Disclaimer: Do not own The Walking Dead or any associated characters. Only what happens with them in my head.

Warnings: Language

Authors Note: I do want to let everyone know now, I do take suggestions on chapters. If there is something that you would like to see and I can bring it to light in some way do not hesitate to send me a PM about it. I do have a lot of plans for future chapters (though nothing set and mapped out just yet), so there's always the probability that something you would like to see is already going to happen.

–

It had been a month since Rick's arrival, since Michonne had comforted him and he'd talked with Beth about his worries. A whole month had passed and it seemed like only a few days. He almost couldn't believe that so much time had passed within Terminus or that things were going so well. He'd had his worries about coming to the place and he'd been worried since their arrival, although he'd never really noticed the decrease in that worry. At least not until the last couple of days.

For some reason he'd never really saw the place as anything more than another stop on he and Beth's journey–or if she chose to stay with Maggie, a stop on his own journey–until the last couple of days. Daryl realized that he was comfortable here, that he'd actually settled down enough to call this place a 'home'. While it wasn't the same kind of home as the prison had been, he was comfortable. He was with people he cared for.

Michonne worked within the guard as well as joined Daryl on his 'hunting parties' as Conrad deemed them. Tyreese went on runs more often than not. Bob stuck close to Terminus and Sasha (who he quickly realized had fallen for each other at one point or another) while the female tended to the farms. Beth continued working with Sammi and learning all she could. Glenn stuck to the farms, Maggie worked the guard and the farms both. It had taken Rick a bit of time to heal, his knee had been badly bruised, but once he had the ex-cop quickly joined the ranks within their guard and council. Carl wanted to follow in his father's footsteps but Conrad said that he was too young, much to Carl's annoyance.

Daryl could easily understand the kids irritation with it, after all he'd been alone with his father for a long time and was still alive. Hell, that kid had done more than most of them out here. Instead Carl spent his time between Judith, the fields, and Daryl's hunting party. It irritated Rick that the kid was going outside the walls but he felt safe enough knowing that his son was with Michonne and Daryl.

So little seemed to have actually happened in the last month. Michonne and Tyreese had gone with a group to make a run a couple weeks back and had arrived to Terminus the prior evening with food, medical supplies, weapons and medications. They'd lost two men in the process.

It was an inevitable reality that they would lose someone. Daryl had considered going on the next run but Beth's paranoid pleas to stay close prevented it. She'd confided in him, finally, about the dream she'd had while unconscious nearly two months before. The little blonde had made him promise that until the baby was born he wouldn't go out with the groups. He obliged, though wished that there were more he could do.

Daryl had spoken with Conrad about it and while the man understood he was also torn between his desire to have 'a strong bowmen' out in the trenches, he was also glad to have Daryl close to home. He honestly hadn't even realized just how close he'd gotten with Conrad over the last month. While the marine could never compare to the bond Daryl held with Michonne, Rick or Beth there was definitely a friendship.

It was strange to think just how much time had passed and just how.. well things were going here. Beth was happy, especially now that she was with her sister again. Daryl was enjoying himself, between being with Beth whenever he was able and being able to go out with his hunting parties. Of course, there was still the worry and the panic about what was to come but the little blonde was doing all that she could to help ease it.

–

His arm lay across her slightly swollen belly as he slept on his own, face buried in the pillow. It'd been a long night on watch and all he wanted was to sleep through the majority of the day. Every couple of weeks one or two guards switched places on nights, if only to give the normal night watch some time off. Daryl couldn't really complain, he was still working and still got to spend time with Beth, just not as much.

He'd only gotten in a couple of hours before and had done the best he could not to wake the little blonde as she lay curled in a ball, but the moment he'd climbed into bed she'd nuzzled against him and confided that she'd had trouble sleeping without him there. He'd chuckled softly and kissed her deeply, though hadn't been able to keep his eyes open for much more.

They had fallen asleep with her back curled against his chest and his arms tucked firmly around her, but after a couple of hours he'd shifted and lay with his face in the pillow, one arm draped over her and the other hanging over the edge of the bed. He felt the blonde move, pulling out from under his arm as she climbed from the bed, "what's.. where're you goin'?" He grunted sleepily, reaching out to pull her back.

She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his head, "go back to sleep." She whispered. Daryl had begun to do just that when the sound of her voice actually registered. With a snap he raised himself off the bed.

"Beth? What's the matter?" He asked, his dark eyes dancing over her pale, tear-streaked face.

She sniffled and shook her head quickly, "nothing.."

"Bull." He murmured, reaching for her hand and dragging her back to the bed to sit beside him. Daryl wrapped his arms gently around her, one hand gently resting on her stomach. "What happened?" Naturally he assumed she'd had a horrible dream. It wasn't the first time she'd had a nightmare since they'd been together and it wasn't the first time he would comfort her. She'd done the same for him several times over the last month.

Beth swallowed hard and stared at him, her expression determined. "I was laying here thinking.. that.. it's.. it's been a year." The determination was to try and conceal the tears but the longer she spoke the more she fought to hold the sobs back. Daryl's brows furrowed slightly in confusion before he tracked back the last year. And then it hit him.

It had been close to, if not exactly, a year since the prison had fallen. A year since Hershel had died. He frowned softly and tightened his grip around her slender frame. "Oh, Beth.." he murmured while holding her tightly. She shifted and buried her face into his shoulder, allowing the sobs to take hold.

Daryl realized that things were so much different now than they'd been a year ago. When Beth had broken down any of the times before now he'd stood awkwardly by and tried to figure out what he could do to make her stop. Now? Now his arms held her tightly, his fingers combed back through her pale hair as he attempted to comfort her. He placed a gentle kiss against her temple while shushing her softly.

It took Beth nearly half an hour to calm herself down and when she did, the little blonde began to pull herself away. "And I'm keeping you from sleep.." she sobbed with renewed fervor. Daryl couldn't help but to laugh this time around, he was attributing the new tears to hormones.

"It's fine. I'm not that tired anyway." He lied. Truthfully, he felt as though he could catch another twenty hours of sleep and it still wouldn't be enough.

Beth didn't buy it, though, as she continued to sob. During Michonne and Tyreese's last run they'd found the machine that Sammi had been looking for. While it took quite a bit of power to run it, they were at least able to determine just how far Beth was. The young blonde had wanted to know precisely what she was carrying but Daryl didn't. His paranoia kept him from wanting to know too soon, from wanting to get attached to a specific gender before it was time.

Beth grudgingly agreed. Almost four and a half months, nearly half way through it all. The hormones had begun to kick in almost as soon as the nausea had worn out. Daryl wasn't sure which was worse, honestly. The fear that she would die from malnutrition from the near constant vomiting or the worry that her over-active hormones might drive her to kill him. Sometimes he was sure the latter would win out. While the girl cried more often than had miniature fits of rage, he was certain that at some point that would change.

Naturally, in order to keep the girl from getting angry with him, Daryl kept that worry to himself. He'd told Michonne and the woman had laughed at him, remembering how she'd felt through her own pregnancy. She'd been relatively calm throughout, though her sister–as she'd confided–had been an emotional wreck. Hopefully, Beth would just stick to tears. He could deal with that, at least.

"It's fine." He assured her while stroking the blonde locks in the attempt to calm her. Another twenty minutes passed before the girl pulled herself back, pale eyes bloodshot from crying.

"Oh, god. I'm sorry." She moaned while rubbing her face.

Daryl simply smiled lightly and shook his head. "Don't worry 'bout it." He brushed his fingers back through her hair once more to calm her. "You okay?"

The girl took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly while nodding softly. "I'm better now. Sorry.." she winced a little, frowning. "I hate this."

"What?"

"Being so... over emotional. I feel like I'm going to burst into tears every fifteen minutes, it's ridiculous!" Beth threw her arms in the air.

"Hey, there's perks to it." He countered with a sly grin.

Beth's eyes narrowed slightly at him, pulling back just a hair. "Oh yeah? Like what?" She challenged. In response Daryl leaned forward and pressed his lips firmly against hers. Without hesitation her arms wound around him, returning it deeply. Every terrifying and terrible thought seeped from her mind as she leaned in closely, losing herself in his touch. When he finally broke away to catch a breath she nodded softly. "Okay.. I see your point."

"Mm, told ya."

Beth was hoping that that wouldn't go away. It didn't matter what she was thinking or worrying over, the moment his arms were around her, the moment his lips collided with hers she could forget every other trouble in the world. She just prayed that throughout the remainder of this pregnancy it would continue to hold true. Especially if she were to continue being so emotional. Her pale eyes locked against his with a smile forming on her lips. "Alright, get some sleep.. I need to go catch up with Sammi anyway." The girl commented while leaning in to press a kiss against his forehead.

Before the girl could pull herself out of his arms and the warmth of their bed, his hand settled against her stomach. While she still felt the subtle flutters of the baby moving around inside at random, they were still too small for Daryl to notice, yet she loved that he tried. She really loved that it was actually showing now and not just something only a select few knew. The little pouch that had formed, while still mostly hidden behind her clothes, was noticeable if one were looking for it.

–

After grabbing a quick bite to eat and washing herself up the blonde stood in front of Sammi at what they were deeming not only the doctors office, but the doctor's quarters. It seemed silly to Beth to call it that when only Sammi and Cole resided here. Bob stayed with Sasha and Tyreese and she was with Maggie, Glenn and Daryl. It seemed silly, but she'd never commented on it.

"How are you feeling today?" The Hispanic woman asked while searching through the bins that lined the back wall.

"Little tired, didn't sleep well last night."

"Why? Everything okay?" The woman asked, concern evident in her voice. As the only pregnant woman in town Sammi spent a lot of time with Beth. Sammi figured that as a woman and a previous Emergency Room physician she was the best qualified to handle the woman's pregnancy. She'd delivered countless babies in the ER she'd worked in in Florida. Bob and Cole had both been military medics, which meant they had little training when it came to labor and delivery.

"Yeah, Daryl just worked the wall last night. Had trouble falling asleep without him." She said with a faint blush filling her cheeks. It felt almost silly to admit it but at the same time she knew that the woman didn't judge her. "Did you.. ever have anyone?" She asked while leaning back against the wall.

Sammi turned a gentle smile over to the girl and nodded. "Yeah." The doctor fell silent for a short time while she wrote a little on the paper. She took stock and wrote down the things they could use or desperately needed to send out with the next run in the hopes that they could find something. "My husband, we got married right out of high school." She commented and laughed softly. "He was the 'bad boy' and my daddy was furious. But he told me that as long as I made something of my life he wouldn't care and as long as Jon didn't hurt me he'd let him live." Another chuckle slipped from her full lips. "I went to med school, he cleaned up his act and went on to be a cop."

Beth smiled softly as she looked up at the elder woman, glad to see a smile on her face at the memories. After several moments of silence she spoke again, quieter than before. "What happened to him?"

While most women probably would have cried or at least started to, Sammi offered a sad smile and shook her head. "I don't know." Her shoulder rose and fell in a shrug. "When the dead started coming back to life everything went crazy. We got everything packed to go and put in my car but on the way out to the car they were.. everywhere. We got separated and at that point I couldn't protect myself, not really. I heard him shouting that I needed to get in the car and go.. and I did. I haven't seen him since."

"Do you think he's still out there?" Beth felt herself ask before she could stop herself.

"It's a nice sentiment but no. I'm afraid my poor Jon is lost to this world." The woman replied sadly, but still without tears. Beth had to wonder just how the woman could be so disconnected, though as she thought about it she realized it had been two years since the fall of everything. The woman had probably just grown accustomed to the idea that her husband was gone. Much like Rick and Carl had for Judith.

"What if he were?" Again Beth hadn't been able to stop herself from asking the question.

Sammi chuckled at the girls question and shook her head. "Then the chances of him finding me here of all places are a billion to one. I've gotten used to the idea that he's gone, just as I would assume he's gotten used to the idea that I am. If he were still alive that is."

"Don't you want to have that hope, though?"

Sammi smiled while she reached out to pat the girls soft hand. After only a moment she shook her head. "You're still young, Beth. Hope can be a great thing, just as Faith can.. but it can also be dangerous. If I put all my hope and Faith in the idea that he were okay and that we would find one another again I would be perpetually crushed by it." She let out a little sigh as she glanced around. "After the first month I lost the hope that your sister would ever see him again. Maggie held onto it, but it was wearing her down. Every day that Glenn didn't show up here was another day that a piece of your sister broke off.

"Of course, it was all unnoticed by her but everyone around her saw it. She was slowly breaking down and once it happened there wouldn't be a come back. Every one of us prayed for Glenn to get here, if only because we didn't want to lose your sister. Looking back on it, I never could have been Maggie." She admitted with a tiny frown tracing her lips. "While I loved Jon with every fiber of my being and would have given anything to have him with me, I didn't hold any hope. As soon as I knew what those creatures were I knew he was lost to me when we were separated."

Beth couldn't help the tears that had sprung to her eyes as she listened to the Hispanic woman's words. It was heartbreaking to know that the person she'd loved more than anything was gone and would probably never be seen again. Even more so to know that Sammi had no hope of ever seeing him again.

The good doctor sniffled and allowed a wide smile to trace her lips, "enough about me. How are you feeling?" She repeated the question from earlier.

Beth wiped at her face and shook her head, "a little tired.. that's all." She winced when she realized it was a lie. "Is it completely normal to be this emotional all the time?"

"For some, yes. It may wear off as the months go by. Some women are only overly emotional for a month or two and then when they start feeling the baby twisting and turning in there they just can't help but feel different. Give it a bit of time." The blonde dropped her hand to her stomach, cradling the soft pouch there. "And how is Daryl handling it?" The woman asked with an arch in her brow.

"Better than me, I think.." she frowned softly as she thought of his paranoia and worry. They had both expressed their concerns to one another and while Beth was certain that Daryl was coping better than she was, there was still the thought that maybe he'd just become very good at concealing it. "I don't know, though. I mean, sometimes I think that there's something more going on in his head." She voiced the concern with a frown.

Sammi opened her mouth to speak at the same time they heard a shout from outside. Brows furrowed the woman's gaze shifted to the large window that allowed for all of the light to fill the room to see several people–mostly guard–running passed. "What in the world?"

–

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