Just run

Twenty three

"George? C'mon. Gotta go. Car's out of gas." Daryl said softly to the girl in the back of the car.
"Georgie." Carl repeated, and Georgie looked up at them, then got out of the car, slow and weak. It'd been five days since Tegan and Jess had died, and Georgie was getting more withdrawn each day. Georgie walked beside Carl, the pair inseparable. A group of Walkers were following then, but the Walkers were slower than them.
Daryl found himself walking next to Rick and Judith, Rick looking at his friend pitifully. "We're not at our strongest. We'll get 'em when it's best. High ground, something like that. They're not going anywhere. It's been three weeks since Atlanta. I know you lost something back there. And I know... I know these past few days have been terrible. I know you lost them two. I know you loved them."
"She's hungry." Daryl interrupted, looking at the baby. Then he turned away. He couldn't bare to look at another innocent child. Not after he lost Tegan.
"She's okay. She's going to be okay."
"We need to find water, food."
"We'll hit something in the road. It's gonna rain sooner or later." Rick nodded. He stopped still, and looked at Daryl, pitiful again. "Georgie needs somewhere to stay. She needs a place to grieve. The way she's handling it, it's unhealthy."
"I don' know why yer tellin' me. I'm not her dad. I don' know what to do. You can handle her. I don't know how to raise a kid. 'Specially a girl. Don't know anythin' 'bout little girls."
"Daryl. You've gotta look after her. You're all she has."
"You can do it. You can do all the hard shit. I'll jus'... I dunno. Take her huntin'."
"Daryl! You're all this kid has left! She has all of us, but you two have to stick together. I'll help. But she's yours. So you need to help her. Support her more."
"Yeah. Whatever," Daryl mumbled, passing his gun to Rick, "I'm gonna head out. See what I can find."
"Hey. Don't be too long."
"I'll go with you." Carol said quickly.
"I got it. Georgie?! C'mon. We're goin' to look for water."
Georgie looked at him and sighed, then walked over to Daryl and left with him.
"I think we need to talk. Rick says we need to talk."
"Don't wanna."
"Don't be childish. Come on. How... How are you feeling?"
"Like shit. Because my mom and sister are dead. They're dead!" Georgie screamed suddenly, so angry, so emotional, she began to sob, falling to the floor.
"I know. I know." Daryl whispered, sitting on the ground next to her. He held the child tightly, rocking her slightly.
"I'm not yer dad. I know I'm not yer dad. I'm never gonna try 'n' replace 'im. But it doesn't mean that I can't be yer friend," Daryl whispered, "'nd I promised yer mom that I'd take care of ya. So how do I fix it? I don't talk teenage girl, you've gotta help me out."
"I just want to go home. I want a home." Georgie whispered.
"Then that's what we'll do. We'll find a home." Daryl nodded, and Georgie half believed him.

They made camp in an old shack that night, and they had a little moonshine and some old mints. It was Georgie, however, who caused the first issue of the night, when she strode over to Abraham and plucked the bottle of moonshine off him.
"Georgie." Rick snapped, and she took a long sip before Daryl slapped the bottle out of her hands.
"The hell you doin'!? I can't deal with ya. Go sit with Carl. Stupid girl. Fuckin' kids." Daryl growled, a hand raised in Georgie's face. She believed he was about to hit her. So she hit him first.
Daryl was shocked to silence, still and surprised, yet silently angry.
He opened his mouth to speak, but Rosita stood in between the pair. "No. She's scared. She's upset. She's hungry and thirsty and tired. She lashed out. Walk away and give her a minute. Give yourself a minute to cool off."
The whole group's eyes were on Georgie and Daryl, until Daryl walked away, and Rosita pulled Georgie aside. They sat together, Rosita holding Georgie, and the second the woman held her, Georgie began to sob. Rosita reminded her so much of her mother, and it was both a pain and a comfort to Georgie.
"I think I want to die." Georgie whispered suddenly.
Rosita froze, then sat Georgie up, holding the girl's face in her hands. "Tell me you don't mean that. You're a fighter. You're strong. You're not a weak child. You're a strong young woman. You don't want to die. You just want your mom."
"She wasn't always that weak." Georgie said suddenly.
"Who?"
"My mom. And Tegan... She, she was always this sweet little kid, but..."
"The first time I met your mother and sister, Tegan was doing the talking, because your mom was sick. Mentally. And... I saw her. And I thought she was interesting. Tegan, I mean. I thought she looked like an interesting child. And I made Abraham stop the truck. He shouted out to her, but she was scared. She replied in Spanish, but in nonsense, so I called her out on her mistakes in Spanish. She was so embarrassed. Then I convinced them to come aboard. Tegan told me how your mom was a nurse. She only spoke in Spanish, and I think it's because she was scared of Abraham. And she... She told me of this amazing sister she had."
"I wasn't amazing." Georgie whispered.
"You was. You was." Rosita insisted.
"And she still died. I may be amazing, but she still died. She died! She's dead! She's fucking dead! She's dead! Everyone's dead and rotting in the ground! They're dead!"

That night, Georgie couldn't get something off her mind. She was panicking, and she needed her mother. Now.
"M-Ma-Maggie?" Georgie whispered finally, shaking the sleeping woman's shoulder.
"Hmm?"
"Maggie." Georgie hissed, crying.
"What's wrong, Georgie?" Glenn asked suddenly, jerking awake at the sound of her voice, sitting up sharply.
"I need Maggie." She whined, full of fear.
"Mag. Wake up." Glenn hissed, poking her in the ribs.
"I'm up. What's wrong, Georgie?" Maggie whispered, sitting up and pushing her hair away from her face.
"I need to talk you." Georgie whispered.
"Okay, go ahead." The woman said softly.
"Not here. And just you." Georgie mumbled. Maggie nodded slowly, and got up, then went outside with Georgie, holding her hand. The sun had just began to rise, giving them a warm light.
"Is it morning already?"
"Only half four." Georgie answered quietly.
"What's wrong? Are you... Did you get your period? Shall I get Glenn to go on a run?" Maggie asked, her voice gentle and sensitive.
"Not that. I..." Georgie began, but she couldn't finish, her body shaken by sobs.
"Okay. Have a minute." Maggie whispered, sitting on the steps to the shack, holding Georgie tightly, softly shushing her. Once she'd stopped crying, Maggie kissed the top of her head, and tucked a thick, black curl of hair behind Georgie's ear. "Okay, darling, what is it? I won't be mad or upset or anything. I'll just listen."
Georgie cried again, then spoke up again. "Maggie, I think I'm pregnant."