Daryl walked silently back into the bedroom. Beth was just coming out of the bathroom. She looked at him and stopped.
"You sick again?" he asked her and his voice was strained.
"I'm okay." she whispered.
"You ain't." Daryl sat on the bed and put his head in his hands. She didn't say anything, just watched him carefully. "We ain't been using protection.. I.. Jesus I can't believe how fucking stupid.." He looked over at her while she got dressed and tried to imagine what this could mean.
Beth pulled on her jeans and t-shirt. She combed her hair and tried her hardest not to think about what Daryl was implying because thinking about it made it a possibility and this could not be a possibility right now. But it was and she knew it. The brush slipped from her hand and dropped with a thump onto the floor. She'd been fighting off the tears since he walked back in the room. She knew just by his expression and the way he carried his body that he knew something was wrong. He was by her side in seconds.
"Are you?" he asked.
"I don't know." she hiccuped through the tears. "I, my periods have never been regular and since the world fell apart I stopped paying attention. Oh god Daryl.. we can't…. This isn't.." Daryl put his arms around her and rubbed her back.
"S'gonna be fine. We'll do what we gotta." he murmured. And he actually felt calmer saying it. Now that he knew it could be a thing. A thing, a baby. "Now what?" he rested his chin on the crown of her head.
"I don't know. Maybe Pete the doctor guy, maybe he has a pregnancy test in the infirmary." Beth murmured. She just wanted to stand here like this for now. Daryl gently stepped away from her.
"Come on." he took her hand and led her out of the bedroom.
Thinking about bringing a baby into this world terrified Daryl. Sure little ass kicker was awesome. He loved her. He'd do anything for her. That would be magnified by 100 if the child in question was his own. To always be afraid of what could happen? He couldn't imagine feeling how Rick felt when Judith was missing for so long. Well actually he could, because he'd lost Beth too. Okay thinking wasn't helping. It was just making this worse. She might not be pregnant at all. It could be so many other things. Probably was. Why hadn't they used any protection? He remembered hearing Glenn talk about it. He knew that on runs Glenn was always on the lookout for condoms. But that was before Beth. Because before her there had been nothing. He hadn't cared. Sex, love, anything to do with that idea had been the furthest thing from his mind. In fact if he really wanted to be honest with himself it had never been something he thought about. Ever. Until her. Beth made him believe in good things. Even if they were far and few between. And having her with him was the best thing. He loved her even when he didn't know how. And he'd love their child if that's what he had to do too.
"Do you hear that?" Beth stopped in the road. They were almost to Pete's house. The one he shared with his wife and sons. There was yelling, things breaking. Suddenly Rick and Pete came crashing through the front window. Daryl took Beth's arm.
"Stay back." he said and he ran towards the two men who were now fighting in the street with everyone watching. Daryl heard Rick threaten Pete and realized this was about the fact that he was hitting his wife and apparently his youngest son too. Daryl slowed down and didn't make a move to pull Rick off the guy. Maybe, just maybe he needed to be taught a lesson. Daryl felt a small bit of satisfaction watching Rick pummel him. This was a fair fight, until Rick pulled out his gun. Then Michonne came out of nowhere and clocked Rick upside the head. Daryl helped her carry an unconscious Rick away. The put him in Alexandria's answer to a jail, an unfinished basement in Michonne stayed with him and Rosita took a first aid kit to clean him up.
"What's gonna happen now?" Daryl asked Michonne.
"I guess we just wait and see what Deanna says. Can't be good though? I don't know what he was thinking." she said shaking her head. Daryl stood there biting on his thumb nail. "You worried?" she asked him.
"Nah. Can I talk to you out here?" Daryl said backing out of the room where Rosita was working on Rick's face. Michonne followed Daryl outside. Beth was standing out there apparently waiting for Daryl.
"What's going on?" Michonne asked perplexed. She looked back and forth between the two of them.
"Can ya get in the infirmary? We, uh, we were headed that way when all this shit went down." Daryl said unable to make eye contact with Michonne.
"I'm sure I can. Why? Is something wrong?" Michonne asked and then she glanced at Beth and realization crossed her face. "Yeah. Let me handle things here. I'll, I'll find you." she said. She looked at Beth again and then turned and went back into the basement.
"She knows? How does she know?" Beth looked at Daryl. He shrugged. "Daryl?"
"She heard ya getting sick. She just assumed. Then she was askin' if we were using protection.." Daryl said uncomfortably.
"Oh great." Beth said sitting down on the steps. Daryl sat beside her.
"Nothin' we can do now. Ain't no use worrying about it yet." he said. He watched her sit there with her chin in her hands. He felt an ache in his chest for everything they had been through together. He didn't have a clue that day they'd left the prison together that this was where their journey would someday bring them.
"Daryl.. we can't have a baby. This world, it's not safe for us. How are we gonna keep a baby safe?" Beth wiped her eyes. All she kept thinking about was a tiny helpless newborn. This place was good for now, but she didn't really think good lasted anymore. And she could run and keep running if she had to. That would be a lot harder with a baby.
"We'll do what we gotta, I told'ja that." Daryl said again. Carol, Glenn and Abraham came walking up. Beth and Daryl stood up.
"Is he awake?" Carol asked.
"Dunno.. I haven't been back in there. What's going on?"
"There's going to be a meeting to address what happened and what's gonna be done." Glenn said.
"They kicking him out?" Daryl asked. Beth stepped closer to Daryl.
"We don't know. Deanna says people are scared. They need a chance to ask questions." Glenn said. "Maggie is trying to find out what she can."
"Let's go talk to him." Carol headed into the basement and the others followed.
"Let's go home Daryl." Beth said tugging at his hand.
"Yeah ok." he gave one final look towards the basement and turned and headed home.
A few hours later Beth wandered out onto the porch. Daryl was at Aaron's working in the garage. He had a hard time sitting still unless he was sleeping. Beth felt restless too since they'd come to Alexandria. She had looked forward to going out scouting with Daryl and Aaron. Of course that was before this whole deal with a possible pregnancy. It wasn't safe going out there. If she was pregnant there was no way Daryl was going to let her leave these walls unless they came down. Michonne, Glenn, Maggie and Carol came down the street from the direction of Deanna's house.
"What's going on?" Beth asked. She was pretty good at reading her sisters emotions. Maggie looked stressed.
"Where's Daryl?" Glenn asked.
"He's over at Aaron's. Do you need him?" Beth asked.
"I just want him to know what's going on. I'll go get him." Glenn took off down the street. Carol sat on the steps. She didn't look much better than Maggie.
"There's a meeting like Glenn said, but I don't know what's going to happen. These people are clueless." Maggie said.
"Rick was out of control, but I'll stand behind him whatever the decision is." Michonne said.
"Of course we will." Carol said.
The women were silent, each thinking about what the decision could be and what it would mean if they had to leave. Michonne caught Beth's eye.
"Beth can I talk to you inside?" she said. Beth looked around and saw Maggie and Carol watching them.
"Uh yeah sure." She followed Michonne into the house. When they were in the kitchen Michonne pulled a thin plastic wrapper out of her back pocket. She held it out to Beth.
"There's an expiration date on those and it's a couple months past it, but I think it will be okay." she said.
Beth took it, her hand shaking. "Thank you. I feel really.. dumb. I should have thought about the possibility.." she said.
"You're both irresponsible. But I get it. Love can mess with your head." Michonne told her. Beth felt her cheeks flush. "If you aren't, get some protection ok?"
"And if I am?" she asked softly. Michonne just looked back at her and Beth saw the worry that she felt reflected in the other woman's face. The front door opened and Daryl came in. His eyes rested on Beth and he visibly relaxed. He glanced down at what she held in her hands.
"You gonna do it?" he asked.
"Now?" Beth's eyes widened. The plastic crinkled in her hands. She thought she'd wait until tonight or tomorrow. But really waiting was just prolonging the knowing.
"Go on." Daryl said. He was just as scared as her. He glanced at Michonne. "I'll come up in a minute."
Beth left the kitchen and Daryl stared at the empty space she had occupied. He heard Michonne sigh, but he didn't turn around until he heard the door open and the others coming in. They were going to discuss what their plan was for the meeting tonight.
"Where's Beth?" Maggie asked.
"Upstairs. I'll get her in a minute." Daryl mumbled. Maggie gave him an odd look and he just turned away.
Beth's fingers weren't working as she tried to tear the package with the pregnancy test in it open. She felt the threat of tears and took a deep breath and tried again. This time it worked, she went into the bathroom and closed the door. She'd never done this before but she had pretty good idea.
"Just pee on the stick." she whispered. She sat down and stuck the stick between her legs and waited. It was so hard to go when you were required to. Maybe she should have drank water first. Maybe she just needed to relax. That helped and once she finished she sat the stick on the sink and pulled up her jeans. She turned and looked into the mirror and bit her lip. How long should she wait? She decided to just take a peek.
A plus sign. Plus meant positive. Positive meant pregnant. Her whole body suddenly felt ice cold. She grabbed the stick and raced downstairs. Maybe she should have taken a moment to collect her thoughts, think about the fact that Daryl might not be alone downstairs. She didn't and he wasn't. Alone that is. She held the test out in front of her and rushed right into the kitchen full of people.
Daryl watched her burst into the room. Her face was white and her eyes were huge and bluer than normal. He knew without even seeing it what the test what it said.
"Beth?" he whispered and everyone around them suddenly became silent. He took the stick from her and she ran back out of the kitchen into the small bathroom and he heard her throwing up- again. He looked at the test and then at Michonne because he was absolutely clueless as to what he was seeing. She reached out and took it from him.
"Daryl?" Maggie said. And it sounded a bit menacing in his ears. Everyone else just stared.
"It's positive Daryl." Michonne said.
"What's that mean?" he growled.
"It means Beth's pregnant, it means you got my sister pregnant! What were you thinking?" Maggie's voice was suddenly very shrill and Daryl's ears didn't like it. And everyone was just looking at him. He was sweating and felt the urge to just bolt.
"I wasn't thinking about getting her pregnant! I was just… I.." Daryl stammered.
"Dude stop while you still can. Go check on Beth." Glenn said. He had a hold of Maggie's hand and was trying to lead her out of the kitchen.
"Fuck. Why don't ya'll just go ok. Just leave." he stomped out of the kitchen and into the small hallway outside the bathroom. He could hear Beth on the other side of the door and she was crying softly. His heart sank. He hated when she cried. "Beth? Open the door. Let me in." he said leaning against the door. She stopped crying and he heard a click. He opened the door and found her sitting on the closed toilet seat. Her face was in her hands. He knelt down beside her gently took her hands from her face. She looked at him and the expression on her face was so sad.
"A baby Daryl. A helpless baby. How are we gonna do this?" she sobbed quietly.
"I'm gonna protect ya.. Both of ya. S'my job. You're mine. Baby's… " Daryl choked on that word. He rubbed his eyes and Beth saw the wetness on his cheeks. She reached out and took his face in her hands. She brushed her thumbs across his lashes.
"You're just as scared as me." she whispered. Daryl laid his head in her lap and try as he might he couldn't hold back anymore. Beth stroked his hair. He was a such a good man. And he loved her. He loved her and he'd love his child. "Come on.. let's go upstairs."
Daryl stood and took her hand and they went upstairs. Beth closed the bedroom door behind them and she followed him to the bed. He kicked off his boots and laid down on his stomach. Beth crawled up beside him and curled up in his arms. He buried his face in her hair and spoke softly. "S'my baby. I'm gonna protect it too."
