So this chapter is going to take on a different role than the others as it will be from the others because it starts out in Daryl's POV before it switches into Judith's as the story comes to a close.

This will be the last official chapter of the story. There will be an Epilogue coming soon as well to give a little more closure into the future. Please show me some review love as we leave our favourite characters be once again.

Disclaimer- I do not own the walking dead or anything related to it. Aside from glassware with their faces on it. My Glenn cup is the best :)

Summary- Judith Grimes is separated from her older Brother Carl three years after the fall of Alexandria. Now with her new found friend Jack she must fight to survive and find her family again.

Daryl's POV

Flashback

Swarms of the undead were chasing after me trying to get a bite of my flesh. I had to leave to give Beth her best chance. So I ran, crossbow held high and smashing into skulls that got to close. The woods have always been my home and so running through them at mach speed was no problem for me. Soon I lost the geeks and was able to slow to a walk. I circled back to the farm looking for my family hoping they didn't go to far from here. I knew Jack and Judy got away and they would be find but I couldn't bear to leave Beth on her own. I reached the front porch where everything started to go downhill, Enid and Carl lay tangled together both gone from this world. A bullet had pierced through both of their brains to keep them from turning. I thought to myself how it had to have been Beth who had taken that job upon herself. I looked through the bodies hoping I wouldn't see anyone else from my family.

I walked slowly around the back of the house. I stopped dead in my tracks as the faces of Maggie and Glenn laying in the dirt assaulted my sight. I fought the urge to throw up as I knelt down to their level and prayed for the first time in forever. Beth was religious and so she would want a prayer for her sister. I took out the remaining walkers keeping my eyes out for my wife. After the walkers were taken care of I burnt all the bodies of those I didn't know and buried the rest next to and the others we had lost here at this very farm so many years ago. Dale, Sophia, Annette, Shawn, Otis. Some many others that we couldn't bury.

I left the farm three days later. My pack full of the items that had been left behind. I set off to the Juniper house first. I had told the kids to go there and wait. My hopes were dashed when I reached the house now overrun with walkers and the kids nowhere in sight. I had no idea where they would have gone from here. My mind went into overdrive as I realized how truly alone in the world I was for the first time in a very long time.

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I decided to go south into Florida. I had never left Georgia before and as I stood straddling the border I couldn't help my mind from wandering to Beth and that damn drinking game all those years ago. I didn't want to play that stupid game with her but I always did have problems saying no to her. I pushed the thoughts of my possibly dead wife to the back of my mind as I took the final step into Florida. I searched the coastal towns and cities, sticking to either the beach or any forest I could find. The air was so moist here in Florida it felt like I was going to drown just by breathing. Walking along the beach my shirt sleeves long gone I could hear laughing in the distance. It was faint but most definitely happy. I followed the sound as it echoed with the waves crashing on the shore. Three figures appeared, two were laughing and having a great time, something so contrast to my feelings and the world around us. The third figure stood by watching I presume. Soon though they were all rushing into a large cement wall enclosed beach house. I followed quickly not knowing who I was running too. I banged on the door three times hoping to get their attention. "GO THE HELL AWAY OR I WILL BLOW YOU AWAY." a familiar dazzling

"BETH." I called before the door swung open.

End Flashback

Long warm arms engulfed me as I stood in the open doorway staring at my family. The people I had grown to love and care for more than anything, the very people I thought I had lost forever stood all around me. Beth pulled me in through the door way as it shut behind me. "I knew you would find us." Her lips were on mine in a flash. A loud cough brought our attention back to the present. We looked over to see Judith and Jack with smiles plastered on their tanned skin.

"Hey dad." Jack said coming over to hug me quickly. He grew up learning affection like this from his mother.

"I'm glad you two listened and took off."

"Carl?"

"I went back to the farm. I found all of our people that didn't make it and buried them."

"Daryl who all did you bury?" Beth asked me. I knew once I found them again I would have to tell them of the horrors I found.

"Enid and Carl." I started. "Glenn and Maggie. I found em out around the back of the farm house." Tears slid down Beth's face as she chocked on a sob. Her legs gave way beneath her, I moved fluidly to catch her before she hit the ground with a thud.

"No." Judith whispered into the air. I had momentarily forgotten how close she would have been to them growing up. "Jack." She cried throwing her face into his shoulder. He held her while she sobbed for the loss of her brother and step sister as well as for the loss of her aunt and uncle(not by blood of course).

"I'm sorry Judith." I said to the girl.

"Thank you for finding out. You didn't see mom too did you?"

"Michonne nah. It'll take a lot more than all that to kill her. I bet she's out there some place looking for ya."

"I hope so."

"How long ya been holed up here?" I questioned turning back to my wife. A few grey streaks now lined her pretty head of blonde.

"Since before winter. We got here a few weeks after the farm was lost again." She told me. "This place is pretty safe so far. I think we can stay longer."

"We can stay as long as the world lets us. We are home."

Judith's POV

"Happy 20th birthday Judy." Beth sang as we sat at the pretty dining room table in the old beach house we had found in Florida over a year ago. We had been here for a while when Daryl showed up with the news our family was dead. But the good thoughts on the matter is now Maggie and Glenn are with Ben again. Carl and Enid are together with my parents and I still have Jack.

"Thank you. But how did you know?"

"Well I saw that calendar in the study and did the math on what it would be. I remembered knowing what day it was when you were born. None of us could ever forget that day."

"Really? Being born isn't that big a deal."

"The world was over and you were the first baby that any of us had seen since."

"Not to mention it was very dramatic." Daryl piped in.

"You know, no one has ever told me that story?" I prodded.

"We were in the prison and walkers were over powering us again, your mom and Carl were with Maggie when your mom went into labor. She had to be cut open to save your life and in the process it killed her. Carl ended up having to put her down so she didn't turn and then your pa freaked out and went crazy for a while." Daryl said matter of fact.

"Wow that's… um."

"Daryl why would you just say it like that?" Beth scolded. Jack sat next to me silently laughing at his parents.

"Well she's old enough to know the truth Beth."

"Yes but at least you could sugar coat it."

"I ain't ever sugar coated anything I ain't startin now."

"You are such a pain sometimes you know that." She said placing her hand on his chest.

"Well ya I know." He leaned in to kiss her gently. Jack and I cleared our throats to grab their attention making them jump back a few feet away from each other.

"Okay well thanks for the story. Jack and I are gonna go check the walls, make sure everything is good."

"Alright well we will be upstairs taking a nap." Beth chimed.

"Gross mom." Jack replied as we briskly walked to the door.

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Everything outside was quiet, no walkers lingered on the beach or on the street. All the cars had been removed from the road and we did our best to keep the local area as clean as we could. This is our home after all. We walked around hand in hand with our knives securely on our belts. After a while in the silence a loud cry pierced the air, our hands automatically grabbing our knives and raising them for the attack. "Look." I pointed down the street to a couple carrying a small bundle.

"We have been walking for days Henry I don't think I can keep going. We have no food and no water. We haven't seen a biter in miles. Please."

"Jack we have to help them, they have a baby."

"Alright." He stepped forward his knife rasied, I followed suit. "Hands in the air."

The couple did as he asked. "Oh my god another person, please, please help us."

"Is that a baby ma'am?" I asked her nicely.

"Yes, his name is Alex he is only a few months old. We got run out of our last place and had to leave everything behind." The woman said.

"We have a bigger group, so don't try anything." Jack said sounding every bit like his father. "Jude go get dad."

"On it." I ran into the yard and up the steps and entered the house. Knowing full well what I was interrupting I knocked on the door anyway. "Hey guys I know your busy "napping" but we have two strangers and a baby just outside the walls and we are going to let them in. They seem harmless. I think we should have them join the group."

"Judith are you insane." Daryl's booming voice echoed through the still closed door. I could hear them rustling around inside getting dressed and grabbing weapons. Soon they emerged and gave me a look. "You can't just let people in."

"Jack is talking with them. They have a tiny baby and they have nowhere to go. We can use more people on our side you know that."

"Fine lets go talk to them." He grumbled but followed me down stairs and outside to where they stood waiting at knife point with Jack. "Jack?"

"They seem decent dad."

"How many walkers you killed?" Daryl asked the couple. A memory of my dad flashed through my mind then.

"Too many to count over the years." The man said and the woman nodded along.

"How many people you killed?"

"Three." The man told us.

"Why?"

"They tried to harm my family, they wanted what we had and I tried to defend my wife and children."

"There is more children with you?" Beth asked looking around.

"No, our daughter was taken from us a few years ago."

"I am very sorry miss." Beth told the woman who now had tears in her eyes.

"Alright come on in and get cleaned up but I need your weapons until we know we can trust you." Daryl told the man. They quickly handed the knives and a gun over. "They will be but away until needed. We won't harm you and once we trust you they go back to you."

"Thank you. Oh thank you." The woman said walking over and grabbing Beth's hand in her own. The tears that had welled in her eyes fell freely down her face now.

"We have a bunch of extra rooms in this place. The beach is pretty safe at this point. We try to keep things clean in the area so we have something nice to look at. Um we will assign you both jobs once you get some food in you and a good night's sleep." I told the people as we led them inside and upstairs.

"We rigged the hot water tank so we have tons of hot water. Take a nice shower you will feel so much better." Jack said proudly.

"Yeah and if you want I can babysit. I have never been around a tiny baby so far but I'm sure I could figure it out." I told them. "Of course that's once you're comfortable. I will go down and see if we have any baby food." I danced down the stairs with Jack on my trail. I listened to see if they said anything.

"I think heaven has sent us these people Henry. This is all truly a gift from god."

"Jenna we have to be careful. The men…"

"Look like this world has beaten them but they have prevailed. Remember what Ginny used to say?"

"Don't judge a book by the cover."

"Yes our little girl was smart and these people, can be our people we just have to let them in and hope they let us in." Jenna said to him.

"Alright, we will let them in. These people can become family. In this world we make our own families."

Jack and I walked into the kitchen. "They are gonna fit in just fine here with us."

"They are yes. So do you think we should tell my parents about our little secret?"

"I think it's time yeah. I also think they are going to kill us."

"They won't kill us."

"Your dad might." I stated.

"I think we will just get the talk again."

"Maybe Beth will be happy for us Jack?" I told him forming it as a question in the end.

"Be happy about what?" Beth asked as she rounded the corner and stood before us. Daryl came up behind her, his hands on her hips as they stood watching us.

"Mom… Mama… Dad. Judith and I have decided to start our own family." He said spitting it out. Beth's eyes went wide and a smiled appeared on her face. Daryl on the other hand turned two shaded darker as anger appeared on his face.

"We are having a baby." I announced.

"Oh my." Beth whispered before pulling us both into a giant hug. "Daryl save the talk okay, we are going to be grandparents." Her happiness was shocking but a welcome sound.

"Dear god." Daryl said. "Alrigh' we can deal with this."

"Dad, are you mad?" Jack asked.

"Nah son I ain't mad. Just know it's a lot a work to keep a family."

"I know dad and I am gonna make you proud. We both are." Jack hugged his father tightly as Beth and I looked on. The awkwardness poured out of them in waves making us giggle.

"I hope it's a girl." I said happily.

"I guess you better practice a little." The woman Jenna said as she and her husband came down the stairs freshly showered and in clean clothes. Little Baby Henry in her arms. "Here." She held the bundle out to me to take which I did very gently.

"Thank you for taking us in. We will be happy to do our part around here."

"Alrigh' let's show ya around."

Well there you have it folks. This story has come to an end. They Are happy and have some new people plus a baby on the way. A short epilogue will come soon. To close it off a little more. I hope everyone has enjoyed this story. Please feel free to leave me some words on what you think of it. I love hearing what you all have to say.

NicoleTheresa