Thank you everyone! What did Beth just say? 😊
Leaving Home
"Our baby?" What the fuck, this can't be happening now.
Beth clutches his arm, oh no, this is not how she meant to tell him. It was supposed to be such a special and romantic moment. Darn it, but he knows now and laying here next to him she can feel the way every muscle in his body has tensed up. She does her best to stay calm, "Yes Daryl, we're having a baby. We knew that might happen, didn't we?"
He's still stunned and unsure what to say or do next, "Yeah, I guess, but shit, why didn't ya tell me before?" Seriously man, would it have made a difference?
"I wanted to tell you as soon as I knew for sure, that wasn't until this morning. When you left to go hunting I took a test. It was positive I started making plans to tell you tonight, but everything happened and we haven't had a minute alone. I'm sorry, gosh, I thought this would be a happy surprise."
He kisses her hair and holds her a little tighter, there's no need to be a fucking asshole, shit, he's the muther fucker who caused this in the first place. For now though, he's zeroed in on a couple of things she said, "Oh you surprised me all right lady. That's for damn sure. I ain't mad or nuthin' like that, ya just caught me flatfooted is all." Fuck! "So wait, ya took a test? One a them pee on a stick tests? Where'd ya get that?"
She doesn't want to laugh, but the way he phrases things, sometimes she just can't help herself, "Well it's got a name and it's not exactly called pee on a stick, it's pee on a…well yes, I guess you're right. It is a stick. Anyway, yes, it was one of those."
"Where would ya even get sumthin' like that?"
"Remember Merle took all the medical supplies he found at the halfway house and brought them here? At the time we all thought the medical supplies were over-the-counter medicines and bandages, cold packs and heat packs, all that kind of stuff. Later, when I was sorting through everything and getting it stored away, I came across a lot of other things."
"Like pregnancy tests? What the hell they gettin' up to at them halfway houses? Halfway ta paradise I guess."
He's got her trying not to laugh, again, "Well it wasn't just pregnancy tests. There were drug and alcohol tests, like home tests people do on their kids. There was even a breathalyzer. I suppose they probably tested the residents every day to make sure they weren't using; it would make sense. Anyway, so there was also a box with six pregnancy tests. And yes to what you said, at the time I had the same thought. There were men and women there and probably some were, you know, getting together and these things happen. Anyway, I kept the tests because I was sure we'd use them at some point."
Fuck him. Why wasn't he more careful? Shit, this didn't have to happen, this never should have happened. They can't bring a kid into this totally fucked up world. But fuck man, he can't say that to her. His body is less tense, but what she doesn't know is his head feels like it's about to explode, there are just too many thoughts swimming around, "But lady, Beth, you n me, a baby. Now what?"
She smiles as the tips of her fingers softly glide over his bare chest, "Now what? Well, I'm not sure what, Daryl. All I know is we're going to raise a child together and I know we'll have a lot of love to give that child. That's what children need more than anything else, a lot of love." She kisses his shoulder and adds, "I told you before, I've always wanted to be a mom and God has answered my prayers, and I know you're going to be a great Dad Daryl. We'll just have to hope and pray that by the time we're done raising this child, the world will be a better place."
Oh fuck yeah, everything's going to get better. Daryl doesn't think that's likely to happen, but he's not going to say that to her. It's one of the things he loves about her, when everything's going to hell in a handbasket, Beth always sees the bright side. He doesn't want that to change, she's his light in this dark world. So, that's that, he won't tell her he's sure the world is going to get more and more fucked up. Nah, he won't say it out loud, but what he will do is raise his child, boy or girl, to be tough, a survivor. His thoughts are hard, but his voice is soft and his touch is gentle, "Yeah, well, I ain't sure what kinda Dad I'll make. I hope ta God I'm a damn site better than that sumbitch my mother married. I do know you're gonna be a great Mama. The best."
He draws her close and for the next few minutes they stay like that, just holding each other tight while they're both thinking about what this all means. Neither has admitted it out loud, but they're scared to death, and no one has mentioned a thing about the fact they're about to go to war, and they still haven't settled on where Beth is going to stay when that happens. They don't want to talk about the hard truths, they don't want to think about bad things.
They're having a baby for God's sake. The world fucking ended but him and Beth are bringing a hopeful new life into it, and Daryl decides to let those good feelings about that rise to the service. Why be afraid of some happiness.
His fingers slip under her chin and he nudges her face up so he can kiss her lips, while his hand begins to fondle her breast and he smiles, "Wanna make sure it sticks?"
She shakes her head, "Daryl, I swear you're incorrigible, and yes, I do."
The lovemaking both satisfies and relaxes them, and as they lay in each other arms afterward Daryl places his hand on her stomach, "I love ya lady, ya know that, right? Sorry if I was a dick. I don't want ya ta think I ain't excited. I am."
She knows him, she loves him and her smile is genuine, "I love you too Daryl."
Despite everything that's going on in their minds, they manage to sleep, but they don't sleep for long. Daryl's up early stoking the fires, putting coffee on, and letting Jack out. Beth wakes and smiles, "Good morning husband."
He was feeling a little sour but the sound of her voice brings a smile to his face, "Good mornin' wife. How'd ya sleep?"
"A lot better than I thought I would, thanks to you."
That's how the morning starts, but it doesn't stay so sweet and lighthearted for long. There are serious matters at hand.
That all begins when, as arranged, Merle, Frankie and Rick arrive for breakfast. Rick is all smiles, "You have eggs? I can't remember the last time I had an egg."
Merle nods, "You can thank Beth that we got 'em. They're duck eggs and she's the world's number one duck wrangler."
"Yeah? I did see some ducks in a pen, I guess I just didn't think about you keeping them for eggs." He looks at Beth and smiles, "Duck wrangler, huh Beth? I'd like to hear that story."
Daryl's all smiles when he says to her, "Tell him," Then he looks at Rick and admits, "She surprises me a lot, and the duck capture is the second most surprised I ever was." He's not going to talk about when she surprised him the most, just last night. They'll find out soon enough.
As they enjoy their eggs and toast with leftover elk meat, Beth tells the story of capturing the ducks and every face at the table has a smile. When the story is completed, Rick is grinning the widest of all, "I'm putting my son Carl on this job. It's about time that kid brought home some ducks!"
Daryl shrugs a shoulder saying, "The only time we don't get eggs is when there's a real bad storm. Sumthin' freezes up in em and they don't lay."
Everyone shares a laugh and then the mood turns more serious when Rick urges, "We need to think about getting out of here. We have to get to work securing the safety of the prison and the mountain."
Daryl doesn't disagree but he shares the news, "Beth don't wanna go. She says she'd rather stay here on the mountain. She thinks it's safer."
Merle speaks up, "Nah, we can't leave ya here alone Beth. You gotta come with us."
She breaks it to him, "I won't be alone Merle. Frankie and Jack will be here too."
He's adamant, "Nah, Frankie goes with me."
"She can't Merle. You can't take her down the mountain in her condition, not as far along as she is. It's way too dangerous for her and the baby. You've driven on the mountain enough to know how hard you get tossed around. It's like being in a big tumbler."
Shit, none of the others even considered that. Rick wisely stands to go, his hosts will work this one out without him, "I'm going to check on the ducks and let the four of you discuss this."
Merle asks, "C'mon Beth, what's gonna happen if Frankie goes?"
"Maybe nothing, but maybe she goes into premature labor. Frankie's only seven months along Merle, that's way too early for her to have this baby. It's not like we have a neo-natal intensive care unit on the mountain, and they certainly don't have one at the prison. If she went into early labor and delivered I don't think primitive medicine could save a preemie, and honestly, I'm not sure I could save Frankie."
That hits Merle and Frankie both hard. Frankie has tears when she says, "I have to wait here Merle. I have to. I can't risk our baby."
Merle's pissed off and it shows, "This is bullshit."
Daryl throws in his two cents, "I don't wanna leave em here either brother, but Beth is dug in. Shit, this woman, she's even more stubborn than me. It looks like we got two choices, leave the women here and go take care of the threat, or stay here with em and hope Rick and his group can handle the threat without us.""
Merle's distraught, "I don't like either a them choices."
Daryl agrees, "I don't either."
Beth reaches over, taking her husband's hand in hers, "Daryl, it's because of you that I know I can do this, and don't forget, you let me stay here when you went down the mountain to find Merle. I missed you; I was afraid, and it was hard, but I made it. Since then, I've learned even more from you. It will still be lonely, and I'll still miss you, and I admit, I'll be afraid. But I'll survive Daryl because you taught me how to. I'm a Dixon now and I won't let anyone just show up here and think they can hurt me. I'm not afraid to kill to save myself, Frankie or Jack." She smiles and softly nudges her elbow into his side, adding, "And seriously, we have enough booby traps to kill two armies."
Shit, what can he say to that? Besides, she's right. They can't be dragging two pregnant women down the mountain, and even if he insisted she go with him, she still wouldn't be with him and he wouldn't be the one protecting her. She'd be stuck at the prison with a bunch of people he doesn't know and she doesn't either. At least up here she has traps, weapons and Jack. She'll be okay. The bigger question is will he be okay. Shit, him, Merle, and a few guys he doesn't know are going up against what sounds like some kind of small army, led by a sleazy weirdo. Rick said the group even has military weapons.
Daryl's feeling uncomfortable and overwhelmed, and then he thinks of it. He knows where he might be able to score a weapon that would be a big help in annihilating that bastard and his fake community.
The women will be staying together while their husbands are gone, in Daryl and Beth's cabin. Frankie and Merle's bed will be moved in tomorrow morning, before the men go. In the meantime, the Merle, Daryl and Rick spend the rest of the day prepping the place for their absence. They're stacking all the firewood that will fit into the cabin, including setting plenty of it by the woodstove in the bathroom. They bring foods up from the cellar, and although since spring arrived it's warmer during the daytime hours, it's still plenty chilly, and the nights are still below freezing. That means they're able to continue keeping some fresh foods in the makeshift refrigerator. The brothers move it closer for convenience, to an always shady spot next to the cabin door.
The final thing they do is check every trap they've installed, making certain all are in good working order, and they make sure they'll be leaving the women well-armed.
Daryl has always been a man with several weapons, even before the world ended, and ever since he learned that happened, he began collecting every weapon off every dead body he came across, and they're leaving the women plenty of weapons and ammunition. Each of them has a shotgun and a rifle, loaded and waiting just inside the cabin door. They also have shotguns in easy reach of their beds, and each of them has a holster with a high-powered pistol. There are knives at every turn. There are even a couple of hatchets and a small machete.
The brothers don't know what else they can do and Beth once again assures her husband, "I can take care of myself Daryl, and Frankie too. You taught me. I'll be safe and waiting here for you when you come home." She doesn't bother to mention how deeply worried she is for Daryl and Merle.
Daryl knows she can outsmart and outshoot just about anyone he's ever seen. She doesn't panic, and even though she might be afraid, she doesn't show it. But fuck, it's killing him to leave her here this way. Dammit, he doesn't want to, but he's got to go. He can't let this crazy asshole and his walker army take over their home. The reality is, they have a better chance of victory if they strike the governor first, so that's what they'll do, and Daryl plans to win.
No matter how much prepping they've done or how thorough they've been, Beth is aware her husband is still worried and anxious about her. Not only is it a dangerous situation, but she knows who Daryl is. He spends a lot of energy worrying about everyone but himself.
That night as they crawl into bed and his arms wrap around her, Beth smiles, cuddles into him and goes for conversation she hopes will distract him from his worries, "You haven't even left yet and I can't wait for you to get back. It will be so fun to see if you notice any changes in me, like my belly being rounder or my boobs being bigger."
Shit, he knows what she's doing. She always knows just how to get to him and he doesn't mind falling into her trap at all. He softly laughs, "Yeah, I think I should probably do a thorough inspection of your whole body right now. I'll take some mental notes n stuff, then when I get back, I can reinspect everythin'."
"That sounds like an excellent plan Daryl and I'm ready for my exam."
For a while they forget about trouble and sadness as they focus solely on each other. The love they make is deeply passionate, eager, and a little desperate because they know, it may be a while before they can enjoy this with each other again.
Morning comes and although there's sadness and fear, they all do their best to remain positive, upbeat even, as though all of this will be resolved quickly and the men will be home. They try so hard not to show how their hearts are breaking. Even Rick's heart aches. He realizes he's taking two men away from their families, and he has no idea if they'll ever make it back.
After some extra-long hugs and anxious kisses, the three men load up in Daryl's truck. The plan for now is, they'll get down the mountain and get Rick's pickup first thing. The back seat of Daryl's rig is loaded with jugs of water, sleeping bags, a well-stocked first aid kit, and plenty of food. In the truck bed, under the canopy, are gas cans and an arsenal of weapons. They even brought some punji sticks they had left over from building their traps.
They didn't expect to run into anyone on the mountain, and they don't. They get to Rick's truck without incident, although Rick does mention, "Now I know why you didn't want to take a pregnant woman down that hill. Shit man, that's roughest ride I ever had."
As soon as they're out of Daryl's truck and have a look at Rick's, they know no one has bothered it. They can tell because everything's intact. The rear seat of the pickup still holds two plastic jugs of water and a blanket. Rick sighs, "Man did I regret leaving that blanket behind."
The only issue is, Rick's pickup is dug in, but they expected it to be stuck and Daryl and Merle are prepared. They get the tow chain hooked up and quickly use the power of Daryl's pickup to pull Rick's out. They're about to load back up and go, when Daryl holds up a hand and says, "Hang on," then he tells them his plan, "Before we go ta the prison we should head over ta the construction outfit I used ta work for. Beth and I went there in the fall, we took a ton of shit from the place, everything from the potato chips outta the snack machine to the sheeting we used on the greenhouse, but there's sumthin' there it never occurred ta me to take. I guess I never thought we'd need it."
Merle's never been known for his patience and it's completely non-existent now, he grumbles, "Whaddya talkin' about Daryl?"
"I'm talkin' about dynamite. They use plenty a that shit when they're building roads and bridges and busting through bedrock."
Merle's mood has turned to excitement, "No shit?! Dynamite? Well, yeehaw, let's go brother."
"Hang on Merle. We're gonna hafta go outta our way ta get there. They built the sumbitch in the middle a nowhere, ya know, where land was cheap. We're gonna hafta take the highway ta get there so we gotta be ready for humans and walkers. When Beth n me went we didn't have too much trouble gettin' there, but we had a lot of excitement tryin' ta get the fuck outta there."
He pulls a paper from his back pocket and hands it to Rick, "Here, I made a map in case we lose each other. I don't think we will, but who knows. Anyway, for now, just follow us, that'll put two shooters in the lead and runnin' interference for you."
Rick agrees, "Sounds good."
They do pretty good getting through town even though they see several walkers, the dead just don't happen to be on the road and in the way. They only encounter two that are meandering in the street. Daryl doesn't slow down, he just swerves a little and deliberately clips them with his bumper, and the pickups drive right on by.
Daryl expected the highway to be crammed with disabled and abandoned vehicles, but man, things have gotten so much worse since him and Beth came through this way. Then his eyes land on a rig that draws his interest. It's a Chevy dually that was pulling a flatbed trailer loaded with copper piping.
He doesn't care about the Chevy or the pipe. He wants that trailer. Not now. The task at hand comes first, but if no one else gets to that trailer it'll be perfect. They have some Bobcats at the construction site and one of those would sure come in handy for snow removal on the mountain. Yep, he'll be back.
They end up doing as much off-roading as on-road driving on their way to the construction office. They find themselves cruising in the median, and off the shoulder and wherever else they can divert to to get by all the rigs. It occurs to Daryl, when the time comes it's going to be a bitch getting home with that Bobcat. It'll be worth it though.
They're only a couple of miles from the turn-off when they run into their biggest obstacle. It's a small herd of about 40 walkers milling around on the highway, in the median and down in the barrow ditch. Daryl rolls to a stop and Rick does the same, and before the walkers can make there way to the men, the men have gotten punji sticks, a crossbow, rifles and a small axe out of the back of Daryl's truck.
They find the punji sticks make a great weapon for one or two killings, after that use they tend to weaken and break. That's okay, they killed a lot of these bastards with the wooden weapons, and that saved a lot of ammunition. They want to avoid shooting whenever possible, it may attract more dead, and maybe worse, it may attract humans, besides, they don't want to waste their firepower. They're going to war soon. So, they stay with the punji sticks, Daryl uses his crossbow, Rick uses a red handled machete he carries on his belt, and Merle uses a small axe.
They've almost got the dead ones put down when one of them gets the better of Rick. The walker has the sheriff on the ground, with it's nasty teeth are just an inch or two from Rick's neck. Daryl turns and sees what's happening and he doesn't hesitate. He quickly loads the bolt and fires it right between the eyes of that creepy bastard and the walker falls on top of Rick, practically smothering him.
Merle hurries over, grabs the walker's shirt and pulls him off of Rick, then jokingly scolds the man, "Whaddya doin' layin' around? We got no time ta rest. Get up n let's go."
Rick manages a grin, "Yeah thanks Merle, thanks Daryl. I knew it'd be helpful having you two around." He gets snorts in response and once again the three men load up and get on their way.
Daryl feels a whole lot better about how this might go when they're finally off the pavement and on the gravel road to the construction outfit. They spot three walkers heading that way and he wonders how long it will be before they infest the place. He wants that fucking Bobcat and he'll kill however many of those bastards he has to to get it. For now, he settles on stopping and using his crossbow to kill these three.
The construction yard is clear and Daryl leads Rick around to a small, windowless concrete building about thirty feet from the main building, and announces, "It's where they keep the explosives."
He was expecting it to be well secured and it is, but with the help of a crowbar and a 15 pound hammer they're able to bust in. Holy fuck, there they are, wooden boxes packed with dynamite. They do an inspection of the contents, relieved to see that they've remained dry and they look stable and intact. Rick notes, "We're going to have to be more careful driving to the prison with all this shit."
Daryl nods, "We'll put what's in the bed of my pickup in the bed of yours, and pack this shit in the bed of mine, under the lid. That way, if we run into any weather this stuff'll stay dry." He nods to himself and says, "C'mon, let's load it up and get the fuck outta here."
In the meantime, he hasn't missed the Bobcats sitting there and practically calling his name, he whispers under his breath, "I'll be back." Then tells Merle, "As soon as we win this fuckin' war you n me are comin' back here ta get a few things for home."
Merle shrugs, "Sounds good, now let's go blow sumthin' up."
Rick smiles as he claps Merle on the shoulder, "Soon, I promise. But first we've got to make it back to the prison with all of this and plot our attack."
Daryl says, "Wait, let's get a buncha boxes of nails and bolts, they make good shrapnel. We can make homemade bombs."
Rick is incredulous, "Shit, I didn't know I was recruiting wartime masterminds."
Daryl doesn't think of himself as a mastermind, all he's thinking about is getting this war over in a hurry and getting home to Beth.
xx
It's been seven days since the men left, and Beth feels like she's counted every minute of those seven days, but she's not sitting around moping. She's been busy caring for the ducks and turkeys, making baby clothes and mending so many of their winter clothes. She's also been keeping a watchful eye on their home, including three times a day patrols of the perimeter, with her rifle in hand, her pistol on her hip, and a knife in her boot. So far there hasn't been any sign of interlopers, but she will never feel at ease until the family are all back together again. She feels the weight of protecting their home.
Beth hasn't mentioned it to Frankie because she doesn't want to alarm her sister-in-law, but she's taken extreme precautions just in case their little homestead is invaded. She has prepped for days, trying to make sure she has everything that Frankie, her and Jack will need to survive. She's practiced over and over again how they would quickly make their escape, and it feels like during this time Daryl's been gone she's never really rested. She can't. She has responsibility. When her husband returns, then she'll take a nap for days.
It's the eighth night since her husband left when Beth is jolted awake by the sound of far off vehicles. Oh no, they'll be here soon. She's sure it's not Daryl, it sounds like they're speeding and revving their engines, and it sounds like there are several of them. She doesn't hesitate, now's the time to execute her plan.
She quickly lights the lamp and Jack's immediately on his feet, standing by the door with his ears and the hair on his back all standing straight up. Beth turns the lamp down as low as it will go and still stay lit, and quickly creeps over to Frankie's bed. She clasps her hand over Frankie's mouth and whispers in her ear, "We have to go, there are strangers coming. Hurry Frankie, get your shoes and your coat on, hurry Frankie, hurry." Then Beth quickly puts her own shoes and coat on.
She takes Frankie's hand in hers, puts a finger up to her lips signaling Jack and Frankie both to stay quiet, and slowly opens the front door, peering out into the darkness. She can still hear the vehicles approaching, thank God they're not here yet.
She resists turning the flashlight on, they could be seen. Besides, she's practiced this route a hundred times so she could make it whether it was daylight or pitch black out.
Frankie starts to speak and Beth whispers a warning, "Don't talk, shh, we've got to hide." Frankie's scared to death, but she complies.
Soon they're at the cellar door and it takes all of Beth's strength to lift it, then she whispers, "Go Jack, go," and the dog obediently runs down the stairs. She tells Frankie, "Hold your hand along the wall, just go down three or fours steps. I'll be right back to help you the rest of the way."
She's being foolish, maybe, but she can't just leave them to be killed. She opens the gate and begs the ducks, "C'mon, c'mon." She pretends to be throwing seed out of her pockets and four of them blindly obey, following her and pecking at the ground, oh, here comes another. She manages to get herself and five ducks in the cellar, quietly shutting the big door behind herself. Just as the engines roar into her yard.
Now that the heavy door is closed she turns the flashlight on and takes the hand of a very scared and confused Frankie, "There are intruders, strangers out there. Obviously they found out about this place, and I'm afraid they'll hurt us, or worse. It's going to be okay though Frankie, I don't think they'll find us down here."
They reach the bottom of the steps, Beth lights a battery powered lantern and tells Frankie, "We can't leave it on for long. We have two of these, but they're our only light source and only God knows how long we'll be down here."
Frankie's on the verge of tears, "It's so dark and cold. Can't you light a lantern and make a fire."
"No, we can't do that Frankie, there's not enough ventilation. I'm afraid we'd get carbon monoxide poisoning." She wraps an arm across Frankie's shoulders and says, "I know it's cold and dark and scary, but we'll be fine. Look, I've made a nice bed for us. We're going to have to sleep together, but that will help keep us warm, and there are lots of blankets and pillows. You get comfortable now Frankie."
While Frankie does that, Beth finds a can of peas on the vegetable shelf, pops the cap and gives handfuls to her ducks, "Don't worry Donald, your family's going to be just fine. We can get by down here for as long as we need to."
Beth's done everything else she could think to do, and now she prays to God Daryl gets home soon and finds them.
00
A/N Hurry home Daryl! Please leave a comment. As always, the chapter photo is on my tumblr blogs gneebee and bethylmethbrick. Don't worry, we're not done with the war quite yet, we'll get back to Daryl, Merle and Rick in next week's chapter of The Man on The Mountain, I hope you'll be here. Until then remember, I love ya large! xo gneebee
P.S. If you feel it, this story is nominated in a few of the Moonshine Award categories on the Ultimate Bethyl Fic List website. I would very much appreciate your vote. Thank you! 😊