Hey guys! I just wanted to give out a MASSIVE THANK YOU for reading my story! Thanks so much for the reviews! I love all the feedback and support. I will admit I did make Shane a little too observant in the last chapter. I now noticed it was almost a creepy observant, haha! Chapter 4 was definitely my favorite chapter to write so far! It was a lot of fun making Daryl a nervous wreck! I hope to leave as many chapters as I can in a day because school for me starts pretty soon. If I don't finish it before school then I'll assign a day for me to post. Feel free to leave reviews! Thanks and as always, happy reading!

Chapter 6: A Birthday Present

It was the day that the small group left for Atlanta. Daryl made sure to get up early so that he could get ready and kill a deer he'd been tracking and say goodbye to Merle. Andrea was saying goodbye to the rest of the group.

"Why are you going Andrea? What about Amy?" Dale asked. He was the father figure of the group and acted like the Palmer girls father.

"I'm going for Amy, Dale." She said. "I want to get her a birthday present so maybe I'll find something at that store that Glenn's talking about."

"You riskin' your life for a birthday present?" Daryl asked but he couldn't really talk much. He had gone out of his way to get a birthday present before.

"Yes." She answered. "Maybe a necklace or something. She said something about her liking mermaids so maybe I can find something like that. I've never made it to any of her surprise birthday parties before and I think I'll be able to make up for it now." Daryl zoned our and got lost in another memory.

It was September seventeenth and the leaves were turning a bit earlier than usual. They hadn't begun to fall but they were all different colors of orange. Tomorrow was Brooke's sixteenth birthday and he had already gotten her present. Now that he had a decent job he could pay for it himself. The job may have broken his back but he got paid well and could actually put his working gloves to good use. He was walking with Merle a couple of days before day to the coffee shop when he saw something in the boutique the Becky Tate's mother owned. A golden necklace with little star in the middle and an even smaller one next to it.

"You do know that's a girl store right little brother?" Merle asked. "Or is it more accurate to call you Darylina?"

"Brooke's birthday is in three days." Daryl explained.

"How old is sugar-tits turning?" he asked.

"She's turning sixteen. I'm gonna go see how much it is. You comin'?" Daryl asked.

"I'm comin don't get your panties in a twist!" they walked in and they saw Becky and Amber picking up some dresses.

"Hey guys!" Amber said.

"What are you guys doing?" Becky asked.

"I saw the star necklace in the window and I was thinkin' that Brooke would like it for her birthday. What are you girls up to?"

"We're picking out dresses for Brooke's surprise party!" Amber said picking up a light pink dress.

"Surprise party?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah. We sent you an invite, didn't you get it?" Becky asked. Daryl shook his head and looked at Merle but he was too busy looking at Becky. "Anyways here's the plan. You need to be at the café at 6:30. We'll call Mrs. Gina to tell her we're ready and she'll make sure that Brooke is all dressed up for whatever excuse. She'll tell Brooke there's been an accident at the store and they'll come there. We turn off the lights and once she walks in we'll surprise her! Shane's gonna surprise her by actually coming back from college with Rick. Just remember to dress nice and 6:30 sharp!"

"I'll be there!" he said. "How much is the necklace?" Becky's mom walked in from the back room.

"It's thirty dollars." She said. Becky looked just like her mother. Daryl got his wallet and thankfully had fifty dollars. He paid for it and got it wrapped."Thanks!" he yelled back as he left.

"That Becky girl is hot ain't she?" Merle asked.

"Merle, she ain't even eighteen yet!" he said.

"She will be soon enough." He grinned slyly

"If you ever do anything to her you know Brooke will kill you right?" Daryl said.

"With the way I'll make her feel I don't think she'll let sugar-tits." He chuckled darkly. Daryl sighed and rubbed his hand down his face.

It was the day of the surprise party. Daryl didn't have anything nice to wear so he just wore the same thing he wore when he asked Brooke to the strawberry festival except with jeans. He grabbed his present and card and quickly got in the truck before Merle or his father could see him. He got there right at 6:30 and he was quickly pulled inside. A lot of other people in town were there. A lot of teenagers that he didn't know where there that were probably from school. Amber stood up on a table.

"Alright everyone we need it to be silent!" she yelled. She grabbed her cell phone and called Mrs. Gina. "We're ready Mrs. Gina! Dr. Walsh is already here." Daryl looked over to see a man that had brown hair that was combed back and was wearing a blue button up shirt and some jeans."Bye. Alright everyone show time! Everyone hide behind something. Becky walked over to him and pulled him behind the counter with the girls, Shane, Rick, and Dr. Walker.

Back at the Walsh household

Mrs. Gina had told Brooke they were going to have a dress up night for her birthday. Mrs. Gina was wearing a pretty dark green dress. Brooke was wearing a light, bright, yellow dress with some red pumps and her hair curled. She wore the little charm bracelet Daryl gave her at the festival.

"Alright thanks Amber!" Mrs. Gina whispered. She acted to look worried and jogged over to Brooke. "Brooke we need to go to the café!"

"Mom what's going on?" she asked.

"The store's been broken into! We need to go!"

"Oh my God! Let me get our purses!" she said. Thank goodness Mrs. Gina was an actress before she opened the store. They ran to the car and drove to the café. They got out of the car and walked to the door. "Why aren't the police here yet?" she asked.

"I don't know!" Mrs. Gina exaggerated. She opened the door for Brooke and turned on the light. Everyone jumped out from their hiding place.

"Surprise!" they yelled. Brooke squeaked from being scared. She soon started to laugh and hugged her mother. She ran to her father and hugged him.

"I thought you had to work?" she asked.

"Not that many women went into labor tonight! Happy Birthday!" he chuckled.

"What about us we left college for you?" Shane smiled and she screamed. Amber and Becky turned on the music and people started to party. She stopped hugging Shane and Rick.

"You sneaky little things!" she told Amber and Becky. They joined in a group hug and she went to Daryl to hug him. The party continued for a while, they sang happy birthday and she blew out the candle on her strawberry flavored cake. She opened all her presents except for one.

"Did everyone give the birthday girl her present?" Shane asked. Mrs. Gina looked over at Daryl and the others soon followed.

"Um, here. He said and passed her the small box.

"That sure is small compared to my present." Rick joked and Shane elbowed his side and Brooke rolled her eyes. She opened the card first because that was the proper etiquette and smiled.

"Aw, thank you!" she said and quickly moved to the present. Daryl knew it was small compared to the expensive dress her parents gave her and a lot of other things her friends gave her. She pulled on the bow and opened the pink box. She gasped and held it up. Everyone awed at the necklace. "I love it! It's so pretty! Thank you Daryl!" the music started again and Brooke gave Daryl a hug. They walked over to go outside but for that they had to go through the back room. They opened the door and Amber was in there. Daryl and Brooke had watched an episode of The Nanny a couple of days before and he got an idea. He turned the light low and motioned for Brooke to be quiet.

"Sh, don't speak. Don't turn around." He said imitating Shane.

"Shane?" she asked. He got close to her and blew in her ear and she shivered. Brooke clapped her hand over her face.

"I'll do anything you want!" she said in a high pitched voice. Daryl looked over at Brooke and gave her a mischievous grin.

"Meow like a cat." He said in a low voice. Brooke was trying with all of her might not to laugh.

"What?"

"Just do it." He said and Amber did as she was told. After a few meows she turned around and screamed. Brooke finally stopped holding her breath.

"You are so evil!" she yelled and stormed out of the room. Brooke held herself up and Daryl was holding his sides because he was laughing so hard. The two walked outside and Brooke wiped her eyes from the tears of laughter and he took a couple of deep breaths.

"You're evil!" she smiled. "But you're a genius, I give you props!" she said.

"Why thank you!" he said. They were out on the patio and they had set up twinkle light outside. "So, did you like your present?"

"I love my present." She said and she held out the box. She pulled out the necklace and attempted to put it on.

"You need help?" he asked. She nodded and handed him the necklace. She turned around and pulled her hair to her side. He clasped and she turned around. "It looks great." He said.

"Thank you." She said.

"Are you sad you didn't get a car?" he asked. She'd been looking at a red Beetle for a long time.

"Actually no." she said. "I would've missed your truck." She smiled.

"I would still let you ride in it!" he defended.

"No you wouldn't. You would say to get in your own damn car!" she teased. He laughed.

"Well happy sixteenth birthday!" he said and he sat down on a bench.

"Thank you. Your present was my favorite." She said as she sat down. She leaned he head in and rested it on his shoulder.

"Well I'm honored." He said and kissed her forehead. She looked up and he knew she was about to kiss him back.

"Hey guys!" Shane said and walked outside. "Rick would like a dance with the birthday girl."

"Oh okay, I'm coming." She got up from the bench and smoothed out her dress. She went inside and left the two boys alone. Shane raised his eyebrows in a mocking manner and turned to leave him outside. It always happened this way. Daryl would get that close and of course something interrupted them. Usually it was a brother that was too nosy for their own good. They were always that close but after a while they just seemed to give up on trying to kiss each other. They would give each other friendly pecks on the cheeks but nothing more.

Daryl snapped out of it once again when everyone left that small area to say goodbye to the rest of the Atlanta group.

"Bye little brother!" Merle said.

"You be careful and watch your back. Watch your actions." Daryl warned. Merle just laughed and slapped Daryl's back. They left and everyone else had tears in their eyes or just carried on. Amy was a wreck as soon as Andrea left and Daryl couldn't help but feel bad for the young girl. She soon sulked away to her tent. "All for a birthday present." He mumbled.