AN: I'm so excited every time I post because of the number of followers, favorites, and reviews I get! I'm glad you all seem to be enjoying this!
A big THANK YOU to those who reviewed: Feverishly, heatherrk, C.I. TigerFan, sillymommy2010, Trixieviv, and Kem the Cat Displacer! It means a lot! Now on with the show!
Chapter 7
He dismounted the bike parked in the underground garage as Michonne climbed out of the sedan. Daryl noticed there were a few other cars in the garage but not many. Fifteen or so, if he had to guess. He pulled his crossbow and bag off the back and took a few steps towards the woman.
"How'd it go with Rick?" She walked passed him as she asked. He followed a few paces behind.
"Fine. Rick wants me carryin' a gun. Gotta go to my brother's place an' get mine."
"We can do that tomorrow. Let's get you settled and Glenn can fill you in on the schedule before Maggie gets home."
"Maggie?" He stopped as Michonne pressed a button on the wall calling the elevator to them.
"Glenn's wife and Beth's sister." Daryl nodded. The elevator dinged and the doors opened revealing an elaborate and eloquent pattern inside. He'd never been in a building this nice and it was only the elevator and the garage.
"Why you do it?" He asked when the doors closed. Michonne pressed 15 and the elevator lurched upwards.
"Rick asked me. After Andre was born I didn't want to stay on the streets so I accepted." He didn't respond and didn't ask anything else. They arrived at on the fifteenth floor and stepped out. "Beth is in 1520, I'm in 1524, and you'll be across the hall in 1525. Beth insisted on making dinner tonight. Glenn will be here shortly and then you guys will head over when you're done." She held out the keys to his temporary home and turned to hers. He could hear a child laughing in hers and figured that must be her son.
"Nah, but thanks." Daryl didn't plan on being around for their 'family dinners' any time soon.
"It wasn't a request." Michonne smirked and unlocked the door and quickly closed it behind her. He scoffed and unlocked his own and kicked it shut.
The small condo was immaculate. Everything seemed to clean and organized. The walls were bright white, no smell of cigarette smoke lingered in the air or yellow stains on the ceiling, the living room couch and loveseat were a soft grey color with large cushions that looked very overstuffed, fake potted flowers adorned every table top from the entrance way to the living room, and paintings on the walls were of various farms and country sides. Everything was perfect and pristine. Daryl never wanted to get the hell out of somewhere so quick in his life.
He forced himself to press on through the kitchen with modern appliances and bowls of fruit, to the bedroom with the hunter green walls, balcony windows with white curtains, and the light brown comforter sitting on the at least queen sized bed against the wall. He was shocked to see the dark contrast of the living room and this bedroom but was grateful, none the less, for its woodsy feel. He tossed his bag and crossbow in the corner and went back out to the living room to wait for Glenn to arrive.
Another ten minutes of Daryl taking in his surroundings and refusing to sit on anything passed before there was finally a knock at his door. He made his way over to it quickly and flung it open to see Glenn standing there with an awkward grin on his face.
"Hey, getting settled alright?" Glenn didn't wait to be welcomed in and moved into the living room and took a seat on the couch."
"Yeah. Just like home." Daryl deadpanned. Glenn didn't acknowledge his response and set some papers on the coffee table in front of him. "What's that?"
"This is a copy of next week's schedule. First gig is on Wednesday then we head to Florida on Friday. These are the times we'll need to be there. You and Michonne will need work out who will be going ahead to check things out and who will be arriving with her. Personally, I think you should remain out front but Michonne calls the shots depending on what's going on." Glenn looked back up at Daryl and noticed him looking at the papers awkwardly. "Take a seat, dude. You're making me nervous." Glenn chuckled. Daryl looked at the overstuffed love seat with a glare and moved to set down. He did so gently as if he weren't careful he's land on his ass on the floor. Glenn laughed some more and Daryl shot him a look that shut him up quickly.
"Can I just say something?" Glenn asked, his hands pressed together in front of him while his elbows rested on his knees. Daryl just nodded. "You look completely out of your element here and scared shitless." Daryl grunted in acknowledgement.
"Nicest thing I ever owned is my crossbow in the other room. This shit ain't me." He gestured around to the room.
"Beth said you seemed to like the simple life." Daryl didn't say anything as Glenn seemed to study him. "Look, I gotta ask so don't give me the bullshit about Zach burning down the bar. Why are you really doin' this?" Glenn's eyes never faltered but Daryl could see that the man was slightly intimidated.
"People keep askin' me that. I don't know why. Maybe it's cause of my ma or maybe it's cause I want revenge against that asshole for what he did to Dave. I ain't going anywhere 'til it's taken care of." Glenn nodded and stood up. Daryl gave him a confused look and followed his movements.
"Alright then. Come on, Beth's making us dinner and she insists you be there." Daryl groaned and stood up reluctantly. He wanted to tell them to fuck off but a part of him also wanted to see the blonde again and make sure she was ok. "It won't be that bad. Just Beth, Maggie, and I. Michonne is spending time with her kid tonight."
"Why she want me there? Sounds more like a family thing. She don't owe me nothin'." His voice was gruff and irritated but he continued to follow Glenn out the door and down the hall.
"She gets something in her head and there's no getting around it. You'll learn that soon enough." Glenn laughed again as slapped Daryl on the shoulder and opened the door for him to enter. Daryl was hesitant at first but finally crossed the threshold and walked into Beth's condo. The lay out was the mirror opposite of his and the furnishings were a little more personalized but it looked the same to him. Way to clean.
"Daryl! Thank you for coming!" Beth walked over and stopped in front of him. Her body language gave him the impression that she was stopping herself from her normal greeting by keeping her distance and for that Daryl was thankful.
"Didn't have much of a choice." He stuffed his hands in his pocket and looked back up at her.
"Sorry about that. It's just tonight and then you can do whatever you want, promise." She turned and made her way back into the kitchen and Daryl couldn't stop himself from following.
"Didn't think famous people made their own dinners." He commented and she looked back up at him from the sauce pan and smirked.
"I'm not that famous." She retorted modestly.
"Not how I hear it. Rick says you're trying to go big." Beth stopped and looked over at Glenn who was typing on his phone, oblivious to everything that was being said. Daryl was once again confused. "What?"
"Nothing. Don't tell anyone. The record label is trying to make this big deal about the unveil. My songs have been on local radios and I've preformed on television a few times, magazine articles and little stuff like that some people have heard of me. But this new album is a lot different than the folk songs that I have performed in the past. They want to do some big before and after thing. It's stupid really but Glenn is worried about the next few months if things go like they expect it to." She dropped her face back down to the sauce pan and stirred it slowly. Daryl didn't press anything. This was work now so he figured he would be told what he needed to know when he needed to know it. "Ya know Glenn is trying to get me on The Today Show." She laughed.
"Ya mean the one with that Katie chick?" Daryl asked and Beth erupted in laughter.
"Katie has been off the show for years. But yes, that's the one." She put the spoon down and picked up the pot and poured the sauce over some ground meat in another pan. "It's with Kathy and Hoda later on in the morning but it would still be amazing to sing in New York on television."
"What's a 'Hoda'?" Beth giggled again and shook her head.
"Not a what, a who." She smiled at him and Daryl wondered if it were possible for him to be any more confused today then he already was. He decided to change the subject.
"What're you makin'?"
"My momma's spaghetti. It's not much but Maggie loves it so I thought I would make it tonight for you. Could you help me? I need to get the garlic bread in the oven and I forgot to get it out of the freezer." She picked up another pot and moved to the sink. Daryl pulled his hands from his pockets and opened the door. "Top shelf" He heard her call over her shoulder. He quickly grabbed it and closed the door back.
"Where ya need it?" She turned and looked at him and then pointed over by the oven.
"There is a baking sheet in the drawer under oven. Would you mind grabbing that for me too? I promise I'll leave you alone after that." Daryl shrugged again.
"S'no problem." He retrieved the requested baking sheet and moved next to her by the sink to wash his hands. He watched her drain the pasta and put it back in the pan and move it back over to the sink. She realized what he was doing and moved to stop him.
"You don't have to." He shook his head and continued washing his hands.
"S'no problem." He repeated and she smiled and handed him a dish rag. He laughed to himself at how such a simple thing like a dish rag was still so foreign to him. He wondered if they were in his place along with matching towels and frilly pot holders or whatever. He reached over and grabbed the box of bread and read the box to see how long it needed to be in the oven and at what temperature.
"The oven is ready. I remembered to pre-heat that since the spaghetti is baked." She began piling everything in a see through dish as he ripped open the box and dumped the bread on the sheet.
"All of it?" There were eight pieces so he wasn't sure.
"Yes, please." He nodded again and arranged them symmetrically and stepped back to admire the simple task. She was putting a layer of cheese on top and opened the oven to put both in. "There. Should be ready in about twelve minutes." She smiled and turned to him. "Thank you." He wiped his hands off on his pants and shoved them back in his pockets.
"S'no-"
"No problem, I know." She giggled and walked into the living room back to Glenn. "Make yourself at home, Daryl." He followed her into the living room and moved to look out of the large window overlooking the city. He didn't turn when he heard the front door open. He already knew it was her sister and he wondered if he just stayed right here if they would forget he was even in the room. The three spoke for a few minutes about everyone's day and then Beth called him over. "Daryl, come meet my sister." Guess he couldn't fade to black.
He turned and looked at the new woman in the room. She was slightly taller than Beth with brown hair and dark eyes. Maggie smiled and held her hand out. "Nice to meet you, Daryl. I'm Maggie" He silently shook her hand and nodded back at her. "Beth tells me you're the new guy."
"Guess so." Daryl shifted uncomfortably.
"Then I guess we'll have more chances to get to know each other later." Maggie said with a warm smile. Daryl looked up a bit shocked but took the opportunity that was given to him. "You're makin' Annette's spaghetti aren't you?" Beth smiled and they moved around from the kitchen to the small table in the dining room setting a place for each one of them. Daryl felt awkward but just waited until someone spoke to him.
He watched everyone's movements, how casual and caring they were. He remembered dinners growing up being rare and terrifying at best. Never knowing when he might get in the way of his stumbling father and get smacked across the face. This was nothing like that and a part of him welcomed the warmth.
Beth pulled the food from the oven and set everything down on the table and told Daryl to sit next to her and Glenn and across from Maggie. He took his place quietly and Beth dished out servings for everyone. He felt himself begin to relax only slightly as no one seemed to bother him to much as they ate. There were a few simple questions but nothing deep and personal, nothing about the job, and nothing about the kid that was stalking the young singer. They seemed to act like he'd been there all along. Daryl picked up his fork and put a generous amount of the spaghetti in his mouth and couldn't help but groan causing laughter to float around the table. Glenn slapped his arm playfully.
"Glad you came now?" Daryl looked at the three sets of eyes on him and he could only smirk quickly before he turned back to his plate. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.
AN: It can't be all business all the time. By the way, that's how I make my spaghetti and it's amazing. Noodles, hamburger and sauce, and mozzarella on top and bake until the cheese melts. Yum! Now that I've made myself hungry please tell me what you thought! I'd love to hear your feedback!