Months later
Amethyst glares at the ceiling when she hears the front door open.
"Amethyst. Freya left this at my place, she always forgets it so" Sophia says, putting the backpack on the table, watching amused as Bear reaches for it.
"Wanna see your big sister and Daddy?" Sophia asks, digging through the bag and pulling out the picture of Freya and Daryl, she puts it in front of Bear and watches as he looks at it with curiosity.
"That's the quietest he's been today" Amethyst says, Sophia smiles.
"I need to get back, I swear, Ariel could be burning down the place or hotwiring a car right now" Sophia says, saying bye and leaving the house, Amethyst laughs and turns back to the clothes she was folding.
Amethyst hears something moving on the table behind her until the sound lands on the floor, she turns and sees that Bear pulled Freya's backpack off the table and the stuff in it fell out.
"Bear" she says in a scolding tone, picking up the backpack off the floor and picking up the pictures and stuff to put back in it.
Amethyst looks at a picture before Bear starts reaching for her.
"Hulk?" she mumbles, confused. She doesn't notice the footsteps behind her.
Amethyst jumps when someone grabs her shoulders but relaxes when she feels the familiarity of them.
"I've never got the jump on ya before. You alright?" Daryl asks, Amethyst nods when he sits next to her on the floor.
"Do you know him?" Amethyst asks, showing him the picture of Freya and Merle, Daryl satres at the picture before nodding.
"My brother. Why?" he says, picking up one of the pictures left on the floor, Amethyst freezes.
"He was a marine, wasn't he?" she whispers, Daryl gives her a look.
"Yeah" he says, Amethyst hears Bear whining and starts to get up but Daryl grabs her arm and pulls her back towards him, his arm around her stomach.
"You know 'im?" he asks, Amethyst nods, staring at the picture.
"The marine I told you about" she says, hiding her face in her hands. Daryl lays his forehead against her back.
"Shit, Amethyst" he mumbles, unsure of what to say.
"You know, one time he told me he wanted me to come out to Georgia to meet his baby brother, he didn't like the job I was doing..... I guess Dixon isn't a common last name in Georgia" she whispers, Daryl looks up at Bear who is now eating the food that was placed in front of him earlier.
"He'd probably be laughing his ass off if he saw us now" Daryl says, Amethyst hums.
"We could've met before this" Amethyst says, turning her head to look at him, Daryl grunts.
"You wouldn't of liked how I was" Daryl says against her neck, Amethyst smiles.
"Were you grumpier then you are now?" she asks, squeaking when he bites her neck.
"I was a stupid asshole" he says, Amethyst pulls his arms off her.
"Then...I like the Daryl I have. No apocalypse is gonna change my mind" she says, standing up.
When she looks down at Daryl, she suddenly laughs. A memory filling her mind.
Flashback
"Well, I'll be damned! Ain't nothing sexier than a woman who can shoot a rifle. Too bad that rifle can't always protect ya" a southern accent pulls Amethyst's face away from the scope of her rifle.
"Who said I only know how to shoot, asshole?" she asks, packing up her rifle.
"You're a woman, surprised ya can do that much" he says, Amethyst laughs.
"Great. Another one. May I ask what your name is, kind sir?" She asks sarcastically, the man grins.
"You can call me anything ya want with that pretty mouth of yours" he says, earning a bored look from Amethyst. At the look on her face, the man rolls his eyes.
"Merle Dixon" he says seriously, Amethyst nods at him.
"Amethyst Shaw" she says, standing up and looking him straight in the eye.
"Well, Merle Dixon, for your information, I can do much more than just shoot" Amethyst says, crossing her arms as she glares up at the man. Merle smirks.
"Oh, I'm sure ya can" he says, Amethyst holds up her fists with a grin, completely ignoring his comment.
"Want to find out?" she asks, Merle rolls his eyes.
"You think you can take me, girly?" he asks, Amethyst shrugs.
"We're gonna find out, Dixon" she says, Merle grins and holds up his fists. He takes the first punch, only for Amethyst to dodge it and punch his stomach.
"A broad that can throw a punch!" Merle says, punching her before she can block.
_____________
After the fight, Amethyst and Merle sit on the ground, leaning against some sandbags.
"Looks like you can do more than just shoot" Merle says, rubbing his jaw from where she punched him a couple times, Amethyst smiles and stands up, wiping the blood from her mouth. She holds her hand down to Merle, he stares at her hand with suspicion.
"Oh, c'mon. We're gonna get in trouble for fighting if they catch us" she says, Merle grunts and ignores her hand as he gets up.
"Well, I probably wouldn't get in as much trouble as you" she says, grinning, Merle glares at her.
"The fuck you talking about?" Merle asks, Amethyst hums.
"I didn't introduce myself with rank, neither did you. So, Mr. Dixon, you are either a civilian like me, or you haven't figured out how to introduce yourself properly" Amethyst says with a goofy grin as she pulls her rifle bag over her shoulder.
"Nice meeting you, Merle. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again soon" she says, waving her arm in front of her in a dramatic curtsy before walking away.
Merle grunts and grabs the binoculars off the lined-up sandbags, he looks over the shooting field until the binoculars find the lone target. A picture of an older man and woman, two bullets in each of their hearts.
"Bullseye" Merle mumbles with a laugh.
"Well, Darylina would be real proud of me if he heard I just made a friend"
Flashback over
"You alright?" Daryl asks, Amethyst nods and lifts Bear out of the chair, sitting him on the floor.
"Always" she says, watching Bear waddle around the kitchen table before he walks to Daryl.
"Daddy" Bear says, Daryl stands there slightly shocked.
"Looks like he's been practicing" Amethyst says, smiling, Daryl picks up the toddler before smirking at Amethyst.
"Probably heard his mama say it over and over" he says, a sly smirk on his face.
"Daryl Dixon!" she scolds, hitting his arm. Meanwhile, Bear watches them interact and when Amethyst hits Daryl's arm, Bear follows, hitting Daryl's arm also.
"Already turning him against me" Daryl says, shaking his head at them.
Amethyst grins as she sits on a chair. She watches Daryl and Bear with a smile on her face.
Flashback
Amethyst glares at Merle when she smells alcohol.
"You do remember you're meeting my big sister right?" she asks, Merle nods.
"Yeah. Even wore my best shirt" he says, holding his arms up and turning in a circle, Amethyst facepalms.
"A blue button up with grease stains on it?" she asks with a laugh at her friend's effort.
"I appreciate the effort, Hulk. But you messed up" she says, walking to him and unbuttoning the shirt.
"You put the buttons in the wrong spots" she says, Merle grunts.
"I did it on purpose" he says, Amethyst rolls her eyes and buttons up the shirt properly.
"Your sister sounds like a prissy little bitch" he says, Amethyst shakes her head.
"She has her moments but she just wants the best for me. Just like how I'm sure you want the best for your younger brother" she says, backing away from him and nodding.
"Now you don't look like a drug dealer. That'll keep her off my back for a bit" she hums, her goofy smile makes Merle's glare disappear into a small smile.
"Well, you're 17, my brother's in his 20s I think" Merle says, Amethyst shrugs.
"You still worry about him, I know it" she says, Merle decides to ignore the subject.
"When are you gonna come ta Georgia to see me?" Merle asks, Amethyst opens the front door of her apartment with a shrug.
"That would mean leaving here" she mumbles, Merle grunts as he follows her out.
"You been here for years, I bet you've fucked every man 'round here by now!" he says, Amethyst blushes and Merle laughs as they walk onto the makeshift driveway.
"You tellin' me that you ain't went and got a nice quick fuck from around here?" Merle says, grinning when she blushes more.
"I'm not a slut, Merle" she says, walking down the sidewalk, Merle huffs.
"Well, Bullseye! I know that, but a good quick fucking is nice every now and then" he says, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, Amethyst shrugs his arm off.
"Coming from the one who screws a different whore every night" she says, glaring up at him, Merle grins and licks his lips.
"Well, they don't complain while I'm goin' down on 'em. They just beg for more like the cum sluts they are" he says, Amethyst forms a look of disgust before grinning at him.
"That sounds absolutely boring" she says, Merle glares at her.
"Coming from the one who ain't getting' any type of fucking" she shrugs and keeps walking, Merle stays quiet for a couple minutes.
"Ya should meet my baby brotha, he needs someone like ya in his life" he says, Amethyst smiles when she looks up at him.
"Someone like me?" she asks, Merle nods, looking around.
"Yeah. Different from what he's been around, not completely..." he stops, not knowing how to word it.
"Destroyed" she says, Merle thinks about it before nodding.
"Then I'm not sure I'd be the best one to meet" she says, Merle shakes his head.
"Nah, I think y'all'd be like peanut butter and jelly" he says, Amethyst giggles.
"Is Merle Dixon trying to set me up with his brother?" she asks, Merle rolls his eyes.
"Maybe in a few years from now. I wanna worry about Roxy until she finally decides to marry Gio. I can wait" she says with a determined nod, Merle stops walking and Amethyst stops next to him.
"She can take care of herself, Bullseye" he says, she nods with a small smile.
"I know. But she worried and took care of me growing up, it's my turn until Gio gets off his military umbilical cord and marries her" she says, Merle laughs.
"You think she's pregnant again?" he asks, she nods with a giggle.
"I'm sure of it this time!" she says, hitting his arm with an excited smile. Merle grins at her childlike excitement.
And with that, they continue walking to Roxy and Gio's house.
Flashback Over
__________________
Freya's POV
"But, she's so cute!" I say to Duane, Ariel has been glued to Duane since he moved in a year ago. He was living with Judith and Michonne, but when Michonne had RJ, he moved into Sophia's the babies didn't cry as much then.
He just didn't want to deal with all the crying babies.
"Is uncle Duane being a meanie?" I ask Ariel, pulling her away from a complaining Duane.
"I am not being a meanie. When she gets upset with Theo, she goes to my room and sleeps. A couple days ago, I woke up and they were both in my bed, stealing my pillows like little bandits" Duane says, Sophia giggles as she leans back on the couch.
"They like you, it's kinda your fault, Duane. You play with them and tell them stories. Hate to tell you but they love their uncle Duane" Sophia says, Duane rolls his eyes as Ariel climbs back onto his lap.
"I have an idea!" I say, clapping my hands like a child, Duane grins at me while Sophia asks what.
"Why don't we go out the gates like we used to before you had kids?" I ask, Sophia looks at me like I'm crazy.
"I can't just get up and leave. Who would watch Theo and Ariel? There's a certain time where Ariel has to get her medicine and-" Sophia starts but I cover her mouth.
"Guillermo. He loves to watch the kids. He prefers babysitting than going out the gates" I say, Sophia thinks about it for awhile, Duane and I play rock, paper, scissors while she does so.
"Fine" she finally says, Duane and I grin.
"YAAAAAAAAAAYYYY" I yell, hugging Sophia, she laughs and hugs me back.
"Pffft, can I breathe now?" she asks, trying to pull me off her.
__________________
After bugging Guillermo and asking him if he'd want to take care of the babies.
He agreed.
Now, Sophia, Duane and I are walking through the forest, Loki flying above us.
"l don't think Loki likes Duane" I say, watching Loki fly around the trees, Duane nods.
"He hates my guts. I'm not scared of the walkers, I'm scared of him" he says, I giggle and look around the forest with a smile.
"We should do this more often" I say, earning a nod from Sophia as she takes down a lone walker.
"Agreed. I love the babies, but I need a break every now and then" she says, taking her spot on Duane's other side. Duane wraps his arms around each of our shoulders.
"Well, ladies. It seems we decided our annual –Escape-Alexandria-to-go-kill-walkers-for-a- few-hours-" he says, I roll my eyes and elbow him in the stomach.
"We can live with this" Sophia says, smiling at Duane and I's interaction.
The three musketeers are back.
______________
Sooooooo, after this chapter, I'm gonna go to the actual time skip where season 9 is after Rick "died". Djbbsidbfiurbfiurbb I'm excited!!
Persephone Out
*inserts ASL I love you sign*