"Daryl ... Hey ..." Rick trailed off.

Daryl didn't wait for an invite, he pushed passed Rick into the living room.

"...Come on in." Rick said dryly, he'd known Daryl a long time and was very familiar with his lack of social cordiality.

"I ..." He trailed off as he began to pace like an animal, something he always did when he was anxious or agitated.

"I ... I ... Need some ... Advice." He said.

Rick looked at him, confused for a moment before it dawned on him, he must mean about fatherhood.

"Well ... I don't know if I have any business giving advice since it's not like I'm going to be winning any father if the year awards anytime soon." He said.

"You did something right, Carl grew up good." Daryl pointed out, the ghost if a smile playing about his mouth.

A silence descended between them, and it was a long while before Daryl spoke.

"I jus, I want to be a better dad than I had, ya know?" Daryl said.

Rick felt a pang of empathy ripple through him, he certainly could understand that.

"I'll let you in on a little secret about parenthood, Daryl. No one knows what the fuck we're doing, and we're all flying by the seat of our pants. Some of us are just better at hiding that fact." He said.

"You just figure it out as you go, do your best and hope to hell that it's enough." He added.

Daryl paused, absorbing all of this information before suddenly thrusting his hand out towards Rick.

"Thanks, man." He said, his gruff voice barely above a whisper.

Rick nodded as he gripped Daryl's hand in a brief shake.

"Any time, you know that, brother."

Daryl smiled.

"Yeah ... I know."

"I wonder who that could be?" Maggie said to Hershel as she went to answer the door.

A pang of empathy shot through her as she opened it to find Charlotte standing on the other side, her hand over her now very obvious stomach. She looked exhausted, both mentally and physically.

She put an arm around her shoulders and ushered her in.

" Did something go wrong at your appointment?"

"Naw, everything's fine there, Medic Mark says me and this one here are the pictures of health, surprisingly enough." She said.

"So ... Then what's up?" Maggie said, sensing a 'but' coming.

Charlotte slowly sank down into the couch.

"I just ... I don't know how I'll do this! I didn't grow up with parents, my shitbag of a dad cut out on us before I was even born, then our mom died and my older brother raised us. That's one of the reasons why I got a tubal, because I didn't think I was fit to reproduce."

"I think you'll be surprised how good you'll be, look at your brother, I'm sure he didn't have any parenting experience when he stepped in to take care of you guys, but by the way you talk about him, it sounds like he did alright." Maggie said with a smile as she bounced little Hershel on her knee.

Charlotte laughed in spite of herself as she thought of her brother; an owner of a bike shop with his two full sleeves of tattoos and a member of a motorcycle gang.

"Yeah ... No ... He wasn't prepared like ... At ALL! But he stepped up." She said as she smiled nostalgically.

"So will you and Daryl. How is he taking it, by the way?" Maggie asked.

"He's a nervous wreck." Charlotte replied with a laugh.

"I'm sure he is, you should've seen Glen when he first found out, I thought he was going to have an anxiety attack!" Maggie replied.

"And don't worry, I'll be there to help any way that I can."

Charlotte smiled gratefully at her.

"Thanks." She replied as she stood and walked to the door.

"Oh and one more thing ..."

Charlotte turned back towards her.

"No matter how fat and hideous you might think you look, trust me when I say that your man isn't gonna be able to keep his hands off you. I guess what they say about the pregnancy glow is true." She said.

Daryl stood from the couch as Charlotte sidled through the door.

"Where you been?" He asked.

"Been to see Maggie, I needed ... You know ... Some advice."

He grinned bashfully.

"Went to see Rick ... For the same reason." He replied distractedly, he found himself unable to take his eyes off her as she walked towards him.

Of course he was always attracted to her, but lately there was something about her ... Her hair seemed shiner and thicker, her skin had a rich glow to it and the fact that she was carrying HIS child. He didn't know why but that awoke something very primal from deep within him.

She rested her hands on her hips in that way she always did when she was annoyed with him about something, he'd always found it adorable, but now it caused him to practically growl with desire.

"Daryl I already know I look like I swallowed a watermelon, you don't have to remind me that I'm huge every time you look at me." She said irritably, her roiling pregnancy emotions causing her to misread his expression.

In an instant he was standing so close that there was no space between them.

He yanked her against him and his mouth covered hers in a passionate kiss that lasted until their lungs burned for air.

"You drive me crazy, but lately ... I don know ... But I can't keep my damn hands off you." He growled as he ran his tongue along the valley of her neck and coller bone, causing her to shiver with pleasure.

"You've always driven me crazy ... Since the first damn day I met you." She replied as she reached for his belt and undid it in one deft flick of her wrist.

With a growl, he yanked her pants down and pushed her up against the door as he kicked his own off.

Charlotte kicked hers off as she pulled her shirt over her head.

Daryl's eyes darkened as his hands, which seemed to take on a mind of their own, roved over her entire body.

She hooked her leg around his waist and they both gasped as he entered her.

"Oh Daryl! Oh god!" Charlotte cried out, her hands fisting his hair as she came hard and fast.

Daryl let out a gutteral growl as his orgasm hit him like a train.

She collapsed against him as her orgasm ebbed away, leaving her feeling like her limbs were made of wet noodles.

"I ... I think pregnancy sex is the best sex we've ever had." Charlotte said breathlessly as she ran her hand over her sweaty brow.

"You're the best I've ever had... period. " he growled in reply, mischief sparkling in his bright blue eyes.

Her mouth quirked upwards into that cutsey grin that he loved so much.

"What'd you say we head to the shower and clean up.

He grinned wolfishly at her.

"After you."

"You just wanna check out my ass!"

His grinned widened.

"You're right." He deadpanned.

"Well then, I hope you enjoy the show." She said as she turned and slowly sashayed to the bathroom.

Daryl let out an audible growl.

"I fucking love you, you know that?"

His only reply was the shower turning on.

Visions of her in the shower ... Naked and wet were enough to give him another hard on and he wasted no time in joining her.