Lori laughs at Herschel's disgust. "I did warn you Herschel."
"Yes Lori you did, I have to say you did warn me. I still find it hard to believe that you can parent children and still manage to kill plants, but now I see it with my own eyes." Lori laughs again.
She runs her palm over her protruding stomach and shakes her head. Her braids shake with her. She's wearing plaits today. A whistle pierces the air and without turning she reaches out and grabs Judith on the fly, turning to walk to the gates. She watches Daryl and Carl come toward the prison, they'd been checking the snares.
Carl had had trouble with her and Daryl, mainly because he thought Daryl was going to try to parent him too. Daryl had taken him outside one day and they'd talked, she didn't know about what. Neither would tall her. Lori was okay with that though because things eased after it.
She lets Judith down and she scampers to Daryl who shoulders his crossbow and leans down grabbing her on the fly. "Daddy!" Her squeal says it all. Carl shakes his head and jogs forward.
"All good." He says as he passes her. He's not as physically affectionate anymore and Lori mourns that. She watches him head on inside, no doubt for a shower. He liked to be clean, her boy.
An arm slides over her stomach and up under her breasts, pulls her back. Lori leans on Daryl as he nuzzles her neck and then she feels little hands pushing on her and she laughs knowing Judith was seeking his attention. "Mine!" She says gleefully, grabbing Daryl's beard and pulling. Lori laughs again.
Later that night she slides into bed with Daryl already there, leaning back, hands behind his head. He was waiting for her she knew. Lori leans over him, her breasts hanging and fuller with pregnancy. "Missed you." She says softly as she leans down and kisses him.
"Missed you too Olive." He answers as he opens his mouth under hers. They kiss softly. Then less softly. Daryl slides down in the bed kissing and sucking as he goes. Lori turns on her back with his help and spreads her legs. Then she grabs Daryl's hair.
"Get your cock up here boy." Daryl tips an imaginary hat.
"Ma'am, yes ma'am." He answers as he shuffles around in the bed and straddles her head, his cock hanging hot and heavy in her face. Lori sucks on his head and he pushes his face between her thighs, rubs his beard on them knowing she loves the roughness. His tongue slides along her lips, opening them to push inside. Then his fingers push inside her and Lori moans around his cock.
Sucking and licking at Daryl she pushes her hips up on his face even as she pulls his down, she takes all of him in, relaxing her throat she suckles on him as if he were a teat. He moans now and Lori smiles. And then his tongue flicks at her clit. And again. His fingers slip and slide inside her wetness and Lori wants nothing more than Daryl's cock in there.
But Herschel had forbidden intercourse from her sixth month of pregnancy.
Eyes closing in pleasure Lori opens herself to her orgasm, letting it roll through her as she sucks harder and firmer now on Daryl's cock. He pushes down her throat as she opens her eyes to see his balls draw up just as he explodes down her throat. Lori swallows him down.
A month later she is propped on a table again, this time hoping for a natural birth. Herschel had said if she couldn't give birth naturally this time she shouldn't have anymore children. And Lori already knew she and Daryl wanted lots of children. Despite the harshness of life now, they wanted a large family.
She manages a natural birth, barely. No complications. And Liam comes into the world.
##########
Daryl watches Lori walk toward him, long legs and less pissy personality these days. She grabs a knife and begins to cut and he grins at her. He could never take for granted that she was happy to help him with blood and guts. She didn't have the aptitude to hunt but she was more than happy to help with the messy shit afterward. Couldn't put a price on that, especially these days.
And fight? Yeah, she'd learned to fight, and she'd taken his lessons to heart. He'd never forget the time Rick had accidentally snuck up on her about six months after she'd started taking lessons. She way she'd flipped him had made Daryl hard as a rock. He'd fucked her hard and fast that night. He thinks that was when Liam was conceived.
And now they had Easy as well. He admitted he didn't know why he'd named their daughter that. It felt right. Just like Liam had felt right. Lori had looked at him and just shrugged and nodded.
Everyone else had given him hell and he knew she'd copped it too but she'd stuck with him. They were a team she said when he'd asked her why she'd let him name her that. Easy was anything but. She was a cantankerous child. No other word for it. The only person she took to was Carl.
They were damn lucky he'd taken to her as well. Because he had, he let her run him ragged. Daryl knew Lori felt guilty sometimes that she slept with Carl and not them or Liam even. Carl was happy to take her though. Daryl thought she made him less lonely. Carl was of an age that he needed people his own age. Beth had hooked up and Carl was on his own. No other women or men his own age for him to hang around with left him lonely. Daryl knew it, even if no one else had recognised it yet.
He was waiting for Carl to take off, knew he was thinking about it and truthfully he understood it. Would probably have done the same thing himself.
It's dusk when they finish. Carl comes up to them with Easy walking beside him, they're
holding hands. And Daryl knows what he'd just been thinking about was coming to pass.
"Lori." He says. Lori look over and then at Carl and Easy with a smile.
"Hey you two, what are you doing down here? Messy you know baby." She says to Easy.
"I'm good." Is all she says hugging Carl's leg. He ruffles her hair and looks at Lori and then Daryl. Daryl nods.
Carl nods at him and then speaks. "I'm leaving Mum, I need to find my place in the world." He says no more. Lori stops and stares at him. Daryl doesn't know what he expects but for Lori to firm her lips and blink several times before nodding is not it.
Admittedly he hadn't expected a tantrum the likes of which she used to throw but still. And he suddenly realised she was being strong for Carl, not letting him see how much she was upset. Daryl's heart broke for her.
"When are you going baby?" She asks quietly as she places the knife slowly and carefully on the table.
"First light. Mum, I hope I'll be back one day." Carl says quietly as he stoops and picks up Easy hugging her tightly.
"Me too baby, me too." Carl turns with Easy who has not realised what is going on and walks back inside. Daryl places his own knife on the table and opens his arms to Lori when they're back inside and out of earshot.
The months roll past, Easy is inconsolable for most of the time, becoming sullen and withdrawn. It is only when Rick finds a litter of pups outside after their mother had been caught in a trap that she begins to show some life again. They give her a pup and she lavishes the love and affection she'd had for Carl on the pup.
Soon they're constant companions and her laugh is heard again. Daryl can tell its not the same laugh, he doubts he'll ever hear her laugh so unrestrained again until, when or if Carl returns.
After about a year Lori becomes pregnant again and they both rejoice. Wanting to try for four children they'd never used birth control. But Herschel had said Lori's chances of becoming pregnant again were getting slimmer with her getting older. Daryl doesn't mind admitting he's coddling her though this pregnancy. She's not coping well. It's a hard one.
Wiping her face after a particularly nasty bout of midnight sickness he grins at her. "This fucking kid had better be a saint I can tell you woman." Lori nods and moans quietly.
"I think I might be done after this one Popeye." She answered him. They still called each other Popeye and Olive though mainly in private.
"Yeah me too Olive, me too." Kissing her forehead Daryl climbs into bed between Lori and the wall so she had full access to the bucket he kept there for her. "Good thing is we've got a couple of doctors here now" He says to her.
"I know, but Herschel has gotten me through three births so far, I trust him, he'll do right by me." Daryl nods. He agrees with her.
And when this birth comes it is hard, because she's carrying twins. One of them was a breech which caused no end of trouble. And one of them wasn't well.
For a month they kept him with them, but his heart was not strong enough and in the end Matthew left them quietly one night. It was the absence of his laboured breathing that woke Daryl in a panic. He watched him silently tears streaming down his face as Lori shook beside him.
They were both of a mind not to call anyone, he was in a better place.
"God, Daryl. I hope he doesn't see Carl, I hope he looks over Carl because Carl is thriving." Lori shudders now as they hold each other.
"I hope so too Lori, fuck I hope so too." Daryl turns from Lori and picks up Michael. "Hey there boy, you gotta be strong now, your big brother didn't make it, but you're gonna, we fucking won't allow anything else to happen to you boy." He realises he sounds like Merle suddenly. Shaking his head he and Lori spend the night hugging Michael and Matthew between them before they face the others in the morning.
##########
A year later Lori stands beside Matthew's grave. Daryl beside her with Judith, Liam, Easy and Michael in his arms. They stand silently for several minutes. "I'm pregnant again." Lori says softly. Daryl slides an arm around her even as Liam hugs her waist from the other side and Easy hugs Daryl. Judy moves around to the front of her and hugs her and Daryl together. Spike sits beside Easy, panting as he watches carefully.
This pregnancy she does nothing but fold laundry. She obeys every order Herschel gives her and lets Daryl lift any and everything needed. They hold each other tightly each night even as they both silently begin to grieve, sure that this baby will not survive as well.
The birth is surprisingly easy and another girl is born. But Lori doesn't cope. She feels herself fading away even as Daryl calls to her. Hours later she swims back to consciousness. Pain, she feels pain.
"Daryl?"
"I'm here woman, you're gonna be fine, fucked you up good this time but you're both gonna be fine. Got another girl. What do you want to name her?" Daryl asks as he brushes her hair off her forehead and kisses her softly.
"Ash." Lori answers as she slides back into a pain-filled sleep. When she wakes again Herschel is standing beside her. Older now, stooped but still strong and hale. He twinkles at her.
"No more children. Seven births Lori, I've got you through six but your birthing days are over. That pain you're feeling is from Doctor Tubbs having to remove your uterus." He stopped and his eyes became serious. "I'm sorry, I wish I could have saved it, but I couldn't." He looks down. "You are a survivor, it's time to allow yourself to live Lori, enjoy your life. You've got a wonderful family, love them, cherish them and enjoy them." He leans over and as Daryl had done he kisses her forehead and leaves her with the dull throbbing pain she has to suffer through as they have no heavy painkillers anymore.
It takes Lori some time to recover, she is just glad she does. She slowly begins to live again. She feels that by having Ash that God and Matthew have forgiven her for failing him. She knows it's stupid but she can't help blaming herself. And she and Daryl, God they're like teenagers again. They haven't been like this with each other in several years.
They'd always desired each other, from that first moment at the tent when Daryl had been sharpening his knife and Lori had admitted to him that she thought of him sexually, had done so for some time. And then that night in the house when they'd been together for the first time.
She's tickling Ash one night instead of putting her to sleep. Michael is already sleeping. Liam and Easy are off somewhere and Judith is out scouting when Daryl comes in. "Lori, you need to come outside." He scoops up Ash leaving Michael asleep and tugs on her hand.
"Daryl? What, you're as white as a sheet." Lori lets him drag her outside. There is a group coming up the drive from the gate. Shading her eyes Lori watches them in the dusk. Her hair slips out of its braid, its grey now as is Daryl's. The one thing she mourns is hair dye. But Daryl doesn't mind it so Lori accepts it.
The lines on her face don't bother her as much as the grey hair. But, she is alive, she is well. She is living and she has her family for the most part. Not a lot of people can say that these days.
Frowning she watches. Rick is there, his arm is around someone, someone familiar. But there are other's blocking her way.
And then he looks up and at her. Carl.
"Carl?" Lori questions. She freezes. "Daryl?" She looks to him as he holds Ash. He nods.
"It's him, go." Lori takes off, her long legs eating the ground. He catches her as Daryl would have and swings her around like Daryl still does. Twice they twirl as she sobs in his long hair. Pulling back she looks at him. He has fought she can tell. Shaking her head she swipes the tears from her eyes.
Slowly Carl puts her down grinning at her. She shakes her head at him. Then she slides a gentle finger across his eye patch. "You're well now?" It's all she can ask.
He nods. Then he tugs a figure forward. She's older. Nearly Lori's age but the way Carl slides an arm around her hips tells her she is more than a friend. The children hiding behind her legs confirm it.
"Mum, this is Michonne. And here we have," He bends down grabbing the two children and hauling them up as they squeal delightedly, "Shane and Tina." Lori looks at them. And she cries and smiles at the same time.
"Shane?" She says through her tears. Carl nods.
"God, are you back to stay?" She asks as she leans in and despite the children, her grandchildren shying away she hugs Carl again. Then she pulls away before he can answer and hugs Michonne too. Michonne does not hug her back but Lori doesn't care. For now she's spreading the joy.
Daryl comes up with Ash. "Carl, glad you made it back." He nods to the woman who nods back and takes their children from Carl effortlessly. Lori notices a sword strapped on her back and she looks back at Carl and notices he has two swords strapped on his own back. Neither of them seem to carry guns.
That was to be expected she supposed as they all fell in to walk toward the entrance. They'd been lucky that they'd found a way to make their own ammunition. It gave them an advantage.
Lori steps forward. "I need a minute or I'll cry over you all night. I'm going to make up a bed, do your babies want to stay with you or a room for themselves?" She asks as she steps forward ahead of the group.
"They'll sleep with us." Michonne answers her quietly as she follows, "I'll give you a hand." Lori nods. They step fast toward the prison in silence. If Lori couldn't see Michonne there she wouldn't know someone was beside her. "Thank you."
Lori falters as she looks over at Michonne. "What for?" Michonne shrugs.
"Carl was nervous about coming back, he thought about it for about two years before he finally decided to."
"What? Why?" Lori is confused now.
"Because of me."
"Because you're older?" Michonne nods. Lori laughs. "I'm the last person to judge. I gave up my judging britches years ago. "If you make Carl happy, then as Daryl would say 'I don't fuckin' care'." Michonne snorts.
"The redneck belongs to you then?" Lori laughs now.
"We belong to each other really. He says my legs and pissy personality drew him from the start." She laughs again remembering that first conversation they'd had years ago as it came to her mind.
"And what drew you?" Michonne asked her.
"His watchfulness." Lori answers simply. It was more than that but it would do for now.
She walks inside introducing Michonne as Carl's wife though she has no idea if they think of each other that way. Michonne doesn't contradict her however. Grabbing some linens she goes to an empty room that she knows has a double bed and begins to make it up. Michonne looks around. Then she drops the bag she'd been carrying and stretches. She is scarred as well. They both look like they'd lived through hell.
As she finishes Carl, Daryl and Rick come in. Rick is piggybacking Shane and Carl is holding Tina. Lori grins at him. "You're home." She says. Carl nods and hands Tina off to Michonne who settles her on her hip. He takes Lori in another hug and she lets her tears fall again. She opens her eyes to see Daryl grinning at her and she grins back holding out a hand. He takes it and allows her to tug him into the hug as well, Ash wiggling against Carl's back.
Eventually they pull back and Daryl says, "You're gonna have to find Easy, she'll murder us if she doesn't know you're back before the morning." Lori nods as does Carl.
"I will, where does she sleep?"
Lori grins as Daryl slides an arm around her waist. "You think she stays anywhere other than your old room?" Carl shakes his head but Lori sees a pleased smile on his face.
They leave Carl and his family to settle in and Lori finally settles Ash down with Daryl. Then they just hug. "He's home." She murmurs.
"Knew he would be, kids a survivor." Daryl answers as he kisses the side of her neck. Lori shivers against him. "You gonna be okay with Michonne?" Pulling back Lori looks up at Daryl.
"Why wouldn't I be? Because she's older? He loves her, her age or the colour of her skin, her anything don't hold a candle to the way they look at each other Daryl. I'm going to be more than okay, as long as he's happy. I'm more worried about Easy." Lori knows how much Easy loved Carl, to the exclusion of all others.
And Carl doted on her in return. Now though Carl had a wife, children. How Easy would take that they had no way of knowing yet.
Easy surprises them by welcoming Michonne and Shane and Tina with open arms. Lori and Daryl are nothing but relieved. And it takes but a day before she and Carl are back to their usual selves.
Carl and Michonne take some time to settle in. They're almost like wild animals, the way the walk and talk and act at times makes Lori think a wrong move will have them gut someone without a second thought. There is a ferality in them from living on the edge for so long. She cannot even begin to understand what they've been through. "We had it easy here, relatively I mean." She says to Daryl one night as they settle down.
"Sure have Olive, sure have." Daryl slides his hand down her back and Lori shivers. After all these years, he still arouses her with a touch.
"I love you Daryl, don't tell you that enough." She says simply as she leans down and kisses him knowing it embarrasses him when she gets mushy though he never shushes her.
"Love you too Olive, pissy personality and all." He says gruffly flinching back mockingly as she smacks his shoulder. Then he grabs her and slides her under him pushing inside her before she knows where she is.
"Oh God." Lori says breathlessly as she winds the long legs that captivated Daryl from that very first night when Atlanta had been bombed around his waist and angled her hips so Daryl's cock was as far inside as he could get.
"Not nearly Olive, not nearly. Just Popeye your sailor man." Lori snorts as Daryl wiggles his eyebrows at her. And then he leans down and kisses her. Long and slow, like they had all the time in the world which they did.
The End.
A/N – Thank you to all my readers, reviewers, followers and to those who also favourited From These Seeds We Grow. Daryl and Lori have been a pleasure to write. It will not be the last of Lori, my MB What Evil Lurks suggested I write a Merle/Lori aka Merri AU-ish fic as they'd both survive.
As you all probably know by now, I love a challenge. So…sometime down the track a bit. Yes, I will be going there too. How could I not? Merle – Fuck yeah. Lori, absolutely. The dislike, the anger, the irritation, the sarcasm they both do so well. Yes, definitely going there.