Warnings: Potential spoilers from seasons 1-4 of TWD and Jean Webster's "Daddy-Long-Legs". Rated for themes and language. All the highs of this story belong to Jean Webster and all the lows are mine.

Disclaimer: I do not own AMC's "The Walking Dead", Jean Webster's "Daddy-Long-Legs" or Marvel's "Avengers".

Dearest Mr. Hawkeye,

[To be honest, I really don't understand why you still love that silly little nickname so much and why you keep insisting that you be called that.]

Anyways. Merry Christmas, Daryl!

Wow, this feels really weird sending a message to your fake email address again. It's hard to believe that almost two years have passed since I last sent one. Two years since we got together, I mean. Hmm… it feels like an entire lifetime has passed since then.

I'm in a nostalgic mood all of a sudden. Or maybe I just had too many glasses of eggnog this evening. And you know what that beverage does to me. ;) See – I'm using a winking emoticon! Yep, eggnog.

Sorry I hung up on you earlier. I get that it's not your fault that they canceled all the flights from Arizona due to the weather. Seriously, though – couldn't Merle have gotten a job somewhere closer? Like in Alabama or Missouri or something? In other words, a place from which you could get back home simply by driving a car? I mean, even Michigan is closer to Georgia!

Ugh. I'm just so pissed at the fact that we won't spend this Christmas together. :( After all, this is our holiday, remember? I planned a little celebration just for the two of us, although Mom keeps bugging me about us always ignoring their invitations for traditional Rhee family gatherings. But no way – they already get to ruin Thanksgivings for us. They will have this only over my dead body.

By the way, I hope everything went well with helping Merle settle into a new place. Is his apartment as small and crappy as ours? Does it have cockroaches? Or rats? I hope it has both! He deserves that for robbing me of your delightful company during this wonderful holiday.

Oh, wow. "Delightful". It's definitely the eggnog talking. I bet that you feel extremely bummed about not being here right now, don't you? I'd be so willing to put on that Gambit costume for you. ;) But my Hawkeye isn't here, so our little reenactment of an Avengers and X-Men crossover is not going to happen (tonight, at least).

Huh, still can't believe that I didn't recognize you at that Marvel Universe Convention two years ago… Though, to be fair, I did have a fleeting notion that one extremely handsome Hawkeye there looked strangely familiar. Blame Maggie – she distracted me.

And while we're at it – Maggie wanted me to let you know that when you get back home, she's going to personally hunt you down and make you suffer badly for introducing Hershel to the pickled pig's feet. Those disgusting things became a secret ingredient in the old man's sauce at our recent Spaghetti Tuesday. I was among the unfortunate guests at that dinner, and fyi – although I won't get in the way of her wrath – that was the grossest meal I've ever tasted!

Also, Beth asked me if you wouldn't mind if she invited Zach to our next hunting trip. And since we both like and approve of Zach as her boyfriend, I said that you'd be totally fine with it. Though, now that I think about it, there's a chance that the boy might start having second thoughts after that trip. Let's be real, Beth can be very intense and intimidating when the hunting mood hits her. It's kind of ironic given that she looks so tiny and fragile… like a real-life Disney princess. A scary Disney princess with a gun. XD It's unbelievable that you got her into hunting! I mean, I hate to get out of the city and would never have gone with you guys if it wasn't for the perks, like making out under the stars, having only the campfire and your body heat warming me at night… Hmm… I have to get another glass of eggnog!

Wait. Did I tell you that Hershel broke his leg yesterday? Poor guy slipped and fell on the black ice patch around the corner from our apartment building. Thankfully, it's nothing serious, he's fine but he will have to wear a cast for some time till his injury heals.

Oh, look at that! Dale just sent me a message on Facebook (you really should sign up too). He's wishing us a merry Xmas. He says he enjoys the weather in Iowa this time of year. He and Irma (kind of creepy that his new wife has the same name as his late wife, isn't it?) are inviting us to visit them during the Easter holidays. It's too far and, if I recall correctly, we already have some other plans for Easter… I said that we'd think about it.

In other news that's happened while you were away in Arizona, Lori brought Judith for the holidays! Unfortunately, she couldn't stay herself – she has some big work project in Paris. But Carl and Rick are super happy to have Judith around. She's such an adorable kid! You won't recognize her when you see her. She's starting to speak and it's the cutest mix of English and French! It's hard to understand but nevertheless, it's cute. :) Lori wanted to take Carl with her to Europe but he already agreed to go on a holiday skiing trip in Colorado with Carol, Sophia, Tyreese, Sasha and Maggie. And Lori knows that it's better to not get in the way of a teenage boy's first love. Guess you feel silly now for not believing me when I told you that Carl had a crush on Sophia? :)

Speaking of which, do you sense something brewing between Tyreese and Carol as well? Or is it just my wild imagination? Looking back, it's funny, how childish I was for thinking that I'd dislike anyone who moved into T-Dog's apartment after he moved , Hershel received a card from him a couple of days ago. It was mailed from Hawaii. Apparently, T-Dog is doing well; he writes that he started a little business there – co-running a little snack place and if any of us would happen to be there, we're more than welcome to drop by. I'm very happy for him.

But I got sidetracked. My point is - I'm glad that Sasha moved into T's old place. We have two more friends instead of one. Ty is a great guy and, if I'm right in my suspicions, he and Carol will make a nice couple. I have a feeling that Sasha is shipping Carol with her brother too – the skiing trip was her idea. Mental note: ask Maggie about this - after all, she's BFF's with Sasha.

Hey, I'm in a romantic mood now… Ooh! You know who else would make a cute couple? Rick and Michonne! I mean, what's going on between those two? Ever since that Woodbury business, they're hanging out together all the time – sometimes I even have a feeling that Michonne is one of our tenants here too. (Now there's a weird thought! Considering that she owns a gorgeous apartment in the centre of the city.) Besides, she gets along with Carl so well! Didn't you say that she had a kid who would've been just about Carl's age right now? Alas, the cancer… no wonder she bonded with Carl right away…

So, you should talk to Rick about this. Encourage him! He'll listen to you; you're his best bro after all. I mean, Rick's been single for how long now? I think he hasn't seriously dated anyone since Andrea. To tell the truth, I really thought that their relationship would work out. They had such amazing chemistry. Damn, it's all Amy's fault. If she didn't get Andrea that job in L.A. they'd still be together. Then again, I guess everything is for the best at the end of the day… By the way, did you know that Amy got a part in some indie straight-to-DVD horror movie? Something about the living dead (ghosts, vampires or mummies… not sure). It's going to be available for purchase in March. I know you're not a fan of the genre but I'm going to order a copy for us when it comes out.

Ugh, I just got a message from Abraham. He wants me and Tara to work on an article about "Terminus". It's yet another rapidly growing cult in our city. If we're lucky, we may get an interview with the cult leader, a mysterious lady named Mary (no one knows her surname). Tbh, neither me nor Tara are comfortable with the subject, not after the Woodbury Army of Resurrection (if you remember Tara's sister was one of its followers too)…

I can't believe it's been two years since I started working with Ford (thanks to that WAR article of mine). You above all people know that I can't let him down, he's more than just my boss now, he's a good friend. I'll always be thankful he was the only editor in the city who believed in me and gave me a chance, even before I had my diploma. Like I said to you the other day, if it weren't for him, I'd probably still be working as a pizza delivery boy...

Speaking of Tara, she says that Alisha can get us into that fancy new night club "The Quarry" for the New Year's Eve party. I know how much you hate clubbing and I'm not a fan either, not to mention that we don't like Alisha… but Tara is my friend and also (if the rumors are true) Lee Dewyze will be performing there that night. So, let's consider it, okay?

Oh, almost forgot the most important part: there are three Xmas presents with your name on them here. The first one is from me – it's season tickets for the Atlanta Hawks. The second is a new laptop for both of us from my folks (was delivered by FedEx this morning); in fact, I'm typing you this email from it at this moment to test it out. Just don't swing it at the wall, like you did with one of your previous ones. I mean, it's not like you'll get another message from me about sex with Maggie (like it was that time). Lol.

And your third gift is also from me. It's a surprise – you'll find it out when you return. ;)

Wait, I've just got a text from you. You rented a car from Arizona! You'll be here in an hour! Have to run, need to get that third present of yours ready. ;))

Yours forever and always, Glenn.

First of all, I'm terribly sorry for the delay – had a bit of a technical problem with my computer and in the result it took longer to edit the last chapter.

After almost two years I've finally managed to complete this little fic. And it wouldn't have been possible without all of you wonderful people who supported this story. Thank you all very much for reading, subscribing and reviewing this fic! It means a world to me. When I first started this I never thought that I'll be able to get it till the end and, frankly speaking, I wouldn't have without all of you.

Special thanks to: my amazing beta doctorkatlyn (winchester-cheekbones on tumblr), who is the sweetest human being and the best beta one could ever wish for (also her Darlenn fanfics are absolutely great, check them out if you still haven't); nangke for the gorgeous fan art dedicated to this fic; undeadstoryteller for advice and helpful edits; bgn and Mad Arid - your Darlenn AU stories are the reasons I started writing in the first place,

Also, shout out to simmi36 (if you're still reading this) for that lovely PM you sent me last year and to the tumblr anon who messaged me last year.

And again, all my love and appreciation to all of you, my wonderful readers! Hope, the last chapter isn't a disappointment. :)

I'm going to take a break from TWD for a while and try to write a fic for another fandom but hopefully I and doctorkaitlyn will get back to The Wonderful Walkers of Oz.