A/N: I posted a prompt on tumblr for this fic and got persuaded to start writing it. I really hope you all like it. It's definitely a slice-of-life kinda story. But I love romance, don't worry about that.

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"Here, Beth, c'mon and help me with this box," Maggie said, struggling to pass down a box marked 'Kitchen.'

Beth Greene was moving out. Only eighteen years old and she was off to the local college, to major in English. Beth knew people said some real harsh things about the job prospects for those who studied English at college, but she just loved writing and that was all she had ever wanted to do. Resting the heavy box on the ground, Beth paused for a moment to look at her new home.

Beth was moving in to a small three bedroom house with a cute backyard just a ten minute drive from college. It was a quiet part of town, which suited her just fine. Maggie, her elder sister, was also moving in as well as Maggie's boyfriend Glenn, who managed a local pizza restaurant. Glenn had already moved in all of his stuff a week earlier, spotting out the best house to rent for the two girls. Glenn had wanted to live nearer his place of work and Maggie wanted to escape the farm. It was perfect.

As for Beth... the only way Hershel was letting her move out at all was if she went with Maggie. Glenn was a welcome bonus.

Glenn was something of a god in the Greene extended family. Glenn had gone from being referred to by Hershel as 'that unusual Asian man' to 'my dear boy Glenn' in a matter of weeks. All of their cousins, aunts and uncles were astonished that there was a boy Maggie was dating who Hershel actually liked and was even moving in with her, with Hershel's full blessing.

This living arrangement was perfect for Hershel. Maggie finally got to move in with her boyfriend, but had Beth there to keep things proper. Beth could go off to college but not be too far away from her family. Maggie would also help keep Beth away from trouble. Hershel had heard all about those corrupting college parties, filled with underage, drunk and promiscuous students. Maggie had told him. Back in her rebellious phase, Maggie had delighted in winding up her father in any way possible, including filling him in on all the seedy and unhinged happenings at college.

"You got ya timetable all sorted?" Maggie asked Beth as they carried two boxes of various kitchenware inside the house.

"Yeah, introductory lecture tomorrow then classes start on Tuesday." Beth replied. "I'm kinda nervous."

"You'll do great," Maggie said. "I'm real proud of ya actually going off to college. Of course, I'm forgetting you've got daddy wrapped around your little finger."

"I do not!" interjected Beth, dropping her box on the kitchen counter with a little too much force.

Maggie snorted. "It took you a week to persuade him to let you go to college. It took me a year. Not that going has done me much good... I don't think he's forgiven me for dropping out yet."

"Poor Shawn, all alone with daddy," Beth sighed, thinking of her big brother. "I hope daddy isn't too demanding on him. He's gonna be so needy without us there."

"Shawn'll be fine," Maggie soothed. "He loves farming and, with us gone, he'll have so much to do it'll keep him busy."

Beth nodded, sorting through the box in front of her. Shawn had always been happy on the farm; he didn't have this yearning for something more like Beth and Maggie did. Everyone had been surprised when Beth had announced she wanted to go to college. That was exactly what annoyed her. She was expected to just settle down with some nice boy like Jimmy, get married and have babies. It wasn't that Beth didn't want those things, it was just that she wanted to experience a little bit of life outside the farm too. How else would she know what really made her happy?

"Hi babe," Glenn said, coming into the kitchen. "What do we wanna do with these?" he asked, holding up a giant stuffed unicorn and an equally enormous lavender bear, who was missing one eye. Beth giggled. Maggie wasn't really the sentimental kind, but she had slept with Sparkles and Lily for far longer than she'd ever admit, even at gunpoint.

"Put them in the bedroom?" Maggie said, as if he'd asked a really obvious question.

"Really? You want to put these," he replied, shaking the animals in his hands, "In our bedroom?"

"Where else would they go?" Maggie asked, her voice edging on dangerous. Beth contented herself with sorting out the cutlery drawer, eyes down. She knew that tone all too well to say anything. It was Glenn's funeral.

"I don't know how I didn't realise," Glenn monotoned. "How dumb of me."

"That's okay sweety," said Maggie, a little too brightly. "Some people just aren't gifted with much common sense."

Glenn groaned and left the room, dragging the toys behind him.

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Three hours later and they had gotten most of the boxes inside and some of them unpacked. Maggie was still in the kitchen, in search of a jug to serve up some cool refreshment with. Beth and Glenn were outside together by the van, moving the last of the boxes.

Glenn was reaching down from the van to hand her a box marked "Maggie's"

"Do you know that guy?" Beth asked, wondering if Glenn knew him, pointing at the house next door where their neighbour was kneeling on his driveway, tinkering with the rear wheel of a motorcycle. She had been watching him for a few minutes and found her curiosity peaked. So far she hadn't met any of their neighbours.

"Yeah, I do, actually. Hey man!" Glenn called, waving over at him. The scruffy man looked up, nodded in acknowledgment and stood up, wiping his dirty hands on the back of his jeans.

Beth thought he must have been in his late thirties, but she wasn't sure. He was definitly a lot older than her, at any rate. He had dark shaggy hair and a piercing set of blue eyes. His clothes were very worn; he clearly wasn't in the way of much personal grooming. She couldn't help but notice he was extremely well-build, taking in the the broad shoulders and defined arm muscles. To her extreme annoyance, she found herself blushing.

"Aight, Glenn. Moving shit still?" the man commented. His voice was deep and gravelly, the Georgia accent thick. Beth suddenly wondered if he smoked. Probably.

"Yeah dude," Glenn replied, chuckling. "You wouldn't believe the amount of stuff two women need! I think I might hurl if I see another box of clothes."

"That right?" He replied, looking across at Beth. She hoped he wouldn't be able to tell how pink her cheeks were.

Glenn saw where he was looking and burst out: "Oh sorry! Where are my manners? Yeah, this is my girlfriend's sister Beth. Beth, this is our neighbour Daryl Dixon."

"Nice to meet ya," Beth said, smiling kindly.

Daryl nodded. "Alright," he gruffed briefly, before turning his attention back to Glenn.

Beth looked across at Glenn, who just shrugged.

Daryl's brief response didn't actually trouble Beth like she'd have thought it would. He was clearly a man of very few words. Nothing like her brother Shawn or Jimmy - Beth was used to being around guys who talked. Hershel was always keen to discuss his feelings with Beth, even when it wasn't what she wanted to hear. Shawn could ramble on about the Bulldogs for literal hours before he got bored. Lost in her thoughts again (why was she such a daydreamer?!) she suddenly realised the conversation was closing up.

"...I'll check that out, thanks man," Glenn was saying. "Anyway, we best go back to unpacking or Maggie'll freak. Catch ya later?"

"Sure," Daryl replied, turning back towards his motorcycle. "See ya."

Glenn waved and headed inside. Beth threw another glance at Daryl, who was already tinkering away again, before quickly following behind.

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As they made it into the kitchen Maggie was stood behind the counter, pouring sweet tea into three glasses. Spotting the two enter, she plopped the jug down. "What took ya so long? If I didn't know better I'd think y'all were slacking off," she said, arms akimbo, acting like she was really mad. The mischief in her eyes gave her away.

"Sorry Mags," Glenn said, leaning in to give her a chaste kiss. "Got chatting to our neighbour."

"Daryl?" Maggie asked as she handed them both a glass of sweet tea. Beth sipped it and sighed happily. Maggie wasn't all that domesticated, but she whipped up the best sweet tea in the whole of Georgia.

"Yeah. He's working on his bike again. The few times I've met him, that's what he's always been doing."

"What does he do?" Beth asked, hoping her voice sounded casual. "What's he like?"

Glenn scratched his chin. "Err, he's one of the mechanics down at Bobby's in town. Pretty chill guy, I think. Lives alone."

That surprised her a little. He was a good looking guy, if a little bit rough. Almost all of the men around his age she knew from her hometown were married or, if they were unlucky, divorced. Had he ever been married?

"I see," Beth replied, looking curious. "Do you like him?"

Glenn grinned. "He seems alright. Keeps himself to himself. I might invite him over for pizza and beer soon. Reckon I could kick his ass at COD!"

Beth laughed. "He don't seem the type to play video games."

"Probably not. It's his neighbourly duty to get beat either way!" Glenn shrugged.

"You seem mighty interested Bethy," said Maggie, looking straight at her sister. Beth shifted uncomfortably. Her sister was too damn good at picking up on things.

"I'm not! I just like to know who my neighbours are," Beth replied, trying to distract them. "I mean, he could be a secret murderer for all we know. I heard that nearly eighty percent of murders are committed by someone close to you. It's always the ones you least expect - just think. Daryl Dixon, serial killer."

Maggie and Glenn stared at her, considering what she said. Suddenly, they all burst out laughing. Serial killer indeed.

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Beth was finally alone in her room, sorting out some of her things. She was really impressed with Glenn's choice of accommodation - Beth had the sizeable room at the back of the house, with big open windows that overlooked the yard and pale yellow walls. Yellow had always been her favourite colour.

It was so nice to get a bit of peace and quiet. She loved Maggie unconditionally and now loved Glenn too for quite his own sake, but it was a bit wearing living with a couple still in their honeymoon phase. Maggie and Glenn were quite tactile and fairly unashamed about public displays of affection. Beth couldn't imagine just leaping on her boyfriend in front of other people; those kind of things were meant to be private. Jimmy'd never done more than hold her hand and kiss her cheek in public. Still, it was the only way daddy was gonna let her go to college so she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Nearly nineteen she might be, but she rather suspected that she was always gonna be her daddy's little baby, even when she was eventually raising her own babies. It was both terrifying and exilerating to think it was her first day at college tomorrow. It was only an introductory lecture, but it was the start of the next few years of her life. She thought of her friends back at the farm, most of whom had gotten jobs straight out of high school. Should she have just stayed behind and saved all this hassle?

No, she wanted independence. There was no way she was giving up on this, not yet.

As Beth flatpacked another box, lost in her thoughts, she heard the sound of banging and cursing come drifting through the open window. It sounded like it was coming from somewhere nearby, most likely one of the neighbours.

"Fuckin' thing! I mean - oh hell Jax, close ya ears."

"Why won't you build yourself, ya piece of crap!"

It couldn't be anyone other than Daryl. Curiosity peaked, Beth edged to the window to look out into his garden. Her eyes widened at what she saw.

Daryl was stood in his garden, front of a half-build high chair, huffing and cursing, as he tried to interpret something on the piece of paper he was holding, presumably assembly instructions. Sat on the picnic table behind him was a chubby baby in blue overalls who was cackling at Daryl and clapping his hands together.

"Ya know what Jax, I'm building this thing for you, so stop laughin'!"

The baby couldn't have been more than a year old. He was so cute. Ruddy red cheeks, blond hair and bright blue eyes. Just like Daryl's... Damn, Daryl was a father? He didn't look the type to already have kids. She knew from Glenn that he lived alone, too, which made her wonder where the mother was. And why hadn't Glenn mentioned Daryl had a baby?

She saw Daryl suddenly throw his scewdriver to the ground before kicking the high chair over, cursing under his breath. The smatter of wood against the patio made the baby shriek with laughter, delighted by his daddy's furious outburst.

Daryl bent over to scoop the giggling baby off the table, smirking.

"C'mon, idiot, ya daddy is done with this crap."

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A/N: So err... Thoughts?