Claimed - Chapter 21

The morning sun had just barely started to lighten the sky. Beth's eyes snapped open, though she wasn't sure why. She didn't remember having any bad dream; Judith wasn't crying; there weren't any sounds of walkers nearby. She glanced up at the top portion of the window above her, trying to guess what time it was by what she could see of the sky. All she could see was the deep blue-grey of the pre-dawn. She snuggled back against Daryl's chest, ready to catch another hour or so of sleep, when something caught her eye.

As she looked down the length of his body, Beth noticed a tell-tale lump raising the covers just below Daryl's waist. She knew from living with her brother that this was a completely natural thing for guys, but she couldn't help but be intrigued. This was one part of Daryl she had never really gotten a chance to explore, and her curiosity grew the more she thought about it. She looked back up at Daryl's face, making sure he was still asleep. When his light snoring confirmed that he was, she slid the blanket up to cover her shoulder, sliding her arm completely beneath it, and slowly began moving her hand southward, not touching him yet. She didn't want to wake him up before she missed her opportunity to satisfy her curiosity.

As her hand reached its destination, she slowly slid her hand to reach the front of his boxers. She was a little surprised that the tip was peeking through the space in his fly. Steeling her nerve, she inched her fingers beneath the fabric, wrapping them around him. She couldn't fight the blush that crossed her face, though she did manage to stifle the sharp intake of breath that threatened to ruin her clandestine venture. Ensuring that Daryl was still asleep, she closed her fingers around his shaft, delighting in the velvety softness of him. She realized he wasn't fully erect when he began to grow in her hand, which only excited her more. Feeling brave, she started stroking him, slowly, maneuvering her hand up and down ever so slightly. He grew harder beneath her ministrations; she dared to move the full length of him, from the base to tip. She couldn't fight the urge to start pumping her hand, still moving slowly to keep from waking him.

"You havin' fun down there?"

His low voice rumbled in his chest, laced with mild amusement, and froze Beth in her tracks. She smiled up at him guiltily, seeing his eyes were still closed.. "Um...good morning," she tried to play it off as if this just another everyday activity, when she felt very far from everyday. She felt sexy, holding him so intimately like this, knowing she could cause this kind of reaction to him, even in his sleep.

Daryl growled and circled his arms around her and pulled Beth on top of him, bringing her up for a slow kiss. Her legs straddled his hips, the head of his cock pressing against the damp cotton crotch of her panties. He slanted his lips against hers while running his fingers up over her shoulders to thread his fingers through her hair. His tongue darted between her lips, demanding entrance, and ran along her own. He would swear nothing tasted as good as her sweet mouth.

He was just getting ready to reach for the bottom hem of her t-shirt to pull it over her head, when they both heard Judith start to fuss in the other room. He didn't even try to hold his groan back as Beth sat up, a little reluctantly, and crawl off of him. She bent over and kissed him again, whispering her assurances that she'd be right back.

Beth rushed out to the living room to find Judith actually sitting up in her crib, two fat tears running down her face. It dawned on Beth that this was probably the first time the baby had ever woken up to find herself alone in a room. She made a note to make sure to make lots of time for Judith today. They reached for each other, Beth lifting her up out of the crib, trying to soothe her. Once she was in Beth's arms, Judith's cries turned to whimpers, her chubby little hands rubbing at her eyes. "What's a matter, baby girl?" Beth ran her hand along Judith's bottom, feeling that her diaper was greatly in need of a change. Beth laid Judith back in the crib and grabbed a fresh diaper. She returned and made quick work of what needed to be done, leaving Judith a much happier baby. Beth disposed of the old diaper and made up a bottle, hoping it would coax Judith into sleeping another hour or so. It was still far too early for her to be up, never mind Beth couldn't wait to get back in bed with Daryl.

Beth picked Judith up out of her crib and settled in with her on the couch, offering her the bottle and rocking her gently, humming softly some song that had come from some long forgotten memory. She gazed fondly at the baby in her arms, her bright eyes looking right back at her. She sang softly:

Once there was a way...to get back homeward

Once there was a way...to get back home

Sleep pretty darling, do not cry

And I will sing a lullaby

Golden slumbers fill your eyes

Smiles await you when you rise

Sleep pretty darling, do not cry

And I will sing a lullaby

Goodnight, goodnight sweet baby

The world has more for you

than it seems. Goodnight, goodnight.

Let the moonlight take the lid off your dreams.

As Beth sang, she saw Judith's eyelids droop lower and lower and noticed she had stopped drinking from the bottle. She finished the song, making sure Judith was sound asleep, then got up off the couch as smoothly as she could, and nestled her back in her crib. Satisfied that she was asleep, Beth tiptoed back to the bedroom.

As she entered the room, she immediately looked toward the bed and her heart sank. Daryl was gone. Confused and disappointed, she looked around. Where the hell did he go?

Suddenly a pair of strong hands grabbed her hips from behind her and spun her around. She let out a surprised shriek before Daryl's lips closed over hers, crushing his body to hers. The shriek subsided into a moan as his hands began to roam all over her. Her arms wound around his neck, pulling her closer to the hard lines of his body. She felt Daryl guiding her backwards, but was surprised when she realized they were moving away from the bed. Before she knew it, her back was pressed against the wall; Daryl's pelvis pressed up against her hips, the evidence of his hard on more than noticeable as she felt it against the lower part of her stomach. He was kissing her with such urgency, such ferocity, that she had to fight to breathe. She pulled her head back and took a deep breath of air and his lips immediately sought the tender flesh of her neck. He licked and nipped at her, the scruff on his chin easily leaving her skin red and abraised.

"Yer not gettin' away from me this time, darlin'," he growled against her neck. Daryl continued his trail of love bites and licks and kisses along her throat, venturing down to her collarbone, where he felt her pulse leap against his tongue. Before he could get any further, her night shirt had to go. His hands found the bottom hem and pulled it up over her head in one fluid motion. His hand automatically reached up to cover her breast, kneading her soft flesh beneath his fingers, while his other hand grasped her hip firmly. His fingertips slid beneath the elastic of her panties, curling around the fabric and pulling it over her hip. He squeezed her breast once more, teasing her already hardened nipple between his thumb and finger, before dropping his hand to her other hip, yanking her underwear down.

He ran a string of kisses from her throat, across her collarbone; he paid homage to each of her breasts in turn before trailing his tongue over her tight stomach. As he fell to his knees before her, he brought her panties with him and held them, allowing her to step out of them. He ran his hands up her calves, teased the flesh behind her knees, then up along her inner thighs. He continued stroking her thighs, worshipping the soft skin beneath his fingers, and looked up at her. "You trust me?"

Beth looked down at him kneeling in front of her. He could see the fires of passion and desire burning in her eyes. Her breathing ragged, it was all she could do to nod her assent to him. He cast her a devilish smile, then grabbed her knee and hitched it over his shoulder and wrapped his arm under her thigh, supporting some of her weight. He left feather soft kisses along her inner thigh, finally reaching her center. He kissed lightly on her outer lips, then slid the tip of his tongue along her slit. He heard her gasp above him and smiled against her. His tongue teased her again, relishing the sweet taste of her. This time he swirled around her clit, eliciting a harsh gasp followed by a low, guttural moan.

Daryl pulled back, peeking up at her through the hair that had fallen in front of his eyes. "You want me to stop?"

Beth ran her fingers through his hair, pulling it back from his face, and pulling on it a little harder than she'd really meant to. She had to make sure he was really listening. "Oh my god, don't you dare!"

He smirked up at her, loving the effect he had on her. "Gotta stay quiet then, baby. Can't have ya wakin' up the whole damn building." Beth inhaled sharply through her nose, a deep breath to help try to calm her, puffing the breath out, then nodded, urging him to continue. He dipped his head, kissing her overly-sensitive nub of pleasure. Daryl lapped at her with the flat of his tongue before flicking her clit with the tip of his tongue. He could hear and feel her breathing become heavy and ragged as he continued to lead her down this road of pleasure.

He had never gone down on a woman before, but figured, based on how she was reacting, he was at least doing something right. When her fingers tightened in his hair and pulled his face closer to her, guiding him to where she needed him most, all doubt left his mind. He knew he was doing something right.

He suddenly wanted to push her even further; he ran his free hand up her thigh before inserting his long finger inside her. She bucked her hips against him and he chanced a glance up at her, more than glad that he did. Her head was thrown back against the wall, her face a mixture of agony and bliss, her free hand clamped over her mouth, trying to prevent any sound from coming out, afraid that even her heavy breathing would be heard up and down the hallway.

Enough was enough. Daryl wanted her to come completely undone. He withdrew his finger, only to add a second, curving them both against that special spot buried deep inside her. His tongue continued its dance against her, urging her, begging her, to come.

Not entirely certain why, Daryl let out a long, low moan against her. The vibration from his delectably baritone voice against her sensitive flesh was apparently all it took to send her spiraling over the edge into ecstasy. Her inner walls clenched hard around his fingers, her hips bucked up and away from the wall, and her fingers all but tore his hair out by the roots. It hurt like hell, but he didn't care. He felt a swell of happiness, of pride, that he could bring his woman such sexual joy and pleasure.

And he wasn't done yet.

As she was still riding out the waves of her orgasm, Daryl stood in front of her, lowering her knee from his shoulder to his waist as he got up. His other hand, still drenched with her own sweet slickness, grabbed for her other knee. He reached between them, situated his erection to her still quivering entrance, and pushed into her hastily, not being able to hold back any more. He kissed her fiercely, swallowing her moans of pleasure.

Beth kissed him right back, meeting his hungry mouth every step of the way. She could taste herself on his lips, on his tongue, and found she didn't mind so much. She pulled away so she could catch her breath as he drove into her, letting out sharp gasps as he thrust into her, harder and faster than any time before. She grasped his shoulders in desperation, surely leaving marks along his skin. His mouth ran along her jaw and down her throat. She loved this feeling; loved being surrounded by him, claimed by him, loved by him. She tasted and kissed the spot she knew drove him wild, just where his neck met his shoulder.

Daryl pushed her further against the wall, her breasts crushed up against him. He slid one arm between her back and the wall, holding her close as he plunged deep inside her. His other arm braced against the wall next to her head, his hand gripping her hair at the back of her head. He thrust into her with reckless abandon, wanting to lose himself in her.

Beth's orgasm from earlier had never truly subsided. Daryl had pushed her from one right into the next. She felt the now familiar sensation of a tightening in her lower belly, felt her thighs tighten around his waist. She bit down on his shoulder, trying her hardest to stay silent as he drove her over the edge again, the warm and tingling feeling spreading all over her body, from the top of her head to the tips of her now-curled toes.

Daryl could feel it, could feel her clenching around him like a vice. He pumped into her as he followed her over the edge, kissing her hard and groaning into her mouth with each thrust. He held her tight as he finished, not wanting to ever let her go. His kisses became softer, more gentle, his climax having taken the urgency out of him, and placed delicate kisses along her neck and jawline before returning to her sweet, slightly bruised lips. He gazed into her eyes, now several shades darker than normal, heavily lidded with blissful satisfaction. He held her, still supporting her, as their breathing returned to normal, still not withdrawing from her.

"Oh my god...oh my...," Beth breathed, letting out a heavy sigh. She held tight to his shoulders, never wanting to be away from his side ever again. She was completely content to just be wrapped up in his embrace for the rest of time. "Oh, Daryl...that was...oh my god!" She let out a breathless laugh.

Daryl smiled down at her. "Lesson number one: don't start what you can't finish. I'll just have to finish it for you."

Not about to let Daryl think he'd gotten the best of her, she smirked up at him. "If that's the way you finish things, I might just have to wake you up like that more often."

Daryl let out a soft laugh before kissing her again. He slowly pulled out of her and set her feet carefully back to the floor, her arms still wound around his neck. He couldn't seem to stop kissing her. He finally placed his hands on her hips and gently pushed back, putting a little space between them so he could run his gaze over her beautiful body, taking in every detail of her: her round, firm breasts, her small waist spreading into womanly hips, her delicate thighs and the treasure that lay between them. He smiled lazily at her. He looked down again, seeing the wetness that still resided there when reality hit him.

"Shit."

Beth looked up at him worriedly. "What's wrong?"

Daryl glared at her, anger flashing in his eyes. He knew he looked pissed, but it wasn't directed at her in the least. How the fuck could he be so stupid? He tried to soften his face before continuing. "I, uh...I forgot something very important."

Beth waited for an explanation, but he wasn't giving anything up. She reached out to touch him, her hands landing on his forearms. "Daryl...what did you forg...oh!" Realization finally caught up with her. She hadn't even thought about it until he had said something. They had both forgotten that ever important little piece of latex insurance. She peeked up at him, his face all anger, frustration and regret. Beth brought her hands to lightly rest along his cheeks, turning him gently to face her fully. "Daryl, it'll be okay."

"You don't know that," he looked at her, a new sadness in his eyes. His stupidity could well have just sentenced her to death. "What if you're...what if you get..." he couldn't even bring himself to say the word. All he could think of was Lori and how she had died delivering Judith. He thought of Rick, and how he'd completely lost it when he discovered what had happened to his wife. If something like that happened to Beth, he knew he wouldn't be able to handle it. He'd be done for.

His eyes met hers; he found a calmness there that he couldn't fathom. Then she smiled up at him, melting his heart and confusing him all at once. Why wasn't she pissed at him? He was certainly more than pissed at himself.

Beth trailed her fingers from his cheeks, along his arms, and down to meet his hands. She pushed against the wall, moving him backwards, guiding him back to the bed. The rush of pleasure still surging through her, she wanted to lay down with him, curl up against him, and take away his anxiety. "Come on, honey." She lay on her pillow, gesturing for him to join her. He looked like a wounded animal, not sure if he could trust or be trusted to be so close to her again.

"Daryl, I'm not mad. Concerned maybe, but not mad. It was one time. One mistake. Even the great Daryl Dixon is allowed to make a mistake," she said softly. She had curled her arm under his head, cradling him, comforting him, as he had done to her so many times before. Her free hand ran through the hair falling into his face, a tender motion meant to quiet his nerves. Apparently it wasn't working. She felt him tense up against her.

"Some mistake. What the fuck was I thinking? What the hell are we..." He was cut off by Beth closing her lips over his.

Beth broke the kiss, but stayed close to him, their noses touching and foreheads pressed together. "Shh...it's okay. I really don't think we have much to worry about."

He gave her a doubtful look, "How the hell do you know that?"

She half smiled at him. "You really want to know? Okay...you sure you want a biology lesson about my...um...cycle?"

Daryl's whole face cringed. "I'm...I'm probably okay with not knowing for now."

Beth let out a soft chuckle, "Alright then. To spare you the details, look at it this way...based on the timing, chances are good that everything will be fine. And let's just say I've, uh, never missed a visit." She saw the question already forming in his mind. "And maybe, just maybe, for being such a great hunter, you don't necessarily see every little detail. I can be quite stealthy, too."

Daryl was amazed and shocked by this girl. She had hidden from him her...monthly problem...all this time? And apparently was comfortable enough with him to let him in on such private information.

Beth went on, "I'm not saying we're out of the woods yet. I'm saying we just don't need to panic yet. And we should probably be more careful from here on out. And if it happens...it happens. We'll make it work."

"You ain't scared?" Daryl questioned.

Beth grinned. "I ain't scareda nothin'" she growled, attempting her best impression of him. "At least, when I'm with you, I'm not. We'll be okay, Daryl. I love you."

Daryl's arm slid around her and pulled her close. "I love you, Beth." He probably didn't deserve her, couldn't fathom what she saw in him, but she loved him. She was the calm in the shit storm of his life, his light in the darkness. He watched as she bit back a yawn, then kissed her softly. He still felt the pangs of regret at his lack of planning, but his heart said to trust her, so he tried to quiet his mind and do so. They were wrapped up in each other, laying naked together, as sleep overtook them once again.

XXXXX

Daryl woke up with a start, slightly alarmed to find himself alone in bed. He never slept longer than her. He figured with the adrenaline rush from dealing with Carol last night, and their activities this morning, his body needed to recoup a little. He crawled out of bed, dressed quickly, and went to find Beth. He expected to find her in the living room, playing with Judith or something, but he was wrong. His brows furrowed in confusion, he grabbed his crossbow from its spot by the door and ventured into the hallway.

As he walked closer to the manager's apartment, he heard laughter coming from within. He walked through the door, his bow in its usual place on his shoulder, and felt relief to see Beth sitting at the table with Tyreese, Ani and Jesse. One of them had set up the play pen for Judith, who was sitting inside it, playing with some of her new toys, babbling away happily. A smile grew on Daryl's face at the sight.

Beth looked up as Daryl walked in. "Well, good morning, sleepy head." She rose from her spot at the table and crossed over to him, winding her harms around his waist and reaching up on her tiptoes for a quick kiss. He normally would have balked at a public display like this, but he found himself caring less and less. He brought his hand to cup her face, running his thumb over her cheekbone, and kissed her back; just a chaste kiss. Neither of them wanted to get anything started, especially in present company.

He followed her back to the table, where everyone was munching on stale popcorn from last night. Someone had opened a couple cans of fruit, and the bag of beef jerky was laying on the table as well. "This is some breakfast," Daryl commented.

Tyreese agreed, "Yeah, need our energy. I was thinking maybe we could take a look around the town, see what else is here, what other supplies we can find. Havin' a stock pile to choose from is nice, but we probably shouldn't be burnin' through it so fast. 'Sides, I been cooped up in here for too long. Need to get out and move around"

Daryl nodded, "I was thinkin' the same thing. Was thinkin' o' maybe goin' huntin' today. Some fresh meat sounds pretty good right about now."

"Alright," Tyreese went on, "I guess I'll go see if Carol's up. Haven't heard her since last night." The large man paused for a moment, then resumed, looking at Beth. "That wasn't right...what she said last night. You gotta be one tough girl to have made it this far. She'll see it. I think she's just angry at a lot of things. It don't excuse it, but it might explain it. Anyway, I'll go get her." And he stepped out the door after giving Beth an apologetic look.

Beth sighed and smiled to herself. She knew Daryl had said much the same thing last night, but figured he was a little biased. It felt good to have an outside source be on her side, too. "So," she turned to Ani and Jesse, "what are your plans?"

The two looked at each other, as if silently communicating and remembering a past conversation. Jesse spoke first, "Well, we were on our way to Terminus. 'All who arrive, survive?' Sounded pretty good to me. But then we were talking last night..."

"If you don't mind, would it be alright if we stayed with you all for a while? We'll pull our own weight, we promise," Ani added. "We've just been running for so long, and it's been just us. It's nice to be in a group again."

Beth looked to Daryl with pleading eyes. He knew her heart always had room for one more to take care of. The two didn't seem threatening at all. The fact that they offered to contribute to the group spoke volumes. They weren't just seeking protection from the hell outside; they were seeking community. He rolled his eyes and nodded. Beth beamed at him and turned back to the pair. "Welcome to the group."

Jesse's face displayed a smile of relief, while Ani couldn't contain herself, and reached over to give Beth a hug. Beth laughed and returned the embrace. After a moment full of thank yous, Ani righted herself in her chair, her smile never leaving her face.

Daryl was about to say something when Tyreese returned. "She's gone."

Daryl stood up, on alert at once. "What d'you mean she's gone?"

"Just what I said, man," Tyreese explained. "Her door was unlocked, not a trace of her inside. No note, no nothing. She just hauled off and left."

"Shit," Daryl mumbled as he left the apartment, Tyreese following close behind. He rushed to her room, glancing around briefly. It's not that he didn't trust Tyreese, but maybe he'd be able to see something the other man hadn't. A thought crossed his mind and he quickly left the room and headed toward the staircase.

Beth had joined him in the hallway, staying near the main apartment. "Daryl? Where are you going?"

"Gonna make sure she didn't leave a trail o' breadcrumbs for some walkers ta find us," he ground out. He didn't really think she would have done something that drastic, but hell hath no fury. He hated that he felt surprised to find the noise alarms still in place and the main door closed securely up ahead. He headed toward the street, just to see if there was any immediate trail he could find to see which direction she'd gone. Not finding anything, he returned to the group.

Beth was at the table with the younger two, Judith held in her lap. "See anything?" she queried.

Daryl plopped into the chair next to her and shook his head. "Nothin'. She's just gone." He figured she'd gone to Terminus. She and Tyreese had both said that was their plan, hoping to meet up with the rest of the prison group at the mysterious sanctuary. He wouldn't know for sure unless he followed the tracks there. Daryl rubbed his hands over his face. "Man, now I really wanna go hunt." He needed to clear his head; decide whether he should bother looking for her or not. She apparently didn't want to be found, but he still gave a shit about her, no matter what had been said last night.

Jesse piped up, "Hey, I'll go with Tyreese here looking around town, see what we can find." Ani volunteered to stay with Judith so Beth could go along with Daryl while he hunted or with the other two while they scavenged the town. Beth declined, remembering her promise to herself to spend lots of time today with Judith. Ani seemed reluctant to go out into town, so asked if she could stay with Beth to help finish sorting through the stockpile. Beth had the feeling Ani really just wanted to spend time with Judith, too. The baby seemed to have that effect on people. Beth accepted the offer for help, and the group began to split apart for the day.

Holy cats! 170 Reviews, 104 Favorites and 191 Followers - and I love each and every one of you! Thank you so so much!

I've got to give credit where credit is due. Beth is actually singing a couple songs in this chapter. The first is Golden Slumbers by Paul McCartney & John Lennon, performed by The Beatles. The second is Lullaby by Ben Folds & Anna Goodman, performed by Ben Folds Five.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. This could really be called the first half of this uber-long chapter. I'm going to work hard to get the second half posted later...well, before Friday morning. Friday I leave for Beantown for Walker Stalker Con to meet me some Boondock Saints (minus Norman...I cried when he cancelled). I likely won't really be thinking about updating for at least a week, so enjoy your (soon to be) double dose now.

Last but not least, a couple shout outs. One to my homegirl Hearts1989. She's got two stories going right now - Vanilla Fields and And the Walls Came Tumbling Down - and they are both freaking fantastic!

Second, as promised, a shout out to YLover and her story And the Saints Came Marching In. It's fun if you're a Boondock Saints fan...which I am.

So there you go! Off to finish part two! I'll be back soon... Review! Tell your friends! Catch you on the flip side...