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It’d been a few months and things were goin real good. Turns out Daryl and Negan really were good to their word and Carl had been given the chance to be a sort of Ambassador. He went out to new camps and compounds, offering the chance to be protected by the Alexandrian Empire. More often than not, the settlements were more than happy to be included and tribute half their goods to ensure they would be safe. Enid was glad Carl had a less active role in the protection and the enforcement of those offers but she’d never say that out loud. She was proud of her man and was glad the Savior and the Sovereign were so fond of their little family. Jude followed the Savior around like a shadow and he was always glad to have her. She was learning stealth, even at 3 years old and she loved when “Darl” would come by and take her for the day. That was how Enid found herself at the Doc’s office, however. And that, she was less than thrilled about.
The Savior had come by to get Jude, toting Carl who’d just come home and they’d found Enid in the bathroom, once again puking up everything in her body. It had been happening more and more often over the last few weeks and she was afraid she’d caught some kind of virus. She’d been nursing herself along with chicken broth and rest but nothing seemed to settle her stomach and when the Savior found her, he’d asked her how long. When she’d replied, he’d not even given her a choice. He’d scooped Jude up into his arms and told Enid to put on her shoes, she was goin to see the Doc. Now, she was sitting here in the Doc’s office, feelin so much better than 10 minutes ago and feelin silly for even botherin him. However, Carl was there to make sure she got checked out and so she sat.
“OK, Enid. Why don’t you tell me a little about what’s been going on with you for the last couple weeks.”
“Well, mostly in the afternoon but sometimes in the evening, I’ve been feeliln’ real nauseous. An’ I usually wind up over the toilet but I figure it’s just a bad flu or somethin.”
The Doc got a look and he went into the other room for a minute before returnin with what Enid knew was an ultrasound machine. She blinked.
“That ain’t possible, Doc. Carl n’ I, we’re always real careful.”
“Well, let’s just make sure, OK?”
She looked at the Savior like this was entirely his fault and laid back when the Doc instructed. She felt the cold gel against her belly and she refused to look at the screen. If she didn’t look, it couldn’t be real.
“Enid, do you keep track of your cycles?”
“Yeah, an’ I have one every month. The last few have been real light but I’ve HAD my period.”
“You know, in some women, they have a vey light menstrual cycle during pregnancy.”
She heard Carl inhale sharply and she couldn’t look at him. What if he didn’t want a baby? What if they weren’t ready? What if she lost the baby, like Maggie had? Enid started to cry, worryin about ever’thing that could go wrong.
The Doc offered her a tissue and Carl brushed her hair. “S’ok Enid. You’re goan be jus fine, we’ll make sure of it. Doc Somers here is a great doc an’ we even have one of them ob Docs up at Hilltop, y’remember?”
“I remember Maggie lost her baby, Carl. That’s what I remember.”
“Ain’t goan happen to you. We’ll make sure of it.”
“And what about you? You’re a Scouter, gone for days an I don’t want you worryin about no baby!”
Jude piped up at that and looked at Enid.
“Mama havin’ baby?”
Enid was shocked into absolute silence. Jude had never used the word Mama or Papa. Her vocabulary at 3 was pretty extensive but she’d never used that particular word. She looked at Jude and saw the radiant joy on her face.
“I guess yeah, Jude. Mama’s havin a baby.”
Jude clapped and giggled. “BABY!”
From there it was a blur of the Doc examining her, guessing when she might’ve gotten pregnant and deciding when her due date might be. Carl actually puffed up like a peacock and the Savior was there to congratulate hm. Enid could barely process what was happening but Carl must’ve paid attention to what the doctor said because he was walkin her home, slow and careful with the Savior carryin Jude. And oh Jude … she wanted ever’one to know. She kept hollarin to anyone she saw, “My Mama’s havin a baby!” By the time they got home, she was sure the entire compound knew.
Carl put her right to bed with her legs up and kissed her, smiling like the proudest Papa in the world. He put his hand on her belly and leaned over to kiss it, whispering “I’m your Papa an’ I can’t wait to meet you!” Of course, Jude did the same thing and Enid began to feel a little better. She put her hand under her belly, which hadn’t even started to show yet and smiled. She was pregnant and she was gonna be a Mama again.
“You ready for diapers and bottles an a baby that might never shut up, Mr. Grimes?”
“Well, I’m ready for all that but I was thinkin.”
“About?”
Here, he looked nervous and he fiddled with the blankets on the bed. Enid waited him out, knowing he’d eventually say something. Sure enough, one deep breath later, he confessed. “I was thinkin, even though it’s not like … official or nothin … I was thinkin we could have a ceremony. Exchange rings?”
Enid looked at him, blushing the brightest red she’d ever seen and she grinned. “Well, I don’t see why it wouldn’t be official. I mean, The Savior and The Sovereign …”
“Daryl and Negan, Enid. Jus’ call em Daryl and Negan.”
“I can’t, ok. It’s weird for me. Anyway, I was sayin before you interrupted … they have their marks. Why couldn’t we have our own?”
“You’d do that for me?”
“Carl Grimes when are you gonna learn I’d do anything for you. Hell, I’m layin here in bed pregnant for …”
“Jude. Mama’s havin a baby for Papa and he’s bein silly about us bein’ a forever family. Don’t you think Papa’s bein silly?”
“Papa bein silly. We family forever!”
“Well alright then. We can get our marks and be official … Enid Grimes.”
***
“CARL EMMERSON GRIMES YOU BETTER GET IN HERE RIGHT FUCKING NOW, YOU HEAR ME?”
Carl actually jumped when he heard his wife calling from the delivery room. He’d come out to get some air and have a little panic attack at the idea of his wife giving birth to their baby. Their baby. Not like Jude but honest to god newborn baby that he and his wife created and oh god how was he going to take care of a baby and still work and what wa …
“Carl, I do believe that woman a’ yers is gonna peel your skin off iffin ya don’t git back in there.”, Daryl offered helpfully as he played with Jude.
“Darl, when the baby gonna be here? Soon?” Jude looked up at him and smiled.
“Babies come on their own time, lil Asskicker. We just gotta wait it out.”
“Don’t baby know we gots her room all done an’ ever’thang?”
No-one knew why but Jude had called the baby a “she” from the beginning even though they didn’t really know for sure. Every time they’d tried to peek, the lil shit had turned one way’r another to hide. Half the community was taken bets on whether it was a boy or a girl (Daryl had a week’s worth of tribute runs for Punch on it bein a boy). They’d all but set up a full on community block party as soon as Enid had gone into labor 7 hours ago and people were stopping by constantly for updates. Negan had gone to scout a new camp the day before so he wasn’t gonna be here for the event but it was commonly accepted that the baby was gonna be like a grandbaby to them. He’d taken a shine to Carl and their little family was treated like a son and daughter, with Jude like a granddaughter already.
“I AIN’T NE’ER DOIN THIS AGAIN YOU HEAR ME? YOU AIN’T NE’ER GETTIN IN MAH BED ‘GAIN. IN FACT, FIND A NEW HOUSE. GET THIS BABY OUT! I AIN’T MEANT TO …”
Moaning followed and then there was silence … almost everyone in the compound held their breath. No one dared make a sound … no one dared move.
1 minute
90 seconds
100 seconds
The wailing screech of a newborn announcing it’s arrival to the world was heard across the compound and there wasn’t a single dry eye anywhere in Alexandria. It took about 10 minutes before Carl came out, a crying mess of snot and tears and happiness, to announce the arrival of Dixon Edward Grimes.
Daryl stopped dead and looked up, shell-shocked.
“Daryl, you’ve done more for our family than I could ever repay. You helped me when you didn’t have to and you got shit on when you didn’t need to be. This is my way of lettin you know that you’ve always been family and you always will be. Now come meet your grandson.”
Carl slung an arm around Daryl’s shoulders and hefted Jude into his other arm. “Ready to meetcha brother?”
“Brother? Papa I said I wanted a sister!”
Both men laughed.
“Well if your Mama ever lets us try again, I’ll do my best for a sister next time.”
“Next time, my ass Grimes.”
Daryl looked up at Enid, sweaty and blotchy and holding a tiny moving bundle of blankets. Carl pushed him forward with Jude and Enid folded the blanket back. Nestled inside was the biggest newborn Daryl’d ever seen with a tuft of brown hair and big blue eyes, just starin’ right up at him.
“Hey there Dixon. You n’ me, we’re gonna be buddies. This here’s your sister, Jude. She’s gonna watch out fer ya while you grow up, ain’t ya, Asskicker?
“Yep. Mine!”
Daryl kissed Jude’s forehead and carried her back away from the bed to give the new parents time with their baby. He was honestly still disconnected from it all … he had a grandson. Named after him.
Daryl Dixon, The Savior, had a family.