My Hunter || Daryl Dixon

Chapter 7

He looks at me, "So how do we do this?" He asks, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

I chuckle and run my fingers through my hair, "I've been asking myself that same question all week."

I look up at him and I can see his nerves. I reach over and hesitantly place my hand on his, "You'll be fine. I've seen you with kids." I say.

"This is different. This is my kid, what if I screw it up?" He asks and I know what he's actually asking me.

"You're not him."

He looks at me and I give his hand a squeeze, "Come on. I gotta give Belle a bath."

I stand up and he looks at me, "You wanna do this now?"

I shrug, "Now's as good a time as any. She's a smart girl, she'll be right."

I offer him my hand and I help him up. He stands up and his body is a lot closer than I thought, his face inches from mine. My body trembles from being close to his and I close my eyes for a moment.

"Mommy!"

I open my eyes and I let go of his hand, stepping out of the tent, "Belle?"

She rounds the corner with Dale close behind, "It did it. I did it!" She cries happily, jumping into my arms.

"You did? Good girl!" I cry, placing a kiss on her grimy cheek.

I begin to place lots of kisses on her face and she begins to giggle, "Stop!"

I laugh and place her down and look to Dale, "Thank you."

He nods and walks back to his RV. I kneel down in front of Belle and look her in the eye, "Can I talk with you for a minute?"

"Have I been bad?" She asks.

I shake my head, "No Baby, it's a good thing."

She smiles, "Okay."

I turn to Daryl, "Walk with us to the house?"

He looks at me and I nod in encouragement, "Okay." He says.

We walk back to the house and we step inside and I walk into the lounge room, "Belle, why don't you go sit on the chair?" I suggest.

She walks over and takes a seat on the chair and I gesture for Daryl to sit on the lounge beside it but he remains standing, biting at his fingernails. I take a seat on the coffee table in front of Belle and look at her.

"Belle honey, do you remember when I asked you about Daddy's the other day?" I ask.

She nods her head, "I don't have a Daddy." She states.

I look over at Daryl and his expression is unreadable as he looks at her. I turn back to Belle and take a deep breath, "Baby, you do have a Daddy."

"I do?" She asks, her face scrunched up in confusion.

I nod, "Yeah, you do. See, Mommy told you that you didn't have a Daddy and that was a lie."

"But lying's bad." She says.

"I know and that was naughty of me, but baby you do have a Daddy." I say, turning to Daryl.

His eyes are locked on the little girl and I turn to see her looking at him, "Belle, this is Daryl... And he's your Daddy." I keep my eyes locked on her as she looks at him, her Georgian blues eyes locked with his.

"Are you my Daddy?" She asks him after awhile.

I turn my head to see him look at her and I nod, standing up from the coffee table. He walks forward and takes my place on the coffee table as I take a seat on the lounge. His body is awkward as he looks at her, his hands fidgeting with one another.