Whatever Happened To Normal?

Chapter 21:

Two Years Later (OMG!!)

Walking through the terminal, Daryl looks around at the distantly familiar setting and tries to regain himself. He never meant to stay away so long, but days of freedom and quietness turned into months and then a year and now two. He spent those two years finding himself- which really meant he was drinking, partying, and working for Merle, who's marriage ended four months after they got married. He doesn't know why he decided to come back, but he did. So now as he walks through the sparsely crowded halls, he takes a few deep breaths as he realizes what an asshole he's been. He changed his phone number, canceled his mail and rented out his apartment- just to disappear from her. Such a dick thing to do, but he did it. He doesn't expect people to understand his motives behind all this. In his world it was the only thing that made sense to him to allow him time to think about everything. And what would it hurt anyway? Beth was young and springy- she'd come back from it.

As he gets in his cab, he decides to pay Rick a visit since its been a while since they talked about anything important. His mind races with all the details that he missed. Last time he and Rick talked, the man told him that the baby was a boy named Andre, who got most of Michone's looks besides her eyes. Apparently, he has the prettiest blue eyes anyone has ever seen.

Another thing that he begins to wonder about is Beth. Last he heard from Rick, Beth got another job for some company. Never said how she was or what she was doing beside that, but Daryl assumes it's probably doing Beth things like, singing, annoying strangers, or acting all wonderful and happy. That's all Beth can really do right? Be happy lil Beth- nothing else in the world to think about. Nothing deep and dark shrouding her happiness.

Pulling into Rick's driveway, the cabbie helps him with his bags and he wheels them up to the house after paying the kind gentleman. The yard is about the same, neatly trimmed, slightly littered with toys- the Carl kind and the toddler kind. The house is now painted a God Awful yellow that makes the whole place look like the Griffin's house from Family Guy or American Dad. Either way it's a hideous color that burns his eyes and soul. Giving the door a good wrapping, Daryl patiently waits for the proprietor to open the door- to his surprise it opens magically by itself...until he looks down and realizes that Andre had actually graced him with the open door.

"Well Hello...is yer dad home?" Andre slams the door and Daryl turns the corner of his lips up, pursing them in irritation. When the door opens again, it is Rick who opens it with a big smile and the tiny child clinging to his leg. "Rick..."

"Well I'll be a son of a gun, Daryl Dixon- you old sod. Get in here!" Tugging him in, Rick, pulls him into a man hug and both their stomachs twist up into their abdomen. "How's it been?"

"Good...I guess. How's everything going?"

"Great. Really really great. Michone's at a Mother/Son luncheon at school so...I'm taking babysitting this lil man."
Looking at the kids on his leg, Rick has been feeling tied down weaver since Beth quit. He never gets to go out any more like he used too. Usually he stays and watches Andre while Michone runs Carl everywhere. Their days of being free and able to have date nights has come to an end now that the only person they trust to watch the kids- has quit. "Hey... Do you need a job? It won't be permanent cause you wouldn't take it, but..."

"Are you gonna ask me to be the babysitter?"

"Nanny actually...live in nanny." Daryl's face speaks louder than words. Though in his mind he is cursing the idea of coming here, his heart is pleasing him to take the job so he can once more live with his buddy but not have to get an actually job.

"Sure."

"Wait...what? Seriously, you'll do it?"

"Sure why not? How hard could it be?" Daryl leans against the wall and
Rick nods.

"Okay then- I guess this'll save you from having to get an apartment- we remodeled the basement into mother living space- still has the pool table and the flat screen, but not the bar any more..."

"Ehh, that's fine." Really Daryl is just thankful that he has the flat screen.

"It's not gonna be as easy as yer thinking. Trust me, I thought that too. I almost hate asking you because I know it's not going to be a piece of cake or yer thing really."

"How hard could it be Rick. Yer just tired. I got this." Looking skeptical, but hopeful, Rick starts to smile and almost laughs maniacally at his friend's folly.

Oh the poor fool.