Our Extinction Event {Daryl Dixon}

New Beginnings

Eighteen months had passed since the war with Negan. And since he and his Saviors had come to a much-needed end. And in that time, the communities had been able to grow and rebuild. Minus the Sanctuary. Trade links were established, and peace was found among the people. Well, for the most part. Parker and Daryl moved into the Sanctuary to keep an eye on things, though it was the last place either of them wanted to be. They were able to keep in touch with Rick and the other communities through the walkies they had taken from the Saviors.

Alexandria had started rebuilding, trying to move people back into their own homes. As the communities grew, so did the people's hope for a better future. Parker and Daryl were doing well, although they were tired of being the leaders of a place where the clear underlying support for Negan was evident every time they heard the whispers. June and Alex, however, turned out to be the only good things about that place. Not much of a shocker there.

They'd grown way faster than either had thought possible; Now being almost a year and a half old, and never once did they cease to surprise both Daryl and Parker. It was one morning, before they met up with Rick and the others, that Juniper said her first word.

Juniper had been sitting on Daryl's chest while he was lying down in bed, and had been babbling happily; Alex was fast asleep in the crib a few feet away from their bed while Parker was getting ready in the bathroom, tying her hair back in a braid and laying it over her shoulder.

She loved seeing Daryl with their kids. There were times when he doubted himself because of his past experiences, but he wanted to be the best father he could be. It wasn't difficult to know that he adored both of them, because every opportunity he had to be with either of the two, he took advantage of it.

As she sat on his chest, with Daryl carefully holding her arms to keep her upright, Juniper continued to talk nonsense as Daryl watched her. "Can you say Dad? Da-da? Come on, say Dad."

"I don't know," Parker spoke skeptically as she walked over, stopping beside the crib. "The other day he was close to saying 'Mom.' I think I'm winning this. Calling it right now. Both their first words are going to be Mom."

"Nah, it ain't. It's gonna be me, she's gettin' close. Just you wait," Daryl disagreed, as he turned his attention back to June. "Say, Dad," he let go of her arm to brush her hair out of her eyes, and she almost rolled off him and onto the bed. "Shit, I got you."

"Shit!" She repeated, squealing with laughter. Parker quickly turned to look at the pair, her finger loosely held between her son's fingers, when she saw Daryl's expression change to horror. And while June laughed and repeated the word again, Parker forced back her own laughter and looked to Daryl, whose face had turned bright red.

"Only we would manage to have our baby's first words be a swear," Parker laughed as he sat up and placed Juniper on the bed.

"The hell are you laughing for, this ain't funny."

"Because of the look that was on your face. You looked absolutely horrified," Parker said with another fit of laughter. "It shouldn't be this funny, I'm sorry. But with your face and her repeating it..."

"Can't believe her first word was a swear." Daryl stared at her with a fake look of disappointment, shaking his head.

"Okay, so.. it wasn't what we were aiming for. So what? We say them all the time," Parker responded, while Daryl got up and began to get dressed. "Just yesterday, I heard you call the shower a piece of shit because it wasn't hot enough to your liking. Even though you should just be grateful it was hot water."

"You heard the same thing I did, right?" Daryl asked, looking back at her.

"Yes," She nodded, as she picked up Juniper. "But it is fine, because, even though she said 'shit,' that still means she could say mom first."