Daryl Dixon was closing up the garage on a Friday evening when he heard the car speeding away down the small, dirt service road that ran behind the garage and the shops and restaurants around it. He sighed because it seemed like nobody used that road for good purposes, unless they were with the county, but the door slam and squealing tires didn't sound like one of the county utility workers. Going out the back door of the shop to his truck he pulled out the loaded handgun and shoulder holster he kept in the console, shrugging out of his black leather vest and into the harness before pulling the vest back on to hide the gun and headed for the small service road to see if he could find anything. There was a line of trees and bushes between the shops and the service road, which was one reason it was so popular for nefarious dealings and he crossed through it with all his senses on high alert. He came out on the edge of the service road after looking around cautiously in the softening light to make sure he didn't see anyone and studied the environment carefully. When he spied the cloth sack on the ground with the tie around the top he sighed, worried about what he'd find, but unable to keep from looking.

Picking it up, he could see the splotches of blood and matter seeping through the material and felt tired and nauseous. He was so sick of this shit…people dumping their unwanted animals back there was one of the things that was all too common. Most shelters could tell people where to get their animals spayed or neutered for fairly little money and some vets did it on a sliding scale, so he didn't know why people wouldn't just take care of their animals instead of throwing out the resulting babies.

With another sigh, he untied the rope from around the top of what turned out to be a worn pillowcase and studied the small, battered bodies inside. Kittens...their eyes would have been barely open and now they'd never open again. From what he could see most of their heads hung at odd angles or were smashed in. Whoever had thrown out the bag had apparently bashed it against the ground a few times before getting rid of it and his stomach rolled at the sight. He was about ready to tie the bag closed again when he spotted movement and carefully reached in among the small, cooling bodies to find its source.

As he reached the moving kitten, he could feel its diminutive paws trying to grip his fingers and heard the tiniest sound as if it were trying to mewl at him. Delicately he extracted the wee kitten and saw it was all black, except for a small, diamond-shaped patch of white in the center of its forehead. He held it carefully, its whole body fitting inside his hand with room to spare and its mouth opened in that almost silent meow. Putting the sack gently on the ground he checked the remaining bodies, but none of them had survived. Moving the live kitten to his shirt pocket, with its head barely showing, he retied the string at the top of the improvised sack and carried it back to his truck, placing it gently in the bed; he'd bury it out in the woods the next day.

Movement in his pocket brought his attention back to the living kitten and he debated for a minute before hopping into the cab of his truck and heading for the local animal shelter. It wasn't much after six and knew that they usually stayed open until almost seven on weekdays to accommodate working people who wanted to come by and look for pets. He pulled up to the low, brick building, the sides and back of which were surrounded by chain link fence and wanted to cringe…it didn't look welcoming or happy to him, just like every other government building he could remember seeing.

He trudged in through the glass double doors into the reception area and stopped dead because sitting on a stool behind the counter was about the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. Her soft-looking blonde hair was up in a simple ponytail and her skin looked creamy from where he stood. A sweet mouth smiled at him before he raised his eyes to meet her large, blue ones and he had a moment where he'd swear he'd forgotten the English language because not a single word of it was coming into his head.

"Hi there! How can I help you?" Her light, almost musical voice greeted him as she continued to smile and he felt a moment of relief knowing that his native tongue hadn't completely abandoned him.

Though now he was thinking about tongues and wondering what it would be like to….

He gave his head a little shake, "Found a kitten" he growled out and watched as her skin turned slightly pink, which he found distracting.

"You did? Did you bring it with you?" the girl asked as she came around the counter and started moving toward him.

He managed to nod as she got closer and he could smell the light scent of some kind of flower and vanilla and something else he couldn't place. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the small, squirming body and held it out toward her.

"Oh, my goodness…we never get babies this tiny!" she stroked it delicately with a small forefinger as she studied the little animal in the palm of his hand. "Where'd you find her?"

"Some ass – uh, person dumped a bag of them on the service road runs behind the garage where I work; the others were dead when I checked." He flushed as he realized he'd almost cussed in front of this little blonde angel who didn't look as though she'd ever even heard a curse word before.

"There are some real assholes out there," she said in agreement as she continued to stroke the kitten, before looking back into Daryl's eyes. He found himself grinning down at her; hearing this little golden person cussing was weird, slightly disconcerting and kind of a turn-on if he was being honest with himself.

After a second he realized she'd said something else and said "Sorry?"

"I asked if you were thinking of dropping her off here or if you were looking for help?"

"Never had a pet; didn't think about keeping it," he said honestly.

"Would you want to?" she asked hesitantly. When he looked back into her eyes again she added, "It's just that she's going to take a lot of care for a while and this isn't a no-kill shelter. Unfortunately animals that aren't adopted within seventy-two hours are often put down." She flushed a little, "I'd take her, but my daddy's a vet and we've already got a lot of animals." When he hesitated she added, "I could help you get set up if you did want to keep her."

The thought of this little animal that had already survived so much not being adopted and being put down made him feel terrible…the kitten struck him as a fighter and he'd always respected things that survived against all odds. Daryl's own life hadn't exactly been smooth and he'd been determined to make changes after his brother, Merle, had died. Now, he lived in a nice town, had a steady job at what was arguably the best garage around and had even bought himself a small house on a beautiful lake. If his boss, Dale, hadn't given him a break he might not have had any of those things since he hadn't had much of a work history at that point and hadn't even graduated high school. He took in the small black kitten and thought about how it had survived against all odds, so far, and suddenly wanted to give it a chance.

At his hesitation, Beth said persuasively, "Look, my dad's a vet and he's here right now; he came over to look at one of the dogs. Let me have him check this baby over while you think about it." Without waiting for his response, she hurried to a door behind the counter and called to her father after opening it. Daryl heard her asking if he was done and the affirmative response and after a moment a tall, white-haired man stepped through and Daryl recognized Hershel Greene, the most well-liked veterinarian in the area.

Hershel's eyes turned to Daryl as he came through the door and he smiled suddenly, "Well, Daryl Dixon, how are you, son?" He approached the younger man, holding out his hand and telling the girl, "Beth this is the young man who fixed up Myrtle when she left me on the side of the highway during the winter."

"You are?" her smile for him is almost blinding. "I've never heard her run so well in my life. She's almost like new now." Myrtle was an old blue and white 1964 Ford F100 pickup that Hershel had driven for most of his career until after Daryl had fixed it, which had taken nearly two weeks.

"Beth here's the one driving Myrt now," Hershel adds. "If you remember, I talked myself into buying a new SUV while she was in the shop and it's better for my work. Here, let me see that bitty thing." The older man held out his hand and gently took the tiny kitten, moving it carefully with his fingers, checking it over, listening to its heart and lungs with his stethoscope and pronouncing the kitten sound, but likely hungry and a little cold. As close as he could figure, the kitten was about a week old. He listened to the story about how Daryl had found the kitten with anger smoldering in his normally gentle blue eyes Daryl was realizing were almost the same color as his daughter's, although they didn't make his stomach flip like Beth's did.

"You thinking of keeping her, son?" Hershel's voice interrupted Daryl's thoughts about the old vet's daughter and made him wonder wildly for a split second if he was offering Beth to him before he remembered the kitten and lifted his hand to take back the small animal.

"Not sure I'd be good for it" Daryl said hesitantly. "I've never had a pet…might kill it without meaning to."

"Well, you can't do any worse than the people who had her before," Beth said softly, stroking the black fur while Daryl held her. "She'll need some extra care, but you could do it. I'll help, if you need it."

Daryl was about to rebuff her offer when Hershel spoke up again, "You should take her up on that offer; she's helped raise a lot of little animals and she can help you both too." He turned to his daughter, "Mrs. MacDiarmid donated supplies she'd had for her kittens and they're out in my vehicle if you want to grab them for Daryl. You should be closing up here anyhow. I'll go back and tell Zach you're leaving when I get my bag."

"Okay, Daddy," Beth said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss her father on his surprisingly smooth cheek before turning back to Daryl. "Come on, I'll help you get the stuff." Daryl couldn't really remember agreeing, but followed after the young blonde; apparently suddenly the proud, if nervous, owner of a small black kitten.

The young blonde moved with confidence toward her father's SUV, pulling a ring of keys out of her pocket and inserting one in the back, pulling the door up and out of the way to get to the box of donated supplies. "Oh, wow…she gave us a little of everything" she exclaims, sounding beyond pleased. "Cans of Kitten formula, bottles, some unopened nipples, aaww…one of the cat pads she makes, even a little litter…you'll be all set!"

"I'll get that," Daryl said quickly, moving her gently aside with one hand before remembering he was holding the kitten in the other. "Here, you take her." When Beth raised her cupped hands, Daryl gently deposited the kitten in them before he reached for the box. Tucking it under one arm, he shut the back of the vehicle for her, then headed toward his truck, the young woman falling into step beside him.

"Do you know how to set things up for her?" Beth asked cheerfully. "I can get Myrtle and follow you back to your place and show you how to take care of her, if you'd like."

"You always offer to go home with strange men?" He asked with a smirk, partly to tease her and partly because he was genuinely curious.

She flushed again, her creamy skin taking on a pink hue he found damn near enthralling. "I don't, really, but I've helped people before and Daddy likes you, so you're probably okay. He's heard good things about you around town…you know he knows just about everyone for several counties." She looked up at him as he opened the passenger-side door on his truck and deposited the box on the floor. "You know Daddy was so impressed by your work on Myrtle that he recommended you to a bunch of people and said the people who've gone have sung your praises too."

"My boss tells me when someone comes in and asks for me, but doesn't usually say anything else," he said with a shrug. A thought struck him and he added, "Have been busy, though…got a raise and everything."

"I'm sure you deserved it" she said sweetly. "Daddy said he tells everyone to go to you now and I know some of the people at the office and church whose cars have never run so well." He'd turned back toward her as they spoke and he could see she was being sincere and it made him flush in turn. She smiled at him again and added "So, what do you think? Do you want my help? I can just tell you what to do, if you'd like."

Part of him really wanted to say no…as far back as he could remember, he'd been private and his home had become his sanctuary. His lot was wooded and he was well-hidden from his nearest neighbors unless he was down on his dock, but that was okay, because the houses closest to him were vacation homes and the people weren't there most of the time except in the summer. His mouth wasn't communicating with his brain, though and he found himself saying, "Yeah, I'd like that." When she looked confused he added, "Come to my house and show me, if you want."

She nodded and smiled at him again, then helped him tuck the kitten back in his shirt pocket, telling him that way his body heat would keep it warm while they went back to his place. He gave her his address, just in case she dropped behind him and she tapped it in to the GPS on her phone and hurried around the building to where she'd left the old Ford.

He pulled to the exit and waited until she pulled Myrtle up behind him, then waited until they could both pull out safely. The roads weren't that busy in the little town now that it was after seven and Beth stayed behind him without problems. He was pleased to note that she stayed close enough to keep up, but not so close that he felt crowded and he relaxed as he drove and started to enjoy the sunset as it began to send bright streaks of orange and pink across the sky. Before he knew it he was pulling into his driveway and starting toward the house.

As they pulled up to it, parking alongside one another, they both hopped out, Beth grabbing a gallon jug out of her truck as Daryl went around his to get the box of supplies. They started chatting as they approached the house; well, it was Beth doing most of the talking, but Daryl found he didn't mind and he made an effort to reply. She was complimenting his house as they mounted the couple steps to the porch. The house was mostly natural wood and the windows were wide on this side, but when they stepped inside and he turned on the lights, the young blonde gasped as she saw that most of the back wall in the main space was windows facing toward the lake. The back of the house faced west and the sunset was amazing by that time. He had curtains he could pull across the windows if he wanted privacy, but he mostly left them open because the view was his favorite thing about the house and the cove where he lived wasn't very busy.

Beth pulled herself away from the view with an effort and walked to the kitchen that took up almost a third of the main area of the cabin, gesturing to the jug she carried. "Distilled water," she said by way of explanation, "you'll have to have it for the formula."

"You carry distilled water with you in your truck?"

"Well, I use it in the iron at home and I'd just picked up some on my way to the shelter, so you got lucky." She was moving as she spoke, pulling out one of the clean bottles in the box and looking for a open can of formula, which she found and pulled from the box. "Now, if we didn't know Mrs. MacDiarmid, I probably wouldn't use this open can, but she's been really helpful over the years and loves animals, so we figure her things are safe." Beth moved easily, showing him on the can where to find the measurements to mix the kitten formula and mixing enough in a measuring cup to fill two of the bottles. After opening and attaching a new nipple to each bottle, she checked to makes sure formula was coming out as it should and used a small penknife she'd had in her pocket to widen the opening a little more by cutting an X right across the hole that allowed the formula to flow more freely.

Daryl pulled the kitten from his pocket and offered it to Beth, but she handed him the bottle instead, showing him how to hold the kitten so that it could swallow the most easily and how to hold the bottle. The kitten latched on for a while and drank some of the formula. Beth talked to him about how she might have warmed it a bit normally, but the water was already warm from sitting in her truck and how to check that it would be about right for the kitten. She also showed him how at this stage the kitten should only eat about one or two ounces at a time and demonstrated on the markings on the side of the bottle. He supposed he could have figured it all out on his own, but something about having the young woman there gave him confidence.

As the kitten ate and for a little after Beth talked with Daryl how to care for the kitten's needs and how to set things up around the house. The mechanic found one of the heating pads he used on his back and shoulders when they were sore from leaning over cars all day, so they put it in a box and tucked the blue patterned fleece pad over it that Mrs. MacDiarmid, whoever she was, had apparently made. Once they'd talked through everything, Beth looked around as if checking to see if she'd missed anything and Daryl found he didn't want her to go.

"Let me fix you dinner," as she began to protest he added, "look, you did me a favor…it's the least I can do."

"Well, let me help at least. Didn't you work all day, too? I'm a pretty good cook, just put me to work." Her eyes got big for a minute, "Oh, let me just call Daddy and tell him I won't be home so they'll know not to expect me." She brought out her phone and dialed quickly, having a brief conversation before hanging up and looking at him expectantly.

He put her to work peeling and chopping carrots and potatoes while he made meatloaf. They chatted easily as she put the potatoes on to boil and started cooking the carrots, adding in a bag of frozen peas before she turned the heat down to low and covered the pan. Once everything was underway, Beth put on a kettle for some hot tea and Daryl picked up the kitten from its warm pad then handed it to Beth as he guided her to one of the chairs facing the fireplace as he lit the gas logs.

"I wouldn't have pictured you as having gas logs," Beth said quietly. Daryl bristled a bit, taking offense, but before he could say anything, the young woman continued, "I'm so jealous! All our fireplaces are wood-burning and I've chopped more cords of wood than I care to remember. I guess I just figure everyone does" she added with an embarrassed giggle, flushing and looking uncomfortable.

"Came with the house" he growls out, suddenly wanting to help her out a little though he again liked the flush he could see on her skin in the soft light. A random memory of something his friend Rick had offered when Daryl had gone to visit him in each new place and he added, "Do you want to see the place? Not much to it, but you can if you want."

"Oh, I'd love to" she said enthusiastically, jumping up from her chair while still cuddling the kitten close to her chest. "Your home's beautiful. I love the windows and everything's so cozy!"

Daryl couldn't stop his flush of pleasure at her enthusiasm and words. Stepping to one side of the main living space he opened a door, turning on the light and stepping back to allow her step inside and look, "Used to be a bedroom." Now the room just contains a nice wooden card table and four chairs for the nights he has his buddies over for poker night. He feels a little ashamed of the Spartan furnishings until Beth walks to the table and strokes the wood.

"I don't think I've ever seen a wooden card table before, except at antique shops…this is lovely!" When he mumbled something she couldn't quite hear she said "Pardon me?"

"Said I made it…have a little workshop downstairs."

"You did a beautiful job!" her delicate fingers traced over the stained cherry wood. Her eyes are wide with wonder, "This is amazing. Did you make the chairs too?"

He shook his head, "Found those at the flea market; just refinished them."

"Well, they're great too!"

After admiring them for a few moments longer, Daryl showed her the full bath off that room and then took her out and through the living area, where they pulled the tea kettle off and he poured a mug for Beth, before checking the peas and carrots and turning the burner down a bit. Leading her down the hallway to see the half bath and office (okay, he kept his hunting equipment there, but still) off the hall before reaching his bedroom; he hesitated to show his sanctuary to anyone, but Beth had been both kind and accepting, so far, so he drew a breath and turned on the light before ushering her in with a hand on the small of her back.

His own bathroom, like the one in the other bedroom, faced the front of the house and he had a picture window facing out toward the lake in the other wall. A higher, thinner window ran along the wall over his double bed. He'd made the bedside cabinets and the headboard and footboard himself and they were Craftsman-style and stained a medium golden-brown with some simple iron hardware he'd gotten from a woman he'd met who was a blacksmith. A simple, blue, brown and white plaid bedspread was tangled in the light blue sheets on the bed, but he didn't think it looked all that bad. Beth reached out and touched the bed with her free hand after looking around the room.

"Daryl, this is just beautiful, did you make this too?"

"Yeah, saw some similar to it and just made it instead."

Beth admired it for another moment before they headed back to the kitchen to put the kitten back on the heating pad and check on supper, which was almost ready. Daryl pulled the meatloaf out of the oven while Beth drained the potatoes and whipped them up with some butter, milk, sour cream and seasonings. They served themselves from the pans and bowl and sat at the breakfast bar on his kitchen island to eat the delicious food, continuing to chat easily. After they'd done the dishes, Daryl picked up an old towel, the kitten and the bottle and they moved to sit in front of the fireplace and continue talking while he cared for his new pet.

Daryl found himself laughing more with Beth than he could remember laughing with anyone else in his life and talking a little more; it helped that Beth seemed open and willing to talk about things. He found out she was older than he'd originally thought, twenty-two, and had graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Music with a major in Music Therapy and a minor in Business Administration. She was working at her dad's vet's office while looking for a steady job and volunteering at the animal shelter a night or two a week for now.

He talked with her about going camping and hunting some weekends when the lake just got too busy and he wanted to get away and about how he'd started building furniture after he'd bought the house because he'd just always wanted to try it and he'd loved it. He'd started making things in a friend's house, but now had a small workshop under the house. "Made stuff to sell to a couple friends and other people liked it; now I have some commissions and do them as I can."

"Are you working on anything right now?" Beth asked, seeming genuinely interested.

"Desk for a guy who couldn't find what he wanted for his wife."

"Oh, I'd love to see it sometime!" she said enthusiastically.

"I'll show you sometime, but its dark out now and the only way into the workshop's from the outside." He realized what he'd said and flushed, "I mean…."

"I'd love to come back and see it sometime" she said with a little blush. "Hey, back to the kitten for a minute, if you need me to watch her during the day Dad's office isn't too far from the garage and you could drop her off or I could pick her up on my way in."

"'K" he said with a nod, "Might do that for a while. Dale usually gives us a break every couple hours anyway, just to stretch our backs out, but I don't always take them."

"Well, she'll grow really quickly. In just a few weeks she'll be running around and getting into everything, you wait and see. Once you wean her from the bottle, you'll be able to leave her with food and water."

"You and your dad both call her a 'she'…you're sure she's a little girl?"

"It's actually too early to tell yet, so we usually just say 'she' until we know. Some vets use male pronouns all the time, but Dad normally uses female. I will say that she's awfully delicate looking and tiny, so I think she's either a runt or she really is a little girl. Did you have a preference?"

"Heard male cats spray."

"They do sometimes, especially when people don't have them fixed early enough. Some people tend to want male cats thinking they don't have to get them fixed since their cats won't be the ones who have babies, but then have a cat that sprays. A lot of male cats die because they weren't ever fixed or were fixed too late and people no longer want them. Daddy works with a couple other vets and offers discounted rates for spaying and neutering for people who just can't afford the full price. There's a no-kill shelter in the next county where they fix all their animals before they adopt them out; it means people pay a little to get their pets, but that's how the shelter has the money to pay to get them fixed."

"Well, whatever she turns out to be, I'll get her fixed."

"Do you have any names in mind?"

"Nah, not yet…now I'm going to wait and see if she's a boy or girl."

They talked for a while longer, making arrangements for Beth to swing by the garage and pick up the kitten Monday morning since it would be on her way to work and the garage opened before the vet's office. Daryl was getting more and more enchanted by the kitten, which had clung to his fingers as he'd fed it and then snuggled into his chest after he'd finished cleaning it up afterward. The mechanic also found he was falling under Beth's spell the more time he spent with her and wishing she didn't have to leave. There was something about the young woman that made him feel like his home was just a little brighter and more comfortable than normal. It was all too soon when she announced she had to get home since her day would start early the next morning helping with chores around her dad's farm before work, since the vet's office had a full day one Saturday a month. Daryl was gratified to see that she seemed nearly as reluctant to leave as he was to see her go and found himself inviting her over the next day so that she could see the desk and check on the kitten and she'd blushed and accepted.

Daryl had insisted on walking her out to her truck in the cool night air and reluctantly opened the door for her so that she could hop in, surprised at how badly he wanted her to just stay. After she'd left, he went back inside and for the first time wished he had something else other than the life he had built. He loved the privacy his place offered and had enjoyed not having someone else there all the time, but he hadn't ever met anyone like Beth. Most people set him on edge somehow, but the young woman left him feeling relaxed and comfortable and he found he looked forward to having her back again.

After waking up every three hours to feed the kitten through the night, Daryl still awoke not long after sunrise the next day, the open door to the bathroom letting the light in through the eastern-facing window. He groaned and flung his arm over his eyes for a moment, relaxing before getting up. Opening his eyes, he checked on the little black kitten, whose box currently occupied the left side of his bed, watching its tiny ribcage rising and falling. When he reached out to stroke it gently, it squirmed and yawned, cuddling into the warmth of his fingers and he felt a tugging on his heart as the little creature found comfort in his touch. Reluctantly he rolled out of bed before unplugging the heating pad and picking up the box to carry it out to the kitchen so that he could start the coffee maker before feeding the kitten again. It's movements were still pretty uncoordinated, but as he snuggled it to his chest after the feeding and subsequent clean-up it seemed to cling to him with its wee little claws and he would have sworn he felt the slightest vibration as though it were purring against him and his heart did a little stutter at the thought that the little creature seemed so content with him.

Daryl started a pot of stew, then turned it way down to simmer before heading outside and to bury the bag with the kittens that didn't make it in the woods near his house, relieved It seemed nothing had gotten into the bag. After that was done, he went around the house and opened the large double-barn doors into his workshop and spent some time making sure the desk was completely smooth and all the joins were solid before going back up to feed the kitten again. He carried the kitten in its box down to the workshop with him before running a tack cloth over the desk and starting the staining process to bring the desk to the rich golden oak his customer wanted. Once the desk was completely stained with the first coat and everything seemed smooth and even, he put the lid back on the can, then took the kitten with him, closing the doors behind them and went down to the dock to get one of his rods and fish until it was time for the next feeding. It was a beautiful spring day and warm enough he felt the kitten would be comfortable, though after a few minutes, he picked it up from the box and tucked it carefully into his pocket while he fished.

Over the next hour he caught a few sunnies, but nothing big enough to keep, tossing them back off the dock casually. He could see some boats out on the lake and hear that some of the other people who had lake homes in the cove were there for the weekend. He could see Bob Stookey out on his own deck with his girlfriend, Sasha, up in the backyard sunbathing next to another woman with dark brown hair and Sasha's brother, Tyreese, was up on the back porch starting up the grill. The grill made him think about the stew he had going and he reluctantly got up and put away his rod and chair, before picking up the box and making his way back to the house. The whole place smelled wonderful from the simmering stew and he could feel the kitten becoming more active and the faint, scratchy noise that was its meow.

He laughed, "You have a while to go before you get stew, little cat" he rumbled as he made another bottle of formula. The bottles looked like something a girl would have for a doll baby and he winced at the memory of his dad and brother mocking him for being too soft and feminine from the time he was a young boy. He'd gone to meetings for years to help move past the abuse he'd suffered and he shoved the remembered voices away with a little growl, refocusing on what he was doing and the young life that was now dependent on him.

Just as he started to clean up the kitten, he heard Beth's truck pulling up outside his house and before he knew it, the sunny blonde was up on his porch and back at his door. He called for her to come in and she stepped inside, sniffing the air appreciatively and smiling at him. Daryl felt his heart do a flip as his blue eyes met hers and he watched the faint rosy blush coloring her cheeks as she looked up at him. She carried another jug of distilled water that she'd brought just in case and placed it on the counter while she walked toward him, dropping her eyes to the kitten as she reached to stroke it with a couple slim fingers.

"She looks like she's doing really well! How are you doing? Waking up every few hours wasn't too much for you?"

He felt proud as she praised the kitten "Nah, I usually wake up a time or two during the night anyway and didn't take too long to care for her."

They chatted for a while as Daryl settled the kitten back in its box before taking her out and around the house to see his workshop where she exclaimed over the beautiful desk and commented how she'd like a writing desk one day herself to work on her music. After a quick trip to the dock and boathouse, they went back to the house and had lunch before packing a cooler, the kitten and themselves into Daryl's motorboat and going onto the lake for a few hours to enjoy the gorgeous day. Daryl was gratified to find that Beth not only liked to fish, but was willing to bait her own hooks and take off her own fish, though she did seem to draw the line at actually cleaning them. Further out in the lake, they caught some bigger fish and kept some bass for their supper. Beth rigged a cover for the box and set it where the kitten would stay warm, but not too hot and they checked on it frequently. By the time they bade each other good night, Daryl knew he wanted Beth back again as soon as possible and they set a time to meet up the next day after Beth was done with church.

When she hugged him good-night, Daryl couldn't help but hold her tightly to himself for a moment before reluctantly letting her go.

o))O((o

They quickly settled into a routine for the next few weeks, with Beth picking up the kitten from Daryl at the garage and Daryl picking her up from the vet's office or the shelter at the end of his work day and going to each other's homes on the weekends. After a few weeks, he met Beth at the Greene family farm for supper and Hershel looked the kitten over again and declared it was indeed a little female.

The kitten had stayed all black except for the diamond-shaped patch of white on its forehead, but its eyes had become and amazing, intense blue, especially startling against the dark background. She had started crawling out of the box after Daryl had her for two weeks and was now bouncing around on slightly unsteady legs, though she normally stayed close to Daryl, her purr becoming more distinct when he picked her up now. He still wasn't used to stepping on cat toys in the dark with his bare feet or the fact that she'd started crawling out of her box and sleeping draped over his neck or on his head, unless he slept on his back, in which case he'd wake up with a small, warm spot right over his heart where the kitten had made her bed.

He'd found she'd also made in into his heart the first time he couldn't find her right away when he'd left her alone napping in a sunny spot in the living room to go to the store and returned to see the empty spot. After a minute of his calling, he'd heard her still slightly scratchy meowing and had found her behind a large plant he'd purchased on a whim and had gratefully pulled the small, warm body out from where it had gotten wedged. She'd clung to him with her sharp little claws and the faint purr he heard sometimes started up again. He'd carefully put her into a basket Beth had gotten for him and placed the plant out on his back porch before returning to the kitten.

That night when Beth came over for supper, Daryl told her he'd decided on a name for the kitten, who would be Gemma; when the blonde asked why he'd told her "Thought about naming her Diamond for the little white patch, but that's too long and a diamond's a kind of gemstone, so thought of Gemma."

Beth grinned at him and teased, "You're never going to call her that, you know; you've been calling her Li'l Bit for weeks now, but I like it a lot…it suits her."

"Could just call you Li'l Bit" he growled at her, reaching out and snaring the young woman around the waist and pulling her close to him as she giggled.

She hummed in response as she wrapped her arms around his neck in response, "Mmmm, I like it better when you call me Sexy Thing, as long as you don't do it in front of Daddy."

As they started to make out and he wrapped his arms around her thighs to set her up on top of the island in the kitchen so he could push her legs apart as press in between them. Their relationship had gotten physical by the end of their first full week when they were saying good-night out at her truck and he'd looked down into her shining eyes and had impulsively leaned in and kissed her, bringing his hands up to gently frame her face, then fist into her hair as she clung to his waist, then ran her hands up his back. That night, they'd only kissed, but when she'd come over the next night they'd kissed almost as soon as she'd made it through the door and clothes had started flying almost immediately as they desperately made their way for his bedroom, barely making it to the bed before he'd yanked open one of the drawers in the bedside cabinet closest to the door, proud he'd even had the presence of mind to remember a condom and had almost gone off like a rocket when she'd grabbed the small foil packet away from him, torn it open and grabbed him gently but firmly and stroked several times before rolling it on. He'd had to pull her hands away and pin them over her head before sinking into her as they both groaned and he'd had to take some deep breaths as he felt how tight and warm and wet she was. She'd moaned dirty words into his ear and told him exactly how good he felt to her as he'd started moving in response, letting go of her hands so that he could grab her hips as she'd bucked and after a minute she'd flipped him over and started riding him, stroking his chest and tweaking his nipples as she leaned forward to kiss him. He'd had to flip her back when she'd pushed one of her hands down between them to rub at her clit and her fingers had started stroking over him at the same time and he'd started to lose it again. He'd ended up being proud of how long he lasted, them flipping each other several times and nearly coming off the bed at least once before catching themselves and pushing back. Beth had come with a huge shudder, panting and moaning and the hard clenching from her intense orgasm had brought his own on.

Now, it had been nearly a month since that night and they'd had a talk about seeing only each other and had spent almost all their spare time together. Gemma seemed as comfortable with Beth as she was with Daryl, though Daryl was definitely her person still, and the kitten was also comfortable out at the farm where she'd put Beau, Hershel's older Rhodesian Ridgeback, and Pete the Basset Hound in their places by not running away or backing down when they'd come over to investigate the invader. Since the first time, they'd frequently found her sleeping on Beau or, several times, sitting in the middle of Pete's back and he made his slow way around the house. The kitten turned everything into a toy and no shoelace was safe in her presence, Daryl's boots being her most frequent victims, though Hershel's dress shoes and the laces on Beth's small sneakers had also apparently become her sworn enemies and they never sat through a meal wearing shoes that they didn't all have to look down and tie their laces before getting up to avoid tripping.

Beth's sister, Maggie, was a frequent visitor at the Greene family farm, along with her husband, Glenn, a Korean man Daryl had taken to almost immediately. They loved it when Daryl was over with the kitten; Maggie cooed over her and Glenn started bringing an extra shoelace with a small fluffy ball glued to one end so that he could sit on the floor and play with the little rascal. Daryl was always grateful when they were at the house because Gemma would be worn out and was usually asleep before he ever got her home.

o))O((o

After six months, Gemma was still a small cat - she'd never get to be very big - but she'd invaded every inch of Daryl's house and he didn't know what he'd ever done without her there. The small black kitten seemed to brighten every corner and chase away any shadows that had lingered in both his home and his heart. He found cat toys in his shoes on a regular basis and there were fine black hairs everywhere no matter how much he or Beth vacuumed, but he just couldn't bring himself to mind.

Beth, too, had brightened everything in his life. He'd never felt as happy as he did these days between the small dark kitten and the bright golden girl; his life held purpose and meaning beyond mere survival for the first time. A much as he'd enjoyed the life he'd developed working at the garage and owning his lake house, he hadn't realized how much he'd been missing out on without the kind of love and affection both showered on him. Even on the rare occasions he and Beth had fought, it had always ended in the bedroom and hot make-up sex, not tears or yelling or silent anger or fists as arguments had when he'd been growing up.

The young blonde rarely slept over at Daryl's house, but they were always his favorite times. He'd stay awake as long as he could past when she'd collapsed in an exhausted pile next to him because as soon as she was out, she'd wrap around him and Gemma would leap up on the bed and curl up on any part of him she could reach. Being snuggled by the two females dearest to him made Daryl's heart almost hurt and he'd fall asleep in a pile of warmth, running the air conditioner as necessary to be comfortable.

A few days after their six month anniversary he took Beth to a nice Italian restaurant in a nearby town and had managed to make it all the way to dessert and coffee before he'd dropped to one knee next to the table and pulled out a small velvet box. He'd found just the ring he wanted for Beth when he'd walked into a jewelry store to get a new battery put in his watch and had ended up in front of the engagement rings, immediately spying one with a round stone in a platinum 1920's style, with smaller diamonds set into the delicate band. The stone had turned out to be one and a half carats and flawless, but he'd known the owner of the store for some time and Blake Davis had come out front when he'd seen Daryl on the security cameras and had offered a discount to the man who kept his Lexus in good running order. The ring had almost burned a hole in Daryl's pocket on the way home, but he'd managed to hide it for months before proposing. When Beth had accepted, they'd paid the bill and driven to the farm for a quick visit, since Daryl had spoken to Hershel ahead of time and Maggie and Glenn had come from Atlanta and even Patty, a family friend whose husband, Otis, had died several years before in a hunting accident was there. The women especially had exclaimed over the ring and practically dragged Beth from the room while the men had grabbed glasses of iced tea and headed to the kitchen to talk quietly until Daryl had declared they needed to go.

Their engagement wasn't long, they'd married in the springtime out at the farm under a spreading oak tree in the front yard, surrounded by daffodils and jonquils, which grew in profusion around the old tree. Daryl barely saw the flowers, all he could look at was Beth in her white strapless gown, covered in a pattern of pearls and beads that he barely saw while looking at the woman wearing it. He did see the small black cat who paced right in front of her as she walked down the aisle on Hershel's arm. Once they'd arrived at the space designated as the alter, Gemma had turned and sat next to the preacher's feet, staring up at Daryl and Beth with a surprisingly solemn expression as though she were the one officiating the marriage ceremony. The pictures of the wedding party that included the bride and groom also contained a small black cat with brilliant blue eyes, including several with the cat sitting on Daryl's shoulder and one with the cat sitting at Beth's feet against the stark white of her wedding gown, which was Daryl's favorite picture of all.

Maggie and Glenn kept Gemma while Daryl and Beth went to Bermuda for their honeymoon and Daryl had discovered that even on the pink sand of Bermuda, Beth's skin barely tanned, but he'd sure enjoyed her collection of bikinis in which she tried to tan while griping playfully as he turned brown as a nut. His favorite part had been pulling the bikinis off after their time on the beach and it was only because they'd probably never get to Bermuda again that they'd made much of an effort to leave either their hotel room or the beach at all. They'd snorkeled, even kayaked on the ocean and eaten at several famous restaurants, but they'd never even made it to buy souvenirs before they'd returned to Georgia, picking up Gemma from a sleepy Maggie and Glenn before heading back to their home.

The one problem with the honeymoon was that Beth seemed to pick up a stomach bug their last couple days on the island. When she was still getting sick at random times throughout the day a week later, she'd gone to the doctor and had called afterward to say she was fine and would see him at home that night. He'd come home to find she'd marinated steaks and made him his favorite twice-baked potatoes as well as a large green salad with a homemade herbed vinaigrette that was his favorite…she'd even made a cherry pie that was one of his favorites. After supper they'd cuddled on the couch and she'd told him the news that she'd picked up something on their honeymoon, but that it was a baby and not a stomach bug. He'd had to ask her to repeat herself since his ears had started ringing at some point and she'd grinned and repeated the news before he'd been out of his seat and tugging her into his arms, picking up and spinning her around the room until she'd begged him to stop before she threw up on him.

o))O((o

Daryl could remember the days when he'd thought his life would never get any better than it was…years after his mom had died and Merle was off in the army and his dad's abuse never seemed to stop; his father and the woman he called his stepmother had drilled the idea that he was worthless into his flesh and bone with their blows. Even after Merle came home and Daryl ran off with his older brother, things didn't really improve much. At times he could still hear Merle telling him that he was a worthless piece of shit and nobody would ever love him but Merle and after his brother's death it had taken over a year of ACOA meetings and sheer willpower to be able to shake those negative things out of his head.

After he got his job at the garage with a good boss and doing work he liked and finally had a steady paycheck and some money, he started to think that life could get better than anything he'd ever known. The lake house was a find…it was in decent shape, just needed pressure washing, cleaning up, a few repairs and some good sealant and it was everything he'd ever wanted in a home. Taking down the wall that had been between the kitchen and living areas had opened things up and the glass wall in the main living area as well as the big picture windows in the bedrooms had given him a feeling of space he desperately needed and the rest of the house was comfortable while the lot had given him privacy. He'd sit out on the deck or on the dock with a cold beer or glass of iced tea and think life couldn't get any better than it was at that point.

Gemma and Beth had arrived in his life on the same day and the small black kitten had worked her way into his heart and as she grew he'd play with her for hours and think how much her presence added to his life and he'd wonder at the happiness she'd brought to him, even as he dealt with the fact that he couldn't have a houseplant in the house without it being chewed to bits and his curtains would never be the same. Beth was a whole different level of happiness and love of a kind he'd once been sure he'd never know; to Daryl she was nothing short of an angel; a ball of sunshine that was made just for him. He didn't pray often, it simply hadn't been part of his life growing up, but one night he'd prayed that he would go first…he didn't think he could make it even one day without his golden girl, with her big smile and bright laugh. With the birth of their daughter, Abigail Rebekah Dixon, he knew he'd never felt anything even close to what he felt when he held the baby, swaddled in her little pink blanket, to his chest. At that moment, Daryl was positive life absolutely could not get any better than it was at that point and wished he could go back and tell the boy he'd been to keep going because if he'd known all this was ahead of him, he would have had something to hold on to when he'd been sore from beatings or his back had burned from more strenuous abuse.

o))O((o

They'd moved Daryl's hunting equipment down to the spare bedroom, along with Beth's piano and guitar and moved Abi into the office after three months of her sleeping in their bedroom and nursing every couple hours. One night, Daryl was awakened by Gemma insistently batting at his face. He'd pushed her off the first couple times, but she'd come back insistently each time, finally sinking her claws into his cheek. He'd gotten up with a growl and curse and had decided to check on Abi since he was up, even though the baby monitor was quiet. When he'd opened the door of their bedroom to get to the baby, he'd opened it to see the main room on fire, flames licking up the walls and across the ceiling. He'd yelled in fear, telling Beth to get up, get out, get out of the house and she'd responded at once as he'd burst into Abi's room and grabbed up the baby, keeping the presence of mind to also snatch the diaper bag. The flames were coming down the hall toward the master bedroom and Daryl retreated, holding Abi and Gemma at his heels. Beth had the bathroom window open and had pitched out her purse, Daryl's wallet and the lock box in which they kept their most valuable papers as well as some cash, but Daryl stopped her from getting anything else and shoved her through the window with a hand on her ass, before handing the baby and then the cat to her through the opening. He'd followed on their heels, grabbed up their few belongings from the ground and hustled them toward their trucks. When they turned to look back the house was being devoured by flames.

Beth had shoved their cell phones into her purse and Daryl had just called 911 for emergency services when he heard sirens coming their way. He snatched up Gemma, worried that the noise would scare her and placed her in his truck, then held Beth and Abi close while they watched their belongings burn and knew he could do without the house or any of the things in it because his world was with him, in his arms and his vehicle. If Gemma hadn't been so persistent, he might not have awakened in time to save his family and they could have all perished and he didn't know what he would have done. Daryl clutched Beth and Abi tighter at the thought, not aware that he was leaving bruises on his wife's tender skin, though she didn't seem to care as she clung to him and their child in response.

Hershel admitted a week later that it wouldn't be how he'd have wanted it to happen, but he couldn't deny he loved having Daryl, Beth, Abi and Gemma back at the farm with him and had declared the house had felt far too large and empty for his taste after Beth had moved out, though he hadn't wanted to say anything before. The old vet was especially happy to have Abi at the house and Patty, who helped him care for the house, gardens and some of the animals had declared the baby would never see the inside of a daycare center if she could help it. Beth had found a job working in music therapy and was happy doing it, but also still helped her dad with the office paperwork for his veterinary office. He'd found a partner in a young, female vet named Annie Lincoln as a new partner and was thrilled with the fact that the young vet was rapidly gaining popularity among their clients, but Hershel still seemed as busy as ever and he and Annie were talking about trying to hire more people.

Dale had given Daryl a couple more raises and finally offered him a manager's job at the garage, which allowed the mechanic a little less time working on cars and gave his back a break now and then. It also let him make sure everyone was trained and did things the right way and Dale was now talking about moving the garage to a new, bigger location since business was booming.

The fire marshal had declared the house fire was caused by faulty wiring and when their insurance had paid them a few weeks later, Daryl and Beth had a serious discussion with Hershel and it was decided that the Dixons would continue to live out at the Greene farm and the lake house would be their vacation spot or maybe a rental home.

They'd invited Daryl's best friend, Rick Grimes, and his family over for Thanksgiving and after the best meal Daryl could call to mind, Beth, Maggie, Patty and Rick's wife Lori had gone to town cleaning the old farmhouse until it shone and decorating it from top to bottom, even sending Hershel, Daryl, Glenn, Rick and Rick's son Carl out to string white solar lights through some of the trees in the yard. Daryl had grumbled, but admitted the effect was pretty when they came on at sunset as they all sat in the kitchen eating a supper of grilled paninis made from Thanksgiving leftovers. Before Beth, Daryl had never eaten a panini, thinking they sounded too frou-frou to be manly, but now they were one of his favorite things, especially with a cup of Beth's turkey and wild rice soup, also made with leftovers. That night, Beth had layered the turkey's white breast meat with Brie, whole cranberry sauce and even a bit of the dressing and Daryl was positive he'd never had a tastier sandwich. Looking around the full table of friends and family, Daryl didn't think he'd ever been happier in his life and was again struck by the thought that his life couldn't get much better than it was then.

As they shared what they were most thankful for, Daryl could barely make up his mind. "I'm thankful for all of you," he said gruffly, "but I'm most grateful for the day I went to look in an old pillowcase someone had tossed at the side of that service road behind the shop." He leaned over and picked up the small black cat to whom he'd been sneaking scraps all day, lifting her into his lap. "Without Li'l Bit here, I might never had met Beth and we wouldn't have Abi and none of us might be here now if it weren't for her waking me up that night." He snorted as a thought struck him, "My family taught me that Dixons have secrets and we keep our mouths shut about ourselves and our lives, but best thing I ever did was letting this cat out of the bag."

Fin