I want to give a big thanks to Haitus80 for talking me into actually pursuing this idea and not posting immediately. If you hadn't I would have never wrote it or finished it. Also a big thanks on everyone who followed, favorited, read and reviewed! I appreciate everyone of you greatly. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did.

Laughter. Unguarded, loud, and genuine was echoing down the hall to her. The slap of bare feet and the equally loud sound of someone giving chase was enough to have her looking over her shoulder. She wasn't let down when she seen Brian skid down the hall like the scene out of Risky Business. Tighty whities with Wolverine on them in all their adorable glory. Brian shrieked when Daryl caught up to him and scooped him up in his arms. He was thrashing wildly but Daryl never stumbled as he threw him into the air. He was laughing still and she realized that Brian had soap all over him. In fact he had a partial bubble beard.

She was relieved to see that Daryl had more on that just underwear. Not that she wasn't used to seeing him running around in boxers. Next week would make five years they'd been married. Six years that she'd known she found that missing piece. Something she didn't even know she was pining for until she assaulted him. It was still a running joke with his brothers about how she blacked his eye. Merle was the one who enjoyed it the most since he'd seen the incident.

"What are the two of you doing?" Carol chirped.

Daryl looked up and grinned at her. It made warmth spread through her chest. Any time she seen Daryl with nephew had her heart thumping painfully. Brian clung to his uncle and his smile mirrored Daryl's so much that you'd swear he was his so if you didn't know any better. Daryl was soaked to the bone though and his face was flushed. His eyes were so bright in that moment. They always were when he was with Brian.

"Nothing." He said to quickly.

Brian let out a peal of laughter. "Aro!"

He threw his arms towards her and started struggling. Daryl scowled at her. Carol only waggled her brows and took him. She wasn't sure how long he'd be staying with them. Harley was pregnant again. Will was excited and Mac was sick to his stomach. He was sicker than Harley was in the first trimester of her pregnancy. She was due any day and Brian was only stressing her out worse. It was day three of Brian being here and she didn't mind a bit- she knew Daryl didn't. Mac was to on edge to be of use. Will offered to take Brian but it was quickly apparent that Daryl wasn't getting out of the house without taking his nephew with him. Harley was more relaxed with Brian being with Daryl and her anyways- they were his godparents after all. When Harley's mother died earlier in the year she'd agreed to move closer to Mac's family. The only reason she'd ever convinced him to move in the first place was to be close to her mom. Now there was rarely a day she didn't see Andrea or Harley. They were her best friends- more like sisters.

"ARO!" Brian bellowed. Demanding her attention.

Carol held onto him tighter making him laugh. "What?"

He pursed his lips at her looking much too old for a kid his age. He sighed dramatically. "I don't need a bath." He spat the word sounding just like his dad.

Carol shot a look at Daryl. He was leaned against the island. He raised a pointed brow at her. She fought laughing realizing why he was soaked. If Mac was stubborn he had nothing on his son. Brian Dixon hated taking a bath or a shower. Turn on a water hose though and he'd strip bare and run right into the yard. Harley was horrified the first time her son done just that. Mac on the other hand howled and just threw him a bar of soap. She could only imagine as the boy got older. It was a fight to keep him in clothes.

Carol rubbed her thumb over some of the surviving bubbles. "You look like you're wearing it."

He glared at Daryl. Daryl snorted and a piece of pizza materialized. Carol scowled at him and wasn't even sure where he'd gotten it. His eating habits were still terrible. Not that he ever spoiled dinner for himself but still no one needed that much pizza. It wasn't healthy. Brian grinned at her again and leaned forward kissing her chin. He was a charmer too. Just like his namesake. He blushed at her causing Daryl to laugh. It was Daryl's running joke that Brian had a crush on her.

"Have you heard from Mac?" Carol prompted.

Daryl looked up and shrugged. "Merle stopped by earlier while you were showering." He swallowed his bite and swiped at his mouth. "He said that Harley slapped Will earlier."

Carol's eyes widened. "What for?"

"He was within range and Mac wasn't." Daryl said baldly. "He remembered how violent she was last time she was ready to pop."

Carol smiled at memory of the abuse Mac endured while Harley was in labor. By the time they'd made it to the hospital that night he had more than a few marks. His brothers ridiculed him but he just smiled. Seeing the way his eyes lit up when he'd showed them his son after he was born was cemented in her mind. Merle, Will, Travis, and Daryl all had the same look. This was their blood- their family. She'd swallowed that night recognizing that look because she seen everyone of them direct it at her and it just cemented it into her mind even more she was making the right decision on marrying Daryl despite how fast some might think it was.

Brian wrapped his arms around Carol's neck and laid his head on her shoulder. His dark hair tickled her throat and Carol tightened her arms around him. He breathed softly and she knew he was close to sleep. He'd kept Daryl up most of the night playing with Catrick. Daryl jumped up on the island and leaned back with his palms braced. He was still soaked and she sighed. At least he wasn't dripping everywhere. Instead it just had his clothes plastered to him and it was obscene. He didn't seem to mind though. His jeans weren't exactly soaked...just his shirt anyways.

"Merle said the doctors want to induce labor." Daryl ran his finger along his jeans. "Mac's going to pass out."

Carol shifted Brian and he grunted. He was deadweight in her arms and Daryl slid from the island. He took him from her easily. Her heart started thundering in her chest again and she started twisting her wedding band. It was a nervous habit that she'd gotten the second he'd given her the engagement ring. He knew it and his eyes zeroed in on it instantly.

"Everything okay? You know she's going to be fine."

Carol nodded and let him think that it was Harley that had her so worked up. In fact it wasn't a thing to do with Harley or Mac. She knew that she'd be fine. Her first pregnancy went smooth and so did labor. She had an amazing doctor anyways. No her worries were much more centered on the homefront. Brian face was relaxed in the same way Daryl's did when he slept. They looked just alike.

"Carol." His voice was serious.

She looked up meeting his eyes and knew she'd been silent to long. He was staring at her and she knew he could see right through the facade that fooled everyone lately. He looked towards the living room and gave her a pointed look. He walked off with Brian. He tucked him in on the couch before coming right back. When he got there the look he was giving her was severe.

"What happened?"

It was the same serious tone he'd gotten all those years ago when she'd told him what happened to her. How she'd been treated. It was the same look he'd given her when he basically told her she was moving in with him regardless of what she wanted. She wandered if he knew that was the moment she looked back and realized she'd fallen in love with him. It took her awhile to see it but he was the first person to fight for her when she was barely able to do it for herself.

Instead of thinking about what's been eating at her. Worrying about his reaction she just blurted it out. His eyes widened and stared at her like he didn't hear her. His mouth was closed and his jaw tense. There was a twitch to his eyes before his eyes swept over her.

"Are you fucking with me?"

Carol tilted her head. "Well that's what got us here isn't it?"

He let out a loud bark of laugh. It startled her but she was quickly swept up in his arms. His mouth sealed over hers and her arms wound around him. Carol clung to him. Her worry falling away like it was nothing. Worrying that he'd be upset that she was pregnant was stupid to begin with. She'd gotten herself worked up for nothing and let her nerves stop her from telling him. He picked her up and her legs wrapped around his waist. Carol leaned back and looked down at him. He raised a brow at her.

"How long have you known?"

Carol blushed and shrugged. He huffed.

"A month."

His eyes widened and she knew he was doing the math in his head. He flushed red after a minute. She waited for him to look at her before she laughed. If Merle knew that his taunts about the gay stripper he'd paid all those years ago on the anniversary of Rick's bachelor party was the cause of this he'd laugh that much harder. Not that she'd ever tell Merle that Daryl drinking more that night to ignore his brother caused his tightly held control to slip. They barely made it home before he was mauling her.

He carried her into the living room with him and took the larger couch. He sprawled out. Carol was snuggled into his side. Catrick was perched over Brian on the back of the loveseat like a sentry. He hissed at them but otherwise kept his watch over the young boy.

"Are you upset?" Carol worried her lip.

He ran his up the back of her shirt. She felt him start to trace her spine. A shiver spread over her and she felt his smile against her shoulder.

"No." His voice was rougher. "When I asked you to marry me it wasn't just for the tax break." He nipped her shoulder. Carol waited. "I want it all with you."

Carol let out a breath. She snuggled in tighter against him and let her eyes settled on Brian. He blinked blearily over at them. He whined in his throat before he crawled off the couch. Daryl raised his head long enough to see his nephew climbing onto the couch. He was already crawling up Daryl's body to make himself comfortable.

"Dog pile." He slurred sleepily.

Carol wrapped her arm around him and Daryl. His arm mirrored hers keeping him tucked in. Catrick took a post at the foot of the couch.

"When do you want to tell your dad and brothers?" Carol yawned.

Daryl buried his face in her neck and shook his head. "Later." He grumbled. "Once they found out I'll never be rid of them. I want to keep you and the kid to myself for now."

Carol laughed and Brian shushed her in his sleep. Daryl snorted but his hand brushed over Brian's hair. She felt his other hand settle over her stomach copying the same motion he'd just done to his nephew. Carol felt her heart swell with emotion and her throat tighten. This very moment wasn't just a snapshot of them and Brian but the future- the very real future of them with their kid. She'd never felt happier .

"I love you."

Daryl kissed her shoulder and yawned. "I know."