AN: Here we are, the last chapter here.

I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!

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***4 YEARS LATER***

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Daryl pulled the wagon to a stop and commended the horses on the good job they'd done doing the same job that they did every single day. Whether or not the beasts could understand him, Daryl felt like they responded to the praise. They enjoyed it. When the wagon came to a stop, Toby and Shadow stirred in the back and came up to lean their heads over and look at him, Shadow yipping quietly for permission to get down.

"Go ahead," Daryl said to the dog. "Go get 'er."

Whether or not the dogs understood him any better than the horses did, Daryl didn't know, but the animals bounded down off the wagon and ran full throttle toward the little schoolhouse where the children were starting to file out. Most of them would run and play for a bit before they headed home. Most of them, though, were town children and didn't have quite so far to go to make it home in time for supper.

Daryl saw Sophia when she came out of the schoolhouse holding Beth Greene's hand. Sophia saw the dogs and immediately dropped Beth's hand to run toward them. Daryl heard Beth yelling at her to watch her step—and not to drop her writing tablet in the mud—and then Beth searched him out with her eyes, her hand shading her face from the sun. Finding his wagon parked under the shady trees, she smiled at him and threw a hand up in greeting. Daryl returned the gesture and cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Sophia," he called out. "Sophia! Come on!"

Sophia grinned at him then and ran toward the wagon, her furry companions bounding along with her on either side of her body. She was small at four years old, a little skinnier than some of her classmates, but Daryl assumed that her thin frame came from the fact that she was so busy. She took her after her mother, too, and her mother had always been a tiny thing in Daryl's opinion.

Daryl hopped down off the wagon just before his daughter reached him. He walked around to the back to let the back of the wagon open and he whistled for the dogs. Without any need of his help, the two animals bounded up and into the back of the wagon where they were accustomed to riding. Daryl closed the back of it before he came to find his daughter standing in mud so deep that it nearly covered her boots. She grinned up at him.

"You learn somethin' new today?" Daryl asked.

"Sure did," Sophia responded. "Lot'sa things!"

Daryl laughed to himself. No matter what Sophia learned or didn't learn at school, her response was always the same. She learned lots every day. That knowledge, under further inspection, might be that sap was sticky or frogs would piss on you if you squeezed them, but she learned lots of things.

Daryl reached his hands down and Sophia reached her arms up toward him. Daryl heaved her up out of the mud and put her on the wagon where she could take her seat to ride alongside of him. Then he got back up, clicked the reins on the horses, and steered the wagon toward home again.

"We gonna see Papa Hershel?" Sophia asked.

"Not right now," Daryl said. "Goin' home." Sophia whined to herself. "You had some kinda plans?"

"I gotta check on Jute," Sophia said, speaking about a donkey that was set to foal at any time. Hershel had promised the foal to Sophia as a pet—and her first riding animal when it was broken—and she was damn near worrying Jute to death over giving up her baby.

"Jute ain't foaled today," Daryl said. "But I got a surprise for ya that I bet'cha gonna like ten times better'n that ole donkey."

Sophia wriggled a little on the wagon seat and Daryl reached a hand over, resting it over her skinny leg to hold her in place.

"It's a puppy?" Sophia asked.

"You got two damn puppies back there," Daryl said. "We ain't runnin' no zoo."

"They big ole dogs," Sophia pointed out. "An' Sam's got a puppy an' Daddy it's so lil' bitty you oughta just see it."

Daryl laughed to himself.

"I seen a puppy before," Daryl said. "Believe it or not? Them two flea bitten hounds back there was once pups no bigger'n a minute."

Sophia turned around in her seat to admire her dogs, clearly not sure if she believed Daryl. He held to her leg, making sure that she didn't go anywhere as the wagon bumped and rocked its way down the road. The horses could be as careful as they liked, but it didn't make the road any less bumpy.

"What'cha got me, Daddy?" Sophia asked.

"You gonna see, I reckon," Daryl said. "When we get on to the house."

"Papa Hershel's gonna be there?" Sophia asked.

Daryl laughed to himself. Somehow his daughter had become confident that the old man she thought of as her grandfather walked on water. Of course, the fact that he usually had a pocket full of candy and something she could ride didn't help to kill her confidence that he was one of the best men to ever walk the face of the Earth.

"Papa Hershel's comin' for supper," Daryl said. "Now sit straight. Don't want'cha fallin' off an' gettin' a mouthful of mud."

Sophia straightened up in her seat, her little tablet across her lap with her homework written on the front page in Beth's handwriting, and Daryl moved his hand up to pat her head before he slid her over against him, hugging her as he rode with her toward the farm.

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Daryl's home was only quiet at night. Any time the sun was out, it was a busy place. Today was no different than the rest. The moment that he pulled the wagon to a stop, Sophia was squirming to get down.

"Papa Hershel's here!" She called, seeing the old man's rig tied up.

"That ain't'cha Papa," Daryl said. "That's your Granny. But wait'll I get the wagon tied. I'ma get'cha down."

Daryl got down off the wagon and quickly tied the horses to one of the posts that he'd put out for just such a thing. Nugget and Jubilee were well trained enough, honestly, that he could leave the reins free without fear that they'd go anywhere, but he didn't like to take chances, especially when there were other "friends" of theirs in the yard that they might decide to simply have a little play time with.

The dogs abandoned the wagon before Daryl could get Sophia down and the two mutts went running off, down toward the cow pastures, chasing something that only they could see. Daryl held his hands up to his daughter and hugged her against him, when she gave herself over to him, instead of putting her feet on the ground. He carried her into the cabin and smiled when he saw his brother sitting at the table worrying the hell out of a toothpick that was little more than a splinter.

"You holdin' the whole place down?" Daryl asked, putting Sophia's feet on the floor.

"They done banished me out here," Merle said. "I'm about ten minutes from just goin' back to help Hershel an' leavin' the whole damn mess."

"I wanna see Papa Hershel!" Sophia said quickly, practically running over to attach herself to her uncle.

Daryl laughed to himself.

"He ain't goin' nowhere, Soph. An' neither is you. Done told you, Papa Hershel's comin', just give him time," Daryl said. "We can come back?" Daryl asked, calling down the hallway toward the back of the house where the bedroom he knew to be occupied was located.

Andrea came out, slowly making her way down the hallway.

"You can come back any time you like," Andrea said. "We been wondering when you would."

"I been wonderin' when you was gonna sit the hell down," Merle barked out in Andrea's direction. "Worryin' me to damn death."

Daryl laughed at his brother. He was new to the whole idea of being married. He and Andrea had only seen one winter of not living in sin together. He was, as well, especially new to the whole idea of being a father. Andrea, for her part, was so swollen with child that Daryl had to admit he was as nervous as Merle that the little one could come any minute. She looked like she'd given all a body could give and all that was left to happen was for her to simply explode.

But Daryl also knew that women and babies had a way of deciding together when they were going to do anything. Watching and waiting didn't do much for anyone. Andrea would have the baby when she was good and ready to do it. And, more than likely, it would come at the most inconvenient time possible for all of them.

"Easy brother," Daryl offered. "We ain't lost a Dixon yet." He leaned and caught Andrea's elbow before he kissed her cheek. "Take a load off, though. Sit a bit. You done enough here an' you need to catch ya breath for he decides to come on out where you standin'."

"How do you know it's a boy?" Andrea asked, rubbing her hand over the swell of her stomach.

"I got a hunch," Daryl said. "And I ain't hardly never wrong. Soph? Come on...got somethin' to show ya."

Sophia followed Daryl, stepping a little harder than she had to as she clomped down the hallway behind him. He led her to the bedroom, but he put a hand on her shoulder and guided her in first when they got there. Immediately Sophia saw Miss Jo—her dear Granny who was just a step below Hershel in her eyes—but slowly her eyes settled on what Daryl wanted her to see.

"Mama!" Sophia called out, running toward the bed. "I got a baby!"

Miss Jo reached a hand out and caught the girl's shoulder to slow her before she could leap onto the bed.

"Easy now, Soph," Miss Jo said. "I know you don't remember when Matthew was born, but you don't need to be jostlin' your Mama too much."

Daryl walked over and scooped Sophia up, gently depositing the overenthusiastic four year old on the bed. She crawled forward to where Carol was and Carol offered her a cheek to kiss before she displayed the newborn for Sophia to examine.

Daryl leaned across his daughter and offered his lips to his wife and she enthusiastically kissed him, nipping at his lower lip when she pulled away from him.

"I miss much?" Daryl asked.

"Just Andrea giving Merle a couple of heart attacks," Carol said.

"She needs to settle down," Daryl said.

Carol laughed in her throat and shook her head.

"She's fine," Carol said. "That baby will be here within the week and Andrea's healthy as a horse."

Daryl raised his eyebrows at Carol.

"And you?" He asked.

She smiled and nodded her head at him. He saw her throat bob. He'd felt like he was holding his breath the entire time that she'd spent bringing their son into the world just a year or so after his sister had come and nearly scared him to death. When his son had been born healthy, and left his Mama just as strong as she'd been before his arrival, Daryl had unashamedly fallen on his knees and thanked a God that he spent a lot more time talking with now than he once had.

Daryl never forgot the feeling of nearly losing Carol and, in many ways, he was thankful for that too. It kept him from taking for granted the little things that he feared he might have otherwise just accepted as a "given" part of his marriage to her.

Their daughter—Grace, the second to be born to them—had only come that morning. The same as every morning, Miss Jo had left, with Matthew riding along for fun, to see Sophia off to school. Merle was there with Daryl, working the fields that they shared—their plot expanded now that both of them were working full time toward shared goals. And Andrea was in the house with Carol tending to the little things that had to be done there after an early breakfast. With both women ready to give birth at any moment, Daryl and Merle stayed close to home and neither knew what to expect when Andrea had come out the house calling for help. But it wasn't for herself that Andrea was raising the alarm. It was Carol who was sure their baby was coming. She'd been right. Grace had come, and she'd come quickly with Daryl and Andrea as the only ones there to help ease her transition into the world. Now she lie in her mother's arms, looking angry at the world, while her sister doted on her. Sophia couldn't remember when her brother had been born, but she'd been excited about the impending arrival of her sister and her cousin.

Daryl reached his hand out and touched Carol's cheek and she affectionately leaned her face into his palm before she turned her head and kissed his hand.

"You sure?" Daryl asked. "That you OK?"

"I'm fine," Carol said softly. She glanced at Sophia, her hand somewhat creating a barrier that served to remind the girl that babies—no matter what animal they came from—had to be handled with gentle care. "She's perfect, isn't she?"

"Just like her Ma," Daryl said. "You good for a bit? Lemme run out to the farm an' get Hershel an' Matthew? Was gonna send Merle out, but I think he's too busy trailin' Andrea to make sure she don't just drop that pup while she's walkin' around doin' things she ain't got no business pickin' at."

Carol laughed.

"Go," she said. "We're fine."

"Daddy?" Sophia asked. "I can go with you to Papa Hershel's?"

Daryl laughed to himself.

"You been waitin' all this time to get you a baby and now you up and done with it?" Daryl asked.

Sophia looked at Carol, wide-eyed and questioning over whether or not her desires were wrong or right. Carol nodded her head at her and affectionately smoothed Sophia's hair.

"Your sister isn't going anywhere," Carol said. "Go get Papa Hershel. Tell him all about her."

Sophia grinned and turned quickly to scramble off the bed. Afraid she'd accidentally kick Carol or the baby, Daryl grabbed her up as quickly as he could and tossed her over his shoulder. She squealed and Carol shushed anyone who was listening as the sound startled the baby.

"Sorry," Daryl said. "Sorry...we goin'. Get her fed an' happy. We comin' back."

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The night had fallen entirely around them. It was a quiet night. It was mostly warm with just a hint of coolness to the breeze that blew every now and again. Hershel and Miss Jo had stayed for dinner and then they'd left before the little ones went down to sleep so that Sophia and Matthew would actually agree to sleep instead of begging to stay up for just a bit more.

Daryl waved Andrea away from her attempts to wash the dishes and shoed she and Merle both out the door, though it wasn't difficult to get Merle to go once Andrea was moving. He trailed her like a hound, constantly searching her out for any sign that she was about to make him a father. Daryl followed them out to the porch and watched as Merle quietly helped Andrea onto the wagon and then walked around to seat himself. The distance they had to travel between their cabin and Daryl's was less than a half a mile. It would have been an easy walk on a nice night, but Merle wasn't taking chances—and Daryl couldn't blame him.

It seemed that for Daryl's brother, the memory of what had happened when Sophia was born was as burned into his mind as it was into Daryl's. He wasn't taking chances, and Daryl would never tell him to take them. There were some things in life that were far too precious for chance.

When they drove off, Daryl walked down to the barn and checked his horses, bedded down for the night. He locked the barn and walked to the edge of the pastures with Shadow and Toby trailing him at his heels. Carrying over the still of the night, he could hear the lowing of the cattle and the distant sound of his brother saying something to Andrea as they slowly made their way home. Daryl whistled to the dogs and headed back to his own cabin, the windows lit up by the lamps that he'd left burning. Leaving the dogs to sleep on the porch, just the way they liked it on such a fine night, Daryl let himself into the cabin and locked the door.

Daryl put the water on the stove and waited for it to warm a bit before he took it off and carried the pot in his hand. He picked up the glass of fresh milk that he'd poured earlier for Carol, just in case she might want it during the night, and he blew out all the lamps. He didn't need light to make it through the layout of the house that he'd built himself.

Carol had been out of bed a few times already, and she was standing at the crib when Daryl came into the bedroom.

"Get back in the bed, woman," Daryl said.

Carol shushed him and smiled at him over her shoulder.

"She's sleeping," Carol said.

"She's gonna do that a lot," Daryl said. "Gonna be awake a lot too, so you gotta sleep while you can." He sighed and sat down on the bed, starting to peel himself out of his clothes. "Just seen Merle an' Andrea off. She's gonna drop that baby 'fore two days is up. You mark my word on it. Showin' all the signs an' Merle knows it. He can smell it on her."

Carol laughed quietly and returned to her side of the bed. Daryl picked the pot of water up and circled around the bed, bringing it to Carol before he dipped one of the clean rags into it. He gestured at her that she should come out of her clothes, and he helped her get her shirt over her head. She had already shed everything else in anticipation of her bath.

"I hope she waits," Carol said. "I'm tired, but I'd like to be able to help."

"You're tired?" Daryl asked, his breath catching in his chest.

Carol smiled at him and closed her eyes to the sensation of him wiping her down with the wet and soapy cloth.

"I'm tired," she said. "But that's all it is. I'm just—tired."

Daryl nodded his understanding at her when she opened her eyes to him again. She reached like she might take the second cloth from him to offer him a bath by her own hands, but Daryl shook his head at her. Normally he would let her do for him, but tonight he was doing for her. He washed himself quickly and shivered at the chill that the water raised on his skin as it cooled down.

"Cold?" Carol asked.

Daryl laughed to himself at his own shivering.

"We ain't too deep into fall yet," Daryl said. "But it's comin'. Be startin' the fires in here 'fore long."

Carol hummed at him and held her arms out in his direction. He stepped forward and she wrapped herself around him, planting a kiss on his stomach before she pressed her face against the spot that she'd just kissed. He kneaded her shoulders affectionately in his hands.

"Come to bed," Carol said.

Daryl abandoned her long enough to move the water away from the bed and cross the room. He eased under the blanket on his own side of the bed and blew out the lamp. In the darkness, he felt Carol tugging gently at his shoulder. He turned to her and she found his lips with her fingers and offered him a kiss that he gladly took and returned with enthusiasm.

"Hold me," Carol said quietly, trying not to wake the tiny infant that would, no doubt, be awake soon and searching for her mother's milk. "I'll keep you warm."

"Yeah," Daryl said responded quietly, curling his body next to Carol's. "You always do."

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AN: I hope that you enjoyed this little story. My thanks to everyone who read. Without you, I'm writing just for myself, and it's so much nicer to share with friends. A special thanks to everyone who read and reviewed for letting me know that you were reading and keeping the momentum up to keep the story going!