BPOV

"Welcome back to Atlanta" I said as we passed the city limits sign. "Do you think everything is going to be okay?" I questioned Daryl looking over to him in the passenger seat.

"Yeah I think it's gonna be just fine." He said. I shrugged my shoulders and kept on going. Merle had sent a text to the phone he gave us giving us the address for the meeting with the Governor. The city was as beautiful as I remembered it, the city views incredible. "Turn right up here." He said quietly. I could feel the nerves rolling off him in waves. He was putting on a brave face for me but I knew better.

"When this is over you are so getting lucky." I said coyly.

"Beth."

"What?"

"Your teasing me and it's not fair."

"Life aint fair Dixon." I chuckled. I looked over to him briefly and could see his smirk.

"You said you had somethin' to tell me before, what is it?"

"It can wait until we are home. Don't worry about it." I told him keeping my eyes focused on the road ahead of me. Out of the corner of my eye I could see him shrug it off. Thankful that he isn't putting pressure of the situation.

We arrived at the old coffee shop location just in time for the meeting. There were men standing guard outside the doors. I slipped out the door of the truck and waited for Daryl to join me before walking into the building. "Ready?" Daryl whispered in my ear.

"Ready." I whispered back. We walked in and found a very charming looking man with an eye patch sitting at one of the tables in the center of the room. Merle was stood off to the side watching. "Hello." I said to the Governor as I extended my hand for him to shake.

"Hello." He replied. "Please take a seat." Daryl and I did as he instructed. "Merle tells me you are his brother and sister in law."

"Yes sir." I said.

"I found your contract that Martinez had you sign when he hired you at Crimson." He told me pulling out the mound of paperwork. "You skipped out a year early." I remained quiet unsure of what to say. "You can defend yourself now."

"Mr. Governor sir, in my contract it clearly states that my job was to dance. Martinez demanded that I perform other tasks for clients he had brought in. I am not comfortable with what he was demanding so I told him no. That is when he told me to go. After that he tried to kill me for breaking the contract." I told the governor.

"And who was this client?"

"I don't know, I was just a dancer I didn't know the names of clients."

"Why should I forgive his grudge on you?" He asked.

"Everyone deserves a second chance?" I tried forming it as a question. He chuckled sadistically. I flinched back slightly at his laugh.

"Well well well Mrs. Dixon while everyone should get that they don't. This is the real world and I don't generally believe in giving second chances. However if you give me a really good reason I don't see why I can't pardon you, after all your problem was with Martinez not me." I looked down at my shaking hands, a tear falling from my eye. I looked up at Daryl who was staring at me worriedly. "Well dear do you have a good reason for me?"

"Um… I am… I am pregnant." I looked back at Daryl who wore a shocked expression, his eyes dark as he processed the information. I turned my gaze from my stunned husband to the man who held our fate in his hands.

"A child. The most precious thing in the world, children need to be protected." He started rambling.

"Yes sir. I um I am not very far yet and if you let us go we won't move back to Atlanta. We have a home away from here."

"What about your other family?" He questioned.

"They don't live in the city, we will stay away from the city. We can make that deal." I said getting flustered.

"And your brother Shawn?" I gasped as he mentioned my brother.

"Is being an idiot. I will get him to stop. To stay out of the city." He laughed this time a little more amusing. Daryl reached out and grabbed my hand holding it tightly in his own. "I will make sure my family never steps foot in this city again."

"Well young lady I am going to grant you that pardon, you and your husband have a shot to raise that child growing within you. My terms to keep you and your family safe is that none of you are to enter Atlanta, if any of my men catch sight of either of you or the Greene's they will kill you on the spot. You have 48 hours to get your affairs in order. After that…"

"Oh thank you sir. Thank you so much." I said standing up and reaching my hand out to shake his once again.

"Merle, that means you too. Your time in this city is over." He said looking over at Merle who stepped forward slightly. He nodded his head and walked towards the door.

"Well Darylina, Peach looks like I need a place to stay. You got room in that secret place yall are livin'"

"Yeah for now." Daryl replied. The Governor ushered us out the door, the sky was dark as rain began to fall in heavy droplets. We rushed to the truck as Merle beelined to his bike.

….

"Let's go see your parents." Daryl said as we pulled out onto the freeway. "We aint got anything in this city no more."

"Daryl we need to talk about…"

"You didn't tell me Beth. Why?" He asked. I looked down at my intertwined fingers.

"I was planning on telling you at home. I had a plan, but I realized in there that, that was the only thing that would give us our pardon."

"How long have you known?"

"Only for a few days." I told him. My eyes filled with tears as I looked over at him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah Beth. I'm scared as hell but I'm okay." He said. "Are you okay?"

"I'm better than okay Daryl, we are having a baby." I squealed. I actually squealed. He laughed slightly as he looked over at me quickly again. "I'm so happy Daryl."

"Me too."

The drive to the farm didn't take nearly as long as I had hoped. The idea of seeing my family again scared the hell out of me. On one hand I miss them all terribly but on the other I still remember what it was like last time I was home. Now I am coming home with a husband and a baby on the way. I can only hope my parents don't lose it on us. We used the phone to call Shawn to tell him to get out of the city and to meet us at the farm. Luckily he was already away from Atlanta having listened to Merle when he said not to get involved any further. Daryl pulled the truck down the long familiar driveway. The farm house came into view shortly after. My mother was leaning over a flower pot on the steps and my father was walking back towards her from the house. I could see a light on in the upstairs window telling me that Maggie was home as well. My mother looked up at the sound of the truck pulling in to stop next to my father's old blue pickup. I climbed out of the truck Daryl following me slowly. "Mom." I said rushed toward her. She pulled me into a tight hug immediately.

"Bethy, my dear." She cried into my hair. My father came up behind us, hugging me close.

"Hi Daddy." I cried.

"My darling, doodlebug you had us all so scared." He whispered. Daryl stood behind us awkwardly. Shawn emerged from the farmhouse with Maggie in tow.

"Dixon." Shawn said as I pulled away from my parents grasp. Shawn walked over to Daryl and hugged him quickly. "You takin' good care of my baby sister?"

"Ya." He answered with a head nod. I went to hug my sister quickly who held on tightly.

"Hey Maggie." I smiled through my tears.

"Don't ever do that again Bethy, we missed you like crazy." She said through her own tears.

"I promise." I replied. "Well lets go inside and maybe eat something I am starving and then we can talk a bit before Daryl and I head home."

"Home?" My dad questioned.

"Yes we have this great piece of land in Mississippi, we built an amazing home. You will love it." I told them. My mother smiled warmly at me as we made our way inside the familiar house. I held tightly to Daryl's hand as we sat in the living room.

"So tell us, how are you enjoying being married?"

"Wait what?" Maggie asked confused.

"We got married last year. It's a really long story but we are very happy." I told my family. My mother brought out some snacks for us as we all sat around talking about the last year. We told them how no one was to enter Atlanta or it would be a death sentence. We decided to stay for a few days, my parents were quick to accept Daryl into the fold.

….

We were saying our goodbyes a few days later, tears and hugs were exchanged. "Well we will have to have you all over for a big BBQ soon." Daryl said shaking my father's hand.

"We look forward to it son." Came my dad's response. "Drive safe you too."

"Yes sir, I most definitely will."

"Oh mom dad I want to tell you before we go. Daryl and I are going to be parents." I smiled. My mother squealed as my sister rushed to hug me again. After another nous of talking we finally got back out on the road and headed home. "Thank you for a great few days." I said leaning over to kiss Daryl's cheek.

"It was a great few days. And hey I still look forward to what ya promised me a few days ago." I smiled as I chuckled at him.

"Oh yes."

Well I hope you all like it. The next chapter will be an epilogue of sorts to finish it off. Please review and let me know what you think. I really love hearing what you say.