Shattered Wings

Chapter Twenty-One: Cigarette Burns

The baby girl began crying in the night, Beth walked over to the bassinette and picked her up, rocking her in her arms. Maggie had heard the crying and walked into the room, "She still wont sleep?"

Beth looked up, her long blonde hair loose around her shoulders, "She was doing good for about an hour."

Maggie walked over, the little girl had bright blue eyes like her mother, but tuffs of dark brown hair sticking out from her little round head. "I can put the word out...see if anyone wants to take her in."

Beth nodded, she looked up as footsteps echoed from the stairs. Maggie turned just as Daryl walked into the room, it was funny seeing him in black sleep pants and a t-shirt. Maggie offered him some of Rick's clothes from boxes since he was sleeping on the couch. Lydia had been staying in The Kingdom to go to school, so when Maggie offered for Daryl to stay with them, he agreed, who knew where the Whisperers were? Daryl was going to deny the offer at first, but the look Beth was giving him broke him down to say yes. Walking into the room he didn't say a word, he simply took the baby from Beth's arms and sat on her bed, rocking her. Within seconds the baby calmed and began to coo. "Wow." Maggie nodded, "Reminds me of Judith."

"Guess I'm good with kids." Daryl shrugged.

"I'm gonna go back to sleep, wake me if you need anything." Maggie smiled and walked out of the room.

Beth walked over and sat beside Daryl, looking at the little girl in his arms, "What do ya call her?"

"I don't." Beth shrugged, "Maggie's gonna see if someone wants to take her in, maybe they'd lie to name her."

"Ya can't let her lay there without something." Daryl shook his head. He looked down at the baby, her blue eyes reminded him of someone, "Sophie."

"Sophie?" Beth smiled, "Like Sophia?"

"Yeah, but not completely." Daryl looked over to Beth, "Why don't you keep her?"

"Me?" Beth shook her head, "I couldn't do it alone."

"You wouldn't alone, you got Maggie. Judith is great with kids." Daryl shrugged, "Ya got me."

Beth looked up at Daryl, she tried to catch his eyes but he was staring at the girl who had fallen asleep, "Yea?"

"Course." He shrugged, "I miss Judith bein tha little."

Beth looked at the baby, "I donno...maybe. I kinda wanted my own at some point. This world though...I don't know it that'll happen."

"Why not?" Daryl looked over to her, but not completely at her eyes, "You can still have 'em."

Beth laughed softly, "You offerin?" She said this sarcastically, but she stopped as Daryl turned and looked at her with a serious expression.

"I donno." He shrugged.

"Oh..." Beth looked down, she felt nerves rise in her stomach, much like it did when they were in the trunk. They hadn't talked about it, they didn't even mention it since. Beth watched as Daryl stood up and walked over to the bassinet, gently putting Sophie back into it. He started to walk toward the door, but Beth stood up, "Hold on..." Daryl turned to face her, "We're not gonna talk about it?"

"Bout what?" Daryl shrugged.

"What happened...in the trunk..." Beth sighed, "I wanna talk about it."

"Wha's there to talk about?" Daryl wasn't meeting her eyes.

"Dammit Daryl Dixon, don't you know me by now?" She could tell he was nervous, she was too, "I don't care how much older you are than me. We had somethin and you know it. We had it before I was taken and we have it now, don't tell me you don't feel it." Daryl finally looked up at her, "I know you don't like to show emotion, but you kissed me. It wasn't the spur of the moment thing, you did that because you wanted to and don't tell me you didn't."

"I did." He spoke softly.

"Then what is your problem?" She stood there, feeling open and vulnerable.

"I lost ya." Daryl shook his head, "I don't wanna loose ya again. Hell, it' been ten years Beth. What do you think that did to me? Sure we had somethin, I know that. You have me hope and made me think more positive. That changed me!" He had to stop for a moment, not wanting to wake everyone in the house. Daryl took a deep breath, "That all happened and then...then you were gone..." Beth herd his voice crack, "You were gone...and I..." Beth walked over to him, she reached up and held his face in her hands, he tried to brush them away but she was firm.

"I'm here...I made it." She shook her head, "Maybe this was all suppose to happen. God makes things happen for a reason, Daddy always told me that when something isn't fair just know that it's all part of the pan. Maybe we had to spend that time apart. It made me stronger, I can fend for myself. You are more open than you use to be." Beth pulled her hands away and wrapped them around his waist, hugging him with her head into his chest. Daryl flashed back to the prison, when he told Beth that Zach had died.

Daryl pushed away gently, "It was hard...when we thought you were gone..." Daryl held out his arm, there was a lot of battle scars on it, but he pointed to one and Beth focused on the round scar. "I...held it all in...Carol told me to let it go..."

"Daryl." Beth looked up, she thought her 'death' was hard on him, but she didn't know just how hard.

"I...I didn't know how to feel. I didn't know what to feel." He looked at Beth, "I don't know how to do this." He shrugged, "I don't know how to be someone's boyfriend."

"I'm not asking you to be somethin." Beth shook her head, "I'm just askin you to be...you."

Daryl nodded, "I can do that."

Beth smiled and reached forward to take Daryl's hand, pulling him with her as she walked over to her bed. Daryl held her all night, they didn't have to talk about it anymore, because they just knew. It was different, it would be hard, but as long as they stayed true to themselves, it would be ok.