The Best of Me ( Rickyl )

Chapter 7

*20 Years Ago*

That night Daryl and Rick set up a small table outside on the front porch of the house. Covering it with one of Dale's checked table clothes and small candle light in the middle along with the bowls of stew and fresh bread.

It was a nice night and they figured they might as well enjoy the cool weather before it started to get scorching hot in a couple of months.

Daryl grabbed a couple cans of soda and a bottle of beer from the fridge and he walked back outside to find Rick and Dale already sitting down around the table as he handed them the drinks.

"You boys didn't have to do all this." Dale said, motioning towards the table in front of him with a small smile forming on his face, but Rick shook his head.

"You've done a lot for Daryl and for me, it's the least we could do." Rick responded, cracking open his can of coke as Daryl glanced between the two of them for a few seconds. Daryl could tell the older man wanted to say something, but obviously wasn't sure if he should or how to word it and suddenly Daryl started to get nervous.

"This is none of my business and I don't care either way, but are the two of you... Are you guys together?" He asked causing Rick to nearly choke on his drink as he coughed a few times, his eyes glancing over at Daryl who was sitting across from him with a slightly panicked expression before he cleared his throat.

"Yeah, we are." Daryl answered, his tone slightly defensive as he turned towards Dale who just nodded and cracked open his beer and took a sip.

"Good, you boys are good together. Was wondering how long it take for you guys to get together. Glad you already are." The older man admitted, shocking the two of them slightly and Daryl felt himself starting to relax as he leant back in chair and looked over at Rick who smiled at him, relief evident in his expression before they all began to eat.

10 minutes later they had all finished eating and just sat around the table, talking about anything and everything as they enjoyed the peaceful night.

"I'm just saying, when two cars break down on consecutive days, that bring two people together, that's destiny." Rick declared, leaning forward on his elbows towards Daryl who just rolled his eyes at the other guy. Yes, Maggie's car broke down and the next day, Rick's car wouldn't start at school, but that's just a coincidence.

"Destiny? No, destiny is the name the fortunate give to their fortunes." Daryl argued, leaning forward in his chair as well.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Rick asked in confusion causing Daryl to scoff.

"That means that people never call bad things destiny." He responded and now it was Rick who scoffed as he leant back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You are absolutely impossible. Dale, please help me out here." Rick begged turning around to the older man who was sitting back in his chair watching the two of them in amusement. "What do you think?"

"I never did believe in that stuff. But, I will tell you one thing. Back in the war, I was in the Navy, I'm serving aboard a destroyer when we took a Jap torpedo. Blew me right off the deck. Broke my back. There I am bobbing around in the water like a fishing cork, all hell breaking loose around me and I..." Dale began to say trailing off slightly as Rick and Daryl both stared at him in shock before he continued.

"I started singing this old Irving Berlin song; 'What'll I do with just a photograph to tell my troubles to? What'll I do? What'll I do?'" Dale sang with a soft chuckle causing Rick and Daryl to smile softly. "Well, after a few verses of this, this calm just came over me and I knew right then I was gonna be alright. That I was gonna go home, that I was gonna hold my wife again." He paused for a few seconds a faint smile tracing his lips as he thought about that memory.