Thank you to everyone who reviewed during that last chapter.

Big thanks to Brandy, Carla and Abby for making sure this story makes sense!

The weeks went on, and Beth noticed the difference in Chase every single week. She met again with the principal, and he was happy to report that whatever she had done was working, and that Chase was becoming an exemplary student. Beth knew that these lessons were doing wonders for her son and she was getting anxious as they were now coming to a close.

It was the last week of the lessons and so far, there was no word on whether Daryl would be continuing them. Now that the weather was getting colder, and it was early December, it was time to get ready for the holidays and stay warm.

Chase had done amazing through the past weeks and could hit a target, dead-on, from fifty feet away. Archery was all he could talk about, and Beth had already priced out a small archery set for him as his Christmas gift. She had to thank Daryl as he at least told her what would be suitable for a child his age.

She had really gotten to know Daryl better over this time. Chase was always wanting to learn more from Daryl and Beth liked to stick around and listen to Daryl talk about outdoor survival. They also had some good talks while he sent his students out to search for specific leaves or tracks. She learned about his job and how he liked to go hunting on his days off. She spoke about her job at the library and her sister in Minnesota.

The one thing they never talked about was Chase's father and Beth was glad she didn't have to explain herself. She hated when people judged her for her decisions and it made her happy to know that Daryl couldn't care less. He genuinely liked to spend time with her and her son. Well, she assumed he did.

He was still very shy but he always gave a small smirk when she came around. Her heart did the pitter patter in her chest and she began to think about what a nice little unit the three of them were. He seemed to adore Chase and was always willing to teach him and listen to him jabber on about the kid's experiences. Beth hadn't opened herself up to a man since Zach and she wondered if now would be the time.

When they made their way to the field, for their last lesson, Beth made sure they arrived a few minutes early so that she could give a small present to Daryl. It was nothing much but she still wanted to show her appreciation.

Daryl was already there, his arms covered by a thick flannel. His angel wing vest was still on, which Beth enjoyed looking at. It was certainly a piece that he took pride in and meant a lot to him. She was nervous about seeing him and offering him the small gift. Chase on the other hand, was not, and ran right up to Daryl with the same enthusiasm he had at the first lesson.

Beth came up behind him, the small tin in her hands, and Daryl gave his signature smirk when he saw her. She smiled back at him and gave a little nod in hello. She showed him the tin in her hands and thrust it towards him.

"A little something to say thanks for this class," Beth explained when Daryl looked at her in confusion. He grabbed the container and opened the lid. Inside was an assortment of cookies and chocolate treats.

"Didn't have to do this Beth," he said, looking back into her eyes.

"I know, but I was doing the baking anyways. Think of it as an early Christmas present," Beth couldn't help but giggle at her statement. She was still feeling the nerves, and she knew it wasn't just because of her gift.

"Thanks," Daryl said, going to his bag and placing the tin inside. She went to her usual spot on the grounds, this time with a blanket to keep her bottom half warm from the colder weather. The other boys arrived and the final class started.

Beth adored watching Chase. He was able to showcase his talent and she made sure to praise him at every chance she could. She was gonna miss this. She was going to ask after the lesson, if Daryl considered offering more classes again. She would sign up Chase in a second if it meant he would continue on the same path he was on. It was completely up to Daryl at this point.

The time flew by, Daryl thanked them all for being a part of this and how great their skills had become. The three older boys were high fiving each other and even went up to Chase and included him in their celebration. Chase was excited to finally fit in with these boys and show that age meant nothing. Beth stayed back, as Chase wanted to keep talking to Daryl and she slowly made their way over to them.

"My mom said that if I was good, and helped her out, that Santa would bring me my own archery set for Christmas," Chase rambled on. Daryl smirked at the kid and looked up to Beth, knowing full well that he was getting that bow for Christmas.

"Well, if you've been doing what I told ya, then I think you'll find it under your tree on Christmas."

Chase beamed at Daryl and started shaking in excitement.

"Hey Chase, do you mind if I talk to Daryl for a minute?" Beth asked.

Chase turned around to look at his mom, "Sure mom. I'm gonna clean up for him as a thank you." He ran off not seeing the shocked expression on both adults' faces.

"Don't think I'd be acting like that at his age," Daryl joked.

"I've gotta say, these lessons have really brought out the best in him, and it's almost like he's a whole different kid," Beth admitted. Daryl grunted in agreement. "Which is what I wanted to talk to you about. Was wondering if you were gonna continue doing this in the spring, maybe."

When Daryl looked down suddenly, she knew that her luck had come to a close. She didn't blame him at all either, it was a time commitment, and he was entitled to do as he pleased.

"Nah, don't really want to be teaching a bunch of kids this stuff," Daryl said, catching a glance at Beth's face. She could feel her shoulders slump in defeat and she felt sad that she would need to tell Chase that this was it. She was mentally calculating what she could afford and that maybe she could get him private lessons or something when Daryl shocked her with his next statement.

"Wanna keep teaching Chase though."

Beth could have felt her heart stop in that moment. It shocked her to the core that Chase meant that much to him that he would be willing to continue the lessons.

"Kid's got a talent and I wanna help him out."

"You have no idea what that means to me," Beth said, already moving closer to Daryl and wrapping her arms around his waist, She could feel Daryl tense against her body. As her mind caught up with her actions, she quickly dropped her arms and stepped back.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that," Beth blushed. She could see the redness creep up in his cheeks and he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"No, it's fine. Just wasn't expectin' that," Daryl chuckled.

"Chase will be so excited. Are you gonna keep doing lessons like this here?"

"Actually, I was hoping to take him huntin' with me. I try and go once a week and maybe he could come out with me," Daryl spoke softly, "If it's alright with you."

Beth was a little taken back by his offer. That would mean he would be gone for several hours in a day and she could pick up some extra shifts at the library or take some time to get errands done without him. "That's really generous of you but I feel bad. I really can't afford to pay you and I feel like I should,"

"Nah, don't want your money. I'm goin out already, and this way, he can get some hands on experience," he explained, "You can come out too if you want."

"Oh no, I can handle this. The woods and anything else you do out there is not my thing. I enjoy the indoors way more," Beth laughed, which Daryl quickly joined in on. "I have a counter offer. What if you took him out for whatever amount of time and then afterwards, you can bring him back to my house and I can cook you dinner? I think that's a good exchange for now."

"I think I can agree to your terms. If you cook like you bake, then I think we'll be okay," Daryl said. Beth had caught him taking a few bites in between teaching, and she could tell he enjoyed her cookies. She wasn't the best cook, but she certainly learned a few recipes from her mother.

"Well, I'll give you my number so we can arrange when and whatnot," Beth said, feeling those nerves creeping back up, "Or, if you need to talk to me about something else." Beth could feel her cheeks redden as she spoke, almost feeling like she was flirting with him. Maybe she was and she was trying to project her attraction to him.

"Ahh, yeah, here," he said, grabbing his phone from his pocket. "Put your number in here and I'll text you mine," Beth grabbed the phone and put her name and number in. She gave it back to him and they fell silent. Rather than stand there uncomfortably, she grabbed her blanket and bag from beside her feet and looked back in his eyes.

"I guess we'll talk soon then," she almost whispered. He nodded and looked back down. She smiled knowing that she had a slight effect on him and it showed with his nerves. She called to Chase, who came running with a bag full of equipment over his shoulder and he dropped it at Daryl's feet. Chase thanked Daryl again, which earned him getting his hair messed by Daryl, and they made their way back to the car.

The whole drive home, Beth explained the new arrangement and how Daryl was going to be taking him out hunting. Chase was over the moon and wouldn't stop talking about all the fun things they could do, and maybe they would be able to shoot a deer or something. It was truly amazing to see the difference in her son after these past ten weeks and Beth really only had Daryl to thank for that. She was glad he was willing to take time with him and be a great male role model for him.

It made her wonder if her feelings for Daryl weren't such a great idea. As great as it would be to be with him, what if things didn't work out? Chase was already getting super close to Daryl, and she would hate to ruin this new bond between the two boys by breaking up with Daryl. It wasn't fair to Chase to even chance that. She thought about the line that needed to be drawn between friendship and romance and about staying on one side.

It was times like this that she wished she had more females in her life, or someone else she could talk to about these things. She had Carol, so maybe she could get advice from her about how to tread through this. She was a mother and regardless about her own wants and needs, she needed to put her son's needs before her own. She would hate for all this progress to be made, for it all to be ruined because she wanted companionship.

This was a terrible situation and she really wished it didn't have to be this hard. This was why she hadn't gotten involved with anyone since Zach. Because before it even started, it was already leading to heartbreak.

Thank you for reading and please review.