'Hi, how are you feeling?' Daryl asked her. She come out of the hall looking like she was stunned and didn't really know what was going on. Sleeping so long then waking up feeling like you were still in a dream like state. The bags under her eyes were still there, around her eyes were really puffy, he wasn't about to point it out. She yawned again. Rubbed at her face. Her face was rumpled from a deep sleep but her eyes didn't look tearful or filled with tears. He imagined it was the first decent sleep she had had in a very long time.

'I'm good, I just got a little... overwhelmed... coming here, thank you for taking care of Ollie,' Carol looked around, Daryl gave her a nod to say it was ok that she'd slept most of the day away. Ollie was eating dinner at the table with another little blonde boy who was starring at her. She blinked a few times because the boys were similar sizes and both had dirty blonde hair, both boys were clearly Dixon's. She gave a half gestured point towards him.

'Merle's... Harley, say hello to your Aunty Carol,' Daryl told the little boy, he looked up under his dark lashes and had big blue eyes like Ollie, Dixon eyes, clones of their fathers. 'Merle's a idiot, told him not to call him that,'

'Dude!' Harley told her, Ollie laughed and fist bumped him. Both boys started giggling and bumping fists, Ollie stood up and gave him a hip bump also. Words like 'butts,' and 'Bums' started flying around the dinner table as Harley stood on the chair to copy Ollie. Daryl told them to sit down both little boys sat down and started talking about gross things that boys liked to talk about. She heard the word 'worms' being whispered back and forwards. The little boys clearly had become good friends and both were filthy with clean hands.

'You know Maggies going to kill you about that, he's been teaching him all sorts of tricks,' Daryl told her.

'Why are you looking after him?'

'I kinda got to thinking, I ain't never really spent much time with his kids... and he had him with him when he come over before, I invited him to stay and play,' he did that awkward shuffle with his feet when he wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing or not. She knew he was trying. She blinked again and could murder a cup of coffee right now. He couldn't believe she was standing in their living room and his son was sitting at the table with his nephew, if they told him this a week ago he would of denied it.

'Does he know you?'

'Yeah, kinda, they come into the garage at the weekend. I buy them candy, give it to them, toys and shit, just ain't never really wanted to look at them,' Daryl moved way away from the boys so they couldn't hear him talk. Merle forced him to do a lot of things over the past few years. He couldn't bring himself to go to his house and baby sit but he could watch him for ten minutes without having a complete meltdown. Harley never really noticed he didn't understand that his Uncle didn't want to do those things because in front of the little boy he never let it show on his face. 'Merle would bring them to the garage and then come up with something like having to go to the bathroom or to the store and leave them with me so I had no choice,'

'Your brother is a good man,' He was, he clearly was a changed man, he was getting there when they lost Sophia never leaving and supporting everyone through everything. Helping organize payments for the funeral when Daryl couldn't. Talking to people at the door letting them know that Daryl and Carol were not up to visitors and most of all just quietly doing what needed to be done without being his usual arsehole self.

Daryl just nodded and looked at the two boys, a little kitten come wandering out from the kitchen, it was black with white paws, another tabby one come chasing out behind him. Carol looked shocked to see them. She didn't know if Daryl already had them or what. She hadn't seen much of the house before she fell asleep from crying so much, she bent down to pet one of the little kittens. The other one come across to sniff her hand.

'Oh yeah, I got him a kitten,' Daryl told her, 'And Harley, got them both kittens but Harley's one has to stay here,' He glanced at her not knowing if she was going to be mad or not, she just kept petting the kittens who were rolling around on the floor at her feet. He watched seeing the look on her face he knew he did the right thing. She didn't seem upset about it.

'How long was I asleep?'

'Bout 7 hours,'

Carol stared at him, they arrived at the house around 10.30 in the morning and she looked at the clock and outside, he wasn't joking, she had slept all day. She looked embarrassed that she'd slept that long. He just looked at her and shrugged, she needed it. He was ok with the boys, they needed a bath but they had been making mud pies outside. They had taken some pots and pans outside to dig in the dirt. He had been amazed at how they could play without needing him. He told them not to go out the gate and pottered away doing odd jobs outside keeping an eye on them.

The laughter and giggles had warmed his heart. He didn't know that he would grow so attached so quickly with Ollie, also he didn't realize he was attached to Harley, when he cut his finger and cried he had had no problems picking him up cuddling him. He'd gone and put a plaster on it. Kissed him even. He never ever kissed the kid ever. Harley had wrapped his arms around his neck giving him a cuddle as they come back out to the lounge both boys wanted to ride his back at the same time. He'd let them. He let them climb all over him mucking around on the lounge floor building trains. He'd loved it.

'You let me sleep all day? All day?'

'Figured you would need it, you been under a lot of stress,' he told her, 'They been good, happy, and the laughter,'

'And you got Ollie a kitten? And your nephew? Where did you get kittens from,'

'The shelter,'

'Does any of this seem odd to you?' Carol asked him, 'You went got them kittens?'

'No... also Social Services come by,' Daryl told her, 'He told them we were going to get kittens so... we had to go get kittens incase they come back,'

'What?'

'they looked around, and we are sweet they won't be back,'

'Are you kidding me right now? They came and you let me sleep through, what if... what if they took him,' Carol looked like she was going to burst over again, Daryl didn't want her upsetting the boys, he took a chance and wrapped his arms around her. He rocked a little he didn't know if it was wanted or not but she sagged in his arms as she accepted it. He stroked her back a his hands going up under her shirt stroking her skin to sooth her. She had her hands in a similar place to try calm herself. They stood that way for a long time until they were interrupted.

'Well well well, I was going to ask how you were all getting on, I can see we are back to old tricks. Please don't make out in front of my child,' Maggie had opened the door and walked in she caught them with their arms around each other. Carol untangled herself from Daryl to swap to hug her. She couldn't believe that she was hugging Maggie, she'd missed her so much, she couldn't help the tears fall.

'Its all just overwhelming, and he got him kittens,' Carol mumbled into her hair. 'Social services have come and Daryl talked to them now they won't come back again,'

'With the way you two were holding each other he's lucky he's not getting something else,' Maggie teased her friend slipping back into it like nothing had changed, a flash of guilt crossed her face, 'God I'm sorry,'

'Its ok,' Carol told her, knowing she was teasing her about Daryl getting her pregnant and then she remembered, she become embarrassed. ' ummmmmmmmmm coffee?'

'No, I've got kids in the car with Merle still I just come to say hi,' Maggie squeezed her hands again and leaned in to hug her. Holding her friend tight. 'Maybe in a few days, Merle will watch the baby?'

'Bring them in, they can come in?... Daryl?' Carol looked around at him, he gave a half nod, he waiting for that feeling of dread of them bringing their baby girl in and it didn't happen. He actually wanted to see her. He had Ollie in his arms and he felt a little at peace, if Carol wanted to see the baby he was fine with them all coming in for the first time in 4 years, he went outside to invite his brother and his family inside his house.