Kill First, Feel Last ; Daryl Dixon

twenty seven: dread

This morning's sunrise was a breathtaking display of radiant colors. Bright streaks of red, pink, and orange slowly overcame the dark blue and purple of the twilight sky. The sky resembled a prism; all the colors blended perfectly into each other. The sun itself was just peeking out of the horizon, and its brilliant rays already shined brightly and began to warm the air. I marveled at the glistening reflection of the sun on the ocean and a thrilling feeling of awe swept over me.

I hadn't slept a wink all night, anxiety got the best of me. In the ten hours I've been in bed I must have woken up six times. Not for that long each time, but enough to break my sleep into un-refreshing chunks. With every disturbance there is a new nightmare. The dread crept over me like an icy chill, numbing my brain. In that frozen state my mind offered me only one thought. It is today. There was no avoiding it. I was like a cow being herded into a truck for the slaughter house, only the cow didn't know where it was going and I did. 

I had assumed that I had been sitting on this same spot since sunrise- reminiscing on the good and bad that could happen. Although, now it was the time of morning where everyone was up and walking around. I saw Rick walking along the sidewalk with Judith, Michonne and Carl. I smiled at the sight of the happy family- even they were happy in a time like this. Rick's head turned to me, giving me slight nod and smile before returning his attention to his family. I was pushed out of my thoughts when Daryl was beside me. 

"Hey." His gruff voice sounded. I could tell he had a smirk on his lips, judging by the way he spoke. 
"Hey there." I smiled lightly, only glimpsing at him quickly. 
"Ye' good?" He frowned, placing his hand on my thigh. 
"I will be." I nodded. "I just need to tell you something." 
"Sure." He turned his head in confusion. 
"I--" I was cut off. 

"Kaylie, Daryl!" Maggie came running over alongside Rick and his family, Dad and the rest of the group. I watched as people scattered around the street, panicking and crying. 
"What?" I stood up. "What's wrong?" 
"Why're people running around like looney tunes?" Daryl questioned. 
"There's been a breach of the wall." Simon notified us. 
"Walkers are piling in, we need to do something." Dad added. 
"Shit." I mumbled. "Carl, you take Judith, Beth and all of the children into a basement, lock the doors and we will be there soon." He nodded his head, quickly running off with the children. "Maggie, you're still weak from labor, your body wouldn't be able to take the force; so you, Sasha and Rosita up on the guard tower with snipers." 
"Right." They nodded and ran off. 
"The rest.. we're on the ground." I raised my eyebrows quickly as I retrieved my weapons, and watched Daryl ready his crossbow. I threw him a spare rifle, which he swung over his shoulder. He leaned in and went to kiss me, but I turned my head so he kissed my cheek. He frowned lightly, but nodded his head. 
"Kaylie.." Rick sighed as he kept watch for when the walkers began to come. "Should you be fighting in your condition?" 
"Condition?" Dad and Daryl both asked. 
"Don't worry about that now." I shrugged them off, readying for an attack. 

Here they come, I thought. I watched as the walkers stumbled down the streets, growling and moaning. Their limbs disemboweled and bones broken 100 times over. I recoiled in horror before we all sprung into action, attacking the beasts with everything we had. I fired my rifle with accuracy and precision, shooting down the walkers- killing them for the second time. I watched as one my one, the walkers fell down- blood splattering across the pavement. A walker came out from behind me, pulling me down to the ground. I groaned in pain as the thing crawled onto me, it's teeth chattering and bashing together as it grew closer to my face. I reached into my boot, attempting to retrieve my knife, but thankfully the walker fell limp on my body. I was helped up by my one and only father. "Thanks." I smiled before I began shooting again. I watched as a walker basically spear tackled Daryl to the ground, so I took out my knife and threw it- planting the blade into the walker's skull. As it fell limp onto the ground, Daryl retrieved my knife and sent a wink my way in acknowledgement. I smiled lightly before continuing on in the battle against the zombies. 

"Kaylie!" My dad yelled as he swung Lucille against the head of a walker. "What's your condition!?" 
"Worry about that soon, Dad!" I yelled as my blade crunched into a walker. 
"No!" He screamed. "Are you sick?! Like your mother was?" 
"No daddy." My voice cracked at the thought of my mother. I shot another few walkers before deciding to come clean. I walked backwards toward my fathers location. "I'm pregnant, dad." 

Dad stopped almost as soon as his bat hit a walker. The walker hadn't fallen, it still leaned into the barbed wire. Dad? Dad just stood there, staring at me with gaping eyes, completely oblivious to the walkers surrounding him. I aimed my gun and shot them down while my father collected himself. 
"Pregnant?!" He asked, finally regaining consciousness. "I'm going to be a grandfather?" 
"Yes, Dad." I stabbed another walker. "Daryl doesn't know. So I'd appreciate it if you kept your voice down." 

Then we realized- the walkers were gone, they were all dead. I sighed of relief, and placed my hand on my stomach. My dad quickly ran over to me, embracing me as tight as ever. 
I felt the wet feeling soak into my clothing of the walker blood, it disgusted me. 
"Daryl doesn't know?" He asked. "Tell him, now. Then we will celebrate." 
I turned my head, noticing everyone surrounding us, except the person I was looking for. 
My heart almost sank. He was dead. 

"Daryl?" My voice cracked. 
"He's in the field." Rick smiled lightly. "Said he needed some space." 

Relief flushed through my body and within a matter of seconds I was running to the field where my husband was standing in shoulder length grass. "Daryl?" I approached him. "What's wrong?" 
"Could ask the same for ye'." He snapped with his eyebrow raised. "What if that there was the last time I could kiss ye' or hold ye'? Ye' just pushed your head away." 
"Daryl.." I sighed. 
"Nah." He shook his head, approaching me. "You became a Dixon only 2 days ago. Now ye' are all distant, stand offish. Why? Changed ye' mind? Found someone else?" 
"Why in the hell would you think that?" I snapped. "No, I haven't changed my mind and I haven't found someone else. I love you, Daryl. That hasn't changed!" 
"Then what has?!" He got closer. 
"Me! Daryl.. I--" 
"You're what?!"
"I'm pregnant, Dare." I sighed, placing a hand on my forehead. I watched as his coloration left his face, and he just stared at me with those blue eyes of his. "That's why I've been so stand offish, Daryl. I didn't know what to think, or how you'd take it." 
"Ye'.-- Ye' thought I'd love ye' less, didn't you?" 
"Yeah.." I whispered. 

  He walked up to me slowly and pulled me closer to him wrapping his arms around me. His embrace was warm, and his big, strong arms seemed very protective when wrapped around my frail body. The world around me melted away as I squeezed him back, not wanting the moment to end. "That ain't ever goin' to happen, Kaylie. I love you and I'll love this baby."

"Really?" I croaked.
"I'm gon' be a dad" He smirked.
"A damned good one at that." I smiled before he pulled me into a passionate, and loving kiss. "I love you, and I'm sorry." I mumbled against his lips.
"Ain't got nothin' to be sorry for." He smiled. "Hell, my ma' did the same thing."
"Really?"
"Yeah." He nodded as he wrapped his arms around my waist. "I love ye'."