Luke's POV will be the next part and then for the sixth and final part, we'll get back to Abby.


Beth.

She loved her sons. No one would ever be able to say something as stupid as she didn't.

But Abby was different. She had always been different. She was her only daughter; her little twin. And she loved her daughter more than she loved breathing fresh air. And with Abby hurting so much, it gave Beth a pang in her chest that brought tears to her eyes. And to make it even worse, Beth had absolutely what she could do to make it better.

There was a school in Atlanta. A school that specialized in deaf children. When they first learned of Abby's hearing, Beth and Daryl had entertained the idea of sending her there for about two seconds. There were a few problems with it. It was private and the tuition was just about as much as a year of Luke's art school. Another was it was in Atlanta and Shawn was there, yes, but none of their other family was and maybe it was selfish but Beth couldn't stand the idea of Abby being away from them; away from her. And Abby would absolutely hate it. Beth knew her daughter. Her daughter was a child of the woods; the daughter of Daryl Dixon. She loved to be barefoot and go running through the trees and feeling the sun on her skin and hearing nothing for miles except birds.

Abby would be miserable in Atlanta and they would be miserable without her here.

They went to church every Sunday and after consoling Abby enough where the girl could finally get herself ready, Beth went across the hallway into hers and Daryl's bedroom, closing the door behind her. She didn't move towards getting herself reach for church. Instead, she went to the bed and sat down on the side, looking out the windows that overlooked the backyard but not really seeing anything. She didn't understand why this was happening. Her daughter was beautiful and sweet and she didn't only think that because Abby was her daughter. It was the truth. Abby was a wonderful girl and the fact that her classmates couldn't see that – the fact that they liked to tease her and pick on her and exclude her – it made her angry but it made her want to cry, too.

She wished she knew what she could do to help her daughter. Beth would do anything.

Finally, Beth made herself stand up. If she just lingered in bed, she'd think of Abby and the ache in her chest would grow worse because she just didn't know what to do. Maybe sending her to Atlanta was the answer. She and Daryl could sit down and figure it out. They had always been able to figure out everything else that came their way. There was no reason why they wouldn't be able to send their daughter to school in Atlanta if that was what she needed to be happy and to have a good life. They just had to sit down like they always did and figure out how they would possibly pay for it.

Maybe a loan…

She knew that would take Daryl some convincing. He hated borrowing money from anyone. Even from her parents. When Luke went off to college, they had been saving for years. They received money every month from the government after they adopted him, as a way to "encourage" and "reward" those who adopted, and each month, the check went into the bank, rarely to ever be touched. The school he had been admitted into wasn't too outrageous like some college tuition's and he received a scholarship and he also had a part time book that helped him pay for his supplies.

They hadn't had to borrow money then and Daryl wouldn't want to borrow money now.

But Beth couldn't image how they'd be able to swing a yearly tuition for Abby for the amount that the private school was asking for.

Maybe she could leave her job at the daycare center and begin homeschooling Abby. When Daryl quit his job at the auto garage, he had been worried because that's what Daryl did. He worried – and always about money. Daryl was one of the hardest working men Beth had ever known because he refused to ever have someone say his name along with the word "lazy". Too many Dixons before him had never done anything and Daryl was nothing like the others before him. He had proven that time and time again.

But even with them down one paycheck, he did other work that had more than made up for it. Her daycare check wasn't much but she had gotten little bumps in pay over the years – not much by any means but every little bit helped. And between the random work he still did on people's cars in their garage and the meat he hunted and sold, Daryl brought home enough money, too. Not to mention his woodworking business. That was what really brought home money – more than he ever made at the garage. Daryl's name was growing and becoming known throughout the entire state of Georgia. He had built himself a nice little carpentry business and it kept him plenty busy with work.

But even being comfortable financially in their life, that didn't mean they would have enough for a private school in Atlanta for their daughter.

Her mind wandered back to homeschooling.

She finally got herself into the bathroom to begin getting herself ready and after taking a quick shower and brushing her teeth, she stepped from the bathroom into the bedroom, holding the towel around her body, and Daryl was in there now, too, standing in front of the wardrobe, getting his church clothes together.

He looked over his shoulder to see that it was her – as if he was expecting it to be someone else – and without a word, Beth came to him. Her arms slipped around his waist and her head turned and rested on his chest and Daryl's arms were around her, too, his chin resting on top of her head. It had always been one of his favorite things; how well her body seemed to fit perfectly against his.

The first time she had done this, hugged him and found herself to be the perfect size to fit against him as if they were molded together, she had closed her eyes and smiled to herself. His heartbeat had filled her ear – steady and strong – and Beth knew that she didn't want to hear anything else for the rest of her life except Daryl Dixon's heartbeat.

She exhaled a soft sigh and Daryl's arms tightened around her. "I've been thinking…" she began but then trailed off, wanting to choose her words carefully. "I think we could manage it, if I didn't work at the daycare center anymore…"

"Wanna home-school?" He asked and she was grateful this man could read her mind.

"Maybe just for this year… maybe get her out of there for a while," Beth said though deep down, she couldn't imagine it actually getting better as the kids got older.

Daryl was quiet and she didn't say anything else because she knew he was thinking it over. That's what they both had to do. They just had to take a while and think it through. Homeschooling was a big decision and a big responsibility. Beth knew she could do it. She had been teaching little preschoolers and younger for years now, yes, but teaching her own daughter would be different. There would be science and math, history and English lessons, but they'd be able to have class outside some days and Beth would be able to draw up lesson plans that were more tailored towards Abby's interests and maybe, this was something that could really work.

If it was something Abby would want.

Beth would have to do a bit more research and talk with the school and see what they had to do, what sort of arrangements and paperwork that had to be done, before pulling Abby out of that school.

Daryl moved his head and then his lips were on her hair, kissing her, yes, but more like just resting them there than anything. He didn't say anything and she didn't either and she knew they had church to get ready for but neither seemed ready to step out of the other's arms quite yet.

The Dixon family sat in the same pew every week and in the pew in front of them, Hershel and Annette, Maggie and Glenn along with their daughter, Meg, always sat. Beth led the way and sat down first with Abby sitting down beside her. She wasn't wearing her aids this morning but for once, Beth hadn't told her to put them in so she could listen to the sermon.

Beth took church very seriously. She had grown up in a religious home and had gone to church every week and was a firm believer of God and their faith. When she had married Daryl, she knew that he hadn't been but he came to church because he knew it was important to her and when they had children, it was never a discussion as to if they would be raised in the church or not.

But this morning, Abby made herself deaf to everything around her and Beth let it slide because her daughter was hurting and Abby was just like her dad. Sometimes, they just had to removed themselves from everything around them. So, as Father Gabriel was up on the altar, talking about the passages he had read from this morning, Abby looked ahead but wasn't hearing much except quiet murmurs. She wasn't completely deaf. The doctor saying that as she got older, she would lose more and more until yes, she was completely deaf but for now, she could hear sounds – low and as if they were under water and she could never hear them clearly.

And Beth admitted that she wasn't really listening either. Her thoughts were too occupied with the girl sitting beside her, drawing patterns on the flowers of the dress she wore with the tip of her index finger. Was home-schooling the best answer? It would seem a bit more realistic to the family than a private school in Atlanta that they probably couldn't afford no matter how well Daryl's business was doing. And Daryl did absolutely anything for his children but Beth knew he wouldn't want to borrow the kind of money that it would probably take to get Abby into that school.

So, the special school in Atlanta was more than likely not even an option to entertain. And they couldn't leave her in school where her classmates teased her on a daily basis.

Beth slid her hand over and covered Abby's and the girl lifted her head, turning to look at Beth, and Beth smiled faintly and Abby gave a matching faint smile in return. She turned her hand over so her fingers could interlock with Beth's hand and Beth gave it a squeeze. Abby leaned over and rested her head on Beth's shoulder and Beth rested her cheek on top of Abby's head.

At the end of the service, Father Gabriel had some announcements to make.

"The fall bake sale is next Sunday following service. Please bring money to purchase as many goodies as your stomachs are able to handle to help support our church and help with our fund to help get us that new roof we are in need of. I know gluttony is a grave sin but I think the Lord will understand when it comes to the delicious goods that the wonderful ladies of our congregation always bake," Father Gabriel smiled at them all.

"Also," he continued. "We have a new family who has just moved into our little town and have joined our church. Please take a moment to welcome the Conway family."

There was applause directed towards the family of three in one of the pews in the middle of the church and then, with that, service was finished.

"What are you going to bake for the sale next week, Abby?" Annette asked her granddaughter as they all walked out of the church.

"Strawberry pie," Abby signed to her and Annette smiled at that.

"You make the best strawberry pie in the county, Ms. Abby," Hershel smiled. "I think if that was the only thing that was sold next week, we'd get that new roof in no time."

Abby smiled faintly and blushed and lowered her eyes to the ground. Her hand was still encased in Beth's and Beth gave her a smile and gentle squeeze.

They had discovered Abby's talent when she was a little girl and wanted to try and bake cupcakes for the first time. They had bought her an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas and after that, if she wasn't off somewhere with one of her books, she was baking something. And she was amazing at it. Beth had always thought her mama was the best baker she had ever known but her own daughter was quickly rising the ranks to surpass that. Hershel was right and it wasn't just proud boasting from a grandfather in regards to his granddaughter. Abby's strawberry pie was delicious and slices of it would sell out next Sunday within minutes.

"Talked to Father 'bout puttin' the roof on myself with help from T," Daryl said. "Man turned me down though. Said the church needs to come together and work for what we need. That we can't rely on only a couple of men."

"The man is right," Hershel nodded. "Seems like we're going to rely on Abby's strawberry pie instead," he said with a smile.

"Good morning," a voice greeted and the family turned their heads to see that it was Ms. Brandt, standing there, smiling at them but looking as if she was apologizing for imposing upon them.

"Good morning, Ms. Brandt," Beth smiled at her and looked to the pretty small woman, imagining her dating her husband's cousin, Ray. It certainly didn't seem like it would be a couple that worked – Cecily with the bible in her arm and Ray with his tattoos – but people had said the same thing about her and Daryl when they found out about them.

"Hello, Abby," Ms. Brandt then smiled to the girl but Abby's eyes were still turned down to the ground and didn't hear her or even know that she was there. Beth gave her daughter's hand a gentle squeeze and Abby lifted her head, seeing her teacher there, and Cecily said hello to her again.

Abby didn't say anything. She just gave a small smile in response and lowered her eyes again. Beth saw the way Ms. Brandt's own smile slipped a little. Beth knew this woman was a good teacher – kind and fair – and she could control the kids while in the classroom but not when they were out and Abby's teasing wasn't her fault but looking at the woman, Beth could see that she definitely blamed herself for it.

"You got a second to talk?" Daryl asked suddenly and Beth looked at him with surprise but he was looking at Cecily.

"Of course," she nodded immediately – as if she already knew what this was about – and Daryl then looked to Beth.

Beth kissed Abby's head and Abby looked at her. "Stay with your brother and grandparents," she signed and Abby nodded and Hunter, having heard, nodded, too.

Together, Beth and Daryl then stepped away with Cecily, walking away from their family and towards one of the Southern Oak trees growing on either side of the church, Daryl's hand light on her back, as if to let her know that he was standing right here with her; as if she would expect him to be anywhere else.

"I just want to apologize right now for what happened on Friday," Cecily said before they could say anything.

"It wasn't your fault," Beth said with a shake of her head.

"Still, it was in my classroom. I took Max Moraine out into the hallway immediately and talked with him," Cecily told them. "He did seem sorry. Almost as if he regretted it the instant he made the comment. I told him that he had to apologize to Abby but I take it that he hasn't done that yet."

Beth shook her head. "Not yet…" she didn't know if she should hold her breath for that or not. "Daryl and I have been thinking of something and I wanted to do a bit more research on it before talking with you but no time like the present." Her eyes trailed up to Daryl but he was looking at her and not saying anything. Beth exhaled a deep breath and looked back to Cecily Brandt. "What would it take for us to start homeschooling Abby?" She asked.

And she watched as Cecily seemed to completely deflate in front of them – as if that was the last thing she ever wanted to hear.

Once home, Abby went upstairs to her room and then came down again with a book in her hand and no shoes on her feet. She stood in the kitchen and looked to Beth.

"Just be sure you're home by three for dinner," she said and Abby smiled before turning and running out the back door. Beth watched her for a moment, watching as she cut across the yard and the field beyond that, disappearing into the trees a moment later.

Glenn and Daryl had stopped off at his and Maggie's house after church before coming back to the Dixon farmhouse. Something was going on with the water heater in the basement and Glenn knew his brother-in-law was much better at that kind of stuff than he was. Hunter came downstairs, changed out of his church clothes, and after grabbing an apple from the bowl on the table in the kitchen, he went off to go work on his car in the garage and his younger cousin, Meg, followed after him, Maggie calling after her daughter to not get her clothes all dirty. Meg waved a hand through the air back at her with a nine-year-old attitude and Maggie sighed, rolling her eyes.

"It's punishment," Maggie said, leaning against the counter as Beth pulled a pack of chicken breasts and legs from the freezer to defrost in the sink for dinner. "I was an absolutely terrible girl when I was that age and now, God has given me Meg as punishment so I can now understand everything I put daddy and Annette through."

Beth smiled but didn't comment – mainly because she absolutely believed that was the truth. Meg was such a sweetie but she definitely had something of an attitude that only the daughter of Maggie Greene-Rhee would be able to develop. Beth was just silently grateful that Meg was Maggie's daughter and not hers.

"So, what's going on?" Maggie asked. Beth turned to look at her. "You're quiet and keep looking at Abby and Daryl is always frowning but it usually breaks up after a while. This frown seems pretty permanent on his face."

Beth sighed and shook her head. "It's nothing. Abby's getting picked on and she… she's just so unhappy and Daryl and I don't know what to do."

Maggie slammed her hand down on the counter suddenly, startling Beth. "Those little assholes. Really? They're making fun of a deaf girl? What the fuck is the matter with them? Who the hell are these parents?"

Beth agreed with everything her sister had just said but she wasn't able to say it. She could only nod because she felt a lump in her throat and her eyes began burning.

"You remember how kids are at that age," Beth was able to say then. "No one's allowed to be just even a little bit different."

"She's not different," Maggie frowned, looking like the fierce aunt she was. "Just because she has hearing problems doesn't make her different. And even if she was, so what? What the hell is so bad about being different? Beats being like one of these small-minded idiots. I'd rather be barefoot in the woods with Abby any day."

And Beth smiled and nodded in agreement even as tears splashed down her cheeks because that was exactly how she felt.

"Hey," Daryl said suddenly, surprising her. She hadn't expected him home yet - Glenn wasn't much of a handyman and Daryl liked to look over everything when over there – and she hadn't even heard him come into the room. "Gonna need to plan for one more for dinner," he said.

"Who else is coming?" Beth asked.

For the first time all morning, it looked like Daryl wanted to smile as he stepped aside, showing to Beth who was standing behind him in the hallway.

"Luke!" She exclaimed and with her tears momentarily forgotten, she hurried to go and hug her oldest, and she never seemed to realize just how much she missed him until he surprised them with little visits like this on the weekends. And he couldn't have picked a better time to come back home.


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