Beth's Old Sweet Shoppe

Chapter 31:

Chapter 31:

Much like every other morning, Daryl loves waking up to Beth- her warm body snuggled next to his, the light shining on their faces...only this morning Daryl feels cold and the blinds are semi shut. Opening his eyes, he finds the bed empty and the bathroom door, half closed and the sound of pain radiating from it. Getting up, he stalks to the bathroom and slowly pushes back the door. Inside the master-bathroom, Beth is leaning over the toilet doing, in the sense of words, puking her guts up. Gently going behind her, Daryl grasps her thick blonde hair in his hand and rubs a hand up and down her back as she continues being sick. Tears stinging her eyes and throat burning, Beth finally sits back and wipes her mouth with a square of toilet paper, before flushing the toilet after closing the lid. On his knees behind Beth, Daryl rubs her shoulder and she leans into his front. They don't speak for several moments, just take in the terrible start to the morning- both wondering what the cause is for such violent sickness.

"You okay, sweetie?" Running his arms up and down her arms, Daryl sits against the wall and takes Beth in his arms. Laying her head against his chest, Beth feels like shit and on top of that her nerves are becoming strained.

"Ye...yeah. I'm fine." Hesitating, Beth isn't sure what this is, but one things for sure, it better fix itself out.

"You should go lay down. I'll bring you in some juice and some toast." Leaving a kiss on the top of her head, Daryl helps Beth up, and she turns to face him with her arms around his neck. Standing on her tippy toes, she goes to let go and Daryl goes to kiss her.

"Don't..." She gently pulls away, laying her hands to rest on his chest.

"What?"

"I just threw up..." Sighing heavily, Daryl shakes his head at her and tries to kiss her again. "Daryl, seriously, it's gross."

"Honey, I don't care. I love you." Kissing her lips quickly, he looks back down at her and smiles widely.

"Yer something else, Dixon...you know that right?"

"I know. Now, wash yer mouth out and I'll bring you yer things." He gently pats her butt and scoots her to the sink. She giggles as he leaves and once he's gone, she sinks in her stature and frowns.

In the kitchen, Daryl starts the toast when Merle comes in with Bailey. Letting the puppy down, she immediately bites at Daryl's pants and Daryl shakes his head at the puppy.

"Christmas is in two weeks..." Merle says as he pours a cup of coffee he made earlier. Sipping the warm black nector, he sits and pesters his brother.

"Don't remind me...I'm still thinking of what to get Beth."

"Yeah, ya kinda already blew everything else out of the water with that pup and engagement."

"Again, don't remind me." Pouring the orange juice in a glass, he waits for the toast to pop and grabs the butter and grape jelly from the fridge. "You getting Carol something?"

"Probably should...and Sophia. What do little girls like?"

"I'd hardly say a 15 year old is a little girl."

"Shit...I thought she was 12."

"Nope...you've always sucked at guessing ages. This is why you weren't good at your carnie job for guessing weight and age."

"I was also always high...if that contributes to my bad judgement." Both chuckle at the memory of Merle working for a Carnival vender.

"Morning..." Beth says softly as she walks into the kitchen and picks up Bailey, before sitting at the table.

"Morning, Miss. Beth. How'd you sleep?"

"Better...til this morning. But I'm okay." She keeps everything moving swiftly as she plays with the pup's ears.

"Here's yer juice and yer toast." Daryl says as he sets her stuff in front of her and kisses her hair and pets the puppy. "Did Jake go out this morning, Merle?"

"Yep. He's in my room sleeping on the floor. Snores like a damn Bear that one."

"Yeah Jake's loud..." Daryl starts to say and Merle cuts him off.

"Not Jake, he's quiet as a mouse. That one. She snores like a banshee in heat." Beth gets up, setting the pup on the floor and races back to the bathroom. "What's up with her?"

"Flu of some sort. I think it was from her being out in the snow the one nigh without a coat on."

"Probably..." Merle sips his coffee and starts looking over the newspaper.

After a morning of her being sick, Beth snuggles up on the couch under her favorite blanket and watches her favorite tv show -The Infected.

"Hey, what cha' watchin'?" Daryl asks as he sits on the couch beside her and she leans into him.

"The Infected. Did you ever see it?"

"No...what's it about?"

"Well, it's about this nurse, Trixie Fries, and she wakes up after a car crash in a world over run by zombies. She tries to find her husband Rory and her son Max. When she find them, they're with this other group of people and everything. They find out from the CDC that everyone is infected and will turn into Zombies eventually. So they're living in this post appocolyptic world and are trying to survive."

"What season is this?"

"Season 5! My two favorite characters, Brenda Dean, she is a total badass, her weapon is a long bow and she's currently in this complicated loveship with sweet and hopeful farmer, Norman Nixon. They are so cute, but they arent' together cause right now they're seperated and Norman's old possible lover, Darlene Petzer is getting in the way."

"Wow, someone just went fangirl crazy."

"I love this show! I am a total Borman fan. Screw all the Narlene fans." Daryl laughs and Beth just leans into him. He never really watches tv, but this show is starting to sound pretty good to him. They watch the whole marathon until midnight when Better Call Sally comes on and Beth is snoozing in his side. Picking her up, he carries her to bed and lays down beside her, just watching her chest rise and fall. If the world turned to shit, he'd never let her go. He'd never let her out of his sight. He would be like Brenda's brother, Dag and his Japanese girlfriend, Gracie- never letting go and constantly fighting to be with each other. Closing his eyes, he ends up in a appocolyptic dream world where he and Beth are fighting the dead.