AN: Last time I checked, I was up to 99 reviews. (GO ME!) I'm so excited. Thank y'all who have been following this story for so long…it has been so fantastic to write. I still have at the very least ten chapters planned out. So, it's not over yet .

"Lily!" Rose called as she ran down the beach to where Lily was still building sand castles with the children.

"What?" she turned and looked at her cousin.

"I think you should go put on something pretty then walk out to the patio."

"Why?" Lily questioned.

"Just because," Rose grinned.

Lily knew that something was up, but she figured she might as well go with it.

"Hey, girls, wanna help me get dressed?" Olivia and Emily nodded eagerly. "Well c'mon then," they all ran back to the guest house, and up to Lily's room, leaving sand on the hardwood floors in their wake.

"I brought your stuff up here for you," Rose explained, once Lily realized she'd left everything on the boat.

"Thanks," Lily grinned as she went through her closet. "Which one?" she asked the young girls as she looked through her dressed.

"Dary would like this one," Emily smiled as she held up the black one with a plunging neck line Daryl loved so much at Lily's house.

"He would," Lily agreed as she nervously bit her finger nail. She had worn that dress very few times and it was always very tight, and she wasn't sure if it would fit, given her small, but still existent baby bump.

"Put it on Aunt Lil," Olivia urged.

"Okay," Lily slowly agreed before slipping into the bathroom to change. She noticed all the sand that was covering the better half of her legs, so she turned on the shower and washed herself off.

Lily towel dried her legs, and then unzipped the back of the dress. She stepped into it, and pulled it up, letting the straps rest on her shoulders. Once she zipped the back, she stole a glance at herself in the mirror.

The dress hugged her chest, but it was rather loose everywhere else. The cause had to be the zombie apocalypse she hadn't eaten nearly as much as she had before. That was both a good thing and a bad thing. It was good that her stomach wasn't noticeable, but it was bad that the baby was possibly not getting everything he or she needed. Tonight, she decided. Tonight she'd tell him everything and beg for forgiveness for not telling him sooner. Maybe he'd understand. She hopped he would.

OoO

Lily walked out onto the patio. Her shoes clicked against the brick walkway under her feet. She was too fearful to look up. She knew that Daryl would be there, that much was obvious, but anything wonderful he did would only make everything worse.

Sadly, she knew she wouldn't be able to look at her feet all night, so she stole a glance of what was before her. A table, with one lit candle, two plates, and two wine glasses. Then there was Daryl, he had clearly showered, and shaved his face, but left his goatee. He was also wearing a clean, white shirt, which actually had sleeves! He looked so handsome, especially the way the candle was reflecting on him.

"Did you do all of this for me?" Lily asked stunned. She'd expected something, but not this! The patio was beautiful! Behind them waves crashed against the shore. The whole scene looked like something from a cheesy romance movie.

"Nah, I did it fer Rick," Daryl said sarcastically.

"I didn't know your boat went that way," Lily teased. Daryl sent a glare her way.

"Don't make me rethink this," he replied.

"C'mon, you walked right into that one," she grinned, and closed the gap between them. Something about being near him, made her fear and nerves melt away.

"Yer lucky I love yew."

"And I love you, grumpiness and all," she smiled again. He ushered her to her seat and even pulled it out for her. "Such a gentleman, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you weren't the rough, tough redneck that kills and guts squirrels, and other defenseless woodland critters."

"Good thing yew kno' better," Daryl took his seat and took the bottle of whiskey from the table. "I don' do that bubbly shit," he started to pour some into her glass, but she put her hand over the top.

"I'm okay," she replied.

"C'mon we're celebratin'!" he said happily. "If ya won' I can go git ya some bubbly shit."

"Actually," Lily sighed. She wasn't sure how to phrase this. Maybe this would be one of those times where he'd just understand what she meant. "I can't drink."

"Why not?" he was genuinely confused.

"Daryl…I'm well…I'm pregnant…"

"Yer what?"

"Pregnant…"

"How lon' have yew known?" was his first question. Daryl wasn't stupid no matter what some people had thought. He knew Lily had been hiding something. He just wasn't sure what it was until just now.

"A week before we left the prison," she replied honestly. Lying would only make it worse.

"Whut the hell, Lily? Yew didn't thin' it was important ta tell me yew were pregnant fer a fucking month!?"

"I didn't mean to wait that long, Daryl…" she knew he was beyond pissed at her just by the way he said Lily, not Princess.

"Why did ya?"

"I didn't want to make you worry about me the whole way here. Plus, what if I would've lost it? I didn't want you to have any unnecessary pain or stress."

Daryl set his jaw. One question started to nag at him. He knew that it wouldn't matter her answer to it. He wouldn't love her or the baby any less. For reasons unknown to him, he just had to know. "Is it his?"

"No…I mean…I don't think so..." that's all it took for Lily to lose control of her emotions. Tears fled from her eyes, and she nearly collapsed to the ground. He won't love it if it's not his, said a small voice in her mind. "I get it Daryl…"

"I-" Daryl started.

"I don't expect you to stick around."

"Wa-"

"I mean…it was great while it lasted, huh?" more tears rolled down her checks.

"Is that what yew want?" he asked.

"It's what you want," she hiccupped.

"Yew really need ta learn ta shut up fer five seconds," Daryl moved closer to her. He put his hands on either side of her face, and wiped the salty tears from her face with his thumbs.

"Da-"

"Sh…yer gonna listen ta me fer a minute. An' if when I'm done yew still wanna end whut we got, then fine," he kept his hands on either side of her face, and made her eyes meet his. "I love yew. An' there ain't nothin' that'll ever chan' that. I don' care if this baby's mine 'er not. I'll love it 'cause it's a part a yew."

Lily blinked away her last remaining tears. She forced her eyes to stay glued to his. Those baby blues of his didn't waver from her, they stayed trained on her tear splotched face. She knew that Daryl wasn't a liar. If he said something, he meant it. The two stayed liked that for a few moments.

"That's gotta be the sweetest thing anyone's ever said…" she finally said.

"Yew still wanna-"

"Hell no," she jumped into his arms, and they just held each other closely. If there was a step above loving someone with all of your heart, Lily and Daryl were there at that moment.