Thank you for all of your feedback on the last chapter! A lot of you seemed to approve of Beth putting Maggie in her place and I'm so glad you did because I wasn't sure of whether or not I wrote the last chapter well enough or whether I made Beth be a little too harsh on her sister. I'm just happy you all seemed to enjoy it!

Also, I can't believe I have over seventy reviews for this story, along with over seventy followers. You're all so amazing and really motivate me to write this story and it's so nice considering the fact that I never even thought anyone would even bother to read this fic except me, myself and I. I honestly can't thank you enough!

Not as much happens in this chapter but it is an important one in terms of pushing things along with Beth and Daryl's relationship. I hope you enjoy it!


Today had been a busy day.

Beth had just finished her shift at the hospital - which had been as eventful as always - and was now on her way over to the Grimes' house to babysit Judith. She wouldn't have needed the extra money anymore now that she was working, but she got paid monthly and wouldn't receive a penny until the end of her first month of work, so she was pretty broke at the moment.

She supposed that she probably had enough saved up to get her by, but she didn't want to dip into her savings anymore and besides, she enjoyed looking after Judith and saw it more as doing a favour for a friend instead of it just being a job.

Beth had been pleasantly surprised to find out that Daryl and Rick were good friends. No, they were better than good friends - best friends, actually. Beth wasn't certain how they knew each other, but they had apparently known each other for years and Beth wondered how she had never known that before. Daryl had spoken to her on the phone at lunchtime that he was going out for food and drinks with a friend that evening, and Beth had told him to have a drink on her because she would be stuck in babysitting Judith so that Rick could go out for food and drinks with one of his friends.

Daryl had chuckled and told Beth that she wasn't very observant. Beth had been confused at that but then she had laughed when he explained that he was the friend that Rick would be going out with that evening. He carried on teasing her for it and Beth eventually told him that she could blame it on the fact that she was mentally drained from work and that he couldn't expect her to be quick about things when she was still in hospital mode.

So when she pulled into Rick's driveway, she wasn't surprised to see Daryl's bike parked outside of the house. Her mama had dropped her truck off the day after her big fight with Maggie, but Beth had still been at Daryl's house and hadn't been there to see her mother when she left the car.

Beth thought that it was strange that she had babysat Judith for so long and never bumped into Daryl at the Grimes household; but then she supposed that now that Rick was filing for divorce, he had more time for his friends and would want to get out of the house more, too.

That was mostly the reason why she didn't mind watching Judith for him. She couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry for Rick. He was a lovely man and always seemed happy enough with his wife. Lori Grimes was also a lovely woman and Beth couldn't help but think that her behaviour had been so out of character for someone who seemed to have the perfect life.

Beth liked Lori Grimes just fine, but the one thing that she couldn't get her head around was the fact that the woman had just up and left Judith and Carl in Rick's care. Beth wasn't sure where Lori was living now, but there were rumours that she had left town completely and had abandoned her children in the process. Rick was still having to work with Shane on a daily basis because they were partners and at the moment, the force would not allow them to switch partners because of 'personal drama'.

She had tutted at hearing that and Beth thought that sleeping with your partner's wife surely wasn't just seen as personal drama. It was more than understandable that Rick wouldn't want to work with Shane, especially when the affair had been going on for years behind his back and now people were even entertaining the idea that Judith could be Shane's daughter.

Beth knocked on the door and grinned when Daryl opened it instead of Rick.

"Hey," she said.

Daryl nodded his head at her and stood to the side so that she could walk in. Beth wondered if Daryl had told Rick about her and the fact that they were dating now. They hadn't had the conversation, but she had stayed at Daryl's house more than once now and he had stayed over at hers, too. Plus they had slept together several times and he was going to be taking her out again this weekend, and Beth thought that if that didn't count as dating, then she really didn't know what would.

"Hello, Beth."

Beth wandered into the kitchen where Rick was greeting her from and stood in the doorway for a second, watching as he struggled to get Judith to eat her food.

She let out a hearty laugh when Judith spat the food out and it would have hit Rick straight in the face had he not moved away quick enough. Rick turned around and smiled at her.

"I take it this isn't the first time that's happened?" Beth smiled as she approached him.

Rick just shook his head and watched as Beth bent down and began to talk to Judith who was sat in her high chair. Beth picked up a spoonful of food and pretended to eat a little herself before placing it in the child's mouth and watching as she swallowed it greedily.

Beth smiled up at Rick who was just shaking his head at her.

"Don't know how you do it, Beth," he said, running a hand through his hair.

Beth just laughed and carried on feeding the baby before saying goodbye to both of the men. Rick told her that he would be back around half ten but she insisted that he didn't hurry home.

"Have a good night," she had said, her eyes dancing from Rick to Daryl. "Both of you."

"Thanks, Beth," Rick had said. "Carl's stayin' at Michonne's again, so it's just the two of you."

Michonne was a good friend of Rick's and also a colleague of his and Carl had stayed there plenty of times, even when Rick and Lori were still together. Michonne had lost her own son, Andre, when he was still a toddler in a tragic accident along with her boyfriend at the time and she had always had a soft spot for Rick's teenage son. Beth had never had a conversation with the woman, but she had seen her around town several times before.

She always looked angry and her presence was a little intimidating and some people liked to think that she had gone mad after loosing her child, but Beth thought that she seemed harmless enough. After all, who wouldn't be a little cold after losing their only child?

"No worries," Beth had nodded, shooing the pair of them out of the door. "Have a good night."

"I'm sure we will," Rick said before he shut the door, leaving Beth and Judith alone.


It was gone midnight when Rick returned home. He apologised to Beth for being late but Beth just smiled and told him it was fine.

"I've got to get going," she said when he offered her a drink. "Thank you, though. Give me a call if you need me to watch her again, won't you?"

"Don't worry, Beth," Rick had smiled. "I won't be askin' anyone else to babysit her before you."

Beth had grinned at that and waved goodbye to him, walking down the driveway to her truck. She blinked a few times as she caught sight of Daryl stood in front of the driver side door, shocked to see him there at first, but then she was smiling at him and laughing a little as she asked him what he was doing. Daryl just shrugged his shoulders casually and pushed himself from where he had been leaning against the car.

"Waitin' for you," he told her simply.

"For me?" she asked, batting her eyelashes playfully.

Daryl just rolled his eyes at her and she giggled before walking towards him and wrapping her arms around his neck. He tensed up a little at first and Beth waited until he had relaxed before she placed a soft kiss to his lips.

"Time are you workin' tomorrow?" he asked.

"Ten," she told him, and he nodded his head at her. "I'm working ten 'til six for the rest of the week."

Daryl looked at her like he wanted to say something so she waited patiently for him to get out the words. She didn't rush him, not wanting to put more pressure on him. She knew that it was hard enough for him to get out what he wanted to say without her making it worse.

"Alrigh'," he said.

Beth knew that he wanted to say something more - she could see it in the way he was looking at her, like he was troubled and struggling - and Beth swooped in to save him.

Reading him was starting to get a lot easier and she was quickly becoming more confident with understanding whatever he was trying to tell her with his eyes and with his body language.

"Would you like to come home with me?" Beth asked.

Daryl let out a breath and nodded his head once. She couldn't help but grin at him as he initiated another little kiss before he pulled away and went to put his bike in the back of the truck.

Beth watched him as he did so and jumped a little at the sight of Rick looking out at them from his living room window. He had a knowing smile on his face and nodded his head at her in acknowledgement. Beth bit her lip in an attempt to stop herself breaking out into a full-on grin and just nodded back at him.

Her gaze lingered on Rick in the window for a little longer until Daryl gave her a strange look and asked her if she was ready to go. His own head turned towards the window, but Rick had quickly shut the blinds just before he could realise that they were being watched.

"You alright?" he asked as Beth started up the engine to the truck.

She just offered him a lazy smile and told him that of course she was alright. Daryl didn't look convinced - narrowing his blue eyes at her and frowning a little - but then she pushed herself forward to him and placed a kiss on his cheek and his lips were twitching into a little smile as she set off back to her apartment.


"Daddy?"

When Beth had walked in to her apartment, she had not been expecting anyone to be there. She lived alone and always made sure that she locked the door behind her when she went out, because she supposed that you could never be too safe - even in a little town like this. She knew that Daryl was working late tonight because she had only rang him about half an hour ago as she was leaving the hospital and he had told her that someone had brought in a broken down car just as he was about to close the garage and that he could do with the extra cash anyway, so he didn't mind working late.

So when she first walked through the door and heard someone shuffling about in her living room, Beth went into instant panic mode. Thankfully she hadn't just straight up ran out of there and called the police and had instead chosen to nudge the door to her living room open slowly so that she could get a good look at her intruder before she went and did something stupid.

Her father turned round from where he was making his way over to the couch and gave Beth a warm smile. She placed her bags down on the floor and went over to give him a hug.

"What are you doing here? How did you get in?"

Hershel reminded Beth that he had a spare key and she let out a little laugh, shaking her head before telling him that she was going to go and get changed out of her uniform. She threw on a pair of pajama shorts and one of Daryl's flannel shirts that he had left there the other night. His shirts came to her mid-thigh and she always had to roll up the sleeves because he was so much taller than her, but she loved wearing them anyway.

Beth left the top three buttons open but made sure to button up the rest. She didn't want to give her father a heart attack, after all.

She called from the kitchen to ask if he would like a drink and then poured them both a glass of iced tea when he accepted her offer. Beth grabbed an unopened pack of biscuits from one of her cupboards and scattered a few on a plate before bringing it into the living room along with the drinks and placing them on the coffee table.

Hershel had already switched on the television and was flicking through the channels as she plopped down onto the opposite couch.

"How are you, Bethy?" he asked as she took a sip of her drink.

Beth shrugged her shoulders casually.

"Not bad, thanks, daddy. Work's exhausting, but I'm really enjoying it. How are you?"

Hershel nodded as he bit into one of the biscuits she had put out for him. He had a sweet tooth, just like her, and she had lived with him all too long to know just how much he would appreciate the little gesture.

"Good, thanks, sweetheart."

A comfortable silence passed between them as both of their attentions turned to the television as the news came on. Hershel cleared his throat after a few minutes and Beth turned to face him once more.

"There is a reason I dropped by," he said. Beth didn't say anything and let him continue. "You know how I hate you and your sister fighting, Bethy. It's not good in my old age to be worryin' about you girls like this, but I can't help myself."

No he didn't just play the 'in my old age' card.

Hershel knew that Beth was softer than her sister and mentioning things like that would get to her. She wanted to be cross at him for using her weaknesses against her, but she could never be angry at her daddy. She knew that he meant well - he always did.

"Daddy, there's nothing to worry about."

"I've not seen you so angry at your sister in a very long time."

His blunt words were said in a soft tone and Beth knew that he really couldn't help but worry. He had always been protective of his children, particularly his girls, and she knew that it had been hard on him when she finally left home. He had never told her that but she could see it in his eyes the day that she left and even though he had supported her financially as she struggled through her degree, she knew that he would have preferred for her to stay with him and her mama for a little while longer.

Beth supposed that with that knowledge, him hearing of her bringing Daryl home from a bar wasn't something he would be best pleased about, either; but she was a grown woman now and she could make her own decisions. As much as she loved and respected her daddy, she needed to live and have fun and she didn't regret that night - even if was a little out of character for her.

If she hadn't have brought him home that night, then who knows where they would be now and she didn't want to think like that. Not when she was so happy with Daryl.

"What she did wasn't fair, daddy. I know you don't wanna hear it, and I'm not gonna tell you either, but there are so many things that I kept a secret for Maggie over the years. I did it 'cause she was my sister and I loved her and she asked me to. And I never asked her for anything in return, and I was gonna tell you and mama - I swear I was - but when the time was right for me. And she knew that and she told you anyway."

Hershel looked at his youngest daughter with empathy in his eyes and Beth knew that he understood what she was telling him. It wasn't just the fact that Maggie had told her parents, it was the betrayal she felt because of it and the fact that she had been let down by her sister when she thought she was somebody who she could trust.

"Maggie's talkin' about people gossipin' about me, but that's exactly what she was doin' the other day. I wish that you could have found out about me and Daryl by me comin' to you and bein' happy and gushin' to you both about this man who makes me happier than anyone else. But I don't get to do that and it's because of her."

"I know you don't agree with Maggie's actions," Hershel began. "But that doesn't change the fact that you two are sister's. You don't have to agree with one another and that's what I told Maggie, too. I do wish you would have told me about the Dixon boy a little sooner, but I understand your reasons for keeping it to yourself at the time. I just wish that you girls wouldn't fight like this."

Beth let out a sigh as she took in her daddy's words. She didn't want to fight with Maggie either, but it was hard not to when she couldn't even stand the thought of being in the same room as her.

"Are you really happy, Bethy?"

"Yes," she answered without hesitation.

Hershel smiled at that.

"I am happy, daddy. Happier than I have been in a long time and I know what you've heard about him, but Daryl is a good man. Even if nobody else thinks so, I think so, and that's all that matters. Maggie can think what she wants and I don't care for it at all, 'cause I've thought a lot about the men she's brought home before and she's never listened to me, either. So why is this any different?"

Hershel nodded as Beth spoke and he just carried on smiling at her the whole time.

"All that matters is that you're happy," he finally said. "You know that your sister will come around. She's stubborn as a mule but she loves you and you love her. You just need to give it a bit of time."

Beth nodded her head at her father.

"But Bethy, I don't want you two fightin' still. An' I don't want you not comin' round to see me and your mama 'cause of her."

"I know, daddy," Beth sighed. "And I won't stop comin' round."

Hershel nodded his head at her.

"Good," he said. "Then I expect to see you on Sunday?"

"Of course," Beth smiled.

"And I expect that you will be bringing this Daryl Dixon with you?"

Beth couldn't help it as her smile faltered at her father's words.

He wanted her to do what?


So following the huge argument between Beth and Maggie, Hershel has decided that it's time to meet his youngest daughter's love interest. (You knew it was coming, didn't you?)

I've read quite a few Bethyl stories on here (Ok, that's a lie, I've read a LOT) and whilst I have very much enjoyed the ones where Hershel doesn't approve of Beth seeing our favourite Dixon, I'm not going to have him like that in my story. I don't know; I guess I've always seen Hershel as being a really understanding and empathetic character and I think he wouldn't necessarily just judge Daryl like everybody else.

That's not to say that I don't enjoy reading stories where Hershel is very overprotective of Beth and disapproves of their relationship, it's just that it doesn't really fit the way that I've written him and the way that I see him in my mind. I definitely think that he is a protective father but in my story I would like him to be silently protective, unlike Maggie who is all guns blazing and basically a bull in a china shop. I hope that makes sense and that you can all understand why Hershel is quite accepting of Bethyl. (Also there isn't the whole age difference issue in this because I've made Beth a bit older and Daryl a bit younger, and eight/nine years isn't too big of an age gap, right?)

I'm also debating bringing Merle into this story a little bit more. A few of you expressed a keen interest in him when he came to the hospital but he's not actually been a proper character in this story as of yet. Is that still something you would like to see? Let me know and I'll see what I can do. I might bring him into the next chapter as I'm going to start writing it later on this evening.

Anyway, please review and let me know what you think of this chapter!