Beth felt sore, Ed had been rougher than normal and the marks he had left would take time to heal. Sneaking into her daddy's house, she could lay low for a while, he wasn't due back until next week

"Well Beth, nice to see you rear your head. You have some explaining to do girl"

"Daddy" she forced her eyes shut quickly pushing tears from her lids. It was a trick she had learnt at and early age, and always worked with her daddy.

"DON'T YOU WASTE THOSE DAMN CROCODILE TEARS ON ME"

"What have I done daddy?" she could get round him deny all. He had nothing on her

"Cut the crap Beth, I should have smacked your backside as a child than you wouldn't be so self-centred, manipulative and down right cruel. How could you? Rick has told me everything,that poor woman, and her man, you could have lost her the baby" Beth felt like she'd been struck, what baby?.

"Don't even get me started on the fake injunction you had me sign against the Dixon brothers. Hell woman those boys and I go way back, why would you ever wish to hurt them or Carol. I have only had the privilege of meeting that woman a few times, and each time she has always been nice. Then you go and mess your sister's business up. Why Beth?"

Beth knew her time had come, all her bridges were burnt, most importantly she had let her daddy down and that hurt the most, all because she was jealous. She had brought a monster back into Carol's life and she was to blame, it was true what he said Carol was a wonderful person , and she deserved Daryl. Rick confirmed the man was head over heels in love with her, she knew some of Daryl's and Merle's past, yet somehow forget that both men had turned to her daddy earlier on when things were bad with their pa, they had suffered. Beth had conveniently forgotten that in her quest to hurt Carol and have Daryl as hers.

"I did it for love"

"If that is what you call love, you have no damn idea what it means. What made you do it Beth. Who is it you claim you are in love with. It's not Daryl you have only just met the man the other night and I know you have forgotten him from your past."

"Ed"

"Who?"

"Ed Peletier? no please tell me it isn't that low down bastard that raped and beat Carol up"

"DADDY HOW Could YOU !" she was so annoyed, why couldn't people see that it was all lies, that Carol had done it to get Ed in trouble, her sweet Ed. No they were wrong how could she think Carol was wonderful it was all her fault, she was a bitch. Glancing at the mirror next to her, she ignored the marks he had left on her actually feeling ashamed, no he was innocent he had told her.

"Who did this to you Beth?, Look at yourself " she wouldn't do it and stared at the floor

"I SAID LOOK AT YOURSELF" Taking her to the mirror he forced her to look, to take a good hard look.

"No Carol, she made it all up she was attention seeking, she should never have married him"

"Beth, honey this isn't love, I know he was your first lover, and we tend to fall hard for them. But this, this is not right. That man hurt her badly how could you ever love"

"HE SHOULD HAVE LEFT HER AND MARRIED ME NOT THAT BITCH, IT WAS OUR BABY I LOST OURS AND SHE DESERVES THE HELL THAT IS COMING TO HER AND THAT THING SHE IS CARRYING" Pushing him away, she stormed out of the house, ignoring her daddy's cries

Rick had heard it all, as he came out from the shadows

"I am so sorry sheriff, I don't know what I did wrong"

"It is ok Herschel you didn't know, but we now have a reason about why she's involved. I was kind of hoping the pregnancy would not come out. Think that sent her over the edge"

"Oh god Rick I am so sorry son, I didn't think I was just so mad at her, why would she want that man? I never knew about their baby, I only knew Ed was her first lover by accident, she had kept it all hidden from me, until she was on the phone to him, ashamed as I am to admit I listened into the conversation. He was telling her that he married Carol had been with her years, that he was trying again, trying for a baby he said Oh she screamed at him, told him she loved him, but I thought it was puppy love I really did thought it was all over. God she must have messed around with him whilst he was married to Carol. Did you see the state of her?" Rick nodded

"It's Ed's little love taps as he calls them. We saw that a lot on Carol at first, then that night when he …." Rick swallowed hard it still upset him, she was like a sister to him, he wished she confidence at the time to speak up. Timid mice hid and learnt to stay quiet

"I read the report on what happened to her, that woman was damn luck to have survived the attack. He never did want to let her go, she was his property. Where do we go from here Rick, you have the proof of the injunction, so I guess that is one thing covered. But the letter's the accident?"

"I have two very protective men looking after her tonight and I need to head off for myself"

"Those Dixon boys are good men, she will be ok. As for my Beth be good to her when you find her" tears filled the old man's eyes

"I will sir, I will" letting himself out, he could see how much stress Beth had put her family under. It would break Maggie's heart, when she learnt what her sister had done, and how she had unwittingly put Carol in danger.

"Who the hell is knocking this late?" Ed pushed himself up from the bed, his head swimming, what had he drunk

"What the fuck do you want, sent you packing hours ago Come back for some more have you?"

"They are expecting a baby"

"What you say girl" he dragged her in the room throwing her to the floor, Beth looked up, scared of this side of him

"I said Carol is expecting a baby"

"You lie, you fucking lie!" he kicked her hard, his anger at Carol fueling him

"Please ED, ask around"

"SHE TOLD ME SHE COULDN'T HAVE KIDS!"

"She can daddy just told me"

"Well now I have all the more reason to get her back, beat the shit out of her no way is a red neck low life-like Dixon having what is mine!"

"Why not leave them alone? you have me" He kicked her hard, connecting with her stomach, winding her, as the tears fell, he lifted her body and threw her hard against the wall, as darkness took her she heard his last words ringing in her ears.

"Why do I want a kid, when I can have a woman. Never will love you Beth Never!"

"So little mama you ready for bed?" seeing the heat in Daryl's eyes as he waited for her answer, made her smile, she went soft inside when he called her mama. Ghosting her hand across her stomach she leaned on his shoulder and smiled, his arm coming around her. Andrea was in the kitchen with Merle cleaning the dishes, sounded more like a water fight than any cleaning being done, the laughter could be heard through the house

"What ya thinking?"

"Can't believe I am expecting...I never thought,,,,with Ed we..."

"What I tell ya about bringing than man's name up" Carol patted his cheek as if to sooth him

"No need for jealousy Baby Dixon" he straightened on the sofa next to her

"I ain't jealous and stop calling me Baby Dixon"

"Oh everyone else does and I thought"

"Guess you thought wrong only words you call me are Baby, darlin, sweetheart not baby Dixon that's just like Merle and the group"

"Sorry"

"And I ain't jealous, just hate hearing his name being mentioned, he hurt you Carol real bad, makes my blood boil when I hear his name. Anyway got no damn reason for jealousy got ya in my arms, in my bed and planted ma seed in ya body. So if anyone should be jealous it will be him!"

"Ewww, you could have been a bit more romantic than I planted the seed in ya body"

"M Sorry I planted the seed in ya body woman!" he smirked from under his bangs wanting for her reaction, as she rose from the sofa

"Well seeing as ya planted the seed as you so nicely put it, guess you don't want anymore screwing around" she walked off towards the stairs, before she even lifted her foot to the first step, he had her pinned to the wall with his body

"Never said that"

"Oh so you want to screw around?" she smirked as her fingers slid up the buttons of his shirt, popping each one, he looked at her, his eyes darkening with lust

"Ya woman are trying to play me, now get that cute ass upstairs little mama and I will be with you in a bit. You better be ready for me as I have a lot of loving to make up to ya"

"Where you going?"

"To make sure Andrea and Merle ain't drowned themselves in the damn kitchen and to check all is ok before I spend the rest of the night in my woman's arms making love to her"

"Can I have a kiss"

"Baby you can have anything ya damn well want" pulling her tight to him he kissed her with all he had.