So, there was not a lot of mention with of Sam. So to be fair, this chapter is going to explain that. When they left Hunter and crew at the Eco houses Rick decided it would be best to take Sam back, so he could cope, as usual Sam is a quiet introvert.

HOME

It was Michonne who finally found her way back to them, she had been separated from both groups, and followed the men with Negan to their compound. Somehow miraculously she had managed to keep Sam alive. Then she trekked back and worked her way to where she found them camping. "Rick, we have to go and break them out." Michonne's voice forced him awake and he looked at her cupping her face in his hands.

"I thought you were taken." Rick managed, before crashing his lips into hers. The others were awake and watching. He nodded in Sam's direction, relieved that Michonne had found him, the little boy was more of an afterthought these days. He had refused to stay with Hunter and the others when they left the Eco houses, so Rick had told him, if he could keep up and stay out of the way he could come with them.

"I can lead us back to him. Not only that, but I know how to get to where they have ours." Michonne told them.

Glenn was the first one packed, the other's followed suit, even Rick. Rick looked Sam over, and then picked the boy up, he was tired and weary and had more than likely walked with Michonne through the night. Through the woods in the heat and the crunching leaves, the moon lighting their way. Michonne led them through most of the night. As the sun started to rise over the land, they moved through the compound, looking for any sign of the others. They were looking though the different door windows that they encountered, from Michonne following them the day before she knew that this was where they kept potential problems or new members of the community. Morgan, Maggie, Spencer, Aaron, Rosita, and Gabriel were nowhere to be found yet. Rick and Glenn shared a look, everyone else was around the perimeter watching.

They found Morgan first, he was beaten and tied to a door frame. Glenn untied him while Rick looked through the next door way. Spencer was dead, swinging from rafters in the room. He shuddered and looked back at Morgan and Glenn. Next they found Gabriel, much like Morgan he was tied against a door frame. He was less beaten than Morgan. "They have Maggie and Rosita alive, with Negan, he took them as his wives. If they don't do what he says" Morgan paused, there was no need for him to continue his explanation. Glenn and Rick shouldered Morgan between them, and headed in the direction he had saw Rosita and Maggie taken in, Gabriel trailed behind them.

They could hear the screams from the back rooms before they made it halfway down the corridor. It was not Maggies, which was either a relief or the worst news possible. Rosita was screaming out for Spencer as loudly as she could. Rick found the door she was behind, and felt sick. There were maybe ten walkers under her, her body was slowly being lowered to them. He shook his head no at Glenn, Gabriel, and Morgan, and the continued on. The hallway opened into a courtyard of sorts, and in the center they saw Maggie. Her body bound to two post, completely stripped of her clothing. A man behind her, a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire in his hands. His voice was booming.

"HELLO EVERYONE!" He cried out, apparently they were there for the start of the ceremony. "REMEMBER THAT COMMUNITY WITH WALLS AND SHEEP WE BURNED DOWN. SOME OF THEIR STRAGGLING MEMBERS FINALLY CAME HOME." He paused, smiling at his masses. "THIS ONE HERE HAS THE OPPRITUNITY TO BECOME MY WIFE. BUT SHE SAYS SHE ALREADY HAS A HUSBAND, AND THAT HE WILL COME FOR HER. SO WHEN HE DOES WE WILL KILL HIM, LIKE WE ALWAYS DO." Negan paused again, this time rubbing Maggie's face with his bat. "So, Maggie, how about you reconsider."

Maggie spit on him, in the face. Glenn knew instantly how stupid that was. Negan brought the bat down on her shoulder blade, making her scream. Rick turned away and looked at Glenn. He knew already there would be no stopping what was to come. "You make sure Daryl and Hunter raise Hershel, they already have been," Glenn released his grip on Morgan, Gabriel instantly taking his spot. "You should have enough time to get out."

Morgan looked like he was going to argue the point, but Rick just clasped Glenn's shoulder, then hurried away from the exit with Morgan between him and Gabriel. He heard Glenn scream. "HEY ASSHOLE THAT'S MY FUCKING WIFE." There was silence for a moment, then a gunshot rippled through the building. Maggie's scream pierced the air, then silence. They drug Morgan through the opening and met with Michonne who had Sam beside her, she quickly helped shoulder his weight but didn't ask anything when he just urged them on. Michonne whistled like they had practiced and soon Abraham, Sasha, Tara, and Eugene were hot on their heels. They were running back through the country that belonged to Negan, back towards the camp that they had established earlier.

0-0-0

Rick didn't know how long they ran, but they ran through the night. As the sun rose they found themselves on black top with a road sign that pointed them in the direction of Chapel Hill. They were coming from a slightly different direction this time, but Rick knew they could find their way back to eco community. He had no clue how long they had been gone, but he knew it had been a long time.

As they neared the small town just outside of the community his heart sank. The forest surrounding the town was completely burnt out. There was no chance the wooden house had survived the flames. His worst fears were realized when they made it to the blackened patch of dirt their safe haven had once stood on. In the yard he found one of Judith's toys, he picked it up and pressed it to his nose.

"If they made it out, they would have headed to somewhere the fire couldn't reach." Michonne said finally.

"There is a hotel Daryl and I found." Abraham told them, and started leading them through the charred woods in the direction of the would be hotel. Sasha linked her hand in his. Tara and Eugene were shouldering Gabriel between them. Michonne had her eyes trained on Rick, carefully watching him. Sam was somewhere behind them doing his best to keep up.

0-0-0

"RICK GRIMES AND FAMILIY: WE ARE ALIVE, WE ARE GOING HOME, SEE YOU THERE. – WE LOVE YOU." Tara rubbed her hands across the words, smiling. "They are alive, and they are leaving us a trail."

There was a door marked with similar pink paint. Inside Rick found a note addressed to him. "Daddy, we are doing ok. The house burned down. We survived, and we have two beautiful daughters Beth Lori and Fawn Skylar Dixon. Daryl and Merle are leading us back to Georgia. I know you are way behind us, if you're coming at all. The ultimate goal is King County, but if that doesn't work out we are going to the one place we all felt safe last. Love Hunter Dixon." Rick read the note aloud. "Beth and Fawn… I have granddaughters!" He nearly squealed.

Michonne wrapped her arms around his waist and laughed. "Where would the last safe place be?" They settled in for a long night. Morgan, Tara, and Eugene took one bed. Sasha and Michonne the other, with Sam situated between them. Abraham and Rick took turns with watch.

"The prison." Even as Sasha said it a chill ran through Michonne and Rick.

"That would be suicide it was overrun." Rick whispered.

0-0-0

"She marked trees." Eugene was excited, he yawned, stretching in the early morning sunlight showing them the trees as they approached them. Pink hand prints. Sam trailed beside Eugene, holding his hands at time. He had not spoken a word to anyone since they left Alexandria the first time, his mother dead.

"She kept the paint, she knew we would look for it." Tara smiled.

They had not talked about what had happened at Negan's yet and Michonne was curious. Rick could see it on her face. "The others except Morgan, Gabriel, Rosita, and Maggie were dead. Morgan and Gabriel were out in the open, easy to get. They were feeding Rosita to walkers like a happy meal. Maggie…" His voice dropped off.

"Negan is a monster." Morgan said it finally. "He was beating Maggie to death naked in front of everyone." He stopped, feeling the darkness hurt him, then he tried to make the best of the situation.

"I managed to take Aaron's camera when they drug him away from me. So at least I have pictures for Hershel…" Gabriel showed them the camera he had carefully packed into his chest pocket.

"What happened to Glenn?" Sasha asked she knew what had happened before he said it.

"He ran in the fray, after Maggie." Rick hung his head. "They couldn't live apart. He wants me to have Hunter and Daryl look after Hershel, kind of seems fitting seeing as they have a Beth, too."

The followed the pink prints in silence after that, they found that they left behind bottles of water for them in places here or there, where they were removed from water sources. It was a couple days before they reached the cabin on the lake. Another note was nailed to the door. Carl's handwriting this time. "Dad, if you have made it this far, thank god. We hope everyone is coming home, but we know there is a chance that won't happen. Judith, Chance, Hershel, Beth, and Fawn are well fed. There is a herd moving through us right now. Hunter and Carol left you a fishing net so you could round up some fish. Edwards left you the pan to cook them in. Enid and I… we are doing well. Merle and Daryl are the best at keeping us alive. Hunter is healing well. We love you, and hope to see you soon." Rick read it out loud and smiled.

Abraham and Rick found the net easily enough, and found the pink arrow pointing to where they had caught the fish. Waist deep the two men watched as several fish swam into their net.

0-0-0

"They probably stayed here a couple days." Rick noticed that the cabin felt lived in, "And not too long ago."

Michonne nodded, and looked out "They kept to the forest, three hunters in their pack and they know how to avoid the main road."

Sasha was the first one out. "Let's move on." Sasha scooped up Sam, his body falling limp against her. The road was not a place for this little boy. His pale face and soft blond hair, he buried his face in Sasha's neck.

They moved through the woods and stumbled first upon the campsite that Hunter had been held in. The three men dead on the ground, one with his pants down. "What do you make of this?" Michonne asked.

"Those are bolt holes, not bullet holes, see how when pulled back out they have a diamond shape." Rick's voice trailed off. He noticed a jacket against the tree. He recognized it instantly. "Daryl and I brought that home after a run for Hunter…" He picked it up and felt sick. Ripped jeans, underwear, shirt, and bra toppled from it, along with her boots all singed from fire.

"Rick." Michonne spoke his name softly. "She is alive, she is with Daryl." Michonne could see it on his face, smoldering anger.

Rick nodded, but tucked the jacket into his pack, and pushed her boots into Abrahams. They continued through the woods, then came upon a camp site that must have been hastily packed up. It had been three weeks in total since they had first met with Negan. "Pink paint." Eugene pointed it out.

"It's still tacky." Michonne ran her fingers through it.

"They were here not long ago." Rick agreed.

"Rick, you need to see this." It was Morgan's voice. The whole group moved to where he was. A corpse lay sprawled out on the ground. A medical bag beside him. "I think it is Edwards." Gabriel gasped, and closed the man's eyes.

Rick nodded. He picked up the medical bag. "We camp here tonight." He led them back to the campsite with pink paint, and finish stringing the walker alarms that were left behind.

0-0-0

They followed behind the tracks Abraham found. "They circle back and forth here. So I think they are close." He said finally. They had paced themselves as much as they could to catch up with their family members.

As they got closer, Rick felt it, his family was close. "HUNTER! CARL! JUDITH!" Rick's voice boomed through the forest. Hunter, with Judith in arms, and Carl rushed to his arms and almost knocked him off his feet. He was crying then, sobbing and holding his three kids.

"You're alive!" He nearly screamed. Daryl emerged from the RV, Fawn and Beth in his arms. Merle came out next, with Hershel in his arms, Chance tugging along behind him. Enid and Carol were the last ones out.

Rick looked past his kids and saw the three little ones between Merle and Daryl. "My grandbabies."

Hunter scanned the group before them, "Where is everyone?" She was relieved to see that Sam had survived and made it back, she was sure her father was going to leave him dead somewhere on the side of the road.

"Negan is not what we thought." Rick said carefully. "He has an army and we could not fight them even if we wanted." He was still holding Judith and Carl tight to him. "Maggie and Glenn, they wanted you to take Hershel as your own." Daryl nodded his understanding, still looking at the twins and Hunter. "Negan killed our friends, our family, normally we would not stand for that. But we need to build up our numbers. Regroup."

Hunter nodded. "So we go home?"

"First I want to know what happened in the woods." Rick looked straight at Daryl.

"We… Merle and I were out scouting and hunting. When we came back those men had taken Hunter, she sacrificed herself for the others. One of the men knew her. From before us." Daryl explained. "They, uh, they strung her up and stripped her." Daryl looked at Hunter, unsure of what to say next.

Rick's eyes narrowed. "You took care of the problem?" Daryl nodded, he was making his way to Rick, ready to hug him and introduce him to his granddaughters. Rick smiled at them, "Which is which?"

"The one with a brown eye and a green eye, that's Beth… we call her Bethy. And the other one with brown eyes is Fawn." Daryl passed them both to Rick and took Hershel from Merle.

"Wow!" Michonne smiled, "Hershel you have gotten big." Michonne took him in her arms, excited. Judith was lacing her way around Daryl's legs, and Ricks.

"Is there any chance anyone else made it?" Carol asked.

"Maybe, we can continue to leave the paint marks behind until we get to Georgia. Then I think everyone will know where to go. I left your notes, so others of us could find them." Rick looked at them all. "Maggie and Glenn are dead. I saw Glenn go down and I know Maggie would not continue to live without him."

Everyone embraced as one big family, clinging to each other, "The RV runs." Merle said after a long minute, then he hugged Michonne, "Never thought I would be so glad to see you missy."

Michonne laughed, and hugged him back. "I'm glad to see you too Merle."

Sam wound his way to Hunter, he looked up at her with cold eyes, tear stains down his face, she tried to smile warmly at him. "Mommy." That was all he said, as he wrapped his arms around her waist, and buried his face in her chest. She looked at Daryl completely confused, Rick just shook his head, and continued playing with the three little girls and Hershel.

'Sam." She rubbed his head, smiling down at him. "Do you think you can be a good big brother?" He nodded furiously against her body. The ten year old seem to shake against her.

"Mommy…" He said it again. It had taken him seeing unspeakable things, and losing everything to understand a little bit more about this world.

Chance watched the exchanged and he looked at Carol, "Mommy?"

"Yes, Chance I am your mommy!" She squeezed him up and held him to her. She would have to keep a close eye on Sam, children these days they either fought through the crazy like Carl and Hunter, or the caused problems and did unspeakable things, like Lizzie.

0-0-0

They fell into a comfortable routine as a family. The working RV got them pretty far along, until herds of walkers pushed them from their path to Georgia and well into Kentucky. They found themselves in a small town right before snow fall, where they met with other survivors. Their leader Marshall, agreed somewhat reluctantly to allow them the last house within their compound.

It was unlike other places they had been. There were no children, mostly middle-aged couples. Five houses set in a long row, barbed wire fencing wrapped around trees, making a natural fence around the perimeter. Rick and the others had run into one of their scouting parties early in the morning, and the scout Thomas had instantly radioed back to Marshall asking what he should do. Unlike Deanna, Marshall didn't want to know anything about them. "You keep away from ours, and we will keep away from you."

Hunter noticed early in the morning, as the snow was coming down, one of the houses had a teenage boy it, she smiled nicely in his direction as Merle and Daryl went to work on a deer they had brought back. Rick's basic fears of other people's views of Hunter and Daryl had been confirmed the previous night, when one of the women in the compound asked "You let your young daughter… They have children?" Rick had watched Daryl and Hunter closely after that, finally Hunter had said, "Age doesn't matter, the only age that matters is in your heart. I am not some little dumb teenager, and he is not some sick old man." She didn't say anything after that, instead she shrugged, picked up Fawn and Beth and nodded at Sam who picked up Hershel. Daryl followed them out of the room, leaving Rick to talk with their council on his own.

Carl and Enid were comfortably sitting on the steps of the front porch this morning, watching the snow fall. Carol, Michonne, Sasha, Tara, Eugene, and Gabriel were working on decorating the inside of their little house for a celebration. Abraham, Rick, and Morgan were talking once more with the leaders of the town. They had decided while on the road, that the first snow fall of each year should be Christmas. "Enid." Hunter called her to her, nodding at Carl. "Let's go for a walk, see what the store over the ridge has in it, spoil the kids some. Sam, do you wanna come?"

Sam's head snapped up from where he had been watching Merle. "Yeah, mom." He rushed to her taking his hand in hers.

"Daryl, the others are inside, I love you, and we will be back, just going to walk back to the store across the hill, and see if there is anything for the kids." She slipped over to him, Sam still holding her hand, and kissed him, gently on the lips. The blood from the deer was steaming and he smiled warmly at her.

"Hurry back, I'll tell Rick." Daryl smiled after her, watching her holding Sam's hand, and linking arms with Enid. She had her rifle shouldered, and her crossbow as well. He knew she had her knives on her, and he knew Enid had a pistol, even Sam had started carrying knives, once Hunter had convinced him to.

Rick watched after them, as he Morgan and Abraham returned to the house. "Gone shopping have they?" He had noticed that Enid had a pack in her hands. Daryl grunted an acknowledgement to the statement as he and Merle finished cutting up the deer.

0-0-0

"How come you brought me and Sam?" Enid asked carefully once Hunter had cleared the store.

"Cos ya'll won't tell, until I am ready. I need a pregnancy test, one for me and one for Michonne." Enid's eyes grew wide, understanding the implications of the statement. "I'll fetch the medical supplies, you two look for toys or possible Christmas gifts for everyone." For the most part the stores in the area were untouched. The compound and the people that lived there were all some sort of back wood survivalist, and they preferred to travel far distances to loot, but they had told Rick and company that anything in this store they could take, as long as it was not the money in the cash drawer.

Hunter watched as Enid and Sam slipped off down the aisles, hungrily packing things away. She made her way to the far side of the story and grabbed a fist full of vitamins, bandaids, two first aid kits, all the rubbing alcohol they had, and finally all six of the pregnancy test the shelf had to offer. Excitement made her search for a bathroom. Enid and her shared a look, and she slipped into one of the stalls.

Enid had found some toys for the little ones, some knives, and some cheap jewelry. She laughed even as she looked at it. Sam stayed close to her, never letting her out of his sight, she smiled when he pointed at a rack of hats and scarfs and gloves, greedily she pulled them all into her pack. He didn't speak much, but after everything he had been through Enid could understand. For a long time she hadn't wanted to live, but now she did, she wanted to survive very much. She looked up as Hunter exited the bathroom, and made her way back to the health asile.

Enid and Sam followed behind her, interested in what she was doing, Hunter was pulling boxes of condoms off the shelfs, nodding in their general direction, "Going to need these, the others will at lease."

"So…" Enid waited until Hunter nodded before she smiled, hugging Hunter. Sam understood too, a wide smile etching across his face. The one thing that seemed to make him feel better was playing with the younger kids. They gathered up some called food, that didn't look like it had expired yet, and headed back out into the cold and the snow.

0-0-0

Daryl, Rick, Merle, Morgan, and Abraham were sitting on the front steps of the house, waiting on Hunter, Enid, and Sam to make it back home. "We have to leave once the snow is done." Rick told the men, "Been's we are the council in our group, and we tend to make the heavy decisions I want to know what you think."

"I think there are too many of them to fight off, and we could find our own place to wait out the winter." Abraham grunted.

"I don't like killing innocent folk, Rick, they are just looking out for their own." Morgan moved his staff, making trails in the snow.

"I agree, aint worth the fight." Daryl said after a long minute. "Hunter got sick this morning."

There was silence for a moment. "You think she might be pregnant again?" Rick asked, careful in his words.

"Dunno. Michonne was sick too, coulda been the meat they ate." Daryl answered back.

Rick had been oblivious to both women that morning, his intent had only been on working out how to get these people to let them stay on for the winter. The young boy who Hunter had smiled at earlier; he was maybe nineteen was walking down the path in front of the house they had been allowed to stay in. Rick nodded at him, but he didn't move along. Rick stood, and as he did he saw Hunter, Enid, and Sam making their way to the fence, and entering the compound. Rick made his way over to where the boy stood, Daryl right behind him.

"My mom told me ya'll was livin in the house a couple nights, didn't tell me how pretty the girls with you were." He was looking out towards Enid and Hunter.

"That's my daughter, and my sons girlfriend." Rick offered, "My daughter is already married." Rick felt Daryl move closer to him, on his left side, closer to the boy.

"Damn shame, my momma said, the way you let that dirty pervert take advantage of your daughter." The boy cocked his head to the side as he said it, Daryl snarled at him, but Rick held up his arm.

"No one took advantage of her, she is an adult, and she loves Daryl." Rick's voice was even. He could now clearly make out the girls, packs on their backs with Sam between them. "She is even raising his older son."

Daryl looked at Rick for a long minute, then understood, he must have told these people that Sam belonged to him. The boy looked between the two men. "Damn shame, if she'd take you I bet I could fuck her to." That was enough, and Rick knew there was no stopping Daryl. He was possessive at best, and was over the small fence in a second, his fist colliding with the boy's jaw.

"DARYL!" Rick heard Hunter scream, he felt Merle, Morgan, and Abraham behind him. Rick put his arms up to stop them. Hunter had given her pack to Sam and was running up the snow covered hill. Daryl could hear her voice, screaming at him, but he couldn't stop. His fist collided again and again with the boy's face. Hunter reached him, dropping to her knees. "STOP IT." He looked at her then, she could see the tears in his eyes, and his bloody fist.

"He called you a whore." She heard him whisper, Hunter groaned.

She grabbed his fist, and made him straighten his hand out, she pressed it against her stomach and looked at him. "I love you, please stop." He understood the underlying statement, a smile moving across his lips.

"Show me." He was standing, pulling her with him, he kissed her forcefully. She dug around in her pocket and produced something small, he looked it over, then pulled her to him, scooping her up in the snow, and carrying her into the house.

"Hey pawpaw." Sam said, stepping over the boy on the ground followed by Enid. Rick still wasn't sure why Sam had picked Hunter, but he was relieved all the same that the little boy was starting to come out of his shell.

"Hi, Sam, Enid." Rick had some questions but they would wait. The unconscious boy on the ground in front of them groaned. "Morgan, take him home would ya? Let them know he started it and couldn't finish it. If they need we will leave tonight." Morgan nodded, scooping down, and pulling the boy over his shoulders before heading off in the snow.

He motioned for Merle and Abraham to follow him in the house. Once inside, in the warmth emitted from the wood stove, Hunter and Enid were dropping their spoils on the counter. Rick watched, mildly surprised as Michonne grabbed one of the pregnancy test Hunter had brought with her. Daryl had Fawn, Beth, Hershel and Sam around him on the counter, he was watching holding Fawn and bouncing her as Hunter pulled what she called "gifts" from the pack.

"Enid and I decided to be Santa!" Hunter cheered. "I already gave Daryl his gift." A groan circled the room. Rick heard the door open and looked behind him to see Morgan slip in. "Wanna show uhm?"

Daryl smiled broadly, "We addin' to the number of Dixons!" He held up the pregnancy test, then tossed it to Rick, smiling.

"More grandchildren!" Rick cheered. It seemed strange to him, how she handed the road and her pregnancies, Hunter was a fierce to be reckoned with. "What's my gift?" Hunter laughed, as she pulled something from the pack.

"You, dad, get this knife belt we found, cause yours is worn and broken." Rick nodded at her as he took it. Lori had given him the other one, how fitting the daughter he never had gave it to him. When Rick and Lori's marriage was young and new they had gotten pregnant, they had lost the baby, a little girl, so maybe Hunter was meant to be his always. "Merle, we found you a new blade for your metal arm." She handed it to him, smiling. "Sasha, Carol, Tara, Enid, myself, we got scarfs, gloves and hats." She tossed them to the women around her, nodding at each one. "Michonne too, when she gets back." She sat her set and Michonne's beside her on the counter. "Judith, we got another hoddie, to bundle her. Size 4t… Chance, we got you a knife that is your size. Hershel, Fawn, and Beth, we got…" She reached into the bag, digging around, "Cars to play with, and some thicker jackets this town had. Place called Possom Trot, apparently." She paused, she looked at Abraham with a genuine smile, "Found this and thought of you." It was a nine-inch-long swing blade knife, he smiled as he took it. "Gabriel, found this for you." A copy of the Bible, he had long ago lost his. "Eugene." She called, he was beside her instantly. "Got you this," It was a book he had never seen before, "Know you like to read." Hunter offered, smiling at him. "Carl, found you an eye patch, and I believe the owner of the store owned this, but he is long gone." She pulled out a thick fur lined jacket, "You been shivering for weeks, gave Enid you last jacket." She paused and looked at Sam, "Got you ear muffs, baby, cause you are always covering you ears." She walked to him, settling them on his ears. "Morgan, I didn't forget you." She said after a long moment, he looked at her, and smiled warmly when she pulled a cleaning kit from her pack. "Says you can clean your walking stick with it, thought you might clean your murdering stick with it." She rested her body against Daryl, taking Beth from Sam's arms, and smiled at her little boys and girls. Daryl kissed the back of her head, and smiled. He had never in his life wanted to be a family man, yet he was one. Completely devoted to her, and the four kids that were their charges.

Sasha had already put her scarf on and pressed herself to Abraham's side, he kissed her forehead, and smiled around the table. Carol was putting her scarf in her pack, and trying her gloves on. Enid was beside Carl, helping him get the eye patch one, part of his bone showed through his flesh no matter what they did, and both girls hoped this would cover that. Michonne returned to them, looking slightly sick and worried. Hunter knew the look, and coughed, it was enough to draw everyone's attention to her as Michonne pulled Rick away. "Daryl, let's hope for not twins this time, that was a lot of work!" Daryl laughed, kissing her temple.

"I agree, two are fun, but I would like one." He nodded in Merle's direction. Age was a unique thing in their group, Carol was unable to have any more children, after Sophie her tubes had been tied to protect her, her body just couldn't handle childbirth. Merle was probably close to the oldest. Together they were happily raising Chance. No one bothered about ages anymore. They just didn't seem to exist. Not like they would have.

0-0-0

"Dinner is ready!" Everyone settled around the table, children wedged on laps or between adults. Carol set the cooked deer meat in the center of the table along with the canned vegetables. It had been a long time since they had had a true meal, and everyone dug in appreciatively. Midway through the meal Rick stood, and looked around the group.

"Family, as you know Hunter and Daryl are pregnant." There was the usual cheer, the liked the arrival of new little ones, it meant the continuation of the human race. "Michonne and I are also expecting." The whole house erupted in a chorus of catcalls and whistles. If possible Michonne looked more embarrassed now that before when Hunter and her had talked about it.

"At least our kids will have playmates." Hunter reached across the table, clasping Michonne's hand.

Carl coughed, "It's Christmas, right?" Everyone nodded. "I would like to ask you, Enid, after being together close to a year, if you would be my girl?" Everyone laughed, Carl blushed, Enid stood and kissed him, they had not done much in the way of a relationship, "And eventually marry me?" The room grew quiet, no one had actually discussed the concept of marriage in this world. Daryl and Hunter had married because both felt it was the right thing to do. Enid nodded, carefully, looking at Rick.

"I guess we might as well acknowledge all the couples and ask that question." Now Gabriel was standing. "Merle, Carol, would you two like to wed, and formally adopt Chance? Making more Dixon's as Hunter so aptly called it earlier?"

"Can't let the Grimes catch up." Merle laughed, elbowing Daryl.

"Really?" Carol looked at Merle taken aback.

"Yeah, woman, you scare the hell outta me, but ya are the marryin type, might as well make ya honest." Merle laughed at her face.

"Michonne and Rick?" Gabriel asked, treading carefully they were still relatively new in the public eye.

"I am fine with it, when Rick is ready." Always worried about Rick, and whatever feelings left for Lori he might have, she squeezed his hand. Rick chuckled to himself.

"Sasha, Abraham?" Their relationship was interesting at that, they were drawn to each other, but neither acted often enough to call it a courtship.

"Hold on sir, we are still figuring us out." Sasha laughed, resting her body against Abrahams, bouncing Hershel on her knee.

"I am done." Tara snapped, "Done not having anyone to love, fuck it, I quit girls." Everyone laughed, she grabbed Eugene and kissed him on the lips. She pulled back. "Never mind. I'll stick with the girls." Laughter erupted once more and Eugene groaned.

"Mean woman." He managed, before smiling.

Morgan raised his glass, "Here is to our family!" He cheered, Chance on his lap, eating away at the deer.

Gabriel laughed, they might be murderers but they truly loved one another and carried about one another. Their trip back to King County was going to be a long one, and he was relieved that he was with them, that through it all he had stuck with Rick Grimes. "So, Merle, Carol, my only takers?"

"Not here though." Carol said after a spell. "Not in this borrowed safe haven, in our own." Silence consumed the group as they ate.

0-0-0

The first rays of sunlight drifted through the window as Rick woke them up. They were leaving today, he had agreed to do that before the fight Daryl and the boy had. Now he did not want to risk and altercation. Morgan had explained away the fight, saying boys will be boys, so Rick knew he needed to get them all moving and quick. Hunter secured a pack on Sam's chest, and slipped Beth into it. She pulled the sling carrier on that Hershel rode in, and Daryl situated the little boy on her back. Daryl waited for Hunter to slip Fawn into the carrier on his chest. Chance took Carol's hand in his, and followed her and Merle onto the front lawn. Sam pulled a blanket over Beth, Daryl followed suit with Fawn, tucking her into his poncho. Hunter could feel little Hershel squirming but she didn't mind. Judith was soon in a carrier on Rick's back, the three-year-old bundled up and talking about the snow. Carl, Enid, Abraham, Sasha, and Morgan all carried thick heavy packs. Gabriel, Michonne, and Tara carried smaller packs, and their weapons.

Hunter smiled as she saw Daryl still using the crossbow that once belonged to her. She pulled her knife out. They all welcomed the winter supplies Enid and Hunter had found the day before in the snow. So with the first rays of dawn seeping through the trees they made their way from the safety of the compound and out into the cold snow covered world. They had saved cooked meat from the night before, it rested in the pack on Michonne's back. Gabriel held the medical bag, the one they had taken from Edwards's corpse, that they had restocked the night before. His bible was situated in it. Sam took Hunter's hand in his, and away they walked. Each family grouping together.

Enid and Carl were in the front of the pack; on blacktop it didn't matter who led. Michonne and Rick behind them. Hunter, Daryl, and Sam with babies on them next, followed by Gabriel and Morgan. Next Merle, Chance and Carol, with Chance holding Carol's hand, Merle's metal arm. Next Eugene and Tara, huddled together in the cold. And taking up the rear Abraham and Sasha. Their gloved hands interlaced. Every once in a while Carl would check his atlas, and change their direction or turn them onto another road. They mostly found hunting cabins or large houses to pass the nights away in. They went on like that for several days, finally crossing into Tennessee. They had been pushed so far out, that it was taking them a long time to get back on track.

It was at the Tennessee/Kentucky border that they found their first real piece of good luck. There were three large military grade hummers, just sitting there. Sure it had been a long time since they had been used, but even if they couldn't get them to run it would be enough of a break from the winter wind to sleep in them. Daryl waited patiently for Carol to slip Fawn off his back, then he, Merle and Abraham went to work on the Hummers. National Guard was painted on the side, and walkers spilled out when they opened the doors. Once the threat was gone, they went to work, pulling the steering panels off and working hard to get to the wires. Two rumbled to life. A smile broke across their faces; the one Merle was working with refused to start what so ever. The fourteen adults and five children smashed into the two workable Hummers, and made their way down the snow covered highways, moving through the cars that remained piled up long after the dead took over. The drove through the night, as long as both hummers would work, because they knew that when they stopped it would be the end of the vehicles.