We have storms coming so if you don't get an update tomorrow it is because my internet is out! My fingers are crossed that that doesn't happen! It's been messing up horribly for days! Anyway, I went over this chapter and cracked up a bit. I hope you enjoy it too. Thanks for reading!

Chapter Fifty Six

Carol had been nervous those first few days in the house. There was still so much her and Daryl needed to learn about each other. And that first day, when she had found him staring into the closet like he was in the grip of some kind of nightmare, she had started doubting that they would really be able to make this place their home.

That was five weeks ago. A lot changed in five weeks. Summer break was over and Sophia went back to school. Her and Piper and Damon were back to being inseparable. Daryl went to work at the garage. She went back to the bakery. Her biggest fear had been that Daryl would realize that all of this was too much. That he would realize that all those years he spent doing what he wanted when he wanted with whomever he wanted were a lot more fun than anything she could have offered him. That fear was ebbing drastically.

They were alone now, which rarely happened in the middle of the day, and any worry she had had about him finding her unattractive with her ever expanding belly was tossed out the window. He wasn't bored with her. He wasn't repulsed by her. He wasn't uninterested in the least. Like now, they were taking advantage of the empty house. Somehow they ended up tangled together on the couch. He had her trapped between his body and the back of the couch so there was no escape, even if she had wanted too, which she definitely did not.

He kept trying to ease her shirt up and she kept pushing his hand back down. He was trying to distract her with his teeth on her throat and although it was very distracting, she knew that it was rare that no one was home and the likelihood of them getting caught making out on the couch like a couple of teenagers was high. She had never met anyone with so much energy.

"We need to talk about something," she breathed, once again pushing his hand out of her shirt.

"I can think of somethin' to use my mouth for that's a lot better than talkin'," he drawled, dragging his tongue over the shell of her ear. His leg pushed further between hers.

"I'm being serious," she muttered, moving her head so he had better access to her throat.

"Me too," he mumbled as his hand slid around her hip to her ass.

"Piper and Sophia both have Birthdays coming up."

He growled.

"And June thinks... Oh God," she whimpered as his hand dipped into the front of her pants. "... Thinks we should just throw them a party together."

Between the awkward angle and how tight her jeans were fitting nowadays, he couldn't get his whole hand in her pants so he went to work on getting them unbottoned. "That's a good idea." His lips trailed up her jaw and finally he was kissing her again, momentarily making her forget that they had something to discuss.

When he pulled back slightly, grinning in triumph once he was finally able to get his hand into her pants, she forgot what she needed to say. He barely managed to push one thick finger into her when they heard heavy boots on the porch.

"You gotta be kiddin' me," he growled. Instead of removing his hand from her pants he plunged his finger deeper, causing her to whimper again. "It's like those mother fuckers can smell it every time you get wet."

She stared at him, eyes wide, wondering if he was going to get the door or if he was going to continue doing what he was doing. Someone tried the knob but it was locked so they rung the doorbell. He glanced over his shoulder and then kissed her hard before removing his hand. She watched as his finger slipped between his lips, tasting her and then he grinned devilishly. "This ain't over."

"God, I hope not."

He rolled off the couch just as the person outside started beating on the door. She stood up, closing her eyes against a wave of dizziness, and then fixed her jeans just as he was pulling the door open. Merle, Randy and Buck walked in then, followed by the girls, Damon, June and Odin. Daryl was still cursing under his breath when he slammed the door.

"We interrupt something?" Buck asked, grinning.

Daryl growled at him on his way by. "What the hell are you all doin' here? It's your night to cook, damn it."

Buck leaned down, planting his lips to Carol's forehead while he ruffled her hair. "It is but there's been a change of plans."

Carol glanced at the clock, knowing they needed to go within' the hour. "We already have plans, Buck. Remember? I have an appointment in an hour."

Merle slammed the fridge, beer in hand. "No shit. That's the change of plans. You think we're gonna miss this?"

Carol looked from one face to the next. She hadn't been expecting them all to want to go with them. She had changed doctors shortly after she found out she was pregnant so she wouldn't have to make the trip back and forth to Atlanta so it wouldn't be a hard trip for everyone to make. With Sophia she had made the trips to the doctor alone. She was sure that they had all thought her to be a single mother. "You guys don't all have to go. They don't let many people in anyway. You'll just be waiting until it's over and you can do that somewhere more comfortable than a waiting room, I'm sure."

This wasn't something that occurred to any of them, apparently. Buck and Merle instantly started arguing about who was going to be in the room. Daryl sighed and sat down on one of the stools, pulling her backwards so she was nestled between his legs. His lips went to her ear then. "You don't have to let any of them go, you know."

She leaned further into him and watched as the whole group argued. "I want them there. I was all by myself with Sophia. It's strange having so many people... care."

He chuckled. "Yeah, you'll get over that sooner than you think. Fuckin' nags, every one of'em."

Merle was glaring at Buck. "You can kiss my ass! I'm goin'!"

"If there's a limit to how many people can be in there then you're ass is in the waiting room boy. I'm goin' in." Buck looked ready to kick Merle's ass.

Merle shook his head. "You know how much puke I had to look at cause of this kid? I didn't see you doin' that. I'm goin'! Daryl got to have the fun makin' it and then I had to clean up the mess when he wasn't around so I'm there."

Carol watched them with a goofy grin on her face. Even Randy was arguing points. June was quiet until Odin started in and then she jumped all over him, declaring that she was the one that made sure Carol had what she needed and was fed while she was sick for all that time.

"We shouldn't let any of them go back there," Daryl muttered in her ear.

"Actually I think if Buck throws his weight around a little, they'd make an exception to the rule and let the whole family in. But if not, I want Merle in there."

Daryl chuckled. "If Buck starts throwin' his weight around then they'll need a new office."

Carol and Daryl slipped out of the kitchen and up the stairs while the rest of them were bickering. "Are you nervous?" She asked as she changed into a vintage tee shirt.

He eyed her and then shook his head. "Nah. What is there to be nervous about?"

She eyed him right back. "Well, for one, this is your first. It would make sense if you were nervous."

He raised a brow. "First, huh? How many more you plan on having?"

"And second," she said, ignoring him, "If there's anything wrong then today is probably the day we find out. There's other tests I have to take but usually things show up in an ultrasound."

All humor vanished from his face. "Wrong? Like what?"

She shrugged. "Any deformities, delayed organ development. You know, that kind of thing."

His face grew pale, his eyes frantic. "Could that happen? I mean, I know it happens but you don't drink or do drugs or smoke and you eat right and you're healthy."

She nodded. "So everything should be just fine."

He still didn't look very reassured. Once they got to the doctors office Buck actually did demand to talk to the doctor and then the ultrasound tech. She imagined she should be upset that all of them wanted to come in. This was suppose to be something big that was just for her and Daryl to share, but she didn't feel that way. All of them really had played a huge part in all of this and she wanted to give them the opportunity to share the moment. He didn't seem to mind so she didn't either.

Once she was on the table the lab tech let them in.

All of them.

The man looked like he was ready to get this over with. He was rail thin, mid fifties with a kind face and thick glasses. His gray hair was meticulously parted on the side and perfectly trimmed like he was one of those older men that made it a point to visit the barber weekly. His black slacks were free of wrinkles, the crease so straight and sharp that Carol was sure if he wanted too he could cut someone with one strategically placed kick. His black shoes seemed freshly polished, not a scuff in sight. Even his lab coat seemed ultra white and so starched she was surprised it didn't chafe his skin. Compared to the rest of the men in the room, he could have been from another planet. "If you don't mind could you just maybe squeeze against that wall right over there. We don't want to... break anything," he said in a smooth low voice that was better suited for a Jazz musician.

Everyone minded what the little man said. Randy and Merle shifted on their feet nervously like they were waiting in line at an amusement park.

"Now, whichever one of you is the father, you can stand right here to get a better look," the man said as he fiddled with some knobs and buttons on the machine.

Carol glanced up when the man stopped what he was doing, staring wide eyed at the group. To Carol's horror every male in the room stepped forward, even Damon. The man's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Get back over there you bunch of idiots," Daryl hissed, elbowing Merle hard on his way past. "Now this dude prolly thinks we pass her around like a hash pipe. Shitheads."

"Daryl!" Carol snapped.

He looked down at her and shrugged. "What?" He glanced at the man, his face apologetic. "Seriously, I'm the one that knocked her up. They're just over eager jackasses."

The man nodded, his eyes wide.

"Yeah," Damon muttered loudly. "Knocked her up the first day they met. He's my hero- Ouch, Buck. What the fuck?"

Carol felt her face flame. She was covered to her waist with a sheet and she wanted nothing more than to pull it up over her head until this was over. So she just took a deep breath, cleared her mind of the Dixon shenanigans that were going on in the room, and focused on finding out what this baby was going to be. The man lifted her shirt and the room grew quiet once more. Thank God.

"Now, this is gonna be a little cold," the man said before he squeezed some gel out of a tube onto her stomach.

Randy cleared his throat. "You know, I've never been into pregnant chicks, but is anybody else kinda turned on right now?"

"Kinda," Merle muttered right before she heard two distinct slaps and then June's quiet voice telling them to hush.

She groaned. The man looked down at her and she just shook her head.

"Okay, here we go," he muttered as the screen lit up and a strange image started coming into focus.

For a second Carol felt panic. This didn't look anything like it had when she had gotten an ultrasound when she was pregnant with Sophia. She was about to voice her concerns when he explained the reason without being prompted.

"These new three D imaging machines never cease to amaze me. Much better than the old ones," he said as he stared at the screen and moved the cold wand over her stomach.

"Holy shit!" Daryl muttered when suddenly the image of a small body appeared.

"And there we are," the man smiled and started pointing out everything they were seeing on the screen.

"Why's it got such a big head?" Daryl asked, anxiety lacing his words.

"Cause it takes after you water boy," Merle muttered.

"Fuck you Merle, this is serious shit," Daryl barked. The baby moved at the sound of his voice and he grew very still beside her.

"Actually, he's pretty much perfect. Right now he's still developing. The head may seem large but it's only because his body is catching up."

"He?" Everyone in the room seemed to ask in unison.

The man smiled and glanced over his shoulder. "Yes. He. You can see right..." He moved the wand down, "There."

"That's so fucked up," Damon whispered loudly. "I can see his baby junk."

Randy laughed. "Well fuck me. He takes after you, Buck. I thought it was a third arm."

"Stop starin' at my kids package you bunch of freaks," Daryl barked.

"Oh my goodness," the man muttered quietly, shaking his head.

Carol stared at the screen, unable to form any words at all as everyone grew quiet once more as they admired the image.

"Mr. Dixon, you must talk a lot," the man said, smiling again now that he was looking at the screen.

"What the hell is that suppose to mean?" Daryl asked, sounding defensive.

The man nodded towards the image. "Because every time you say something he reacts. I would say he responds the same way to his mama here but she's more quiet than you. Something tells me that this little guy is going to have one very colorful vocabulary stored in that little brain of his once he makes his debut. He can't necessarily hear but he can feel the vibrations of your voices right now, and he seems to be very familiar with yours."