The Bet

Part 12 - Epilogue

A knock at the door brought your attention away from the cake recipe laying on the counter. You looked down and saw that you were covered in flour and other various ingredients, and sighed.

"Oh well, when am I not a hot mess?" you asked yourself as you went to open the front door.

"Hey!" Maggie said and she pushed past you with an armload of supplies. "I think I got everythin'. How's the cake comin'?"

"Well, I am wearing more than I am actually baking," you smiled and took some of the items from her hands.

"Are they here?" she asked, looking around the lower level of your home.

"No, they'll be back any second. Honestly, I have no idea where he took her," you untied your apron so it hung loosely in front of you and went to the sink to wash your hands.

Maggie began rifling through the box of party supplies and began laying them out on the counter. The front door opened again and Daryl came through carrying your daughter on his hip.

"Hey," he said to Maggie as he walked through the kitchen, "what the hell's all this?"

"Party supplies," she said without looking up.

Daryl rifled through the pink princess crowns and glitter caked cardboard ponies with the free hand that wasn't holding your toddler and shook his head. "She don't care about this stuff," he said tossing it back on the counter. "Now, you throw some camo in there, add a fishing pole, and she'd be all about it. Right munchkin?" He asked her and tickled her belly.

"Ya daddy!" she giggled and you couldn't help but laugh.

Daryl placed her down on the ground and the girl bounced over to you, arms raised up in the air. "Momma, hold me," she said and you did as commanded.

"Shelby," Maggie said reaching out to take her hand and smiling big, "You want a pretty party don't you? With ponies and princesses? We're gonna have it right out in the middle of town by the lake!"

Shelby looked back and forth between you and Maggie and shook her head.

"Fishes!" she snickered and wiggled free from your arms.

"See, my girl knows what she wants," Daryl said, leaning back against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest.

"The girl is two and has no idea what she wants until her daddy tells her," you teased him.

"Pfft," he waved a hand at you. "Right, and when this one comes and has you wrapped around his finger, I don't wanna hear boo about it." Daryl wrapped an arm around you from behind, letting his hand rest on your slightly swollen belly, and leaving a kiss on your neck.

The feeling of his lips on your neck triggered that need for more of him, and as hard as you tried to hide it in front of Maggie, you couldn't.

"Ugh, you guys make me sick," Maggie groaned and rolled her eyes. "Hey, Shelby!" she called and went after your daughter. "C'mon baby, let's go find Uncle Glenn and see what he's got done for your princess party..." She flashed Daryl a spirited look and he just shook his head.

"You're a bad influence Greene..." he waged a finger at her.

"Yeah, well, too bad. When our kid is born, you can take over their birthday party. For now, Auntie Maggie and Uncle Glenn are giving this one a princess party. Deal with it accordingly."

Maggie scooped up Shelby and they waved goodbye as they went off to find Glenn.

Daryl turned to you and finally noticed the mess that covered you head to toe.

"What happened to you?" he asked, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Trying to bake your daughter a birthday cake, but as you can see, I'm failing."

His eyes narrowed on you, and you saw a very familiar look blossom across his face. You laughed but backed up until you were against the stove.

"Now, listen here Dixon... We are in the mess we are in because you keep giving me that look..."

"And... so? Not like I can knock you up again," his hands were on you, and you suddenly forgot all about the cake, the party and everything else.

Daryl lifted you up so you were sitting on the counter and eye level with him. He put his hands on either side of you, palms down on the granite. Leaning in, his nose brushed against yours, his lips just a whisper away from yours.

"So, you tellin' me that you want me to just leave ya be. Especially when you are covered in all kinds of... what..." he leaned in a ran his tongue down the length of your neck. "... sugar?"

He moved to the other side of your neck and left small biting kisses, causing you to immediately feel a spring of warmth flow between your thighs.

"Daryl..." a moaned escaped you. Suddenly the need for him was stronger than it had been in the years you'd been together and living happily in Alexandria. He knew what you wanted from him, and he was more than happy to oblige.

Wrapping your legs around his waist and your arms around his neck, Daryl carried you upstairs, placing you down in the bathroom. He turned on the shower and stripped you down to nothing. He added his own clothes to the mix and stepped into the shower under the guise of helping you get clean.

After, when you were both clinging to each other and catching your breath under the rain of hot water, he kissed you deeply. When Daryl finally pulled away, he watched you thoughtfully through the soaking wet tendrils hanging across his face.

"What?" you asked, feeling suddenly embarrassed.

"I love you," he said quietly.

"I love you too," you smiled at him. Life was good and you were surrounded by family and friends, and head over heels in love with a man that thought you walked on water.

"I've been thinking... whatcha wanna call this one when he gets here?" Daryl's hand went to the small swell of your belly that was growing larger by the day.

"You're so sure it's a he this time?"

"Mmhmm... wanna bet?" He raised his eyebrows playfully at you.

"No, I know better," you thought about it for a minute and looked up at him. "You let me name Shelby, I think you should pick this one."

Daryl grew quiet and raised his face up for the water to cascade over his skin. He wiped the hair from his face and smiled.

"Abraham," he answered quietly. "Still hard to believe he's gone, even after all this time. But without him, I may never have found you back then." His hand caressed the side of your face.

You thought back to your fallen friend and felt a wave of sadness crashed down on you. Losing him that night had been terrible, but you'd all found a way to bounce back from the terror of the early days in your new home. Since ending the war and picking up the pieces, Alexandria had been the perfect place for you and Daryl to raise a family. You would never have arrived there, if not for the giant ginger who rescued you and Glenn off the side of the road.

"I think it's just about perfect," you smiled up at him.

"Good," Daryl said and pulled you in again. "Abe it is."

The rest of the day went off without a hitch and while you and your family celebrated Shelby's second birthday, Abe kicked in your belly for the first time as if a sign from above that all would finally be peaceful.