Hi guys! Thank you all so much for going through all these chapters with me! Each reader and each review means a lot to me and please bear with me, I plan on getting back to each of you.

This epilogue chapter is nothing else but a huge load of fluff so hopefully you will enjoy it. Thank you!


Present

"It ain't fair mama," six-year old Aidan Dixon pouted in true Dixon style and hissed when Carol carefully pressed a cotton pad against his busted lip.

"Life isn't fair darling. And if simply telling you not to start fights with older boys doesn't work, seizing your little crossbow might do the trick," Carol replied calmly, shifting her attention to her son's scratched elbows.

"I hate when they're making fun of me….I hate when they say I ain't your little boy," sulking was suddenly replaced with sadness and Carol's heart sank when she saw Aidan's eyes filling with tears and his chin started quivering.

She wrapped her arms around the boy and hugged him tightly.

"You are our little boy Aidan. You must never doubt it baby. Daddy and I love you more than anything in the world and we would do everything for you, do you understand?"

She pulled away from the boy to check if he was listening to her. He nodded thoughtfully, jumped to his feet and wrapped his arms around her neck, giving her big sloppy kiss on the cheek. Carol tousled boy's unruly brown hair and rolled her eyes when the little boy whispered into her ear.

"So can I have my crossbow now?"


8years ago

Carol was happy. She took a deep breath and smiled at children frolicking in high spring grass. Sometimes she still felt guilty admitting that she'd found more happiness at the end of the world than she even dared to hope for in the old world.

When they'd left the motel in the woods, they headed north. They had been travelling for a month before they found populated former army base. They had been cautious at first, the memory of Woodbury and the Governor still painfully vivid. But the settlement had turned out to be run by a council consisting of reasonable and hard-working people who were trying hard to survive in rough world, exactly as they had.

The base was well defended with thick brick walls with barb wire at the top. Every inhabitant knew how to shoot and defend himself. They had school for kids and they were also teaching them how to defend themselves in young age, exactly as Carol had done with the kids in the prison. Everybody had something to do and the life seemed to flow relatively easily and comfortably in given conditions. They were going onruns but they were growing their own crops and even had some cattle so they were self-sufficient with basic food.

They had been taking people in and had them living in a small fortified camp outside the base for a week to rule off the infection. Once it was clear people were healthy, they accepted them into the community and gave them something to do around the camp. Their whole group had been living together in one of the bigger houses for first two weeks but they proved themselves quickly and were granted several small cottages to choose from. Maggie, Glenn and Beth had picked one, Rick with Michonne, Judith and Carl settled in the house next to them. Sasha and Bob got themselves separate cottage. Tyreese had been living on his own but when Abraham, Rosita and Eugene returned back from Washington, because their mission had turned out to be a hoax, he started sharing the house with them. Daryl and Carol chose small cottage behind Rick's house. It had small living room with fireplace, bathroom with a tub and running water, kitchen and one bedroom. It was small but homey and Carol had fallen in love with their little house quickly.

When Daryl had got better after the herd attack at the motel, he set his mind on keeping every single promise he made to himself and to Carol in those two feverish days when he was balancing between life and death. He'd been still old same taciturn and hot headed Daryl but with Carol's patient guidance he had become much better with people. Carol still blushed when she remembered his possessive kiss in front of everybody, he'd given her shortly after he got better. When they'd parted and he looked at her with a shy grin, she could see he was blushing hard but there was also a contented smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Nobody had doubted their status after that and Carol didn't doubt for a second she made the right decision giving Daryl a second chance.

When they had arrived to the base everybody assumed they were already married. Daryl had never said anything but it must have bothered him that he didn't make it official yet. During the first week in their new house, Daryl had gone for three-day run. Carol had started working in the clinic and the school and when she came home one day, Daryl had been already back. She'd run straight to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. They'd hardly ever spent more than a day apart since the motel and three days without him made her more anxious and worried than she was willing to admit to herself.

"What happened Daryl?" she took a step back when she noticed he was strangely uneasy.

He just shrugged, buried his hand into his pockets and started fidgeting with something in his pocket. It was only then when Carol noticed he was freshly bathed, shaved and he wore pair of clean jeans and plain black t-shirt and her mouth started watering at that sight. She also noticed the table was set and when she peered into the kitchen, the oven was on. Just a second later a stench of something burning hit her nose.

"Daryl, I am afraid…."

"Fuck! My fuckin' dinner!" Daryl roared before she managed to finish her sentence and he rushed into the kitchen, turning the oven off and hurriedly taking out beautiful but totally burned piece of deer.

"Fuck," he sighed and stared at the disaster, shoulders slouched in disappointment.

Carol bit her lip trying hard to hide her amusement. She wrapped her arms around Daryl's waist from behind and buried her face between his shoulder blades, deeply inhaling his scent.

"What's the occasion Daryl?"

He turned to her, suddenly blushing hard. He fiddled with something in his pocket again and sighed unhappily.

"Damn woman, if I don't do it now, I never will."

With this he fished out little simple black velvet box and held it out to her.

"I reckon people think ya are my wife anyway…so I just thought…hell I thought if ya wanna make it official…we could…," he was struggling hard to find the words and he tried to look into her eyes but his gaze was constantly dropping to his boots.

"If ya don't wanna, it's OK, it ain't big deal anyway…," he started shifting nervously when Carol was not responding at all and kept staring at him, rooted to the spot. He opened his mouth again to crack a joke and somehow try to get out of this embarrassing situation with the remnants of his dignity when he was interrupted by Carol jumping around his neck and pressing her mouth to his in hard heated kiss. He stumbled back and leaned against the counter to support their weight.

"Damn," he laughed, feeling tension and stress leaving his body in one huge wave, "if this is 'yes' then I can't wait for the wedding."

Also they had a priest in the camp, they decided against official ceremony. The next day Daryl packed some food, they both organized a day off and rode out of the gates on Daryl's bike. Carol pressed her face against cool leather of his vest and closed her eyes. It was warm autumn day, the air was fresh and beautifully colored leaves were spiraling in whirlwind as they drove past. She couldn't help but remember all the times she'd ridden on Daryl's bike with him. Sad, desperate times, full of pain and gloomy prospects, time of losses they had never really gotten over. He must have sensed her mood because he took his hand off the handlebar and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. She smiled at him and tightened her arms around his waist. The ghosts of the past were meant to stay behind. At least for today.

They drove to a small lake Daryl had discovered few months back. The sight was beautiful in the late morning. Light breeze was playing with water surface, chasing the droplets and curling it into small waves.

"It's beautiful Daryl," she whispered, mesmerized by the beauty they could still find in the rough world.

"Reminded me of the lake at Hershel's farm," Daryl replied, "where I found that Cherokee rose bush I showed ya later."

Carol smiled when she remembered that afternoon. She'd been still so full of hope back then…and already full of love for the redneck that called her names first and then apologized few hours later.

"It was when I realized I really cared 'bout ya and started feelin' things I had no fuckin' idea what do to with," Daryl murmured, somehow still embarrassed for his former behavior.

Carol stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him gently.

"You did so well Daryl. And I was already smitten with you anyway."

When they exchanged their vows and simple silver rings, the lake, forest and sky were their only witnesses. Then he took her on the bed of autumn leaves that contrasted with her naked pale skin and covered her shivering body with his.


7 years ago

They had been living in their new home for a year now and they had quickly got used to the life without constant danger and hunger pangs.

Daryl was on another run and Carol had a watch in the guard tower, impatiently looking out for their group. One would say she would have been already used to Daryl going out often but it wasn't true. Her heart clenched every time she saw him leaving the gates.

She sighed in relief when she finally saw their vehicles approaching. But she panicked when she didn't see Daryl in the front seat. She ran down the stairs and quickly headed towards parking car. Her knees almost buckled when she saw him getting out from the back seat. He had his hands wrapped around his middle and she felt fear drilling a hole into her stomach again.

"Daryl, are you hurt?" she shouted, picking up her speed, desperately trying to get to him as soon as possible.

He turned to her and his face held an expression she'd never seen on Daryl before. It was a strange mix of awe, anxiousness and disbelief and she had no slightest idea how to read it.

She finally got to him and reached out to touch him when hungry wail, coming from something on Daryl's chest, cut the air. Carol froze in the middle of her movement, shell-shocked by unmistakable sound. Daryl looked at her uncertainly and then carefully drew aside his vest and shirt. In the next second she was staring into blue teary eyes of baby boy, whom Daryl was trying to keep warm against his bare chest.

"Daryl…,"she breathed out, not able to find any appropriate words.

"His mama got bit…she was dyin' when we got there. This cub was lyin' in the tent, quiet as a mouse and walkers somehow missed him," Daryl whispered, trying not to irritate the baby, "he started wailin' when we picked him up but got quiet when I tucked him behind the shirt so I got stuck with him. He must be starvin', we found no baby food. And he could probably use somethin' warm to wear too."

Daryl kept his eyes fixed on Carol, trying to guess her reaction. She was transfixed by the baby but she didn't reach out to touch him yet. The fascination seemed to be mutual because the boy stopped whimpering, shoved his thumb into his mouth and started sucking on it and tilted his head to take a better look at Carol.

"He likes ya, see?" Daryl said quietly and adjusted baby in his arms so he was closer to Carol.

Carol closed her eyes when soft baby whiff reached her nose.

"Daryl,….I can't…I can't do it again. I can't fail any other child…it would kill me."

Daryl frowned and then suddenly leaned forward and kissed her hard, squashing the baby between them and earning an angry whimper from him.

"We done talkin' 'bout this, right? None of the shit that hapenned to the girls was your fault. Ya did what ya had to do, stop torturin' yerself over it."

He kissed her again, gently this time and caressed her lips softly, making up for the first angry kiss.

"And ya ain't alone no more. There are two of us who could protect this little one…if ya wanted."

Carol felt tears pooling in her eyes and she blinked quickly.

"Take him for a sec, if he's gonna latch on my nipple I swear I'm gonna scream," Daryl smirked and handed her the baby.

When she felt the baby against her chest and the boy gave her a toothless smile before burying his face into her neck, she was lost. She saw it coming in the same moment Daryl did, because he flashed one of his brightest smiles she'd ever seen.

"Oh man, this one's gonna be a womanizer," Daryl whistled, more than amused how quickly the boy had Carol wrapped around his little finger, "how old is he anyway?"

Carol looked at the boy.

"About nine ten months I would say," she shrugged, "they'll tell us more at the clinics. I'll take him there so they can check if he's all right."

"Pff…strong as a horse and smart like a fox, he ain't talkin' yet and he tricked the walkers already. Don't worry about him."

Carol shot him a look but smiled quickly.

"I'll be more than happy to remind you all this when you don't get any sleep in couple of nights in a row."

Daryl pulled her to him again and grabbed her ass playfully.

"Only two people in the whole damn world can keep me awake at night. My woman and this boy."

Carol felt tears in her eyes again. She'd had nothing left after Ed's and Sophia's deaths and here she was, standing next to the man she loved more than her own life and she was hugging their baby.

"Daryl," she shook her head in disbelief, "are we just adopting a baby?"

"Yep, seems like it," Daryl grinned again and Carol thought she hadn't seen him crack so many smiles in such a short time ever before.

"What are we going to call him anyway?" she whispered, voice thick with emotions.

"How about Aidan?" Daryl rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "We already have C and D for our names so I thought we could start from the beginnin'…what ya think?"

"I like Aidan," Carol nodded, "but don't you even think about starting some alphabet pattern with me Dixon!" she called after him with a laugh but he was already turning to help with the supplies they'd brought from the run.

"Take him to the clinic and I'll meet ya both at home. Need to figure out how to enlarge that house of ours. Ain't gonna share my woman in my bed," he grinned at her and stole another kiss before finally heading off.


Present

Aidan was sweet and calm-natured boy. Sometimes it even seemed that his story with the walkers when he'd been a baby, foreshadowed his character. He hardly ever cried and he'd truly become the apple of his parents eye.

Daryl had surprised everybody including himself with how easily he fit into the parent's role. As he'd already proved with Judy long time ago, he was natural with the kids and Aidan absolutely adored him. Carol knew he had doubts about his parenting skills, based on his abusive childhood, but they all turned out flat.

Aidan loved spending time with his mother, helping her at the clinics or sorting out the books at school but there was nothing he loved more than being in the woods with his father. His fist birthday wish he'd managed to pronounce properly was a 'bow' and Daryl was more than happy to find it for him on the next run. Although even the smallest children version of the crossbow was still too big and heavy for him, Carol had never seen her son more excited.

Before Aidan turned four, he'd become mini version of Daryl Dixon. The genes were in his favor because with the boy's blue eyes and mop of light brown hair, no one would have guessed Aidan wasn't Daryl's biological son. They'd never hid that fact from the boy and Aidan was at ease with it if he wasn't being teased by other kids.

Aidan had refused to wear anything but sleeveless shirts and Carol had to scold him after she found out that the holes in Aidan's pants didn't come from playing with other kids but were work of Aidan's quick fingers and sharp stone because 'daddy had holes in his trousers too.'

Aidan had also mastered Daryl's mimics and Carol sometimes had to bite her tongue to stop from smiling when two pairs of blue eyes were fixed on her, accompanied by famous Dixon scowl. It'd been also Aidan who made Daryl finally cut his hair. Their boy insisted on wearing it long, exactly as his father, but when he could hardly see anything through fringe of his hair and started bumping into things, Daryl let Carol cut his hair, much to his dismay.

"What's up buddy?" Daryl entered the kitchen and frowned when he saw the cotton pads with small splotch of blood.

Unsuccessful in breaking his mother, Aidan decided to work on his father. He ran to him and wrapped his thin arms around Daryl's waist.

"Mama won't let me have my crossbow you gave me," he whimpered with hurt in his voice and Daryl raised his eyebrow at Carol, patting the boy on the shoulder.

"What happened?"

"Aidan got into the fight again," Carol replied coolly, "and this will hopefully make him remember if he's tempted to do it again."

"They were making fun of me," Aidan raised his crystal blue eyes to Daryl, "I was defending my honor, as you told me to do."

Carol couldn't help but smile. Aidan had Daryl wrapped around his little finger and knew exactly what to say and when.

Daryl looked at Carol.

"Perhaps we could..."

"Aidan, daddy shouldn't undermine mommy's authority otherwise she won't be touching his crossbow anytime soon," Carol replied calmly, eyes fixed on Daryl.

Aidan's face wore the expression of utter confusion.

"Mom, but ya don't know how to shoot it.."

Daryl swallowed and then looked from Carol to Aidan and back.

"Aidan, your mama had pretty good reason to take your crossbow...Sounds like fair punishment for gettin' into trouble again."

Carol nodded in contentment and turned back to the sink to finish the dishes. Aidan bowed his head in disappointment.

"Hey buddy, ya can try to shoot mine. It's outside and I'll help ya with it. Meanwhile mommy could give ya your crossbow back….and stop teasin' daddy about his."

Aiden's enthusiastic squeal said it all and father and son headed outside. Carol smiled into the lukewarm water.

Yes, she was finally happy.