Found You- Part 3
Summary: Nearly 10 years ago, you left home after a bad incident with your parents, Rick and Lori Grimes. In that time, you married a redneck down south and started a family. But it all came crashing down when the dead started to walk.
Pairings: Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader
Word Count: 11.3k
Warnings: language,
PART 1 - PART 2
A/N- Surprise... there's a Part 3! I would just like to thank my fantastic follower who commissioned for another part to this Grimes-Dixon clan fanfic! I really hope she likes this❤️
*Months later*
Life on the road had been rough to say the least.
Hours upon hours of walking each day, trekking miles through the woods and old bitumen roads in search of somewhere safe. Although, you had been starting to believe that such places were non-existent in this new world.
You had found Beth along the way, and then lost her once again. Father Gabriel and Noah had now joined your little group that wasn't so little anymore, but you had also lost Bob and Tyreese. And just to add salt to the wound, Eugene faked the entire story about the vaccine.
There was no cure.
This was what the world was and there was no fixing it. There was no making it better. There was no anything. It was just the dead and the living. That was it.
Morale amongst the group had depleted rapidly after learning that.
Food and water were becoming harder to find, even game to hunt seemed to be more scarce. For a while, you began wondering how the group could survive much longer, how your kids could survive much longer out in the harsh elements of Mother Nature, until Aaron and Eric Raleigh entered your lives.
Alexandria.
The tall steel walls of the community towered over you, the iron and barred gate slowly rolled open as Aaron and Eric led you towards their home. There was a man holding the gate with a rifle, his weary eyes raking over you and your family with a disapproving look on his face.
Aaron and Eric turned to face you once they reached the gate, but sudden rustling and squealing caught everyone's attention.
Your handgun was drawn so quickly, safety flicked off with your thumb and finger hovering over the trigger while you scanned the side of the road for any threats. Glenn and Sasha beside you had their rifles drawn too.
With your free hand you ushered Ricky and Dean behind you. They had become accustomed to life on the road, knowing when to do as they're told and not argue and when to shut up when a threat was near. They have had to grow up so fast since the end of the world, but it was for their own protection.
The boys moved quickly, standing behind you for safety. Little Dean grabbed onto the back of your shirt like he had been taught to do while Ricky held his brother’s hand, peaking around your body to see what was causing the raucous.
In a matter of seconds, Daryl had his crossbow raised and fired a bolt at something hiding in the tall grass. An animal. It was just an animal.
You and the others all lowered your weapons with a sigh of relief while Daryl stepped forward, looking down at the creature he just shot before he glanced over his shoulder.
"Boys, come here."
Ricky looked up at you with a questioning look, awaiting permission to leave the safety spot behind you. You gave him a small encouraging nod before he pulled Dean along with him as they rushed over to Daryl.
"What's that?" Daryl asked, pointing at the animal in the grass that you couldn't see.
"It's an opossum!" Dean answered enthusiastically.
"That's right. What do we do with opossums?"
"We gut 'em, skin 'em and cook 'em." Ricky explained, looking up at his father who had a proud look on his face.
"Those boys are definitely Dixon's." Abraham commented causing you to chuckle softly.
"Look!" Ricky called out, picking up the dead animal by its tail and holding it up in the air for everyone to see.
Daryl smiled softly at his son before he glanced around at the others and you noticed that Aaron, Eric and the man with the rifle were all watching on with shocked looks on their faces.
"We bought dinner." Daryl said, breaking the silence.
"It's okay." Aaron reassured, staring at the man with the rifle before he looked back towards the rest of you. "Come on in, guys."
You all followed him into Alexandria, the iron gate sliding shut behind you.
Pristine houses lined the streets of settlement. The front yards and gardens around the community were all neat and upkept, the grass freshly mowed, and hedges trimmed like you would have expected for a fancy neighbourhood like this back in the old world, but not now.
It was as if the world outside these walls didn't exist. You felt like you had stepped back in time.
This place, this community, it didn't feel real.
Rick had disappeared to go speak with Alexandria's leader, Deanna. It wasn't long before he returned, and seemed satisfied that this place was okay, at least for now anyway.
You were all instructed to hand over your guns, Deanna insisting that if you wanted to go outside the walls then you could take them back, but whilst inside the community they were not allowed. Nobody asked for your knives though, so none of you said anything or mentioned it, and somehow Daryl managed to keep his crossbow, so you weren't entirely defenceless.
"Both of 'em?" Rick asked, looking between the two large houses across the road.
"At your disposal." Aaron answered with a smile. "Listen, I know you're still feeling us out, but I'm glad you came. Anyway, Deanna's asked everyone to give you your space, so they aren't all coming at you at once. Take your time. Explore."
You glanced over at your father who was still staring at the houses in shock, and you smiled, looking over at Aaron, "thank you. We really appreciate it."
"Anytime. If you need anything, you call me... I mean, I don't- we don't have phones. I meant, I'm four houses down." He hurriedly clarified.
Rick nodded, "thank you."
"Deanna would like to speak to the rest of you individually. She specifically asked for Rick's daughter... uh, I don't think she means the baby, so I'm afraid I don't know who that is."
"It's me."
Aaron's eyes flicked over to you in surprise, "wait, really?"
"I was an accident." You explained with a grin causing Rick to glare at you.
"Y/N-"
"Was I not?" You asked, raising your eyebrows at your father who sighed causing you to chuckle.
Aaron dropped you off at Deanna’s place while the rest of the group explored the new houses.
You paused in the doorway taking in the family photos hanging from the walls and bookshelves stacked top to bottom with various books and knickknacks. This house... it was untouched. It was exactly like the old world. It was exactly like your old house.
"Hello, I'm Deanna Monroe." A woman’s voice suddenly said, startling you out of your thoughts.
The woman in question was standing in the living room to your right, and you mentally cursed yourself for not checking your surroundings first before entering.
You scanned the room briefly, noting every door and window before you turned your attention to Deanna and gave her a small nod of acknowledgement.
"And you must be Miss Grimes, correct?"
"Dixon."
"Beg your pardon?"
"I'm a Dixon now. Y/N Dixon." You explained, stepping into the room cautiously.
Deanna smiled, "you mind if I film this, Mrs. Dixon?"
"Huh?"
"Do you mind if I film our talk, Mrs. Dixon?" She repeated, motioning towards a video camera that was set up across the room on a tripod.
Mrs. Dixon.
That was a name you hadn't heard since the dead began walking.
"Uh, yeah, sure."
Deanna motioned towards the couch in front of the camera and you nodded, taking a seat on the plush sofa that had no right being so comfortable.
"How long have you been out there?"
You hesitated for a moment before answering, "since the beginning."
Rick didn't specifically tell you what to say to Deanna, but you figured it was probably best to not mention the whole Woodbury, Governor, prison and Terminus stuff.
"How did you all find each other? Did you know each other before or-"
"Some of us did. Others we found along the way." You answered and Deanna nodded.
"I was a congressperson. Ohio, 15th district. You?"
"I used to be a caregiver in a nursing home." You answered, staring at her for a moment before you glanced out the window looking at the tall fence in the distance. "Our old lives don't matter anymore. What is this place?"
"Most of this was already here. The solar grid, the houses, eco-based sewage filtration. My husband Reg is a professor of architecture. And who he was mattered quite a bit. He built these walls with our sons, and after a few weeks more people arrived. We built this community."
"Hold on, you've been behind these walls this entire time?" You asked in shock, and she nodded. "And you guys just take people in?"
"We try to."
"That's dangerous."
"How so?"
"There are a lot of bad people out there."
"Is your group part of that bracket, Mrs. Dixon?"
Probably. You had all done things, horrible things to survive. In the eyes of someone else, yeah, you guys were probably bad people, but like hell you were telling her that.
"We're just people trying to survive."
Deanna smiled, "then you've come to the right place."
-
You returned to the two houses that Aaron had assigned your group. Everyone was inside the larger house though, Rick stating that you all needed remain together and not split up, especially on the first night.
Everyone was lying about in the lounge room, spread out on the various couches and carpet, giving their sore feet a break after all the walking you had done in the past few months.
Eugene was already asleep on the single seated couch, snoring softly while the others talked quietly amongst themselves. Maggie stood in front of a bookshelf, looking at the various novels stacked inside, and you made a mental note to check that out later.
Ricky and Dean were sitting on the floor by Abraham's feet playing with what looked to be a couple of action figures. Daryl sat on the floor a few metres away, his back leaning against the wall while he watched the boy’s play.
"That shower was so good!" Carl's voice suddenly said.
You spun around quickly, looking over at your brother who was now wearing fresh, new clothes, but it was his wet hair and clean skin that caught your attention.
"Did you just say shower?" You asked.
"And hot water." Rosita informed from her spot on the couch beside Abraham and your jaw dropped. "It's like heaven."
They had hot showers.
Holy shit, you were never leaving this place.
"She's right. I would still be in there right now if Glenn hadn't made me get out." Maggie commented over her shoulder. "There's fresh clothes in the bedroom upstairs. Find whatever fits, there's kid’s clothes too."
"C'mon, boys. You're way overdue for a bath."
"I don't want a bath." Ricky mumbled, not looking at you while he continued playing with his toys.
"I don't want one too." Dean added who at least had the decency to look over at you before going back to playing with his toys.
"You both need one. Come on."
"No."
"Nope."
Out of all the traits they could have gotten from Daryl, they both got his stupid stubbornness. Perfect.
"I won't say it again. Come on." You instructed sternly.
"Dad and Uncle Merle haven't had one though." Ricky pointed out, looking over at them.
"Oh, they will afterwards, trust me."
"Bullshit." Merle coughed causing you to glare at him.
"I think I saw more of those action figures in the bathroom. I bet your mama would let you play with them in the bath." Carol suddenly said, walking down the stairs.
That seemed to catch your son's attention, their heads shooting up with wide eyes.
"We can play with them in the bath?" Dean asked almost sceptically.
"Yep. C'mon, I'll show ya." Daryl grunted, speaking for the first time as he stood up from his spot on the floor before he began to walk towards the stairs with both Ricky and Dean racing after him.
Carol chuckled, watching them go before she rested her hand on your shoulder, "using toys to lure them to the bath always works."
"Thank you." You sighed, glancing over at her. "I forgot how difficult bath time used to be."
"I think the world has dished out swift justice after all the times you cried when I tried to give you a bath." Your father suddenly said, walking into the room causing everyone to start laughing.
"Thank you for that." You said sarcastically and Rick just smirked.
You slowly made your way upstairs, finding the bedroom where piles of clothes were scattered over the mattress that you noted seemed to be freshly made with blankets and pillows. You shifted through the clothes, finding some pants and shirts in your boy's sizes before grabbing a pair of jeans and a shirt for yourself.
By the time you entered the main bathroom, Ricky was already in the shower while Dean sat in the bathtub playing with his new toys in the water. Daryl was knelt beside the tub, his crossbow leaning against the wall while he washed Deans hair with shampoo.
Seeing the three of them like that took your breath away.
It was so domestic. So normal.
It felt like a typical Tuesday night in your house before the world ended.
You leant in the doorway for a few minutes watching them. Dean laughed whenever Ricky purposely splashed water up over the shower wall, spraying his little brother causing him to giggle happily in the tub, Daryl laughing along with them while he rinsed out the shampoo from Deans hair.
"Mama!" Dean called out happily when he noticed you hovering in the doorway.
Daryl glanced over his shoulder, his beautiful blue eyes meeting yours before he nodded towards the boys and you smiled, pushing yourself off the doorframe to help him.
It didn't take long before the boys were dried off and sporting new clothes. They raced back downstairs to show Uncle Merle their new toys leaving you and Daryl alone in the bathroom.
You walked over to the shower and pulled open the glass door before leaning inside and turning the taps, allowing water to fall from the showerhead above.
It took a few seconds for the hot water system to kick into gear and once it did, the cool water instantly turned warm under your fingertips.
You began to delayer, tossing your dirty threadbare clothes to the floor before you glanced over at Daryl and realised that he hadn't moved.
"You gonna join me?" You asked, unclasping the belt around your jeans.
"Nah."
You frowned, "why?"
He shrugged but didn't say anything else before he leant down and picked up his crossbow, throwing it over his shoulder with the strap.
"Daryl. Come on, a warm shower will be nice."
"M'good."
He was gone before you could say anything else, and you stared at the closed door in utter confusion.
There used to be showers back in the prison... they weren't the best in that old shower block, but Daryl still used to share a shower with you most nights. So why was he refusing now?
Shaking your head, you pushed that question from your mind and kicked your jeans onto the pile of clothes on the floor before stepping inside the shower.
The hot water felt like absolute heaven on your skin.
You stood under the spray of the warm water for a few minutes cleaning your body and washing your hair with shampoo that smelt like coconuts. It was nice. It was too nice.
Closing your eyes, you leant against the tiled wall and thought back to the journey the group had been on since the prison fell. The highs, the lows... mostly lows.
Your brain replayed your lowest point on the road, over and over again. Like some sick twisted horror movie that you couldn't escape.
It wasn't hordes of walkers. It wasn't even the evil survivors that were out there.
It was simply the harsh elements of Mother Nature.
Days and days without food while walking under the scorching Virginia summer heat. If you thought dealing with the cannibals at Terminus was bad, it was nothing compared to hearing your sons crying because they were hungry. That was a different kind of pain that no mother should ever have to endure.
"I'm so hungry." Dean whimpered, late one night while you were all laying under the stars trying to sleep.
"I know, sweetie." You sighed, rolling over to face him. "We will find food soon."
"What if we don't?" Ricky asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
That was the question, wasn't it?
"We will." You insisted, although you weren't sure if you were trying to convince him or yourself more.
"I've never been this hungry before. I... I'm just so hungry." Ricky whispered, his voice wavering slightly, and you knew your eldest was trying to stop himself from crying.
"I'm so hungry too." Dean sobbed, picking up on his brother's distress as he cried.
"Shh, boys. Shh, it's okay. It will all be okay." You soothed, reaching out and pulling your sons against your body.
Hot tears burned in the back of your eyes as you held them while they cried. Their soft whimpers and sobs muffled against your chest as they clung to you.
"It's all going to be okay. I promise. It's going to be okay." You whispered, silent tears now trickling down your face too.
Most of the group were fast asleep on the forest floor around you, oblivious to your children's distress, but when you tilted your head to the side you could see Daryl standing off in the distance on watch duty.
His body was lit up from the moonlight shining down through the canopy of trees above you, crossbow in one hand while he discreetly wiped his eyes with the other. He sniffed softly, glancing over his shoulder towards you, and even in the dark you could see the shimmer of tears in his eyes that matched your own.
You weren't sure how long you were in the shower for. You weren't sure when you had even sat down or started to cry while the water from above washed over you.
Eventually, you picked yourself up from the floor and got out. Drying off with a towel that was softer than anything you had ever felt before you slipped into the new clothes that you had grabbed earlier.
You spared a glance at yourself in the foggy mirror, relieved that your eyes weren't red from crying before you exited the bathroom and went back downstairs.
Only Merle was in the lounge room now, laying on the couch with his hands behind his head watching his nephews playing on the carpet with their toys.
Wait, where was everyone else? They were all here earlier. How long had you been in the shower for?
"Most of 'em are out explorin' the community." Merle informed as if he could somehow read your mind.
"You didn't want to join them?"
He shook his head, "nah."
You glanced over at your boys who were laughing and giggling, but then your eyes landed on the plastic plate sitting on the coffee table beside them with pieces of cut up apple on top.
"Some lady dropped off a whole damn basket of 'em. I already ate three of the stupid fruits myself, figured they'd want some too." Merle explained, noticing what you had been staring at.
"Thank you."
"Eh, don't thank me yet, they haven't eaten any. Carl gave 'em chocolate earlier so they didn't want fucking fruit after that, did they?" Merle muttered, glaring at his nephews, but there was no real heat behind it and the boys weren't listening anyway.
"Still, thank you." You said sincerely. "Do you know where Daryl is?"
"Porch."
You nodded, glancing at your boys for a moment before you turned and walked out the front door to find Daryl sitting on the porch steps gutting the opossum.
"I hated it when you'd gut animals near the house." You commented, closing the door behind you as you leant your back against it. "It used to take me so long to scrub the blood off our porch."
Daryl's lips twitched up into a small smile at the memory as he ripped the last of the guts out before stabbing the end of the knife into the wooden board beside him and glanced over at you.
"This ain't our house."
"It could be."
Daryl held your gaze for a moment, a wave of emotion flashing across his face, but he looked away before you could decipher any of it.
To most people, they wouldn't have noticed that something was wrong, but you knew Daryl. His shoulders were a little too tense and you could see him biting his thumb nail, a telltale sign that he was worried about something.
He yanked his knife out the wood and went back to the opossum, busying himself with skinning the animal while you watched him silently.
"Everything okay?" You eventually asked when you realised that he wouldn't talk without being prompted.
"Mmm." He hummed, focusing on the task at hand.
"Wanna try that again but honest this time?"
Daryl sighed, lowering the half-skinned animal and glancing back at you.
"Just... being back behind walls. Don't feel right."
"You think this is like Woodbury?"
He shrugged, "dunno."
"Well, we got a roof over our boys heads and food in their stomachs. They're safe, fed and happy now. I think we should focus on that."
"Guess you're right." He agreed and you smiled.
"I'm always right." You shot back causing Daryl to snort softly which you were calling a win. "I'm gonna go back inside. Clean that shit up when you're finished."
Daryl chuckled softly, "yes, ma'am."
Merle was now passed out on the couch and snoring, but that didn't seem to faze the boys while they continued to play on the carpet nearby.
You walked into the room, plucking a few pieces of apple from the plate on the coffee table before you plonked yourself down on the couch beside Merle. There was no point trying to be quiet around him, that man could sleep through a damn hurricane.
Footsteps creaked on the stairs across the room before Rick emerged from the bathroom sporting a clean-shaven face. You had to do a double take when you first saw him, his thick greying beard now completely gone.
The last time you had seen your father without any facial hair was before the end of the world. Way before. You were still living at home, hell, you were still a teenager. You could almost picture him sitting across the dinner table in his Deputy uniform with that clean-shaven face.
"Grandpa, you look funny." Ricky called out when he noticed Rick emerging from the bathroom.
Your father opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. His eyes widened ever so slightly before his head shot in your direction in shock.
They had just called him Grandpa for the first time.
Holy shit.
"What? You boys don't like it?" He asked, seemingly able to snap out of his shock quicker than you could.
Ricky and Dean both shook their heads causing Rick to sigh dramatically.
"Oh, come on. I worked hard on this masterpiece." He said, rubbing his hand along his jaw.
"Mama, Grandpa is being silly." Dean giggled, staring at Rick before glancing over at you and you couldn't stop the smile spreading across your face as you looked over at your father.
"Yeah, Grandpa is a bit silly, isn't he?"
Both boys hummed in agreement before going back to their toys and you stood up from the couch, eating the last piece of apple as you walked over to your father.
"That's the first time..." He trailed off, looking over at his grandkids with a warm smile.
"Feeling old now, Grandpa?" You teased, bumping your shoulder into his playfully.
Rick chuckled softly, "maybe I should've kept the grey beard."
-
You all slept in the lounge room together during the first night to be cautious. It was safer together, and honestly, after sleeping side by side in the woods for the last God knows how many days, it would've been weird sleeping away from them.
Everybody was sprawled out around the room on the couches and chairs. Blankets and pillows were laid out over the carpet as makeshift beds. Even a few bean bags had appeared out of nowhere, Carl, Ricky and Dean instantly claiming them as their beds for the night.
Rick insisted that there was no need for a watch duty, but you, Daryl and Merle still switched out throughout the night to keep watch just to be sure.
It wasn't needed though. Nothing happened during the night and by sunrise, everyone was slowly starting to wake up. It was the best sleep you have had in a long time, and by the refreshed looks on everyone's faces, they felt the same.
Ricky and Dean were running around on the grass in the front yard with Merle while you watched from the porch steps. For an older guy who smoked and drank for as long as you've known him, he was able to keep up with those two little balls of energy.
"Time to punch the clock and make the casseroles." Carol emerged from the front door, sporting a neat white blouse and blue button up cardigan.
"What?" Daryl muttered, frowning as he looked over at her from where he was sitting on the edge of the porch railing cleaning the strings of his crossbow.
"Make dinner for the older people, moms who need a break, people who can't cook. Get to meet a lot of neighbours that way."
Daryl scoffed, "alright."
You rolled your eyes, "I think it's a good idea. Is that the job Deanna assigned you?"
"Yeah, has she given you guys one yet?" Carol asked, looking over at you, but you shook your head. "She will soon. Don't worry." She insisted before glancing back at Daryl, "have you taken a shower yet?"
Daryl nodded while he continued fiddling with his crossbow despite that being a very obvious lie. Carol's eyes narrowed in his direction, but she didn't call him out on it.
"He takes after his brother who hasn't had a shower yet either!" You pointed out, saying the last part loudly and catching your brother-in-law's attention.
"How the fuck did I get dragged into this?" He exclaimed, looking over at you.
"Language." You reminded glancing at your sons nearby who had already picked up too many of Merle's terrible habits and you did not want the F word to be one of them.
"Yeah, language, Uncle Merle!" Ricky teased.
"That's it. Come here you little turd." Merle took off running after Ricky who laughed and sprinted off in the opposite direction.
"Run, Ricky! Run!" Dean cheered between fits of giggles.
You rolled your eyes watching them play, Carol and Daryl watching on as well with small smiles on their faces.
"As annoying as that man is, he is good with your boys." Carol commented sincerely, walking past you down the stairs before she glanced back at Daryl. "I'm gonna wash that vest. We need to keep up appearances, even you."
"Hey, I ain't startin' now."
"I'm gonna hose you down in your sleep." Carol called out, walking off down the road.
"You look ridiculous!" Daryl shouted over his shoulder, and you covered your mouth with your hand to stop yourself from laughing.
The rest of the morning was spent exploring the community, all of you walking around and taking it all in... well, most of you did anyway. The Dixon brothers opted to stay at the house, and you knew better than to try and convince them otherwise.
Deanna had started to give some of your group members jobs. Others, she was still trying to figure out.
Glenn, Noah and Tara were the next ones to get their new roles which was scavenging and the three of them had left earlier for their first supply run with two Alexandrians. Although, when the group of them marched through the front gate a few hours later, it was clear that their first supply run hadn't went well.
"You three need knew gigs!" Aidan yelled, glaring at your three friends who were walking a few paces ahead of him. "You're not ready for runs yet."
"Yeah, pretty sure you got that backwards!" Glenn shouted over his shoulder and just by his tone of voice alone, you knew he was pissed.
It took a lot to make Glenn Rhee angry. And right now, he was definitely angry. What the hell happened out there?
You watched as Aidan jogged over to Glenn, grabbing his arm and stopping him in his tracks. You couldn't hear what they were saying, but Glenn seemed to be only getting angrier which was setting off alarm bells in your head.
Slowly, you began making your way over to them. Others in the area had seemed to notice the commotion as well but were keeping their distance while they observed Glenn and Aidan's rather heated discussion.
"Come on, tough guy." Aidan challenged, shoving Glenns chest.
"No one's impressed, man. Walk away."
Aidan didn't say anything else, he simply took another step forward until the two of them were toe to toe.
Oh, this was not going to end well.
"He told you to walk away." You said, pushing yourself between them.
Aidan glanced down at you, his eyes hardening.
“Walk away.” You repeated sternly.
"What is going on?" Deanna's voice suddenly questioned.
"This guy's got a problem with the way we do things." Aidan answered, glaring at Glenn over your shoulder before turning towards Deanna. "Why did you let these people in?"
"'Cause we actually know what we're doing out there." Glenn responded, stepping out from behind you.
Aidan turned around so fast, his fist flying, but Glenn blocked it and sent Aidan falling to the ground. A split second later, Nicolas rushed forward, but you stepped in front of him, stopping him from getting to Glenn.
Nicholas shoved you to the side, your body hitting the steel wall before you pushed yourself off and shoved him in retaliation. The man stumbled back a step, not expecting you to fight back with strength as he mumbled the word 'bitch' under his breath.
He took a step forward and you held your ground, standing up straighter ready for a fight, but then Daryl appeared out of nowhere and threw Nicholas to the ground, pinning him down on his back.
"That's enough!" Deanna shouted.
Daryl refused to let Nicholas go. His body trembling with rage as he wrapped his hands around the man's throat and squeezed. Nicholas gasped and choked for air, but Daryl didn't care, not after the man touched you.
Rick suddenly rushed over being drawn in by the ruckus and crowd that had seemed to double since you last took notice. Your father grabbed Daryl from behind, trying and failing to pull your husband off the Alexandrian.
"Let's not do this now." Rick hissed in his ear, but Daryl wasn't letting go. "Daryl!"
Rick managed to haul Daryl off of Nicholas and pushed your husband behind him and away from the man lying on the ground coughing. Daryl began to pace left and right angrily like a caged animal. Rick held his hand out, following Daryl's movement like he wasn't entirely sure if he would try and attack Nicholas again or not and you weren't too sure either, but Daryl was clearly worked up.
Nicholas got to his feet, coughing and spluttering before he took a step towards Rick who had his back turned, still trying to calm Daryl down and you quickly planted yourself between them.
"You wanna end up on your ass again? Back the fuck off." Your words seemed to work because the man simply nodded, still holding his neck as he took a few steps away.
"I want everyone to hear me, okay? Rick and his people are part of this community now in all ways as equals! Understood?" Deanna shouted, her eyes raking over the group of you before glancing over at the onlooking bystanders in the distance.
"Understood." Aidan nodded before him and Nicholas walked off.
Daryl stepped past Rick and rushed over to you, those blue eyes peeking out from behind his hair scanning your body for any signs of injury.
"I'm good." You placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I can take care of myself."
"I know." He answered, his voice rougher than usual but he meant it.
You gave him a small reassuring smile before you walked over to where the others were standing only just hearing the backend of whatever Deanna had been saying to Rick.
"I told you I had a job for you. I'd like you to be our constable. That's what you were. That’s what you are." Deanna says staring a Rick before looking over at Michonne. "And you, too. Will you accept?"
Rick nodded, "okay."
Daryl scoffed from somewhere behind you before he marched off down the road without a word. Rick looked over at him in confusion before glancing over at you with a questioning look.
You sighed, "I'll go talk to him."
It wasn't hard to find Daryl.
He was back at the house leaning against the railing of the porch, a deep frown plastered on his face.
You remain silent as you walked up the stairs, Daryl tracking your movements from the corner of his eye, but he didn't say anything. You leant your forearms over the railing beside him, overlooking the street of Alexandria.
There were a few people walking around. The elderly couple across the road were sitting on their porch swing together whilst a young man walked his dog on a leash down the street. It was still strange how normal this was.
"This place... I don't belong here."
Daryl's voice drew you from your thoughts and you tilted your head to the side to look at him, but he was staring off into the distance.
"What do you mean?" You asked gently.
"This." He said motioning to everything around him. "All this fancy shit. The houses, the people, it ain't me. It ain't us."
"We're too redneck for a fancy place like this?" You asked, raising your eyebrows at him.
"Ain't no way we could've afforded a house like this in a place like this back in the day. 'N all those people know it." He said, nodding at the few civilians wandering around.
So that's what his issue was. He felt like he didn't belong. That he was an outcast amongst these people.
"Oh, we definitely couldn't afford a place like this." You chuckled, trying to lighten his mood. "But our house was nice. I mean, we never had a two-story or a shower this big, but we got by. And we will get by here, I promise."
"It don't feel right."
"I know."
Neither of you said anything for a while before you spotted Carl, Ricky and Dean down the road with a few other kids that you had seen around town before. They were laughing and throwing a basketball together, their smiles so bright and laughter so loud that you could hear them from here.
It had been a long time since you saw them be normal children. It had been a long time since you saw them interact with other kids their age.
"The boys like it here." You pointed out.
Daryl lifted his gaze, spotting kids in the distance as he smiled softly and hummed in agreement.
"If this place doesn't work, we will figure it out and find somewhere else. But I need you to try. Give Alexandria a chance, if not for yourself then for them." You said, nodding towards your sons. "They deserve a place like this. And so do you."
-
It took the Dixon brothers a while to get used to living inside the community, taking them some time to adjust to the fancy buildings and judging eyes of many civilians who had never even stepped foot out in the real world.
It took the brothers a meal at Aaron and Erics house to finally start adjusting and relaxing inside this community. You weren't sure what the couple had said to them over bowls of spaghetti and wine, but whatever it was, you were grateful.
Within a few months, everyone was settled in. You all had your own jobs now, Merle and Abraham now working guard duty shifts at the front gate while Daryl worked with Aaron to seek out other survivors outside and recruit them if appropriate.
The two houses were split between you all. The Grimes-Dixon clan took ownership of the bigger house with Carol and Michonne getting their own bedrooms as well while the others took over the house next door.
There was a school for the kids to attend in the afternoon out of someone's garage. She was an older lady who used to be an elementary school teacher and was happy to take in your sons as new students.
Whilst your boys were at school in the afternoon, you worked alongside Carol cooking and caring for the elderly and people who couldn't care for themselves. It was strange how easy it was to slip back into your role as a caregiver after so many years working at that nursing home back before the world ended.
Ricky and Dean loved Alexandria. And the people of Alexandria seemed to love them too.
You were forever getting people commenting on how wonderful and beautiful your little boys were. They seemed be to the talk of the town, always running amuck and getting up to mischief. Daryl already had to fix the swing set on the playground because they had broken it. How they even managed to break it was a question you tried not to think about.
"Afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Dixon!" A friendly voice greeted.
You and Daryl both looked to your left to find two women sitting on the porch swing in front of their house while the two of you wandered down the main street, hand in hand.
"Good afternoon, ladies. It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" You greeted back happily, trying and failing to remember their names.
"It's stunning! Perfect weather for a book and wine." They both held up their novels and glasses of red for you to see causing Daryl to snort softly while you laughed.
"I think I will have similar plans when I get home too. Y'all have a good afternoon!" You shouted over your shoulder.
"Mr. and Mrs. Dixon... ain't ever gonna get used to that. Everyone's so damn formal here." Daryl commented softly, his hand squeezing yours.
"It's nice though. Formal, but nice."
He hummed in agreement while waving to old man Jenkins who was busy mowing his front lawn across the street. You smiled at how far Daryl had come since arriving at Alexandria all those weeks ago. He went from refusing to interact with anyone to now openly greeting his neighbours and helping out around the community.
The two of you strolled along the bitumen road, Daryl's hand still holding yours while you told him about your day at work with Carol. He nodded along listening while you spoke so enthusiastically about your new job, and he found himself smiling hearing how passionate and happy you were.
"Anyway, Mrs. McDonald was just the sweetest and- Oh, you have got to be shitting me." You cut off your own rambling and the smile on Daryl's face vanished at the shift in your tone.
You stopped in front of the steps to your house staring at the hole in the front window that definitely hadn't been there this morning when you left to walk the boys to school. Daryl followed your line of sight and sighed deeply when he noticed the broken window because he knew exactly what caused that stone shaped hole.
"I warned 'em not to use those slingshots in the damn house." Daryl muttered under his breath, but you were already marching up the steps and yanking open the front door.
"Richard Daryl Dixon! Merle Dean Dixon! Get your asses out here!"
There was a beat of silence before you heard Merle's voice from inside.
"Oh crap, BOTH names. Y'alls in trouble."
A few moments later, your sons appeared in the doorway with guilty expressions on their faces. Yep, they had definitely done it.
"Care to explain this?" You pointed towards the broken front window and the guilt on their faces doubled.
"It was an accident." Ricky sighed, knowing there was no point trying to lie about it.
"I thought I told ya both not to use the slingshots in the house." Daryl said, walking up the porch steps and stopping beside you, his hands firmly crossed over his chest.
Those damn slingshots. You knew it was a bad idea when Abraham made them for the boys last week.
"But Uncle Merle lets us use them inside." Dean whined causing Ricky to elbow his brother like that was a big secret he shouldn't have said aloud.
Merle.
Of course, he was the influence for this. When was he not?
"Merle Dixon, get your ass out here!" You shouted, looking over your sons head to the inside of the house.
"Ah shit." Merle muttered from further inside before he walked around the corner and appeared behind your boys. "What did I do now?"
"Care to explain?" You said, pointing at the broken window.
Merle glanced over at the window with a wince before looking back over at you.
"Nah, not really."
"You let 'em use the slingshots in the house?" Daryl asked, getting straight to the point. "Ya do remember how many broken windows we caused when we were kids, right?"
Merle smirked, "ah, the good old times."
"Boys go back inside. And never ever use those slingshots in the house again, understood?" You stated sternly and they both frantically nodded before rushing past Merle and disappearing in the house.
"It's just a window. Ain't the end of the world."
You sighed, "what if someone had been walking past when they broke it? That's dangerous. And you know it."
Merle rolled his eyes but knew better than to try and argue with you right now.
"Those boys, they look up to you. You're their big Uncle Merle, they practically worship you. So, everything you do and say, they wanna do and say as well. God knows we've heard Ricky utilize your bad language enough. You're their role model, and I love that, okay? I love you and I love your relationship with your nephews, but you cannot be teaching them bad habits while Daryl and I are trying to teach them the exact opposite."
Merle didn't say anything for a moment as he nodded, taking in your words.
"A broken window was probably the tamest shit you and I used to get up to, little brother. You remember all the shit we did as kids? Probably a good thing the old man was off on his benders all the time."
"Merle." Daryl warned, glaring at his brother.
Merle raised his hands, "fine, fine. I'm taking this shit seriously, I am. But Ricky and Dean, they're good kids is all I'm sayin'. Sure, they run about this settlement 'n make some of those uptight civilians crazy with their shenanigans, but if a few annoyed pricks 'n a broken window is the most of your troubles, that ain't bad."
That was a fair point.
Merle Dixon was actually making logical sense? Yeah, it really was the end of the world.
You sighed, "I know, just don't teach them anymore bad habits, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am." He nodded, glancing between you both. "Am I dismissed now?" He asked sarcastically.
Daryl snorted, "get the fuck outta here, bro."
Merle smirked, walking back inside before you sighed and leant against the pillar to your right while Daryl plonked himself down on the porch steps and lit a cigarette.
"Should we confiscate their slingshots for a few days?" You asked, unsure of how to go about punishing them for breaking the window.
Daryl shrugged taking a drag from his cigarette. "dunno. Reckon they feel bad enough 'bout it already."
"Yeah." You agreed with a small nod.
You never thought that a broken window would be your biggest problem when just a few weeks ago you were fighting for literal survival.
"Hey." Your fathers voice suddenly called out.
You looked over to find him walking towards the house with little Judith in his arms.
"There's my favourite Grimes!" You greeted, the slingshots long forgotten as you jogged past Daryl down the steps and scooped up your baby sister into your arms.
Rick chuckled softly, handing over Judith without a word before he walked over to Daryl while you rocked Judith on your hip. The girl cooed happily, reaching up and playing with the dog tags around your neck like she always did.
"Have you asked her yet?" You heard your father say to Daryl.
"Nah, now probably ain't the best time."
You frowned, looking over at the two of them, "ask me what?"
Daryl spared a quick glance at your father, the two of them having a silent conversation that you weren't a part of before he looked over at you.
"Was gonna ask if you were okay with us teachin' Ricky how to shoot a gun."
You opened your mouth to answer, but no words came out. A gun? Little Ricky shooting a deadly gun? No. No, absolutely not.
"But... but he's just a baby." You exclaimed causing Daryl to give you a pointed look and you sighed, "okay, he's not a baby. He's a child. He's my child. He's our little boy."
You weren't sure why, but you could feel tears starting to burn in the back of your eyes at the thought of your son needing to learn how to shoot. He was just a kid. He shouldn't have to learn how to fire a gun. He shouldn't have to worry about one day using a firearm to protect himself or his family. That was what you were for. You were there to protect him, you were his mother, it was your job to protect him, he shouldn't need to do it, not yet.
Daryl stood up from his spot on the steps and walked over to you, noticing the emotion washing over you. He grabbed your shoulder gently, but you refused to look at him. You focused on Judith in your arms, staring down at your baby sister who was oblivious to everything around her.
"Hey, it's okay." Daryl whispered, squeezing your shoulder gently. "Rick 'n Shane taught Carl how to shoot when he was Ricky’s age. He should at least be familiar with a gun if something bad happens 'n we're not there to protect him. Hell, Merle taught me how to shoot a rifle when I was younger than Dean. Ricky will be fine."
Forcing your tears not to spill, you reluctantly look away from Judith and your eyes lock with Daryl’s gentle blue ones.
"But you saw what happened with the slingshots today. You really want him with a gun?"
"He won't have a gun. We're just gonna take him outside the walls and teach him the basics under strict supervision."
You sighed and looked back down at Judith who was babbling nonsense in your arms happily.
"We might be safe in Alexandria for now, but we don't know what will happen in the future." Your father suddenly said, walking over to you. "It's not fair, but he should be prepared if it comes down to it. It's for his own safety."
"Okay, fine. But he won't even need to use one though because I'm always going to be there to protect him. To protect them both, and this little girl. Isn't that right, Judy?" You asked, looking back down at your baby sister who squealed happily when you bounced her up and down and you smiled sadly at her.
God, you were not ready for the day when you’d have to teach this baby girl how to shoot a gun. But that was a long way away, thank goodness.
-
"Rule number one about firearms, is what?" Your father asked, looking between Ricky and Dean after going over basic firearms safety with them for the last 20 minutes.
"Never point a gun at someone unless you plan on shooting them. Even if you think the gun is unloaded, never point it at anyone." Ricky answered, with a serious look on his face.
"And never put your finger on the trigger until you're ready to shoot!" Little Dean quickly added.
You watched on proudly from where you were standing off to the side. Carl stood beside you, listening in on Daryl and Rick teaching the boys while helping you keep an eye out for any danger. There had only been one stray walker stumble upon you guys which you easily took down with a knife to the head.
"Now, Dean, we're gonna show ya brother how to shoot this handgun. I want ya to listen ‘n watch carefully to everythin', okay? It is important to know and once you're his age, then we will take you back to the woods ‘n give you a shot as well, okay?" Daryl explained gently looking down at his youngest who simply nodded.
"Okay."
If you were being honest, you expected Dean to complain or argue about that. He always wanted to do whatever his big brother was doing, but you were relief that your youngest seemed to realise how serious this was.
Carl walked over to the four of them and grabbed Deans shoulder gently, "come stand with me and we can watch together, yeah?"
Dean smiled, reaching up and taking Carl’s hand, allowing him to pull him a few steps away as Daryl gave your brother a small appreciative nod before he turned his attention back to Ricky just as Rick handed him the small handgun.
"I know this is unloaded but prove to me that it is." Rick instructed.
Ricky held the gun in his little hands correctly, mimicking how Rick and Daryl had been holding it earlier in the demonstration. Ricky pointed towards the empty magazine well before he racked and locked the slide back and pointed to the empty chamber.
"Atta boy. Where is the safety switch?" Rick asked, and Ricky pointed to the small switch above his thumb. "Good. Is the safety on or off?"
"It's on."
"Yes."
"How... how do you know if it's on or off?" Dean asked curiously, looking up at Carl before glancing over at the guys.
"If you flick the switch and a little red dot appears, that means the safety is off. If you can't see the red dot, then the safety is on. What I got taught at the Police Academy is that red means dead. Red means that you can shoot the gun, so the safety is off."
"Red means dead. Got it." Dean nodded, like he was mentally storing away that piece of information even though you were pretty sure he would forget by dinner time, but it was the thought that counted.
"Here. Do you remember how to load a magazine?" Daryl asked, crouching down and holding up the magazine which you knew only had two bullets inside.
"Yes. Can I do it?"
Daryl nodded, placing the magazine in his son’s free hand and you watched anxiously as Ricky carefully turned the magazine around the right way. He shoved it into the bottom of the gun before he reached for the slide but paused and glanced over at his father and grandpa.
"Can I load a bullet in the chamber?"
Rick nodded, "when you're ready, load the gun and aim for that glass bottle."
You watched as Ricky wrapped his fingers around the end of the slide and racked it, loading the weapon before he raised the gun in front of him and flicked the safety off with his thumb. It was surprising how well he was doing with remembering all the steps and you were proud of him for asking permission before loading the weapon.
A few seconds later, the gun fired and a spray of dirt appeared a few feet in front of the bottle, the bullet dropping a little short.
"I missed." Ricky frowned, glaring at the glass bottle like it had personally offended him by not breaking.
"That's okay. Missin' is a part of learnin’. Try again 'n remember to line up those three little white dots to aim." Daryl encouraged.
Ricky nodded, taking in a deep breath and you watched in shock as he fired again, and the glass bottle instantly shattered.
He did it.
Holy shit, your son hit the target.
"Yes! Go, Ricky!" Dean cheered, jumping up and down from beside Carl who was grinning ear to ear proudly.
"Mama, did you see that? I did it!" Ricky exclaimed, glancing over his shoulder at you with a bright smile spreading across his face.
"You did amazing, sweetie. Good job." You praised, smiling at your boy happily.
"Eject the magazine, show me that the gun is empty before handing it back." Rick instructed, bringing Ricky’s attention back to him and he followed the instructions and before you knew it, the group of you were walking back to Alexandria after successful firearms training.
"I still can't believe we spent so long together, the quarry, the farm, the prison, and I never realised that the wife and kids you spoke about were these guys." Your father suddenly said, pointing at Ricky and Dean who were walking a few paces ahead with Carl.
"The amount of stories ya told 'bout ya daughter, I shoulda put two 'n two together." Daryl muttered, shaking his head with a small smile.
"Aww, you guys used to talk about me?" You teased causing them both to scoff.
"Mostly to complain about ya." Daryl wrapped his arm around your shoulders and pulled you against his side while the three of you walked through the woods.
"Do not come near me with that thing!" Andrea exclaimed.
Daryl stopped in his tracks before he could reach the campfire near the Greene farmhouse. Andrea was staring at the dead snake in his hand with wide eyes and Daryl frowned looking down at the animal he had just shot.
"Wasn't gonna, but whatever." He muttered, walking past her tent and taking a seat in front of the campfire to start skinning the snake for dinner.
"Sorry, it's just... I hate snakes. Like, really hate them." Andrea apologised, but she made no move to get out her tent to join him by the fire.
Daryl smiled sadly to himself. Andreas words reminding him of you and your fear of snakes.
He had no idea if you were even still alive or not. He had no idea if the boys were alive, and he knew that the chances of ever seeing you guys again was basically zero.
"She sounds like my daughter. She used to be terrified of snakes." Rick commented, walking into camp and sitting down on the chair across the campfire.
Daryl lifted his head slightly and looked over at the former Deputy before lowering it again and he began skinning the snake.
"Didn't know ya had a daughter."
"I don't talk about her much... haven't seen her for over a decade."
Daryl could hear the underlying emotion in Ricks voice, but he didn't comment on it. Whatever happened between Rick and his daughter was absolutely none of his business and he didn't exactly care either.
"She was always a daddy's girl. She was like my damn shadow, following me around everywhere... but then something bad happened and she left. I don't even know if she's still alive." Rick began to say before shaking his head. "But, yeah, she used to really hate snakes."
"Sounds like my wife. She'd lose her shit whenever she saw one." Daryl found himself saying without meaning to.
And then it hit him.
That was the first time he had spoken about you out loud.
"You were married?" Rick asked in surprise.
"Mmm." Daryl hummed, continuing to skin the snake. "Married with two boys."
Ricks eyes widened, but he was quick to cover his shock, although Daryl had already seen it.
"That surprise ya?"
"No. No. Well... you just never mentioned a wife or kids before."
Daryl shrugged, "you never mentioned ya daughter either. Sometimes we keep stuff to ourselves."
Rick nodded in understanding and didn't say anything in response to that, but Daryl could feel the other man’s eyes on him while he fiddled with the snake.
"What happened to them? Your wife and kids?" Rick asked, his voice taking on a gentler tone, knowing it would be a sensitive topic.
"Dunno."
"What do you mean you don't know?"
Daryl glared at the man across the campfire. "It means I don't fuckin' know, okay? Drop it."
Rick raised his hands a little to show that he meant no harm and Daryl sighed, dropping the snake and staring at the dying embers of the campfire.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."
"S'alright. Just restock that fire so I can cook this snake."
Rick nodded, "of course."
-
It hadn't even been a week since the broken window incident, so when a guilty Ricky knocked on Mrs. McDonalds door while you were working, you had assumed the worst.
Another broken window possibly or maybe one of the boys had hit someone with their slingshots... you were still waiting for that to happen.
However, what you did not expect was for your youngest to step out from behind his big brother holding his left arm to his chest with tear stains on his face. Your heart shattered seeing your baby boy look so hurt.
"What happened?" You asked, dropping to your knees in front of him.
Dean tried to answer, but his words were cut off by a few strangled sobs as the tears in his eyes began to fall again.
"He fell out a tree... I-I think he has a broken wrist." Ricky answered, pointing at his brother's left wrist that Dean was still clutching to his chest.
Jesus Christ, why was he even climbing a tree in the first place?
"Oh, baby, it's okay." You reassured, grabbing Deans shoulder gently as you tried to get a look at the injury, but you couldn't see it underneath his long sleeve. "Can I see it?"
Dean nodded with a small sniff as he held his shaky arm towards you and you gingerly pulled the jacket sleeve up, revealing a swollen wrist underneath.
Shit.
"Okay. Let me go say goodbye to Mrs. McDonald and then we will take a little trip to the infirmary to get it checked out, alright?"
It wasn't long before you were walking through the front door of Alexandria's infirmary with Dean resting on your hip and Ricky following closely behind.
The little bell on the door ringed as you entered, and Denise turned around from where she was taking stock of the medicine on the shelf. She sighed when she realised that it was your family once again.
"This is becoming almost too frequent." She commented in amusement, putting her clipboard down as she walked over to you. "How are you guys?"
"Little Dean has seen better days. I think his wrist might be broken." You admitted, glancing down at your boy in your arms who was currently burying his face in the crook of your neck.
Denise gave you a sympathetic look, "oh, that's not good. But I know what will make you feel better. What colour lollipop do you like?"
That caught Deans attention real quick and he lifted his head from your shoulder. Denise grabbed a glass jar from the bench and walked back over, holding the candy filled jar up towards him.
Dean hesitated for a second before he reached in with his good hand and picked one before holding it out to you which you grabbed and teared off the plastic wrapper for him.
"Excellent choice. The red ones are my favourite!" Denise beamed, her smile bright before she looked down at Ricky. "Which one do you want?"
"A green one please."
"Green? That is the worst flavour." Denise exclaimed, pretending to take offence to your son’s candy choice causing Ricky to roll his eyes.
"It is the best."
"Nah uh, red is so much better." Dean argued, popping the lollipop in his mouth.
Denise laughed while the boys began arguing back and forth about what the best flavour was before disappearing to go and get the doctor.
"Dixon again, which one? The whole family's been through here, ya gotta be more specific. Big or little?" You heard the doctor say from the back room and you had to stop yourself from laughing.
"Little Dixon."
"Which little Dixon?"
"Wow, there are a lot of Dixons, aren't there? It's the littlest one. Dean. I'll tell them that you'll be ready soon."
A few seconds later, Denise walked back out the room and the boys had finally stopped their candy debate and were silently sucking on their lollipops when the woman made her way back over to you.
"The doctor will be ready soon."
"Thanks, Denise." You smiled.
A few minutes later, the doctor came out the room and shook his head when he saw your family.
"These two are like frequent flyers here." He joked, kneeling down in front of your sons before his eyes landed on the already bruising skin around Deans wrist. "This is a little more than some cuts and scrapes though, isn't it?"
"He fell out a tree. I think it might be broken." You explained, hoping and praying to any god that was listening for that not to be the case.
"Well, let's take a proper look and I will fix it right up. Does that sound good, kiddo?"
Dean nodded ever so slightly, his eyes still glistening with unshed tears.
After some inspection the doctor deemed the injury to only be a fracture and not a break which was a huge relief. Little Dean now had a black wrist brace that was meant to stay on for a few weeks before coming back to the infirmary to get it reassessed.
Daryl took one look at the black wrist brace when you and the boys walked through the front door and sighed, "what happened this time?"
"He fell out a tree." You answered, closing the door before joining him in the main room where a bunch of the others seemed to be gathered on the couches relaxing with a few drinks.
How the Grimes-Dixon house became the main hangout spot for your group was beyond you. Everyone just seemed to migrate to this house or more specifically this room and your fridge. It was nice though, you had spent so long constantly close by each other during those months on the road, so it just felt normal to be together now.
"Why the hell were ya in a tree for?" Daryl asked, looking over at Dean who was now sitting on the ground beside Carl showing him the brace.
"I was trying to be like Yondu. I'm a Ravanger." Dean explained, pointing at the Guardians of the Galaxy comic book on the coffee table.
You turned to glare at Merle sitting on the couch who was the man to blame for your sons addiction to the blue superhero. Merle just rolled his eyes, but didn't comment on it as he took a sip of his drink or whatever alcohol he had managed to get his hands on.
"I thought Spider-Man was meant to be the one climbing trees." Tara suddenly said, glancing around at everyone in the room.
"Nah, isn't that Hawkeye?" Glenn responded. "He's definitely the one that climbs trees. Hawks live in trees."
"Hawkeye isn't an actual hawk. He's a superhero with a bow and arrow." Ricky explained, like that was meant to be common knowledge.
"What about Superman?" Noah suggested.
"I'm gonna pretend that you didn't just say that." Carl deadpanned.
"What's wrong with what I said?"
"We're talking about Marvel superheroes!" Dean answered, empathising the word 'Marvel' as he spoke.
"Isn't Superman a superhero?" Your fathers voice suddenly questioned as he entered the house.
"He is a DC superhero." Carl corrected, giving Rick a tired look like this wasn't the first time they've had this discussion.
"What's the difference?"
"Doesn't matter, Superman can most definitely beat them all." Eugene called out from the kitchen.
And, oh, boy, did that open up a whole new argument as both your boys jumped to their feet and rushed into the kitchen to argue that statement, Carl right on their tail to back them up. You watch them disappear into the room followed by muffled arguing which you couldn't quite understand.
"I'd hate to be Eugene right now." You laughed, walking further into the room and sitting down on one of the couches.
"No way I'm arguing with those boys about Superhero's. I'd rather jump on a live grenade." Abraham commented causing you all to laugh.
"That I think we can all agree on." Rick chuckled softly before looking over at you. "Is Dean okay? I saw the brace on his wrist."
"It's fractured. He'll be fine."
"If he doesn't try 'n climb any more trees that is." Daryl muttered, plonking himself down on the couch between you and Merle.
"Falling outta trees is a gene that came from you, baby brother." Merle pointed out causing your head to snap towards Daryl waiting for him to explain, but he was just glaring at his brother for bringing up that topic. "Don't look at me like that. C'mon, it was fuckin' funny. You were five 'n got dressed up as batman 'n jumped out a tree because you thought you could fly."
Daryl snorted with a shake of his head, "only 'cause ya jumped first."
"I was nine 'n dressed up like Superman. Everyone knows Batman can't fly!"
"Well, I didn't know that. I broke my arm."
Merle chuckled, "I know ya did. I had to drive you to the ER on my handlebars."
"So, is that why your kids are obsessed with superheros and apparently have a thing for trees and gravity?" Michonne asked in amusement causing everyone to laugh.
"What other stupid shit did you do as children that I need to prepare for?" You asked, glancing between the Dixon brothers.
"There was the near drowning in the creek... and the roof tile incident... Oh, ya remember when we nearly burnt the shed down with that bonfire? Oh, how about-" Merle began to say before Daryl cut him off.
"I reckon she gets the point. We were idiots."
"Our kids are doomed." You sighed dramatically, dropping your head down on Daryl's shoulder as everyone in the room started to laugh.
Daryl wrapped his arm around your shoulders, pulling you into his side before placing a gentle kiss to your temple. You couldn't stop yourself from smiling as the group of you fell into comfortable silence before Eugene’s voice stating facts and statistics about Superman, followed by your sons and Carl's petty arguments filled the air.
The group of you shared a silent look while the arguing continued from the kitchen before you all burst out laughing.
-
PART 4
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