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Honestly, you guys make all the hard work worth it. I love reading your reviews, they mean the absolute world to me. Just to let you in on a little secret. Each story has it's own lever arch folder and I print off every review and put them in the folder (in chapter order of course, separated by different coloured dividers). When I get a bit of writers block or struggle with a chapter I look at the reviews and it normally gives me some inspiration.
You guys mean the world to me, thank you for all the support so far.
Now... back to the story!
Disclaimer: Still no news on when I can own The Walking Dead or Daryl Dixon
Home Is With You: Chapter 20
Beth
I have to tell him.
He needs to know.
He'll go crazy if he finds out a different way.
There have been enough secrets in his life already.
Now is not the best time but he needs to know... God!
I looked at the pregnancy test in my hand that had those two pink lines on it, confirming the news that I already knew. Since I took the one in the pharmacy with Daryl that time, we have been so careful about having sex, I don't know what happened. It's like we wasn't trying to use protection and nothing but as soon as we try being careful about it, BAM, I end up pregnant.
I took the test three days ago and hid it from him until I could let it sink in with me first and then when he starts to freak out, which I know he will, I can be the calm one. No use if both of us are panicking and losing the plot... that won't help anyone.
The only reason I'm thinking about telling Daryl today is because of the conversation last night, Daryl said that Merle is the only flesh and blood he has left on this Earth but that isn't true and I wanted to blurt it out to him then and there but I held myself back. I promised I would let him fix things with Merle but if I'm honest, I don't care about what happens to Merle because he will not be around this baby, I don't care if he is biologically the grandfather. Merle is nothing to me and nothing to this baby as far as I'm concerned.
Knowing that Daryl would be back soon I put the pregnancy test back in its hiding spot and thought of the best way to tell him. I know how he's going to react and I don't think it will be happy, he's going to panic and blame himself and then flashbacks of Lori are going to happen and he's going to panic more and he'll feel guilty. To be honest I'm worried about what's going to happen too but I need to be strong and tell him, he needs to know.
"Hey, you ok?" Daryl asked as he walked into my room and I smiled and nodded at him "I'm goin' on watch tonight and I might ask Merle to come up as well. Maybe try and fix this mess that we're in," He told me as he sat down next to me.
"Don't ask him," I blurted out and realised how horrible it sounded.
"I know you don't like him-"
"It's not to do with that. It's just that I planned on speaking to you about something tonight and I would prefer it if Merle wasn't there for the conversation," I told him.
"Just tell me now," He said.
"I can't... there are a couple things I need to do first but please promise me; you won't ask Merle tonight," I said.
"Alright." He agreed.
When I tell Daryl that I'm pregnant I want it to be special, I don't want to just blurt it out, I want him to remember the moment so I'm going to need some help and who better to help me then Carol. She is one of Daryl's best friends and she will be able to help me. She's been pregnant before and she's raised a child, she can help me with this.
I found her getting lunch ready in the communal area and Judith was in a little play pen next to her so she could keep an eye Judith.
"Hi Beth," Carol greeted me warmly.
"Hi Carol, have you got a minute?" I asked her shyly.
"Of course I do, what can I help you with?" She asked.
"You know about Daryl and me," I started and she smiled as she nodded "I'm pregnant," I blurted out and she looked shocked, like she had just seen a three headed dog shocked "I haven't told him yet but I want it to be a special moment when I do tell him... I need some help," I explained.
"Congratulations," She said with tears in her eyes and she wrapped her arms around me "I am so happy for you Beth, you are going to be a wonderful mother," She told me and pulled away from the embrace "I can't believe it; you and Daryl are going to have a baby," She commented.
"It was quite the shock, we've been so careful, at least I thought we were," I stated.
"You and I both know Daryl and we both know he's probably going to freak out, which is fine, you need to let the idea sit with him for a day or two and he'll be fine... he'll be more then fine, he'll be excited," She said "What did you have in mind for telling him?" She asked.
"He's on tower duty tonight and I want to tell him when it's just the two of us with no interruptions but I just don't wanna blurt it out. I want it to be a happy and special moment for us both," I told her.
"I have an idea." She stated with a huge smile on her face.
Daryl
Beth looked panicked and worried earlier when I mentioned asking Merle to come on night watch with me. I know they don't like each other but he is all the family I have left and we need to try and fix this, I know Merle has made it difficult and Beth would probably like to see Merle not part of the group anymore but I know I would regret not making up with him before one of us dies.
Maybe I just need to tell Beth that as much as she hates Merle I need to do this. I know she said she needed to talk to me about something but she can talk to me all the time, we get to spend a lot of time together since we came clean about our relationship so it's not like we need to try and sneak moments together anymore, I'm sure it can't be that important anyway otherwise she wouldn't put off telling me what it was until tonight... maybe she's just buying time... I don't know.
I walked into the cell block and saw Carol getting ready to plate up lunch with Andrea.
"Hi Daryl," Carol said with a very wide and weird smile on her face.
"Hey... you alright?" I asked her cautiously.
"Of course I'm alright, why wouldn't I be?" She replied.
"Your face is weird," I stated.
"I'm just happy... can't a woman just be happy?" She asked.
"At the end of the world with the dead walkin' round trying to eat us?" I questioned.
"It's not all doom and gloom," She said and turned her back to me.
"Sure," I replied "You guys seen Beth?" I asked.
"Yeah I think she was headed to the library," Andrea told me.
"Thanks." I called back as I headed in that direction.
It didn't take me long to find her, she was sitting by the window with a book in her lap, I couldn't see which book it was but she was really into it because she didn't even hear me coming. I stood in front of her she saw my boots and jumped.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya," I said and sat down next to her. She slammed the book shut and put it on the shelf so I couldn't see what it was "You ok?" I asked.
"Yeah I just wanted to talk to yer 'bout something," I started "I know you don't like Merle and you have every reason not to but I need to make things up with him, I can't keep puttin' it off because if one of us dies tomorrow, I'm gonna regret not making it up with him," I explained "So, I'm gonna ask him if he wants to come on watch tonight, see if we can fix it and then tomorrow I'm all yours," I added.
"Daryl I really need to talk to you tonight, it's important," She said.
"Tell me now," I replied.
"I can't... it needs to be tonight, I have everything planned out," She told me.
"Beth-"
"Please Daryl... it really is important," She pleaded and I saw the tears start to well up in her eyes.
"If it is that important then just tells me now, it sounds like it's something that can't wait until tonight," I argued.
"Please... let me do this as I planned," She pleaded with me again.
"I don't know why you just can't tell me now," I told her.
"Do you trust me?" She asked me.
"You know I do," I answered.
"Please... just give me tonight and then tomorrow, talk to Merle all you want," She suggested.
"Ok." I agreed.
Beth
I looked in the bag to make sure I had everything I needed from for the night. Carol had been a huge help and had found some things that would help me break this news to Daryl, maybe he'll take the news well and he'll be happy straight away but I am prepared for him to be angry, upset and sad... I'm prepared for anything really.
I was scared to tell him. I was so nervous but I need to tell he and I was ready for it but there is one thing I'm not prepared for, him leaving. I know that I'm going to need to give him some space after I tell him so that he can process everything but I won't be able to take it if he leaves. I can't raise a baby on my own, I'm going to need him with me to help me through this, I don't want to give birth without Daryl there by my side and I don't think he'll leave but there is that little bit of doubt in my mind that he might leave and it might be all too much for him.
After making sure I had everything I needed I started making my way outside to see Daryl and tell him. On my way I saw Carol, she was putting the last few things away for the night. She smiled when she saw me and I smiled back.
"Thank you for everything," I said to her and hugged her.
"You're welcome sweetie, I promise, everything will be fine." She promised me and we released the hug.
I gave her one last smile and left the cell block, I saw Daryl already in the watch tower and watching out into the fields. He turned to look at me when he heard the door slam shut, he went inside the cabin and I know it was to open the hatch for me.
He took the bags off me and closed the hatch over and put the blankets back over it to cover it and stop the draft coming in. I went and stood with Daryl on the catwalk and we looked out into the night, Daryl seemed on edge and nervous.
"I got something for you," I said and went and grabbed the bag I brought with me. I grabbed the item and held it tight in my hands, I took a deep breath and handed it to Daryl.
"What is it?" He asked as he looked at it.
"It's a onesie," I replied.
Carol had found a onesie that used to belong to Judith when she was newborn, in fact, it was her first piece of clothing and it was what Daryl had found for her. It was grey onesie and had 'Hello World' written on the front. Daryl looked at it but it seemed like he didn't know what it meant, he looked confused but then it hit him. He looked at me and then my stomach then back at the onesie.
"Are you pregnant?" He asked me.
"Yes." I answered.
4 chapters left guys!
4 chapters left and then I have ANOTHER story for you, it's a good one. All I will tell you is that it is called 'Keep The Faith' there will be a trailer for the story posted in due course. I think this is quite an interesting story, it is a Bethyl story and I think you will like it.
Thank you for reading this chapter, I know it wasn't the best but I just wanted to get to the point when she tells him that she's pregnant.
How do you think Daryl will react?
Will Daryl stick around or run away like Beth fears?
How will everyone else react to the news?
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Writer347
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