It's very hard to be on a writing schedule. I write whatever I feel like - whenever I feel like. And someone made a request for a chapter like this and I loved it so much and had to write it. If you have any suggestions for anything you want to read in this story, please let me know and I'll do my best to get my muse to cooperate.

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Chapter Twenty-Five. Guardian.

"Hey," Beth said in a soft voice as she climbed onto the bed and sat on her knees.

Abby had fallen asleep next to Daryl as he had read to her from Popular Mechanics. He and Beth knew that reading to their kids was good for their development – or whatever, Daryl still wasn't entirely clear – but they also thought that reading to Abby would help her from being so sensitive to her hearing aids.

Daryl looked up from the article he was reading to look at her, letting her know that he was listening.

"I've been thinking about something," she said.

He closed the magazine and tossed it onto the nightstand. Whenever Beth said those particular words, he knew this wasn't going to just be some quick conversation.

"'bout what?" He asked.

"Well, Lori and I were talking at work and I don't even know what about but she mentioned that Rick's sister was Carl's and Judith's guardian if anything ever happened to her or Rick and then she asked me who would be in charge of the kids if something ever happened to us."

Daryl frowned a little. "Wha's happenin' to us?" He asked.

"Nothing, but it got me thinking that we don't even have a plan. What if we're out and we get in a car accident and neither of us make it. what would happen to the kids?" She asked him, watching him a little too closely and it made him almost want to shift as if uncomfortable because she was looking at him as if he already had the answer.

"Your parents would take 'em in," he answered with a shrug and thought that that was the right answer to give.

In his head, it made the most sense. Annette and Hershel were always watching the kids for them whenever Beth and Daryl needed them to and the kids loved their grandparents. When Daryl had been working on this house and they had already sold their house in the woods, Hershel and Annette opened their house up to them and let them stay with them for months. Hershel and Annette were always there. Art shows and recitals at school and he could just imagine the fit Annette would throw if he and Beth didn't name them the guardians.

Beth shook her head, clearly not agreeing. "We can't do that. Their getting too old. We can't expect them to raise three more kids at their age."

"Well, not Merle," Daryl was back to frowning.

Merle had cleaned up his act but was far from living the kind of life Daryl would want his kids to know. Merle still drifted around whenever he felt like, not having his roots down anywhere, sometimes still getting arrested and being held overnight for stupid shit. No. Definitely not Merle.

"Maggie and Glenn?" Beth suggested.

It was Daryl's turn to shake his head. He couldn't really believe that they were having this conversation but as usual, Beth was right and it was something they had to decide and if she wanted to make the decision right now, he would take it seriously. The odds of their kids ever having to actually go to their guardian were slim but who the hell knew what was going to happen and he understood all about the whole be prepared aspect of life. Anything could happen and he didn't want his three kids to just be floating around without something stable and planned.

"Maybe Glenn but your sister gets too flustered too easily," he said.

Beth nodded. That couldn't be argued. Glenn was good with the kids. He had had little sisters and was used to being around little kids. Maggie, not so much. Even though she was the oldest of the three Greene siblings, she became too overwhelmed if too much was happening when she babysat her niece and nephews and with three kids, there was definitely always too much happening.

Beth knew Maggie loved Luke, Hunter and Abby but Beth couldn't do that to her. If Maggie and Glenn ever had a baby of their own, Maggie would probably lose her mind enough as it was without adding three more children.

She bit her lip for a moment, thinking of other options. "What about Shawn?"

Daryl looked at her, raising his eyebrows at her. "Shawn? He eats glue."

Beth rolled her eyes at him. "That was one time, he was drunk and Merle dared him to," she said. She shifted off of her knees and moved, propping herself up against the pillows beside Daryl, stretching her legs out in front of her. "He's great with the kids. He loves them to death and they love him. You know how serious he can be if he has to be and you have to admit. He has really grown up over the past few years. Think about how he was when you first met him."

Daryl did. He really liked his brother-in-law and not only was he family but Daryl considered Shawn a good friend. He could be a bit crazy and wild – though not nearly the same level as Merle. Shawn's crazy and wild was all pretty much harmless. He had moved to Atlanta years earlier and lived there and worked for some computer company that helped run some program for the Atlanta Airport. Daryl never understood exactly what Shawn did but whatever it was, Shawn made good money. And he had benefits and insurance and Beth was right. He loved the kids and the kids loved their uncle.

Daryl smirked a little to himself. "Shawn," he then said the name as if he couldn't believe it. "Shawn?" He then asked, looking to Beth, and she was smiling faintly, clearly having been thinking things over herself and coming to the same conclusion.

"I can't really think of anyone else. Yes, we have friends but I could never imagine them taking the kids in. I wouldn't want to push that responsibility on them. I would want them to stay with family," she said and Daryl nodded his head in agreement.

They were both quiet for a passing minute, both watching Abby as the little girl slept peacefully between them, having no idea what her parents were discussing.

"I don't like thinking about it," Beth said quietly as her fingers gently combed through Abby's matching blonde hair.

"Why would you?" Daryl asked, looking at her. "But you're right. Nothin' wrong with havin' a plan. Just in case. Though we won't have to worry 'bout it."

"No?" She looked at him then, too, and she looked somewhat amused, a ghost of a smile passing across her lips and a faint twinkling in her eyes, and seeing her like that made his own lips twitch in a smile.

"Nothin' wrong with havin' a plan to make sure the kids are taken care of. They would have just lost us. Wouldn' want anythin' else happenin' to them," he said.

And Beth's smile grew a little wider as she then leaned into him and kissed him lightly on the cheek near the corner of his mouth. Daryl looked at her and reminded himself that their young daughter was lying between them, sleeping, and he couldn't kiss Beth the way he wanted to in that moment. And Beth's eyes twinkled and she laughed softly as if she could read his mind and knowing Beth, she probably could.

…

Beth sometimes got in these moods where she had to clean. She didn't know what it was but she would spend her day cleaning the entire house. Vacuuming, dusting, mopping, making the house smell like lemon dust spray and cleaning bleach and she didn't stop until she was exhausted and the house absolutely sparkled.

Daryl had built them such a beautiful house and Beth supposed she just wanted to keep it beautiful.

"What the hell are you doing?"

She looked over her shoulder and saw that Shawn entered the house without her hearing and he stood there, watching as she stood carefully on the piano bench, trying to brush a spider web from the upper corner near the ceiling with a broom.

"I'm dancing, Shawn. What does it look like?" She rolled her eyes.

"Don't you have a husband to do stuff like this?" Shawn crossed the living room and took the broom from her. With no difficulty at all, he brushed the cobweb away and Beth stepped down from the piano bench, taking the broom back.

"You're the best," she smiled up at him. "Shawn!" She then exclaimed. "Shoes! Take your shoes off! I just cleaned all of these floors."

Shawn rolled his eyes this time and then went back to the front door, kicking his shoes off on the place mat they had there on the floor for all of the other shoes.

"Where is Daryl?" He asked, coming back into the living room.

"He had a couple of traps out in the woods he was going to go check. He'll be back in a little bit. And the kids are at the church. They're having their summer bible camp day today," Beth said as she began sweeping where Shawn had walked.

"Then why did you call and have me over?" Shawn asked, settling himself down on the couch. Beth looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Not that I mind coming," he quickly added. "I just thought that you wanted me to come over to watch the kids for you or something."

Beth shook her head. "No. Daryl and I have to talk with you about something."

Shawn's brow furrowed at that. "What's wrong?"

"Why do you automatically think something's wrong? Can't your sister and brother-in-law just talk with you?"

"Sure, on the phone like normal people. You wouldn't have me drive here over an hour from Atlanta just for a chat," he pointed out to her.

"Okay," Beth sighed. "It's a little serious. But nothing for you to worry about. And I'm not going to say anything else until Daryl gets here. Do you want something to drink? I've made some fresh lemonade."

"What the hell time did you get up this morning?" Shawn asked, getting up and following her into the kitchen.

"Five like I always do," she shrugged. "I also baked cookies."

He smirked a little at that. "Of course you did. You know what my big accomplishment was today besides driving here? Putting on pants."

Beth smiled, grabbing a glass and going to the refrigerator for the pitcher of freshly-squeezed lemonade. "Well, we can't all live the life of leisure," she said.

"It's not an easy job but someone has to do it," he said as he grabbed three peanut butter cookies from the plate on the counter. "So, what's with Martha Stewart impersonation today?"

"I just get in these moods sometimes. Tomorrow, after church, I'm climbing back into bed and won't move for the rest of the day," she said, handing him the glass.

They both turned their heads when they heard steps on the back deck steps and then a moment later, the screen door opened and Daryl came into the kitchen. He looked to Shawn and Beth there.

"Hey," he grunted to Shawn.

"What's up, Daryl?" Shawn asked through a mouthful of cookie.

"Hey." Beth came to him and standing on her toes, gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Any luck with the traps?" She asked.

"Just a couple squirrels. Let 'em go," he said, taking a cookie for himself. "You talk to 'im yet?"

Beth shook her head. "I was waiting for you."

Shawn swallowed his mouthful of cookie. "Alright, you guys. What the hell is going on?" He asked but was sliding into a firm tone that was more like demanding.

"Let's go back into the living room," Beth said as she picked up the plate of cookies and began leaving the kitchen. "Daryl! Boots!" She called out over her shoulder.

In the living room, Shawn sat back down on the couch and Beth sat beside him, the plate of cookies on the coffee table, and Daryl sat in the armchair across from them.

"Tell me," Shawn said.

Beth looked to Daryl and then to Shawn, taking a deep breath. "Daryl and I have been talking about a few things. Now, nothing is happening but we just want to be ready in the slight, slim chance that something does happen."

Shawn frowned, looking to Daryl. "What the hell is she talking about?"

"We wan' you to be the guardian to the kids," Daryl said bluntly and without any other sort of prelude.

Shawn's eyes widened slightly at that but he surprisingly wasn't able to say anything to that. He looked back to Beth, who nodded her head slightly.

"It's just something we've been talking about and it's good to have that sort of thing planned out – just in case. You know how Aunt Hattie was your guardian in case of something happening? And Otis and Patricia are my guardians? We never needed them but if something ever happened…" Beth looked at her brother closely, trying to gage his reaction to all of this but for once, Shawn seemed rather blank. "We were thinking of everyone we would want to have Luke, Hunter and Abby and you… you were the one person who made the most sense to us."

A minute ticked by as Shawn kept looking at her.

"Me?" He finally asked. "You two actually chose me?"

"Well… yes," Beth nodded. "Mom and daddy are too old and Merle is… Merle. And we both know that Maggie would lose all of her hair if she had to take care of three kids but you… you're just the best choice, Shawn."

Shawn was silent again, staring at her. Slowly, he turned his head and his eyes went to Daryl. Daryl didn't say anything either. He leaned forward and took another cookie before leaning back in the chair, taking a bite and looking to Shawn.

"You don't have to do it, of course," Beth was quick to add. "It can be a really big responsibility and Daryl and I don't want to think we're forcing you to do this."

Shawn just shook his head. "I know you're not. I just… me?" He asked again. "Are you guys sure about this? I mean, it's me."

"Of course you, Shawn," Beth said. "The more Daryl and I talked about it, the more it just made perfect sense."

"I live in Atlanta," Shawn pointed the obvious out to them.

"We know," Daryl gave his head a single head nod. "The house would be left to the kids. You could move in here or…"

"Daryl and I obviously won't be around so you would have to decide what's best. That's not up to us," she said. "We trust you," she then added.

Shawn fell silent again and Beth knew he was clearly overwhelmed with all of this. They heard a car approach the house, the faint scream of breaks and then four doors slamming shut. They could hear voices approaching and Beth got up to meet them at the door.

"Thank you so much for driving them home, Jacqui," Beth smiled at the woman as she opened the door for the kids to come in.

"Oh, it was no problem at all. They had me in stitches. Bye guys," she said with a wave, heading back down the porch and towards her car.

"Thank you!" They called after her.

"Shoes," Beth said before they could even take one step into the house. "I just cleaned this floor and I want it clean for at least twelve hours."

"So, mom," Hunter said as they all pulled off their shoes. "Noah's Ark. Two of every animal, right?"

"Right," Beth nodded, helping Abby with her shoes.

"What about everything in the ocean?" He asked.

"The world was being flooded, Hunter," Luke said, rolling his eyes. "The fish didn't need to be saved from drowning."

"Fine," Hunter spat at him with narrowed eyes and then looked back to Beth. "But what about when all the water went down. What happened if a shark got stuck on land when the water began disappearing?"

"I think God made sure that didn't happen," Beth smiled. "Your Uncle Shawn's here," she then told them.

"Uncle Shawn!"

There was a chorus of shouts as the three kids went running into the living, Luke and Hunter practically throwing themselves on Shawn, tackling him, as he still sat on the couch and Shawn laughed as he wrestled them back. Abby stood at the fringes of the chaos until Shawn had gotten the two boys under control and then looked at the little girl, giving her a wide smile, and she smiled in return before bounding over and hugging him tightly.

Beth smiled, watching them, Hunter now asking Shawn about Noah's Ark and what they did with all of those animals pooping on the boat and she could see Daryl watching her from the corner of the eye. Beth turned her head and looked at him and he smiled a little at her – a smile she happily returned.

…

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