The start

Firecrackers in a trash can

We all get ready to leave. Daryl fixes the RV.

"Here. Homemade oat cake. Complex carbohydrates, omega-3s." Denise tries to hand Daryl and I food. I take it without hesitation. I'm starving.

"Nah, I'm good. We're gonna make a pit stop. I'll pick up something then." He says.

"Like rabies?" Denise scoffs.

"Is this 'cause I tried to get you that stuff?"

"Yeah. And you remind me of someone I used to know." Daryl takes the cake and studies it.

"Well I hope it tastes better than it looks. 'Cause it looks like shit." Daryl jokes.

"Shit's still better than roadkill. Okay, maybe-- just eat it." She walks away as I laugh. Daryl looks at me and smiles.

"She is just trying to help."

"I know." He says. As he wipes the grease off of his red rag. Jay comes running up to use and hugs me then punches me in the arm.

"Ow?" I say slowly. It didn't hurt.

"You guys are leaving and didn't tell me?" She goes up to Daryl and punches him in the arm. It didn't phase him.

"This guy, we need to know if he is for real or not. Who knows, if we don't go he might keep coming back." I sighed.

"Oh, he'll come back. Son of a bitch don't know how to stay away." Daryl says back as Jay giggles.

"Alright. You guys be safe." She hugs me. I kiss her forehead.

"We will." She lets go of me and runs over to Daryl wrapping her arms around him. He wraps his arms around her shoulders. I smile at the two of them.

"Daryl?" She asked.

"Yeah?"

"Where is my ring at?" Daryl's eyes go wide as he realizes Jay knows.

"I got you something better." He reaches in his pocket and pulls out the bird charm necklace.

"I was joking but thank you." She smiles brightly as he puts it on her.

"Lil Jaybird." He says.

"Let's chew up some asphalt!" Abraham tells us.

"Left you and Gabriel in charge of watches until I get back. You know how it goes." I tell her and hug her one last time.

"You guys come back." She says.

"We will." Daryl says as he shuts the RV. She heads over to the gate and stands by. We all pile into the RV as Daryl shuts the door and sits next to me. Rick drives off as Jay opens and closes the gate.

"Hey. Can I ask you a question?" Abraham leans forward looking at Glenn.

"Sure." Glenn leans forward.

"When you were, uh, pouring the Bisquick, were you trying to make pancakes?" I laugh a little looking down at the ground. He always has a way with words.

"Uh yes? Oh, okay, um it's something that we talked about, yeah. Why?" Glenn finally gets it.

"No, I just Well, given the precarious state of affairs on any given Sunday, I am damn near floored that you or anyone else would have the cojones to make a call like that." Abraham says.

"I mean, well we're trying to build something, me and her. All of us." Glenn says. I look up at Daryl and see he could be a dad. He would make a great dad and teach our kids to survive. He was great with Judith and Jay.