GUYS. I'm caving. Oh, God. Why am I like this? The chapter was just screaming at me and I couldn't resist no more. I'm going to say some more in terms of goodbye at the end of the chapter, but for now I just want to write a little disclaimer. I have never been pregnant and therefore I have never given birth either. Everything I have written in regards to pregnancy and birth -especially in the apocalypse- has come from internet research, wild speculation and my own imagination. If you see anything I got wrong please let me know, I would be so grateful. Apart from that, enjoy the LAST CHAPTER!

I would like to say that my pregnancy was beautiful, easy. It wasn't. It was frightening, and difficult. As a person, and a couple it changed me, and Daryl. Some ways good, some bad. Sometimes we argued and cussed and screamed, debated if we were doing the right thing, or if this was such a good idea. Other times we cuddled each other, spoke to the baby and laughed. Most of the time it really was good: lying in bed with Daryl's head on the bump, his rough fingers gentle as he trailed the stretch marks appearing over my stomach. But sometimes, sometimes it was just horrible. I was fat, useless and emotional.

I couldn't go on runs, and Daryl didn't really want me on watches, in case something did happen and I was too slow to get the others. Clearing the fence was a no-go. My sense of smell had ramped up and I could barely even be in the general vicinity of a walker, much less kill one without throwing up everywhere. I wanted my mom a lot, wanted some guidance and support. Daryl offered it, but he had never had to be pregnant, and it wasn't the same. I found support in my girls. Carol, Maggie, Michonne, Tara, Beth, Rosita and Sasha.

Only Michonne and Carol could truly help me when it came to questions or tips about pregnancy, but I loved the others all the same for trying. Especially when six months in I started to get sad every time I looked out at walkers, started having a lot of panic attacks; a lot of nightmares. A combination of losing Daryl, and Fae, the baby. Sometimes they were amazing: dreams of my mom holding a bundle and cooing, a brilliant smile lighting her face. Sometimes Fae: older, living, breathing. But mostly it was just losing the people I cared about, night after night, and it was exhausting. Being in the middle of an apocalypse -predictably- didn't improve matters.

We lost people. We lost one of the doctors: Lucas, and we lost Daisy, the female scientist, and Jenny: the model. We lost Tyrese. A handful of other people who I hadn't become very close with, but who were still a loss. It changed the feel of the prison, the mood of its occupants. It changed Daryl; it changed me. The worry for the baby, the worry that I was a horrible, selfish mother for bringing him or her into this world, just for my own pleasure of carrying them; of being allowed to fall in love again. God, did I fall in love again. I had never known anything like it.

The love I felt for my mom and dad was different to the love I felt for Fae, and then the love I felt for Daryl. I didn't think it could get deeper than that. The need to protect, and serve and please. The need to make him smile, make him happy. The appreciation of every emotion, every story from his difficult past, or every mention of his brother's name. The need. The raw, mouth-watering lust I got in the pit of my belly, spiralling down between my legs, every time he looked at me. This was a completely different ballpark, a whole other category of love that I hadn't yet experienced. Not for Daryl, or Fae, my parents, or any of my other relatives.

This was something magical, endless, infinite. There would never be an end to it, never be a point where I could stop. There could be an end to Daryl. You didn't exactly die of old age anymore. Death was coming, every second of every minute of every damn day. Daryl would leave me soon, or I would leave him first. That's the way it was now. It was quite possible that in the time we had left together, we could fall out of love. We could find someone else. I couldn't see it happening, but it was possible. Not this. Not for this baby. I would never stop loving them, never stop fighting tooth and nail for them, protecting them until my very last breath.

There would be no end. Whilst I had these revelations, Daryl got more possessive; clingy, and usually, I could tolerate it, enjoy it even, but being pregnant changed that. I got angry a lot, especially when it came to sex, and Daryl got hurt. He didn't really want to as I got bigger, said he just couldn't. But I was so goddamn horny it was a fucking joke. I wanted him like I had never wanted him before, and sometimes it was entirely because of the baby we had made together. Of course, I would never force him, and I didn't, so as I got bigger, the sex stopped and we were strained.

It was still so difficult for Daryl to express himself, and when he did -like with the sex issues- and I shot him down for it, he spent a lot of time trying to forgive me. I loved the baby so much, but it came to the point where I couldn't wait for the pregnancy to just be over. Then quite suddenly it was, and here we were. Screeching baby being pulled from between my trembling legs, coating them in blood and gunk, Daryl cutting the cord with tears dripping down his face and slightly averting his eyes so that he didn't find out the sex before me, and noise.

Pressing into my eardrums; making my head pound as I lay on the bed, soaked in sweat. Daryl loomed over me, eyes shining and hands shaking as Chris smiled and weighed the baby. It had been really hit and miss whilst I was pregnant. Eugene had set up the generator but when a group went back to the hospital -me sat anxiously waiting back at the prison- we had lost Tyrese just to get to the doors, and so they had aborted the plan. Daryl had been so angry about it, wanting the machines for my scans, and to know the baby was okay, but Rick had reasoned with him -and me after- that it was just too dangerous.

I knew how they all cared about the baby, about me and Daryl. I knew how much they had been willing to risk to ensure the baby's health, and that had already been too much. If Rick said that they couldn't risk it, then I knew without a doubt that it was impossible. So, we hadn't had much in the way of technology to hear the baby's heartbeat, or see them on screen, or learn the sex, but we had Chris's hands, which could tell us that the baby was alive. Now, with him or her finally here, I knew Chris wanted to do all he could to check their health.

After a few minutes of the baby wailing and Daryl pacing, not going too near, again because he wanted to find out the sex at the same moment as me, Chris finally wrapped the baby in a towel and with a smile, offered the wailing bundle over to Daryl. He glanced down at me as if seeking my permission and I had barely enough energy to smile. He then turned back to Chris and gently took the bundle that consisted of our child, tremors now visible in his arms.

"It's a boy," Chris whispered.

My eyes filled with water and my stomach clenched, searching for the small miracle I had been carrying for so long and feeling a tremble when he wasn't there. "Did you hear that, Daryl?" I croaked, my throat dry and tight.

Daryl nodded, a smile tugging at his mouth as the baby quietened down. "Yeah. His fuckin' beautiful, Dani. You did so good, girl."

For a while, there was more activity, Chris helping me with the placenta and cleaning me up as best as he could until I showered. I thought I would have been more embarrassed with him seeing every part of my body in such gory detail, but I was nothing but thankful for him. My only option had been natural childbirth and I felt weak beyond words could describe.

"There you go," Chris murmured when he was done. "Why don't you join her on the bed, Daryl?"

I smiled reassuringly as Daryl silently asked my permission, relaxing back into the bed with exhausted muscles. "Come down here."

Daryl bent his knees to sit next to me on the small sliver of bed available. "Here," he whispered before he shifted to press the baby into my arms.

I made a noise in my throat, my eyes having begun to droop before they focused on my son's face. My son. God. I arranged my arms properly so that I could hold him whilst I pulled the towel away from his face. "Hello, handsome."

Daryl laughed in my ear, his hand stroking through my hair as I spoke, "we did so good."

"Yeah, we did," he agreed quietly as my finger stroked the cheek of our boy.

"What should we call him?" I asked, my eyes flicking up to Daryl's.

"I dunno, thought it was gonna be a girl, didn't we?" Daryl whispered, his voice hushed now that the baby wasn't crying.

"Mmm," I answered without much thought. "He looks like you."

Daryl's upper body, where it was pressed to my side, shuddered, like the thought alone pleased him beyond words, and when I looked up his eyes were filled with tears again. I smiled, my left arm holding our son as I reached up my right hand to stroke Daryl's face. "I love you."

His chest stuttered again, and I laughed. Fucking ridiculous, saying it now when I had just given birth to our boy, but I was floating on a cloud and this day couldn't get any better. "Love you too. Love you both so fuckin' much."

Apparently, it could.

I laughed again, and the laugh developed into happy tears that jolted the baby. He started crying again and Daryl glanced up at Chris, searching for guidance. He came closer from where he had tucked himself against the wall, a smile warm on his face. "He might be hungry. You should start breast feedin' soon as he shows he's ready."

I glanced back at the crying boy in my arms and noticed how his cheek pressed to my chest, his lips open and rounded. I started to push my bra aside without hesitation, the only thing I was dressed in now. My legs were still bare though I had closed them, and Daryl must have shimmied the blanket somewhat up my lap because I could only feel the air on my stomach.

"I'll let the others know," Chris said. Then: "congratulations."

As he turned to leave, Daryl suddenly stood, jostling me a little as I guided the baby to my breast. Chris had asked a couple of weeks back whether I would like him to stay once I began breastfeeding, as babies didn't tend to latch straight away, or it was painful. I had said no then, knowing how exposed I would feel now, and I was glad of it. Michonne had already helped me as much as she could, in theory, having been the only one out of her and Carol to breastfeed, and I just wanted some time alone with Daryl and the baby. As I tried to guide my boy to eat, I glanced up quickly at Daryl as he stopped in front of Chris.

He offered his hand with a smile he rarely gifted to anyone. "Thanks a lot, man. Couldn' have done it without you."

"Thank you, Chris," I added after.

Chris grinned as he shook Daryl's hand. "It's my pleasure. Really, it is. I'm so glad it all went well. Danielle, I'll come and check up on you soon."

Daryl nodded and closed the door behind Chris before he joined me back on the bed. We were silent in the aftermath of Chris's words. Glad didn't cover it. Lucky was the correct word. Lucky that I had survived without any pain medication. Lucky that the baby had survived inside me without any scans or heartbeat check-ups. Lucky that there were no complications, lucky that the baby was perfectly healthy. So, so lucky. I let myself sink into it, how grateful I was that me and my boy had made it through this. It was another couple of minutes before the baby would latch and when he finally did I hissed quietly, baring my teeth a little.

Daryl fluttered one hand over my shoulder and the other to cup the back of the baby's wispy head, worry tightening his mouth. "Y'alright?"

"Yeah," I whispered. "Just stings a bit."

"Wonda' who's eyes he got," Daryl murmured, his fingers skimming over the baby's brow where his eyes were still clenched shut.

I smiled, arranging my shoulders more comfortably. "Probably mine. Got a lot more brown than green, and dark dominates."

Daryl hummed, his head bending until he pressed a kiss to my sweaty forehead. "Hope so."

We stayed in comfortable silence after that where Daryl's fingers stroked me and the baby, and our son suckled away. When he seemed to be full, I arranged him carefully and sat forward to wind him. I winced every time my hand pressed against his delicate frame, half afraid I would hurt him. I knew Daryl felt much the same because his wince kept echoing mine. I was in half a mind to tease him about the size of his hands, and how terrifying it was going to be for him, but I decided against it. Daryl was already petrified, no doubt the joke would mean that he didn't touch his son until he was nearly one.

A shiver caught me quite suddenly at the thought of this beautiful boy being Daryl's son, the son I had carried and birthed. It did strange things to me. The look of rapture on Daryl's face, the warmth in my arms and the love I was feeling made me think of more children. This, all the time. This, I would die for. I leaned back when the baby finally gave a small burp and arranged him over my chest. Daryl lifted the blanket to cover us, just as the door knocked. It swung open soon after and I glanced up to see my girls clamouring around the doorway. I laughed softly, my chest positively radiating with love.

One at a time, my goddamn ass.

"Hey," Maggie said through a gorgeous grin. "Congratulations," she whispered.

"Come in." I laughed as they all tumbled in. "Where's Sasha?"

"She got watch, said she was gonna murder Rick for making her miss this," Rosita answered.

I laughed as Beth fought past Maggie, her hands clutching fabric as Michonne whirled right past Sasha and shoved against Carol. "Fuckin' hell, slow down," Daryl growled – half serious.

Carol rolled her eyes as she leaned up to hug him. "Congratulations, daddy."

"Thanks," he muttered sullenly but his face was beaming.

"Lemme see!" Beth whisper-yelled.

"Beth, she only jus' put 'im there," Daryl grunted.

"Shut up, you." I gently nudged him as I sat forward, the blanket pooling to my chest. It was just my girls, so I didn't mind. "It's a boy."

"I knew it!" Tara said from the back, worming her way past Rosita. "You owe me the next candy bars you find," she said as she passed her.

Rosita rolled her eyes but turned a dazzling smile on me. "Mama, you're glowing."

"I'm so happy," I admitted, my eyes lifting to Daryl with a smile to match.

"Awww. Can I hold him?" Beth asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, but he's got no clothes."

"Oh, no, I brough' 'em." She grinned, showing me the fabric in her hands. "Got white 'cause I didn't know."

"I got nappies," Michonne said quietly.

I glanced up at her in surprise. She had appeared silently beside my head. She looked tense around the edges. Happy on the surface though. I understood. She had lost this, and she was happy for me but it was hard to look at. If I hadn't been cracking open with all the love inside of me I may have felt guilty for having to put her through this.

"Thanks, you guys," I whispered as Daryl edged down to take our son.

"He got a name yet?" Tara asked as she sat at the end of my bed.

Maggie whacked her for sitting on my feet before she joined her. I rolled my eyes at the pair of them and shuffled further up the bed so that Beth could sit by my thighs and start to dress the baby. I stared at him for a moment, and at the smile lighting up Beth's scarred face, at Rosita as she held the stuff not being used for Beth, and tried to conjure up a name.

Turning my head to Daryl, I shrugged. "We haven't decided yet, have we?"

Daryl shook his head and pushed me further over to squeeze on. Carol barely managed to lean against the edge of the bed, her back pressed to Maggie's. Michonne remained by my head, quiet and watchful.

God, I loved them all.

"Anyone got any ideas?" I asked the room at large.

"He don't really look like-a anything right now," Beth commented.

I laughed and then general conversation started up. I smiled and replied where needed, and then Beth was done dressing the baby. Washed, and dressed in plain white made him look even more beautiful and as he was passed to Maggie I felt my throat tighten up. Tears quietly slipped from my eyes and for a moment I was overwhelmed. So much love. I had lost so much and there were things I would never know if I had lost or not. There were walkers outside the door and people gone mad with the ravished world, dangerous people, and normality was shattered. But in here, in this prison, I was cocooned with love. Flowing in and out of me, through my veins to pulse in my heart. Michonne's solid palm was reassuring on my shoulder, and whilst everyone cooed over the baby and Daryl half-heartedly snapped at them, I cried and breathed, and let it in.

"Dani, do you think you could walk?" Carol asked softly.

I glanced up whilst wiping my face and nodded, even though I wasn't quite sure. Carol nodded back, allowing another large bout of time for everyone to have a hold of the baby.

Then she suddenly whipped into action and started giving everyone jobs. "Daryl, hold your son. Maggie, Rosita, you go with Dani, get her a hot shower and all she needs. Beth, Tara, you help me clean up in here and Michonne, could you grab that bag for Dani from her's and Daryl's cell?"

Suddenly I was up and out of bed, with the aid of Maggie and Rosita, holding the grimy blanket around my mostly nude body. Daryl was holding our boy, Carol was stripping the bed with Tara, and Beth was hurrying off for fresh sheets after being told twice. Maggie and Rosita got me fresh clothes and helped me in the shower because walking was a goddamn mystery. My legs simultaneously felt like metal and water: too heavy to move and then giving out. Rosita teased me as I complained about needing to pee, and oohed and awed in sympathy through the door when I did, making sounds like I was giving birth again. When I felt a little more human, and Maggie force-fed me, I was back in the room. The bed was fresh, and the room bathed in the glow of candles. In that glow, on the bed was Daryl holding our sleeping son.

My feet like they were going to slide out from underneath me again so I hurried over to sit next to him. He kissed my forehead, his hand not leaving the baby. "Betta'?"

I nodded. "Yeah, these guys are amazing."

After that it was goodbyes and thanks, congratulations, promises to return in the morning, hugs and kisses for the baby, then it was just me and Daryl again. No words, none needed. Me and him sat heads pressed together, cradling our son with smiles. I was exhausted but then the baby started to stir and he was eating again. My breasts did hurt, but Daryl soothed me with praise and his smiles were worth everything. I sighed deeply. Content. Happy. Maybe it wouldn't always be like this. Maybe I wouldn't be around until I was old, and maybe me and Daryl didn't have a lot of time left.

Maybe the walkers would never be gone, and maybe they would by the time our son was older. Maybe was applied to a lot of things, and there were a lot of questions that couldn't be answered. I didn't know what was going to happen in the future, and right in this moment, I didn't care. I was so happy, so radiant. Surrounded by love, and good, strong people. I was a mother. I had made a promise. Every day would be frightening. Every day would be a challenge, but I was willing to take it all on for these people I loved so much. For my son. I was willing to live each day like it was my last because it very well could be. Live each day as they come.

One at a time.

Oh. My. God. We made it. We're at the end! Guys! I can't even! I am honestly so sad to see the end of this story and I am so humbled by every single person that has read, followed, reviewed, favourited and basically given their support to this piece of writing. I can't believe that we made it here, and I can't believe the response I've had to a little piece of writing that grew out of no where! I wrote Rabbits and had absolutely no intentions of escalating it further, and yet, sixteen chapters down the line and here we are! I don't know what more I can say but thank you so, so much. You guys didn't just read some Fanfiction. You guys gave me hope, inspiration, meaning. You guys gave me creativity, and the power to make people happy. You guys have rocked my world from the day I posted Rabbits, and I hope you continue to do so. In regards to this piece, we are officially done. I like where I've ended it, and I now only have a one shot left, that I think is going to round everything up from where we started in Rabbits. Look out for that, as it could be here tonight or tomorrow. Once more, thank you so much. You're all amazing!