A/N Thank you all so much. I appreciate you reading this story, and I love to read your comments. Just one more chapter after this so we'd better get busy!

They drove to Maggie and Glenn's house first and Beth told them about their decision to marry and that there was a baby on the way.

Maggie was beyond ecstatic. "When?! When's the wedding?!"

"As soon as we can make it happen. We don't see a reason to wait and we're keeping it very simple." Maggie hugged her sister again.

"What about Baby, when's the baby coming?!" Beth was starting to worry Maggie would hyperventilate. Glenn was just standing back, arms crossed over his chest and a small grin on his face.

"We don't even know. I've missed two times, but that still doesn't really tell us anything. I'm calling to make a Doctor's appointment in the morning."

From Maggie and Glenn's they went to Merle and Carol's.

Daryl told them the news and she could swear Merle had tears in his eyes. He tried to act tough, but she knew underneath that rough, gruff exterior there was a soft warm core.

Carol immediately made the offer, "Oh we'd love to host the wedding right here. However you want to plan it you just let me know, I'll put that plan into action. Please let us do this for you."

She could tell by the look Daryl gave her that was what he wanted, and she smiled, "Oh thank you Carol, and thank you Merle, that sounds so wonderful."

"So my Baby Brother is gonna add ta the chaos," He had a huge grin, "Cuz Lord knows we ain't got enough Dixons in the world." And the Brothers did that thing they so rarely did, they hugged. It was brief, but it happened.

The chaos that were already there were jumping up and down and just plain acting silly with excitement. Beth and Daryl were both looking forward to having that level of excitement in their own home.

They saw no reason to wait, and they set the date, a week from Saturday.

Merle

I'm so fuckin' happy I can't even stand my own damn self.

Baby Brother and Sis are tyin' the knot, finally makin' what the rest of us all knew was their destiny, into a reality.

Yep. That's me gettin' all sentimental and shit. I ain't always just a big old asshole with a dark side. I got eyes, and when it comes to my people I got big feelins. My family is everythin' ta me..

Them two, they was always meant ta be. Might just be they're the two most tenderhearted people in the world. Kinda like in an odd way they're innocent.

Although I gotta say, my own woman is mighty sweet and tenderhearted. And damn, she's a patient one for puttin' up with my ornery ass. But she says she likes puttin' up with my ass just fine. Ha! Truth is, I ain't never ornery with her, never could be.

Anyway, damn I'm so happy my boy is gonna be havin' a child of his own, ain't nuthin' better in the world. And Daryl, he's just cut out to be a Daddy. Yep, that little one is lucky, gonna have a real good Daddy. I'd make book on that.

xxxx

When they got home and were relaxing together on the porch, that's when Daryl brought it up. "Where we gonna live Beth?"

She was confused, "Well I just figured we'd stay here. We can have the place remodeled, turn it into a real nice three bedroom home."

He didn't look convinced so she asked, "Why, where do you want to live?"

"Seems to me that it's gonna cost a lotta dough to remodel this place. Seems it'd make more sense for me to just put it back like it was. Fix the wall in the house, put a little fence between the yards, and separate the porches again. All that's easy enough.

Then you can decide if you wanna sell it, or keep it an rent out both sides. That's what makes sense to me." And she saw him do that thing, that nervous tick. He was alternating between chewing the side of his thumb and chewing his bottom lip.

"But I thought you loved this place. This is where we met. It's special. I just figured you'd want to stay."

"Well it ain't that I don't like it, I like it a lot. It's been good to me that's for damn sure. It's where I met the person that changed my life. It's where I fell in love and where we made our baby. But it don't really feel like my home.

I just thought it'd mean more if maybe you an me, well we bought us a place together. One where I put money down and I pay it off for us. Even if it takes me a few years. You could buy whatever you wanna put in it, you know, furniture and such. But I want the house...I want it to be our home. Our forever home."

And she could see his nervousness and she could see how much it meant to him. And she understood why it was important to him. No one knew him and understood him better than her.

"I think you're right. Should I call the realtor Maggie and Glenn used and see if she can show us a few houses? Would that be a good idea?"

And the Saturday before the wedding they looked at lots of homes. But one home they both knew right away, it was meant to be their home.

The neighborhood was quiet, with well-maintained older homes. The house itself was old, probably built in the late 1930's, but it had been well cared for.

Three steps led up to a front porch that spanned the width of the home. It had the original hardwood floors, windows and trim. A big front room with a brick fireplace, and a huge eat-in kitchen. There was a room that seemed to have been a den or gathering room at one time, three bedrooms and two baths.

The yard was big and nicely fenced in, but quite overgrown. But in that overgrowth there were stately trees and a great big screened porch. It just needed a serious dose of yard work, lots of TLC.

This house would make a perfect family home for them.

"I can paint the rooms any color you like Beth. You just tell me what you want. And I can get that yard in shape in no time. If it's what you want, I'm ready to put my money down and sign my name."

"Yes, it's what I want too. Oh my that big kitchen! I can't wait to cook family meals in there." Her smile was big and bright and it made him so happy. "It's perfect. It has Daryl and Beth written all over it."

And it was true for her, she wasn't just trying to make him happy. She loved everything about that old house. She couldn't wait until they made it their home.

They planned to stay in the duplex until Daryl had the painting done and furniture was chosen and in place. They had plenty of time.

And even though he told them they didn't have to help, Merle and Tom pitched in with both the painting and the yard.

Tom had jokingly told him, "Geez man, I'm one of those old retired guys now. If I don't move around, do something, shit my joints will get rusted."

He told her it was all her decision as far as the furniture and whatever else she wanted. "As long as you're sittin' next to me, or lying up close to me, I'ma be happy." And he smiled that crooked little grin at her and she smiled right back.

"That sounds real good to me Daryl, real good. Never-the-less, you're coming with. I want your two cents. Remember what you said, it's our home." Damn he loved her.

They agreed they'd go shopping together when they got back from their honeymoon trip.

Daryl

I wasn't gonna force the issue if she really wanted to stay in the duplex. I mean hell that wouldn't be right of me. But I don't know, it seemed important to me that our home be sumthin' we picked out together. Sumthin' for us and the place we wanted to raise our kids.

And shit, she knows how I am. I don't care how much money she has, it's still important to me that I help pay for what we have. I make enough money to buy us a house. A course it helps Beth don't have expensive taste, otherwise I'd be screwed.

But I know she loves that old house as much as I do. It's just right for us and the perfect place to raise kids. I'm lookin' forward to spendin' the rest a my life there with Beth.

Can't imagine I'd ever have taken a step like this with anyone else. Ain't no one else.

I can't wait 'til we make it official, can't wait for her to be Beth Dixon.

xxxx

He'd worried about the nightmares a lot, especially now with the baby coming. He hadn't had one in a long time, it was just that he knew they could come again any time they damn well pleased.

Tom and Rob had both tried to reassure him. They were honest, yep they'd told him, it could happen. But they also told him as long as Beth knew what to do, and they were both accepting of the possibility, they'd get through it.

They'd talked about it and she'd told him again, she promised. She'd put her own and the baby's safety first.

The night before the big day Daryl did have a nightmare.

When he'd first started yelling she'd jumped right out of bed, rushed to the bathroom and locked herself in. It didn't sound particularly bad from in there, and it hardly lasted any time at all.

He came knocking on the door a few moments after it started, "Shit that was like the worst nightmare ever."

She came out with a look of concern on her face and wrapped her arms tightly around him. He wrapped his around her and sort of laughed, but it didn't really sound happy.

"It didn't have nuthin' to do with the war or the accident. It had to do with me not bein' able to get to the weddin'. I was stuck in some kinda train car or semi-trailer, somewhere I ain't familiar with. What's really weird is Glenn and Maggie were there, and Glenn's friend Rick and his boy. Someone had taken all our stuff, my crossbow, Rick's gun.

First I couldn't get out, then somehow I did, but I just couldn't get to you. Kept tryin' to find you, but I didn't know where you was. Shit kept happenin', like I don't know how to explain, just things preventin' me from gettin' to where I thought you were. And for some reason Carol was there. And it was like everythin' was in slow motion. My feet were in quicksand. I didn't even have a phone to call you. It was fuckin' awful."

And she held him even tighter. "Oh my God Daryl I had a bad one like that the other night. I was stuck in some kind of weird hospital. I wanted to leave, to look for you, but they wouldn't let me out, wouldn't let me go to you. I was trying to escape, but they caught me."

"Okay, I'm glad ya told me, cuz now that I know we're both crazy I don't feel like I'm ruining your life marryin' ya." And they held on a while longer.

Beth

When Daryl first mentioned the subject of the house and where we'd live, I didn't really think it was a big deal. Then I saw it was.

I know him and good, bad or indifferent Daryl's got pride.

But it's not just that. For Daryl it's important that we be in everything together. He wants to feel like we take care of each other. He believes it's what makes Daryl and Beth who we are. It's what makes us strong. And I love that about him.

The truth is I don't care where we live just as long as I'm with him.

But the house really is perfect. I love everything about it. I knew the minute we pulled up it was meant to be. And Daryl's right. It's going to be "our" house, our forever home.

For a long time I thought my life could never be happy. That there had been too much pain. That I'd continue to be alive, but I really wouldn't have much of a life, I'd just be going through the motions. Then Daryl came into my life and everything changed.

Watching him struggle I learned so much about myself, and at the same time I was learning about him.

I can't imagine having a life without him. He's everything to me.

I can't wait to be Daryl's wife. I can't wait to raise our kids together, to grow old together. To face any challenges that come our way together.

Daryl's right, that's what keeps us strong.

xxxx

Merle had come to their house and picked up the arch he and Daryl had built for Maggie and Glenn. Other than that, all Beth chimed in on were colors she liked. Carol and Maggie were taking care of everything else, and they wanted to surprise her.

She bought a new dress she'd hidden from him. He'd joked he thought he might take one of his sleeveless shirts to the cleaners and get it ironed. But she knew he'd gone out and bought something new, she just didn't know what.

They planned on the ceremony part for 11:30, and then lunch.

After the wedding and lunch, Daryl wanted to take her for a drive south down the Georgia coast to the barrier islands. He knew she had a fascination with turtles and he was hoping she'd get to see some loggerhead turtles off of St. Simons Island.

She was looking forward to their honeymoon trip. She didn't really care where they went, or if they didn't go anywhere at all. She just wanted those few days alone with him. Then they'd come back to real life. She was excited for all that entailed as well.

What she knew at the depths of her heart was she and Daryl were both people who desperately wanted, needed and would work hard for family.

xxxx

The wedding was everything Beth had hoped it would be.

Carol and Maggie, and no doubt Merle, had done a beautiful job decorating. The arch was covered in pastel flowers, and three large floral arrangements were placed along the center of the table.

Beth couldn't have been more surprised to see her Mother's white tablecloth, China and Silver on the table. She couldn't even remember Maggie packing it away. Well she hadn't been aware of much that first year after the accident.

That little touch somehow made her feel like Mama and Daddy were close by.

It all looked so beautiful, and somehow both casual and elegant at the same time.

Merle had put some speakers out on the porch and there was soft background music playing.

Daryl was dressed in black jeans, a black shirt, black tie and black boots. It suited him perfectly. She knew she was marrying the most handsome man in the world.

Maggie had done her hair up on top of her head, and there was a braid that almost looked like a little crown. Her dress was pastel shades and knee length, sleeveless with a modest neckline. He just knew he was marrying the prettiest girl in the world.

Glenn, James and Sophia walked her to her groom. Glenn was supposed to escort her, but the children insisted each would hold one of her hands and walk with her. Glenn just shrugged, smiled good-naturedly, and walked behind the three.

Merle was his best man and Maggie her matron of honor. Because the group was so small, Beth had asked Carol, Tom and Tom's wife, Catherine, to stand up with them too.

The ceremony was short and sweet, and they were surrounded by the people they loved and who loved them. Just what they'd wanted.

Carol and Maggie had made a real southern brunch and she smiled at how happy it made Daryl. There was fried chicken, cheesy grits, succotash, hush puppies, potato salad, and Jell-O. But she knew her sister had been thinking about her too when she saw the big bowl of fresh strawberries.

The cake was beautiful. A simple round cake with white icing, but decorated with real flowers. Beth hated to cut it.

On their way down the coast he told her, "I owe you my life Beth. I don't think I coulda ever come up outta that funk if you hadn't shown me the way. You was patient with me, but you was tough too. You weren't puttin' up with none a my bullshit and I needed that.

You're a strong woman and you make me a better man."

"I think it's you that has helped me grow and be stronger Daryl. I'm just so grateful we found each other and that we're going to take this journey together. I wouldn't want to walk through life with anyone but you."

He reached across the seat and squeezed her hand. "I love you Baby."

"I love you too Mister Dixon."

A/N After lots of struggles and difficult days, it appears our couple has found happiness. Now we just need a Bethyl Baby! To see them in their wedding clothes, check my tumblr blog bethylmethbrick. And please check out my newest Bethyl story, The Biker and the Bobby Soxer. Thanks so much for reading, please leave a review/comment. xo