—105 days

Alright, I'm going to ask everyone to trust me with this chapter, I never write and unhappy ending, just a little angst cause, well, it's what I do. Xoxoxox Krissy

Lisbeth woke up at dawn in the small guest room at Maggie and Glenn's where she had been staying for the last couple of months. The sun was shining but it didn't soothe her or make her happy now. Not much did, these days but she put on a brave face for everyone and for herself.

She stretched and peered out the window at the wall up the street from her and at Eugene standing on the inner ledge with the binoculars to his face, searching, always looking. She had gotten to know him quite well and he was a good man. He lived next door to her now, with Abe, Rosita, and Sasha.

He stood there all day, every day, watching and praying, just like they all were.

Maggie was due in a few weeks and it was just as well, that she was here. She didn't want to be at their old house, it made her too sad. Now she wanted to be around people, which was different for her, but she didn't question it.

It was comforting for her to be with others the way things were now. She leaned on them and they on her as they made their way in this world.

Things had changed and new plans had to be made, even if she didn't want to. That was just the way it was.

Still she had things to be grateful for, and she accepted what had happened. She cried daily over it, but she knew it was out of her hands.

Lisbeth rubbed the tiny bump on her stomach and smiled, that was the only time she really smiled, from her heart when she thought of the baby. She had gotten pregnant that last time they were together, but Daryl and Merle never came back from that run.

They had sent out search party after search party but they were just gone.

There wasn't anything she could do about it, but she planned to go looking for him after the baby was born, she had to know for sure. She would sneak away when no one was looking, go find him or his walker and take care of it. Merle too, for Candy. One last merciful act for both of them, she had promised him she would never leave him like that.

Just the thought of it brought fresh tears to her eyes and she quickly pushed the thoughts away. She didn't have time to cry now, there was a lot to do.

Lisbeth wasn't the same now, there was a light missing from her eyes and her face, a sadness that would never go away. She would be strong though and suck it up for the sake of their child. That's what she focused on now, the child inside of her. The love she felt already for her little peanut filled her heart, and as she wrote in her journal the story of her and Daryl each night that love was transformed onto the pages.

Their son would know who he was, and what a great man he had been. She would make sure Daryl's legacy lived on.

She just knew it was a boy and she would name him after his father, the best man she had ever known. The only man she would ever love.

Lisbeth wiped her eyes and squared up herself to get out of bed, there was no crying in the apocalypse, but she did cry at night, when she was alone, writing.

The months came and went, and she was showing already and every day she walked to the gate first thing to look from the watch tower to see if anyone was coming. Eugene would always be there, he'd shake his head and hug her, every time.

It was a ritual now, but not an empty one, she still had hope that one day he would walk up to the gates again. Maybe today would be the day, she said that silent prayer to God every day, if he was even listening anymore, but it had been 105 days since they left.

She got up and started with her day, got dressed and went down stairs to see Maggie. Glenn was already on watch with Eugene, and she checked on Maggie, made sure she was drinking water and had her feet up. She had preeclampsia and needed to be off her feet.

"When can I start working again." Maggie asked as Lisbeth released the blood pressure cuff on Maggie's arm.

"As soon as your BP is down just a little more, we have to be careful, we don't have the meds."

Maggie nodded. "I know; you be careful too alright."

"I'm just going to help Denise and Tara, I'll be back at lunch time and we'll eat together ok?" Lisbeth patted Maggie on the shoulder, in the time since she had lost Daryl, Glenn and Maggie had been so kind to her. They treated her like a sister and not like an interloper in their lives.

They told her she could stay with them as long as she wanted and she was so grateful to them. Finally, she was opening up to other people, out of something so bad, came something good. Two somethings, she thought to herself as she touched her stomach again.

Lisbeth left and walked to the infirmary, where Denise and Tara were already working on the med inventory they were doing. She called to them as she came inside the door and shut it behind her.

"Sorry I'm late." She had stopped, of course and talked to Glenn and Eugene, who reported the same thing they did every day. No one was spotted and she just expected that answer now. If he could have gotten back to her, he would have. She knew that deep in her bones.

"It's alright, we figured you finally got morning sickness."

Lisbeth shook her head. "Nope. This is a boy, it's the girls that get you sick all the time." She answered. "I think Maggie's got herself a girl."

"I think you're right." Denise replied.

They talked together for a few minutes, just girls talking, like an ordinary day, they knew she was trying her best and both Tara and Denise tried very hard to keep her engaged in conversation. They kept her busy on most days and she was glad for it.

"Ok, we need to think about trying to find some Mag sulfate, in case for Maggie." Lisbeth said as they were counting the meds a few hours later, they both nodded with her. Lisbeth went out into the office and added it to the list of things they needed. So many things.

Then she walked back into the stock closet with them and quickly got to work. Time passed quickly and that was a good thing for her now. She needed to keep busy and not think, even though he was always in the back of her mind.

She thought of him every day, and didn't imagine that was going to change anytime soon.

After they had inventoried the closet they sat down and put their feet up for a minute as Denise opened up the yellow pages, of a long forgotten time.

"There's an obgyn office in that town, about 20 miles away with a clinic and a birthing center. We'll go soon."

"I wish I could." Lisbeth said, knowing the slew of big brothers she had now would never allow it.

"Oh hell no lady…" Tara started to say but they were interrupted by Eugene running down the street calling her name.

"Lisbeth where are you?" The couldn't see him but they could hear him. "Lisbeth!"

Tara got up and went to the door and yanked it open to stop his hollering. "She's here, where's the fire dude?"

"Front gate." Was all he could get out.

Lisbeth was already up and out the door before he got the words out and she didn't have to go far. She could see him walking towards her, he looked like ten pounds of pounded shit, skinny and dirty but he was alive. His eyes settled on her as he watched her come out on the porch, and went right to her stomach.

God this was a good day, after so many bad ones, he thought to himself.

She was down the stairs in a flash, her hair waving all around her face as she stood there not believing her eyes. She just stared at him as if he was a mirage.

They both broke out and ran towards each other and she was in his arms in a second, even though he was weak and tired, he lifted her up off her feet. Lisbeth was crying and running her hands all over his face and they just stared at each other for what seemed like forever.

"It's really you." She said, hugging him again so tight and moving her hands all over him, his chest, his face and in his hair. "It's really you."

Daryl pressed his forehead to hers and held her close. "Told ya I'd be back, looks like you got some news to tell me."

Lisbeth grinned. "Yeah, there's a little something we need to talk about."

He slung his arm around her shoulder. "Told ya it would happen." He said as he kissed her head. "I'm sorry I wasn't here."

"Don't be ridiculous, I know you were trying." Lisbeth kissed him softly on the mouth. "You're here now, that's all I care about."

"We got ambushed by some douchebags in DC, they took us to Rhode Island to some concentration camp thing they have going on up there." Daryl said. "Spent the last few months walking down I-95 from Providence."

"Merle?" She hugged him again. "Oh my god, Merle."

Daryl's eyes were merry then, and he was smiling.

"He went to find Candy, aint no one gonna kill Merle but Merle."

"So we got to stay out of DC?"

"Yeah man, it's a disaster and those New England people are crazy as shit house rats." He hugged her close. "They're just rounding up people and 'relocating' them, it's bad."

"No more runs for a while, ok?"

"I'm staying put, don't you worry."

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They moved her back to their old house that night and Merle and Candy moved there too. It was good to be back in their old room, together again. The house was more than big enough for all of them and they all wanted to be together, the past few months had mentally messed with all of them. Candy and Lisbeth thinking they were both dead and Merle and Daryl trying to get back to a home they didn't even know would still be there.

The bastards in DC said they were going south next and that was the way to Alexandria, thankfully, they had gone North instead, or so Daryl and Merle suspected. They had never given up hope.

Hope was a wonderful thing, a blessing and a curse.

It had kept them going though, the hope that they would be there still and they were. Life was good and would continue to be.

The four of them ate a huge meal together and said an early good night to everyone that came to visit and welcome the men back.

After a quick shower they stood together at the window looking over the streets of their home. Daryl slid his hands around her and pulled her back against his chest and breathed in her scent. He had missed her so much, and the thoughts of holding her and smelling her again was what kept him walking, when he could barely make it.

"I don't want to talk about it tonight." Daryl said and Lisbeth nodded in complete understanding.

Tomorrow he would tell her what they went through or the next day, right now he just wanted to feel her against him.

His hands made their way to her belly and he laid them across, feeling the swell of it and knowing it was his child she carried.

"I can't wait to feel it kick." He murmured into her ear.

"It's a boy, I'm pretty sure." Lisbeth replied as he kissed the back of her neck. "I've been writing to him in a journal, telling him about us, about you."

Daryl kissed the back of her head again.

"How do ya know?"

"I just do, he won't be kicking for another couple of weeks, you got back just in time." She said turning around to face him. She still couldn't believe he was really there. "Peanut, meet your daddy."

She brought his hand over her stomach and they stood there, forehead to forehead for a long time.

"I'm tired, but I need to be with you." He said softly, "Is it ok?"

Lisbeth smiled and led him towards the bed. "It's more than ok, it's necessary, pregnancy makes a woman want it all the time." She laughed. "It's safe, don't worry."

She sat down on the bed and scooted back, while he laid down and joined her.

"I'm glad you know about this stuff because I'm lost."

"Not any more baby." She kissed him sweetly and he returned the kiss with fervor. Daryl turned so they were facing each other and slung his leg over her to pull her closer. He couldn't believe he was back and he couldn't stop touching her, couldn't stop kissing her.

They stayed that way for a while, kissing and touching each other, both half afraid the other would disappear again. His touch was gentle as he ran his hands over her back, her arms and her legs, it was the sweetest torture ever and she never wanted it to end.

"I missed you so much." He said as he kissed down her neck. "Getting back to you was all I could think of."

"Please don't leave me again." She sighed, enjoying the feel of his lips on her skin after so long.

"I won't, I promise." Daryl answered and then sucked on her neck softly.

Lisbeth rolled onto her back and pulled him close to her and as his hands found her breasts she moaned low in her chest.

"Sensitive?" He asked and she nodded in the darkness of the room.

"Everything is now; you'll see soon enough."

She could see Daryl grin as he dipped his head down, and pulled her tank top up, exposing her to his hungry eyes.

"They're bigger." He said with a smile.

Soon he buried his face between her breasts kissing them softly, wanting nothing more than to savor the moment with her. To feel her and taste her skin, something that had been lacking in the past few months.

Lisbeth arched her back as he slid his fingers down into her sleep shorts and sighed as he pulled them down off of her. Then his hands were back where she needed them and his lips traced over her nipples one after the other.

He could feel her getting warmer, and her skin flushing already, she hadn't been wrong about that. Daryl smiled against her breast and reached his head up to kiss her and she was already coming.

"Oh darlin." He said rolling over between her legs and looking up at her with a devil's grin. "I'm liking this pregnancy thing a lot."

Lisbeth pulled him closer, pulling his sweat pants down until he was inside of her. This wasn't going to be one of their crazy, kinky encounters, that wasn't what they needed. This was all soft touches and worshipping each other in gratitude that they were still there, together.

After, they fell asleep in each other's arms right away and both slept through the night for the first time in 105 days.