I do not own any of the TWD characters.
I realize that a lot of my stories, well most of them actually, usually have Beth getting pregnant, having Daryl's baby(ies), blah, blah, blah. Sorry if you don't care for that, but that would be my ideal Bethyl world. If you do like that kind of thing, well enjoy. Lots of fluffy times to follow. We have a rehearsal dinner and wedding to get through before a romantic honeymoon.
Ms. Alma
As Daryl and Beth stood there in a borrowed bedroom for some privacy, they realized that they still had a shitload of stuff to do if they were going to be ready for the rehearsal by 6:30. They also realized that they didn't want to share their news with others yet – just to be on the safe side. However, both Daryl and Beth felt like they each needed to let their siblings in on the secret. First of all, it was very exciting news and they wanted to share it with Merle and Maggie. Secondly, and probably most importantly, Merle and Maggie would be crushed if they knew that Rick and Lori were in on the secret and they were not.
Daryl called Merle to just "check in". "Hey Big Brother" he said, a little goofier than usual. "Whatcha up to?"
"What am I up to?" Merle barked. Beth tried to keep her giggle quiet because they had him on speaker phone. "Good Lord boy! While ya probably piled up in the bed with ya sweet thang, I'm covered up in domestic shit tryin to pull this fuckin dinner off."
Daryl laughed "Aww Merle, ya really do love me, don't ya?"
"Hell yeh, dipshit" Merle huffed "Ya need something or you just had a spare minute to bug the shit outta me?"
"Has Maggie got there yet?" Daryl finally turned serious.
"Naw, not yet – she oughta be here pretty soon though cause she's two fuckin hours late right now!" Merle grumbled. Daryl and Beth could hear Glen in the background – she's on her way man – give her a break. She probably ran into some traffic or something.
Daryl and Beth were about to bust at the seams because that was always Glen and Maggie's go to excuse – TRAFFIC! "Listen Merle, when Maggie gets there we need you to bring her to town – over to Rick and Lori's house. We need to see both of you."
"Fuck" Daryl could hear Merle sighing "I ain't got time for this Baby Brother."
"Yeh, well, you're gonna make time. We got a little wardrobe malfunction here in town we're dealing with – don't mention it to Annette – no need to panic her cause I think we got it under control."
"The fuck is a wardrobe malfunction – her tits hang out of the dress or something?" Merle guffawed at his own tasteless joke. He still had it he thought to himself.
"Shut the fuck up Merle. Beth says for Maggie to bring all the stuff she's got laid out on her bed right now – we need to make sure it's gonna work for tonight." Daryl instructed.
"Whatever man – we'll be there within the hour. Here comes hellcat down the driveway right now – sending gravel and dust ever which a way." Merle said and then he could be hollering at Maggie "Slow the fuck down – ya gonna kill somebody!"
Daryl disconnected from the call and he and Beth exchanged glances. They heard a knock on the door. It was Lori letting Beth know that Ms. Alma had gotten there. Lori sent Daryl upstairs to play with Judith and Silas while she helped Beth get back into the dress, or as much as they could get her into the dress. Rick decided that he would go downstairs to see why in the hell Carl hadn't left for school yet.
Ms. Alma circled around Beth and looked at the dress from all angles. Occasionally she'd make a noise in her throat like "hmmm" or she'd tug on the zipper herself (as if Lori and Beth hadn't done that already) and mutter something like "well" or "goodness gracious". After what seemed like forever Ms. Alma spoke up.
"We gonna need a little bit of muscle up in here" she said.
Lori and Beth just stared at the little old lady in front of them. "Some muscle – ya got a man anywhere in this house?"
Lori jumped to her feet. "Well, both Daryl and Rick are here."
"Isn't Daryl the groom?" Ms. Alma asked.
"Yes Mam" Beth readily answered her. She wasn't going to piss Ms. Alma off by wasting her time.
"Well, better get Rick in here then" and with that Ms. Alma herself stepped into the hallway and hollered "Rick – get in here!" You could instantly hear Rick's feet stomping up the steps. When a four feet ten inch tall little bitty black woman who's nearing eighty years old hollers for you, you pick up the pace.
'Yes mam" Rick huffed out, obviously more out of shape since his earlier days on the force.
"I'm gonna need you to pull each side of the dress – on either side of the zipper, towards the zipper" Ms. Alma instructed "really need one more strappin buck to pull the zipper up. I wanta see just how far we can get the zipper up 'fore I start cutting up on this dress." Lawsy Mercy– ain't no tellin what Hershel Greene had to pay for this dress – Ms. Alma said to herself quietly. Beth thought maybe that Ms. Alma thought she'd kept that last statement in her head. Rick and Lori fought the giggles.
"Ms. Alma" Beth spoke up "Merle's on his way over."
Ms. Alma clicked her teeth and then, under her breath uttered Sweet Jesus – he'll have to do. "Young lady" she directed all of her attention to Beth "when did ya try this dress on last?"
Oh God, Beth didn't want to have to get into this with Ms. Alma – she like to have never heard the end of it when she got pregnant with Silas. "Well, Ms. Alma" Beth hesitated.
"Just answer the question child – ain't gettin no younger" Ms. Alma said.
Again, Rick and Lori were just about to lose it, until the older lady shot them a look. It was as if they'd both been scolded by the Sunday School teacher.
"It was a couple of weeks ago" Beth finally answered her.
"Goodness Girl – whatcha been eatin?" she asked Beth.
"Uh, well, nothin out of the ordinary. I'm just kinda puffy right now" Beth offered as an excuse.
"Puffy?" Ms. Alma laughed "Puffy? Is that what they're callin it?" Beth's eyes started to glisten and she looked to Rick. Rick was starting to get a little mad at Ms. Alma for attacking his Beth this way. He'd always been taught to respect his elders, but she was about to cross a line.
Alma handed Beth a tissue. "Dry ya eyes child" she told her "Ya ain't the first one to be knocked up and can't fit in ya weddin gown. Ms. Alma'll take care of it." And with that Alma pulled Beth in for a hug. Beth let out a little sob, but quickly got it back under control.
They all heard Merle's truck pull up in the drive and the back door slam. Merle made his way on in to the bedroom – without knocking of course. Maggie close behind him with her arm full of bags, shoes, and dresses.
"What's goin on?" Maggie asked.
"I'll tell ya what's goin on" Ms. Alma said "Get in here and close the door." Maggie did as she was instructed and Maggie Rhee didn't take orders from just anyone. "Fionna here got herself in the family way and we can't get this beautiful gown zipped."
"The fuck" Merle started but the old seamstress who was dwarfed by at least two feet shot him a look.
"Boy" she said.
"I mean, who in the world is Fionna?" Merle asked.
"Shut up Merle – it's the princess in Shrek – she's callin Beth a princess" Maggie explained.
"Well, she is a princess" Merle gave her a goofy grin and Beth smiled back at him.
"Good Lord" Maggie said. "Wait. Did ya say she's in the family way?"
"Ya caught that did ya? Well the princess is with child and she is a little puffy. " Ms. Alma used air quotes and let out a hearty laugh.
Lori looked over at Maggie and thought what eighty year old woman uses air quotes? Merle stood there with his mouth hanging open until Ms. Alma spoke up gaining his attention.
"Now boys, listen up. Curly" she looked to Rick, so he assumed she was talking to him. "You're gonna pull each side of the dress towards her spine. Slick (she looked to Merle), you're gonna pull the zipper up and see how much play we got in it. But, stop pullin when I say – ya rip this dress and old man Greene will skin us all."
"You" she looked to Lori "go get me some ice water – hot as hell in here." Everyone wanted to laugh but they were too damn scared to. Daryl tried to poke his head into the bedroom, but Ms. Alma shushed him out. "Get on outta here Pretty Boy – you done gone and done quite enough." That's all Daryl needed to hear before he and the kids took off back upstairs.
"Now, Miss Priss (Beth assumed she meant her), you gonna grab hold a this bed post like that mean ass white woman in Gone With the Wind. Ya know the one I'm talkin bout don't ya?" Ms. Alma smiled a toothy grin at Beth.
Beth smiled back "Yes mam." And so it began, Miss Priss held onto the bedpost, Curly pulled the fabric of the dress towards the zipper, and ole Slick pulled gently on the zipper. No luck.
"Breath in Miss Priss" Alma ordered. Beth took in a deep breath and they tried it again. The zipper went up a couple of inches before the elder held her hand up signifying for Merle to stop. "No sense in gettin the girl zipped up in it if we can't get her out."
At that point, Ms. Alma knew exactly what she needed to do. She sent Slick out to her van to fetch the sewing machine she'd brought with her. Lori set her up in the laundry room and Ms. Alma set to work. She sent for Pretty Boy because she wanted to speak with him. Daryl stood in front of the seamstress as she snipped and measured and sewed and patched and stitched. She looked at Daryl over the top of her wire rimmed glasses, and basically, she told Daryl that she figured he'd probably already been given the "hurt Beth Greene and we'll gut ya" talk, but she thought she would add that she, herself, would put a hex on him the likes had never been seen in all of northern Georgia. Daryl nearly pissed himself.
While Alma worked away on the wedding gown, Maggie and Lori helped Beth try on outfits for the rehearsal dinner. They went with the ivory sweater dress that was covered in pearls – it was absolutely gorgeous. Beth decided on her cowboy boots since she had a huge bruise and cut on her left shin from where she had hung her leg on the dishwasher door. Maggie, Lori, and Beth giggled and laughed – it was good to get Beth back into better spirits. Maggie and Lori were both thrilled about the news of the baby, but Beth swore them to secrecy. Daryl and Beth wanted to be further along before letting everyone know.
The men folk gathered in the kitchen and started drinking bourbon to celebrate the baby news. Merle slapped Daryl on the back and said stupid ass things like "better you than me" and "I always knew you's the sweet one". You know, stupid shit like that. Rick fixed some lunch for Judith and Silas, who had grown eerily quiet upstairs, unsupervised. There was a good reason for that. Both of them had fallen back to sleep while watching a movie – Shrek was in the DVD player! Everything was calm and peaceful.
Ms. Alma stepped out of the laundry room.
"Well, I reckon I've done all I can do. Let's go see if this is gonna work" the little spitfire said to no one in particular. Rick was following Ms. Alma back to the bedroom when she turned around and told him just to go back to the kitchen.
"If I've done what I should, we won't need ya Mr. Rick" she smiled at him. Alma slipped into the bedroom where the ladies were laughing and talking. "Let's try this again Pretty Girl – shouldn't be no trouble now."
Maggie and Lori held the gown for Beth to step into. Beth slid her torso into place and turned for Maggie to zip her up. It went all the way with no problems.
"Now turn round here girl. Let me see" Alma said. It fit her like a glove and Beth was glowing. There were gasps in the room, and oohs and aaahs. Beth just smiled and threw her arms around Ms. Alma. "Now don't ya start that crying again Baby – ain't no cause for it. I reckon ya the prettiest little thing I've ever seen – even if you is puffy."
Alma stepped out into the hallway. "Now, anybody need anything hemmed or tended to while I'm here?" The men stepped out of the kitchen and shook their heads no. "Alright then, I'm gonna be on my way. Ya'll call if something happens – it's all on Hershel Greene's nickel anyway." And with that last comment, Alma just cackled and walked out the front door.