Chapter 39

Suddenly the front door to the infirmary swung open, and there he was, Daryl. I got to my feet, Daryl swooping me up in a big hug, as he set me down he noticed my arm.

"What happened?" He said immediately concerned.

"Momma!" Scout yelled. I knelt down, allowing my boy to plow into me. I covered him in kisses, squeezing him tight with my good arm, tears billowing down my cheeks.

"I missed you so much." I cried into his shoulder, feeling him cry against me too.

"Mr. Daryl-Dad, said bad peoples took you." Scout said.

"Yeah." I said pulling away to get a good look at my son.

"Did they hurt you momma?" Scout asked seeing my arm. I looked down at the floor, knowing I had to answer honestly with Daryl standing there.

"Yeah." I whispered.

"Are they coming back?" Scout asked.

"What?" I looked at him confused. Things were interrupted when Eugene came bounding into the room. He scooped me up in a big monster hug, swinging me around, purely happy to see me again.

"I'm glad you're okay." Eugene cried as he set me down. I looked at him sympathetically, seeing that he was still hurting from Rosita's passing.

"I heard, Rosita, I'm so sorry." I said to him broken up.

"It'll be okay, she deserves to be in a better place then this." Eugene stated.

I got many more hugs from many more people, before Rick finally broke it up, allowing Daryl and Scout to take me home finally. The steps to our home had the feel of nostalgia, the familiar smells that filled our home bringing a peace over me, I was home!

"Scout, why don't you go clean up your room and play while momma gets cleaned up." Daryl instructed Scout.

"Are you leaving momma?" Scout asked concerned.

"No, staying here." I smiled, giving him a kiss on the head.

"Okay, I clean my room, then you read to me, okay momma?" Scout smiled brightly.

"Okay." I smiled back as he ran off, tears filling my eyes again. "He's grown up, so much." I cried.

"Hey." Daryl grabbed me, pulling me against his chest wrapping me in his arms. "Shh, he asked about you everyday, he knew what was up, he kept me strong for you, we're happy you're back baby." He spoke softly to me. "C'mon let's get you cleaned up."

Daryl took me to the bathroom, helping me get out of my clothes, which was difficult with my new cast. As I was undressing I looked at the back of the bathroom door, where a mirror hung, I couldn't stand the sight of myself. I was thin, bones protruding from my skin, covered in bruises and cuts, my hair a wild tangled mess, but those pathetic, hazel, doe eyes stuck out the most. Did I somehow revert back to the old me, those Whisperer's broke me, shrunk me, made me go back to the coward I was.

I stuck my arm in a plastic bag, Daryl securing it for me, then helping me scrub my body, and wash my hair, untangling it was a project for someone else. I could see the regret Daryl had in his eyes at the sight of me, he felt horrible for not being there to protect me, but I also saw the millions of questions he had floating around in his mind. After my shower, I got dressed into the softest pair of sweats I owned, along with a tee shirt, and the other essentials, when I went out to the living room, Michonne was here.

"Hi." I said confused.

"Daryl asked if I could do your hair for you." She said kindly.

"Yeah, thanks." My voice cracked. I sat on a chair, while Michonne ran a large tooth comb through my tangled hair, before she was finally able to get two french braids in it. She also tied a bandana over them.

"There, all done." She patted my shoulders.

"Thank you, really." I smiled, giving her a hug, before allowing her to leave. Moments like these made me miss Sasha, a lot, I know if she had been here she would've been the first to do my hair, she would've been the first to hug me, and the first not to let go.

"Hungry?" Daryl asked setting down a plate of mashed potatoes, chicken, and vegetables. "Scout, Dinner!" Daryl called, Scout's feet quickly making their way over to the table.

"Can I have some bread?" Scout asked as Daryl put the plate down in front of him.

"Then that's all you'll eat." Daryl called him out.

"I'll put my food in it." Scout compromised.

"Fine." Daryl cut a slice of bread from the loaf passing it to Scout. "Want some?" Daryl asked, and I gave him a nod.

This was weird, this was so normal, I think after the many years of being out there I grew accustomed to it, because I felt uncomfortable. I mean sure I had spent some time, sitting at a table eating with others before, but it never felt this way, I always knew this wouldn't last, but in this moment right now, I felt like everyday was going to be like this. I watched Scout, who was sitting across from me, happily eat his bread filled with potatoes, chicken, and his vegetables, slurping down some water as well. Daryl sat next to me munching slowly on his food, it was quiet for the most part, small conversation between Scout and Daryl that I enjoyed watching.

"Mr. Daryl-Dad, look." Scout laughed showing Daryl a carrot in his nose.

"Don't do that." Daryl laughed back pulling it from Scout's nose then putting into Scout's mouth, causing loud laughter between the two of them.

"Are we gonna have something special tonight?" Scout asked.

"What'd ya mean?" Daryl asked.

"Momma's home, do we have cake?" Scout asked.

"I'll see what I can get together." Daryl patted his shoulder, then there was a knock on the door, making me jump. Daryl wiped his mouth before getting up, Rick, Michonne, and Judith on the other side with a cake.

"Thought it would be a good welcome home gift." Michonne smiled.

"Thank you." Daryl took it. "Wanna come in for a bit?" He asked.

"Oh no, you enjoy yourselves, you need anything, you know where to find us." Rick smiled, for real. The three of them leaving Judith waving to Scout before Daryl shut the door, placing the cake on the table.

"Looks like your prayer was answered." Daryl smiled at Scout who was eyeballing the vanilla cake, drizzled in plum jam. "Finish your dinner first." Daryl ordered, then I watched as Scout shoveled down his food eager for cake.

After dinner and the cake was cut into, Daryl took Scout to the bathroom to give him a bath, I watched close by, wanting to get a feel for their routine. Scout cooperated with Daryl well while he scrubbed the boy's hair, and rinsed it out, then telling Scout to wash his body by himself, it was sweet to watch them bond and get along. I began to wonder how things were while I was gone, they got along fine when I was here, but I'm sure there were some challenges without me here. I know Daryl wasn't one hundred percent apart of Scout and my routine, but I know he faired well. When the bath was done, we took Scout to his room and dressed him for bed, Scout happily hoping into bed passing me a book.

"What'd we got?" I took the book, a slight gasp escaping my lips when I saw the cover.

"I know you lost your old one, so I found you a new one." Daryl smiled.

"Read it momma." Scout said eagerly.

"Alright." I cleared my sore throat. "The Hobbit, An Unexpected Journey." I opened the book, loving the feel of the pages between my fingers. "In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.." I kept going, I didn't care that my throat was aching, I wanted Scout to know the stories from the past.

I knew there were books floating around the communities that I could read to him, but I wanted to find more, even if my voice vanished. I would probably look for Magic TreeHouse books, I know he would love them. After the first chapter, Scout was ready to go to sleep, I gave him a few kisses on his face, and a big hug.

"Momma you'll be here in the morning right?" Scout asked innocently.

"I'm not going anywhere." I covered his face in kisses again, then did the silly nose rubs with him, making him giggle. "I love you kid."

"Love you Momma." Scout wrapped his little arms around my neck, holding the hug for a good while.

"Sleep good, I'll see you in the morning." My voice scratched out.

"See in the morning." Scout whispered as he let me go.

"Good night." I smiled gettin up to leave.

"Good night." Scout said quietly, as I turned off his lamp, then closed his door.

I could hear Daryl in the kitchen washing dishes, I made way over to the counter watching him wash, he wore a faded black tee-shirt, sweatpants that hung a little low revealing his underwear band. I bit my lip as I approached him, leaning on the counter next to him.

"Thought you didn't have time for dishes." I scratched out.

"Well I do now." Daryl smirked at me. "When you have a family you gotta change some thing's." He grumbled.

"Hmm." I chewed on the inside of my lip. That's when I felt the tears prick my eyes, and my chin tremble.

"Hey." Daryl wiped his hands clean, and wrapped me in a warm hug. "You're home now, everything is going to be okay."

"That's what scares me." I sniffled. "I haven't had normal, in years."

"Play it by ear, I'm still learning this normal thing too, to be honest." Daryl confessed making me smile a bit. I pulled away, Daryl leaving a kiss on my forehead. "I wanna talk more, I have so many questions."

"I know, finish up, I'll wait for you in the living room." I sighed.

"No, no, chores can fucking wait, you're more important to me." Daryl and I made our way to the living room, sitting down awkwardly, but ready to burst at the seams. "Tell me what happened, where'd you go, what-what happened to you?" Daryl asked anxiously.

"They covered me in guts. Wait, do you know about the Whisperer's?" I asked.

"I've heard about them, Jesus had one held captive, then when Alpha came to get the girl Henry snuck off after her." Daryl explained.

"Kids." I stated.

"But, yeah I know about them." Daryl grumbled.

"Um, they covered me in walker guts, and we walked out of the mall with the herd. I'm sure you know by now where they live." I sighed heavily, I really didn't want to tell all of this again.

"How was living there, how'd they work?" He asked.

"I was busy the second the sun came up, until the sun went down, but at night-" a lump formed in my throat, that I had to clear. "At night, I hardly slept, because I could hear the cries, and moans, the wails." Daryl looked hard at me as I spoke. "One night I let up my guard, and someone, someone, he-he forced himself on me."

"What?" Daryl radiating with anger.

"He wasn't the only one, and it wasn't the only time." I confessed, the memories ripping through my mind again. "Th-then Negan showed up, and he protected me at night, and he worked hard to get in the group to be trusted by Alpha, then he killed her, and got us home." I could tell Daryl was very irritated by this point, especially hearing about Negan being the one that protected me.

"I wish I could've been there, to protect you myself." Daryl's voice cracked.

"Daryl no, you staying here with our son, and putting him first was the smartest and the best thing you could've done, for me, for us." I squeezed his hands in reassurance.

"I missed you." Daryl whispered, with his forehead pressed to mine.

"I missed you so much, thinking about you and Scout got me through everyday." I confessed. "What about you, what happened, how was everything here?" I asked.

"I stayed in that mall awhile hoping I would find you or a clue of some sort. Looked in places nearby for ya, but I knew I needed to come back and get help." Daryl explained. "I came back and told Rick and Scout, he was really upset, I put a team together, we was gonna go out and find you. Then Negan stopped us, convinced me to stay and let him go look for ya. I let him go. I talked to Scout about it, he told me he didn't want me to go." Daryl shrugged.

"How have things been with him?" I asked.

"Well." Daryl sighed. "Judith has some bullies, and Scout decided to help her out. They overpowered him, then they went after Judith, he got up, found a shovel and beat the crap out of those kids, at four years old." Daryl sighed a little frustrated.

"What'd you do?" I asked.

"I mean he had to be in trouble, I had parents of those other kids staring holes into my back. So I grounded him for a couple days and talked to him about it. I told him he was brave for what he did, but he should've gone to get an adult." Daryl rubbed his face. "But uh, other then that things have been going smooth, we learned to work together, and get a routine going, even if it wasn't the same as yours." He smirked at me.

"I'm so proud of you." I smiled at him. "You've done an amazing job taking care of our son. I love you." I said against his cheek, loving the feel of his beard against my face.

"I love you too baby." He kissed my neck softly, trailing his lips across my jaw, bringing them to my lips. It was weird how easy and quick the talk went I was expecting a million more questions, and to be talking until my throat ached, trying to talk through tears, and taking breaks to get through this, but instead we just talked. The conversation was over with quickly, and now he was laying on top of me, with his lips all over my skin, pleasured moans escaping my lips.

"Maybe." I gently pushed him away. "Maybe we shouldn't do this. I'm not ready, I'm sorry." I felt remorse denying Daryl, I never thought I would deny him.

"Don't ever feel sorry for that. What you went through was traumatic, when you're ready I'll be here." Daryl spoke. Damn.

"I would like to go to bed, with you next to me." I spoke softly.

Daryl nodded and the two of us went to bed. Daryl helped me undress, we both liked sleeping in our underwear, I laid down, Daryl next to me, and he covered us in the blanket.

"Is it okay if I touch you?" Daryl asked quietly. I nodded and Daryl began gently gliding his fingers over my skin.

He brushed his fingers along my hips and stomach, feeling my stretch marks under his thumb. I moved his hand away feeling insecure. "Don't, you're beautiful." He ran his fingers over my stretch marked skin on my stomach again. After all these years they were pretty faded, but I still felt uncomfortable in this skin. "I get it, the whole situation when you left, but I do wish I was there for this." He said thoughtfully.

"I wish you were too." I smirked.

"I know things are about to get crazy again, with these Whisperer's, but you think after, maybe, maybe we could have another one?" Daryl asked nervously, now picking at his own fingers.

"Another baby?" I asked for clarification.

"Yeah, and I'll be here this time." He looked up at me now, waiting for an answer.

"You already know, I would gladly have all your babies, especially with you by my side." I smirked at him.

"Yeah, really?" He said excited now.

"Yeah, we can have another baby." I stated. Daryl happily kissed me long and slow, before pulling away.

"I love you babe, so much." He kissed me again.

"I love you too."

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Hello, hope you guys enjoyed this fluff chapter, usually don't write stuff like this, I know the updates for this story are really slow, I am so sorry about that I have been crazy busy, and then when I do finally have time I don't wanna do anything. But anyway I hope you guys are enjoying this so far and as always thank you for reading!