Four years later..

Daryl was on his way back home, from today's shift on the guard tower, and like everyday he couldn't wait to see Beth, Rose and Alexander again. While he was going on the empty street and listened to the birds singing in the trees, Daryl's thoughts began to drifting off.

He still couldn't believe that this all was his life, his own wonderful life. The last five years made him to the man he always wanted to be. In the last five years he got everything he ever wanted, but never dared to ask for. During some nights, when Daryl couldn't sleep, he asked himself, why he deserved this all, he, Daryl Dixon. He watched his girl next to him sleeping peacefully in his arms and Daryl knew that their little kids were sleeping, peacefully like their mother, in the next room. Daryl still believed, that he deserved not even one bit of this all, but he also knew, that he was feeling damn proud that someone had chosen him for this life.

Rose was almost ten years old now and Daryl was so damn proud about her. She was such a clever, decent, sweet little girl. That all she definitely had it from her mother, but Rose also liked it to go "hunting" in their garden. Daryl had made her a own mini crossbow made of wood a few months ago and she was playing with it every day. She was such a brave little girl. Rose did never disgust, when Daryl had shot a deer or a rabbit and making it ready for dinner, she sometimes even helped him with it.

Alexander didn't like that very much. He was very shy and bashfully, like Daryl was in his childhood. But he loved his son as much as he loved his daughter, even when the two of them were so different. Everyone said, that Alexander was looking so much like his father and he really did. Exactly like Daryl, just little.

Daryl remembered the day, when he carried his little son the first time through the door inside their house. All the time Daryl couldn't stop smiling, because he was so damn proud and happy. Their little son was healthy, Rose was so excited about being a big sister and Beth was still a little powerless, after giving birth and so she spent most of the next days on the couch. Next to Daryl, Rose and Alexander. Daryl never wanted to leave ever the house again.

He just couldn't look away from his beautiful son, watching him the whole time or cuddling with him. While Beth and Alexander were sleeping peacefully, Rose and Daryl made together something to eat, made some housework or were playing together. Daryl made everything for Beth so she was feeling better soon, because she had given him so much and even if he would give her everything back he could, it would never be enough. Beth gave Daryl this beautiful life.

After Beth had felt better again, Daryl was the one, who was laying on the couch and took a nap with his little son on his chest. One hand protective over little Alexander's tiny back and the other was holding Rose close to his side. And so the three of them were sleeping silently together, till Beth woke them up with kissing lovingly their foreheads.

Daryl made, together with Aaron, even before Alexander was born, a crib for his little son, but Daryl just couldn't bring it over his heart, to lay the baby boy inside it at the end of the day. So Alexander was sleeping in his parents bed, always protected by his father's arms. Of course, Rose was sleeping in Beth's and Daryl's bed too and during the nights Daryl sometimes just watched his three angels sleeping peacfully. And sometimes the tears were running silently down his cheeks, because he was so damn happy and proud. But finally Beth persuaded Daryl to lay their little son in the crib, so they could all sleep better, but Daryl just missed the baby's little body against his chest during sleep.

When the time came and little Alexander got his first teeth, he began to cry bitterly in the middle of the nights and Daryl always stood up then and took his son out of the grip, up in his arms and went downstairs, so his girls could sleep upstairs. While cradling Alexander in his arms, Daryl went through the living room with him and spoke lovingly, soothing words to his crying son. When Alexander finally calmed down again, Daryl lowered himself on the couch and watched the little bunch of life in his arms. He could make him stop crying, but the pain didn't let his little baby boy sleep again, so Daryl spent the whole night long with telling his little son stories and fairy tales like the beauty and the beast, which Daryl had already told Rose such a long time ago too.

Always stroking the warm cheeks of Alexander, kissing his tiny head or pulling him closer to his father's chest. Sometimes Daryl even began to sing silently, like Beth was always doing, when Alexander couldn't sleep. And even when Daryl was damn tired the next day, he would do it every time again for his son.

Daryl's heart almost hurt, when Alexander said his first word 'daddy'. He was so damn proud about his son, his daughter and of course Beth. Daryl was also the one, who held his little boy's hands, when he made his first steps. How could he, Daryl Dixon, manage to make something so beautiful like his children?

Time passed by and Daryl won't ever forget that one evening, when the four of them were sitting at dinner, Alexander was about two years then. Daryl still got goose bumps, when he was looking at his three angels during dinner and they were all looking back at him so happily and glad to have him. Rose was just telling her parents, what she wanted to become in the future, when Alexander interrupted his sister "When I grow up, I want to be like daddy." Daryl looked at his son speechless, while Beth was already smiling proudly at him. "Why do you want to become like me sweetheart?" Daryl asked his son curious. "Because you are so strong and brave. You can track and hunt and you are just the best daddy in the whole world." Alexander answered serious to his father.

Daryl had to look away then, because he could already feel the tears burning in his eyes. "Yeah, and when I grow up I want to marry a prince, who will be like you daddy. Or I will immediately marry you daddy. Would you marry me daddy?" Rose asked Daryl with big eyes. And that was it. A tear found its way down his rosy cheek and he could feel Beth's soft hand on top of his. And when Daryl looked up again, he could see, that Beth had also tears in her eyes. "Of course, I would marry you princess." Daryl answered his daughter with a shaking voice.

Rose was always protecting Alexander and she also learned him new things, because he just trusted a few people. Alexander didn't talk that much to people he didn't know that well. He was, in contrast to Rose, very shy and self effecting. Because of that, Beth and Daryl weren't looking bad, when their two kids came home from nursery school and Alexander had a blue eye.

First Alexander didn't want to tell his parents what had happened, but then Daryl sank on his knees in front of his son and took his tiny hands in his "What happened little man?" Daryl asked him carefully. "Michael.. he was teasing Rose again with taking her toy away and finally he pushed her on the ground, so.. I also did and.. Are you mad at me daddy? I just wanted to protect Rose, like you are always doing. I just had to protect her."

Daryl was speechless and also proud about his son. When Daryl looked over his shoulder to Beth, he could tell that she was feeling exactly the same. Finally Daryl calmed down his son, when he said "It's okay little man. You just wanted to protect your sister." Before Alexander left into the living room, Daryl placed a lovingly kiss on his son's forehead. Before Beth and he followed their children, she whispered so only Daryl could hear "As the father, so the son."

Rose and Alexander were also sharing a room together, even when there was a second room for only Alexander in their house, but he was afraid, when it was getting dark and sleeping in the same room with his sister always helped him to fall asleep and Rose loved it to have her little brother close.

But when there was a storm outside the four of them were all together in Beth and Daryl's king-sized bed and he had to comfort his three sweethearts. And Daryl still loved it to protect his three angels from the bad, bad storm outside their window. He was feeling so useful and loved then, the three of them trusted him so much, because they knew he would protect them with his life.

Daryl was so proud about his two children and of course about Beth too. Beth. Daryl didn't know how she was doing it, but he loved her even more with every day. She was such a great mother, of course she was. And Beth still remembered Daryl every day, that he was loved so much.

Daryl finally entered their house, just to notice that it was silent inside, but he could hear the happy screams from his children outside. While leaning against the door frame, he watched Rose, while she was learning Alexander how to shoot the ball into the gate. The two of them were just too cute, best Daryl wanted to cuddle and kiss them all day long.

Finally Daryl's happily eyes found Beth. She was kneeling in their vegetable garden, a light blue summer dress around her perfect body and her blond locks into a high braid. Daryl couldn't tell, who was shining brighter, the sun or his beautiful girl.

Alexander was the first one, who finally noticed him. "Daddy." The little boy screamed and ran with opened arms in his direction. Daryl caught him with a big momentum and kissed his tiny forehead. "Hey little man." Rose was running in his direction too and when she finally fell in his arms he kissed her cheek and took them both up. "We have missed you daddy." The children said at the same time. "I have missed you too my sweethearts." Daryl answered and took them closer to his chest.

Beth was watching them with a wide smile, her eyes were looking so happily, while she came into the direction from the three of them, she took off her dirty gloves and let them fall careless on the ground. When she came closer, Daryl could tell, that she had some earth on her sweet little nose and her eyes were looking so lovingly up at him.

Beth gave Daryl some sweet kisses and between she said "Hey my hero." "Hey my beautiful princess." Daryl answered her with the same bright smile in his face. Beth wrapped her right arm around his back then and leaned her head against his shoulder "I have missed you too, you know." "Of course, I know that sweetheart, because I have missed you too, so much. I love you my girl." Looking up into his eyes Beth said the words Daryl just couldn't often hear enough "I love you too my love."

It had been five years, eight months and twentyseven days. Daryl always knew that, because every morning he gave one to that. But it wasn't since he had lost Beth, no, it was since Beth was back in his life.
It had been five years, eight months and twentyseven days, since his life had a reason again.
And now he had even three reasons.

Now Daryl Dixon was finally happy.