The intense pounding in his head is what woke Daryl up. That combined with the fact that his mouth was dry as a bone and every single muscle in his body hurt he knew he was in bad shape. What the hell had happened to him? Slowly Daryl raised his right hand to his head, yeah it as still attached. He had been doubtful. Carefully he opened his eyes and saw he was in a strange motel room with a single dim light on. From the amount of light coming in from under the closed curtains, it looked to be early morning,

How had be gotten here? What fucking stupid thing did he do this time? It took him a couple minutes before he could physically sit up. Between the shooting pain in his head and the rolling in his stomach, he didn't dare move once he was sitting on the edge of the bed. The one thing he noticed, thank-fucking-God, that no one else had been in bed with him. No matter what happened, he hadn't cheated on Gabrielle.

The minute he said her name, parts of last night started coming back. They had a fight… a really big one. She told him she was pregnant and like the lowlife redneck he was, he walked out on her. "Nice going asshole, you walked out on your pregnant wife. What the fuck is wrong with you?" he asked himself out loud.

"I was about to ask you that same question."

Daryl hadn't heard anyone enter the room, but before he jumped off the bed onto legs that he wasn't sure would hold him up, he recognized the voice. "Grimes, what the fuck are you doing here? What am I doing here?"

The door closed behind Rick and he entered the dim room with a tray of coffees and a bag of takeout. The minute the smell of the food hit Daryl he knew he was in trouble. He bolted for the bathroom and made it just in time to lose his stomach to the porcelain gods. After twenty minutes he was finally able to wobbly stand up. He didn't remember feeling this bad ever. He had many hangovers in his life, but this ranked as the worst one. Getting older sucked if he couldn't handle a few shots and beers.

"Why are you here?" Daryl muttered as he stood in the bathroom doorway.

"To take care of your sorry ass, why else?" Rick took a sip from the piping hot coffee.

"I don't need a babysitter, Grimes. Just go."

"Hell no. Until I find out why you are being such a complete ass to Gabby, I'm staying put." Rick could easily see that Daryl was not happy he was here. Well, neither was he. He spent the entire night sitting in a chair watching his best friend snore the night away instead of being home with his beautiful wife. She had put him in charge of finding out why Daryl was so against Gabby being pregnant, so even if this was the last thing he wanted to do, he was doing it.

"Get out Grimes. That's between me and Gabrielle. Ain't none of your business!" Daryl growled at him.

"It became my business when you got so fucking drunk last night that I had to drag you outta that bar just before they called the station on you. How would that look to Gabrielle's clients that her husband was carted off to jail for drunk and disorderly?" Huh? Did ya think of that?" Rick just shook his head at his friend, and then he opened the second breakfast sandwich he had brought for himself and took a big bite.

Daryl hadn't thought about anything but himself last night. He might be really mad at Gabrielle right now, but he certainly did not want to do anything that would hurt her business. He was still so used to thinking only about himself that he never considered her during his heavy drinking except to blame her. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"You got no choice, man. Take a shower, maybe that'll help ya feel better. I got a cup of coffee here with your name on it when you get out and if you can handle food a sandwich too. There are clean clothes in the plastic bag for ya." Daryl looked at Rick furious that he may have gone to Gabrielle before him. "Relax man. Those are some of my stuff that Michonne dropped off. Should fit ya." Daryl was still looking none too happy with him. "Just go shower before I drink all the coffee on you. I was the one up all night dickhead."

Daryl grabbed the plastic bag before slamming the bathroom door. He heard Rick laughing out in the room. "Douchebag," he muttered under his breath as he stripped off his clothes. They reeked of sweat, cigarettes, and beer.

Standing under a shower with water as hot as he could stand it, he waited as his head started to clear. He remembered the big fight they had and him storming off. He rode for a long time before stopping off at that bar. Then he remembered a lot of beer and shots of Jack, but nothing after that. This was the second time in a year he had gotten this stupidly drunk. The first time was in Vegas where he ended up married to Gabrielle and now again it was because of her. This could very well be the end for them. That thought hit him hard.

He loved her more than he ever thought possible. They were good together…really good, but they didn't need a baby screwing that up. He barely had the hang of being a husband and now he was going to be a father? He'd be the worst dad ever. Look who had had for his old man and he didn't want to fuck a kid up like he was. She would be better off without him.

That thought almost knocked him to his knees. He put his hand on the slick tile wall to support himself. What he thought was the shower water running down his face, was actually tears. It would kill him to lose Gabrielle, but not as much as it would to completely fuck up a kid's life like his was. He had no business raising a child. None.

With that sobering thought, he pulled himself together and got out of the shower. Rick's clothes were a little bit snug on him, but they would do. He threw his dirty clothes into the plastic bag and headed for that cup of coffee Rick had for him. Once the caffeine hit him, he'd be able to think better and make some plans. Rick had pulled the straight back chair from the small desk in the room up to the round table he sat at. There was a cup of slightly hot coffee waiting there for Daryl.

He plopped himself down in the chair and neither of them said a thing as they both sat there drinking their coffee. "Can you keep down a sandwich?" Rick finally asked.

"We'll see. Thanks," Daryl said extending out a hand for it. While Daryl was eating slowly, Rick put a bottle of water and a few aspirin on the table. Daryl picked them up and swallowed the aspirin with about half the bottle of water before he went back to eating. Only when he finished, did Rick ask the question he had been waiting to ask all night.

"Why don't you want a kid?"

"Just don't."

"Listen that's not good enough and you know it, but let me tell you one thing. I'd kill to be in your position right now. Michonne and I have been trying to make a baby since we got married and nothing has happened. And believe me we are trying hard," Rick said with a soft laugh. "We got an appointment next week with a doctor to see if it's one of us."

"You really want a kid?" Daryl asked and watched his friend shake his head yes. "Doesn't it scare you that you are responsible for the kid and you could screw him up?"

Rick just got the insight he was looking for. "Yep, I want a kid. Can't think of anything more awesome than being a dad. But Daryl, no one goes into this knowing what to do, it's a learn as you go type of thing. My dad was a good role model for me, and sure I'm scared, but I really want this, so that's why next week I get to wack off into a cup so they can check my swimmers. That my friend is how bad I want a kid."

Daryl finished drinking his now cold coffee letting Rick's words sink in. Rick would be a good father. He was raised in a loving household with two caring parents, he knew what to do even if he didn't think he did. He, on the other hand, was raised by an inattentive mother and an abusive father. That didn't bode well for his kid. There wasn't one Dixon in his family tree that wasn't fucked up…himself included.

"You'll be a good dad, Rick. You will. Me...I'll just screw the kid up as bad or worse than I am. I know nuthin' about being a good father. Look at the piece of shit that raised me." Daryl drained the rest of the water in the bottle. "If Gabrielle wants to keep the kid, fine…I'll send her money, but I ain't raising it. It's better off without me. They both are."

Rick didn't say anything for a couple minutes. He just looked at his best friend with the head tilt that had Daryl rolling his eyes. He had seen that look dozens of times from him and he knew he wasn't going to like what he had to say. He never did, even when Rick was right.

"I never took you for being stupid, man but what just came outta your mouth is pure bullshit. You had a shitty childhood…I'll give you that, but don't forget that you were around my house enough and lived with us for almost two years to see what a real family was like. Daryl, you don't get it. You already know what not to do…you lived through it. All you gotta do is love you kid and use common sense in raising it. You'll screw up, I'll screw up…all parents do, but they figure it out. You and Gabby can do this together. That's what being married is all about."

Rick could see the wheels turning for Daryl as he processed what he had said. His friend was definitely a damaged soul, but Rick knew he could still be a great dad. He had the faith in him that Daryl didn't have in himself. "Listen, the room's paid up, just check out by twelve. Here's the keys to the bike, it's right outside. Figure out what your gonna do, cause you got a pregnant wife at home that loves you, but is pretty damn upset. Get your shit together and go see her. You owe her that. Okay?"

"I will. It was a shock on something I never expected to happen. I'm sure she's fuckin' pissed at me."

"But mostly worried. And Daryl"

"Yeah?"

"You're not your father. Remember that." Rick told him. The sincerity in his gaze spoke volumes to Daryl.

They both stood up and hugged. Rick's father had taught them both that hugging was not only for girls. He made sure they knew it was okay for family and friends. Rick and Daryl were both. Rick was about out the door when Daryl asked, "How did my bike get here?"

Rick flashed him a big smile. "It is a sweet ride."

Daryl's mouth dropped open. "Bro, if you fucked up my bike...you're dead."

"Relax. You taught me well. Not a scratch on her, so stop worrying about the fucking bike and fix your marriage. That's more important than this…this beautiful powerful piece of exquisite machinery, Dixon. Can I borrow it sometime?"

"Maybe…I may need a place to crash after this is all over. It's my bargaining chip," Daryl half-joked. He had no idea what was going to happen with him and Gabrielle.

"You gotta win Michonne over for that, man. Not me." Rick waved goodbye and was soon driving out of the parking lot in his cruiser.

Daryl went back into the motel room to try to figure out what the hell he should do. He dropped down on the bed and lit up a cigarette. He should have told Gabrielle how he felt about kids months ago. They were so comfortable in their lifestyle and she was busy setting up her business that having a baby didn't even enter his mind. When he accused her of doing it on purpose he knew he was out of line. She never missed a pill. He owed her an apology for that.

That Rick and Michonne had been unsuccessfully trying to have a baby was a complete surprise. He thought they were content with their lives like he and Gabrielle were. A baby would change their friendship, but then again Daryl like hanging out at either one of their homes. He felt more comfortable around them than anyone else. He doubted that would change.

It wasn't that he didn't like kids, he just thought he'd really suck at being a father. What did he know about raising a kid the right way? Then again, Rick did remind him that while his old man had been a piece of shit, he did spend plenty of time at the Grimes' house and saw the type of man Mr. G was. He was the man that took a scared beaten sixteen-year-old boy into his home and raised him as his own. He wasn't just a good man, but a great father. That's the type of man Daryl wished he could be.

With all of the time he spent at the Grimes house, Daryl did get to see and experience what a good responsible father was like. Was that enough? Could those good times, outweigh all those bad years? Well, he was certainly going to find out wasn't he, because they weren't talking about Gabrielle getting pregnant, she already was. Maybe the first thing he had to do was admit he may be wrong and go talk this out with his wife. He owed that to Gabrielle.

Daryl picked up the bag with his dirty clothes and slammed the door behind him. He used a bungee cord to strap it to the back of the bike before throwing his leg over to straddle his baby. It was time to go home and face the music…and be the man Mr. Grimes taught him to be.