Goodnight
A/N: Fulfilling a prompt from asamcedesfan on Tumblr.
Summary: Daryl decides to take baby Judith off Carol's hands for a night.
Song listened to: "Goodnight, My Angel" - Billy Joel

It was around 3:00 in the morning when Daryl finally came in from a long shift on watch. There wasn't much to look at out there in the dark, just a few frozen corpses milling around without any real destination, and Daryl soon found his eyelids growing heavier and his concentration waning.

When Rick got up to take his place, Daryl was grateful. As they drew into the thick of winter, it was getting harder and harder to find creatures to hunt, and each trip took longer, draining more energy from him.

In fact, the only reason he bothered at all was for Carol. The woman was getting noticeably thinner as time progressed. Her sweaters grew baggier on her delicate frame, her slender fingers turning bony, her cheeks gaunt. Despite all assurances that she was fine, Daryl refused to accept it. It was damn distracting, worrying about her the way he did. If she wasn't always passing off her food to the kids so they'd get an extra bite of protein, he wouldn't have to work so hard.

Just as he was about climb the stairs and curl up on his perch, he heard the start of a cry. He sighed. Baby Judith's tiny burbles grew into loud wails in a matter of seconds, and Daryl determined it would be best if he took the kid off Carol's hands for the night. She needed the rest more than he did.

He tiptoed into Carol's cell, unwilling to wake her if Little Asskicker hadn't already. She was out like a light, expression peaceful in slumber. Her hand was draped over the edge of the bed and into the mailing tub where Judith rested, the child grabbing at fingers that hung just out of reach.

Daryl gingerly took her hand and held it in his for one prolonged moment. When she let out a little sigh in her sleep, he started, as if suddenly reminded where he was. He laid her hand over her chest, rising and falling with each steady breath, and he pulled the blanket higher over her shoulders. There was no need for her to get a chill if she didn't have to.

"C'mon Little Asskicker," he whispered, picking the baby up to cradle in his arms, and he shuffled out of the cell to see the child better in the moonlight.

"Hey there, sweetheart," he said, "I'm just gonna take you outta Aunt Carol's hands for the night, is that alright?"

The baby blew spit bubbles at him and reached for his beard, calming her cries once she knew she had his attention. He ruffled her feathery brown hair beneath his fingers and inhaled her sweet, baby smell.

He didn't think he'd ever seen anything more perfect in his entire life. Everything about her was perfect. Ten little perfect fingers, ten little perfect toes. It brought a smile to his face as he cooed at her.

"Ya know kid, you got it made," he said softly, and gave the girl a bounce, "E'rybody here would get on their hands n' knees to make ya happy."

He looked up to one of the barred windows overlooking the cell block and sighed. "Especially Carol. You got one hell of an Aunt, darlin'."

Judith let out a few unintelligible sounds, clapping and squirming with glee. Daryl tightened his arms around her ever so slightly, surprised by the overwhelming feeling of protectiveness he felt for this kid who wasn't even his.

"She loves you, ya know," Daryl continued, "...n' well, I guess maybe I love the both a ya."

He squinted down at the giggling child in his arms and whispered, "Don't tell 'er I said that. It's our little secret, huh, Asskicker?"

Carol, who was quietly watching the precious scene from the shadow of her cell, smiled softly and climbed back into bed.

End.