A/N Again, thank you all. I appreciate the follows, favorites and comments so much. Shall we see how things are going with Sunshine and Trouble?
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They were at their spot in the woods trying hard to figure out what to do now, now that they'd found out their plan wasn't going to work out the way they thought. They'd been working toward it since Daryl was in the hospital, they thought they had everything all figured out. But no. He held her close while she cried and he was close to tears himself, but what could they do? They didn't have a choice, they had to accept it, they had to alter their plan and move on.
"I'm so sorry Sunshine, ya know I love ya an I wanted this more'n anythin'. I don't know what ta do ta make it right."
"You don't have to apologize it's not your fault Trouble, we're both just sorry and sad. I thought we had it so well planned and now I'm just so disappointed, I wanted it so much. But you didn't do anything wrong, it's just all the stupid rules."
The most important part of their plan, the part they'd been looking forward to the most, had to be postponed until her 18th birthday.
It was Merle who'd pointed out the problem. Not that they would have ever talked to Merle or anyone else about it, but he'd overheard their conversation. The plan was supposed to happen as soon as Daryl graduated, in fact the day after graduation was the day they were going to do it. They were going to the courthouse and get married. They'd been so careful, they checked everything. According to Georgia law he had to be 18 but she could get married as young as 16 without parental permission, IF she was pregnant. And anyway she was already 17 years old, they thought that ought to be old enough.
She wasn't really pregnant, they still hadn't done what they wanted so much to do, so they were sure of that. But that didn't mean she couldn't fib about it. The clerk would never know right? What was the clerk going to do? Follow Beth around to make sure she had a baby?
But then stupid reality had ruined everything. They'd been at Merle's little place where they'd hang out from time to time. Merle was working nights and sleeping afternoons until evening. He was a sound sleeper and it didn't bother him having them there. They'd have the living room to themselves and they could sit close on the couch and watch TV or just talk, or make out a little, whatever. The important thing was that unlike her house or the Horvath's home it felt private.
But that day it wasn't so private. Merle had awakened from a crazy and disturbing dream about his drug days. He was sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands just thinking about how glad he was it was it was only a dream. It wasn't like he was eavesdropping, he just happened to be awake ahead of schedule. He couldn't help overhearing them discussing the details of their plan. He quickly forgot that dream while he tried to think fast about what he should do.
He knew they were in love and he didn't even necessarily think it was the worst idea in the world. Hell people used to get married a whole lot younger than they were. But he saw their plan as one that could go wrong in so many ways, especially in the way her folks would undoubtedly react. He felt he had to intervene.
They straightened right up as he walked in from his bedroom. It was then he proceeded to tell them the hard facts about their plan, facts he had no idea the legitimacy of, but the facts really didn't matter to Merle, as long as they believed him.
"I wasn't listenin' in on purpose but I couldn't help hearin' ya'll talkin' out here." It was then the young couple kind of froze. "Now I ain't no lawyer, but ain't no one ever does a stretch in the pen that don't start readin' them law books. We all become what they call jailhouse lawyers, mostly just tryin' ta figure a way ta get our own asses outta the joint. So I spent alotta time with them law books."
"Thing is girl, if ya go ta lyin' like that so's ya can get married ya just lied to a officer a the court. An even if ya was ta get away with it, the marriage probably ain't even gonna count, cuz ya committed a fraud an all. Ya don't really want that do ya? Don't get me wrong, I sure as hell ain't tellin' ya ta do the other an get yourselves in the family way. Ya don't want that neither, not right yet. Let's all just think about this for a minute, ya only got one more year, hell not even quite that long, then you'll be 18 darlin'. Your Mama n Daddy are probably gonna be a whole lot more acceptin' at that time. Ya don't really want more trouble with them fine folks do ya? Either one of ya?"
They couldn't argue with a thing he said. Whether he was full of shit or not they didn't know it and it didn't really matter. Merle had a way of making a point, he was convincing. That's just what he'd been counting on. Still he hated to see the young couple be so disappointed so he tried to smooth it over just a little, in true Merle style, "'Sides little brother soon you'll be gettin' ya a place a your own, why the two a ya are gonna be playin' house 'fore ya know it."
"Shut the fuck up Merle." Was all Trouble had to say to that.
Merle just laughed that belly laugh, "Don't cuss me little brother I sure ain't the man who writes the laws." He was cackling as he walked in the kitchen hunting for a snack.
So now here they were, trying to come up with a new version of their plan. There was no sense trying to talk Mama and Daddy into giving consent, they knew there was just no way that was going to happen. And as much as they wanted to practice making babies they knew having one right now wasn't a good idea. Beth still had school to finish, and they knew what a tough time Rosita was having trying to raise a baby and go to high school. And Rosita had her Mama's help.
It seemed Merle was right, the only alternative to getting pregnant was waiting for her next birthday. It seemed like decades away.
Two Weeks Before Graduation
It was time to start looking for a place. At first it would just be him living there but as soon as they could make the marriage happen it would be theirs. Their home. They knew it wouldn't be fancy, it would be just what they needed to get by. They didn't plan to spend any more on rent than they had to, all they needed was something small. A little place to call their own.
They wanted something cheap because they were trying to save as much money as they could. They had a big dream, a dream they'd shared for a long time. It was the second most important thing right after the getting married part. Their dream was to own that piece of land in the woods, their place, or one just like it. A place just for them and the family they'd have someday. They still had the picture he'd drawn of them in the woods with the cabin in the background. That was their dream and everything they wanted, just what was in that picture.
They were just young enough and in love enough they had no trouble at all believing they could make it happen.
It was Caesar who found out about the rental. He'd gone to the floral shop to get Rosita a bouquet for her birthday and there was a sign at the counter, "One Bedroom Furnished Apartment for Rent." He told his wife about it and Rosita immediately texted the details to Beth.
Sunshine and Trouble were over at the floral shop just as quick as they could get there.
The lady who owned the shop was very nice and didn't seem a bit concerned about renting to Daryl. They'd worried about it because he was so young, they thought a landlord might balk at renting to him. But when he told the woman how long he'd had his job she smiled and said, "Shall we have a look at the apartment?"
The three of them walked up the wooden stairs at the back of the building leading to the upstairs apartment. There was a small landing at the top of the stairs, and they waited there while the landlady unlocked the door. There was no foyer, it was a very simple layout and they entered right into the living room. It was quite small and so far it was perfect. The room's furnishings included a sofa you could tell was old just by the floral upholstery, but it was in good condition and looked comfortable enough. There was a matching chair, a coffee table and a TV stand with no TV. But the stand had shelves and Beth was thinking that would be perfect for what little storage they'd need.
The kitchen was tiny too but everything seemed fresh and clean, and even though they looked old the landlady said the appliances all worked just fine. In one corner there was a small wooden dinette table with four chairs, that was plenty.
The bathroom was like everything else, tiny. But it was efficient and had what they needed, a tub and shower combination and a sink and toilet. The bedroom had a double bed and they were both thinking that was large enough for them, they didn't plan on ever sleeping very far apart. There was a nice double dresser with three drawers on each side, and two night tables.
Beth had noticed everything in the place, the walls, the kitchen cabinets, all of it was white. She had to ask, "Would it be alright if a person wanted to paint?"
The landlady smiled, "That's not a problem at all, you can see the previous tenant liked white. As long as you're careful, I don't mind."
Trouble was looking quite serious and she could tell by the way he was chewing on that lip he was thinking hard. He wasn't sure what to say to the landlady, he knew he liked the place a lot, but then he also felt he could live pretty much anywhere. He wanted Beth to be happy, "Whaddya think Sunshine?"
"I think it's yes, it's just right for us."
Daryl signed the rental agreement right on the spot and handed the landlady his first month's rent and the security deposit. And it was done, their very first home.
They were off, immediately starting to furnish the little apartment with the things they'd need, they hadn't realized everything that would mean. They went to the local thrift store and found some mismatched dishes and flatware, drinking glasses and a couple of pots and pans. They were even lucky enough to find a brand new set of towels, someone must have gotten them for a gift and didn't like the color. They liked it just fine. They found kitchen linens and even a coverlet that would work on the floral couch.
But when she found some sheets for the bed he said "no." He put his arms around her right there in the thrift shop, "Nah Sunshine, I ain't lettin' ya sleep on someone's old sheets. C'mon, we'll go get us some new ones an new pillows an whatnot like that. Ain't like we don't have no money at all, an ya deserve ta have some nice things."
"You deserve it too Trouble, you always have deserved so much more and so much better."
They went to the general store and got what they needed for the bed. From there they went right to the laundromat, washed all those towels and linens and went back to their new home. They washed the dishes and flatware, the pots and pans and put things away. The more they did the more excited they got.
Finally they made the bed, and she couldn't help blushing. Someday this would be the bed they shared every night, but sadly that had been postponed for a few more months.
They couldn't completely resist though. They did lie together on their new quilt, and they began to hold and kiss each other and it wasn't long before things between them got hot. She let him take her shirt and bra off, and then he removed his own shirt. They touched with their hands and with their mouths and they held each other. As he lay on top of her she felt the result of his excitement press into her, and it always made her own desire escalate. Still they kept their pants on. They knew once one of them removed those all caution, all thoughts of waiting, all of it would be forgotten until they finally satisfied their hunger. For now they settled for other ways of pleasing each other in that way.
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When the young couple told Mama and Daddy all about the new apartment and everything they'd bought and done to fix it up, her parents just couldn't say enough about how happy they were for Daryl. They commented on how nice everything sounded, how they couldn't wait to see it, and how quickly it seemed that Daryl had become a man, a man on his own.
Privately they talked about how nervous they were. This was a big step and they knew it. And what scared them was it would add to Beth and Daryl's temptation. Sure if the young couple wanted to get intimate they'd find a way no matter what, but this just seemed like added temptation for them to take that step.
That wasn't all of their concern though, Daryl and Beth may have spoken of the place as Daryl's, but Hershel and Annette Greene knew better. They'd seen it coming for a very long time, the young couple would be sharing that apartment one way or the other and it wouldn't be long.
Daddy had started, "Annette do you think it would…"
She didn't let him finish, "No Hershel I don't think it would do a bit of good for me to have another talk with Beth. I'm talked out and she's tired of listening. All we can do is trust and do a lot of hoping and praying that she graduates from high school, and there are no unplanned babies in our near future. I do take comfort in the knowledge that Daryl is a fine young man and I know how much he loves Beth."
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On his very last day of high school his counselor had a serious talk with him, "We've seen a lot of each other over the past few months and I feel good about the progress we've made. But we're not done yet and I want you to have the help you deserve, so I have proposition for you. I'd like to continue treating you and if you'd agree to that, we could meet a couple of days a week, either before you go to work or after."
As much as he'd resisted counseling in the beginning, he knew how much better he felt about himself and his life since he'd begun the therapy. He knew he was better but he knew there were still things bothering him, maybe they always would. He just wanted to get to a place where he felt like the past no longer owned him. And so they made their plan.
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Graduation Day
Everyone was feeling excited but not everyone was excited about the same thing. Not exactly.
Well everyone was excited about Daryl graduating, that was universal.
Hershel and Annette were proud and they'd done plenty of reflecting back, especially Hershel. In just under two years so many things had changed. They'd all been through so much. No one more so than Daryl. He'd earned this moment and he deserved it. That first night Trouble had showed up at his door Hershel never thought he'd see this day. He certainly hadn't thought Daryl would be such an important part of their lives, but he'd become family.
Mama was every bit as proud of him as she'd be of one of her own children. And she was happy for her daughter too. Although she gave him all the credit, she knew how much this meant to Beth and how much her girl had encouraged Daryl from the start. It filled her with a special sense of pride knowing Beth had played some part in Daryl's achievement. They'd all had their moments since Daryl had come into their lives, some much rougher than others. But everything lead to this and Mama was focusing on the positive. She believed in moving on and thinking about what was good, what was right. This was good and right.
For their part the Horvath's felt a mix of happiness, pride and sadness. They were happy for this boy they'd come to love like their own, and they were happy for his success. Dale couldn't have been more proud of the "A" in math Daryl had earned. But with this graduation they knew they'd lose him. He was bound and determined to be his own man, to have his own place. They couldn't fault him for wanting to strike out on his own, he'd taken care of himself so much in his young life. It was what came natural for him. But they'd miss him so much. Daryl felt bad too, he'd come to love his substitute parents. He promised them he and Beth would still come for dinner on Saturday nights, and that he'd drop in and visit them during the week.
Merle was in awe of his brother, he'd only made it through ninth grade himself. He'd jokingly told Daryl it didn't matter for him, that he'd always have more street and prison smarts than little brother ever did. Daryl was happy to agree. He knew Merle felt pride in him, and that his brother was relieved and grateful Daryl hadn't followed in his footsteps, that he'd chosen a different path, gone his own way.
Daryl remembered how he used to feel about school before Beth came into his life. It was a hiding place, somewhere safe to go during the day. But she'd changed how he saw things, most important she made him believe he could do it, that he could catch up and do what Mr. Horvath wanted him to and graduate.
Beth may have been the only one who'd never doubted this moment would come. She was just so happy that he was having his special time. She knew how he used to feel, that he hadn't believed he could do it, that he didn't think he was smart enough and he didn't realize he was more than capable. But she knew better, she'd always believed Daryl could accomplish anything he set his mind to.
The Horvath's held a "family" graduation celebration party at their home, light snacks, and punch and cookies. Daryl was grateful but also embarrassed, he'd never been one that cared to be the center of attention. And now that they'd come this far he and Beth were busy focusing on the next step of their plan. They had business to take care of, they were earning and saving for their dream.
Daddy took him aside, "We've had our good times and our very tough struggles son. I hope you know I consider you part of my family, an important part. I'd like to think we started fresh, that we were able to hash it out between us and move on. I want you to take the truck son. I'm never going to feel right until you do. It'll just go to waste if you don't because I won't drive it and I won't sell it. I'll always consider it yours. Please Daryl, let me give it to you as a graduation gift."
He looked down chewing his lip hard and rubbing his hand along the back of his neck. His pride was telling him, "don't take it," but his heart wanted it. He'd put so much time, work and effort into that truck and he'd loved every bit of making it his own. And there was a practical aspect to consider. If he took the truck back he wouldn't have to buy a vehicle. The move to his apartment meant he wouldn't have access to Mrs. Horvath's Chevy, and just having Merle's bike wasn't going to work. But more important than all those things was he knew Beth wanted him to have that truck.
She'd asked him a couple of times to please take it back. She was always real sweet about it, never pushy. But he was stubborn and a little prideful, even though he knew how much it meant to her. So with her in mind he stood tall and looked her Daddy right in the eye, he reached his hand out and shook Hershel Greene's hand, "Thank ya Sir, I appreciate it a lot. I always did love that truck an I'm happy ta have it back."
Daddy handed him the keys and it was done.
He couldn't believe when Mr. and Mrs. Horvath gave him a small TV for his new apartment as a graduation gift. He kept asking, "Are ya sure, that seems like too much, ya don't need ta." Finally his "other" Dad had to tell him to just be gracious and accept the gift. "It's your graduation Daryl and we're proud of you, let us decide what we'd like to give you."
Merle gave him what he could afford to, a very nice clock radio. On the sly he handed him a small paper sack, saying, "This is for later an don't ya ever forget 'em." That's when Daryl knew, and sure enough when he opened the bag later it held a box of condoms.
He was now a full time employee at Precision Parts and Fabrication, and because of his diligence both at school and at work he was making a good wage, a wage he was spending very little of. Most of his money and nearly all of hers went in the bank. He and Beth had agreed they'd use some of those savings to finish the work on the truck, he'd nearly completed the body work before the big falling out with her dad. He just needed a couple more Saturdays at the farm working on it and he'd be done. Then he could take it in for a new paint job. All that would be left to do was the upholstery.
Beth wasn't working at the fabric shop this summer, she'd taken a job at the dry cleaners. They stayed open a little later than the fabric shop so she was able to work more hours. Between the farm chores in the morning and the job until 6:30 at night it was a long day.
They were both working as many hours as they could, and they'd even managed to get the apartment painted. They hadn't gone crazy, just a little something to brighten it up. They'd used here favorite color, a very pale yellow in the living room and kitchen. She thought it looked so nice with the coverlet they'd gotten for the couch, and she'd made yellow gingham placements for their dinette table. They'd left the bathroom white, mostly because neither of them felt like having to paint it, and in the bedroom they went with his favorite color a very, very light blue. They were sure it was the nicest apartment in town, and the best part was it was theirs.
ooo00ooo
Everything was going so well, perfect really, except for two things. They hadn't been able to get married like they planned, and it was getting more and more difficult to fend off their desire. They just tried to keep reminding themselves the time was close. It wouldn't be long now and school would start back up, then the holidays would come, and then his 19th birthday, followed closely by her 18th birthday. It they could just be patient the time would pass quickly and they'd be married.
Like he always did he tried to assure her, "I ain't pushin' ya Sunshine. I know ya said ya always thought you'd be married for ya done that. I'll wait, I told ya before I'd wait for ya forever."
"I know that Trouble, and that's just one of the things I love about you. But I don't know, I'm not so sure I want to keep waiting. I don't even know why I'm waiting anymore. I love you and I trust you to take care of me, all of me."
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A/N Things changed pretty dramatically for our couple in this chapter. Daryl is a legal adult now, he graduated from high school and he has his truck back. And there's the apartment, their first home. We found out what the plan was, and so did Merle, which may have saved them a lot more problems. I hope you liked it, please leave a review / comment. Thanks so much! X gneebee
A/N The chapter photo is posted on my tumblr bethylmethbrick, please check it out. If you haven't yet please consider reading my newest Bethyl One Cold Night. Thanks so much to all of you, I love ya large! Xo gneebee