Thank you so much for the response to the first chapter of this story. And just so everyone knows, this is in the House Call universe. Beth and Daryl were married for a year before they got pregnant and also became Luke's guardian so this story is about their first year of marriage.

…

Chapter Two.

"Well, what do you think?" Beth asked them once she had finished the tour, which wasn't much of one seeing as how the house only had four rooms. "Daryl and I have been talking and we're going to paint the inside first and then paint the outside."

Annette looked around the small kitchen. "What colors were you thinking?" She asked, seeing Beth's touches already there although she and Daryl had only been married for less than twenty-four hours. It just reminded her that her daughter had been coming up here to be with Daryl for the past year now.

There were flesh flowers in a vase on the kitchen table, a yellow dishtowel folded over the oven door handle and white curtains hanging on the window over the sink.

"Daryl and I are already going to be looking at paint chips tomorrow but I'm thinking yellow for the kitchen. I've always had this image of someday having a yellow kitchen," Beth said and she was smiling and Annette noticed that Beth hadn't stopped smiling once since she and Hershel had arrived with her things from the farmhouse.

And seeing her daughter so happy, it made Annette smile a little easier, too. She was still getting her head wrapped around the fact that Beth was now married and a Dixon but talking with Daryl outside and now seeing Beth practically glowing, it made the reality of it a little bit easier for her.

Hershel heard the front screen door open behind him and he turned to see Daryl enter, carrying in another box from the truck. He paused and looked at Hershel for a moment before turning and heading into the bedroom. Hershel looked to see Beth leading Annette out the back door to show her the backyard but he followed Daryl instead. The bedroom was small, too, like the rest of the house. Just the bed and a dresser with a mirror hanging on the wall above it and a chair in the corner. Daryl was stacking Beth's boxes in the corner, leaving them there until they figured out what to do with him and he lifted his head when he heard a floorboard creak.

Hershel stood in the doorway and gave a smile to the man who was now his son-in-law. "It's a nice place you have here," he said.

Daryl shook his head though. "It's a piece of shit."

Hershel's lips quirked a little. "You and Beth can make it work here though. You can make it into a home."

Daryl shrugged but didn't say anything else.

"My daughter obviously loves you very much and I can tell that you love her," Hershel said. Daryl said nothing to disagree. "You'll make it work," he said with a firm tone that seemed to leave little room for argument.

Daryl still didn't say anything and Hershel didn't expect him to. His son-in-law was actually a very shy, quiet man – something no one would have ever believed because they heard his last name and just thought they knew everything about him.

"I don't think Beth has a clue into what she got into," Daryl said just as Hershel turned to leave the room. Hershel turned back towards him but Daryl wasn't looking at him, instead studying the floor, finding the carpet far more interesting. "Marryin' me, movin' into this house with me, she has no idea how hard this is gonna be."

Hershel took a step back into the room. "I think Beth knows exactly how hard it will be. Don't underestimate her."

"I told her… the night I asked her to marry me, I told her. We will never have money," Daryl continued. "I'm never gonna have money."

Hershel looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. "And you think money is all Beth cares about?"

"I didn't say that," Daryl shook his head, staring at him.

"But you must be thinking that and why shouldn't you? A man wants to take care of his wife," Hershel said. He took steps into the room and settled himself on the foot of the bed. Daryl let out a sigh and leaned back against the dresser, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now I don't know entirely what sort of ceremony that chapel you two went to in Atlanta, but I'm thinking they mentioned for richer or for poorer."

Daryl gave his head the slightest nod, studying the carpet again.

"And I'm guessing that Bethy said I do without hesitating?" Hershel asked.

Again, Daryl nodded his head just once and slight.

"We both know what kind of girl Beth is. If she says something, it's because she wants to and she intends on sticking to her words. You may think this place isn't good enough for her but I bet if you ask her, she'll tell you that all she needs in a home is you," Hershel watched him closely.

Daryl didn't say anything. He kept staring at the rug and Hershel wasn't sure what else to say. He could say so much and yet, he knew that with his son-in-law, none of it would seep into his brain. Not until Daryl was ready for it to.

They heard the back screen door open and then slap shut. A few moments later, Beth came practically bouncing into the room, beaming when she saw Daryl. She came to him and slipped her arms around his waist, smiling up at him. Daryl looked down at her and his lips twitched a little, his arm dropping down around her shoulders, holding her close to his side.

Annette came into the room. "Painting these rooms and getting curtains on the windows, it will amaze you how that will brighten everything."

"Mom and I have been planning things. We have a lot of work to do," Beth told him.

Daryl nodded. "We'll do whatever you want."

Beth smiled and bounced up on her toes, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Mom bought some food with her so we can eat dinner all together, too."

He nodded again. "Sounds good."

Beth's smile, somehow, seemed to grow even wider, as if she thought he would refuse. Hershel stood up from the bed.

"And your mother and I have also gotten you two a present," he informed them.

"You didn't have to do that, daddy," Beth said.

"Nonsense," Annette gave the couple a smile. "Our youngest daughter only gets married once," she said even though that just that morning, she had been crying about Beth running off and marrying Daryl Dixon. Just within an hour though, her opinion had changed completely of her son-in-law.

"We'll get it and then we can eat dinner together," Hershel said.

He and Annette left to go outside to the truck and when it was just Beth and Daryl, Beth stood in front of him and looped her arms around his neck.

"I don't mean to say that the house is bad now," she said.

He couldn't help but smirk, wanting to laugh, his arms sliding over her hips. "It is a bad house."

"No, it's not," she instantly shook her head. "I love this house."

"So, you've gone blind since we got together?" He joked and she pinched the back of his neck, making him smile and she did her best to give him a stern look. "I told you. We'll do whatever you want to do to the house."

Beth smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling. "You are very good to me," she said.

Daryl stared at her, his face solemn and serious. "I'm tryin'," he said in a soft tone.

Beth looked at him and shook her head slightly before linking her fingers behind his neck and pulling him down so she could press her lips to his. Daryl lifted a hand, cupping the back of her head and he kissed her in return.

They heard the front door open again and Beth gave him one more kiss before breaking away from him and taking his hand, pulled him from their bedroom and meeting her parents in the living room.

"We didn't have time to wrap it," Annette said.

Beth gasped at the box. "I love it! Oh my gosh, Daryl, look!"

He smirked a little. "I see," he said, amused at her enthusiasm though he didn't really share the same one over a vacuum. "Thank you very much," he said to his in-laws.

"We know it's not a lot-" Hershel began to say.

"No, no, it's perfect," Beth said. "Thank you so much. I love it," she wrapped her arms around her mom and Annette laughed a little, hugging her in return.

"We bought it this morning before coming up here," Hershel explained as he and Daryl shook hands. "And since we knew there was no way that you would take a money gift, we thought a vacuum would be the next best thing."

Beth laughed and hugged Hershel next. Annette and Daryl looked at one another and she smiled faintly before going to him and embracing him in her arms. She kissed him on the head and pat him on the back.

"Welcome to the family, Daryl."

Daryl felt himself smiling faintly and he hugged her in return.

…

Thank you so much for reading and please review!