A/N Thank you all so much! You're the coolest! Let's see where were we? Oh yeah having a nap.

Trigger Warning: Suicide Attempt

When Beth wasn't home by 9:30 Mama called Sally's Mother, Bernice, "I'm sorry to call so late Bernice. I was wondering if I might speak to Beth, she was supposed to be home by 7:30."

Poor Bernice was immediately uncomfortable. "I'm sorry Annette we haven't seen Beth."

"She hasn't been there to visit Sally?"

"No Sally's been in bed with the flu since Wednesday night. Did Beth say she was coming by?"

"Yes, huh, well maybe I'm mistaken, maybe it was Kim's she was going to."

"I'm sorry Annette, you can call Kim's house but I spoke to her Mother Tuesday and they were going to spend the holiday weekend with her in laws near Augusta."

"Oh, alright, well thank you Bernice."

"Yes of course, I'll talk to Sally and see if she knows anything at all, if she does I'll call you right back."

Sally sort of knew. She knew Beth had a secret boyfriend, an older guy. But Sally was a true blue friend and she just shrugged and rolled over in bed.

Things didn't go any better for Mama after that. She called every friend Beth had since kindergarten. It was embarrassing and frightening; no one had seen or spoken to her daughter. She and Daddy, Shawn and Peggy, well no one knew what to do next but call the Sherriff.

Grimes told them it was a little early to file a missing persons report, especially considering Beth was over 18 and it wasn't quite eleven, but he assured them he and his deputies would be on the lookout for their daughter.

Mama was getting more and more frantic, which made Daddy more nervous and angry. Shawn didn't know whether to be angry at Beth for causing all of this, or worry about her being hurt somewhere. Poor Peggy was thinking this visit was anything but the peaceful visit to a farm she thought it was going to be.

Needless to say, by the time Maggie and her beau arrived home at just after one a.m. the whole house was in a state of anxiety, and more than a little bit of distress.

Once Maggie got over the initial shock she immediately knew where Beth undoubtedly would be. Why had Bethie pulled a stupid trick like this? How did she expect to get away with this level of shenanigans?

She went to the one and only phone in the house located on the hall table. She picked up the telephone directory hoping he had a phone, and sure enough there was his name and number listed. When he answered in a sleepy disoriented voice she whispered loudly, "Daryl for God sake is she there? The entire house is in an uproar. Get her home and hurry."

"Ah fuck."

"You can say that again, now hurry."

She was just waking up. "Cream Puff we fucked up bad. I gotta get ya home an right now. It's almost 1:30 in the damn mornin'. Yer Daddy's gonna skin me alive."

They quickly righted their clothes and Beth made an effort to fix her hair. "We'll take the bike, it's faster."

"Okay, and you can just drop me off down the road, I'll say I fell asleep at Sally's."

"No girl we ain't doin' it that way this time. I ain't lettin' ya take this on by yourself, an it's time Beth. We can't keep doin' this. I'm willin' ta face yer Daddy, I want to. Ya care for me enough ta let me?"

"Well of course I do Daryl it's just that…"

"Nah, not this time, ain't no buts to it Cream Puff, it's now or never."

She looked in his eyes and said, "Yes, I care about you more than enough."

They pulled up to the farm house and the entire group was out of the house before they'd even gotten off the Bike.

Daddy was madder than an old wet hen, "Who are you and where have you been with my daughter?"

"Name's Daryl Dixon sir, Beth and I been seein' each other 'bout five months now. Ya got my word wasn't nuthin' bad happened tonight, we just fell asleep is all. I wouldn't take no liberties with Beth. I care for her."

In the meantime Mama had grabbed a hold of Beth, "Do you realize what you've done young lady?! You've had the entire house in a panic, I've called every friend you've ever had looking for you, and I've put the sheriff on alert. Never have you seen trouble like the trouble that's going to rain down on you now!"

Shawn wasn't getting in on this because shit, his girl was crying softly in his arms and he was just going to be paying attention to that for now.

Daryl couldn't help but be angry when he saw her Mama, hands wrapped tightly around Beth's upper arms, shaking her hard and yelling in her face. "Don't ya be hurtin' Beth an screamin' at her now Ma'am, ain't her fault. It was all innocent, an 'sides, I'm the man here, it's my responsibility. I accept that. Don't hurt her for sumthin' I done."

And then Daddy was yelling at Daryl, "Who do you think you are talking to my wife that way?! You get on your motorcycle and you get off my property NOW!"

But Daryl wasn't giving up his Cream Puff without a fight. "I ain't just givin' up on Beth, she's my girl. Ain't nuthin' we done's been wrong. We just want ta be together. I's hoping ta come talk ta ya sooner. I got all good intentions with Beth sir, honest ta God."

And Daddy in his anger got a little cruel, acted out of character, when he yelled at the young man, "What makes you think I'd allow my daughter to date Motorcycle trash? This is the end of you keeping company with my daughter, get the hell off of my property now or I'm calling the sheriff and having you removed."

That's when Maggie tried to intervene. "Daddy please, Daryl's a real nice guy and he and Bethie are serious about each other. Maybe you should consider getting to know him before you judge him."

That was not well received.

"You stay out of this Margaret! You have caused enough trouble in this family yourself. I'd say the last thing you should be doing is telling someone else how to behave."

Well that's when Abraham stepped into it. "Now Sir I gotta take exception to you speakin' to Maggie that way. She's tryin' ta make peace here. And I shouldn't have ta remind her own Daddy she's a grown woman. It seems ta me your younger daughter is old enough ta date who she wants. If she likes this fella, maybe ya oughta give him a chance, rather than just assume he's some kind of bum."

Then Mama was on him, "You have no right to tell my husband how to deal with his own family, you've caused enough trouble here! Thanks to you our daughter is ruined."

Then Maggie was yelling, "What do you mean ruined? Because I'm going to have a baby?! Oh that's just real great Mama, this baby is your grandchild for gosh sakes!" And then Maggie was crying.

And that's when Abraham declared, "Maggie and I will be leavin' first thing in the mornin', there isn't gonna be a weddin' like we planned, we'll just take care of that on our own. An ya ain't gotta worry about me comin' 'round your door again. You people are all nuttier than a damn fruitcake. I don't think I want my woman and my pup around that."

And Mama said some words that later on she may have regretted she said, but emotions were all running hot and thinking clearly didn't seem to be the overall mood of this group, "That's just fine, you two go on and go, and as for you Beth, I'm sending you to your Aunt Virginia's house until you've gotten over whatever feelings you have for this dirty biker trash!"

Daryl may have been the most mature of the lot of them because with that he looked to Daddy and said, "Sir I'ma go on ahead an take off now. I apologize for gettin' Beth home so late, an I swear ta ya again nuthin' happened between me an her. I'm hopin' you'll give me a chance ta speak with ya man ta man in a couple days, when things settle down."

And her Daddy said, "That's highly unlikely, I can't imagine what in the world would have to happen for me to allow such as you to date my daughter."

And Beth broke away from Mama long enough to give her guy a big hug and he kissed her on the head, and then Daddy pulled her from him and hollered again, "Get out!"

Beth could not stop crying, first she tried begging Daddy, he was usually the softer touch, "Please Daddy, you can't really send me away, please. I'll be good I promise. You have to believe, me Daryl and I didn't do anything bad honest Daddy we didn't please."

"But Daddy told her, "I will not go against your Mother on this Beth. You have rattled her nerves for the last time. You were always so sweet I don't know what's come over you.

And this man, my gosh have you taken a good look at him? He's way too old for you, and that hair, what kind of man has long hair? He's a dirty bum and if you just take the time to think about that you'll agree."

And again, Maggie tried to make it right for her sister and the Biker, "Daddy, Daryl is a Biker, and he does have long hair but he also has a good job and he owns a home. Maybe you should listen to what he has to say."

And Daddy gave her a hard, cold-eyed stare the likes of which she had never seen from Daddy and he said, "That will never happen young woman and I suggest you stay out of this conversation."

It was at this point that Beth felt she had nothing to lose so she threw herself on Mama's mercy, "Please Mama, please don't do this. He's a good man, a hardworking man and he's sweet and kind and loving."

"Well that's just swell daughter, but you will not be getting any of that loving. Daddy and I will be driving you to Savannah and your Aunt Virginia's house first thing in the morning."

Daryl was angry, frustrated, heartbroken and high on adrenaline. Damn, he'd tried to reason with the old man. Usually he was the hothead, but in this case, he was starting to think he was the only one who wasn't a hothead. He didn't know what he'd do if they wouldn't see their way clear to let him see their daughter. He'd have to think of something, he had to, he cared about the Bobby Soxer way too much to let her go.

He wanted to fight something, someone, but for now he settled for driving that motorcycle way too fast.

And the sheriff turned his lights and siren on and Daryl just thought, well fuck, of course.

Grimes walked up to him with his ticket book, "Well fancy meetin' you here Daryl. What're you doin' out here in the middle of the night goin' like a bat outta hell?"

Daryl just heaved a sigh and told him, "Fuck man, my girl an I fell asleep an I didn't get her home 'til quarter a two. I's wonderin' who was gonna kill me first, her Daddy or her Mama."

And Grimes looked at him, "Shit, not Beth Greene?"

"Yep, she's the one."

"Damn Daryl, I feel bad for ya. Her Mama called me earlier worried and angry. But hell, I asked her if Beth might be with her boyfriend and she told me she didn't have a boyfriend."

'Yeah well, they just found out she does."

"Ah fuck man."

"Yep, ah fuck."

"Well slow down, get your ass home an we'll forget about this just this once, but don't let me catch ya again. And good luck man."

"Thanks Rick I'ma need plenty a that."

Maggie tried to calm her sister down but it was just no use. She was near hysterics with the cryin'.

Abraham was in the bedroom with them because like he told Maggie, "Fuck ain't like they could hate me any more'n they do."

And he tried, "C'mon now young lady, ain't the end a the world. You an what's his name will figure it out. Where there's a will there's a way, and all that happy horseshit."

The crying did not ease up. Beth went in the bathroom to wash her face. Maggie lay down on the bed exhausted, Abraham sat next to her and softly rubbed her tummy, "Dumplin' would ya still be willin' ta marry me even if you didn't have one in the hopper?"

She smiled at him, "Hell yes I would you big nasty Redhead you." He leaned on down and started kissing her and that's when they heard the crash in the bathroom.

Maggie jumped up and ran to the door, "Beth? Beth? Are you okay in there? Beth, answer me. Open the door Beth!"

That's when Abraham moved Maggie aside, he took his oversize shoulder and smashed that door open. And she was there on the bathroom floor, blood rushing out of her wrist. He grabbed a towel and applied pressure while instructing Maggie, "Go get your Dad pronto."

Daryl tried but he just couldn't sleep, he was worried, pissed and he was heartsick. He wanted her, wanted to tell her everything was going to be alright. But fuck, he didn't know if he believed everything would be alright. He needed to talk to someone and just before seven he called Merle.

Merle hotfooted it over there, damn little brother had never called him and asked if they could talk about something. He figured it was a big deal.

They sat on Daryl's front porch drinking coffee and having a smoke.

Little Brother told him just what kind of big deal it was.

And Big Brother told him, "Fuck man, it's just too damn bad Peach didn't let ya talk ta her Daddy a long time ago. Course I can kinda see why she wouldn't want ya too. Them parents sound like they got a real case a the ass, if ya want my opinion at all. I think yer right, gotta let the thing settle down a bit, maybe they'll figure she's a growed girl, sometime ya gotta let the kids make a decision on their own."

Daryl stood and went to the kitchen to refill the coffee mugs, he heard his brother holler to him, "Hey there little brother there's a big ol' redhead on yer porch an it ain't the good kind, ain't a female."

The two big men just smirked, taking each others measure. Daryl came back and was surprised to see this guy at his house. He'd been at the farm with Maggie last night.

"Listen kid, Maggie sent me to tell ya sumthin', it ain't good, but ain't as bad as it coulda been."

"Yer girl was beside herself cryin' last night an she done sumthin' real bad. Locked herself in the bathroom, broke a mirror an slashed a wrist. She's at the hospital now, the whole fuckin' family's there. It's bad man, but she's holdin' her own. She's just so fuckin' glum. I'm sorry ta be the one to bring the news."

And Merle asked, "What room?"

"326."

Daryl looked to Merle, "I'm gone."

"K Little Brother, I'll lock it up, give Cassandra a quick call an see ya there."

He walked in the hospital room and the whole family was squeezed in there but he didn't give a fuck, he went right to her laying in that bed. She looked so small and weak, and even more pale than usual. She had dark circles under those pretty blue eyes, and he could see she'd been cryin'.

He took her hand and got his face close to her, "Fuck Cream Puff, what? Why ya wanna break my goddamn heart this way? Doncha know I love ya girl? Can't make it without ya?"

Now Maggie and Shawn were tryin' real hard not to look at Mama and not to look at each other, because they knew for sure Mama's chin had hit the floor when she heard Daryl's language. And they couldn't be laughin' or Mama and Daddy would kill them right along with him.

But all Beth had heard was Daryl Dixon telling her he loved her. "Oh gee Daryl I love you too, so much. I'm so sorry." And damn if she didn't start crying again.

Daddy was just about to say something about his cussing and run him right off, when Merle Dixon walked in the room and in his big loud blustery voice he said, "Fuck Peach, whatcha doin' girl? Shit, ya can't be hurtin' yerself that way."

Right then Maggie turned around to face the wall, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to resist a look. She had her hand tight on her mouth, just in case that laugh tried to make an escape.

Beth weakly responded, "Hi Merle." And he smiled big and said, "Hi yer ownself Peach." And he walked to stand by his brother.

But then Daddy said, "I won't be having that kind of language used in front of my family!"

And Daryl looked to Mama and he said, "Beth told me ya don't like cussin', that it's for ignorant folks. Sorry Ma'am, I got a real shitty vocabulary." And that's when Shawn lost control of his laugh and Maggie hurried out of the room.

And Daddy looked at Daryl and said, "We're going to leave the room for five minutes and give you two a chance to say goodbye for good. You know you don't intend to stay with my daughter anyway; you Biker fellas are all the same, just out for one thing. So kindly tell her the truth. She won't be around these parts for you to bother anyway, as soon as she heals up she's going away."

And they left the room but they were right outside the door there, Merle he took a place right in the doorway, trying to give his brother and Peach a little privacy.

He leaned down to her ear and he said, "I love ya Cream Puff, more'n anythin'. I don't wanna be apart. I's gonna wait n ask ya at Christmas, but I'm askin' ya now, will ya marry me? Will ya run? I'll come for ya at yer auntie's."

She looked in his eyes with fresh tears in hers, "Yes. I can't wait, I love you too Daryl."

A/N Well y'all knew something was going to go wrong with all this sneaking around. It turned out all the trouble started with one little nap. Will they really take her to Auntie's? Will Daryl and Beth run? Thanks for reading PLEASE Review / Comment xo

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