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"I'm going to fucking kill him Daryl!" Rick's voice shatters the silence that had, up until a moment ago surrounded Daryl's LA home. His face is red and screwed up in anger. His eyes are wild, feral and burning. Rick’s fists are clenched at his sides and he’s valiantly attempting to wear a path into the expensive wooden floorboards as he paces frantically. "I can't believe that asshole could even think about betraying me like that. And Lori! After all these years? How could they do this?" Rick slams his fist down furiously on the kitchen counter causing the two opened beers to jump and clatter as they land again.
"I mean what the fuck were they thinking Daryl?" Rick is almost screaming now, completely overtaken with rage, his hands start to grasp at the curls that sit around his ears and spittle flies from his mouth as he screeches his lament into the room and Daryl just sits patiently, waiting for Rick to get the worst of it out. He tries not to flinch when Rick slams his hand onto the work surface even though it brings back haunting memories from his childhood. He knows Rick would never harm him. His friend is hurting, in all the years Daryl has known him, all the years that Rick has worked as his bodyguard he'd never seen the man this livid before. Rick's angry, furious and hurt and Daryl understands that his friend needs to let a little of that out before he can become reasonable once more. "I mean," Rick continues, the anguish crystal clear in his voice now alongside the anger. "What the fuck were they thinking? Have I got 'idiot' written all over my face?" Even though Daryl knows the question is rhetorical he still shakes his head and holds his palms out in an attempt to calm Rick. "I'll kill him. After all these years? I'll fucking throttle him with my bare hands!" Rick shouts, heading towards the door in a fit of irrational rage.
"Wait! Rick, wait! C'mon now man. Try and calm down a little. You know I ain't gonna let ya go out there in this state. Ain't gonna let ya do somethin yer gonna regret." Daryl says as he jumps from his stool and heads to block Rick from tearing out the front door.
Rick stops dead in his tracks staring at Daryl like he's never laid eyes on the man before. The anger twists his features into something cold and inhuman. Eyes glowing as if the very pits of hell were set behind his retinas.
"Calm down? Daryl, they've been fucking for two years!! Two years! I'm gonna rip his fucking spleen out!" Rick screams as he advances on Daryl. He's three feet away and Daryl's outstretched arms and soothing palms are just about to come in contact with Rick's chest when he stops in his tracks, his face falling, all anger dissipating. Rick's twisted features slowly flattening out as if someone had run an iron over the surface. "Oh my god...Daryl!" He says suddenly, no trace of anger left within his features, just shock, confusion and something else Daryl can see, repulsion? "Judy! What if....what if she's..." Rick sobs suddenly, a choked pitiful sound that seems to halt at the base of his throat as he tries to strangle it down. It breaks Daryl's heart, that one tiny noise that Rick struggles to keep inside. He can see the tears filling Rick's eyes, can see the flush of anger draining from his friends face as he turns pale and grey. He watches as Rick's fists unclench, his fingers giving up hope of holding their grip on themselves as the fight visibly seeps out of every muscle in Rick's body. "What if she's not mine?" Rick whispers, choking on the words as they obstruct his airway. "What if she's..." he sobs again tears breaking free of their optical confines as they roll down his cheeks and into his stubble covered jawline. Daryl feels his own eyes becoming wet at the sight of his friend in so much pain and he struggles to keep his emotions in check. It would do no good now for him to lose control, he needed to be strong for Rick, no matter the hurt he felt at seeing Rick so defeated. "What if I lose my baby girl?" Rick begins to breakdown, tears flowing freely now, sobs wracking his body. "What if they take her from me? What if they take Carl?" Rick almost wails and his head drops in agony. Daryl can see Rick's legs begin to wobble and he steps forward, wrapping his arms around his friend and holding him tight. Rick's arms immediately pull around Daryl's back, his fists clench tight into Daryl's shirt twisting the fabric as he desperately clings to the only thing in his world right now that makes sense.
"Hey, hey!" Daryl soothes into Rick's hair. "Don't, don't do that to yerself Rick." He runs his hands up and down Rick's back in an attempt to calm the heaving breaths that are escaping Rick's chest. "They ain't gonna take yer boy from ya. 'N' that baby girl? Well, if she ain't yers I'll bet ma left nut yer'll still love 'er like she is." He holds Rick even closer, letting the man cry onto his shoulder. The utter desolation rolling off Rick in waves even as the tears soak into Daryl's shirt. "Yer a good Dad Rick. Ain't nothin' gonna keep ya away from that boy o'yers. Ain't nothin ya can do ta change what's happened, ain't no point in ya overreactin' 'n' goin' round there guns blazin'. I know yer hurtin', know it, can see all over ya. Ain't nothin' ya can do 'cept pick yerself up 'n' be the best Dad ya can."
They stand like that for a long time. Rick sobbing uncontrollably onto Daryl's shoulder, still gripping tightly onto his friend as if letting go will cut his parachute ties and he'll careen into the ground, unable to stop the catastrophic impact that awaits. Slowly, very slowly, Rick's cries dwindle, his shaking sobs calm and the shudders that ran through his body calm to a gentle tremble.
"Rick. S'gonna be ok man. I'm here for whatever ya need, ya know that, right?" Daryl asks quietly as he relaxes his grip on Rick's body. "Whatever ya need."
Daryl feels Rick nod against his shoulder and hears him sniff loudly as he wills himself to regain control.
"Thank you." Rick says, quiet, muffled and laced with dejection and anguish. He pulls away, wiping his nose on his sleeve before looking Daryl in the eye. Clear, startling blue eyes so filled with rage and cold fury moments ago now only show sadness at the situation and tenderness for his closest friend. "Thank you Daryl." He says again and his eyes speak the words as much as his lips do.
"C'mon, s'go finish that beer." Daryl says, patting Rick on the back gently as they make their way to where they'd abandoned their half empty bottles. He snatches up his beer and starts rummaging through the cupboards as Rick settles himself back onto the stool at the counter "Think I got some flapjacks in 'ere somewhere too."
"You're a good friend Daryl." Rick says quietly his fingers twist around the bottle in front of him, wiping off the drops of condensation and picking at the label absentmindedly. Daryl pauses with his head half way into the open cabinet.
"Helped me through a lot of shit Rick, least I can do's help ya when ya need me." Daryl answers just as quietly not turning around to look at Rick while he speaks, the flush of honestly rising across his cheeks. He finds the tin Marie, his housekeeper, uses to store the flapjacks and pulls it out with a flourish. Waving it through the air, causing Rick to let out a shaky laugh. "Flapjacks always make ya feel better." He says opening the tin and laying it down between them both.
Rick's face has now lost all trace of his overwhelming emotional outburst. He's back to merely looking tired and completely worn out but Daryl knows Rick is gonna be ok, s'long as he can see his kids he’ll be a good Dad fer 'em and he'll be just fine.