I do not own any of the TWD characters.

I know, I know. It appears as if I fell off the face of the earth again. Maybe I did – maybe I didn't. School's been a bitch this school year. It took the entire summer just to recover from the last one. DAMN. Retirement? Where the hell are ya?

Anyways, this chapter picks up right where we left off, but there's a bit of a time jump part way through.

Expanding

Beth woke and turned over. She aimlessly ran her hand around the top of the bedside table in search of her phone. She desperately needed to use the restroom, but was also curious as to what time it was. Daryl was not in bed and Beth had obviously slept in. The sun was shining in around the closed drapes in the bedroom. Beth gasped when she read the time on her phone – it was 9:15 already. That meant Daryl had been gone for hours and she slept right through his getting ready. He'd also gone in to work without any breakfast or lunch.

Beth moaned out loud. "Shoot" she said to no one in particular. "Can't believe I'm still piled up in the bed. World's worst wife award for sure" she continued her mumbling. On her way to the restroom she finally noticed Sam sitting at the foot of her bed. He appeared to have this look on his face that said oh, take your time relieving yourself, I can wait a while longer.

"Sorry Sam" Beth understood his telepathic message. "I'll hurry – promise."

And she did hurry the best she could. After using the restroom, washing her hands and face, Beth brushed her teeth and found something warm to put on. "Go wait for me at the door" she told Sam as she signed "walk" to the dog. "Let me put this hair up and we'll go" Beth threw in as an afterthought. Sam hadn't stuck around though. Once the dog knew that Beth was about ready to go out he took off for the front door where he sat waiting for her with the leash in his mouth.

"What a good boy you are" Beth bragged on him and rubbed behind his ears as she hooked the leash onto his collar. Next Beth threw on one of Daryl's coats since hers would no longer button, a knitted wool cap and a fluffy scarf. By the time she was bundled up Beth looked like Yukon Cornelius ready for some artic adventure. Sam cocked his head and gave Beth a funny look, but he didn't hesitate to follow her out the door.

It was a beautiful day out, chilly but the sun was shining. Beth felt guilty about not only sending Daryl off to work unfed but also keeping Sam from going out. To make up for it Beth walked on across the street via the tunnel to Jane Addams Park – one of Sam's favorite places in the whole wide world. There was usually a food truck over there this time of day with coffee and bagels. Beth got a steaming cup of white chocolate cocoa and a breakfast sandwich for herself and several slices of cheese for Sam. Beth sat on a bench to enjoy her breakfast while Sam wandered and sniffed everything around the bench.

"Sam" Beth started. "I got a million things to do today and here I sit, stuffing my face." Sam ignored Beth's monologue to continue his investigation of the surrounding area. Beth finished all of her sandwich and gave the dog a few more minutes to enjoy being outdoors. "Want to walk over to the beach?" she asked the dog. Sam didn't care where he went, just as long as he was outside. Beth figured the exercise would do her good as well, so they did make the short little stroll over to the East Street beach. There were only one or two other brave souls there.

They hadn't been there long when the winds seemed to shift and there was most definitely a bite in the air. "Okay, Sam" Beth laughed. "I'm outta here – time to head back home." Reluctantly, Sam turned to leave with Beth but he just couldn't part with a piece of wood he'd found. Beth didn't bother to fuss at him – they simply started on their journey back to the apartment.

"Supper's good Baby" Daryl told Beth as he slurped up a noodle out of the homemade chili that Beth had had simmering on the stove most of the afternoon. Beth didn't respond with anything but a smile – she was too busy pulling the crust off of her own grilled cheese. Daryl reached over to her plate and took her scraps. It was all so very comfortable. They seemed like a couple that had been married forever and not the few short months they actually had.

"Ya get a chance to check on any available apartments in the building today?" Daryl continued. It was a bit odd that he would be the one to try and keep the conversation up, but Beth was now crumbling crackers into her bowl of steamy goodness. Apparently, by the look on her face, it required a great deal of concentration.

Beth brushed the crumbs from her hands and looked Daryl in the eyes. She put on her biggest thousand watt smile and finally spoke. "Yeh, about that" she began, "I think I'm gonna need your help."

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Negan and Daryl stood in what used to be his and Beth's bedroom, both looking around at all the debris being cleared out and the workers milling about, each with their own purpose. Both men turned to look at the vacant space behind them – where the bedroom wall had just been taken out with a few sledge hammers and some saws. The room on the other side looked just as trashed as the one they were standing in. Negan scratched at the scruff on his jaw – he looked scraggly even by weekend standards for Negan.

"What the fuck where you thinking?" Negan asked the younger man that stood next to him.

"Hell if I know" Daryl answered.

"Not that Lucy and I don't love the hell outta ya'll staying with us but, fuck man. Are we gonna pull this off before the baby gets here?" Negan wondered aloud.

"Hope to hell so" Daryl replied. "Beth's getting huge. Don't tell her I said that. She's cranky as hell. Don't tell her I said that neither. Damn, the only peace I get is the fuckin hour drive to and from your house every day."

"Yeh, she's not the usual ray of sunshine we've all come to love" Negan barked out in laughter. "It'll get better." Daryl wasn't sure who Negan was trying to convince. Him? Himself? Both? "When the kid graduates from college." Negan cracked up laughing again. "Shit, that was a good one" now Negan was just talking to himself.

Daryl, rolling his eyes, didn't know how to respond so he just grunted. "Things oughta move quicker since this wall came down. If they can get the nursery done just as quick as possible that'd be great. And the laundry room. And the kitchen. Fuck. We need some kind of magic wand or something." Daryl's phone buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket and tried not to groan when he looked down at the screen. "Speakin of" he said to Negan before pushing the green button.

"Hey Baby" Daryl said with a smile on his face. "Ya okay?" Daryl listened intently, mumbled "uhhuh" when he thought appropriate and used a broom to sweep at a pile of dust and nails on the floor. Negan kicked some loose dirt Daryl's way and then wandered over to the other apartment. "Shit, Hun" Daryl sighed. "I forgot all 'bout it." Daryl listened for a few seconds. "No, it ain't a problem – can shuffle a few things 'round. Glad ya reminded me today and not in the mornin."

A worker had been wanting to talk to Daryl about a question he had, but found that Negan could probably answer it just as well. The two men laid out some papers on a makeshift work table in what used to be the kitchen of the second apartment. Daryl had finished his phone call and walked over to join the conversation.

"What'd Beth decide on the crown molding in the guest room suite?" Negan looked to Daryl.

Daryl smiled. "Said she didn't give a shit – for one of us to man up and make a fuckin decision for a change."

Negan fought the shit eating grin forming on his face. Yeh, Beth had given them all a run for their money here lately. Negan scribbled something with a carpenter's pencil in the margin of the plans and explained it to the guy who had had the original question. "I like this for common areas – the living room, dining room. I think we'll go with this" Negan scribbled something else and underlined it several times "in the sleeping areas of the house. And" Negan held up his finger for emphasis. He then pointed and tapped the area on the paper where he scribbled again, "this for the nursery. Don't fuck up the nursery." Negan told the man. The worker nodded, "Yes Sir" he said. The guy walked away, and pulled out his own cell phone to place a call.

"Everything alright out at the house?" Negan looked at Daryl who had started chewing on his thumb nail. Negan swatted Daryl's hand. "Stop that shit."

"Yeh" Daryl said. "She thought I needed remindin 'bout her doctor's appointment tomorrow afternoon. Damn good thing she did – I'd already fuckin forgot."

"Can't Lucy go with her?" Negan asked with a funny look on his face. "Dwighty Boy can drive them. You know Ole Dwight wouldn't mind that a bit. He loves him some Beth Dixon – even grouchy ass, bossy Beth Dixon."

This only caused Daryl to scowl even more. "I ain't having Dwight take my wife to a baby doctor's appointment. She's havin one last ultrasound tomorrow – doc's thinkin we might have the date off just a bit."

"Sooner or later?" Negan asked in a panic.

Daryl reinforced the panic when he answered "sooner."

"Fuck" Negan muttered and then he yelled at a worker that appeared to have stopped working to sip on some Gatorade. "Hey" Negan hollered. "Get your ass back to work – we got a deadline here ya dumb fucks. "