A/N Thank you for keeping the faith! I'm hoping those of you who hung around will be happy you did. And thank you to new followers and all of you awesome reviewers.

I'd say about 50% of you are feeling very angry at Daryl, 30% are angry but understanding, and a few of you are still seeing Abraham as a threat to Bethyl. Oh, and most everyone was just plain mad. Let's see where we go from here.

We backtrack a little in the first part of our story, to just over a week prior to Daryl going to see Beth, before he ends up in the Tavern hearing devastating news from Shane about Beth and Abraham.

We learn how Daryl felt right after the accident, how he perceived things before he started to get emotionally healed. And we learn how he handled trying to repair the important relationships he'd separated himself from before traveling to seeing Beth.

Then we'll come back to events beginning right after his meeting with Shane.

One Week Before Going to Benning

He had a lot of things he needed to make right in his life, he'd fucked everything up just about as badly as he possibly could have. He'd been so sure he was doing the right thing when he just removed himself from the lives of the people he loved.

Even before the wedding date he'd begun to solidly believe the things he'd heard growing up. That he was worthless, no good, lazy and a burden to everyone that knew him.

When he lost the leg, as far as he was concerned that had sealed the deal, he knew then that all he would ever be was a burden. He'd just hoped he could manage to take care of himself, to have some kind of bare bones existence. Disappearing seemed like the best option for him and everyone else. Then the people he loved, the ones that used to be in his life could move on, quit worrying about his worthless ass.

Sure he knew there were people who would take care of him, like his brother and Carol. But his brother had been caring for him for several years now and he had his own family and his own life. He didn't need the burden of a worthless little brother to worry about.

And Hershel and Annette Greene. Shit they'd taken care of him for most of his life, feeding him, tending to him, encouraging him and trying to teach him a thing or two. Even when rules and punishment seemed harsh he knew they never did anything out of meanness. They always acted out of love. Well they didn't need the burden of his presence any longer. They were getting old now they deserved to have their own lives, and to enjoy their older years.

But mostly there was Beth. She was so sweet, so kind and so good, so beautiful in every way. She deserved so much better than to be strapped with the burden of him. She deserved a man that could give her things, not just material things, but a guy with something on the ball. Not some worthless piece of shit who would end up just bringing her down.

Then Doc Denise had started working with him. At first he hated it. It was so uncomfortable to talk about all those things that had happened to him. But the abuse was a topic that couldn't be avoided.

It was impossible to predict when his father would lash out at him and in time he'd opened up to her about those things. He started to tell her the stuff that he remembered, like being an eight year old boy asleep on a cot in the corner. A little boy who'd been left alone for three or four days, and then suddenly there were loud noises as his father came busting in the door drunk, cussing, yelling at Daryl for some imagined misdeed, then taking his belt off and beating him. It was so bad he wasn't sure if he'd passed out, or if he'd just somehow lost awareness of what was happening.

Doc helped him to realize that as awful as that was, and as much as that may seem to be the worst a person could suffer, what had left the biggest scars was the verbal and emotional abuse.

The intensity of talking about these things every day had felt like its own kind of torture, until he slowly begin to realize how much it helped to share with another person, a person who didn't judge him based on what he'd been through, someone who simply wanted to help him learn to understand himself, and even grow to like himself.

It started to seem to him that in some ways the last encounter he'd had with his father, the horrible accident and the loss of his leg, had brought on one of the best things to happen to him. He'd finally started to get the help he now knew he'd needed for years.

Doc Denise had taken hold of him and yanked him out of that rabbit hole he was falling deeper and deeper into.

But before he'd gotten to that point he'd managed to lay waste to the few relationships he was fortunate enough to have.

It wasn't until he'd worked with her for a few months that he began to see how skewed his thinking had been. He'd shut them all out completely. In his effort not to be a burden he'd taken away their right to be part of his life if they chose to. He thought he'd given them freedom, freedom from having to worry about him and his problems, freeing them to move on. Especially Beth.

Now he had to try and salvage those relationships and even if they couldn't be salvaged, he at the least owed them all as much of an explanation as he was able to provide. Even if they could never forgive his behavior he had to tell them he was sorry, and maybe they'd at least understand a little bit about why he'd acted like he did. Especially Beth.

He loved Beth more than anything in the world and he'd thought he was making her life better, until Doc had pointed out how unfair he was being to her. How she should get to be the one to decide if she loved him and wanted him in her life, the way he still loved and wanted her. But he'd never given her that chance. He'd just let her believe that he'd run out on her, that he didn't love her enough to marry her. Nothing could be further from the truth. He still woke every day wishing he was married to Beth Greene. The same as he had every day since second grade.

What was going to be the hardest was just going to her and talking to her, trying to make amends for not being there and for not contacting her. For just shutting down and closing her out. He wasn't too proud to beg on his hands and knees for her to take a chance on giving him a chance. Yeah, that was going to be the hardest.

He started with the person in his life who had lived so many of the same things Daryl had lived, his brother. He knew Merle wouldn't let him off easy and he was okay with that. He also knew somewhere deep in his heart that Merle was always going to be his brother first. He may yell, shit he may even kick his ass, but he was pretty sure Merle would never completely turn his back on him.

He went on a Friday at 6:30, he knew Merle would be home from work and they would have already eaten their supper. He sure didn't want Carol thinking he expected to be fed.

He still had a key so he could have walked right in, but that would be assuming he was still welcome, so he knocked. When the door opened his brother's jaw dropped opened. Then he'd grabbed Daryl in a bear hug, and then he pushed him away but kept those big hands on his shoulders. "The fuck Little Brother, where ya been?"

Carol came then and she hugged him and what he noticed was he was open to that. Before the only person he ever cared to let close was Beth, but his comfort zone had been expanded. That was its own little reward for the work he'd done with Doc.

They didn't get around to talking about what was really on everyone's mind until they'd shared the common pleasantries; and he'd spent some time playing with Jonah. Being around his nephew and seeing how much the little boy had changed in just a few months, it reminded him of the lesson he'd learned, just how much can happen in a very short span of time and how much everything can change.

Then Merle and Carol put his nephew to bed.

The time had come and his brother, always true to the man he was, put it to him plain, "Now tell us just what the fuck ya been doin' and why the fuck ya ain't even bothered ta give us the courtesy of a call, let us know where ya was? I should just kick your goddamn ass right now!" Carol placed a hand on her husband's and he turned to her, "We got a right ta know Carol, a right ta ask, an I damn sure got a right ta be pissed off at the kid an so do you. Ya lost more'n one night a sleep worryin' over him."

Merle was angry and Daryl didn't blame him. He told them everything that had happened, from the confrontation with their father all the way through to buying the property, and then moving not too far away from them. He tried to explain to his brother and sister in law his reasons for behaving the way he did after the accident. He apologized for not trusting them enough, for not believing in them enough to know they'd want him in their lives.

Carol was fighting tears but Merle just kept his lips pursed and occasionally nodded his head. "Ya always was a tender person on the inside kid, I know that. I guess I even understand a little bit about why ya done things the way ya did, but me an Carol woulda liked ta be there ta help however we could. We'da liked ta have the chance. You're my brother an I love ya Daryl, but I can't just act like none a this happened, like ya ain't hurt us cuz ya damn sure have. But I think ya know I ain't inclined ta give up on ya now. A course we want ya in our lives."

Daryl nodded, "Thank you for the chance, I'ma try real hard ta make it up an ta be a better brother, a better man."

"Tell me more 'bout this leg, I didn't notice ya hobblin' on nuthin'."

"Yeah I've learned ta live with it real good. It don't really slow me down much at all, hell sometimes I forget I even have it, at least for a little while. I've even ridden a Bike a few times. Don't know that I'm ready ta buy one yet, but I found out I can do it an there's plenty a guys out there missin' arms and legs still ridin' motorcycles."

Although all wasn't forgiven and forgotten, the evening ended on a positive note and Daryl promised Carol he'd be there for Sunday dinner.

Saturday morning he headed to the farm. It was a much scarier prospect than visiting Merle but whatever the outcome he knew he had to do it.

He showed up ready to receive the tongue lashing he knew he deserved. He apologized to them the same as he had to Merle and Carol. Her Daddy was hard eyed when he asked him for the whole story, and he told them the whole story.

Hershel Greene was torn. This young man had broken his daughter's heart. He'd caused Hershel's family their greatest upset, it had been incredibly hurtful. And yet he was also like one of their own children. The one that had somehow lost himself and needed extra care and guidance, and the most love and understanding along the way.

Like Carol her Mama had tears but her Daddy caught him off balance when he said, "I feel the burden of responsibility here too son. I knew you were often troubled, I knew there was a dark cloud following you. Instead of trying to help you by insisting you get help, I chose to ignore the problem. I guess I just hoped it would somehow lessen as time passed. I tried to convince myself that with enough love and guidance you'd 'get over it.' I was far more selfish than you."

They talked most of the morning and finally he asked how she was. Mama told him, "We've worried Daryl, she's distanced herself from us, from her sister, from everyone really but Amy. That's not to say we don't talk to her a couple of times a week, but she says she just can't come home to the farm, that there are too many memories here right now. Then she promises that eventually she will. We've offered to drive down there but it seems like she's always got an excuse why we shouldn't. I don't know if she's just trying to avoid everything that reminds her of home, or if she's hiding something deeper."

Daryl wasn't any less baffled than they were; she'd always been so close with these two people. Well if she'd agree to talk to him when he finally saw her again, he supposed he'd get his answers then.

Like Merle and Carol the Greene's were hurt and they felt anger toward him for what he'd done, but they were willing to try to get to a place where they could forgive him, accept what he'd done and move on.

He left on a mostly positive note, with a handshake from her Daddy and a hug from her Mama. And he promised them he'd come for dinner the following Sunday.

Then he'd go to Benning that Monday, see her and try to make things right. He'd see Caesar and Amy and try to make it right with them too.

He pulled out of the driveway and onto that county road. He steered the truck to the side cut the engine and called Rick. He asked if they could talk. He could tell his friend was shocked to hear from him. "Yeah, yeah, let me ask my girl if she'll watch Carl, hang on." When he came back on the line he said, "It ain't that I don't want ya here, it's just that between Carl and my girl's little guy we got a lotta kid noise and action over here. That makes it tough ta just talk sometimes. Meet me over at Gray's we'll have a beer."

It made Daryl smile to know Rick had a girl and he sounded happy.

He was waiting for him when Rick walked in the door of that little Tavern. He stood and they shook hands, but then Rick took him in a bro hug and the relief he felt at that surprised him.

Over beers he made his apology to Rick and told his story the same as he had with Merle and the Greene's. Rick listened with that head cocked to one side and those eyes trained on him, taking it all in. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed this man. They'd been so close growing up and he'd wronged Rick with the way he'd behaved, the same as he'd wronged all the other people that mattered.

Rick just clapped him on the shoulder, "Daryl I been through so much bullshit in my own life I kinda get where your head was at. Shit man you know how long it took me ta dig myself outta that dark place after what happened with Lori. Ya saw how crazy I got. And then bein' a kid with a kid of my own, oh man, thank God I had my Mom and Dad. Even with all that though, I never had ta go through anythin' near as awful as you did. Daryl you're my brother, you being back with us now, that's everythin'."

Daryl was so deeply touched by that, he felt himself get emotional but he held back a little, nodded at Rick and looked him in the eye, but he couldn't get words out.

xxxx

He'd done all the relationship repair work he could do for now. It had been hard to go to all of them with his hat in his hand, asking for their understanding and forgiveness. He'd put them through hell and he understood that. And he knew it wasn't all fixed, but the first step was the hardest and most important one and he'd taken it. He knew the burden was on him to rebuild the trust and the bond in those relationships.

Next he'd see Beth and that was going to be the hardest of all. He didn't expect her to greet him with open arms, far from it. He knew how badly he'd fucked this up, how he'd hurt her and made everything so much worse than it had to be. He was just hoping she'd at least talk to him, that she'd let him try and tell her where he'd been and what had happened, and that he could explain what he knew now that he'd never known before.

And he hoped that she'd agree to let him try and make it right somehow, that she'd eventually be willing to give him another chance.

He knew it was a lot to hope for, probably too much. But still he hung onto that hope with both hands. He wanted it so much.

After the Trip to Benning (Seeing Shane)

He got home to his place and walked in the front door and straight out the back one. He stood looking at the water and his heart was broken. He'd been prepared to have it broken, or at least he thought he was prepared. But he'd thought he would at least get to see her, that he'd get one last look at her. He'd hoped that just maybe at the very least she'd let him apologize.

He didn't blame her for replacing him and Abraham had always seemed like a nice enough guy. He was big and strong with a successful career. He had his shit together and Daryl had known from the first time he'd seen the guy he was completely taken with Beth.

He was just surprised it had happened so quickly that she was already about to have his baby. He guessed it was his ego that made him think he'd be just a little harder to replace than that.

His stump was starting to ache. He noticed it seemed to react to his emotions. He sat in the chair to take the pressure off of it and he thought about what he was going to do now. And he cried. He loved her so much and he'd let it all slip away. She had no fault in any of it, everything that had happened was on him. Knowing that, acknowledging it, somehow made it hurt more. This step she'd taken, it may have been preventable if he'd had his head on right, if he would have at least called her.

And then he thought about all the times Doc Denise told him he had to quit beating himself up about everything that happened in his life. That he was a victim but that didn't mean he had to keep being a victim.

And even though Beth would never know, he decided that what he wanted to do now was all the things he'd originally planned to do for her, for them. He was going to fix this place up just the way he'd always thought would make her happy to be here. He knew there would never be another woman. He'd always known there never could be. He'd just live here with her memory.

Yeah he'd start all that first thing in the morning. Right now he needed to drink over it, cry over it, wallow in it. In the morning he'd call Doc and then he'd strap on his tool belt and get busy.

Abraham went out to the back just as quietly as he could. He didn't want to wake her and he had to act fast, before he changed his mind.

He called an old buddy he'd been friends with since they were boots. This buddy was a big deal over in Army Intelligence now. "Yeah man I need your help with something. I'm trying to find a young friend of mine. A few months ago he just disappeared clean off the map. No one's seen or heard from him. Do you think you can help out?"

"Sure, I just need a name and whatever else you know." Abraham gave him everything he knew and he was shocked when first thing the next morning he had a text, "Check your email, everything's there. Next time give me a tougher case."

Damn, Homeland Security was better than he'd realized. And this report had it all. So now Abraham knew where he'd been and where he was. Hospital, rehab, working, laying low. And he'd bought a place not too far away where he was living now, it'd maybe take an hour and a half to get there from here.

He thought about just what would be the best way to handle it. All kinds of ideas came to mind starting with him going there and kicking the kid's ass. Sure, he understood why the guy didn't make it to his own wedding, hell he'd been half dead in the middle of Bumfuck, Georgia. But what he completely failed to understand is why the guy never even called Beth.

Shit he thought, if Beth Greene loved him the way she loved Daryl Dixon he'd be the happiest son of a bitch in the world. And it was so hard to figure what was up with the guy because he'd seen the way the kid looked at her, the way he was around her, it was obvious he was in love. Abraham Ford didn't understand it but he figured maybe it wasn't his to understand. Maybe the guy could make her understand.

He decided to handle it like any other military operation, develop a strategy. And the strategy was for a face to face confrontation. That was the only way he thought they might be able to work through this. Shit storms of this magnitude could not be handled with emails, love letters, or texts and phone calls. He thought he had a damn solid idea how to spring it on the both of them and let them hash it out. Not that he wouldn't be right there to pick up the pieces if the little bastard didn't play nice.

That afternoon he sat her down in the backyard and he did something he'd never done with her, he talked tough, like she was one of his men that had stepped a little out of line. "You've let this go on too long. You owe this to your parents Beth. Don't you think it's gonna cut mighty deep when they find out you held this back from them? Don't you think your Mama will want to be there when her first grandchild is born? Shit these people have done everything for you, how can you do this to them now?"

"You shouldn't be driving that far this close to your time so I'm going to take you myself. You pack up everything you're going to need for you and the baby. Then you call Mama and Daddy and you tell them you'll be home tomorrow and why. I'll be here to pick you up at 0700."

She'd done nothing more than blink and then she just sighed and said, "Okay you're right. I'll be packed and ready."

Shit maybe he should have gotten a little tough with her a long time ago.

He went home, had a little whiskey and a big cigar and he called her Daddy. He told him what his plan was. Her Daddy had actually laughed softly and said, "You never know it could work and it's certainly worth a try. Thank you for everything you've done for our daughter." And even though Abraham Ford's own heart was breaking, he was glad he'd decided to do this. If there was a chance for her to be happy then that was what he wanted.

He had loaded up her cases and that pack and play baby bed thing she'd gotten and they were ready. He took a deep breath and got in the driver's seat. "It won't be nearly as bad as you're thinking Honey. Your Mama and Daddy aren't going to be interested in scolding you or judging you for your decisions, they just want their girl home."

She reached over and squeezed his hand, "Thank you for this Abraham. You've been so good to me. I could never repay you for the kindness and the love and support you've shown me. I honestly don't know how I could possibly have made it without you." And she gave him that beautiful smile and all he wanted in that moment was to take her in his arms and kiss her.

He smiled back while he lied, "Well that's what friends are for Honey. Now I should tell you, we're going to go just a little off course. I need to stop and see an old pal for just a minute. It'll give us a chance to stretch our legs."

"I don't mind at all, you know me I'll probably fall asleep as soon as we go three blocks anyway."

And that's just what she did and she didn't wake until he'd pulled into the drive and turned off the ignition.

She recognized the place immediately. What would they be doing here? And that's just what she asked him, "Abraham why are we here?"

"My friend owns the joint. Wait here in the car I'll just go make sure he's in, then I'll take you in to meet him." He walked in the office and there was Daryl Dixon patching a hole in the wall. Their eyes locked and then Abraham saw it there on the desk, it was that same framed picture she'd been cradling of the two of them.

Abraham broke the silence, "You ain't that hard to find when a person sets their mind to it."

Daryl wasn't nasty, more like resigned when he said, "Damn I hope ya didn't come here ta gloat. Trust me man I'm hurtin' bad enough. I already know 'bout you an Beth that you're together an you're havin' a baby an all. I don't really need my nose rubbed in it."

Abraham actually smiled, "Damn kid I don't know where you get your information but nothing would make me happier than if that was the truth. But sadly it ain't. I'll let her tell you all about it."

Daryl was left confused when the man quickly went back out the door.

Beth was in the car still stunned. How could such a coincidence be, that they'd have pulled into this little lodge just outside Markton? And there was "their" cabin there at the end. It had been a few years but the place was permanently etched in her memory. This place where they took such a big step together and where they'd promised each other forever. Where Daryl said they'd always be safe.

She was lost in her memories when Abraham opened the door, "C'mon Honey let me help you out of the car, someone wants to see you." She didn't want to go in but she also didn't feel like telling Abraham why she didn't want to, so she just took his hand.

He was standing there behind that tall check-in desk and she saw the tears immediately come to his eyes, "Beth."

"Daryl." And the tears in her eyes started to fall.

Abraham walked over and slapped a hand on the desk in front of Daryl, "Don't fuck this up again kid because I guarantee you I'd never do this for you twice." He turned to Beth, "Anything upsets you or you want out of here you call me, I'll come right back for you Honey. I already told your Daddy you wouldn't be home for a couple of days." He bent down, kissed her cheek and walked out that door with tears in his own eyes.

He pulled up to the little cabin at the far end and unloaded the cases and the pack and play.

Then he raced out of that drive to find the biggest bottle of whiskey and the fattest cigar he could hunt down.

Daryl was out from behind the desk and standing in front of her. He wanted to hug her so bad he swore his whole body hurt. "Beth, Baby I've never been sorrier 'bout anythin' in my life, never. I fucked this up so bad, I know I did an I'd do anythin' ta make this right, anythin'. I love ya girl, I always have an I always will. I wanted it all with you Beth an I screwed it up." And it seemed to finally dawn on him then. "The baby? If the baby's not his…"

"He's yours, ours. We'd always planned on Wes or Ben for a boy, but with you gone well I wasn't sure what to do anymore. He's due in about three weeks."

He was crying but she was crying so hard her little shoulders were shaking and he decided to just take a chance. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her as close to him as he could. She didn't hug him back, but she also didn't push him away.

And then he felt it, like a hard thump from her tummy. He couldn't believe it, he pulled back just enough to look in her eyes. "Yes, that was your son kicking you, he's very angry. So is his Mommy."

A/N It's a beginning. The question remains, can he convince Beth he's worth taking another chance on? Can they rebuild? Can she trust Daryl with her heart? Again, thank you for reading and I'd love to read your comments, please review. xo

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