Chapter 28: The Test

"You're gonna be late," Carol murmured between kisses, as Daryl kissed her hungrily.

"Mmm, got plenty of time," he muttered, running his hands up her thighs. She scooted back on the bathroom counter, and she squealed when the cold faucet poked her in the ass cheek.

"Not really. Traffic." She ran her hands up his chest and over his shoulders, and finally, she pushed him away.

"Shit," he muttered. "Who the hell makes a doctor's appointment on a Friday night, anyway?"

"You have to go. You've been waiting for this," Carol insisted, staring up into his eyes. "Besides, I'll be right here, naked, warming your bed sheets when you get back."

"Why ya gotta say that? Now that's all I'm gonna be able to think about," Daryl groaned. He kissed her again, and she laughed before sliding off the counter and putting some distance between them.

It had been a month since they first slept together, and Carol had begun spending all of her weekends at Daryl's place from Friday night until she had to leave Sunday to pick up Sophia. While she had yet to discuss her new relationship with anyone, including Andrea at work, she was enjoying every moment of it. She liked having something just for her, but the thing was, having just those few days a week together wasn't enough anymore. She found herself extremely sexually frustrated throughout the week, and her vibrator could only do so much. She'd ordered a slightly larger, more life-like model online and hadn't been disappointed. Still, nothing replaced the real thing. They were starting to know each other's bodies, what worked for them, how the other responded to certain touches. It was exciting, and Carol found herself pining for Friday every time she left him on Sunday.

Still, Carol enjoyed each weekday with her little girl and couldn't wait until she and Daryl took things to the next level and started going public with their relationship. Right now, the secrecy and the sneaking around was ok. It was hot, even. But soon they were going to need more.

"Daryl," she chuckled, when he bridged the gap between them, and his hand slipped inside of his shirt she was wearing. He palmed a breast with his calloused hand and ran his thumb over the nipple. She sucked in a sharp breath and started to lean into the touch before she remembered she was trying to get him on his way. "Daryl, you have to…you have to go." She kissed him again and took a couple of steps back.

"I know. I know." He sighed and tugged his shirt on over his head.

"You've been saving up for this."

"I know. Just feels a little strange that I actually got the money put together to do it." He'd gotten exactly two paychecks from his second job, and those combined with a little from his two checks at the garage had been enough to pay for the paternity test, which they were having done at the appointment that night.

"Well, I know you hate your job at the store. So, maybe now you can quit."

"I'm gonna wait for the results. If this kid's mine, I'm gonna keep workin' 'til I got a good savings built up."

"I think that's smart," Carol agreed with a smile.

"I wanna tell her soon," he said quietly. Carol's eyebrows shot up, and she nodded slowly.

"Okay."

"Soon as we know, I wanna tell her." Carol nodded then and looked down.

"She's not over you. I think she hopes you're gonna go back to her when the baby's born."

"That ain't gonna happen. I told her that ain't gonna happen."

"I know," Carol murmured softly. "I know. But I'm not so sure she knows."

"Hey. Look, no matter what kinda help Lucy gets, no matter if she gets better, it ain't gonna change anything. I couldn't ever go back. Not even if the baby's mine."

"I know. I know how she treated you. Every time she stops me in the yard or comes over to ask me something, I feel like…I don't know. I feel like I should tell her something."

"We ain't doin' anything wrong," Daryl insisted. He pulled her into his arms, hugging her close. "Since we been seein' each other, when I go to bed at night, I don't think about the games she used to play. I don't think about the things she said or how she'd fly off the handle and start throwin' shit at me. I mean, sometimes, I do think about it, but not like before. Now? Now I go to sleep thinkin' about you, 'cause I ain't never been this happy in my life." Carol sighed and stood on her tip toes to kiss him. "You make me happy."

"You make me happy," Carol echoed. Daryl leaned his forehead against hers, and he took a shaky breath.

"When we first started messin' around, I was nervous. I wanted to make you feel good, but I had some hang ups."

"I know," she murmured, stroking the back of his neck.

"Sometimes, I still get anxious, thinkin' I'm gonna fuck everything up."

"You won't."

"You know where it comes from though, right?"

"I know," she murmured, kissing him again. "I mean, I don't know. But I know how bad you were hurt. I know that you don't heal overnight. But I'm not going anywhere."

"You're amazing. Don't know what I'd do without ya." Carol smiled then, and she stood on her tiptoes one more time to give him a sweet kiss.

"You better finish getting ready. I'm gonna go take a little nap. Wake me up when you get back?"

"I will," he promised.

"Good," she smiled, tugging Daryl's shirt over her head and tossing it into the hamper. Daryl's mouth watered and he groaned when she turned, completely naked, and started back to his bedroom. He momentarily wondered if he had enough time to join her, but he knew if he didn't leave, he was going to be there late, and the test might not get done. This was something he'd been waiting for, and he was fortunate enough to have been able to earn the money pretty quickly. He wasn't going to wait another minute to get it done. Besides, he knew when it was all over, he had her waiting for him when he got home. That was all he could ask for, and he counted himself a lucky man.

...

The test was over almost as quickly as it started, and when the doctor stepped out of the room with the samples, Daryl shifted uncomfortably in the chair across from Lucy's bed.

"The heartbeat sounded good, don't you think?" Lucy asked, chewing on her nails as Daryl glanced at her.

"Yeah. Sounded good."

"I felt him kick this morning. I think. It was kind of a flutter. They say that's what it feels like. A flutter. Or..or bubbles." Daryl nodded.

"Good. That's good." Lucy sighed then, and she took a shaking breath, and he knew she was going to cry. She'd been on the verge of tears through the entire ultrasound and test, and despite indifference toward Lucy in that moment, he still hated to see her cry. He knew she was having a rough time, and as much as he'd loved her what seemed like a lifetime ago, he couldn't bring himself to offer her any comforting words. He felt like an asshole for it, but the more he felt like an asshole, the angrier he was that she'd fucked with his head so bad that he didn't know what he was supposed to feel. So, he cleared his throat and stood to lean against the counter.

"You still takin' your meds?" She nodded. "Goin' to the therapist?" She nodded again. Then she wiped at her eyes.

"I broke up with Negan."

"Okay."

"He doesn't want anything to do with the baby."

"Even though it might be his?" Lucy sighed and rolled her tear-filled eyes before finally nodding. It was a step forward for her, he realized. He was used to her insisting it had to be his kid, when they both knew damned well there was a chance it wasn't. Maybe they were getting somewhere.

"He doesn't think it is." She covered her face with her hands for a moment. When she ran her hands through her hair and looked back at him, her lower lip quivered. "I made a mess."

"Yeah. You did."

"Daryl," she choked out, "I'm so sorry for everything I put you through." Daryl chewed the inside of his cheek for a minute before nodding.

"Okay," he said with a nod. "I appreciate you sayin' it, but it don't change what happened." He eyed her. "You know that, right? I meant what I said. I'll take care of my kid, but you and me ain't never gonna be what we was." Lucy nodded, but she didn't look at him. "Lucy. I need you to know what I'm sayin'."

"I know what you're saying," she bit out.

"You gotta move on. Okay?" Lucy nodded again, but Daryl wasn't convinced she really understood. "You gotta move on, or you ain't never gonna get better." Lucy narrowed her eyes at him.

"Sounds like you speak from experience. Did you? Move on?" Daryl uncrossed and crossed his arms again, and Lucy sat up a little on the exam table. "You did." She let out a dry laugh and wiped at her eyes again. "Wow." Daryl inwardly cringed, and his anxiety started to skyrocket like it always did before one of their arguments. "Who is she?"

"Lucy, don't do this."

"How long have you been with her?"

"Lucy, stop." Lucy sat up then and started to get off of the table when a knock came to the door, and Dr. Cloyd came back in.

"Okay, everything's all set," she chirped. "I'll let you know when the results are in." She glanced from Lucy to Daryl and sensed the tension in the room. "Look, I know this can be a stressful time. But what's important to remember here is that you're both here for this little guy or girl that's coming in a little over five months. I've dealt with a lot of co-parents who aren't together anymore. I may not be a therapist or anything, but I've seen enough to know that you both need to learn how to get along for the sake of the baby. In about a week, you'll have answers, and then it'll be up to you both where you go from there." She cleared her throat and ducked her head a little. "Like I said, I'm not a therapist. But whatever happened between you brought you here today. You're both still here, waiting, because you both care about that little life you're waiting on."

"Can we go?" Lucy asked, hopping up off the table and wiping the ultrasound gel off of her stomach.

"Yeah…yeah, of course."

"Thanks, doc," Daryl said with a nod, before turning to leave the room first. He could hear Lucy huff in frustration on his way out, and he quickly made his way out of the building and out to his motorcycle in hopes of getting away before Lucy came outside.

"Hey!" No such luck. Daryl sighed and turned to look over his shoulder at Lucy, who was holding a hand over her belly as she hurried over to his bike.

"Lucy, I ain't got time for this."

"Don't want to keep her waiting, right?"

"Stop it."

"Who is she?" Daryl gripped the bars of his bike, and he let out a slow, steady breath. "Who is she, Daryl?" Finally, he turned the key on his bike and let it rumble to life. "Daryl!" She grabbed the sleeve of his jacket and pulled, and he tugged his arm away.

"Stop. Don't do this."

"I wanna know who she is," Lucy cried out. "I wanna know."

"I ain't doin' this now. Not like this."

"Does she know you're having a baby? Does she know that? What's she think about that? Does she care? Does she care that she's breaking up a family?" Daryl cut the engine, and he got off the bike. She could see the anger building up in him and the tension in his face as he stared at her.

"You ain't got any goddamn room to talk. You ain't got the right to sit here and ask me questions, when you're the one that fuckin' cheated. You treated me like shit, and you fucked around, and now you're pregnant, and you ain't got a goddamn clue who the daddy is. And you wanna call somebody else a home wrecker? Huh? I'll tell you somethin', Lucy. I'm happy. I'm the happiest I ever been, and that's 'cause of her. And if you can't see that, and you can't accept that, then you ain't changed. You say you're sorry for how you treated me, but you still wanna control me. You still wanna get in my head and fuck with me. You're tryin' to do it right now. I'm done, Lucy. I'm fuckin' done." Lucy covered her face with her hands, and she let out a choked sob. "You're the one that burnt down everything around you. M'sorry you're alone, and m'sorry everything's fucked up, but that ain't on me, Lucy. That ain't on me."

She took a few shaking breaths before wiping her tears away. Daryl turned and got back on the bike. A moment later, the engine roared to life, and Lucy turned to walk away to her car. But, as Daryl backed his bike out of the parking spot, she turned again.

"You told me you'd love me forever!" she yelled out. "Do you remember? After our second date?"

"I was a kid," Daryl told her, shaking his head. "I didn't know what love was." Lucy broke down again. "M'sorry if that hurts you. But love ain't supposed to hurt, Lucy. I hope you find somebody that helps you see that. I know I did." Lucy's lower lip trembled, but she turned before he could see her cry again. She got into her car. Daryl didn't look back as he pulled out of the parking lot and headed off down the street. All he wanted to do was get home to Carol and show her how much she meant to him. She was his future, and he knew that with a certainty that nothing could sway.

Author's Note: Hey guys! Thanks for reading. I hope everybody's doing ok with all this craziness in the world. Everybody stay safe and healthy! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you let me know what you think. Feedback is always appreciated.