Fear And Loathing Epilogue

One Week Later

"I'm so sick of rain," Carl moaned. He took a seat on the porch with his father and Michonne and watched as two trucks, both pulling moving trailers, pulled up in front of the house across the street.

"New neighbors," Rick noted.

He was surprised, as was Carl, when Daryl climbed out of the first truck, and then Beth emerged from the second.

"Daryl! Beth!" Carl yelled, and whooped happily as he ran down the porch steps.

"Did you know about this?" Rick asked Michonne.

She stood, still favoring the leg that Christine had cut, and nodded. "I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, it worked," he said, taking her hand and laughing as they made their way across the street to greet Daryl and Beth.

"You sit on the porch," Beth said to Michonne. "Your leg can't handle the work."

"I'll be fine. I can carry light things," Michonne insisted, despite the look of mutiny on Beth's face.

Glenn and Maggie arrived, shocked to see that Daryl and Beth had arrived with trailers and were ready to unpack and move in. Maggie turned to Michonne just as soon as she learned she'd been in on the move the whole time.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Maggie asked Michonne.

"I didn't want you pestering me for information," Michonne explained.

"Or calling us ten times a day, asking if we're still moving," Daryl added.

"I wouldn't have done that," Maggie swore, looking as innocent as she could.

"Really, Maggie?" Beth said, her eybrows arched skeptically.

"Not ten times a day. Whatever. Let's just get to work."

They spent the better part of the day getting things into the house and their appropriate rooms. The power had been switched on so they had electricity. When the light faded and everyone was thoroughly drenched from moving things in the rain, they settled down at Rick and Michonne's for dinner.

"So, what's the news with the Todd case?" asked Daryl.

"Her trial starts next week," said Michonne."There's another attorney prosecuting her since I'm too involved to be impartial."

"She refused to own up to anything but that won't help her," said Rick. "The evidence is just too overwhelming."

"The Death Penalty is mandatory in this case. She brought walkers into the sanctuary, got a young boy killed, kidnapped Judith, broke into our house with walkers and tried to kill me and the kids," Michonne shook her head.

"She still refuses to tell us how she wrangled five walkers," said Rick. "Hank must have helped here there, before going on to Glenn and Maggie's to find me."

Glenn nodded. "He won't be a threat, nor a burden to society. Michonne, what about the Greenfeld case?"

"DNA tests finally came back yesterday," said Michonne. "His semen was on the body. He didn't realize we had a functional lab. He didn't think DNA tests were still done so he didn't try to cover his tracks. He raped and strangled Jared Broward. He confessed when we hit him with the DNA evidence. He claims he'd always wanted to do what he did but he'd never had the courage until the Turn. He says Jared was his fourth victim."

"He won't have anymore," Beth said solemnly. They nodded with agreement.

After dinner was over, Rick, Carl, and Glenn helped Daryl to set up the furniture in Daryl's new house. It was late when Rick stepped out onto Daryl's front porch to see Maggie and Glenn off, and prepare to go home himself.

"I want to show you something," Daryl said. He pulled a box out of his pocket and showed Rick a beautiful diamond ring.

"You're going to propose?" said Rick.

Daryl nodded. "I found this before we came to the sanctuaries. I've just been waiting to for the right time. I think it is. I'm going to take her on a picnic one evening, when this rain lets up, and ask her."

"Beth's madly in love with you. She'll say yes." Rick clapped Daryl on the shoulder. "I'm so glad the two of you are here. It's good to have you around, brother."

Daryl nodded his head once. "It's good to be here."

They shook hands and then Rick started for home. He and Michonne had wedding plans to make. They had a future to build together and a family to raise and they had more of their best friends close by. Now that the danger with Christine had passed, the future was looking bright.

"Hey, Sweetheart, I'm home," he said, quietly entering their bedroom.

Michonne lay on the bed, curled up with a notebook and ink pen where she'd been working on a seating chart, but now she was knocked out, asleep. She looked angelic in the soft, golden light of the beside lamp. He pulled the notebook from her hands and set it on the table before crawling into bed behind her. He switched off the light and wrapped her in his arms.

Eventually Rick's hand found its way to the swell of her abdomen, where their baby grew, and he couldn't fight off the smile that tugged at his lips. He held his woman close and listened to the rain patter at the window, and fell quickly into a deep and peaceful sleep.

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