Beauty and Her Beast (Daryl Dixon Fanfic)

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They've been gone all night. Michonne and a few others left to go find Daryl, Aaron and Jesus after Rosita woke up. She said the walkers had followed them, that they were whispering to each other, but now the sun is back up and they aren't back yet and I don't think I've taken a breath since Alden told me Daryl went out there. I was sat on the rocking chair outside Barrington House when the gates opened and they walked in. I smiled and stood up with the help of a cane.

That smile quickly fell when I saw they had a girl blindfolded with her hands tied and a body draped over a horse. I put a hand over my mouth and tears filled my eyes when I realized it was Jesus. He would've looked like he was sleeping if he wasn't so pale.

Daryl didn't see me. He helped carry Jesus, and then brought the girl to the cells in the basement.

~*~

I was still sitting on the porch when they were finished talking to her and Daryl rushed up, crouching in front of me. "Hey, baby." I smiled as he gently held my face.

He shook his head. "Michonne just told me. How bad is it?"

I shrugged. "It's not bad, just a concussion, a broken nose and a few bruised ribs."

He scoffed. "'Not bad.' You're crazy, you know that? How're the kids?"

I smiled. "Tara was nice enough to send a few people to go get them. They should be here soon."

Daryl sighed. He kissed me and I relaxed in his arms. "Think we can...sneak away?" I asked, playing with his shirt.

He scoffed, but had a small smirk. "I'm set up in the barn loft."

I shook my head. "Of course you are."

~*~

The next day, the kids arrived. They were so happy to be here. "Mommy!" Faith yelled, running to me.

I crouched down to their level, wincing as they hugged me. "What happened to you, mommy?" Rowan asked.

I smiled, rubbing a dirt smudge off his cheek. "I'm okay, just had a little accident."

Rowan kissed the bruise on my face. "Now you'll get better even faster."

I chuckled. "I can already feel it working, thank you."

"Daddy!" Faith yelled, looking behind me.

They both ran to Daryl and he picked them both up. "God, you're getting big." He groaned. "You been keeping up your practice, Faith?"

She smiled brightly. "Sure am, daddy! I'm gonna be just as good as you with my crossbow one day!"

I chuckled at that. "I can't believe I let you teach her how to use one. She already knows how to use a sword. She's gonna want to start going on runs soon."

She nodded. "Daddy and I are a team."

"Hey! Daryl! Charlotte!" Tara yelled from the watchpoint by the gate. It seemed emergent.

Daryl sent the kids with Joan, one of the Hilltop residents. "I'll catch up." I told him. He nodded and ran while I jogged, climbing up the ladder after him. I gasped as we all looked down at the group of skins gathered outside the gate. One of them was a woman, bald, face dirty around her eyes and mouth. Well, more so than the rest of her face anyway. She seemed to be the leader. "I am Alpha. And we only want one thing from you. My daughter."

Kelly came up with a pair of binoculars, looking into the cornfield. "What are you looking for?" I asked.

"Connie's out there, hiding in the field."

"Our community is more than capable of defending itself." Tara spoke.

"I show you my face because we mean you no harm. I just want my daughter. I know you have her."

"You should turn around. Leave now and no one gets hurt." Daryl warned.

"Wrong answer." She raised her right hand in the air and more skins came out. A lot more.

We stood in silence, I counted how many there were. At least forty. "They don't see her." Kelly spoke quietly. "Least not yet."

"That girl told me what her mom does to her. We ain't sending her back to that."

"Yeah, but what if she has Alden and Luke?" Tara asked. "Pissing her off can get them killed."

"Did you kill our friends?" Magna asked. "We found their horses."

"No. Which one of you leads these people?"

"The hell does it matter?" Daryl asked.

"Then I'll just address all of you. Your people crossed into our land. There will be no conflict. Your people killed our people. There will be no conflict. I'm done talkin'. Bring me my daughter, or there will be conflict."

"No one touches the girl." Daryl turned and walked away.

"Daryl, wait." I tried to stop him, but he didn't.

"Where's he going?"

I tried to go after him, wincing when I tried going down the ladder. "Stop, stop, Lottie." Tara has her arms around me, as I had almost fallen. "You're hurt. Slow down. We need to let him do this."

I nodded and she helped me to my feet. We watched as he walked right up to her, staring at her through the gate. They were talking, but we couldn't hear them. She turned when two other skins brought two people out with knives to their throats. They pulled the skins off the people. I gasped. Alden and Luke.