A Happy Marriage?

Chapter 29: Home Again, Home Again

Their car ride home after Daryl's discharge was not only quiet, but tense. Not tense in which they were scared or overly worried about something, but tense as in overly anxious and slightly excited. It was even worse when they were in the tight courters of the elevator, and in the hallway to their front door. But as soon as that door was shut behind them, a force raged through their bodies and sot to burn the place to the ground with lust and power.

Scooping her up, legs around his waist, Daryl thrusts his tongue into her mouth and heads for the sofa, but as Beth is laid down, her body feels uncomfortable on the couch. The thought of someone, anyone, walking in on them ducking on the couch, makes her feel her blood rising to the surface- burning her face and skin all over.

"Upstairs..." She breathlessly groans through a French kiss. Groaning himself, Daryl hoists her back up into his arms and hustles upstairs.

"Your room? Or mine?" At first she thought she could careless which room they fucked in, but she soon remembered that he nearly died in his bedroom bathroom. It's probably best not to trigger his memory, or hers.

"Mine....hurry." She begs as she nips and nibbles at his neck and shoulders. He quickens the pace and makes it up the stairs flawlessly. As they enter her room, which is actually clean for once, Daryl lays her on the bed and continues to kiss her deeply while fiddling with his pants and shirt. The groaning grows louder as Daryl voraciously captures her lips while lightly thrusting against Beth, who is still fully clothed.

"Need help?" Daryl asks as he finds Beth's hands flat between his body and hers.

"No...I got it..." He can hear the tension and something else- something he can't put his finger on- in her voice. Slowly pulling away from her, Daryl props himself up on his hands- at either side of her face, and looks down at her curiously. His face is riddled with concern that his lust slowly fades. He knows she's somewhere else right now.

"What is it?" She doesn't look at him for a while, as she moves her hands to his bare chest. She seems fine until she moves her hands around to his back, and finds all the scars his family laid upon him as a mere child. Her eyes close and a few small tears peirce through her closed eye lids. "Beth...don't. Don't cry."

"I'm sorry..." Her voice cracks and her eyes open. More tears pour from her glassy blue eyes and Daryl knows, tonight will not be their first time.

"My family was a bunch of assholes. I accepted that a long time ago. The scars only show that I made it. And they don't get to take that away from me." He sounds so confident and light hearted, but this doesn't calm Beth in the slightest.

"You nearly died... here, in this apartment, in our home. Just down the hall. I, don't want to live here any more- with the horror and the reminder that I almost lost the man I love." Now he gets it.

"We will move then. Find a new apartment or house and just go. I know your fortune had begun here, but if it bothers you that much then let's move."

"You mean it?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's your money so it's up to you, but that's a nice easy solution to starting fresh and forgetting the shit we've gone through." Pulling him down to her, she hugs him tightly and the world seems at peace.

"Thank you...let's, let's start packing. I'll call my realty agent to start looking for the perfect house."

"Right...now? Can't you wait til mornin'?" She sits him up and stands up in front on him on the floor.

"This can't wait. The sooner the better." Now Beth usually isn't so pushy or over rambunctious or insistent of simple things and tasks, but this matter of situation was important. With Negan looking more beastly and malicious, this would be the ticket she needs to finally get out of the city and to her own private state of mind. This strategic move should allow her to get more dirt on Negan and which ever mobbish bunch he was working with. It's better, however, to not tell Daryl. Especially because he flies off at the handles and exerts himself in ways that might bring about speculation and troubles that Beth nor Daryl himself need to have in their life. "Do this one thing for me please...support me without question. Like a husband would do."

"Al...alright. Yeah, sure." He knows something's up. He knows she's drowning in some way. But what exactly is it? What is she running from that she can't tell him? Her attitude seems guarded and scared almost. What had happened since he was gone?

**Nearly two weeks ago***

Walking to her car in the parking garage, Beth clutched onto her purse and files, tighter than Winnie the Pooh being stuck in Rabbit's front door. Her knuckles turning white, bring a chill to her arms and she suddenly stops in her tracks as she finds Negan at her car.

"Was wonderin' if you were coming in today?" She hasn't even left her apartment building and he's already tormenting her like a cat and a mouse.

"I am...briefly. Then I have to be somewhere else." Somewhere else, the hospital, to hear Daryl tell the therapist a lil bit more about his issues. He's been doing so good, but he still needs a bit more guidance.

"Ya know, people are starting to think you're slacking off, just cause you're the boss. It's pissin' off a lot of the higher ups." He pushes off the edge of her car tire with his dress shoe and slowly approaches her like a wild cat looking at a field mouse.

"It's none of their concern...now please leave me to myself." Clicking his teeth, he still has a blood thirsty look in his eyes that has been glued to him since their last encounter.

"Ya just don't get it do you? It is my concern. Because the more you're off with that grunt, the more you make your company look bad." He is closer to her now, his hand palming at her waist. Pulling her in like a doll, Negan crushes her to his body and looms down into her eyes. "You scared, Princess...cause you should be."