Beth's Old Sweet Shoppe

Chapter 50:

Chapter 50:

Sitting in his car outside Merle's probation office, Daryl feels an ache in his chest. He isn't quite sure if it's from Merle finally being a free man or the fact that free men can do as try please. Which ever the reason for the throbbing in his chest, he beams when he finally sees Merle strutting out of the building with a huge smile on his face an showing Daryl his un-ankle braceleted ankle as he comes to him. Shaking his head, Daryl can't stop smiling and being happy for his brother. True, Merle deserved being in jail for what he'd been doing, but Daryl always knew deep down, maybe deep deep deep down, that Merle was a great guy.

"How's it feel?"

"Amazing!" Merle says and leans back in the passenger seat of the truck.

"Let's go show Be..."

"Hold up. I just got free. I don't wanna go back to that damn candy store right now. I wanna get a damn beer finally."

"Merle...I don't think..."

"You don't think? Listen, I want a damn beer now and some freedom. I ain't about to be shut up in that room. So if you'll excuse me." Getting out of the truck, Merle starts walking down the street to the corner bar. Getting out of his truck, Daryl jogs to catch up with him and they head inside together.

"What'll it be boys?"

"Double vodka." Merle says as he sits on a bar stool and Daryl sits down next to him.

"And for you?"

"Coke n' Whiskey." Daryl says as he take his phone out to tell Beth what's happening.

"Tellin' the miss's where we at?"

"Yes Merle...she needs to know. She's almost six months pregnant and last thing I need is for her to get stressed out."

"Yeah...ya know, you did right."

"What?"

"You did right, lil brudder. You got away from the bad, came a cop, found a loving girl, and nows havin' a baby girl...I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm proud of you. And...huh, thank you for all ya did, keepin' me outta trouble." Looking at his brother, Daryl never expected those words to come out of his mouth. For Merle to sit there and thank him for everything, makes him feel like all the bad times never even happened.

"Merle...thank you. I'm glad yer okay and I couldn't have asked for a better brother."

"Yeah ya could, but it's the thought that counts."

"Well, let's drink then. To Dixon's."

"To Dixon's!" Merle and Daryl clink their glasses and they drink. Stopping after two, Daryl sits and converses with Merle who is pretty wasted right now. When he finally feels it's enough freedom for one day, he and another bartender help Merle to his car and Daryl, finally being sober, drives them home.

Sitting on the couch, holding Bailey on her lap, Beth watches tv as she waits for Daryl to get home. She can't wait for the boys to get home so she can here all about how great Merle feels. Looking down at Jake on the ground in front of her, he looks extra tired today and so does Bailey. It's funny how tired they all have been, even Beth feels drained. Laying down on the couch, she rubs her stomach and closes her eyes.

Waking up two hours later, Beth feels sick to her stomach. Racing to the restroom, she hunkers over the toilet and pukes everything she's had up. It's violent and painful- like being stabbed in the stomach and shot in the face at the same time as being on fire. Holding her head up, all she can feel is her body lose control and she becomes very tired. Laying down on the bathroom floor on her side, the whole room seems to go dark in her eyes and all she can really do is let the light dissipate around her as pain take over.