Disclaimer: I don't own The Walking Dead. If I did, it would be on every day, like a soap opera, and Daryl and Carol would have hooked up a hundred times by now.

AN: Sorry to everyone for making you wait this long. Real life hasn't been much fun lately and I just wasn't really in the right place to finish writing this chapter. But I'm feeling better and the sun is shining, so I hauled my busted ass and my laptop out to my deck, and finished this chapter in two hours flat. I hope everyone likes it as much as I liked writing it.

Read on and enjoy!

Epilogue

Life went on. Days passed, turning into weeks and months. The seasons changed, the earth kept spinning long after the dead rose up to walk it. Four years had come and gone since the night Eli had come into the world, and so many things had changed. The prison group had grown even larger, losing people along the way, but always welcoming more. Nearly every cell block in the building was now occupied, full of men, women and children. While the threat of the dead was always there, it had lessened, sightings along their fences becoming fewer and fewer. Life was as close to normal as it could be now.

Daryl looked out over the yard from his place in the tower. Watch had become a boring task lately, and he was itching to be done with it. He breathed a sigh of relief when Carl finally arrived to relieve him. The boy had grown into a tall, lanky young man, eighteen years old and resembling his father more and more each day. He had a defeated look on his face when he flopped down in the chair next to Daryl, and the older man couldn't help but laugh.

"What's the matter kid, Beth break up with you again? How many times is that now? Ten? Fifteen?" he asked teasingly.

Carl just turned and glared at him, before responding. "No, she didn't break up with me. She's just driving me crazy. I've loved that girl for 5 years, we've been together for two, and she still won't have sex with me. Keeps sayin' we need to be married first. I don't know how much more I can take." he said, dropping his head into his hands in frustration.

"Carl, I ain't trying to tell you what to do, but why don't you just marry the girl. You two are crazy about each other, and it ain't like your age is any big deal." Daryl offered, as he had every other time they'd had this conversation.

Carl looked up at him, slightly annoyed at the advice, but knowing he was right. "I know, I know. I'm planning on asking her soon. Just trying to come up with a plan, you know. I want to make it special for her. I need a ring and all that."

Daryl chuckled as he thought back to the night he had proposed to Carol, nervous and naked, kneeling on the floor in their tiny cell. It was one of his favorite memories. "Carl, you don't need some big romantic gesture, just tell the girl how you feel and tell her you want to be with her. As for getting her a ring, come along with us on the next run. I'll take you to the place where I got Carol's from."

"Thanks Daryl. My dad is so busy with Michonne and Judith and everything else, I hate having to bother him with stuff like this."

"Ain't no problem kid. Now, if you got everything here, I'm gonna head out. I got somewhere to be."

Carl nodded at him, giving him permission to go. He picked up his crossbow and his bag from the corner and made his way down the steps and into the yard. He smiled when he spotted her, standing near the clothesline, folding the last of their laundry and watching the kids play. They were both nearing their fiftieth birthdays, and while his age was starting to become more apparent, gray hairs streaked through his dark locks and his beard, she looked almost the same as she did the day they had met. The only difference was that her soft dark gray hair, which had once been closely cropped, was now nearly down to her belt. She hadn't noticed him yet, her attention was focused on the kids as they ran around, yelling and laughing. He stepped up behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist, and using his other hand to brush away the hair from her neck, before placing a gentle kiss there. "Hey woman. Miss me?"

Carol spun around in his arms and brought her lips to his, lingering for a moment before turning herself back around. "Of course I did baby, I always miss you. Gotta work though. Well, some of us do anyway. Can't all sit up there in the tower staring into space." she said teasingly.

He tightened his arm around her waist, pressing himself against her back and moving his lips back to her neck, giving her a gentle little bite before whispering into her ear. "Remember, I was out hunting before you ever even got out of bed this morning. Not to mention, I finished Eli's birthday present while I was up there staring into space. Did plenty of work today woman. Might do some more later, if you're nice to me."

Carol laughed. "It's our anniversary Daryl, you are definitely going to do some work later. I might do some too if you play your cards right." she said suggestively.

Even after all this time, she still had the same effect on him. He couldn't wait to get her into their bed, but there were more pressing matters at hand right now. Namely, the dirty blond shaggy haired little boy that was currently barreling towards them at full speed. Daryl released Carol just in time to sweep his son up into his arms, giving him a quick squeeze before pulling away to look at his bright blue eyes.

"Hey punk, missed you. How was school today?"

Eli was grinning as he told his daddy all about his day. The boy could talk a mile a minute and sometimes you had to ask him to slow down just to understand what he was saying.

"It was great. We did our letters and numbers, and then we took a walk to learn about bugs. Did you know that caterpillars turn into butterflies? We had some extra story time, and Miss Beth let me choose the story cause it's my birthday. I picked the story about the three little pigs cause it's my favorite. Then she gave us all a special treat. Have you ever had chocolate, daddy? I had some today and it's my new favorite food. I want chocolate all the time. Can we have chocolate for supper tonight, please?" Eli said, barely stopping to take a breath between sentences .

Daryl smiled as he heard the events of Eli's day. He loved these moments. "Whoa, slow down there little man. I don't think we can have chocolate for supper. That's a very special treat and it's not real easy to find. But, I'm sure your mama made something you like."

Carol chimed in. "I'm going to make spaghetti , although chocolate does sound good. I might just have to go find Beth and see if she has any left."

Daryl smiled. Last time either of them had seen any chocolate was a few years back, and it had come in the form of a bottle of syrup that been quite the bitch to wash out of their sheets once they had had their fun with it. He blushed a little bit, but pushed the memory away until later. Right now he had something to do. He placed Eli down gently on the grass, crouching down in front of him. He grabbed his bag and reached in, finding what he was looking for, but not yet revealing it.

"Eli, what's the one thing you wanted for your birthday?"

Eli already knew what was coming. He was practically bouncing where he stood. "A rifle! Did you get me a rifle? Mama said I couldn't have one yet, but you got me one, right?"

A sly grin came over Daryl's lips as he extracted Eli's gift from his bag. It was a rifle, but certainly not a real one. It was a wooden pop gun. He had been working on it for weeks now, whittling away at the wood bit by bit, hollowing out the barrel with a drill from the tool shed, sanding down all the splinters until it was smooth as glass. He had found an old cork from a wine bottle and had just finished attaching it to the string and loading it up before his watch had ended. Eli eyed the toy curiously, reaching out to take it slowly. He seemed a little disappointed until Daryl showed him how to fire it. When the cork came shooting out of the barrel with a loud pop, Eli lit up.

"Holy shit, that was so cool!" he said excitedly, glancing shyly up at Carol when he realized that he had said a bad word. "Sorry, mama."

Carol tried to look disapproving, but she couldn't hide her smile at seeing him so happy. "It's okay baby, just try not to say it again. Just cause your daddy talks like that, it doesn't mean you can." She said, shooting Daryl a little look. He may have softened over the years, but he still swore like a sailor from time to time. She glanced back down at her son. "So I guess you like your present."

Eli reloaded the cork into the barrel and fired. "It's awesome. Can't shoot no biters, but I can shoot Judy with this. She keeps hitting me. And then she tried to kiss me today. I told Miss Beth to make her stop, but she just started laughing at me. Now I can make her stop all by myself. I'm gonna shoot her dead." He was off running after that, heading over to where Judith was playing with some of the other young girls in the group. He snuck up behind her, aiming his little gun right for the back of her head. She spun around just in time for him to fire. She startled at the loud pop, tripping backwards over her feet and landing on her butt in the green grass. She laughed, and jumped back up to her feet, chasing after Eli before tackling him to the ground and giving him a big wet kiss on the cheek. He screamed, and tried furiously to wipe it away, before running after her again, with his rifle aimed right at her.

Daryl laughed as he wrapped his arm around Carol and pulled her close. She rested her head on his shoulder as they watched the kids play. They stood in comfortable silence for a moment before Carol spoke up.

"You know, Asskicker is gonna marry that boy someday. She's been in love with him from the first time she set her little baby eyes on him. I can't wait to see Rick's face the day he realizes that. He's so damn protective of her, he isn't gonna let those two kids near each other until they're in their 20's."

Daryl just laughed and pulled her closer. "Worse things in this world than a little love. I think he'll be just fine with it. We're all family anyhow, might as well make it official one day."

They stood that way for a while longer, before finally reining the kids in. Carol needed to get inside to start supper. The kids ran ahead as they made their way into the kitchen, separating as they ran off to find their parents. There were now so many people in the prison, they had each broken off into their own groups in their separate cell blocks for things like meals. Not surprisingly, the extended Atlanta group had stuck together. Hershel was seated at one of the tables, flipping through a book that had been left there by Lenny. The old man had passed about 6 months prior, simply not waking up one morning. He had become like a surrogate father to them all, and a grandfather to the children. He was sorely missed, but everyone took comfort in the fact that he was finally reunited with his wife and son. They had left his book on the table as a sort of memorial to the man who could be always be found there, nursing a cup of coffee and pretending to read while he waited for someone to talk to.

Glenn was seated at the table next to Hershel's, looking exhausted as his oldest daughter Sadie tried to climb up his back. He was trying to coax his twin boys, Dale and Jimmy, into eating the mashed peas that Maggie had given him, but they were fighting him every step of the way. Maggie was standing near the stove, stirring a pot of tomato sauce as she waited for the water to boil for pasta. Carol made her way over to her, placing a hand on her back as she saw that supper was already being made.

"Maggie, you didn't have to do that. It's my night to cook." she said gratefully.

Maggie gave her a sweet smile and continued stirring. "It was no problem. It's not like it was a hard meal, and anyway, it's your anniversary today. You've done enough work."

Carol gave her friend a small peck on the cheek. "Thank you sweetie."

"You're welcome." Maggie replied, lowering her voice as she continued. "Got a secret for you, haven't even told Glenn yet. I'm pregnant again."

Carol tried with all her might to contain her laughter as she looked over to where Glenn was sitting, being attacked by his children. She looked back at Maggie and smiled. "You two are going to repopulate the earth all on your own if you don't slow down."

Maggie just laughed. "This is going to be the last one, I swear to god. I ain't letting Glenn near me again until I hit menopause."

Carol could feel her blush rising as she thought about all of the things she and Daryl had done since her own change came. They no longer needed to worry about protection, and that had given them a lot of freedom. They'd made love in nearly every room in this prison, a few places outside as well. The watchtower was a particular favorite of his, he liked the idea of being right above everyone as she rode him and covered her mouth to conceal her cries. She snapped out of it as she noticed that Maggie was looking at her funny. She stuttered a little bit as she spoke. "Menopause does have its benefits."

Maggie grinned. She and everyone else knew about Daryl and Carol's little trysts, but she would never say that out loud. She resumed cooking, dumping the noodles into the boiling water and telling Carol to go sit down and relax. Carol obliged her and made her way over to where Daryl was standing with Rick and Michonne. Judith was telling her father that Eli had shot her, and that she hadn't even been being mean. Rick gave Eli a look of mock anger, the little boy hiding behind his dad's leg. Rick crouched down and tried his best to sound stern while he contained his amusement. "Is that true Eli? Did you shoot Judy for no reason?"

Eli stepped out from behind Daryl's legs and tried his best to stand up straight and puff out his little chest. "Ain't for no reason, Uncle Rick. She keeps tryin to kiss me. It's gross." he said in his own defense.

Rick finally let the laugh pass his lips as he leaned in close and whispered in the little boy's ear. "Next time she tries to kiss you, you have my permission to shoot her right in the butt. Your daddy used to be real fond of threatening to shoot people there and it usually made them stop whatever they were doing." he said, shooting a look up at Daryl. Daryl just shrugged, he couldn't deny that he had put more than a few arrows into the asses of people who had dared to piss him off. Maggie announced that supper was ready, and everyone grabbed a plate as they sat down to eat. Hershel said grace and Daryl found that after all these years, he had actually started to bow his head when the prayer was said. He didn't know for sure if there was a god, but if there was he was grateful for everything he had.

They ate in silence for a few moments, until someone inquired as to where Beth was. Like magic, she appeared in the doorway, smiling and looking slightly flushed. Carl was right behind her, grinning like an idiot and looking embarrassed all at the same time. Daryl was surprised to see him there and said as much. "Carl, ain't you supposed to be on watch right now? It ain't been more than an hour since you took over from me."

Carl dropped down on a chair at the table next to his while Beth went to grab them food. "Tyreese took over for me. He owed me a favor and I really needed to talk to Beth." He leaned a little closer to Daryl and lowered his voice. "You think we could make that run we talked about tomorrow? I kinda jumped the gun and asked her without having a you know what. She got all excited and we started doing stuff, but then she said we still can't go all the way until she has something on her finger. I think she's trying to kill me."

Daryl smiled as he replied. "Yeah kid, we'll go tomorrow. About time too. Didn't think you had the balls to do it."

Carl tried to glare at him, but he still looked too happy to pull it off. "Shut up. My balls are what finally made me do it. They're turning blue." He quickly shut up when Beth slid into the seat next to him, placing a plate of spaghetti in front of him.

Daryl turned back to his own food when Carol leaned in and whispered in his ear. "What was that all about?"

"Carl and Beth,tell you later." Daryl whispered back.

Everyone soon finished their meals, and the evening passed pleasantly. Eli and Judith had forgiven each other for now and were sitting on the floor, trying to read a book to Sadie, Dale, and Jimmy. Since neither of them could really read yet, they were mostly just making it up as they went along and showing the younger children the pictures. Carol, Maggie, Beth, and Michonne had cleaned up from their supper and were sitting around talking about the work that needed to be done tomorrow, gossiping a little bit as well. Mostly they were teasing Beth about why she had looked so funny when she had come in. Beth wouldn't reveal anything, just said they would just have to wait and see. The men in the group, Rick, Daryl, Glenn, Hershel, and Carl, were seated around one of the tables, attempting a game of poker. Surprisingly, for a guy who couldn't really lie, Glenn was beating them all. It wasn't like money had any value anymore, it was a concept that the children didn't even understand. But Glenn still looked pretty pleased with himself when he saw that the pile of pennies in front of him had grown quite large. The scene was like one in a movie, a family gathered together, enjoying each other's company. Most nights passed by in a similar fashion. All of these very different people had been pushed together, at first out of necessity, out of a need for survival. Now they couldn't really imagine life without each other. Everyone had a place, a role to fill. They had become the close knit family that some had longed for before the world went to hell. They were home.

The children had started looking tired, so the night ended as everyone gathered up their respective kids and started to head back to their cells to settle in for the night. Daryl had scooped a half asleep Eli up into his arms and with Carol at his side, they made the short walk back to their room. Eli could barely be bothered to get changed, and Carol finally just gave up. It was a warm night and she just left him in his underwear as she tucked him into his bed. The crib and baby gear were long gone, having been replaced by a small twin bed and a bookshelf which contained the little boy's treasures. His books, a collection of arrowheads that Hershel had given him, a few toy cars, a couple of snakeskins that Daryl had found in the woods, and on the highest shelf, in a small wooden frame, was a picture of Sophia.

Daryl had asked Carol one time if she had any pictures of her daughter, and Carol had sadly replied that they had all been left behind, that Ed had not allowed her to pack something so silly when they had left their home. It had bothered him for a long time, until one day, they were making a run and found themselves in the small town where Carol had told him she had once lived. He had looked at every mailbox they passed and when he finally spotted the name Peletier, he had asked Glenn to stop the truck. He had jumped out of the truck and after struggling for a moment to get the door open, he had walked in. The house had not been touched, every single dust covered knickknack and piece of furniture was still in its place. He felt like he wanted to leave the second he stepped in. This had not been a happy home and he could swear that if he listened closely, he could still hear the sound of a woman and a young girl crying, the sound of a fist colliding with tender skin. He was furious in that moment, and when he saw the picture of Ed on the mantle, he couldn't help himself. He had picked it up and hurled it across the room, watching the glass frame shatter into a million pieces. He tried to compose himself, but when he saw the picture that had been sitting next to Ed's, he felt an immediate calm. It was a picture of Carol and Sophia. It had to be nearly twenty years old by now. She was seated in a rocking chair, a warm smile on her face as she held her infant daughter in her arms. He studied the picture closely, and the look on her face absolutely warmed his heart. She looked so young, her eyes still bright, full of spunk and fire. Her real nightmare with Ed had not yet begun and she looked like a woman full of hope. He had wished that he had known her then, had been there to protect her from the men that had taken that hope away from her, had abused her and tried to extinguish her flame. But he knew that twenty years ago, he would have been no good for her, so messed up by his own abuse that he never would have been able to see what a wonderful woman she was. He picked the picture up and carefully placed the frame in his bag. He ignored the rest of the pictures on the mantle, stiffly posed family portraits, and began to wander through the rest of the house. He entered what must have been Carol and Ed's room. He felt his stomach turn as he thought about what must have happened behind these walls, but he suppressed it as he looked around. It had been sparsely decorated and he couldn't really see anything worth taking until his eyes fell upon a small wooden box on top of a chest of drawers. He lifted the lid to find a few pieces of jewelry. He remembered that Carol had once mentioned her grandmother, a woman who had passed away when Carol was only four, but had been very kind to her when she was alive. The jewelry had belonged to her, and she had willed it to her granddaughter. Daryl closed the lid and securing it with a piece of ribbon that had been lying next to it, he added it to his bag. He left the room, opening doors until he finally found what he was looking for. The room was small and pink, packed with dolls and toys and girly things. He stepped in and looked around. He hadn't really gotten to know Sophia when she was alive, his interest in her hadn't begun until the day she went missing. But he had listened to Carol talk about her, about how smart and kind and funny she had been. In his mind, she was his child just as much as Eli. He wiped a tear from his eye as he moved to start collecting things. He found a large purple duffle bag under the bed and filled it with her things. A doll, a small ballet costume, a few books and school paintings, finally topping it off with a scrapbook full of pictures of happy times. He moved to leave, but paused before exiting the room. He took a deep breath and spoke. "Sophia, I'm so sorry I couldn't save you. I tried so hard, but it was too late. I just want you to know, your mama loves you and she misses you every day, but she's safe. I promise you I ain't never gonna let another bad thing happen to her for as long as I live." He had finally made his peace with the way the little girl's life had ended and he now felt like he finally had closure. Maybe with the things he was bringing Carol, she would be able to find it as well. He left that house then, wanting nothing more than to torch it as he stepped out into the sun. But he wasn't that kind of man anymore. He no longer let his rage control him. He simply got back into the truck and told Glenn to move on, that he had gotten what he needed.

The picture on top of Eli's bookcase had been one from Sophia's scrapbook, a shot of her laughing as she kicked her legs on a swing. Eli had asked a million questions about his "angel sister" and though Carol had teared up as she spoke, she answered every one. Most nights, he would take the picture down from its place on the shelf and talk to it, telling his sister all about his life. Having been too tired tonight, he would most likely talk to her in the morning as he crept quietly from his bed. Carol smiled as she watched her sleeping son, Daryl leaning down to give him a kiss on the forehead after she had. They pulled the curtain separating the two sides of the room shut, and quickly undressed, climbing into bed together. Daryl kissed her gently, increasing his pressure as she began to respond in kind. Once they got started there was no stopping them, short of Eli waking up and stepping through the curtain. But tonight, their son didn't wake and they spent the next hour making love, bodies intertwined in pleasure as they tried to stifle their cries and moans. When they had finally found their release, multiple time is Carol's case, they had collapsed into each other's arms, sweaty and panting as they lay there, just watching each other. They were connected, two halves of the same person. It had taken the end of the world to bring them together, but now nothing on earth could tear them apart.

"I love you Daryl" she whispered as she closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.

He brushed her hair away from her face, placing his hand on her cheek as he replied. "I love you too Carol." meaning it more now than ever before. His love for her would continue to bloom and grow, just like the flower that had been the first step in their long journey to each other.

There you have it folks. We have reached the end of our story. Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed. It meant the wrold to me that someone else actually liked the silly little story that was bouncing around in my brain. I have a few new stories in the works and should hopefully be able to get something out to you soon. Again, thanks for reading and please take the time to review. xoxoxo Bekah xoxoxo