CHAPTER SEVEN
Beth and Daryl entered the lavish banquet hall that was now serving as a mess hall. Beth couldn't help think that this hotel, from the looks of the beautiful red and gold décor, would have at one time hosted happy events such as weddings. Now the tables were scattered about and left uncovered. There were stains on the carpet where blood must have pooled at one point. However, the buffet tables were serving their intended purpose, but instead of prime rib and ambrosia salad, it was serving canned vegetables and squirrel.
They were immediately greeted by Scott, who let out a loud whistle drawing everyone's attention and silencing the room. Scott definitely ran things around here, judging by the way the others looked at him.
"Hey y'all, we got a new couple joining us. This is Beth and Daryl. Please make them feel welcome," he announced loudly then he clasped Daryl's shoulder and nodded toward his table where his wife and two sons were eating. It felt so weird to Daryl to be part of a couple, especially with the young woman standing next to him. He had never been part of a couple, had only had cheap one night stands. Daryl had never even spent the night with a woman until Beth, now he couldn't imagine not feeling her body heat, smelling her vanilla shampoo, and the way her soft curves pressed into his toned body.
"This is my wife Jessi and our boys Seth and Josh," he introduced as the boys gave a respectful hello, and the tiny blonde woman with tan, almost leathery skin stood and gave Beth a hug.
"Welcome! Oh look at you!" she said, pulling back and looking at the young woman's belly like they were long lost family members.
"Oh Scott she looks just like Stacey." Jessi cooed. Sorrow filled Jessi and Scott's eyes.
Scott cleared his throat to explain, "Was our oldest daughter... she didn't make it..."
Daryl didn't know what to say but of course Beth did."I'm so sorry to hear that... my momma and brother didn't make it," she looked down.
The men looked at each other knowing that these women already had a silent bond. Jessi insisted that Beth take a seat while the men went to get plates.
"You guys look like you have a great set up here from what we've seen so far. I can't wait to take a bath! No offense but how have y'all fared so well?" Beth asked in her nicest sweetest tone, not wanting to offend their hosts.
"Scott and Abraham were both in Iraq together; they put together a great watch system." She nodded toward her husband seeing that he was talking Daryl's ear off and said, "By the looks of your husband, I'm sure mine is recruiting him for watch duty and fence reinforcements," as the men made their way back to the table and Daryl placed a heaping plate of food in front of Beth.
"Daryl's going to be helping us with watch and reinforcing the fences. I told him to take a few days to get settled, but he insisted on at least helping with the fence tomorrow." Scott informed the table with a smile; he seemed to like Daryl already.
Daryl took his seat by Beth and she reached for his hand under the table.
'This is nice. I like being open with whatever we are here,' Beth thought as she ran her thumb across the calloused skin of his strong hand and dug into her plate. In light of everything he had said to her today, she felt it was ok to be openly affectionate with the man who loves her.
"So tell us about yourselves, what did y'all do before the turn?" Jessi asked.
"I was a student and Daryl did odd jobs, he traveled a lot," she said. Beth actually knew that Daryl was just drifting around with his brother, but she thought traveling and doing odd jobs sounded better. She also thought it was wiser to say she was a student, leaving out the small detail that it was high school not college.
"How did y'all meet? One of his odd jobs?" Jessi asked leaning her elbows onto the table, resting her head on them with interest. She looked like she was anticipating a whirlwind romance of a love story.
"No we met after the turn...we're not married. Daryl saved me, pulled me out of a really bad place...and some really bad things," Beth said looking down at her plate.
Jessi got the hint that it was a sore subject and let it drop.
After they were finished eating the older couple offered to give them a tour of the community, which they accepted. First Scott pointed out to Daryl the points on the top of the building where they had four men on a watch each shift. They also showed them where supplies were kept. They had set up two supply closets, one for personal and household items and one for food. All the items were in organized rows, which reminded Beth of a show she used to watch about extreme couponing.
Scott asked if they would be willing to share the items that they had collected for the whole community. Daryl agreed with little hesitation because they were going to be using their supplies as well. Up the hall from the supply rooms, Jessi showed Beth the school room where she was teaching all the children basic reading and writing skills as well as math. It looked like it had at one point been a small break room for the hotel employees, but it was now a makeshift classroom with a few tables, an old chalkboard and a small rugged reading area.
"I could help with some of the children if you'd like. It's not like I'm very useful otherwise," Beth offered, running her hand over her stomach.
Daryl smiled a little at her action, feeling like maybe being in a place with more permanence and other families was making her feel more accepting of the life growing inside her. 'Or maybe she heard what I said,' he thought. They really hadn't had more than a few minutes alone to talk since they had arrived.
"That would be wonderful. The bigger kids aren't any trouble; it's the little ones you could help with and give you some practice," Jessi smiled softly at Beth. "How far along are you anyways?"
"About four and a half months, but Auri says I need to be monitored closely because of my blood sugar. Baby wants more then I'm making for it," she replied, now resting both hands on her stomach.
Daryl wanted to pull her into his arms and hug her tight; he was filled with the feeling of relief from her actions. He was so glad she was acknowledging the baby now. His fear that she would check out and leave him with a little one was beginning to subside. He couldn't take his eyes off her; it wasn't until the third time Scott said his name that Daryl realized he was being talked to.
"Jessi's gonna take Beth back to the room so she can rest. I wanna introduce ya to some of the guys on watch," Scott said, and the men headed off to the outside again.
"I'm sorry for asking all those questions. Something obviously bad happened to you out there," Jessi apologized as they approached Beth and Daryl's room.
"It's ok. I'm really sorry about your daughter," Beth looked down at the keys in her hand.
After an awkward pause Jessi whispered "S'okay." Raising her voice a little she continued, "We're right across the hall, if you need anything else let us know. The boys are a couple doors down; if they get outta hand just knock on the door and tell 'em to keep it down. You know how preteen boys can be," she rolled her eyes.
"Will do, and thank you for everything. I feel like I can finally start focusing on the baby here...not just worrying about surviving," Beth said with a smile.
"We're glad to have you. I'll wake you two up for breakfast tomorrow, we start our lessons after we eat. Get a good night's rest; the kids will put you through the wringer, especially in your condition." Jessi bid her goodnight.
Beth entered their room, noticing immediately that Scott's people had dropped off their bags and all the newborn items in their suite. She made a mental note to ask tomorrow if anyone else needed any new baby items. She didn't remember seeing any children under the age of three, but that didn't mean there weren't any.
Beth let out a sigh of relief as she made her way through the dimly lit room to her pack on the couch. She was still able to see by the light from the setting sun coming in through the glass window panes. She pulled out her stash of candles and set them up around the room, lighting them as she went.
She then went into Daryl's pack for his candles to light up the bathroom so she wouldn't have to sit in the tub in the dark. As she pulled out the candles, her hand brushed something fuzzy but firm.
Curiosity getting the best of her, she pulled out the item. A smile crept across her face as she saw the soft fuzzy blanket with colorful dancing bears on it. 'A baby blanket,' she laughed a little and tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. Unfolding the baby blanket, she found the What to Expect When You're Expecting book, and the tears streamed down her face.
She traced her fingers along the outline of one of the bears as she flipped open the cover of the book to the table of contents finding a section on development. She flipped through the pages and found several images of fetal development over the course of the pregnancy. She quickly found the 16 week image that looked like it was from one of her science textbooks from her tenth grade biology class. There was a description underneath it that described her baby to be the size of an avocado. The baby in the image was sucking its thumb with its legs curled into its chest. She was in a full out sob now and went from tracing the bear on the blanket to running her delicate fingers around the fetuses facial features then down to its arms.
"Beth, ya ok?"
She heard Daryl as he closed the door behind him and approached her. She hadn't heard him come in over the sound of her own sobs, sitting on the bed with her back facing the door. She felt his large strong hand spread across the small over her back as she felt him peering over her shoulder. Daryl saw that she had found his small gift for her, seeing that she was already looking at the guide book for pregnancy.
"I'm so sorry. I wasn't snooping. I...I was just looking for candles. Please don't be mad," she breathed out heavily between words. She felt his weight shift onto the bed behind her, his thigh brushed against her backside, he gently swept her flowing blonde hair over her opposite shoulder.
"S'okay, it's a gift for ya anyways," he said in a low gravely tone. She turned to face him, their thighs pressed together.
"Thank you. You didn't have to. I-" she began, but he interrupted her.
"It's nothing, I wanted to...I've had it since ya told me ya were pregnant," he said in a hushed tone as he gently wiped away her tears as he had a hundred times before.
As he waited out the long silence, he watched the flickering flames illuminate the soft pale skin of her face, dancing through her waving blonde hair, and couldn't help but think, 'Man, she's beautiful. I love this girl...this woman.'
Beth leaned into his calloused hand and lifted her large blue eyes up to meet his. As the blue of her eyes met the blue of his, she finally asked the question that weighted heavily on her mind all day, "Daryl, did you mean the things you said in the store today? The things about us?"
He chewed on his bottom lip for a few seconds then answered with and nod and a "mhmm."
He held his breath thinking that maybe he had overstepped his boundaries with her and the baby when she let out a smile.
"Walker proof white picket fence and all?" she questioned.
"Picket fence and all," he repeated.
"Why would you do this for me? Take care of me and the baby?" She asked not wanting to ruin this but they needed to talk about this before their relationship went any further. Daryl took a few deep breaths looking down at his hands now resting in his lap.
"Cause us...we have a connection, all that shit we survived through and I ain't talking about the walkers. I can't explain it but I feel like we were always supposed to be together. Beth ya know me inside and out like no one else does. Ya know things I never knew about myself until I met ya. Beth it's 'cause I... love you...every part... and that baby's part of ya," he breathed out his confession like it he was being interrogated in a small room with a bright light and Beth was the officer in the room.
Beth cupped Daryl's strong jaw line lifting his chin so his eyes met hers."I love you too Daryl. Every part of you." She smiled and pulled him in for a passionate kiss. He rested his hands on her swelling hips. Chills ran the length of Daryl's spine; all the hair on Beth's arms stood at attention as goose bumps arose on her skin, and neither of them had felt this way about another person.
They simultaneously pulled out of their passionate embrace, gasping for air like they had been held underwater for minutes. As they stared into each other's eyes, neither of them was sure what the next move should be. Beth's eyes were sparkling as she pulled the book he had stashed for her into her lap and pointed to the 16 week picture.
"The baby's the size of an avocado," She said with a little laugh running her finger down the scientific image of the fetus leg.
"Avocado? Our baby is like guacamole?" he asked jokingly with a laugh and a half smile. That was just what they needed to break the seriousness in the room.
Beth's smile almost passed her ears when he referred to the baby's as "ours," making sure he emphasized that word. Daryl gently ran the back of his knuckles against her cheek, his eyes memorizing the way her smile imprinted the skin around her lips and large pools of blue.
"What?" she asked, shyly looking away from his gaze.
He hesitated to answer, but after all the nights they had spent wrapped up in each other's arms in his tiny tent, he knew he could tell her anything."Ya got this light in ya eyes...it was burnt out for a while, after everything back on the farm. Saw it turn on a little the day we left, then it went out again when ya were scared about the baby. Now it's back and burning bright again," he made his observation.
She looked up into his eyes then back down again. "I was scared. I mean I still am but having you by my side and being here, I feel like it's ok to have hope again," Beth said, looking into his eyes.
Daryl leaned into her, pressing his lips to her forehead, leaving her with a feather light kiss. As he retracted his body he confessed, "I'm scared too... but we're in this together."He could feel the heat radiating off of her body and onto his skin, giving him impure thoughts of what he wanted to do with her now that they had confessed their love to one another.
'Stop. The girl was raped; she might not ever have a healthy physical relationship. Isn't having someone like her loving ya enough?' he asked himself. ''Sides she's got a baby inside her, probably can't be physical , yer a dirty old man,' he cursed at himself. He stood up from the bed, taking the candles she had collected with him. He cleared his throat and said,
"I'll light these, get ya things for ya bath".
He entered the bathroom, setting the candles in several different areas so light could illuminate her as she bathed. He let the warm water start to fill the tub as he went around lighting candles. The thought of the soft glow of the warm yellow light was enough to drive Daryl crazy with desire. 'No. She's gotta make the first move. She's gotta be ready,' he battled with the growing images in his mind of her lips on his as she was under him, rocking her hips into his and whispering the words of love and acceptance that she had spoken to him only moments before, accompanied with breathy moans of desire. He didn't realize he was so deep into his fancy until he heard Beth enter the bathroom.
"Daryl?" she drew his attention, he quickly adjusted his half-hard self and turned to face her as she entered placing her clean night clothes on the counter.
"Hmmm?" he muttered.
"You're gonna overflow the tub." She giggled.
"Shit," he hissed quickly turning off the water then letting some escape down the drain. He looked away from her, embarrassed that he was too busy fantasizing about her to pay attention to the tub. Beth walked over to where he was standing, his hands loosely hanging at his side, she ran her hands down his forearms and laced their fingers. Beth pressed her chest into his, the feeling of her soft breasts against his hard muscles driving him even wilder than the images he was having seconds before.
She nuzzled her forehead against his and captured his lips with hers. Pulling away she whispered, "Thank you," dismissing him from the bathroom.
As he made his way to the door, she hung onto his hands until the last second. He smiled looking down at their barely laced fingers before they broke contact. No one had ever held his hand, not even his mother as a child; she always clung tightly to his wrist dragging him along. Beth always seemed to work her fingers into his, like that's where they belonged...like they belonged together.
He shut the door completely and Beth was left alone with her thoughts. Until today, she didn't know how to handle this life she was carrying, but Daryl had made it ok to be happy about this because they were doing it together. As she stripped down, her mind drifted back to the family she had left behind. 'How could they not see how amazing this man is? I'm so lucky to have him. I love him,' she sighed as she sunk down into the warm bath he had drawn for her.
She just relaxed for a bit running her hands over her puffy stomach. She thought maybe she should apologize to her baby for the unholy thoughts she was having about it until today. She held her hands around her belly button in a heart shape under the water.
"Hi baby...it's your mommy. Umm I'm not so sure what to say other than I'm sorry for the things I've done...the bad things...hurting myself." Her voice shook and a few stray tears left her eyes. "I didn't mean for you to think I hate you baby...because I don't, I love you in a way I'm not exactly sure I even understand because we haven't met yet. I just wish you would have been created out of love, like what Daryl and I share. Daryl is a good man, he says he's going to take care of you like you're his own. He says its cause he loves me. He's nothing like the man who gave you to me...Daryl is wonderful."
Beth cried to her stomach then made a silent vow to the universe that if she ever got the chance she'd make Shane pay for what he did. She let herself cry for a few more minutes than forgave herself for all the things she'd apologized to her baby for. Starting now, there would be nothing but hope and faith for Daryl, the baby, and herself: her little family.
A/N: THANK YOU TO MY AWESOME BETA'S DONTBLINK AND RCKYFRK! They are amazing and help make this story! They are as much a part of it as I am!
