Call for a Good Time
Chapter 17
"Daryl, do we have enough ice?" Beth asked as she pulled the pie she'd made from the oven.
Daryl walked up behind her as she put it on the counter to cool. "Calm down, we're fine."
She sighed and looked at him. "I just want things to go over well tonight." Daryl kissed her head as a knock on the door pulled Merle from the couch.
"Hey Officer Friendly," Merle greeted as Rick, Lori, and Carl walked in.
"Evening, Merle," Rick greeted, nodding his head. Beth smiled, happy to finally see him for once out of his uniform. Rick was halfway through introductions when Glenn, Maggie, and Hershel walked in.
Maggie and Lori joined Beth in the kitchen to help her finish up dinner and set the table as Daryl got the men beers and kept them away from the kitchen. Beth took a moment to look around and just smiled. This is what life was supposed to be like. Not running and constantly looking over her shoulder for psychopaths. "You seem like you're doing good," Maggie commented as they set the food out on the table.
Beth nodded and rearranged a few dishes to fit another one in. "I am." She smiled and looked over at her boys who were telling Carl a joke. "I owe a lot to them."
"They brought you out of your shell."
"That's how you know they're keepers," Lori added. "I wasn't half the woman I am today before I met Rick, we got married young, yeah, but I owe a lot to him."
Beth smiled and looked over at Daryl. He was laughing at something Carl had said and their eyes met. He just smiled at her and Beth had to bite her lip as butterflies took flight in her belly. It amazed her that just one slow sexy smile from him could have her turned on. "Alright boys, come and get it," she called pulling out her chair and sitting down.
"Smell good, sugar," Merle commented as he stopped long enough to kiss her head before sitting across from her at the table.
"Sure does." Daryl sat beside her and slipped his hand into hers. She smiled and squeezed it before dishes were passed around.
"Dad, can Daryl take me for a ride later?" Carl asked.
Rick and Lori shared a look. "I don't know motorcycles are dangerous." Rick answered.
Carl pouted. "Come on, Beth rides one!"
They all laughed at that. "Oh, so what? Just because I can ride one you can?" Beth asked.
"Well yeah, everyone knows boys are tougher than girls."
That broke everyone out in another fit of laughter. "Put the shovel away son," Rick told him before shaking his head. "If Daryl doesn't mind and you wear a helmet."
"Awesome!"
They laughed and talked all through dinner, Hershel was even in a good mood which surprised Beth a little. "I'll go get the pie," she said as she stood up, kissing Daryl's cheek and walking to the kitchen. She picked up the pie and a knife and turned to walk back towards the table when the door was kicked in, wood splintering and she screamed, dropping the pie dish, glass shattering. She was roughly grabbed from behind and she could feel the barrel of a gun being pressed to her temple as chairs were slammed back and angry voices rang around her.
"Shane!" Rick growled. "Put the gun down."
Beth stared at Daryl who was slowly reaching under the table. He kept a gun taped there, it had been from Merle's drug days but he left it there as a precaution. "Fuck you, Rick," Shane snapped. Everything happened so quickly Beth hardly kept up. Rick pulled his gun out and Shane fired, hitting Rick in the shoulder. He fell back against the wall and the women screamed. Lori knelt beside him, putting pressure on it. "I suggest ya'll stay back," Shane warned.
"You son of a bitch!" Merle started at him, not thinking and Shane fired the gun again. Beth screamed as she saw Merle hit the ground, the bullet catching his hip.
She started to struggle against him, but he tightened his grip around her throat, cutting off her air supply as he pointed the gun around the room. "Ya'll gonna let us leave?" he asked.
"Like hell." Daryl ripped the gun out from under the table but Shane was faster, firing two bullets. Tears were streaming down her face as Daryl hit the floor, bleeding from the shoulder and the leg.
"Anyone else wanna get shot?" Shane asked, looking around. Beth stared at the three men who protected her and all of the blood that was soaking into the floor. She wasn't going to let anyone else get shot because of her.
"Shane," she whispered, slowly turning her head to look up at him. "Shane, baby, calm down." Everyone, including Shane stared at her. She smiled, tears in her eyes as she realized what she was about to do. She forced herself to go numb and refused to look at Daryl. "Baby, take it easy," she whispered, slowly reaching up and cupping his face. "They've learned their lesson. Let's go."
He stared down at her before a smirk crossed his lips and he wrapped an arm around her waist. "I just want you, that's all."
Beth smiled and nodded her head. "I know." She smiled and leaned up, kissing him. "Take me home." Shane nodded his head and slipped his hand into hers, leading her out. Beth didn't look at Daryl, she couldn't. She knew what it probably looked like to everyone else, but it was the only way to keep them all from getting shot. As Shane helped her into the car he'd stolen and pulled away she could hear sirens, hopefully an ambulance for her boys. She swallowed hard and stared out of the window, shutting down as she turned off her emotions. She just hoped one day Daryl would forgive her.