AN: Well, here it is…the final chapter of Sweet Junction. I hope you have enjoyed our journey. There's more of a sign off from me at the end, but if you don't want to read, then I thank you for having read the story.
For the final time, here's another chapter of Sweet Junction for you. I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!
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Daryl held the baby close to him. She was awake for the moment, but Daryl thought that being born was some serious business because even though she was awake, she didn't look entirely committed to the state.
And then Merle, Andrea, and Michonne had filed into the room, all three wanting to see Eliza Jo, though they only learned her name moments after coming in when Michonne had asked Carol if they were willing to give away the big secret now.
And now everyone was staring at Daryl as she stood on the opposite side of the bed, holding her.
"Daryl…why don't you let Merle hold her a minute?" Carol asked.
Daryl gnawed at his lip and looked down at the baby who was looking back at him, her eyes half closed, like she was considering going right back to her sleeping state.
Merle chuckled.
"Daryl ain't never been no damn good at sharin'," Merle said. "Ever since he was a kid if he got somethin' he ain't never wanted ta share it with no one."
Daryl narrowed his eyes at his brother.
"Ya broke ever' damn thing I had," Daryl said. "Who the hell would ever wanta share with ya."
Merle chuckled again.
"Come on, Derlina…I ain't gon' break ya kid," Merle said.
Daryl didn't think it was very funny to even joke about the fact that Merle might hurt the baby. Daryl was sure it could happen…he wasn't even entirely sure that he wouldn't end up hurting the baby. She was tiny and she was very fragile.
But the thought that Merle might break her really hadn't entered Daryl's mind until his brother decided to be an asshole about their sharing history together. Really, Daryl hadn't immediately offered to hand her over to anyone else because he was scared that he didn't know how to hand her over to anyone. He was terrified to move his arms now that she was in them and he hadn't moved them even a little bit since Carol had put her in there.
"Don't know how ta pass her over without droppin' her," he said, looking at Carol.
Carol looked back at him and smiled softly.
"Michonne…do you think you could help? We haven't exactly got the hang of this yet…" Carol said.
"Sure," Michonne said.
She came over and Daryl, somewhat reluctantly, let her take the baby out of his arms. He watched her do it and she seemed liked such a natural at it. She seemed like it didn't even make her nervous at all…she just scooped her right out of his arm, transferred her to her own, and then looked at her a moment.
"It's easy to forget what they feel like when they're this small…" Michonne said, smiling at the baby. "She doesn't even know how long we've all been waiting on her."
Michonne cooed at the baby a moment and then carried her over to Merle, placing her in his arms and pushing his arms into the correct position.
And that was the first time they heard her start to fuss. Daryl didn't know what Merle was doing to her, but he was about to make him stop whatever it was. As he came closer, though, Michonne stepped close to Merle and rearranged his arms, cooing at the baby.
"You've got to hold her close to you," Michonne said. "Tight but not too tight. Remember, she was just born and she's spent her whole little life balled up in Carol's belly. She won't feel safe if you hold her out from you."
Merle looked like he was ready to panic at first, but Michonne got Eliza Jo to stop threatening to scream and Merle settled down with the little girl. After a moment he looked a little more relieved and Michonne backed off of him, giving him a little space.
"Well…" he said after a minute, "looks like ya weren't just fat after all, Mouse."
Carol chuckled. She was leaning into her pillows now and Daryl thought it might not be too long before she was ready to take a little nap herself. She hadn't slept well for some time and he imagined that however mild the medicine they gave her was, that coupled with her relief that the baby was here and she was fine would be enough to send her snoring soon.
"So ya made a girl, huh?" Merle said, shifting the baby around a little in his arms. Andrea came over and looked at her, but she looked almost like she was afraid of her, barely touching her arm with her pointer finger like a kid exploring something it wasn't certain wasn't going to bite it.
"She's a girl alright," Daryl said. "An' ya ain't gon' give her no lip about it neither."
Merle chuckled.
"Don't look a thing like ya…prob'ly belongs ta the mailman," Merle said. Daryl knew he was trying to get a rise out of him and so did everyone else.
"She won't really look like anyone for a couple of days," Michonne said. "At least my girls did't…I wasn't even sure they were mine for a few days, but I was claiming them anyway."
Daryl nipped his thumb.
"They look just like ya now," he said.
Michonne nodded.
"And Lil' Bit's going to look like you two…or one of you…she's a little too fresh right now. You figure she's been a warm bath for nine months," Michonne said.
Merle chuckled again and rolled his eyes toward Andrea.
"Wanna hold her?" He asked.
Andrea shook her head.
"Ya scared a' the lil' thing?" He asked.
"It's not that," Andrea said. "I just…I drop everything right now. I don't want to hold her until I'm sitting down somewhere or something."
Daryl narrowed his eyes at her. She did kind of look like she wanted to hold her, but she still wasn't carrying much around since the shooting. She was building up strength, but it didn't take too much to tire her out. Daryl supposed if you had a hole ripped through most of your upper body muscles, it would take a little time for all that to mend.
"Sit down there with Carol," Daryl said.
Andrea looked at him and he pointed to the bed. She went and sat on the edge of the bed, squeezing Carol's hand for a moment. Daryl walked over, basically walking Merle over to the bed and caught his breath, pleased when he successfully moved the baby from one of them to the other.
Eliza Jo had given over to sleep again, but she opened her eyes for a moment, almost looking annoyed in Daryl's opinion, when they'd completed the transaction and nestled her in Andrea's left arm.
Daryl stood there, his hands around her, so that Andrea could hold her but he was offering a sort of basket should anything go wrong. Andrea smiled at the baby, reaching and rubbing her fingertip across the baby's cheek.
"We could make one a' them, ya know…" Merle said, teasing Andrea. "We could have our own an' we ain't gotta share with Daryl."
Andrea snickered.
"I think that's a great idea, Merle," Andrea said. She raised her eyebrows at him. "And I promise to support you entirely throughout your pregnancy. You just let me know when it happens."
Daryl couldn't help but chuckle and the laugh rolled through the room.
After a little while of passing the baby back and forth, though, Eliza Jo had all she wanted of any of them and she started to fuss. And once she started to fuss, Daryl wasn't sure what to do. It was like she was broken. She wouldn't stop even once she found her way back into Carol's arms…and Carol looked like she might have a heart attack over the fact that somehow, someone had broken their baby.
Their guests, surprisingly enough, all left very quickly once Eliza Jo began to show off her impressive lung capacity. Then Daryl and Carol were left alone with the baby that they couldn't quiet down and they were starting to realize just how quickly they might fail entirely at this parenting thing.
Luckily, though, Julie the nurse and another woman came through the door not too long after their guests had passed out of it.
"Sounds like someone's ready for their first meal," Julie said with a smile. "This is the lactation specialist. She'll get you all set up and then when you're done feeding I can help you get her dressed…did you bring something?"
Daryl glanced around, grunting his affirmation as soon as his eyes settled on the bag that they'd packed and Andrea had brought in from the car for them.
"I'll be back in just a little bit, then," Julie said. "I'll leave you to feed her."
After Julie left, shutting the door behind her, Daryl watched with some curiosity as the new doctor lady tried to teach Carol how to feed the baby. He only halfway listened to what she had to say about the whole thing, but he didn't know who was getting more upset by the whole thing…Carol or Eliza Jo.
"She doesn't want me," Carol protested.
And Daryl thought that's clearly what it looked like, but he wasn't going to say anything. The woman, though, was very calm and collected about the whole thing and she continued to tell Carol to calm down and that they were simply going to have to get used to their rhythm and it would be different for every baby.
"She's never done this before either," the woman explained with a smile.
And Daryl started to worry a little about what it might mean if their daughter didn't like them. She may have very well decided already that she flat out didn't want them as parents…
But after a few moments more, Carol finally got the baby in place and Eliza Jo figured out pretty easily what she was supposed to be doing and that she was satisfied to be doing it.
Daryl felt relief rush over him and figured out that probably what both of them needed, more than anything, was a little sleep. Everyone was on edge and it wasn't making anything any easier.
When the lady finally left, and Carol had settled down with the baby at her breast, Daryl sat on the side of the bed again.
"Don't get so upset," he offered. "She's just figurin' shit out too."
He couldn't really say much, but he didn't want to admit that his sleep deprived brain had made him wonder about whether or not their child even liked them for a moment.
She seemed fine now, though, and Carol was better…so he figured things would work out.
Carol nodded at him softly, but didn't say anything. She turned her attention to the baby, dragging a finger against her face while the baby fed.
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When Carol woke up from her nap…if that's what she could really call it…she could hear Daryl snoring from the chair nearby. She glanced over and saw that he was sleeping with almost complete abandon, even though she knew he wasn't comfortable. She couldn't help but smile at him.
She reached over, pressing the button on the side of the bed to call the nurse and shifted a little in the bed. She was still exhausted, but she was uncomfortable in most sense of the word and she wanted her baby back.
They'd allowed them to take the baby to the nursery for a bit for her and Daryl both to get some sleep. She hadn't slept in days…she couldn't remember when she'd slept for more than an hour stint…and so she'd fallen into a pretty deep sleep at first, but then her mind hadn't wanted to stay there.
She just wanted to have Eliza Jo in there with them, even if it meant that she didn't sleep for a little while longer. Maybe when they got her home…or maybe even later in the day when Daryl was awake…he could hold her for a bit and watch out for her and Carol could catch up on some rest, but for the time being she didn't like the thought of her being all the way across the floor from her and in some room with nurses who just thought of her as just another baby and didn't realize how special she was.
And Carol realized she wouldn't be especially wonderful to anyone who didn't know her…but already she felt like the most important thing in Carol's life.
Carol hated to admit it, even to herself, but for as much as she loved Daryl…and glancing at him sleeping in the chair again after such an exciting run of things during the past few hours, she realized just how much she really did love him…there was something different already in the love that her heart produced for Eliza Jo. Just seeing that tiny little face and knowing that this incredibly beautiful, and Carol thought she was incredibly beautiful, little girl was hers had actually made her heart almost throb at the thought.
And she felt like she'd known the little girl forever when she was only a few hours old. She felt like all that time that everyone else spent only somewhat aware of her existence…all that time that she'd been growing in Carol's belly…Carol had already know her and she'd already loved her.
From the moment the doctor told her she was pregnant, Carol had worried about her and she felt her, even before she could feel her move.
And now she was here…outside her body…ready to lead her own little life with the help of her parents…and of all her beautiful, and sometimes difficult, adopted family.
And Carol could clearly see that Daryl already loved the little girl. He was smitten with her and he wanted to hold her whenever he could…but it was different for her. She felt, although she'd never say it out loud, that no matter how much anyone ever loved Eliza Jo, they'd never understand how much she loved her.
So when the nurse came, pushing a little more medication for Carol, Carol didn't even blink at the fact that the nurse seemed surprised that Carol was requesting that she bring her daughter back to her. She could sleep…eventually…but more important to her than sleep in the moment was knowing exactly where Eliza Jo was and that she wasn't alone somewhere or left with strangers.
And when the nurse brought the little girl back to her, moving her to her arms, Carol settled back against her pillow with a sigh.
She'd never, ever tell her daughter that she loved her more than her Daddy did, because she believed that Daryl was going to love Eliza Jo with all his heart…and to be fair, that's all he had to give…but she couldn't help but feel that there was something between the two of them that no one else would ever understand.
In fact, she could tell the little girl, one day when she understood things better, how much she loved her…but she doubted that Eliza Jo could understand it, or that she'd ever even believe it…not until she held her own baby close to her heart and watched her sleep.
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"I'll get in the back with her," Carol said.
Daryl carefully snapped the car seat carrier down into the base the way that Michonne had taught him to do it. Eliza Jo was asleep and they'd taken the extra precaution of padding all the way around the baby with the extra blankets they'd brought, just so she wouldn't shift at all in the seat.
"Did you hear me?" Carol asked, "I'm going in the back with her…"
Daryl chuckled as he raised up out of the car and shut the door on Eliza Jo's side. He crossed around the back of the car where Carol was still sitting in the wheelchair he'd brought her out in and waiting on him.
"I heard ya," he said. "I ain't gone deaf."
Daryl helped Carol into the car and shut her in, returning the wheelchair quickly. He walked nervously toward the car, and got in, pulling the door shut and starting the ignition.
"Y'all ready?" Daryl asked.
He glanced in the rearview mirror at Carol. She was buckled into her seat but leaning over, fumbling a little with the baby and smiling softly.
"We're ready, Daddy," Carol said. "Let's go home."
Daryl pulled out of the parking lot and started down the roads that would take them back to Sweet Junction. He drove along, happy that there were hardly any other motorists on the road.
"That as fast as you're going to go, Daryl?" Carol asked.
Daryl glanced momentarily in the rearview mirror. She still hadn't changed her position.
"Am I drivin' or you?" Daryl asked. "This ain't no race."
Carol chuckled.
"Carry on," she said.
"She asleep?" Daryl asked, focusing his attention once again on the almost abandoned roads in front of him.
"She's awake right now," Carol said. "She probably won't hold out for long, though."
Daryl smiled to himself.
"We're going home…yes we are…" Carol cooed to the baby.
"'Liza Jo," Daryl said. "Ya goin' home. Gon' be a long trip for someone ain't been alive no longer'n you is, but'cha gonna like it. Lil' town called Sweet Junction…an' ya whole family lives there. It's a whole lot like you is…ain't real big, but it's kinda special."
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AN: So there you have it. We have arrived at the end of our journey together (at least for those of you who won't be joining me on the next leg of it).
I don't even know where to begin to comment on this story. It's bittersweet to finish it. I'm amazed that it's turned into the saga that it's turned into and I'm touched by all the readers that have, along the way, expressed the fact that they enjoyed, just like I did, escaping a little each day to a quiet little town name Sweet Junction to play with some of their friends.
It's been quite the journey, especially when I think back to the fact that I started the story on a whim and didn't really know if it would go anywhere at all. I've loved the entire thing and I've loved the way the story has taken on a life of its own and all the characters have come to life for me. They've become, honestly, like personal friends of mine.
I hope that you enjoyed it too.
I couldn't possibly think to thank everyone that has meant so much to me while I was writing this. I would love to thank each of you personally, but that would take forever.
Among so many others, I'd like to thank EnglishPoet18, SOA loving mom, vickih, Dixonrocks, adelicateflower08, peonies01, and so many of the others (honestly to name you all here would take me maybe as long as it took to tell the tale) for all their support and for reading and reviewing every chapter of a story that I'm sure many of you wondered if it would ever end. And please, even if you're not named, know that I am no less appreciative of you.
I want to thank everyone who has read this story and especially everyone who has reviewed to let me know that you were reading. You fed the muse that kept the story going no matter how busy my life got, how tired I was, or how many times I might have simply walked away. You're all great and I really appreciate your support in reading.
I will, before too long, be posting the beginning chapters of Grass Roots, the sequel to Sweet Junction, and I invite anyone who is interested to join me there.
In the meantime, I invite you step into some of my other worlds.
Phantom Hearts is a post apocalypse, season 3 Caryl story that some of you may have already read. The sequel to it (that I have only begun to write and not dedicated too much time to as of yet) is Northern Stars if you've finished Phantom Hearts.
There's also Broken Mirrors for those of you looking for a different kind of Caryl AU from me.
And for the post-apocalyptic Caryl reader, there's also Lightning Only Strikes Once that starts after Season 2 but is going past Season 4.
I invite you to join any of the journeys with me that you think may be of interest and I hope to see some of you along the way with Grass Roots as we continue to explore the lives of the good citizens of Sweet Junction.
If that's not your thing, though, and this is where we part ways, I'd like to thank you all for reading and for sharing in this experience with me.
I leave you all now, on some corner in Sweet Junction, until we meet again! Caryl on, friends!