ow women forget all those things they don't want to remember and remember everything they don't want to forget. The dream is the truth then they act and do things accordingly. -Zora Neale Hurston

Late afternoon's honeyed light bathed the corner bedroom. Fionn curled up on the faded pink chenille spread, finishing his last catnap before his evening hunt. Danni's green surplus backpack lay open on the bed beside the purring feline, as Sophia unpacked. She needed both hands to place the weighty Book of Shadows on the bedside table. She rummaged in the bag for the tarot cards wrapped in black silk and put them beside the journal which was last. That she put on top. The temptation to open it and read teased, but she knew that journals were private.

"What are you doing lass?" Kieran stopped in the doorway, his attention grabbed by the girl's enthusiastic organization and animated conversation with the snoozing cat.

"Getting everything ready."

"I see. Ready for what?"

"Danni. This is her room. Well, her and Daryl's.

"Ahhh….And you know this-"

"Because the lady told me. See its right next to Scout and Ryder's nursery."

Kieran nodded. He'd heard Sophia mention the 'Lady' a few times.

"They'll be here soon. She told me that too. I want everything to be perfect."

The excellent condition of the house still amazed Kieran. It was as if someone cared for it. Dust settled here and there on the furniture and knickknacks, but he had not found one broken window or compromised door. A generous supply of canned goods lined the pantry shelves as if the place was waiting for them. The very first day, Sophia directed him to matching cribs in the attic and they had spent much of the past week setting up a nursery for the twins and making themselves at home.

"Well, where did you get that?" Kieran's voice became warm as he approached, seeing his mother's book of shadows. "Danni has this now does she?"

Sophia nodded. "I brought her bag with all her things. Her tarot cards, her journal, some books. All the stuff that makes me think of her." Sophia's face brightened when she found the bottle of pink nail polish hiding in the bottom of the pack. Danni had it since back at the quarry. She held it up to Kieran. "She told me to never forget pretty things. Never."

"Pink, its pretty," Sophia remarked less excited than Danni expected. She'd been through so much and she was just a little girl.

"Yes, it is. We can't forget pretty things. Right? Not ever?"

"Never." It was a whisper at memory.

Regret twisted its blade in his chest. He didn't know his daughter. He'd missed out on her. All the wonderful traits Sophia was relating lately reinforced that. How had she grown so strong all on her own? He knew Deirdre had nothing to do with Danni's development. Aside from raven hair and piercing green eyes the two were nothing alike. Danni's strength had come from within herself. The journal fell to the floor. Kieran retrieved it and couldn't help but see a passage in Danni's handwriting. All my greatest heroes, both living and dead, had some kind of massive transformation in their lifetime, where they went from the person they were born to the person they were born to be.

"The cards there, they were her Nan's as well. D'you know your first deck is to be gifted, or passed down, like. These have been in our family for generations. Its a wonder you can still make out the pictures for all the handling."

A thud on the front porch below interrupted their talk. Kieran reached for his knife, replaced the cards on the table and rushed to the window. Growls and scratches grew louder from outside. "Looks like we got one. Don't be afraid Lass, I'll go down and take care of it."

"I'm not afraid."

"No? The Walkers don't frighten you?"

"I'm not scared of them anymore because being afraid of them doesn't stop them from being here and wanting to hurt us…kill us….being scared doesn't do any good."

Sophia's attitude, so brave, so matter of fact and tough at nine years old, made him muse sadly about Danni at that age. They hadn't really talked about what happened to her while he was gone. Trauma forces children to grow up too fast. He put his hand on Sophia's shoulder.

"Maybe so, but sometimes, a little fear is what keeps us on our toes."

... ... .. .. .. .

They'd journeyed away from the abandoned railroad line and followed isolated dirt roads not seeing anyone, Walker or human. Daryl said they were getting closer. The sun beat down, but the cool air offset its heat. Danni felt caught in the middle of lonely roads and ghosts but not lost. At a crossroad, she stopped for a moment. With a branch, she scrawled a magic symbol in the loose dirt under the expansive blue sky and sent a plea to the goddess on the wind that whipped her hair wildly around her face. Let them be there, let them be safe. A crow called from the trees nearby. She stood and looked out to a grassy clearing dotted with makeshift marker graves.

Several of the dirt paths dead ended and they'd take another turn somehow knowing exactly which way to go. Her twisted yellow brick road. She walked on in a warped version of the Wizard of Oz, the tin man and scarecrow on either side. If this was her journey to see the Wizard she'd soon reach the Emerald City, terrified by what she may not find there. For all Daryl's reassuring words, her fear that Kieran and the kids hadn't made it to ghost house never truly left her. Her dad had never come through for her in the past, what made her sure he'd come through now? Especially with odds stacked so highly against him.

No place like home. Where was home? Had she ever really had a home? Not with her mother that was for sure. Nan's, but only for a while. Then a squat, a van, the road, a tent, the prison….each place had been temporary; each physical space had been taken away. Daryl was her home ….but they needed a sanctuary. A place to be.

The ghost house had spoken to Danni the first time she'd crossed its threshold. The walls, rooms and spirits inside knew her. Could it be a permanent home? Finally? The world had ended for her to find a family, maybe it was time to find a real home. At the thought of home, a deep fear took her. Shook her to the core and summoned deep-rooted panic. Dead end. Turn back again. Daryl and Merle had walked a few feet, lost in conversation about the orange blocks of government cheese they'd eaten when they were kids. Danni stopped dead in her tracks and stood frozen, hardly breathing.

"What?" Daryl called with concern.

She shook her head.

"You hurt?"

"No, I-"

Daryl reached her side and dug through his back pocket. He pulled out the nine of diamonds. "This mean something?"

She smiled and the fear dissipated. "Yeah it does. Where did you-"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Naw wait, you would."

"Stop teasing me, fucker."

He smiled slightly. "You gave it to me in a dream. When I was at my lowest point, almost giving up on finding you."

She turned the card over in her hands.

"So don't give up. Not now."

"Hey, where's Daryl?" She joked. "What did you do with him?"

"I can be …encouraging too. You don't got a claim on it."

"You two ladies done yammering back there?" Merle complained.

"Hold up." Danni said grabbing Daryl's arm. "You walk so damn fast."

"He walks like that cause his balls are too big. He can't walk any other way." Merle explained with a snort, referring to the wide steps Daryl took.

Danni burst out laughing at the sight of Daryl shaking his head while a flush crept up his neck. "Fuck off Merle."

Excitement built as they neared their destination and a raucous caw of the crow, that seemed to be following them, pierced the air as if alerting the spirits to Danni's return. She smiled in spite of her nerves and quickened her pace when she spotted the house in the distance. They pushed through the now knee-high stalks of grass like waves in the overgrown front yard. The giant magnolia tree had lost its blossoms and the peeling paint marred more of the columns on the low porch. The fields stretched out for miles beyond the waist-high wooden rail fence reinforced with chicken wire. She knew they'd have to work on the fences; build them up higher if they were to stay they were staying here, she corrected herself.

Daryl motioned to the string of hubcaps and cans across the porch and in front of the door. Walker warning bells and booby traps.

"Bet your dad did that. They're here."

They stepped around the makeshift alarm system on the porch and Daryl pushed the front door open, bow raised. When they crossed the threshold, they heard Sophia. "Danni! Danni!"

As soon as Danni's backpack slid from her shoulders and hit the floor, Sophia leaped into her arms. Danni held the girl tightly while Sophia wrapped her legs securely around her waist.

"Bug, you did it, you're here, " she whispered into the little girl's ear as they spun.

"Uh huh." She whispered back. "But, my mom. She's not with you is she?"

"No, hun. I'm sorry." Danni knew they'd have to discuss the others from the prison, what may have happened and whether they'd search for anyone from the group. Daryl interrupted her thought spiral, steering her by the elbow toward the playpen in the center of the living room. Danni let Sophia slip gently from her grip and grabbed Daryl's hand. The two stood side by side looking down at the double sets of piercing, wide eyes staring up knowingly.

"My God they're beautiful. And they're fine." She whipped her head up, meeting Kieran's steady gaze. "Right? They are, right?'

"That they are. Sophia did grand with them. And I must say I've become quite an expert at mixing that formula. Horrible tasting stuff." He grimaced and Sophia giggled.

"Jesus don't just stand there pick them up for Christ's sake!" Merle gruffly ordered stealing an affectionate glance at his niece and nephew as he strode across the room to stand by Kieran.

Danni reached down for Scout. Daryl handed her Ryder nestling both babies against her chest. Daryl fought to keep his smile small but lost the battle. "Never letting them go again." He said leaning close.

Holding them now hearkened back to the first time she felt their tiny bodies in her arms. Danni remembered vividly the waves of newness, hope, compassion, fear, excitement and the first pure love she'd ever had in her life. Those feelings never went away. The heaviness of the loss of the child they'd never known hurt less as Danni felt the solid weight of the two babies she held in her arms at that moment. Their flesh and blood depended on her and Daryl.

"I'm not gonna cry." Danni was resolute as she hugged the babies tightly to her heaving chest.

"Okay." Daryl moved in and encircled the three in his own solid arms.

"I hate to cry."

He nodded and held them tighter. "Hey, Bonnie." He rasped in her ear.

"Yeah, Clyde?

"Its time to play house."

"No more playing. This is for keeps." She whispered back, tears starting to fall. "It scares the shit out if me."

"Why? You did fine at the prison."

"That was different.'

"Different how?"

She scanned the room. Candlelight and shadows; stained glass and wooden trunks of white lace and black crêpe; burgundy drapes and the fireplace ever-burning. Kieran stood beneath the archway talking with Merle, Sophia tugged at his sleeve. A father, a brother….a little sister? This was not a group of people randomly thrown together trying to survive. This was family. This was harder to navigate and much more important.

"It just is." She buried her face into Daryl's side.

Kieran, touched by the scene before him, said quietly, almost to himself, "Why do we want for Heaven so badly when it can be all around us?" He moved to the kitchen only to reappear a moment later with mugs and a lidded pot.

"Coffee?" He offered jovially. "I found some in the kitchen and this place has own well in the back. Boiled it in the fireplace don't you know. So enjoy. "

"Don't mind if I do." Merle took the mug, the only one who heard him as Daryl and Danni remained enveloped in their own world for the moment.

'Wait a minute boyo let's make it Irish. Kieran said unscrewing the cap on the pint bottle he pulled from his breast pocket.

"That's more like it." Merle agreed as Kieran poured the whiskey into his mug.

"God, you failed a sight since I saw you last."

Merle took a gulp then answered. "Glad to see you too Irish."

Kieran nodded back, taking the nickname as a sign of Merle's acceptance. "Likewise, Merle."

Then he motioned with his head to Daryl, Danni and the twins "Look at that will you? Never thought I'd see the day." He mused.

"You've no idea." Kieran muttered in agreement. Realizing again, sadly, he didn't know his daughter at all. Not really. As if reading his mind Danni looked up catching his gaze and mouthed the words "thank you daddy."

After Danni, Daryl and Merle took turns washing up with cold, but welcome, showers from the setup Kieran rigged with a hose outside, they sat down to dinner. The simple meal of canned beans and rice boiled over the fire was the best they'd enjoyed in weeks. Danni and Daryl each held a baby reluctant to let them go even for a minute.

"I noticed an old generator in the yard, but we'll need to find more gas to see if it even works." Kieran mentioned. "I couldn't siphon enough from the tank of the car.

"The water situation is lucky, we didn't realize the well was there when we were here before." Danni added. "Maybe there's a way to get it running inside the house again?"

Daryl nodded. "I'll check out the pipes tomorrow."

"Still a lot of work to do on them fences." Merle observed. "But that old shed out back will make a good place to take care of fresh game."

No one seemed ready to talk about the fate of the others from the prison. Daryl and Danni eventually headed upstairs. Merle and Kieran remained to play cards.

... ... ... .. .. .. .

The babies lay soundly asleep in their cribs after Danni had fed and changed them. An energy of gratitude filled the mundane tasks; she'd never again look at those things as chores. It was funny how much she missed that stuff. Scout's sudden crying fit sounded like music to her ears. Daryl's buoyant walk around the room holding the wailing, red-faced infant was the most beautiful sight she could remember seeing in ages. Still, it had been a long day and a long night so far and the adrenaline of the reunion was seeping away. After last kisses and nuzzles for the now calm baby, they returned next door to their own room. Daryl immediately kicked off his boots, dropped to the bed and leaned against the iron scrolled headboard. "I remember this, feels good as last time."

Danni pulled The Complete Book of Fortune Telling from under the mattress where she'd left it on her last visit here and gingerly opened the leather-bound book, its pages yellowed and fragile with age. Printed in 1860. She walked to the window and leaned against the frame. Inside the front cover of the book was, of course, the name Lorelei MacGowan and beside it, she had added her own name Danielle Dixon hoping for the day she'd return to this house and hold this book. She'd been trying to influence the future. Well, here she was. She got what she wanted, right?

"Stop worrying." Daryl's gentle order surprised her. She hadn't realized he'd been studying her expression.

"I'm not."

"Yeah y'are."

"No-"

"Danni, come on."

She hesitated, then began to pace. "I'm happy we're here. You know I am. But, we have to build up the fences and still go on runs. Oh and food? You'll hunt yeah but, shit we have to grow stuff and I have to cook, I can't cook, you know I can't-"

"Danni."

"And Walkers they're still everywhere, we-"

"Danni. Stop."

"But-"

He shook his head and she scrunched up her face. "I'm doing it again, huh? Getting way ahead of myself."

"Yeah. We'll figure it out."

When she looked skeptical, he continued. "My turn. You don't get to do this. If I don't get to feel guilty, then you don't get to freak out about shit that might not even be a problem."

"Fine, but can I freak out just a little. I mean at least over cooking?"

"No."

"No?"

He shook his head.

"Bossy Bossy man I married." She smiled as she put the book on the nightstand and kneeled before him on the bed. She moved forward, prepared to straddle him. Then slowly, she lowered herself onto his lap and ran her hands under his belt her fingertips just skimming the flesh. "This look like I'm worried?"

He groaned and closed his eyes. "We're not done talking."

"I think we are."

His stomach muscles contracted when she slipped her hand down further to gauge his hardness.

"Fucking hell Danni…"

"Are you tired?" She asked earnestly. "Too tired?" He didn't miss the disappointed tone behind her concern for him. "I know it's been a long day. You're exhausted. We must have walked thirty miles and then taking care of the kids."

He shook his head and put his finger on her lips to stop her from speaking. He moved her gently aside and stripped his shirt off. After silently, almost modestly removing their clothing, Danni resumed her place on his lap. Daryl couldn't describe the sheer wall of sensation that hit him, not just down below but an amalgamation of all the of her touches. Her hands on his shoulders, her legs rubbing against the side of his, even the look she gave him as she slowly sank down taking him in completely.

Keeping her eyes on his, she began to rock, slowly grinding on him. Daryl couldn't help but thrust up in rhythm with her, his breathing becoming more ragged. His hands gripped her hips and squeezed tightly, helping her move on him as she increased speed. Soon she was moaning in time with each grind. She arched her back slightly, pushing her breasts closer to him; they shook with each movement, the flesh rippling invitingly. He moved forward and took one breast into his mouth and sucked the nipple with increasing vigor, eliciting more moans from her.

He was lost in her, barely conscious of what he was doing, having finally let go. She wrapped her arms around his head, pushing his head into her breasts and her grinding was now reaching fever pitch. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back as her breathing become shallower making Daryl's control slip. He gripped one of her hips and put his other arm around her back. The moment was upon her.

With a long sigh, her grinding suddenly slowed and she let out small breaths with each pulse of her orgasm. She pushed against him with an intensity that surprised him, her muscles tightening and her mind blanking completely as the rapture took over. They weren't sure how long it was until she pulled him onto the bed on top of her and spread her legs, pulling him between her. She wanted him to take charge now. He entered her slowly, dipping low to kiss her breasts and her face as slowly he began to thrust in and out. She wrapped her legs around his body, pushing in rhythm with his thrusts, feeling full of his hardness. She stroked his neck as he increased speed, letting his body lower onto her, feeling her nipples against his chest as he pushed in as far as he could. Soon he was thrusting hard and fast, as much as the position could allow, the feel of her around him almost unbearable. He came suddenly. He felt as though he was shooting from somewhere in his torso, waves of feeling flowing down and through his cock. He was breathing hard into her chest, his head still buried in it, pounding with blood and echoes of the orgasm with a lengthened grunt, his head on her neck and her legs squeezing him tightly as she gasped. His mind wild with feeling, Daryl let his body relax on her, as he finally subsided. As she always did, and always would, she kissed him.

Sometime later, they lay in bed, side by side staring at the ceiling, her head on his arm and her hand in his. She was thinking again.

"Daryl?"

"Hmm?"

"What happens now?"

There was a beat of silence. "Well. Guess I could screw your brains out again."

"Nice." Danni laughed. "I meant... you know."

"I know."

Danni wanted to speak but hesitated. Her thoughts seemed silly, but she needed some sort of reassurance. Daryl sensed her hesitation and lifted his head to look at her.

"Danni, what?"

"It seems stupid."

"Tell me." He shifted her entire body to the side so he could look at her more comfortably.

She sighed. "I've never lived in a real house with a real family. I don't know... what's expected. I don't know how things are supposed to be."

Daryl laid his head on her arm again, smiling just a little. "Is that it?"

Danni rolled her eyes. "I knew it was stupid."

"No, it isn't. I never lived this way before either. How can we know if there's a way of doing something like this one way or another? But I ain't worrying."

"No?"

"Hey." He put his hand on her shoulder. "It's like always.'

"Always?"

"We'll figure it out as we go along. I don't really know how it goes either."

She couldn't help but smile. There was a long silence. She felt better all of a sudden. The fear seemed stupid once she thought about it properly in light of his words. She just had to flow with him. In some ways, he always had been. What could have been more comfortable than that? He tightened his embrace and let out a contented sigh.

"Remember how I said this is different, different from at the prison?

He nodded.

"This is different. This is better."

They reveled in physical contact while experiencing that emotional feeling that comes in the afterglow. That time when two people can lay in each others arms and recover after the height of sex. It came with smiles and laughter. It came in quiet softness simply laying in each others arms, feeling that warmth of another passionate person. Before drifting off to sleep, Danni's thoughts anticipated waking in the morning, in this house, our house, in his warm arms. They'd figure it out, get used to what it like to greet each day hearing that murmur of 'good morning' graced with a smile, after a good nights sleep. That feeling of going separate ways to take care of daily life duties knowing in your heart that at the end of the day that person will be just as happy to see you as you are them. The sense that as a family we are all different and yet there is some common bonds that hold us together. That feeling of giving respect and being respected in return. That feeling of loving and being loved unconditionally. Family.

"...tricked into mumbling secrets..." An hour or so later, Danni opened her eyes with that strange thought in her head. She sat up, the moonlight bright enough that she could see her journal on the nightstand. She wrote the sentence fragment down, thinking it beautiful and strange. Daryl remained asleep beside her. She thought she heard crying. She stood and pulled Daryl's shirt on buttoning it quickly. She unconsciously grabbed her Fairy Tale book and followed the faint hiccuped moans and staccato cries to the hallway and realized they were coming from Sophia's room. She knocked gently.

"Hey bug, can I come in?"

"Sure," Sophia's small unsteady voice answered. When Danni slipped into the room, she saw the girl sitting up in bed wiping her eyes with her sleeves trying to hide her tears.

"Thought I heard you crying munchkin."

Sophia looked down.

"Hey, its okay to cry. You miss your mom don't you?"

Sophia nodded. "I really thought she would be with you and Daryl."

"Must have hurt that she wasn't." When Sophia didn't answer Danni continued. "It's okay that you're sad."

"But I want to be brave. Like you."

"You are brave bug that has nothing to do with being sad or not. Sophia you have been through so much. More than a girl your age should ever have to go through. You survived it all. And you saved my babies, I know you did. Scout and Ryder wouldn't be here if you weren't so brave. Maybe none of us would. You are an amazing kid."

Sophia sniffled and looked at Danni skeptically.

"Look, I can't take the place of your mom. I'd never try... besides, I'm still figuring this whole mom thing out... but...I know how to be a sister."

Sophia nodded. "I can tell. You had a little sister didn't you?"

"Remember once I called you Tara and you asked who that was?

"Yeah."

"She was my little sister."

"What happened to her? Did the Walkers -"

"No, I lost her a long time before the Walkers, hun. But you know what? I did my best to take care of her." Danni finally felt the guilt lessening over Tara's suicide. Maybe Sophia was her second chance.

"Okay, you can be my sister." Sophia nodded and a smile crept across her face.

"Besides if we made it your mom could have too. Don't give up on her finding you."

"I won't. Danni?"

"Hmmm?"

"Sirius, I mean your dad, he loves you an awful lot you know?"

"Hey," Danni quickly changed the subject. "Why don't I read you Snow White." She patted the book beside her.

Sophia groaned. "That's for kids."

"Oh too babyish for you?"

"Kinda yeah."

"Well, do you think you could read it to me then? As a favor? I really need to hear that story right now. It's not for you...I know you're a grownup girl. For me? It was my sister's favorite."

"Fine, but only for you."

"Thanks, bug." Danni reached over and lit the candle by the bed.

"The lady is glad you're here."

"Yeah?"

"Mm hmm and she said to tell Daryl not to worry."

"Worry? Worry about what?"

"I don't know, she didn't say."

Sophia took the book and flipped to the story of Snow White. Danni slid down and rested her head on Sophia's shoulder as the girl began to read.

... ... .. .. .. ..

"What about the sign? Beth and Tyreese seemed pretty sure about it. Maybe they made it to that place. Found Maggie. Hell. Rick could be there. Carol too." Daryl said between sips of coffee. He stood over the sink and gazed out the window to the back porch where Danni and Sophia sat feeding the babies in the morning sunlight.

"Daryl's right. For Sophia's sake, it might it be worth searching there?" Kieran added.

"And I was starting to like you Irish." Merle shook his head and leaned back in his chair. "If any of them was stupid enough to follow a sign on the road saying paradise or whatever the hell it did, then they deserve what they get. Sanctuary my ass. Terminus, huh? Sounds more like a place to git hijacked, your supplies stolen and then your ass thrown to the biters. Besides, you think anyone there is gonna welcome us with open arms? Me and you Irish? Guess again. I'm happy to be rid of Officer Friendly and his band of merry morons. if you ask me, the Governor rolling through was the best thing that coulda happened. He's dead, we're free to live our damn lives like men."

"Merle, don't say anything like that in front of Sophia." Danni scolded, entering the kitchen, a baby balanced on each hip. "You hate Rick I get that. But Carol is her mom and if there is any chance she is alive, we need to find her. We owe that little girl."

"You ain't serious queenie? Risking our hides, after what we just went through to get here?"

"I don't mean head out and look today, we need to get settled, but we at least need to talk about this."

"Daryl? You hearing that?"

Daryl took Ryder and began wiping the last remnants of breakfast from the baby's chin. "Talking about it won't hurt anything." He answered his brother.

Merle cleared his throat. "Two of you didn't learn a damn thing from all we just went through, did you?"

Daryl chuckled when he caught Danni rolling her eyes. "The more things change, the more they stay the same," she mumbled, annoyed.

"What was that? You say something to me missy?" Merle asked righteously.

"Nope." Danni answered sharply, heading out if the room.

"Good. 'Bout time I got some respect, around here."

"She's not done you know." Daryl added. "Not by a long shot."