A/N: So this is my second ever fanfiction and first AU Bethyl story. It's probably going to be quite fluffy since my other ZA Bethyl story is so heavy and dark so be prepared! I'm still going to keep writing my other story as well so don't worry about that one dying off any time soon! This is just something I've been thinking about writing for awhile, kind of trying out different ideas before settling on this one. Hope you enjoy! Leave a review and tell me what you think! Thanks for reading!

"So," Beth said eagerly, voice full of excitement, "What do you think?"

Hershel Greene looked at the rotten porch and worn siding of the tiny white house and sighed. He looked at his youngest daughter who was currently watching his every move with such hope in her eyes that he couldn't deny her this. He smiled at her, "Well, Bethy, it needs a lot of work."

Beth's face fell slightly but her excitement was replaced with determination as she replied, "I know but I can do it." Hershel raised his eyebrows skeptically and she smiled at him, acknowledging the truth, "Well, I can learn or I can hire someone. I don't have to do it all at once, just as I can afford." She looked back at the house and Hershel watched her face light up as she imagined what could be.

"Alright," Hershel acquiesced, wincing as Beth let out a squeal of delight and wrapped him in a tight hug.

After a moment she released him, already planning, "Great! I'll set up the appointment with the realtor and the bank. Everything's all set so all we have to do is sign." She spun to face him, all seriousness, "Daddy, I swear you won't have to spend a dime. I'll pay for it all myself. The bank just won't grant me the loan without someone co-signing…"

"I know how it works, Bethy," Hershel assured her, feeling his chest swell with pride at her words. He reached out to put an arm around her shoulders and assured her, "If you need a little help now and then it's alright. I trust you to be a good steward of your finances and if you say you can afford this I accept it without a doubt."

"Thank you, Daddy," Beth whispered, blushing a little as she looked up at him. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before darting off to her little car, calling, "I'll see you later for dinner at Maggie's, right?"

Hershel nodded and waved as he climbed into his truck, waiting until Beth started up her car and pulled out down the dirt road that led back to the main, paved road. His little girl was buying a house, all by herself. She was truly grown now, a woman rather than a child. His heart ached and swelled with love all at once.

The drive back to the farm didn't take long. He was happy Beth had chosen a home so close by so he'd be able to help her fix it up without having to drive a long way. If she called in the middle of the night with busted pipes or a fire he could be there in just a few minutes. The thought made him a little more comfortable with the idea of his daughter living on her own without a landlord or maintenance staff to keep an eye on things.

As he turned down the long drive to pull up in front of the farmhouse his gaze went to the barn where his farm hand and overall God-sent miracle was still bent over the old tractor. Daryl Dixon was a hard worker, able to fix anything or fiddle with it long enough that it seemed to fix itself. He was a quiet man, keeping to himself, but ever since the he'd shown up on Hershel's front porch in response to an ad Hershel had put in the paper for a farm hand, Hershel had come to trust and rely on him like he was family. Daryl had been fiddling with that old tractor ever since, working on it when things got slow, determined to get it running again.

Hershel got out of his truck and made his way over to the barn, calling out as he got close, "That old machine still getting the best of you, Daryl?"

Daryl looked up from beneath the hood, wiping his hands on an old rag as he watched Hershel approach. He shrugged, "Just rusty, needs some attention."

"Well, you've definitely been giving it that," Hershel replied pointedly. "Been giving it attention since you started here a few months ago."

The corner of Daryl's mouth turned up just a tiny bit as he replied, "Almost got it."

Hershel laughed out loud and smacked him on the shoulder, pulling him away from the tractor, "Son, you can't win them all." They walked towards the house in silence for a moment before Hershel asked, "Got any dinner plans?" Daryl looked at him then shrugged in response. "Good," Hershel replied, feeling an idea start to bloom in his mind. "My daughter and her husband are serving dinner. You can come with me." He leaned a little closer and whispered conspiratorially, "My Maggie makes the most amazing pot roast and my youngest, Beth, is bringing dessert. Best peach cobbler this side of the Mason Dixon."

Daryl looked uncomfortable, "Don't think I should crash a family dinner."

Hershel shrugged that off, "You are family, Daryl." He continued on into the house, not pausing to give Daryl time to respond.

After they'd both cleaned up, Hershel climbed into his truck and waited for Daryl to pull his motorcycle around. He'd decided Daryl might feel more comfortable if he could drive himself and leave when he was ready so after he heard the roar of the bike's motor he pulled out, watching in the rearview mirror as Daryl followed him down the dirt drive in a haze of dust.

Maggie lived on the other side of town with her husband, Glenn, and their two kids. Fortunately, it was a small town and the journey didn't take much longer than ten minutes. He pulled into the driveway behind Glenn's jeep and got out, meeting Daryl on the path to the front door. The house was small but comfortable, the siding painted a cheerful blue with yellow flowers lining the front and the walkway leading to the door. The main door was open, leaving just a screen door to keep the bugs out. Hershel could hear Maggie laughing inside as two dark-haired children came barreling out the front door calling for their grandpa. He reached down and picked up the youngest, a girl named Josephine after his late wife and Maggie's mother. The little girl squealed and buried her face in his neck as her tiny arms wriggled around his neck. He leaned down to pat Maggie's eldest on the head, a boy named Shaun after Maggie and Beth's brother. The little boy looked up at him solemnly, obviously trying to be more mature than his sister. He looked around Hershel's legs when he noticed Daryl, eyes wide as he took in the stranger who drove a motorcycle and worn torn jeans and a leather vest.

Maggie called from the doorway, "Hi Daddy. Kids, come inside and finish setting the table, now." Hershel set little Jo down and she went scurrying inside again with a wave, followed by her brother who took once last glance at Daryl.

Hershel moved to Maggie and gave her a quick hug before stepping away. Holding a hand out to Daryl he introduced, "Maggie, this is Daryl. Daryl, my oldest, Maggie."

Maggie smiled and reached out a hand, which Daryl took after nervously wiping his hands on his pants, "Hey, my Dad's told me so much about you. Nice to finally get to put a name with a face!"

"Ma'am," Daryl mumbled, looking a little taken aback by the admission that Hershel had bothered to mention him to his family.

"Well, come inside," Maggie said, waving them in and calling over her shoulder as she made her way into the kitchen, "Make yourselves at home! Dinner will be in about a half hour."

Hershel gestured for Daryl to get comfortable on the sofa in the living room. The interior was painted a warm, buttery yellow and was small but cozy. It smelled amazing, like roast, and Hershel felt his stomach grumble. He knew that Daryl must be hungry too after the long day and he was glad he had come, even if he did look a little nervous. Glenn appeared from the hallway that led to the bedrooms, looking somewhat surprised to see two new people in his living room. He recovered quickly, "Dad! Hey, how're you?" He said, giving Hershel a hug before turning to Daryl with an outstretched hand, "Hey, I'm Glenn, Maggie's husband."

Daryl took his hand in a firm grip, "Daryl."

"Daryl works with me on the farm," Hershel added and Glenn nodded, recognizing the name.

"Right, right. Good to meet you, man. Make yourself at home. Want anything to drink? Dad, I know you want soda. Daryl, you want a beer?" He asked amiably. Daryl nodded and he disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a soda for Hershel and two beers, settling in one of the plush chairs in the living room while Daryl and Hershel took up residence the couch. The kids, having finished setting the table, joined them, giggling and vying for Hershel's attention. "Hey kids, this is Daryl," Glenn introduced, pulling their attention away from an inspection of grandpa's pockets where they always managed to find something interesting like sweets or money. "Daryl works with grandpa on the farm. Daryl, this is Shaun and Josephine," Glenn said pointing to the kids in turn.

"Jo!" The little girl protested.

Glenn laughed and amended, "Right, she likes to go by Jo." Hershel smiled at her as she stood swaying side to side, watching Daryl shyly. Daryl didn't know how to respond so he just nodded, trying to smile.

Shaun approached him warily and asked, "Do you like cars, Mr. Daryl?"

Daryl grunted a little, replying, "Yeah, I was a mechanic before I started workin' for you grandpa."

Shaun's face lit up as he started to prattle on about cars with Daryl listening intently to the kid's words with polite seriousness. Glenn laughed out loud, obviously relieved as he said to Hershel, "Thank God you brought him, Dad. The kid loves car stuff and I don't know squat about any of it! Takes the heat off me!"

"Yeah, I'm more of a horse and buggy man myself," Hershel joked, sipping his soda and feeling happy that Daryl seemed to be relaxing and enjoying himself with the family. Hershel didn't like to see the young man alone so much and had been meaning to involve him more with his family but the opportunity never seemed to come up. Now that it had he was happy that it all seemed to be going well.

Just then the screen door screeched as Beth came in, beaming and cradling a cobbler in her arms. "Hey, what's going on everyone?"

The kids squealed simultaneously and rushed at her. Glenn leapt to his feet and rescued the cobbler before she dropped it, planting a quick peck on her cheek before disappearing into the kitchen. Beth leaned down to wrap both kids into a crushing hug, which they loved, and Maggie reappeared with Glenn, calling, "Alright, alright! My turn, move aside!" She stepped around the kids and embraced Beth saying, "Oh my gosh, it feels like forever since I saw you last!"

Beth stepped back and smiled apologetically, "I know, I'm sorry. The move from Atlanta took longer than I thought and I've been trying to find somewhere to live around here." She turned to Hershel and beamed, giving him a quick hug, "Hi, Daddy".

"Well, did you find a place?" Maggie asked, looking concerned.

"Yeah, just finalized everything today! It's so great Maggie. Just a small little house, nothing fancy. Dad looked at it and gave his stamp of approval," Beth smiled, with a wink up at Hershel, who tightened his grip around her shoulders proudly. "It needs work but I can do that as I can afford. I just have to sign the papers and it's mine!"

Maggie squealed and Hershel let her go as Maggie pulled her into a hug again, saying happily, "It's going to be so great to have you close by again!" She grinned at her sister mischievously and added, "Free babysitter anytime I want!" Beth smacked her playfully but agreed with a smile. "Okay, well dinner is going to be a few more minutes if you want to relax and help Glenn keep the kids wrangled," Maggie said, disappearing into the kitchen again.

Beth followed Hershel to the living room and caught sight of Daryl for the first time. She smiled at him, reaching out a hand and Hershel quickly mentioned, "Bethy, this is Daryl from the farm. Daryl, my daughter Beth."

Daryl stood quickly, seeming nervous again as he wiped his hand hastily on his pant leg before accepting Beth's hand, "Hey."

She smiled broadly at him, "Hey, nice to meet you. Dad's told us so much about the miracle that is his newest hire, Daryl Dixon. We're so grateful to have you helping out at the farm."

Hershel watched the interaction, noticing Daryl's face start to redden as he took in Beth. He smiled to himself as the idea he'd been mulling over since that morning grew. Beth needed a handyman and who better than Daryl? The quality of his work was exceptional and Hershel knew he could be trusted. Plus, he was a good man, hard working and honest. Beth could use someone like that in her life after a string of bad relationships. He decided to mention it at dinner as Beth took a seat in one of the chairs and Daryl resumed his position on the couch, looking uncomfortable as he cradled his beer and kept his eyes on the floor.

Shaun quickly found him again and they resumed their somewhat one-sided discussion about all things car related, allowing Daryl to start to relax again as the seven year old talked his ear off. Jo quickly took Beth to the small upright piano to play songs from Frozen, the pair singing along with the melodies. Hershel closed his eyes as he listened to Beth's sweet voice. He was so glad she had returned to their small town from Atlanta after spending years chasing a music career and being rejected so much. Maybe being home will help her get back to her roots and develop her music, Hershel thought as he listened. When he opened his eyes he noticed he wasn't the only one who seemed to be enjoying the impromptu performance. Daryl's eyes were fixed on Beth's back as he listened, looking slightly awed.

Hershel smiled and nudged him slightly, "Quite a gift she has, huh?" Daryl looked away from her quickly, nodding, and Hershel laughed at his response.

Maggie called them all to the table, placing a gorgeous roast on the table along with corn bread, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and glazed carrots. Glenn sat at the head of the table with Hershel at the other end. Maggie took one side with a child on either side so she could help serve them and left Beth to sit next to Daryl. Hershel noticed her wink slyly at Beth and smiled to himself. Dinner served, they said a short blessing and ate, Shaun chattering to Daryl who nodded and grunted responses as he listened. Beth and Maggie talked about the house with Glenn offering advice. Hershel noticed that Daryl perked up a little at the mention of all the work that needed to be done. He didn't offer anything but he listened intently.

Finally Hershel put in, "You know Bethy with all the work that needs to go into the house you're going to need a good handy man, someone you can trust to do a good job and not rip you off."

Beth frowned a little, "Yeah, I guess so."

"What about Daryl?" Hershel offered, looking at the young man. "Would you be interested?"

Daryl looked at him quickly as Beth rushed, "Oh, Dad, I'm sure he's way too busy at the farm."

"The farm is a well-oiled machine, Bethy. I'm sure he'd be happy to make some extra money and work on things other than my old rusted tractor."

Beth glanced at Daryl and added, "I don't think I could really pay you very much but…if you'd be willing…I mean, just take a look and see what you think, no strings…"

Daryl looked at her for a moment, then shrugged replying steadily, "Sure. When?"

Beth smiled for a moment before responding, "Tomorrow morning okay, around 8?"

Daryl nodded, glancing at Hershel, "That okay with you, sir?"

Hershel chuckled a little, "Yeah, I'm the one who suggested it. I can do the morning chores without you for one day."

"Great!" Beth beamed, "Thank you so much. If I can't pay you enough don't be afraid to tell me, though. Promise?" She watched him intently until he nodded, glancing at her and meeting her eyes. Beth's face flushed a little but she kept smiling at him, seeming genuinely excited.

Hershel couldn't have been happier as he watched them, knowing this would be good for them both. Beth would force Daryl out of his shell and Daryl would be a good presence in Beth's life, maybe help her realize she deserved better than what she'd experienced so far. He was so happy she'd come home at last, knowing a change in pace would help her figure out exactly what she was looking for in life. As he watched Daryl start to fit almost seamlessly into his family as they all gathered around the table he couldn't help but think this might just be the beginning of something new, something… good.