The Baby Arrangement

Chapter 47: In Charge

Chapter 47: In Charge

Sitting at the kitchen table, Daryl eats his breakfast and watches Ozzie sleep beside him. It's been a solid month of him avoiding Beth after his melt down with her drunken-self. Yeah, he should probably pick up her calls or texts, but he's just so mad right now and upset. She's really hurt him and he wants that point to get across.

"Hello?" His phone goes off and it's Merle on the other end.

"Hey, did you lose something?"

"What?"

"Did you lose something?" Merle asks again and Daryl is more than confused.

"Merle enough games. What are you talking about?"

"Bruuurrrss." A familiar baby sound comes across the speakers and he thumbs his ear to make sure he heard it correctly.

"Kensi? Merle are you in Atlanta with Kensi?"

"Nah, Kensi's in Kentucky."

"How the hell is that even possible...wait, why's Beth in Kentucky?"

"Better question, why's she in jail?"

"What?"

"Yep. Yer fire cracker's in jail and luckily they handed over Kensi. Bail ain't posted yet." Thinking about all the possible things Daryl could come across, he sighs.

"I'm coming."

It was a long flight to sit and think about what he should say to her, but at the same time, maybe she should do the explaining and talking, since she is the one in jail.

Pulling up to Merle's house, he rushes in and finds her sitting on the floor in a green tutu and headband band, playing on a blanket with toys. At the sight of him, Kensi bounces in her seated position until Daryl scoops get up and kisses her.

"Baby Girl! I love you. Don't forget that please." Daryl says as he kisses her face and soon looks at Carol and Merle. "She out yet?"

"Figured you'd wanna do the honors." Carol says as she hugs him. Handing her Kensi, he goes back out to his rented car and heads to the police station. When he gets there, he asks them for Beth and waits in the lobby for her.

When she comes out, she has a black eye and a split lip, not to mention a broken ego. He wants to pull her into a hug and tell her she's okay, but at the same time he doesn't. Walking over to him like a dog with their tail between their legs, she has her was down and her hands clasped in from of her.

Holding her purse in his one hand, he takes the other and places it high on her back as he escorts her out to the car. Getting there, they stop in front of it she becomes chilled from having no jacket in the November wind that carries small flakes of snow around their heads.

"Get in." He says sternly and she goes to the passenger door and gets in the car as told. Starting it up, he says nothing, but runs the heat up all the way as he pulls out if the parking lot.

Driving back to Merle's, Daryl just focuses on the road with a look most angered. Beth slumps in her seat as if she was a child in the principle's office. When they get to the driveway, Daryl kills the engine and neither of them move.

"If yer gonna scold me, do it now. The torture of silence has lasted long enough." She says bravely and he doesn't move.

"I'm not gonna scold you. I'm not yer father..."

"Then what is with the scowl and angered demeanor?"

"I just flew from Georgia to bail yer ass out of jail, Beth!"

"I didn't ask you too!" She counters and he growls.

"No...but that's what you do when you care about people Beth."

"Care about me?" She raises her eyebrows disgustedly. "If you cared about me, you would've picked up yer fucking phone! I gave you space. Time to decide what you wanted and you just didn't care enough to come back and talk to me or pick up the phone and say fuck off."

"Maybe I didn't have enough time or space! Maybe I'm just some terrible person for giving you what you wanted?"

"What I wanted? What the fuck is that suppose to mean?"

"You constantly remind me how we're not attached or how I don't seen to care about you and my daughter, but you don't seem to fucking understand how much I love you! You think I don't care, then why am I here Beth? Why am I fucking here?" He slams his hands on the steering wheel and she just sit back a little nervous and hurt. "God, all you think about is yerself! You want this. Or you want that. God forbid someone makes you the tiniest bit happy that you have to find some sorta flaw to push them away. You wanna baby. I give you a baby. You want more. I give you more. You want a house. I buy you a fucking house! But all you do is push me away after each task is complete. After you find a bit more happiness. What do I get out of this Beth? I love Kensi, but I don't have custody over her. I want to be loved too, but god forbid we figure that out! Just forget it. You win. Congratulations...I have nothing more to offer you."

Getting out of the car, Daryl goes inside and leaves Beth in the cold.

"How'd it....go." Merle starts to say as he bounces Kensi and Daryl storms off upstairs to the guest room slamming the door behind him. Beth rings the doorbell and Merle shoes her in. "Nice ta see....you too."

Beth passes him by and races upstairs to the guest room and slams the door.

"What's that all about?" Carol asks as all three of them stair at the door at the top of the stairs.

"No idea, but it can't be good."

"Congratulations? Congratulations! This isn't a fucking game!" Beth yells in his face and he turns to face the window. "So I'm just some bit he who takes what she wants and gives nothing back!"

"Sounds about right." Daryl snaps and she steps closer.

"Fuck you! I didn't ask for this!"

"Yes you did!" Daryl gets right up in her face and it scares her. "You wanted Kensi! Everything was you, you, you! You never toon anyone else's feelings into consideration! You go off and get drunk and that's before you knew you weren't pregnant! Why? Cause you didn't want the baby in the first place so it didn't matter if it was affected!"

"Daryl stop..."

"No! You only want me to stop because you don't wanna hear about how self centered you are! How much has Kensi cried since I left? A lot no doubt! Maybe cause she knows she doesn't wanna be stuck alone with a terrible, inconsiderate, self centered woman like YOU!"

The whole house goes silent, hell maybe the whole neighborhood. Downstairs Merle and Carol just stare in shock at the poor child in their arms. Upstairs, Beth lets a few tears fall from her eyes as Daryl heaves heavy breaths as he comes down from his spiked anger, after realizing how terrible he sounded and how little truth there was in that statement, not to mention how much pain he just caused Beth.

"Beth, I..." He goes to grab her, but she just turns and runs out the door and down the stairs before he can apologize. "Fuck."

Racing passed Merle and Carol, Beth forgets about Kensi altogether, not from being a bad mother, but from being hurt, and gets in her rental car. Daryl hears her start her engine and leave. Looking around the room, his head droops lower until it's in his lap.

"Why do you always gotta fuck things up....why?...why?" He says sadly to himself.