#wanna see a world where hershel meets aaron and tara

[bidaryl]

time travel fix it au's are done to death in this fandom but also they're my favourite thing in the world so au where the entire show happens as is and it's heartbreaking and inspiring etc but then. restart button. waking back up at the start of the end except only the people that lived remember

wanna think about what would happen when daryl and carol wake up at camp, remembering everything that happened; carol stronger, knowing in her gut that everything that she remembers is real, and daryl fucking terrified, because if everything in his head actually happened, then what the fuck is this

wanna think about a rick dragging a hostile merle and a wide-eyed glenn back to camp, memories completely intact, and running to reunite with his family. not letting daryl go and hugging carol so so so tight, collapsing to the ground with carl in his arms

wanna think about them dragging the atlanta group to the farm, maggie leaving the front porch light on for them, and everyone reuniting. rick seeing hershel again, daryl seeing beth, carol pulling sophia close, and maggie being unable to even breath, looking at glenn

wanna think about them tossing up whether to even go to the prison, but they met important people there, and alexandria's a long way, and if they're gonna survive this time–if they're gonna live–they're gonna do it right

so they go to the prison so they can figure out their next step, and michonne's there and waiting, andre on her hip, and they deal with the governor before the governor deals with them, and sasha and tyresse finally show up, they find the prisoners, and then one day they get a knock on the front gate, and it's negan

negan showing up, no baseball bat in hand but his leather jacket still in place, a sick but alive lucille by his side, laura and doctor franklin behind him, and all he's got to say is at the end of the world, i know which side i wanna be on

the fallout of that, of maggie being against it, of rick never having gotten to see negan at the end, not knowing the choices he made, the good and the bad. daryl and carol looking at glenn, seeing him alive and in love and having no memory of his last moments, and never wanting anything to ruin that, but negan saved judiths life, helped save all their lives. he chose, in the end, and now it's their turn

wanna think about a future where beth doesn't die, but they go on a rescue mission to get noah anyway. a future where tara turns up with her niece, led by eugene with abraham and rosita following right behind him

wanna think about how they'd handle terminus, how they'd handle the claimers. wanna think about them trying to find father gabriel, except gabe made it the first time around, and he wasn't wasting his second chance. he saved his flock, and he led them to alexandria, and he's waiting

wanna think of connie's group searching for hilltop. not finding maggie, or alden, but finding jesus. wanna think about lydia, being a fucking child, and watching her mother kill her dad, and remembering aaron telling her how loved she was

wanna think of the growing pains of them being able to save so many more family members this time, but god, a larger group is harder to keep alive

daryl trying to run interference with merle and everyone else, getting the jack of it one day and telling him he's already mourned him once, and he won't again. if merle wants to stay–to live–then it's up to him. daryl's not gonna babysit him anymore

rick trying to find his footing between lori and shane and judith, with carl, with michonne and andre. michonne looking at a weak but alive lori grimes holding a screaming and crying newborn in her arms, and knowing that she's never gonna be her daughter the way she was before, but knowing she'll always be something to her

carol struggling to be the mother sophia needs her to be, emotions too sharp and constantly fucking terrified. doesn't know how to hold onto someone like that anymore, either gripping too tight or not at all

maggie trying to exist in a world where she has everyone she's ever loved back, so close and so fucking dear, except it cost her her son. not knowing if she'll ever get him back at all. doesn't know how to live with the grief of losing someone she never technically had in this world

they make it to alexandria and it's aaron opening the gate for them, waiting to welcome them home

[lomlmarvel]

Alive

Daryl Dixon x fem!reader

Summary: Daryl Dixon and reader were together before the battle against the Saviors, before Rick’s disappearance, before the whisperers. Reader was pregnant around the same time Maggie was, but after Rick’s disappearance, everything changed. Daryl distanced himself from his family, but when Carol convinced him to watch over Henry at Hilltop, he had to face the consequences of his actions. 

Word count: 5.2k

A/N: So we’re just gonna pretend that Rosita and Eugene never left Alexandria that day where they came in contact with the Whisperers. So, therefore Daryl, Jesus, and Aaron don’t look for them. But Carol and Henry arrive at Hilltop with Daryl.

The day Negan was brought down was the day everything changed. The five communities were supposed to find a way to live in peace and thrive together. They were meant to stand united against any odds and help each other in any way they could.

Maggie was heartbroken when Rick sliced Negan’s throat open. It wasn’t Rick’s decision to make. You could sometimes still hear her painful screams as Michonne held her back. Then, Rick decided to take Negan back to Alexandria. Maggie gave birth to Hershel a few months later, and you followed a few weeks after her, giving birth to a strong and healthy baby girl.

You and Daryl named her after Maggie’s sister, Beth, who was the main reason you two were together. The two of you had met at the camp when everything started. You had arrived with your brother, but he died sacrificing himself for you while on a run. After that, you had to learn how to protect yourself. You asked Daryl to teach you had to shoot a crossbow, and he told you to fuck off. But after bugging him for weeks, he finally gave in and started teaching you. When you arrived at the Greene’s Farm, Beth noticed the glances and small moments you two shared. At the prison, she pushed you to make a move on Daryl, knowing he would not act on his emotions. Because of her, you and Daryl got together. It was unfortunate that she didn’t make it, but you wanted to honor her bravery and ingenuity by naming your daughter after her.

Daryl was a great dad. He always looked out for the both of you and made sure you were safe. But Rick had him stationed at the Sanctuary, and you lived at Hilltop with your daughter. You helped Maggie run Hilltop and gave her a hand whenever she needed help with baby Hershel. But you knew how hard it was for Daryl to be at the Sanctuary. He usually visited you at Hilltop a few days of the week, staying the night and returning the next day.

Today the communities were going to go on a run to D.C to retrieve items from the museum. Maggie had agreed that she, Daryl, and a few others from Hilltop would meet the Alexandrians and Oceanside people on the road. You had woken up early in the morning and watched Daryl sleep. He hardly ever slept, so it brought you peace to see him finally resting. You watched his bare chest rise and fall as your hand laid flat on it. If your internal clock was right, he had a few more hours until he had to start getting ready for the trip.

“Stop watchin’ me sleep,” his husky voices rang out in the room. You smiled to yourself and rubbed his chest.

“Good morning,” you replied, reaching over to plant a kiss on his cheek. He hummed in response and turned his body, so he was facing you.

“How long have you been awake?”

“Just for a while now, but it’s okay. I couldn’t sleep anyway,” you said. The sun hadn’t risen yet, so you could only see the outline of his eyebrows rise in the dark.

“Could’ve woken me up. I would’ve kept you company,” he stated, pulling you into his side.

“Nah, you needed the rest, I don’t,” Daryl smiled at your response. When he had first met you, the way you spoke was so proper and fancy, but after the two of you had gotten together, your diction started changing into Daryl’s. It made him proud, knowing that you had learned your defense skills from him and that he had influenced your vocabulary.

When the two of you had met at the camp, he was immediately annoyed by you. You had spent the first few days complaining about being in Atlanta, out of all places. You had just been visiting your brother, and then the end of the world happened. But once you started finally accepting that this was the new world, you began to adapt and change, and that’s when he began tolerating you. He was a closed man, didn’t want to get to know anybody, but when Rick abandoned Merle, he knew that this group of people were now his family, and he might as well start tolerating them.

“I’m gonna have to return to the Sanctuary after the run,” Daryl said. You sighed and nodded.

“I know. I just don’t get why you don’t tell Rick that you don’t want to be there,” you stated. Daryl pulled you to his side and kissed the side of your head.

“There’s no one to watch over the Sanctuary. That’s his excuse. I already know it”

“Well, he’s the one who wanted to save the Sanctuary. If anything, it should be him there, not any of us,” you replied. Daryl nodded and rubbed your back with his free hand.

“If everything goes well tomorrow, I’ll talk to him about it, okay? I just wanna spend more time with my girls,” he said. You smiled and pressed yourself closer to him.

The Daryl you had first met wouldn’t have ever imagined himself with you. Let alone, in bed with you, and with your daughter a door down the hall.

“When”

“What?” He asked.

“When. When everything goes well tomorrow,” you restated. Daryl nodded and kissed your temple again.

“Okay. Try to get some more sleep, Beth and Hershel are gonna need all your attention today,” Daryl said, yawning and closing his eyes again.

Morning came, and Maggie knocked on your door to let you know Daryl had to start getting ready to leave. If things went right, he would be back within a couple of days and permanently stay with you at Hilltop.

After their run, Maggie arrived with the news of Kenneth’s death. Hilltop was heartbroken, but then that weasel Gregory manipulated Earl to try to kill Maggie. The next day, Daryl came and stated that he was there to stay. Carol would take over Hilltop, but he had promised Rick he would help him build the bridge. After killing Gregory, Maggie had all of Hilltop with her, not that they didn’t like her before, but his hanging reassured people that she would do anything to defend Hilltop and its residents.

The worst day followed a few days after that. Rick blew up the bridge to prevent the herd of walkers from getting anywhere near any of the communities and the campsites. Daryl never found his body. You could tell it was eating him alive. It was the anticipation and the hope that Rick could still be out there somewhere. He began to change and distance himself. He spent more days out looking for Rick and distanced his visits from Hilltop. Michonne closed off Alexandria from the other communities, and the Sanctuary fell. Some redeemed saviors joined the other communities, but the rest decided to make it on their own. The Kingdom, Hilltop, and Oceanside remained in contact, but it wasn’t the same without Alexandria. Maggie followed Georgie to help build more communities, taking Hershel with her. You kept in touch with her through letters, but she rarely replied. Jesus was left in charge by Maggie, with you and Tara helping him out. Tara, more than you. You were merely his assistant and helped Tara with work she had overloaded.

It had been more than a few months since you had seen Daryl show up at Hilltop. Almost six years, since Rick’s disappearance. He had shown up with Carol and Henry, who was there for an apprenticeship with Earl Sutton. Tara had been the one to greet them at the door. She helped them get settled in, and Daryl immediately asked for you.

“She’s probably upstairs with Jesus. She’s running things by him,” Tara replied. Carol sent Daryl an encouraging smile as he made his way inside the mansion. He could hear your giggles coming from upstairs, and he quietly made his way to you.

You were sitting down on the couch, with your legs on Jesus’s lap as he had a notebook in hand.

“I’m serious, Paul! Tara really needs me to go over this today,” you said to Jesus, swatting his hands as they neared your waist.

“Oh wow. Paul? You only call me that when you want to be serious” he replied.

“And I am. Tammy Rose wants to expand the crop fields, but she needs to see how far she can cultivate. Enid said she still needs more room in the garden for medicinal herbs. Alden also needs your okay to send another team out for scrap metal. And there’s a noise complaint from the trailer,” You scanned the clipboard in front of you, making sure you didn’t miss anything important.

“Why did you give that kid a kazoo?” Jesus asked. You scoffed and shrugged.

“You find a kazoo you give it to a kid. Obviously, I wouldn’t give it to Beth, knowing she’d probably wear it out,” you replied, causing him to laugh.

“And congrats on being re-elected Hilltop leader,” you passed Jesus the paper, and he shook his head.

“A win is a given when no one runs against you”

“Well you should at least pretend to be happy. Also, clean this mess up, or move into Maggie’s office. You know it’s what she would’ve wanted,” you stated, standing up. He sent you a questioning look. Usually, you would spend a few minutes with him after giving him the rundown.

“I have a shit ton of things I need to do. I can’t entertain you today, Jesus,” you replied. A creak in the floorboards made the two of you turn your heads towards the stairs, where Daryl stood awkwardly.

“Okay, so I’ll go check on Tammy, Enid, and Alden. Also, I’ll take care of that noise complaint,” Jesus said, quickly standing up, greeting Daryl, and walking out.

“Hey,” Daryl greeted you. Your blood turned cold, staring at the man you once loved appearing again after months of having no contact with you.

“I’m not sure what new things Earl has to trade. He’s outside in the courtyard, not in here,” you replied. You turned your attention to the mess Jesus had on the table and began cleaning up.

“I’m here to stay,” Daryl stated. You dropped the notebook in your hand and looked up at him.

“For a few days before you leave again or for a few weeks before you leave again?” You asked. Daryl looked down at his hands and shook his head.

“I’m sorry. I can explain, I will, but I just wanted to see you and Beth first,” Daryl’s husky voice sounded like an ocean wave to your ears. You had missed him, but he had to know he couldn’t just choose when to be a dad. He couldn’t just show up and pretend like he hadn’t been gone for a few months.

“She’s in school right now,” you answered. You grabbed the clipboard from the table and started making your way downstairs. You hoped he would take a hint and leave you alone, but he followed closely after you.

“Can we go see her? I just wanna say hi,” he said. You took another look at him, seeing the sincerity in his eyes. You could tell he missed her and you, but it wasn’t that simple.

You nodded and told him to follow you. It felt weird. You had missed being around Daryl. When he started distancing himself, you had been hurt. You felt like he didn’t confide in you enough to talk about his feelings, but then again, Daryl wasn’t one to talk about his feelings. You understood why he couldn’t stop looking for Rick; he had been his best friend, brother, until the end.

You led Daryl out to the courtyard, walking over to the shaded area where a table was set up. Roxanne, a Hilltop resident, was the kid’s schoolteacher. Little Beth Dixon sat closest to Roxanne, with her big blue eyes focused on everything she was saying. At merely seven and a half years old, she loved to learn about anything and everything. The world was hers to discover, and she wanted to know it all. That’s why she was in school with kids a little bit older than her. She refused to learn with the younger kids, claiming to be ahead of them.

“She’s over there. Want me to pull her out for lunch?” You asked Daryl. His eyes had been trained on her since the moment he saw her brown pigtails.

“Please,” he stated. You walked over to Roxanne and whispered in her ear, promising Beth would be back once lunchtime ended. She nodded and told Beth to be good.

“I always am. Hi momma!” Beth replied as she ran to you and hugged you.

“Hi, B. Sorry to pull out for lunch, but someone wanted to see you,” you said to her once you pulled her away from the group. Her blue eyes grew larger in excitement, turning away from you to see the mysterious person that wanted to see her. She spotted Daryl a few feet away, and she sprung from your arms and into his.

“Hey kiddo,” Daryl greeted her as he tightly wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her head multiple times and closed his eyes, missing the feeling of her in his arms.

“Just have her back in 30 minutes. After that, you can spend the rest of the day with her,” you said to him.

“Thank you,” Daryl replied. You nodded and walked away.

You grabbed a plate of lunch that Tammy offered you when you passed her house. Jesus was running around, actually doing work for once. He usually sneaked out of Hilltop and met up with Aaron or just scavenged on his own. You knew he didn't want to be the leader, but he did it because it was Maggie's wish before she left with Georgie. He waved at you, passing to take a look at the school children. He interrupted the class to say hi to everyone and then was kicked out by Roxanne for telling a joke that got all the kids riled up.

You munched on the vegetables on your plate as you walked over to the blacksmith area where Alden and Earl were teaching Henry how to make a weapon. "Hey Henry, look at you work!" You exclaimed as he molded the iron to create a sharper end.  He turned his head to look at you and smiled.

"Oh, hey (Y/N). Didn't see you this morning," Henry replied. 

"Yeah, I was doing some work. How's he doing, Earl?" You asked, patting the experienced blacksmith's shoulder.

"He's doing great for a beginner. Better than Alden when he first started," Earl stated, winking at Henry, who chuckled.

"More like, better than Alden even now," You joked. Earl and Henry laughed together as Alden shook his head and snickered. 

"I would say something back, but your raggedy baby daddy has been shooting glares over here since he saw you talking to Henry," Alden replied. You turned to look at Daryl, who sat on a nearby turned over crate and munched on an apple. 

"Whatever. Hey Earl, are you coming over tonight for dinner?" You asked, ignoring Alden's comment and walking back to Earl's spot. 

"No, kid. Henry's coming over for dinner with Tammy and me. Thank you," Earl responded. You looked over at Henry, who nodded. 

"Alright, well, I'll see you all later. Keep up the great work and it’s great to have you here, Henry!" You stated. You began to walk away, trying to avoid Daryl, but your daughter's face popped up in your mind.

It would be a total dick move if you didn't invite Daryl over for dinner on his first night back. You did promise he could spend the rest of the day with her, but you never specified that included dinner. 

"Hey," You said, stepping in front of Daryl and shielding him from the sun. "I don't know if you had any dinner plans, but if you want, you can join us for dinner tonight."

He squinted his eyes as he looked up at your figure. The sun created a bright outline of your body. Daryl could tell you looked thinner, but at the same time, you had gained muscle weight. Your skin looked tanner, and your hair longer. You styled it in a braid now, sometimes letting it loose. Your plaid shirt and denim jeans hugged your figure just right, and if Daryl didn't turn away, explicit thoughts would run through his head, thoughts he didn't want to have. Not because he didn't find you attractive, but because he knew you were with Jesus. The two of you weren't together anymore, and he couldn't disrespect you like that. 

"Who's us?" He asked after he nodded in acceptance.

"Oh, umm just me, Beth, Tara, Jesus, Enid, and Alden," You replied. He didn't answer for a few seconds before nodding again.

"But you have to promise you'll shower before dinner. I can tell it's been a while," You stated. He rolled his eyes and nodded again. "I still have some of your clothes in my room, so just grab them, okay? I'll see you later." You started to walk away as you heard someone from the other side of the courtyard call you.

"Thank you, (Y/N)," Daryl said. You sent him a small smile and nodded. It wasn't like Daryl to thank you nor apologize, and he had done all of that since he arrived. You were baffled as to why he acted this way and why he chose now to do it.

For the rest of the day, Daryl spent it with your daughter. He looked happy, and she looked even more joyful. She missed her dad, and she loved him. From the very beginning, she had been a complete daddy's girl, and everyone knew it. You still wondered why she never acted out because Daryl was gone. She only brought him up every once in awhile, but never excessively talked about it. You worried that it affected her mentality and maturity level, but she didn't let it change her.

When it was time for dinner, your daughter waited for Daryl to shower so she could walk with him. She had helped you set up the table beforehand, and she had claimed her and Daryl's seat next to each other. You smiled at her thoughtfulness as she passed Daryl the bowl of mashed potatoes. He thanked her and allowed the awkward environment to settle in. You hadn't told anyone else you invited Daryl to dinner until they arrived and saw an extra plate at the table. Tara was angry at Daryl for leaving, but after a while, she learned that Daryl coped with things differently. You didn't let it affect how you raised your daughter nor how you helped run Hilltop, so she assumed you were dealing with it well.

Tara knew it was a stressing matter, but if you didn't want to talk about it, she wouldn't push you.  The only one who hated him was Enid. She had been the one by your side, asking you if you were okay and if you wanted to talk about it. She helped you get through it, just like Jesus. He had been helping you cope emotionally and physically, always being there if you needed anything. He stayed up late talking with you and sometimes would wake up early to help Beth. There was a time where you two thought your time together was romantic, but after trying it out for a few weeks, you realized you were better off as friends. The relationship between you two didn't change, but it felt good to know you had a friend to count on.

Dinner was awkward, not to state the obvious. Beth didn't pick up on the awkwardness, so she chatted with everyone like any other regular day. Enid's glare would shift towards Daryl every other few minutes, but she calmed down after Alden told her to quit it. Tara and Jesus asked Daryl questions about his time being out and alone. They, however, didn't ask about any news on Rick's body. Everyone knew he was gone. If his body hadn't washed up on shore somewhere, he must've gone with the explosion, or some walkers would've gotten to him by now. It was a tough subject to speak about during dinner, so you kept changing the conversation to tasks that needed to be done at Hilltop. Towards the end of dinner, Jesus stood up and left the room. Tara, Enid, Alden, and Beth all shared a look when he left the room that made you question them. Suddenly, Jesus returned with a small piece of bread on a white porcelain plate and placed it in front of you. A colorful little candle was lit in the center of the bread. The two of you shared an emotional look, and when you looked around the table, everyone's gleaming eyes were on you. Your eyes teared up, and you had to clear your throat to distract yourself from crying. 

"You guys remembered?" You asked more to yourself than them.

"Happy birthday, mommy!" Beth exclaimed as her toothy smile, shone your way. 

"C'mon make a wish and blow out the candle!" Alden stated. They all began singing their own versions of 'Happy Birthday,' clapping their hands and giggling. You turned to take a look at each of their faces shining brightly. They all looked so incredibly happy. It was nice for moments like these, even if they only lasted for a few minutes. It was as if for a second, time stood still, and the outside world disappeared. The only ones that mattered were in the room with you, and you were all happy. Your eyeline reached Daryl's face, who had a small smile that seemed to be pointed in your direction only. You smiled back at him, closed your eyes, made a wish, and blew out the candle.

You closed the book you had been reading to Beth as you moved to blow out the lantern. After dinner, everyone helped clean up and then headed to bed. Beth had asked you if you could read to her one of your favorite books for bed, and she had watched you intentively as you read the words on the page. You loved Alice in Wonderland. It had been a favorite of yours ever since you were little, and it made your heart swell, knowing that it was your daughter's favorite book too. 

"Hey, Mommy," Beth whispered before you blew out the light. 

"Yes, baby?"

"Can I ask you a question?" She asked. You nodded and moved to sit next to her on the bed. "Do you still love Daddy?" 

Her bright eyes stared up at you with wonder. You smiled to yourself and caressed her cheek. 

"Of course I do, pumpkin. I will always love Daddy," You answered. She nodded and smiled. 

"That's good because he still loves you very much. He told me so," Beth stated. She leaned over and placed a kiss on your cheek as she tucked herself back in and turned around. 

"Goodnight, Mommy. I love you," She yawned, closing her eyes.

"Goodnight, B. I love you, too," You whispered, kissing her head. You walked over to the door and stared at her tiny figure in the bed. You blew out the lantern and closed the door.

You made your rounds around the house, talking and saying goodnight to those who were getting ready for bed. You walked outside to make sure those on the night guard were comfortable and didn't need anything. 

"We're good boss, thanks. Happy birthday, by the way," One of the guards stated as they saluted to you. You rolled your eyes and thanked them before walking back down the stairs. 

You saw a small fire, still burning and walked over to put it out. When you neared, you saw Daryl sitting next to it, holding a mirror to his face as he tried cutting his hair with a knife.

"Hey," You stated softly, to not scare him. He turned around and put both the mirror and knife down. 

"Hey, what are you still doing up?" He asked.

"Just making my nightly rounds, saying goodnight to everyone and making sure no one needs anything," You answered as you took a seat next to him on the log. 

"Thanks for dinner. I'm still full," Daryl stated, picking the mirror back up and proceeding to attempt to cut his hair. He continued to cut strands, leaving his hair uneven. 

"Yeah, no problem. Do you need help?" You asked. Daryl stayed quiet for a moment, and you wanted to kick yourself for being so forward. If he wanted your help, he would've asked for it. 

"Can you give me a hand, please?" Daryl said after a while. You nodded and took the knife from his hands. You stood up behind him as he set the mirror back down. You worked quietly, cutting his hair, the only sound around you being the crackling of the fire and the distant sound of footsteps by the night guards.

"I really am sorry for the way I handled Rick's disappearance," Daryl broke through the silence. "I didn't know how to cope with it, and just being out there made it easier to not have to deal with what I was doing to you and Beth. It's still not an excuse for my absence, I know that. But I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for not being there for you or her. I'm a shitty father." 

Your hand froze when he started his apology, and your eyes teared up. You had imagined this conversation hundreds of times, but none of them had prepared you for the real one. There was so much you wanted to say, so much you wanted to do, but you weren't sure what the right action to take was.

"You're not a shitty father, Daryl. We all handled Rick's death differently. I just wish you would've leaned on me for help," Your voice came out soft and low. Daryl turned to take the knife from your hands and guided you to sit next to him. He searched your eyes for permission before intertwining your hands when you didn't pull away.

"I should have. If I could go back in time and do it differently, I would, but I can't. I have to deal with the consequences of what I did. I let you down. I let Rick down. I let Carol down, but most importantly, I let Beth down. And, you...you've done such a great job with her. You should be proud," Daryl replied. You could see his eyes clearly now, they were no longer hidden by the curtains of hair that shielded them from everyone. You had cut his hair shorter than you intended, but his hair grew back fast, so he didn't mind. You had reduced it to the length that it had been when you had first met. 

"I have missed so much, and I don't want to miss anything else. I would still be in the woods right now if Carol hadn't kicked my ass and told me to grow a pair. I missed you, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to have the two of you back in my life," his other hand somehow found its way to yours and the two of you were trapped in your own little world. 

Daryl had never been this emotional with you. It's not like he never apologized, he did, but he never told you how he felt. He never let you know his fears or his worries. Sometimes when he was scared about your safety, he would just be overprotective, but after the prison fight against the governor, the two of you had separated, and he had never been more scared in his life.  After you reunited, you knew that he had always been overprotective for a reason. He learned to trust that you could take care of yourself and that he wouldn't always be there to take care of you. You were perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, and now, you had been more than capable of taking care of your daughter and others. "If you need more time to make a decision, that's okay--" You cut Daryl off by pressing your lips to his. His lips were dry and cracked, but the passion in his response made up for it. He grabbed your jaw to push you closer, and you caught his hair to do the same. You missed the absence of his long hair. He pulled away softly and looked at your face.

"What about Jesus?" He asked. You frowned and sent him a questioning look. "Aren't you two together?" He asked. 

"No. We were together a few months back, but it didn't work out. You were just always on my mind," You answered honestly. He nodded and touched your hair with his hand. 

"Was he good to you?" He asked. You nodded and kissed him again.

"Yeah, but it's always just been about you. It'll always be you," You replied. He smiled and kissed you again.

In the next few weeks, Daryl made up for the time he had been gone. He spent almost every second with Beth, and the ones where he couldn't spend with her, he was with you, if not both of you. Enid had come around to him. She was glad that he was back and trying his best. Tara and Jesus were happy for you. They knew no matter how much you pretended, you still missed Daryl, and you wanted him to a part of Beth and your's life. 

One night you had been reading in bed. Daryl wanted to put Beth to sleep, so he told you to go ahead and get yourself ready for bed. You heard giggles coming from her room and a shushing sound. Next, the door to her room closed, and Daryl walked into yours. 

"She wanted to hear Alice in Wonderland again, but I switched up the story a bit," Daryl confessed as you rolled your eyes.

"Oh God," You murmured. He laughed and took off his shoes, placing them near the door. He walked over to the bed and got comfortable before you cuddled into his side. You set your book on the nightstand as Daryl blew out the candle.  

"You know, I never thanked you," Daryl stated. 

"For what?" You asked, staring up at him in the dark. 

"For everything. For being with me, for Beth. Before all of this, I thought I would just die in some fucking bar fight or die alone in some fucking beaten down cabin. I never really felt alive before, not until I met you. That's when I felt alive and finally had a reason to live. Thank you for everything," Daryl said. You smiled to yourself and kissed his chest.

"I love you too," You replied. He leaned over and kissed your lips. 

"I can show you too, if you'd like," Daryl's husky voice said. 

"Yeah, I am more of a hands-on learner," You stated. Daryl paused for a second before flipping you on your back and kissing down your neck.