Chapter 13

Beth and Daryl sat on opposite sides of the standard hospital bed where their daughter laid recovering from her recent surgery. Since Annie had been brought into the room, neither of them had spoken, each of them just staring at the child that was a piece of them both.

After the doctor had come out to confirm that everything had gone well and that they were moving Annie to recovery, everyone had taken their que to leave; allowing Daryl and Beth the time they needed.

Leaning forward in his chair, Daryl rested his elbows on his knees and his face on his knuckles as his eyes roamed the child, his child, in the bed in front of him.

"I'm sorry" he blurted suddenly, pulling Beth's gaze to his own; her brows pulling together at his admission.

"What do ya got t' be sorry for?" she whispered in reply.

Daryl scoffed and ran this hands through his hair, "For then. For now. That I wasn't there!" he explained, "I'm sorry for it all" he finished on a whisper.

"You don't got t' be sorry, Daryl" Beth tried, "Things happened" she shrugged, "The letters, Simon, Hershel…Annie" she listed before looking at her daughter with a smile on her face.

"How can ya do that?" Daryl grumbled as he stood in a rush from his seat, "How can y' be so nice t' me when I left when ya needed me most?"

Beth rose from her own seat, her eyes drifting to her sleeping daughter before focusing on the man she'd never thought she'd see again. Slowly, she made her way across the room to where Daryl stood with his back to her as he looked out over the city lights below them from the windows lining one wall.

Without overthinking her thoughts, she allowed her arms to reach out and wrap around him from behind, just like when they were children. Her cheek laid upon the wings of his biker vest as her fingers splayed across his chest and stomach. She was sure that if she closed her eyes and listened carefully that she'd hear his heart beating beneath her ear.

"Because y' deserve to be happy" she told him, remembering Will Dixon's words to her the day of Hershel's funeral.

She felt Daryl move beneath her touch the same time a scoff sounded from his throat.

"Did Hershel fill y' head with that happy ever after crap again?" he muttered before turning in her arms.

Looking up into Daryl's eyes, she knew he needed to hear the truth and so she told him, "It wasn't Hershel, Daryl, it was your father"

Daryl's brow furrowed, "It was the day of Hershel's funeral" Beth explained, "He waited after everyone had left and…we talked"

"Pffft" Daryl offered in response, "That man don't know how t' talk, unless it's with his fists"

Beth shook her head remembering how different Will Dixon had looked that day and the way he'd watched Annie in her arms, "He told me about the letters" She started, "How Merle took them, and how ya came back after we'd left."

She allowed Daryl his moment of quiet whilst he let her words sink in, "He met Annie that day" she added as she looked back towards the bed, "He said she had a lot of you in her. And, y' know, I don't think I ever knew that Will Dixon could smile, but that day, when he saw Annie, he was different."

"That man never did nothin' that didn't benefit himself" Daryl snorted as his gaze slid to his daughter as well.

"I remember asking him why he was tellin' me about the letters, about you, about Merle. And, do y' know what he said?" She questioned only to be met with a shaking head, "He told me that ya deserved t' be happy".

"And you believed him?" Daryl asked with a raised eyebrow.

Beth simply shrugged and smiled, her face morphing back to their teenage years, "Well, you're here ain't ya?"

For several minutes each of them stood in silence, looking into one another's eyes as if trying to see the memories of the years they'd been separated swimming within them.

"Don't ya think its beautiful?" Beth questioned suddenly as she moved within his arms to face the world outside of the window.

Frowning, Daryl turned and stood behind her, his arms never leaving where they rested on her waist. "What's beautiful?"

Looking over her shoulder, Beth smiled widely, "That we still managed to find our way back to one another even though the world is so big!"

Leaning forward, Daryl laid a small kiss to Beth's temple, a simple "Mmhmm" leaving his lips in agreement.

…

"Is she a good kid?" he questioned from where they sat on one plastic chair next to their daughter; Beth now choosing to sit on his lap instead of her own chair in case she was dreaming, and he disappeared.

"The best" Beth confirmed with pride as she threaded their fingers together, "She's always runnin' and climbin'. She's got a heart bigger than the ocean"

Sitting forward slightly, Beth reached for her bag and pulled out her purse before flipping it round for Daryl to see a baby picture of Annie enclosed. Taking it from Beth, he leaned to one side to see it clearer in the dim lightening the hospital used at night. His mouth parted at the sight of a tiny baby in a pink baby-suit snuggled in a car seat, a white hat resting on her head.

"That was the day Hershel and I brought her home" Beth explained.

Looking from the photo to the bed, Daryl realised just how much time he'd missed out on in his daughters short life. Her first step, her first word, the first time she danced or climbed a tree. He'd missed it all.

Twisting the purse around so that he could hand it back, he stopped when his eyes fell on Beth's ID. He hadn't really picked up on it downstairs when Annie had been admitted, but now he saw the words clearly.

"You're a Greene?" he asked as he looked at Beth.

Beth smiled and nodded, "Hershel gave me the adoption papers a few days before he died".

Sitting back, he pulled Beth's back against his front, "Did he suffer?" he whispered as his throat tightened.

Beth's head shook against his shoulder, "He had pain from the cancer" she admitted, "But, Enid helped me care for him".

Daryl nodded although she couldn't see, "Where did he…I mean…" he couldn't ask the question but the thought of Hershel dying alone in some hospital room like they sat in now had him feeling something that he wasn't quite sure about.

Beth squeezed his hand, "I took him home. In the weeks leading up to…" Beth paused unable to say the words, "he was different, he was smiling again, and he was happy. And although it might sound crazy, I wouldn't change that day for anythin"

"What'd yer mean?"

"I'd taken Annie to the park that day, Hershel had insisted, he knew she loved the swings jus' as much as we did. It was later that night when it was jus' us sat goin' through that old album of his. I hadn't heard him laugh or cry as much as he did that night" she recalled as memories of that night filtered through her mind, "He passed in his sleep and I had him buried with Annette, back in Woodbury."

Daryl laid his head on the back of the chair, his gaze on the ceiling tiles, as his eyes clouded with tears.

"He was so proud of you, ya know" Beth stated as she sat forward and turned to face him.

Daryl scoffed, "No, he was" Beth persisted, "When Enid started helpin' out, he would often get all those old pictures out and although they think they were sly about it, I heard their conversations" She chuckled before grimacing at the next words she was about to say, "You were always the son he never had".

Daryl's eyes closed the same moment a tear broke free and slid down his cheek. Although he knew that Beth's words were not intended to hurt, he felt them slice through him like a knife through butter.

"He was the father I always wanted" Daryl admitted, his voice slightly gruffer from emotion than usual.

Opening his eyes, He sat up and manoeuvred Beth so that they were facing each other more fully, "I promise ya, Beth, I'm gonna do whatever I can to be the best daddy that lil' girl is ever gonna know. I'm gonna be the man Hershel taught me t' be and I'm ain't ever gonna leave either one of you again…..I love you, Beth. I never stopped!" his eyes roamed her face as if committing it to memory.

Tears filled her eyes at the conviction in his voice, "I love you, too" she replied a second before their lips collided.

Memories of their years growing up hit them both at the familiarity of their skin on skin. It was as if no time had passed and they where simply seventeen and eighteen again.

Breaking apart, Beth laid her forehead against Daryl's, "He told me you'd come back t' me" she whispered.

Daryl's brow pulled together in confusion, "Hershel" she clarified, "He told me the night he died that'd you'd come back soon".

"He always knew what we'd do before we did" Daryl chuckled before kissing Beth's forehead.

…

After leaving the hospital the day before, Merle had headed home only to find himself wandering around the streets instead. Eventually his feet had led him to some kids store and as he'd stood looking through the glass window, he spotted a small pink teddy that he thought Annie might like.

For the first time, he hadn't given it a second thought and had stepped inside to buy the bear before also buying a large bouquet of balloons and a pink tutu. He knew simply buying presents to show his remorse was not enough, but he hoped it was a start.

He'd debated for several hours about whether to return to the hospital and when he did eventually arrive in the parking lot, he spent another hour or so building up the courage to enter.

Slipping inside, he found himself standing outside of Annie's door. Looking through the crack where the door had been left slightly ajar, he spotted Daryl sat next to the bed, Beth in his arms where she belonged.

His hand hovered on the handle as he heard Daryl ask whether it was true that Simon, her father, had beaten her as their dad had told him. Merle inched closer, his head turning to allow his ear to hear the conversation.

"Mmhmm" Beth admitted, "Simon put two and two together before I did. I'd been sick since the day you'd left but like Hershel just put it down to a broken heart. When Simon put the pieces together, he attacked me"

"Then what happened?" Daryl asked.

"I don't know" Beth admitted, "I lost consciousness and when I came to, I was on the porch at the farm. Hershel found me and took me to the hospital"

"I'm sorry I wasn't there, Beth" Daryl admitted.

Merle felt like he'd been punched in the gut. His own selfishness had almost caused Beth to die at the hands of her lowlife father, hell, she could have lost the baby and all because he didn't want to be alone.

"After I was released from the hospital, Hershel and I moved here. He could see how scared I was about going back there, so he sold the farm".

"He in jail?" Daryl questioned referring to Simon.

"Mmhmm"

"So why didn't ya return to the farm?" Daryl asked confused. If Simon was in jail, why had they left and never returned.

"I was scared" Beth admitted, "You didn't see him that day! The look in his eye…he wanted to kill me, Daryl. He almost succeeded too. Imagine how he's gonna feel after nearly four years in jail"

Stepping back, Merle forced a smile at a nurse who walked by before looking back to the door that led to his family. Realising there was a chance to redeem himself, Merle bent and tied the balloons to the handle of Annie's room before propping the bear and gift bag containing the tutu against the door.

Finally knowing what he had to do, he didn't notice someone he'd met yesterday passing by him as he headed towards the elevator.

…

A nurse came in, with her arms full of balloons, a teddy and gift bag, to check Annie's vitals just as the sky was lightening outside, causing Beth and Daryl to realise that they'd spent the entire night talking.

"These were outside the room" she offered to Beth's outstretched hands.

Beth looked at the items in confusion before assuming that Eric had left them.

"Does everythin' seem okay?" Beth asked the nurse as she placed the items on the unit next to Annie's bed.

The woman smiled, "Her surgery went well and everything looks fine" she replied before adding, "She's lucky Eric brought her in when he did, appendicitis can be fatal if not treated".

"Hey" came a familiar voice from the doorway.

"Enid" Beth greeted as she moved to her friend, "What are you doing here?"

Enid pulled a bag from her shoulder "I was on my way to work and figured you may need a few bits, so I called by your house on my way in"

"You are a life saver" Beth gushed as she took the bag from Enid's hand.

Daryl simply stood near the same window he'd stood at earlier, watching the interaction unfold in front of him. Remembering how torn up Daryl sounded at the parts of Annie's life he'd missed out on gave Beth an idea.

"Are you okay if I walk Enid back to her car?" Beth questioned as she looked in Daryl's direction.

As if realising that he would be alone with his daughter for the first time, his eyes widened and his thumb found its way to his mouth where he automatically began chewing on his nail in nervousness.

Beth chuckled at his uneasiness, "She ain't gonna hurt ya, Daryl!" she explained to him before leaving the room.

…

As Merle stepped off the elevator, he came face to face with a person from his past; someone he'd never expected to see again as long as he lived.

"Dad?"

Will Dixon's head snapped up at the words his son spoke. Looking at the man in front of him, Merle realised that his father no longer resembled the man he'd seen several years ago, in fact this man was a shell of his former self.

"Mr Dixon?" a nurse called as she rushed in their direction, her hand waving a piece of paper, "You forgot this" she offered before pushing the item into Will's hand, "And, don't forget you'll need to come back in two days".

"Ya sick or somethin?" Merle questioned with a frown as he watched the nurse walk back the way she'd came.

When he received no answer, he looked at his father and saw the same thing he felt shining back at him; remorse.

"Can ya spare some time?" Will asked with a raised eyebrow.

Instead of flipping him off as he'd once done as a teenager, Merle felt himself offer one curt nod. If Merle wanted redemption for his actions, then surely Will Dixon deserved the same courtesy.

"I'm dyin" Will explained as they sat down at the small hospital café, "Seems after all those years of takin' drugs and drinkin' that my time's comin' to an end".

"How long ya known?" Merle asked.

"I found out about three and a half years ago" Will admitted, "Now, I'm jus' livin' on borrowed time." Merle simply nodded, unsure what to say.

"How's ya brother?" Will questioned as he took a sip of his coffee, that Merle noticed for once wasn't spiked with something.

Merle looked at his father before reaching for his own drink, "He's…he's doin' good"

"Liar" Will counteracted with a smirk that all Dixon men had.

"He's here" Merle blurted, "On the second floor".

Will's eyes widened as his eyebrows rose in concern, "It ain't him" Merle added, "It's…It's complicated."

Sighing, Will looked at his eldest son, "Ya never were good at lyin!"

"Ya remember Beth?" Merle asked.

The question caused Will to choke slightly on his coffee before he placed the cup back down on the table with a shaking hand, "Is Beth okay? Annie?" he rushed.

Merle shook his head, "Beth's fine but...wait, how'd you know 'bout Annie?"

Taking a deep breath, Will looked at Merle, "Beth introduced us a few years back, at the old man's funeral, she okay?"

Merle shrugged, "She was rushed in yesterday but seemed alright when I was jus' up there".

At the revelation, both men sat quietly as they sipped their coffee. Will sat contemplating where he went wrong in his life and how much his dark path had cost him, whilst Merle ran over the conversation he'd overheard Daryl and Beth discuss about Simon and what he'd done.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Merle suddenly blurted as the dots connected.

"What was me?" Will asked with a frown.

Sitting forwards, Merle clasped his hands together on the table in front of them, "Beth said when Simon beat her that she lost consciousness and when she came to, she was out at the farm"

Will averted his gaze to the table where he began to pick at the dry and cracked skin around his nicotine covered fingers.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Merle questioned again, "You carried her out there!"

Will nodded before raising his eyes to Merle's face, "When I saw her body drop t' the ground, I don't know what came over me. My feet were movin' before I knew what I was doin".

"Ya should have seen her, Merle. That man damn near killed her"

"I seem ta remember feelin' your belt a time or five" Merle snarled.

Will's shoulders dropped, "I know I did wrong by you boys. I know the stuff I did I can never take back; especially now".

"I know I have no right to ask anythin' from either of you, but I'd like…I'd like to try and make amends before…."

Merle caught sight of Beth walking through the hospital foyer with the girl he'd noticed with her yesterday and realised he was trying to do exactly the same thing his father was trying to do now.

"I can't promise ya nothin" Merle offered.

"Jus' lookin' for whatever ya willin' to offer" Will confirmed with a small smile that Merle hadn't seen since he was just a boy, before his parents had found their vices in alcohol and drugs. "Ya think y' could talk to Daryl, too?" he added.

Merle hung his head back at the question and looked at the ceiling tiles as if they held every answer he needed.

"That might be harder than y' think" Merle replied.

"There ain't nothin' that you haven't been able to fix yet, Merle" Will offered, "You and Daryl will work it out, it may jus' take a lil' longer than you'd like".

…

"So, you are two okay?" Enid questioned as they started walking down the hall.

Beth looked back over her shoulder, a smile on her face, "I think so" she admitted.

"C'mon, Beth" Enid started with a smile of her own, "Why are you really walking me to my car?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Beth's smile widened as Enid's eyebrow rose in question.

"Daryl thinks he missed out on so much of Annie's life, and I was wonderin' if you'd mind poppin' back by the house at some point to get somethin' for me"

Enid was already nodding, "Whatever you need"

Stopping, Beth turned and hugged the woman that had become one of her closest friends since she'd started working as Hershel's carer years before.

"It's a box" Beth explained as they pulled away from one another, "It's on the top shelf in Hershel's closet"

"Consider it done" Enid replied, "I'll bring it by this evening".

…

Daryl stared out over the city that was waking up. So many emotions and so many thoughts swirling through his mind.

"Are you an angel?" Came a small voice from behind him that caused him to spin round; his eyes connecting with his exact replicas that sat on the face of his daughter.

Stepping closer, he moved cautiously to the bed, afraid that he'd frighten her.

"I ain't no angel" he replied with his husky voice as he sank into the chair next to the bed.

Did he call a nurse he wondered as he looked towards the door where he could have sworn he saw Merle standing earlier. Shaking his head that was thick with sleep, he turned back to Annie, who watched him with wide trusting eyes.

"Why'd yer ask that for, anyhow?" he questioned gently.

Her small hand lifted as she pointed in his direction, "You have wings like an angel".

He didn't think he'd ever heard anything so perfect than his daughters voice talking to him and instead of answering he sat staring at her, absorbing everything about her.

"Are you here to take me t' heaven?" she asked in a small voice before looking down sadly at the blanket that covered her tiny body.

Without thinking, Daryl reached a hand out and took her small one in his own; the same feeling shooting up his arm the way it did whenever he touched Beth.

"I ain't here t' take ya to heaven" he replied.

Her head moved in his direction and he could see tears in her eyes, "But, you are an angel, right?"

Daryl shook his head at the same time Beth entered, "Doodlebug, you're awake" she gushed before rushing towards the bed.

"Momma" Annie cried as she tried to move at the same time both Daryl and Beth reached out to stop her.

Shaking her head, Beth moved Annie back to lie down, "You need t' rest, baby girl"

"Sorry, momma" Annie offered with a small smile.

Glancing at Daryl, Beth smiled before glancing back to her daughter; correction to their daughter.

"Baby" Beth started causing Annie to look at her, "There's someone I'd like y' to meet"

"Is it the angel?" Annie asked as they both turned to look at Daryl. Beth looked at him with confusion, whilst Annie smiled in his direction.

"Angel?" Beth questioned perplexed at Annie's proclamation.

Annie tugged Beth's arm to pull her closer so that she could whisper in her ear, "He has wings, momma".

When Beth stood back up and glanced at Daryl, she saw the smirk pull at his lips signalling that he'd heard what Annie had just whispered.

Shaking her head, Beth sat on the side of Annie's bed, "He's not an angel, doodlebug. This is Daryl, he's your daddy."

Both Daryl and Beth sat holding their breath following Beth's admission as Annie's head twisted between them like she was watching a tennis match.

Finally, her mouth twisted into a large smile, "That's even better than an angel" she exclaimed.