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Safe Haven in the Chaos	By : IdrilsSecret Category: S through Z > The Walking Dead Views: 6517 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the walking dead or any of the characters. No money is being made from the writing of these stories

Chapter List
- 73
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- 75
Chapter 75 Family Man

Morning came much too fast. Aaron and Daryl had been quite athletic throughout the night as they became reacquainted with one another after nearly seven years of separation. Today would mark the first day of their resurrected relationship. It was official. Daryl and Aaron were once again a couple.

Aaron woke first, needing to relieve himself, and quietly made his way to the bathroom. When he came out, he took a moment to observe Daryl. He was laying on his stomach, the bedsheet only pulled up to the top of his buttocks, exposing the dimples above each cheek. Aaron noticed the X shaped scar, and remembered the day he saw the injury. In the past, Daryl had not liked talking much about his scars, but eventually he told Aaron about all of them. This was the only one whose story he didn’t know. Neither Daryl nor Michonne would talk about that day when the Alexandria children were kidnapped by Jocelyn, a friend of Michonne’s from before the outbreak. At the time, no one questioned what happened. The children were home safe and Jocelyn was gone. That was all that mattered at the time.

Daryl shifted in his sleep, and Aaron went back to the bed, easily slipping beneath the sheets. He thought he’d done it with stealth, but Daryl’s eyes fluttered open, settling on Aaron. He flipped onto his back, the sheet moving along with him, wrapping him tightly in white. Aaron’s attention flicked to the slight tenting beneath the sheet, amazed that a man of Daryl’s age still rose first thing in the morning.

Daryl noticed where Aaron’s attention had so briefly landed, and he gave a smirk. “That’s your fault,” he accused playfully, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “But if you want, you can fix it for me.”

“You know there’s nothing I’d like better, but the sun is up and that means Gracie will be awake soon.”

“What? It’s still so early,” Daryl complained.

“Well, small children don’t seem to care about that. She’s always been an early riser.” Aaron leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. “You can sleep in if you want. It was a long and difficult journey from the Kingdom to here. I can go make breakfast. You lay here and rest.”

Aaron started to get up, but Daryl grabbed the upper part of his missing arm to stop him. “Wait. Stay with me just a little longer. It’s our first morning together. I want to be alone with you. At least until you absolutely have to get up,” Daryl pleaded.

Aaron gave in easily and allowed Daryl to pull him down onto the bed. Daryl rolled onto his side, and pushed his hard cock against Aaron’s hip. He kissed Aaron’s neck, moving to his ear, licking along the edge as his hot breath caressed him. “I need you, Aaron.”

How could he resist this sexy man? The answer was, he couldn’t. Aaron let Daryl seduce him. He let him pull the sheets down, pull Aaron’s underwear down, let him settle on top, nudge his legs apart, and prepare them again. Daryl slid in slow so that every nerve came alive one by one until Aaron’s entire body was alight. Daryl stilled and lifted up to gaze into Aaron’s eyes. When they had each other’s full attention, Daryl started to move. His body moved like a wave breaking the shore over and over, and Aaron drowned in the ecstasy it caused. Daryl slightly increased his pace, and Aaron’s hips lifted to meet Daryl’s. They kept their eyes focused on each other as they made love, slow and rhythmical. Daryl took his time going deep, and Aaron could feel himself building. Being made love to like this made him come faster. He realized why Daryl was fucking him this way. He knew they didn’t have much time this morning, so he would get them off sooner, but with so much more passion from the slow burn of intimacy.

Daryl touched him in that perfect place. “Right there. Oh yeah,” Aaron moaned. He closed his eyes, but only for a second.

“Stay here with me,” Daryl said to make him focus. “Eyes on mine. That’s it … that’s it … that’s so … oh yeah.” As Daryl spoke his last word, they both came together, eyes never leaving the others, souls connecting on a new level.

When they were spent, Daryl came to rest next to Aaron. They didn’t move for a while, as they waited for their world to stop spinning. Aaron knew he had the biggest, goofiest smile on his face, but he couldn’t help himself. “Was it always like that?” he finally asked when his breathing had returned to normal.

“I think it was, but it’s been so long it’s like fucking for the first time again,” Daryl said.

Aaron shook his head. “Even our first time wasn’t like that. No way has it ever been like that before.”

“I guess we get better with age.”

“Imagine what it’ll be like when we’re eighty,” Aaron joked, getting a laugh out of Daryl. It had been such a very long time since he’d seen this lighter, happier side of Daryl. “We’ve wasted so much time,” Aaron admitted, his tone changing to something more subtle.

“Naw,” Daryl disagreed. “Things happen for a reason.”

“I guess you’re right. Well, whatever that might be, I’ve got you in my life again, and that’s all that really matters.”

Daryl twisted so that he was facing Aaron. “This is it for me. I’m never leaving you again. I swear on my life. I’m done running. I’ve sorted through a lot of shit over the years. I know how to deal with anything without having to isolate myself from the one’s that I love. You’re stuck with me ‘til the end.”

“I fully accept your terms,” Aaron smiled. “There’s no one I’d rather be stuck with.”

After a few rested moments, Aaron sat up, but Daryl protested. “Where are you going?”

“I need to wash up and get breakfast started. But first . . .” Aaron popped up from the bed and went to the dresser. He opened one of the top drawers, the one that use to be Daryl’s, and took out something small wrapped in a white cloth. He went back to the bed and sat next to Daryl, shoving it into his hand.

“What’s this?” Daryl asked curiously.

“Open it,” Aaron demanded. “I got it a while ago, during the trade fair.” He anxiously watched Daryl unwrap it. Inside was a silver chain with the birch tree charm he’d bought from the old man at the fair.

Daryl lifted the chain and watched the round wire charm spin as the light glinted off of it.

“It’s a stand of trees, birch to be exact. The Celts believed birch represented purification. At least that’s what the man I bought it from told me. He seemed pretty knowledgeable.”

“I actually know a thing or two about Celtic culture. It was one of the few things that interested me as a kid.” Daryl observed the charm, appreciating the craftsmanship and care that went into making it. “And you say you got this at the fair?” Daryl questioned.

“Yeah. I … I thought it looked nice, and I thought you might like it too,” Aaron stammered. When he’d bought it, he only had hope that one day he would give it to Daryl under the right circumstances.

“A little presumptuous, don’t you think?” Daryl said, cocking one brow with suspicion.

“I got it to give to my friend, with the hope that we’d be something more by the time I got around to giving it to you.” Aaron reached out and touched the charm, making it spin. “And here we are at last.”

Daryl could see the chain was long enough to slip it over his head, and he did. The charm hung centered on his chest. He looked down at it, and then slowly lifted his eyes to meet Aaron’s. “It’s perfect. Thanks.” He closed the distance and pulled Aaron against him, kissing him deep. When they parted, he cupped Aaron’s face and looked at him with love. “This is us starting over, last time, no more reboots. This time it’s for good. Whatever happens, wherever life takes us, I’m yours.”

“I love you so much,” Aaron whispered, and wrapped his arm around Daryl’s waist. They held each other a moment longer before Aaron went to clean up. “Quick shower and I’ll make breakfast,” he smiled before he went into the bathroom.

Daryl thought he would get in next, so he laid back down on the bed and fondled the silver birch charm between his fingers. Aaron had only been in the shower for a minute when the bedroom door handle rattled. Daryl jumped up in a panic and stilled. When the handle moved again, he hurriedly threw his pants on and then his shirt.

“Daddy? Are you awake? Let me in, Daddy,” Gracie called from the other side of the door.

“Shit,” Daryl whispered as he hopped over to the bathroom door. It was unlocked and he poked his head in. “Aaron! It’s Gracie. She wants to know why the door is locked.”

“Oh shit.” Aaron’s head popped out from the shower door. “Um, tell her I’ll be there in a minute.”

“And then she’s going to wonder why I’m in your room,” Daryl said in a panicked whisper.

“It’s our room, by the way,” Aaron pointed out.

“This wasn’t how you wanted to tell her about us, was it?”

“I was hoping for a sit down discussion, but I guess it’s too late for that.” Aaron was much calmer than Daryl thought he should have been.

“Would you get out here and deal with this?” Daryl demanded.

“I still have soap in my hair. Just tell her we’ll be out in a minute.” Aaron closed the shower door and started washing off.

“Fuck,” Daryl complained to himself. This was embarrassing. He knew Gracie was only seven years old, but he wasn’t sure how much she knew about things. If she was anything like Judith, she’d know enough to put two and two together.

“Daddy?” Gracie was calling.

Daryl cleared his throat and made his voice a little higher than how he normally spoke. “Just a minute. Hey, why don’t you get the stuff out to make breakfast?” He had no idea if he sounded anything like Aaron. He waited for her to say something, but when it remained quiet, he breathed a sigh of relief. Gracie must have believed it was Aaron and went downstairs.

“Is that you, Daryl?” she asked after a few silent moments.

Daryl felt his face heat and turn red just as the bathroom door opened.

“He’s trying on some of my old clothes, honey,” Aaron called back. “We’ll be down in a minute.”

“Okay, Daddy.” The sound of Gracie’s footsteps trailed off down the stairs.

Daryl felt his heart racing, and looked over to find Aaron smiling and chuckling to himself. “What?” Daryl said irritated.

“You’re cute when you’re flustered.” Aaron went to the closet and started rummaging around. “I’d say we’re about the same size.”

“I’m taller than you,” Daryl commented dryly.

Aaron ignored him. “You can wear a pair of my pants. They’re in the third drawer.”

Daryl went to the dresser across the room and found a pair of faded black jeans. When he turned back to see what Aaron had found, he recognized the shirt right away. It was the denim shirt that he’d borrowed from Jessie way back in the beginning of his Alexandria days. The memory came flooding back. Daryl had wanted to make a good impression on Aaron at the time, and Jessie helped him by giving him a haircut and this shirt so that he’d look nice for the gathering he was attending. “That’s my shirt,” he said with surprise.

“Yeah,” Aaron smiled. “I kept it all these years. I remember the day you wore it. It was the day I knew without a doubt that I’d fallen in love with you.”

Daryl approached him, took the shirt and bumped into his shoulder playfully. “You’re such a sap.”

“I know. And now we won’t be lying to my daughter about you borrowing some of my clothes.” Aaron watched as Daryl slipped into his jeans. “They fit you good.”

“They’re a little short,” Daryl retorted.

Aaron fondled the silver birch charm nestled between Daryl’s pecks before handing him the shirt. Daryl slid his arms into the sleeves, and gazed predatorily at Aaron as he slowly buttoned it up. Aaron took a small step back, knowing that he was weak in Daryl’s presence whenever he looked at him like that. “Breakfast,” Aaron said tersely, and he left the room.

By the time Daryl got downstairs, Aaron and Gracie were already preparing breakfast. Bread, eggs, sugar packets and cinnamon. Gracie saw him first and smiled. “Good morning. We’re making French toast. I hope you like it.”

“Ain’t never had it before,” Daryl said quiet and shy like. He was always like that whenever he was around someone he didn’t know well, even a seven year old child.

“What?” Aaron said, turning around to see him walking to the island to have a seat. “You’ve never eaten French toast? I find that hard to believe.”

“French toast is my all-time favorite,” Gracie chimed in. “Especially Daddy’s.”

Daryl still wasn’t used to hearing someone refer to Aaron as ‘daddy’, and it was making him a little uncomfortable with how to act.

Aaron sensed his hesitation. “You can put out some plates and silverware if you want to help,” he suggested with a wink.

“Sure,” Daryl said, and he went to retrieve them.

Gracie started telling Aaron about the snow storm and the fun she had with Miss Sarah and some of the other children. Since Aaron’s house was one of the few with a wood burning fireplace, (most houses had gas or electric), this was one of the places people took refuge during the storm.

“There were people upstairs and downstairs, and lots of them slept on the floor,” Gracie was saying. “Miss Sarah let us stay up as long as we wanted, as long as we were quiet. And when some of the little kids got scared, I helped make them feel better.”

“Wow, I’m proud of you for stepping up like that,” Aaron said.

Daryl could see that Aaron had taught her a lot of good qualities, ones that Aaron also exhibited.

“That’s what Miss Sarah said too.” Gracie smile wide as she dropped a thick slice of bread into a bowl of eggs. She flipped it over with a fork and her fingers, and waited for Aaron.

“Okay, the pan is hot enough. Put it in,” he instructed.

Gracie did as she was told, and Aaron handed her a spatula. “When do I flip it?”

“Not yet. I’ll let you know when.” Aaron glanced at Daryl and smiled with pride.

Daryl noticed she stood on a step stool that someone had made out of an old palate. It was painted pink with purple and blue flowers on it, but the paint was chipping off where she stood, and he could see the old worn wood underneath. “That’s a nice step you’ve got there. Did you paint it yourself?” Daryl said to make some kind of conversation.

“I painted it pink, but Daddy put the flowers on it. I was still too little to draw very well. Daddy’s friend, Paul made it for me,” Gracie said.

The mention of Paul's name made Daryl a little uncomfortable, and Aaron watched his expression change, knowing how it affected him.

“Did you know Paul?” Gracie asked as she intensely watched the French toast in the skillet.

“Um,” Aaron started to say to take over the conversation, but Daryl shook his head.

“I did know him. He was a very nice man,” Daryl said with respect.

“Everyone called him Jesus, but Daddy always called him Paul so I did too. It made me very sad when he died.”

“A lot of people were sad when he died.” Daryl paused and looked at Aaron. “Even me.”

“Is it ready now, Daddy?” Gracie asked.

“Yep, flip it,” he instructed lightly. He watched her to make sure she didn’t burn herself. When she was successful with the flip, Aaron turned his attention back to Daryl and silently mouthed the words ‘thank you’.

After several minutes, the toast was finished and piled onto a serving plate. Gracie carefully took it to the island and then climbed onto a stool. Aaron sat next to her and Daryl sat across from them.

“Looks delicious,” Daryl said.

“Syrup would be better, but since we don’t have any, we’re using honey,” Aaron said. There was no shortage of honey. It was one of the things Alexandria was known for.

Daryl discovered that he really liked French toast, even better than pancakes. Aaron gave him his last one when he saw that Daryl still looked hungry. They were almost finished with breakfast when there came a knock at the door. Aaron excused himself and went to answer it. Daryl watched him talk to someone he didn’t recognize. Aaron nodded and closed the door. Daryl got up and went to him.

“Something going on?” he asked.

“It’s nothing. Just a small dispute between a couple residents. Happens every once in a while. Usually, Michonne handles it, but she said she was busy and asked me to do it.” Aaron rolled his eyes. “What it means is she doesn’t want to deal with it, and she’s passed it on to me. I need to get down to the meeting hall.”

“Want me to go with you?” Daryl said, already stepping toward the door.

“Actually, I’d appreciate it if you’d watch Gracie for me.”

Daryl’s shoulders slumped. “Aaron,” he complained.

“I’ll only be gone ten, fifteen minutes tops. Besides, this will give you two a chance to get to know each other better.” Aaron lightly laid his hand upon Daryl’s chest. “If you’re going to live here, you’re going to be a part of this family too.”

“Nothing like diving in feet first,” Daryl said. “She seems like a very curious kid. What if she starts asking questions?”

“About what?”

“Whatever,” Daryl whispered loudly.

“Then answer them. Look, Gracie and I don’t keep secrets. She a smart little girl. She figures things out quickly. She knows about me. She knew about my relationship with Paul. She knows I’m not her real father. If she’s going to ask questions it will be to get to know you better, and that’s a good thing.” Aaron kissed Daryl’s cheek. “You’ll be fine, and I promise I won’t be long.”

“Fine,” Daryl agreed reluctantly, and he watched Aaron leave. He looked at the door a moment before he turned and went back to the kitchen.

Gracie was finished eating, and she was rinsing her plate and fork in the sink. She put them in the dishrack to dry, and then took care of Aaron’s empty plate.

“Need some help?” Daryl asked, as he took the last couple bites of his toast. He got up and carried his plate to the sink.

“It’s my job to do the dishes,” she said, concentrating on what she was doing.

“It’s good to have a job,” Daryl said.

“Daddy says everyone has to pull their own weight, and since I’m too little to do the bigger jobs, I have to work for him.”

Daryl smiled to himself. “You’re daddy’s a smart man.”

“That girl that came with you. Is she your daughter?” The question came out of nowhere and Daryl wasn’t prepared for it.

“Um, uh, no. Her name is Lydia, and she’s someone I’m helping.”

“Does she have parents?” Gracie finished the dishes, got down from the stepstool and climbed onto a barstool across from where Daryl sat.

Daryl felt odd talking to a seven year old about Lydia and her situation, but he remembered what Aaron told him about the honesty that they shared, and decided it was best that he behave similarly. “Her dad died when she was little. She has a mom but … it’s complicated. Her mom isn’t a very nice person, and she hurt Lydia.”

“That’s not good.” Gracie said, bowing her head. “So are you her second dad?”

“No, I wouldn’t say that. Lydia is almost too old to have a parent anymore. I guess you could say I’m her guardian. I protect her.”

“Daddy says we need to know how to protect ourselves. If there’s trouble, I have to run to an adult like my daddy or Miss Sarah, but one day I’ll be old enough to start learning how to use a weapon.”

What a fucked up world it was that this was how people had to teach their children. “Your daddy would fight heaven and hell to protect you.”

“I’ve heard my daddy talk about you. He was sad because you ran away and lived all alone in the forest.”

“Is that what he told you?” Daryl wondered.

“Something like that. He said you were boyfriends a long time ago, but you had to go away, and that’s why you never came around.”

It was amazing how open and honest she was, but that’s how Aaron was raising her to be. “That’s true. We were boyfriends for a long time, but things happened, and I had to leave. It was right after he adopted you.”

“Why did you have to go?”

“Well, that’s a simple question to a very difficult answer. There were a lot of reasons why I left, but the main one was because I became a different person. For a while I was very, very sad, and I didn’t want to make your daddy sad, so I left to get better.” It seemed like an easy answer, but it was the only way he knew how to tell it to a child.

“But he was sad,” she said. Gracie’s eyes fell to her lap, and a frown spread across her precious face.

“Yeah. I know,” Daryl whispered, realizing just how difficult he’d made Aaron’s life back then. “I’m sorry.”

Gracie looked up at him in confusion, but it disappeared quickly. “Where is Lydia? I thought you said you were her protector.”

“I am.”

“Then why isn’t she with you?”

“She stayed with Michonne and Judith.”

“Why?” Gracie asked.

“I think she’s mad at me.”

“Why?”

Daryl felt a bubble of laughter in his chest, but he kept it to himself. Gracie was a very curious child. “Well, she still thinks we’re leaving this morning to go back to Hilltop.”

Her eyes widened. “And … you’re not?”

Daryl shook his head very childlike. “Nope.”

She gasped exaggeratedly, smiling as she did. “You mean you’re staying here?”

“Yep.”

“Goody, goody, goody! Daddy’s going to be so happy!” she sang. Gracie jumped down from the stool and continued jumping around the kitchen.

Daryl wondered what Aaron had been telling her, and why she was so excited to know he was staying. She didn’t know him, but she wanted nothing more than to see her daddy happy. That must have been the reason. “So let me ask you this,” he said, and she stopped dead in her tracks. “Would it be okay if I lived here in your house?”

“That depends,” she said, crossing her arms and giving him a look that very much mimicked one of Aaron’s. “Are you and my daddy going to be boyfriends again?”

“Yeah, we are. Is that okay with you?”

Gracie put her hands on her hips and gave one big single nod. “Definitely.” Then she clasped her hands together. “Wait until Daddy hears the big news.”

“Well, he already knows. We talked about it and we made our decision this morning.” And it probably should have been Aaron who told her, but their conversation had led them to this subject. Daryl didn’t think Aaron would mind.

Gracie spun around like a ballerina, her nightgown billowing out at the bottom. When she stopped, she pretended to be dizzy and grabbed Daryl’s leg as if to keep from falling. This kid had a lot of energy. She looked up at him with a serious face. “Are you going to marry my daddy?”

That came out of nowhere, and Daryl wasn’t sure how to answer something that had never been part of his and Aaron’s conversation. “Well, I, uh … I don’t–”

“Did you know Paul asked my daddy to marry him? But he said no.”

“How do you know about that?”

“I don’t think I was supposed to know. I heard him talking to Miss Sarah once. They thought I was asleep, but I was thirsty, and I got up to get some water. When I saw them talking, I hid on the stairs. But don’t tell Daddy. He doesn’t know I was spying on him.”

“Do you do that a lot? Spying?” Daryl felt his stomach drop, and hoped to God she wasn’t snooping around last night.

“No. It was just that once.”

Daryl hoped she was telling the truth. “To be honest, marriage is something we’ve never talked about, but I think for now it’s best we were just boyfriends.”

“Well,” she said, striking a sassy attitude. “If you ever decided to ask him, I’m pretty sure he’ll say yes.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because you’re the reason he said no to Paul. That’s what he told Miss Sarah.” She put a finger to her lips and made a shush sound. “But you didn’t hear that from me.”

Daryl couldn’t help the huff of a laugh that escaped his lips. “Are you sure you’re only seven?”

The front door opened and Aaron walked in. “Hey everybody.”

“Daddy!” Gracie called, skipping all the way to Aaron. “Daryl said he’s going to live here, and you are going to be boyfriends again. And Lydia won’t be mad at him anymore because they aren’t going back to Hilltop.”

“Wow, what happened here while I was gone?” Aaron said. He smiled at Gracie, and then slowly looked up at Daryl.

“We were just talking about stuff. I wanted to make sure she was okay with everything,” Daryl answered.

“And are you okay with it?” Aaron asked, getting to one knee in front of Gracie.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” She sang it like a song, and continued to sing and jump around the house.

Aaron went to Daryl and wrapped his arm around him. “I think she’s okay with it,” he joked.

“What did you tell her about me? The kid’s been giving me the third degree since you left.”

“You weren’t around, but I still wanted her to know you. I guess I told a lot of stories about us, how we met, how we used to work together, how we saved each other, and all that stuff. I didn’t know I’d made such an impression on her.”

Daryl kissed Aaron’s cheek. “Now she gets to know me in person.” He kept looking at Aaron and touched his beard. “You really like this?”

“I don’t know. I’ve kind of gotten used to it.” Aaron rubbed his thick beard between his fingers. “Why? Don’t you like it?”

“Honestly, it kind of gets in the way.”

Aaron cocked his brow suggestively. “Gets in the way of what?”

“Not in front of the kid.” Daryl bumped his hip into Aaron’s, pushing him away, but Aaron drew them back together. They watched Gracie dance around the house.

“What about Lydia? Is she going to live here too?” Aaron inquired.

“She can if she wants to. I’ll ask her. Right now, she doesn’t even know we’re staying. I need to go tell her the good news.”

“Want me to come with you?”

Daryl shook his head. “Naw, I got this. Let’s just hope she’s a fraction as happy as Gracie is.”

Aaron kissed Daryl lightly on the lips. “I love you.”

“Love you too.”

Aaron released Daryl and went to calm Gracie down. “Okay kiddo, time to get dressed.”

“I’ll be back in a little bit,” Daryl announced as he went to the front door.

“Where’s Daryl going?” Gracie asked.

“He’s going to tell Lydia that they’re staying,” Aaron answered.

“I want to go too,” she demanded.

“Not this time. Let’s give Daryl some space.”

Daryl closed the door behind him and descended the stairs to the sidewalk. Not that he’d have it any other way, but he wondered what he was getting himself into. He’d never been around a child full time. Sure, he helped take care of Judith when she was a baby. And he always visited her when he came to Alexandria after Rick died, but he’d never had to actually raise her, discipline her, or be a father to her. Gracie was smart, but she still needed a lot of guidance. What did Daryl know about parenting? He should probably leave that mostly up to Aaron, since he raised her from an infant. Daryl had no role models to go by. His mother died when he was young, and his father … well, there wasn’t any lesson to be learned there but how not to treat your kid. He knew getting back with Aaron meant taking on more responsibility, and up until now, all he thought about was Aaron. “Well,” he said to himself. “Looks like it’s more than just the two of us now, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

>>------->

He stood in Michonne’s living room, but it looked like no one was home. “Lydia!” he called and waited.

“What?” Her muffled voice came from upstairs, already traced with the sound of irritation.

“Come down here,” he called back. She was probably upstairs in a spare room or watching Judith while Michonne was out. He waited for what seemed like minutes before she appeared at the top of the stairs with Dog by her side.

“Let me just grab my–”

“Come down here. I want to talk,” he interrupted. Dog barked and came running down the stair to greet his master.

“Yeah, I know. We’re late and you need to get back to Hilltop. I’ll be down in a minute,” she said defiantly.

Daryl felt his ire rising, but forced it back. “Would you just come down? There’s been a change in plans.” He bent down and scratched Dog’s head, giving him all kinds of praise. Dog licked Daryl’s hand and whined with joy, and then he ran to the kitchen to get a drink of water from a glass bowl someone had left out for him.

Lydia looked at Daryl curiously as she came down the stairs. “What change in plans?”

“What would you think about staying in Alexandria?” he asked.

“How long?” She didn’t seem impressed.

“Indefinitely.”

“Oh you mean you’re going to leave me here and go back to Hilltop by yourself,” she started to argue.

“I thought you liked it here.”

“I do,” she responded.

“Then what’s the problem?” he asked.

“I … I just . . .” she crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at him. “You’re gonna make me say it?”

In that moment, he realized how much she was like him, just like with Aaron and Gracie. You didn’t have to be blood related to pick up on each other’s mannerisms. “Say what?” he toyed with her.

She glared and him and gave a sigh. “Fine,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I don’t want you to go,” she said, pronouncing each word with precise irritation and a bit of embarrassment. “There! You happy now?”

“All right,” he said tersely.

“All right,” she mimicked him exaggeratedly. “Is that all you have to say?” Lydia huffed with irritation. “God, sometimes you can be such an–”

“I meant yes, I’ll stay.”

Lydia’s face softened with disbelief. “What?”

“I’m staying in Alexandria,” he confirmed.

“Wait. What?” she said confused.

“I promised to look out for you, didn’t I? And you don’t want to leave. So–”

“Just like that? You’ve been telling me for weeks that you had to go back to Hilltop until they found a leader, and now you’re just going to … not go?” she asked with confusion.

“Ezekiel is there now. I’ll radio him, explain my decision, and turn the keys to the kingdom over to him.” He waited for a response from her, but she was staring into space, wheels turning.

“Wait. There’s more isn’t there. Does Aaron have anything to do with this decision?” Lydia narrowed her eyes at him, challenging him.

“Maybe,” Daryl shrugged. “Probably.”

“Oh my God. Did you guys get back together?” She couldn’t hide her smile anymore as the corners of her mouth curled upwards.

“We did.”

“This is great! Congratulations! Shit! We’re staying!” She was very excited to hear the good news.

“I’m glad you approve. So, I’m moving back into his house … our house. It’s a big place and there’s plenty of room for all of us if you want to live there too. I’m leaving it up to you,” he offered, not wanting to step on her toes in case she didn’t want to live with him and Aaron.

“Of course I want to–” She stopped herself. “Wait, are you and Aaron going to be making out all the time and being weird and shit?”

Daryl held his hands out to his sides. “Do I look like the type of guy that goes around making out in public?”

Lydia laughed. “Definitely not.”

“You okay living in the same house with a curious seven year old? Gracie seems like she can be a handful.”

“Are you kidding? I’ve always wanted to be a big sister. I think it will be great. And when you and Aaron want to spend some time alone, I’ll take her off your hands.”

“Woah, can I get that in writing?” he teased.

Lydia rolled her eyes again, and approached him. She lightly punched him in the upper arm. “I’m happy for you. Aaron seems like a really nice guy.”

“He is,” Daryl said.

Her sincerity didn’t last long. “I’m not sure what he sees in some cranky old man like you, but–”

“Hey,” Daryl complained, but it was all in good fun. “Go get your things and let’s go home.”

Lydia started toward the stairs, but she shopped after a couple steps. “Wow,” she whispered to herself. Slowly she turned back toward Daryl. “That sound so strange. I haven’t had an actual home since … since before.”

“Things are going to be different from here on out.”

Lydia grabbed her bag and left with Daryl. As they walked back to Aaron’s house, she seemed to quiet again. Daryl wondered if she was having second thoughts.

“You sure you’re good with this?” he asked just to make sure she didn’t feel like she was being forced into anything. Up until now, Daryl had made all the decisions for both of them, and quite a few times she had disagreed with him.

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just … I can’t help but wonder what’s going to happen when winter is gone and … and … she comes back.” Lydia spoke softly, as though someone from her original group was watching and listening.

“We’ll be ready for her next time. Your mom … Alpha … she’s no different from other people we’ve come across who wanted to mess with us. Yeah, we took some very serious hits, but now we know what to expect from her.”

“No, Daryl, you’re wrong. The thing with my mother is, you can never predict when she’ll strike or how she’ll do it. Hell, even I can’t tell you what to expect. Every time I thought I knew how she’d respond, or I thought she couldn’t do anything worse, she surprised me with something new.”

“Well, she can’t take all of us on. The communities are coming together. An attack on one is an attack against us all. And you’re safe here. She doesn’t know about Alexandria.”

“Not yet,” Lydia said under her breath. They didn’t talk about it anymore.

>>------->

That night, Daryl laid in bed waiting for Aaron to finish up in the bathroom. Gracie was already asleep in her room, and Lydia took over the downstairs bedroom. She didn’t want a room upstairs, saying it felt crowded up there. The only thing she asked for was to let Dog stay with her, which Daryl gladly agreed to. Dog and Lydia seemed to be forming some kind of bond. Daryl didn’t mind. It actually let him rest easier knowing Dog was looking out for her too. He was an excellent watchdog.

It was everyone’s first night together as their new family gathered under one roof. The feeling was odd, Daryl thought to himself. For so long it had been just him and Dog, living off the land, keeping up the ritual of hunting and killing walkers while searching for Rick. Daryl spent too many years doing that, though he wasn’t mad at himself about it. That had been something he needed to do. It hadn’t turned up anything useful, and he still wasn’t convinced Rick was actually dead. There was this niggling in the back on his mind that told him there was more than what the eye witnessed that day on the bridge. He might never know, and that’s what took him such a long time to come to terms with. But now he was beginning a new chapter, one that he hoped would continue on for many years to come.

Aaron came out of the bathroom, and Daryl was shocked by what he saw. “You’re beard, you trimmed it.” It wasn’t completely gone but it was no longer the long bushy beard he’d had for the past several years.

“Yeah, I wanted to look nice for you, and you said you didn’t much care for it.” Aaron reached up and played with his new look. “It actually feels better.” He came to the bed and sat down.

“No more of that Grisly Adams look. I like it. I miss seeing your face. I’ll always remember the clean-shaven preppy boy I first met in that barn.” Daryl watched Aaron come to the bed and sit next to him.

“I’m not sure I’ll ever go back to that look. I was a different person back then. I was so damn naïve.”

“Everyone in Alexandria was.” Daryl reached out and stroked Aaron’s face. That’s when he noticed that he’d cut his hair too. The sides and back were trimmed short, but it was still curly on top. He looked good. He looked really good.

They both leaned back against the pillows, and their fingers interlaced with each other. Aaron looked at Daryl and smiled. “Remember that night in the cabin when we held hands for the first time?”

“I’ll never forget. That’s the day we found Caleb. God, I wish he was still here. I miss him.”

Aaron gave Daryl’s hand a squeeze and released it. He rolled toward Daryl and nestled into his side, laying his head on Daryl’s shoulder. “I think about him all the time.”

“Aaron,” Daryl started, speaking softly. “Do you … do you blame me for what happened?”

Aaron sat up quickly. “What? Of course not. Why would you think that?”

“I don’t know. There was a lot of bad stuff going on then, and I abandoned you when it all went down. I’ve never forgiven myself for not being there for the funeral. For not being there for you either.”

“It wasn’t your fault Caleb died. He took the same risk the rest of us took that day. He wanted to fight. I wish he hadn’t, but there was nothing I could have done to stop him. You couldn’t have stopped him either. Caleb overcame so much tragedy, and in the end he found his courage and his strength. He found love. He accomplished as much as he could have in his short life. You were a big part of that. You were the one who took him into your care, and taught him how to be a good and decent young man. Don’t ever regret a thing or blame yourself for what happened.” Aaron took Daryl’s chin in his fingers and made him turn to face him. Then he leaned over and they kissed gently. “And now Lydia has you. I don’t know her that well yet, but I’m sure she’s getting along much better than she was in her mother’s care.”

“Her mother didn’t care about her. She used her and then she abandoned her when Lydia finally stood up to her. That woman physically and mentally abused her. There was no way I was going to let her stay with those creeps. I mean, it was different with Caleb. His mother asked us to take him. She knew he wouldn’t survive with her group. Alpha is a completely different situation. She thought she was the only one who could protect Lydia. I think it eats away at her knowing that I’ve got her girl. That I’m protecting her and teaching her how to survive. And she’s doing it without those disgusting skin masks. I’m just worried what will happen when winter’s gone.”

“We’ll figure it out when it’s closer to that time. Right now, I just want to enjoy being a family again. I’ve got you back in my life, and that’s the only thing that matters at the moment,” Aaron told him.

Daryl pushed him back down into the pillows. “Then we better make to most of our time while it’s ours.” He climbed on top of Aaron and began grinding into him. Aaron responded by catching his bottom lip and biting it a little rough. Daryl pulled back and look down at him. “You want it like that, huh?”

“Actually, I want you … if … you know … if you’re up to it.”

“It’s been a really long time.”

“I know,” Aaron said. “That’s why I’m asking.”

Daryl looked him deep in his eyes, and made him wait for an answer. He reached across Aaron and opened the drawer, taking out the bottle of lube. “Be gentle,” he said, handing it to Aaron. He turned onto his side.

After preparing each other, Aaron settled in behind Daryl, and nudged his legs slightly apart. Daryl obeyed and helped so that they could find a comfortable position. They matched up perfectly, and Aaron rubbed his cock over Daryl’s entrance. He took his time, making sure Daryl was all right, listening to his breathing and groaning. And then, he was in.

Aaron’s arm wrapped around Daryl, and held him tight, kissing and nipping at his neck. When Daryl had adjusted, Aaron started a gentle, slow rhythm, always keeping Daryl’s comfort in mind. “How’s that?” he asked.

“Good,” Daryl exhaled.

Aaron smiled against his neck, and pushed the last little bit in until he had Daryl filled. Then he stilled and waited a moment before he started moving again. “Still good?”

“Better than good.”

“Now for the sweet stuff,” Aaron said wantonly, warm breath caressing Daryl’s ear. “You feel unbelievable.”

Daryl turned his head slightly so that they could kiss. Aaron leaned in a little more, making his cock push into that good place. Daryl groaned into Aaron’s mouth. “More like that. Feels so good,” Daryl whispered.

Aaron pumped and circled, slowly at first, and then a little harder, a little deeper and a little faster. His arm was anchored around Daryl’s waist. He felt Daryl start to push back and he let him set the rhythm. Daryl’s hand grasped onto his arm, holding him in place, pulling them tightly together. Aaron rocked in and out, back and forth. He could hear Daryl’s breathless moans, and felt himself start to build.

“I’m close,” Aaron told him.

“Then do it,” Daryl demanded.

Aaron didn’t hold anything back as he pumped harder and faster. Daryl’s ass was pushing into his groin, wanting and needing all that Aaron had to give. Aaron took Daryl’s cock into his hand, working him as he fucked him. He went deep and stilled, spilling within, silently groaning into Daryl’s ear. “Oh yeah. Oh Daryl . . .”

“Fuck,” Daryl groaned as he came hard, spilling over Aaron’s fist. “Fuck. That was incredible.”

Their bodies went slack as they remained connected, and they caught their breath. Aaron started kissing the back of Daryl’s neck and shoulders. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” Daryl answered, turning his head to capture Aaron’s mouth, tongues swirling, teeth clacking because of the difficult position.

Aaron eventually rolled onto his back, and so did Daryl. They laid together in the dark, naked on top of the sheets. Again, their hands joined, fingers interlacing, and they reveled in the joy that their loving making had produced.

Daryl was the first one to get up. He went to the bathroom to clean up, and tossed a towel to Aaron, who was still splayed out over the bed. After a few minutes, Daryl came out of the bathroom, sat on the edge of the bed and put on his boxers. Aaron couldn’t help look at the X shaped scar on his back. He reached out and touched it, making Daryl still.

“You never told me the whole story behind this scar,” Aaron said.

“That’s because it’s not just my story.” Daryl pulled the boxers up, and then laid on the bed on his stomach. “No one knows that story.”

“Well, I can guess, especially since Jocelyn was never heard from again.”

“You guessed right.”

“How’d she die?” Aaron asked curious to know the story.

“Michonne stabbed her when they fought, after Jocelyn cut Michonne across the stomach.” Daryl was being careful how much information he gave up.

“I remember. You were both injured.” Aaron nestled into the pillows, reached out and played with a strand of Daryl’s long hair. Daryl laid his head on Aaron’s thigh. “But what about Jocelyn’s children? What happened to them? You didn’t bring them back with you, only the missing Alexandria children.”

“All you need to know is that Judith and the others were brought back safe and sound,” Daryl said, seeming slightly irritated at Aaron’s insistence, but he reigned in his annoyance. “I know we don’t keep secrets from each other, but Michonne and I made a promise that neither of us would talk about it to anyone.”

Horrible things started running through Aaron’s mind. Daryl had been a much different person back then. As he admitted later, he was in a very dark place at the time. But Aaron couldn’t stop from asking. “Did you do something to them?”

“Aaron, please,” Daryl complained, rolling away from Aaron, and toward the opposite side of the bed.

“I’m sorry. I had to ask,” Aaron said.

Daryl knew why he assumed it had been himself. It was because he had killed that kid at the Savior’s outpost many years earlier. That had been the dividing factor that broke them apart, which led to their many years of separation. Aaron must still think he could be capable of doing that again. The fact that most of Jocelyn’s children had been much younger was probably the thing that was bothering Aaron about the situation.

After a long bout of silence, Daryl spoke. “No. It wasn’t me.” That’s all the information Daryl would give, but it also pointed to Michonne.

“Oh my God,” Aaron whispered to himself.

Daryl didn’t want Aaron to think poorly of Michonne, especially not knowing the whole story. He didn’t want Michonne cast in a murderous light without all the facts on display. Daryl had said too much. Now he needed to clean up his mistake. There was only one way of doing that. “Not another living soul knows about that day, only Michonne and me.” He paused and rolled back to face Aaron. “You can’t say anything to anyone, not even Michonne.”

Aaron looked horrified, but he gave a slow nod.

Daryl continued. “We got captured, tied up, strung up by our hands. Jocelyn made the children brand us, marking us for death. When they left the room, I managed to get free and did the same for Michonne. We tried to find our way out of the building, but it was like a maze. One door would open and another would shut and lock. At some point, we got separated between doors. I continued on trying to make my way out. Eventually, I found it, and stepped outside into . . .” He stopped and closed his eyes as he remembered the scene that laid before him.

There was blood everywhere … and bodies. Michonne stood in the middle of the yard, covered in blood. Some was hers, some was … theirs … the children. Daryl couldn’t move. He was having a difficult time processing what he was looking at. Michonne turned to see him standing there, her tears clearing a trail down her bloody face. He called to her, started toward her, but she put her hand out to stop him. Then she turned back to a trailer sitting in the yard, and called out to Judith. No one came out, and Daryl’s heart dropped to his stomach. He thought for sure the kidnapped children were killed. And then, out of the trailer stepped little Judith. She just stood there, scared. Michonne kept calling to her, but Daryl could feel her pain, the pain of knowing her child was terrified of her. Finally, Judith called out to her mommy, and ran to Michonne. They embraced, and Michonne sobbed and wept, both for Judith and for Jocelyn’s children. Daryl went to them after giving them some time, and took them back inside. He was afraid of what Judith would see and remember, and he prayed it wouldn’t be much. He watched Judith while Michonne found some water and got cleaned up. But she was still injured, and their main concern was getting her back to Alexandria where Siddiq could examine her and the pregnancy. Judith had fallen asleep, and that’s when Michonne told Daryl what happened.

“It turned out that Jocelyn had trained those kids to be killers. She used them for her own protection because she was too pitiful and a coward to protect herself. From there, it turned into a lifestyle. They would give their sob story, and then rob a group blind while everyone slept. Probably kidnapped some of those kids she had,” Daryl was saying as he told Aaron the story.

Aaron thought about Gracie as Daryl talked. “How could someone do such a thing? She conditioned those innocent children and turned them into murders without a conscience.”

“So now, do you see why Michonne did what she did? She begged and pleaded with them, gave them every opportunity to run away and leave her alone. In the end, she had no choice but to protect her unborn child, Judith, and the other kidnapped kids.”

“It was Jocelyn who killed them. If she hadn’t taught them to live that way. I can’t even imagine what kind of sick, twisted soul you’d have to have in order to be like that. Poor Michonne. Shit, no wonder she shut down Alexandria after that. I had no idea. Not in the least. We all thought it was because she was screwed over by a trusted friend, and during such a vulnerable time in her life, after losing Rick.”

“Unfortunately, it ran much deeper than that.”

“What about the parents of the missing children? Didn’t they ask questions?” Aaron wondered.

“They did, but Michonne headed them off, told them the main thing was that everyone was safe at home. One father asked about Jocelyn, concerned that she might return. Michonne told him she wouldn’t be coming back. No one asked anything else after that.” Daryl looked up into Aaron’s face. “Promise you won’t say a word of this to anyone.”

“You know I won’t. I never would. Some things should stay a secret, and this is one of them.” Aaron spooned up next to Daryl, and they held each other for a while. They were both glad all that was behind them. Aaron was glad Gracie hadn’t been a part of any of that. And though he felt bad for Michonne, he was beyond thankful that it hadn’t been Daryl who had to perform such a horrific deed. It was a selfish thought, but one he wouldn’t feel bad about.

“What if it had been me?” Daryl asked through the silence. “What if I had been the one who had to do it? Would you still want me back in your life?”

Aaron nuzzled his chin against Daryl’s shoulder. “I would be disturbed at first, but I would find a way to understand why you made that decision. And yes, I would still want you here with me. You’ve already been through so much. We both have. In the end, there’s only ever been one solid fact. We belong together. We need each other. We love each other unconditionally, no matter our faults. We are truly meant to be. We’re soulmates, and I think we’ve both known that since we first laid eyes on each other.”

Daryl smiled and pulled Aaron closer to him. “The journey is just beginning for us. At least the next phase of it is. And this time, we do it together, for always.”

Aaron kissed his shoulder. “For always and forever.”
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Safe Haven in the Chaos