"That's the beginnin' of- our baby, Daryl. I need to know if you really want to be involved. This is long term, and we have to work together," Beth said, tears wetting her cheeks. Daryl took the small picture into his hand, and looked at the blurry blob intensely. He nodded and looked back at Beth.

"I wanna be a part of this," Daryl said, his own voice wavering a little. Beth smiled through the tears, and she took his calloused hands into hers. Beth sniffled and took a deep breath, her clear blue eyes looking into Daryl's dark stormy ones.

"Why don't you come back to the apartment with me? I can make you lunch, it seems like you're battling a hangover." Beth offered, her hand lightly squeezing his as a small smile twitched Daryl's lips. He nodded, looking up at her as she stood up, her belly definitely round.

"Alright." Daryl concluded, standing up with a groan as the muscles in his back tightened.

Beth picked up her backpack, getting ready to adjust it over her shoulders when Daryl stopped her and shoved the bag under his arm. Beth smiled, glancing up at him before they both left the coffee shop and headed towards her car.

Daryl sat down on the couch stiffly, looking around the changed apartment as Beth busied herself in the kitchen. It looked different than it did a month ago. Now there were more family pictures scattered on the walls, the living room was rearranged, it didn't seem like a college kid's apartment at all. Kid. Beth wasn't a kid. Daryl took a deep breath and got up to go to the bathroom, maybe splash a little water on his face so he didn't look so hungover and tense.

"Hey. Food's almost ready." Beth called from the kitchen, feeling more relaxed that Daryl was around.

She'd waited for a while hoping he'd show up or call, but when he did she chickened out. When she saw him through the coffee shop window was when Beth decided to swallow down whatever feelings she had and try to fix things with Daryl. All she wanted was Daryl and this baby. Hopefully Daryl felt the same way.

"I'm just gonna go wash my hands, alright? I'll be out in a minute, darlin'." Daryl said, peering into the kitchen from around the corner. Beth's blue eyes darted up to his, nodding as she continued to busy herself with lunch.

Daryl meandered towards the bathroom, stopping when he looked into the second bedroom and found a mountain of baby things against the wall. He swallowed the lump in his throat, quietly opening the door and walking inside. Daryl bent down and gingerly picked up a stuffed dog before looking around the unfinished nursery.

"I've been meanin' to get in here and start putting all this together." Beth said quietly, her hand resting on her stomach as she leaned against the door frame. Daryl jumped and turned around, his eyes wide as his grip tightened on the stuffed animal.

"I...I'll help. I can put the crib together and stuff. If you want." Daryl almost stuttered, his voice low and gruff as usual. Beth took a step towards him and gently took the stuffed animal out of his hands and setting the plush toy on a shelf.

"I'd like that." Beth smiled, looking up at him before her eyebrows furrowed. "We have a lot to talk about, Daryl."

"I know." Daryl mumbled, looking down at shaggy grey carpet. Beth crossed her arms, before walking over to Daryl and pulling him to the loveseat that sat in the corner.

"Listen, Daryl. I'm due in about four months." Beth said, her eyes meeting his. "I need to know for sure that you'll be around. All of this stuff with your brother...the selling drugs, being in dangerous situations. I don't like it, I never did. And now..now that I have a baby on the way, your baby, I just need to know if you'll be there for us. I want our baby to have a daddy that's there. A dad that he or she can count on, you know, a daddy that doesn't leave or is barely there." Beth said, her tone serious.

Daryl looked up at Beth, his eyes meeting hers. It's like Beth didn't know how hard it was for him to find out that he's going to be a dad all of a sudden. Daryl had just come to terms with it all over the past couple of months. He wanted to help her all that he could, be there for her and the baby. He'd give up the drug life and get an actual job if he had to. Hell, he'd even move in with her to make this work if that's what she wanted.

"I'm not gonna be a dead beat like my ol' man." Daryl answered, shrugging his shoulders. "I want to be with you and get to know you before the baby gets here. Hell Beth, I know the risks of what I do. Don't ya think I knew all this shit yer tellin' me before I agreed to work for Merle?"

"Daryl...that's not what I meant." Beth said, getting a little defensive. "I just want to know that I'm not going to be doing this alone. If you don't what this, you can leave. I'm giving you a chance." Beth said, her eyes watering up a little.

Daryl almost glared at her. Did she really think he was just like Merle? Something about the tone in her voice made Daryl's insides knot up. He knew he wasn't around for a bit, five months to be exact..but he finally decided he wanted to settle down with Beth. Daryl hoped he wasn't too late on making up his mind.

"What do you want me to do, Beth?" Daryl asked, the silence making him shift awkwardly on the small couch. He knew exactly what Beth wanted, for him to get out of the life and leave Merle behind with his business.

"I want you to choose your family, Daryl. The family we can make together with this baby." Beth said evenly, straightening her tank top and sitting up a little straighter. "I don't want you to choose us because you think that you have to. I want you to do what you want and not feel like I'm trapping you."

"This is what I want. I've already made up my damn mind." Daryl said, grabbing her hand and looking at the blonde with firm eyes. "I'll go an' tell Merle right now. Tell 'im that I'm done with the life."

Daryl looked at Beth's stunned face and got up, heading for the front door. Beth tagged along behind the broad shouldered man, grabbing his arm to make him turn around.

"Beth, I'll be back in a few." Daryl said, adrenaline coursing through his veins as he anticipated to finally tell Merle he was done with this shit. Daryl felt like he was getting too old for the faux college life and selling expensive dope.

"O-ok." Beth said letting his arm go as she watched him hurry down the stairs and began to make his way to lactation.

"Merle, open the fuckin' door!" Daryl yelled, beating on the dented chipped black door. He gave up after five minutes, scrabbling to search for the spare key that was hidden behind a loose brick. It felt like hours wiggling each brick to find the right one.

Daryl hastily unlocked the door and walked inside, his eyes darting around as he looked for Merle. His heart stopped when he found blood saturating the living room carpet and spattered on the hallway wall leading into the small galley kitchen. Daryl staggered forward, his organs churning around inside of him as he found Merle-eyes lifeless, as his cold body began to turn ashen. Merle laid in the middle of the kitchen, slumped against the fridge, sitting in a pool of his own congealing blood from the deep gash across his abdomen. "No no no no no no " Daryl croaked, sliding in the blood pool to grab his brother's shoulder. Daryl wished he was hallucinating or dreaming, no one ever got the drop on Merle, ever. He'd only been gone an hour.

"Anyone here?" Daryl choked out, his eyes never leaving Merle's lifeless body. No one answered, the apartment still and silent.

I'm bbaaaaaaaaaack! Hope y'all didn't forget about me! Drop a review!