A/N: Feels like I've been working on this chapter forever but it's finally done! I've had to write in bits and pieces as time has allowed and it took forever to finish! So sorry for the wait but I hope you all enjoy! Also, fair warning, I'm helping my mom take care of a litter of kittens so I'm going to be even more busy in the next few weeks. Hopefully I can get some writing in but don't worry if there's a delay. I haven't stopped writing this story and don't plan to stop any time soon! Anyway, thank you for all the reviews and follows! You all mean so much to me and I couldn't have gone this far without your encouragement!


Daryl stared down at the sleeping dog and wondered how the hell he'd ended up here. He'd never had a dog in his entire life and now here he was, staring down at the little still face like he knew what he was doing. He didn't put down roots, didn't look after anyone other than himself. How in the hell was he supposed to take care of a creature that couldn't even tell him what was wrong?

Yet his hand had rested just on top of the dog's head, like it had a mind of its own and knew it belonged there. There was something about the animal that pulled at his heart, made him want to be more than he was, made him want to care. It was stupid, the thing would probably die despite what Hershel had said, and he shouldn't get attached. His mind told his hand to move, told his body to leave the dog and the house behind, to run away but… his hand continued to gently run a thumb over the small head beneath his palm and ignore everything his mind was screaming at it. The little dog sighed and his heart joined his hand in the war against his mind and in that moment he knew all was lost.

"Guess I need to name ya, or somethin'," He muttered absently to the little white pile of fur. "Maybe Beth'll have some idea."

Unbidden, a smile crossed his face. It was a small smile, most likely unnoticeable to anyone that didn't know him, but he could feel it stretching the corners of his mouth and making his lips twitch. He realized he'd never smiled so much in his life as he had since the night he'd finally accepted Hershel Greene's invitation to dinner. It felt like for the first time he had things to look forward to, people to care about and who cared about him. People invited him to dinner and barbecues, cooked for him and trusted him to fix things, even talked to him and didn't mind when he didn't talk back. For the first time he felt at home, wanted and accepted.

The feeling made him uneasy and skeptical, like any moment someone would yell surprise and chase him off the farm, laughing at what a fool he was to think they'd ever want him around. He found himself almost constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop, for it all to end and for him to return to his real life. The idea of ever going back to what he'd been made him hurt inside, another unfamiliar emotion. He'd always kept himself numb, staying distant from everyone and everything that could hurt him, and now it seemed like he'd given these people the power to do just that without ever having meant to let them.

He froze at the thought, trying not to let it sink in, not to let it take root and manifest into a reason to start pushing people away. He didn't want to keep running, to be afraid. For once, he wanted to know what it was like to be part of something. He didn't know when that desire had first started to gain way in his mind but something told him it was the night he'd first had dinner at Maggie's, as part of the Greene family. In that moment, strangers had welcomed him into their lives and had shown him things he'd never dared to want, things that now felt like they might be within reach.

The little dog let out a soft whiffle and he returned his attention to it, frowning at the introspective turn in his thoughts. He shifted his weight a little and mumbled, "Ain't never had nothin' to look after. You gotta understand that goin' in or this ain't gonna work." The dog's eyes opened and the good one focused on Daryl with a patient stare. Daryl felt that stretching in his lips again and added, "I ain't gonna hurt you." The dog let out a long sigh, closing its eyes slowly again as if it understood that it was safe now and was cool with training a new human in the art of pet care.

There was a soft knock on the shed door and Beth suddenly appeared, an uncertain smile on her face. "Hey, everything goin' okay in here?" Her eyes darted between Daryl and the dog, probably noting the way Daryl's hand had barely moved from the animal's head since she left.

Daryl nodded, "Yeah, he's still doin' alright, I think. Don't know much about dogs." The dog opened its eyes again as if it heard that but then it closed them again with another long but content sigh. Daryl frowned, watching the animal, and added, "He keeps doin' that." Beth let out a soft chuckle and Daryl turned slightly to eye her. "What?" He finally asked, noting patient look on her face.

Beth laughed again, smiling at him as she stepped forward to slowly, very gently, stroke the dog's neck just below his hand, "Nothin' it's just nice that this poor little guy has someone to look after him now." She looked up at him, her gentle smile easing the tension that'd grown in his chest as she'd moved closer. He told his body to get its shit together and quit acting so damn weird as she added, "Sighing is okay. Just means he's relaxed."

They continued to stand there for a while, stroking the injured animal gently and not speaking. Finally she looked up at him again and said softly, "Oh, I forgot to tell you. Daddy said he talked to Dr. Morales and he'll be able to do the surgery tomorrow. He said he'll take him in the morning for pre-op and stay at the clinic through recovery, if that's okay? I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you visited the dog at the clinic, if you'd like."

Daryl shrugged a little, "Alright with me. Probably in better hands with your Dad anyway."

"I doubt that," Beth argued gently, "He's your dog now and he trusts you. He couldn't be in better hands."

She let out a small laugh and Daryl asked, feeling puzzled at her sudden amusement and wondering if he'd said something dumb without realizing it, "What?"

"It just occurred to me that this little guy doesn't have a name yet. Any ideas?" She replied, looking up at him hopefully.

Daryl resisted the urge to shrug again, answering, "Was hoping you'd have some. Ain't never named nothin' before."

Beth's face lit up at his response and she asked quickly, "Really?"

"Yeah, I trust ya," Daryl replied, feeling a little warmth rise in his face as he noted the excitement and happiness on her face.

Beth chewed her lip in concentration for a moment, considering her options. Daryl watched her as she mulled over her options, noting the way she chewed her lower lip as she thought. She stared at the dog and Daryl imagined he could see the wheels turning in her mind.

Finally she looked up at him with a wide smile and suggested proudly, "How about Lucky?" Daryl couldn't help it. A snort escaped him before he could stop it. Beth continued to smile, unfazed, and replied, "I'll take that as a no?"

He felt his lips curve into another smile as he replied evenly, "Ain't lucky. Wound up with me."

"Sounds lucky to me," Beth responded cheerfully. He didn't want to argue, opting instead to stay silent, still watching her. Finally she sighed dramatically, "Fine. I'll think of something else." She watched the dog for a moment before glancing up at Daryl again. After a moment she added, "Maybe if I knew more about you, things you like?" She turned to face him squarely and asked with mock seriousness, "Tell me about yourself, Mr. Dixon."

"Ain't much to tell," He mumbled, looking away and hoping she'd change the subject. He'd rather talk about cupcakes and nail polish as she'd once threatened than talk about himself.

"Oh come on," She pressed, smile fading but her face turned up to look at him, hope making her blue eyes wide. "Start with the easy stuff. What's your favorite color?"

"Green," He responded almost without thought. He glanced at her, meeting her eyes and saw a determination mixed with patience in them that suggested she was going to keep going until she was satisfied. He chewed the inside of his cheek as he waited for the next question, hoping it would be just as simple and would stay away from bad childhoods and imprisoned family members.

Her lips curved into a slow smile then and she asked, "Green, huh? Not much of a name for a dog though and confusing when so many of us around here have that name." He felt the warmth in his face rise to the tops of his ears as her smile broadened. Damn, he really shouldn't speak, not ever. He shrugged, wishing he had a cigarette.

She visibly forced the smile back down into a small smirk and added, "Well, my favorite color is blue, just so you know." When he finally looked back at her she tacked on, "Not that you really need to know just… well, anyway." Her cheeks flushed a little as she looked back at the dog and he relaxed a little as he realized he could make her blush too.

"Best paint them shutters blue then," Daryl replied and her eyes shot back to his. He looked away after a moment as her smile started growing back into a full blown beam, and added, "On your house, I mean."

Beth nudged his arm a little and joked, "It's like we have one mind, Mr. Dixon." He let out another soft snort, suggesting she was crazy, and Beth laughed, changing the subject back to the task of naming Daryl's newest family member, "What about naming him Harley? You know, because you have a motorcycle?"

Daryl straightened a little to flick his free hand in derision, "Hell girl, that ain't a Harley!"

Beth gave him an innocent stare and asked, "It isn't?"

He scoffed, shaking his head at her, "Nah, it's a Triumph."

Beth bit back a smile in the face of his disdain for her lack of motorcycle knowledge and replied, "Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to offend you."

After glancing over at the barely contained laughter on her face, he shrugged, looking back down at the furry white pile, "Don't matter."

"Okay, well I guess Harley is out too, huh?" Beth asked, returning her attention to the dog as well, frowning a little. After a moment she conceded, "I guess I'll have to think about it for awhile. When it comes to naming animals I go for cliche over unique."

"You did alright," Daryl mumbled, keeping his eyes on the dog's white fur beneath his fingertips. "Your names ain't bad just… ain't him."

Beth nodded solemnly and leaned down to whisper in the dog's ear, "Don't worry, sweet boy. We'll think of something." The dog's tail thumped once half-heartedly against the table as if to say sarcastically I can't wait and Beth glanced up at Daryl, "He really is your dog, isn't he? I didn't even get a full tail wag out of him."

Daryl shrugged, feeling a swell of pride, "No point in waggin' for just anythin' just like there ain't no point to sayin' ten words when one is enough."

He could see Beth studying him from the corner of his eye and he felt his face warming again. He cleared his throat a little uncomfortably and after a moment she replied, "I guess I should keep that in mind. I always seem to use the ten words as opposed to the one."

Daryl quickly backtracked, wishing he'd kept his fool mouth shut, "Nah, you're alright." He mentally rolled his eyes at himself as the response hung in the air and quickly added, "Don't mind listenin' to ya."

He glanced over at her then, hoping she understood, that she could somehow tell from his few, poorly spoken words that he wouldn't care if she talked to him all day, that he didn't mind listening to her because she somehow made sense to him in ways no one else ever had. After a moment she nodded slowly, a small smile on her face, and replied, "Good."

After standing awhile in silence, listening to the dog's soft snore, Beth asked, "Hey, I forgot to mention, I'm makin' dinner if you want to stay. Just baked chicken with potatoes and tossed salad but I'm also throwing a chocolate creme pie together while the chicken cooks. Sound good?"

Daryl nodded, looking over at her with a small smile, before adding mischievously, "Ain't gonna make cobbler this time?"

Beth nudged him a little and laughed, "No, I don't have time." She shrugged unapologetically and quipped, "Plus, if I fed you cobbler with every meal we'd all be 500 pounds!"

She disappeared out the door after receiving another small smile from him, and he watched her go, wondering how in the hell that girl always managed to pull full sentences and grins out of him, not that he minded really. After a moment of pondering the closed door she'd disappeared through, he faced the dog and mumbled, "Girl's a damn mystery."

The dog thumped his tail once, eyes still closed, and Daryl thought for a moment before adding, "How 'bout just callin' you Dog for now? I ain't fancy and from the looks of ya, you ain't neither." He leaned forward a little and asked quietly, "How 'bout it, Dog?" Dog thumped his tail once and Daryl felt another smile tug on his lips as he stood. Beth would probably laugh and demand another name but he liked it. It was simple, enough to go on for now, and he stated more firmly, "Alright. Dog it is." The tail hit the table with another steady thump as if agreeing.