The Man on The Mountain Chapter 40, a walking dead fanfic

A/N Thank you all so much. We're here, the final chapter of The Man on The Mountain. I hope you enjoy it.

Oh Baby, Baby

Four Weeks Later

The family is sitting around a makeshift outdoor table, each of them with an ear of corn in their hands. They never thought they'd be eating corn on the cob again. Every day now it seems, they're reminded how much the world has changed, and how lucky they are to have so much.

Beth's feeling pretty proud of herself for all she's accomplished in the greenhouse. Not only will they be eating corn on the cob for three nights, but they've been canning the fruits of her labor for the past two days. Tomatoes, peas, beans and more. Tomorrow they'll be making pickles. The bounty of fresh food had them deciding just last night, Daryl and Merle are going to start on a second greenhouse. They have the lumber and plenty of sheeting, and none of them can think of anything better to do with those things than enable the growing of more food.

Daryl's been out hunting four times since he returned from Jack Knife Pass, and each hunt was successful. He's harvested four deer, several game birds, and two turkeys. In addition to the animals Merle has harvested it seems like so much, but they all know how long winter is and how far that food will have to stretch. They all feel insecurity about running out before the winter snow melts, and before new crops can be grown. That's why they will continue to harvest and to can, and to plan how they can get more food.

On this unusually pleasant evening, as they all savor their last one or two bites of corn, Beth announces, "I know I don't have to remind you all that Sunday is Jamie's birthday! He's going to be four years old. Isn't that wonderful?"

None of them remembers hearing a thing about it, and no one knows when Jamie's birthday is, but Beth couldn't let something so important go. Everyone has to have a birthday. She's been studying a childhood development book Daryl got from one of the homes, and she decided he's four or close to it now. No one has any reason to argue with her.

Frankie's all smiles, "Oh my goodness Jamie, you're getting so grown up! I can't wait to celebrate you on your special day."

Jamie's not even quite sure what this is all about, but he knows he's the center of attention and everyone is smiling, so he's happy and smiling too. Then his Daddy reaches over, claps him on the back and says, "Ya know what this means son?"

Now it seems serious, and Jamie's face turns serious, "No."

"It means ya gotta start takin' on more responsibility. Startin' on your 4th birthday is when ya gotta learn how ta bait a hook. We best get on the lake and see if you can get that done and we can catch us some fish."

Jamie's practically jumping up and down on his seat, "Put the worm on the hook?!"

"That's right. Then ya gotta practice and practice castin' til it just comes naturally, and when we catch some fish, guess what ya gotta do next?"

"What Daddy? What?"

"Well, bein's you're the youngest, and Uncle Merle always told me it's the job of the youngest, you gotta clean em all."

Jamie scrunches his nose and says, "Ew," and his Daddy smiles, "It ain't that bad, and besides, I'm gonna help ya with it cuz like your Mama always says, we all gotta do our part. Right?"

Merle, with a baby squirming in the crook of one arm, and a half-gnawed ear of corn in his other hand asks, "Well what about Uncles? Do Uncles getta go on this fishin' expedition?"

Daryl shrugs, "Yeah, and you also get ta help Jamie dig up worms the night before. I've even been savin' an old can you can put em in."

Beth can't stop smiling, this is family. It may not be the way she once thought it would be, but it's more special than she ever dreamed it could be. "Well it's settled then, we'll plan on fish dinner for Jamie's birthday, and I think a strawberry cake would be just right, what do you think Jamie?"

"Yes Mama, cake berries, please."

Despite the very early start, there's no problem getting Jamie up to go. He gets himself dressed in record time, with just a little help from Daddy when it's time to get his shoes on the right feet and get them tied. The little guy doesn't dilly dally over his breakfast either, he gets his birthday pancakes eaten and he's ready to go.

They take Merle's pickup over to the east side of the lake, and the sun is just breaking as Jamie gets the hang of it and officially baits his first hook. The air might be a little warmer in July, but the summer season isn't long enough to ever let the water get warm, and the fish are hungry this morning.

Daryl's never been happier than he is when Jamie gets the first bite, "Daddy, Daddy, I getted one!"

Daryl gets on one knee next to him and says, "Yeah ya did, now do like I showed ya, that's it, you're doin' just fine son, you keep reelin' him in." It's a nice one and there are plenty of congratulations from his Daddy and his Uncle Merle, and Jamie can't wait to get his line out again.

The three of them have been at it a couple of hours, and they have a nice pile of fish staying cool in the shade and the mud along the bank. If they can keep up this pace of catching fish for another hour or so, not only will they have plenty for a fish fry tonight and tomorrow, there will also be enough fish to can. They're getting close to Daryl's unspoken goal when he hears the familiar long huff. He turns toward the noise and discovers it's not just the big bear, it's his whole damn family. The sow and a couple of cubs. Shit.

He says the name as calmly and quietly as he can, "Merle," and his brother knows immediately there's something wrong. He stops reeling and turns to look in the direction Daryl nods. Daryl urges under his breath, "Get behind me son, right now," the boy knows not to question his Daddy, he can hear it in the tone of his voice.

Daryl knows this bear, they've had many encounters and there hasn't been trouble between them, but the bear is a wild animal and there's no telling what he might do next. For now, he continues to huff and pop his jaws. It's a show of force and Daryl gets it. The bear is the big man on the block. He's pretty sure the big boy wants their fish for himself and his family. So far in his dealings with the big boar, Daryl has found a seemingly fearless approach with the animal is what works best. He tries that now. His voice is big and bold and full of confidence and daring as he picks up a fish, throws it to the animal and demands, "There it is, go on now, get the hell outta here!"

The bear catches the fish in his powerful jaws, tosses it in the air and then he lays it on the ground, setting a paw on top of it before barking his demand for more. Daryl throws another fish, another, and another. He then makes a move toward the bear and yells louder, "That's one for each of ya, go on now, or I'm comin' after ya!" and the man's roar mimics the bears'.

The bear lets out one last huff and then barks orders to his family, as each picks up a fish in their mouth and follows the big boar wherever it is he may be going.

Jamie's upset, "That bear taked our fishes."

Daryl shrugs, "Not all of em, he just wanted ta share. Whaddya say we see if we can't catch a couple more, then we'll go home ta Mama." In the end they make up for what they gave away and a couple more. They load the fish in a gunny sack and make the short drive home.

Beth is thrilled, "This is a wonderful catch!"

Daryl smiles, "Yeah, well Jamie done good, and I think he brought the luck for me n Merle too."

Daryl cooks the fish in the big skillet on the outdoor fire, and they all enjoy Jamie's birthday dinner of fish, fried potatoes and fresh sliced tomatoes. What Jamie can't wait for is the cake for dessert. He seems surprised when they all sing happy birthday to him, and although there are no candles for the cake, Beth has four pillar candles on the table and Jamie gleefully makes his wish and blows them out.

It's mid-July and the daytime weather is pleasantly warm, yet the family has had a plan in place for the coming winter since long before it was even officially summer. They know if they're not ready when it arrives, there will be no second chances and they'll pay with their lives. It won't be just the adults, they have children to think about too.

It's been agreed upon that when the weather gets particularly bad, they will all once again stay at Daryl and Beth's. It seems so much safer when they're together. They've made preparations for that. Now that they have the extra bedroom it shouldn't be nearly as crowded as it was this past winter, although they will have the addition of four children and an extra dog.

Daryl built floor to ceiling shelves along one wall of the new room. Books, games and toys are stacked on about half of that shelving, the other half is filled with enough warm clothes to get the children through a stay of several days, including stacks of diapers. They all thought maybe Daryl had gone a little overboard with all of the clothes and coats he's brought home, but they agree now, it's a very good thing he did. Winters will keep coming and children will keep growing.

Frankie has hung two changes of clothes each for herself and Merle in Beth's closet, and there are winter shoes, hats, gloves and scarves for all of them stacked on the shelves. Beth smiles at her, "At least we know what to expect this winter and we'll be so much better prepared. Can you imagine Frankie? Last year we didn't have any children with us, this year we'll have four."

Frankie smiles, laughs a little and says what they're both thinking, "It's going to be impossible to find a quiet moment." The women know, there will be no peace or privacy, there will be no quiet moments, their won't be an inch of room leftover, but they'll survive, together.

No matter what they're doing or how busy they are, at some point each day firewood is chopped. They watch as more and more logs are stacked up close to the house, and the main stack a few yards from the house keeps getting taller and taller and wider and wider. Like food, there can never be too much firewood.

They're all sitting down to an outdoor lunch when Daryl declares, "I'm goin' out tomorrow. Just me, I ain't takin' Jack or anyone else. I wanna go in them woods back there and see what I see. I'm thinking when I'm outta the trees a ways I oughta come across some wild berries. If I don't find nuthin' else, I should be bringin' home some meat. I'll be home in time ta chop some wood before supper."

Merle has no argument with that, "Good idea brother. Seems we never venture over that way, we're always just goin' where we know for sure there's meat. Now that ya bring it up though, I remember grandpa sayin' blueberries and blackberries grow wild up here. Other fruit too," then he smiles, "Yeah, yeah, I forgot about it, but now I'm rememberin' havin' some blackberry wine grandpa made. I sneaked myself quite a bit a that. Just be careful brother. That old bear and his family are liable ta be eatin' on them berries. They gotta get ready for winter same as us."

Daryl snorts, "Yeah well, I think me n him got us an understandin' now. We share. Anyway, I'll have my weapons and I'll be taking the three-wheeler."

He's up early and Beth is a little nervous, "Just be careful Daryl, please."

"Don't worry lady, I'll be home before ya get a chance ta miss me."

"I always miss you when you're not right here with me."

He takes her in his arms and whispers in her ear, "I love ya Miz Dixon and I will get my ass home to ya as fast as I can, and hopefully I'll have berries." They kiss as though he's leaving on a long journey, then smile and give each other one last hug before he gets on the three-wheeler and rides off.

He's traveled about ten miles to a sunny slope that is covered with more bushes and ground cover than with trees, and he slows to a stop when he spots the blackberry bushes. They're snarled and thorny like you'd expect, but they're also covered with huge juicy blackberries. He gets his sack, pulls the sleeves of his shirt down and buttons them at the wrist, and puts on his gloves. He braves the sharp branches to pick the wild berries, eating a few as he does, but careful not to eat too many. He made that mistake once as a hungry kid so he knows he'll pay later if he overindulges. It's not long before he's filled the big sack, and there are still bushes filled with blackberries. For now, he sets the filled sack on the trailer, grabs another sack and decides to go looking for more berries on foot.

He comes across a ground cover of strawberries and picks those, and then he sees all the bushes of his favorite, just out here growing wild for the bears and the birds and the squirrels, and now him and his family, blueberry bushes. They take a lot longer to pick than the blackberries, it's the size and their delicate nature, but he keeps after it and his sack is full when he walks back and puts it on the cart.

He strikes out again, changing his direction slightly and that's when he sees the bees buzzing around the hive. He wouldn't want to completely disturb the hive, but he damn sure wants some of the honey. He nods to himself thinking, if there's this one here, he'd bet there's more in the area. Yeah, he'll be coming back with the right tools, the right clothes, and containers. He'll take all the honey he can get his hands on, it's one food that never goes bad, and eventually the time will come when they run out of sugar for good.

He arrives home and everyone's excited about the berries, and Daryl may be the most excited of all. He wonders why he didn't think of berry hunting sooner, but fuck it, he thought of it now and it's a game changer. Fresh fruit and honey.

Beth has plans made already. With what they scavenged from bakeries and such, and the extra sugar Daryl brought from his last trip, they have plenty to make syrup and jam, and also make pie filling to can, besides just the berries themselves. They'll save some out for breakfast and dessert for the next few days, it's going to be such a treat.

After dessert Daryl looks at this brother and announces, "Tomorrow brother, you n me, we're goin' ta get more berries and we're gonna raid a hive or two. Dress for that. It'll be bumpy, but we can drive your pickup to the berries and the bees."

Beth volunteers to go too, "I've raided a hive or two with my brother and sister. I could help."

Daryl nods, "And I'd like ta have ya there ta help, but ya can't lady. The goin' is gonna be a little too bouncy ta risk you n the baby."

She's disappointed but she agrees, "Yeah, oh yes, okay."

The brothers set out early the next morning, and when they return about two in the afternoon, they have sacks filled with more berries and a 5 gallon plastic bucket that's three quarters filled with honey. Daryl shrugs and explains, "We coulda got more honey but that damn bear came around lookin' for his share, so me and Merle split and let him have at it."

Beth and Frankie are all smiles, "I think we have enough to last us a long, long time."

Merle smiles, "Yeah, and next summer we'll get more."

Tonight after dinner they all enjoy a bowl of fresh berries with a drizzle of raw honey.

Beth read about it in a western novel, and when she tells the family what she learned Merle and Daryl immediately go into action. They build a lean-to at the kitchen wall, then cut in a doorway between the kitchen and lean-to, much like Daryl did with the bathroom. This door is different though. It's heavily insulated to keep this winters freezing outdoor air out of the house, and the warm indoor air out of the lean-to.

The rustic walls of the lean-to are lined with shelves and bins, the floor is hard packed ground. They cut sod near the lake and carefully cover the roof of the lean-to with the thick squares of deep black soil. It will make the perfect insulation. They feel even more confident now, they'll be ready for winter long before it hits.

The shelves of the simple wooden six foot by eight foot structure will be filled with canned goods, the baskets and bins will be filled the potatoes and other root vegetables they hope to harvest from their own field. If Daryl's harvest trip is successful, some of what he brings home from his journey will be stored in the lean-to as well.

A huge concern is now lifted from their shoulders. Should it happen that the snow's so deep they can't get to the cellar, they'll be all right. They'll have enough food stored within reach to keep them in food for several weeks. Beth is delighted that there will be no more jars stacked all over her home, with so many people and two dogs, it would be a lot to deal with.

What they believe will be prime harvest time down the mountain has arrived. Although their own harvest is still a couple of weeks away. Growing time is different at this altitude and temperature.

Tomorrow Daryl will make his trip down the mountain, and as he and his wife lay holding each other under the warm covers, Beth gets a case of last minute jitters about Daryl leaving, "You know you don't really have to go Daryl. We have a lot of food, we'll be fine. Why don't we just get by with that and you stay home."

He draws her to him and kisses her hair, "Lady, that sounds good, real good, but ya know I gotta go. I gotta see Dale, and I'm hopin' Rick has those pigs he promised, and I'm hopin' I can make a couple good trades for us. Besides that, ya know I wanna see if I can get us more fruits and vegetables. Like ya said, with no one tendin' the orchards for over a year, there might be some seedlin's growin. If there are, I'ma bring home all I can."

"I wanna try plantin' them over by the berry bushes. That should be a good place. I know it's gonna take years before they start puttin' out fruit, but someday, maybe, it'll all be worth it."

She's resigned, he's going, "I know, but I just hate it when the family is separated, especially when it's you, and you go down the mountain." She smiles then and strokes her fingers through his soft hair, "I guess you could try making love to me and see if that makes me feel better."

"I'll give it my best shot."

Again, he's taking Merle's big dually and the small trailer he and Michonne got. You never know what he might want to bring home. He's got the gunny sack material and the string to wrap up roots and earth in case he gets some seedlings. He's got a gallon jar of mixed berries, two quarts of honey, six quarts of deer meet, and ducks. They've been letting duck eggs hatch to increase the size of their flock, and they all agreed they can afford to part with some ducks. He's got a drake and three hens. He's also got two nice pistols and the ammunition to go with them, along with two Bowie knives.

His other cargo is water and food for himself and two five-gallon cans of gas. Enough to get him to the prison and back, plus drive him around to some areas he and Beth mapped out where he might get some goods.

He gives his wife one long, deep kiss goodbye and tells her, "I'll be home in a couple a days no matter what. I love ya lady."

He kisses Jamie and the twins on the head, Frankie on the cheek and shakes his brother's hand. "See ya all soon. Wish me luck."

"Stay safe little brother."

Once down the mountain, and without incident, Daryl feels like maybe this is his lucky day, so he heads straight over toward farm country first. He's amazed how the once picturesque farmland has gone from what was such carefully planned and cared for beauty, to an overgrown chaotic mess. "Shit man."

He can't worry about aesthetics though, he's here for food. Was there enough of both rain and sun to grow some good fruit?

The first crop he finds that's worth taking is corn. A whole field of it. They could never eat all there is to take, but they can sure as hell can plenty of it. He uses his small machete to whack the ears off the stalks and carefully lines the truck bed about three ears deep. He's got to have room for any other fruit or vegetables he might want to take home.

There's wheat and straw, neither of which he's going to worry about this trip, not those beans either, then he sees nirvana. A peach orchard. Yes! He heads to the barn first in hopes they have bushel baskets stacked in there for the harvest. Sure enough, they do. They also have a dead cow and two walkers. He tries not to study them too close, they're probably the farmer and his hired man. Shit, he hates thinking about who owned this place and what happened to them. Daryl puts the walkers down quickly and goes about his business. He picks two bushels of the peaches for his family, and another to trade with Rick. Hopefully, next year this place will still be putting out fruit. He doesn't forget to get several seedlings, the more they can grow for themselves the better. He'll share a couple of those with Rick too.

The one fruit Beth hoped for was apples, and he hasn't seen any yet, but he stays on the route she mapped and drives slow. He's got to stop a couple of times and deal with walkers, but they must be hungry because they're moving slow and he puts them down easily enough. He's about to give up and just go to the prison when he sees them, trees and trees full of apples. Hell yes. He's got the baskets and the ladder from his first stop at the peach orchard, and he gets to work.

What he didn't expect to see was a bunch of chickens running around. He smiles, yeah, he'll get as many as he can catch before he leaves. Shit, he wishes Beth was here, she probably has some secret method.

His back hurts, his arms hurt, his knees hurt and his hands hurt. This fruit picking isn't easy work, but he knows it's worth it and he'll be so damn glad to be bringing this good food home. Not only the apples, but there are plenty of seedlings around here too. The apples will stay good in their cellar for months so they won't have to can them all, and he takes four bushels for his family and two for the prison. Lastly he digs up more than a dozen seedlings.

He's fucking exhausted.

He climbs in the cab of the big pickup, drinks a ton of water and eats some jerky, some biscuits and some berries. Thank God for Beth, he wouldn't have thought to bring a thing.

The morning sun breaking is what wakes him, and damn he's stiff and sore from doing a kind of work his body's not used to. The ducks are in a dog kennel in the back of the pickup, and as he feeds them he mutters to them, "I don't think I'm cut out for farm work," then he does what he has to do outside, checks that everything is secure in the pickup, and it's chicken time.

If he can manage to catch them, these fucking birds are going to make a huge mess, that's for sure, but all he can think to do is put them in the back seat of the pickup. He gets chicken wire and a couple of tools from the barn and manages to make a screen between the front and back seats. Shit, he's going to be listening to chickens clucking and carrying on all the way to the prison, and all the way home from the prison. He tells himself he can handle a little clucking, shit, they're gonna have fried chicken someday.

It takes him all morning to gather up 20. He gets them in the back seat along with a half grown rooster. He manages to catch the big rooster, a mean bastard through and through who bites his hands and arms, but he gets him into a live trap he found in the barn and puts him in the bed of the truck, "See how ya like that shithead." He makes one last trip to the barn to get the two big sacks of chicken feed. They're heavy and he mumbles to himself, "They'll hafta eat bugs n scraps when this shit is gone."

Everyone at the prison acts so glad to see him he's a little surprised. Dale looks good, although he's aged some in the short time since Daryl last saw him, Daryl's not too concerned, it's to be expected. Besides, he's still sharp as a tack.

Rick and Michonne are thrilled with the bounty Daryl brought to trade. Michonne is all smiles when she sees the goods, "Berries! You're my hero! And peaches, apples, corn, ducks, chicken, honey, seedlings, meat, even weapons. My gosh, we're going to have to come up with plenty of good food to match all of this."

He eats his dinner with Dale and the rest of the group, then takes advantage of the shower. He wants to be ready to go first thing in the morning, he's anxious to get home to Beth. He'll be taking home two pigs, a 40lb bag of flour, one of sugar, dried milk, coffee, an unopened can of Nestle Quik, corn meal, an industrial size can of pinto beans and one of white beans, a six pack of root beer and a baby swing. He's happy.

One Month Later

The seedlings have been planted and they're all hopeful the trees will take. The chicken coup is built and well-insulated. Chickens aren't as hearty as ducks and Daryl and Merle gave that a lot of thought when they built the coup. Hopefully the birds will survive winter and when spring comes, they'll be able to incubate and hatch some eggs and add to the flock. They'd all like to eat some fried chicken again but they won't be killing any of these birds. This is a long-term goal. The pig pen is done too and Beth told him, even though the pigs are siblings, they could mate when they get older, "It isn't ideal, but I don't think we can worry about what's ideal if we want to keep having pork." The family have eaten fried rabbit, stewed rabbit, and rabbit roasted on a spit. They've got plenty of rabbit stew canned and they're grateful. That's just the kind of thing that comes in handy over the long winter months, especially when they're all staying together. Opening some jars of food and heating them up is so much simpler than cooking in a small space with a crowd.

Daryl's been thinking about it for several days. The baby will be coming soon. No one knows exactly how soon, but Beth's guessing the baby will arrive sometime between two weeks and a month from now. There's no fucking way Daryl could live with himself if he wasn't right here with Beth when their baby is born.

He woke up this early fall morning with his decision made, and over what will likely be one of their last outdoor breakfasts for a long time, he tells Beth and the rest of the family, "I know we planned I would go, but I ain't makin' another trip down the mountain this season. We got plenty of food and we got fuel for fire, there's lotsa clothes and shoes, baby supplies, we got medicines and we got each other."

Beth is so happy to hear the news she has tears in her eyes when she says, "I think it's a good decision. I can't think of a thing they've got down the mountain I would want more than I want you here with me."

All agree, and the family feels a tremendous sense of relief knowing they won't be separated again for a long time to come.

The house is quiet as they crawl into bed together. Beth lays her head on his shoulder and Daryl's arm wraps around her. He leans in close enough to kiss her hair, and he reaches for her tummy, cradling her baby bump with the palm of his hand. He asks the question that is always dwelling somewhere in the back of his mind, "Ya happy lady?"

She smiles, "You spend so much time worrying about my happiness Daryl, I wonder if you ever think about your own."

"Yeah I do, your happiness is my happiness."

She knows this will never change, it's the man her husband is, "Thank you Daryl. And to answer your question, I'm very happy. I never would have imagined this life for myself, and now I can't imagine myself living any other way. Do I wish I could contact my family and know they're okay? Do I wish I could see my Dad holding his grandchild, oh my gosh, yes. But I tell myself to trust in God that they're fine, they made it to that Commonwealth place and they're safe."

Her arm warps around his middle and she holds him tightly, "Daryl, you saved my life, you brought me the sweetest little boy, and you gave life to our child. Every day you show me in so many ways how good you are and how much you love me. I never could have asked for a better life or a better love. I love you so much."

It's difficult for him to put into words the feelings he has for her, and what she means to this life he has. He leans to kiss her lips, and she can feel all the love and tenderness in his kiss, and she knows how deep his love for her is. He draws his lips away and says all he knows to say, "I love ya so much lady. Ya gave me everything."

"Are ya sure lady?"

"Daryl we talked about this many times, and yes, I'm sure. Just run over there and ask them to watch Jamie and the dogs, and tell them you'll come if we need them. I want this to just be you, me and our baby. Please Daryl."

Beth has schooled him in this. Daryl knows the progression of the birthing process and what he can expect, and what his jobs will be. There have been so many new things in his life since she came into it, but never anything that could compare to her and him delivering their baby together. He's a little freaked out by the whole thing, but he's doing his best not let her see that. He also couldn't be happier or more excited.

He rushes back from Merle's, and just like she asked him to do, he sits on a stool next to the bed and tells her stories about his hunting trips. He gives her a detailed description of the prison and all the people there, and he shares with her some of the stories of long ago that Erma and Dale shared with him. She wants to hear these things, but mostly she wants to hear her husband's voice, and she wants to be distracted from her pains as the labor grows more and more intense.

That's the hardest part of this for Daryl, seeing Beth in so much pain. He's sure he could never be as brave or as tough as her, and holy shit, when she's having a pain and she squeezes his hand, her grip is so tight he's sure it's cutting off the circulation. That's okay, he'll keep his mouth shut about it and let her squeeze as hard and as often as she needs to.

It's time, oh my Dear God, it's time. He sees the baby crowning, "One more good push lady, just one more." The baby girl is in his hands and he does his job, wiping her eyes, her face, and clearing her nose. When she begins to cry all he can feel is love. So much love he's afraid his heart is going to bust right out of his chest.

He cuts the umbilical cord and Beth delivers the afterbirth. He lays the baby on her chest and covers the pair with a soft blanket, then cleans everything up. Once that's done, the three of them lay on the bed together. They're both exhausted and smiling happily. Daryl's finger traces softly along her jawline, and he says, "She's beautiful Beth, just like her Mother. I love ya so much lady, and I love our little lady too."

"I love you Daryl and I know you're going to be the best Daddy in the world."

One Week Later

She remembered it at two in the morning while she was feeding their baby, and when daylight arrives she looks for it in the back of her drawer, yes, there it is. She asks her husband, "Can we have the power on long enough to charge this?"

"Yeah, sure, why? Who ya gonna call?"

She smiles at him, "Well, I'm going to look at those pictures of my family again, and some pictures of Aaron. Then I'm going to take a selfie of you, me and Katie. We'll always have that picture stored away of the three of us." Then her smile turns wistful, "I think I'll send them in text messages too. You never know, maybe someday Daddy, Maggie and Aaron will get the texts and know how happy we are. I'm going to believe they will."

A/N I choose to believe the rest of their lives may be hard work, but it's also wonderful. I have loved this couple and their life so much.
Please leave a comment. As always, the chapter photo is on my tumblr blogs, gneebee and bethylmethbrick, please have a look
I'm going to take a short writing break, but I'll be back with more Bethyl soon. I hope you'll be here too. Until we meet again, remember, I love ya large! xo gneebee