I do not own any of the TWD characters.
Getting Back Home
It took a few moments, but everything began to click in the sugar addled minds gathered throughout the room.
"I knew it" Carl burst out. "You are gettin chubby" he laughed. "You got knocked up!"
"Carl!" Shane snapped at the boy without thinking, but he and Rick did seem to be on the same page because his real dad took that opportunity to pop him in the back of the head.
"When? When? When are you due?" Michonne sounded like a silly school girl with all of her giggling.
Daryl and Beth looked at each other, silently asking who wanted to talk. Beth decided she'd talk for a bit. "July 7. So, I'm not quite twelve weeks. Gosh, ya'll we're so excited! We've been dyeing to share our news, but we kinda wanted to wait a bit."
Negan stood up and pulled Daryl in for one of those one armed hugs men are famous for. Negan added some back slapping for good measure while fighting the urge to say I've known it, I've known it all along. Instead he said, "I can't believe it. You're going to make me a grandad! Proud and happy for you son."
Daryl blushed and smiled his shy little grin. "Thanks. I'm still kinda in shock if ya wanta know the truth."
The room was abuzz with congratulations of all sorts being offered up and everyone pulling both Daryl and Beth into great big bear hugs. Rick went a little misty eyed as he held Beth by her elbows. "You're gonna be the best momma" he said with glistening eyes. "Are ya happy Bug?" Beth nodded. "Then I'm happy for ya!" Rick pulled her in for one last hug, because, after all, Michonne was waiting patiently for her turn.
Shane stood at the back of the living room looking as if he might make a run for it. Morgan noticed him back there and realized how terribly painful this all must be for him. Now, Morgan didn't think he should be excused from the terrible lack of judgement and act of aggression on Beth – no sir, not for one minute. However, Morgan knew the look of a man in a pain and Shane Walsh was literally at death's doorstep.
Morgan stood to pour himself a couple fingers of bourbon and poured up the same in another glass. Joining Shane along the back wall, he handed one of the glasses over to the younger man. "It'll get better – time will help with that."
Shane accepted the glass of brown liquid with a head nod. "Naw, I don't think it will." There was nothing else to be said so the two men just stood there and sipped the Blanton's while the rest of the room erupted into chaos with the opening of gifts.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Negan and Lucille thoroughly enjoyed their time with Annette and Morgan and the rest of the extended family over the next two days. Michonne was there quite a bit with the kids and Rick was there if he wasn't on duty.
It was good to just unwind and destress from their everyday lives. Of course, Negan would be the first to readily admit that Annette's cooking alone would get him on a plane to Georgia any given day – holiday or not. There were late night games of Rook that turned near deadly, mid-morning brunches, and afternoon movie marathons of old black and white westerns. This was the life for sure. After a few days of being a couch potato, however, Negan could take no more. He had to get back or so he said, insisting that he had a "shitload" of stuff to tend to and asses to kick.
Beth had convinced Daryl that she needed a bit more time with her momma though. "I'm just now feelin better" Beth told Daryl, "Can't we stay till New Year's?" Daryl realized then that her "packing heavy" had been no accident.
Negan assured Daryl that everything would be just fine back at the office. "I'll handle things till you get back." When Daryl responded with a scowl, Negan egged him on a bit "What? Ya think we didn't run that place pretty well before you came along? Shit. I'm the king around there."
Morgan mumbled something under his breath and Daryl rolled his eyes. Beth on the other hand popped up from the kitchen table where she'd been working on a puzzle to give Negan a big old smooch on his scruffy cheek. "Thanks Neg! You're a doll!" she teased.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
When Daryl, Beth, and Sam struggled to get into the front door once they made it home from the airport they heard music coming from the guest room.
"You expectin somebody?" Daryl asked gruffly.
Beth shrugged. "Nope" she answered. "You?
Sam knew who it was though – he could smell his long lost buddy. Noah was back and Sam had missed him. Truth be told, they'd all missed Noah. Beth was simply relieved she wouldn't have to brave that wind while taking Sam out for his walks. Beth loved Sam, but the bitter cold and wind just about did her in.
Noah stepped out of the bedroom just about the time Sam hit the threshold. He bent down to rub at Sam, giving the dog lots of hugs and rubs and attention. "Missed ya Boy" Noah told the dog. "I sure did. You miss me?"
Noah stood and shook hands with Daryl. "Hell, we all missed ya. How was your grandparents? Everybody doin okay?"
"Yeh, just getting older" Noah looked a little sad.
"Bet they sure were happy to have you home" Beth smiled.
Noah smiled back and gave Beth a hug. "They were. Man, I didn't realize how much I'd missed home – it was really hard to get on that plane and fly back yesterday."
Daryl slapped Noah on the back. "Glad you had a good time, but I'm tickled shitless that your back home with us."
"Thank you again for flying me there and back Mr. Dixon" Noah sincerely told him.
"Happy to do it" Daryl replied. Daryl then began the task of dragging all of the luggage to their room.
Noah looked to Beth then. "Hope ya don't mind" Noah said with a sheepish look. "I had wayyyyy to much laundry to have to scrounge up quarters for."
"I don't mind at all Noah" Beth patted him on the arm. "I've told you more than once that I'd even do your laundry for you. As much as you're here anyway, doing for us, I could do that for you."
"Oh, no Mam' Noah smiled. "I could never have you do that. I'll get my last load in the dryer and then I'll take Sam for a walk. I bet he's been missing the park and the beach. Haven't ya Boy?"
Apparently, Sam had really missed Noah because when the young man turned to go back and finish up his laundry, the dog was right on his heels. Sam even sat on his haunches at the dryer door to make sure Noah didn't drop any items on the floor.
Beth giggled at the sight but then realized she had a bunch of stuff to unpack. There were the Christmas gifts they'd brought back with them of course, but there were also some canned preserves and vegetables that Annette had sent back with her. Daryl wasn't going to ever turn away anything Annette Greene cooked so he'd not fussed too much when he had to load it all onto a pull cart to get it upstairs. Beth had promised him she'd return the cart back downstairs.
"What ya want me to do with all these dirty clothes?" Daryl hollered from the bedroom.
"Just throw em in the guest room floor" Beth hollered back. "I'll start on our laundry when Noah gets finished."
On his way back from dropping the laundry off, Daryl stuck his head in the kitchen. Beth was arranging the canned goods in the pantry and devising a supper plan – some hot soup made with her momma's canned veggies and a pan of crispy cornbread would be good. "I think we need to look at a bigger place" Daryl stated.
Beth was caught off guard and turned to look at Daryl. "What?" she questioned.
"We need a bigger place" Daryl repeated. "Same building – I like where we are. We just ain't gonna have enough room when that baby gets here. Maybe move up to a three bedroom."
Beth grinned. "How much room do you think a little bitty ole baby takes up?"
"It ain't the baby – it's everything that goes with it" Daryl laughed. "I mean, I didn't think much of it last summer when we's at Rick's, but gosh durn Beth, ya seen all that stuff that goes along with havin a baby?"
Beth kept grinning and nodded her head.
"I mean, a baby bed for starters. Then ya got them swing things, and a playpen, and all that dirty laundry. I don't want ya to have to sort laundry in the middle of the baby's bedroom floor. And diapers. What's them things ya put the baby on to change em?"
She couldn't stop smiling – this man of hers was so cute when he got rattled. "A changing table?" Beth offered.
"Yeh, a changing table – that's another piece of furniture to take up space. And that's another thing, ya momma's gonna wanta come and visit more. Where we gonna put everybody?"
Daryl appeared as if he might be coming unglued so Beth decided she needed to stop him before he completely lost it. "Hey, hey Daryl" she stepped towards him and pulled his chin down so she could look him in the eyes. "It's okay. We'll figure it out" she told him. "If you want to look for a bigger apartment, I'm fine with that. If we can't find what we're looking for, well, we'll deal with it."'
Later on that night after Noah had gone back to the dorm and Sam was settled in for the evening, Daryl and Beth sat down for a late supper. "I'll check to see what vacant units they have available tomorrow" Daryl told Beth.
"Let me do it" Beth said.
"Naw, I don't want you to have to worry 'bout it" he answered.
"Please Daryl" Beth begged. "Let me handle it. This is my area of expertise. Let me see what they've got and then we can talk about it tomorrow night."
"You really want to handle this?" Daryl asked his wife.
"Yes. I really want to handle this" she assured him. "I'll let you know if I need any help."
Daryl stood up and took both sets of plates in his hands, bending over to kiss his sweet Beth on the lips. "Okay then" Daryl told her. "I'm gonna turn it over to you then."