sclaimer:

Carol Peletier, Sophia Peletier, King Ezekiel, Henry, Jerry, Shiva, and any other recognizable character or plot of The Walking Dead belong to AMC Network and Skybound Entertainment, Image Comics and Robert Kirkman.

In no way is the author claiming ownage of any of the characters nor is there any economical/monetary gain at any time. The author is extremely respectful of the original creators and is willing to take down this work of fiction if requested.

No copyright infringement intended.

Genevieve is property of the author.

Chapter 12: Finale

She's not sure what is happening. She feels like she's floating. Everything is dark.

"I can't do this without you."

She recognizes her husbands voice.

She tries to open her eyes.

She tries to reach for him.

All she finds is darkness once more.

——

"Mom you have to wake up."

Henry.

"She's beautiful. She cries a lot because she needs you, but we are doing what we can to calm her."

Who cries a lot? Genevieve?

She's so tired. Why can't she open her eyes? Why can't she move? Why is everything so dark?

——

"Can you believe it? She was just wheeled in. She had the weirdest look on her face."

She can hear Ezekiel again. His voice is different, still laced with worry, but soft and loving at the same time.

"She kept trying to leave, kept trying to disappear. I think I fell in love with your mama from the first moment I saw her."

She can hear the soft cooing of a baby. She knows it's her daughter. She's losing her fight with the darkness once more and it's a fight she can't let herself lose.

"Your Mama, she's a wonderful woman. She… she saved me from myself. She helped me build our home back to what it was… no… to a better Kingdom. She gave me a chance, saw through all my acts, made me a better leader. She gave me you, and you are the most precious thing in this Kingdom."

Slowly, much too slowly, she feels the pain come back. She feels her body heavy as lead. She pushes even further managing to move her hand just a little. She lets out a tiny whimper when she finally opens her eyes only to feel them burn from the sudden light.

"You'll see. When Mama wakes up and she holds you for the first time, you'll see what I mean. You'll feel all the love in the world. You'll feel protected. Invincible. She's that magical."

"Stop… telling her… lies." Her throat is dry but she manages to squeeze out her words.

She hears Ezekiel getting up then the sound of footsteps as he nears her. "Carol!"

She licks her lips and opens her eyes again, squinting slightly. "What… what happened?"

"You had a seizure." Ezekiel tells her. She can see his face hovering above her, his eyes, ever so expressive, filled with worry. "Because of the Eclamsia. You gave us a scare."

"Gen…Genevieve?" She whimpers as she attempts to get up from the bed. She fails miserably so Ezekiel helps her ease back on the bed.

"She's right here." He promises her as he moves so that their baby is at level with her. "She's…. she is perfect."

Carol raises a shaking hand to push away the edge of the soft yellow blanket that covers her child.

Her breath gets caught in her throat the moment she finally sees her. She has brown sprinkling of hair, not quite as dark as her fathers but definitively darker that hers. Her eyelashes are long and rest on pudgy little cheeks which she already adores. Her nose is a cute little button nose that Carol already knows she will trace thousands of times. Her lips take after her own, thin upper lip with a slightly thicker lower one. She has her father's coloring, a soft chocolate tone that is as warm as she looks. She is perfect.

"She fell asleep s little bit ago. I can wake her if you want." Ezekiel offers. "She has the most beautiful blue eyes. Eyes I've only seen once before."

She knows he's referring to her own which surprises her since she knows blue is a recessive gene.

"Don't." She replies. "Let her sleep. We have a whole life to… look at her eyes."

Ezekiel looks at her with nothing but love in his eyes. He shifts a little, helping her settle in a comfortable position before placing their daughter half on her arm and half on the bed. Genevieve whimpers a little, a cute little whimper Carol already adores, before settling again.

She can't stop looking at her little baby. She's so new, so precious, so perfect. She wants nothing more than to keep her away from anything that could hurt her.

"Thank you." Ezekiel whispers to her.

"For Genevieve?" Carol asks him, her eyes slipping close as she presses her nose to her daughter's soft hair.

"Yes, for her, for loving me, for standing by me and giving us a chance. For… saving me. I wasn't lying when I told her that." He explains.

Carol opens her eyes to look at him and is surprised at the fact that his eyes are teary, his eyelashes clumped together. "What's wrong, my love?" She whispers, her other hand, the one that isn't holding their daughter close, raises to caress his cheek.

"You scared me." He turns his face to press it against the palm of her hand, a tear sliding down his cheek. "I… I didn't know what to do. You were trembling, you were having a seizure, and Genevieve was crying."

"Come here." Carol motions to the other side of the bed, her strength coming back slowly but surely.

She waits until Ezekiel climbs on the bed, careful not to move her too much. He then snuggles against her, an arm going around her, mindful of her tender belly.

With Ezekiel pressing against her back, and their little baby asleep against her chest, Carol feels complete and at ease.

"The doctor says you should be alright." He whispers, his voice still showing the fear he had felt. "It might take a couple of weeks to rid yourself of the symptoms, but he thinks you'll be fine."

"I will be." She promises. "I have to be. Someone has to keep both of you in line." Carol knows that as soon as Ezekiel has the go-ahead from the doctor, he will be presenting their child to the Kingdom. Before she knows it Genevieve will be getting in trouble with her father and brother in tow. "Actually make that all three of you. What have I gotten myself into?"

Genevieve wiggles in her mother's arms, her face scrunching up as she prepares herself for a full blown cry.

For a second she feels panic take a hold of her but she quickly pushes it down.

She knows Genevieve; she carried her for nine months, bonded with her, gave birth to her. Suddenly all the fears she had felt from the moment she found of she was pregnant, disappeared. She knew what she had to do and she would do it without a second thought. Ezekiel had been right, they could do this, together.

"Oh no sweetheart, don't cry." Carol immediately goes into mother mode, a change so subtle but so strong. She presses a hand over Genevieve's belly, soothing her with a touch.

Genevieve relaxes, her little hands curling around her face before ever so slowly opening her eyes. Ezekiel is right; her blue eyes are beautiful. "You came into a very weird world, Princess." Ezekiel tells their daughter over Carol's shoulder. "A world with walking dead, a King with no crown who once had a tiger for a protector, an uncle obsessed with peach cobbler, a brother who will always think he knows better, and a Queen that lost and found herself.. it's a weird world but you have made it better.."

Carol can't help but agree. "So much better, sweet baby of mine."

The End