AN: I hate that I made everyone cry on this last chapter. That was not my intention. I had this planned since before I decided to make her pregnant. It just makes sense. What I am trying to do is build more character and strengthen Beth and Daryl's relationship. This will test their relationship more than it has ever been tested. Also, about 15-25% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage. I believe that in a ZA situation it would probably be much higher than that due to exposure to elements, malnourishment, and overall poor health in general. In a ZA, it is inevitable that the world will need to repopulate once again, but only the strong survive. That means pregnancies have to be top notch healthy as well. Plus I already established early on that Beth's periods were irregular so she probably had some kind of hormonal imbalance, which could also contribute to a miscarriage. I didn't mean to upset anyone, it was just a necessary plot point for this particular story. Plus lets face it this is the Walking Dead and it is nothing if not realistic about expectations of humanity. So of course we all want Bethyl babies (I mean who doesn't). I just wanted to show that the things that people sought after before the ZA is not going to be the same thing after a ZA. Marriage, career, house, kids. None of that matters as much as it used to. I feel that I need to be realistic as well in my story here. Hope this helps clear anything up. I really didn't mean to make everyone cry! I promise! :) And I didn't intend for this to be a book. Oops! Again, review review, it's the only way I know that I continue. I got mixed reviews on the last chapter but I feel like for the most part people want me to continue. What do you think? Xoxoxo

Chapter 37

Beth had been this way for four days now. She refused to come out of her room, refused to even shower. Daryl was the only person she let even come in the room. But sometimes it even felt to Daryl that he was intruding on her. It was making him crazy, honestly. He wanted to tell her to snap out of it, but every time he tried to talk to her, she just cried and looked at him helplessly and he was lost again. He was starting to think that it was never going to get any better. He missed his Beth. The one that found the good in everything. The one who made him a better man. And he was still that man, it was just getting harder and harder to stay positive when the light had gone out in his girl's eyes. It was painful to witness.

Maggie had left them alone. He had asked Beth if she wanted to see her sister, but she had just shook her head. She didn't want to see anyone.

Daryl was in the kitchen and Jenna was sharpening her scythe. Again. He swore that woman liked her weapon about as good as he did his. You hardly ever saw her without it. He studied her from across the room from behind the hair that had gotten way too long. Beth had been pestering him to let her cut it. Maybe he would relent. He would do just about anything to get her to come out of their room. Daryl did not relish the thought of getting his hair cut, but if that's what it took to get her to rejoin the living then he was all for it.

Jenna had an intense expression on her face and Daryl didn't think she was paying any attention to her surroundings until she spoke. "Is she coming down today?" Jenna asked. He had to look around to make sure she was speaking to him.

"I don't know." And he didn't. "Why?" He didn't know what it was to her. And it wasn't that he didn't like Jenna. There was just something about her that rubbed him the wrong way. Maybe it was her attitude.

"Just wondering how long you're all gonna let her wallow in it." She remarked.

Daryl stood up, his hackles rising. "Now you wait just a damn minute. You don't know anything about Beth." He emphasized her name.

Rick walked in just then. "There a problem here?" Rick could sense the tension in the room before he even entered it. Daryl and Jenna looked like they were about to go head to head and that was the last thing that needed to happen right now.

"You've been walking around here like somebody kicked your puppy. I know it's a hard time and I'm sad for you both, but in case you hadn't noticed, we are trying to survive here." She almost spat out the word survive.

"You don't know what the hell you are talking about." Daryl was fuming. He had never hit a girl before and he wasn't going to start now, but this lady was pushing it.

Rick calmly pushed Daryl back into his chair. "We need to talk about this actually so I'm glad that Jenna brought it up." Rick reasoned with Daryl and looked straight at him.

Daryl met his eyes, his pupils like glints of steel behind their icy blue. "I'm listening." He couldn't see what they would have to say that would matter, but if someone had an idea on how to get Beth to snap out of things, he was all ears.

Rick didn't back down from Daryl's stern gaze. He began carefully. "I know that what you and Beth just went through is somethin' awful. And I'm sorry brother. I can't imagine what you are going through. We just don't have the luxury of anybody staying in a state for this long. Not anymore." He was trying to be delicate where Beth was concerned. He really didn't know what it was like to lose a child but he knew what it was like to lose a wife. And while he had taken some time to grieve for Lori after she died, it was a different time and a different situation. At the time, their group had been secure behind the walls of the prison. It seemed like a lifetime ago that Lori had died.

Jenna had talked to him last night after one of their late night trysts. And as much as Rick was loathe to admit it, she was right.

Rick continued, "So if anyone has any ideas to help Beth feel better then speak up." Everyone had gathered in the kitchen at this point.

"I might have an idea." Everyone turned to look at Lily. She was the last person Rick thought would come forward first so he tried not to look too surprised when he nodded at her to go ahead.

Lily hesitated at first. "A few years ago before the turn, my mom got pregnant. She was so happy. Me and Liam were happy. Even though I was older and so was Liam, we were both excited. But when my mom was about 3 months along, she lost the baby. My mom was really sad; we all were. But I think what helped my mom was we named the baby. We named it Taylor. We figured it would be a good name for a girl or a boy. Then we made a grave in our backyard and put stuff in it that we had thought of for the baby. I put in a poem, Liam put in one of his old guitar picks. Well, it might be a stupid idea." She trailed off.

Daryl looked at the girl like she had just handed him the moon. Why hadn't he thought of any of this? "It's a great idea." He nodded at her, not knowing what else to say.

"Give me until tonight. I will have her out of the room. If you guys can get everything else ready, I will make sure that Beth is there. Say sundown by the back fence line?" Daryl looked around at everyone nodding. He sure hoped this worked. It kind of felt like their last hope.

Beth was dreaming again. It was a beautiful spring day and she was back at the farm in the meadow behind the barn. There were millions of wildflowers blooming all over the property. Beth inhaled their heady scent and smiled having to resist the urge and pick every one of them and put them in a vase for supper that night. Coming across the meadow was her Daddy. He was holding the hand of a little girl and she didn't think she had ever seen her Daddy that happy. She was curious, as she got closer she thought she recognized her but she just couldn't place her. Maybe it was one of the neighbors nieces or nephews or perhaps somebody from church. "Hey Daddy, whose your little friend?" She couldn't help but stare at the little girl. She was just beautiful. She appeared to be about six or seven and she had a toothy grin and a head full of white blonde curls that wisped about her face. She moved to push a stray lock of her hair behind her ear with one finger. Beth thought the gesture looked so familiar.

"It's Katie, honey." Her Dad was waiting for her to do something. Say something. All the sudden Beth realized that this was her daughter holding her father's hand. She reached her hand out to the little girl. "Katie, it's very nice to meet you." She smiled at her, trying very hard not to cry, but a couple of tears escaped anyway. Katie took her hand and squeezed it.

"Don't cry mama. It's okay. I'm with Papa now." She looked lovingly up at Hershel, her grandfather. Beth suddenly realized that it didn't matter that her father was killed outside the gates of that prison. He was in a much better place now and so was her daughter. Their daughter. She wished Daryl could be here to see her. She was so beautiful. She had those blonde ringlets and when she looked up with the sun shining brightly on her face, she had her daddy's eyes. It was a strange sensation, seeing your child you have never met. It was heartbreaking and beautiful all at the same time.

"We have to go now Mama. Tell Daddy I love him. I love you Mama." Beth nearly choked on a sob. "I love you too. Love you Daddy." She understood that they had to go, but there was so much she had to say. So much she wanted to tell them both. So much she wanted to know.

The light faded and when she looked up, they were gone. But instead of feeling empty and sad, Beth felt full and light.

She opened her eyes and the sun was slanting across the room. It must be late afternoon. The door opened and she sat up, knowing it was probably Daryl coming to try to get her to eat. She thought of her dream and she smiled softly at Daryl as he came through the door.

Daryl opened the door and instead of being greeted by sleeping Beth, she was sitting up in the bed and actually smiling at him. It was almost as if the past four days had never happened. Then he saw the tears and he panicked, thinking that she was going to spiral down again. He walked over to the bed and she pulled him down with her. "Daryl I dreamed about her and my Daddy."

Daryl looked at her, clearly confused. "Who Princess?"

"Our daughter" she said breathlessly and her voice shook with emotion. She smiled at him. Daryl knew he was not imagining that light coming back to her eyes. She explained the dream to him, pausing every once in a while and just taking a deep breath.

"Wish I'd been there in your dream." He said gruffly. He didn't know how much he bought into the whole going to heaven thing, but he figured if anybody would make it there it would be Hershel and his child. He had never given much thought to what happened to an unborn child before it died. But seeing how excited Beth was about the dream she had, it wasn't hard at all for him to imagine it.

Beth seemed to remember something just then. "Oh I almost forgot. She said to tell you she loved you." Beth looked up at Daryl as he bowed his head, his shoulders shaking. He didn't think he had really let himself cry yet over the whole thing, but hearing Beth say those words, something broke inside him and he wept. Beth pulled his head into her lap and smoothed his hair back.

Beth felt oddly at peace. She felt like she had done the mourning she was supposed to do. She remembered something her father had told her at the prison. "That they all had jobs to do." And she finished the thought with "we don't get to be upset."

Daryl sat up and wiped the back of his hand across his eyes, suddenly embarrassed at the display of emotion. This was Beth but still; Dixons don't cry. Much, he amended. He thought he had probably cried more in the past couple years than he did in his entire life and much of it he owed to the incredible woman sitting beside him. She just brought it all out of him. He knew he was not the same person that drove up on her Daddy's farm that first time. And he was glad.

"The group had an idea Beth." He began telling her then about Lily's story. It had been a sweet thing the girl suggesting that. Taking a page of her past and lending it to them for their own story.

"I love it." Beth said. Beth looked down at herself for the first time in days and wrinkled her nose. "I need a shower." She laughed.

Daryl looked her up and down and though she was beautiful he wasn't going to lie to her.

"Yeah ya do." He laughed and she playfully smacked at his shoulder. "Come on, we'll get ya cleaned up."

Hoping for some feedback and reviews on this chapter. Hope you liked it. I may update tonight again, hint hint. ;)