Chapter 17: Home

"No!" Brooke whined in her sleep. "No please! I just want to go home!" she started to cry.

"Brooke! Brooke, wake up!" Daryl shook her shoulders lightly and stopped as soon as she opened her eyes. Her body shook by itself as she woke up. Daryl held her close and she broke down. Daryl never thought about the emotional toll it would take on Brooke.

"I'm so sorry." She wept quietly. Daryl shushed her and she buried her face into his neck. "I just want to go home. That's all I want. I want a place to call home where it's safe."

"Hey, we're safe here." He said.

"But this isn't home. Home is back in King County with the coffee shop and Dad." She sniffed. "Home is where we know that it's not just safe but loving and accepting. Not fighting everyday just to stay alive. This is not home."

"You know why we can't go back." He said and she nodded. "I've never had a real home before and you know that. The most I feel at home is when I'm with you, Brooke. When I fell in love with you all I could imagine was us together. Now that we are together, I think about our future. Before all this shit happened I actually had a dream about what home looked like for us. I know one day we'll be able to have that. Maybe not now but soon."

"I'm just so tired of everything. I know we'll be on the move again soon and we don't even know if Fort Benning is a possibility. I'm just so worried about everything. Sophia is still out there, Carl just got freaking shot, and there seems like there's no end to this thing." She said. "I know I need to be strong but last night just made me realize how bad things are."

"I know. I don't blame you for bein' tired of everything. I'm worried sick about Sophia and you know I am. I'm going out to look for her tomorrow. I think everyone would be okay if you just took a day off tomorrow. Brooke," he lifted her head up to look into her eyes. "I know we can get through this." He leaned in and kissed her.

"What did home look like?" She asked as she rested her head on his bicep and chest.

"What?"

"In your dream. What did home look like?" she asked. He chuckled a little bit and started to describe his dream.

It was night time in a small neighborhood. It was spring and was just the right temperature. Lightning bugs were roaming around outside in the backyard of a gray panel, one story house, with a black roof, white edging, white doors, and white windows. The house looked small on the outside but it was the perfect size for the family on the inside. A white fence surrounded the backyard and a garage sat next to the house with the same styling. It had a blue Prius, and a newer pickup truck in it. It had two steps leading to the front door and a wrap around deck. There were flowers growing in the front of the house and a couple of trees in the backyard. The yard was the perfect and healthy shade of green. A golden retriever roamed around the house. A little girl who was three roamed around the kitchen with a mason jar in her hands impatiently. There were tiny holes in the top but were so small that they could barely be seen. She had long, reddish-brownish hair, and dark blue eyes. She had a beauty mark on her left cheek bone. She was wearing a pink and yellow, plaid, dress that had little ruffles on the bottom. She had small little pink shoes on. She had pale skin with a couple of freckles on her arms.

"Daddy!" she called in a small voice. "Are they ready yet?" Daryl came from behind a corner with a mason jar in his hands. He was wearing a black, mid-sleeve, t-shirt, with jeans, and a pair of hunting boots as usual. He was 36 but looked younger.

"Gina you need to patient. Momma's patchin' up your brother." He said.

"All the lightnin' bugs will be back at home when they are done though, Daddy! It's almost their bedtime!" Gina explained.

"Regina Amelia Dixon you have the wildest imagination you know that?" he smirked.

"Is that good?" she asked.

"That's very good!" he assured and picked her up. She gave him a kiss on the cheeks with her full lips and rested her head on his shoulder while holding on to the mason jar with her arms.

"Alright, he's good to go!" Brooke said. She wore a pretty, floral print, blue dress, with a tiny, gold belt around her waist, and a pair of gold flats. Her hair was long and flowed behind her. She was 33 but didn't look a day past 25. "He scraped his knee pretty badly." A little boy who was six walked behind her. He had dark brown hair that was shorter, light blue eyes just like Daryl's, and skin that was just a little tan but not too pale. He wore some cargo shorts, a red t-shirt, with a rolled up, white and orange plaid shirt over it. He wore some brown sandals and had a Captain America band aid on his right knee.

"I didn't cry either Dad!" he smiled proudly. He had some teeth missing but they were growing back. "Where's my jar?" he asked.

"It's over here." Brooke said and went to go get it.

"Lemme have it!" he demanded excitedly.

"Westley Andrew Dixon." Brooke said in a pointed tone.

"Please." Westley said.

"Good." Daryl said. He could feel Gina bounce in his arms.

"Alright he's all fixed up. Can we please go outside now?" she asked.

"Yeah let's go!...Please?" Westley enthused.

"Alright let's go!" Brooke yelled and they cheered. She slid open the glass door that led to the outside.

"Come on, Eddie!" Daryl called and whistled. Westley followed his father's example and called the golden retriever. He couldn't quite whistle yet but he mimicked the sound. Daryl sat Gina down and ruffled his son's hair. The dog ran trotted out and grabbed its toy.

"So how do we catch the lightin' bugs, Momma?" Gina asked.

"Alright so as soon as you see a lightning bug you open your jar and swoop it in there." Brooke demonstrated he motion. "You quickly close the jar and see if you caught it."

"Piece of cake!" Westley said. He ran out into the yard and went on the hunt. He laughed and Gina ran after him to catch some more. The two watched their kids play and look inside their jars.

"Come on, let's get in there!" Brooke said.

"Just don't knock down the kids!" Daryl laughed and they joined the little ones. Westley was able to catch a lot and put his jar down on the patio table.

"I can't reach them!" Gina complained and reached her small arms up to try and swoop some in. She grunted in frustration. Westley came over and gave her a boost by picking her up so she could catch some. Brooke felt arms wrap around her and she was lifted up.

"Ah!" she yelled and giggled.

"You're missin' the idea, darlin'!" he laughed. "You're supposed to catch 'em!" He stumbled backwards and the Eddie tripped him. They fell back on the grass and laughed. "Damn mutt!"

"What did you just say?" Gina asked. Daryl's went pale and Brooke lost it.

"I said dang! I said dang Gina!" he said.

"No you didn't you said damn." Westley corrected.

"Just don't ever say that word!" Brooke warned wiping away the tears. "I thought we would have to worry about Merle teachin' them those words." She smiled.

"It just slipped." Daryl shrugged and helped his wife up. She planted a small peck on his lips and went over to the patio table to see what they caught.

"I won!" Westley cheered.

"Alright, now we have to let them go." Brooke said.

"Why?" Gina asked. "I've already named mine."

"Because they need to be with their families. Don't you think their parents would miss them?" Daryl asked. Gina pouted but quickly grabbed her jar. The rest followed.

"Alright on three we open our jars and say goodbye." Brooke said. "One, two, three!" they all twisted open their jars and set them free.

"Bye Ariel, Jasmine, Belle, Mulan, Tiana, and Rapunzel!" Gina called out. They walked back inside and the kids were given a bath. It was eight o'clock and their bed time. Gina went to sleep in her pink room with her stuffed Minnie Mouse. Westley fell asleep with his stuffed Captain America in his light blue room. Brooke and Daryl walked out into the living room and sat on their cream colored, suede couch. He put his arm around her and she put her legs across his.

"I love you." Daryl said.

"I love you too." Brooke said. He kissed her and they heard a gag behind them.

"Go to bed, Westley!" They said in unison and they heard his feet go back into his room. He shut his door and they chuckled.

Daryl finished his description and was playing with a little bit of Brooke's hair.

"Okay, lay it on me!" he smirked knowing it was the cheesiest thing in the world.

"I will." She said and gave him another kiss on the lips. She snuggled back into him. "I loved it."

"So did I." he admitted and nuzzled into her hair.

"I love you." She said and closed her eyes.

"I love you too." He said and closed his eyes as well. With that sweet thought of home they were both able to sleep. That one shred of hope gave them what they needed. Something to look forward to.