…

Chapter Thirteen.

Working in an orange grove is much like working in an apple orchard. It's damn hard word – a lot of back-breaking labor that ends the day with him collapsing in bed. There are three other guys who work the rows in his section of the massive Sunkist orchards with him – Shane, Bob and Tyreese. Bob and Tyreese were both in the war, too, but had been stationed over in the Pacific and the four spend their time exchanging stories from different sides of the world.

Getting a job at the grove is easy enough and Daryl and Beth get themselves a little white house that had been built in a row of identical little white houses for the other workers and their families.

Beth has never had a home that belongs to her and just her and she spends her days fixing it up just the way she wants. Every night when Daryl walks through the door, he hears her humming from one of the rooms and she comes hurrying to him when she hears that he's home.

There's nothing better in Daryl's opinion than Beth rushing up to him and throwing her arms around his neck, peppering his face with kisses after a long day of work and for those first few minutes, he forgets how sore and tired he is.

…

He makes a little above minimum wage. Fifty cents an hour and it's good money and he feels like that if this keeps up, he'll have absolutely no problem taking care of Beth. And anyone else who comes along. He's still not really on board with the idea but she has mentioned having a baby a couple of more times since getting to California and Daryl has resigned himself to the fact that it will probably happen though he's not that happy about the idea, if he's being honest with himself.

He gets Sundays and Mondays off and he always makes sure to use one of those days to take Beth somewhere. She usually wants to go to the ocean and she can spend hours, just sitting in the sand and watching the waves.

He takes her to Grauman's Chinese Theatre one afternoon and they look at the different foot and handprints. Clark Cable, Gary Cooper, Myrna Loy. Daryl makes sure he gets a picture of Beth kneeling in front of Judy Garland's prints and seeing how their prints differ.

Beth laughs as she stands up and brushes her hands and knees off. "We definitely have to send that one to my parents. They'll love it," she says and he nods, smiling a little himself, handing her back the camera.

They go get burgers and shakes and Beth is always on the lookout for a celebrity. Daryl wonders if she notices the people stealing glances at her, trying to figure out whether they've seen her before or not, wondering to themselves if she's famous.

Daryl doesn't doubt that he's married to the prettiest girl in all of Los Angeles.

…

There's a kid who works at the grove with them. Zach. His dad's a foreman and Zach works in a section not too far from his. Zach's in his early twenties and had been enlisted, too, but he hadn't seen too much except cleaning out the planes once they returned to the base. He's good-looking and closer to Beth's age and Daryl always scowls when he sees him smiling in Beth's direction.

Beth is nice to everyone and smiles at everyone and Daryl tries to remind himself of this when he comes home one evening after work and Beth is standing on the porch and Zach is standing on their walkway, smiling up at her and talking with her.

"Hey, you," Beth's face lights up the instant her eyes see Daryl and he grunts a hello before stepping up onto the porch beside her.

He looks to Zach as Beth lifts herself on her toes and gives his kiss a cheek and though Zach's smile has faded a little, it's still on his face and Daryl feels like punching something. Preferably him.

"Dinner's just about finished cooking. You want to go inside and wash up?" She asks him though he knows her well enough to know that it's not really a question. More like a gentle order.

Daryl gives his head a nod and goes into the house though he's reluctant to do so and leave his wife alone outside with that pretty boy. But Beth comes inside just a handful of seconds later and he hears her humming in the kitchen.

"What'd he want?" Daryl asks, coming into the kitchen, sitting down at the table.

"I went to the store earlier today for baking cocoa but they were all out. Zach was bringing me some that his mom had in her kitchen," Beth explains, setting the table with plates and silverware. "I promised him a slice of the cake I'm going to bake."

Daryl grunts but doesn't say anything to that. Seems harmless enough and he trusts Beth. He has no reason not to. And he has no reason to be jealous. Beth makes it a secret from no one – especially him – just how much she loves him.

…

Shane is having a blast living in Los Angeles. Tyreese is married to Karen and Bob is practically married to Tyreese's sister, Sasha, so Shane hangs out with the other single men working at the grove. His main companion besides Daryl is Len and Daryl takes one look at him and feels like he's known the guy his whole life.

A rough and tumble kind of guy. Trashy. Loves trouble. Uneducated. Growing up, Daryl knew nothing but these kinds of guys. Hell, if it hadn't been for the war and enlisting, Daryl knows he would have been just like them. Len didn't fight. He has some sort of twitch that got him medically exempted from the draft and Daryl knows there was a part of Len that's pissed off about it. He has said more than once that he had wanted to go over there and kill some people. Shane just laughs loudly at that but Daryl always frowns to himself when Len says that. He had killed people in the war and he doesn't think there is a damn thing glamorous about it.

Shane and Len usually go out after work, going to various bars and restaurants throughout the city and they always invite Daryl to come even though he usually always turns them down. He likes going home to be with his wife and he doesn't think there's anything wrong with that.

"Whipped to the extreme, he is," Shane says to Len loud enough for Daryl to hear. "Course, he went and married himself a young lil' number and you just know she's got the stuff to keep a man in her bed."

If it was anyone else saying those things about Beth, Daryl wouldn't hesitate in punching him but this is Shane. He's the closest thing Daryl's got to a brother anymore and he can't just go around, punching his brother. So he just shoots a scowl at him which only makes Shane grin and laugh.

"Yeah, I've seen her walking around," Len agrees. "Definitely the hottest gal I've seen in a long time. What she see in you anyway, Dixon?"

Daryl shrugs and doesn't answer, taking a puff of his cigarette instead. It's definitely something he's asked himself every day since Beth married him.

…

Christmas comes. Their first Christmas together and his first since being back in the States. They go to the drugstore and buy one of those artificial green trees and Beth picks out ornaments and lights and garland. They set it up in their living room in front of the large picture window and they listen to Bing Crosby singing his holiday songs as they spend the day decorating. Daryl's never decorated a Christmas tree before and Beth has his place the star at the top when they're done.

"It's our tradition from now on. Every year, you'll put the star on top of our Christmas tree," she smiles up at him.

Daryl knows he takes her aback when he leans down and suddenly kisses her but it's only for a second before she loops her arms around his neck and kisses him back. He doesn't even take her into their bedroom. He winds up making love to her right on the floor of the living room beside their Christmas tree.

…

"This is why I ain't never gettin' married, man," Shane frowns. "I like my balls and your lil' wife keeps yours in a jar underneath the bed."

"She does not," Daryl frowns back and he can't help but bristle at the statement. "I can do whatever the hell I want and Beth knows that."

Shane smirks now, as if that's the most amusing thing he's ever heard. "Does she?"

Daryl just keeps frowning at him.

He doesn't know why it's bothering him so much. Shane always says that to him whenever Shane asks him to come out with him and Len and Daryl never pays any attention to it. But he looks at Shane and Shane is looking at him knowingly as if he already knows and he's just waiting for Daryl to catch up and figure it out.

Daryl is still scowling when he stomps into his house.

"Hi," Beth smiles at him from where she's ironing in the living room. "I have a plum pie cooling on the counter if you want to try the first slice."

"I'm goin' out with Shane," he informs her without any kind of prelude.

"Oh!" Her eyes widen for a moment as she looks at him. "Where are you going?" She then asks and she's just being curious and Daryl knows that but he thinks of Shane's knowing smirk and he just frowns at her.

"I ain't askin' for your permission," he then informs her.

Beth looks at him with a mixture of stun and surprise and she shakes her head slightly. "I know you're not, Daryl-" she begins to say but Daryl cuts her off by turning around and heading for the door again.

"I'll be back later," he tells her over his shoulder and with that, he leaves again.

…

There are girls at the bars and restaurants Shane and Len go to who are attracted to service men like bees on honey. And the setup is pretty easy. Shane and Len buy girls dinner in exchange for their company.

"So they're hookers."

Daryl frowns once Shane explains it to him and he sits there, wondering why the hell he was so stubborn about coming out with them. He could be home with Beth and really, that's all he ever wants. But instead, he's here and there's women smiling at him and looking him up and down and Daryl just keeps frowning.

"Only if you want 'em to be. Some want the evening to go that way. Some don't. Some just want a meal," Shane says and claps a hand on his back before heading towards a girl at the bar.

Daryl is just about to turn and walk back out but a girl suddenly appears at his side.

"Hi," she says and smiles up at him. Her skin is pale and her dark hair is twisted into some fancy up-do and her lips are a dark red.

Daryl looks down at her. She's older than Beth. At least he thinks she is. Beth is young and she looks young. She wears simple dresses and likes walking around barefoot and hardly wears any makeup. His wife is a country girl. Girls out here are like a whole other breed and he wonders how long they take, getting themselves ready to go out. They always look like they're waiting to be photographed.

"I've never seen you here before," she continues, the same smile across her lips.

"I'm married," Daryl tells her and holds his hand up so she can see the ring.

She doesn't even bat an eye though and keeps smiling. "Married men have to eat, too, don't they?"

…

Beth's in bed when he comes home and he's quiet as he strips down to his boxers and undershirt. He knows he smells like cigarette smoke and perfume and he wants to be able to explain himself before Beth gets the wrong idea about what he did tonight away from her.

He eases himself down in the bed beside her and he listens to her breathing, soft and deep and even and he knows she's asleep. He lays there and figures he'll explain himself in the morning when they eat breakfast. He doesn't think Beth will think the worst of him but he just wants to be safe. She didn't marry a cheater. He isn't his old man who had probably never been faithful a day to his mom and he needs to make sure that Beth knows that.

He makes sure he doesn't touch her as he tries to go to sleep.

Even though he hadn't done anything with that other woman, and hadn't wanted to do anything, he still feels guilty like he did. He doesn't know if he deserves to touch Beth right now.

When he wakes up the next morning, Beth is already gone from bed and he smells breakfast in the air.

He heads across the hall to find her at the stove, wearing one of his white undershirts and her hair pulled back in a braid. He hesitates for a moment, as he always finds himself doing when he looks at her before reminding himself that he can, and he goes to her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.

She doesn't stiffen or startle and she continues scrambling the pan of eggs.

"Daryl, I'm pregnant," she then informs him, quietly, so bluntly as if she's just informing him that the sun did in fact rise that morning.

Daryl forgets everything he had wanted to tell her from last night and he steps back. He can feel his head start to spin and he holds onto the back of one of the chairs at the table to make sure he stays steady on his feet. Beth moves the pan from the stove's burner and then turns to look at him.

She's looking at him with her big eyes and she looks nervous and scared and hopeful all at once and Daryl blinks back at her. He knows she wants him to say something but he doesn't know what that should be. It's been no secret that she's been wanting a baby and it's been no secret that he's been unsure about the whole damn thing.

"It's mine?" He hears himself ask though he honestly doesn't know why he does.

Beth lets out some sort of gasp. "What… what kind of question is that?" She stutters.

There is so much hurt now, flooding in her eyes, that Daryl can't look at her anymore. And he doesn't know what to say either. He has no idea where that question had come from. As if there was even the remotest possibility that the baby in Beth's belly right now isn't his. He had absolutely no reason to ask her something like that and almost wishes she would slap him for that though he knows she never would do something like that.

So, he doesn't say anything else. He still feels the room – or his head, he can't be sure – spinning around him but somehow, he manages to turn around, turning his back on her.

"I gotta get ready for work," he mumbles and leaves the kitchen, heading for the bathroom, wondering if he's going to be sick because his stomach is rolling like he is.

He can't be a dad. He doesn't care what Beth has said to him. He's a Dixon and what the hell does he know about being a dad? He didn't have an example of one growing up and Beth knows all of that. But she just kept pushing for a baby because it was what she wanted and she clearly doesn't give a damn about him or what he wants. She doesn't care that he's scared or unsure or that his back is riddled with scars from his own dad. She doesn't care about any of that. Beth only cares about Beth and what Beth wants.

Maybe Shane's been right this whole time about who's really in charge in this marriage. He never would have ever thought Beth as being selfish but her getting pregnant and standing there with that hope in her eyes, like she was expecting him to be happy, too, it's starting to really piss him off. Hell, no, he isn't happy.

He feels his sickness being replaced with growing anger as he gets himself dressed.

When he walks past the kitchen for the front door, he pretends he doesn't see her sitting at the table and he pretends he doesn't hear her crying. He pretends he's the only one in the house right now and when he leaves, he hears himself close the door a little too loudly behind him but he tells himself that he doesn't even notice.

…

"You better slow down, Daryl, or you'll collapse," Tyreese warns him as he holds out a cup of water for him to take.

Daryl feels the sweat pouring down his face and back and the muscles in his arms are aching from having picked pound after pound of oranges that morning. He stands on the ladder for another moment before catching his breath and looking down to Tyreese, giving him a slight head nod, admitting that he's right.

He comes down the ladder and leans against it, out of breath, and takes the cup of water from Tyreese, taking a greedy chug. He can hear ambulance sirens somewhere off in the nearby distant and the laughter and talk of the other men the sun is beating down on them. For only being February, it's damn hot out.

"Is everything alright?" Tyreese asks him.

"Beth's pregnant," Daryl hears himself mumble and looks to Tyreese as the large man breaks into a wide smile.

"Congratulations!" He exclaims but his smile starts to fade as Daryl has no reaction to his words and takes another sip of water. "Not congratulations?" He ventures.

Daryl just shakes his head and Tyreese's smile is completely gone now.

"Daryl!"

Someone screams his name from somewhere through the trees and Daryl immediately pushes himself from the ladder, his eyes trying to find the person who's screaming his name in a way that makes his blood go cold.

"Daryl!" It's Sasha and she's running as fast as she can. She bursts into their row and she stops as soon as she sees him, gasping for air.

"What?" He demands of her, going to her, his own heart beginning to pound rapidly as if he is the one who has just sprinted a distance. "Wha' is it?" He takes hold of her arms and almost shakes her.

"It's Beth. You have to go. They're putting Beth in an ambulance!" Sasha gets out but that's all Daryl waits to hear before he's the one taking off now, running through the trees as fast as he can towards the rows of houses, the whirring of ambulance sirens getting louder in his ears.

…

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