The Baby Arrangement

Chapter 90: A Month's Passing

Living at Hershel's wasn't easy for Beth and Daryl. She felt as if she was under his supervision all the time. True, her and Daryl weren't in the mood for sex after just losing Teddy a month ago, but they wish everyone would stop fussing over them. With Halloween coming up in two days, Beth and Kensi have been keeping busy shopping for her Halloween costume so they can go trick or treating for the first time. Sitting in the middle of the Halloween Shop, Beth keeps Kensi in the shopping cart as she looks around every aisle for something cute. Kensi of all things wants to be a zombie. Daryl must have influenced that one- Beth knows it. But looking at all the little boy things makes her too upset right now. She just wants Teddy back. She wants to dress him up and take him and Kensi trick or treating around Senonia. Looking at a princess gown that is similar to Elsa's Kensi cries from the cart to her mother.

"Noo!!!" The small blonde haired girl is too upset at the thought of the dress. "Mommy, zombie!!"

"Honey, I'm just looking. We'll find you a Zombie costume, don't worry." Kensi sniffs back her tears and Beth can tell she's doing this to expel her sadness for Teddy. Young children find it difficult to express themselves when it comes to things like that. But Beth rather have her be like this than calloused. "What should Mommy be for Halloween Kens?"

"WENDY!" The girl's cheery pleas make Beth smile, so she starts walking to the adult section. Then it hits her.

"Kensi, would you like to be a zombie princess?"

"YEAH!!!" The girl bounces up and down and claps her hands as Beth beams down at her.

"Do you want to be Elsa?"

"NO!"

"Who do you want to be then?"

"Tink!!" Kensi cheers and Beth just smiles widely.

"Okay, let's go find you a Tinker Bell  costume that we can make into a zombie." After they finish finding all the supplies for their costumes, Beth ended up finding Daryl a Peter Pan costume so they all are from Peter Pan- which Beth thinks will be a cute idea. Coming out of the store, they walk about the mall and soon, Beth has an ache in her stomach. Breathing in the food court smell, she becomes sick to her stomach and races to the restroom, Kensi in her stroller along with their bag of costumes. Sprinting into the big handicap stall, Beth bends over the toilet and vomits violently into it. Kensi just sits and watches her mother become more and more sick. Sitting back from the toilet, Beth shakes her head slowly and then stands up, letting the automatic toilet take away her lunch.

"Mommy Kay?"

"Yes, sweetie. I'm okay." After washing her hands and drying them off, she takes Kensi back to the mall, avoiding the food court all together. As they pass a Human Society, Kensi notices the animals inside and draws Beth's attention that way.

"Mommy- puppy!!" Ozzie...huh, Beth knows she's missing her best friend. Beth misses that doofus also, but is it too soon to get a new dog? Or course it wouldn't be replacing Ozzie, because no dog could, but it would be a distraction from the pain they all are feeling. What's the harm in looking anyway? Taking Kensi into the Society, Beth heads through the doors that lead to the dog kennel and strolls Kensi up and down each aisle- Kensi saying hello to every dog she sees. At the end of the whole three aisles of dogs, Beth and Kensi freeze when they meet eyes with a dog the size of a bear. Going to the paper on the cage door, Beth reads aloud to Kensi as the dog lays in the corner.

"Hello, my name is Tiny. I am a Giant German Shepherd- the only one bred in the last decade. When I was born, I was the runt, and now I am bigger than my siblings. I haven't had a family before because of my size, but I guarantee you, I am a loveable guy who just wants a nice home. I am vaccinated, neutered, and am turning Three on Halloween. Please adopt me." Looking back at the little girl, she has unbuckled herself from the stroller and slowly comes up to the cage, where the big dog slowly raises his head and turns it to the side. "Kensi, don't stick you hand in there..."

In an instant the dog is up and licking Kensi's hands as he lays down. Even laying flat the dog's head meets Kensi standing. Beth just smiles and kneels beside her daughter, petting the big gentle dog gently on his fluffy head.

"I see you two have met our rare friend." A man comes walking up behind Beth and Kensi and stops short of the cage. "I'm Dodge Harrison, I am manager of this Humane Society."

"Beth. What do you mean rare?"

"I mean he is the only one of his kind. You see, German Shepherd usually top out around 26 inches high and 88 pounds. Their coats tend to be short and course with shedding in light waves. Tiny here, was born as the runt to two world class German's, and now at two years old has a fluffy flat coat, weighs 120 pounds- pure muscle I remind you- and stands over 75 inches, and that's not when he's on his hind legs. That's almost the same height and weight as an average Black Bear. Tiny is a magnificent creature. Unfortunately we only keep dogs for a year before we ship them to another kennel. After four kennels, they terminate the poor creature."

"How many times has he been moved?" Beth asks sadly.

"Unfortunately this is his last ride. Poor boy. He's been in a cage all his life- except of course when we take him for a walk in the pen out back." Looking back down at Kensi playing with Tiny, Beth feels the pain in her heart of letting this poor animal suffer because he's misunderstood. She should talk to Daryl about this, but she can't afford to let anything happen to this poor creature.

"How much?"

"For an adoption fee it's $50."

"We'll take him."

Oh Daryl is going to kill me?