Bethyl Week Day 5: Dream

A shrill giggle pierced through Beth's ears and her eyes opened with a jolt. Blinking the sleep from her eyes she pushed up off the couch she was laying on to look around the room for the source of the sound. She did not have to look very far for stretched out on the floor before her lay her husband who was currently tickling the feet of their giggling daughter.

A smile bloomed across Beth's face as she pulled a pillow onto her lap and quietly watched as Daryl dropped all of his tough persona and made silly faces at their baby girl. She loved when she got the chance to see him like this, his walls all but forgotten when it was only the three of them. It had always been like that though, ever since they first met that fateful day she took her car into his shop. He always told her that she was the only person he had never felt the need to hide himself from.

Daryl looked up at her then, grinning when he saw that she was watching them.

"Look whose awake Hope." he whispered as he eased their four month old child off of her play mat and turned her in his arms to face Beth. "Mommy's up from her nap."

Beth smiled wider and put the pillow back on the couch before sliding down onto the floor across from them. "Hey sweetie." she whispered as Daryl passed their child over to her. Beth tucked her head next to her daughter's to press a soft kiss against her cheek. She inhaled the sweet smell of baby powder as she looked over at Daryl. "Thank you for letting me sleep."

He shrugged nonchalantly in response. "You deserved it after being up all night with this one." he scooted closer and brushed down a poofy blonde curl on their daughter's head..

"Your sister called." he informed her as he leaned against the couch next to her, draping an arm over her shoulder. "Wanted to make sure we could pick up the cake for your dad's surprise party tomorrow."

Beth blinked and ran her hands over her eyes to clear the sleep from her mind. "His birthday is already tomorrow?" she asked in surprise. Ever since they had Hope it seemed as though the days simply got away from her.

Daryl smiled and brushed some strands of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail away from her face. "It is." he said as he pressed a light kiss against her temple.

"Is Merle coming?" Beth asked curiously as she rested her head against his shoulder. She felt Daryl nod and she shook her head, still surprised by how well his brass older brother got along with her father.

"Supposed to be quite a turn out." Daryl whispered as Hope closed her eyes and snuggled deeper into Beth's arms.

"Well its not everyday you turn seventy." Beth returned with a smile at the thought of her father.

"No its not." Daryl agreed as he leaned over to kiss her. His lips were mere milliliters from hers when a metallic rattling filled her ears.

Beth Greene suddenly sprung awake, her knife gripped tight in her hand as she looked up in time to see a startled rabbit darting away from the metal cans it had accidentally shaken. She took in a deep breath that stirred the dirt that she was laying on.

Her heart beating fast Beth sat up and looked around her empty campsite as an intense wave of sadness washed over her.

It had all just been a dream.