Thank you very much to those who read and reviewed the first chapter. I've been really struggling with Daryl and Beth for the past few days so it means so much that you like a story that isn't necessarily about them.
…
Daryl slowly put his beer bottle down, his eyes never leaving Abby. "Wha'?" He managed to ask, his voice sounding as if he'd gone years without using it.
"Someone asked you out on a date?" Beth asked, and she was still trying so hard not to smile as she turned completely in her chair so she faced Abby, who was sitting next to her. "Do you like him, Abby?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" Daryl frowned. Beth turned and gave him a swift frown before turning back towards Abby, her face soft once more.
Abby was quiet for a moment and then, after a moment, she gave a small nod.
Daryl kept frowning. He knew Abby was thirteen-years-old already and he knew that Beth would say that all of this was perfectly normal at this age, but still. That didn't mean that he was ready for her to start liking boys and going out on dates.
"Who's this Max Moraine kid?" Merle spoke up, not stopping in shoveling food into his mouth even after Beth gave him a frown for talking with his mouth full.
"His mom is Lydia from the barber shop," Beth answered him.
There was more, of course, but Beth didn't know if it would be appropriate to mention it at the dinner table in front of the kids though it wasn't a secret to any of them; of Mr. Moraine being a State Policeman and being shot – and dying – in the line of duty.
"He's an asshole," Hunter spoke up, but did so in a grumble.
"Hunter," Beth frowned at him.
"He is," Hunter said and refused to apologize for cursing. "You like him?" He then looked to Abby and asked her, not even bothering to hide the disgust in his tone.
Abby didn't say anything. She kept her eyes down towards her plate and didn't look at any of them. They knew she could hear them though. They knew she oftentimes preferred to have her hearing aids off rather than on, but at the dinner table, it was a rule that she had to have them on. Daryl understood ignoring the world sometimes, but ignoring the family just wasn't an option.
"What's wrong with 'im?" Daryl asked. He leaned back in his seat, taking his beer bottle with him, but ignoring the plate of food in front of him. He wasn't feeling too hungry at the moment, but beer was definitely welcome.
"He said that she was like a jellyfish. She didn't have a brain," Hunter said, still looking towards Abby and frowning.
"What?" Merle practically barked and Abby jumped a little in her chair from the outburst. "You like a boy who'll say things like that 'bout you?"
"Abby…" Beth began to say, her face creased with concern.
Abby sighed heavily, glaring at Hunter. "He said he was sorry more than once," she signed to all of them quickly. "…and I believe him," she added after a moment. "Max wants to go out for pizza and the arcade and I want to go."
Beth and Daryl looked at her and then Beth turned her head so they could look at one another. Daryl sighed and didn't say anything and took another sip of beer as Beth looked back to Abby.
"Your father and I will talk about it tonight and we'll let you know tomorrow morning," Beth promised her and Abby didn't like that answer, but there wasn't anything she could do about it.
Her parents would talk and hopefully, her mom could get her dad to come around because the way he was frowning around the mouth of his beer bottle right now, if up to him, this would be the first and last date she would ever be asked to go on.
Abby loved her dad. Absolutely loved him and she knew he loved her more than anything in this world. She and her mom and her brothers were the most important things in the world to Daryl Dixon and Abby knew that he loved nothing the same way in the same amount that he loved them. Max laying an insult at Abby's feet was the worst thing he could ever do and Max probably didn't even know it. Now that Daryl knew that Max had been the one to call Abby a jellyfish and actually make him and Beth consider pulling Abby out of school to teach her at home instead, Abby didn't know how her mom could convince her dad to let her go out on this date.
Max wasn't the only one to ever insult her, but his insult had been the straw that broke the camel's back and it probably wouldn't matter to Daryl that Max had been the only one to ever apologize for something cruel that had been said to her. It probably also wouldn't matter that Abby found herself liking Max in return. To Daryl, his daughter was beautiful and normal and there would be a ton of other boys to come around – better boys – and want to ask her out on dates. He would never, not for one second, think what Abby thought.
Daryl was her dad. Of course he would think that and not see anything else.
And Abby knew she was only thirteen and her entire life was still ahead of her and maybe, maybe, something would happen years from now and another boy or man would show interest in her. Some day; many days from now. But it was this town. She loved this town and never wanted to live anywhere else, but in this town, she was inside of a box and everyone only knew her in this box, and she couldn't imagine herself ever getting out of it.
Max saw her in the box and knew she wasn't considered to be normal by their other classmates – Feral Abby – and yet, he had still apologized and asked her to get some pizza and play some arcade games with him.
Abby sat at the dining room table and looked at her dad and her brother and her uncle and wished she was able to explain all of that to them, but she knew it would be pointless. They would never agree with her and never see her point of view. To them, Abby was perfect and everyone else was an idiot for not being able to see it.
…
Son of a bitch.
He had wanted sex. That was all he wanted. He wanted Hunter and Abby to go to bed and he would close and lock his and Beth's bedroom door and then he would finally get to have the sex with his wife that he had been craving all day.
Had that been too much to ask?
Apparently so because now, he sat on the edge of their bed and tried to wrap his head around the fact that not only was Abby now thirteen – which he had known and had a rude awakening to it the day he had to buy her pads for her first period – but now, she was wanting to go out on a date and no. Just no. That was way too much in the same year.
He should have set down a rule of no dating until she was at least twenty.
Beth came out of the bathroom, flicking the light switch off with her elbow and rubbing lotion into her hands as she did every other night. She took one look at Daryl sitting there and couldn't help but smile a little. She came towards the bed and climbed up beside him, coming to kneel behind him with her arms sliding around his shoulders and leaning her cheek down against his.
"I already know what you're gonna say," Daryl said before Beth could even open her mouth to say anything. "And I'm sayin' no, Beth. I'm puttin' my foot down. Abby's not goin' out with some lil' asshole."
Beth was not surprised in the least with that. She was quiet for another moment, thinking it through. She then gave a soft exhale of breath and rested her chin on his shoulder and felt him lean back a little against her chest.
"She likes him," Beth reminded him quietly.
"She don't know better," he retorted.
"What if I had listened to everyone and what they said about you?" Beth questioned.
Daryl turned his head so she could see his scowl. "That ain't the same. I didn' call you some brainless jellyfish in front of a bunch of people and make you cry."
"But if you had, I know you would have apologized for it."
Daryl kept frowning. "That's the difference, Beth. I never would have done somethin' like that in the first place."
Beth thought on that for a moment and then kissed his cheek before sitting back, her arms slipping away from him, and Daryl turned to keep looking at her.
"Thirteen-year-olds, especially thirteen-year-old boys, are idiots," Beth said.
Daryl didn't exactly have an argument for that, but still. That didn't mean he had to let some thirteen-year-old idiot around his daughter.
"We have to let her try things, Daryl," Beth told him. "We have to let her have crushes and go out on dates and experience those things that other girls do."
Daryl supposed that was true. He sometimes forgot that Abby was thirteen and she was growing up and he knew it was something he wanted to just forget, but that didn't mean that it wasn't happening just because he was turning a blind eye to it. Before he knew it, Abby would be sixteen and then eighteen and she was growing into a young lady and even just thinking about that almost made him cringe because no, damn it. Abby was their Miss Abby. Their little girl. His little girl. Who the hell said it was okay for her to start growing up and to start liking boys?
With a heavy sigh, he fell back onto the bed, on his back beside Beth, staring up at the ceiling, the scowl still over his face. Kneeling next to him, Beth lifted her hand and gently ran it over his face as if trying to unknot the wrinkles with her touch. And usually, that would work, but not right now. He wasn't done scowling.
He hated this. He loved his kids. Loved them more than anything else in this whole word, but sometimes, he hated this because sometimes, he still felt like he didn't have the first clue as to be a dad. Sometimes, he felt like he should still be living all by himself, practically a hermit up in those woods without anyone bothering him.
Things would have been easier, that was for sure. Not better. Just easier.
"Fine," he grunted after another moment. "She can go, but I swear, Beth. If this kid does anythin' to hurt her…" he trailed off then, figuring any threat Beth could imagine was good enough and would get his point across.
Beth smiled and then leaned down, pressing her lips to his forehead and he closed his eyes at the contact.
"Were you her age when you went out on your first date?" Daryl asked as she moved herself around so she could curl up next to him at his side.
"Exactly her age. I think my daddy was having the same kind of freak out you are right now," Beth said with a light laughter in her tone. "After Maggie and her teenage years, daddy didn't know if he was strong enough to handle and be able to survive another Greene teenage girl."
"You go out with Jimmy?" He looked up at her, mentioning the only boy Beth had ever dated before she met and fell in love with and then married Daryl.
"Yes," Beth answered and Daryl nearly smiled when she visibly grimaced at that.
"What'd you do on your first date?" He asked, turning on his side, facing her. He bent his elbow and propped his head up in his hand.
"Lost my virginity," Beth said without missing a beat and then burst into a shriek of laughter when Daryl reached out and started tickling her side. "No, no!" She exclaimed breathlessly while laughing and trying to get away from him.
Daryl finally relented and Beth caught her breath, still laughing a little. "You're so damn mean to me," he grumbled.
"I'm sorry," Beth said, rolling towards him, slipping her arms around his neck, but it didn't sound as if she was sorry in the least. "Jimmy and I went to go see a movie together and then we got a hot fudge sundae except the idiot didn't tell me that he was allergic to nuts, so we had to call his mom while the ice cream shop had to call the hospital. I was so mad at him."
Daryl was quiet, thinking that over, unable to help but quirk his lips into the smallest smile at the idea of the idiot, Jimmy, doing something like that. Of course, at the same time, Daryl got it. If he was sitting across from Beth and she wanted a hot fudge sundae, he would order it no matter what – allergies be damned.
…
After school, the next day, Abby wasn't sure why, but she grabbed Becks' hand and pulled her down the stairs and out of the front doors before Max could stop and talk with her. That morning at breakfast, her dad had said that she could go out with Max tonight – and Hunter had been less than happy about that; his exact words being "What the hell?" – and then this morning, before the bell rang, Abby had told Max that she was allowed to go out with him tonight if he still wanted to go.
"Of course I still want to go," he had said and he was wearing another hooded sweatshirt, his hands in the front pouch. "Do you still want to go out with me?" He asked and looked at her and Abby could have sworn that maybe he looked scared as if she was going to change her answer from the "okay" that she had given yesterday.
Abby nodded. "I do," she answered.
Max let out a breath at that. "Good," he said with a bobbing head. "Great!" He then said and then cringed at his enthusiasm. "Um," he pulled a hand out to scratch the back of his head. "My mom and I will come by your house to pick you up at five."
And now, after the final bell, Abby was practically running away. And thankfully, Becks didn't question her; just walking rapidly at her side, easily keeping pace.
"We have to go to the drugstore," Abby signed so quickly, Becks shook her head and Abby slowed her fingers down, signing it again. "I need pads."
"Gotcha," Becks said with a single nod. "I have a tampon if you want that," she offered though she knew Abby wouldn't take it.
The cramps had started in World History class, while they were in the middle of studying the causes of WWI, and Ms. Brandt had given her permission for the bathroom pass. Abby hated standing up and walking in front of the class – always feeling like everyone was watching her – and she hurried out as quickly as she could. And sure enough, in the bathroom, she saw that her period had started. Her mom was always telling her to keep an extra pad in her bookbag, but it was just something she always forgot and she didn't have any change for the vending machine in the bathroom that could get her one.
She had taken toilet paper and had folded it over and over to put in her underpants, but for the rest of the day, she was preoccupied and she wanted to be able to go buy one as quick as possible; not even wanting to wait until she got home for one.
Abby knew Becks and some of the other girls used tampons, but Abby couldn't imagine ever being comfortable with using one herself. She didn't like the idea of anything going inside of her like that. Her mom had known that and hadn't even tried to show her when she started having a period. She had started right off with pads and that was what Abby would stick with for the time being.
In the tiny local drugstore, Abby and Becks went up the feminine hygiene aisle.
"What are you going to wear tonight?" Becks asked.
Abby looked down to the green dress she was wearing that day.
"You're not going to get super fancy, are you?" Becks asked.
Abby knew that Becks wasn't exactly enthusiastic about her date with Max tonight – her and Hunter seemed to share the same opinion of him – but Becks had already told Abby that she would be encouraging and if Abby really did want to go out on a date with Max, she should do what she wanted and not what others wanted her to do. In Becks' world, things were always as simple as that and always should be.
"It's just pizza," Abby signed to her with a small frown.
"Exactly," Becks signed back. Even with Abby's aids turned on during the school day, the girls liked to use sign language more times than not so others wouldn't know what they were talking about with one another. "Don't do anything for him that you normally wouldn't do. Remember. It's just Max."
Abby nodded and grabbed a small pack of pads from the shelf.
Max. Just Max – who made her stomach feel like she was constantly going down the first big drop of a rollercoaster.
She knew what Becks had just said, but was she supposed to wear something different? She wore dresses every day, but was she supposed to wear one of her nicer ones for her first date? Maybe on the dresses she wore to church on Sunday?
At the front register, Abby set the pack of pads down and she noticed the cashier – a man – barely lifted them up to scan them; as if he wanted to touch anything else besides pads. That had happened a couple of times before – when she and her family were at the big store, buying other things and if the cashier was a man, he seemed always so embarrassed about having to ring them up. Abby didn't get it. Her dad and Hunter had no problem picking up a pack if it was needed. All girls and women of a certain age had a period. Beth had told her that it wasn't a big deal. It was just something that happened and it was natural and men were generally idiots.
"Do you want a paper bag so no one can see?" The cashier asked – loudly because everyone knew Abby Dixon couldn't hear – once Abby handed him the emergency five that she had; given to her by her dad so long ago "jus' in case", he had said and Abby had never had emergency until now.
"Actually," Becks spoke up with a sugary smile. "We're just going to carry it. A pad is needed right now."
The man visibly blanched and Becks did her best not to laugh at him as she handed the pack to Abby and the two girls left the drugstore. As soon as they were outside, Becks started laughing and Abby shook her head, unable to keep from smiling.
That was one of the reasons Abby loved Becks and was so happy she moved to town and had wanted to be friends with her, of all people. Becks was so brave; the kind of brave that Abby could never imagine herself being.
"We'll go to my house," Becks offered. Becks lived in town while the Dixon farmhouse was almost a mile away and Abby was thankful. She really just wanted to put this pad on and then get home and get ready for when Max and their date.
"Abby!"
The voice was shouting from behind them, and Abby could hear it, but Becks took her arm gently just in case. Both girls turned and saw Hunter jogging their way.
"I have to go to Becks' house," Abby signed to him quickly. "It's an emergency."
"Hey," Hunter came to a stop in front of them. He looked at the pack of pads in her arm, but unlike the cashier in the drugstore, he seemed like he could have cared less. "What time are you going out tonight?" He asked her.
"Max and his mom are picking me up at five," Abby answered.
"And you're going to Marco's for pizza?" Hunter asked.
Abby gave him a look, her head tilted slightly to the side as if studying him. "Yes…" she answered slowly.
"Cool. Sounds good," Hunter nodded. "Alright. See you later."
And with that, he slipped pat them and began jogging down the street again. Abby frowned, watching after him, and Becks shook her head slightly.
"I don't have a brother, but… that was weird, right?" Becks asked her.
Abby didn't answer. She just nodded and kept watching after Hunter. She had enough things on her mind right now – mainly getting to Becks house and then asking her mom to help her braid her hair – but if she didn't have anything else to think about, Abby would definitely be trying to figure out what Hunter was up to something because while she wasn't as smart as Hunter, it was obvious that he was definitely up to something.
…
Thank you again for reading and for your support.