Daryl and Kayla sat with one another in the living room with one of their hands intertwined with the other's. While Daryl laid back against the cushions, Kayla sat forward with her head in her hands. She was processing all the information Daryl relayed to her that all unfolded tonight she just barely missed. He told her about Morgan's arrival, Pete, and the loss of Reg which caused her stomach to drop. They had few interactions but knowing that Deanna lost her husband right after losing one of her sons broke her heart. This came after her and Daryl got Adaline inside and situated. The young girl was currently in the bathroom, taking advantage of the hot water and assorted soaps she had access to. Kayla kept assortments of clothes downstairs in her doctor's office in case anyone who came in needed to change, so she was able to piece together some pajamas and an outfit for the next day they could get more.

Jonathan was still fast asleep in his room thankfully, not waking up to the minor commotion of Kayla and Daryl coming in with Ada. After examining her ankle, Kayla concluded it was only twisted and would heal in no time if Ada stayed off it for a few days with rest and ice. Ada was grateful and seemed quickly comfortable with Kayla. Daryl guessed because he told her about the family unit he had, the young girl was more willing to trust him and her. He did not blame her for this, she was a daughter and could most likely always trust her own set of parents. The idea of another family setting most likely was the most welcoming thing Ada could think of.

Once Ada was examined, Kayla showed her how to work and find everything in the bathroom before leaving her to her own devices. For a twelve-year-old, she was handling herself very well given the situation. Her parents were gone, and she put her trust into that of strangers to give her sanctuary. So far though, it was going well for her. She had a roof over her head and surrounded by people that would already put themselves in from any threat to protect.

The feeling of his hand being squeezed made Daryl open his eyes. He looked at his wife to meet her brown eyes with his tired blue ones. "Why don't you de-crossbow and get somewhat comfortable," she told him. "I am going to whip up something to eat for the two of you."

Daryl watched as she stood up, her hand slipping from his as she walked off to the kitchen. His eyes stayed on her as he remembered how close he was to death earlier that day. If not for Morgan's arrival, he probably would not have made it out alive to see his wife again. The thought made his heart drop. The feeling only got worse when he imagined her reaction to the news that he would never come home again. He remembered the looks on the faces of people receiving the news that their loved one was gone. Rick's reaction to Lori stood out the most. He never wanted Kayla to experience that grief. Unfortunately, it was not always something he could control.

In the kitchen, Kayla pulled out the ingredients to make a quick pasta dinner. Marinara sauce, spaghetti noodles, venison meatballs, and all the extra accoutrements to whip up spaghetti and meatballs. While the water boiled, and the meatballs warmed in the sauce, she set the table with silverware, napkins, and glasses of water. She heard Daryl move back to their bedroom to get out of his boots and gear. She was happy to have him home, and sooner than originally planned. She wanted to feel happier than she felt, but there were so many emotions swirling around in her. The fact that Pete, someone Kayla knew before the end of the world, was dead. Rick had shot him right after his outburst that was the reason for Reg's death. While Kayla understood why Deanna would want him dead after that, along with putting everyone in anger at the town meeting. Nevertheless, he was once a good friend to her. She would never forget what he did to his kids and wife and the man he became, but he was once good. It seemed like several lifetimes ago, but he was once a good man.

As Kayla began to break the pasta to put into the pot of boiling water, the shower in the bathroom turned off, signaling that Ada would be out shortly. Daryl appeared back in the kitchen, still in his dirty clothes but free of the gear he had on attached to his person on runs. Kayla guessed he would shower before bed and did not want to get his filth on clean clothes before that. She instructed to him to at least wash his hands and forearms off at the kitchen sink before eating. He abided, but not before wrapping his arms around his wife as he kissed the side of her face while she stirred the noodles. She let out a laugh, telling him to keep his filth to himself. This only prompted him to rub his stubbly face against her clean, smooth cheek. It only made Kayla laugh harder.

"Would you just wash up and sit down!" Kayla laughed.

Daryl released her and went over to the sink, washing his hands and arms with hot soapy water. A few moments later, Ada appeared in the doorway with her wet, blonde locks hanging over her shoulder. Kayla smiled when she saw her, seeing how clean she was compared to earlier. Her complexion was a tad paler from the dirt being washed away and seemed much happier in her clean clothes: black leggings and a loose-fitting red t-shirt that was two sizes too big for her smaller frame.

"Hey Ada," Kayla greeted from the stove. "Hungry?"

"Starving." Ada told her with a nod.

Kayla smiled and instructed her to take a seat at the table while she finished up cooking. The young girl did as she was told, taking a seat at the table where a plate was already out for her. Once she was in her seat, she placed a napkin on her lap before reaching for her glass of water and taking a long gulp. Daryl and Aaron had given her food and water on the way back to Alexandria, but it was by no means enough for a growing girl that spent days without eating. The smell of cooking sauce and meatballs filled the air and made Ada even hungrier the second she stepped into the kitchen.

Daryl sat down at the table with Ada, trying his best to not make her feel uncomfortable her first night somewhere safe, but also wanted to ask her for a little bit of her story. Where she came from, where her parents went that day, and so on. Luckily, Kayla broke the silence.

"Where are you from, Ada?" she asked.

"Pennsylvania," Ada answered. "From around Pittsburgh, but the city did not last very long after everything started happening."

"So, how did you guys end up down here in D.C.?"

"We stayed in Pennsylvania for a while after leaving Pittsburgh. Once we got far enough away from a city, we stayed in a camp for a while, but it got overrun by biters. My parents thought D.C. may have somewhere safe to go since it was the capitol. We only got to the area a little over a week ago, but we were running out of supplies, so we had to stop and restock on some stuff."

"Do you know what happened to your parents?"

Ada fell silent and her eyes went to the floor. Kayla immediately wished she could take her question back, feeling like she pressed too much. She was about to apologize, but then Ada spoke up.

"My parents managed to get a car started and there was big group of biters that were not going anywhere, so they wanted to try to lead them away from the neighborhood. They never came back."

"They just left you alone?" Daryl questioned, slightly angered at the fact that both parents left their young daughter by herself.

"My parents had a plan and trusted me to watch the house; I had a gun and knife to protect myself." Ada explained. "They weren't supposed to be long, but then another group came through the neighborhood. I was watching them from the window, and I saw they were coming towards our house. When I ran to hide, my stupid holster fell off me because it was falling apart. I heard the door opening and just ran to hide. I knew if I stayed quiet, then I would be okay. Someone walked through the house and took my holster, but luckily never found me. They searched the neighborhood for a while I guess, and they only left when some biters started to show up. By the time they left, the house had biters in it and I couldn't leave the closet. I figured my parents would be back soon, but then they never did."

Kayla and Daryl were all ears now, realizing just how much this girl had been though. It also made them wonder what group came through the neighborhood. They could have been dangerous or could have just been a random group that stumbled upon the neighborhood. Nevertheless, it was something that Kayla and Daryl would need to tell the others at some point, so everyone knew there were others out there.

"Well as long as you're here, with us, we'll keep you safe, Ada." Daryl told the young girl. "You can count on that."

Ada offered Daryl a smile as Kayla came over with the food. "I think that's enough for tonight," she said. "Neither of you have eaten a proper meal in days, so both of you eat up. There is plenty for seconds and thirds."

Kayla piled Daryl and Kayla's plates with noodles, sauce, and meatballs, Ada eager to dig into the food. Once Kayla had finished loading up their plate, she made quick work of cutting her spaghetti and digging in. It made Daryl and Kayla smile, watching as she took a heaping first bite. Daryl was not far behind in getting his own food in his mouth, always happy to eat the meatballs Kayla made from the venison he scrounged up.

"I am going to check on Jonathan." Kayla told Daryl before leaving the room.

Ada gave Daryl a quizzical look. "Who's that?" she asked.

"He's our boy I mentioned earlier." Daryl told her between bites.

"So, he's your son?"

Daryl shook his head. "He lost his parents, so we took him in."

Ada swirled some more spaghetti onto a fork, making sure to also pierce a meatball onto it as well. "What's gonna happen to me?"

Daryl looked at her and saw she was looking at the floor again. The question made Daryl's heart break a little. She was all but an orphan now. Her parents were gone and there was no way to find them as of now. Unless the young girl knew the direction her parents went or had a predetermined meeting spot in the case of separation, there was no way to track them down. She was in the same position Jonathan was in; a young kid with no parents. For a moment, Daryl thought of Sophia. It beat Daryl up that they unsuccessfully found and saved Sophia, putting a lot of the blame on himself. Then he found Ada, hiding in a closet, needing rescue. Despite only finding her earlier that day, Daryl already found it to be his job to protect the young girl from any possible harm that could come to her. Despite this, she deserved a say in what happened from here.

"What do you want to do, Ada?" he asked.

"What are my options?" she retorted.

"Well," Daryl began. "You can stay with our group in the house they have, or you can stay here with Kayla and I unless you had any other ideas."

Ada looked up at Daryl, this time with a less sullen look. "Can I stay here with you two for now?"

Daryl offered the young girl a half smile. "Kayla and I would love to have you, darlin'." He told her, making the Ada light up in the face. There was a chance her parents could be alive somewhere, but for now they were gone, and she had a new place to call home. She and Daryl went back to eating their mountains of pasta, but with a new comfortability in the air. Ada had people again and Daryl now had another kid under him and Kayla's roof to care for. He knew there was always a chance Ada's parents could come back if they were alive, but for now, she was him and his wife's responsibility. In the hall, Kayla listened in and smiled. Now they had a use for their extra bedroom.

A little while later, Kayla was cleaning up the kitchen after dinner. Ada had already retired to her bedroom and Daryl to the shower. By the time she put the last dish in the drying rack, Kayla was ready to fall into a deep, undisturbed sleep. She turned the kitchen light off and began walking towards her and Daryl's bedroom, but not before quietly checking in on Ada. She just cracked the door to peek inside the room, smiling when she saw the girl fast asleep under the warmth of blankets and on the comfort of a mattress and pillows. Kayla closed the door quietly again, walking back to her own bedroom where Daryl was getting himself ready for bed.

"Talk about a long day." She said as she shut their bedroom door.

"You're tellin' me." He replied, closing the dresser drawer after pulling out his pajama pants.

The two of them changed into their clothes to sleep in, the events of the day hitting both of them full force. It was not until Kayla watched Daryl pull down the sheets on their bed that she realized she had not given her husband so much as a proper hug since he returned. He hugged her in the kitchen and kissed her head, but it was more playful than anything. It was not a "I am so glad I lived to see you again" which they often shared when they were separated. Realizing this, Kayla walked over to Daryl and walked into his frame, her arms wrapping around him. At first, he was caught off guard, but then it hit him they kind of hug it was. Remembering the situation he was in earlier that day, he quickly put his arms around his wife.

"I love you," Kayla told him. "I'm glad your back."

"I love you, too." He replied. "I'm really happy to be home."

Kayla pulled away just enough to look up at him and press a kiss to his mouth. No matter how many times she kissed him, it never got old for Daryl. He would never get over how he managed to get such a fantastic woman to call his wife. It may have taken an apocalypse to find her, but Kayla was his for as long as they had in the world.

"So not we have two kids to take care of." Kayla said with a smile.

"Yeah, we do." Daryl replied, his arms still around her.

Kayla just kept the smile on her face, making Daryl smile as well. The circumstances in which they came to be the caretakers of two kids were not happy ones, no kid deserved to lose their parents the way Jonathan and Ada did, but it was the world now. All Daryl and Kayla could do for them is look after and protect them to keep them safe and alive in this world. They had two kids now that although not theirs biologically, were theirs to care for as long as they lived.