AN: So this a rather lengthy chapter, cause it's a chunk of back story on Daryl and Natalie. It just screamed at me to be told, I think it's a good story that could almost be a one-shot stand alone. The last chapter when Natalie was talking to Daryl while he was unconscious, Evanescence "My Immortal" was playing, which I think triggered this back story for them. Please leave me a review in the box down there and let me know what you think of it, would be greatly appreciated!
On with the show!
Roy and Jean Kendall treated Daryl like their son in law. He was always welcome in their home, ever since he and Natalie started dating at sixteen. Roy gave Daryl a job on the farm, so Daryl would have an income, as well as somewhere to be away from his alcoholic father. Many times Daryl would come to the farm for work, bruised, bandaged, broken from his father taking his anger out on Daryl. Sometimes Roy would patch him up, other times it would be Natalie. Jean would always make sure Daryl was fed before he would head off for home. Some nights Daryl would sleep in the guest bedroom, Jean always made sure there was a clean set of clothes for him on the dresser.
At seventeen, all Daryl and Natalie knew were each other, and the farm. The world outside the farm really didn't matter much to them. Sometimes when you're so in love with another person, you grow up a bit too fast. A small mistake can change a life forever.
Daryl knew he didn't want anyone else other than Natalie for the rest of his life. Her five feet seven inches fit snugly against him; his fingers ran through her auburn hair while they leaned up against the fence watching the horses run in the pasture. This was one of his favorite times of the day, finishing up work before going into the house to see what Jean had made for dinner.
"Daryl, there's something I gotta tell you." Natalie's green eyes filled with tears as she looked up at him, her voice quiet in the fading light.
"What's that babydoll?" Daryl looked down at her, his heart sinking in his chest, he hated seeing her cry.
Natalie laid her head against his chest, entwining her fingers with his. Her words that came out in almost a whisper hit like a herd of horses.
"I'm late and I'm really scared. You can leave me if you want, but I really hope you don't. Either way, no matter what I'm gonna keep it."
Daryl looked down at her, his face full of shock and confusion; he was at a loss for words as he laid his head against the fence post, eyes closed as he struggled to breathe.
"I know it doesn't seem real, we've always been so careful. Please Daryl; don't hate me for loving you." Tears streamed down Natalie's face as Daryl straightened up, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her into the house.
Daryl found Roy and Jean in the kitchen; Jean was setting the table as Roy made his evening cup of coffee. Natalie pulled against Daryl's grip, the determined look in his eyes made her stop sniffling as she faintly shook her head.
"Mr. Kendall, Mrs. Kendall, I need to ask you something." Daryl stood nervously in the kitchen holding Natalie's hand like a lifeline. She kept trying to pull out of his grip, but he held on that much harder.
Roy was the first to turn around, looking at the scene unfolding in front of him, wondering why his daughter was crying and why Daryl had a determined look on his face.
"What's on your mind son? You know you can come to us with anything." Roy set his coffee cup down, leaning against the counter as his wife gathered under his arm.
"Well Sir, you know me and Natalie have been together a long time, and we spend a lot of time together here. You've treated me like family and that means a lot to me. I'm wondering if you would be so kind as to give me your blessing to marry your daughter. I know I ain't got much to give her, but I'll treat her right and be faithful to her." Daryl released the breath he had been holding, watching the expression flitting across Jean's face, tears forming in her eyes.
"Well son, I think that's a fine idea. Jean and I weren't much older than you two when we got married. Yes, you can marry Natalie." Roy walked over to Daryl, who stuck his hand out. Instead Roy pulled the scared young man into his chest, hugging him tightly. The small act of kindness startled Daryl as he stood still in Roy's arms.
Daryl turned to Natalie, reaching in the pocket of his jeans and knelt down on one knee on the kitchen floor. Daryl held up a ring made out of a horseshoe nail, it wasn't much, but he formed it with his own two hands, that meant more to him than any ring he could ever buy her.
"Natalie Jean Kendall, would you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?" Daryl's heart hammered in his chest as he looked up in her eyes, tears still very much apparent. He didn't know what he would do if she said no, he hadn't planned that far ahead yet, and with her revelation tonight, it made it just that more right.
Natalie wiped her eyes before nodding her head, "Yes Daryl Wade Dixon, I'll marry you." Daryl slid the ring onto her finger as he stood, pulling her into his arms, kissing her gently on the lips.
Daryl moved into the Kendall house, into Natalie's room, the next night. His brother didn't care he was gone; Merle was out on a bender with some broad somewhere. Dear old daddy was six months buried; at least Daryl was finally free of him. Daryl didn't have much to pack up, mostly a few sets of clothes and his hunting gear. They had promised Roy and Jean they would wait to get married until they graduated high school. It only seemed practical, that way Natalie could decide if she wanted to go to college and Daryl could decide what he wanted to do as well.
In the quiet hours of that first night sleeping together in Natalie's room, they talked about what the plan was for telling the folks their little secret. Daryl turned the plastic stick over in his hands, still in shock over it reading positive. They'd picked it up out in town when they were getting horse feed. Natalie had tossed the packaging in the trashcan at the feed store, waiting to take the test after her parents went to bed.
Natalie pressed up against Daryl, running her fingers over the fading scar around his eye. "When do you think we should tell them? I won't be able to hide it forever." He could hear the fear in her voice, hell, he was scared himself to tell them. Roy and Jean had taken the engagement well, but the news of Natalie's pregnancy? That was something else entirely, Daryl didn't ask to marry her because Natalie was pregnant, he asked because he loved her. Marrying her because he loved her was the right thing to do, the pregnancy just made it that more justified.
"Well, I figure we wait to see if it stays stuck. Maybe another couple of weeks?" Daryl was exhausted. He was picking up the slack of doing Natalie's chores so she wasn't doing anything that could endanger the pregnancy. There was a lot on Natalie's plate with the swim season ending and cross country season starting. He knew she couldn't compete for long, someone would notice, and it would be blatantly obvious who the father was.
Two weeks later Jean caught Natalie throwing up in the bathroom. Natalie sat on her butt on the bathroom floor, crying as she apologized to her mother. Jean wiped Natalie's face carefully as she held her, "It'll be alright baby, we'll figure it out. But you and Daryl need to tell your father."
Before dinner that night, Natalie found Daryl out in the barn stacking hay. He pulled off his gloves, tossing them onto the bale as she walked up and kissed him. The concern in her eyes made him curious, when she pulled away from him.
"Babydoll what's going on?" He asked, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"Mom knows. She caught me throwing up. She says we have to tell Dad." Natalie stared Daryl down; there was no avoiding it now.
"Well shit." was all Daryl could say.
Roy didn't say anything as they sat in the living room after dinner. Daryl had gutted up, admitting that he and Natalie had been fooling around for awhile, had been careful, and the pregnancy was an accident.
After a long period of silence, Roy finally spoke, his words chosen carefully. "At least you decided to be a man and marry her. If you intend to raise this child together, then Jean and I will help the best we can. Jean, get Natalie an appointment with Dr. Struble, it's time we all know how far along she really is." Daryl deflated immediately, he was expecting a blow up from Roy, and this took him by surprise.
Daryl watched in wonder as Natalie grew with the pregnancy. At nights he would lay awake with her curled around him, his hands resting on her gently rounded belly. The fear dissolved into pride, as they realized the baby was the creation of their love for each other. By Natalie's fourth month they found out the baby's sex, it was a boy. Daryl was ecstatic in his own way, Natalie was miserable with the pregnancy.
Daryl was bringing in the horses from the coming storm when Natalie met him in the stable. She hadn't been feeling well lately and it was time to come in for dinner. Natalie walked up to Daryl, wrapping her arms around his waist, leaning heavily against his back.
Daryl turned around, wrapping his arms around Natalie, kissing her forehead. She was burning up; sweat beading on her clammy skin.
"Babydoll, you feeling ok?" Daryl caught the coppery scent of blood on the air; he glanced down seeing a pool of blood forming in the dirt floor under Natalie's bare feet as she collapsed in his arms. Daryl hoisted her up in his arms, running for the house.
Daryl sat outside in the waiting room of the ER, next to Roy, wiping his hands with the towel the nurse had given him. Daryl wasn't a praying man, but he sent one up to whoever was listening that if a choice had to be made, he'd rather lose his son than lose the woman he loved.
Daryl stood up when the doctor came in; Jean was still with Natalie in the room. The look on the doctor's face told him everything he needed to know, as the world started swirl like water going down the drain. "I'm sorry Daryl, we're going to have to take Natalie back into surgery." was the last thing Daryl heard before he sank to his knees.
Daryl wasn't there when Natalie came out of surgery; Daryl wasn't there when Natalie's family buried the baby next to Natalie's older brother in their little town's cemetery. Daryl's parents weren't buried far from the baby either. Natalie's bedroom felt cold and empty without Daryl there. Tears gave way to anger, anger gave way to forgiveness. Natalie still loved him enough to forgive him, but she had to carry on with her life.
It wasn't until a week after graduation that Daryl came back around. Daryl had dropped out of school, moved back in with Merle and taken a job working with a construction outfit in town. Natalie ran out to his truck, nearly tackling him before he shut the door. Daryl didn't move to touch her; his eyes were haunted, the life nearly gone from their blue depths.
"Came to talk to your Daddy, he here?" Daryl stood with his arms crossed in front of him, keeping Natalie at a distance.
"No. He's in town getting feed. Why do you need him?" Natalie pressed Daryl, anything to keep him with her, to get him to talk.
"Nothing you need to be concerned with Natty." His eyes darted to the ring he made her still on her finger, glancing up into her eyes.
"Yeah, I still have it. I still wear it. I was hoping you'd come around and come back when your head was clear." Natalie smarted off, her pain surging to the surface.
"I didn't know what else to do. You don't know how much it killed me." Daryl snapped back, coming on the defensive.
"Hurt you? I had surgery because our son died inside me! I needed you and you weren't there for me! You promised Daddy and Mama that you'd be there for me when you made your promise in the kitchen last year! And you ran off! You left me when I needed you most! Now I've had to piece myself back together and move on without you!" Natalie screamed at him as Daryl stared at her.
"What do you mean move on without me? I ain't never asked you for that ring back! I came to talk to your Daddy about you Natalie!" Daryl could feel the anger boiling within him; he hated himself for yelling back at her.
Natalie's eyes softened, "I'm leaving for the Air Force tomorrow evening Daryl. I wanted something more for us, something more for myself. You can either go with me or you can stay here. But if you're gonna go with me, you gotta marry me today. I'm sure Judge Henry would be more than happy to marry us at his house tonight."
Daryl looked at her dumbfounded, he'd been away six months, missed Natalie's eighteenth birthday, missed graduation, and missed her making this life changing decision without him. Now she would be leaving for boot camp, a place he knew he couldn't follow. All he could do was wait for her to come back to him, if she even wanted him.
"I love you Natalie, but where you're going, I can't follow." Daryl turned away, getting in the truck and backing out of the drive before Natalie could see him cry. He watched in the rear view mirror as she sank to her knees crying in the driveway. It killed Daryl being the asshole leaving again, but since he loved her as much as he did, he set Natalie free.