TWD : Love Is You

Chapter 8

Rick's thoughts were broken when Daryl's voice filtered to his ears. They were driving in one of the cars, second from the front, Merle leading the way on his bike. Daryl was in the passenger seat beside him, and Carl, Carol, and Sophia were sitting in the backseats.

"I was just thinkin' about our trip to the grand canyon with Carl,"

Rick looked at him, and the small smile on his face was contagious, and Rick laughed.

"I don't remember that," Carl said from behind them, leaning forward in his chair.

Daryl shook his head, "No, you were only a bub," he replied, "And besides, we never made it past Texas,"

"You got sick," Rick said, smiling a little at the memory, "Never knew a baby could throw up so much," he said, and Daryl chuckled.

"Well, the doctor in Texas said you'd live, and we turned around and drove home," Daryl told their son, rotating between looking at him and Rick.

"Well, that sucks," Carl said.

Rick watched as Daryl shook his head, and he loved the sight of the fond smile on his lips, "Nah, it was a good trip. A real' good trip," he said, and Rick squeezed his hand when it petted his thigh.

"The best," Rick said, kissing Daryl's hand softly.

Carl was quiet for a moment, "Can we go see it? The grand canyon?" he asked, "I'd like to,"

"Me too," Sophia chimed in, "Can we go,"

Rick paused for a moment, and then glanced back at her, "We'd never go without you and your mom," he told her, "That's a promise,"

"You couldn't have picked a dodgier motel if you tried," Daryl grunted as he followed Rick into their room.

Rick looked over his shoulder at him, "Well it was either this, or we kept driving for another hour and a half in the dark to the next one, and I know neither of us wants that when he's as fussy as he is," he said, motioning to Carl who Daryl was holding in his arms, the seven-month-old squirming.

Daryl didn't reply, but stepped over to the bed and laid Carl down on it as Rick placed their suitcases down on the chipped dresser. Daryl put the diaper bag down beside Carl and then began to ruffle through it to find diapers.

"I'll go and get the rest of his things from the car; I'll be back in a minute," Rick sighed, brushing his hand along Daryl's lower back as he passed him.

When he returned a few minutes later, Daryl was sitting on the bed, and humming softly to Carl, who was whimpering, wriggling around on the bed in only a fresh diaper. Rick smiled softly as he set down the travel bassinet and then carried Carl's much smaller suitcase to Daryl.

Daryl took it from him, and zipped it open, "I'll feed him, then dress him and we can try and put him down," he said, grabbing a blanket that he could wrap Carl in so that the baby wouldn't be cold as he fed him.

"I'll get his bassinet ready," Rick replied, searching through the suitcase himself to grab a blanket, a pacifier, and the stuffed fox that Carl loved to sleep with.