Quick Update: Michonne has arrived at the estate and told Daryl and Beth the fate of the some of their group. Michonne is leaving to collect the group.
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Although he felt guilty for leaving Beth for just a minute, Daryl walked to the estate gates with Michonne driving the car. Telling her to take care and get back soon, he ran back up to the house.
Beth was sitting on the front steps, she looked almost shell-shocked. He sat beside her, pulled her close and waited for her to speak.
"I wanted to go to Maggie," she said.
"I know, but I wanted you to see her again somewhere safe. Where you can laugh and cry with your sister and not have to worry about walkers. She'll be here soon."
Beth was somewhere between laughing and crying already. "We can't just sit here. We have to cook... for how many? Maggie and Michonne." She counted on her fingers, grinning now. "Rick and Carl and Judith! Sasha and Tyreese and poor Mika. So many. I need you to get that rabbit ready. C'mon..." She stood and with a determined glare, pulled her kitchen-hand to his feet.
They made what Beth called a 'cheat's curry' with canned chicken curry, fresh rabbit and diced canned vegetables. She'd measured out enough rice for eight and was griddling her flat bread on the huge barbecue that Daryl had moved by the kitchen door. The time passed quicker than she could have hoped, every now and then she would feel a wave of excitement at the thought of seeing her sister, Judith and everyone else soon. When that happened she had to force herself to concentrate on the task at hand.
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After spending time in the kitchen, then putting fresh towels in all the bathrooms, Daryl began to feel that he was running an end-of-the-world guest house. After two hours, he was waiting by the estate gates for a sign of headlights, Beth stayed up by the house to open those gates too.
Mrs Grant's car, driven by Michonne, lead the mini convoy in. Maggie was next to her, she looked pale with dark eyes, her brave smile was a strong contrast to Michonne's happy grin. Maggie had the window down, the first words she said to Daryl were, "Where is she?"
"Waiting for you..." Daryl pointed up to the house gates that she was opening. Maggie turned to Michonne, encouraging her to drive on.
Sasha gave Daryl a cheery wave from the back seat, Mika next to him just looked at him with wide, blank eyes.
Tyreese was driving the people carrier behind them, Daryl thought he looked relieved more than anything else. Beside him, Rick looked thrilled, he jumped out of the vehicle and slapped Daryl on the back. "This place looks solid," were his first words, then he shook Daryl's hand. "It's a relief to see you again. Look!" Rick pointed at Judith who was strapped into the backseat, next to her brother. She was copying Carl, waving with both hands as they drove up to the house.
Rick looked around with interest as Daryl locked the gates. "What's the lay out of this place?"
"Four houses all with their own gates and walls, at least four bedrooms, bathrooms and lots of downstairs rooms in all of them. Only two or three bodies in each house to clear, but we should all fit in the one house we've been using until we want to spread out."
Rick nodded at the information. "Beth been okay? She must be devastated about her dad."
"She's been very focused on finding Maggie and everyone else." Daryl didn't want to say too much. "She's looking forward to seeing Judith again."
"Judy's missed her too." There was an audible shout of joy from the group gathered at the house. Rick looked across at Daryl. "C'mon, time for a reunion."
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When Daryl reached their driveway, he saw Carl passing Judith to Maggie so he could hug Beth. Daryl felt a twinge of irritation, but told himself not to be an idiot and welcomed Tyreese and Sasha who were looking up at the house with Mika between them. The little girl almost hid behind Sasha's legs when Daryl said hello to her, so he didn't press her for a reply. Judith was quickly passed to Beth who was certainly happy to hold her. Daryl saw Beth's eyes fill with tears as the little girl patted her face.
Rick kissed Beth on the cheek. "She's been missing you, always looking around for you."
"She's gotten bigger."
"Yeah, not sure if she's been eating well enough though."
"We found some food that should be great for her age. Are you hungry, Judy? Ready for dinner? Do you remember Daryl?" Beth stepped closer to him. "You wanna hold her? She's getting heavy!" Beth and Daryl tangled arms as she passed Judith to him. Beth wondered if anyone noticed they were comfortable touching each other, but thought she might be getting paranoid. She thought Daryl was right, this didn't seem like a good time to announce that they were married, there was time to tell their story later.
It was clear Ass Kicker did remember Daryl, she patted his face too and took hold of a handful of his hair, as she looked around at all the faces watching her. Daryl wasn't sure if she was the right size for her age, but she certainly seemed stronger than before. He saw Beth share a quick hello with Tyreese and Sasha, then she dropped to her knees to talk to Mika who still looked overwhelmed at all the activity.
Daryl wanted to watch Beth's interaction with the little girl, but had to concentrate on his brief conversation with Maggie as he was worried he might look too distracted.
A few minutes went by before Beth said, "I hope everyone's hungry, we have a curry for you. Mika's ready for some nice tomato soup," she took Mika's hand and led the way into the house.
Daryl hung back to lock the front door, then caught up with Tyreese to offer him a cold beer. "Cold! I like the sound of that!"
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It was strange to have so many people in their kitchen. Beth made sure Mika was content, she was sat at the dining table with Maggie and slowly eating her meal. Rick fed Judith with a small can of baby food, while Daryl handed out beer and wine. Beth decided on a cola because she wanted to concentrate on her rice and didn't want Carl to feel like he was the only one drinking a soft drink.
She told herself it was silly to feel pressurised but she wanted everyone to be happy here. The rice wasn't boiling quickly enough and the flat bread was flatter than usual and everytime she turned around someone was there, the huge kitchen seemed to have shrunk!
Telling herself to keep calm wasn't working, Beth knew this wasn't like her at all. She was used to a busy kitchen either at home or in the prison. Now she knew this would be so much easier if it was just Daryl and herself, on the balcony, cooking for two.
Beth looked up from the barbecue, trying to hide her thoughts but she caught Daryl's eye as Rick asked yet another question about the other houses and how they were all connected. She interrupted them, "Daryl, how about you show everyone the garden and the walls and just give me a bit of time to get dinner ready?"
Her request surprised Daryl for a moment, he could see the strain in her eyes, but he wasn't entirely sure why it was there. It didn't seem likely that she was worried about getting everyone fed, but maybe she was just so concerned about everyone being welcomed and happy. He wanted to hold her and and tell her everything was just fine, but he couldn't do that in front of everyone. Awkwardly he nodded and led the way into the garden.
Sasha stayed at Beth's side. "Can I help? You don't have to do all this alone."
Embarrassed at her outburst, Beth asked Sasha to keep an eye on the rice, while she kept an eye on Maggie who hadn't seemed to notice everyone had left and still sat with Mika in the dining room.
Sasha managed to help out while sipping from a bottle of beer and watching Beth with interest. "I don't think I've ever seen Daryl Dixon do as he was told so quickly before." She mused.
Beth hesitated but hoped she covered it up by tasting the curry. She wasn't sure if Sasha was hinting when she continued. "You two get on okay for all this time?"
"Oh, fine." Beth said, hoping she sounded normal, but she did glance at Maggie again, just to be sure she wasn't taking note. "He caught the rabbit, of course. Do you mind tasting it?"
Sasha did as she was asked, to Beth it seemed that she was distracted enough to talk about food and beer while they worked, and Daryl wasn't mentioned again.
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When Beth called everyone back inside, Daryl thought she seemed a lot calmer. She accepted his offer of a glass of wine while she plated up curry and rice. He was putting drinks on the large dining room table when he realised Carl had put his cola at the bottom of the table next to Beth's place. Daryl told himself that he was a fool for being jealous of a boy, but he still intended to alter the seating arrangements.
Maggie was on the other side of Beth, Tyreese next to her and Sasha next to him, at the top of the table where she could keep an eye on Mika, who was now sleeping on the sofa in the lounge.
As off hand as he could be, Daryl asked, "Carl, can I sit at this end of the table? I need to serve drinks."
"Sure..." Carl shrugged, but he did look a little put out as he sat next to Rick, who was opposite Sasha. From that end of the table, Rick could check up on Judith who was also sleeping on the sofa and hemmed in by pillows.
Michonne took the seat between Daryl and Carl, then the room became quiet at everyone's first mouthful. The quiet didn't last long, soon everyone was praising Beth's curry and Daryl's rabbit, the couple both looked embarrassed at the attention. Beth longed to take Daryl's hand, not realising he wanted to do the same.
As they sat around the large table, Daryl was reminded of the first night at the CDC, even more so when Rick stood and made a little speech. He spoke a little of the people they had lost, but continued to thank Beth and Daryl for finding them a new home. He went on to talk about resuming the search for their lost family. Daryl saw Maggie's nod of agreement and knew she would be searching for Glenn. He would be glad to search too, but he was divided as he hated the idea of leaving Beth. He counted faces: Rick, Maggie, Michonne, Tyreese and Sasha would all want to be involved in the search, Carl too.
Daryl wondered if he could stay here and take responsibility for keeping the estate safe, but would that be letting his family down?
Feeling at odds with himself, Daryl was careful not to drink too much and he noticed that no one went overboard with the alcohol either, although they shared a bottle of champagne as a toast after the meal.
Beth apologised that tinned fruit was their only option for dessert, but everyone agreed they were full after seconds of chicken and rabbit curry. It didn't take long for eyes to droop and talk to quieten after the food.
Beth offered to show everyone the choice of bedrooms, which caused a slight moment of tension when she mentioned the maids quarters, away from the house. Michonne claimed them quickly, everyone knew that she often preferred to be alone. Tyreese, who had been quiet through dinner, made his claim. Michonne looked irritated but she backed down when Tyreese began simply, "I need it, need time to myself."
Daryl assumed Michonne had backed down because Tyreese had had such a bad time recently. The big man sat still after his short outburst, he concentrated on fiddling with his beer bottle.
It took a while for the dining room to clear, the children were collected and Beth led the way upstairs by candlelight.
Daryl wasn't sure where he was sleeping that night, he realised he didn't want to think about it. He brooded, thinking that telling everyone about his relationship with Beth wouldn't be easy, but it would be worth it to be able to hold her again.
Tyreese hadn't moved from his seat, Daryl passed him the key he would need for his new quarters. "The last owner of this place had a good stock of whiskey. Wanna try some?"
"Might help me sleep, I guess." Tyreese didn't seem convinced, but he accepted a heavy whiskey tumbler from Daryl. They collected candles and a lantern that Tyreese would need, then sat on the front steps of the house, sipping the whiskey. Daryl wanted to say something to him, he knew the man needed words of consolation, but he didn't know the right words to say. Beth would have been better at this than him.
"Michonne told us about Lizzy, I'm sorry man but it wasn't your fault." Tyreese only gave a slight nod in reply. Daryl continued awkwardly, "You kept Judith and Mika safe, everyone is grateful for that."
"But in this case the song is wrong," Tyreese looked up to see Daryl looking confused. "Meatloaf, remember? Two out of three is bad." Daryl nodded remembering the ageing classic. Tyreese continued, "Having Judith and Mika safe helps, and this place you found will make that easier. I just got to try deal with it, move on..."
Daryl tried to think of a response, but Tyreese took that moment to ask him how he had coped with Beth, "Girl must have been a wreak, seeing that happen to her dad."
Daryl had a strong memory of Beth's tears after they had rode away from the prison, but he still remembered her determination to survive and find their family. "She's stronger than she looks. Obviously she is devastated about her Pa, but she has always wanted to keep going. I don't know how I'd have gotten on without her." Daryl had a vague thought that the whiskey might have loosened his tongue.
"Sounds like you two made a good team."
Daryl kept his eyes on his glass and simply nodded.
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Later Daryl made his way back inside, wondering where Beth was and hoping for a chance to catch a glimpse of her. Only Michonne was downstairs, she'd got blankets piled on the sofa and was oiling her katana before she slept.
Daryl went upstairs, turning first to the three bedrooms at the front of the house. The door to the large family room was ajar, he put his head around the door to say 'Good Night' to Rick and Carl. They invited him in to see Judith sleeping safely in her new cot, her arm possessively around a stuffed dog. Rick patted him on the back and thanked Daryl again as he left.
Pausing at the next door room, Daryl could hear soft spoken words, the door was closed but it was certainly Beth's voice and probably Maggie's. Maybe she was telling Maggie about him, or was it too late at night to start that conversation? He wished he could knock on the door and claim Beth as his, he knew it was dumb, but he missed her already.
Sharing Beth, even with her Maggie, wasn't easy. How could he be jealous of his wife's sister? They had wanted their family together, now they were here. He shouldn't be irritated at Beth spending time with her sister or at the attention she got from the rest of the group. He wasn't used to sharing her, but he was sure he'd get used to it.
The last room was quiet, Daryl assumed Sasha and Mika were sleeping already, so that left the master suite that he shared with Beth free for him. He trudged along the corridor but once he got there he refused to get in the bed alone. He knew he was being a stubborn ass, but if Beth wasn't here, then he was just gonna sleep on the sofa.
It was probably an hour before Daryl's staring at the ceiling was disturbed by a soft knock on the door. He grabbed a flashlight and opened up to see Beth waiting for him. She was in the room, then in his arms in a moment, her lips against his barely a moment later. He let her push him into the room.
"I missed you!" Beth said urgently, kissing him again.
"Did you tell Maggie?" Daryl hated himself for pouring cold water on the moment.
"I wanted to," Beth stayed in his arms and Daryl leant on the far wall that they had worked towards. "Maggie seemed good at dinner, it was just a show. She misses Daddy, of course, but not knowing about Glenn is the thing that is hurting her. I know how she feels, I couldn't lose you. Just thinking you were going into town without me was horrible. She's missing him so much, I couldn't tell her how happy I am."
Daryl nodded. 'I know you lost a husband, but I found one' was hardly something Beth would say. "Should you have left her alone?" Daryl asked.
"She's sleeping, not sure if she's done much of that recently. I'll sneak back after..."
"After what?"
"Well, we are still on honeymoon..." Beth kissed him and Daryl could not think of any reason to stop her. Her body pressed against him, the gentle curve of her breasts at his chest, she rubbed against his aching cock, making him clutch her closer. His hands couldn't settle. They moved from her hair, to her neck, to her back and that delightful ass. His lips moved to her throat and her heard his wife give a satisfied moan.
"Ssh," Daryl hissed against her skin, only to hear a giggle from Beth. Daryl moved, and moved her. He switched them around, so her back was to the wall, his body pinning her there. "I said 'Quiet'," he growled. "You'll wake the whole house."
"I won't make a sound," she smiled up at him.
"Bullshit, my Angel. I'll make you scream so loud, you'll shake the foundations."
"You boast!" Beth retorted, but her words were cut off as Daryl put his hand tight across her mouth. He smothered a shriek of surprise and glared down at his trapped treasure. He would never scare her, never dominate her, as some men needed to do to their women. She trusted him too much and knew Daryl would never hurt her.
However, Daryl was sure that she enjoyed that he was trying to frighten her, her eyes were full of excitement not fear. Beth managed to get one hand between their bodies, she was searching for his zip. Daryl's spare hand crept up her t-shirt, teasing her nipples roughly, he enjoyed the vibration against his palm as she moaned.
Regretting that he only had one hand to use, Daryl unbuttoned her jeans and slipped his fingers between worn denim and silky panties. His other hand smothering the excited sounds she made.
Then everything went wrong.
The click of the door and the shock in Beth's eyes made Daryl turn to see Maggie stood in the doorway. For the first time in a month, they had not locked their bedroom door.
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Sorry! This is probably the last chance I'll get to write a Cliffhanger for this story ~ I couldn't resist!
How do you think Maggie will react to what she's seen?
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I meant so say in the last chapter, the family they have found are the people I thought would survive the second half of Season 4 when I started writing this in January ~ I was certainly wrong for some of them.
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I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you think, your reviews are always appreciated.
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8th June 2014 ~ FanOTheFang on Twitter and Tumblr