The Baby Arrangement

Chapter 4: No Progress

Chapter 4: No Progress

It's been almost 2 1/2 weeks since Beth and Daryl had sex. It comes the day when Beth finally gets the courage to take her pregnancy test. Sitting on the bathtub edge, Beth waits before the flow hits her, when it does, she sits down on the toilet with her pregnancy test and pees on it.

"Beth!" Daryl calls and Beth shakes her head. The last few weeks he's been nothing but an asshole and yet supportive...which is odd for him. He's usually only supportive when it directly affects him or she breaks down and cries over an over again until he can't take it- neither of which have happened recently.

"Bathroom." She calls as she wipes herself and sets the test on the counter.

"Taking yer morning shit?" He asks as he pours himself some orange juice and sits to read the paper he brought up from her mailbox. Coming out Beth just scoffs.

"Do you even buy food or own an apartment?"

"Yeah everything is just so much better over here. There's an abundance of everything."

"That's cause I constantly have to stalk up cause yer always eating and drinking my shit." She says as she gestures to the orange juice.

"What is that?" He points to the white and purple pregnancy stick in her hand and she just shrugs.

"It's a pregnancy test."

"Oh shit." He gets a bit jumpy and prepares to leave.

"Will you just calm down. Now who's the Spaz. Why do you care anyway?"

"I...I don't. Just stop waving that thing so yer piss doesn't get in my Cheerios." He literally has poured himself a bowl of Cheerios and now puts the milk in.

"Classy. Always so classy, Daryl."

"Thank you." He say with his mouth full. "So...get what you wanted?"

"I don't know. I have to wait three more minutes....so I saw that Rebecca was given another shot."

"Oh...yeah. Hcch, she was actually pretty decent."

"Decent? Haha well that's a new word for you." She snickers, but feels like shit. Since when does he take girls back. "So...is she just yer fuck buddy?"

"For now." Her eyes drop a bit. What does that mean? For now? As in he's just gonna have sex with her for a while or he's gonna start dating her? Or, more?

"Oh."

The buzzer on her phone goes off an Daryl pulls her from her sad thoughts.

"What's it say?" He leans over and they both look at it. "Ahh Beth...I'm sorry." Leaning over he gives her a side hug and she shakes it off.

"It's fine...um...yeah. It's cool." She's crushed. Not only is Daryl gonna start seeing Rebecca, but he didn't even give her a baby.

"Beth..." He goes to touch her hand and she pulls away leaving the pregnancy test on the table and slams her bedroom door shut. "Huhhh."

Sighing, he rubs the back of his neck and then realizes the test she peed on is on the table. Cautiously picking it up, Daryl throws it in the trash and then sanitizes the table. Going to her door, he knocks an leans his head to it. He hears her crying and he feels like shit.
He knocks again.

"Go away!" She cries out and Daryl shifts in his stance. Sighing, he slowly opens the door and finds her sitting against her headboard in bed, knees pulled to her chest and tears streaming down her face. "I said go away."

"I know...but I never listen. Remember?" Going around to the other side of the bed, Daryl gets on and sits next to Beth, pulling her into his side. They sit like this for a few seconds until she shifts more into him and cries into his neck, wrapping her arms around him also. "It's okay...Beth, yer gonna be fine, okay? You'll get pregnant and have a baby in no time....I promise."