AN: Here we are, another chapter here.

I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!

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"I can't tell you how happy I am for you. For Carol. For both of you," Michonne said.

She'd repeated herself so many times that she half expected Daryl to point that out to her, but he didn't. He walked heavily. He walked like he could barely find the strength to lift his feet high enough to keep from dragging his feet across the reasonably even pavement of the streets of Alexandria. He was, certainly, too tired to scold Michonne for giving too many congratulations.

"We're pretty happy to," he agreed, his voice coming out nearly as heavy as his words.

"Carol looked a lot better after she talked to Siddiq. So much better, really," Michonne offered, finally feeling like Daryl might be ready to talk to her, and like there was enough distance between them and the house that she couldn't even let paranoia convince her that anyone was overhearing them and their conversation.

Daryl perked up a little and swiped his hand across his face and scrubbed at his eyes like he was wiping his exhaustion off to toss it to the side.

"Owe him one for that," Daryl said. "I believe Michael's a good doctor and all—and we're damned glad to have a doctor as close-by as Hilltop—but…I'm not sure he really gets Carol and how she can be. He started in on her blood pressure and her pulse and—hell, I don't even know what else. He started in on all of that right away. Weren't right an' if it weren't right…"

He fell off. He made no attempts to pick back up with what he was saying, but Michonne already knew what he was going to say.

"The baby wouldn't make it," Michonne offered.

"Or would suffer," Daryl said. "At the very least. She ain't had a moment's peace since then. She's constantly worried that there's somethin' wrong or that somethin's gonna be wrong."

Michonne smiled to herself. She reached out a hand to affectionately pat Daryl's shoulder as they walked, slowly, through the community. The way he kept pace with her made it clear to her that he was more than aware of what she was doing. He was expecting to go to no place in particular. He realized they were out here to talk about Carol. Anything else was extra, really.

Michonne had long since considered Daryl a friend. They had spent a great deal of time looking for the Governor, together, when he'd disappeared. It had given them the opportunity to get to know one another and, since then, Michonne had nurtured that friendship because she valued Daryl as a friend and an advisor.

And she couldn't be happier for him that he was now a husband and, soon, would be a brand-new father.

"And now she's taking a nap," Michonne said. "Resting. And she looked happy when she went to lie down. She looked lighter. She was actually glowing a little, like she should be. Siddiq understands a little about trauma, though. He understands how—well, how Carol might feel as a mother that's lost before. I'm not saying that Carol needs to be treated like she's fragile, because we all know she's not fragile, but…"

"But she needs to believe in whatever fuckin' magic she can believe in," Daryl gruffed. "She's prob'ly gonna worry herself half to death anyway."

"Exactly," Michonne offered, "so she doesn't need any help in figuring out why she should worry."

"Did you tell Siddiq all that?" Daryl asked.

Michonne smiled to herself and shook her head.

"I told him that Carol had lost before," Michonne said. "More than once. And I told him that she was worried, and she could use…whatever comfort he could give her. And that, as a personal favor, I would appreciate him giving her whatever comfort he could sincerely offer."

"Does he have equipment? For all them tests? Or was—he like just dumpin' that shit out in the sink or somethin'?" Daryl asked.

Michonne sucked in a breath, held it, and released it.

"I'll be honest," she said. "I don't know. I've never really explored Siddiq's set up."

"But you wouldn't be surprised," Daryl offered, "if he weren't exactly runnin' all the tests."

"I think that Siddiq would know that we're not all so far removed from the life that we knew before that—maybe we wouldn't think that a certain number of tests were needed to be sure that everything was progressing as it should be."

"He run tests on you with RJ?" Daryl asked.

"Once," Michonne said. "In the beginning. When I was—I guess when I was going through some similar feelings."

"You never wondered if he was tellin' the truth?" Daryl asked.

"I guess it never really mattered," Michonne said.

"A little urine and a little blood are a small price to pay for some peace of mind," Daryl offered.

"Didn't you feel that way when you saw how relaxed Carol was at the house?" Michonne asked. Daryl hummed and nodded his head. "Does it matter, then, what it took to get her to feel that way?"

"Him tellin' her that takin' her blood pressure didn't matter enough to keep doing it," Daryl said, "was the best damn thing that he coulda said. Sayin' it don't matter. Don't mean the baby ain't gonna make it just 'cause Carol's got high blood pressure. That was the best thing."

"He's right," Michonne said. "But I think he's also right in figuring that just saying that is going to go a long way toward actually lowering Carol's blood pressure significantly."

"That's why I owe him," Daryl said. "She wouldn't believe it from me. Not entirely. She needed to hear it from him."

"You could stay around," Michonne said. "He could keep an eye on things for Carol. For you. He could be the one that delivers the baby. Think how much more relieved she'd be if she knew that he was just a couple of houses away."

"We stay here for four months and you really will be sick of us," Daryl said.

"I meant what I said," Michonne said. "I don't make the offer lightly. You're welcome to stay here. Beyond that, I would love for you to stay here. The kids would love for you to stay here. I could use the help—the break, even—that I know I'd get just from having you around. And—if Rick were here? He'd be so happy for both of you. For the baby. He'd demand that you stay here and take advantage of Siddiq and Alexandria's walls. Both of us always thought that the two of you might…someday…"

"You're gonna say we took our time gettin' there," Daryl said.

"Didn't you?" Michonne asked. "I've seen the way you've looked at Carol since the very first day—the very first day—that I ever met either of you. I thought you were together. I thought you were married even then. You could have been on your fifth child by now."

Daryl smiled to himself. He shrugged his shoulders.

"We both had a lot goin' on," he said. It was no explanation, but Michonne didn't require an explanation and Daryl didn't owe her one.

"Doesn't matter," Michonne said. "All that matters now is that you're both together and you have a healthy baby on the way."

"Healthy baby girl," Daryl said, almost like he was savoring the taste of the words like Michonne might savor a particularly well-preserved chocolate bar. "Daughter."

Michonne put her arm around Daryl's shoulders and rested her hand on his far shoulder.

"And I guess—maybe Rick and maybe, even, some kind of sentimentality—all that's why I want to be here for you two. I want to be here when the baby's born. I want you two to be here. What would it take to keep you in Alexandria for a couple more months? Longer if you want. Stay forever, but, at the very least, stay until the baby's here?"

"I'll have to talk to Carol," Daryl said. "Honestly—I'm not against it. Alexandria's safer than our house. I think Siddiq is better for Carol than Michael. I'd feel better with Siddiq. We don't have as much privacy, but I think too much quiet gives us all too much time to think. So, I know which way I'll try to sway her."

"Good," Michonne said with a sincere smile. "And I'll do my best to get you as much quiet and privacy as I can. We could even look into moving you two down to the basement. It's finished, you know. It could be perfect."

"If she agrees," Daryl said.

"If she agrees," Michonne ceded. "Now—let's talk about those daddy duties."

"Daddy duties?" Daryl asked.

"Are you a father instead? Papa?" Michonne asked.

Daryl shook his head and then shrugged.

"Guess I'd—guess I'd be a daddy," Daryl said. "Never really thought about it."

"You better start thinking about it," Michonne said. She couldn't help but smile at the slight rush of pink that ran to Daryl's cheeks. For as long as she'd known him, she'd always thought the same things about him. He came across as hard—rock hard. He was the kind of man that you didn't want to mess with. He was the kind of man that would kill you just as soon as look at you if he had a reason to do so. But then, there was a softer something underneath. Michonne had seen the same thing in Daryl's older brother, Merle, the day that he'd let her out of a car—and set her free—instead of turning her over to the Governor. She'd seen the same softness in Merle Dixon when he'd given his life instead of hers.

Michonne had never told Daryl exactly what she'd seen in Merle—though she was starting to think that it might be time soon, like a legacy that the man had left with her to keep safe to share with his brother when the time was right—and she'd never told Daryl what she saw in him.

For all his toughness, his cheeks often flushed pink when anyone mentioned Carol. He smiled differently when it was a smile that was inspired by Carol.

And, now, he was going to be a daddy to a baby he'd created with the woman who seemed to have exclusive rights to the softest center spot of Daryl Dixon.

"She'll need a nursery," Michonne said. "I can help you find things. If she'll stay here, we can use RJ's things. I still have them. I couldn't bring myself to take them back to the community storage. Not yet. They're in the attic. We'll find some other things for your house if you'd like. When Henry or the King comes, we could send the things back with their team and wagon. It could all be ready for her—for your whole family—when she goes back. But we'll set her up something here so she can nest."

"Nest?" Daryl asked. Michonne smiled to herself.

"Just like animals, women nest," Michonne said. "The need for me was overwhelming every time. And, as the daddy, you'll need to bring her things to feather her nest—the crib and linens and diapers and things. She'll need maternity clothes. Not much, but a few things. And then there's all the nice little things that you should do for mama and baby."

Daryl gnawed at his thumb and stared at Michonne with a furrowed brow. She had his absolutely undivided attention.

"Those massages Siddiq mentioned would be nice," Michonne said. "Expectant mommies like those. Backs and feet get especially achy as the baby grows," Daryl nodded his head. "Good food. Snacks. Lots of belly rubs—if she likes that. Lots of anything she likes. Lots of talking to the baby and loving on mama. And—lots of reminding her, all the time, that you think she's amazing and wonderful and beautiful." Daryl looked a little concerned, and Michonne furrowed her brow at him. "You do think she's beautiful, don't you?"

"Of course," Daryl blurted quickly. "I don't talk about it all the damned time but…"

"I was just checking," Michonne said with a laugh. "Making sure."

"I was just thinkin'—you didn't get all that," Daryl said. "'Cause Rick weren't here."

Michonne winked an eye at him.

"I had a good friend that offered me some of that," Michonne said. "Enough that I didn't feel entirely sorry for myself all the time." Daryl cleared his throat and looked away from her. He'd been around, some, while she'd been expecting RJ. He'd been a decent nurse. He'd made her hot beverages, made sure she had snacks, reminded her to put her feet up, and doted on her as much as she could ever expect from a man who was a friend and absolutely nothing more. In fact, he'd gone far beyond what she ever would have expected from him.

But that was, perhaps, part of that soft side that he did his best to keep hidden.

Of course, even when he was telling her to put her feet up, he barked it like a command instead of looking at her with the soft expression that he used to suggest to Carol, earlier, that she simply sit down while they waited for Siddiq.

"Besides," Michonne added, "I had all of that before. And from what I understand, Carol's never had that."

"Prob'ly not," Daryl admitted.

"So, she should have it now," Michonne said. "And you should provide it. Don't forget, Dixon, that I know you. I know how much family means to you. Here's your chance to build your own little one."

Daryl smiled to himself. He nodded his head.

"I'ma do my best," he said.

"I know you will," Michonne said.

"I wanna—do it right, you know? Not just now, but—always. For Carol. For the baby. For Henry, even. He means so much to Carol."

"You'll do right by Carol all the way around," Michonne said, "because you want to. That's really all it is. That's all that decides the difference between the men who do and the men who don't—it's about what they want and what they don't want. You want to be the best kind of husband and father there is—so you will."

Daryl smiled to himself.

"Yeah," he said. "Yeah," he repeated, with a touch more confidence. 'Hey—thanks."

"No problem," Michonne said, looping her arm through the arm of the man she considered one of her best remaining friends. He accepted her affections and relaxed under the touch after a second. "I want you both to know that I support you in this. All of it. I want the best for you both. Come on. Let's go by community storage and pick out a few things for Carol. A couple of nice presents might go a long way toward helping your case and getting her to stay here. And that's something I fully support."