A/N Thank you all so much for following along on our journey from kindergarten through Daryl and Beth's early twenties. What started out as fun and innocence turned a little dark as Daryl's demons wouldn't rest. Our couple is now just 22 years old, still very young and still in love even though they're apart.

The original prompt for this story came from Kevkye here on FF. I'm afraid I took that prompt and almost completely re worked it. Not that it wasn't great, but it didn't fit into my interpretation of Merle, and there was a big element to the story I just couldn't wrap my head around writing. The elements I did keep were Daryl and Beth growing up together, Daryl leaving Beth "at the altar" and Abraham having an interest in Beth. KevKye gives me lots of great prompts and she's understanding when stuff just won't fly a certain way for me. Thank you my friend!

A little side note to my guest reader / reviewer ks – send me a PM and I'll answer your question about Deputy.

And then he felt it, like a hard thump from her tummy. He couldn't believe it, he pulled back just enough to look in her eyes. "Yes, that was your son kicking you, he's very angry. So is his Mommy."

"Ya both got every right ta be angry at me Beth, more than angry. I know I did the wrong thing, made the wrong choice. But it took me a long while ta realize what I'd done. The trouble n the worry an the pain I caused ya an everyone else I love. I suppose ya already heard by now where I was n what happened an all."

"No I haven't heard anything. I had no idea I would see you today. Abraham said he was taking me home to the farm so I could have the baby with Mama and Daddy there with me. I didn't know where you were." And she began to cry again and again he moved to hug her close.

"Ya got no idea how much I'm hatin' myself right now." And it suddenly seemed like she kind of lost her balance. "C'mon, let's go over ta the cabin where ya can sit down an I can get ya a glass a water."

"Yes, I want to talk Daryl. I want you to explain yourself to me, tell me why you would just throw us away like you did. You broke my heart Daryl Dixon and you owe me an explanation."

"I do Beth an I'll try an explain myself as best I can."

When she saw inside the little cabin she felt like her heart stopped for just a minute. It was like a step back in time. Nothing had changed since they'd stayed there all those years ago, and her memories came flooding back.

"I ain't done nuthin' to it yet but I's plannin' on rebuildin' it, makin' this into a proper little home. I's hopin' someday you'd agree ta live here with me. I know that was foolish on my part, but that was my dream. Then when I heard you was with Abraham an the two a you was havin' a baby together I almost changed my mind. But I thought I'd do it for ya anyway, just cuz I knew you was always gonna live live here in my heart."

And again he thought she seemed to almost lose her balance. "Lay down Beth, I'll sit on a kitchen chair, c'mon now, let me help ya. I don't want you an the baby gettin' hurt, even if he did kick me." And she tried hard not to smile at his little joke.

He went to the small fridge and got her a bottle of water, opened it and set it on the small bedside table.

She lay there on her side facing him. He took the two chairs from the kitchen table and he set them there by the bed, facing each other. He sat in one and it seemed then that he'd used both hands to help lift his left leg and move the leg to rest on the chair. That was odd.

She planned to ask him if he'd somehow hurt his leg, but first she wanted to set the record straight about her and Abraham, and she wanted to know where he'd heard she was with him. "What gave you the idea I was with Abraham in some kind of romantic way, and that he and I were having a baby?"

"I come down ta Benning ta see ya, ta tell ya what had happened, ta try an explain myself, apologize, an ta beg ya ta give me another chance. I got real close an I got nervous, I wasn't gonna chicken out or nuthin', just have a beer ta steady myself an then go talk to ya. Shane come walkin' in. I's wishin' he wouldn't see me but a course he did an a course he come right over ta me. He started in right away 'bout what a mess I'd made a things, like I didn't already know. But I wasn't gonna fight him, I's comin' ta talk to ya. Then he asked had I heard you an Abraham was together an you was havin' a baby, said he'd seen the two a ya out a couple times. I wasn't gonna try n break up a happy home. I figured if ya cared for Abraham enough ta marry him so quick an have his baby, you was over me anyways. So I come on home."

She told him the truth of what had happened. "I love Abraham, besides Amy he's my best friend. I'm not going to lie about it he wanted a lot more than friendship. You know how he felt. He did want to marry me and give the baby his name, raise him as his own. I was a little tempted, it would be the easy way and I knew he'd take care of me and the baby. But I couldn't do that to him, he was too good, too kind. I knew I could never sleep with him and that would all just be so unfair. Even though I knew I broke his heart he still stuck by me, did everything for me. And we did go out and do things like have dinner and go to the movies, those kinds of things. I suppose Shane could have seen us somewhere. I know Lori's living around there close by. Amy saw her one day at the mall, she told Amy she and Shane were together and they were solid. But Amy and Caesar had seen Shane out at a bar tomcatting around."

"I guess I owe Abraham big for steppin' in an doin' what I shoulda been doin' all along, takin' care a you an the baby. I failed ya Beth an I know ya probably can't ever forgive me an I don't blame ya, I don't."

She was crying again and he got her a box of tissues from the bathroom.

"Tell me what happened Daryl, where were you and why didn't you get in touch me."

He took a deep breath and he moved to stand, he winced a little when he stood. He made his way to the fridge, got out a beer and came back over to his seat. Again he lifted his left leg to rest on the other chair. She didn't miss any of that, but she waited to hear his story.

And he told her the story, every detail from the visit to his father to his decision to buy this place, the one place he thought of as home. "It was the closest I ever felt ta havin' a place where I belonged. I know it don't seem ta make any sense at all, but we was here together, we made love for the first time. It meant so much ta me that you would trust me with yourself like that. I didn't wanna leave I's afraid that life was, well I don't know it's hard ta explain, but I just felt like if I could hide out here with you nuthin' bad could touch us, hurt us. I always thought that was what havin' a real home meant, you was safe. I know it don't make sense, but I wanted it."

He went on to tell her about going to see Merle, and her Mama and Daddy and Rick. "And the next day after I had Sunday dinner with your folks was when I come ta see ya. You was gonna be my hardest ta face after what I done but I's ready. Shit I even thought I's ready ta finally hear ya tell me ta go fuck myself. But when I heard what I heard from Shane, damn, I knew I's never gonna be ready ta lose ya forever. But I's done ruinin' your life so I come back here. I got good an drunk, an then I's gonna go ta work an do all the things ta this old place I had planned ta do ta make ya happy. Even though I knew then you was never even gonna see it anyway. Like I said, you was always gonna live here with me."

And then he said, "I'm sorry I gotta get this leg off, it's killin' me. I'ma just go in the bathroom a minute n take care of it."

"No Daryl I want to see."

"Nah, ya don't mean that an it's okay."

"Don't you dare try to tell me what I mean, you don't know. Now let me see."

He couldn't help but smile, she didn't get feisty real often but he'd always liked it when she did. "Alright, but I gotta get my crutches." He went to the small closet and pulled them out. He sat back down and went into what seemed to her to be quite a few steps. First he pushed what looked like a button near where his ankle would have been, then he pulled off a sock-like sleeve that tightly covered the entire leg portion of the prosthetic and part of his thigh. It looked like a tattooed leg, he smiled when he saw her look at it, "Yeah, I finally got my whole leg tatted up, I always did wanna be just that cool."

Then he pulled the fiberglass prosthetic off and he told her, "This one here is a temporary, I'll probably have a couple more a these 'til I get my own that's custom made for me. It takes a while ta get the joint an all that stuff worked out just right." And then he pulled off a series of more tight fitting sock-like sleeves and finally he pulled off what he told her was a silicone umbrella. That's when she saw his stump. It had a round circle of scars where he'd been stitched after the amputation, but it had a mostly smooth appearance.

It was then she started to cry hard. "I'm sorry Beth, fuck I knew I shouldn't a let ya seen all a that. I didn't mean ta upset ya, I'ma cover up right now, sorry."

"It's not that Daryl, it's that you should have let me be there with you. It hurts so much that you'd think I couldn't handle it, that I didn't love you enough."

He stood quickly, bracing himself on the chair back, and he knelt down as best he could on the floor by the bed and placed his hand to the back of her head, "Nah Baby nah that wasn't even close ta what I's thinkin'. I's tryin' in my own screwed up way ta keep ya from havin' ta have a mess like me in your life. I thought you'd have such a better kind of a life without me. I didn't do right by ya Beth, it wasn't that I didn't believe in your love, it's that I didn't believe I deserved it."

He put his head down on the bed, as though he was ashamed and couldn't look at her. She touched him then, lightly rubbing her hand on the back of his head. "You always had that special way of driving me crazy with that stuff Daryl. I feel like I should have spoken up so much sooner. I knew about your dark place. I always just wanted to tell myself it was temporary, that it would pass and everything would be okay. I didn't want to admit to you or myself that I knew you were having some serious trouble dealing with the things that had happened to you, and been done to you. I just wanted everything to be good and happy, for us to be in love and live happily ever after."

"And while you're beating yourself up about hiding out, not letting people in, let me share with you what I've done. I ran. I figured out about six weeks after we were supposed to get married that I was pregnant. I was already at Amy's then. I didn't tell Mama and Daddy until yesterday. I wouldn't have told them then if Abraham hadn't given me a firm talking to about what I was doing and what I owed them. So yeah, I guess I'd say I get the running and hiding behavior. Until yesterday the only people that knew were Amy and Caesar, Abraham and apparently Shane."

"Shit Baby we both made a mess a things but I done far worse, I hurt so many people. I'ma be spendin' the rest a my life tryin' ta make this up ta Merle and Carol, your Mama and Daddy, Rick an all our friends. And I owe Abraham, owe him a lot. He took care of ya, an he brung ya to me. I can never repay him for that. An whether or not ya ever agree ta let me back in your life, trust me again, I'ma owe ya forever Beth. I don't know how I can ever make things right, but I'd sure like a chance ta try."

"I don't think I can talk about all this anymore right now Daryl, and I'm so tired. I need to sleep. But I also need to go to the bathroom." She laughed softly. "I have a problem though, I'm not sure I can get up off this bed by myself."

He smiled then and stood, he put a crutch under his left arm and he seemed to know how to hold it there so it didn't slip or slide. He reach for her and helped her first to a seated position, and then to her feet. "I've been so tired and I feel so awkward these past couple of weeks. I guess it's because it's so close."

He walked with her the short distance to the bathroom and waited while she used it. She asked through the door if he could get her small toiletry bag from her suitcase, she wanted to brush her teeth. He opened the case and there on top, next to the little bag was the picture of them, the same one he had. It was taken the day they'd graduated from High School.

He was touched, and he felt more guilt and he also felt some hope now. If she was packing that around then maybe, just maybe she'd give him the chance he wanted so much. She opened the door just enough for him to hand her the small bag.

He continued to wait and when she came out he helped her to the bed. "Don't it seem kinda funny that a one-legged man is helpin' ya walk?" And he smiled at her and she had to laugh.

"You always have had a goofy sense of humor Daryl." He pulled the covers back for her and it struck them both the gesture seemed almost intimate.

She got in and said, "I just need an hour or two to rest, then I'll be able to talk more. I'm just so tired."

"I got a few little things ta eat around her but nuthin' special. Ya want me ta go ta the store an get ya anythin' while yer nappin'?"

"No I don't think so, when I wake up you can call for pizza."

That wasn't lost on him either.

Again he felt hope and the hope spurred him on. He got his big pad, pencils, strait edge and the rest of his drafting supplies from the closet shelf and he sat at the kitchen table. While she slept he put the finishing touches on the house plans and then he started on the list of supplies he was going to need.

It had been a couple of hours when suddenly she said, "Your son and I are about to starve to death over here." He laughed, but every time she called the baby his son he also felt overwhelmed. At least he was fortunate enough to be around for a very small part of this pregnancy. But mostly he was grateful that she would refer to the child as his son after all that had happened.

"I'm makin' the call right now I don't want no one starvin' ta death on my watch."

He sat in that kitchen chair by the bed, but she'd stayed in the bed. And watching her sitting up there, munching away on that pizza his mind went to that night they'd laid there together. Propped up by pillows, eating pizza, getting a little buzzed and making love. He wanted all that with her again.

She kept looking at him and thinking about everything they'd had together, everything they were together, how much they'd loved each other and for so long. What she'd told him was the truth, she knew. She knew from the first time they were in that peach orchard and he got just a little bit forceful with her, and the night he got so drunk on his birthday, and the tats he had. She remembered when they'd stayed in this cabin before how reluctant he was to leave, like he was dreading being out in the world. And that night not too long before they were to get married when he'd seen Carol's scars. That had been the worst. But there had been other times too.

In her heart she'd known, but she didn't want to know, she didn't want to admit to herself, to him, to her folks or to Merle that she knew there was trouble. She didn't want that trouble coming into their lives and she supposed she just kept trying to ignore it away, or wish it away. Anything but face it and deal with it. He'd have listened to her if she would have insisted he get help. She was probably the only one who could have made him get that help before he got hurt. Before everything in their world blew up.

And as angry as she'd been and still was, the other thing she knew in her heart was that she loved Daryl Dixon. That was never going to change.

Her question for herself was would she give him that second chance? Could she and should she risk her heart again. She knew what she wanted. She wanted him, she wanted to be a family with him and their son.

Could she trust him enough to never leave her, never flake out on her again?

Something happened then to make her see how much things really had changed, that he really did take this 'help", this big change, seriously.

"I gotta make a call Beth, gonna step out there on the back patio n call Doc Denise. It's been a big day n I need ta get it straight in my head. Do ya care if I tell her what we been talkin' 'bout here? I won't tell her if ya don't want me too."

"It's okay Daryl, I'm glad you're going to call and talk to her, then I want to go for a little walk out there with you, okay?"

"Yeah, that'd be great. I can put my leg back on right after I talk ta her." He stepped out and he was gone about a half hour.

"Lemme help ya up. Ya need me ta get anythin' outta yer case for ya?"

"No I have my bag in there, I'm just going to freshen up and then I'll be ready."

They were slowly walking along that creek bank, not really talking, both of them engrossed in their thoughts. Without either one being conscious of the move, their hands came together and their fingers interlaced.

"I honestly don't know what to do or what to think Daryl. I'd resigned myself to the idea I was never going to see you again, that you didn't love me, didn't want me. Now I don't know what to do."

"Ya ain't gotta decide right now just the fact that yer thinkin' about it that's everythin' Beth. I can be patient."

"I know you've been working on the plan for this place, what is it Daryl?"

"Well as far as the place itself I'm working on having it rezoned from commercial to rural. I plan to turn the office into an office I can use for a small business, carpentry a course. And one of the cabins will be a small shop, I won't need nuthin' too big. Gonne tear down the rest except the one on the end. I'ma salvage as much of each one as I can, windows, doors, lumber, I'ma do my best ta reuse it. What I can't use I'll donate ta Habitat for Humanity, or sumthin' like that."

"I'ma take our cabin, sorry, I mean the one on the end, use what I can from the others. I'll buy what I need, I want to build it into a three bedroom cabin. Be cheaper, faster and easier if I just tore it down and started from scratch, but I ain't got the heart. I'll save one a the others ta live in while I'm in construction mode. I ain't lookin' for fancy, I'm after comfortable and homey. Cozy I suppose is a good word. With a nice deck out back on the creek. 'Course if I's lucky enough ta have a child here I'd build a fenced-in yard n such. So that's what I thought would be good."

He'd gotten shy, nervous, his head was down, and his neck and ears were flushed. "Daryl don't you hang your head like that. Your ideas are wonderful. I love them it all sounds so perfect. Would you show me your drawings?"

He looked at her with a smile then, "Heck yeah I would c'mon we'll go have a look."

"Oh Daryl, this is perfect, and look, the Master Bathroom has an oversized shower." And now her cheeks were pink and she giggled, "You really did think of everything. If anyone can make this work I know you can."

"Ya really think that Beth?"

"Daryl I'm so upset with you right now I think I could pull all your hair out and not even feel one bit bad, well maybe a little bit. But I do know you're very talented at what you do and when you set your mind to something it gets done. I don't even know if you realize what a big deal that is. So many people start things they never finish, but you always complete a project or a task, achieve a goal. That's huge."

"I'll let ya pull my hair out if ya think it'll help ya forgive me."

She wanted ice cream and he made a quick run to the Pick and Pay, got her Rocky Road and himself some beer. They watched the one TV channel that came in, her sitting on the bed, him in the chair. But she let him hold her hand and he couldn't ask for more than that.

When it was time for bed he went to the closet and got the sleeping bag down. "What're you doing Daryl?"

"Gonna lay this out here on the floor."

"No you can lay up here, it's not like anything's going to happen. I'll be under the covers, you'll be on top. Okay?"

"Yeah thanks Baby." He couldn't believe how nice she was being, how good to him she was. But she'd always been that way, so sweet to him, so giving. Ever since she gave him that pencil the first day of kindergarten.

He loved her so much, and he told her, "I never quit lovin' ya Beth, I loved ya when I's five an I still love ya, always have, an always will."

She didn't say it back but she lightly touched his arm and that was something.

He awoke to her shaking his shoulder. "Daryl wake up it's the baby, the baby's coming."

Startled he'd forgotten he didn't have two legs and he jumped off the bed so fast he landed on his butt. "Oh shit, I forgot sumthin'. I'm on it though Baby, don't panic."

She couldn't help herself, she was laughing, "I don't think I'm the one who panicked."

"If ya wasn't about ta give birth I'd make ya pay for that laugh."

"I think I'll be paying for it when I'm trying to give birth."

He got her and that little overnight bag in the truck. "Markton's got a small hospital will that work?"

"Yes, what ever's close."

"Call your Mama and Daddy Beth, let 'em know we ain't that far from them an maybe they wanna be here."

"You're right, okay."

They got to the hospital, he claimed to be her husband and he claimed to have taken the childbirth classes and they had no reason to doubt him.

They had special maternity rooms, so she wouldn't even have to leave their room. "What can I do ta make it better Beth, ta make it not so painful?"

"I just have to go through it Daryl, all you can do is let me squeeze your hand and call you terrible names."

"Alright I can do that."

She was getting close when Mama came in the room. She hugged her girl, and Daryl felt honored that she hugged him too. "Daddy said he thought it was best if he just had a cup of coffee while you're doing this part." And even though Beth was in the middle of a painful contraction she laughed at that.

They'd only been at the hospital three hours when she gave birth to their little boy. Mama, Beth and Daryl all had tears in their eyes. Daryl kissed her forehead and those blue eyes stared into hers and he told her, "I love ya so much Beth."

And this time she sad it back, "I love you too Daryl."

They didn't see the look of relief on Mama's face. In spite of all the trouble she knew these two were meant to be.

One Year Later

He had so much great help from family and friends. After everything that had happened they'd still come through for him. Rick, Merle, Caesar, Shawn and Glenn. Everyone had been more than willing to pitch in and help with the cabin. And for once he'd been willing to accept help.

Daryl was used to working hard, he'd spent his teens and early 20's busting his ass for the things he'd always hoped to have for him and Beth. He never seemed to stop working on this place.

The new cabin had been completed for a month, the furniture was in, the dishes put away, all of it. They were settled. It was cozy and homey just like they'd wanted it to be.

Little Wesley Abraham Dixon had a nice fenced in yard to play in, and his Mama already had him in swimming lessons at the local Rec Center twice a week.

His Mama and Daddy had married when he was six months old. They'd kept it to strictly the people closest to them, her folks, Merle and Carol, Shawn and his girl, Maggie and her husband Glenn, Rick and his girl, Caesar and Amy, and Abraham and his girlfriend Sasha.

Beth had seldom felt as much relief and gratitude as when Abraham found love. He was crazy about Sasha and she was every bit as crazy about him.

Being together again hadn't been without its challenges. They'd been separated many months and they had a lot of reacquainting to do, they'd both gone through major changes. There was hurt and disappointments but they were committed to working through all that.

Because above all else they knew they had always loved each other and they always would. They'd never wanted anything more than to be together forever. Their dream had been realized. And they knew how blessed they were.

The greatest lesson they learned was that true and honest love really can conquer all.

A/N Again I thank you all so much for reading along. I hope you enjoyed it and are happy with the ending. Please comment / review xo

To see the chapter photo please visit my tumblr bethylmethbrick. Please consider checking out my newest Bethyl story Love's Highway. To receive story alerts please follow me here or on my tumblr. Love all y'all! gneebee xo