Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Spring 2017

She winces as another sharp pain shoots through her, clinching her fists so tightly she can feel her nails biting into the palms of her hands. She's not thinking about pain though, not physical pain. All she can think about is him. She wants him here with her. That's what's causing her deepest pain, she knows he's not coming.

She can visualize him so perfectly. She'd swear she can see him standing at the foot of the bed and her heart silently speaks to his heart.

She tells him not to worry, that she'll be okay and they'll be okay. She tells him that all he should be worrying about right now is taking care of himself. He has to stay safe so he can come home to them. Please Dear God, please bring him home safe. He has to come back, and when she's in his arms again she'll beg him to please never leave her.

As pain once again grips her body she forces her mind back to that weekend they spent together. It wasn't even an entire weekend it was just a few hours, but in those few hours their lives were forever changed.

It had to have been their destiny, right? Is that corny? Maybe it is corny but that doesn't change the fact that none of it should ever have happened in the first place, and yet it did. They should never have even met. Neither of them were where they were supposed to be that fateful evening. Something must have been at play to bring it all about. Maybe it was their Angels, maybe it was the hand of God himself that made sure their worlds collided.

Whatever was at work it most certainly was not the sort of beginning solid relationships are built on. It wasn't the kind of start a real family and a real future begin with. Beth doesn't care about any of that and Daryl told her he doesn't care either. What does it matter if others might see what happened as wrong, it wasn't wrong for them. It was their perfect start.

00

That Night

When Friday rolls around Beth is always ready for the weekend, this Friday is no different. She has a busy job and this time of year there's always extra stress and pressure. This week was especially crazy, one of her coworkers was out sick and everyone was scrambling trying to cover their own work and hers too. Beth needs to let off a little steam and she has plans for that tonight. She and a small group of friends from the office are going for Happy Hour at the Stardust, followed by a little dancing later this evening. The rest of the weekend will be all about relaxing, she might even splurge on a mani pedi.

Her plans change dramatically when Rosita calls. Her friend desperately needs a hand and even though she really doesn't want to do this, Beth can't tell her no. Rosita's Mother has been injured in a traffic accident and of course Rosita wants to be with her at the hospital. The problem is Rosita has a job at the diner and she's supposed to work a shift tonight. The graveyard shift.

She explains to Beth, "You're the last person I wanted to ask, I know you've already worked all week. I wouldn't be coming to you if I hadn't tried calling everyone else who works there, or has ever worked at CeCe's. I can't find anyone willing to cover an all-night shift."

Beth being Beth she agrees, "Yes, of course. I'm happy to help you Rosita, your mother needs you."

She cancels her own plans for the evening and instead of happy hour she goes straight home from work. She makes herself a light dinner and grabs a quick nap, she has to be at CeCe's Diner promptly at ten pm.

She worked at the little diner during her freshman year of college. That's been quite a while ago but she's not too worried. CeCe's is the kind of place that never changes much. Shoot, the menu probably hasn't changed in fifty years.

She stops at Rosita's house on her way into work to pick up a uniform from Rosita's husband, Caesar. He's got their baby in one arm as he hands Beth the uniform and once again expresses their gratitude, "Thanks for doing this Beth, it means a lot to us."

Although she'd rather not be working in a diner tonight, pouring gallons of strong black coffee and serving breakfast all night to drunks, travelers, shift workers and insomniacs, she is grateful she can help her friends.

It's just before midnight when he walks in. He's so out of place he'd be impossible to miss.

He's wearing Army fatigues and those big heavy-looking boots and she likes his pigeon-toed stride. Although his hair is cut short it somehow manages to give a long and a little messy appearance, like maybe he's three weeks late getting to the barber.

Oh my, and he's handsome. So handsome. Then there's the rest of the package. There's no way she could miss that build, his squared shoulders are like nothing she's seen and even in his loose-fitting fatigues she can tell he's buff.

She watches as he walks all the way to the end of the row of booths, leans in and set his big Army pack on the seat by the window, then slides himself in next to it. Beth is so distracted by him she's pretty sure a herd of elephants could walk in and she'd hardly notice.

She can't figure out what a military man would be doing over here in Athens, Georgia. Fort Benning is at least a hundred and thirty miles away. She reprimands herself, that's not her business, she has a job to do.

She walks to his table with the coffeepot in her hand and smiles, "Hi there, can I pour you some coffee to start?"

That's when she sees them, he looks at her with those ice blue eyes and nods, "Please and real cream if ya got it."

"Yes of course, and I'll get you some water too. The menu's there behind the napkin dispenser."

He nods, "Yeah thanks."

She has questions, she always has questions about people. It's her innate curiosity and overactive imagination. She's got a habit of concocting all sorts of backstories for people she doesn't even know. It's a fun and harmless mental diversion, even though she's pretty sure her imaginings are never right.

With this man though, things are different. She'd like to know the real story on him.

She walks back to his table and sees him writing something in a notebook. It looks like he's doing some kind of math or trying to figure something out. She reminds herself again, not your business Beth. She sets his water and the little pitcher of cream down and asks, "Can I bring you something to eat?"

He looks up and it's like he's almost smiling, almost but not quite. It's kind of cute the way he does that, it's like half a smile. "Um, yeah I'd like the biscuits with sausage gravy n a side a grits please."

00

His brother wanted to drive him to Fort Benning but he said "no" he'd take the bus. He doesn't like putting anyone out and besides, a couple of hours riding would have made the goodbye longer and tougher. So his brother dropped him at the bus station a half hour before his bus was supposed to take off. Daryl waited around there for more than three hours. That's when they finally let the passengers know the bus they were waiting on had been involved in an "incident." There wasn't going to be another until three o'clock the next afternoon. He'd still make it back to the base in plenty of time to report for duty, but what was he going to do with himself in the meantime?

He isn't about to show back up at his brother's place, not when it's already after midnight and especially because they'd have to say goodbye all over again tomorrow. One goodbye is more than enough for him. Too much.

He isn't quite sure what to do with himself. He locked his pickup and his old motorcycle in a storage unit and that's where they'll stay until he gets back from his tour. He's drained the tanks and gotten them ready to sit and wait for his return, sometime next year. It wouldn't be worth it to get one of them out just for a few hours, so he's on foot.

He can't see dropping eighty bucks on a motel room, instead he just starts strolling aimlessly down the street, wondering what to do with himself. When he comes to the all-night diner he stops, yeah, he is kind of hungry and he can kill a little time in this place. It will work for at least a while, then he supposes he can just walk around town one last time before walking back to the bus station.

He notices the waitress as soon as he walks in the door, shit man, she's so pretty he almost does a double take. He's careful though, he doesn't want her to think he's staring at her so he keeps his eyes down as he walks to an end booth.

When she comes to the table and he sees her up close, wow, she's even prettier than he first thought. Those big blue eyes are killer. Too bad he's on his way to the desert for a year, he'd like to get to know a woman like her.

She smiles and that smile really gets to him, but he tells himself not to even think about that stuff. It's best not to, he's leaving town. At least he gets to spend the last of his time in Athens stealing glances at a pretty woman. A guy could have it worse.

She sets his breakfast down and smiles that pretty smile again, "Can I bring you anything else right now?"

"I think I'm all good for now. Thanks Miss."

"Alright, I'll just get the pot and refill your coffee."

He isn't much of a coffee drinker, he's more of coke man. He sees no reason to tell the waitress that, she's pouring coffee and so he'll find a way to choke it down. He's going to be up all night anyway.

00

The diner has been completely dead for almost thirty minutes, that's so unusual for CeCe's, especially on Friday night. Where the heck is the after bar crowd? Beth tries to keep herself busy wiping down the counter and the stools, filling salt and pepper shakers and napkin dispensers, none of which really need filling. All the while she's stealing looks at him every chance she gets.

Then she experiences a moment of absolute clarity, nothing is ever going to happen if she doesn't make it happen. If she wants to talk to him, if she really wants to find out who he is, then this is her one and only opportunity. It's clear he isn't going to be the one to strike up a conversation, or even make a little small talk. She's pretty sure he's interested in her, maybe he's just shy. Whatever, she's going to have to make the move.

She gives herself a pep talk, reminding herself that even if it goes badly and she gets embarrassed, odds are she'll never see him again anyway.

She fills two glasses with coke, takes a deep breath and walks toward his table. She does her very best to look casual and confident as she set the drinks down on his table, smiles and says, "I noticed you haven't been drinking your coffee so I thought I'd buy you a coke."

Then she sits herself down across from him, just as if he invited her to. Mama would be appalled by such behavior.

"I can pay for it ya know. I got money." His look is a strange combination of shy, embarrassed and a little upset like she might think he's broke. There's something else though, that small barely there smile and a little sparkle in his blue eyes.

She doesn't know where her forward behavior is coming from but she just keeps talking, "Oh I'm sure you can pay. Think of it as my way of thanking you for your service. I see by your patch your name is Dixon. Do you have a first name Dixon?"

His smile gets a little bigger, "Yeah, I'm Daryl. Daryl Dixon at your service."

"Well thank you again for that Daryl Dixon. Can I ask what a soldier's doing so far from base in the middle of the night?" She's hoping her smile looks cute because she's starting to feel a little sick and super nervous.

She feels better when he looks in her eyes and smiles, briefly but it's a real smile. He shrugs and answers, "I been home on leave for thirty days before they send me over ta the desert."

Her heart sinks. No. "The desert? You mean the war?"

"Yeah, I know there's talk we're getting out, but they're still sendin' troops. Maybe just not as many as before, anyway, it looks like they decided it's my turn ta go."

That's news she doesn't want to hear. She was hoping maybe he was just coming home from somewhere. And maybe, just maybe, he'd ask her out. No harm in hoping. Now that little dream has been shattered.

What's she got to lose though? She might as well satisfy her curiosity, "Believe me Daryl, it's not bothering me or anything, I'm just wondering why you've been here in the diner so long? Is someone supposed to pick you up?"

His neck flushes and he snickers, "Nah it ain't that. I's supposed ta catch a bus but there was some kinda problem with it. Now they put me on one that don't leave until three in the afternoon. I coulda gone back ta my brother's place but I didn't wanna wake everyone up or have ta say goodbye again. So I'm just killin' time is all."

Beth makes an instant decision, she's going to spend as much time talking to him as she can, "So tell me about yourself Daryl Dixon, I mean if you want to."

He looks genuinely confused, "Like what?"

She almost laughs at his question; most guys don't have to be asked to talk about themselves. The soldier is different, but then she suspected that right from the start. "Well, you know, like how old you are, where you're from and how long you've been in the service?" She can't even believe the next thing that comes out of her mouth. She's doing just what Mama always warned her not to, she's talking too much and embarrassing herself. "Do have a wife or a girlfriend?"

She can see he's startled by her question. He chews on his lip for a minute and responds, "Let's see, that's a lotta questions. I'm 24 an I been in the Army three years, got one more year of active duty ta go. I'm from right here in Georgia, grew up kinda rural I guess you'd call it, up near the Appalachian Trail close ta the Tennessee state line." He wrinkles up his forehead like he's thinking real hard and continues, "And lemme think now there was one more question. I can't remember what ya was askin' me."

And that's when he does it and it's so worth the big red blush that rises up on her cheeks. It's the best smile she's ever seen, like his entire face is lit up and the topper is, he even laughs a little, "Oh yeah now I remember, no I ain't got a wife and no girlfriend."

"Now how 'bout you? Your uniform says you're name is Rosita. What's your last name Rosita? How old are ya? How long ya been workin' here? Ya got ya a husband or a boyfriend?" He's still smiling and she's charmed.

She laughs softly as she feels her own smile grow. "My name is actually Beth Greene. I'm helping out my friend Rosita by covering her shift tonight. I'm 23 years old and I don't work here at the diner. I work in the admissions office at the university." Now she wrinkles her forehead like she's concentrating real hard and says, "Let's see there was another question, wasn't there? Oh yes I remember now, no husband and no boyfriend."

They're both smiling and laughing just a little, having some fun with each other. This woman has surprised him, but he's surprised himself even more. It isn't like him to be so open and friendly with people, or to get into a conversation with someone he doesn't even know. Especially not a woman. Talking to women typically requires him to be at least a six pack in.

He really begins to wander outside his comfort zone next. He can't stop himself. She looks so pretty and so sweet and she's been making him smile and feel happy. He reaches across the table and takes her hand in his, it just feels like the thing to do, "That's good to hear Beth Greene."

That's how it goes for the next few hours. She sits and visits with him while he holds her hand and they talk. It's mostly small talk at first, the this's and that's of a casual conversation. But as the early morning hours pass they reveal more and more about themselves to each other.

She learns what the figuring he's been doing in the notebook is all about. He wants to buy into his brother's pump business when he gets out of the Army. He says he could just go to work there if he wanted, but he wants more. He wants to be a partner and his brother is happy to join forces. Business is good and they have a plan for future growth. The cash Daryl buys in with will help fund that future growth.

She tells him about her work at the admissions office and how even though she's out of college she still loves being part of university life. It has a certain energy and the work feels valuable. Important.

They talk about their hobbies and the music they like, the movies they've enjoyed and even their favorite cartoons.

Every once in a while a customer drops in and she has to get up and leave him, but for the most part business remains slow and they have quite a bit of time together.

Even though she's only known the soldier a few hours she feels so attached to him already. He's funny but also shy and very smart, even though he might not be real well spoken, she doesn't mind that part at all. She likes his heavy drawl and backwoods phrasing, she finds she likes it a lot. In fact, she can't think of anything about the man she doesn't like.

He's wishing he wasn't so taken with this pretty girl; he just can't help himself. It's like he's under her spell or something, and he likes it there. Damn his luck, he meets a woman he feels comfortable around, one he likes talking to, and he's already feeling things for her he's never felt for anyone. Now he has to leave her.

She swallows hard, prays to God she's doing the right thing and jumps in with both feet, "I'm off work in half an hour Daryl. Why don't you just come back to my place with me? I can give you a ride to the bus station when it's time."

He can't believe he heard her correctly, "Your place? Are ya sure Beth?"

She's nervous, it's crazy and stupid, but for some reason she's not at all worried. How could it be wrong and feel so right? Oh boy though, if Mama knew about it she'd never let Beth hear the end of it. But Mama isn't here. Daryl's here and Beth isn't ready to say goodbye to the Soldier. "Yes, I'm sure Daryl. I don't want to think about you just walking the streets until you get on a bus to leave and go off to war."

Then she gets really honest, "Besides there's not much time before you go and I'd like to spend whatever time you have left here together."

Her words surprise him, excite him and make him feel so damn happy. They also bring out his own honesty, "Yeah, I'd like that a lot Beth. I wanna spend all the time I got left here with you. It feels like we're just gettin' started."

00

Chapter Text

00

He can't believe they're really doing this, but he asked her three times if she was sure and she said yes every time.

She's in the lady's bathroom at the diner right now, changing out of Rosita's uniform and into her own clothes. He's way too nervous to stand around waiting for her in there, instead he's out pacing the alley and smoking his last cigarette.

He picked the wrong time to quit smoking, but he told himself yesterday that when he got to the end of this pack that was the end of his habit. Period. He's not thinking about his better health. He's thinking about how damned expensive cigarettes have gotten and he's trying to save every dime he can for his and Merle's business.

He takes one last long drag as he paces back and forth and the evening's events play over and over in his mind. Could this really have happened? Hell, he was there and he still can't believe it. Besides, he's half expecting she won't show. Yeah, she'll probably ditch him. She'll realize she was about to make the worst mistake of her life and sneak out the other door or something. He wouldn't blame her if she did. He'll be so damned disappointed if it happens that way, but he'd understand and he wouldn't be mad at her.

This woman, she just doesn't seem like the kind to be inviting a stranger home, that's why he's a little shocked and more nervous than ever when she comes stepping out the back door, smiling right at him.

He cups her elbow and smiles back and he's stunned all over again by the fact, this really is real.

She doesn't live far from the diner and on the ride to her place the conversation is mostly about nothing, the weather they've been having and the fact that there's no traffic at six Saturday morning. The next thing he knows she's pulling up in front of a small duplex.

He feels kind of funny being chauffeured around by a chick, and as soon as she's at the curb he practically jumps out his car door and hurries around to open hers. She smiles, "Oh, thank you," and that smile alone is enough to make him glad he did it.

Her place is small, cute, just like her. The front room already has morning sun streaming in through the curtains and he notices all those extra little touches a woman gives a place. There are flowers on the table and fluffy looking pillows on the couch and what he's sure must be a family picture on the side table. It shows a group of people standing in front of a big white house and he immediately picks her out. She's standing in the center of the group and she's so young and looks so happy.

He's brought back to the moment when she apologizes, "I'm sorry I don't have beer or wine or anything like that. I do have pink lemonade, tea and of course water."

He can hear the nervousness in her voice and he knows just how that is, his heart feels like it's about to beat out of his chest, "Um, okay, lemonade sounds good. I can get it though, you're off duty. Ya don't need ta keep waitin' on me."

She smiles, he's a good guy, "You can help, how's that?"

"Yeah, okay." Even though he knows they're both nervous he thinks she does a much better job of hiding it.

As tired as they are neither wants to waste the last few hours they have together sleeping. She turns on an old clock radio and gets some music softly playing. It's different than the country music or metal that he usually listens to, it's mellow and folksy. It sounds like her.

They sit side by side on the couch, and close. Hip to hip, thigh to thigh and holding hands. That doesn't last long. He's not sure where the nerve is coming from, it's not like him to just act on his feelings, but then these feelings are all new to him, and besides, her and him, they don't have any time.

This sure isn't like her, not at all. She's always been a real good girl. Not that she's a prude, and she's not completely inexperienced. Nothing like that. But she's definitely not a girl who gets around with guys. Especially not one she just met. She's the kind of woman who thinks a couple ought to be in love before they start all that physical stuff.

He's no kind of player but he's also not innocent. He's had a few experiences with women but nothing that really meant anything to him or the women involved. They were the kind of encounters that happen between people after a few too many drinks at the bar. One thing leads to another and when the physical part is over there's nothing left but a hurried and awkward goodbye.

Beth isn't that kind of woman. Even though they just met, he's already sure of that.

She's telling him about life on the farm and he's watching her lips move as she speaks and he can't remember ever having a feeling as strong as this need to kiss Beth Greene.

He goes with his desire as he slips his arm across her shoulders while his other hand softly sweeps through her hair and gently caresses the back of her head. He guides her closer to him, leans in and kisses her. It's hot and it's tender and it's needy, and things quickly escalate. The kissing becomes more heated and the passion they feel won't be denied.

They've only just met and this is not the kind of people they are. They're supposed to be shy about this stuff, but they can't refuse the deep longing they feel for each other. That combined with the underlying urgency of knowing their time together is short has them behaving in ways neither has ever behaved before.

She'll think back to this moment many times in her life and marvel at her forwardness. But she does it, it happens. She lays her hand softly on his cheek and invites, "We should go in my room Daryl."

She's caught him by surprise and he feels a little off balance, but that doesn't mean he doesn't want the same thing she wants. He's never wanted anything the way he wants her, but he asks, "You sure Beth? I wanna too, but only if you're sure."

"I'm sure, as sure as I've ever been about anything."

He nods and his gut is twisting as he gets to his feet and offers her his hand. She takes it and they silently walk to her room.

It's awkward at first. They're both pretending they haven't noticed they're standing right next to her bed, and then he kisses her. Sparks begin to fly and the fire heats back up.

He begins to unbutton his shirt and she helps as they cast nervous, furtive glances at each other. He pulls the shirt off, turns and hangs it on the doorknob. Then he pulls the undershirt up and over his head to hang on the doorknob as well, and that's when she gasps loudly and her hand covers her mouth. She's never seen anything like the scars on his back.

The passion has turned to unease and distress. He would have tried to hide the damned scars, or at least warned her, something, but dammit, he didn't think. He's been living in a barracks situation for three years. That's a long time with no real privacy. Back in boot camp, when he tried so hard to avoid being seen, the Sarge took him aside. He told him he was going to have to forget the scars were even there, and the man also said he shouldn't be embarrassed because it wasn't him who did anything wrong. Sarge told him he had to accept there was no hiding the marks and no need to waste time worrying what others thought about a bunch of old scars.

Another solid truth the Sarge shared with him was, everyone has something they wish they could hide.

This is different though, this is her and she's clearly shocked. His heart sinks as he apologizes. "I'm sorry I didn't warn you. I can just go if ya want. Your call Beth."

"No Daryl. Please. You don't have anything to be sorry about. I want you to stay." She smiles that pretty smile and her cheeks are so pink when she says, "and you're a very handsome man, the scars don't change that. I was just startled. What happened to you?"

His hand gently touches her face as his open fingers begin to slide back and thread through her hair, "It was a long time ago Beth, it…well let's just say, my Dad? He liked to make sure he got his point across."

She's horrified at the thought but she doesn't comment. Now is not the time and what in the world she possibly say? He's relieved when she doesn't ask him for all the gory details. That's not what he wants to talk about right now.

Instead, she takes his face in her hands and kisses him romantically. This is what they both crave now and soon they've forgotten all about the scars.

They're nervous and awkward at first, fumbling around with each other's clothes and clumsily pulling the covers back on the bed, and they're both shy about revealing their naked bodies. It all changes when he smiles and tells her, "You're the prettiest thing I ever seen Beth Greene."

They warm to each other's touch and that warmth turns white hot. There's unabashed curiosity and deep desire and suddenly it doesn't seem like a first time with someone. There's none of the unease of not being sure what's expected and not knowing what the other person wants or likes in an intimate situation.

They don't have any trouble at all getting to know each other's bodies. Finding all the sensitive little spots. They quickly learn which ones need kissing or licking, or maybe even a soft nibble or pinch, and the sweet words that need to be spoken seem to come so naturally. He surprises himself in the best of ways when he doesn't hold back the tender words, and neither bothers to try and muffle the sounds of pleasure.

They find that sweet release in one another and afterward they lay in each other's arms fully exhausted, physically content and happy to just "be" together.

Daryl's the one who first begins to feel a little guilt creep in. He speaks of it as he holds her in his arms, as close to him as he can get her, "I promise it wasn't just about this Beth. Just bein' in your bed. It meant sumthin', it means sumthin' and I do care for ya, a lot. Ya know that, right?"

She suddenly feels overwhelmed and a little teary, but she's not going to let herself start that stuff. Especially not now. There's too little time to be wasting it on tears, "All of this happened so quickly, it's not like me to…to be this way with someone. But it meant everything to me Daryl. I care for you more than even seems possible."

"It ain't like me either Beth but maybe that don't matter. Maybe it was meant ta happen just like it did." He kisses the top of her head and adds, "There was no time for me ta overthink any of it, that's for sure. We was both just lettin' ourselves feel it and maybe that's how it was supposed ta be with us."

He digs down deep and musters up the courage to tell her what's in his heart, "I wish I didn't have ta leave ya. I wish I could take ya on proper dates and we could do all whatever it is that people do when they date. That's what I'd like, but Uncle Sam has his own ideas and he has me tied up for a while yet."

He pulls her close, nuzzles his face into her hair and whispers, "I'd like ta ask ya ta wait for me but I know I can't do that. It wouldn't be right, it wouldn't be fair to ya."

She lifts her head from his chest, looks in his eyes and says, "Please Daryl, please ask me to wait for you, I mean if that's what you really want then it's what I want too. You're more than worth waiting for."

He can't believe she'd do that, wait for him, "You sure Beth? Really? I'ma be gone a long time."

"I know, and while you're gone I'll be here thinking about you, praying for you and waiting for you to come back to me."

His strong arms pull her close again and he says the words, "Please, wait for me Beth, please."

"I will, for however long it takes."

They're quiet and they rest a little, but not for long. Stomachs rumble and they get up, he pulls on his shorts and she puts on her robe and they hold hands as they make the short walk to the kitchen.

There's not much to choose from. Today is grocery shopping day and so the cupboards and the fridge are nearly bare. He teases, "The pizza delivery guy probably ain't up yet." They settle on toast with peanut butter and jelly and Daryl finishes off a box of corn flakes, then says, "I'll leave ya some grocery money."

She giggles, "No you won't. I have to buy food anyway, and besides, I was wondering how I'd ever finish all that cereal."

He puts her number in his cell phone but he also gets his notebook and writes the number down, and her address and email too, then says, "I ain't gonna know my address for a while. I'll be in touch though, every chance I get."

The desire they feel for each other and knowing he's leaving soon once again fuels their fire. They find themselves back in her bedroom and back in her bed. They make love again and afterwards he holds her as close as he can, promising, "I'm comin' back ta you as soon as I can Beth."

They wait until the very last minute to shower and dress, then stand by her front door and hug so hard it almost hurts, but neither wants to let go. Still, the time has come and he has to leave.

They're silent as she drives to the bus station. He keeps his hand on her thigh and never takes his eyes off her face. Hers is the face he wants to see every day for the rest of his life, and it will be, if not in person at least in his mind's eye.

She's trying so hard to stay composed as they share one last goodbye hug and he says, "I promise Beth, this ain't just me walkin' away and then that's that. I'll call ya when I get ta Benning and you're gonna hear from me for as long as ya wanna. I will come back to ya Beth, unless sumthin' happens over there I'll be back for ya."

"You'll be back. You have to come back. You're strong and brave and I know that no matter what happens, you're going to be the last man standing. You will, and I'll be waiting for you as long as you want me to wait."

She watches as his bus pulls away from the station and she keeps watching even after it's long out of sight. Then she begins to cry and she continues crying all the way back home. She's so sad and so exhausted, all she can manage to do is get in her nightie and crawl back in bed. She smells his fragrance on the pillow and the bed smells of them together, and soon she's crying harder.

On the face of it, it makes no sense at all. They hardly even know each other. Yes, they did things together that maybe they shouldn't have, at least not until they did know each other, and yet it doesn't seem wrong and it doesn't seem impossible that there could be such strong feelings. It seems right and it feels right.

He's all twisted sideways in his seat and peering out the window as the bus pulls away from the station. He wants to look at her for as long as he can, and he keeps looking even after she disappears.

He leans his head back, closing his eyes as he relives the night's events. It still seems impossible, like one long dream. The best dream of his life. How could he be so lucky? And she said she'd wait. No, he tells himself. She says that now but why would a woman like her wait a year or more for a man like him? Yeah, it's not going to happen. She's too special, some guy will be along in no time and she'll be sending him one of those Dear John letters. Shit. Well, still, he's going with it for now. He's going to enjoy this ride and his good fortune for as long as he can.

She's clutching her phone in her hand, waiting for his call when finally she cries herself to sleep. Time passes, then the song the phone plays wakes her instantly, it's the one she programmed in just for him. "Daryl?"

The time he's allowed on the phone is limited and maybe that's good, he just talks fast and says what he's thinking, "Yeah hey Beth, how ya doin' girl? Gettin' some sleep I hope. I slept on the bus and I'm at Benning now, just gettin' processed. They tell me I'll be leavin' first thing in the mornin', and ya know I'ma miss ya girl. Gonna miss ya so bad. I'll keep in touch though, just like I said. I can email ya sometimes and some guy here said I might even be able ta Skype with ya. I gotta learn how that works. I'll write ya too, real letters. I ain't very good at that kinda thing, but I'll do my best. I meant what I said Beth, I care for you a lot."

Her tears are falling again but she tries to sound upbeat. Daryl's going away for a long time and she wants him to leave on a happy note, "I'll write and Skype and email you too Daryl. I'll do whatever we have to do to stay in touch. I miss you so much already and I'll be here waiting when you get home, and you will get home. You have to."

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She has no more tears to cry and pure exhaustion has her sleeping through what's left of Saturday and Saturday night. Sunday morning she's up bright and early and the first thing she does is get herself ready and get to church. She has a lot of praying to do.

This powerful need to pray doesn't come from guilt about the way things happened with the soldier. It's him, she feels the need to pray for him and pray hard. Daryl's going to war and she has to ask God to please keep him safe. She plans to pray for herself too, she's going to need a lot of strength and courage. This will be a long wait and although she tries not to think about it, she's not sure what she'd do if he didn't come home.

Beth prays harder than she's ever prayed for anyone or anything and when services are over she forces herself to go about her day, always with her phone close at hand. Just in case.

She decides busy is the best thing she can be, and she does have things she needs to do. She stops at the grocery on her way home and gets what she'll need for the week. There's a small melancholy smile on her lips as she walks right passed the cereal aisle, she won't be needing cornflakes for a year or so. Once back at her place she begins to put the groceries away and that's when she discovers it. There's a fifty-dollar bill under the peanut butter jar. It makes her smile. Daryl. Isn't it just like him to do something like this. The thought also brings a little sadness, he's such a good man and she already misses him so much.

It's then she makes up her mind about something.

She gets a jar down from the cabinet. It's just an old mayonnaise jar she washed and stored thinking it might come in handy sometime. It's going to become a little bank of sorts. She puts the fifty in it, plus the tip money she made working at the diner, screws the lid back on and stashes the jar way at the back of the cabinet.

She could tell by the way he talked about getting into business with his brother, it's a very big deal to Daryl. She wants to help in whatever way she can so she's going to start saving all of her change to help him out. By the end of the year she should have a pretty fair amount. Not nearly enough of course, not even enough to make a tiny dent in what he needs, but at least she can help a little. The idea of that puts a smile on her face.

She changes into shorts and a t-shirt and gets to work. She cleans her little place from top to bottom and does her laundry, including the bedsheets. Except for that one pillowcase, the one that smells like him. Maybe she's being silly, but she thinks she might never wash it again.

Finally, instead of paying town prices she treats herself to a mani pedi right there at home. Then she thinks, yes, why not? She smiles as puts the tip money she would have given the manicurist in the mayonnaise jar with the fifty. She has no way of knowing now, but that will be a habit she continues for many years.

Her house practically sparkles it's so clean. She's got her clothes ready for the work week, there's a chicken breast in the oven for dinner and she's made a salad to go with it. Her nails are a very pretty shade of pink, and now what? She once again gets all caught up in her thoughts and her feelings and tears fill her eyes.

Beth finds herself wishing time away. She actually wants Monday morning to hurry up and come. Work is going to be busy and maybe she'll be able to get her mind off Daryl and how much she misses him, at least for a little while. Oh, probably not, but at least she'll be busy and she'll be forced to think about something besides Daryl and how much she misses him.

She doesn't plan to tell anyone at work, or her sister Maggie, or even Rosita anything about the soldier or what happened between them. Not yet. For now, she's keeping her private life very private. She'll only be sharing her thoughts and feelings about Daryl with her journal, and by Sunday evening it's already rapidly filling up with heartfelt writings about her soldier.

He feels so hamstrung, dammit. He can't just do what he wants. He can't hop on his bike or in his pickup and go see her, he can't even call her on the phone. He signed four years of his life away to the government and he still owes them. He's got to go where they tell him to go and do what they tell him to do. It's that simple and that complicated.

It's never been a problem for him in the past, but that was before he knew her. Following the Army's rules hasn't bothered him, he knew going in they'd have plenty of rules and he was a guy who needed rules and a disciplined lifestyle. There had to be someone or something to make him tow the mark. That's why he joined, to keep himself out of trouble.

At the time he enlisted he was headed straight for big trouble. He'd been running the streets, acting like a fool and he'd had a couple of minor scrapes with the law. Nothing that got him thrown in jail, but it was just a matter of time.

It was Merle who finally sat him down and set him straight, "Is this what ya want kid? Ya wanna follow in my footsteps and really fuck up your life? Wanna get hooked on the dope, maybe sell a little and do some time in jail? Cuz I'll tell ya what boy, that's right where you're headed and I'm livin' proof that once you fall down that rabbit hole it's a bitch tryin' ta climb back out."

If anyone would know about that stuff it was Merle, and Daryl had witnessed first hand the struggles Merle had getting his life straightened out. If his brother hadn't met Karen he'd likely either be in the pen or dead by now.

Daryl decided his brother was right, and besides, it was just four years. They'd teach him stuff, they promised training right when you sign up. Hopefully he'd learn enough to get a decent job when he got out. In the meantime the army would feed him, house him and pay him. It's a hard deal to beat. He was fully aware there was a war going on, and he figured sooner or later they'd send him off to fight. That didn't bother him either. He'd agreed to it when he signed on.

All that was before he knew her, and knowing her has changed everything.

The good news he tries to hang onto is, he'll be getting imminent danger pay while he's at war. That's $225.00 extra each month and it's going to help a lot with his plans for buying into his brother's business. He's saving all his pay this year, every cent. The only thing he plans to spend any money on is stamps.

He can't imagine she'll really wait, but if she does he'll be so damn happy he won't know how to act. He realizes it's not just on her to wait, he's going to have to make a big effort to convince her he's worth waiting for. He's going to have to show her how much he cares. He's going to have to learn to write a decent letter. Shit, other guys do it all the time, how hard can it be?

He's going to have to get good at emailing too, and he's going to have to learn how to do this skyping business. None of it is his kind of deal, not even a little bit. That doesn't matter though. It's not just about him anymore, not since Friday night. Since then it's become all about her and he'll do whatever it is he needs to do to try and keep her.

Man, what if she really does wait? If she doesn't at least he can tell himself he didn't just give up, he tried.

He's gone and it's awful, especially at first. While he's in transit and being processed into his new post there's almost no communication and that makes a bad situation so much worse. Beth finds herself checking her phone constantly. Maybe she missed a call or a text or an email. But no, the only news she's had is a postcard from him that just says, "I made it and I'm fine, except for missing you. D."

She thinks she's pretty darn silly, acting like some lovestruck teenager, but that doesn't stop her from keeping the postcard under her pillow. It just feels like he's closer that way.

It's four weeks after Daryl left that things start to get much better. She comes home from work on Tuesday evening and there are three letters in her mailbox. She can hardly get her key in the lock she's so excited to read them.

Once inside her apartment she just drops her purse and keys on the floor where she stands, then quickly sits and sorts the letters by the postmark date. She opens them in order and one by one hungrily absorbs every word he's written. Over and over and over again.

She has his address now and she makes a little vow to herself, she's going to write him a letter every single day. No matter what. Tomorrow on her lunch break she'll go to the post office and get herself a roll of stamps.

She no sooner has her first letter to him written than the notification tone on her phone chimes, she has email. Oh my gosh, two emails come through one right after the other. They're short but that doesn't matter so much, what matters is they're from him.

She reads the emails and the letters so many times that night her eyes start to feel like they have sand in them. It's so wonderful though and she has happy tears.

It's just two days later, Thursday after dinner when they're able to skype. They only have two minutes and the image on their screens keeps freezing up or going a little wonky and blurry, and their lips don't match their words. They don't care, they get to see each other and somehow she thinks he got more handsome. He thinks she's even prettier.

It's such a relief to hear each other's voices and know for now that everything is alright. He's been thinking about her and missing her as much as she's been thinking about and missing him. He even smiles and as sad and lonely as she is for him, when their time ends she's so happy she got to see him.

Five weeks after she watched his bus roll away from the station she finds herself stopping at the drug store on her way home from work. She takes a little hand basket and tries to look nonchalant as she puts a tube of toothpaste in it, then a bottle of shampoo and one of conditioner, and then what she really came for, a pregnancy test.

When she gets home she stores the hair products and toothpaste in the bathroom cabinet, but she doesn't do the test. Not yet. She's not quite ready to know yet.

She sits on her little couch with the test in one hand and her phone in the other, staring down at the selfie they took before he left. He's got one just like it on his phone and she wonders if he ever just sits and stares at their picture the way she does.

For almost an hour she sits looking at him, thinking, worrying, wondering. What if it's true?

Finally she tells herself she can't keep putting off knowing, although if she's being honest with herself she's pretty sure she knows what the test will show. She takes the box to the bathroom and heaves a deep sigh when she takes the test from it. She's not sure what she should be praying for so she simply prays for the strength and grace to deal with whatever the news may be.

She reads the instructions twice and then does exactly what they say to do. She doesn't have to wait long for those two pink lines.

She cries because she's scared. She cries because she misses him. She cries because she cares for him so much and now a part of him is growing inside of her. And she cries because this is the great unknown, how will he react to this news?

Then she gets resolute.

She gets out a pad and pen, sits at the small kitchen table and attempts to organize her thoughts.

At the top of the paper she writes: Okay, so now what Beth?

Number one is, she'll tell Daryl before she tells anyone else. That's the right thing to do. He's the baby's father and he should be the first to know. She even practices what she'll say and how she'll say it. Oh no, but what if Daryl shuts it down the minute he hears?

She gets herself all twisted up inside as her mind goes from one worst case scenario to the next. What if he's just killing time writing her and skyping her because there's no one else in his life right now? It was just one night and one morning, that's all the time they've spent together, having a child is a lifetime commitment. And she's now focused on the chance he's already over the whole experience and just being nice to her, but not really thinking about ever coming back to her.

Her heart would break into a million pieces if he said he didn't want her or their baby, but she'd have to go on because it won't be just about her anymore. There will be a new little someone who needs her.

Oh my goodness, and it's not even just about her, him and the baby either. She knows her Mama and Daddy will be upset to hear the news, and then she thinks they'll insist she move back home to the farm. She can't, she won't. At least not until sometime after Daryl returns. It's just too complicated and the farm is too far away. It's outside Albany, a four-hour drive from Athens.

There are other people involved too, her brother Shawn and his wife Amy already live with her folks. Shawn will be taking over the farm someday. Probably very soon.

They're a close-knit family and she knows that after the initial shock they'll want to help and they'll make her feel welcome, and in a lot of ways it would be much easier to simply let all of them take care of her. But no, it just wouldn't feel right to run home to Mama, Daddy and big brother.

Beth's sister Maggie and her new husband Glenn live down in Statesboro, for now anyway. Maggie's in the Master's program and Glen is working on his PHD at Georgia Southern University. She can't impose on them, they're just starting their own life and they're so busy with school and work. The last thing they need is the pregnant sister moving in.

Besides, she has a good job and excellent health benefits. She'd be crazy to leave now. She also happens to love her little duplex apartment and the rent is manageable. With the little bit of money she has in savings she could get by okay while she's on maternity leave.

As practical as all that sounds the real truth is she doesn't want to leave because of him. Because Daryl lives in Athens and because of what they had here. No matter what else happens, Athens is the place Daryl Dixon will be coming home to. She hopes he'll be coming home to her, but if not to her, she knows he'll be going to his brother's home and the business.

She's getting ahead of herself, first things first. She's got to let her family know. Oh Dear Lord this won't be easy. She guesses she'll tell Maggie first. Maybe Maggie will agree to go with her when she tells Mama and Daddy. This is going to be such a huge shock to her family. It doesn't fall in line with the way Beth was raised at all.

She wouldn't blame Mama and Daddy if they have a fit, in fact she'll be shocked if they don't. She just hopes that eventually they can accept the situation and their new grandchild, and of course Daryl, if he decides to stay in the picture.

Her mind wanders to the "stuff" of babies. Oh my gosh babies seem to need an awful lot of stuff. She's seen Rosita's car and house. The car seat and the stuffed diaper bag, the stroller and the pack n' play, the crib and changing table, high chairs and walkers. Her savings might go to buying all of those things.

Now she's overwhelmed herself and she begins to get teary-eyed. What if he really does get angry or says he doesn't want anything more to do with her or their baby? She's sure she'll fall apart. But she can't, there won't be any time for her to fall apart, there's no one else who can do this for her.

Finally she gets a grip on her thoughts. She realizes her mind is spinning out of control. She's sure Daryl isn't the kind to "pretend" he has feelings, or to run out on her and the baby. She needs to calm down and think rationally.

Her phone trills with the notification sound, it's email from Daryl. His note has all the usual pleasantries and updates, but her stomach is doing a flip flop.

She hurries with her response hoping he'll still be on his allotted computer time when her email gets to him. Maybe this isn't the time or the right way to tell him, no, it should be in a phone call or on skype, but she can't seem to stop herself. The words spill out and not at all like she rehearsed them in her mind. This news is just too big and too heavy for her to carry by herself.

The five minutes it takes for his reply feels more like five hours, but in his reply he shows her the man that in her heart she believed him to be, "I'll call ya as soon as I can, keep your phone handy. I know this ain't fair Beth, I ought to be there with you. My mind and my heart are. If ya want to get married or something, we can. Just as soon as I get home. I'm going to take care of you and our baby, I promise that. I'm sorry I done this, but I'll do right by ya. Promise."

As wonderful and reassuring and as promising as his message is, she wishes there was a little something more. The offer of marriage and the promise to take care of her and the baby mean so much. She wants that with him, but there's something more she wants. She doesn't just want him to marry her out of a sense of duty. She wants his love.

She's not going to say that right now, maybe she's being too emotional, and they both need time to think. Besides, she's being mighty particular, my gosh, he's willing to do the right thing and she's nitpicking. She gets it together and tells him exactly what's in her heart, "I'd wait for you forever."

He has to go, his time is up and she reminds herself again to be grateful. Daryl is an honorable man who wants to do the honorable thing.

She dries her tears, blows her nose and calls Maggie. Her sister is the one person she feels like she can tell the whole story to. When she's done there's silence for a few minutes while Maggie digests it all. Then her sister speaks, "There's nothing for you to be ashamed of Bethie, you two just got caught. I'm so sorry he's not here with you and I'm sorry I'm not closer to you. But I'll be there with you as much as I can, you won't be alone, I promise. And let's look at the bright side, he's willing to take responsibility."

"Now, about Mama and Daddy, why don't you meet me and Glenn at the Cracker Barrel in Centerville on Saturday. We can all drive together from there to the farm and I'll be there to hold your hand while you tell Mama and Daddy."

"It'll be okay Beth, you're their baby girl and they love you. They're going to be upset but they're going to make the best of things. That's the people they are and you know that."

It's an hour after his email. Beth is just off her call with Maggie when a knock on the door startles her and her heart rate speeds up. She's not expecting anyone and it's late, and dark out. She's nervous. She keeps the chain latched, opening the door only far enough to peek out.

It's a man, a big man and although he's dressed nice enough there's something about him, he seems a little rough and dangerous. Then he speaks and his voice sounds like a long drive on a gravel road when he asks, "Evenin' Miss, are you Beth Greene?"

Now she's even more nervous. She barely gets the word out, "Yes."

He smiles the biggest smile she's ever seen and says, "Well Sugar, my name's Merle Dixon, Daryl's my baby brother. He asked me ta check on ya an make sure you're okay."

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When his computer time is up Daryl turns to the soldier waiting behind him, "I'll give ya twenty bucks ta let me take your turn. It's important man, I need ta get hold a my brother."

The soldier grins, " Shit yeah, I'll take your money." The cash changes hands and that's that.

Daryl's got to make this quick, and since he's no typist he knows he's making a million mistakes. That doesn't matter, he just needs to get the message to Merle to make sure his brother will be there for her until he can get home.

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She's stunned, relieved, happy and curious as she swings the door open, and invites, "I'm sorry Merle, please, come in." Then suddenly she's overcome with emotion by the visit, she doesn't quite understand why.

The big man probably gets it better than she does. For now he pretends he hasn't noticed she's a little overwhelmed. His smile is big and broad as he continues to speak, "My brother just got hold a me an he give me the news, we got us a new little Dixon on the way. He asked me ta make sure you're alright. Is there anythin' I can help ya out with right now?"

Oh dear. She's embarrassed, what must Daryl's brother think of her. She attempts to explain herself, "I want you to know I'm really not the kind of person it probably seems like I am, I mean with the way things happened."

He surprises her, taking her in a one arm hug as he snorts a little laugh, "Now listen here Sugar, don't worry about what I think. I got all good thoughts about this, and besides, Merle Dixon is the last person in the world ta sit in judgement. I've had more'n my share a screw ups."

He crooks his finger under her chin, smiles broadly and says, "Ain't it life though? Shit happens, but that don't make it bad or shameful. Myself, I happen ta think babies are a real good thing. I got a couple of my own."

He's more serious when he adds, "Don't ya worry now. I'ma be lookin' out for ya 'til my brother can get here ta do it hisself." Then he smiles that great big smile and says, " And just so ya know Sugar, ya got ya a good man, Daryl's the sweet brother."

He's big and loud and his tone and phrasing are even more backwoods than Daryl's, and his words are so comforting. He seems so sure everything is just fine. His attitude is this pregnancy is something to be happy about, something to be celebrated as he assures her she has no worries. That's what she wants desperately to believe and she appreciates what he's told her. She feels so much better, "Thank you for being so nice Merle. I just wish Daryl could be here."

That's when her tears begin to roll and he hugs her and says, "Hey now Sugar, I know ya got pregnant lady hormones n all, I found out about them the hard way. I said the wrong thing at the wrong time and I thought my sweet lady was gonna tear my head clean off." He chuckles adding, "I know it seems like too much ta handle right now, but it's all gonna be good, you'll see." He suggests, "How 'bout I pick ya up after work tomorrow, ya come have dinner with me and my family? We ain't fancy people but there's always plenty of food and my wife's a real good cook."

He's being so kind and he's Daryl's brother and what he's said to her is comforting, she sniffles, "I'd like that a lot." Then she manages a smile and asks, "How old are your children Merle?"

Merle looks proud to tell her, "They're three, twin boys named Sam n Travis."

He seems a little old to have children so young. Shame on her. Who's judging who? She smiles and says, "Oh my gosh twin boys, that's wonderful."

He sees she's still got those tears in her eyes when he smiles and asks, "Ya like Daryl pretty good, don't ya?"

"Yes, I do. A lot."

"Well that's a real good thing Sugar, cuz I know for a fact he feels the same way bout you."

Daryl's laying on his bunk with his arm draped across his forehead and his anxiety level on high. What the fuck was he thinking? Better yet, why wasn't he thinking? He's not stupid. He's known where babies come from since he was a little kid. He knew he should protect her, but he wasn't prepared. He didn't think he'd need condoms in his pocket to go off to war.

Fine, but he should have been man enough to put the brakes on before things went that far, dammit he just...he wanted to make love to her so badly that he ducked his responsibility. What a fucking asshole.

This is all his doing, all his fault and now he can't even be there to do right by her and take care of her. Shit.

Thank God he was able to get hold of Merle. He didn't even mind paying the next guy in line twenty bucks for the privilege. He had to get the news to his brother, at least the Cliff's Notes version of what happened between him and Beth. He needed his brother to know a baby's on the way because he knows Merle will make sure Beth and the baby are okay until he can get home and take care of his family himself. His family. That truth warms his heart, Beth and the baby are his family now.

Daryl's no writer, his brother is less of one. Merle simply responded, "Congratulations! I got you, her and Daryl Jr covered little brother. All you gotta worry about is getting home safe."

His brother can be loud and rough and a little obnoxious too, but he's got a soft heart and Daryl feels especially lucky to have him right now.

Still Daryl's heart is heavy. He aches with the need to be there with her. He wants to take care of her and he'd like to watch her slim figure change as their baby grows. He wants to hold her and feel her lying next to him. He wants her.

He doesn't know a lot about babies, not really. Merle and Karen have their twins and Daryl's tried to spend all the time with his nephews he's able to, but being in the army has kept him apart from his family more than he'd like. Still, he went home to them every chance he got and he learned a little something about families and babies. He knows those little ones fuss and sometimes all you can do is just hold them tight and walk around with them for an hour or two.

He knows once they start crawling, then walking around, if you don't watch them every damn minute something will happen. It's never anything good. And he knows about the spitting up and worse even than that, the messes in their pants.

He remembers the whole house being up all night and feeling so helpless when poor little Travis was cutting a molar, man that was rough. When Sam had that damn earache, it was worse. They were all hurting right along with that little boy.

He also knows how sweet those babies smell and how soft and warm they feel when they're fresh out of the bath and snuggled up on his chest. He knows how cute they look when they feed themselves, and how fun it is to simply get down on the floor, play with them and make them laugh.

He never gave any thought to having a child of his own. That just didn't seem likely, but now it's happening and he wants it. So what if it's too fast and too crazy and totally unexpected? Daryl wants to experience all of those things with Beth and their baby.

It occurs to him then, those are the very things he needs to be telling her. He mutters to himself, "It's about time ya caught a clue buddy," and he grabs his writing pad and pen and starts trying his best to put his thoughts and feelings in a letter to her.

It's Monday and on her lunch break Beth goes by the post office for her stamps and then stops for something else. She wouldn't be comfortable showing up at Merle and Karen's home empty-handed, and there won't be time after work to prepare even a simple snack to take. She has an idea, there's a bakery not far from the post office and their treats are so delicious.

She buys a dozen decorated cookies to bring, and although it's a small order she asks the woman to please put them in a pink bakery box. As the baker hands it to her Beth asks, "And could I get one of those strawberry cupcakes with the sprinkles too, please."

As soon as she's in the car she's got the cupcake out of the little bag and she's enjoying her first big bite of it. This isn't like her, my goodness she hasn't even had her sandwich yet. Then it occurs to her, she's heard all the stories about pregnancy and eating. Is this how she's going to start behaving? She can't worry about that right now, she has a cupcake and a sandwich to eat.

Merle's supposed to pick her up at 5:30 and it's just after five when Beth gets home from work. That's not much time but she definitely wants to get out of her work clothes and put on something more casual. Daryl's brother said they're not fancy people and there are young children, something comfortable seems like her best bet. She changes into jeans, a tee top and tennis shoes. There's not much time and she's rushing, but she does pause long enough to wonder how long it will be before she can no longer button her jeans. Oh my gosh, she's going to have to buy all new clothes.

She's barely slipped her shoes on when there's a knock on the door. Five minutes early. She'll learn that's how it is. Merle and Daryl are never late, always just a little bit early.

He's all smiles when she opens the door, "Hey there Sugar, ya ready? No rush or nuthin'." It's obvious he came straight from work. He's wearing dark gray Dickies and the shirt has a business name over the left front pocket, "Dixon Pumps & Piping." His name is under that, Merle Dixon. She tries to imagine Daryl dressed like his brother but only succeeds in making herself blush, she can only picture Daryl in fatigues, or nothing at all.

She shakes it off and smiles, "Yes, I'm ready, and thank you so much for picking me up. You didn't have to; I could have driven."

He smiles that big smile of his and says, "Nah Sugar, I'm happy ta come for ya. I don't want ya drivin' home alone in the dark." Then he nods at the little pink box and asks, "Whatcha got there?"

"Cookies."

"That's too bad, my boys hate cookies," and he laughs heartily at his own small joke.

He's old-fashioned, his remark about her driving alone showed her that. It also confirms a belief she's had about Daryl; he seems a little old fashioned too. Not that she minds, not at all. Her Daddy and her brother are the same way.

He's driving a work truck, there's that same name painted on the doors, "Dixon Pumps & Piping." There are racks mounted to the bed of it that hold all types of plastic and copper piping. There's other equipment and a big toolbox in the middle and he apologizes, "Sorry ta come for ya in the work truck."

She smiles, "This is very nice Merle, and a lot fancier than most of the trucks I've ridden in on the farm."

He doesn't live far, maybe five miles or so from her place and on the way they keep the talk simple, focusing on their workday and the weather. As they pull onto his street and into the drive she sees it's a small house, more yard than house really. It's set way back off the street and there's an ancient suburban parked in the driveway. As he drives around the wagon Beth notices two car seats in the back, it must be the family car.

They pull in the garage, Merle looks over at her and matter-of-factly explains, "I'd rather let my wife park in the garage, but the insurance company says I gotta keep the truck locked in here so the tools and materials don't get stolen." He shrugs, "Damn meth heads, but I get how it is for em. I used ta be one myself n I know that copper looks looks like easy pickins and a fast fix."

She's stunned, my God he's a drug addict. He spoke of it in the past-tense though so, yes, it must be a thing of the past. She realizes she has a lot to learn about Daryl and Daryl's family.

It's one more thing to add to her anxiety. She's feeling nervous about a lot of things, mostly that these people are Daryl's family and she wants to like them and she wants them to like her. Strong family ties are so important. Oh my goodness, and while she's busy judging Merle's bad habits, what will Merle's wife think about her situation?

Her hand is on the door handle when he says, "I'll come round n get that." Then he seems apologetic when he tells her, "Just so ya know, our place ain't much. We put damn near everythin' we earn right back in the business try'n ta make it grow. It's payin' off, but in the meantime…we ain't exactly livin' in a palace."

She doesn't want him to feel embarrassed about their home, she smiles and replies, "I'm sure it's very nice and I'm excited to meet your family."

The whole yard is surrounded by what looks to be almost new chain linking fencing and she smiles when she notices the little metal trucks and other toys scattered about the yard. Merle no sooner opens the gate when two little boys dressed in overalls and t-shirts come running from around from the back and toward him. They're yelling, "Daddy, Daddy," and Beth feels herself smile, they're no-doubt the reason for the fence.

The little boys each slam into one of his legs hanging on tight as Merle laughs, roughs their hair and asks, "What're ya try'n ta do there boys, knock your ol Daddy over? Calm down a minute now n try'n act like gentleman. Say 'Hi' ta Miss Beth. She's your family now."

Beth is trying to process those words. Family. She's considered family? The little boys distract her as they excitedly greet, "Hi Miz Bet!"

She smiles, "Hi guys, now which one of you is Sam and which one is Travis?" They proudly introduce themselves and she wonders if she'll ever be able to tell them apart, they look exactly alike. Light brown curls, big brown eyes and smiles as wide as their Daddy's.

Their Daddy sternly warns, "Okay now fellas, we're goin' in the house so Beth can meet your Mama, you remember the rules. No runnin', no jumpin' on the furniture and ya use them indoor voices like Mama says. K?"

They're screaming, running toward the door as they call out, "Yessir Daddy!"

He smiles at Beth, "I bet I said that same thing 500 hundred times. I'm just waitin' on the day they hear it."

As she and Merle walk up the steps of the small porch the screen door swings open and a woman greets them, "Hello, you must be Beth. It's so nice to see you." She's pretty and petite with long brown curls, big brown eyes and a genuinely warm and welcoming smile.

Beth smiles back, "Yes, hello, and you must be Karen, thank you so much for having me," and hands her the little pink box.

Karen smiles, "Oh how nice, thank you Beth."

Beth witnesses the softer side of Merle Dixon when his arm slips across his wife's shoulders and as he's softly kissing the top of her head he whispers, "Hey Darlin', missed ya today."

She smiles up at him and she seems almost shy when she answers, "I missed you too Honey. Now why don't you and the boys wash up so we can eat, we have a dinner guest."

He breaks his own rules as he calls out in that booming voice, "C'mon boys, time ta wash up for supper," and runs down the hallway chasing the little boys to the bathroom.

The house is so small, not much bigger than Beth's apartment, and the furnishings and the carpet are worn, but it also feels cozy and inviting and she feels the love here.

Beth asks the woman, "Can I help?"

Karen replies, "Thanks, but there's really nothing left to do, everything's ready. Merle works so hard and he always comes home hungry so I like to have his dinner waiting for him when he gets here." Then her brow wrinkles and she asks, "I hope it's okay, it's just a venison stew."

Beth assures, "Are you kidding? Oh my goodness, that sounds wonderful. I haven't had venison or stew in a long time."

Karen smiles, "Well now that you're a Dixon you'll get all the game meat you can eat. I rarely buy meat, just bacon for Sunday breakfast." She shrugs, "Merle hunts and that saves us a lot of money. You'll see Daryl's quite the hunter. He never comes home empty-handed."

She starts to walk through a doorway to the kitchen and smiles, "C'mon."

The kitchen table is set with bowls, bread plates, ice tea glasses and two children's cups. There are two loaves of fresh bread in the center and a big hot pad. There's also a bowl of cut fruit and a plate of butter. The woman sounds apologetic, "I'm sorry, we don't have a dining room."

"Please don't be sorry, I don't have a dining room either and even if I did I like eating in the kitchen best, and my gosh Karen, it smells so delicious."

Just as the sentence is out of her mouth the two little boys are hurrying into the kitchen with their Daddy behind them reminding, "No runnin' now. Ya get up in them chairs and sit quiet for a minute." He pulls out Beth's chair, then Karen's and says, "Dang, that smells good Darlin'," as he lifts the big pot off the stove and sets it on the hot pad at the center of the table before seating himself.

Beth gets the picture. There's a routine to this.

Karen smiles and invites Beth, "Please, help yourself first."

Beth shakes her head, "No, if I'm family then I want to be treated like family. I have a feeling in this house the children usually get their bowl filled first."

Karen smiles and says, "You guessed right," as she's scooping a helping in each of their bowls and their Daddy is busy slicing bread. Karen fills her own bowl next and hands the ladle to Beth. Beth scoops some up for herself and passes the ladle to Merle. Karen smiles then, pats Beth's hand and says, "There. It's official now, you're family."

As they're eating Karen asks, "Speaking of family, how does your family feel about all this Beth, are they excited about the baby?"

Beth swallows hard and answers, "I've only told my sister. She and her husband are going with me Saturday to tell my folks."

Karen gets it, if she needs her sister to go with her Beth might be worried about how her parents will react. Merle misses that subtlety and casually asks, "They live far?"

"My folks have a farm just outside Albany. My sister and brother in law live in Statesboro. I'm going to meet my sister, Maggie and her husband Glen at the halfway point. We'll drive the rest of the way together."

Karen looks at her husband and says, "Maybe someone from the Dixon side of the family should be there too."

Merle knows the someone his wife is talking about is him. He has no desire to spend his Saturday driving all over Georgia to meet some farmer he's already pretty sure won't like him, but dammit. If little brother was here he'd be going. Shit, "Yeah, I'll drive ya Sugar. Be nice ta get acquainted with your people."

"Really? Are you sure? That's a lot of driving and it could get..." She struggles for the word and settles on, "Unpleasant."

"No, I wanna and it's the right thing, Sugar. Little brother can't be there so I'ma be there for him." As badly as he hates this idea the look of love in Karen's eyes let's him know she thinks he's a pretty great guy. That's good enough for him.

After dinner Merle asks the twins, "How the heck ya get so dirty every day boys? C'mon, let's wash some a that offa ya."

Beth smiles at Karen, "He bathes the kids, that's great."

"It's a job...," Karen pauses laughing and shuddering at the same time, "I can't do it. Boys are just, well the last time I bathed them they stood up and peed on each other. I screamed, Merle came rushing in expecting the worst and when I told him what happened he was biting his lip until it almost bled trying not to laugh. Since then, every night after dinner I do the dishes and he bathes the boys."

Beth shakes her head and giggles, "Oh my goodness, boys are...well they're boys. I'll help with the dishes."

Karen's washing and Beth's drying when Karen pauses, looks at Beth and says, "I know you must be scared and overwhelmed and all of those things, but Merle and I really are here for you. We love Daryl and so we love you too, and we'll do whatever we can to help you through these next few months."

Beth is overcome and so grateful for these people. Her eyes are teary but her heart is warm when she says, "Thank you Karen, I am scared and what you just said, it means a lot to me."

Karen nods knowingly, then smiles and mentions, "I have a box of maternity clothes for you, nothing too fancy most are WalMart and Penny's specials. I think they'll fit you. Use what you can. I also put the name and phone number of my OB in there, just in case you don't have one. Her name is Dr. Denise Cloyd, She's very nice."

What a relief! "Thank you for the number, I was going to start searching tomorrow. And, oh my goodness Karen. Are you sure? I can't believe you're giving me your maternity clothes. I've already been worrying about buying some."

Karen smiles, "Well I might need to use them again, so save them for me."

Beth smiles, "Oh really?"

Karen shrugs, "We haven't decided for sure but I'd like to have one more child," then she remembers something else, "Oh, and you know we've had to buy two of everything for the twins so I'll be giving you one of everything. We've got it all, a crib, a high chair, a baby swing, a walker, everything but the car seat. The safety guidelines for those have changed but if you turn in my old one at the fire station they'll give you a new one and show you the right way to put it in the car. I've also got all the newborn clothes you'll need, they'll work whether the baby's a boy or a girl."

Now Beth is even more overwhelmed. She puts the dishtowel down and hugs the woman, "Oh my gosh, this is the most wonderful news Karen, what a gift. I was worried about how much it was going to cost me to buy so many baby things."

Karen smiles, "It's our pleasure, Merle will bring everything over and set it up for you when the time is closer. For now it's all safely stored away in the garage."

Merle walks her to the door carrying the box of maternity clothes. She unlocks the door and he asks, "It okay if I come in?"

"Well yes, of course."

"Just tell me where ya want me ta set this box, then I'll have a quick look around, make sure everythin' is okay."

She smiles to herself, he's as protective as an old mother hen and that's really quite comforting. It doesn't take him but a minute and then he's on his way, and she does feel safe and secure as she locks the door behind him.

She likes Daryl's family, they're so kind and genuine and gosh, they've already helped her more than she could have imagined anyone helping her.

She takes a quick shower, gets her nightie and robe on and makes her lunch for the next day. Then she sits to write Daryl a letter. She tells him about her visit with his family and how generous they were to her, and about how Merle is coming with her to her folks' place. She addresses the envelop, applies the stamp and puts it in her purse for mailing first thing in the morning.

She's off to bed, exhausted.

How tired she is doesn't seem to matter, she can't sleep. Her brain won't quiet down and she's scared. Daryl was so wonderful when she told him about the baby, and his family has been so sweet and so incredibly generous with her. Maggie and Glenn are going to drive all the way to Albany to help her break the news to her folks, and my goodness Merle's coming too. She's so blessed for all those things, but she's still afraid and overwhelmed and she feels alone. She can't shake the unfounded but nagging worry she might have to raise a child on her own.

It scares her half to death when the phone trills, she sits straight up in bed, clicks the icon and smiles, it's email from Daryl! His message is short, "I'm not supposed to be on here. I just wanted to tell you I'm thinking about you, I miss you and I can't wait to get home to you and our baby. Sleep tight, D."

She writes back quickly, "Me and the baby are doing fine, we had a nice dinner with your brother's family. They're good people. I miss you so much Daryl, you stay safe and hurry home to me and our baby. Beth xo"

The brief exchange worked it's magic. For now her heart is happy and she can sleep.

00

Chapter Text

00

It's Tuesday morning and before Beth puts her letter to Daryl in the mail box she glances around to make sure no one is looking, kisses the seal and drops it in the slot. She doesn't care if it's silly. It's as close as she can get to giving him a kiss.

Beth's barely into her day and it's a job she really enjoys, but it's only 9am and she's already anxious to get home. She has plans for tonight. First, she's going to make herself the biggest Chef's Salad in the history of salads for dinner, then she's going to try on the maternity clothes Karen loaned her. Of course, she's still fine with her regular clothes for now, but she's excited and anxious to watch her body change. She just wishes Daryl were here to watch it with her.

For now though, there's work.

She has Dr. Cloyd's number in her phone and she knows it's important to start seeing a doctor as soon as possible. She hasn't mentioned anything to anyone at the office about her condition, it just feels way too soon to make her pregnancy public knowledge. She'll wait and tell her boss and co workers when it's absolutely necessary. So, if she's going to call Dr. Cloyd's she'll need a little privacy.

She waits until just after 10, conceals her phone in the palm of her hand and excuses herself for a rest room break. She walks to the bathroom down the hall and is grateful to find there's no one else there. She presses the button and her call is answered right away. She's relieved when the receptionist says they're taking new patients, and confirms the doctor accepts her insurance plan. She has her first appointment next Wednesday.

She's just clicking off when her co-worker Enid walks in. They exchange a quick greeting and Beth hurries back to the office, feeling strangely guilty even though she hasn't done anything wrong. She's just not use to having secrets. Especially such a big secret.

As anxious as she is to hurry home after work, there's one stop she wants to make. She takes a little detour to the the big book store near the mall and finds what she's looking for right away. It's a book everyone seems to think is the pregnancy bible or something. She glances through it and it does seem to include everything about everything. She decides to buy a copy, then, as she starts to walk toward the cash register she stops, walks back to the shelf and picks up another copy for him. Daryl has mentioned in every letter, every skype conversation and every email how sorry and disappointed he is he can't be there with her. At least with the book he'll know what's going on with her body and their baby at each stage.

From the bookstore she hurries home, washes up and as she's making her salad she has Rosita on speaker. She's so anxious to share with her friend everything that's going on, but first she needs to tell Mama and Daddy the news. It seems right that there should be an order to who knows first and so, by the time Beth has her salad made she and Rosita have talked an awful lot about nothing in particular.

Beth is ravenous, it seems to be that way a lot lately. She's already eating a little more at every meal and doing something she rarely did before, snacking. She's not complaining, she's heard all the horror stories about morning sickness and yet she hasn't felt even the slightest twinge of nausea. Thank goodness.

After dinner the fun begins. She lays all the maternity clothes out on the bed and starts trying things on one by one. There's a full length mirror on her closet door and she makes herself laugh as she strikes several poses. All the clothes seem so huge and blousy, it's hard to believe that these same clothes will soon be getting tight on her.

She quickly has a favorite. It's a casual dress in a pretty peach and white pattern and it's lightweight for the warmer weather that's coming. It seems flattering, she likes the way it falls. Then she has an idea! She fixes her hair, puts on a little mascara and takes two full body pictures of her reflection in the mirror, both of them with her hand resting just above her tummy. One shot is a straight-on front view, the other is a profile. The cute dress looks kind of big and baggy, like it's just hanging on her, but that's just for now.

That's when she thinks of something else. She'll put together one of those personal pregnancy web sites, like that friend of Maggie's did. She won't share it with everyone though, only she and Daryl will have access. She'll repeat these same two poses, in this very same dress, many times during the pregnancy and post them there along with news about how she's feeling and what the doctor says, and anything else she can think of to share just with him.

The web site will take a little work to set up, but she doesn't mind that at all. It's going to be so fun and so worth it.

She suddenly feels tired, gosh, it must be the excitement because she didn't do much but try on a bunch of clothes. Now comes the bad part. She has to put them all away. Before she does, she takes a photo of all the clothes laid out on the bed. That will make a cute addition to her web page.

She gets the clothes organized in her closet, takes a fast shower and makes her lunch for tomorrow. She sits to write her soldier a letter and tells him all about the clothes, "We're so lucky Daryl, I don't think I'll need to buy anything." Tomorrow she'll get a padded envelop at the student store and send Daryl his copy of the book along with the letter.

Finally, she crawls into bed with her new book but she's so tired it's not long before sleep takes over.

Merle is at her apartment again Thursday evening, promptly at 5:25. He and Karen have made it clear to her she's welcome to come by any time she likes, but they want her there at least two evenings a week, "we're family now." She has no reason at all to object, it sounds good to her. Beth already feels a lot of love and gratitude for these people.

There's also no denying that Sam and Travis are adorable and entertaining. Karen is so sweet and kind, and Merle is a rock. The kind of rock she needs in her life right now. Beth also understands that as these months pass, she will need all the family support she can get.

By Friday she has the first installment of her web page complete and she's thrilled with her project. She found some great templates online and now that she has it all set up and formatted it will be fast and easy to update. In a small way it will help bring Daryl into the experience. She's certain he's going to love it.

When 8:30 Friday night rolls around things aren't so happy. At first she's excited to get the email from him, then she reads it. He tells her not to expect to hear from him again for a while. Maybe he can write letters but that would be all and he's not even sure about that. He can't tell her any details about what he's doing, where he's going, nothing. Not even how long it might be until she hears from him again. Everything is classified and the brass hasn't shared any details with the troops.

She feels like she's been kicked in the tummy but she can't complain. He's the one far from home and fighting in a war. He signs off by telling her, "I'll be thinking of you and our baby all day every day. If you need anything call Merle."

The only thing missing from him is that word she longs to hear, love. She doesn't tell him that though, she writes, "I'll be thinking of you too and praying hard. Stay safe. xo"

It's been almost a week since she's cried herself to sleep, tonight that streak is broken. She's so sad, lonely and so scared for him, scared for herself and scared for their baby.

00

Beth and Merle, Maggie and Glenn have all agreed they want to get an early start on Saturday. They'll beat any weekend traffic, but more importantly they'll be able to get through telling the news to her folks, and hopefully things will be calm and settled before lunch.

Merle picks her up in the work truck five minutes before the agreed upon time of 6:00am. He apologizes, "It's the best runnin' vehicle n I feel better about takin' ya all that way in this."

She feels bad that he feels bad, "Don't apologize Merle, it's very nice and really comfortable and I am so grateful I don't have to make this drive alone. Thank you."

On the way to meet Glenn and Maggie, Beth admits to him how scared she is about telling her parents the news of her pregnancy, "I know they're going to be disappointed in me and probably angry. I'm dreading the whole thing."

Merle quickly glances her way and then his eyes are back on the road as his hand is patting the top of her hand. "Don't worry Sugar. You ain't the one who's gonna be tellin' your Daddy. That would be Daryl's job, but since he ain't here it's my job. Me n little brother had one a them skype calls the other day. I know what he has ta say to them and I know what I have ta say."

She's surprised, and in some ways relieved, but she also feels this is her responsibility. She tells him that. His old-fashioned way comes out front and center when he responds, "Nah, the man is the one ta settle these things and me n your Daddy are gonna settle it one way or the other."

He pats her hand again and assures, "Your Daddy loves ya Sugar and this news ain't gonna change how he feels. But I want ya ta know, if he forgets how much he loves ya for a little while don't worry, he'll come around. A'ight?"

"Yes, and thank you Merle. I'm so grateful to have you and Karen and the boys in my life."

They pull into the lot of Cracker Barrel just about the same time Maggie and Glenn do. Everyone gets out of their vehicles and there are introductions and greetings before they enter the restaurant. Everyone orders coffee except Beth, she orders a bowl of oatmeal and a glass of orange juice. She smiles and explains, "I ate a big breakfast and I know I'm going to have a big lunch, but I'm just so hungry all the time."

Merle laughs when he tells her, "That's only gonna get worse. When Karen was in the family way I was stoppin' at the grocery every night on my way home."

They don't stay at the restaurant long and instead of leaving Merle's pickup truck in the lot and going in one car, he explains, "Nah, I like havin' my own wheels. Sugar, if you wanna go on with your sister you're welcome to."

Beth surprises everyone including herself when she says, "That's okay, I'll ride with you Merle." There's something she finds comforting about being around him right now. Although she's a nervous wreck about how things will go with her folks, she's happy he's going to be there with her.

They're mostly quiet as they drive the remainder of the way to the farm. Merle is concentrating on the road and Beth is quietly staring out the window, while every possible scenario of how this day could go plays in her head. Some are pleasant, some are nightmarish, but with her hand resting on her tummy she knows that no matter what else happens, she's going to have a baby.

As they turn onto the rural road Merle once again pats her hand and attempts to set her mind at ease, "It's all gonna be okay Beth. I'ma do everythin' I can ta make this right with your Daddy."

Her emotions are high again and all she can do is whisper, "Thank you Merle."

Just as they pull onto the long dirt driveway, Beth sees them. Her Mama and Daddy are standing arm in arm on the front porch of the big white farm house. Shawn and Amy are standing next to them holding hands, and everyone is smiling so happily. They have no idea the news this day will bring.

When Beth called her Mama Wednesday evening to say she was bringing a guest, Mama asked, "Oh how nice, is Rosita coming with you?"

Beth said, "No, it's not Rosita Mama, it's a man you don't know."

She should have thought of some other way to say it because right away her Mama made an assumption and Beth could hear the delight in her voice when she asked, "Bethie, are you bringing a beau?"

Beth had to scramble to think of the best way to say it, "No Mama, no. He's not a boyfriend. He's the older brother of a close friend."

As Merle is helping Beth down from his pickup her Mama is hurrying toward them, "Bethie, Maggie, oh how I've missed my girls." Shawn and Amy take their turn hugging the sisters, but Daddy seems to be holding back as he solemnly shakes Glenn's hand and eyes Merle suspiciously. He knows something's going on, he just has no idea what.

Beth makes the introductions, "Merle Dixon, these are my parents Annette and Hershel Greene, and this is my brother Shawn and his wife Amy."

Merle's been around plenty in this life, he knows how to "read the room" and act accordingly. He smiles that big smile as he nods toward her Mother, "Ma'am, it's a real pleasure ta meet ya." Then holds out his hand to her Daddy, "Sir, thank you for havin' me today, ya got a real nice place here."

Daddy sounds like he's grumbling when he responds, "Welcome."

Merle acts like everything is just swell as he smiles and nods at Amy, "Nice ta meet ya," and shakes Shawn's hand, "Thanks again for havin' me."

As nice as all that seems the tension in the air is as thick as molasses. Mama senses it and she doesn't want anything to ruin this day. Her daughters, her son in law and a guest are here to visit. It's supposed to be a fun and happy day. She tries to set that tone when she cheerily offers, "Come everyone, let's sit on the porch. I've got tea and a little snack for us."

Merle says, "That reminds me Ma'am, I got sumthin' for ya." He opens the pickup door and reaches behind the front seat, retrieving a festively decorated cookie tin, "My wife made up some brownies for y'all."

Mama smiles, "Oh how thoughtful. Please tell her I said thank you. I wish she could have come today."

Merle nods, "Yes Ma'am. I'll tell her, maybe she can come another time."

Merle and Beth are bringing up the rear as everyone walks toward the porch and Merle takes advantage of the opportunity to lean down and whisper to her, "C'mon now, you're shakin' like a leaf, Sugar. It's gonna be okay. I told ya, I got this."

There's a tray with several ice-filled glasses and a tall pitcher of tea. Mama pours the sweet tea and hands one to each of her quests, and as soon as she seats herself, the rest of them sit. Except for one of them, Merle Dixon remains on his feet.

Merle holds up his tea glass, tips his head toward Mama, and says, "Thanks for this Ma'am, it's real refreshin'."

Then he begins to get right to the matter at hand. There's no sense putting this off, it won't get easier. "I only know how ta speak plain n that's what I'ma do here. I'm sure you folks gotta be wonderin' why your daughter would bring an older man out here ta visit ya like this. The fact is, my younger brother Daryl woulda been the one ta come and talk with ya, but he's in the army and off fightin' in the war. Since he can't be here, I've come ta speak for him."

Her folks and Shawn and Amy all look nervous and confused as he purses his lips and continues, "A real nice thing happened for my brother and Beth. The two of em met before he had ta leave the country and they got close. They have feelins for each other." He pauses, his brow creases, and he continues, "we're all grown-ups here and we know things happen when people got those deep feelins, they acted on those feelins and now your daughter Beth, she's gonna have a baby. Your grandchild."

Mama loudly gasps while even more loudly Daddy exclaims "No!" Maggie cautions, "Daddy," and Shawn growls, "Dammit!"

Merle doesn't let their reactions phase him; he tries to keep it positive, "I get it, you're shocked n upset. Your daughter, why she's such a sweet young lady. I know this is the last thing y'all expected ta have happen. Truth a the matter is my brother is a real good boy. Me n my wife we didn't expect sumthin' like this ta happen either. We were every bit as shocked by the news as you folks are."

"That don't matter and it don't change what's happened so, for my money, the right thing ta do now is for all of us ta be happy we got a little one on the way and get behind these kids. I hope you folks can see it that way too."

Mama's crying silently, Beth's eyes are filled with tears, and even Amy has tears rolling down her cheeks. Glenn gets to his feet and starts walking toward the chicken coop, he's looking for a break from the heaviness of the moment.

There are tears in Daddy's eyes but his voice is full of anger, sadness and frustration when he says, "We raised our daughter to be a good girl and now...and now this is the behavior we get!"

Maggie starts to respond to that statement but Merle beats her to the punch, "Nah now, that ain't fair. She is a good girl n she wasn't alone in this. My brother bears the brunt a the responsibility and he knows that. I know it too. None a that changes what we got here. We got your sweet young daughter with a baby on the way while my brother is on the other side a the world fightin' in a war."

"Me n my wife, we plan ta step in n help as much as we can. Of all of ya we live the closest ta Beth. We're gonna be checkin' in on the regular. We're gonna make sure she has everythin' she needs n we're gonna be there when this baby comes and for all those years after."

Daddy stands as he scoffs, "No. Bethie, you'll move back home here with your family. It's where you belong."

And for the first time in her life Beth defies her Daddy, "No, I'm staying in Athens, Daddy. I have a good job and health insurance that will cover all the expenses for me and the baby," then she gets to the heart of it, "When Daryl comes home to Athens, me and the baby will be there waiting for him."

Merle knows the waters are far from calmed and he adds, "Now sir, when Daryl gets home he'll be doin' the right thing by your daughter first thing. They'll get married, there's no question about that."

Then Shawn asks the million-dollar question, and it's not that the question isn't valid, it is. It's the snarky tone in which he asks it, "How well do you even know this guy Bethie? What makes you think he's husband material?"

Beth opens her mouth but words won't come and it's Maggie who jumps to her aid, answering the question and successfully glossing over the brevity of the relationship, "Don't bully your sister Shawn! She's known him long enough to know she loves him and she wants to spend her life with him. That's all you need to know."

It's the way of the world it seems, Mama's want peace in the family. That's what Annette Greene wants and she speaks up, "Thank you Merle, I appreciate your plain way of speaking. More than that, I appreciate that you want to help my daughter and I think you're right about something, we all have to accept that is the situation and move forward. This baby is a gift from God, my first grandchild. I intend to love this baby as much as I love my daughter." She's close to breaking down when she adds, "Now, I worked hard to prepare a lovely meal and I'm going to go put it on the table."

Beth, Maggie and Amy can't wait to get off the porch and help Mama in the kitchen. Shawn goes off to join Glenn and that leaves just Merle and Daddy on the porch.

They may be the only ones there, but the rest of the group is quiet and the country setting is quiet. The older men's voices can be heard by the women in the kitchen and the young men over by the chicken coop.

Hershel Greene is hurt and angry. He feels blindsided and like he has no control over anything that's happening in this moment. Those feelings come out when he angrily states, "Beth has always been a God-fearing and moral girl. This brother of yours must be quite the manipulator. And just what kind of man gets a woman in trouble in this day and age? How reckless and irresponsible is your brother?"

Merle does everything he can to keep his own anger in check as he calmly tells the man, "Ya know you're lucky, don't ya? Ya got the kind a daughter a man wishes for himself, I agree with ya, she's a real good girl. My brother Daryl, he's a real good boy. Not reckless, not irresponsible he's just the opposite of those things. Why right now instead a bein' able ta stand here and defend himself ta you, he's off fightin' for our country."

"What you said ain't fair, no one manipulated anyone and no one did anythin' wrong. It's life and by God at your age ya oughta know that. When men n women get attracted nature takes over. It happened ta my brother n your daughter, but they're happy Sir. They make each other happy n that baby's gonna be happy too. Maybe ya oughta try n turn things around and see this as sumthin' wonderful that's happened for our families. A brand new life is comin'."

With those words all three women in the kitchen have fresh tears, and the two men down at the chicken coup shrug and nod.

Daddy's flustered, he changes the subject a little when he asks, "Where's Daryl's Father? Why isn't he here speaking for his son?"

"Well Sir, him and my Mama are both dead. Mama's in heaven, I ain't sure where the old man ended up but I got my suspicions."

Maybe it's the tension being released but those words make Daddy laugh, and he admits, "That's the way my Daddy was too."

The women in the kitchen, and the young men out by the chicken coop all breath a sigh of relief as the voices and tempers on the porch seem to calm and Daddy says, "Well I'm not one bit happy about this situation, but I suppose there's nothing to be done now but to put it in God's hands."

Mama insists there will be only pleasant conversation at the table. No one is inclined to argue with the lady of the house, least of all the man of the house.

As they pass the roast and trimmings around the table Daddy embarks on a new subject, "So Merle, what is it you do over there in Athens?"

Merle tells him about the business, what they do and what it means to him to have something of his own. He adds, "Daryl's about the most mechanically inclined fella ya ever saw. It's a miracle the way that boy can work his way around a motor of any kind. When he gets home he's buying in for half the business and we're gonna watch it grow together."

Daddy asks, "Is there a plan to spur this growth?"

Merle explains the brothers' five year business plan and as much as Daddy hates to admit it, even to himself, he's impressed. He also feels more settled. At least this Daryl fellow is willing to take on his responsibilities, and he looks to have a future. Daddy's still unhappy about the situation but he's also fully aware there's nothing he can do about it.

In the end there are tears but there's no yelling. Not everyone is happy but no one seems angry or anxious to blame anymore.

Beth's Mama and Daddy tell her they love her and that they'll love her baby, and that if Daryl turns out to be the man they hope he is they will try to love him too.

As she and Merle are turning out of the driveway she says to him, "Thank you Merle. I'm sure this was not the way you wanted to spend your Saturday. I appreciate you driving me all this way, sticking up for me and for Daryl, and for smoothing things over with my Daddy."

He glances over long enough to smile that big smile at her, pat her hand and say, "It's my job ta have your back Little Sister."

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Who knows what made him think of it, but he'd done it as soon as he could. It was right after she told him about the baby. He talked to sarge who talked to the chaplain and the chaplain was the guy that got it going in a hurry. Daryl was able to change his life insurance beneficiary from Merle Dixon to Beth Greene. He knew Merle would understand why he did it and when he got the chance to email Merle the news, his brother sent a simple reply, "Ya done the right thing."

Now, with all that's happening he's even more glad he did what he did. If anything happens to him at least she'll get a little cash for her and the baby.

The soldiers are geared up and ready to do what they came here to do, but for now they're waiting. They're mostly just lying quietly on their racks, but no one's sleeping. There's way too damn much adrenaline pumping for anyone to sleep.

When they got word they were going on some kind of mission there was a lot of chatter and everyone tried to act cool with the idea, but things are quiet now. They all know what's coming, at any given time the go-order will be issued and they'll be on the move. Nobody knows where-to or for how long. They just know they're walking into war.

Everyone's in their own head, including Daryl. He's not one to back down from a fight. He never has been. In fact, he's always liked to think he's not scared of anything or anyone. Shit, why would he be? When you think about the way he grew up, with his old man beating him every time the wind didn't blow his way, and damn near killing him a couple of times, what the hell is there left to be scared of?

That's how he used to think, but he's scared now.

The timing's all screwed up. Dammit. He only had one more year left and then he'd be out and getting on with his life. Him. Just him.

Who could have imagined he'd walk in that old diner and meet someone who turned everything he thought he knew and felt about his life upside down?

That's what she did, that's what happened. He's not complaining, he just…well he finally found something to be happy about, a person he cares for and wants to be with forever, and there's a baby coming. But as soon as he found this perfect person and began to experience all those feelings he had to leave her. He had no choice.

He's here, she's there and this is the roughest shit he's ever been through.

He longs to be there with her, he wants to spend his nights sleeping with Beth and his days working hard building his business so he can provide for her and the baby.

Boy or girl, he doesn't care. He just wants to be there to raise the baby with her. Not the way he was raised, he'll make sure his child knows they're loved and that someone is looking out for them. After just that short time with Beth he knows how good a hug can feel.

He'd swear his arms hurt they want to reach out and hold her so badly.

What if he doesn't make it home? Who's going to take care of her and the baby? He knows Merle and Karen will step in and do all they can, but that won't be the same. Not really.

Shit. The truth? A woman like her? Guys will be lined up around the block to take his place.

Fuck this thinking. Dammit, she says she wants him and she swears she needs him. So yeah. He needs to get home to her.

He knows that everyone he's here with is in the same boat he is. Everyone's feeling anxious, even the guys who can't wait for any excuse to fight. The guys who have been gnawing at the bit for this moment. They all have that little uneasiness in the back of their mind. No one talks about it though. You don't want to give voice to any shit like that. Like fear. You can jinx yourself talking about those things.

Shit, and today was the day. The day she was going to talk to her folks. Dammit, he's letting her down right and left. He should have been there. He's grateful Merle was there for her, but it should have been him.

He wonders what happened. He hopes her old man didn't blow up at her. The last thing he wants is anyone giving her a hard time. Ever. She doesn't deserve that, if her old man wants to yell at anyone it ought to be him. But shit, he's not there.

He's all twisted up and he's got to snap out of this. He's got to get his head on straight. He can't be walking into the kind of danger they're all about to face and not be fully focused on the mission. Besides, it's not like he's the only guy here doing his duty while a woman is waiting for him at home.

The next thing he knows the order comes and they're on their feet and marching.

00

They're near Kabul and the fighting's rough, especially in the dark. The sky is full of fire as weapon flashes and explosives light up the air. The constant noise is unnerving and the things they've seen…he thought he'd seen it all but this place has shown him people are capable of doing truly unspeakable things to each other.

There are so many warnings from the Sarge about IED's and watching your back and watching your head and don't be thinking those little kids are cute. They'll take the candy you offer and then they'll bite you, or stab you, once in a while one might even have a gun. Or worse.

When he thinks it won't get any worse he sees something he knows he'll never be able to forget. It's early the next morning when they hear the unmistakable sound of helicopter blades whirring in the air and glance up to see it's two U.S. choppers, one leaving the combat zone, one coming in.

The choppers are just east of where Daryl and his unit are hunkered down. They're loud and he's distracted for a moment, and just as he looks over toward the noise it happens, the two choppers collide while in flight.

The noise and commotion are deafening. His heart feels like a rock and it starts thumping so hard he's sure everyone can hear it, but no one can hear anything over the ear-splitting noise at impact, or the sound of the helicopters crashing to the ground.

There's scrambling as their comrades on the ground rush to find possible survivors, or recover the bodies of the soldiers on board. They won't take a chance on the enemy getting to them first. Only bodies are recovered and Daryl and his buddies hear the news later that morning. No survivors. Four U.S. soldiers lost.

He saw it firsthand how fast it can happen. He can't let it happen to him. He has to get home to Beth and their baby.

Three more weeks pass with no word from her. It makes this bad situation worse. It's not just Daryl, no one has received any mail from home and they're all edgy.

Two days later, right after evening chow it arrives. It's the mail sack and everyone's anxious to see if they heard something from home. Daryl feels like he's hit the jackpot. He's got a stack of letters from Beth, two letters from Karen and there's even one from Merle. He smiles knowing it will be real short.

There's something else too, a package…well a padded envelop really. He's not sure what it could be or what to do. Should he open everything else and save it for last? Screw that, he wants to see what it is. The envelop has been battered in the mail, the corner of one end looks like someone or something tried to chew it open. What the hell, he tears it open and snatches the letter and the book out.

The book is titled, "What to Expect When You're Expecting," and as fast as Daryl can read the title the fellow standing next to him has read it. The soldier snarks, "Expecting something Dixon?"

Daryl responds, "Yeah, I'm expectin' ta put a boot in your ass if ya don't mind your own business."

They have a good laugh. They have to. Where they are and what they're doing they can't afford to be fighting with each other. Besides, laughing feels good, they blew off some tension.

Daryl sets the book down and hungrily reads her first letter. He swears he can almost hear her sweet voice saying the words she's written. He smiles about the web site, mumbling, "cool" under his breath. Dammit, he hopes they can get some kind of internet rigged up soon. The sarge keeps saying they're just waiting for some equipment. Ain't that army life though? Hurry up and wait.

That sure will be sweet though and he can't wait. In the meantime he powers up his phone so he can at least look at her picture while he reads her letters. Except for the website news, there is no big news. Nothing earth-shattering, nothing of any real note, and that's perfect. He just wants to know what she's doing every day, he wants to imagine her meeting her friend Rosita for lunch and talking and giggling.

Heck, when he gets back home he wants to meet Rosita himself, he owes her a big thank you for asking Beth to work that night.

The thing he's been most anxious to hear about is the trip to the farm, and the third letter he opens from her tells the whole story. He's relieved to know that it all worked out, that Merle was polite but on point. Most of all he's glad no one yelled at Beth or hurt her feelings.

Seven more letters in and he reads that her folks have come full circle. They're excited about the pregnancy and their new grand baby. They even plan to start making regular trips to Athens to visit their daughter, and Beth says they're even anxious to meet him.

He wants to meet them too, he really does, but he's nervous about it. What are the odds they'll think he's good enough for their daughter? Hell, he doesn't think he's good enough for their daughter. At least it's a good sign that her old Daddy didn't kill Merle, that's got Daryl hopeful he won't shoot him either. And the fact they want to meet him, that's a good sign, right?

Daryl smiles about something else. Seven letters. It only took her folks one week to come around. It makes sense. She's their baby girl and it's only right they want to be there with her and for her.

It's about two weeks later and they've moved back to their original position, and all he can think about it getting on the computer. He's dying to see that web site.

Wouldn't you know it? After everyone draws straws to see what order they're going in, Daryl's second to last. Shit.

The guy in front of him mutters something about how maybe he won't bother to wait, he's just going to email his sister and let her know he's okay. Daryl mutters under his breath, "why the fuck not?" He shouldn't be spending his money, he's supposed to be saving, but he's just got to see that web site and he doesn't want to be rushed. He's also hoping maybe they can send a couple of emails back and forth.

Daryl offers the guy ten bucks for his spot and his time and soldier happily accepts.

The soldier behind him witnesses the exchange and offers, "I got no problem waiting til tomorrow. I'll give ya my time for 20 bucks." Daryl's a better negotiator than that. He ends up slipping the guy a ten and waits impatiently for his turn. When it finally comes he realizes it's only 5:30 am in Athens, Georgia. There's no way she's up and worrying about email from him, but of course he sends it anyway.

What he doesn't know is, when she's sleeping her phone always lays on the pillow right next to her head, just in case he should try to get a message through. She doesn't want to take a chance on missing anything, especially because it's been so long.

Her eyes open the second the notification sounds. She sits straight up and flips the bedside light on. She can't help a tear of relief when she reads, "Hi Beth, we're back in camp. I'm okay…"

He goes on to apologize that he couldn't write more and also says that although the brass said they were trying, there never was any internet. He tells her he's about to bust with excitement over the web site and that he wants to check it out as soon as he sends this email.

She quickly responds, "Thank God you're okay. Me and my whole family have been praying for you. Go, go and tell me what you think. I have a little box on the site where you can leave a comment and I can answer." She includes the URL and the password and pushes the send button.

He's touched, he's not sure he's ever had anyone pray for him, but he hasn't got time to think about that too much right now, he has to check out that page.

He types in the URL and hopes the page will load. Over here the internet is far from dependable. But there it is! He's captivated by everything about it. Right at the top is the picture they took together, and under it says, "Daryl and Beth's New Creation."

There's the date and a kind of introductory paragraph, and then there are more pictures. He almost starts laughing out loud at the site of her all cute and smiling and looking so tiny in a dress three sizes too big. Next to it is a date and another short paragraph saying what stage she's in and what that means in terms of the baby's development.

As he goes on through four more sets of pictures and all the news it doesn't seem to change too much, until the last set. He can see some change is beginning. Her small breasts seem fuller, and with her hand resting on her abdomen that way he can see just the slightest swell of her tummy. Yep, it's happening.

There's another picture too. She's not wearing the dress like she was in every other picture. She's wearing some kind of stretchy pants like women wear for exercise. But these look softer and more comfortable. She says Maggie gave her this new outfit and she loves it for around the house. In the picture she's laying on her back with her t-shirt pulled up just far enough to reveal her tummy, and there's no denying the tummy has grown. It's still not big but it's more round. Damn it's cute and her belly button is poking out. Oh man how he wishes he could reach out and touch her.

He hates when it ends, he could sit here and scroll all night, he'd never get tired of seeing those pictures of her or the cute little baby drawings she decorated the pages with, or reading everything she wrote over and over. For now though, dammit, he's being told to shut it down.

He has just enough time to send a quick comment and tell her he can't believe she did all that work and how much he loved everything he saw.

He's laying in his bunk with his eyes wide open and his mind on her. He thinks of all she does, the letters she sends every day. He tries to imagine her sitting there at the kitchen table writing to him. The web site though, to think that she would do that, it had to be a lot of work. It's sweet and perfect and he felt so much closer to her and the baby just seeing the pictures of her and reading the news.

He needs to do his part too. He wants to. He just wishes he was better at writing letters and that he could do something clever. He's damn sure not sending her pictures from this place though. Finally he realizes maybe she just wants to hear about him the way he just wants to hear about her.

Lights are out but he's like a kid with a comic book. He's under his blanket with a flashlight, but he's not reading comics, he's writing to her.

The letter starts with the usual greetings and then he tells her about the dream.

I want you to know I'm real serious about making something of myself, and I don't just want it for me. I want to take care of you and the baby right. Someday soon I want to be able to buy a house, someplace that will be good for raising our baby. I want to make enough for you to be able to buy the things you and the baby want and need. The thing is, to get to that place money's going to be tight for a while.

You and me never really had time to talk about all me and my brother are trying to do. You're going to be my wife soon so I want to tell you about it now. Maybe you won't like the idea, maybe you won't think it's a good one. If you don't like it, if you think it's too much of a long shot, just say so Beth.

Right now Merle sells and installs mostly well pumps and he's doing just fine with that, but together we'd like to build the business up to do a whole lot more. There's a company that makes chopper pumps and we wanna get in with them. They're located out west and they're real up-n-comers. Me and Merle got a goal to be their southern distributors, authorized installers and repair center. We'd stock all the equipment that goes along with that, plus we'd still sell and install well pumps. We're looking into water treatment pumps too.

One a the things I been doing while I'm in the army is taking classes, some are over the computer and one I took was a correspondence course. I need ta become a certified technician and operator myself to work at some of these sites installing pumps. You have to be certified just to get in the door.

Anyway, the other thing we have to do is have a nice shop and all the tools and equipment we need. That's why I'm saving every dime I can and Merle and Karen are living the way they are. They're putting every penny aside too.

I think we can do this Beth, but if you don't want to take the chance, if you don't think it's good, then I'll back out now.

I could stay in the army. Once we're married I'd make more money and you and the baby would be on my health insurance. Maybe we could get army housing or whatever.

This can't be just my decision, not anymore. It's up to you too Beth.

Anyway, I better try and get some sleep. We'll be up early around here.

One more thing, the most important thing. It's something I should have been telling you all along, I love ya girl.

Take care of yourself and the baby.

Love,

Daryl

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She tries her best to stay positive and count her blessings, but it's been so hard not hearing from him. She's safe, she has her family and friends and the doctor says their baby is healthy. Everything is just as it should be.

That's all wonderful and she tries to have a grateful attitude, but nothing can ease her worry or the pain of loneliness she just can't shake.

She knows he'd be in touch if it were possible, and she's sure it would help her state of mind if she heard from him more. The truth is, she just wants him home … she misses Daryl so much and it's been so long since she had any word from him.

There are lots of bright spots and she should focus on those, but no matter how hard she tries she still feels the emptiness of having him gone.

At least twice a week Merle stops by to pick her up for dinner with his family. She has fun at their house. She loves the casual atmosphere, there's no one putting on any airs at the Dixon home and she loves playing with the twins.

Karen has been such a good friend and she's always helpful and reassuring. They joke and share stories about the moods pregnancy hormones bring on. Not to mention her appetite. Beth had no idea she was capable of eating so much. She's starting to get a little concerned she'll gain too much weight, but Karen tells her not to worry, "Any weight you gain now you'll lose with the birth or with breastfeeding, eat up while you can!"

Now that they seem to have settled on every Tuesday and Thursday for dinner Beth has another new routine. She won't let herself show up empty-handed and she loves the smiles on those little boys' faces when she brings a treat so she always bakes the night before she goes to their home for dinner. Sometimes it's a cake, other times it's pie, cookies or the number one favorite with the boys, cupcakes. Merle seems to enjoy those as much as his children do.

The thing she's most grateful for is that her folks have accepted her situation and they've decided to be happy about it. It may not be the scenario they had always hoped for, but they've got a grandchild coming and that's something they've looked forward to for years, grandchildren. It just never occurred to them that Beth would be the first of their children to have a child, and especially not under these particular circumstances.

Shawn and Amy have started to bring Beth's Mama and Daddy for a visit every other Saturday. Most of the time Maggie and Glenn make it over from Statesboro too. Her little place seems especially small with six extra people, but they don't let a little crowding stop them from enjoying their family time.

Mama and Amy never fail to bring a meal and it's always something that's a favorite of Beth's. Best of all, they leave her the leftovers. Between her family and Daryl's family she almost never has to cook.

Maggie can't seem to keep herself from shopping for the baby and she always arrives with something adorable, a cute onsie, a gown or pajamas, and there's always a pack of diapers. She also seems to enjoy constantly nagging Beth about finding out if the baby is a boy or a girl. Beth is adamant, she doesn't want to know. She insists, "I'm doing this the old-fashioned way Maggie, we'll all know when the baby arrives."

Then one Saturday Beth invited Merle, Karen and the twins to join them. Karen made a casserole and Merle brought folding chairs and the small living room was so packed they could hardly move, and no one cared about the crowding. They ate together, talked and laughed and it was the best of days.

Just two weeks later Merle drove her and his family to the farm and Beth never saw her Daddy any happier than he was showing those boys how to milk a cow and gather eggs.

Even though she knows it might make him sad he can't be with them, she also knows Daryl will be happy and relieved to know the families are coming together and that things are good. That's why she she includes several pictures of these get togethers on their web page.

It means a lot to have so many good people in her life who show her so much love and support. But it's still so darn hard having him gone.

When her phone trills at 5:30am one morning she's so startled and excited she nearly jumps out of her skin and off the bed. Oh thank God, he's back from wherever he was, and he's fine. That's all that matters, he's fine and he says he misses her every minute.

He's gotten her letters and he got the book, and he's excited to see the website. She gives him the URL and password and once he gets a chance to visit the web page he has all good things to say. It makes her so happy when he tells her how much he digs everything on it. He also lets her know how much he appreciates that she would take the time to do that. He tells her she looks real cute and that he misses her so much.

His words warm her heart, the only thing that could make this morning better would be if he were here, and if he told her he loves her.

She's not going to complain though, he's safe.

It's only a week after she's finally heard from him that she hears from him again, and the news he shares is not what she wants to hear. They're going again and soon. He may or may not be able to contact her, "Just take care of yourself and the baby, don't worry 'bout me. I'll get hold of ya as soon as I can. Miss you so much, keep takin' them pictures."

No! No!

For the next week she finds herself slipping back in her old routine of crying herself to sleep at night. Nighttime is the worst time of the day for her. During the day she has her work to keep her busy and her mind occupied, and family in the evening. But when she's alone at night and she crawls into bed and lays her head on the pillow, that's when it hits hard. She misses him so much and she can't stop the tears from coming.

She questions herself, is she crazy? She must be. Seriously? They were only together for a few hours. She lived her whole life without him before that. How could she feel so empty and alone just because he's gone for a few months?

There is no answer. You can't explain love and she loves him completely.

Friday when she gets home from work there's a letter in her mailbox, a letter from Daryl. She can't get in the house fast enough! She plops down on the couch, tucks her legs under her and carefully tears the envelop open. The first thing she does is check the date, he wrote it the day he got back from his last mission.

It begins with his usual greeting but then the letter takes on a very serious tone. He tells her about the business and about his and his brother's hopes and the plans for it. Then he makes it clear he wants her to have a say in all of it. If she's not on board then he says he'll drop the idea, he says he's even willing to stay in the army if that's what she wants.

Oh my gosh, she's overcome that he would place so much importance on how she feels and what she wants. She's certain he never meant to make the army a career, he told her about the circumstances that led him to enlist. But he says he would stay if that's what she wants. It's incredibly touching and selfless and she's deeply moved.

She's almost done reading the short letter when she comes to a sentence that takes her breath away, "One more thing, something I should have been telling you all along, I love ya girl."

Happy tears begin to flow, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, he said it. He loves her! She wants to call him and tell his she loves him too, but she can't. Darn it. It's important. She's going to write him now. Well, she is as soon as she googles what in the world a "chopper pump" is.

She's hungry but tonight writing him comes first. She sits at the kitchen table and begins, "…I think your business idea is such a sound one. I can tell you and Merle have given it a lot of thought. I'm behind you Daryl. I have no doubt you're capable of doing anything you set your mind to doing. I've also come to know Merle well enough to believe there's not much that can stop him once his mind is made up. Together you two are a force to be reckoned with."

" I don't mind living on a tight budget while you expand the business. I know how to. I love my apartment and I won't mind us staying here for as long as we need to. The rent is good and we can all squeeze in just fine. It will be cozy."

She goes on to tell him about all the company she's had for meals and how they've made fitting everyone into her small place work just fine.

Then she touches on the most important thing of all, "I do want you to do something for me though. You wrote that you love me, I've been hoping for so long that you felt that way. I love you too. So much. What I want is for you to say those words to me more than just one time. I want you to say those words to me every time you write or email. Okay? Please. I'll say them to you too."

She finishes the letter, seals and addresses the envelop and applies a stamp. Then her mind starts working.

She calls Karen and they exchange pleasantries, then Beth mentions, "I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to get the crib and baby dresser in my bedroom. Could you ask Merle to measure them for me sometime this week? Once I have the dimensions I can make a plan."

Karen is smiling to herself; she remembers those days and the fun of preparing for baby's arrival. There's even a smile in her voice when she answers, "I can have Merle do that for you right now. He'll call you back in 10 minutes."

Beth's waiting with the phone in her hand when Merle calls. She writes the dimensions down in her spiral notebook and cheerily says, "Thank you, Merle!"

Now she can get busy. She gets her tape measure and begins to measure everything in the bedroom, including the walls, the window and the closet door. Then she gets busy figuring and sketching out floor plans in her notebook, grateful for a little of what she learned in her geometry class. She eventually decides there's really only one way she can make everything fit.

If she moves the bed so that the side of it is flush against the wall, and the left side of the dresser is pushed up right next to the bed, there's room for the crib along the opposite wall. The baby's dresser will just fit on the short wall next to the closet.

She stands with her hands on her hips slowly shaking her head side to side as she imagines what it will look like. Boy oh boy, she's never had to share a bedroom with anyone, and this small room is going to be so squishy holding three people and all of their stuff. They'll be tripping over each other.

That's okay, they'll make it work.

She glances at her bed again, it's just right for her but it seems way too small for her and someone Daryl's size. It's just a double. It's okay though, they slept in it that night and everything felt perfect. She doesn't remember either of them complaining.

She tells herself again, it will work. It's all going to work. The most important thing is that her and Daryl and their baby will be together.

Finally a smile spreads across her lips, what a cozy way to live, with your whole family sleeping together peacefully.

00

Life moves forward and over the next many weeks Beth watches how her body changes, everything about her seems to be a little more round and her tummy is a lot more round. Daryl looks at the pictures of her on their website every chance he gets. As far as he can tell she just keeps getting prettier.

Then the order comes down again. Dammit he hates skyping to give her this news but it's not like he has some other choice. Besides, it doesn't matter how he tells her, she's going to be unhappy. Shit, he's not happy either but that doesn't make any difference. This is the job he came to this godforsaken place to do.

He can see she's fighting tears when she tells him, "Just be careful Daryl, please. Stay safe and remember that I love you."

"I love ya too, ya know that, and I'm always real careful out there. I know I gotta get home in one piece so I can take care of my girl and our baby. But hey, we still got five minutes, is there some other news we can talk about? Sumthin' good?"

She smiles and reminds him now that she's in her third trimester she's starting childbirth classes. He nods, "Yeah, it's gettin' ta be that time, ain't it? Who's goin' with ya?" He feels the twinge in his heart, shit, it's another thing he wants to be able to do with her, and it pisses him off that he can't. He reminds himself he's not alone. There are two other guys in his unit in the same boat as him. Stuck over here with a woman back home who'll be having a baby before he can get home to her.

Knowing it's not just him doesn't make Daryl feel any better, he just feels bad for all three of them.

She can see the sadness on his face and she thinks the story she has to tell him will help. At least it might make him laugh, "Who's going with me? Who isn't going is more like it. Rosita wanted to but I told her I'd already asked Karen because I felt like I should ask family. She looked so sad I said, 'you can be the backup, in case Karen can't make it."

He does chuckle when he says, "There ain't no way Karen won't make it."

"I know, I know and then of course, Merle got wind of everything and he said it should be him because he helped Karen and just look at what a fine job he did bringing Sam and Travis into the world." Daryl can picture his brother saying those very words, and it does get a laugh from him.

"Then I made the mistake of telling my sister and she said, 'oh no you don't, I'm your sister I'll be your coach."

"I had to remind her that she lives a million miles away, classes are twice a week and how do we know she'll even be able to get here on time when I go into labor? None of that logic made an impression on Maggie, she just said she'll be here as often as she can." Beth shakes her head but smiles when she adds, "Maggie's used to getting her way."

He's smiling too, "That's a lotta coaches Beth."

"Is that what you think Mister Dixon? Because that's not all of them. After I talked to Maggie she called Mama and Mama called me. She thinks since she's my Mama and the baby's grandma it should be her coaching me. She was all prepared to pack her bag and come stay with me until the time comes."

Now he's laughing with both humor and disbelief, "No shit?"

"Nope, I'm not kidding. Thank God, Daddy said no way, and so did Shawn when Amy said well then she could come." Now she's laughing with him, "I'm very grateful to everyone Daryl, I am, but holy cow, what am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know what ta tell ya girl, I guess just stick with whoever you thought was the right one in the first place. I already forgot who that was."

"Oh stop, you did not. It's Karen."

"Oh yeah, her," then he admits it, "I'm jealous. I guess I…I guess I'm sad. I wanna be the one. I wanna be there for ya. It kills me that I'm missin' it all."

She's fighting the tears, "I know, I want you to be here too. I'm so sorry and so sad that you can't be."

He bucks up, "Nah, nah, don't you be sorry. You just worry about you and that baby n I'ma be over here doin' what they're payin' me ta do. I'll be home soon and you'll probably get sick a me after a week or two."

She laughs a little, "No, I think it's going to take a lot longer than that for me to get sick of you."

His time is up, but ever since her letter he never forgets, "A'ight, as soon as I can I'll be gettin' hold of you again. You take care a yourself and the baby and remember that I love ya."

"You take care of you Daryl Dixon, and remember that I love you."

00

They're marching, and there isn't a soldier among them who's not aware the next step he takes could be his last step. They're quiet, they know the enemy is close at hand, and an enemy you don't see is far more dangerous than the one standing in front of you.

Daryl's not one to make a lot of friends, but him and the soldier marching next to him have gotten kind of close. He's a Georgia boy too, from over in King County. He says when his time here is done he plans to go back home and become a sheriff's deputy, and that eventually he wants to be the sheriff of the whole damn county. This other soldier, Grimes is his name, Rick Grimes, just last night he showed Daryl a picture of himself and his little boy. Carl is the boy's name and the picture showed them fishing in a pond. The little guy had a fish no bigger than four inches long, but him and his Daddy both had smiles like it was a world record breaker.

Suddenly Daryl senses it, there's just something, a vibe, something in the air, whatever it is he feels it. Something terrible is about to happen. He instinctively jumps in front of the soldier marching next to him, shielding him as the explosion erupts all around them and horrific sounds thunder in his ears.

In his last moment of consciousness he sees Beth's pretty face.

He wasn't the one who stepped on it, he wasn't even close to that unfortunate fellow, but he didn't escape the mayhem and torturous injuries the IED rained down on them. Almost no one did. The back side of Daryl's body has been shot full of shrapnel and he's been knocked unconscious. His body is laying on top of the soldier he jumped in front of and shielded, Rick Grimes. A soldier whose life Daryl undoubtedly saved.

Grimes has some injuries of his own, but nothing life-threatening. He carefully squirms his way out from under Dixon's body and begins to render aid. Buddy-aid is part of their training and the soldier does everything he's been taught to do to keep Daryl alive.

It's 9:00 pm Tuesday evening, almost time for Beth to call it a night and get to bed, just as soon as she finishes writing in her journal that's her plan. She's been having a little swelling in her ankles so she's got her feet propped on a pillow she set on the coffee table. She sets the journal down and smiles as she begins rubbing her hand over her tummy, just three more weeks before the baby is due. She's getting so anxious.

She yawns and stretches and then nearly jumps straight in the air when there's a loud banging on the door. Thank God she recognizes the voice that calls out so urgently, "Beth, Beth, it's Merle. Open the door little sister."

Her heart is filled with dread as she clumsily rises from the sofa and hurries toward the door, flinging it open while asking, "Merle, what's wrong? What's happened? Are Karen and the boys okay?"

It never even occurred to her it could be about Daryl. She never thought about Merle being his next of kin, the person the army would contact if anything ever went wrong.

This man who calls her little sister knows how hard this is going to hit so he wraps his arms around her tightly before he tells her, "Karen and the boys are just fine Beth, it's Daryl, he's been hurt real bad."

00

Chapter Text

00

It's good Merle's holding onto her; she's so emotional she might crumble to the floor if he wasn't. The truth is, in a way, he needs her to hold him up too. Knowing she needs him and that he has to be here for her is helping him keep it together.

Right now, being strong for Beth is the only thing he can do for his brother.

"C'mon little sister, get over here n sit down, lemme get ya a drink a water." He'd like to chug a bottle of whiskey himself, but he can't. He has responsibility and he's determined to rise to the occasion. No booze and no falling back on bad old habits, no matter how tempting those feel-good drugs might be.

Maybe he'll have just a couple shots of whiskey once he gets everyone else calmed down, but that's it. No dope.

He's got one strong arm wrapped around her waist as he pulls the front door shut with the other hand, turns the lock and leads her to the couch, "C'mon now Beth, sit yourself down."

Her entire body shudders and he grabs the blanket off the back of the couch and wraps it around her shoulders. Her voice is shaking but the questions she's asking come rapid-fire, "Is Daryl all right? What happened Merle? Is he coming home?"

She's frantic and he worries she'll break down, then what? What about the baby? What's he supposed to do? How the hell can he fix this?

The terrible reality of where Daryl has been these past few months has revealed itself in the worst of ways, and it's hit their family hard.

It was almost as if he was just gone for a while. Although they worried, they didn't have to see what was going on every day. They didn't have to expose themselves to it too much. They didn't have to know every terrible reality of life over on the other side of the world.

They just had to wait for him to come home.

"Here, now." He sits down next to her and takes her hand in his, "I don't know much yet. They say they'll be callin' me again within 24 hours. For now, I'll tell ya everythin' I do know, but ya gotta try'n be strong Beth, we all gotta try. K?"

She looks at him with those big sad eyes, tears spilling down her cheeks and he wants to make a run for it. Fuck it, Daryl's his baby brother and he's trying to deal with this shit too, he shouldn't have to try and comfort her.

He doesn't run. He squeezes her hand a little tighter, "I got a call from Daryl's lieutenant, he was there when it happened. One of just a few of em who didn't get hurt."

He asks himself how much he should really tell her? Shit, he should probably just tell her everything because sooner or later she's going to find out anyway and the truth isn't going to get any easier.

"Ya knew they were in combat, on some kinda mission, anyway, some poor guy stepped on a IED n all hell broke loose. In the split second when it happened Daryl jumped in front of another fella. The lieutenant says it appears he done it on purpose ta protect the guy, that he's some kinda hero."

"Oh my gosh, oh Daryl," and before he can go on she asks, "I've heard of them, but what exactly is an IED?"

She's so damn innocent, but then he was the one who told her way back in the beginning not to watch the news or read the paper, he was trying to protect her. He takes a deep breath and explains the ugly truth, "Ya ever heard of a land mine?"

"Yes, in history class when we studied WWII. You mean they're still using those terrible things?"

He looks at her long and hard, trying to assess how much truth this young woman can take. He goes back to his first thought; she needs to deal with the whole truth. "Nah little sister, they've gotten much worse. These that they use over there where Daryl's at," he takes a deep breath, he needs a moment, "They ain't so much meant ta kill as they're…they're meant ta maim and torture a soldier. Tear his body up inside n out and cause chaos on the battlefield."

"No! That's horrible!" She looks like she's in a state of shock and her body's trembling, but hell, it's truth and there's nothing more shocking than knowing the horrible things humans will do to each other.

Merle doesn't want to know about it either, he doesn't want to think about what Daryl's going through and he damn sure doesn't want to describe it, but he does. She has to know, "First there's a blast when the thing detonates, that causes a heat like hell fire. There's also a shock wave and a pressure wave, those things are meant to attack the body's insides, the lungs, guts, brain, heart."

"That ain't all of it though. They load them things with pieces of metal and wood and all kinds a shit. That's the shrapnel and it's designed ta blast right into everythin' in its path, mostly the soldiers, it tears a body apart and embeds itself in whatever's left."

Beth is horrified, "Oh no! Oh my God! Oh my God, Merle!"

He's not having any easier a time with this than she is, and he suggests, "I know little sister, I know, it's brutal. That's it, let's not talk about all that anymore. We gotta think bout sumthin positive Beth, he's alive. Daryl's alive. What we know right now is mosta Daryl's injuries were caused by the shrapnel."

"Oh no, no."

He squeezes her hand again, "Focus on this, it's better than a concussive injury. Daryl's organs appear ta be workin'."

00

They were all schooled in it before they deployed, the army has a plan in place for dealing with battlefield injuries. If it works like it's laid out, then care is immediate beginning with the buddy-aide. The goal is to make sure the wounded warriors receive full advanced medical and surgical care within the first hour of injury, but that's not always possible. Weather conditions, enemy fire and rough terrain can all cause delays.

If the weather cooperates and the terrain is flat, and the enemy appears to have moved their position, it will allow the first wave of medical responders to arrive on the scene. From this point the wounded warriors will be advance to increasingly better-equipped facilities.

When conditions are right it's a well-oiled machine, and on this day conditions are good.

Daryl is first moved to the battalion aid station where advanced care begins. It's there that Daryl and the other wounded are moved quickly to forward surgical teams. These teams stabilize the wounded, and where required, provide initial life-and limb-saving surgeries that can't be delayed.

Although Daryl will be fully assessed at the hospital, his preliminary diagnosis is Secondary Blast Injuries resulting from both the materials that were in the explosive device, and other materials in the area that were propelled through the air, many times faster than a bullet and penetrating deeply into his skin. It's difficult to determine how traumatic the damage will turn out to be. Even a seemingly small wound could be hiding a devastating internal injury.

In Daryl's case they remove a large piece of shrapnel from his neck. It's a stick of wood that's lodged dangerously close to his carotid artery. In addition, flesh and muscle have been torn away from his left leg and the bones are broken in several places. Despite the damage to the limb, the surgical team believes it might be possible to save the leg, so for now it's stabilized and will be further attended to at the hospital.

The wounded warriors are moved once again, transported in evac choppers by trained medical evacuation service members, their mission is to get the wounded to the Joint Theater Hospital at Bagram Airfield during what is still the most critical golden hour.

Daryl will never clearly remember these first hours after the explosion. He'll recall hearing the muffled sounds of people talking to him, around him and about him, but he's in and out of consciousness, his hearing has been affected by the blast and he's full of pain medication. Nothing they're saying registers.

Once he's been at Bagram for 24 hours he starts to become more alert. He's aware he's being poked with needles and hooked up to some kind of machines and tubes and bags, and he hears a woman's voice, a nurse he thinks. She tells him over and over, "We're going to take very good care of you. You're going to do just fine soldier."

Daryl spends just enough time at Bagram for them to run many tests on him as they check for further damage, work to further stabilize his injuries and get him ready for transport to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, the largest U.S. Military hospital in the world outside the U.S.

He knows about that place. They were all told about it and all the medical care they would be provided if they were ever wounded in action. That seems like years ago.

He senses someone coming in the room. It's her. The nurse. He doesn't recognize her face, he couldn't really see her before, now he notices her kind eyes. Kind looks good right now. He'd know her voice anywhere and she leans close so he can hear and promises again, "They're going to give you the best care in the world at Landstuhl, and you're going to do just fine soldier. You're a hero."

He can barely speak, his throat feels burned, but he gets the words out, "I ain't nobody's hero. I just did my job. That's all."

She smiles, "That's what all the heroes say PFC Dixon."

He should feel grateful, he's damn lucky to be going to Landstuhl. They put broken bodies back together every day. He knows it's where the real work of putting him back together will begin. He wants to believe the part she said about him being alright, but he knows his body is messed up. There isn't any part of him that doesn't feel battered and beaten, everything inside, everything outside. It all feels the effects of the blast.

There aren't any mirrors around, maybe on purpose. Probably. But he caught his reflection off a piece of metal and at first he didn't even know it was him. There are a lot of bruises and deep cuts on his face. His nose looks screwed up and so does one eye. Shit, he should probably be relieved he has a face at all.

His mind goes to that place it never really leaves, Beth. What's she going to think of all this? Maybe he should give her the green light right now to dump his ass. Maybe he should cut the whole romance thing off himself, save her the trouble. Just because he has to go through this, why should she? She didn't sign on for misery.

Who knows if that leg is ever going to work again? Who knows if something worse will turn up? Shit, whatever, he's not the man he was when she said she loved him. Yeah, maybe he should just cut her loose.

But what about the baby?

Shit, he can't think. His brain is like scrambled eggs.

The chaplain and another officer come to talk with him while he's waiting to be transported and they explain he'll be able to have visitors at Landstuhl, as many as four. "It's up to you Dixon, you get to decide who visits."

He thanks them but he knows, no one is coming to see him. Even if she was crazy enough to want to come, Beth is too close to her due date. Besides, he's not so sure he'd want her to see him.

Merle can't be leaving the business or Karen and the boys. His family needs him there and so does the job, and besides, what are the odds Merle has a passport? Aside from Merle there's no one to come.

He doesn't mention any of that to the officers, but he does have an important question for them, "My buddy, Grimes, Rick Grimes. I was walkin' next ta him when the thing…when it happened. Do ya know? Is he alright?"

The chaplain smiles, "Why yes soldier, what you did for him has been quite the talk around here. He's fine. He's got a few minor cuts and bumps, but for the most part, you kept him out of harm's way, you're quite the young man." He smiles broadly and adds, "There's a chance you'll run into Private Grimes at Landstuhl. He'll be spending a few days there before they send him to Walter Reed." He pats Daryl lightly on the shoulder and says, "You're a hero Dixon."

"Nah sir, I ain't a hero. I'm just a Georgia redneck doin' my job, and I sure am glad Grimes will be goin' home to his boy in one piece."

00

As soon as Merle leaves to deliver the horrible news to Beth, Karen does her part. She makes her phone call.

Mama and Daddy are just getting in bed when the phone rings. They're not used to receiving calls quite so late and they hurry to the kitchen to answer. Something must be wrong. Daddy picks up the receiver and holds it away from his ear so they can both listen, "Yes? Hello?"

Karen apologizes, "Hello Mister Hershel, this is Karen. I'm very sorry to call so late…"

"Yes, hello Karen, is everything okay? Is the baby coming early?"

"No. There's no baby yet, but I'm afraid everything isn't okay."

Mama just feels it, something bad is happening, "What Karen? What's happened?"

Karen doesn't hesitate, "It's Daryl. Daryl's been wounded in action." She thought she could get through this, she thought she could say those words and remain strong, but tears fill Karen's eyes and her voice cracks when she says, "Merle went to give Beth the news, he's with her now."

Shawn and Amy heard the phone ring too, followed by frantic voices. They're in the kitchen just as the conversation resumes and Daddy asks, "How bad is it Karen?"

She takes a breath and answers, "The officer told Merle it was an IED and there were several wounded soldiers, and some who...some who didn't make it. Daryl has bad injuries but he got medical care right away. They're stabilizing him now and then they'll move him to the army hospital in Germany as soon as possible."

They chat a minute longer and Karen promises to call when there's any more news at all.

A soon as Daddy hangs up Mama announces, "Our daughter needs us Hershel. I'll go get dressed and pack us a little bag."

Shawn agrees, "The family needs to be together right now, we'll take you. I'll call Otis in the morning and ask him to keep an eye on things for us the next couple of days."

It doesn't take longer than thirty minutes for the Greenes to get dressed, pack their overnight things, and load up the cooler with the leftover fried chicken from dinner. There's even some leftover mac n cheese, and last night's ham. Mama says, "That'll make good sandwiches." They don't forget the pie cooling on the counter either, it was to be tomorrow night's dessert.

Meanwhile at the Dixon house Karen makes one more call, this one to Maggie. Beth's sister says they'll be on their way.

Sam and Travis are sound asleep and Karen's feeling anxious, she starts pacing the floor, then begins feeling a little angry at Merle. How could he leave her to deal with all of this alone? No. She's not going to, she needs to be with family too.

She packs a canvas duffle bag with a few things for the boys, herself and Merle and sets it on the passenger seat of the old suburban. Then one by one Karen carries the sleeping boys out, strapping them in their car seats.

Just as she's getting herself in the car it occurs to her she's got to bring something. She runs back in and grabs the unopened box of oatmeal and a jug of orange juice for breakfast. At least she won't be empty handed.

The knock is so soft and yet it startles Beth, and Merle hurries to answer. He's surprised to find Karen standing there, clasping a sleepy little boys' hand in each of hers. With a tremor in her voice she simply states, "I need to be with family too."

He wraps his arms around her and whispers in her ear, "Aw Honey, ya got no idea how glad I am you're. I need ya with me woman." He looks in his wife's eyes, kisses her forehead and apologizes, "Sorry, I wasn't thinkin' more clear."

"I know, me either."

He picks up one tired boy, she picks up the other and then they stand there. Now what? Beth sees the dilemma and insists, "Come, hurry, come in," shuts the door behind them and asks, "will they fit in the crib together?"

Merle nods, "We'll make it work." He smiles at Beth, "Thank God I put that thing together last week."

Once the children are settled Karen hurries to Beth. She holds her tightly and says, "I'm so sorry this happened but you know Daryl, he's strong and brave and I just know he'll be alright. I just know it."

The three of them sit in the small living room talking quietly and Merle does a good job of keeping the conversation away from the news of Daryl's injuries, or any news of the war. They need a break from all that.

He tells Beth and Karen stories from his and Daryl's childhood. The good and funny stories of the Dixon brother's adventures when they'd head out together, and how no one even missed them. Growing up in the Blue Ridge they had room to roam, and the stories are about fishing trips they took themselves on far up to those mountain creeks, or packing out to camp in the woods for days on end. He laughs about the time Daryl borrowed an old library book so they could teach themselves how to track.

They all smile when he says, "Don't ya dare tell Daryl I told ya this, but back when he was a little fella, 6 or 7, he couldn't decide whether he wanted ta be Daniel Boone or Davey Crockett when he grew up."

Eventually their eyes drift closed from shear exhaustion, and they manage to get a couple hours of sleep before Beth's folks and Amy and Shawn arrive. Just moments after that Maggie and Glenn show up with a cooler of juice, coke, and a grocery sack of packaged snacks.

The whole family is crowded into the little apartment, there's coffee, tea and juice being drunk and some are having cold fried chicken. Merle and Daddy are having pie and Mama is sitting quietly with her arm across her younger daughter's shoulders. She's trying to sound gentle when she insists Beth eat that piece of toast and drink her juice, "It doesn't matter whether or not you're hungry Bethie, think about your baby."

Beth has been silent, lost in her thoughts but now she quietly states to all, "Daryl's going to come home to me and our baby. No matter what, I know he won't leave us." And they all silently pray that she's right.

00

Beth tried to insist her Mama and Daddy rest on her bed but Daddy refused, "I will not take your bed from you, you and your Mama go rest. I can sleep in a chair just like I end up doing every night of the week."

Everyone else is laying on the floor or sitting in a chair, and all seem caught somewhere between being asleep and being awake.

At six a.m. things begin to happen again. The little boys wake up, climb out of the crib and run looking for their Mama and breakfast. Then Merle's phone rings. It's a captain somebody-or-other and Merle puts the phone on speaker for all to hear. The captain informs them Daryl will leave Bagram on his way to Germany within the next hour.

The captain tells Merle what the doctors know so far, "There's been a lot of damage to his left leg. Loss of limbs is very common with blast injuries, but the surgeons at Bagram are hopeful your brother's leg can be saved."

"He's also got a lot of shrapnel embedded in his neck, his back, the backs of his legs and arms. I can't say for sure what will happen in Daryl's case, but these days surgeons don't always attempt to remove it all, not like they did years ago. What's not life-threatening or likely to cause future health issues is often left right where it is."

"No kiddin'? I thought they had ta get that out."

"The body has a way of adapting and adjusting and it's really the surgeon's call to determine which is more dangerous, the surgery to remove it, or leaving a piece of metal behind. As for other injuries, of course he's covered with bruises and deep contusions, lots of abrasions and I know he's in pain. He keeps saying he doesn't want pain meds. There's been some arguing with him over that."

There's no point keeping secrets, Merle nods and states the facts for all to hear, "Yeah, that's my fault Sir. I'm ten years older than Daryl and growing up he seen me at my worst. I was a drug addict for a lotta years and I know he don't want no part of that life."

"I see, well you taught him a good lesson but the docs want to get his pain managed. Maybe you can have a conversation with him about that. He'll rest better and recover more quickly if he's not in constant pain. We're also keeping a close eye out for internal injuries; with blast injuries they don't always make themselves known right away."

"The good news is, he'll be at Landstuhl very soon. I want to assure you that your brother couldn't be going anywhere better than that for dealing with the kinds of injuries he suffered. I assure you he'll get the best of care. Once he's there he can have up to four visitors. They don't have to be family members, he's welcomed to have a friend, a religious, whoever. It's up to him."

"Oh, yeah, okay. The whole family is here right now, we'll talk about that."

The minute the call ends Beth announces, "I'm going, as soon as I can get a flight I'm going."

They all immediately chime in on that. Everyone in the room, including Beth, knows she can't make that long flight so close to term. Even if her doctor were to agree, the airlines would never take a chance.

Merle's a man who's visibly torn. He wants to rush to his brother's side but his life's reality is, he currently has a three year old boy on each knee and a wife sitting next to him. There's also a business that's supposed to open its doors in an hour. His and Daryl's business. They need it now more than ever.

He verbalizes all of that and it's Shawn who comments, "I think you have to have a passport Merle."

"I never thought I'd need one a them. I wasn't plannin' on goin' anywhere I couldn't drive to."

Daddy stuns everyone in the room when he says, "I'll be going to Germany. Daryl's going to marry my daughter, he's the father of my grandchild, and he'll be my son. It's my place to be with him now and my wife's place to stay here with our daughter. That's how it's going to be and I'll have no argument. Shawn, as soon as we get word from Germany, we'll get my ticket. You can drive me to get my case and my passport at the farm, and then on to the airport in Atlanta. Merle, you should have a passport, a person never knows."

Merle can't help laughing a little, "Geez old man, I had no idea you was such a take charge kinda fella. Lemme just step outta your way."

That makes Daddy laugh and he answers, "That's right. I'm pretty sure I'm the eldest member of the family and that makes me the boss. You're next in line."

The little bit of humor does them all some good.

Beth knows everyone's right, she can't go, but that doesn't make it any easier and Mama and Maggie, Amy and Karen all do their best to console her.

Merle's not feeling any better about all of this than Beth is. He's the big brother, no matter what's gone on in their lives, no matter how bad life got or how bad they were fighting at the time, him and Daryl have always been there for each other. Shit.

Karen and Beth's Daddy both do their best to convince Merle that by staying home and protecting the family and the business, he'll be taking care of Daryl. Daddy says, "And I'm counting on you son. I know you'll be here to look after my wife and daughter."

Daddy lays a hand on his shoulder and assures, "You're doing exactly what Daryl would want you to do."

Merle leaves for work, maybe being busy will help. Karen takes the boys home so they can play in the yard, run off some steam and have a nap. She and the boys will be back at Beth's for dinner later.

Glenn checks flights online, but doesn't reserve anything yet, they'll wait for word from the military and hopefully they'll hear from Daryl.

Maggie and Glenn decide they'll stay one more night, but they need some rest. They get a motel room close by so they can shower and take a nap. Amy and Shawn do the same.

Thank God things are busy at the shop. It doesn't take Merle's mind off everything, but it does keep him busy and busy helps. Karen and the boys come by and bring him lunch, and that helps too. It always settles his mind to see her and those boys.

It's two o'clock when his phone rings and it's a strange number, just like the other calls he's gotten about Daryl, "Yeah, hello? This is Merle Dixon."

A feminine voice responds, "Good afternoon Mister Dixon, my name is Olivia, I'm a nurse at Landstuhl. I'm here with your brother, Daryl, just giving him some help making this phone call. His hands are bandaged and that makes pushing the buttons on these phones kind of tough. Anyway, remember, I'm going to be here with him, just in case there's anything you don't want to talk about in front of me."

Merle almost laughs from the excitement and relief of finally getting to talk to his brother, "Nah, nah that's fine. I got no secrets."

"Alright, well here he is."

Daryl barely says "Hello" and his voice is so weak and raspy it gives Merle pause, shit, but Merle tries to sound like it's just any call, "Hey there little brother, boy I been waitin' ta hear from you."

His brother's words come slow but Merle doesn't mind, he'll listen for as long as it takes Daryl to get them out, "Yeah, I wanted ta call ya Merle. I'm okay, I'm real ugly lookin' right now, but other than that I ain't doin' as bad as I could be. Not like some guys. Anyway, I know everyone is gonna hear about this visitor deal they got goin' and I just wanted ta say, there ain't anyone that needs ta come. I'm fine. Just take care of everyone there and I'll be back real soon." Then he asks his most urgent question, "How are Beth and the baby?"

Merle takes a breath and says, "Well a course Beth wanted ta come see ya right away, she's been real shook but she's holdin' up brother, you'd be proud of her. Anyway, we all set her straight on that and her Mama is gonna stay with her for a while. Everybody's been at her place, the whole damn family."

"I'm sorry I can't come over there and be with ya brother. I ain't even got a passport and I can't leave Karen and them boys."

"I don't want ya too. I got a whole hospital full a people takin' care a me, you take care a your family and Beth, please."

"I'll be takin' care a yours, mine and the business. You ain't got a thing ta worry about here, you just get yourself well enough ta come back home, that's your job. Oh, and ya do have a visitor comin' so get his name on that list."

Daryl's brain is still fuzzy and now he's very confused, "A visitor? Who hell would that be?"

"You're future father-in-law. Ya better put him on the list, Hershel Greene."

"Nah, I don't want him comin' Merle. Tell him ta stay home."

"I ain't tellin' him nuthin' of the kind. Don't argue. Think about Beth here, don't ya think she'll feel better once her Daddy tells her you're doin' alright? Shit brother, he's an old man willin' ta come halfway round the world ta see ya, be polite if nuthin' else."

Daryl heaves a sigh, "You're still a bully, but yeah, okay."

"I don't mean ta be harsh with ya kid, we all just want ya home."

"Yeah, I know. Me too."

"That reminds me little brother, I heard sumthin' else. I heard ya ain't been takin' the meds they wanna give ya. Kid, don't let yourself suffer just cuz I screwed up. You ain't gonna have trouble with that stuff, ya ain't quite as dumb as me. I mean it now. I'ma be checkin'." Then he smiles to himself and adds, "Okay, now call your girl, she needs ta hear from ya."'

Daryl has told himself many times, he can't call her. He just can't. He shouldn't. But when that sweet nurse says, "Your brother sounds like a master sergeant so I guess we better do what he says and give your girl a call. What's her name, Beth isn't it? And phone number?"

"Yeah, Beth, her name is Beth…" the nurse pretends she doesn't notice that one quiet tear rolling down his cheek when he adds, "I miss her so bad."

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00

Beth hasn't let go of her phone all day. She's not taking a chance she'll miss a call from Daryl. It seems that's all she can think about, Daryl and the possibility of him calling. She's so worried and she misses him so much.

Suddenly the phone begins to trill and she doesn't even think about looking at the screen, she just pushes the icon and anxiously asks, "Daryl?"

A woman's voice at the other end says, "No, not yet Beth. My name is Olivia, I'm Daryl's nurse. Just a moment, I'm putting him on now."

Seconds later a nervous voice asks, "Beth?"

In her mind she always sees him as tall, strong and invincible, but he doesn't sound that way now. His voice is strained, scratchy and weak. She tells herself she has to be strong. She doesn't want to cry or let on just how shaken she is. He needs to heal, not worry about her, "Oh Daryl, thank God it's you. I feel like I've been waiting forever to hear your voice."

She sounds so sweet and so perfect and he's so scared. Would she feel the same way if she could see what he looks like now? He doesn't know how to ask a question like that, it comes out as, "I ain't lookin' so good Beth, and I ain't sure what's gonna happen ta my leg. They're workin' on it but it might not make it. Shit, my whole body's a mess, my old scars have new scars."

Although she hasn't known him for a long time she thinks maybe she knows him even better than she would if she'd seen him every day for years. There's something about writing letters, people show a little more of themselves, and Daryl and Beth's letters have been so full of deep soulful thoughts, truths about themselves and stories they would never share with anyone else.

That's how she knows he can suffer from a lack self-confidence, and he's so vulnerable right now. It's important to her and for them that he feel 100% confident about her feelings for him.

"Daryl, whatever happens, however things turn out with your leg and everything else, we'll do what we have to do to adjust. The important thing is for you to get better and to remember that I love you and that isn't going to change." She briefly pauses before asking, "You love me don't you?"

"Why would ya even ask me that? You know I do Beth."

"Good. Then let's make a deal here. Let's stop questioning each other's love and just agree to do whatever we have to do to get through this. Deal?"

Olivia smiles at him then quickly says, "Sorry. I didn't mean to listen."

He attempts to smile back at the nurse, then answers Beth, "Yeah girl, we got a deal, I mean if you're sure. Maybe wait til ya see me."

"No, that's not the deal and I don't need to wait for that." She draws in a breath, "Now stop putting up roadblocks Daryl and just accept the love."

The last thing she wants is to fight with him about love, she needs to change the subject. She remembers Merle's words and shares something positive, "I saw the doctor this morning, Mama insisted. She just wanted to make sure me and the baby are still doing alright."

He tenses, "What did the doc say?"

"Our baby's heartbeat is strong, just like it's Daddy's, and I'm as healthy as ever and right on track. There's no need for you to worry about us, just take care of you."

How does Beth always know the right words to say? The words that almost have him convinced everything really will be alright. "I wish I could be there when the baby comes, but even if they let me outta here I won't be comin' back ta Georgia, not right away."

Her heart is breaking for the millionth time but she does her best to sound upbeat, "I know Daryl, but we'll work it out."

It's his turn to get on a new subject, "I heard your Daddy's comin' here. I ain't sure why he would, but I put him on my visitor list."

She hopes Daryl's not upset, "Shawn's driving him to Atlanta right now. His flight leaves late tonight."

"He don't have ta come."

She doesn't really understand why her Daddy's so adamant about going either, but she does her best to explain, "There's lots of reasons Daryl. First of all, he knows how much I want to go and I can't. Maybe he thinks he's going for me, and besides, to his way of thinking you're going to be his son. We're all family and families support each other."

A family that supports each other? A family that does things for each other just out of goodness? That's not his family. Well, not his parents, without Merle the old man probably would have killed him a couple of times, and he's been looking out for Beth. So yeah, Merle maybe.

A lab tech arrives to take Daryl for yet another test and the nurse apologizes to Beth, "I'm sorry, PFC Dixon will have to say goodbye now, he's going to have some lab work."

"Oh, okay. Thank you, Olivia. Daryl remember I love you and nothing is ever going to change that."

"I love you too and I miss ya so bad."

"I miss you too, but pretty soon we're going to be together forever," and Olivia and the lab tech share a little smile.

00

Daddy's flight has been booked and Shawn and Amy have taken charge of getting Hershel to the airport, they've put Glenn in charge of something else entirely.

The four of them leave Beth's little apartment and the first stop they make is the phone store, they'll need to bring Herschel into the current century before he leaves for Germany.

They're looking for a phone that will have some smart features, but it can't be too complicated or he simply won't use it. They explain to the phone tech where he's going and why, and that all of the calls he makes for the next one to three weeks will be international.

The tech shows Glenn a couple of apps he can use to avoid the steep international charges, and on the way to the farm Glenn sits in the back seat with Hershel and shows him over and over again how to use those, and a few of the phone's other apps. Just what he may actually need. As frustrated as they both become, neither is willing to give up. Everyone wants this to work.

At the farm Amy packs a bag to take back for Annette, Hershel packs his bag and Shawn calls Otis and explains what's going on, "Amy and I are going to spend one more night with Beth and be home late tomorrow morning."

Back in the car they ride in silence as they drive to the big airport in Atlanta. Once they arrive, and before they leave Hershel at security, Shawn asks one more time, "Dad, you're sure about this?"

"Yes, I'm very sure. I'm not looking forward to the long flight but I have no doubt about going. The officer told Merle they'll try to get Daryl back to the states as soon as they can. If he needs further care they'll either send him to Walter Reed in Bethesda, or Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Nowadays they like to get these boys back to the states quickly, and wherever they send him I'll be there with him. I go where he goes until he gets to come home."

Shawn has no idea why his father is so determined to do this but he knows it's pointless to try and change his mind. He merely suggests, "That's a lot Dad. Maybe too much. I'm sure if you decide to come home sooner he'll understand."

"That's a decision I won't make."

Daryl has finally relented. Between what Merle said and the fire burning like a blast furnace in his leg, he caved. He needed something to dull the pain and agreed to the meds. For now, he's out like a light.

He's a little foggy, he doesn't know how long he's been sleeping when a soft touch and a familiar voice wake him, "Hey Dixon, man you look rough, but then you looked pretty rough before."

The soldier's eyes stay closed, they just don't seem quite ready to open, but he doesn't need to see the guy to know who it is. He tries not to laugh when he mutters, "Fuck you Grimes."

"Now Dixon, be sweet. I'm not here by myself. I've got some very important folks with me."

Daryl's eyes remain closed, "Yeah, like who?"

"One gentleman is Master Sergeant Abraham Ford, and the other is Colonel Jacobsen."

Daryl's not buying it, "Yeah, right, whatever Grimes. Have you talked to your boy?"

The officers are smiling and they nod to Rick to go on, "A couple of time, he's fine. Daryl, man, in all seriousness, what you did, you saved my life. Me, my family and everyone who was there knows what you did. I'd be dead without you. That shrapnel you took would have likely torn my throat open...you're a hero brother."

It's at this point Daryl finally manages to get his eyes open, "Bullshit, I ain't no hero." His friend has some visible bruises and lacerations, and his arm is in a sling, but other than that, Grimes looks pretty good. Then Daryl sees the other two and starts trying to get up, "Sorry sirs, I didn't think you was really here."

The colonel insists, "Lay back son, we're not here for an inspection. We want to hear from you what happened on the battlefield."

The soldier's brows furrow and it's hard to know if he's thinking about what happened or just worried. They don't push him to hurry with his answer. A minute or two later the words begin to come, "It was sumthin' I can't explain. We were walkin' along side by side, me n Rick…Private Grimes. We knew the enemy was close, we could feel them watchin' us. For some reason my mind went to a picture Rick showed me the night before. It was him and his boy, Carl. They were fishin' and they looked so happy."

"Then I thought I felt sumthin, sumthin different. Kinda like a vibration comin' from outta the ground. Somehow I knew. I jumped in front of Grimes, kinda just threw myself on him really. I guess I wanted him to get back and go fishin' with his boy. That's the second ta last thing I remember. The last thing I remember is seeing my girl's face, then everything just went dark."

Daryl's eyes drift closed again and the room is silent as they all think about the story the young soldier just told them. Then the Colonel speaks, "Well son, you may not think you're a hero, but risking your life in battle to save the life of a fellow soldier is an act the United States Army, and myself personally, consider heroic."

They all smile when the soldier responds, "I wasn't thinkin' about tryin' ta be a hero. I was thinkin' about my buddy goin' fishin' with his boy."

00

They tell him he has to move, it's not good for him to lay in bed too much. He's more than happy to try, he's not one to lay about. The problem is, he only has one leg that's working properly and he's not sure how to make this happen.

The physical therapist, a giant of a man named Oscar, assures him, "You ain't gonna like this therapy, a lot of it is going to hurt like hell. It's hard work, the hardest work you'll ever do. That's a fact. But I tell ya man, if you're a guy who wants to be physically independent, and I mean whether you lose that leg or you keep it, I'm gonna help make that happen. The work starts now."

Hell yeah that's what he wants, "I'm ready. Let's do it."

"That's the spirit soldier."

For now they take the easy way, the therapist wheels him down to the PT room, but that's where the easy way ends and the tough part begins. Oscar is relentless and demanding, and he pushes the soldier hard. He's never mean though. Daryl understands the man has his best interests at heart. Still, more than once Daryl wants to tell him to go fuck himself and Oscar knows that, it goes along with the job.

By the time he gets back to his room and in his bed he feels like he's had it, he's done. Oscar smiles at him and says, "You're a fighter Dixon, you're gonna do just fine no matter what happens with that leg."

For the next three hours he's out like a light, then he hears a nurse say, "I'm sorry to wake you, but you have to eat PFC Dixon."

That's how his new life at Landstuhl goes. It seems like they don't believe in letting him rest. They're always interrupting his sleep to give him a pill, change an IV, make him eat, send him to occupational therapy or physical therapy or give him some kind of test.

They don't even let him sleep through the night that someone isn't coming to either take something from him or give something to him. Shit.

The worst thing he's had to endure happens bright and early the next morning, right after breakfast. A nurse comes in the room and announces she's there to give him a shower. He insists he doesn't need one. She insists he does. She assures him, "You've got nothing I haven't seen plenty of times before."

"That don't mean I want ya givin' me shower. I can give myself one."

"No, the doctor says not quite yet, he wants to make sure that leg stays dry and there are no accidents. Give it a couple more days, then they'll let you shower yourself." She pats his shoulder and says, "I'm sorry soldier, I promise I'll make it fast."

He's striped naked and for the first time he sees some of the damage to his body. He can't stop staring at the red lumpy skin and parts of it almost look like the skin melted, and the there's the jagged scarring, "Shit, this is, well I don't know what, but it's even uglier than I thought it was gonna be."

She's matter-of-fact, "It's not so bad really, and a lot of it will fade as time passes."

He's surprised by her physical strength as she helps him get in the shower chair. He doesn't like what's happening, but it's not as bad as he thought it would be. She keeps a small towel across his lap and thank God she acts like it's all business, that helps. He tries to tell himself it's just another one of the million procedures he has to endure.

No one will ever hear about this. No one. Especially not Merle.

She and another nurse help him into a fresh gown and get him back in bed and he's ready for more sleep. He never thought a shower could be so exhausting. He thinks maybe he'll have a minute to catch a nap, but that's all he gets, a minute. Then Oscar shows up again.

Daryl mutters, "Ah, c'mon man."

Oscar shrugs and asks, "Ya wanna walk again? If ya don't want that I can go help someone who does. Your call Dixon."

"Yeah, that's what I want."

"Then quit your crying and let's get to work."

Oscar shows no mercy and after therapy Daryl can hardly wait to get back in bed, or to see lunch. He's starving. He's just finishing his second pudding cup when an older man comes walking in his room. The fellow is gray haired and he walks with a slight limp, and Daryl recognizes him from that picture he saw. It's Beth's old man.

Before Daryl can say anything the older gentleman is introducing himself, "Daryl Dixon, I'm Beth's father, Herschel Greene. It's an honor to meet a hero."

Daryl responds, "Well I ain't no hero, but it's real nice ta meet you sir. I just didn't imagine it would be like this."

Hershel smiles, "Well I certainly didn't either, but I'm glad to see you're looking strong and I hear you're working hard on your recovery."

"Yeah, I gotta get better and fast. I can't wait ta get home to Beth and our baby." And then it occurs to him, "I guess I should say I'm sorry. It was all my fault the way everything happened. Beth's a good girl and I…well I…"

"Yes son, I get it. I know a thing or two about young love. I appreciate your apology, but I think we've moved way beyond all that."

Daryl's getting better and better at changing the subject and he does it now, "Ya know ya didn't have ta come. I didn't expect anyone to."

Herschel's expression turns a little sour, "I wish people would stop telling me what I should and shouldn't do. None of you know anything about what I am called to do. First off young man, you're going to marry my daughter, that's a very big deal to me and this is my chance to see if you're good enough. Your stuck here with me, there's nowhere to run and nowhere to hide."

Daryl's brows arch, he's a little startled to hear this man talk this way. What the hell does he plan to ask?

Herschel's expression and his tone both soften, "There's another reason I'm here Daryl, a more important reason." He sighs heavily and continues, "I've decided to share a story with you. Beth doesn't know about it, none of my kids know. It's something I don't ever talk about and I never thought I would, but I'm going to talk to you about it."

"I grew up on the farm where I still live. After high school I stayed, continued to live and work there. Our country was involved in a little something called the Viet Nam Conflict and there was a draft, but I had a farm workers exemption. I was needed on the home front. My old man was harsh, cold and abusive. I lost my exemption when one day him and I had our last big fight. I was hurt pretty badly and I left. I moved in with a friend in town and took a job at a gas station."

"It didn't take the United States Army long to rescind my exemption and welcome me into the service. They sent me to Viet Nam and after I was there about five months I was wounded in action. It was a very crude version of the modern IED. It didn't do quite as much damage yours did, but it was bad enough. Most of my injuries were confined to my leg and the damn thing hasn't worked right since. Medicine's advanced since then. Anyway, I was rushed to the closest MASH unit and then to a real hospital."

Daryl nods, "Man, Viet Nam, the world didn't treat you guys so good, did it?"

"The doctors and the nurses did everything they could, it was the public who had so much hate for U.S. soldiers back then. We didn't feel the hate quite as bad in the south, it wasn't like the boys on either coast paid for serving their country. A lot of them couldn't even get a job when they got out."

"The hate is not my reason for telling you all of this. I'm telling you because I know what you're going through. There was no one to come see me. No family, no friends, no one. I was alone. I acted like that didn't bother me. Like I didn't care. Like it didn't matter. I put up a real good front. I was a tough guy who could handle whatever came my way. You and I know that's bullshit, don't we Daryl? You're alone, you're scared and you have no idea what's going to happen next."

Daryl's stunned by the man's story, and more so by the fact Herschel Greene knows exactly what he's feeling. Alone and scared.

"I'm real sorry for what happened to you sir, and I appreciate you comin' all this way to see me. You're right, I am scared. I think I'd feel better if I knew...if I knew Beth is gonna be okay when she sees my leg and my back and my belly. Even my arms. It's pretty gross sir."

Herschel shakes his head, "I thought you knew that girl by now. Do you really think she'd decide she doesn't care for you any longer because you have some mottled skin and a few nasty scars? That's not going to change her mind, my daughter's in love with you son. You two are about to have a baby."

The words are barely out of Herschel's mouth when an attendant rushes in, clears away Daryl's lunch tray and tidies up the bedding.

Then it starts. A group of visitors begins streaming through the door, the first of whom is none other than Rick Grimes, and Rick is no longer in a hospital gown. He's in his dress uniform with a fresh haircut and big wide grin, "Hey Daryl, I brought you company."

He's followed by a four star general and the general's military entourage, as well as fellow with some kind of elaborate camera, and another with a small laptop. Rick has apparently been charged with the introductions, but when he gets to Herschel he's stumped. Daryl says, "This is Herschel Greene, he's visiting me from home."

Herschel proudly adds, "As soon as he's able to come home and marry my daughter, I'll be his father."

The general noticed how the older man stood as soon as he walked in the room, and now he asks, 'Did you serve Mister Greene?"

"Yes sir, Viet Nam 1972, wounded in battle at Quang Tri."

The general extends his hand to shake and says, "Thank you for your service soldier."

Herschel probably has a far better inkling as to why all these folks are in Daryl's room, and what the hoopla is all about than Daryl does. Daryl looks completely baffled. Another officer begins to speak but the general stops him, "Allow me to explain this to PFC Dixon."

Shit, there's a four star general in his room and he's just lying around, but he can't very well stand at attention. Daryl tries to scoot up, sit straighter, the general see his discomfort and quietly says, "At ease son. Your only job right now is to get well."

The General smiles when he begins to explain, "It just so happens I've had it in my schedule to visit Landstuhl since last May, and I've been looking forward to it. I always like personally meeting with our soldiers and having the opportunity to thank them for everything they do. Getting the opportunity to meet you PFC Dixon is a great honor. I've heard all about your heroic actions on the battlefield."

Daryl's starting to think he must be hallucinating. He shouldn't have taken those pain meds.

The general continues, "What we'd like to do today is have you tell your story to these fellows here and let them take a few pictures. With your permission they want to publish the story in Stars & Stripes."

What's he going to do, say no to the general? "Well sir, it ain't really that much of a story."

The general smiles, "Ah, the reluctant hero. I heard that about you, that your the humble sort. How about if you tell me the story and I'll be the one who decides whether it's much of a story."

Daryl's contrite, "Yes sir, sorry sir."

Everyone listens quietly while once again Daryl tells the story of that day. The general asks him and Grimes each a couple of questions and then photos are taken. There's a picture of Daryl and Rick, a picture of Daryl and the general, and a pictures of Daryl and Rick with the general."

When that seems to be the end of the picture taking Daryl asks, "What about Herschel, Sir? He's a real war hero, ain't he?"

The general smiles, "Yes, and I'd like to have a picture with him and you."

It seems that's it, but it's not. The general reminds Daryl, "You're going to get financial compensation for your injuries, you know that right? I know it probably doesn't seem like it's compensation for all you've had to go through, but it will help you get established when you're discharged. That's not all though, you've got a medal or two coming your way as well. You've earned these things son."

Daryl nods, "Thanks sir, but all I really want right now is ta get home ta my girl. She's gonna have a baby any day now."

"I see, and what's her name?"

"Beth. As soon as I can get home we're gettin' married."

The general smiles, "I can't promise to get you home right away, and I can't promise to get you there before the baby's born, but I may be able to do something else for you."

Daryl doesn't ask. Herschel doesn't ask. The room is quiet while the general seems to be mulling something over. Finally he says, "You know Dixon, you could have married Beth a long time ago, military proxy marriages allow couples to get legally married without an in-person ceremony. It usually takes two weeks for the paperwork to go through, but I bet I can fast track it and we could do it right away. Possibly as soon as day after tomorrow."

He smiles, "The benefit of doing it now is quite frankly, exactly that, the benefits. Beth would immediately become an army wife and dependent, your child would become an army dependent. And that money you're going to receive for combat injuries suffered would be increased accordingly."

It's Herschel who speaks up, "I think that's a wonderful idea. Thank you General. Daryl, we can still have a celebration of your marriage when we're all home together."

The general smiles, "Your family and friends at home can be at this wedding too, via the internet. I've got a man who knows how to make that happen. So, what do you think Daryl?"

"I think I need ta talk ta Beth and if she says she wants to then yeah, I wanna too. Thanks sir, ya don't know how much this means. Thank you."

"No son, thank you." Although the general really does want to do something good for this young soldier, there's a little more to it. He's pretty sure this story will have legs. It couldn't be more heartwarming. The public s going to love it.

The general turns to Hershel, "We've got Dixon's information, and I'm betting you can give me all the information I'll need about your daughter. While we're getting that together Daryl can make his call."

Herschel's beaming, "Yes sir, I'm happy to."

He hands Daryl his phone to use, now that the bandages have been removed from his hands Daryl's able to use it in privacy.

He closes his eyes, breathes in deeply and dials the number.

Beth answers, "Daddy?"

"No, it's me, Daryl."

"Daryl! Oh my gosh it's so good to hear your voice! How're you doing?"

"I'm doin' much better." He's nervous, he starts off by telling her what's been going on in his life, "There's a guy named Oscar, he's a physical therapist. He's workin' me half ta death but I can already tell it's makin' a difference. I might not walk the same as I did, but I'm gonna walk Beth. I promise ya that."

"I have complete faith in you Daryl."

"I got sumthin' ta ask ya Beth. Sumthin' real important."

"I already know what it is, and yes Daryl, I love you."

He chuckles, "That's good cuz I love you too, but that wasn't the question. I was gonna ask, will ya marry me?"

"Daryl, I thought we decided that, you know I will."

"Oh yeah, well how bout like day after tomorrow and on the internet?"

"What?"

He tells her the story of the general's visit and the offer and what it would mean for them.

She's quiet for a minute before saying, "I thought we decided to get married on the farm and Daddy would do the honors. We'd have a little party with our families and friends. It would be so fun." His heart sinks, she doesn't want to. He tells himself it's okay, they'll get married later.

Then she says, "But you know what Daryl? That's just frills. I don't want any of that stuff as much as I want to be married to you. Daddy's right, we'll have a party later."

"Does that mean 'yes'?"

"Yes!"

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As soon as the phone disconnects Beth's up and calling out, "Mama! Mama!" She and her mother nearly collide in the bedroom doorway hurrying toward each other.

Mama anxiously clasps her daughter's shoulders and there's worry in her voice as the words rush out, "Beth, what's wrong? Are you okay? Is it the baby?"

Beth's all happiness, smiles and hugs as she answers, "Everything's perfect Mama, it's me and Daryl, we're getting married day after tomorrow!"

"What? How can that be?"

Mama's heart rate finally returns to normal once Beth explains her conversation with Daryl and what's going on. She asks, "Your father knows about this and he's happy too?"

"Yes!"

"And we're going to do all of this the day after tomorrow on a computer, and with a different man?"

"Yes Mama!"

"Well I…"

The conversation is interrupted by a knock on the door, it's Karen and the twins. Beth excitedly gives her the news and Karen's practically jumping up and down and so are the twins. Even though the little boys have no idea why everyone seems so happy, but the excitement in the air is simply contagious.

Karen suggests, "We could have it at my house, in the backyard. The weather is perfect and Daryl could see us all standing with you. What do you think?" Beth thinks it's sound just right and they're starting to develop a plan when Maggie shows up. Once again Beth finds herself explaining everything.

Maggie volunteers her husband's help, "We've needed a big dose of happiness in this family. We can ask Glenn to set up all that techie stuff, he's a genius with those things."

Beth can hardly wait to call Rosita and give her friend the news. Rosita promises, "I'll do anything I can to help you Beth, just ask. I'm so darn excited for you!" There is something Beth needs help with and Rosita promises to make it happen.

Amy and Shawn are the next call and they're just as happy about this news as everyone else, Shawn even has an idea who they can ask to be the proxy groom.

It's just three hours later that an email arrives. It's from someone on the general's staff and it spells out the logistics, including the time of day for the wedding and everything that Beth needs to do in preparation. The family moves into high gear.

Everyone seems to be in a happy and festive mood as they make the preparations, but Beth can't help feeling a little sad. Of course, she can't wait to be Daryl's wife, but this is not at all the kind of wedding she had planned. She tries to quietly work that out in her mind and convince herself to take only the good from this situation, and try very hard not to think about the disappointing parts.

When Maggie insists they all need to get a new dress for the occasion Beth agrees. It will be good to get out, she needs a diversion. In fact, not one of the women objects to getting a new dress. An afternoon of shopping elevates everyone's excitement and has Beth fully focused on the positive. Mama is stunned by just one thing, "I had no idea they make maternity wedding dresses."

Merle will be doing the cooking, at least the barbecue part of the cooking. The women will make the side dishes and Mama has put herself in charge of the most important item, the wedding cake. She smiles and tells her daughter, "We'll freeze the first slice we cut so you and Daryl can share it when he gets home."

It's another bit of positivity that makes Beth smile, "That's a wonderful idea Mama. Thank you."

The morning of the big day arrives and Beth is tired, just plain physically and mentally worn out. It's been a lot, so much has happened. A nap sounds great. Everyone leaves her apartment so she can have some peace and quiet. They know she's stressing, it's been so much all at once.

As soon as they've said their goodbyes Beth lays on the little sofa and closes her eyes but sleep won't come, her wheels just won't stop turning. All she can think about is Daryl. He's half a world away, badly injured and all alone. Oh how she wishes she could be there with him. She's grateful to her Daddy for going, at least Daryl has someone there from home.

As she moves to sit herself up she notices how heavy her body feels. It's not the weight of the baby or the weight she's gained, it's the weight of a heavy heart. She decides on something that might help. She goes to her room, gets her journal and pen and once back on the couch she begins to write.

She's talking to Daryl but this is not a letter. She's simply writing down what's in her heart, pouring it all out to him. She's telling him every feeling and thought, all the things about him she loves most, the little things, the bigger things and the funny things. She also happens to think he's a man with a lot of quirks and she shares some of those, "Did you know you nibble at the edge of your thumb when you're thinking?"

It doesn't matter why writing any of this stuff down seems to help, it just does.

She's become so engrossed that before she knows what's happened it's time to get ready. She should have started a half hour ago. Her big swollen belly makes it difficult to rush, but she does her best. She's just attempting to strap her shoes on when Mama and Maggie arrive to take her to her wedding.

Mama asks, "Did you have a nice rest Bethie?"

She doesn't bother Mama with the truth, she answers, "Yes Mama, thank you."

It's not until they get to Merle and Karen's and she sees the yard decorated so festively, and everyone looking so happy that she suddenly feels like this really is her wedding day. She and Daryl are going to be married. Yes, they'll do it all again someday, but this day? This is the day she'll always and forever think of as the day she officially became Mrs. Daryl Dixon.

Shawn's old high school friend Aaron is the only unmarried man they know, that made him an easy choice for Daryl's proxy. The officiant is the man who performed Rosita and Caesar's wedding. Rosita convinced the priest, Father Gabriel, when she told him the story of the war hero stuck in a hospital in Germany. He was touched and graciously agreed, even though Daryl and Beth don't go to his parish, they're not even Episcopalians.

Daryl's never paid much attention to his wardrobe choices; he's only been careful to always have his uniform up to code. But dammit, he's determined not to wear a hospital gown to his wedding or to be lying in bed when him and Beth are named husband and wife. Oscar promises to have him on his feet, "If I gotta hold you up myself I will, but I don't plan on that. You're coming right along and you'll stand on your own."

Rick's going to be there with him, and even though it's nurse Olivia's day off she's come in just for the occasion. Of course Beth's Dad is there. Herschel's standing right next to his bed. What surprises Daryl is the photographer and writer from Stars & Stripes are there too. Apparently remote military weddings happen all the time, why is this one anything special?

He shrugs the question to Herschel and Rick and they just smile and Herschel explains, "I suppose it's because this is the proxy wedding of a war hero and his fiancé waiting at home."

"I'm not a war hero, I wish everyone would get over callin' me that. I just did what I was supposed ta do."

Rick shakes his head, "No Daryl, you did so much more. C'mon man, talk about takin' a bullet for a guy, you took the whole metal shop."

The general's aid has managed to come up with a dress uniform that should fit Daryl. They forgo the pants, getting those over Daryl's leg right now would be too much. They'll keep the camera on his upper body. Between the nurse and Rick, they get the groom ready.

Oscar's there with a walker to assist Daryl in standing, and with the soldier's impressive upper body strength he can hold himself up without much difficulty.

Unlike when him and Rick were in the war zone, the internet connection at Landstuhl is top notch. He can clearly see his brother's backyard all decorated and family and friends standing close together, smiling and waving to him.

The preacher introduces himself and says, "Daryl, if you're ready, your bride will be on her way."

His gut is in a knot and he's a helluva lot more nervous than he ever was in any war zone, but he's smiling when he says, "Yeah, I'm ready."

There she is, he can see her now, his pretty Beth. He's surprised by how much larger her tummy has gotten. It hasn't been that long since she posted a new picture to the web site, but come to think of it, he did read it in the book that the baby would grow by leaps and bounds this last month.

Her Mama is walking on one side of her and her brother on the other, and he can tell she's nervous. Her face is pink and she looks so serious, and then she looks over at the camera and smiles at him.

The group stops in front of the preacher and Daryl can clearly see the fellow he knows is representing him, a friend of the Greenes named Aaron. The guy is smiling as he nods to Beth and her Mama and shakes her brother's hand. The brother goes to stand with his wife but Beth's Mama stays there with her, tightly holding her arm.

They agreed to keep it as simple as could be, just very basic vows. If they decide to, they can write something personal to each other for their wedding in the future.

It's surreal and it kind of hurts him to watch her marry this other guy, even though the other guy is supposed to be him. He keeps telling himself that's how it is, but it just doesn't seem real. Then Glenn zooms the camera in on Beth and she's speaking right to him when she says, "I love you so much Mister Dixon."

That brings a smile and he answers back, "I love you too Mrs. Dixon and I'll be there just as soon as I can," and yeah, it's real.

Aaron gives her a quick hug and so does her Mama and everyone in his brother's backyard is clapping and cheering, the same thing is going on in that hospital room in Germany.

Glenn zooms in on champagne glasses filled with sparkling cider, and then on the wedding cake and Daryl's just about to tell her Mama how pretty the cake is when suddenly there's a loud yelp from Beth and she cries out, "Ohmygawd, my water just broke!"

Daryl's stunned voice is raised when he anxiously asks, "Y'all right Beth, what the hell's goin' on?"

Merle chuckles, "Looks like ya got an army dependent comin' little brother."

There's a raucous exchange of high fives in the hospital room in Germany, while back in Georgia there's some excited chaos as plans are quickly changed and the new bride is hurried off to the hospital.

00

Beth, Karen, Maggie and Rosita have been working this delivery out and making careful plans for almost three months. They've thought of every possible circumstance and planned for any sort of eventuality. However, no one had considered that Beth and Daryl would have a proxy wedding in Merle and Karen's backyard, and her water would break shortly after they were pronounced husband and wife.

Still, they manage to move into action like a well-oiled machine. Caesar graciously offers, "Don't worry about the kids, I'll take Coco and the boys home with me," then laughs and adds, "well I will as long as I get to take some barbecue dinner and cake for all of us."

Rosita smiles, kisses him and says, "Thanks Honey, don't let Coco eat too much cake, please." She knows he will but she doesn't really mind, he's taking on a big job.

Then she offers the group, "I'll get the food wrapped up and put away while you all do what you have to do. Beth, give me your house key and I'll stop and get your suitcase on my way to the hospital."

Aaron volunteers, "I'll help with the food and the cleanup, and hey thanks guys. This was the best wedding I've ever been to!"

Beth's gotten stubborn, "I'm not wearing a wedding dress to the hospital to have a baby."

Karen, smiles, "I've got you covered, I have a dress that was my go-to the last couple months I was pregnant with the boys. I was embarrassed to give it to you because it's so worn but it will be perfect for this."

The change is quickly made and two carloads of Dixon's and Greenes are on their way to the hospital."

Beth arrives at the hospital with a bigger entourage than a four star general. Most of them probably should have waited at home, eaten barbecue and relaxed, but everyone wants to be here when little Dixon arrives.

Meanwhile Daryl's still stunned. He's just staring at the computer screen while everyone else in his room is laughing and talking about the great timing. It's Oscar who picks up on how lost he is and offers, "Why should your pretty new wife be the only one to suffer? Whaddya say soldier, let's do a little PT while we wait. We got time before your baby comes."

Daryl's about to start bouncing off the walls, he needs to do something and he puts up no argument, "Yeah, let's do it."

00

Everything about the story of the Dixon couple tugs at Dr. Denise's heartstrings and she wants to help ensure the wounded soldier gets to be present for the delivery of his baby. She's onboard with the idea of allowing a camera and an extra person or two to be present for this big moment.

The hospital's birthing floor couldn't have a better concept for working with their plan. All rooms are single rooms and mother's-to-be don't leave to go to some delivery room. The birth takes place right in their private room.

Glenn quickly gets everything set up and explains to Maggie what to do before he leaves the room. Beth warns her sister, "Do NOT be focusing that camera on my lady parts Maggie, I mean it." Meanwhile in Germany the young soldier who helped with the wedding transmission is doing his part to make sure Daryl doesn't miss a thing.

Daryl is back in his bed waiting nervously for something to happen when suddenly the computer screen lights up and there she is. There's Beth in her hospital bed. He sees Karen next to her holding her hand, and besides all the other background noises and voices, he can hear Maggie talking to someone.

Beth is so happy to see his face, if only he could really be here with her, but she's not going to complain. That was never going to be possible and they're blessed to have this. Someday their little family will be together and nothing is ever going to separate them again.

Daryl feels it so strongly, he should be there with her. Maggie and Karen are a godsend, the whole family has been so terrific, but this is his place. His to do. He tries not to think that way. He tries to focus on gratitudes and tells himself this is just for now. It won't stay like this. Once he's healed and discharged from the army, he'll never leave her or their baby again, but for now he tries to focus his thoughts on only Beth and the baby and wanting them to be okay, and for Beth to not be in too much pain.

She knows how he is. He worries so much and he's so protective, and she doesn't want him to see her in pain, but she can't mask it completely. Baby Dixon is anxious to enter the world and as her time gets closer and closer Beth's pains are nearly constant.

Maggie is attempting to coach her through the pain, telling her to breath a certain way and squeeze her hand, and Beth angrily snarls at her, "Shut up Maggie, I'm sick of you always telling me what to do."

Daryl's eyebrows arch but Herschel chuckles and Maggie handles it with grace, "Because of the circumstances I'm going to forgive you for that Beth. Now breathe."

Daryl smiles to himself, yeah, she's sweet and delicate in her way, but his wife's got a little fire in her too. He doesn't advise her to do anything, he simply tells her, "I love ya Beth, I love our baby. I'm sorry you're hurtin'. I wish I could do this for ya." He's just repeated those words for the third time when Baby Dixon enters the world. He's a precious little seven pound baby boy with lightly colored fuzz on his head, and for Daryl the crying sounds he makes are the sweetest sound he's ever heard.

He watches as they lay his small son on his Mama's chest and he sees the tears fill Beth's eyes. He gets why she's crying, he feels the tears in his own eyes, and he hears her Daddy sniffling next to him.

She glances over at the computer and says, "Thank you for the most beautiful gift I've ever been given Daryl," and now everyone's got tears.

"Nah Beth, thank you. I swear girl, I'ma be there with ya as soon as I can."

00

Chapter Text

00

For so long his arms have ached to hold her, and now they ache to hold the two of them. Beth and his baby boy.

A boy. He thought for sure the baby would be a girl. Merle got two boys and for some reason that made Daryl think he'd have a girl. Not that it would have mattered to him one way or the other. He's just so damn happy Beth is doing fine and they've got themselves a healthy little baby.

She tells him her Mama has decided to stay with her until he gets home. Shawn is bringing a twin bed up from the farm and they'll figure out how to make a spot for it in Beth's tiny living room. Daryl's glad about it, Beth won't be alone and she'll have good help and all. Dammit though, he wants to be there. He wants to be the one to take care of her and their baby, but he doesn't let her know how bad it hurts him that he can't.

She promises him that as soon as her hospital room has quieted down, when the family leaves and the nurses are busy somewhere else, she and the baby are going to use that phone app to call him. "You'll see plenty of me and the baby, all you want Daryl."

"I could never get tired a lookin' at you Beth. I can't wait ta get home to you and that boy."

They reluctantly say their goodbyes and a couple of hours later a new call comes in. There she is on his screen looking tired but beautiful with their son in her arms, and he knows it's the sweetest sight he'll ever see.

He tries very hard not to sound like he feels, disappointed and sad. Someone else might be fooled, but not Beth, she tries her best to keep things upbeat, "He and I are just going to be here waiting for his Daddy and we're both so excited, but for now do you know what you need to do Mister Dixon? We have a deal, remember? We agreed, if the baby was a girl I would name her and if it was a boy you would name him. Well, here's your son Daryl and he needs a name."

His son. Just to hear her say those words has him overwhelmed. His son, but he has no problem with the name. He's known what he wanted for a long time now, but if she doesn't like it he won't get mad. She can pick something she does like. His voice seems a little tentative when he ventures, "Um, yeah well I was thinkin' Boone. Boone Dixon sounds okay, don't it?"

She immediately remembers back to the evening they found out about him being wounded in battle. She recalls the story Merle told of Daryl being a little guy and not being able to decide if he wanted to be Davey Crockett or Daniel Boone when he grew up. She won't tell him she knows about that though. She gets him. She knows he'll tell her in his own time. For now she agrees, "I like it Daryl. Boone it is!" She really does love the name, it seems to suit the little guy.

They have a healthy baby boy and they're both so happy and they really are grateful, but being apart is tearing them up.

00

For what seems like the 100th time Shawn and Amy make a drive to the farm, they really don't mind. It gives them quiet time alone.

Otis meets them at the farmhouse and helps Shawn load up the twin bed from Beth's old room, along with the bedding and a few more of Mama's things. Shawn apologizes to the man, promising him, "I'll make it up to you Otis, you and Patricia will be able to take a nice long vacation while I'm watching your place."

Otis assures him it's fine, it's what neighbors are supposed to do. They look out for each other and lend a helping hand. The men shake on it and soon Shawn and Amy are on their way back to Beth's apartment.

At first they're quiet as they drive along that familiar highway back to Beth's, then Amy lays a hand on her tummy. Shawn quickly smiles in her direction, turns his eyes back on the road and asks, "When do you think we should tell everyone?"

"I'm ready to tell the whole world right now, but I don't want to take away from everything that's happening with Beth, her husband and her new baby. I think we've got another month or so before I really start to show, hopefully Daryl will be home before that and we can have a family dinner to make the announcement." She reaches over to clasps his hand smiling, "Our time will come."

Merle and Mama are waiting when Shawn and Amy arrive at Beth's place. The men make short work of getting the bed moved in and it's a tight fit in the small room, but it's temporary and far better than Mama and Beth having to share a bed. Mama smiles, "This little place is going to be so cramped, and so full of love."

It's not long before they're off to the hospital to pick up Beth and the baby. As soon as Merle gets the little guy secured in the car seat he smiles at Beth and says, "Boone Lee Dixon, huh?" And the look she casts his way has him quickly adding, "Don't look at me like that Sugar, I ain't gonna say nuthin' ta Daryl."

In the meantime over in Germany Daryl is working his ass off. He's determined to get home to her and their baby. Oscar is the one complaining now, "Ya trying ta kill me Dixon?" But it's all in good fun, he understands the soldier's reasons for pushing so hard, "We'll get ya home man, you're gonna break the record."

That afternoon, after his therapy and after his shower Daryl's thinking a nap is definitely in order. He's got the TV turned on to the Today Show, it's morning back home and it's nice to see something from the U.S., and although he's not really paying much attention to the talk the noise helps drown out some of the hospital noises.

Herschel is just about to leave for the hospital's family accommodations to have a nap himself, then they hear it. The host mentions the name of the guest she's about to interview and it's a familiar name. It's the same general who visited with Daryl. Now both men have their eyes glued to the screen.

Some newswoman named Samantha something-or-other is talking to the general and she asks, "So I hear you met an impressive young man during your recent trip to Landstuhl Army hospital in Germany. I'm told you consider this man a hero and that you're recommending him for a Bronze Star. Can you tell us the story?"

Just then Olivia happens to walk in Daryl's room, she takes one look at the soldier and Herschel and turns up the volume on the TV. Everyone's jaw is nearly on the floor as the general talks about what happened in Afghanistan.

While he talks a succession of pictures flash on the screen, the ones taken at the hospital. There are photos of the General with Daryl, Daryl and Rick together and even the one with Daryl and Herschel.

There's a brief interview clip of Rick, his wife and their son at home. Rick tells an interviewer, "The only reason I'm able to be here with my family now is Daryl Dixon."

That's not all though, the general talks on about his bravery and the kind of humble hero PFC Daryl Dixon is, and how he shies away from the word completely. He mentions how the young soldier continues to refute that he's a hero at all. The general smiles, "He keeps telling everyone he was just doing his job. His attitude would remind you of the truly legendary heroes of World Wars One and Two."

Daryl doesn't think before muttering, "Well fuck me."

Olivia mutters back, "Holy cow Dixon, you're a legend now. I'm going to need some autographs from you before you leave, I can probably sell them on ebay and retire."

"Yeah, right."

"Oh you're such a humble hero Daryl."

"Don't push it nurse," but he's smiling because she's the salt of the earth herself.

His phone lights up, it's Beth on the app "Oh my goodness Daryl, Mama, Boone and I were just watching the Today Show. You're famous."

"Yeah, well, don't let Boone watch that crap, it's overblown."

The family has no idea how far-reaching Daryl's sudden fame will prove to be.

Karen's got the TV on while she's busy cleaning the living room. Just because it's only 7am doesn't mean this is the first time she's straightened it up today, it's a never-ending process. She hears the general's name and it sounds familiar, then she hears "PFC Daryl Dixon." She hits the record button on the remote and sits herself down on the couch, frozen as she listens to the story of her brother in law's bravery.

As soon as the interview is over she calls Merle and tells him what she saw, "No shit? Wow, thanks for recordin' it Honey. I'll come home at lunch n watch it with ya."

Mama calls Shawn and Amy but she didn't really have to, Patricia watched the program and already reported to Otis who promptly relayed the story to Shawn and Amy.

Mama's phone starts ringing, it's Maggie, "Mama did you see?! Beth married a hero!"

It's a little earlier out west so it's not until two hours later that the owner of the chopper pump manufacturing company is settling into his office for the day. There's a meeting scheduled in an hour to discuss the new marketing strategy and the company's very focused expansion into the Northeastern U.S. and the southern states. Although he knows it's important, damn he hates meetings.

There's also a big pacific storm coming their way and he's been worried it will disrupt shipping. He's got the TV on hoping to hear an update. While he waits for the weather report he's going through some paperwork that projects anticipated return on investment if they move forward with these new strategies, and it discusses the best timing to begin implementing this expansion.

Then the TV program catches his attention.

He served in the first gulf war, Desert Storm, and he hoped this war would end a lot sooner. He listens to the general tell the story of the young soldier with a mix of feelings, including nostalgia, gratitude and respect. The young man's name sounds so familiar, where has he heard it before? He can't quite remember and when his wife walks in the office to remind him of the meeting, now just a half hour away, he asks her, "Does the name Daryl Dixon ring a bell for you?"

"Dixon, Dixon, that does sound familiar…oh yes, I think I know. Let me check something." She looks on the computer and nods, "He's with the company Dixon Pumps & Piping down south. Georgia. Let's see, it's him and his brother, Merle Dixon. They contacted us several months ago about becoming our agents in the southern states."

Her husband nods, "Well the Dixon brothers just got my attention and their foot is in the door." He tells her the story he heard on TV and then asks, "Can you find me a phone number? The story says the hero is still in the army hospital in Germany, but the brother must be home minding the store. I'll talk to him."

Merle happens to be takin' a bit of a break when the call comes. He's sitting at his desk eating an apple while checking on this afternoon's service call schedule. He listens as the man on the other end of the line introduces himself and explains how he happened to see Daryl on the TV this morning.

Merle's nodding to himself, "Yeah, my wife called and told me about that. She recorded it so I'll be watchin' a little later."

Merle's stomach is starting to knot up. This is the deal that he, Daryl and Karen have dreamed about, becoming the regional representatives for this company. Shit, this could be that dream unfolding.

The fellow says, "We're about eight to 12 months away from making our big move, right now we're laying the groundwork so when it does happen we're 100% prepared. The south has huge growth potential for our pumps and it's a market we intend to carefully nurture. I'd like to fly out there and meet with you and Daryl. There's great potential for all of us Merle. If it looks like we we're all on on the same page maybe we and can come to an agreement."

It's more than Merle ever hoped for, but shit, they're not ready. The shop's not ready. He's honest with the man. He tells him there's work to do at their shop to get it ready, but they're willing, in fact that's the goal they've been working toward. He shares that they've been living lean and saving to fund new tools and equipment, "I got a stack of references I can show ya."

The man responds, "I got best reference there could be just watching the news this morning."

Merle smiles to himself as he explains his company's present situation and what they do. Then he talks about Daryl, "I think they're gonna move my brother ta Walter Reed real soon. We're expectin', hopin', that within two to three weeks after that he'll get to come home. He'll still have physical therapy for a while, maybe quite a while. But hey, he's already walkin' and he'll be able ta drive. It's his left leg that got injured so bad."

"I tell ya sir, there ain't nuthin' with a motor my little brother can't take apart, put back together and get runnin'. There's no piece of equipment he can't install and nuthin' he can't service." He proceeds to list all those certificates Daryl has earned online and through correspondence courses, and adds, "The thing is, with a guy like him it ain't really about books and school, it's a talent he was just born with."

The owner likes Merle Dixon, he's been honest about his business which leads the fellow to believe he's honest about his brother's abilities. He's already impressed with the younger brother's character and this older brother seems like a genuine down to earth kind of guy. "How about this Merle, you give me a call as soon as you know when your brother's coming home. I'll give Daryl a couple of weeks to get acclimated, then I'll fly down there for a couple of days and meet with the two of you. Sound good?"

"That sounds great Sir."

"Merle, if we're going into business together you're going to have to quit calling me sir and get used to calling me Reg."

When the call ends Merle instructs his shop helper, "Axel, I'm gonna be out for a while, you hold down the fort."

Him and Karen have a lot to talk about and it won't wait for lunch time. He tells her his news and while they're both excited, they're also afraid to be excited. There are no guarantees. Still he's busting at the seams to give his brother the news, in fact, he's so anxious he uses that dumb ass app he hates to call Daryl and tell him everything.

00

Daryl's worried. He's not sure he made it clear to Beth. He didn't mean to hold back but he's afraid maybe he didn't explain it right, or that maybe she doesn't fully understand his injury. Shit, what if she thinks he tried to slip it by her? What if she thinks he tricked her into marrying him first, before telling her the real deal.

He should have made sure she understood…well there's no excuse, and besides, he's starting to get around pretty good now. Still, maybe this is one of those decisions they should have made together. He's got to work harder at this being a couple thing. He's got to remember they're a team now.

He sends her a message first. He wants them to be able to talk openly, just the two of them without a lot of other people around listening in. She sends a message back that this is a good time. Mama's in the living room having a nap and Boone is in his crib almost asleep, she notes, "Your son can sleep through anything. Should I call you?"

"Yeah, please."

When the call comes he doesn't waste any time getting to the point. He's afraid if he doesn't say it fast he might chicken out. He tells her that although he does still have his left leg it's considered a salvage leg. "It's still my leg but it's kind of a screwed up mess and it ain't ever gonna work quite the same either."

He breathes in for courage and continues, "Right now I'm gettin' around pretty good but I gotta wear a full leg brace. The docs said when I get ta Walter Reed I'll get a couple more surgeries and not long after that I'll be down to a half brace. I'm luckier than some guys though, I can bend my knee. Plenty of guys with salvage legs can't."

She's confused and asks, "So, what you're telling me is, you had a choice between trying to salvage what was left of your leg in hopes it would be somewhat usable, or letting them amputate it and getting fitted for a prosthetic?"

"Yeah, that's the short of it. I thought I'd just try'n save what I got, but I shoulda asked ya what you thought."

"Daryl, I'm not angry that you didn't ask me first, my gosh, it's your leg. It should be up to you. What a huge decision for you to have to make. And since we're being very honest here, I'll tell you something. I didn't expect that after all you've gone through you'd come home to me exactly as you were when you left. I'm prepared for lots of scars and I know you'll need time to heal."

"Good, cuz you're gonna get plenty of that." He's not quite as cavalier as he sounds. He worries she'll be repulsed by what a lot of him now looks like, not just the leg. Despite the surgeries and all the shrapnel they took out of him, he's still got a body full of it and a nasty scar on his neck where the hunk of wood got him.

He tries to focus on something positive, "I guess I'm lucky I still got any kind of leg at all, but it might not ever be the same. No, I take that back, it absolutely won't ever be the same. Not all the bone, or the nerves or the muscles are there, but I'm managing pretty good with what I got, thanks ta Oscar workin' my ass ta the bone every day."

She sounds a little stern and he gets a little overwhelmed by what she says, "Daryl, don't you get it? I love you. The man you are. The husband and father I know you're going to be. I'm not worried about the leg. Alright?"

00

The next day Daryl and a large group of other soldiers are transported by hospital plane to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The inside of the huge transport plane doesn't look anything like a plane at all. It's an airborne acute care hospital complete with full medical staffing.

Herschel arrives via commercial airline.

Things begin to happen right away, the very next morning Daryl is once again wheeled into surgery. This time is like a lot of times, the docs are trying to reattach nerves, build up bone and grafting skin. Every time they warn him, "We'll see how things look in there, we might have to amputate."

Every time he responds, "Do what ya gotta do."

His hard work and willingness to endure the often-painful PT regimen without complaint encourages the therapists and speeds his recovery along. He's able to get around unassisted with the exception of the leg brace and a wood-carved cane with a U.S. Army collar, a gift from Oscar before he left Germany. Daryl was reluctant to take the gift but Oscar just smiled and said, "If it'll make you feel better just send it back to me when you don't need it anymore."

Three weeks after arriving at Walter Reed they tell him he can go home. No surgeries are planned in the immediate future and future surgeries can be performed at the VA Medical Center in Augusta. Routine care, physical therapy and wellness checks will happen at the VA clinic right there in Athens.

He doesn't give a fuck where he has to go to see a doc, for now he's going home to Beth and Boone.

They send him home via commercial airline. Herschel can't get a seat on the same flight but he's able to book one an hour earlier.

Even though her brother and Amy will meet Daryl's plane too, Shawn comes to move Mama, the bed and her things back to the farm the day before. Her brother, Merle, Rosita and Maggie all want to drive her to Augusta to pick up Daryl, but she refuses their offers and her heels are dug in. "I appreciate it, but Boone and I are going to be the ones to pick Daryl up and he's going to drive us home. What's everyone so worried about? C'mon guys."

They get it, but they're all going to the airport anyway. Daryl deserves to have some family there to greet him. After that and a backyard meal at Merle and Karen's place, they'll leave the young couple alone to finally have their time together.

It's Rosita who convinces her, "I'll drive your car Beth and you, Daryl and Boone can all ride home together, Caesar will drive me back. Please."

Much like he was when he left all those months ago, Daryl's dressed in his fatigues with his pack on his back. The difference now is, when he arrives at the gate there's also a big brace on his leg and he's leaning some weight on the cane. The airline PR folks were aware a war hero would be on the flight and the gate agents treat him accordingly. When the time comes to board they escort him on first.

Once onboard the flight attendant informs him, "Private Dixon, you're here in First Class."

He's embarrassed, "Nah that's okay, I can sit in the back."

She smiles, "You don't want me to get in trouble do you? Your seat is here." No, he doesn't want anyone to get in trouble, he sits where she told him to. Then she asks to take a quick selfie with him. Why the hell she'd want it he has no idea, but he shrugs and agrees.

As the other passengers file onboard many of them pause to thank him for his service. He never expected anything like that and he's not sure what to do aside from nodding his head in acknowledgment of their thanks.

He's unaware of all the pictures being candidly taken of him. He'll be all over social media long before the plane even leaves the ground.

While on the short one and a half hour flight he has his first cold beer in months, but when the flight attendant offers him another he tells her, "Thanks Miss, I better not. I ain't used ta drinkin' and walkin' on a bum leg."

He's not big on the idea of flying, in fact he's felt far more nervous about it than he ever did about going into battle. On the other hand, it's the fastest way to get to Beth and their baby, he's all for that.

When the plane starts its descent is when his stomach really starts twisting, and it's not the flight causing it. He's worried, what if he falls short of her expectations? He's no longer the man she fell in love with. What if they've both been living in some kind of dreamworld and when they really have to live together day to day it just won't work?

Then he tells himself to knock that shit off or he's going to ruin everything before they ever even really get started.

The flight attendant announces the plane will be landing shortly and that all the other passengers should wait while the wounded warrior onboard departs the plane first. Once they touch down and Daryl stands there's a spontaneous round of applause as the soldier grabs his pack and his cane. He nods his thanks to the group. He's pretty sure the back of his neck is about to burst into flames he's so mortified.

He walks up the jetway and through the gate area, and once he passes through the secure area he almost turns around and runs back. There are signs welcoming him and folks waving little American flags and a news crew from the local TV station.

All these people, all this fuss, he can't do this. Then he hears a sweet voice call out, "Daryl, Daryl!" just before he spots her running to him, holding their baby in her arms.

He hurries toward her as best he can and they quickly come together, look in each-other's eyes and then his arms wrap tightly around Beth and little Boone. He's no longer aware of anything or anyone else, just them.

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Daryl takes the baby from her as they slowly begin to loosen their grasp on one another. He's holding Boone close to his chest as they look in each other's eyes and smile. His words are barely more than a whisper, "He's so small."

The sweet moment is interrupted by all the sounds that seem to rush in around him. People loudly calling out for him to look their way, snapping a million pictures, taking videos, and when he feels them getting too close he hands the baby back to Beth and moves to stand in front of her and Boone, shielding them from the crowd.

Merle knows his brother can handle whatever might happen just fine, but he also knows crowds can get weird in a hurry and he's hanging close just in case he's needed.

There's a young reporter, microphone in hand who begs, "Please, just a couple of questions Mister Dixon, I'm sorry, I mean Private Dixon. Please."

Daryl doesn't want to be rude; and he'll conduct himself accordingly when he's wearing the uniform. But man, all he can think about is getting out of this place. He wants to properly say hello to his family, then get home with Beth and their son. Maybe if he just does this real quick they'll leave him alone, "Okay, yeah sure, two questions then I gotta go, a'ight? It's been a long time since I seen my family."

No one has actually spoken to Daryl Dixon yet, there have been no interviews, the reporter is thrilled knowing he'll have the first. An exclusive. He doesn't get pushy, he's happy the war hero agreed to any time at all. He tries to look very serious when he asks his first question, "What's it like to be called a hero?"

Daryl shrugs and answers, "I ain't real comfortable with it. I don't feel like I deserve ta be called that or like I did anythin' that was particularly heroic. Plenty of other guys would have done what I did."

The reporter knows he just got gold, the soldier really is the humble hero and this little tidbit is going viral. Then he makes a mistake. He tries to reach the mic around Daryl and put it in front of Beth, "What do you think Mrs. Dixon? Is your husband a…"

That's as far as he gets before Daryl's hand is tightly grasping his wrist, firmly moving the arm away from Beth while quietly warning, "Don't do that. She ain't here ta talk ta you." He bites his lip as he looks out at the group of folks with their flags and signs, nods his head and speaks a little louder when he tells the crowd in general, "Thanks y'all. I'ma go spend time with my family now so, yeah, thanks."

Merle grabs Daryl's pack and the large group of family surround him, Beth and Boone like a buffer as they all start walking. They don't stop until they get to where they parked the cars. By then Daryl's leg is aching and he's done.

There's a big family celebration planned at Merle's on Sunday, but for today they were going to keep it simple. The plan was to visit the small park not far from the airport, have a picnic lunch and visit a while, then let Daryl and Beth get home for that much needed alone time, and Daddy and Mama too.

The plan has changed. Maybe it's best if they just get out of Augusta and get on their way.

It's Karen who suggests, "Do you want to just grab a coke or something out of the cooler and start driving toward home? We passed a nice rest stop about halfway here with a picnic area. We could stop there."

Daryl's overwhelmed, restless and anxious, "Sounds good. Let's get the hell outta here."

He wants to be the one who puts little Boone in the infant seat and he does manage a smile when he tells Beth, "I gotta get used ta doin' all this stuff, right?"

She's beaming. Her husband is home and they finally get to be the family she and Daryl have both longed to be, "Yes, you're going to be very busy taking care of this little guy."

How could she possibly know how badly he's craved exactly that? "I don't mind."

He buckles the baby in and helps her in, and then comes the hard part, wrestling himself and that leg brace into the cramped driver's seat of her compact car. He looks over at her and although his expression makes him seem angry she hears the teasing in his voice, "I can't wait ta get my pickup outta storage. This thing is like drivin' a toy."

She's concerned when she asks, "Do you think you'll be able to get in a tall truck?"

What kind of question is that? He's almost insulted until it dawns on him, this is Beth, she didn't mean that quite the way he took it, "I ain't anticipatin' any problem with that."

As they exit the parking structure no one in their small group has any idea that all those pictures taken at the airport are already making the rounds on social media. They also don't know that a clip of Daryl's brief interview with the reporter will be used all afternoon as a teaser for the evening news.

The car is quiet. Boone is sleeping peacefully in the backseat and Daryl and Beth don't feel the need for a lot of conversation. For right now it's just about finally being in the same place at the same time and sitting close enough to reach over for the occasional squeeze of the hand, or to rest a hand on a thigh.

They've been driving for nearly an hour when Beth's phone chirps. She looks at the screen and says, "Karen," as she touches the icon and her sister in law asks, "Hi Beth. There's a rest area coming up, two more exits. That's where we thought we'd stop, does that sound good?"

"Hang on, let me check with Daryl."

She tells him and he agrees, "Yeah, sounds good, I'm starvin'. I can't wait ta find out if ya do as good a job makin' fried chicken as ya do makin' peanut butter n jelly."

She tells Karen "yes," and as soon as she clicks off she starts to laugh, "I wasn't exactly prepared to entertain company that morning, but at least I fed you something."

He glances over with a smile but his tone is so serious, "Ya did a lot more'n feed me Beth, ya changed my whole life in just a few hours." He's quiet for the next mile or so, then just as they're about to exit the highway he lays his hand on hers and adds, "I never knew I could be this happy."

The family came prepared to picnic and it doesn't take long for the plastic tablecloths to go on the picnic tables, or for the coolers to come out of the vehicles.

Daryl gets a little more of a formal introduction to his new family, Mama, Shawn and Amy, and Caesar and Rosita and little Coco. It's far more pleasant than the rushed meeting at the airport. It seems like they've all merged into one big family and that feels good. Life has taught him a lesson, people need people and these are his people.

It's not the kind of men they are. It's not the way they were raised, it's not their way to be openly affectionate with one another. But it happens today. Merle embraces his brother. His words are very simple, but coming from this particular man in this particular setting and in this way they convey the enormous love behind them, "It's damn good to have ya home little brother."

The people that know him and love him don't ask Daryl any questions about what he's been through or how he feels, they know better. They know he's been through hell and that his pain is both physical and spiritual, he's grieving. He'll talk about all of those things in his own time. This is not that time and they won't press.

Daryl is overwhelmed but not necessarily in a bad way. It's just a lot and he's trying to soak it in and appreciate it for what it is. All these people care enough about him to be here.

There's just one thing he's noticed, Sam and Travis. He knows they remember him; they know who he is, and he's always been their buddy. They've played a million games of catch, although for the little guys it always seemed more like dropping than catching. They've gone fishing and played trucks til their knees were sore. He's been gone from them before, but whenever he returns they always pick up right where they left off.

Today is different. There haven't been any hugs, no happily calling out to him, "Uncle Daryl!" Instead they seem wary of him, like they're unsure and they don't want to get too close. He thinks he knows what the problem might be.

He sits on the bench and hollers to them, "Hey Sam, Travis, c'mere. I got sumthin' ta show ya."

They're hesitant but their Daddy chimes in, "Ya heard your uncle, get over there."

The two little boys stand in front of him looking a little scared and a little nervous. The whole family is now watching, but trying very hard not to be obvious as they sip on lemonade and enjoy all the delicious foods as they wonder what's coming next.

He thinks he knows what the problem might be. He's not the same Uncle Daryl he was when he left, and they don't understand what's happened. Besides, kids aren't like adults. They're not going to simply be polite and act like nothing is different, like they haven't noticed that big thing on his leg or that he's using a cane and walking funny, or like they aren't seeing the scars on his neck and hands.

He remembers being little and being both disgusted and fascinated by all things weird and grotesque. Aren't all little boys that way? So he asks, "Ya wanna see sumthin' really gross?"

Just like he thought they would, they solemnly nod their little heads. "Okay now, ya gotta promise ya won't barf, k?" And again, they're so serious when they nod in agreement.

"A'ight, here goes." It's a chore to get the brace off, but he manages. It seems even harder to slowly pull the tight-fitting compression stocking down and get it off. He teases, "The army likes ta make everthin' green, even the socks.

As soon as the leg is revealed Sam instantly utters, "Eww, that's ugly."

Karen scolds from across the table, "Sam!"

Daryl holds up a hand, "No, that's okay Karen, he's just bein' honest."

Travis seems more worried than disgusted, "Does it hurt?"

Daryl shrugs, "First off, Sam, you're right, it's real ugly. It ain't always gonna be quite this ugly, but it sure as heck ain't ever gonna be pretty. What I'm hopin' for is that, with a lotta tryin' and practice I can get it ta work pretty good. It ain't ever gonna work like it did, but ya know, maybe I won't be the fastest runner, but maybe I can walk good and run some. That's what I hope. It's gonna take some time but I'm workin' on it."

He turns to Travis and says, "And yeah kiddo, it hurts. Not as bad as it did at first, and not all the time like it did then either, but it does get ta hurtin' pretty bad sometimes." Then he smiles conspiratorially and asks, "Ya wanna touch it?"

They light up and he knows they're afraid to do it, and that they also want to real bad. Sam asks, "Is it gonna get blood on me?"

"Nah, it used ta be bloody all the time but it quit bleedin'. Here, just take a finger n touch that spot right there. Feel that piece of metal?"

Beth's in awe as she watches her husband. He's so good with those little boys. He seems to know just what to say and do to put them at ease. That's not something he learned, that's some kind of natural ability.

She never doubted he would be a wonderful father, now she's more convinced than ever.

It doesn't take long and Merle's high energy boys warm right back up to Uncle Daryl like he's never been gone, "C'mon let's catch!"

"A'ight, but first ya gotta eat. Me too cuz I'm as hungry as a bear, and I gotta get my green sock and this other contraption back on my leg too. Then I'ma play catch with ya, but now that ya know about the leg I know you're big enough ta understand, it can't be like it was before." It's something he's had to work hard to accept. They made him talk about it in that group and with that shrink every day. This is different though, Sam and Travis are just little. He smiles and tells them in words they'll understand, "Til I get a little more healed up I'm gonna be the one doin' all the throwin', n you're gonna be doin' all the runnin' n catchin', k?"

They've missed each other too and Daddy's been keeping an arm lightly around Mama's waist as she's been quietly and intently watching and listening. He felt the tension leave her body and the softness return as she saw a little more of the man her new son in law is. He whispers to her, "That's him Annette, that's Daryl in a nutshell. A good and simple man, and now you know why our daughter fell in love with him."

She smiles, "Yes, he seems like such a good man. And a hero now too, imagine that." She pats her husband's leg adding, "Just like you Herschel."

They've eaten and the children have had a chance to play and burn up some energy, and everyone knows Daryl's tired and ready to get back on the road. They're still 45 minutes or so from home and home is where he wants to be. Home with Beth and Boone.

Everyone's busily packing the coolers and the kids back in the vehicles when Boone starts to get fussy. Daryl asks her, "Is he okay Beth? What should I do?"

"He's hungry. Do you mind if I feed him before we go?"

He's defensive and he gets short with her, "Mind? A course I don't mind. Ya think I want him ta go hungry?"

She gets it, she knows he's tired and stressed and probably in pain. She sounds apologetic when she answers, "No, I don't think that at all Daryl. It will be quick."

He feels like an asshole. Shit, there's no doubt he's an asshole. He gives her elbow a gentle squeeze and does his best to apologize, "Hey, sorry, I can be a dick. I know that. I'll do better."

She's feeling overly emotional herself, like she might cry at any moment. She tries to smile instead and keeps it simple, "Let's just get this guy fed and get home."

They say a fast goodbye and everyone says, "See you on Sunday!" And makes the offer, "Call if you need anything."

Rosita quietly offers, "If you want some time alone, bring Boone over. I'd be happy to keep him for a few hours."

As much as they think they'd like to be alone, neither one would be willing to part with their baby, but they thank her for the offer.

Their car is parked at the far end of the lot, under some overgrown trees he'd hoped would keep it from getting too hot. Now he hopes those trees will provide some privacy.

He holds the baby while opening the door for her to get in, then says, "Lemme get it runnin', it's too hot."

She smiles, "Good idea," as she scoots to the middle of the back seat, sliding up against Boone's infant seat. Daryl gently places the little guy in his mama's arms, starts up the engine and gets the A/C going, and he's not sure what to do next. He wants to somehow be part of this too but he doesn't know what or how. He's clueless.

She pats the seat next to her and he takes her up on the invitation, carefully climbing in. They're both suddenly feeling so shy, and Daryl's still not sure what he's even doing. The leg brace is bulky but he turns in the seat as best he can so he's able to look at her and their little boy. She's so pink-faced and pretty when she whispers, "Sit closer and shut the door. It will be squishy but that's okay, isn't it?"

"Yeah, yeah, perfect, I mean, if you're sure."

"I'm sure." Her cheeks turn an even brighter shade of pink and he thinks she looks even prettier.

She glances around to make sure no one is milling about before unbuttoning her blouse. The way Daryl's alternating between biting his thumb and chewing his lip she can tell he's nervous, still unsure. She gets it, she's nervous too.

She takes a thin little blanket from Boone's car seat and drapes it over her shoulder, then opens her blouse, snaps the bra open and the baby latches onto her breast. Daryl's completely mesmerized by what he's seeing. It's not that he hasn't known forever that this is how it's done, but knowing the mechanics of it is a whole lot different than watching the woman you love feed your baby.

She's a little self-conscious at first but she reminds herself, this is them. They're finally all together and what she's doing is perfectly natural, it's real life. She tells him what she feels, "Daryl, you're my husband and you're Boone's Daddy. I think that makes what's happening here just right."

He nods and she sees that little smile on his lips when he lightly lays his arm across her shoulders. He leans in kissing her temple and softly cupping Boone's head, "He gets right to it, don't he?"

She giggles softly and answers, "I guess you could say that, he definitely likes to eat and it shows, he's already growing so fast."

They both breathe a long sigh of relief as he pulls in front of the little duplex. Beth smiles over at him and says, "Welcome home Private Dixon."

He helps her get the baby in the house, then carries in his pack, starts back out to get the diaper bag and stops cold, "Wait, I almost forgot. We gotta do sumthin'. Come out here."

She's confused, but he's standing just outside the front door and she walks out and asks, "What?"

"Ain't I s'pose ta carry you over the threshold?"

She's pinks up again and giggles, "How in the world are we going manage that?"

He's so serious-looking and then it comes to him. He bends at the waist and says, "Hop on."

"Are you serious Daryl? A piggyback ride?"

"Yeah, a serious piggyback ride across the threshold. Hop on."

How can she possibly refuse?

It's just what was needed. A little fun and laughter. He sets her on her feet, pushes the door shut and they finally share that long deep kiss they've waited for so long.

They have more time than they did when they spent a weekend together several months ago. It's six o'clock Friday evening and they don't have to be anywhere until noon on Sunday, but it's not like they're going to just jump in bed together. Togetherness is the key word, they need time to just be with each other first.

He smiles, "I wish we woulda brought some a them leftovers home with us, I'm hungry."

"Don't worry, I have peanut butter and jelly."

"Very funny, but hey, it'll do."

She smiles, "This time I knew you were coming. I didn't take all the chicken to the picnic, there's a plate in the fridge. Potato salad too, oh, and a cherry chip cake over on the counter in that cake keeper."

He wraps his arms around her and they're face to face when he smiles, "You always gonna spoil me like this?"

She smiles back and teases, "I have to keep you strong so you can take care of Boone. Besides, I was thinking of myself when I made the cherry chip cake. I would have made chocolate for you but I can't eat chocolate right now, it doesn't agree with Boone."

He softly laughs as he pulls her closer and says, "We're gonna be good together Beth. I just know we are."

They sit in the living room just taking in the scene while Boone has some tummy time. Daryl eats a plate of chicken and potato salad, followed by a slice of cake. Beth goes right for the dessert. She smiles and tells him, "I'm taking Karen's advice. She told me I can eat just about as much as I want while I'm nursing the baby and never worry about gaining weight."

"Oh yeah? Well I say you can eat as much as ya want anytime ya want."

They focus on the mundane tasks of setting up a household. Two days ago Merle and Karen brought over the civilian clothes Daryl left behind when he went to war, and Beth managed to rearrange, purge a few things and get everything put away. Now there's his pack to deal with. It's not as bad as she feared. Just two sets of fatigues, some undershirts, socks and underwear, toiletries and shockingly to her, every letter she ever wrote him.

She's not only touched by the fact that he would save them, she's even more touched when he explains, "They caught up with me at Walter Reed. My lieutenant over in the desert sent me a box with everythin' I left behind. I re read them letters at night when I was layin' there in that fuckin' hospital bed wishin' ta God I was here with you."

It brings tears to her eyes and he's close to tearing up himself. They hold each other because that's what they need right now, to feel each other's loving arms around them.

Boone's been in a happy mood all evening, but it's getting late and she knows he'll get cranky if he's up much longer. Daryl doesn't want to miss a thing and so they all squeeze into the little bathroom together and he watches as Beth gives the little guy his bath. "Once I see you do it I'll know how n I can help out more."

She smiles as they wrap the baby in a towel, "You've already been a lot of help."

She yawns and he says, "Yeah, me too, I'm pooped. Why don't ya go ahead n get ready for bed, I got him."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I got this. I helped with Sam and Travis more'n once."

When the bathroom door closes he knows he'll wait a while. Women always seem to take forever in the bathroom. That's okay, he'll have a little time alone with Boone.

He gets the baby diapered and in his pajamas, and then lays on the bed with him. He kisses the top of Boone's head and lightly rubs the tip of his index finger along the babies cheek and over his chin and forehead, his little ears and all the time he's softly talking to him, telling him how he loves him and promising he'll never let anyone hurt him or his Mama, "I'ma see to it ya have a good life Boone, I promise."

She steps from the bathroom and sees them laying there, their baby is sound asleep on the bed with his Daddy's arm wrapped around him. Daryl's eyes are closed too. A wave of disappointment washes over her, she's been thinking of this time they would have for so long, she and Daryl together in their bed. On the other hand, her husband and baby do make a mighty sweet pair.

It startles her when her husband's eyes open, he looks over at her and softly whispers, "Lemme just put this little guy in his bed, then I'ma put his Mama ta bed."

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She looks so pretty in the little flowered nightie with her hair all piled up on her head, fresh-faced and natural.

He's careful as he slips off the bed, picks up the sleeping baby and gently lays him in his crib, but he can hardly take his eyes off Beth. He turns to her, kisses her forehead and whispers, "Just gonna clean up real quick," as he steps in the bathroom.

Daryl's never gotten his leg brace and sock off so damn fast, and his uniform quickly follows. He brushes his teeth; washes his face and he's stepping back in the bedroom.

There he stands in nothing but his army issue boxers and undershirt, but it's not those things, or the mangled leg, or all of those vicious looking scars covering his body that are taking her breath away. My gosh, he was already built and muscular, but several weeks of depending almost solely on his upper body strength have increased his muscle mass, and all the scars in the world couldn't change the fact his body is a spectacular sight to behold.

She hasn't budged and he never takes his eyes from her as he reaches down and turns the bedcovers back, softly suggesting, "Why don't ya lay down." In the dim glow of a small night light he can see her cheeks pink up. It makes him want to smile the way she looks so shy as she wordlessly does what he suggested, and he wastes no time sliding in next to her.

He slips his arm under her and she settles into the crook of it, laying her head on his chest and snuggling her body next to his. Just the closeness they're experiencing in this moment is so much more than they've been allowed for such a long time, and it feels so good. They're quiet as they relax and take the time to simply enjoy the peaceful moment together.

He asks, "Are ya nervous Beth?"

She's honest, "Yes."

He admits, "Me too," as he draws her even closer, "I worry about makin' ya happy."

"Daryl, you make me happy all the time."

"Yeah, well I guess I'm talkin' about this other kind of happy. Happy in bed."

He looks at her and she's turned scarlet, he's pretty sure he has too. She's honest, "Daryl, have you forgotten the last time we...um...did this? Gosh, I thought you could tell you made me really happy." Their embarrassment gives way to laughter and they have to bury their faces in the pillow so they don't wake Boone.

They catch their breath and he begins to kiss her, first her forehead, then her cheek and her ear, then he gently draws her hand to his lips and kisses the palm. That seems especially intimate and that makes her tingle. His hand caresses her face before he sets a finger under her chin and gently nudges her so they're looking in each other's eyes, then tenderly kisses those sweet lips he's been missing for so long, pausing only long enough to look in her big blue eyes and softly smile before the kiss resumes.

A moment later he pauses again, again looking in her eyes and the look is so serious when he whispers, "I love ya Beth, ya know that, right?"

She could never get tired of hearing him say those words, and maybe knowing that he's never said them to any other woman makes them mean even more. She's also feeling grateful and sweetly surprised by how slow and easy their intimacy is unfolding. That tells a story all on its own. This isn't just about physical desire, it encompasses so much more.

She's feeling a little emotional, there are even tears of happiness coming to her eyes as her heart begin to beat a little faster. She lays her open palm on his cheek staring as intensely into his eyes as he was looking into hers, and in a voice filled with emotion she responds, "I love you Daryl, with all my heart.

Their kissing becomes more intense and with those emotion filled kisses they wordlessly express both their love and their increasing physical desire.

The hem of her nightie has hiked up and he moves his hand to caress the skin of her bare thigh. His touch has her body quivering, causing them both to take in a breath. He whispers, "I ain't pushin' if you're not quite ready."

Her smile seems so shy and modest, but her words take away any doubt he may have had, "I feel like I've been waiting for this moment forever. Yes Daryl." His arms wrap tightly around her and he buries his face in the curve of her neck. It's a closeness each of them has only been able to dream of these last many months, but now that the time is finally upon them they're even more nervous than they were the first time they were together. Neither of them are people who take this level of affection lightly, and it feels like such a big important step into their new life together.

He's careful when he loosens the pins that hold her hair, letting it softly fall as he runs his open fingers through her blond curls, "You're so pretty. You're strong too, ya showed me that, the way you handled everythin' by yourself, and for a long time. I know it ain't been easy. Maybe I'm gonna have a hard time convincin' you ya need ta keep me around."

She knows he's only half-kidding, she knows that since his injury he's especially vulnerable and she doesn't want him to doubt how she feels, "You don't have to prove anything to me Daryl, for months all I've thought about is you coming home to me. Now that you're here I'm never letting you go."

She rests her hand on his cheek and reminds him, "Besides, compared to you I had it easy. I was here with all the comforts of home, lots of family and lots of support. You were the one who was alone, I'm sure it was terrible over there."

"You were always with me Beth, always on my mind and in my heart."

He's waited so long, wanted this so long. His mouth moves to her shoulder and he begins kissing his way along the soft skin to her neck and throat, up to her earlobe and back down to her shoulder. The love and warmth in his touch spreads through her and her fingers begin weaving through his soft messy hair.

His open hands slide along her back and he presses her body even closer to his, then it's almost like a magic trick the way he so easily slips the nightie off her, tossing it to the end of the bed.

Her response is to slide a hand inside the green army issue undershirt as they smile into each-other's eyes. The feel of her touch when her fingers teasingly glide over his skin carries the thrill of anticipation, and it's becoming almost more than he can take. He quickly draws away from her as he yanks the shirt off and tosses it aimlessly behind him.

He's once again hungrily kissing her sweet lips as his hands glide along her delicate skin, and then he begins to kiss and nibble his way slowly down her body, stopping along the way to gently suck the pale skin of her neck, her collarbones and décolletage. She moans deeply when his tongue begins to flick across her nipple and his hand slips down the low of her back and inside her panties.

He can feel the tiny bumps rise on her skin and she shivers a little, causing him to stop long enough to ask, "You cold?"

Her palm has already gone to his cheek and she's looking at him like he's everything she ever wanted when she softly answers, "I'm not cold, it's you, it's your touch, you make my whole body shiver."

Although her words embarrass him they also have great power. His smile grows as with one quick motion his arms wrap around her and holding her close to his chest he kisses her neck and the tip of her nose, and in a throaty whisper says, "Let's see if I can warm ya up."

It's so strange, she can feel the lumps, bumps and scar tissue the IED left behind. They're here and there along his chest, on his back and arms, and that strange sensation is now combined with the angry raised skin from the scars his father left. Yet none of it detracts from the raw manliness of her husband, or her attraction to him.

He rolls on his back and she watches as he removes his final article of clothing, the army green boxers, and she can't help smiling as she gazes at his naked body, taking it all in. She tells him what he's told her, "You have a beautiful body."

He tries to muffle his laugh, "Yeah, right. Must be all the scars."

She scolds, "Stop that Daryl, you know you're hot."

"If ya keep tallkin' like that people are gonna think you're crazy." Then he kisses her deeply and adds, "I'm lucky ya feel that way."

She smiles invitingly as she shifts in the bed, lays on her back and grasps the elastic of her panties, he knows what she's about to do. "Wait, lemme help," and just like the sorcery he performed with her nightie, the panties seem to somehow magically fall off and into his hand.

He buries his face in her hair while his open hand lightly skims over her body and then his mouth again finds hers. It's as if he's suspended above her as his lips travel slowly down her body, stopping to kiss and gently suck the soft white skin of her neck and throat. When his lips move over her breasts she once again begins to lightly shiver, and he reaches to pull the cover over them, looks up to her and simply asks, "Better?"

"Daryl, I told you, it's you that has me all tingly, and it feels wonderful." He doesn't know how to respond to that except to smile at her words and resume his journey of kissing his way down her body.

Once again his mouth finds her breast and as her fingers wind through his hair he kisses around the pink nipple while teasing it with his fingers, then he feels the milk that his actions have stimulated and he takes a detour.

His hand finds its way to the curve of her hip and his mouth soon follows, unable to can't resist licking and sucking on her pale white flesh as he's lightly squeezing her bottom. Her body reacts to his touch and her ever increasing desire for more of him causes her back to slightly arch. Her obvious desire bolsters his courage and he takes a chance that she won't object when his mouth finds its way to her most sensitive area, and while his strong but gentle hands firmly hold her hips he buries his face between her legs and tastes her sweetness.

This is something new for them and although they're both a little tentative at first, they're also both fully aroused and engaged. His light sucking and licking have her hips rising and her hands clasping more tightly into his hair.

She's struggling to quiet the sounds of her moaning, the worst-case scenario would be to wake the baby now, but keeping quiet isn't easy. The more her body responds to his attentions the more those attentions grow in intensity. His fingers, lips and tongue work some new kind of magic and she fights herself to keep from calling out his name as she gets closer and closer to completely letting herself go.

Then it happens, she loses all control of her body and she doesn't need to call out his name for him to know what's happening when she begins to quake and shiver through the powerful orgasm.

When the quaking calms and her body has fully relaxed he gives her a moment to catch her breath, and then he can't resist softly kissing and run his tongue along the skin of her inner thighs. She gives in to the sweet sensation, feeling herself becoming aroused all over again.

They're both feeling the warmth of desire as he begins to work his way slowly back up her body, his lips seeming to stop and pay attention to every inch of it, but when he makes a move to kneel between her legs he suddenly winces in pain. He's been worried this might happen. The leg is still healing and the pressure he's put on it is causing a deep relentless pain.

This would all probably work out a little easier if she were on top, but would she be willing?

Before he can think of the right words to suggest that to her, she softly whispers, "Lay back Daryl," and he barely has time to blink before she's straddling him. He smiles up at her as he rubs his hands gently along her hips and thighs asking, "You're sure?"

"Yes, very sure, oh, and I have something." She stretches her body to reach over and open the drawer of the tiny night table by the bed, retrieving the small packet. She hands it to him then bends to whisper in his ear, "I don't think Boone is quite ready for a brother or a sister. Soon, but not yet."

He smiles back as he's tearing the packet open, "It's good thing that one of us is thinkin'." He won't bother to tell her he was prepared this time. He was barely off the plane when Merle handed him a box of condoms, just like she hasn't mentioned she was given the condoms by her friend Rosita.

She shifts her body out of the way and as he's slipping on the protection, she rubs her hands along his powerful arms and muscled chest and the pleasure her touch brings him has him so distracted he can hardly concentrate on the task of getting the the damn thing on, but desire leads the way.

Sex at all is still new to her, but this, her being on top of him this way is something she hadn't ever really thought about, but it seems so right in the moment and it all happens so naturally when, with his big powerful hands on her hips he wordlessly encourages her to raise them, and when she's poised above him her instincts have her hand lightly grasping him, guiding him as he enters her.

For Daryl, well he almost comes undone in that moment. His arms reach up as his hands clasp her face and he whispers, "mmm, nuthin' could be better than this."

The sight of his muscled arms, and the hungry look in her husband's steel blue eyes arouse her even more as she lightly rubs her palms along his impossibly broad shoulders and over those strong arms. Their bodies instantly begin responding to one another and it only takes a moment for their movements to get in sync. His hands are on her hips and the feeling of her moving her small body in perfect harmony with his greatly heighten his arousal.

Her soft throaty moans, the sound of her sweet voice barely whispering his name, all while her hands are grasping at his arms, shoulders and chest are so intense and so perfect. But when her small hands move to caress his face and she whispers, "I can't imagine anything feeling better than this with you," he nearly loses it.

He isn't going to let that happen, he wants her to come for him again. He tries taking his mind somewhere else but he can't, all he can think about is this pretty woman and the intense pleasure of her allowing him to make love to her.

He smiles at the milky release as he fondles her breasts, just before reaching between their bodies to rub her sensitive little nub, all while keeping a steady rhythm as he moves inside her. Just when she's sure she can't take another minute of this intensity her body begins to shudder and her hips push harder against him, and she's trembling and quaking with the intense power of her release. Once more she has to fight the urge to scream out his name, instead she quietly whispers "Daryl," and that's all it takes for him to quit holding back and join her in bliss.

Beth's body relaxes, collapsing into his chest. She apologizes, "I'm sorry, am I too heavy?"

His arms wrap around her, pulling her tighter against him when he whispers back, "Yeah, you're a real load, almost as bad as Boone. Now quit worryin' and let's enjoy this."

They lay quietly reveling in the afterglow until eventually he kisses the top of her head and says, "I hate ta leave ya, but I gotta get up and clean up, I also gotta doctor my leg."

"I'll come with you, if it's okay. I need to clean up a little too. Boone will be waking up soon." She musters the nerve to add, "And I could help with your leg."

He's a little stunned, "I don't know Beth, it's pretty gross."

"I've seen it, haven't I? I just made love to you for gosh sake. Just like Sam and Travis, I didn't even barf, did I? Besides Daryl, I'm your wife and I love you."

She's so feisty and he wants to laugh, but she's also so serious and he doesn't want to make her mad, or wake up Boone, "I still ain't figured out what there is to love, but I'm glad ya do. I guess if you wanna watch ya can, but just so ya know, you won't hurt my feelings if you decide to leave the room."

"Deal."

He has a kit, something like a shave kit except it contains everything he uses to keep the leg clean and avoid infection. A special soap, sponges and an antibiotic solution. He explains, "I won't bandage it cuz it should get air, except when I'm walkin' a lot like yesterday, then I wear the compression sock, that's temporary. I won't need it forever, but if the thing stays this ugly I might get a sleeve for it."

She asks, "Does it hurt?"

He almost holds back, but no, that wouldn't be right. Beth is his wife and he has to be honest with her or this marriage deal won't stand a chance, "Yeah, it hurts right now. It's been a long day, standin', walkin', drivin' and makin' love ta my wife. It's achin' pretty good, plus I get these sharp pains that have ta do with the nerves, but I can deal with all that. It's not as bad as it was at first and it's gettin' better all the time."

She wonders how bad it really is, Daryl's not a man to complain about something like his own pain.

No sooner is he done with the leg than Boone starts fussing. She's been sitting on the edge of the tub and she quickly gets to her feet in response to the baby's crying, "You do what you have to do Daryl, I'll go feed Boone."

"I'll be right there ta help," He smiles, "Well ta sit and keep ya company at least."

"That sounds good to me."

He walks in and she's sitting on the edge of the bed, still naked and with their baby at her breast. Daryl can't help the giant smile on his face, these two people are his world. He sits down next to her, slips an arm around her shoulders and gently caresses the baby's head, remarking, "As hungry as he is you'd think he did sumthin' all day besides just lay around."

She giggles because she knows he's teasing, "Yeah, he's kind of a bum. I told him he needs to get a job."

He goes along, "Yeah kid, get a job and support me and Mama."

It's been a few minutes and Daryl realizes he's been just staring when the sound of her voice startles him, and her words catch him completely by surprise, "I'm not sure what I'm going to do about feeding him when I go back to work. I know some women pump and freeze their milk; I better get all the information about that because I guess that's what I'll be doing."

He can't believe what he just heard. "Work? Why would ya go back to work?"

She's surprised he seems so shocked, "Well Daryl I can't just be gone forever, my maternity leave will be all used up in two weeks."

"Yeah well he's only gonna be seven weeks old, ya really wanna leave him?"

"Well of course I don't want to leave him, but it's not like I have a lot of choices. I want to make money to help you with the business and help support us."

He shakes his head. He's upset, but not with her. He's upset that she would think she had to help at all, where would she get that idea? From him? Did he somehow imply that?

He has news, big news, "Ya ain't gonna have ta work and you don't have ta help with money for the business, k? I got it covered. Besides all the money I been savin' these last couple years, I just found sumthin' else out. I was waitin' ta tell ya when I got home."

"What are you talking about Daryl?"

"Well, I never even thought about sumthin' like this, but yesterday a fella came ta see me at the hospital and he talked about my earned benefits. Remember I told ya I have life insurance? Everyone does. You're the beneficiary if I die, but I didn't die, I got hurt real bad and now it pays off in a different way."

"What does that mean?"

"If I woulda told them ta just cut the damn leg off and give me a new one, I woulda got a hundred thousand dollars for loss of a limb, as it is, with the salvage leg I get fifty thousand."

It comes out as a whisper, "Oh my gawd Daryl, fifty thousand dollars?"

"Yeah, I know, and that ain't all. I was in a war zone so I don't pay any tax on it. Plus, I'll get two months of basic pay for each year of service, so that's eight month's pay on top of my regular pay. I'ma also get social security disability payments every month for the rest a my life, other stuff like my medical too." He chuckles and adds, "And I'm still in the army, it'll be a month or two before I'm officially discharged, so they're still payin' me."

It's nice but there's so much more to it than that, and she reminds him, "All that's great Daryl, and it might sound like a lot of money to you, but considering everything you've been through…well I guess I just feel like you'd be happier with no injuries and no money."

He shrugs, she's right, "Hell yeah I would be." There's more honesty, "I don't know though Beth, I don't feel comfortable takin' any of it. I ain't sure it's right."

She shocks him when she replies, "Oh bullshit Daryl. The US government thinks you earned it, and I bet Rick Grimes and his family think you earned it. So you tell me, what has to happen for you to feel like you deserve it?"

"Maybe I just needed you to tell me."

He can't help asking, "And aren't you the one who told me not to cuss in front of the baby?"

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Saturday morning they're up early, Boone sees to that. It's no big deal really, Daryl's an early riser anyway and so is Beth, it's just that last night they were up much later than either is used to. Even though after his late night feeding Boone went right back to sleep, Daryl and Beth didn't sleep. They just couldn't seem to quit talking and touching.

It's a habit her and Mama got into, so Beth doesn't even think about it when she turns the morning news and entertainment program on TV, just before sitting herself on the couch to feed the baby. Daryl's in the kitchen getting the coffee going for himself and tea for her, and little Boone is almost done with his breakfast when Daryl joins them.

This is one of those times when his altered physical ability presents itself. He's only got one hand because the other grasps the cane, and so he brings the mugs of steaming liquid in one at a time, setting them on the coffee table. She doesn't offer to help, she knows his independence is important to him. She just smiles when he finally sits himself next to her and offers, "Lemme hold him while ya have your tea."

"Gosh, it's so nice having you here waiting on me Daryl, it's like I'm on vacation."

He shrugs, "Huh, I thought I'd mean a lotta extra work for ya."

It's then the TV program catches their attention. It switches from the national news to local Georgia news, and they hear, "Our own Georgia hero, Army Private Daryl Dixon was spotted at the airport in Augusta yesterday." There's a clip playing as the reporter tells the story. It shows Daryl walking out of the airport secure area and Beth running to him, and the hug. Her rules about cussing are not front of mind for him when he mutters, "Ah fuck."

Beth hits the pause button and says, "Daryl, you can't blame people for being excited and wanting to celebrate you. There's so much bad news every day, gosh it seems like it never ends. Everyone's just so hungry for a little good news, and whether you like it or not, you are the good news. It only makes sense people would be curious and want to know more about someone who is so selfless they would risk their own life to save the life of another."

Dammit, why does that have to make sense? He shrugs and asks her, "How do you know so much?" Then agrees, "Yeah, you're probably right. I guess I've been too busy thinkin' about how much I don't like all the attention. But I don't think I was rude, was I?"

"I think you did fine, let's watch," and she presses the button to restart the program.

He sees the cluster of people with their signs and small flags, and tries to imagine why they would take the time out of their lives to drive to a damn airport just to applaud for some guy they don't even know. He's not the hero they think he is, he only did what came naturally to him. But yeah, maybe he should have taken a minute to say "hi" to a few of them. Maybe he should have acted like a politician and shook some hands. But then it's never been his way to be social, still, yeah, maybe he should have.

After watching the brief clip him and Beth agree, he acted polite enough with the reporter, of course the news doesn't show what happened when the guy stuck the microphone in Beth's face. They figure it's not because the news people cared if Daryl looked bad, they didn't want their reporter to look bad.

He asks, "So, what if it happens again? What am I supposed ta do?"

She shrugs, "I don't think you need to do anything at all. If people say hello to you on the street or thank you for your service all you have to do is say 'thank you.' That seems simple."

"Yeah, easy enough. I'll try."

"And just so you know Daryl, I'm not exactly a fan of people being in our business and interrupting our family either, but I get it. I also know attention spans are very short. Interest will die down in a couple of weeks and someone else will be all over the news."

He Jokes, "Ya mean they're gonna just drop me? I'll be yesterday's news? Swell, now my feelings are hurt."

"Right, poor guy. I have faith in you though; you'll get over it eventually."

He's not sure why it comes to mind in this moment, but it does and its unfinished business he'd like them to resolve. "So just what were ya plannin' on doin' with this little guy while you're workin' every day?"

She knows Daryl's not mad at her or looking for a fight , he's just not happy with the idea of her leaving Boone every day to go to work. It's an issue they're going to have to resolve sooner or later, it may as well be sooner. "The woman who lives next door offered to watch him and the price seems very fair and…" That's it, that's all she's got.

"So, she ain't family or a good friend or nuthin' like that, huh?"

"No, but gosh Daryl, this isn't 1950 you know. Most women have to go back to work after they have a baby, it's life. I've talked to her a lot and I'm sure she'll be great with Boone."

"Huh." This is hard dammit. He doesn't want to be an asshole. He damn sure doesn't want to be one of those guys who bosses his wife around and tells her what to do, but he also doesn't want this. Shit.

"I get it Beth. Ya like the job and ya think ya need ta work, and I know you were makin' it on your own before I came along, you were doin' just fine. Ya didn't need me or anyone else and ya still don't. This is different though, Boone needs you, and the truth is, I need you too. If ya wanna work I ain't gonna say no or get mad, but I sure would like it better if you were home."

She can see he's struggling trying to get his words right and she's quietly waiting, giving him a chance to state his case, "If it's the money, I told ya, you don't have to worry bout that. We're gonna be okay. Remember? There's the social security money, and I can't remember if I told ya I also got VA disability coming every month. That's two checks a month and medical for life. Besides that, there's the 50 thousand in insurance money and the 8 month's pay, and the money I saved. I got plenty ta give Merle for the business and we'll still have some left over for you, me and Boone ta get by just fine, shit, I mean shoot. And don't forget, when I'm a little better on my feet I'll be workin' too."

She loves her job, it's fast-paced with something new seeming to happen every day, and she works with a great bunch of people. Now though, since Boone has arrived she has a new reality. The thought of leaving him every day, for at least nine hours between the work and the commute, honestly? That thought has been breaking her heart, she was just so sure there was no choice. But now…

He waits for her to speak and she looks at him so seriously, and then tears begin to well in her eyes, "It's not like I want to leave Boone, I never wanted that. I just thought I didn't really have a choice, that I had to do my part." Then she takes a deep breath and puts something out there for him to think about, "I'm willing to call and tell them I'm not coming back, but there's something I want from you…"

His heart is beating hard, he's happy she's not going to leave Boone with some stranger, but the adrenaline rushing through him is making him feel edgy, and now he's nervous. Shit, what does she want? "What Beth? Tell me what, I'll get it for ya."

"It's not something you can buy, it's something you're going to have to just give up."

He shrugs, "Give up? What is it?" He's nervously chewing his lower lip and trying to think of some bad habit she plans on asking him to quit. Let's see, he likes a smoke now and then, he likes a beer or two, sometimes more.

He's not sure what to think when she gives him her one-word answer, "Time."

"Time?"

"Yes Daryl, I want your time. When you get out of the army I want us to do something I've been dreaming of ever since you left. Now that I know neither one of us has to rush back to work, we'll have time."

"Time for what?"

"Time together. It feels like there's been so much that's happened in our lives, and even though I felt like I waited forever for you to come home, I also feel like everything between us happened so fast. I want us to slow down and just be together. Maybe we can go somewhere, maybe we can just hide out here. I don't care where we are, as long as it can be just the three of us for a while, you, me and Boone. That's what matters. Does that sound crazy?"

"Serious?"

"Yes Daryl, I'm serious. Maybe it's not possible, but gosh I wish it could be. Just us being together."

"It don't sound crazy or impossible to me, it sounds good, really good. Yeah, the three of us hidin' out from the world, especially until all this hero stuff dies down. Lemme think on it Beth, I'll come up with sumthin'."

It's not like him at all to just mellow into an idea so easily, but then he never thought he'd have his own little family. Now that he does he wants to have time with them. So, even though he's more the kind to find every obstacle in their path, this is different. What she suggested is the kind of thing he dreamed about for months and she's right, now that they have money coming in to get them by, maybe they really can do this. He wants to. They can go back to reality later.

She asks, "What about Merle and the business?"

He's pretty sure Merle can handle things without him for a while longer, and his brother and Karen will get it, "Merle's been doing just fine without me, he'll last a little longer." Then it dawns on him, "Oh man, I never told ya, shit, I mean shoot, I'm sorry Beth."

"Never told me what?"

He's shook, mostly at himself and talking fast, "I screwed up, I can't believe I didn't tell ya but so much was happening. The wedding, Boone coming, and this is big deal. I shoulda told ya right away. There's just been so much goin' on and so many people around every time we were tryin' ta talk. Damn, I hope ya won't be mad. It's really good news."

He's making himself and her both miserable, "Well for gosh sake Daryl, tell me!" And her tummy growls so loud she's embarrassed, "Tell me while I cook breakfast."

"I'll help."

"You can help by keeping Boone company while I'm busy frying bacon."

He's temporarily distracted by the thought of breakfast. He smiles down at the little boy while pretending to give him a high five and asks the baby, "Did ya hear that Boone? There's gonna be bacon."

While he's keeping himself and the little guy out of her way, he's also telling her all about the phone call Merle got after the general's interview, "This could be it, we're tryin' real hard not ta get our hopes up too much, but this really could be it Beth."

She admits, "I can't say I understand much about your business or the work that you do Daryl, but I want to learn and I really hope this works out like you and Merle have been hoping for."

He corrects her, "No Beth, it ain't just me and Merle. It's for you too and Karen, Boone, Sam and Travis. It's a family business Beth. We're all in this together." He sets his hand on the small of her back and says, "And if ya wanted, we can go over ta the shop sometime soon, maybe Monday, and I can show ya what we do and tell ya all about the business."

"That sounds like a great idea, I'm super curious, but right now I feel like if I don't eat I'll faint."

"No doubt, I'm gonna have ta keep an eye on ya. The way my boy eats you should be eating nonstop ta keep up."

After breakfast he insists he'll do the dishes, she agrees. "That would be great, it's time for Boone's morning nap and as soon as I get him changed and in his crib, I'm going to shower. I know I need one."

"You smell good to me." He smiles her way and he's serious when he adds, "I'll hurry and maybe I can get in there with ya." She doesn't seem to object, her only response is to smile back, while he's at the sink and moving as fast as he can.

He's not far behind her, quietly slipping in the shower to join her. As the water gently pours down on them he holds her close, whispering, "This is sumthin' new, but it ain't sumthin' I haven't thought about us doin' a million times."

Her head is resting on his chest when she whispers, "I guess I never thought about it at all, but now I think I like it," and she's glad he can't see how red her face must be.

As they play their shower games in the bright light of the bathroom, the vast extent of Daryl's scarring and disfigurement are in full and inescapable view. Beth is horrified, not by the look of the trauma, but thinking of him enduring so much pain.

For his part, although he's putting on a pretty good act of being confident and self-assured, that's not really how he feels. He's seen his body and he knows there's not much of it that isn't marked or mutilated. He spent a lot of time worrying and losing sleep over the possibility Beth would reject him because of the damage, but it hasn't been that way at all.

His confidence has almost grown to the level where he's been pretending it to be, and it's all because of her. The way she holds and touches him, and kisses the mottled skin while whispering words about how handsome he is, and most important, how much she loves him. As hard as it is to believe, it seems like she really means those things.

They're both ready to hurry back to bed after their shower, but for Daryl it can't be that simple. It's too important to them both that he do what he needs to do, care for his leg. He encourages, "Go ahead Beth, you can go on ta bed and I'll meet ya there in a few."

"No, I'd rather wait with you." And when the time comes, he does something he never expected he could do, he allows her to help him, resting his hand on her shoulder for balance as they make their way back to the small bed, where she leaves him with no doubt about how much she enjoys his body.

They don't get much of a nap after their lovemaking, little Boone is awake and demanding a change, and another meal. Daryl smiles as he watches his wife care for their baby, while he struggles getting into his pants and getting the brace on. He's just slipping the green undershirt over his head when there's a knock at the door. Who the hell could that be? Beth looks at him and he says, "You stay here with the baby, I got it."

Beth's not at all happy with this interruption. How could this happen? She planned so carefully. There's plenty of food in the house, everything they need to simply stay in and be the three of them alone until they go to Merle and Karen's tomorrow for the family celebration.

She opens the bedroom door just enough to peek out and see Daryl standing there talking to some guy she doesn't know, and the guy has a microphone in Daryl's face. She can see it in his body language and hear it in his voice, Daryl's trying to restrain the urge to yell, maybe even punch the guy. He must be gritting his teeth when he says, "You ain't welcome here. This is our home and it's private. If I decide ta talk to ya it won't be here, now please just go on and leave us be."

Up until this reporter showed up it's been such a good day, perfect really, shit, now it's ruined. That's how he feels, or at least he does until he turns and sees her standing there with their baby. That's when he tells himself, no, he's not going to let some random guy ruin this for him.

How did the reporter even find out where they live? Shit, there are no secrets or privacy any more.

It's a bit of a strain for him with his leg brace, but he manages to get down on the floor, Beth too, and little Boone is laying on a blanket, having tummy time. Everything feels so right, and then Daryl's phone starts blowing up.

It's the same thing over and over. TV and radio production people all trying to arrange an interview.

Eventually the phone quiets and over a meal, and with Boone in his lap, he and Beth talk. What can he do? What should he do?

Finally Beth has what she thinks might be a solution, "How about you give just one interview. Pick one of these TV or Radio stations and give them an exclusive interview where you tell it all. Or at least all of it you're comfortable with. Tell them all, that's it. If they want to use it they can buy the rights. Then you and Boone and I go away for a while."

He doesn't like the fact that he'll have to give an interview, but he likes the fact that there will only be one and they'll split afterward.

The next call on his phone is one he makes, he calls his lieutenant. He's luckier than most soldiers, the way he can just call the guy, but since the incident they've been close. He explains to Beth he has to have permission to tell the story, and he also wants to know if they can go away. He's still serving, can he just leave?

He's on the phone with the man a while and when they finally disconnect he tells Beth what they discussed, "He says I gotta sign a paper agreeing ta certain things, and that it might be better if I get my discharge first. He said he could arrange for that and have it happen in about 10 days."

They talk it over for a while and Daryl ends up choosing a reporter from a Georgia station. It's an affiliate of one of the networks so if they want it out there on national news that will be up to the station. Like Beth says, at least he'll be giving the local woman a shot at her 15 minutes of fame. A woman named Sasha. He calls Sasha and they discuss it all and the plan is in motion.

Later that night, after the little man is sound asleep, Daryl and Beth sit hand in hand on the couch and talk about how they'll get by before the interview, and how soon they'll be able to leave after. And once they can leave, where will they go? That's the part they're not sure about.

Just like they always do, Merle and Karen told her not to bring anything. Just like always, she's going to bring something anyway. Early Sunday morning she's up making cupcakes and a jelly roll. She smiles to herself, even if no one else is happy with these goodies, Sam and Travis will be, and Daryl too.

For Daryl, arriving at Merle's with his wife by his side, carrying their baby in her arms fills him with a mix of happiness and pride. Yes, this is his family, they're a part of him and he's a part of them.

Everyone must have been anxious to party, they're all already there. Mama and Daddy, Shawn and Amy, Caesar and Rosita, Maggie and Glenn, and three people Daryl had not expected to see, Rick, his wife and that little boy from the picture, he'd know him anywhere, Carl.

There's non stop chatter and Daryl is doing his best to be gracious and go along, it's a party for gosh sales. A party for him. The food is delicious and none of the conversation is too heavy, and as long as he's somewhere close to Beth it's all good.

Suddenly he remembers a conversation from months ago. One late night when neither he nor Rick could sleep and they talked about everything they could think of that didn't have to do with war and missing people at home. The memory gives him an idea, an idea that could work.

He calls Rick call aside and they move away from the group, walking over under the shade of that big oak in the far corner of Merle's yard. Rick grasps Daryl's arm and smiles, "Listen man, my whole family is so grateful to you, I'm starting to think they like you more than they like me."

They both laugh softly as Daryl says, "Yeah, right." Then screws up his courage and asks, "Didn't you tell me your folks own a little cabin in the Blue Ridge?"

Rick says, "Yeah they do. It's been in the family forever. No one ever uses it, I don't know why, I guess it's just not our thing. Anyway, they have someone up that way who watches it for them and it just sits. I haven't been there myself since I was a kid. I remember it's pretty rustic but there's indoor plumbing and running water…"

He explains to Rick about the reporters, Beth's job, and his and Beth's desire to get away, "You think your Dad would rent it out to me for a couple months? I'd be happy ta pay whatever he wants."

"No way Buddy, he wouldn't take a dime from you if you begged him. You may not like being called a hero, but to him you're a big hero. Shit Daryl, don't you get it yet? You saved his son's life...him and my Mom both are dying to meet you and I know he'd be honored to have you and your family stay in the cabin for as long as you like."

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It seems too perfect, too easy. It should be more complicated, right? "Are ya sure Rick?"

"Daryl, I'm sure. But I know you, and I get it. Every time something good is about to happen for you, you just can't believe it. So, how about you hear it for yourself? Come to my place for dinner Wednesday night, you, Beth and the baby. You can meet my folks, they'd love that, and we'll talk to them about you using the cabin. You'll hear firsthand what my old man thinks about your rent money."

Daryl is a little overwhelmed with the idea of another family gathering, with someone else's family no-less, but he agrees, "Yeah, lemme go talk ta Beth, make sure we don't have any other plans."

Rick's smile spreads from ear to ear, "Listen to you brother, gotta check in with the little woman. You sound just like a married man." Rick knows him well, he slaps him on the shoulder and promises, "I'll keep it real simple, burgers and dogs. Nuthin' fancy."

Daryl waits until Rick and his family and Rosita and her family have left, then announces, "Beth and me, we got some things we wanna talk to y'all about."

He tells their about the decision he and Beth made, she won't be going back to work. Nobody seems at all disappointed to hear that news. They've all hoped she could stay home with the baby. Karen smiles as she pats Beth's hand and promises, "It's hard, you'll be working 24 hours a day and there's no money in it," but she adds, "that doesn't matter though, the benefits are pretty great."

Then Daryl tells everyone about the reporter who came to their door yesterday, and that news immediately affects the overall mood. There are comments such as, "how dare he," and "no one has any respect anymore." Merle has to bite his tongue not to make a more colorful remark. The only thing stopping him is the fact that he's sitting right across from Beth's Mama.

After they all have plenty of opportunity to vent a little, Daryl finally moves the conversation along. He tells the family his big news about the benefit money, "I'm hoping we'll have enough for the business ta get a really good start." What he says next catches Beth by surprise, she assumed all the money he's getting would go to the company, "I gotta think about my family too so, I'll be pitching in thirty-five thousand for the business, but I'ma hold back the rest, includin' the money I've saved and the money from the extra pay. My family can't live in a one-bedroom apartment with no yard forever, we're gonna need a little house sometime soon."

Merle smiles, "Shi…shoot son, I never expected you ta come up with that kind of money. With all that plus what I got tucked away? We're gonna be doin' real good. All that's left is to impress this fella who's comin' out ta visit us. We'll be set brother." Then he thinks to ask, "But what about you Beth? Are you okay with Daryl puttin' thirty-five thousand into the company?"

She shrugs, "That was always the plan and I don't see any reason to change it now, it benefits all of us, right? Besides, I'm really excited for the business too. Daryl's going to take me to the shop tomorrow and show me around."

Merle's all smiles, "Alright then, it sounds like we're ready ta take on the world."

That's when Daryl gets to the other news, "There's something else though." Uh oh, everyone waits to hear what that might be, "Me and Beth, we haven't had a chance ta spend any time together ever, so we were talkin' about just the two of us and Boone gettin' away for a while. I talked ta my lieutenant and it looks like I'll be gettin' out in about nine or ten days now…" he takes Beth's hand, "Now we got a good chance at sumthin', I was gonna talk ta Beth about this first, but I haven't even had a chance yet."

"What?" Now she's nervous.

He squeezes her hand, "It's good news. Rick was just offerin' his folks' cabin up in the Blue Ridge."

Merle slaps the table, smiles and let's out a yip, "The Blue Ridge? Our old stompin' grounds?" He looks around the table and says, "Me and Daryl grew up in them mountains. Little brother spent all his time outside roaming around. I'm pretty sure ya coulda dropped him out of a plane, blindfolded, and he'd a found his way anywhere." Then he looks to his brother and his voice takes a serious tone, "If you're worried that I won't want ya ta take the time, don't be. I think it's a good idea. Get away and get ta know each other, and especially get away from these damn reporters. Sorry ladies."

Mama speaks then, "Well I couldn't agree with you more Merle, imagine the nerve of that reporter. My only problem with you two having your time together is my little Boone is going to be so far away."

Beth apologizes, "I know Mama, I'm sorry, but it's not like we're going to be gone forever."

Mama has an idea, "Why don't you come stay with us for the next few days before you go? Isn't that a good idea?! I'll get all the time I want with Boone, and you won't have to worry about reporters. Daddy's 12 gauge will handle them."

Beth is so happy, "Oh Mama, that sounds so fun. Boone will get to know his grandpa and get his first taste of farm life."

Daryl can't think of anything he wants to do less, but obviously Beth likes the idea. Still, he's got two valid reasons why he can't go, he's just about to voice them when Herschel screws them up completely, "Daryl, let me put your mind at ease about a couple of things, there's a first floor bedroom so you don't have to worry about stairs, and we've got a VA clinic just about 15 miles away. I can drive you over there for your therapy."

Even though she's made it perfectly clear she likes the idea, he's desperately hoping for a last minute save. He looks to her, "So ya wanna go Beth?"

"If it's alright with you, then yes I think it would be a lot of fun. I'd love to show you the farm."

Shit, he's painted in a corner and he knows it. He'll just have to keep reminding himself about that cabin and finally being alone with her.

"I guess that settles it then, we got a little business ta take care of tomorrow and Tuesday, and I got therapy. Then Wednesday we're supposed ta go ta dinner at Rick's, meet his folks n stuff and settle things about the cabin. I guess we could drive down ta the farm sometime Thursday."

Merle's known his brother his whole life, he can tell by the timber of his voice the kid's not happy, he tries to help, "You're gonna love that farm, Daryl. There's plenty of wanderin' around you can do."

Mama has another idea, "Well Merle, Karen, why don't you two come for dinner next Sunday? Sam and Travis can feed the chickens for me, they always do such a nice job."

"Why thank you Ma'am, Karen, whaddya think?"

"I think it sounds wonderful, thank you Miz Greene. The boys are going to love it."

Everyone seems so happy which makes Daryl feel like an asshole for not being thrilled about the whole idea. He'll try, but shit, for now, he just wants to get home.

They've barely driven two blocks from Merle's when he hears the telltale sniffling coming from her side of the car. He glances over and sure enough, he sees the tears, "What's wrong Beth, hey, Beth, what's goin' on.?"

He pulls over to the curb, turns off the ignition and asks again, "C'mon now, please don't cry, besides what the hell is there ta cry about? And you're not s'posed ta be gettin' upset, you'll sour your milk."

That throws her for a curve, "Sour my milk?"

"Yeah, when Karen first got home with the twins she told Merle it was real important for him not to upset her, otherwise it could sour her milk."

Now Beth's laughing and crying at the same time, "Oh my gosh, Karen's even smarter than I thought. That's pure genius."

He's a little confused, "What? Are ya sayin' it ain't true?"

"Well I don't want to say Karen was being less than honest, but maybe she didn't have her information quite straight and it might not be 100% accurate."

"Dammit, she pulled one over on Merle. I knew she was the perfect woman for him. Now, what about this cryin'? What's wrong, did I do sumthin'?"

"No, you didn't do anything, it was me. I put you on the spot and that wasn't fair. I'm so sorry Daryl. If you don't want to go to Mama and Daddy's I'll call and make an excuse. I'll blame it all on myself."

He's as honest as he can be, "Hey. Hey now, you're right, ya put me on the spot n I don't wanna go, but we're goin'. I'm never gonna wanna do stuff like this Beth, but maybe I gotta change some a my ways. Your Daddy went way above n beyond for me, and he didn't have ta do any of it. The least I can do is bring his grandbaby over for a couple days to visit." He caresses her cheek and promises, "I think maybe it's a good thing I kinda got roped into it. I might have embarrassed myself by sayin' no to two people who gave up a lot for us. So anyway, you n me, we're good. It's all gonna work out just fine. Then we'll go up in the mountains and be alone for a while. K? Now, can we quit cryin' and go home?"

"I love you Daryl."

"Yeah? Well I love you too, but are we done cryin'?"

'Yes." And as if on cue they hear little Boone start crying in the backseat, "Well except for your son. I was hoping we'd make it home before he got hungry again. If you want though, we can just wait and I'll feed him when we get there. It's only 10 minutes."

"Nah, I ain't gonna make him wait ta eat. You sit there, I'll get him." He still has vivid memories of going hungry as a kid, and hunger is something he never wants Boone to know.

Monday morning while Daryl gets the coffee and tea, Beth is once again feeding a hungry little Boone. Daryl brings her tea and his coffee one by one, then sits next to her and they smile, both thinking the same thing. It's only been three days and they've already established a morning routine. Who says routine is boring? They like theirs just fine.

He takes the baby and gently pats his back, urging a burp. When Boone spits up all over his chest he shakes his head, "Geez Buddy, c'mon. Have I ever done that ta you? No way. C'mon now, show Daddy some love." He takes himself and the baby over to the sink, cleans them up and then joins her again.

Her eyes never leave him and she thinks to herself that for a very intense person, he sure is matter of fact when it comes to Boone's habits of spitting up and peeing on his parents. The love and the bond between father and son are already so powerful it's almost like she can feel it in the air.

As Daryl sits again he mentions, "I thought of sumthin' ya might like ta do today, besides visit the shop."

"What's that?"

"I was thinkin' we could pack a picnic, after the shop we go up by Little River, it's real close ta town and we can just chill while we have our lunch."

"Oh I love that idea, yes! I can make sandwiches and we still have cake and cupcakes."

"I didn't want it ta be work for ya, we could just get a bucket a chicken."

She smiles at the man, "I love you Daryl, even more than a bucket of chicken. I'll make sandwiches, it's no big deal."

He smiles, "Well, thanks. Okay, done." Then he throws it out there, "I was thinkin' after that you could maybe, if it's okay, you could drop me back at the shop and Merle could take me to the storage place. I'd like ta get my pickup truck. You mind?"

"No, I don't mind. But I could just take you."

"Yeah, but I'm thinkin' I gotta get gas ta put in it, might have ta fool around a while ta get it started, then I'd have ta take it and fill the tank. The whole thing could take two or three hours and that seems like a lot for you and the little guy."

She runs her hand down his arm, "I know you don't believe it, but you're very sweet and thoughtful Daryl."

While he's entertaining Boone she's in the kitchen making their breakfast and lunch simultaneously. It's really not so complicated, just a very small-scale version of life on the farm during harvest. She's also watching her husband, admiring him really. He's cradling their son in one arm and slowly pacing the floor, with his other hand grasping the handle of his cane. Talk about having your hands full.

He never minds though, never begs off of taking Boone. Quite the opposite, he can't seem to get enough of the little guy and is always marveling at the baby's every facial expression, every coo, every little movement.

Daryl steals a peak at her from time to time as he's walking the baby. She makes it seem so easy to just glide through life doing it all. What's really amazing is how this Beth, the Beth who's a wonderful Mom and sweet wife, the innocent looking beauty with the pretty smiling face, can change so quickly once they're alone in their bed…man, how did he get so lucky?

The shop seems so vast, but she realizes a lot of the reason it feels that way is because they have so much empty space. There's definitely plenty of room for the new equipment and tools they want to purchase. They're preparing to order everything soon, and when it all begins to arrive and gets setup, the shop won't look so stark.

For now it's neat and tidy with piping stacked in racks along the walls, a chain link cage full of small inventory items and tools, a couple of old lathes and drill presses and two pipe cutters, among other items. There's also an employee named Axel who seems nice enough.

Merle smiles as he reminds Beth, "It's gonna get a lot more modern soon."

Although the shop is clean, tidy and well-organized, the office is a whirlwind of complete disaster. There are tool, equipment and supply catalogs stacked everywhere. The desk is a mess of mail, both read and unread, along with God knows what other kinds of papers, an open ledger book covered in small receipts and several file folders that completely cover the surface.

She loves Merle, he's been a Godsend to her, but not everyone is cut out for every job. Running a smooth, organized and efficient office space happens to be something she excels at. She gently suggests to the brothers, "I can't do a lot to help the business, but I can do something I think is very important. Especially before Mister Reg Monroe arrives for his visit. I mean, you know, first impressions being what they are and everything. How about Boone and I spend the day here tomorrow getting this office shipshape?"

Merle acts shocked, "What? Ya don't think this looks like we're a well-oiled machined?" Then he laughs that big belly laugh of his and says, "Sister, if Daryl says it's okay then yes please, I could use all the help I can get."

Daryl agrees, "She don't need my permission and yeah, that sounds good. I gotta get my butt ta therapy first thing in the mornin', then I'll be here. While Beth and Boone are busy gettin' things organized, Merle, you and me can finalize orders for the fixtures, parts and equipment." His arm slips around her shoulders and he smiles, "Thanks Beth."

It's not far to the river and together Daryl and Beth lay the blanket on a shady spot of ground and settle in for their picnic lunch. Boone eats first and once his little tummy is full he's promptly down for a nap.

Daryl can't help himself, she's so pretty and it's already been such a good day. He begins to kiss her, gently easing her to a laying position. His fingers are in her hair as the kissing becomes deeper and her hand starts to glide along his back.

The spell is broken when they hear a voice call out, "Hey you two! Ya already made one baby, ain't that enough?" The question is followed by the raucous laughter of two young boys as they hurry by on their bicycles.

"Shit," Daryl grumbles as he sits up, "I guess there really ain't any privacy in this world."

Poor Beth is red-faced and mortified, "Oh my Gawd Daryl, how embarrassing!"

They both start laughing though because it might have been embarrassing, but it was also funny. He shrugs, "Guess we gotta wait til we get home," while they're both thinking how nice it's going to be to escape to the mountains.

She drops him off at the shop and promises, "I'll have dinner waiting when you get home."

He's feeling a need for the romance they missed, "Don't go ta much trouble. What I'm hungry for ain't dinner."

"Stop Daryl."

"Never gonna stop Beth."

"I guess that's a good thing. Now go get your truck or whatever." He kisses her and she's gone.

Him and Merle head over to the storage unit with a five gallon can of gas, and Daryl's grateful to have his brother there to tip the big can up, he had no idea how he'd accomplish that with only one arm. He knew what he was doing when he disengaged the battery and put it on a trickle charger before he left the country, and once everything is reconnected the truck starts right up. Just like he knew it would. The whole operation takes less than 15 minutes.

Merle rolls Daryl's bike into the back of his work pickup, along with Daryl's toolbox and asks, "What about the bow and your guns?"

Daryl looks at them wistfully, "Yeah, I guess I better store them at the shop too. Shit, I need a house with a garage."

"Well they'll be safe in the shop for now, and I'll see ya in the morning."

"Thanks for the help brother."

"Happy ta do it."

Daryl visits the onsite office at the storage facility, tells them he's moved his things out and it's done. But he's not going home.

The first stop he makes is WalMart. He doesn't know what it's called but he knows what he's looking for. He's seen people wearing them. They're kind of like a backpack but you wear them in the front for carrying a baby around. It would sure be nice to have one of those for carrying Boone, then he'd still have one free hand.

He finds what he's looking for right away, but in the meantime he "meets" a lot of folks. Mostly they just say "Hi" or "Thanks for you service" or ask, "Hey, aren't you that guy Daryl Dixon?" He remembers Beth's words and he's polite and he's so damn glad when he's out of that store, back in his truck and it's over.

He's got one more stop after the big box store. It's a far more quiet place and a place he's wanted to visit for a while now. He can't just hurry through this one. This stop requires time and a lot of thought.

Beth hears the pickup pull to the curb out front and hurries to open the door and greet her husband.

He smiles at the sight of his pretty wife standing in the doorway with a smile on her face and their baby on her hip. He tries not to look like too much of a clumsy oaf as he eases himself out of the cab, then moves as quickly as he can up the short walkway. He hugs his little family in greeting, "Hey there Dixons. Good ta see the two of ya. Did ya miss me?"

Beth is all smiles, "Oh yes, we've gotten used to having you with us and we missed you something awful." As she's speaking they're moving inside and he reaches behind himself to push the door shut, and she mentions, "Dinner's almost ready."

He smiles, "Good, it smells delicious, but hold off on that a minute. There's sumthin' I gotta do first."

He reaches for something in his pocket and then looks at her. Those ice blue eyes are fully focused on Beth when he says, "The way everythin' happened with you n me, I think ya got cheated outta a lot of stuff Beth. You deserved dates and flowers and candy and all whatever people do when they're dating. You didn't get that, you didn't get a proper proposal and ya didn't get the weddin' you wanted. I wanna make up what I can." He chews his lip and shrugs his shoulders and says, "I can't get down on one knee, not sure I'd be able ta get back up, so I just gotta stand here and tell ya I love ya more'n anythin' in this world Beth Greene and I hope you'll say yes ta marryin' me."

He opens the small box, pulls out the diamond ring and with tears in her eyes she whispers, "Yes Private Dixon, yes. I love you and yes."

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Chapter Text

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Merle slowly turns as he takes a long look around his now unrecognizable office, "Damn little sister. How am I supposed ta get anythin' done now?"

She smiles, "Well actually, I thought maybe I'd share a little of the work with you. I don't know anything about pumps and piping, you could deal with all of that and talking to customers and vendors, you speak their language. Where I think I can help is writing up the purchase orders and invoices for you, taking care of receivables and payables, you know, the books in general."

She shrugs, "For now, I'm guessing it would take me eight to ten hours a week, and I'd feel like I was doing my part to help the company."

Merle's brow is creased, "I hope ya ain't suggestin' you could just come in here and do it for nuthin'. You'd be paid. That's how it's done."

By the time Daryl walks back in from the shop the deal has been struck. When his wife and brother explain to him what's going on, and he sees the big smile on Beth's face, he's happy for her. He's happy for the business. He appreciates all the things his brother does right, but man, the paperwork was a disaster. Beth will a big asset, and maybe she won't miss her old job.

First thing Wednesday morning they hear from Reg, a check-in call. He specifically requests to speak with Daryl and even though Daryl hates talking to new people, he knows that's part of life and business. He sucks it up as Merle hands him the phone.

After thanking Daryl for his service and making a little small talk, the conversation switches to pumps and process water, irrigation water, wastewater, sewers and water reclamation. Daryl gets what the man is doing. Testing him, trying to find out what he really knows.

Daryl doesn't mind, it's what the guy should do. In fact, Daryl has a few test question of his own. If you're going to enter into a business agreement you have to feel confident with your partners. He politely fires the questions off, and by the end of their little question and answer session each man has a very good idea who he's doing business with.

Reg is anxious to get the ball rolling. He wants to fly out and meet up, and that's when Daryl has to tell him the news, "I'ma be gone a while. Me and my wife, we need ta get away, have some time alone, and I need a little more time ta heal up before I can be workin' full time. How about you give us a month or so?"

At first Reg is disappointed with the meeting delay, but he's quiet as he mulls it over. He sees the benefit. "That might work out. It'll give me a chance to get a prototype for our newest industrial grinder pump built and shipped out to you, along with the prospectus and some other marketing data. Why don't you give me a call when you're back?"

True to his word, Rick keeps dinner casual on Wednesday evening. It's just Daryl, Beth and Boone, Rick, his wife and Carl, and of course Ricks' folks. Daryl is as gracious as he knows how to be, but he can't help feeling uncomfortable when Rick's Mom starts to cry and his Dad is visibly having trouble holding his emotions in check.

Missus Grimes has her arms wrapped through Daryl's as she asks, "How can we ever thank you enough for what you did Daryl? How does a person put a price on that? And you've paid very dearly. We will be eternally grateful to you."

Rick's Dad steps into the conversation then, "Listen now Daryl, we want you to use that cabin for as long as you want, we're honored we can offer it to you. When the discharge comes through and you're ready to go up there, you just let Rick or I know. All I have to do is call the local guy who keeps an eye on it for us and let him know you're coming." He slips the key off a his key ring, hands it to Daryl and that' that.

All in all it's not a bad evening. Downright pleasant really. It's just so hard for Daryl to easily accept the gratitude of others.

He understands the Greenes a little better now, especially after spending so much time in hospitals with Herschel. He knows who these people are, and Thursday morning he more clearly sees their trip to the farm for what it is. A new chapter in his own life and everyone else's.

He won't be joining the Greene family at their home as a guest, but as an integral part of the family. Beth's husband, Boone's Daddy, their son and brother.

Before leaving for the farm, he and Beth share their morning routine and he feels a twinge of sadness knowing they won't be doing this again for a while. Beth seems pumped up about their trip to the farm, but also nervous. She keeps asking him, "Are you sure it's okay Daryl?"

"C'mon Beth, I told ya about a million times. Yeah, I'm sure. If I didn't wanna go I wouldn't be goin'. Drink your tea."

She looks at him with those big blue eyes and asks, "I'm getting on your nerves, aren't I?"

He looks at her, shrugs and says, "Just quit askin' me if I'm sure, k?"

"I probably won't."

The last time she asks him is as they're pulling in the long dirt driveway that leads to the huge white farm house.

He's instantly intimidated as he's once again reminded how different he and Beth are, but he forces himself to take a look around, scanning the surrounds and taking it all in.

He's always thought roaming the mountains was the only place a man could feel truly free, and this farmland is way different than the mountains. It's not wide-open uncontained land. There's no sense of the wild. There are fences everywhere and acres of the land divided up into squares. But it's vast. The only boundaries here are man-made.

He's guessing there's still plenty of exploring to be done here, and he plans to get around and do as much of that as his leg will allow.

He and Hershel have grown close over the weeks, and he's been around the rest of them a couple of times now. So, at least it's not all about meeting new people, besides it's a workday on the farm. Daddy's just in from checking on and feeding the stock. Shawn's in the apple orchard working on the irrigation equipment, and Amy's busy in the family's extensive vegetable garden. Meanwhile, Mama's in the kitchen making lunch and getting a roast prepped for dinner.

His stay at the Greene's will teach Daryl that running a farm is a 24 hour a day job, and even more than he always has, he'll come to appreciate how much time these people took away from their life's work to take care of him and Beth.

Beth lets out a squeal as they enter the bedroom they'll be occupying. There, next to the big four-poster bed is a pretty little cradle that she recognizes. It was hers. She tells Daryl, "Mama let me keep it in my room for years, it was my doll bed." She snuggles Boone tight and smiles, "Now my real live little doll will be using it." That's Boone's cue to announce he's hungry.

As the baby is finishing up his meal, Shawn and Amy are on the back porch, cleaning up for lunch. As everyone walks in the dining room Daryl scans the table, damn, it seems like way too much food to be called, "lunch,' but as Beth explained to him earlier, "They've all been out working since seven this morning and its physical labor, their oatmeal and eggs wore off about 10. They need to fill up and have plenty of fuel to keep them going, because as soon as they're done eating, they'll be back out working until six. Mama insists we have dinner no later than six or they'd be out later."

As they all come together to sit at the big dining room table, they take hands and pray together. Their prayers are all about gratitude and grace and Daryl kind of likes being a part of that. He especially likes it for Boone. He likes the idea of the little guy growing up surrounded by good people and being grateful for all he has.

He does feel kind of guilty eating like these folks are eating, he hasn't done the work to earn it, but Mama's cooking is just so damn good he can't help himself.

Mama asks Beth to bring dessert in from the kitchen and as she sets the big pan of banana pudding on the table Beth surprises him. She holds up her hand showing off the ring to everyone as she happily announces, "Daryl officially asked me to marry him. Maybe while he and I are staying here we can all decide what would be a good time to have a real wedding."

There's plenty of oohing and ahhing over the ring and excitement about a future wedding, and Daddy can't help but note, "You know Daryl, we didn't do all this celebrating all the time before you came into our lives. Ever since you showed up it seems like we have a party every weekend." Daryl feels the heat in his cheeks, but he doesn't mind, this is a good moment in time.

As the last of the banana pudding is being enjoyed, Mama looks to Beth and proposes, "Boone and I would appreciate having some time alone together to play, why don't you take Daryl around the place on the 4-wheeler Beth?"

Daryl can't help teasing, "Boone's the only reason you wanted us ta come, ain't he?"

The table erupts with laughter and Shawn agrees, "I don't think you're wrong Daryl, but hey, I'm glad you're here. I heard you're a great mechanic and I have a couple of projects I could use your help with."

"Yeah, yeah sure."

He thought he'd just be gritting his teeth to get through this visit to the farm, but he finds he enjoys these days more than he ever could have imagined. The Greene's are good hardworking people and he's learning a lot about living off the land in a way he's never done. He still prefers the kind of living off the land that involves hunting and fishing, but he also comes to think this farm life might be the next best thing.

He worried him and Beth wouldn't have time alone, but every afternoon Mama watches Boone and he and Beth take a walk. It's good therapy for his leg, but there's a lot more to it than that. It gives them a chance to just talk and be themselves, and even get a little affectionate.

He's not a man to lay about though, he needs to keep busy and he needs to feel that he's doing his part. So far he's managed to get the irrigation pump back to 100% and the well pump too. He even gave the tractor a tune up. Shawn's talking about updating the septic system and Daryl promises, "I can get ya everythin' at cost. Me and Merle can run all the pipin' and whatnot for ya."

"Well I'd pay you."

"Oh you'll pay me. I was thinkin' I could help when ya butcher them hogs and maybe you'd wanna hand over one a them fresh hams."

Shawn nods and laughs when he says, "Yeah, at least a ham, some ribs and some of that belly too." Just working with Beth's brother, and with the time he's spent with the rest of them, has made Daryl truly feel he's a part of this family. They're a part of him now too.

He never much cared for being around groups of people, or at least he didn't think he did. He likes this group of people though, and not just for himself. He likes knowing they'd always be there for Beth and Boone too.

He knew it was coming, Beth warned him and she gave him the choice. Maybe the fact he had a choice is what made him really consider it. What could an hour and a half hurt? It's a big deal to all of them, a big part of their lives, so yeah, come Sunday morning he's getting ready for church just like the rest of them.

It seems odd to be wearing his fatigues but they're the nicest suit of clothes he's got. Besides, he's still in the army. Latest word is he will be until Tuesday.

It seems like by the time they finally walk in the church every member of the congregation has already approached him to shake his had and thank him for his service. He felt the urge to run off more than once, but they're all so kind and sincere and he's also got a little added strength. Beth is right beside him with her arm wrapped through his and leaning against him just enough to let him know she's with him, fully.

Daryl wants to bolt again when, during the service, the preacher asks the congregation to pray for his continued healing and for blessings on him and his family. There was a time maybe he would have run, but that was before. That was before she was sitting next to him holding his hand with their baby cradled close and smiling up at him. He's not going anywhere, not without them.

When it's finally time to leave the church he feels it so strongly, these people have made him feel like he's a part of something. His heart is full and there's a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Maggie calls and tells Mama not to wait for her and Glenn, they might not make it for Sunday dinner. Something about car trouble. It's too bad, but what Daryl's more anxious for is Merle to arrive. It's not hard to imagine Karen and the boys on the farm, but Daryl's dying to see how that big loud brother of his fits in with these quiet people.

That's his thought when the old suburban pulls in the long driveway. Merle barely gets the ignition shut off before those two little boys practically fly out of the back seat and run yelling, "Gramma Greene, Grandpa Greene."

He was only gone a few months, how the hell did everything change so much? And he's not even complaining.

The boys keep themselves and Herschel busy feeding chickens and asking questions, and when Mama calls out that dinner's on the table they look to Herschel and start to ask, "But…"

He shakes his head, "I know what you boys want and I'm going to strike a deal with you. The two of you eat those vegetables Grandma made, and be patient while everyone finishes their meal, then I'll take you riding on the 4-wheeler. Otherwise, you'll be cleaning stalls."

"Yessir!" They holler as they're running up the farmhouse steps.

After the blessing and as the heaping dishes of food are being passed around the table, the conversation is mostly small talk about who has been doing what all week. Once everyone has settled in Mama says to Karen, "We've all been talking about a nice little wedding coming soon. Maybe when Daryl and Beth get back from the mountains, we can have a little celebration and make their marriage 'family' official."

Karen beams, "Oh that will be wonderful, and you know I'm dying to help out any way I can."

There's more chit chat about that, and Daryl's kind of wishing everyone would quit making plans for him and Beth and just eat their roast, when Shawn says, "Amy and I have a little news to share too."

That's all he had to say for everyone to freeze in place, with the exception of Sam, Travis and Boone, they're all pretty sure they know what's coming next. They're not wrong. He slips his arm across Amy's shoulders, kisses her temple and announces, "Amy and me are going to have a baby."

There's laughing and cheering and tears in the eyes of Herschel and Annette, "Oh my goodness, how can we be so blessed? This is so wonderful, how far along Amy?"

Amy's smiling through tears herself, "12 weeks. We waited to say anything, we didn't want to distract from Daryl's homecoming."

Daryl's confused, "Wait, what? Nah now, Amy, Shawn, your baby's the best news. I can't wait ta meet him or her. A little cousin for Boone."

Merle can't take it, he pipes right up, "Well if everyone's sharin' news I guess I better share too, Karen's got a bun in the oven her own self."

Karen elbows him in the ribs so hard it takes his breath away, and he asks, "What? What did I do wrong?"

Daddy tries smoothing things over, "Merle, Karen, this is wonderful. My goodness, there are going to be babies crawling everywhere. We couldn't be happier to hear the news!"

Merle's still all smiles when he says, "It must be contagious or sumthin'."

Karen apologizes, "I'm sorry Amy, he stole your moment."

"No way! This is such a great day, and besides, I'm never more entertained than when Merle's sharing news."

And the moment continues when Sam reminds Herschel, "You said there was gonna be dessert and a ride too."

Merle's turned serious now, warning, "Watch your manners son."

Hershel waves him off, winks and turns to the boy, "Did I?"

"Yessir, you did."

"Well then, I guess we'd better see about it. I pride myself on being a man of my word."

That's when Maggie walks in and asks, "What did I miss?"

00

It seems like it should be a much bigger deal, but it just happens quietly and without fanfare. It's a simple phone call from his lieutenant and a special delivery letter that tells him, he's been honorably discharged from the United States Army.

He didn't expect to be, but when he opens the big envelope he's immediately overcome by so many feelings. Yes, he wants to be discharged from the army because he never wants to be separated from Beth and Boone again, but his years in the army were good to him. The army gave him the first sense of home he ever had.

He learned a lot about a lot of things, and now, well it feels like he's been cast adrift. No, no he can't think that way. He's not alone. He's got the business, and more important, he's got Beth and Boone. Hell, he's got a whole new family of people who care about him.

They pack up, making ready to leave the farm. There are tears and hugs between Beth and her Mama like they're never going to see each other again. He tries to comfort Annette, "Now listen Mama, we ain't goin' forever, it's just a little vacation. I promise I'll have em back here ta see ya soon."

Beth's sniffling as they pull out of the driveway and he pats her hand, "I guess I didn't get it, I didn't know how close ya are with your Mama. I feel guilty draggin' you away."

She smiles over at him, "Don't you feel bad Mister Dixon. As much as I'm going to miss Mama, I'm so ready to have time alone with you."

It's a decision they made together. He didn't want to be thinking about that damn interview while he was in the mountains trying to enjoy time with his family. They worked it out with Sasha and the network. Daryl didn't want to do it in their home, and he also didn't want to have to drive to the station in Atlanta to do it. So, the television station rented a small meeting room at a local hotel and that's where the interview will be conducted.

As little as he's watched of the news, and as little as he's seen of the reporter, he thinks Sasha seems nice and genuine. Right away she explains to him, "Daryl, I'm not going to pepper you with questions. You're not on trial here. I want you to know that. What I would like is for you to simply sit across from me and tell me what happened that day you were wounded, and what's happened since."

"By that I don't mean you have to tell me about your personal life. I mean I'd like to hear what's happened in terms of your care and therapy and what, if any plans you might have for the future."

"K."

"I might ask you some questions here and there, but again, I'm not the enemy. I'm just like everyone else, we're curious about you and we'd like to learn your story. Personally, I can't even imagine having someone sacrifice themselves for me the way you sacrificed yourself for your fellow soldier, Private Dixon."

He shrugs, "Just call me Daryl." The lieutenant told him he should go ahead and wear his fatigues for the interview and he is, but other than that he's a civilian now.

"Alright Daryl, thank you for that. Why don't we begin with you telling me your reasons for joining the military and work up to how that day started. What was going on and how were you feeling just before it happened."

Maybe it's because his speech isn't polished and he stumbles and gets awkward, and a couple of times he gets a little emotional and stops talking for a minute. Maybe it's the way he chews on his lip and the side of his thumb when he's thinking, or how he sometimes pauses while he seems to be trying to put his words together. All of those things make it very clear the man is 100% genuine and sincere. He has no hidden agenda, and certainly no braggadocio. Daryl Dixon really is the Humble Hero.

It takes nearly three hours to complete what will end up being a half hour televised exclusive. Still Beth knows, Daryl hasn't told everything. There are things he saw, things all the soldiers saw, and things they had to do, situations they were in, and he will never talk about those things. They'll stay buried somewhere deep inside him.

Sasha explains to him and Beth, "I'd play the whole darn thing if I could, and I will get you a copy of the original unedited version."

He shakes his head, "I don't want it."

Sasha smiles in an understanding way and agrees, "I get it. I'm sure you don't, but years from now your children may like to have it. They'll want to hear the story in their Dad's words."

They thought maybe they'd pack up and head up to the Blue Ridge after the interview, but Daryl's too drained. Not so much physically, this is more mental and emotional. He just relived a lot of very rough moments. Including the ones he didn't even talk about.

Beth suggests, "How about I run out and do the shopping. We already have the list and if you'll watch Boone I can fly through that store and be back in no time."

Nothing terrible happens that evening, they don't fight or anything. It's not like that at all, but he's so quiet and he seems so blue. Beth's not sure what to do except give him his time. She busies herself getting the baby's things packed and her things packed, getting the non-perishable food in shopping bags and the perishable food organized in the fridge and ready to put in the cooler in the morning.

Daryl only seems vaguely aware of what's going on as he stares at nothing in particular and rubs his leg. She's been told about readjustment periods and PTSD and she's pretty sure he's struggling with those things. It's best not to press him, she simply gives him his space.

Later, in bed he's very quiet but his voice is loving when he whispers, "I can't wait til we get the hell outta here tomorrow. G'night Beth." He softly kisses her curls and that's it.

She doesn't push, she simply whispers back, "Good night, Daryl, I love you."

She feels him all night long, whether he's asleep or lying awake, he's restless. By 4 am he's up and she hears him in the kitchen making coffee. She gets up too, but she doesn't go to him. She slips in the bathroom and gets herself ready to go, then quietly walks in the other room.

He's sitting on the edge of the couch, not looking at all relaxed as he sips at his coffee. She quietly offers, "Good morning."

He responds, "Sorry, did I wake ya?"

"Not exactly. I was up and thought I might as well get ready before Boone gets up and needs me."

"Yeah, you better eat Beth, I'll pack the cooler while you feed the baby."

"Aren't you going to eat Daryl?"

"Nah, I ain't hungry. I'll have sumthin' later."

Again, she doesn't push him. She realizes he's dealing with something she will never be able to understand.

The drive is long and quiet. Beth has a magazine, her book, her phone, but it's hard to concentrate on anything when there's so much heaviness in the air.

It's a huge relief when little Boone starts to fuss and Daryl pulls over so she can feed him. At least she gets to cuddle and comfort her baby.

Daryl doesn't have a bit of trouble finding the cabin, he drives right to the place. Dammit, it's got porch stairs, six of them. Beth whispers, "Oh darn, are the stairs going to be a problem?"

He doesn't sound angry, but he doesn't sound happy, "I'ma figure it out just like at the farm. I gotta live in the real world. That's my goal, right? Livin' in the real world?"

They get out of the pickup, but Boone's still sound asleep in the back and she offers, "Well, shall we unload while he's napping?"

Now there's a tinge of anger in his voice, "Ya don't always have ta be helpin' me Beth, I can do it."

Even though she tells herself he doesn't want to be mean to her, she can't help feeling hurt by his words. She's just standing there watching him as he defiantly hurries to the rear of the pickup and with much more force than necessary he yanks the tailgate down.

She almost says his name, "Daryl…" but she forces herself to stay quiet as he throws the cane to the ground, grabs the cooler handles and begins pulling it toward him. Just as he gets it to the edge of the tailgate and attempts to lift it down his leg appears to buckle. He loses his balance and falls, the cooler falls with him and food and ice fly everywhere.

She's never heard him yell so loud. He's cussing at himself, cussing the cooler, cussing the army and cussing the world in general. It's not just anger or frustration, there's something more. She can hear the raw emotion and she senses his tears.

Beth's done being quiet. She's done letting him work this out on his own. She looks at her husband lying there on his back and she knows he's suffering, instinct leads the way when she throws herself on top of him.

He's stunned into silence by her actions as she grabs his face in her hands and says, "Stop now Daryl. Stop. I love you. Don't shut me out."

His arms circle her and he pulls her as close as he can, burying his face in the soft curve of her neck. His tears are coming more freely now as he apologizes, "I'm sorry Beth, so sorry. I love ya too."

"Please don't be sorry Daryl, you haven't done anything wrong. We just have to work through this stuff."

His hands gently cradle her face and he kisses her long and hard, then whispers, "Together. You n me Beth, together."

00

Chapter Text

00

They lay quietly and without moving, only hanging on tightly to each other. Neither budges or says a word until they hear baby noises coming from the back seat of the pickup. Beth pushes herself up on her hands, looks down at Daryl and suggests, "I'll get Boone settled in the cabin, then we can get this stuff picked up and put away."

His gut reaction would be to argue, to tell her 'no,' he can get the stuff himself. Not now, "Yeah, sounds good. I think I'm done bein' a dick, at least for right now." There's no humor in his tone, it sounds more like defeat. "I guess I always think I gotta be the tough guy." He digs in his pocket and pulls out the key, hands it to her and says, "Thanks for puttin' up with me."

Her response is to lean down and kiss his cheek, "You are the tough guy Daryl, the toughest guy I know, but you don't always have to be that, and you darn sure don't have anything you have to prove to me."

She's on her feet getting Boone out of his car seat and deliberately not watching Daryl. She knows he'll struggle getting to his feet and she has no desire to make this situation any harder than it is, or to humble him any further. Then he says, "Hey wait, I wanna go in with ya. Let's all see it together, then I'll come back n get all this food picked up real quick."

She has no argument with any of that.

He manages the porch stairs without too much difficulty, it just takes him a little longer than it would have a few months ago. He reminds himself what they've been telling him at PT, he'll get better at this stuff. He knows he will, he's determined. He also knows it's never going to be quite the same and he has to learn to adjust to a new reality. That's okay, Rick went home to his family.

He reaches his hand out to Beth, "Lemme have that key back. I'll open it." Some things don't change and that's okay, she smiles as she hands it to him and it's just a second before he's swinging the door wide open. They look inside, look at each other, smile and it's like they rehearsed it when, in unison, they declare it, "Perfect."

It has such a cozy feel with the overstuffed sofa and side chair, heavy wood coffee table and a thick area rug. The woodstove in the corner has logs next to it stacked high and a big wooden box of kindling, and they smile thinking of cool evenings by a cozy fire.

The living area is open to a small rustic kitchen with hand-hewn cupboards, wood countertops and ancient appliances. "Oh my gosh Daryl just look at that old farmhouse sink, I love it."

The bed in the main bedroom is a queen size, bigger than they're use to. It's covered with an old-fashion patchwork quilt and thick bed pillows. There's a braided rug, a six drawer hi-boy dresser and a night table. That's about all there's room for. Across the short hallway is another bedroom, smaller, it holds a set of bunk beds and a small chest of drawers.

At the end of the short hallway is a very small bathroom. Just a sink, toilet and stall shower. It appears it may have been added some years after the cabin was originally built. Daryl runs his finger along Boone's cheek and tells him, "Hey Buddy, it looks like you'll be takin' your baths in the kitchen sink."

Just walking through the cozy little cabin where they'll temporarily make their home has elevated the mood. Beth's smiling as she lays Boone's blanket out on the area rug and instructs the little guy, "You lay here and check the place out for a few minutes. Mommy and Daddy are going to bring in all that stuff, okay? Most of it's yours you know."

There's food and clothes and baby equipment and when they carry the little cradle in they stop and look at each other, wondering. Will Boone sleep in their room, or in the other bedroom? It's Daryl who admits, "I don't like the thought of him bein' alone all night. He's awful little."

She's so relieved to hear him say that, "Oh I know, I don't think I could sleep knowing he's alone."

Daryl kisses her cheek, teasing, "You just gotta remember he's in the room and don't holler out my name when we're gettin' all romantic."

She's trying very hard to pretend she didn't think that was funny, but she can't hide her smile when she gives his shoulder a little push and responds, "You wish."

They brought so much food with a big plan about all the fun meals they'd fix together, but last night was hard and today day started out even harder. They're just not feeling it right now, but they're hungry and he reminds Beth, "You gotta eat or Boone don't eat."

They make sandwiches and there's cut fruit and once they've eaten they start to relax. They'll put all the stuff away later. Drama can be exhausting. Beth sits on the couch feeding Boone and Daryl's right there with them, his arm wrapped around her shoulders and her nestled into his side. No sooner is the baby done with his meal than all three of them drift off.

It's only about twenty minutes into the nap when the baby wiggles and startles Daryl awake. He whispers to Boone, "Hey there, ya wanna go check things out?"

He's careful not to disturb Beth when he and the baby get up from the couch. He finds the carry all, secures Boone to his chest, grabs his cane and says, "Let's go Buddy."

The mountain weather is so pleasant, not nearly as hot and muggy as it was in town. The sun is shining brightly but they're shaded under a canopy of tree branches thick with summer leaves, and there's just the slightest of breezes.

They haven't made it ten yards from the house when Daryl spots the rabbit tracks, "See there Boone? We found us a rabbit. Good stuff, huh? Now, let's see if we can find out where he lives." He tries to keep his footfalls as quiet as possible, but it's not easy with a bum leg, a cane and carrying a baby.

Maybe that's why he doesn't hear Beth following them, he's too busy concentrating on what he's doing. He walks a few more yards before he spots a pair of rabbits happily munching on wildflowers. He stops, and just a few yards behind him Beth stops.

He's fully engrossed in watching the small animals as they feast, and he tries to remember how long it's been since he saw a rabbit in the wild. Way too long.

Beth doesn't want to disturb the perfect little scene, her husband showing their baby boy bunnies in the wild. She just wishes she had her phone so she could get a picture.

Daryl whispers to Boone, "There was a time I'da been anxious ta get them guys. I'da killed em and brought em back home for supper. I done that a million times, and someday I'll show you how to do it. How ta track and how ta shoot a bow and site in a gun. Maybe we'll go hunting and you'll bring home dinner. But for now, I just ain't got it in me Buddy…I seen enough death ta last me awhile."

It's not as if Beth wants him to kill these little animals, or any other animal. But she knows hunting has always been a big part of his life. She knows it was something he looked forward to doing, loved doing, and she knows he also had to do it to keep himself fed. Now like so many things, it seems this has been taken from him.

She's right behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head on his back. What can she say? Can she promise him everything will be alright? Can she tell him not to think about these things or that it doesn't matter? Can she tell him to get over it and move on? No. There's only one thing she can tell him, "I love you Daryl."

He's too overwhelmed with his own thoughts and emotions to speak, but his hand rests on hers, he nods his head, and she knows.

She waits a minute or two and asks, "So is the Dixon family going to explore the wild woods?"

That makes him smile, "We are."

"Yay! Did you hear that Boone? We're going on an adventure."

They're side by side, the baby strapped to his chest and he's taken her hand, then he apologizes, "I wish I was gettin' around better. I hate bein' so slow."

"Are you kidding me? I've got news, I appreciate it. It hasn't been that long since I gave birth to this guy right here, and let me tell you, that was some work. And just think, before I could even do that I had to grow him for nine months! Then there's the fact we haven't been getting much sleep the past couple of nights. So, you just keep going slow Mister Dixon and I'll try to keep up."

Her words have stopped him in his tracks and now he's standing there looking at her. She just keeps looking back and wondering what's next, until finally he says, "Shit, what kinda asshole am I? All I been thinkin' about is myself. You need ta get on my shit more often. Keep remindin' me."

"Okay, but please watch your language. We don't want Boone's first word to be 'shit,' do we?"

They've resumed they're slow strolling and he's begun laughing. He just couldn't help himself when the thought came to him, "Can ya imagine the look on your Mama's face if Boone said shit in his little baby voice?"

Now Beth's laughing softly too, "No, and I don't want to, so let's try to be careful."

"Yes Ma'am. Maybe gettin' my mind offa myself would help me."

She has different ideas and she's been given the perfect opportunity to mention something to him, "Your situation isn't that simple Daryl. I know your lieutenant talked to you about joining one of those vet groups, maybe you should think about that."

It feels like a small victory and she's happily surprised when he responds, "Yeah, I dunno, but I'll think about it." She won't push it any further, it's enough right now to know he's considering about it.

They keep it slow and steady, and he has no interest in venturing very far from the cabin, not until he has an idea just how much walking he's able to do on this uneven terrain. The last thing he wants is for Beth to have to worry about trying to get him and Boone both back to the cabin. She could do it. She'd figure it out, he knows that about her. But he'd never want her to have to. This day has been crazy enough.

Beth's enjoying this time with Daryl and Boone, just aimlessly walking along with no particular destination in mind and no rushing to be anywhere. No one's around to bother them, and the stillness of the mountains has such a calming effect.

The walking's been good. No drama, no problems and Daryl seems more animated than usual and even a bit chatty. Maybe that's because out here he's in his element. He's pointed out different plants, including which ones you can eat if you're starving and which to stay away from. He seems to know the name of every flower, every plant, every kind of tree and even the birds that they spot.

She asks him about tracking and he tells her how that all started when he was still a little kid. He smiles at the memory when he tells her how it began as a kind of competition between him and Merle, and then he learned the science.

When they know it's close to feeding time for Boone, they make their way back to the small cabin.

Although they moved everything into the cabin, they didn't take the time to put things away and once Boone is fed they get busy with that. No sooner is one task complete when it's time for another. They have to think about dinner.

It's the same situation as lunch. They made so many plans about all the fun things they'd cook, but this has been a big day in so many ways and neither of them is really in the mood to cook, or even eat a big meal. He smiles and asks, "Ya wanna take them fancy organic nitrate-free hot dogs ya bought for a test drive? I could build a little fire in that clearing out front and we could roast em on sticks."

She's excited now, "Yes, gosh, that sounds so good. And don't worry Daryl, I promise they taste just as good or better than regular hot dogs, and Boone won't get all those nitrates."

"Hey, I'm willin' ta give em a try. If they ain't any good I'll just make another sandwich."

There's no need to scout out firewood. There's at least a cord chopped and stacked at the side of the cabin. He grabs a little kindling from the box by the woodstove and he's set. He finds some rocks to build a ring and by the time he's got the fire going he's in full camping mode. He teases her, "This here is what ya call luxury campin'." They take turns holding Boone while the other roasts and eats they're hot dog. The baby is quiet, there's no fussing tonight. Boone's mesmerized by the fire.

Daryl's just finishing up his second hot dog when he casually asks, "Did I ever tall ya about how I came up with the name Boone for this guy."

"No, no you didn't." And it's honest, it was Merle who told her, although she's never mentioned that to Daryl. She's been waiting for this moment and can't wait to hear Daryl's story.

"When I was a little kid this other kid I went ta school with, he had him a Daniel Boone coonskin hat. I thought that was about the best thing goin'. I wanted one just like it, so bad. Then I seen a couple of reruns of the old TV show, and eventually saw the movie. I wanted ta be just like that guy. I wanted ta live in the wild and explore, live off the land, all that stuff."

He gazes into the fire and continues, "When I got a little older I even went ta the library to find out more about him and who he was. I couldn't even imagine how cool it musta been ta be an explorer, a frontiersman. Anyway, I just thought it was a good name and if I ever had a boy I might call him that. The funniest part is, I never expected ta even have a girlfriend much less a wife and a little boy. All I had was the baby name picked out."

He laughs and she does too. He was 100% honest because that's who Daryl is.

They take turns telling stores about when they were kids and although he's honest, he leaves the brutal stuff about his home life out of it. This isn't the time for that shit. He talks about camping with Merle, hunting and fishing and why he joined the army.

She tells him tales of life on the farm and learning early-on why it's not good to name animals, or become attached to them. Not if they're going to end up being dinner someday.

Time passes quickly and soon it's time to take little Boone in, feed him and put him to bed. Daryl gets to his feet too and says, "A'ight, while you're doing that I'll get the fire put out."

She smiles, "You know what Daryl, how about you leave it going and after Boone's tucked in we can bring the sleeping bag out here and just enjoy this. I've got the baby monitor so we can listen for him."

He nods, "Yeah, you bet. Sounds like fun."

By the time she joins him back at the fire he's got the hots dogs and fixings all put away, the sleeping bag laid open, and the fire is freshly stoked. He sprawls out on the sleeping bag and invites, "C'mon, c'mere Beth. Lay with me."

She doesn't hesitate to do as he asks, she can't think of a good reason why she wouldn't want to. His arm is outstretched and she nestles into the crook of it, her head resting on his shoulder and her arm draped across his stomach. His arm closes in around her and he pulls her close, leaning in and kissing the top of her head.

He's having trouble getting over his guilt, "I'm sorry about everythin' Beth. I was a jerk."

"Stop Daryl, it's in the past and besides, I told you, you don't have anything to be sorry for. Everything you've been through it…well it's understandable."

"Yeah, well that's what I been thinkin' about all day, that it did affect me and I ain't happy because what that meant was, I was an asshole ta you. So anyway, I can't change the way I acted earlier, but I don't want it ta keep happenin'. When we get back ta town I'ma talk ta the guy at the VA clinic. I ain't sayin' I'll join one a them groups, but I'll go see what it's all about."

"I think that's a good idea Daryl, I don't want you to suffer, and don't even bother trying to tell me that reliving all that stuff isn't agonizing."

He mentions a positive, "One thing I'm happy about is how good I got around today, and my leg ain't hurtin', not more than usual and I'm surprised about that. I thought it'd be on fire by tonight. So yeah, I'm feeling good about the way my recovery's goin', I really am. It just takes time and I ain't exactly the patient type. I get so frustrated. I'll work on that too."

"This has been such a good day Daryl. It was a little glitchy at the start, but gosh, it's turned out to be pretty darn great."

He pulls his body up, adjusting it a little so he can look at her pretty face when he says, "I got an idea how we can make it even better." He kisses her so tenderly she feels herself relax into him.

He draws her closer as he grasps her more tightly, quietly whispering, "God I hated feelin' like we were fightin'. I love ya so much, I need ya Beth."

Her hand softly caresses his cheek and in a breathy voice she whispers back, "I know. I hated that. I love you Daryl, and I need you too."

He begins softly rubbing her back while kissing her lips, before moving to nuzzle her neck and kiss her sweet little ear. He sucks at the soft lobe, gently nibbling and he can feel her nestle into his arms.

He pulls his lips away just far enough and long enough to look at her and he sees the reflection of the fire's flames dancing in her eyes. He just keeps staring as his hand slips up the back of her sweater and he lets the tips of his fingers skim along her spine. She shivers like she's cold, but he knows it's not the temperature that's causing it.

"We should go in Daryl."

"Why? You afraid someone's gonna see us out here?"

"Yes."

"Like who?"

"I have no idea. Smokey the Bear?"

She makes him laugh, no one ever did that like her. "Yeah, you're right. Ol Smokey will take one look at you and try and run off with ya."

It's unexpected when she pushes him back and lays on top of him, kissing him hard before promising., "Let's continue this discussion inside. I'll make it worth it."

"Yes Ma'am, whatever you say, you're the boss," but as he speaks those words he's popping the clasp of her bra.

She shakes her head, "You're sneaky Mister Dixon. Very sneaky."

He pinches her nipple responding, "My sixth grade teacher said I can't be trusted ta behave myself."

She stands and reaches her hand out to him and he doesn't resist her help. He reaches for her and manages to get to his feet with only two hops.

"I guess you're gonna want me ta carry ya over this threshold too, huh?"

"I can't think of a good reason why you wouldn't, I mean, we're about to start our honeymoon, right?"

"Well that's what I been hopin'."

He carries her in, another piggyback ride, but he doesn't take her to the main bedroom, he goes to the smaller room. She's confused, "In a bunkbed Daryl?"

He shrugs, "I could slide the mattress on the floor." His hand is caressing her neck, he kisses her deeply and suggests, "We can sleep in the other room after, k?"

It makes perfect sense to her, and then it's done. The mattress is on the floor and the air in the room is filled with anticipation.

Daryl doesn't waste time, he's going after what he craves. At first his touch is light and gentle as his fingers tenderly tease her taut nipples. He begins to lick and lightly suck the delicate skin of her neck and Beth begins to wiggle a little. It almost tickles and yet it's so hot, especially when his soft touch becomes more intense. She's not even aware she's begun quietly moaning and her body has moved even closer to his.

He kisses her hard and her soft sounds of pleasure tell him she's enjoying his touch as much as he's enjoying touching her.

The feel of his hands and lips and the flicking of his tongue along her skin are making a warmth rush over her, and she feels the wetness spread between her legs. Their breathing grows faster and heavier, and now he's joined her in making pleasure sounds. They're not checking themselves like they do when Boone is in the room.

She doesn't even remember it happening, so much is happening and she's so aroused, but suddenly all she's wearing is her panties and Daryl's smiling at her, "You're so damn pretty."

The words are no sooner out of his mouth than his hands clasp the curve of her hips and his mouth is sucking at the top of her breast, then his nose brushes against her nipple and she's surprised what a turn-on that is. His hands glide lower and he slides the panties down.

Her fingers are in his hair and she's softly tugging at the soft dark strands, and then suddenly his mouth is on her, kissing and gently nibbling at the soft curve of her mound. What's he doing? They're still on their feet! But she's not complaining. She whimpers at the feel of it, and then his tongue begins to tease her, heightening her arousal.

She's disappointed when he stops doing what he's been doing, but he's only stopping long enough to strip off his own clothes. Her fingers move to loosen the buttons of his jeans and he smiles, "I like when ya help girl." That's good information, she'll remember.

He needs to feel his body against her and he quickly pulls his shirt off and tosses it aside, his hand slipping between her legs. The move startled her, and he startles her again when his finger glides inside her. She squeals with both surprise and delight.

What he feels, it's raw desire, but it's also love and he still can't quite comprehend the depth of his feelings for this woman. His wife. He kisses her deeply trying to convey those feelings to her with the passion in the kiss, and then he coaxes her onto the mattress.

He lays close and she can feel his warm breath on her skin, and she's pretty sure she can feel his muscles twitching in anticipation. His hand again slides down between her legs and his fingertips tease the skin of her inner thighs. Her reaction is immediate and her hips began to rise.

He teases a little more before very slowly gliding his hand back up her legs, causing her to again shiver with need. He turns his face to hers, kissing her deeply as his finger slips into the wet warmth and she lets out a small a gasp and she can feel the proof of his need pressing against her thigh, increasing her own desire.

His mouth is exploring her neck and shoulders, while his finger is teasing and the pad of his thumb is rubbing the sensitive little nub. It's almost too much to bear, and she begins to whimper more loudly.

He's as needy as she is and he hurries to find the packet, rolls on his back and slips the condom on.

"Okay Beth?"

She nods and whispers, "I'm much better than just okay." As her leg swings across him and she looks down at husband. She gets bold with him, "Are you ready for me Mister Dixon?"

"Hell yeah Missus Dixon."

Her lifts her hips and guides him inside her. The pace is slow, there's no need to rush and at first, they don't. They simply move with each other and enjoy the pleasure of each other's bodies.

When his hands reach to cradle her face he pulls his body up almost to a sitting position. She's amazed by his strength and then he begins to kiss her more feverishly as his hips lift and his strokes become harder.

Their bodies are moving together and they stay in steady rhythm while they touch and lick and kiss each other. His hands grasp her bottom pulling her hips closer to his and she feels the sensation of his pelvic bone rubbing on that sensitive little bundle. The intensity of feeling has her moaning and shivering again.

Her heart is beating faster and she could swear every nerve ending in her body is tingling. Her only clear thoughts are how good she feels and that she may shake apart from the pleasure he brings her.

She doesn't ever want this to end, but she feels herself start to lose control and as she begins to give into her release her husband's movements quicken and she knows he's close too.

His groan is deep and throaty when he lets go completely and she can't resist. She does what he's been teasing her about, calling out, "Oh Daryl, Daryl" and they laugh as she cums.

He pulls her tight and holds her close still laughing, "This is the best damn campin' trip I ever been on."

00

Chapter Text

00

They've been at the cabin three weeks and Daryl and Beth would prefer to never leave, but they have responsibilities back at home.

Their time there has been everything they hoped it would be, and so much more. They've developed an even greater closeness and reinforced the bond that can never be broken. Of course, it's also real life and things haven't been all perfection.

They were up walking the floor one night, all night, with Boone. He was so colicky and Beth declared, "That spaghetti we had for dinner has to be the culprit. I won't eat it again. You'll have to finish it off by yourself Daryl."

"Yeah, okay, I guess I can take one for the team." At least they had a little laugh and for a minute at least, they forgot how tired they were.

The extra gross diaper just an hour later firmed up Beth's decision and Daryl was serious when he suggested, "Maybe I should take it outside and burn it."

During the time they were there they had some little disagreements, just like any two people living together will, but they never had a serious fight and they were never mean to each other. The best news was, Daryl never had another PTSD incident. That didn't mean he thought he was home-free, he still plans to talk to their local VA Clinic about a group.

Daryl has also been diligent about his physical therapy. He would have preferred to stay in the mountains all the time they were gone, but he traveled to the VA clinic twice a week for his Physical Therapy. Beth and the baby always accompanied him and the three of them would make a little something of their time there. One day it might be getting an ice cream, some days it's just walking around the small town and peeking in shop windows, and it seems there's always something they need to pick up at the store. Mostly diapers, but fresh fruit and vegetables too.

There's no cell service on the mountain, so when they're in town the other thing they do is check in with family.

On their second trip to town Merle told his brother, "It's probably a good damn thing ya ain't around. That interview ya done was on the other night. It was powerful little brother. If anyone don't think war is hell after watchin' that, they ain't thinkin' straight. I guess the network sold some rights to it and parts of it are on every news station we've tuned to since. Karen said it's all over that social media stuff too."

A week later Merle had another piece of news, "That pump Reg is sendin' is gonna be here in a week n a half. I told him ta go ahead and come a week after that. Give ya some time ta check it out. I mean, in case you're ever comin' home."

Daryl let him know, "I sure don't wanna come home, and I don't wanna ever work again either. I might just retire and live in the mountains forever."

They have a good laugh over that and Merle doesn't disagree with the idea, "I'd like that for myself little brother. I damn sure would."

The locals in the small mountain town know who the little family are, word gets around fast when news is on TV. They've been respectful. A couple of old vets have shaken his hand and told him, "Good job son." Most folks just thank him for his service as they walk by.

Daryl's not as bothered by it as he once was. People are curious, he's learned to accept that. Besides, they've been nice and he still believe his celebrity will be fleeting. Any day now interest in him will fade and some shiny new object will be getting all the attention. He looks forward to that. For now, he's keeping his thoughts on his family.

They've both noticed something and the physical therapist has commented on it, his walking has improved dramatically. He manages short distances without the cane and his endurance is almost what it was before the injury.

The therapist suggests, "I tell you Daryl, I think if you keep putting the work in nothing's going to stop you from being able to do all the things you want to do."

Beth takes Boone to the small town park when Daryl's in PT and also takes the opportunity to call her Mama. Those calls are never brief. Mama always has a lot of questions and a lot of news to share, and the calls fill up the time while Beth's waiting for her husband.

The third time Beth called, Mama suggested, "Let's have the wedding in three weeks. The weather will have cooled down a little, the flowers will still be in bloom and the trees will still be leafed. It will be beautiful. What do you think?"

"Well gosh Mama, um, I think it sounds lovely but I need to talk to Daryl before I commit to anything. Let me do that and I'll let you know what we decide when I call you in a couple of days. Alright?"

"Yes of course, there's no pressure. Legally you're already married, but it just doesn't feel the same and it would be so much fun for all of us to celebrate you two."

It's only a couple of minutes later Daryl shows up. He's finished his therapy and they decide to grab an ice cream cone and go for a short walk around town. As they pass a secondhand store Beth spots something inside. It's not in the window, it's way at the back of the store, but for some reason her eye is drawn to it, "Daryl, I need to ask you something."

To Daryl those words seem like an ominous way to start a conversation. The hairs on the back of his neck stand at attention, "Yeah, okay. Wanna sit or sumthin'?"

"Yes, let's."

Just a short way up the walk is a park bench, they take a seat. She's suddenly the one who's nervous. "Now this is just a question, it doesn't have to happen yet…"

"Beth, ya know I can't stand that build up stuff, whatever it is just spill it."

That makes Beth a little unhappy, "Okay, fine. Mama wants to have the wedding in three weeks. So, since we're not going to talk about anything just say yes or no."

He has one eyebrow cocked when he says, "Well ya seem pretty pissed at me for us ta be talkin' about gettin' married, but yeah. Yes. Let's do it."

"Oh yeah, just wait until I'm really mad, it's going to blow your hair off."

He softly runs a hand down her cheek smiling, "I kinda wanna experience that."

"Very funny, now here, finish my cone while I go check on something." She hands him the ice cream, pats the baby on the head and says, "I'll be right back, you boys be good."

"Yes Ma'am, we're gonna be good." He looks down at Boone and asks, "So, wanna do sumthin' naughty while Mommy's gone?"

Beth's shaking her head and giggling as she walks away.

Fifteen minutes later she's walking out of the second hand store with a shopping bag in her hand, he asks, "Whatcha got?"

"Sorry, I can't tell you, but someday you'll know."

"I ain't a guy who likes surprises ya know."

"I do know, but I promise, it's better this way."

00

It's so hard to leave the little cabin and he notices Beth wiping a tear from her cheek as they drive away. He reaches over laying his hand on hers, "Hey, we'll ask em, maybe they'll let us use it again sometime. Maybe we'll make a ton of money and buy it. C'mon now, no tears, k? Please?"

It's not that their apartment is that much smaller than the cabin. Okay, maybe it is. The worst part though is the feeling of no open space and no yard. As he's unloading the car Daryl suggests, "We got a down payment, I think we need ta call one a them real estate people. We gotta find us our own place."

Beth agrees, "This apartment was so perfect for me, and I just loved living here, but you're right. Before we know what's happened Boone will be crawling around, and there's no place for him to go!" Whether they want to move or not, it feels like a must.

Once things are put away and they're settled back in, Daryl makes a call to Merle who tells him, "The pump is due to arrive in three days, Reg is due to arrive one week to the day after that. Why don't ya go ahead and go lookin' for a place tomorrow."

Daryl and Beth talk about what they need and what they want in a house. They don't want a place to live for a couple of years and then have to move again. They're looking for a forever house. So, they try and think about how their lives might go over the years. She'd like to have two more kids, he likes that idea too. She'd also prefer not having to share a bathroom with a house full of people. He gets that. He wants a garage, but a shop would be even better. She understands.

He makes the call and the realtor is upbeat when he says, "I have several houses I can show you." And they make arrangements to meet at the first house at nine o'clock tomorrow morning.

By the time they've looked at four houses both Daryl and Beth are frustrated. Nothing feels right. Every house seems the same as the last, both inside and out. Daryl's cranky and his leg hurts and he's honest with the realtor, "I ain't feelin' any a this stuff and I don't think my wife is either."

Beth could swear the realtor has a twinkle in his eye when he suggests, "Well if you want something different, something you can really make your own, there is a house…it's not exactly what you said you're looking for, but it could be."

Daryl's ready to listen, "Go on."

"It's only two bedrooms but there is a sleeping porch off the back and sometime over the years the original owner cut into the attic. They roughed-in for a couple of bedrooms and started to plumb for a bathroom. None of it is finished, but if you put in the work it could be a four bedroom two bath house." Daryl's wheels are already spinning.

"On the main floor there's what they used to call a sun porch, most people these days call it a sunroom. There's a living room of course, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms and a bath, plus a combo laundry and mudroom and that sleeping porch I mentioned."

So far it sounds perfect to Daryl, there must be a catch, "So where's it at?"

"That's another thing, the property sits just a half mile out of city zoning so, you don't pay the higher city taxes, but you also don't get city services like water and sewer. It's got a well and septic and you'd have to deal with that and your own trash removal."

Daryl nods, "Uh huh, and how big's the lot?"

"Oh it's big. Two acres and it's treed so you have a lot of privacy."

"That don't sound bad, so what's the problem?"

"We've had a hard time selling it because it's a total redo. The house was built in the late 1940's and the current owner's have had it since 1965. Nothing has ever been updated. Well nothing except they had to replace the heating four years ago and they added central air. That's the only nod to anything even kind of modern."

Daryl and Beth smile at each other, and he says, "Sounds good, let's take a look."

All those rooms made it sound like it would be gigantic but when they actually see it, it's not. It's roomy but still cozy. All the old wood trim and wood floors have been well-maintained, and Daryl and Beth learn the owners, an older couple named Dale and Irma Horvath, left in their RV three years ago on vacation anddecided they like life on the road. Eventually they put the property up for sale.

Beth's in love with the retro kitchen, she wouldn't plan to change a thing, not even the wallpaper. In fact, aside from a good cleaning and some fresh paint here and there, and a few new curtains, there's nothing on the main floor she'd change.

Daryl manages the stairs a lot better than he would have even three weeks ago, and checks out what's been done in the attic. Yeah, he could finish what was started. Him and Merle could knock it out in three or four weekends, and the good news is there's no rush. It can wait until his leg is as good as it's ever going to get.

He asks the realtor for a few minutes of privacy while he and Beth talk, so the realtor heads out to his car to make a couple of phone calls.

"Oh Daryl, it's perfect! I mean, did you see that kitchen?"

"Yeah, I saw the kitchen. That stove and fridge are about 50 years old. Is that really what ya want Beth, a buncha old shit?"

"Daryl, it's not old shit. Those appliances are in great condition. I know everything is old, but my gosh, it's all been beautifully maintained. It's just been sitting empty for a while and needs a little freshening up." She looks hopeful but nervous when she asks, "So, what? You don't like it?"

"Ya kiddin' me? I love this place. It ain't got a shop but it's got a nice old garage and a shed. I could build a shop later," he smiles down at the baby resting on his chest, "I'll get Boone ta help. And the price, man they must just wanna dump it. I say we go for it."

The offer is made later that afternoon.

00

The chopper pump arrives and it's enormous, taking up just over 10 feet of floor space and four men can't even budge it. There are specs and even a video. Daryl doesn't pay much attention to those things; he just begins to take the big pump apart.

It's a two day process of Daryl taking it apart and putting it back together, carefully making notes the entire time. While he's doing that, Merle's taking care of the business at hand, and Beth is in the office, Boone's in his swing and as long as the baby's content, she's getting the paperwork and the books up to date.

She also spends time on the phone with her Mother, her sister, Amy, Karen and Rosita, there's a wedding to plan. With all the time, energy and effort everyone seems to be putting into this, Beth's glad it's a small wedding. My gosh, how do people ever survive planning one of those gigantic affairs? And more and more she's thinking maybe the ceremony and the reception aren't that important anymore. What matters is, they're together and they're in love.

The realtor had warned them the Horvaths were somewhere roaming the country and that it might be hard to get a hold of them. It's not like Daryl and Beth are holding their breath, but they do know it's been 36 hours since they made their offer on the house. That's when they finally hear back.

The best news is, it was worth the wait, the offer has been accepted and now they just have to get through escrow and they'll be homeowners!

Between the wedding and the home purchase everything seems to be happening so fast, but it's all good and they're excited.

There's something else and it seems more important than ever. There's so much that is all new and sometimes that makes everything feel like pressure, and whatever happens Daryl wants to keep it together for himself and his family. He joins a vet group at the VA. He thought maybe he wouldn't like hanging around with a bunch of guys telling war stories, but it's not like that. It's feelings and families and blowing off steam, and it's stuff that scares the shit out of them, the stuff they never wanted to think about or talk about, ever. This is the place they can unload. There are no judges, only listeners and guys who have had to deal with the same shit.

Something else is happening too, business at Dixon Pumps and Piping is busier than it's ever been. There's been a lot of attention drawn to the company due to Daryl's notoriety. Neither Daryl nor Merle are complaining. They've already hired one new guy, a big happy fellow named Jerry who knows his way around a well-pump, and they're looking to hire one more.

It doesn't matter how busy they get, or how much is going on, Daryl and Beth have a rule. The evenings are theirs and they take that time to be family. They miss their nights in the woods cuddled up by the fire, but they do their best to make up for it cuddled up on the little couch.

The week after the pump arrives, Reg comes to town. It doesn't take long for him to tour the Dixon shop and meet the employees. Reg seems particularly impressed with Daryl and the fact he was able to take the huge pump apart, and get it back together in good working order. Daryl shrugs, "It's kinda how I do things. I gotta feel it, know every part, every screw, and I do have a suggestion or two how ya might make it run even smoother."

Reg smiles, "I bet you do and I want to hear about that, I want my director of engineering to hear about it too."

Then comes the serious talk, the selling territory, the sales strategies, the tech help, the installation and the warranties. Who's responsible for what. Reg is 100% honest with them, "Part of what's going to get you in the door with these potential accounts is the same thing that got your foot in the door with me, it's you Daryl. You're a hero and these days with all that seems to be going wrong in the world, everyone wants to meet a hero."

What comes nest is one of the hardest things Daryl's ever had to do, and Beth's not happy either, but she encourages him, "It's what has to be done for our future Daryl. The success of the business is what's going to make it possible for us, hopefully, someday, to try and buy our little cabin in the woods."

And so Daryl and Merle embark on a business trip with Reg. They'll be traveling around the region for four days meeting potential clients and getting a good feel for what this customer base wants and needs. Reg is right, using Daryl's name is an excellent way to get a foot in the door.

Mama comes to stay with Beth and they get the final plans worked out for the big day, it's just one week from now. The guest list isn't huge and everyone says they can make it, and Beth finds herself becoming more and more excited to marry Daryl in a "real" ceremony and share her happiness with her family and friends.

She shows Mama what she bought from the second-hand store that day in the mountains and Mama agrees, it's perfect.

The days aren't so bad for Daryl, driving around and meeting with people. Although it always seems awkward at first as they get through the social niceties but once they get down to the talk of pumps, wastewater treatment and remediation, and municipal drinking water, Daryl enjoys the discussions.

It's the nights that seem unbearable. Without Beth by his side the nights seem to take forever to pass.

It's hard to tell who's happier when he does get home. Even little Boone seems to feel the joy in the air. Maybe four nights shouldn't seem like such a big deal, after all, it hasn't been that long ago they spent months apart. But they never wanted to be apart again.

Still, they know why making the business a success is so important. Sure, they could get by on what he gets in disability from the army and social security, including buying their house. It's their other dream they're going to have to save for. Their dream of buying a cabin in the woods.

That's in the future, on this night, as soon as little Boone is settled and asleep in his bed, they slip into theirs. They're eager and anxious to make up for the four nights of love they missed.

Saturday is the big day, and Friday night Daryl, Beth and Boone make the drive to the farm. The couple share a laugh about how odd it is that they feel nervous. They're already married, they have a baby, they're happily living together, and they've even made a huge commitment to buy a house together. They decide it's just all the hoopla surrounding the wedding and make up their minds they're going to enjoy this day with their family and friends. Daryl smiles, "I'll just try'n think about all the food. Man, those women know how to turn out the food."

By eleven in the morning all the guests have arrived. Besides Beth's family and Daryl's family, there are the neighbors, Otis and Patricia, there are Rosita and Caesar, Rick and his family, including his folks, and Aaron and his fiancé Eric. Daryl's glad to finally get to shake the hand of the man who stood in for him. "Hey, thanks for being there when I couldn't be."

Aaron smiles, "It was my honor, thank you for your service."

Rick's Dad takes Daryl aside and tells him, "I want to sell the Blue Ridge property. My family just doesn't get up there and use it. The upkeep, the taxes, all that is nothing but a money drain for me. Anyway, I want to give you first crack at it, are you interested?"

"Heck yeah I am, but the timing's all off. Me and Beth, we just bought a house. It's gonna be a while before we got enough for the down payment."

The man nods and agrees, "As long as I know you're interested I'll hang a couple more years. And because you're the man who saved my son's life, the price is going to be no more than what I paid for it."

Daryl tries to protest, "No, that ain't right."

Rick's Dad grasps his shoulder and his tone leaves no room to argue, "It's what's right for me. I ought to just give you the damn place."

Shawn and Glenn have the chairs all set up in the yard, and there's a small wooden platform right in front of Mama's beautiful flower garden. That's where Daryl and Merle stand and wait for the bride.

The Greene's neighbor, Otis, begins to play a soft tune on the guitar and Maggie steps out of the big farm house, slowly walking toward Merle and Daryl. It's not long and Beth and her Daddy step out. Beth's arm is locked through her father's and Daryl's eyes are trained on her.

She looks so beautiful and he thinks he knows now what she bought that day in the mountains. She's wearing it now. It's a pretty white dress he's sure is some kind of antique. She could have had something fancier, a brand new dress, but he understands, this is her, it's who Beth is.

Her Daddy escorts her to the little wooden platform and Daryl can't stop smiling as they stare into each other's eyes. Daddy takes his spot between them and Merle stands by his brother and Maggie by her sister. The words are conventional, a traditional wedding service, until Daryl says, "The best thing that ever happened ta me was when I walked in CeCe's Diner that night and the sweetest and prettiest woman I'd ever known asked me ta come home with her. Thanks for marryin' me, Beth."

She smiles and replies, "I'm so glad I took a crazy chance that night. I invited a soldier I barely knew to come home with me, and that night I spent with the soldier turned out to be the most important night of my life. Thank you for marrying me, Daryl."

One month after the wedding Daryl packs the cane in a box along with an expensive Cuban cigar and a note that reads, "Thanks for everything man. I'm done with this now, it's ready for the next guy." He ships the box to Oscar at Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany.

Two months after the wedding, Daryl, Beth and their families attend a medal ceremony at Fort Benning. It's not a common practice, and Daryl wishes he didn't have to do this, but he can't decline. His old friend the General arranged it. It's attended by officers and a few enlisted men, combat warriors, and Daryl is awarded both a Purple Heart and a Silver Star.

The event is covered by Stars and Stripes and the local television and newspaper outlets. Daryl's celebrity won't die quite yet.

One thing that won't change is Daryl attending his meetings. For his part he feels like he's doing fine, but that doesn't matter. There are always going to be soldiers who need to talk and unload and Daryl will be there to listen.

The End