Hey guys! So the next few chapters are going to be flash forwards in what happens in time to the group. So it's going to jump from months to years, you know, just large gaps in time. Thank y'all so much for the views, reviews, follows, and favorites! It means a lot to me! Please leave a review! Thanks and as always, happy reading!
P.S. If you have not watched episode four of the third season, bring some tissues. Yes, I cried and I rarely cry.
Chapter 5: Merle's Luck
Three months later:
Brooke had completely recovered from the scratches. Daryl was right and couldn't feel anything in some points of her arm but she was just glad to have her arm. Becky was a little past nine months and was larger than she ever thought possible. Brooke had told Becky about Amber and Eric and they both cried for their best friend. Life went on though. They mourned their loss but they had to move on and carry on their lives for their families.
It was September and it was Dean's first birthday. Brooke had already turned 28 and Daryl's birthday was the next month. Brooke had worked hard to bake a cake from scratch for the small party they planned for their son, who was excited to see all of his friends. Baking a cake from scratch really made Brooke miss her mother because it was something they always did together to try and find new recipes for the café. They had set up a table outside and the people lined in one by one into their house. They all went to the backyard and Brooke brought Dean out. They all sang happy birthday to the one year old and Daryl helped him blow out his candle. Dean smashed his fist into his portion of cake and offered it to Daryl. Brooke had her camera ready to take pictures and took one as soon as Dean smudged cake all over Daryl's face. Everyone laughed as they ate their cake and Daryl kissed his cheek. Daryl came over with a little bit of icing and put it on Brooke's cheek as she was talking to Glenn.
"Daryl!" she squeaked and heard Dean's laughter as Daryl held him. Dean grabbed a picture and tried to eat it. Brooke smiled. "Are you trying to eat my picture?" she asked playfully and pulled it from him. Dean gave his mother a kiss on the nose and she giggled. Daryl kissed her cheek and took off some of the icing with it.
"Brooke!" Rick called and Brooke walked over. Daryl sat down with Dean on the grass as Dean played with a new toy that Merle had made him.
"Dean, I'm gonna tell you a story." Daryl told him. "Once, there was a beautiful princess named Sophia Pelletier…" Daryl went on to create a fairy tale based on how great Sophia was.
"How're you feeling?" Rick asked Brooke.
"I feel fine Rick." She told him. "My arm doesn't give me much trouble anymore."
"So how does it feel knowing that your boy's a year old?" Rick asked and she sighed, making him chuckle.
"It's weird. It seems just like yesterday I was trying to get him to smile." She reminisced and looked over at her family.
"You two gonna have any more soon?" Rick asked and she shrugged.
"I personally don't want another right now." She replied. "I would like a girl though." Rick smiled and draped arm around her shoulders. "How's Lori?"
"Still guilty." Rick replied.
"I wish she wouldn't feel that way. Me getting scratched was not her fault." Brooke said. "I've told her that time and time again."
"Listen, there's just been some bad blood between you two since the farm. She still thinks you hate her." He explained.
"Rick, I've been pissed at Lori for a long time but again, I've explained that I don't hate her anymore. I've realized that things are just going to be screwed up and I need a better way of dealing with them besides slapping people across the face." She replied. They both looked back over at Daryl, who was talking to Dean. Lori was creeping up to try and play with Dean.
"And then, the ugly, mean, Queen Lori was never heard from again." Daryl finished the story and Dean clapped. Lori came up behind him and poked his stomach, unaware of the ending of the story.
"Hi!" Lori greeted. Dean started to cry and slapped Lori across the face. Lori held her face as he leapt off of Daryl's lap.
"Dean!" Brooke gasped but Rick couldn't help but laugh.
"Like mother like son." Rick commented. Brooke nudged him with her elbow as Dean stumbled towards her. Brooke scooped down to pick him up and petted his head, trying to calm him down.
"Uh, Brooke!" Becky called and they all turned to see Becky leaning against T-Dog holding her stomach.
"Merle!" Daryl called and Brooke hurried over to Becky.
"Herschel!" Brooke called.
"Schel!" Dean yelled and Herschel hurried towards them. Daryl came over with Merle and Meghan.
"Come on honey, we need to get you to the hospital." Brooke told Becky. Brooke handed Dean to Daryl. "Come on Merle, I'll need your help. Herschel, you go ahead with Beth and Maggie to the hospital."
"You got it." Herschel said and they jogged away. They brought Becky to the hospital and they laid her down quickly.
"Can Meghan stay somewhere else?" Becky asked Merle.
"I can take Meghan and Dean back to the party." Carol said. "Y'all do what you need to do."
"Thanks Carol." Daryl told her and she left. Brooke asked the men to leave quickly as she got Becky ready. It didn't take long to get everything set up.
"Alright Merle, you can come in now." Brooke announced.
"Do I have to?" he asked and Brooke glared at him. "Look, I don't know what to do!" Brooke gave him a 'Really?' look but Daryl stood up.
"Let me talk to Merle for a minute." He told her and she nodded as she walked back into the room. "Merle, you have to be in there. You weren't there for Meghan but you can be there for your twins."
"I don't know shit about what I'm supposed to do!" Merle retorted.
"Stop bein' a pussy!" Daryl told his older brother. "You go in there and you coach her like I told you to do! You ain't bitchin' out this time!" Merle didn't know what to say for a minute. Merle turned silently and walked into the room. Brooke walked out with a dropped jaw. Daryl chuckled and grinned at her. "What?"
"Holy shit, did you just do that?" she asked and he nodded.
"He was bein' a pussy." He shrugged and she laughed.
"Good job." She told him and gave him a high five. She kissed him but they soon went back in the room when they heard Becky going through a contraction.
24 hours later
"Alright Becky it's time to push." Brooke told her.
"Next contraction you need to push for the full fifteen seconds that Brooke counts." Herschel said and she nodded her sweat blanketed head. Merle held her hand and rubbed her back as she got a contraction.
"Hike up your legs!" Brooke told her quickly. Daryl held her other hand as she began to push for fifteen seconds. "I see the head!" She pushed for a few more contractions and the first baby came out. She didn't have time to announce the sex just yet.
"Alright, the next baby is coming soon!" Herschel told her and she whimpered.
"I can't do it again!" she said.
"Yes you can." Merle told her firmly. "You can." Brooke almost laughed at how white Merle's face was. They waited a little as Maggie cleaned up the first baby then Becky began to push. The next baby didn't take as long and was out in a few pushes. Both babies cried as they were being cleaned.
"What are they?" Becky asked crying.
"Two beautiful girls." Herschel told her. The babies crying died down a little and one was wrapped in a yellow blanket and the other was wrapped in a pink blanket. Merle held the pink blanket while Becky held the yellow.
"Merle has three girls." Daryl breathed and Brooke laughed.
"What're their names?" Brooke asked. Merle and Becky talked a little and they both agreed on who was who.
"The one in the yellow is Amber Evelyn Dixon and the one in the pink is Ellie Abigail Dixon." Becky said. The twins were identical and both had a small birthmark on their upper left arm. Brooke went over to Becky and Amber to greet the one of the new arrivals. Daryl walked over to Merle who was holding Ellie.
"Which name did you pick?" Daryl asked his older brother, now the father of three.
"I picked Ellie's name and Becky picked Amber's name." Merle explained but didn't take his eyes off of Ellie.
"Hey Ellie." Daryl greeted and Ellie swiveled her head towards him. She had darker blue eyes just like Meghan and Merle. Daryl looked over at Brooke, who was holding the pink bundle, and smirked at her. Brooke looked up and gave him a closed mouth smile back. They both wanted another kid. After they had held both twins they said goodbye and got into the truck.
"They look a lot like Becky." Brooke said. "They both look a little like Merle though." Daryl nodded.
"I just still can't get over the fact that Merle has three daughters." He said and she laughed.
"I know but I think it's good for him." She said. "Now he won't be such a sexist pig." He laughed and they were quiet for a little bit.
"Do you want another kid?" he asked her suddenly and she pursed her lips.
"I mean, not right now." She replied.
"Well, I didn't mean right away but in time." He finished and she nodded.
"Yeah I would like to have another kid." She said and he smirked. "Having Dean was worth the pain. Maybe next time we'll get a girl and not have Merle's luck to have twin boys. I don't think I could handle three of Dean." The parents laughed and Daryl lifted his arm. She scooted over and snuggled into him.
"I can't believe he's already a year old." Daryl said.
"I know." Brooke sighed against him. "Why did he slap Lori?" Daryl laughed at the memory and Brooke couldn't help it either.
"I told him a story that featured Sophia and Lori was the evil witch." Daryl explained and she smiled.
"He's probably going to hit Lori every time he sees her now." She said and he nodded.
"Saves you from hurting your hand." He said and she laughed.