The Friday morning Daryl had been longing for, for two excruciatingly long months, was finally here. He hadn't slept much last night, but still surprisingly well. He couldn't wait to pick up Rainey. He was in good spirits, but at the same time he was very nervous. Things would be different from now on, that much was clear. But different how? That was the part he was not sure of yet. What if things would go down the crapper, because now that her head was clear again, she would realize that she could do so much better than him? What about the whole sex thing? Was he supposed to be extra careful now? Wait for her to take the first step? Would she still want to make out at least? They had made out a ton during his last visits to the treatment center, so maybe that was a good sign? He just couldn't wait to be with her again, it's been so damn long.

A sliver of anxiety was mixed into it as well, because he was still a bit scared that he would get there and have Rainey tell him that she decided to stay another couple of weeks. The rational part of him knew that wouldn't happen, but that small irrational part would keep him on edge until she was back home with him.

Before he left, he went over to Rainey's and opened the windows to let some air in. The night before he had stocked her fridge with some essentials for a late breakfast and some bottled water, so they wouldn't have to go grocery shopping first thing after coming home. He figured she would want to go to the laundromat and do laundry first, go grocery shopping later, get her prescriptions filled (because the center, for whatever bullshit reason, was only giving her enough of her meds for the first day back), get settled back in, etc., etc. Of course he was hoping for some downtime on the couch with her in his arms, too, and he was praying to whatever was out there, that they would find some time for that before the day was over.

It's happening... No goin' back now... Daryl kept thinking it while he stowed away Rainey's suitcase and her various bags in the truck bed of his old Ford. He straightened abruptly and gave his girlfriend a surprised look when she let him know that she had picked up on his anxiety.

"I'm not changing my mind." she said with a smile before she planted a kiss on his soft lips. "Take me home?"

"Hell yeah." he half-grunted, half-breathed, then he went to the passenger side door and opened it for her.

"Thank you." she wore a happy smile on her lips. "Hey, can we grab breakfast on our way home? I haven't had any, because I wanted to have it with you."

"Got everything we need at home."

"I figured, but can we go to Sam's Diner, please? I'm dying for that awesome breakfast there. I haven't had anything but dry bread and eggs for breakfast for months. Everything else tasted like it was made out of sea weed and kale. I need bacon and good, runny eggs. Oh my God, and pancakes! And probably a waffle with strawberries. Pleeeaaase?"

"Ya sure? Ya wanna go in there and sit down to eat? Ain't that a bit much for your first outing?"

"I'm fine. In group therapy we went to a restaurant a couple of times and practiced eating in public. I'll be fine, I promise. And I have to keep putting myself in those situations so I won't lose my progress."

"Alright. What the lady wants, she gets." Daryl kissed her with a smirk. He had wanted nothing more than to have her back in the trailer park, but now he thought that going out for breakfast with her sounded real nice. He'd never really been able to treat her to something like that before. Secretly he had wanted to do that very much, have at least one normal date with her, just to try it out. So this was a nice start to their new life together. "Hold on." he got back out of the car and covered the truck bed with a tarp, so no one would see that there was shit to steal back there, while they were inside eating. When he was done, he pulled out of the parking space and breathed his first good breath in two months, as he watched the treatment center disappear in the rear-view mirror. Good fucking riddance.

"You doin' okay?" Daryl wanted to make sure she was as comfortable as possible.

"I'm great." she replied smilingly and took hold of his hand on the table.

"Ya look pretty calm... different than before. Is all of that shit, like, gone now?"

"No, it's not gone, nor will it ever be, but it's definitely much better. The pills take away that constant nervousness and fidgeting... and the hardcore anxiety. It's still there, but much more manageable. That body image therapy really helped me, too. I never had a real concept of what I really looked like, you know? I saw a completely different person when I looked in the mirror, than you are seeing. I know that I'm not completely there yet, but at least now I can accept myself more and be okay with the way things are. And basically, I just learned a lot in the past couple of weeks. I learned that it could be much, much worse, so I try to appreciate that the condition is not as debilitating for me as it is for others. I wanna enjoy being able to do things like this, even if it is still anxiety-inducing. The good thing is that I have you with me, I know I'm safe with you. I know that better than ever now, and it helps so, so much."

"I, uh... I don't know..." Daryl wasn't sure how to voice what he was thinking.

"What, baby?" Rainey gently squeezed his hand.

"I don't know, I kinda feel like I should be doin' something, but I ain't got no clue what. Feel like something's expected of me now, ya know? There something I gotta do now? Like, something to help you better from now on?"

"You've always done perfect with everything. You don't have to change anything, if that's what you're asking. You don't have to walk on eggshells around me. Just treat me exactly the way you did before. But you can help me to stay on top of my exercises, force me to go to therapy when I have a bad day and want to throw it all away... yeah, that will still happen every now and then... But in general, just stay as awesome as you've always been." she grinned when she saw how the corners of his mouth tugged up into that embarrassed, but happy little smile.

"Alright." he nodded, just before the waitress arrived with their food.

"Oh my God, I'm so excited, I don't even know what to eat first. Eat the best first or save the best for last?"

Daryl shook his head with a smile. Even talking about eating so freely in front of him, that had never happened before. It really was refreshing. He knew that she loved bacon, so he figured that that was 'the best' to her. "Why don't ya take a bite of the bacon now, so ya got a little taste of it, then keep the rest for last? Cold eggs ain't good, so ya should eat those pretty fast." he told her before he started digging into his stack of pancakes, which he would share with her.

"Oh wow, that is an awesome idea." Rainey rubbed her hands in glee, then she picked up a strip of bacon with her fingers, and bit into it. Daryl swore that he saw her eyelids flutter and he felt himself confirmed when she spoke up. "Oh God... I might be having an orgasm right now... In my mouth at least."

"Better wipe the seat down 'fore we leave, huh? Just in case." Daryl chuckled quietly.

"Ewwww, Daryl! I'm not leaking on the seat. I have panties on and pants, too." she laughed with a scrunched up nose.

"Just fuckin' with you, relax."

"Hm, speaking of..."

"Of what?" Daryl asked with his mouth full.

"Fucking." Rainey replied with a lowered voice and giggled quietly when Daryl noticeably choked on a piece of pancake.

"Damn, woman. Gotta warn a guy before ya say somethin' like that." he rasped after having forced down the pancake all the way with a sip of coffee.

"Sorry. I just wanna make some things clear before we get home."

"Ain't gonna touch ya, I promise."

"No, no, no, no, no... that's not what I wanted to say. I want you to touch me. I don't want you to pull away and be super careful with me. I'm not saying we're gonna have sex tonight for sure, but I'm saying that the possibility might be there... I don't have a sexual dysfunction... I, ummm..." she looked around, relieved when she saw that it was still relatively deserted around them. "I want you. A lot. I always did, but my issues got in the way." she was very red in the face while she talked about it, but she knew it was important for him to know what she had on her mind concerning their sex life. "Look, I'm not really sure how to explain it, but I don't want you to pull away. I'm doing better with my whole body issues now... Of course I can't say for sure what's gonna happen when we get to that point again, where it all fall apart the last time, but... ummm... I don't know... I guess I don't want you to be scared to try it again with me? Does that make any sense?"

"Kinda, yeah. I'm glad yer bringing it up, 'cause I wasn't sure where we stood with that, ya know?"

"You can still touch me." she murmured in a half-whisper. "I never lied about that, I really love it. Like,... under this..." she tugged at the fabric of her top, referring to her breasts.

Daryl swallowed hard and quickly took another sip from his coffee mug. "Shit, girl... better stop or Imma lift the table..."

"Sorry. All I'm saying is, that we can go back to how it was and take things from there. Okay?"

"Sounds good."

"Good."

"Want some pancakes?"

"Oh yes, please."

Daryl fed her some of it and loved being able to watch her enjoy her food like that. He really hoped that this wouldn't just be the last shreds of that protective treatment center bubble that was still surrounding her, but that she would keep being able doing this, once the bubble had burst completely.

"Home sweet home..." Rainey sighed happily as she dropped on her bed. "Ew, gotta change the sheets." she laughed while she made a face at the stuffy smell.

"Guess we'll add that to the long-ass list." Daryl grunted as he carried in her luggage.

"Or we sleep at your place tonight."

"Nah, not tonight. Okay?" he didn't want to share her with Merle tonight.

"Then changing the sheets it is. Hm, I might have to wash the clean ones, too. They've been in the closet for over two months. Might smell weird, too."

"Or ya air them out out front."

"We're going to the laundromat anyway, so might as well bring them."

"True."

"Let's think. What do we have to do? First, go see my doctor and get the prescriptions. Laundromat, pharmacy, grocery store... anything else?" Rainey counted the list off on her fingers. "Oh, but first I need to make a grocery list."

"That's all gonna take hours." Daryl sighed.

"Maybe we should split up." Rainey suggested. "We would get done faster."

"Nah, took the day off ta be with ya. Ain't about to leave ya alone on your first day back. Don't care how long we're gonna be runnin' all those errands." Well, he did care a little. All he wanted to do was lock them in and not let go of her for at least 24 hours. But things had to be taken care of, no matter how much he didn't like that. The good thing was, that they still had the whole weekend ahead of them.

"I guess we should be going then." Rainey muttered and got off the bed. "The faster we get to it, the faster we will be done."

"Yeah, right. We can grab lun-"

"HEY YOU FUCKERS! Y'ALL AROUND?" Daryl was interrupted by an all too familiar voice, which actually made him groan out loud.

"So much for getting out of here fast." he grumbled under his breath.

"Back here, Merle." Rainey laughed and gently poked Daryl in the ribs.

"Aaaaah, there ya are. Back with the real crazies, huh?" Merle grinned broadly.

"And again, it wasn't an insane asylum." Rainey laughed.

"Well, from what I saw, some of those people in the cafeteria might have benefited from some electric shock therapy."

"That's mean." Rainey frowned at him and slapped his arm. Thankfully Merle hadn't said that out loud when he had been there with Daryl to visit her.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Daryl scowled at his brother. He thought Merle would have been smart enough to know that Daryl wanted Rainey to himself after those two long months.

"Saw y'all drivin' down the street. Thought I'd pop in, say welcome back, you know... and ask if there's a welcome back dinner, by any chance..." Merle had the decency to scratch his head with a sheepish grin on his face.

Rainey laughed. "Shouldn't you guys be making me a welcome home dinner?"

"We could." Merle said. "But ain't nobody gonna enjoy that. Might make ya run straight back to the loony bin."

"It wasn't-" Rainey started, but decided it was not worth it. "Anyway... to answer your question: yes, there will be a dinner for the three of us, but it's not going to be tonight, probably not tomorrow night either. More like Sunday."

Daryl breathed a sigh of relief, while Merle nodded. "Alright. I can live with that. Waited two months, what's two more days, right?"

"Exactly. Now, if you would excuse us, we have a shitload of things to take care of. We're stopping by the store, do you need anything?" Rainey politely told Merle that they didn't have time for him right now, and surprisingly, she didn't feel horribly bad about it. Those roleplay sessions in therapy had really paid off.

"Nah, Daryl was at the store last night. Got everything I need. Thanks, Sugar."

"You're welcome." Rainey smiled and ushered the men out while she stripped the sheets off the bed.

"She got some confidence, huh?" Merle grinned at Daryl. "Good for her."

"Yeah. Hope it stays that way."

"Have a little faith, baby brother. She's gon' feel it if you have doubts about it. Won't help her. So cut it out, alright?"

"Alright." Daryl mumbled and pressed his lips together while he nodded in kind of a child-like manner. Merle was right. Daryl had to let go of his own anxiety so he wouldn't drag her back down. He would have to trust in her new self and live this new life with her, without questioning how long it was gonna last.

Of course the downtime during the day, Daryl had been hoping for, hadn't happened. They had come home in the late afternoon, sitting down for a tea and a coffee, before Rainey had started on dinner. Daryl had suggested ordering in, but Rainey had wanted to cook for him.

Finally, after a delicious dinner of honey-glazed Prague ham with sauerkraut and roasted potatoes, they were cuddled up on the couch at last. Daryl had been pleasantly surprised when Rainey had come out of the bathroom in a pair of short sleep shorts. Now he had made himself comfortable in the corner and had pulled Rainey to rest between his legs, with her back against his chest and her head snuggled against his shoulder. Daryl had his arms around her and kept stroking his hands up and down her naked thighs, all the while burying his nose in her fragrant hair, and his spirits were finally lifted to their highest point.

"Gosh, it feels like it's been half an eternity since we've last been here." Rainey sighed as she gently pushed her head against his nose a little more.

"Don't I know it... but it was worth it." he pulled away slightly and smiled down at her.

"It was." Rainey agreed, even though she had been a little disappointed earlier. Going to the store had turned out great at first, but standing in line and have 5 people waiting behind them had made her nervous again. Daryl had noticed right away and had put his arm around her to support her. It had calmed her down, but the little twinge of disappointment had still been there. As much as she always kept emphasizing to people, that she knew she wasn't cured, a tiny part of her had hoped that maybe she was. She didn't let that get her down, though. She might not have been cured, but she was doing better than before, and that was what she kept focusing on... that things could be worse.

"Ready to head to the shelter tomorrow?"

"I don't know. I've been thinking about it and I'm not sure if it makes sense to get a pet."

"Why not? Thought we agreed that it was a good idea." Daryl's smiling expression turned into a frowning one.

"In general, it would be... but I'm not sure if it should be a dog. They need a lot of attention and we won't be home a ton. You work all day and so will I. We'd get a dog and it would spend the whole day, every day, with Merle. It would be like he's the owner and we're the fun aunt and uncle who bring over treats and take it out for a walk every now and then. We would actually be getting a dog for Merle, but we'd still foot the bills."

"Hm... you ain't wrong." Daryl had to admit, even though he was not happy about it. He hadn't even thought about it like that in his excitement over the whole thing.

"See? We should wait and figure something out. Maybe go for a bunny or a hamster or something like that. Or a cat. Maybe an older one that doesn't mind being left alone for a bit."

Daryl made a face. A bunny or a hamster? Not exactly what he had pictured. He wanted a dog. Like, really, really wanted a dog. "Still, I think it should be a dog. I won't always be here and I'd feel better about it if ya had a dog to keep watch. Can't ya take it to work?"

"I will be working in a kitchen, Daryl. So,... nope. And you do realize that we can't get a big watchdog, right? Look at the size of our homes... It will be more like a Maltese than a Labrador or a German Shepherd."

"Pfff, like one ya carry in your damn purse? Can tell ya right now, that Merle ain't gonna walk a dog like that. He's gon' be scared that people will think he's playin' for the other team."

"Then I guess we're at an impasse here, Daryl."

"Hm... looks like." he grunted.

"Let's just take some time and think about it. We'll figure something out eventually."

"Yeah, we will." Daryl nodded and went back to nuzzling her hair, while his hands were still busy with caressing her thighs. He enjoyed being with her like this again so much, he closed his eyes for a bit and let his mind drift off as the warm, comfortable feeling of familiarity wrapped itself around him. He didn't know how long it had been, but he became more alert again, when he felt Rainey shudder and heard a little sound coming from her. He blinked his eyes open and tried to assess the situation, but at first he didn't really know what was happening.

"Mmmm..."

There was that sound again. He looked down at Rainey, but her eyes were closed as well. His gaze shifted further down and he watched his fingertips slide along the outside of her thighs, over her knees and then (and this was new), down the inside of her thighs. When he passed over what must have been a sensitive spot, he felt her shudder again and heard that little moan come out of her mouth. It put a sly grin on Daryl's face, and instead of letting his fingers slide back to the outside of her legs, he spent some more time in that area, that gave her goosebumps.

"Ticklish?" the raspy whisper directly into her ear made her belly clench... in a good way.

"Not exactly." Rainey opened her eyes and reached up to bury her hand in his hair. She pulled his head down and kissed him hotly, letting her tongue slide directly into his mouth to mate with his.

This time it was Daryl's turn to let out a small sound. The intensity of the kiss overwhelmed him; it was like her arousal flowed right into him, infecting him and making the small hairs on his arms stand up as he shuddered right along with her. He loved when Rainey kissed him like that, all urgent and desperate, biting his bottom lip, sucking on his tongue, making an even greater mess of his hair... Missed this. Ungh, keep doin' that baby, Daryl thought as she tore another groan from his throat by flicking her tongue against his in the best way. Both of his hands left the insides of her thighs and slid upwards towards a more familiar goal. She had told him earlier that she wanted him to touch her, so he did, without asking special permission first. He slid them right up under her shirt and to her breasts, squeezing the soft globes first, before he gently tweaked both of her stiff nipples simultaneously.

The delighted moan, that made its way out of Rainey's mouth and straight into his, was music to his ears. The last time he had played with her like this, she hadn't felt anything except discomfort, so to actually feel her jump and shudder, because of his touch, was an absolutely delightful experience. His cock quickly turned from semi-hard to full on erection, thanks in no small part to Rainey's glorious butt, which kept grinding against him with all the squirming she was doing.

Rainey was in heaven. She loved the way he kissed her, all hard and wanting, and what he was doing to her breasts was making her feet twitch from pleasure. He kept rolling and tugging at her nipples just right, releasing them every now on then to massage her breasts before he went back to teasing the hardened tips of her full mounds. She wanted to cry, but this time not because she was so uncomfortable, but because she was able to enjoy it and not question every little thing he did. She was nervous, because it felt like the first time all over again, but it was a good kind of nervous... more like anticipation than dread. Rainey still held her breath, though, when after a long while of making out, Daryl dared to let his right hand slip lower. He hadn't tried that in a long time, not since way before rehab, even. He was nervous, too, because he knew he would be more than a little disappointed if it would all end in disaster again.

Just like Rainey, Daryl held his breath as soon as he was past her belly button and felt the elastic of the shorts. By now she had to know what he wanted to do, but she wasn't pushing him away yet. It caused his heart to really start slamming against his ribcage in earnest. So close... His fingers slipped under the waistband, where they immediately met the one of her panties. Pushing his fingers into her abdomen a little, they slipped underneath the elastic of her underwear. His fingers were officially inside her panties and Daryl thought that he might get a heart attack. Either that or he might die from his dick bursting, because right now it felt like it was just about to happen. Before he would die, he wanted to feel her first, so he kept sliding his hand lower, feeling smooth, heated skin underneath his fingertips. His breath rushed out of him in a shuddering exhale when he reached her slit. With three fingers he felt around a bit, spreading her outer lips the smallest bit, getting the biggest shock of arousal yet, when he felt his fingertips slip deeper into very well-lubricated folds. "Holy shit, Rain... you're so wet." he rasped in wonder, not even realizing that he had said it out loud.

Rainey blushed and quickly covered her face with her hands as an embarrassed laugh escaped her. "Oh God, Daryl!" she was a bit embarrassed by how excited he had gotten her, and it made her jitters about being this vulnerable with him a bit stronger for a moment, but when his fingers shifted a bit and brushed right up against her clit, Rainey forgot all about it. "Oh God, Daryl..." she moaned again, but this time with a completely different inflection, as her whole body jumped like it had been shocked by a live wire.

"Ain't nothin' to be ashamed of, Rain." Daryl quietly smirked into her ear. "It's damn hot. Just try to relax, alright?" he couldn't believe that it was really happening this time. He stroked his fingers over her incredibly soft pussy lips, down to tease her wet opening for a moment, before he slid them back up and found her clit again. The little nub was hard and swollen, making it easy for him to rub it in wet little circles. Rainey gasped and moaned, then she seemed to stop breathing altogether for a long moment, as Daryl's fingers worked their magic. She had never felt pleasure like this before. Her first boyfriend hadn't cared about her pleasure and neither had the internet guy. Nobody had ever pleasured her like this, except for herself, so the difference between her own fingers and Daryl's were more than just a little surprising. The sensations were exquisite. Her whole body was quivering from his ministrations and she let him go on and on, letting him play with her as he switched from circles to long strokes back and forth, and then to figure eights, making her jerk and clamp her hand down on his thick forearm when the pleasure got close to unbearable. It was wonderful, but Rainey still wasn't able to fully let go. Maybe because her mind was preoccupied with another thought...

"I want you." she breathed against his lips. "Please." Rainey wanted nothing more than to finally feel him inside of her.

"Ya ain't gotta beg... not this time." he smirked, but shit, he kind of loved when she did (at least this time, when everything was okay).

They took things to the bedroom, where Rainey lit a candle, because she still thought candlelight was the most flattering for this first time, and she still needed something that would give her some security and comfort in this new situation. She let Daryl undress her, completely this time. Now, she was shaking from nervousness again as she watched him get naked, too. But when Daryl saw the sliver of insecurity flash up in her eyes, he acted quickly and got on the bed with her. Together they knelt on the middle of the bed, facing each other. Daryl kissed her passionately, with everything he had while they pressed their naked bodies together for the first time since the hypothermia scare. Her breasts got squished against his chest and his erection was happily trapped between their bellies, until Rainey's hand reached between them, to wrap itself around the turgid length.

"Better don't do that right now." Daryl chuckled, a little embarrassed himself.

"Sorry." Rainey wore a sheepish grin.

Daryl kissed her again and gently maneuvered them into a horizontal position. He slowly guided her knees up towards her chest, making her wrap her legs high up around his waist.

"I'm so nervous..." Rainey felt stupid when the quiet whisper slipped out, but Daryl had the perfect response, as usual.

He kissed her sweetly and winked at her. "No need, I'm gonna do all the work now. You just relax for me, yeah?"

"Yeah." Rainey agreed, even though she wasn't sure if she would be able to relax. Just a second later she felt him push against her opening, and another second later, she felt the tip spreading her, causing little sharp pinpricks to invade her senses. Tears pooled in her eyes, but not because of the small discomfort.

"Rain?" Daryl had stopped immediately, but Rainey shook her head.

"No, I'm good, I promise... I'm just so happy." she sniffed and quickly wiped at her tears. They were finally united all the way and the feeling was a powerful one. So many months had passed and so much had happened, so many ups and downs, but now they were finally here: Daryl was sliding home...

He tried to make it last for as long as possible, tried to give her as much pleasure as he possibly could, but way too soon for his own taste, he felt that intense tingling at the base of his spine. He was going to cum and there would be no stopping it. When he erupted inside of her, Rainey was the happiest woman on the planet. Yeah, it had still been a bit awkward, but she knew that it was normal. It had been normal... And normal to her was perfect... It had been perfect.

"Hey..." Daryl later murmured into her hair when they were curled up in their post-coital glow.

"Hm?"

"Ya know that ya might just be stuck with me forever, right?"

Rainey's smile could have lit up the whole trailer park. She knew what he was saying and she was glad that he was doing it like this and not outright. "I know." she replied. "Same here."

Bobby had lied a little. The job in the kitchen was pretty stressful on most days, because the catering business was booming, and with several events in one day, even with great time-management, they did end up under pressure. Still, Rainey loved it and kept at it. She liked her colleagues and keeping herself busy wasn't the worst thing. It helped that she took those 30 minutes every night, that belonged just to her. It let her decompress and work through everything that might have happened that day. Sometimes she took a long shower and did her nails or something, other times she took a walk or did the muscle relaxation exercises. She still had some bad days, but they were few.

Daryl made sure that she kept going to therapy, even when she sometimes felt like she no longer needed it. He knew better than to ever assume again, that she was doing okay. He had learned his lesson and knew that she was a great actress where hiding her true feelings were concerned. He never wanted her to break down again, so he kept pushing her towards therapy to keep that from happening.

Over time he learned that Rainey's condition truly wouldn't ever be cured. There were days where she could go out for a meal with him, no problem, while on other days, she was fidgeting at the table, even with her meds. The brain had a mind of its own, but at least it all stayed manageable.

The one thing that almost completely went away over time, though, was the body dysmorphia issue. Surprisingly their improving sex life helped a great deal with that. But it still took another year, until Rainey had reached the point where she was at a normal female level of being insecure about her body. Not in front of Daryl, though. It might have taken a long, long time, but in the end she knew, that he was absolutely crazy about her.

A whole month after Rainey had gotten out of rehab, Rainey and Daryl had finally been able to compromise on the pet issue. Daryl had found the perfect solution, with the help of Danni. A dog wasn't allowed down in the shop, but the manager had agreed for the dog to stay with Danni in the office for three days a week. The manager had insisted that it would only be a temporary solution, but after a couple of months during which the dog had shown good behavior, it had silently turned into a permanent thing. This way Daryl was able to take it to work and check in for a cuddle a couple of times a day. The other two days it stayed with Merle.

They fell in love with a 3-year old English Bulldog at the local shelter. His name was Grumpy Bear, which had made both of them laugh. It had to be a sign. What better name for a dog who would now go home with a woman whose name sounded like she was Cloudy Bear's wife?

Speaking of... Daryl and Rainey never got married. Neither of them felt the need to have an official piece of paper to tell them that they belonged together. Their relationship might have been a little unconventional here and there (for example, they never officially moved in together neither, with Daryl splitting his time between Rainey's and his own home with Merle), but it worked for them. It gave Rainey the space she sometimes needed, which proved to be very good for their relationship.

They grew old together, without a marriage certificate, without rings and without babies. They had their canine children and they had each other, which was all they had ever needed in order to be happy. Daryl did everything for her. Even when Rainey got sick at age 68 and refused to move into a nursing home with him, because she didn't want to be surrounded by strangers during her last months, Daryl mobilized all his strength and cared for her by himself, until she took her last breath in the summer of 2051.

Just before she went, a heartbroken and crying Daryl pressed one last kiss against her cooling forehead and bid the love of his life goodbye.

"I hope you'll rest in peace, my beautiful Rain."

The End

Thank you for reading.

Aaaaand that's it. This might have been the last new story for a while. Unless I wake up tomorrow morning with a brilliant idea, which actually has happened before, but I somehow doubt it will happen this time. You are welcome to suggest ideas, of course;-)

Next up I intend to check in on Teddy and Daryl. Gotta see if our favorite redneck got his wife pregnant by now, right?

Thank you so much to everybody who was along on this ride. I am so glad that I was finally able to finish this and that all of my stories are completed works now (apart from the bonus chapters). There won't be any bonus chapters for Rainey and Daryl, and that's just the way I wanted it. It was supposed to be a little story that shed light on issues a lot of us have, but still nobody seems to know an awful lot about.

It is possible to have social anxiety and still find someone who is right for you out there. It is hard, very, very hard even, but if you think someone is worth fighting for, then push through and do it. If you are fiercely independent and don't need/want a partner by your side, like me, that's okay, too. You can do it.

I know that some of you expected a whole lot of smut and in my usually more explicit style, but the more I kept writing, the more I felt that it simply didn't fit in with them or this story, so forgive me for that. For more smutty goodness people should definitely read Jasper or His Walls;-)

I am full of thanks today so I wanna thank the silent readers as well. Thank you to every follower and everyone who favorited, also to those who left the story with the previous chapter. It was a very personal story for me to tell, similar to People Alway Meet Twice in Life, but I hoped it was able to help some people and show them that they are not alone or freaks or anything else like that. If you suffer from a mental disorder which makes life so much harder on a daily basis, and you're still alive, then you are one of God's strongest motherfucking warriors!

Much love to all of you!

Special thanks to the wonderful reviewers:

DarylDixon'sLover

Jewel011703

angelicedg

Kshawbee

Pippiminza

Guest

Nurse jean

KaneCenaZombie12

An Amber Pen

redangel2463

Libby6199 (I see you. I hope the story helps you a little)

krissyg49

Creed757

Gemini18

cemmia