A/N: This fic now has cover art! Dee created me an amazing picture of Beth and Daryl watching the destruction of the farm. Unfortunately due to 's weird sizing rules I had to cut it down, so if you want to see the whole beautiful picture please check out the last chapter of this on AO3!

Chapter Twenty One

Now

Now that they've made the decision to tell her family the only question is how they should approach it.

When you've taken so long to do something then you might as well do it right.

Daryl thinks that he should talk to her Dad by himself first, that it's his responsibility to do so. Beth doesn't agree though, they'll do this as they've done everything else - together.

It'll be a surprise to her Dad and Maggie, she knows that at least. Apart from that, Beth doesn't quite know how each of them might react. She knows that they both like Daryl, respect him. That's a very different thing to accepting him as her partner though and Beth is well aware of that. She worries that there might be angry words and accusations, and she wishes she could shield him from that.

She has to have faith though that her family will see what she has. She has to trust that they'll respect her choice and accept Daryl as one of them.

Beth packs up the things from her room that morning, ready to carry to his on the upper walkway. Everything is ready and now they just have to see it through.

It's not a long walk to her father's cell, where she's asked him and Maggie to be. Daryl doesn't show any outward signs of being worried but Beth knows him, can tell by the way his jaw is clenched that he's not at ease. She's worried too, not about them knowing but about what will happen if they're not happy. Will it drive a wedge between them somehow? Beth doesn't know but she still has to take a chance.

Sure enough her Dad and Maggie are waiting inside when she arrives, chatting companionably as they sit side by side on the bunk. Beth smiles at them, a little strained, and Daryl nods as they step inside and let the curtain fall behind them.

"What's this all about Beth?" Her father asks, his forehead crinkled despite his smile, "Got me a little worried calling a meeting like this."

"Nothing to worry about, Daddy." Beth assures him, "Daryl and I just need to talk to you."

"Well we're all ears."

She takes a deep breath, steels herself, and then reaches over to take Daryl's hand.

"I'm planning to move my things up to Daryl's room later today."

It's not the best way she could have introduced the topic and she cringes a little at the way she'd phrased it but forges on regardless.

"Me and Daryl, we've spent so long waiting for the right time, but here with you all and safe, there's no more reason to wait. We're sure about what we want."

Her father fixes her with a look, his expression inscrutable. "You love him?"

"Yes Daddy, I do. I have for a long time now."

"And you?" Her father directs the question at Daryl as Beth glances towards Maggie. Her sister seems uncertain but she still gives Beth an encouraging smile.

"Yes'sir, more than anything."

Her father is silent for a moment as if contemplating the two of them and then he turns to Daryl again. "I'd like to speak to my daughter in private for a minute ."

Daryl glances towards Beth questioning and then nods, turning as if to make his way outside. He stops at the last minute, looking back at them, and Beth can easily read the tension in him as he opens his mouth to speak once more.

"I ain't leaving her, I want to make that clear. We want your approval but if we don't get it then it ain't changing nothing between us. We've been through too much shit together for that."

He looks at Beth one last time before he departs, she can hear his footsteps fading, knows he's going far enough that they'll have some privacy to speak.

"Do you know what you're doing, Beth?" Her father asks, concern written across his features.

"I do," Beth confirms, "I've had more than enough time to know exactly what it is I want."

Her father shakes his head, "You're very young, Beth. I know you've had to grow up fast since we lost you but I worry that you don't really understand what you're getting into here. Now whatever happened out there… whatever he might have convinced you of… it's different in here. For a long time you've been on your own, and I don't know how things may have happened, but out there alone with him, it might have seemed like there was no other option. Now I'm not saying Daryl's not a good man or that he doesn't care for you, but you've got a choice now, Beth. Maybe you two should take some time apart, let you see things clearly before you make a decision."

Beth stares at her father, shocked by his words and shakes her head angrily. It's not even a shock that he might think that, isn't it exactly what Rick thought?

"I've always had a choice, Daddy. I don't know what you think of Daryl or of me, but he has never taken advantage of me in the way you're saying."

"Now, Beth…"

"Daddy, let her finish." Maggie's quiet interjection stops her father and he nods, turning back to Beth to let her continue. Beth looks at her sister, sees the cautious support in her face, the small smile she gives Beth to tell her to continue.

"You've just assumed that this has been going on since then but the truth is nothing happened till we arrived here. The year we were on our own, not once did he try and touch me. Even when I made it clear that I wanted more, he still wouldn't. He didn't think it was right unless I had a proper choice, unless we were safe enough for me to make it. It's only after we've come here that he's allowed us to become something else." She takes a breath in, trying to calm myself. "When we came here, Rick assumed the same thing you did. Told us clearly that it couldn't continue because he didn't want it fracturing the community if you objected. He didn't even try and find out the truth from us first, just like you. Maybe you don't know Daryl as well as I do, but it's time that you all stopped assuming things about him. He's the best man I've ever known, the only one I'm ever going to want."

Maggie stands to hug her, and Beth has never been more grateful for her sister than in this moment, for her quiet support as she continues.

"I've made my choice, I've made it a hundred times over and I'm not going to change it. Daryl's my family as much as you are and he always will be. Now I hope you'll be happy for us but even if you're not I'll still be moving my things up today, we won't be hiding it anymore."

"I've seen it for myself, Daddy, the way they are together." Maggie adds her voice of support, "I'd wondered when I saw the way you were together, how protective he was of you. I didn't want to say anything though in case I was wrong. I figured you'd tell us when you were ready, and maybe if this had happened at the farm I wouldn't be thinking about it the same way, but I can see the way you fit together, like Glenn and I do."

Beth tightens her grip on Maggie and they wait together, hands clasped, as their father thinks about what they've both said.

"I'm sorry," he says finally, standing slowly as he does so, "Somehow even with all my happiness to get you back, I didn't realise that you'd grown up."

Beth knows the words for what they are, a peace offering. She opens her arms to him as his close around his two girls, and it's everything that she'd dreamed of while apart from them.

This is the homecoming she deserved, Beth knows that they both see her as she truly is now, see the woman that she's become.

"Should I call Daryl back?" She asks, "Let him know it's alright?"

"You do that," her father tells her, "I'd like to get to know him better, I'm not too proud to say I know when I've misjudged someone and I hope he'll forgive me for that."

Beth nods and maybe there's tears in her eyes but she blinks them away, hurrying out to find him.

It doesn't take long, as soon as she exits to the courtyard there he is, perched on one of the tables, hunched over and looking at his knees where they rest on the bench.

He looks up as Beth approaches and there's a nervousness on his face that she wishes she could kiss away.

So she does, stepping between his knees and securing his chin between her fingers, kissing him fiercely until his lips open beneath hers, seeking his own reassurance without any thought of who might be watching them until she pulls away, sees the calmness that's settled on him. He knows by what they've both done that it's all settled now, that they'll never hide again.

"Alright?" He asks her.

"Daddy wants to get to know you better, asked me to bring you back inside."

He reaches out so that his hands settle on her hips, pulling her closer towards him, he tilts his forehead to touch hers. "We're gonna be okay here, Beth." He tells her, "We're going to make it."

It feels right to hear him say it, it feels like the end of a long journey, like they've finally reached home together.

Somewhere down in the crops, she hears Rick calling out to Carl, Michonne's voice rising alongside his. Around them, the other residents of the prison begin to filter out into the mid morning sun, the laughter of children mixed with the older voices. They will make a life here, despite the constant dangers outside. They will fight to keep the others safe and they will fight for each other. They will hold their happiness close and pray that it never comes to an end.

Everything they went through and everything they became and it's finally brought them here.

"We will," Beth affirms, one hand reaching up to cup his cheek. "We will."

A/N: I'm feeling a bit sad to be leaving this fic behind at last but it was always the plan to take them only to this point. Despite all the delays in writing, it's always remained very close to my heart and I'm glad that I could finally take it to its conclusion.

I want to say a big thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed, those reviews are what have kept me going when it's been tough. I hope you've all enjoyed this journey with me!