locking on a peculiar walker approaching the fence. Not a walker.

Rick passed his daughter off to Carl, looking over at Roman and motioning his head in the direction of the fence. Roman nodded, following after Rick as the two men left the others. "Interesting looking walker?" Marcus mumbled, placing his hands on his hips as he took a step beside her. The two teens watched as Rick and Roman stopped outside the guard gates.

Claire shook her head, "I don't think it is."